Sunday, November 23, 2008

Flying and Hiking with our new friends...The Bell Family (11-23-08)










The Bells just moved to our area a few months ago after finishing military payback (for medical school tuition). Jason is the newest orthopedic surgeon to our county and he's also an avid pilot and airplane enthusiast. :-) He and I both have surgery cases on the same day, and after learning that our families had similar interests...we decided that we should get everyone together to meet! So..on a really nice Sunday morning (the weather's been REALLY nice lately)...they flew their plane to Bandon...met up with us...and we both flew a short way south to a landing strip that is very close to one of our favorite hikes (Cape Blanco). The hike was awesome and they really enjoyed the amazing view of the seacliffs and rocky beaches when we reached the trail's end. Their daughter Sierra adored Maddie and Maddie felt the same! It was so cute to watch their interactions...we hope to get to know them more...and have more flying/hiking/whatever adventures to come! (P.S.--our plane's the red Pacer, theirs is the orange/black Cessna 172)

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Goodbye Lauralen, Siggy and Frenchie! (8/6/07)

Goodbye Lauralen, Siggy and Frenchie! (8/6/07)
Lauralen drove 16 hours yesterday with her two kitties(I'm writing this on Aug 7) :-) (that's including a quick nap along the way south!)...but pulled into Loma Linda, CA safely at 1a.m.! Frenchie has never been away from his home in Coquille, but did excellent in the car and with his friendly personality..he'll most likely adjust just fine...(We Miss You Guys!!) :-) (P.S. Happy Birthday Siggy and Frenchie! The kitties and I all have the same b-day--Aug. 7!) :-)

More Maddie...(8/6/07)

More Maddie...(8/6/07)
Herman was holding Maddy, but had to go do something. This is how I found her! :-) He had propped her up on the sofa in a soft comforter! She LOVED it and slept very soundly! :-)

Close-Up (8/6/07)

Close-Up (8/6/07)
Sorry that there are so many pics of her sleeping..but I figure it won't be long before we'll WISH she'd sleep that much again! :-)

Couch Potatoes...(8/5/07)

Couch Potatoes...(8/5/07)
We laid the kids next to each other to be able to remember how much bigger Ben was than Maddy...but with Maddy being closer to my camera than Ben (in this photo)..they actually look about equal! :-) (he's about 4lbs heavier than her right now!) :-)

Sitting Upright...(8/5/07)

Sitting Upright...(8/5/07)
Ben was propped up against the pillows...and was quite stable...Maddy, however, was the complete opposite! The pictures we got were deceiving because she was sort of sliding back down to the couch..but either way...it looked pretty cute! :-)

Enjoying some shade..

Enjoying  some shade..
It was warmer this day when compared to the other time we picked...but we found the shade to be comfortable enough..:-)

Self-portrait of the Girls...

Self-portrait of the Girls...
Maddy didn't exactly "look" at the camera...but still..not too bad of a shot..I think!

Grandma with Maddy

Grandma with Maddy
Maddy was actually awake this time at the blueberry farm!

Close-up...

Close-up...
Seems like she'd get a neck-ache, huh? :-) Babies are so flexible!

Slinging It with Mommy :-)

Slinging It with Mommy :-)
I was putting our frozen blueberries from last week into bags..Maddy helped out the best she knew how...:-)

Coos County Fair

Coos County Fair
The fair is actually held in a neighboring town to Coquille...but it is definitely the place to be! :-) It was fun to meet up with family friends and co-workers...eat yummy treats (mostly fried) :-)...and pretty much feel like a kid all over again..

On the way to the fair...

On the way to the fair...
We put Maddy in this adorable little zip-up sweatshirt...but of course..it was too big for her! (she IS fitting Newborn quite nicely now though!) Anyway...she was so contented as we drove to the fair..and I caught a few pics of her with her eyes wide open...:-)

B & H Self-portrait :-)

B & H Self-portrait :-)
Neither Brent or I could remember the last time we went to a fair...but we sure enjoyed it this time around...:-)

Herman, Karen and Lauralen...

Herman, Karen and Lauralen...
Lauralen flew in on Thursday night and will be staying for about a week and a half...(this pic was taken during the Cat show)

Holding Hands..

Holding Hands..
As we waited for the Cat show to start..Maddy was a teeny bit fussy...until she found Brent's hand..:-)

..Corn on the Cob...

