Capturing the Kerrys: 9.5 Months

Hi all,
Great weekend. Despite a runny nose, Ryan was a champ today, checking out ArtPrize with me. For all our out-of-state followers, ArtPrize is the largest EVER art competition (in the world) with a purse of over $449,000 (Thank you DeVos's of Amway notoriety.) Over 1,200 artists from around the world are competing with installations all across our city. It's amazing. And it's right outside my doorway from work. Yesterday I was able to sneak away for a few hours to check out some work and today Ryan joined me for an event: 100,000 paper airplanes we're deployed from skyscrapers over our heads. Very cool. It's nice to see GR's streets filled, to see parents explaining art to their kids, and to just feel the enthusiasm. I actually teared up driving home as I looked down from the overpass and saw thousands of people clogging our streets...for ART! Since Wed. 25,000 people have registered to vote (You have to actually be in GR to do so) and over 100,000 votes have been cast. The public decides the winner. Thursday ddm is hosting an art walk as the second round of voting begins when the field is narrowed to 10 entries. Can't wait. Maybe the next time I'll enter. My last painting was completed before Ryan was born, but who knows, maybe he and I will do an entry together!

Ryan is doing well..getting over a cold, but handling all this transition like a pro. Our house is a maize of boxes and our walls are bare. We're formulating plan A's and plan B's and even plan C's since we still have not heard on the foreclosure we really want. Regardless, it looks like we'll close in the next week or two, then have 30 days...In that time we'll either need to fix up the foreclosure or find another house. Either way, the timing will not work out for a smooth move, so we're going to shack up in my sister's house (also on Mayfield) since she has yet to put it on the market since getting married (thank you Kir). We know it could be way worse. But we're just a bit anxious not knowing where we're going now that we have a baby (we did the exact same thing when we moved from Cali, sans kiddo)!

Speaking of the man, he's becoming very funny these days. Among our amusements:
- The bouncer has now become a swing. He maneuvers it just right, than picks up his feet and rides "around the world" style in the doorway. I mean, he gets AIR!

- He loves to pass things to his hands from his feet. Today I caught him getting his dog stuffed animal and passing it up to his hands (like his mom often does with her toes...) Normally this is while on his back. But yesterday he was holding a block between his feet while doing around the world swinging in the bouncer!

- We're still working on getting him down while awake at night. His newest trick is that when you lay him down on his side, he quickly rolls over and hugs your entire forearm with his arms and legs so you cannot leave. Last night as I was camped out beside the crib soothing him, I see this tiny hand come out from between the slats of the crib, only to pull the entire Moses basket of toys toward him so he could pet his polar bear....all while giggling. The basket is heavy and was really far away!

- He went from sitting to pulling himself up on the ottoman Friday night. He's got determination. He'll pull himself up on any part of your body, all while grunting and turning red until he accomplishes his goal. I am seriously bruised from all the pinches as he tries to pull up. Friday he stood up by HANGING on my hair...but he got up. Ouch!

- He is now screaming like a raptor all the time. No rhyme or reason. Today it was at the paper airplane event and the crowd was laughing. He's not mad, it more like he's bored.
- He loves to hang out upside down.

Below is some of the art I've seen, as well as some of the art we've made (Ryan). Enjoy our prize and we hope each of you have great weeks!

Love Court, Max & Ryan

PS. Note that we did not even mention football this week...they played East Grand Rapids. Nationally ranked. We'll leave it at that and look to this coming Friday as a new opportunity as we face the grass-fed boys of Greenville. Big boys!

This building has been vacant for a decade and now is covered in reclaimed silk flowers from cemeteries... Everyday more are added through the 18-day competition.

Ryan reading the event program and deciding who to vote for. In the end he gave a thumbs up for this piece.

9 foot portrait of a soldier from Iraq. Based on photos taken by the artist while he traveled as a civilian during the war. He is in the process of painting more during the competition.

This is balloon art! Anatomically correct balloon art by the record setting ballooner from Guinness book. He likes to recreate famous pieces. Here's Botocelli's "Venus on a Half Shell" (I think...though I admit it's a guess.)

This is a piece by a graphic designer in town. I love that it shows that graphic design can be fine art. And it's 2-D and 3-D. Nice work Rob Jackson and crew!

Looks like WWF smackdown. Maybe Ryan will be a wrestler like his Papa. He started by grabbing the puppy's ear with his feet and eventually got it into his arms.