It’s so cool to enjoy the Ferris Wheel at the Toys R Us in Times Square, New York City. Ammon and Carter really enjoy going there even if it is just to “look at toys”.
3rd Annual Toys R Us Ferris Wheel Ride: Haven’s 1st ride with Carter.
Nana & Sean’s 1st Ferris Wheel Picture with Ammon: 3rd Annual Toys R Us Ferris Wheel Ride
It’s so cool to see Carter & Ammon growing. I am including their last year’s link so we can all compare.
How time flies, and what a blessing Ammon has been. Heart melting moment(s). Ammon has a new, wonderful habit of saying, “I love you.” at different times and places.
Once again the kitchen is the setting (all you parental care-givers understand how much TIME is spent in the kitchen): Haven cleaning surfaces when Ammon bounces into the kitchen from the living room. The sink is open to the rest of the kitchen-eating area with no back drop, so Ammon and Carter can peer above the counter and see me working at the stove or wherever.
“Daddy?! (an interrogative exclamation), “Yes, Ammon?” . “Daddy, I just wanted to say…, ‘I love you.’ “Thank you, sweetheart. I love you too.” : just like her brother, she melted my heart. Happy Birthday, Ammon. We love you.
Happy 4th Birthday, Ammon! 11-6-2012
How time flies, and what a blessing Carter has been. Just Tuesday morning (10-30-2012), Carter woke up called from his and Ammon’s dark bedroom, “Daddy?!” Often times if Carter doesn’t wake up feeling too rested and “cranky” he yells for me, so with a bit of concern in my voice I answered back to him from the kitchen, “Yes, son?” He then called back, “I love you!” ….yet another heart-melting moment from my son.
Our 4 year old Boy!
God, Thank you for Carter, and, Carter, may your 4th year be a blessed one.
Annette & Frank Margo with Ammon and Carter: June 28, 2012
Astronomical Clock: Rostock Cathedral: Rostock, Germany
Outside Schwerin Castle
Schwerin Castle: June 28, 2012
When we started taking cruises in 2008, we had no idea we would meet such wonderful people. I am going to post my “Open Seas and Open Minds” article with this blog in case you all would like to read about some excellent people from around the world who really mean or have meant a lot to Carter, Ammon, Sean, and to me.
On our port-of-call in Warnemunde, Germany we found ourselves conversing and bonding with a couple from Texas named Annette and Frank Margo. They became new, honorary grandparentsfor Ammon and Carter, and, once again, our children and we have been blessed. After the cruise, we exchanged emails, and we have corresponded frequently since the cruise. Frank and Annette, we love you!!
In addition, we saw three different cities this day: Warnemunde, Schwerin, and Rostock. We spent most of time in Schwerin. It is a quaint city, but Schwerin Castle is the only “real” thing to see there. It was definitely not a place to buy souvenirs because, frankly, there is very little artisanship there.
The Church of Our Savior on the Spilled Blood : St. Petersburg, Russia
Our Whole Crew: St. Petersburg, Russia outside Church of the Spilled Blood
Inside St. Isaac’s Cathedral: July 2, 2012
The Pine Trees are fountains! Peterhof Palace Gardens
Peterhof Palace: July 2, 2012
Tomb of Peter the Great: Peter and Paul Fortress St. Petersburg
Wax Figures in the Yusupov Palace: Rasputin (Integral part in the downfall of the Royal Romanov Russian Dynasty) is about to murdered with the help of Felix Yusupov
Hermitage Museum of Art: July 1, 2012
I wish I could say “ I’m in love with the city of St. Petersburg!” , but I cannot. I appreciate it, and I THINK, I could like it, but I’m just not there yet. Sean and I have spoken with several fellow travelers these past two years, and they are quite “smitten” with the city. I do think it’s quite pleasing to the eye and loaded with history: to me very sad history.