..Corn on the Cob...
The first thing we all wanted to eat was corn on the cob....the second thing we wanted was Floss...:-)

Blueberries...

Blueberries...
If any of you come to visit us in a July..we will definitely have to pick blueberries. Not only is it fun and they taste good...the drive out there was absolutely amazing...

Blueberry Picking!! :-)

Blueberry Picking!! :-)
I've wanted to do this for SO long now...and Karen finally fulfilled my dream! The berries were huge this year and it was so much fun to get outside and pick to our hearts content! Maddy came along too and enjoyed a long nap the entire time. We also met some of Karen's friends there and had a wonderful morning together!

Novice Picker...

Novice Picker...
I have a cheesy grin in this picture because I was honestly having way too much fun! Blueberries are SO easy to pick...and I love that they don't have any stupid thorns! I call them "The Friendliest Berries" now...:-)

Sorry It's Sideways! :-) (8/5/07)

Sorry It's Sideways! :-) (8/5/07)
Okay..so I'm not a computer-genius...but if I rotate the photo, it'll get all fuzzy..so pick your poison..rotated vs fuzzy/upright! Either way...Katie Roesel and I went on a great walk and both babies slept soundly while their mommies got to chat...:-)

Hard Days Work...:-)

Hard Days Work...:-)
Okay..so we weren't there "all day" and it definitely wasn't "hard"...but check out how many we got! (and that's just ONE of the bowls!) :-)

Babies in the Backseat...(8/5/07)

Babies in the Backseat...(8/5/07)
Katie and Ben picked us up for our walk in their pick-up truck. This is a pic of Maddy and Ben in their side-by-side carseats...

Bathtime...

Bathtime...
Maddy has yet to enjoy an entire bath...but we're inching closer every night! Here she is enjoying the warm water on her Winnie-the-Pooh sponge...:-)

Tiny Baby...

Tiny Baby...
It's hard to imagine being able to fit IN the kitchen sink...but she does it with style! :-)

Siggy and Maddy...

Siggy and Maddy...
Lauralen's cat Siggy LOVES Maddy!! He'll often come find whoever is holding her and snuggle in with them! He also loves to sprawl out under her swing and sleep underneath her as she's lulled by the gentle music and swaying...

Wyatt meets Maddy...

Wyatt meets Maddy...
We finally got to spend time with the Fisher family..in this picture is Wyatt, his mommy Kendra and his grandpa Darrell

Wyatt Post-Cookie...:-)

Wyatt Post-Cookie...:-)
Lauralen baked some delicious cookies just before everyone came over....Wyatt definitely gave them a big thumbs-up :-) (doesn't he have the most beautiful eyes?) :-)

Babies Everywhere! :-)

Babies Everywhere! :-)
Katie Roessel and her baby Benjamin came over the same night as the Fishers! Ben was born on June 8...only one month before Maddy!

Baby Ben

Baby Ben
He's only a month older than Maddy, but definitely has her beat with adorable chubby thighs and baby belly size! :-)

Daddy Time!

Daddy Time!
Maddy has begun to log in short sessions on her gym mat...this one was fun with her Daddy playing with her...

Can't get enough of her...:-)

Can't get enough of her...:-)
We just think she's so fun...:-)

McKenzie joins the party...:-)

McKenzie joins the party...:-)
McKenzie's yawning here...but it made for a funny picture! :-) She's still doing Great with Maddy...it makes us so proud :-)

Another nap with Mommy...

Another nap with Mommy...
Maddy got to wear her sweater on a chilly morning (the 29th)...

Maddy goes to Church..:-)

Maddy goes to Church..:-)
(this looks fuzzy b/c it was taken vertically and then rotated...sorry!) Grandma Karen finally gets to "show her off" to the church members..:-)

Hiccups Strike Again..

Hiccups Strike Again..
Maddy did exceptionally well for her first church service! She was wide-eyed and alert...but very calm and quiet....until the Hiccups arrived. They always seem to last 15-20 min...and when she had enough of them...Brent had to soothe her outiside for a bit. (It was cute because after the service ended, we had church members tell us how "lovely" it was hear baby noises in church and to not feel that we have to take her outside when she hiccups or fusses!)

Daddy saves the day...

Daddy saves the day...
(the original looks great, but for some reason this looks funny after rotating it! sorry again!) :-) This was Maddy after Daddy soothed her to sleep,,,

Hiccups are Tiring Business...

