The Waldeck Clan

Happy 9th Birthday to our sweet Logan!

2009-06-20T14:13:00.000-07:00

Nine years ago today I became a mother for the first time with the birth of my precious Logan. Little did I know that day that I would only spend 6 years, nine months with her on this earth. I'm praising God today that because of what His Son did for us on the cross, I know I will get to be with her in eternity. Oh, how we miss her, everything about her, from her amazing smile, contagious giggle, and love for Jesus and life. It's hard to imagine her as a nine year old. I often look at her friends that are now nine and just imagine her like they are now. Tori is now the same age Logan was when she went to heaven. They definitely have similarities, yet so many differences. Sometimes I try to picture the two of them playing together, giggling away as they dance around the house. Brae is now 4, so the two of them are the age of Logan and Tori at the time of Logan's home going. Watching Tori and Brae play now is like watching Tori and Logan play just in reverse time (hope that makes sense).

It's so cute how Brae and Tori think of Logan's birthday. Tori asked me the other day, "Mommy, how old is Logan?" I said, "Well she would be 8." and she replied, "oh, ok, so she will be nine on her birthday." as if she is continuing to age in heaven. For now we don't need to clarify all of that for her. Then when discussing what we should do as a family for Logan's birthday, Tori said, "Why don't we let Logan decide what she wants to do, since it's her birthday?" I replied, "that would be nice, but Logan can't tell us what she wants to do, but really I'm pretty sure she has all she wants being with Jesus." Tori or Brae then said, "Yup, that's all she has with her for her party, Jesus, Papou (her grandfather), and baby Reese (our friends precious girl in heaven too) with her for her birthday. I then reminded them that there are lots of other people in heaven that most likely will be with her too! Oh, to have that child like view!

I've probably said this before, but it's weird to think we will just always remember her as our little Logan at six years of age. Tori will be 7 in August and eventually, Lord willing, we will get passed that age with Brae. Life will go on, yet our memories of our precious blessing of six years with her will always be there. Today we are just relaxing at home for the day and then we will go to one of Logan's favorite restaurants to celebrate her birthday and the blessing she was and is in our life. She love Panda Express and Soup Plantation, so we choose Soup Plantation. I know it's nothing glamorous, but it was definitely one of her favs!

We love you and miss you sweetie, yet long for the day we can be reunited with our you and our Savior! Happy Birthday!

A Mother's Day tradition started!

2009-06-05T11:10:00.000-07:00

We had a wonderful relaxing Mother's day this year. We carried on a tradition that Daniel's family always did growing up. After church, we got KFC and had a picnic at the park. I think it will now be a tradition for our family as well. I know restaurants are nice and all, but it was such a beautiful day and so fun to be outside. Plus we could eat and then the kiddos went straight to the playground while I relaxed and read the Sunday paper. It was special to have Yiayia with us. Below are a few pics to document our great day!

Cubbie and Awana Graduation

2009-06-05T10:52:00.000-07:00

Another year of Awana has quickly gone by! It's amazing how fast my munchkins are growing up. Awana is a Wednesday night program at our church where the kids play games, have a bible story, have snacks and memorize verses. It's such a great program and we are so thankful our girls can be hiding God's Word in their hearts and having fun all at the same time. Braelyn finished her first year of Cubbies and Tori finished her second year of Sparks! Good job girlies, we are so proud of you!

Braelyn is beside herself with excitement!

Tori with her 2nd book award

Kate Penberthy and Braelyn showing off their awards

Dan's 34th Birthday!

2009-06-05T10:39:00.000-07:00

Happy Birthday Dad! You are the best!
Braelyn and I
Mother and Son

We love crazy faces!

We had a great time celebrating my husband's 34th birthday on April 30th, with a nice dinner at Wood Ranch BBQ. My mom n' law was in town to celebrate with us, which was a special treat. We are so thankful for an amazing husband and dad who loves us, leads us, and works so hard to provide for us! We are truly blessed! Here's to 34 plus more baby!

Resurrection Sunday at the Labat's

2009-05-18T08:46:00.000-07:00

It's becoming a tradition for our family to spend Easter lunch with the Labat family. We have known them for 6 years now and we are so thankful for them. My girls adore Lauren and whenever they see her they are ready to play! We had a great time this year eating yummy food and playing some fun games. Thanks Labats! We love you guys!

Brae and maybe her 6th chocolate covered strawberry!
My family!
The girls on their scooters!
Most of the gang!
Lauren,Brae and Tori

Our 5th Annual Neighborhood and Friends Egg Hunt

2009-05-17T14:12:00.000-07:00

The Saturday before Easter, our faithful neighbor Donna held our annual egg hunt at the park down the street. It's a highlight for our kids every year!

