Arrrrr! My blog wouldn't post more pictures and I don't want to spend anymore time on it, but here is a picture of Mads & Davis a year ago and yesterday afternoon.

Happy 1st Birthday!!

Yesterday was Davis's 1st Birthday! You hear so much about how fast time goes, but it really does. We don't do huge birthday parties for their 1st, but had fun celebrating as a family with pizza, presents and, of course, cake! And I'm sure by now Davis doesn't even remember. =)

So here are a few fun things about Davis.....

* He's ticklish

* He looks just like his daddy

* He inherited curly hair from mommy and daddy

* He loves to be held and cuddled (which is a fun change since Maddy didn't like to be held)

* He's a softie, but tough at the same time.

* He's a happy, smiley boy most of the time

* He's a boy of few words, but likes to make strange noises

* He's quirkey

* He's rough and loves to throw things. Not in a defiant way, but seems to think everything is a ball. He can't just gentle set something down, he tosses it away. =) That's right....future football/baseball player. Watch out world!

* He adores his daddy and big sister

* He weighs around 25 lbs

The End

You must watch this video. And if you don't know what it's about, or if you're not sure you know where you are going after you die, then you need to ask someone that you know has a personal, genuine relationship with Christ. You never know when it can happen. Don't wait until it's too late.

http://www.youtube.com/v/SmLhyPjHVes

Pics

I couldn't post pics from our trip earlier, so here are a few....

CONGRATULATIONS!!!

Welcome baby Lincoln! A special congratulations to our dear friends Brian and Sarah for the birth of their adorable (and I mean adorable!) baby boy Lincoln Vance D. tonight (Aug 28th) around 5:45pm, weighing in at 7 lbs 6 oz. and 20" long. Lincoln, we have been awaiting your arrival for a long time now and are so blessed that you came to us so healthy! Love the hair too! B. and Sarah, we are SO happy for you and love you so much! CONGRATULATIONS!

Vacation

We're back! We just got home yesterday after visiting my family for 10 days in Kansas City. We had a great time and saw lots of family! My sister, brother-in-law and kids drove down from Canada too so we were able to be together the whole time. The day after we arrived, we all drove down to Wichita to visit my Grandpa, Grandma, Aunt, Uncle and cousins from my dads side. It was so nice to see them again!

On the 19th, we had a surprise party for my mom's b-day. It was great getting her because she's a hard one to surprise! Lots of family came from all over, many of whom I haven't seen in YEARS! My sister and I put together a scrapbook of pictures and letters that people had sent us beforehand. It turned out much better than I had hoped and my mom loved it! A big THANK YOU to all of you who sent us stuff for the scrapbook and/or drove many hours to come to the party. It wouldn't have turned out the way it did if it wasn't for each and everyone of you! The 20th was my mom's official b-day and we spent the day with family who spent the night and celebrating my mom.

On the 21st, Davis turned 11 months old! He's quite the happy guy and is continuing to learn more each day. His 3rd and 4th teeth are still coming in, plus a few that are getting ready to break through. His walking is really improving and he's getting more and more stable.

On the 22nd, Maddy fell down while horsin' around with her cousins and broke her arm, just above her elbow. It wasn't bad, but they still had to put it in a cast. Thankfully you can now get cast material that's waterproof! She should only have to wear the cast for about 3 weeks. They are hoping it will be healed by then. =)

On the 23rd, we drove about 4 hours to a "wilderness resort" called Big Cedar Lodge by Tablerock Lake. It was SO beautiful and peaceful and was wonderful being there with my family. My entire family, include parents, sisters family and aunt/uncle spent3 nights there. We stayed in their cute log cabins and swam, rode horses, went boating, etc. And we celebrated my nieces birthdays on the 25th! Yes, they do share the same day. =) Emily turned 7 and Natalie turned 4. It was great! I have so many pictures and it's hard to decide which ones to post, but I'll post a few favorites. Okay...so maybe later because it doesn't seem to want to post the pictures right now!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY MOM!

Mom....HAPPY BIRTHDAY! I won't tell anyone how old you are, even though you don't look a bit of 60. =) Haha...Seriously though, you don't! I hope you've had a great day today and it's been wonderful being able to celebrate your special day with you. I hope you were genuinely surprised at your party and realize just how much we all love you! If you ever are feeling blue, you can read over your scrapbook we made you to remind yourself how cherished you are. Thank you for being the most incredible wife, mom, grandma and friend. Love you so much!

Thank you too for everyone who came to mom's party and/or helped with pictures & letters for the scrapbook. None of it would have worked out so great if it hadn't been for each and every one of you. I think we got her...yeah! Thanks again!

Beach Day

Maddy and Daddy Playing

Maddy and Daddy playing....

Davis Learning to Walk

On Friday the 28th, Davis took several steps in a row. =)

We're melting!

