Easter 2009

Easter day at Grandma Sarah's house.
Reilly
Reilly searching for eggs.

Madeleine searching for eggs.

Maddy just realizing that there are M&M's inside the Easter eggs.

This was obviously a pleasent surprise.

After a handful of M&M's she had multiple colors around her lips, on her hands, and on her dress.

The Trip Back...

We left Texas on Thursday, April 9th at 7:00 p.m. Nick and I took turns driving. Our trip back to San Diego, California took almost 37 and a half hours including stops! Not to mention we still had to drive from SD to Bakersfield.

Nick and I took turns driving. Both of the girls were ill. Reilly passed out while waiting in the McDonald's bathroom line. She ended up with a knot on her forehead and a gash just above her lip (see photo below). After that frightening experience we made our way to the half way point, which was El Paso, Texas and stayed at a Marriott Inn for 11 hours so that we could get some REAL sleep. While we were there both of the girls had stomach flu symptoms... I was so glad we were at a hotel and not in the car! At about 8 p.m. we left El Paso and drove through New Mexico, Arizona, and entered California. We arrived at National Car Rental in San Diego on Saturday at 10:30 a.m. (Cali time) to return the van which was due by 11 a.m. We didn't get to good old Bakersfield until 5:50 p.m Saturday. It was a long trip. I think that if there's a "next time" I'm flying.

More about Texas

While packing for our trip I made the decision to pack our old digital camera instead of our fancy new one in an effort to save space. I put a brand new SD card in the camera so that I'd have plenty of room for lots of pictures. When I'd try and use my camera it would not work. I assumed that the batteries were bad, so I bought new ones, but the camera still wouldn't work. After returning home and trying to load the 11 pictures that I'd taken during our week long vacation the computer was telling me that the brand new SD card that I'd taken out of it's packaging the day we left for Texas was "damaged". How can a brand new SD card be damaged when it's only been inserted into a camera once? Anyway, the following pictures are from my sweet sister-in-law's camera. Our family picture in a field of bluebells.The Stephen's family picture, minus Lance.The Meek family.Playtime!Sydney & MaddyComputer time!

Aidan's baseball game.

Texas

The Woodlands, Texas

All 8 cousins: Back row: Maddy (15 months), Reilly (7 almost 8), Sydney (10), Tyler (4); Front row: Will (2), Garrett (4), Nolan (5 months), Aidan (6)

Maddy and I arrived back in Bakersfield from our Chico trip on April 2nd. We unpacked and did a load of laundry so that we could re-pack for our trip to The Woodlands, Texas to visit the Becky, Justin, and their four boys. We left Bakersfield on April 3rd at 11 a.m. and arrived in San Diego at about 3:30 p.m. We met Natalie and her kiddos at their home in SD, packed up the van rental, and left for Texas at about 5:00 p.m. We took turns driving and sleeping while the kids played video games, colored, and watched a dvd. We traveled across the California, Arizona, New Mexico, & Texas borders. It took us 23 hours including stops to get from Natalie's house in San Diego to Beck's in The Woodlands. The 23 hours seemed to sail on by without a hitch. It seemed that before we knew it we were in Becky's front yard. If only our trip back to Cali was as smooth as our trip over. Our trip back was to say the least, an adventure... we had 2 drivers and 2 sick children. I'll save that story for another day.

I should have more pictures to post when the photo cd arrives.

Chico

My grandma who will be 91 in May lives in Chico. She has recently had some health issues that we were very concerned about. So, on March 29th Maddy and I packed up and headed up to Chico. It took about 7 1/2 hours including stops.

My grandma aka GG was experiencing shortness of breath and trouble standing and walking without a ton of pain. The doctor initially diagnosed her with a mild case of emphysema and possible osteoporosis. After testing the doctor found that she had a severe case of osteoporosis and instead of emphysema she has a heart condition that is causing her shortness of breath. The good news is that both can be treated. She can take a pill for her heart condition and get a shot once a year for the osteoporosis. However the osteoporosis was so severe that a couple of the bones on her spine had moved so much that they were touching and when she walked or stood they would rub together. This was the source of most of her pain. On April 20th the doctor was able to perform an out-patient procedure that involved injecting a plastic-cement that will provide spacing between the bones that were rubbing together. I spoke with her yesterday and she is doing very well. She's a little sore but the major pain is completely gone. Praise God! Thank you for all of your prayers.

Favorite Things

At 16 months old Maddy has her own "Favorites List". And at the top of that list are phones. It can be a cell phone or home phone, it doesn't matter which; she wants to hold it, push it's buttons, put it up to her ear and pretend she's on the phone. I took the picture above just as we were leaving for Bobby & Bre's wedding. She'll smile really big anytime she's holding a phone!

Maddy's Favorite Things List (in no particular order):
1. Phones
2. Rocks
3. Purses or anything she can put over her shoulder and haul around like a purse.
4. Books
5. Going Outside
6. Taking a Bath
7. Being Chased
8. A Warm Bottle of Milk
9. Drinking Diluted Apple Juice All Day Long
10. Reilly (her big sis)

Fagan & Candelaria Wedding

On March 28th Bobby and Bre got married! Reilly was a flower girl and Jill was the maid-of-honor.The Herndon family photo at the Bakersfield Country Club.Reilly and Maddy enjoying the water fountain.Jilly and Breanna during the reception.Reilly dancing with Bobby during the money dance.
Maddy found some one just her size to dance with (Bobby's sister's little boy).Maddy getting piano lessons at the end of the evening from a fellow fireman.

Caught

At 15 months old Maddy has learned how to climb (very well). One afternoon in late March she managed to climb on to the top of our small dinning room table and dig in the dirt of the potted poinsettia. The picture above is her trying to climb down after being caught.
Had it not been for the bib in her hands I wouldn't have found her as soon as I did. I was in our office that has windows that look out to the rest of our home and I heard what sounded like crumbling paper. I went to check on the sound and found Maddy sitting on her knees on the top of our table. The source of the paper-like sound was the crinkling plastic bib rubbing the dirt across the table.She makes each day an adventure and helps me to appreciate the small things in life. Like the joy of playing in the dirt.