Brae, Abby and Ashlyn

All the little hunters!
Kaylee and Tori
Little ones got to go first!
Ellie Sue and Dayton Richard
Checkin' out all their goodies!
A parent pic. We always have pics of the kids, we needed one of the parents!
The Quincy St. Dads.... John, Dan and Bryan!

A quick visit with Colleen!

2009-05-17T13:57:00.000-07:00

In April I had a chance to see Colleen for a few hours. She was down on the central coast visiting her family, so we met half way in Santa Barbara. It was a really quick visit and between our 5 children we had many interruptions, but it was so worth it! Colleen is such a great friend, and even though we can go quite awhile between seeing each other, we always pick us where we left off! We hung by the beach for a few hours and then had a quick lunch at Chipotle on State street. It was so fun to watch our kiddos interact and have blast together. Even though it was quick, I always cherish my times with Colleen!

It was a bit chilly, but they of course didn't care!
Brae and Harper sharing a snack!
Running from the waves and really cold water!
We loved this pic with our kiddos playing in the background.

We love Chipotle!

Spring Break Slumber Party

2009-05-16T15:58:00.000-07:00

We threw a "just for fun" sleep over party for Tori and a few of her friends over Spring Break. It was a lot of fun, and pretty successful for our first official sleep over. I survived and wasn't totally sleep deprived so I think that was pretty good.

Eating Mac n' cheese for dinner! and salad too!
Being silly with the glow sticks!

Had to have a pillow fight!
Dance Party!
Sleep Time!

Kaylee, Maryn, Alyssa, Tori, and Morgyn!

Our Spring Break Hike

2009-05-13T12:58:00.000-07:00

This year we just stayed home for Spring Break and did lots of things close to home. It was so nice and relaxing. For the first time Tori didn't want to go back to school after a break. Usually she is so excited to go back. This time we had so much fun, it had her itching for summer break to come. Below are pics from our family hike in Towsely Canyon. It was a lot of fun to be out amongst the green hills (before they turn brown) and looking at some of the wild flowers. My girls were little troopers, though I did have to carry Brae for some of it. We finished off the afternoon with a lunch and went home to take naps!

My silly girls!
A fellow hiker took this family shot for us.
Up high with Santa Clarita behind us. Brae snapped this one, pretty good huh?
Our dog Kobe was lovin' life!
Checking out the stream

Tori's First Lost Tooth!

2009-05-12T10:31:00.000-07:00

We finally ventured into a whole new world of lost teeth.... or tooth so far. Logan never lost a tooth before she went to heaven, so this was a first for us as parents. It happened while Daniel was out of town at the Final Four so I had to capture it on video for him. I really didn't think she would do it, but to my surprise she did! Enjoy the video! (Remember to scroll down and mute on the playlist so you can hear the audio)

Our little Runner!

2009-05-12T10:10:00.000-07:00

Track season is coming to an end here pretty soon, but had to put up a few more pics of our little runner. Tori absolutely loves running! We knew the girl had endless energy, but she is blowing us away with her endurance! Below is a pic of her running and then a video of her winning an 800m race in Simi Valley. There were 16 kiddos in the race and she got first place, with the second place person 18 seconds behind her. It was pretty amazing! Some sentimental value to this race is that it was held at Royal High school is Simi Valley, where I ran when I was in Junior High. Of course they have a newer tartan track, but nonetheless it was kind of fun to think that I ran in that same place many a years ago! (You can mute the music by scrolling all the way to the bottom and muting the playlist)

Lovin' the new computer!!!

2009-05-12T10:05:00.000-07:00

Just want to tell you that we got a new computer that is so much faster then my old one!!!!!! I did not realize how much time I was wasting. I only would make updates if I new I had time to sit here for awhile. Well, with my fast computer, it's so much easier to upload pics, etc. I know you may all be laughing at me, thinking ,"It's about time!" Just had to share my joy in the blessing of a fast computer!!

Tori's First Track Meet - March '09

2009-04-03T01:27:00.000-07:00

Here we come Olympics 2020 with our little runner! We thought we'd try track out for Tori this Spring. The kiddo has endless energy and loves to run everywhere she goes. So far, so good! She loves it! Of course the social part is the best, playing patty cake while waiting in line seems to top the list. Doing cartwheels on the open infield is a plus, but when it comes to race time she is one focused little munchkin! She is part of the Santa Clarita Storm Track Club. She practices twice a week at a local high school and has meets on Saturdays.
That's her on the left running the 800m (two laps). She followed this girl all the way around 1and3/4 laps and then made her move on the straight away and won the race!

We learned a lot about the "all day" track meet. Need to be prepared.....!

All ready to go for my first meet!

