Happy 1st Birthday Madison!

Madison sure knows how to celebrate. She woke up about an hour early, and immediately wanted to dance. She was so excited in fact, that she wouldn't take her naps all morning. About 10 minutes until her party was suppose to start, she crashed...go figure.

When Maddie woke up she was welcomed by a sea of friends and family. She wasn't sure what to do about the cake, but once she knew it was yummy, she laughed, and began to shove it in her face. I'm not sure how much she would have eaten if we hadn't taken her away from it to open presents.

She was so blessed by the thoughtful gifts, and joyful company. Thank you to all who were able to attend.

We are so thankful for the abundance of great people who have surrounded our daughter in her first year of life. We are blessed and know it. If you're reading this, we are talking to you.

Autumn Fun

Christmas Preview, Downtown Chico

Madison on the slide!

And the swing

Kisses for Daddy

Madison's shopping cart

Life is anything but dull these days, and for that we are thankful. Yes, there have been some challenging moments for us as a family. We are still in the process of replacing everything that was stolen from our car a month ago. Thanks to Brian's handy-man talents and his dedication to quality, our car is back in service, so for that we are thankful. I'm (Jaime) learning to process the difficult issues I deal with at work in a healthy way, and discovering the balance of strength and embarrassing the emotions involved. If I had it my way, I would adopt about 6 of my students right now.

The blessings in these challenges are sometimes overlooked, but Brian and I have grown to trust the Lord together so much more. We are also learning to savor the little pieces of heaven on earth. Our time with friends and family is becoming more and more precious. Just last night we enjoyed our first of three thanksgivings. Our young marrieds group go together for turkey, Christmas preview downtown, and of course...the season premier of "24."

As the things of this world challenge us to keep our hearts focused on the eternal, we are encouraged by the daily discoveries and accomplishments made by Madison. She is currently walking all around the house with her shopping cart, and only holding one hand as she walks with her parents' aid. We are pretty optimistic that she will walk before her first birthday.

She is also rapidly increasing her vocabulary. Here are her favorite words and the way she pronounces them: Down, Up (dup), dog, daddy (da ee), mom (mmum), shoes (shzz...this is used for both socks and shoes), and ...monkey (unky).

Sorry this is so long, it's just Madison has done so many new things in the past few weeks. She also experience the slide for the first time. after about the third time on her back, she decided to sit up and go down the real way.

That's all I can think of for now...aren't you glad!

Standing Tall & "I'll Love You Forever"

"I'll love you forever. I'll like you for always."
"As long as I'm living, my baby you'll be."

Our little baby seems to be quickly growing into a little girl! She has been standing up on her own for about three weeks now, and is walking around using the support of furniture. She has also learned to push her toy-box-on-wheels around while removing toys, creating a trail. It is so much fun to watch. But if we watch for too long, we are finding ourselves chasing after Maddie to catch up to what ever drawer or bookshelf she has decided to reorganize.

Another fun story to share is our bathroom story. Madison loves bathrooms, and today I found a "kodak moment," that until now, I thought only existed in story books: Madison discovering the fun of unraveling toilet paper. Enjoy our "I'll Love You Forever Pictures."

Locks of Love

Before During
After
Cass, Maddie, and Jaime, all with short hair

After a year and a half without a hair cut, I (Jaime) took the plunge. My friend, Cassidy, and I decided back in June to donate our hair to Locks of Love, and organization that makes wigs for children battling cancer. We needed at least 10 inches, so we waited until Cass got back from Ecuador last week...

... Two hours and 12 inches later, my hair was in a plastic bag and I learned what it felt like to have a short. This has not been the case since my hair grew to my shoulders as a toddler. I was worried, but now I may never go back. For those of you who know Cass, she has a better before picture on her blog.

Check this out! She can dance!

Not bad for 8 months. She's had a lot of lessons though. Everytime Dad hears a beat he moves his head. Now Madison is doing the same thing and more! I have to say she has good taste in music.

Glacier Lake on Labor Day

Before ...
... Talk about a view!...
...mmmm cocoa...
... Glacier Lake...
...After (still smiling)

If you want to be overwhelmed with beauty, camp at Glacier lake! one of God's masterpieces is the Sierra Mountains. So vast and vibrant with deep blue lakes and pure white granite! This labor day we backpacked in the Tahoe National Forest. There is said to be over 120 lakes in the Grouse Ridge area...we saw about six and camped on two.

The first night we found a secluded spot on Glacier lake about 40 feet from the water! second day we had small Island Lake all to ourselves. I (Jaime) discovered the difference between relaxation of the mind and relaxation of the body...the only thing we could relax ,while hauling 80+ pounds between the two of us, was our minds. It was difficult, but worth being surrounded by serenity.

Maddie did great; in fact, she was the only one not cold on the second night. I think she may have finally gotten tired of bananas though by the end of the three days!

Daddy and Maddie

All Smiles!

mmmmm Banana!
This summer Brian and Maddie have trekked over 5o miles together in the Kelty Pack! Here are some pictures from two weeks ago. The father/daughter hike was nine miles of bonding time. Daddy, hiking, and a banana, what more could a little girl ask for?