We then sent Dad to Costco to buy our tree :)
Sunday, November 30, 2014
The Search for our 2014 Christmas Tree
Today we headed out to a local tree farm to find and cut down our Christmas tree. This was a traditional that my family had growing up and I wanted my kids to experience it as well. Thankfully we had a break in the rain and the weather was beautiful (although very cold!). Apparently everyone else in Western Washington had a similar plan and beat us to the punch because the only trees left in the ground were too small or WAY too big. After about an hour of searching, we decided to take a few pictures, get a hot cocoa and head for some warmth back at home.
Saturday, November 29, 2014
RIP Sadie
Yesterday we said goodbye to our first baby, Sadie. She has been our fearless protector, companion, confidant, security blanket, playmate and friend over the past 11 years. She has provided us unconditional love, despite often being put on the back burner as our family grew. She was my little shadow, even to the day she passed away, and I will miss the sense of reassurance I had from always having her by my side.
Some of Sadie's favorite things included laying in the sun, eating popcorn, tearing apart toys (especially ones with squeakers), fluffing up her bed to make it as comfy as possible, and "hot laps" (which is a term we coined when Sadie would run around the house - indoors or out - with a burst of high speed for about 10-15 seconds). But most of all, she was happiest just being with her family.
Here are some of my favorite Sadie stories:
* Josh and I knew that we wanted to adopt a dog so after much waiting and anticipation, we spent one weekend going to all of the local shelters in search of our perfect dog. Sadly, most of the dogs in the pounds and shelters in California were Pit Bulls. Although I was not completely opposed to the idea of owning a Pit Bull, it was not my first choice either. After two full days of looking, we were headed home and I asked Josh to stop by one of the first shelters we saw, just to see if they had any new dogs come in. He rolled his eyes, annoyed with the unending quest, but agreed to stop. When we arrived, the front staff told us they had just picked up some Pit Bull Mix puppies which were found at a construction site. As soon as we saw those ears, coupled with her pretty brindle coloring, we knew she was the one. She immediately greeted us with a wagging tail, walked over to Josh, climbed in his lap and curled right up like she was already at home. As Josh has often said, "We didn't pick Sadie. She picked us."
* Sadie's first day with us as a pup. We got Sadie when she was 4 months old. At that time, both Josh and I were working full-time so the day after we picked her up, we put her in a crate when we left for work. When I drove home at lunchtime to check on her, I parked (pretty far from our condo) and no sooner did I step out of my car did I heard her howling VERY loudly. Needless to say, she was not a big fan of the crate and as a courtesy to our neighbors, she didn't have to stay in it for long. We only ever had one instance when she was left alone as a puppy uncrated. I returned from work to find a destroyed rug and some chewed up mail (including one of Josh's paychecks).
* The first day we brought Abi home from the hospital, Josh carried her into the house in her car seat/carrier. Sadie was thrilled to see us after not being home for several days but had no idea what Josh was carrying. As soon as Josh put her carrier on the bed, Abi started crying and Sadie was so startled that she jumped back about five feet. That was just the beginning of the relationship between Abi and Sadie. When Abi was a baby, Sadie was overly protective of her. She started barking when there was a knock at the door (a behavior that she had never exhibited before Abi's arrival) and spent a lot of time watching over her - often sleeping in her room, right next to her crib. The bond shared by those two was special and undeniable.
Over the past six months, we realized that her health had been declining but after one bad day, she usually bounced back pretty quickly the following day. Unfortunately on Thanksgiving night, things started to deteriorate. The next morning, after a trip to the vet, we discovered she had a tumor on her spleen and had to make the impossible decision to put her to sleep.
Here are a few more of my favorite pictures and memories of Sadie:
Some of Sadie's favorite things included laying in the sun, eating popcorn, tearing apart toys (especially ones with squeakers), fluffing up her bed to make it as comfy as possible, and "hot laps" (which is a term we coined when Sadie would run around the house - indoors or out - with a burst of high speed for about 10-15 seconds). But most of all, she was happiest just being with her family.
Here are some of my favorite Sadie stories:
* Josh and I knew that we wanted to adopt a dog so after much waiting and anticipation, we spent one weekend going to all of the local shelters in search of our perfect dog. Sadly, most of the dogs in the pounds and shelters in California were Pit Bulls. Although I was not completely opposed to the idea of owning a Pit Bull, it was not my first choice either. After two full days of looking, we were headed home and I asked Josh to stop by one of the first shelters we saw, just to see if they had any new dogs come in. He rolled his eyes, annoyed with the unending quest, but agreed to stop. When we arrived, the front staff told us they had just picked up some Pit Bull Mix puppies which were found at a construction site. As soon as we saw those ears, coupled with her pretty brindle coloring, we knew she was the one. She immediately greeted us with a wagging tail, walked over to Josh, climbed in his lap and curled right up like she was already at home. As Josh has often said, "We didn't pick Sadie. She picked us."
