Tender

Drake had a doc appt downtown and on the way there, as we were passing the cemetary, Drake yelled out "Maddie!" So on the way back from the appt, since we were already on the exit of the cemetary, I decided to stop by with Drake. We haven't been since the summer so it was good to go. I knew we wouldn't stay to long since Lydia was asleep and Drake is in the process of potty training and I didn't want an accident! So we got out of the car and Drake ran over to Maddie and immediately kissed her picture. After a minute of staying by Maddie he ran around for a little bit going over to different headstones and smelling other people's flowers and after a bit I told him it was time to go as I was walking over to check on Lydia in the car, which was real close just on the street where I took this picture. I looked back to Drake when I got to the car and saw him like this, laying on her headstone. Tears immediately flooded my eyes and I just watched him for a long 2 minutes just laying on her. A million thoughts went through my head of how he totally knows her and if she were here how they would be best buddies and how sad I am that she isn't, but then I looked at his face and he was so happy. He is happy, Maddie is happy and that made me happy to know that on such a small level, or huge...a level that that I am not even on, that he gets it. It was a very tender experience, a cry I wasn't expecting but so grateful for. Drake knows Maddie, not just from the pictures we have of her around the house, but I do believe that he truly knows his big sister.

Then when we I finally got to Drake in the car, I realized he had peed his pants. Uh. Let's just say the waterworks were quickly dried up!! :)

First Trip To The Dentist...

...and Drake did AWESOME!!! Actually he loved it and asked to go the next day. One quick fact about Drake is that he is one to prepare or tell him about things before they happen instead of springing stuff on him. He does so much better to be talked and guided through events before they take place. So I had been talking about going to see Dr. Jenny, the dentist, a couple days before his appt. telling him that she is going to look at his teeth and that he had to open wide for her. The first thing he said when he woke up the day of his appt was that he wanted to go to the dentist, so we were prepared and excited! We got to the office and was called back by the cute hygeinist and he did everything she asked him to. He loved watching Cars, he loved going up in the chair, he loved wearing the hot pink glasses, he loved getting his teeth cleaned... he did awesome, I was so proud.

They even took some x-rays because he is missing 2 teeth, and he did great while biting the film and holding still for them. It was a great experience, the ladies were so great with him and he loved his goody bag, he carried it around the rest of the day. I can't believe how big he is getting!

Pretty Girl In White

While we were in California for Thanksgiving Jordan blessed Lydia in church the Sunday after. He gave her a beautiful blessing and we were so glad so many family members were able to be there for it. We used the same dress Maddie wore when she was blessed and Lydia looked beautiful. It was a special day for Jordan and I.

Judy and Gary we so nice to host the dinner after. It was such a beautiful day! 80 degrees made it perfect weather to eat outside and enjoy the sunshine.

Unfortunately I didn't get a pic of everyone but it was a great day, Lydia is so blessed to have both sides of her family be so supportive and have so much love for her.

Many Thanks

We had a wonderful Thanksgiving with the Walburger's this year!

We had lots of cousin time, which Drake loved...

Lots of cuddle time with Mimi...

Jordan got to play football Thanksgiving morning with a bunch of friends, his brother Andy, and nephew Clayton, an event he looks forward to every year...

Drake got to cut the turkey with PaPa...

We got to spend time with Andy and Mandy and their cute family who we love...

Drake loved playing with all of his cousins (minus the times that he pestered them!)...

We had a delicious and wonderful Thanksgiving dinner, all with the best of company...

Even the Missionaries...

The day after Thanksgiving we went into LA to the Grove and saw all of the magical lights and fun atmosphere...

Drake, Clayton, and Anna even got to participate in the Jingle Bells...

During dinner the kids even got to experience the snow! (ok just little bubbles, but such a neat thing to experience when we don't have snow in Texas!)

It was a week full of family, friends, food, relaxation and joy. We had a great Thanksgiving this year! The Sunday after Thanksgiving we blessed Lydia in church and had a great weekend with even more family (post coming soon)!

Meet the Peterson's

My littlest sister Brandy was married to the handsome Landry Peterson on November 19 and to say they make a stunning couple would be an understatement! It was such a beautiful weekend with Brands, one my whole family will remember. They got married in the Las Vegas Temple and it was such an awesome experience/feeling having my entire family in the temple together...pure happiness. Landry has been the guy that Brandy has loved since high school, there has never been a guy that ever compared to him all throughout her dating years and now that they are married she is one happy girl!! They started it out right with a beautiful ceremony in the temple and then a GORGEOUS reception that night, it was a huge celebration. Brandy made a gorgeous bride and Landry such a handsome groom, I am so excited for them to start their lives together and to have Landry in our family.