Here she is running the 200m race. She got 1st place in her heat, 2nd overall. She is just so stinkin' cute! She has such a competitive spirit,not sure where she gets it :) must be from her Uncle Steve! (You can mute the music on the playlist if you scroll all the way down to it so you can hear the audio)

First Grade Performance - We Love America!

2009-04-03T01:19:00.000-07:00

March 26th was Tori's first grade performance at school. They had a patriotic theme and all the kiddos sang the good 'ol American songs...Yankee Doodle, This Land is your Land, Star Spangled Banner, etc. You know the ones we all learned in school! Tori loves being on stage and showin' her stuff!
Our Little Yankee Doodle!

Her classmates from Room 7

Tori and her teacher Mrs. West

Father/Daughter Dance at Tori's school - March '09

2009-04-03T01:12:00.001-07:00

Last year Daddy had a basketball game, so my brother Bruce filled in and took Tori. Uncles are great and all, but Tori was glad the dance came after basketball season was over this year! She loved dressing up like a princess and had a precious time with her Daddy!

Is she having fun or what?

Feb. '09 Memories

2009-04-03T01:03:00.001-07:00

Our Baby Brae turned 4 on March 1st of this year. We had her party a few days early at an indoor bounce house here in town. She had a blast, and so did everyone who came to play. Braelyn Grace is such a treasure to us and we thank God for her. Her cuddles are such good medicine and she never lacks in giving us a good laugh. We wish she could stay little forever, but to us she will always be our baby!

Coming down a fast slide with Daddy!

Two days at the end of February, my good friend Jamie and I had a no kiddos trip to Disneyland and CA. Adventure. We had a blast going on all the crazy rides over and over! Fun times for us busy moms!

My Crazy Girls! Jan'09

2009-04-03T01:00:00.000-07:00

With our passes expiring the end of February, we tried to fit in a few last trips to Disneyland. Here is my crazy girls out on Tom Sawyer's Island!

Christmas '08

2009-04-03T00:52:00.001-07:00

December was a crazy month for me because I was super sick for a super long time. So the holiday came and went with the bare minimum. I just was trying to get up and function each day. So no big frills, but had a low key time celebrating our Saviors' Birth with my family. It was kind of nice that way, so I didn't get too distracted on what the holiday was really for!

Our last minute, eve before the eve of Christmas, family picture! Which became our Christmas card!

Christmas morning present time!

Dinner with most of my family at the Ponderosa in Simi Valley!

Elena's 40th B'day Party Nov.'08

2009-04-03T00:47:00.001-07:00

Helped with a party for my sweet friend Elena! She is very dear to me and my family and we had a great time celebrating her 40th. We had a scrumptious pasta potluck and played some really fun games, lots of laughs! Above is a picture of myself, Elena, and Kathleen, with Elena's favorite cheesecake!

Finally we are back to blogging!

2009-04-03T00:26:00.000-07:00

Well...., life got a little crazy and blogging fell by the wayside. After fixing the technical difficulties with our computer we are up and runnning. To catch up, here is a quick run down of the past few months. Let's start with...Oct. '08! Enjoy the pics!

A little trick or treatin'! My Rock Star Tori, and Monkey Braelyn!

My niece Kayla Turned 13 October 21st! Crazy!, and she is officially taller then me now!

Threw a suprise b'day party for my friend and neighbor Theresa!

Had a Disneyland day with just Tori and I, special times!

Almost back to blogging!

2009-03-25T08:48:00.000-07:00

Well, the external hard drive has been purchased and just waiting for Daniel to install it! So... we will be back up and running. I will have tons of catch up to do. I have pictures from Nov. '08 that have been waiting to be uploaded and shared. So just want to let you know that I'm almost there!

2 year Anniversary for our sweet Logan in heaven!

2009-03-04T15:21:00.000-08:00

First, my computer has been messed up and I have been sick off and on tons since December. So... that is why this blog has been sitting unattended or unchanged for so long. I apologize, but it just hasn't made on my list of to do's lately. Wanted to just put up a picture of our sweet Logan to celebrate her second anniversary in heaven. Two years seems so long for us, but we have to remember that in the light of eternity it's not long at all.(hard for us to humanly understand of course) We miss her immensely, but continue to keep on, keepin'on as we walk daily in God's abundant grace. I see third graders at Tori's school and I just try to picture her as a big 8 1/2 year old. It' s impossible to imagine! We of course will always remember her as our joyful, 6 year old. Thanks to all who have sent greeting of love and prayers, we really appreciate it! Thanks to my neighbors and sweet friends from church who brought me lunch today, I love you all so much! We pray Logans' life can encourage you all to love God more and share of the promises He gives us! " We love you sweet Logan, and we long for the day when we can all be with Jesus, and you!"

Sweet Reese in Perfect Peace!

