Dasher and Prancer

We were graced with Dasher and Prancer visiting our little town. Little Bug wanted to know why Santa was letting them be there. We had gone earlier in the week to give them some treats (raisins and oats), but Little Bug said she wanted to come back with carrots because they were longer. I don't blame her, they are pretty intimidating.

There were lots of stare downs such as this. Little Bug not quite ready to muster up the courage to fork over the food and the reindeers eying what was hopefully soon to be their treat.


She is just not too sure about that reindeer's intentions.

Ballet

Little Bug started taking ballet a few months ago. It is by far her favorite activity of the week, even ahead of swimming. It is pretty cute watching a bunch of 3-5 year old girls dance around in pink tutus. I had visions of getting really cute photos with puffs of pink everywhere, but they don't let the parents into the actual dance studio during the session. You instead watch through glass windows. So, I had to settle for being an obsessed mom by poking my camera through the door.

Here she is her first day outside our house.


All lined up and ready to dance!


And a sticker for doing such a good job.


We have since gotten her ballet shoes that fit.

Three years

Little Bug,

We were in awe the first time we gazed upon you. Your dad cried tears of joy and I thought you were the cutest baby I'd ever seen. Thank you for all the love, energy and kindness you bring to our home. Happy 3rd birthday to our little girl.


This year also marks the year of finally figuring out what Little Bug will eat for a birthday cake, tart! Her two previous cakes went untouched. She loved her very own personal sized tart decorated with pink sprinkles and candles.




Things we must remember about our 3 year old Bug;

• She loves cleaning dishes in the kitchen sink, but the dishes have to be clean first.


• She loves cleaning the bathroom sink (with mass amounts of water) a wash cloth and special cleaning soap.


• She loves cooking with her own kitchen supplies.


• She is still afraid of the vacuum.


• She refuses to use her bathroom stool and toilet seat cover because she is a big girl now. She has only fallen in the toilet once.


• Every time I make the bed, she hides underneath our pillows, then jumps on them, and finally tosses them overboard. Every time.


• She hates shoes and socks. Seriously. They come off in stores, shopping carts, the car and if they are somehow still on when arriving back home, they're off within seconds. And now she is even pulling Tank's socks off.


• She likes having control over the tv remote. It must be beside her while watching netflix.


• She still will not eat fresh fruit, but loves fruit leather and dried blueberries.


• Her most frequent meal is noodles cooked in olive oil and salt.


• She must dance while running around the couch every night before bed, preferably with "loud" music.


• She thinks getting dressed and doing her hair in the morning makes for a fun game of chase.


• Lately, she is saying she doesn't want to do things because "it's not fair." We thought that was suppose to start in 10 years?!

Happy birthday Little Bug!

First snowfall

Andrew taught Little Bug what to do with a snowball.


Daddy:0
Little Bug:1

My Tank

Five

To the man who still opens the car door for me. I often wonder how I got so lucky. Happy 5th anniversary!

Happy Halloween!

From our good little witch


and ferocious lion.



This was the first year Little Bug went trick or treating. It took a little coaxing to get her to that first doorstep, but that's all it took for her to get hooked. Soon she was giddily sprinting from house to house. Tank was a trooper and his fearsome looks also scored him some treats that mom and dad enjoyed.

Pumpkin Patch

We love pumpkin patches around here! This year, Little Bug was able to catch her first "real" roller coaster, aka a simple up and down loop. This is the before shot. She was pretty darn excited.


I was too busy consoling her afterwards to snap the after shot.


Now, if only Little Bug would be consistent with what she wants to be for Halloween...

Fight

Recently my dad has had a slew of health problems. About six months ago we found out he has serious heart disease. The doctors were amazed he had not had a heart attack. Especially considering the week before he was diagnosed he had gone snow camping with the scouts. High elevation and cold weather should have slowed his blood flow enough to have caused a massive heart attack. We were grateful to God for his life then.

About three months ago he had a very rare and severe reaction to his heart medication that left his liver unable to function. Such a sever reaction to the medication led the doctors to discover he has stage 4 lymphoma. Usually lymphoma is very treatable. However, he was diagnosed with both the intermediate and aggressive subtypes making it difficult and risky to treat. The doctors had him on chemo days later and stated if the cancer had gone undiagnosed for two more weeks there would not have been anything they could have done. We are grateful such a severe reaction led the doctors to the bigger problem and feel blessed to see the hand of God in his life. I know the Lord will take him when he wants him, I just hope it is not quite yet. I now suddenly have the painful realization I will never be old enough to loose my father.

He is on a particularly hard and rough chemo cycle. He spends two and a half weeks in the hospital and roughly a week and a half at home to complete one round. He needs a total of 6 rounds and should be done with chemo at the end of February/beginning of March next year.

I just had the opportunity to spend 3 weeks at my parents helping out and most importantly visiting my dad daily at the hospital. I am grateful for many things: for the miracle and blessing of his life, for the privilege of having a father who did nothing short of providing me with a wonderful life and ever inspiring example of generosity and goodness, and for the fight he has within him.

It should be mentioned...

I turned 30 and am thereby now suddenly filled with all the wisdom, knowledge and experience to be taken seriously in life.

I was still at my parents on my birthday, so Andrew surprised me by flying into town early! It was so nice to share my 30th surrounded by family, including my father. Little Bug helped put the candles on my tart and I laughed when I saw a candle so creatively placed right in the center of a tasty raspberry.