Hiccups are Tiring Business...
She was down for the count after those hiccups disappeared...

Empire Lakes..

Empire Lakes..
We enjoyed Sabbath lunch with the Wheeker family and then we all headed to Empire Lakes for a stroller-friendly afternoon walk. The lakes were beautiful...and the weather was perfect..

Tawny and McKenzie

Tawny and McKenzie
We brought the dogs to the lakes with us...and they got to go swimming for their tennis ball. Poor Tawny (the golden retriever) was the slower swimmer...so after McKenzie dominated the game for too long...we held her back to let Tawny get this one. (It was so silly, but we all felt so bad for Tawny that we all stood on the shore cheering for her as she finally got her first tennis ball...even though we rigged it!)

Maddy asleep again...:-)

Maddy asleep again...:-)
After the long walk...Maddy nursed and was deeeeppp asleep once again! :-)

Maddy and Binky...

Maddy and Binky...
Maddy has discovered the wonderful pleasures of sucking on her binky...but she also has no clue as to what her hands are up to yet...and she'll often pull the binky out herself..and then be very frustrated as to who took her precious binky away!

Another Binky pic...

Another Binky pic...
It'll be a fun day when she realizes that SHE is the one ruining all her pleasure! :-)

Hello All!!

Hello All!!
Maddy waves hello to you all and hopes you enjoy our most recent pictures! :-)

Pursed Lips...

Pursed Lips...
Maddy loves to make faces...we've seen dozens of different expressions now..but her "pursed lips" is probably one of her favorites (and ours too)...:-)

Just another Maddy pic..

Just another Maddy pic..
Maddy was given this bunny beanie by the Sinnott family (good friends of the Pahls). It's still too big for her, but it sure made for a cute photo!

Little Angel..

Little Angel..
Isn't she precious? :-)

Pahls Family Pic..

Pahls Family Pic..

Goodbye Grandma and Grandpa Apuy

Goodbye Grandma and Grandpa Apuy
My parents drove away early Sunday morning. It was very hard to see them go, but we're looking forward to seeing them again in Oct, Nov, AND Dec this year! :-)

Maddy with her Extra Grandmas and Grandpa!

Maddy with her Extra Grandmas and Grandpa!
Our long-time (FOREVER) family friends (Russ and Avis Martin, Jennifer Chan and Jane Morton) came to see Maddy during our 2-hr pit stop in Fresno! In the photo, everyone was holding our their hands to hold Maddy!

Happy Birthday Brent!!

Happy Birthday Brent!!
We ate at the Bandon Dunes Golf Resort for breakfast. Karen was there...she was unfortunately taking this picture! Brent got to go dirt biking and kiteboarding later that day...:-)

Gabe Spencer and Brent at Spinreel Dunes

Gabe Spencer and Brent at Spinreel Dunes
Brent's longtime friend Gabe and his wife Lindsey were just north of our town enjoying the local dunes. We're really excited that Gabe & Lindsey live close by and are looking forward to getting to see them more often...

Hand Size Discrepancy...

Hand Size Discrepancy...
Check out the difference between Maddy's Hands and Grandpa Herman's hands!

Herman meets Maddy...

Herman meets Maddy...
Look at the size of Herman's smile as he held Maddy for the first time! Poor Herman had to stay home alone for two weeks since Karen flew down to Loma Linda to help us move. He has shared that it is very good to finally have his family home again.

Last pic before leaving..

Last pic before leaving..
Here we are with our belongings...Check out the trailer with HUGE tires we towed behind the civic!

Our Family...Neighbors...Best Friends..

Our Family...Neighbors...Best Friends..
One last Loma Linda Cousin pic....We Love You Pete and Janelle

TREAVOR HELD HER!!

TREAVOR HELD HER!!
Treavor broke his "pact" with Pete to "not hold the newborn" (too small and fragile!) He held her for 1 minute...and did a spectacular job!

Uncle Randy

Uncle Randy
Randy stayed late..holding the baby...He's such a natural with her. It still baffles my mind that people like Randy and Brian Chan (staples in my life) will be down in southern CA..so far away..

Aunt Rori..:-)

Aunt Rori..:-)
Rori did our 2-wk well-baby check for us...since she's officially 2 weeks old, but won't have the check-up until this Friday! Maddy passed with flying colors! Thanks Rori for not charging the $400 that the real exam will cost!