* Sadie's first day with us as a pup. We got Sadie when she was 4 months old. At that time, both Josh and I were working full-time so the day after we picked her up, we put her in a crate when we left for work. When I drove home at lunchtime to check on her, I parked (pretty far from our condo) and no sooner did I step out of my car did I heard her howling VERY loudly. Needless to say, she was not a big fan of the crate and as a courtesy to our neighbors, she didn't have to stay in it for long. We only ever had one instance when she was left alone as a puppy uncrated. I returned from work to find a destroyed rug and some chewed up mail (including one of Josh's paychecks).
* The first day we brought Abi home from the hospital, Josh carried her into the house in her car seat/carrier. Sadie was thrilled to see us after not being home for several days but had no idea what Josh was carrying. As soon as Josh put her carrier on the bed, Abi started crying and Sadie was so startled that she jumped back about five feet. That was just the beginning of the relationship between Abi and Sadie. When Abi was a baby, Sadie was overly protective of her. She started barking when there was a knock at the door (a behavior that she had never exhibited before Abi's arrival) and spent a lot of time watching over her - often sleeping in her room, right next to her crib. The bond shared by those two was special and undeniable.
Over the past six months, we realized that her health had been declining but after one bad day, she usually bounced back pretty quickly the following day. Unfortunately on Thanksgiving night, things started to deteriorate. The next morning, after a trip to the vet, we discovered she had a tumor on her spleen and had to make the impossible decision to put her to sleep.
First day we got her.
Poor thing must of gotten into some trouble at the construction site because she was covered in paint when we brought her home.
Destroying Squeaker Toys
If given the opportunity, Sadie could run really fast.
We always speculated that she might be mixed with a Greyhound of some kind.
Sadie vs. The Bull Frog
She couldn't figure out what to do with it. She just kept jumping up and down and barking at it. Poor frog probably thought he was a goner but Sadie was just looking for a playmate.
She always LOVED our dirty clothes pile.
Love that smile :)
As soon as we would walk out of the house, Sadie would climb onto her favorite spot in the house, our couch. Normally, she was not allowed on the furniture but knew there was not much we could do if we were not home, nor would we, once she got older. In her last few years, she would even make her intentions known as soon as she saw us getting ready to leave and would slowly make her way over to the couch and sit patiently until the moment the door closed behind us. If I ever forgot anything and had to re-enter the house, she would not even acknowledgement my presence or make eye contact. She was as still as a statue. It was almost comical and became a running joke in our family. I can only hope that she's looking down on us from her big, comfy microfiber couch in heaven.
Another of her favorite things was walking to the bus stop with us every day to pick up the kids from school. This was one of my last pictures of her and I love it.
She brought great happiness to our family and she will be missed dearly.
RIP Sadie
Thursday, November 27, 2014
Wednesday, November 26, 2014
I am thankful for...
Brady came home from school today with a Thanksgiving placemat. It says he is thankful for his Grandpa and his teacher. When I asked him why he was thankful for his Grandpa, he said,"because he is a veteran". The picture on the back is Grandpa shooting a tank.
When I showed Grandpa, he was touched that Brady thought of him but he was a bit concerned about proximity of the tank :)
When I showed Grandpa, he was touched that Brady thought of him but he was a bit concerned about proximity of the tank :)
Tuesday, November 25, 2014
Twinkle Twinkle Little Star (Final Version)
Videos of all three kids singing "Twinkle Twinkle Little Star".
At the time the videos were taken, Abi was 2 1/2, Brady was almost 3 and Natalie was 2 years, 2 months old. I think that Brady has the highest voice of them all and Nattie definitely wins the award for wildest hair!
Monday, November 24, 2014
Thursday, November 20, 2014
Regional Choir Performance
Tonight was Abi's Regional Choir Performance. Abi's choir performed a few songs, listened to some other school choirs and got a chance to perform and speak with some of the local high schoolers who are in choir.
Abi and a few of her best friends
Here is a little sample of one of their songs.
(Abi is on the far right on the bottom row)
Friday, November 14, 2014
Friday, November 7, 2014
Veteran's Day
Abi's class learned sign language to the song "God Bless the USA" and performed it during the assembly. (Abi is the front row on the left hand side.)
Thursday, November 6, 2014
Tuesday, November 4, 2014
Popcorn
Brady's favorite song these days is "Popcorn" by the Muppets. He has countless choreographed dances and moves for this song - this is just one of many! :)
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