So it's been a while since I've written, but there's not much exciting stuff going on. Oh yeah, except we are melting in this gross heat! Holy cow...this summer brings on a whole new meaning of HOT to the Santa Clarita valley. It's never been this hot in SCV since I moved here about 10 years ago (wow...I can't believe I've been out here that long!). In fact a few days ago (Sat?) they recorded the hottest day in LA's history. It's been in the 120's and hotter...no joke! AND, we got our electric bill and wow...it was HIGH. Who likes to be hot and sticky in their own home? But now we are doing lots to save $$, even if it means sweatin' a bit at home. I'm just staying close to the fans. =)

Davis turned 10 months on Friday and continues to grow and change each day. I know I say this a lot, but it's amazing how babies grow in their first year...or two. Such a blessing for me to be at home and watch it all happen. He's close to walking and has taken a few steps every now and then, but then realizes what he's doing and let's himself crash. Maddy just turned 2 1/2 on the 10th and loves to be the bossy big sister and sing "Jesus Loves Me." Below is Maddy taking care of her baby "Dolly," who is also known as Golly and Molly. =)

Distance

I hate being so far away from my family and not being able to see them on a regular basis. Emily, Natalie and Zach, I can't wait to see you in August!

4th of July

4th of July has always been one of my favorite holidays. As a kid, it was a big deal for me. One of my favorite memories was going to the Merrills house for thier 4th celebration.....it was the BEST! We'd swim, eat and play all day, roast a pig, make smores and have a ton of fireworks in the evening. That was when fireworks were legal though....it's never been quite the same!

9 months

On the 21st, our little man turned 9 months old! He went in for his check-up and shots on the 22nd and now weighs 23 lbs and is in the 70th percentile for his height & weight. Everything looked okay, except I do need to take him to an ophthalmologist for his eyes. Originally they thought he had clogged tear ducts and now the doctor doesn't want to wait any longer for it to clear up on its own, in case it's something else. She would like to me to do that ASAP.

KC

This past week, John and I (and the kids) packed up and went to visit my parents home in Kansas City. The main point of the trip was for John to help my dad put pavers around their pool, but it was also great for us to see them and help keep the bond between the kids and their Grandma & Grandpa. They put in a lot of sweat on the project and got a good portion of it done. Way to go guys!

On Father's Day we drove down to Witchita and surprised my Grandparents and visited with my Aunt, Uncle & cousins. It was a great time, but too short! Here's a picture of my Grandpa Q and Davis Q. So many people are confused about Davis's middle name being "Q".... But it is in honor of my Grandpa Quakenbush (there are no more family members on this side of the family to pass on the name) and it is also my dad's nickname (much easier than saying Quakenbush). I love it.

Maddy and Davis had a great time. They miss you Grandma and Grandpa!

Babies, babies and more babies!

I'm a bit behind in my bloggin', but there are lots of babies being born these days! Congratulations to:

Dan & Carrie G. for the birth of their beautiful girl Abby Anne G. (sorry, no pic to post!)

Jaime & Phil L. for the birth of their 3rd girl Georgia Grace on 6-14-06 @ 11:00am 8 lbs, 12 oz., 20 inches

Tim & Marcy S. for the birth of their 2nd boy Wyatt Timothy S.

I'm having problems posting pictures right now, so maybe I'll try later. Congratulations everyone....the babies are all so beautiful!!!

To two....

of the greatest men in my life....Happy Father's Day!

JOHN-you are such an amazing father and Maddy & Davis are so blessed to call you dad. When I married you, I obviously knew that you would be a great father, but you far exceeded any & all expectations. I am continually amazed at how much you love our kids, how great you are with them and how strong your desire is to give them a wonderful life. Thank you for your commitment to being the best dad you can be; for giving our kids a solid Christian home and a dad who loves them unconditionally. These "fatherly qualities" you possess, which I cannot truly express in words, are not only incredible, but make me love & appreciate you more than ever. Happy Father's Day!

DAD-it's hard to write in just a few short sentences what you mean to me, but I will be forever grateful to the Lord for giving me someone as special as you. Thank you for truly showing me what it means to be passionate about your faith and for passing on an eternal inheritance. I will cherish so many, many wonderful memories and love you from the bottom of my heart. "I do! I do! I do!"

Bugs Bunny World

Well...I really hate to add a new entry since John surprised me with such sweet comments. I think I read it at least once a day. Thanks again babe. =)

This past weekend John had a company picnic at Magic Mountain, which included free tickets to the park. We ended up taking Madelyn with us and she was soooo excited to go, and to have mommy & daddy all to herself. After the company picnic, we spent a few hours at Bugs Bunny World with Maddy and took her on a few of the rides. Let me tell you...there is nothing better than watching your child experience things for the first time, especially something as fun as roller coasters! On one of the faster rides, she was so scared, but when it came to a halt, she said (with big eyes), "Wow..that was fun!" and daddy took her again. To this day, every single time we drive by MM, she yells, "Mommy...look...Magic Mountain!" and tells me the story of her exciting day. =)

My Wife...

You know you have been married a few years when you can guess your wife’s passwords on the first shot. I am a crappy blogger but wanted to share with all of you how wonderful my wife is…

She is the sunshine of my life; there is nothing I enjoy more then just being around her. She brings my heart joy and I live everyday to make her smile. She is my princess. Without her I would be incomplete. I know that God has blessed my life because He gave me her. She makes being a great mother look easy, and she is doing a unbelievable job raising our children. She is my best friend

Julie,
I love you with all of my heart and do a horrible job reflecting the same joy that you bring me. You are more beautiful then anything God has ever created. You make the flowers you love so much jealous of your beauty. Thank you for your love, your example, your patients, and your forgiveness. I commit my life to you and I want to fulfill all your needs and give you all your wants. You are a special woman and I don’t deserve the joy you bring me.

With all of my heart,

John