2008-11-01T23:28:00.001-07:00

Our dear friends the Kostjuks held their Baby Girl Reese as she went safely into the arms of Jesus this past Thursday. God let us all be blessed by her little life for one year exactly. What a blessing she was to remind us of God's faithfulness and complete sovereign control, even down to exactly 365days. We are sad and rejoicing all at the same time. So excited for the joy that little girl is experiencing, that we can only imagine. Oh, this makes your heart ache, longing to be in heaven with our Saviour and free from sin and suffering. We will miss you sweet Reese and look forward to when we will all get to heaven too! I don't know, but I like to imagine you and Logan playing on the streets of gold...!

Peach Pickin'

2008-10-12T15:47:00.000-07:00

One day this last week we took the neighbor kids peach picking. It was fall break for the older kids so it was a great time to do something out of the ordinary. The Richards, Chamlings, Youngs, Ashley Busenitz, and Waldecks had a great time eating and picking peaches. Each family filled a big bucket with yummy peaches and we all had plenty to eat while we were picking as well. It was fun experience! We have eaten many of them, and last night I made a cobbler that was delicious!
All the neighbor kids, ready to go....
And they are off....
Grandma Richard and Mrs. Richard looking for good ones...Kaylee, Tori and Josh, helping!
Braelyn enjoying a peach!
Kaylee, Tori, Brae, and Ashley

Dayton Richard guarding his bucket!
All the kiddos with all their peaches!

A Getaway to Arrowhead!

2008-10-12T15:31:00.000-07:00

Last weekend 10/4&5) Daniel and I got away for the weekend with our friends Aaron and Kimberly Johnson. Aaron is the music pastor at our church and we have enjoyed getting to know him and Kimberly the last couple years. They have been married 9 months, so for us it was fun to hang with some newlyweds. We went up to Lake Arrowhead for the weekend and enjoyed some relaxation, and fun fellowship. It was cold and cloudy the first day, which was a fun change for us. It was great because it made us cuddle up and just relax. The next day was beautiful and sunny so we got to see God's beautiful creation surrounding us up in the mountains. We had some great laughs, and some great times of encouraging each other. It's always fun to have a little time to getaway!

They were waiting for me at our church.... I was just a little late.
Our hike by the Lake, cold and cloudy!

Dance, Dance Revolution... you should see these guys move!
Enjoying a yummy dinner!

A first for Braelyn as Awana starts!

2008-09-18T13:49:00.000-07:00

After years of saying "goodbye" to her older sisters(it was only 3years, but seemed like an eternity to her) Braelyn finally is old enough to go to Awana. She started Cubbies and Tori started her second year of Sparks. For those of you who are not familiar with the club. It's held at our church and it's a time for them to hear a Bible Story, games, snacks, craft, and memorize Bible verses. My girls love the social part and I love how the memorization keeps me accountable to be memorizing with them. For the first time in a long time I am not working at Awana this year and taking advantage of at least a couple hours to touch base with my busy husband each week. We are looking forward to having a designated "date night" while the girls are enjoying Awana. All day yesterday Braelyn kept asking me, "Is it time for Cubbies now?" She just couldn't wait!

Got our vests and bags and ready to go!
Tori loves her lil'sis!
Braelyn and Lexi Kostjuk - they are buddies and so excited to be together for Cubbies!
Lexi, Braelyn, and Kate Penberthy getting ready to start!

My Birthday with my husband at "The Happiest Place on Earth!"

2008-09-16T16:28:00.000-07:00

My Birthday was last Friday the 12th. Usually it comes and goes and you know how it is as a mom. This year I had the wonderful idea that Daniel and I go to Disneyland by ourselves. No little munchkins, no strollers, no stress, just a relaxing day at D-land. It's definitely one of my favorite places, not so much for my husband, so I considered it such a display of love on his behalf. We got there after lunch time and had plenty of time to ride our favorite rides and the new "Toy Story" ride in CA Adventure(lots of fun). Then had a wonderful dinner at the Blue Bayou restaurant inside the Pirate's of the Caribbean ride. I have always wanted to go there, and finally got my wish. It was a birthday celebration I will remember and I'm so thankful I had the time with my husband. B'ball is in full swing as they prepare for the season to start late October, so time with him is going to get sparse. I'm 32 now, which tells me I'm getting up there, but I definitely don't feel like it can be possible. However, I look forward to getting old and getting closer to heaven, the happiest place ever!
In front of the Castle
Our Blue Bayou dinner! So fun and so yummy!

Soccer Season is upon us....

