Pretend City

Pretend City might just be the coolest place on the planet. Alicia and I took Maddox on a particularly rainy day last week for some indoor fun.

Christmas at Darth Vader's House

That's a Storm Trooper Blaster in the Christmas tree. It's there for easy access in case the rebel forces are stowing away in Santa's sleigh.

Now I (almost) Know My ABCs

Kreil Guys

Disclaimer: I don't usually fix my kid's hair like this. It was really windy.

J-Dog is 3

We went to Jaxon's third birthday party a couple of weeks ago. It's really hard to believe that Jaxon is already 3. It's even harder to believe that Maddox is just a few short months behind him.

Happy Day of Turkeys!

Today I am very thankful for the plump little turkey who sacrificially gave his life for the benefit of my caloric intake. He was a brave and delicious soul.

Sushi!

These pictures are from last month when Dan and Carmen came down for a visit and we all got to go out for sushi. I know I talk about Maddox's adventurous eating habits all the time, but I just can't believe the things that kid will eat. He sat there that night looking around the restaurant, holding a large chunk of raw salmon and biting into it like it was an apple.

Surfin' Lombard

Last weekend, Jeff and Vince took a road trip up to the San Francisco Bay area to go to the Cal / Oregon football game. Vince had never been to San Francisco, so they made some quick stops to see the sights.

Jeff got to see Aiden, an old training client, who now attends Cal.

Car surfing down Lombard Street. I'm sure there's some sort of clever caption for these photos, but the best I can tell you is that it's just the type of thing that Jeff and Vince do.

Buzz, Take 2

Considering Thanksgiving is two weeks from today, I guess it's about time I posted the rest of our Halloween pictures. I'm nothing if not efficient.

Maddox was Buzz Lightyear. Again. Becky called me from the Goodwill store to tell me that they had a Buzz costume and a Woody costume for $10 each. So, it was time to ask the Man. The conversation went something like this:

Mommy: "Mad, do you want to be Buzz for Halloween? Or do you want to be WOODY?! You like Sheriff Woody!!"

Maddox: "I want to be Buzz."

Mommy: "But you were Buzz last year. Don't you want to be Woody? He wears a cool hat and has a holster! You should be WOODY! There's a snake in my boot!"

Maddox: "I want to be Buzz."

Now, I'm not one to be a buzzkill (you should know that I'm proud of myself for that pun), so I got him the costume. It may be a cheap, used costume from Goodwill, but at least it's not hand-me-down pajamas this year!

Next year we'll plan on being something else. Maybe.

Happy Halloween

Here's a picture from part one of the Halloween festivities. On Friday night, we got all dressed up and went to a costume party with friends....
From left to right: Connor Doucette, William Gash, Leila Young, Maddox, Carson Leslie, and Jaxon Young.

More pictures from Halloween night to follow...if I ever find my camera. Oops.

Probably My Favorite Picture

I know it's just a picture of Maddox and Jeff in the attic, but I fell in love with this photo the minute I saw it. It's Mad's face. I just have to squeeze it.
In an unrelated note, I thought you would like to see Maddox's little perch where he likes to hang out and read books. I must have 10 different identical pictures. I'll save you the agony, and just post 2.

The KercheDill Union

On August 17th, our dearest Erin Kercheville was wed to our dearest Graydon Dill. It was probably the most unique ceremony I have ever attended, and it ranks up there on a short list of my favorite weddings. Maddox made an adorable ring bearer, and did a fantastic job reigning in his explosive 2-year-old energy. Without further adieu, here are lots of beautiful photos from the wedding of the century!
Erin looked stunning in a lovely dress that she and Alicia handmade.

Alicia also made her mother of the bride dress.

Pappaw lifted up the happy couple in prayer...

...and cousin Annabelle passed the time in prayer by curtsying in her flower girl dress. Too cute!

Maddox held very still for the whole ceremony, but during the vows, he was getting a little antsy. So, Timbo gave him the whole bag of bribery candy and sat him down. Look closely behind the groomsmen. Need a closer look?...

A quick snapshot of Mandy and Ted. Just so you know who produced these yahoos...

35.

Happy 35th birthday, Hubs! You know you are the best thing that ever happened to me!

Still in August...

Any visit from the cousins and the grandparents just wouldn't be complete without a day at Disneyland. Of course, Maddox thinks any regular old week wouldn't be complete without a day at Disneyland.

Maddox showed Daddoo and Nolan a thing or two about Buzz Astroblasters!

Sorry about your recent decapitation, Daddoo.

Remember when Disney canceled the Electrical Parade? Jeff does. Considering he was working Guest Control when everyone on the planet came to see the final performances of the most successful parade in Disney history, he remembers that summer well. And now it's back. And he did all that work for nothing.