Roger & Steph brought us our last dinner in Loma Linda

Roger & Steph brought us our last dinner in Loma Linda
Steph cooked THE yummiest dinner! (she said that she had to "send us off Full") :-) Caleb and Maddy got to bond one more time before the big move. Thank you again Roger and Steph...For Everything...

Little Feet...

Little Feet...
This is her little left foot! She has Brent's toes...

Goodbye dinner with Pam and Jason Hwang

Goodbye dinner with Pam and Jason Hwang
We enjoyed the MOST delicious dinner with Pam & Jason Saturday night! We will miss them dearly...but look forward to someday riding bikes and spending time together again very soon...

Pillow Girl

Pillow Girl
She sleeps so soundly during the day (not quite so deeply at night yet!)...:-)

Holly's 1st visit after Maddy's delivery

Holly's 1st visit after Maddy's delivery
Holly and her fiancee Marshall came for a visit last Sabbath! We were all so happy to see them again before we move north and are looking forward to their wedding this October! :-)

Caleb & Maddy

Caleb & Maddy
Caleb was very interested in everything he saw...and then he saw Maddy. Stephanie had to hold him back because he wanted to touch her! It was adorable!

Steph & Caleb

Steph & Caleb
Caleb was enjoying his bottle during the group photo...:-)

Goodbye Party at Mike Wasemiller's House

Goodbye Party at Mike Wasemiller's House
Mike was kind enough to throw us a going-away shin-dig tonight (July 15)...we enjoyed good food and company (hopefully not for the "last time"...just for "awhile") :-) We will miss our friends so much as we start our next phase of our lives...(for some reason..Liz & Andrew Ordelheide were cropped out of the photo when I added it to the page!)

McKenzie the Big Sister...

McKenzie the Big Sister...
McKenzie has to verify and approve of every person who holds Maddy! She has to lay in front of whoever has the baby..

I love her pose!

I love her pose!
After I fed her, she just laid like this with her arm under her chin! She's wearing the cutest little dress that my brother bought for her!

Sleeping Beauty..

Sleeping Beauty..
Maddy had a midnight-2am upset tummy...Brent soothed her while I got my rest for her next feeding...and this is how I found her when I woke up...I married such a great guy...

Daddy's Hands...

Daddy's Hands...
Look how TINY she is compared to Brent's hands!! She lost a little weight during the first couple of days (which is normal)..but is well on her way to hit her birthweight by tomorrow or so..(we learned all this at a recent appt). It's such a miracle to look at her...

Great-Grandma Edwards

Great-Grandma Edwards
This is her 2nd great-grandchild in the past two months..and her 3rd is due in two more!

Proud Grandma...

Proud Grandma...
This was taken on July 4 when Karen arrived. My parents were still in Alaska on their fishing trip and Karen's original flight wasn't until July 9! She fortunately caught the earliest flight on July 4 and arrived in the afternoon, but my parents couldn't meet Maddy until Friday after they flew in late Thursday night and drove down early the next morning!

McKenzie's First REAL smell..

McKenzie's First REAL smell..
We had sent home a blanket and a shirt for McKenzie to smell while we were at the hospital. This was their official 1st meeting. McKenzie has been AMAZING...extremely gentle and very protective. It's as if she finally has a job to do...Protect the Baby..

Us and our Nurse Sharna..

Us and our Nurse Sharna..
Waiting in the lobby for the car to ride the One block home..:-)

Uncle Randy Chan...

Uncle Randy Chan...
Randy's birthday is the 4th of July, and he said that she is the "Best Birthday Present ever" :-)

Another birthday pic..

Another birthday pic..

More Birthday pics..

More Birthday pics..

Maddy's 0th Birthday Bash..:-)

Maddy's 0th Birthday Bash..:-)
Our best friends brought her a birthday cake on the 4th of July..It was really fun..:-)

Maddy & Me..

Maddy & Me..

Proud Aunty Lauralen

Proud Aunty Lauralen

The proud grandparents..

The proud grandparents..

Holly, Maddy & Me after her delivery..

Holly, Maddy & Me after her delivery..
(yes..these are out of order..)

Maddy & Daddy

Maddy & Daddy
This was taken on her first morning at home..

WOO! HOO!

WOO! HOO!
I love her expression in this picture..:-)

Coming Home...

Coming Home...
Maddy in her Cute Dress comes home for the 1st time..