We have been there twice, and each time there are literally “hoards” of people. There are traffic jams, traffic accidents (our own bus driver hit TWO cars on our 2nd day of touring). We have had two intelligent, informative, and friendly tour guides these past two trips, but the regular people we have encountered have neither been friendly nor enveloping. Both times I have been there I have experienced that “Give me your tourism $$, then get the heck out!”
Russia’s Czar, Peter the Great, created this “young” city (1703) from swamp lands. He dragged his country practically “kicking and screaming” into the modern era of the world. However, he died, Russia couldn’t “keep it together” again. It seemed to almost have it with Alexander II, but he died at the hands of a homicidal maniac.
I wrote this time last year of “Victims of History” such as Mary,Queen of Scots and Czar Nicholas II of Russia. I first heard and read of the Nicolas when I was about 11 years old. He had such deep love and devotion for his wife, son, and daughters, but not the same love for the people of his country…that is the tragic downfall.
Okay, what I do like very much from St.Petersburg…. 1)St. Isaac’s Cathedral, 2)Church of the Spilled Blood and just outside of St. Petersburg…3)Peterhof Palace Gardens.
Oslo Hard Rock Cafe: June 26, 2012
Viking Museum
Public Ski Jump Park
Vigeland Sculpture Park
Oslo’s Opera House: June 26, 2012
Since I was a teenager, I have wanted to visit Oslo, Norway. My Nanny Caylor always spoke HIGHLY of this nation. During my one day visit, I was not disappointed.
During World War II, Norway was occupied by the Nazis. However, the Norwegian people fought tenaciously and tirelessly to kick them out. I know it was common, but the first time I heard about them battling on snow skis, I was soooooooooooo impressed! My Nanny always thought Norway was so pretty, and it was shared between Norway and the United States that Norwary paid off all its debt to the United States after World War II.
Oslo’s port with Princess Cruise Lines had to be THE BEST port we had ever experienced. The downtown area was less than a 10 minute walk from the ported ship! The Oslo Fjord itself was such a beautiful, natural wonder too.
We know we want to go back to Oslo: 6 hours there were not enough.
Astronomical Clock (Installed in 1410!): Prague
Wenceslas Square: Prague, Czech Republic
The Whole Crew and Prague : Thursday June 21, 2012
From June 20 until June 23, we were in Prague, Czech Republic. It was just 3 days, but it was just enough to have that “we want to return here” feeling. It was a great experience.
The Old Town Square where our hotel was located was PERFECT. We highly recommend the Old Town Hotel and Residence. The suite we had a combination of traditional (two Bohemian crystal chandeliers hanging from the 15 feet ceilings) and contemporary (the bathroom furnishings were so cool) furnishings.
Our hotel was one block from a Starbuck’s, 200 yards from the Hard Rock Prague, one block from excellent shopping, and a 5 minute walk to St. Wenceslas Square. Yes, it bears the name of the King of Bohemia who is in the beautiful Christmas carol “Good King Wenceslas”. This square had EVERYTHING: hotels, restaurants, souvenir shops, and so much more.
The architecture of the city seemed to have 1,000 years of styles blending together to make such a picturesque character.
Dual Purpose Memorial Day
To our Soldiers Past, Present, and Future:
Words cannot say “Thank you!” enough to our service men and women from the past, present, and future. There have been many of my family members who have fought for the colonies, fought for both the Union and the Confederacy, fought in World War I, and served in World War II, and we have several who have served in peace time as well. Both of these men are dead, but my Granddaddy (Troy Caylor) was drafted into the Army in the spring of 1945, did not do combat (praise the Lord), but helped in the United State’s Japanese occupation from 1945-1946. His brother-in-law, Charles Kirk, was drafted earlier in World War II, entered the Navy, and served on the now famous-floating museum, the Intrepid .
My May 28 Memorial Day
I had mixed emotions on Sunday evening. I could not decide what to write for Memorial Day 2012 because it was a unique day. I chose to write about Memorial Day 2012 the day after the holiday.