2008-09-16T14:07:00.000-07:00

It's soccer time again, and once again I'm coaching Tori's U6girls team. We have 5 members of the "Pink Crushers" and are having lots of fun. Though it's a non-competitive league(ie. we don't keep score) the parents all still keep score, and so far our "Crushers" name is very fitting. Tori and two other girls are playing their second year together and have improved so much. We have two new girls playing their first year and one we have nicknamed "bulldog". Believe it or not, they are moving past bee-hive soccer (everybody swarming the ball) to actually passing and making plays. I've been working so hard on passing with the girls and they are actually getting it! It's a joy to this coaches heart. So at night my husband and I can share coaching accomplishments! Yeah, so my kids are only 6 year olds verses college student, but you know it's all in a hard days work! Already, every member on the team has scored at least one goal so I feel like a million bucks! Last Sat. in their second game, Tori accidentally(while trying to clear the ball on defense) scored for the other team. After she said, "that's ok mom I just wanted to help them out!" I appreciate her sensitivity, but this competitive mom told her to clear it away from the goal next time! So hope you enjoy the pictures!

Tori's 6th Birthday Party

2008-08-27T12:58:00.001-07:00

Tori and all her buddies!
Molly and Christina
Emily, Alyssa, and Julia
Brae, Kaylee, Tori, and Alyssa
The Big 6!

Tori turned 6 on August 19th. We had a busy day that day so we celebrated as a family with a dinner out the weekend before and then had a swim party the weekend after on the 23rd. We hosted the party at her Uncle Dhon's house. We had pizza out on their front lawn and then headed to their association pool for some splash time. The girls had so much fun and were pooped out after 2 and 1/2 hours swimming! All in all, another successful party! We can't believe our Tori is 6. She now is the age Logan was when she went to heaven. She is her own little person, yet reminds us of Logan a lot in her mannerisms here and there. Tori brings us lots of joy and never is lacking to entertain us. We continue to pray that she will see her need for a Saviour and come to know Jesus personally. She is a blessing in our lives for sure!

Tori's 1st day of 1st grade!

2008-08-16T22:39:00.001-07:00

Summer came to a screeching halt last Thursday the 14th as Tori headed back to school. Life will be different for us Waldecks as she is our first child to go to school all day and start early in the morning. We have come to enjoy our lazy mornings in this house and it will be no more, unfortunately. You see, Logan went to afternoon kindergarten and was homeschooled for first grade. Tori went to afternoon kindergarten as well, so.... 8am school is early! I'm sure we will get used to it, as everybody tells us, but I'm not sure if we want to! We have loved our late nights, and late mornings! So for all my friends who, in the past, have known to wait untlil 9 am to call any morning, don't fear we will be up much earlier these days! Ok, so now that I've mourned the loss of my lazy mornings, on to her first day. It was a litlle hard to get her up. We tried for the early bed time, but I think a little excitement made it hard for her to fall asleep. Eventually we got her up, made her eat breakfast ( that's another adjustment, usually she likes to wait at least a half hour to eat) and walked our long 200 yards down to her school. I know you must be thinking how lucky we are to be that close. Yes, that is more evidence of God's grace in my life, knowing the morning thing is hard for me, He gave us a house super close to a school, knowing I'd need all the help I could get. I consider it a blessing! Next, met her teacher Mrs. Ediger,who seems very sweet, and then said our goodbyes to our big girl. Brae and I now have all day to hang out, which is fun, but we've only had two days so far so..... we will see how that goes. I can't believe my little Tori is in first grade, my how time flies. I'm looking forward to getting to work in her classroom in a few weeks so I can get to know her teacher better and her classmates.

Our Weekend in San Clemente

2008-08-16T22:16:00.000-07:00

Last weekend August 9th and 10th we had our last little trip for the summer. Daniel was finally able to join us for a trip and we headed down to San Clemente. We stayed with my friend Rita and had a fun-filled, relaxing weekend! It was great to play at the beach and be spend time with Rita. Tori headed back to school on Thursday so we needed one more get away before it was back to reality! The above pictures are of dinner on the pier, beach time, pedicures, and the Oscar Meyer Weiner Mobile from the Street Festival, lastly Rita and I.

Summer.....