Drake had a blast with his cousins, this was in the temple while we were waiting.

The whole Langford fam.

Drake tore it up on the dance floor at the reception! With no nap and about 8 cupcakes in his stomach there was no controlling this crazy boy! All he wanted to do was DANCE! Other than Brandy and Landry, I am pretty sure Drake has the most pictures from the photographer and footage on the videographers camera, he was a sight to see (and not always a good one)!

Congrats Brandy and Landry!!!

First 2 weeks and Halloween

After we got home from the hospital time seemed to fly the next couple of weeks. We were fortunate enough to have my Mom stay with us the whole time and my Dad came the last 5 days which was wonderful. My Mom is a saint. She helped us so much with Drake...sooo much with Drake. She would take him on little outings everyday to get him out of the house, make him meals, get up with him in the early hours of the morning, played with him alot.... all the while cooking for us and cleaning my house and still getting cuddle time with Lydia! We are so grateful for everything she did!

One thing that kept Drake busy was his early Christmas present, a kitchen! He loves it. This particular day he wanted his apron and cowboy hat on while he cooked!

The key was was to keep Drake busy since he has a 5 minute attention span! So another activity was to paint his little pumpkin Grandma got him. This activity took just that, about 5 mins and he was done! It took longer to get everything set up!

Drake and Pop-Pop

Weeks before I had Lydia we told Drake that he could carve pumpkins for Halloween when Pop-Pop got to our house. EVERYDAY he he reminded us. So the day before Halloween we finally carved pumpkins.

Halloween was so fun this year with Drake because it was the first holiday he really "got". He loved all of the decorations and understood that he got to dress up and go trick or treating for candy! The kids looked so cute in their festive pj's!

HAPPY HALLOWEEN!!!

The week before Halloween Drake had a blast going to our church's Trunk or Treat and get his first taste of trick or treating. He was so excited to show Grandma and I all of his candy when he got home. He also went with Jordan to work for a little bit and went trick or treating again. He was having soo much fun at all of these activites. Yes, we have a ton of candy still at our house!

The morning of Halloween my parents took Drake to our city's Halloween festival at our local park. We have gone for the past 4 years and it is such a fun thing they put on. Just get there early because holy cow it gets crowded! But Drake had a blast!

And here comes the Triceratops!! It was finally time to go trick or treating (for real)! We have been talking about it all month long and Drake was so excited to go! It's always somewhat of a struggle to get him to take pictures but not on Halloween. He just kept posing and sitting still for us to take as many as we wanted. His costume was so adorable on him, I loved it and better yet so did he. He put it on everyday we had it.

Little Lydia was a cute ladybug. It was the first time Grandma and Pop-Pop spent Halloween with us so we were so excited!

Ready to go!

Jordan and my Dad took Drake around and they went for a long time! Drake came in dragging his bag saying "heavy" because all of the candy he got. He had so much fun going door to door.

And of course pouring his whole bag out to see what he got! Such a fun Halloween. It makes Jordan and I so excited for the upcoming holidays because Drake is finally old enough to really understand and get into them. We love our triceratops!

The next day my parents left back to Vegas. It was such a fun extended stay with my parents. It made for a hard goodbye. These are the times when it's really hard living so far away from family. But I am grateful for the time we do get together, it makes it all the more special.

They left on a Tuesday and Jordan had off the rest of the week to help me out which was wonderful. We had our first taste of parenting 2 kids alone. Jordan especially understood what I go through everyday with Drake. Drake isn't a bad kid by any means, he is just very active. Like I said before he has an attention span of 5 minutes and then he gets bored and when he gets bored he gets into mischief. So we always have at least one eye on Drake. :) Jordan was such a huge help and that week just gave me a new appreciation and reminder of why I love him so much. He loves us so much and shows it. It was a great week as a family. The next week came and he was off to work which left me with the 2 kiddos to myself. Well we survived! We got out at least once everyday, even if was going to the post office, my friend took Drake one day which was wonderful...Thank you Melinda!, and we just did it, we made it work. I went to bed (and still am) around 9pm because with the time change Drake likes waking up around 6:30 which is with in an hour of me going back to sleep after feeding Lydia. So my solution...Drake goes to bed now around 7pm and I go to bed around 9pm. I don't do well without sleep but again we are surviving!

Since Lydia has been born I feel my happiness level has risen. And I want to go as far to say that I am just as happy as I was when Maddie was alive. I don't want this to sound like I havent been happy the past 3 years because I have, but now it's just gone up a step if that makes any sense. I feel our family is that much more complete and I have joy in my heart being home.