This year’s Memorial Day was May 28. It’s a national holiday. My family and I have another “memorial day” on May 28: The anniversary death of my father. Yesterday, my father died 30 years ago. My goodness, it was 30 years ago! I can still hear him talk, hear him laugh, and call my name. For years, I dreamed about him, and he still appears in my dreams but not as frequently. One positive thing about a parent dying young (he was 42) and unexpectedly is that the parent is always “ageless” and frozen in time. I did not have to see my father become old, suffer from any disease, lose his memory, or lose his physical strength. Until the day I die or lose MY memory, he will be my 42 year old father. As I’ve said before, I don’t feel sad for myself, because I had a wonderful father, and we had a great relationship (NO REGRETS), but I do wish Ammon and Carter could experience his grandfatherly love, sense of humor, Christian love, and love of life. However, I’m glad our Papa Caylor Angel can see us in heaven.
T-Rex: Tuesday May 8, 2012
Wooly Mammoth
New York City’s Museum of Natural History: May 8, 2012
Ammon and Carter had survived the Uffizi, the Accademia di Belle Arti, and The Sistine Chapel in Italy, The Anne Frank House in Amsterdam, The Louvre in Paris, and many other smaller museums of Europe and the United States. However, they were MADE to go.
During our week in New York City, we had several free mornings and afternoons, and it rained several of those days as well. On Tuesday (May 8), we couldn’t go to Central Park or other parks, so I scoured my mind in thinking of where Carter and Ammon might like to go. I asked if they wanted to see some statues of animals, and they both said, “Oh, yeah”.
Well, we traveled up the subway to the Museum of Natural History, and the subway went right into the basement of the museum (perfect because it was raining!). We went to 3rd floor, winded through the halls, and entered the well-known dinosaur room. Carter was asleep in his stroller, but Ammon walked in, looked up, smiled a HUGE smile, and yelled, “T-Rex!”. She ran and started jabbering. We were in the museum for over 2 hours, and the children loved every moment. Carter even woke up and enjoyed the animals as well. I was so relieved that we chose well. It was a great acclamation to museums for Ammon and Carter.
Carter & Ammon
Carter and Ammon
Okay, to begin with, I don’t have a bath picture of Carter and Ammon.
Ammon picked me some irises Saturday evening then Sean gave both Carter and Ammon a bath. During the bath, I stayed in the kitchen (some 40 feet away from the bathroom but with CLEAR ear shot) to do some cleaning. It wasn’t exactly the conversations that were clear and enjoyable but the laughter. I just had to stop and enclose the moment in my “Carter and Ammon treasure chest” that is in my heart.
My Nanny Caylor and I were parents at two different times in life: I became a parent at 42, and my Nanny became a parent at 21. However, when the laughter started I had a flashback of my Nanny telling a story about my father and his younger brother when she was a young parent. In 1944, Nanny, Granddaddy, my father, and uncle were in Brunswick, Georgia where Granddaddy was working in the shipyards to fulfill the government’s requests to keep Granddaddy working for the government without being drafted. They were living in “modern” apartments with showers: running water and showers were not a part of their house built in 1867 back in good ol’ Varnell, Georgia. Nanny was telling me the story in her kitchen about a year after my father, her son had died. It was probably the autumn of 1983. We were talking about modern conveniences, and she was telling about how modern the Brunswick apartments felt in 1944. Daddy and his brother were at the ages of like 5 and almost 2 in 1944, and they would play in the shower for fun and entertainment. That day in Nanny’s kitchen she had a flood of memories, and she said, “I can just hear them playing and laughing in the water now.” It had only been a year since the death of her eldest son, and we were all still grieving. She was standing at the stove, stopped, and tears began to fall down her cheeks. Missing my father, I got weepy as well. There was no wailing, but we had a brief cry then continued with our evening.
Last Saturday night, I became “misty-eyed” again thinking about my love for my father and my grandmother and shed a tear of happiness for having my Carter and Ammon. Since their births, their laughter has become my most favorite sound on earth.
Haven's Ideals by Haven Caylor-Brown 