2008-08-04T12:23:00.000-07:00

July was a super busy month for us just doing, "summer." Below is pictures of all that we have been up to.( yes, 6 slideshows!) In case you don't notice, Daniel is not in any of the pictures because he spent his July sitting in gyms from Seattle to San Diego recruiting basketball players. So the girls and I kept busy without him though we are enjoying this last week and a half together before Tori heads back to school.
So here is the break down of our July. On the 6th we headed to Shaver Lake for camping with my brother Bruce and many of his college friends. They do their annual "soccer head/TMC alumni" trip almost every summer. This was a first for us to join them. The Fays(gma,gpa Fay), Whitfields, Petersons, Fays, Burnhams, Athertons, Scherers and us enjoyed a fun week at the lake. It was a blast!
Next, we had a day at Magic Mountain with Lauren Labat. Tori is getting to be quite the thrill seeker, feeling like the kid rides are old news. However, their kid kareoke is their favorite thing now. We definitely have two rock stars in the making.
Then we had a few days with Aunt Melissa(My sister'nlaw) and cousins Holly and Kenny who were visiting from North Carolina. We always love our times with them!
Lastly, we headed up to WA State to attend the wedding of Jen Ayers'Stamper and Aaron Dickson. Tori was their flower girl and Braelyn was in a group of kiddos who were bell ringers. Being a flower girl has been a dream for Tori. I dont' think she realized it would last all of 10 seconds to get down the aisle, but it was 10 seconds she will never forget. The funniest part was how she started crying when the bride and groom left the reception because she told me, " I will miss them so much when they are on their field trip!" Very Cute! Before the wedding we spent a few days with my TMC soccer buddy Krissi(Trower)Olmstead near Seattle. We had so much fun hanging out with her and her kids. Then after the wedding we spent 4 days with the WA Waldecks for some cousin time as well! Their house is one big park for us, so it's always a treat to spend time and play in the pool, trampoline, swing set, soccer, pickle ball, basketball, and whatever other sport is your fancy! Actually, a highlight for my girls is riding Uncle Steve's lawnmower with him. So are we tired? Yes, but all the memories of a great summer were worth it!
I got a chance to update Logan's site, http://www.logansrace.com/ today, so be sure to check that out if you haven't. We hope summer is treating you all well, hope you enjoy our pics!

Visit to the WA Waldecks

2008-08-04T12:00:00.001-07:00

Jen and Aaron's Wedding, July26th

2008-08-04T11:58:00.001-07:00

Visit to Puyallup,WA with the Olmsteads

2008-08-04T11:54:00.001-07:00

Timewith NC Burnhams

2008-08-04T11:51:00.001-07:00

Magic Mountain

2008-08-04T11:48:00.001-07:00

Shaver Lake July '08

2008-08-04T11:46:00.001-07:00

Our Neighborhood BBQ

2008-07-05T11:56:00.001-07:00

Our Neighborhood BBQ

2008-07-05T11:39:00.001-07:00

When we moved in about 5 years ago, the first thing our next door neighbor said to us was, " Are you our new neighbors? Well, you just moved into the best neighborhood ever!" Well, we definitely agree with her! We really are blessed with the best neighborhood. On July 1st we had a BBQ with lots of our neighbors. We had 4 BBQ's going, and 9 families all having a great time. We have decided we need to do it once a month! We are so blessed to have so many great people who are so caring, and we are just one huge happy family. It makes us feel so safe to have everyone looking out for each other. We are so thankful for all these friendships. Hope you had a wonderful 4th of July and enjoy the pics!

Pictures of our last month!

2008-06-22T22:47:00.000-07:00

I meant to have these pictures post below the next post, but I can't figure out how to rearrange them so scroll down and read the "Playing Catch Up" first and then come back to the pictures and they will make more sense.!

Braelyn and "Spot" the mascot at Tori's school

My cute husband riding into work! No gas, and lots of exercise!

Tori and her proud Daddy with her "Logan Waldeck Memorial" Award

Our Super "Citizen" with Mrs.Peters and "Spot" the Live Oak Leapard
Tori checking out the snake at the zoo
Ken Sugarman, Daniel, and John Spring, Coaches and Friends. John will continue to be an assistant for Daniel. "Thanks Ken for the many memories, we will miss you, Nancy, and the boys!"

Playing Catch Up Again

2008-06-22T22:08:00.000-07:00

Well, here we go with the update on the last month or so of our lives. In May we did the zoo with Tori's Kindergarten class, really hot, but fun for the munchkins. She got student of the month for Citizenship, and in early June she received the Logan Waldeck Memorial Scholarship Award from the PTA. It's an award they will give out annually to a Kindergartener who displays the hard working and friendly characteristics of Logan. Tori was very surprised and excited to receive the award. We all had a good cry at the award ceremony. Daniel was able to spend lots of time at home in early June which was so much fun for all of his girls. With gas prices sky rocketing we purchased a rode bike for Daniel so he can bike to work. Saving the money is great, plus he gets the excercise as well. On June 10th the head coach of the Master's team, Ken Sugarman, came over to tell Daniel and I he would be resigning and that Daniel would be the head coach if he wanted it. Of course he accepted, and much to our surprise we will not be going anywhere for awhile now. We really felt the Lord was preparing us to move away so that Daniel could have that head coaching experience, but apparently not. We are excited about the job, but it's bittersweet for Daniel to have Ken leave, since they have been coaching together close to 13 years. Ken will be changing careers and moving back to his hometown in Washington state. It's going to be a year of changes for Daniel, but he's excited about the opportunity to make an eternal impact through coaching basketball.

