Yankee's back!!!...well, sort of.

Turns out Yankee just felt like hanging out at the beach for a couple weeks! He took a little vacation and went down to Cabo for a little R&R (thus the new tan!) Alright, I'll tell you the truth...but if Ella's asks...this is the SAME Yankee! My cousin that gave Ella the little bear gave my sister's son, Carson, the same little bear (just a little darker) when he was born. After Lindsay found out about Yankee taking off, she said that she thought Carson would be okay with Ella adopting his bear.

When we first handed Ella this new Yankee, she was a bit hesitant but she quickly snuggled up to him as if they were never apart.

Later that night, Ella was celebrating his return with a parade in his honor all around the apartment.

Ella was really happy to get her friend back!

K, there's not really a reason for this picture...I just love the goofy look on her face!

Everyone should have a Grandpa Dewey

I have always known that one of the biggest blessings in my life was the great family that I have. I was lucky enough to grow up having both sets of grandparents within 15 minutes of us. My mom's parents, Grandma and Grandpa Dewey, were always very involved in our activities as we were growing up. I remember having them at many of our softball/baseball games, school events, church activities, and several other major milestones in our lives. I have so many GREAT memories with my grandparents, I can't even begin to list them.

Last week, I got a phone call from my mom telling me that my grandpa had passed away. It wasn't too much of a surprise because he was in the hospital due to a stroke he had a few days before that and his health was getting worse as of about a month ago. Although I am sad at the thought of a world without my Grandpa Dewey, I'm so grateful that he didn't have to live in pain or discomfort for too long. My grandma Dewey passed away about 4 1/2 years ago and it just puts a huge smile on my face to think of the reunion they are having now! It's at a time like this that makes me extremely grateful for the knowledge I have that our families are forever. I know that I will see both of my grandparents again and until then I'll just be a little homesick for them...

I know this isn't a great picture but it's the last one that I took of my Grandpa. This is him with Ella and my cousin, Kylie.

These next few are things that I will never be able to look at without thinking of Grandpa Dewey.

I've never met anyone who could eat ice cream faster than my grandpa! If there was a way to make money by eating lots of ice cream as fast as you can scoop it, he'd have been a millionaire!

My grandpa is one of the world's best whistlers (is that how you spell that?) Anyway, when I was younger, he'd always whistle and then ask me, "Did you hear that bird?"

Cooked carrots. My grandpa HATED cooked carrots! When I was a kid, I remember thinking that it was so funny that a grown up didn't like a vegetable that I did like.

If my grandpa wasn't whistling, he was singing...at least until my grandma would yell "Chet! That's enough!" Anyway, for many years he was in this little singing group in Rancho Bernardo called the RB Troubadours. They performed at lots of the little community events and I always thought he was somewhat of a celebrity when he sang!

My grandparents had many fruit trees in their yard but my absolute favorite was the tangerines! I remember my grandma giving me a plastic sack and my grandpa taking me out to gather up as many tangerines as I could hold. To this day, I have yet to buy a tangerine at the store that tastes as good as the ones from their tree!

So long, friend...

We have a bit of sad news to pass along. I know many of you may not be familiar with Ella's little friend, Yankee, but he was probably Ella's closest friend outside of her own family, of course. Anyway, earlier today Ella and I were going for a little walk to enjoy the sunny weather (it has been raining here the past few days and we were itching to get outside.) I loaded her up in the stroller with all of the necesities (including Yankee) and we were on our way. Here's where the sad part comes in: when we got home from our walk, Yankee was no where to be found! I don't know how it happened but sometime during our walk, Yankee must have jumped ship and me being in my own little world with the iPod blasting in my ears, I didn't notice. We retraced our steps to try to find him but we didn't have any luck. He's gone. Forever. We will now have a momment of silence in his honor.
It's funny cuz I really was sad that we lost that little bear. It was Ella's first little thing that she had gotten "attatched" to and I felt like such a bad mom that I lost it. I don't know how much she really knows that Yankee's gone. Later this afternoon when I put her down for her second nap I gave her a different little stuffed animal to have in her crib and she seemed to be fine with it. I guess when it comes down to it, I was the one that was more attatched. Oh well. These next few pictures are in loving memory of Yankee...

This was the first picture of Ella and Yankee. The bear and onesie were a present from my cousin that had just moved to New York a couple months before Ella was born and I took this picture to send to her.

Ella's Grandma & Grandpa visit

Last week Ryan's parents decided to fly south to ring in the new year...and to escape the snow for a bit! We were so excited to have them here but unfortunately Ella and I were pretty sick the first couple days they were here and Lynda ended up taking care of us. I'm still figuring out if this was really bad timing to get sick...or really good timing because I was able to just stay in bed and Lynda took care of Ella.

On Saturday, Ryan took them to Newport Coast for a little walk. (I stayed in bed and slept and coughed and blew my nose...)

Ella with her Grandma (and Yankee)

These next few pictures are ones that Ryan took that day. He's contemplating a career in making post cards...I think they're nice but he shouldn't quit the day job! :)

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On New Year's Day, we went up to Pasadena to the place where they park the floats after the Rose parade. Unfortunately, half of Southern California had the same idea. It was SO crowded but still a lot of fun to see all of the details of the floats close up.

This was Ella's vote for the best float

We had to put a picture of this float up for the nephews up in Utah. It was a transformer that changed from a car to a spaceship! So cool!

Me and my little girl in front of the Hula-dancing froggie

The next day we went to Disneyland. We got there when it was still pretty early in the morning so it was kinda chilly. Good thing Grandma made this cute hat for Ella!

On the Buzz Light Year ride...

I think this picture is so funny cuz Ella looks like she's so bored on Heimlich's Chew Chew train ride but I promise, she really does love it!

Ryan and I coming out of Splash Mountain

The castle looks so cool at Christmas time!

Ella and I in front of It's a Small World. It was all decorated for Christmas. So cute!!!

Ella's new favorite ride...King Triton's merry-go-round at California Adventure. She cried when we took her off!