I miss the little buddy

We have a wonderful life. We do! We are blessed in so many ways, several of which I point out on this blog all the time. I cannot deny that life in Pasadena has treated us very well so far. However, lately I've been feeling incomplete and lonely for someone. I mean, look at that face!! How could you not miss the cuddly little buddy?! So, I write this post in tribute to our dog, Tucker, who we finally get to see in 1 month when we go home for Christmas, and we are so excited! (In fact, Brant and I are arriving on separate days and have a playful banter going on as to who will get to see Tucker first!)
Take a walk down memory lane with me, won't you?...

This is when we picked Tucker up from Seatac Airport. Yes, the airport. We bought Tucker online from a breeder based in Indiana. Ha! I still think that is hilarious, considering we had never met Tucker before owning him and had him shipped across the country to us! I remember he was shaking terribly when we picked him up! He was so little!Cute little family on our first night together. (Also thinking, "What the heck did we just do?!) So sweet.Super dog, playing with my niece, Adalie, for the first time. They've been special friends ever since! No words. :) Tucker is always such a good sport!And we love him for it!Tucker stuck by my side through my whole pregnancy and always made sure I was loved. :)This was the day we came home from the hospital with our newest family member, and this is how we found Tucker, snuggling with one of her blankets.There may be someone new in the family, and although he has to make room, he is sure to remind us who was here first.Best friends for life, I just know it!Tucker loves to cuddle, anytime there is a lap open. His little sister always tastes so yummy!This is the last picture I have of Tucker, since we've seen him. My, how he's grown over the years! Our lives have been richer because of Tucker, and our home has been happier and complete with him in it. Tucker, you will always be a part of our family, even if this temporary season has you away from us. We love you, little buddy!!

Snow in SoCal?

We went to Disneyland on Saturday, to enjoy the 80 degree weather and welcome in the holiday season at the resort. This is the only picture I got from our trip because my camera broke after this one was taken (don't get me started on that one). Regardless, we didn't let that completely dampen our magical time.
The resort was decked out in all its holiday splendor and we found ourselves in awe all day long (too bad I don't have pictures to show you!). "It's a Small World" was transformed for the season which was a real treat. The castle was definitely the highlight, as it has been transformed into an ice castle - truly spectacular at night!
Brant is winding down (or gearing up) for the end of the quarter, which means a massive increase in reading, researching and writing his term paper. As a result, Brant welcomed a day at our favorite place with open arms. We both left feeling refreshed and very thankful for the precious family time we experienced.
The end of the day found us watching the holiday fireworks show over the castle, which was as beautiful as to be expected. The craziest thing for us was when the show ended and snow started to fall down on us! Well, yes, fake snow, but that's not the point! It was a warm evening, we were wearing flip-flops, and there was Christmas music playing while snow was falling on our heads. How cool is that?! Maddie's body language said it all, as she was enamored by the experience! It was priceless.
So, yes, another day at Disneyland to be marked down a huge success. Would you expect anything less? :)

Madelyn's Dedication

Last Sunday, we had the unbelievable joy of publically dedicating Madelyn Mae to the Lord. The service took place at our church, Lake Avenue, and it was beautiful. We were asked to choose a Bible verse for Maddie, which was read for her during the dedication. After each child was introduced, we made a public promise to raise Maddie to love and serve the Lord. The congregation made a promise to us, to lift us up in prayer and support us as we raise our child. Finally, family and friends were invited to join us up front and pray over us. It was a wonderful, wonderful time.
My mom flew down from Portland to join us for this special occasion. On Saturday, Mom and I went out shopping to find the perfect dress for Maddie, and she looked adorable! If you can imagine, she was quite animated, looking all around and finding her picture on the big screen up behind us.God has blessed us abundantly with this beautiful child of His. We were humbled to dedicate our family to the Lord in this public way.

Fun and Festive photos from Disneyland

Here are a few more fun photos from our trip to Disneyland with Brant's parents last weekend, courtesy of Disney's Photo-Pass photographers on-site. Enjoy!

Splish Splash, look who's taking a bath...

That's right! It's me!!
I love bath time!
Its really funny when I splash water all over!
I know how to have a good time in the tub!

Let's Celebrate Brant!!

Birthdays, in this household, are a very big deal. We don't mess around; its serious business to celebrate someone's special day, which calls for some serious partying and serious fun!!! We had a few very eventful days this past weekend, as we welcomed Dale and Martha into town to celebrate Brant's 29th birthday with us!!

We picked up our special guests, late morning on Saturday (Brant's birthday), and immediately took them up to Griffith Park. We enjoyed a wonderful lunch at a cafe called "The Trails", located at the base of the park. After lunch, we drove up the hill to The Observatory, where we walked around the grounds, taking pictures, looking at various exhibits and watching Maddie "ham it up" with everyone around her (seriously, this girl loves the spotlight!).
That evening, we had a wonderful birthday celebration at home, filled with dinner, gifts, dessert and a movie. Nice! Among the gifts Brant received this year, I think Maddie's gift to him was the biggest hit...Maddie made a very nice card for her Daddy, in which the only adult help consisted of the written letters. The picture below doesn't show it too well, but Maddie colored all over the card with pretty colors (very faintly; we're still learning how it all works :) ).
She gave him a new set of stereo speakers, as the old ones died on us a few months ago. What a good daughter! Can you guess what we did the next day? You betcha! Disneyland!!
Brant, pretty happy to be celebrating his birthday at the Happiest Place on Earth!!
I love this picture. Look how happy all three of them are to be flying with Dumbo!Although you cannot see the full-scope of this amazing costume, you can see enough to understand what Maddie is going to be for Halloween this year......and most of her hundred-acre-woods friends were thrilled to see her there! (We will come back to get a picture with Pooh, who wasn't out, on our next visit). I wish I would have been able to take a series of pictures of the crowds surrounding her as she literally ran down the walk way in her piglet costume. We put her in it right before these pictures, and she was giddy with excitement. People were stopping right and left commenting and looking at the "cute little piglet" running down the way! (There is no piglet character at Disneyland, so she was a big hit!)

After her big "Piglet Debut", Maddie crashed. She was letting all of us know how exhausted she was, so she took a nice snooze in the stroller......all the while, Brant and Martha were doing this (the last two loggers)...Brant and I are used to riding everything by ourselves, since Maddie cannot go on the big rides. It was fun being at Disneyland with other people, as we were able to thoroughly enjoy the big rides with someone else.

Grandma and Grandpa joined Maddie's style, and found some ears that fit them well. Our sweet little girl is no longer a baby.And she's cuter than ever!My birthday man! I loved spoiling him with attention and fun this weekend!! How cute are they, all matchy-matchy?! :)What a fun day we had, and a terrific weekend! Thanks for visiting us, Dale and Martha, spending quality time with Maddie Mae and helping us celebrate Brant in grand style. :) We love you!

Silly Daddy-Daughter time!

Maddie and her daddy have a special relationship, full of giggles and silly smiles. Can you see the resemblance?