Tori finished up Kindergarten on the 12th which was exciting and sad. We will miss having Mrs.Peters, yet Tori is very excited for first grade because of having her own desk and two recesses! Exciting stuff for a 1st grader you know! The evening of her last day of school we drove up to San Jose to visit old friends of Daniels and to pick up Mom Waldeck who had flown there from Colorado. Daniel had to leave from there for a quick recruiting trip to Nebraska, and came back to San Jose in time to drive Mom Waldeck, the girls and I back home on Monday. Besides the heat wave, this last week has been busy with the girls at a Vacation Bible School at a local church here, and Mom Waldeck helping me organize and clean. Our friend Grace who has lived with us for the last year moved out on Thursday so we transitioned that room back to a play room/guest room. Friday the 20th was our precious Logan's 8th Birthday, so of course there were thoughts of what that day may have looked like were she still here. I was distracted with all the cleaning and organizing, yet with going through all the toys there were many memories of all the toys Logan had played with and which ones had special meaning to her. I have to say it was much easier then last years birthday, but it will always be a day that we reflect with thankfulness for the gift of the 6 years and 9 months we were blessed with her here! "We miss you Logan, and can't wait for the day when we will be with you and Jesus!" Above are a few pics from everything I just attempted to update you on. Let's see, I didn't mention anything about Braelyn. Well, Braelyn is as cute and fiesty as ever. She continues to crack us up, but challenge us as well! The big thing that happened in her life last week was that after swimming at a friends community pool, she proceded to get to the playground next to the pool as we were leaving and literally burned her buns on the blazing hot slide. Her buns blistered and peeled immediately, so after a trip to the doctor we got cream to treat it with. I am happy to report that her burnt buns are healing well, and needless to say she will never go down a hot slide again! Ok, I think that's it and if I forgot anything well, too bad because I'm ready for bed! Life is crazy and it's going so fast, but we are so thankful for the moments and memories God is blessing us with!

Tori's Awana Award and Kindergarten Performance

2008-05-23T15:55:00.000-07:00

Ok, I've pretty much decided I will always be a little bit behind on updating this thing. So bear with me, and you will learn about our life two weeks after it happens. Unless I get more time in the day I just can't keep up to date. So... Tori's Awana Awards was May 7th and her Kindergarten performance was on the 8th. I put up a picture of her and Gavin Kostjuk when they were 18months old and then you can see their video of them singing the SPARKS song. My how time flies and our little munchkins sure are growing up! I can't believe Tori is almost done with Kindergarten, I'm sad because I love kindergarten! It's such a fun year, I wish they could stay there forever! Everything is going well in the Waldeck household. Enjoying lots of time with Daddy as this is his slow season for work, staying close to home and just enjoying the moments of life. Thanking God for the moments He gives us! Hope you enjoy the pics and videos!

Tori and Gavin at 18 months above, below singing at Awana

Our Caribbean Cruise!!!

2008-05-11T22:02:00.000-07:00

Well, here they are, pictures from our cruise! I know many of you have just been dying to see them, Ha, Ha! Well we had a fabulous time, and are so thankful to God for allowing us to have such a fun, relaxing trip to celebrate our 10th anniversary. Our anniversary was March 14th, but we had to wait to take the trip when b-ball season was over. Pretty much I think cruising is the way to go! All the food you could ask for, beautiful sites, and lots of on ship activities. The ship we went on was Royal Caribbeans' Liberty of the Seas. It's one of the largest ships out there, until they launch their new one next year. It is like a gigantic floating hotel, yet so much more! We left from Miami,FL stopped in SanJuan, Puerto Rico, St.Marteens Island, and Labadee, Haiti. We played in several tournaments, (volleyball, soccer, pingpong, etc. all on the ship). We jet skied, rode an ATV, boogie boarded and attempted surfing, and not to mention all the yummy food! We could not have asked for a better time! Our muchkins were happy with Yiayia at home, ( who is alot more fun then we are) and 9 days away was just what we needed! So if you are looking for that next big trip, check out cruises, I highly recommend them! Actually, I think I could get a job in Royal Caribbean's sales dept. cause I love them so much! Hope you enjoy the pictures, I know lots of pictures once again. Believe it or not, I didn't' put all of them in.

Cruise Part 1

2008-05-11T22:01:00.001-07:00

Cruise Part 2

2008-05-11T22:00:00.003-07:00

Cruise Part 3

2008-05-11T22:00:00.001-07:00

Disneyland with my family part1

2008-05-06T11:59:00.001-07:00

Byron and Melissa and fam, visit from NC

2008-05-05T18:48:00.001-07:00

I know, I'm a tad bit behind, but at least I finally got these up here. At the end of March, my brother Byron and his family came back for a visit to CA. They moved to North Carolina last August, and this was the first time we had see them since. We had a lot of fun with them and enjoyed a fun family day at none other then Disneyland of course! My mom and my brother Bruce and his family joined us as well. I put alot of pictures on I know, but it's the easiest way for my family to see all of them, hope everyone else enjoys them as well! We are doing well, enjoying Spring! Daniel and I just returned from our cruise this last weekend, stay tuned for those pictures in a few days!

Disneyland with my family part 2

2008-05-05T18:47:00.001-07:00

Byron and Melissa visit to CA

2008-05-05T18:46:00.001-07:00

A tree for Logan

2008-04-13T23:04:00.001-07:00

A Tree for Logan

2008-04-13T22:22:00.001-07:00

On Thursday, March 20th a tree was planted in the Kindergarten Yard of Live Oak Elementary where Logan went, and where Tori currently attends. On Wednesday, March 26th the school held a dedication ceremony and a time of celebrating Logan's life. Logan's K teacher and Tori's current K teacher Mrs. Robin Peters orchestrated the whole event. It was very special and emotional as many of our neighbors and friends from Live Oak were in attendance. Mrs. Siemens the principal said a few words and then Mrs. Peters talked about Logan and how special she was to her. She then called Tori and Braelyn up and spoke to them about their sister and how each of them reminds her of Logan in little ways. She presented them with little heart necklaces that had Logan's name engraved on them. Next, all the children in attendance were able to draw pictures and write notes to Logan that were attached to balloons. They released all the balloons and finished the time off with cookies and juice. The tree is a crate myrtle tree ( not sure how to spell that) and will bloom pink flowers. It's in a location that we can even see it from our house. At the time of the pictures the tree did not have much on it yet, but just the other day Tori noticed "green leaves" on it as we were driving by. It's cute because Tori gets to tell all her friends about the tree and about her big sister Logan. We were so thankful for the dedication and for all the love and support of our community. Mrs. Peters is the best teacher ever. She loves the Lord and is always so bold to share her love for Christ and her hope of seeing Logan again in heaven. We are so thankful for the blessing she is to our family and to our girls.

Logan now has two trees. One here at her school, and there is also one at The Master's College right by the athletic department where Daniel works. Both great reminders of our precious girls and great reminders to persevere and serve until we are called home as well! Hope you enjoy the pictures!

Happy Easter

2008-04-04T11:59:00.000-07:00

Easter Sunday Daddy was still out of town at the national tournament so it was just the girls and I. We went to church, then had lunch with many good friends at the Severances, and then had dinner with the Labat family. Late that night we got to pick up Daddy and his team at the airport.

My precious girls
With their buddies Megan and Molly Severance

Brunch to Celebrate Logan

2008-04-04T11:52:00.000-07:00

These are pictures from our time with Mom Waldeck and Steve on March 4th, 2008. We had a nice family brunch at Egg Plantation before Uncle Steve returned to WA. We are so thankful they were able to be with us.
Braelyn loves her Uncle Steve! (Tori does too, but she was at school)

Braelyn's 3rd Birthday Party

2008-03-27T10:37:00.001-07:00

Happy 1st "Perf" Day Sweet Logan!

2008-03-04T18:05:00.000-08:00

It's been one year today that our precious girl was welcomed to heaven by her Lord and Savior Jesus Christ! We know it's been her most amazing year, and a year of seeing God's faithfulness in our lives. Daniel was talking with Tori this morning asking her what we should call this day as we celebrate Logan's homegoing! They came up with "Perfect Day" for Logan that is, so we shortened it to "Perf"Day! It has been an emotional day of course, but we do not cry without hope. Hope is really an amazing thing, and as hard as this year has been we have clung to the hope of heaven, and the promises God has blessed us with. Below are three slide shows I put together of our sweet girl. Pretty much the last 2 years of her life (that we had a digital camera) I had a hard time choosing pictures so I just did as many as I could. It's been a good day of remembering and enjoying family. We are so thankful for the many calls and cards we have received. God is so faithful to comfort us with the Body of Christ. We hope you enjoy the pictures. Oh, how we miss that precious girl, and long for the day when we will see her again!

2008-03-04T18:04:00.001-08:00

2008-03-04T18:03:00.001-08:00

2008-03-04T18:02:00.001-08:00

It's been crazy busy around here!

2008-03-03T23:14:00.001-08:00

Well, sorry it has been so long since I have updated. It's basketball season, and we get pretty busy around here, and I just had not found the time to sit down and update this thing. I finally found some time last week and I couldn't get my pictures to download, so I had to wait for my sweet and much more technically savvy husband to help me. So you can see below we have a new little guy in our house(He's definitely taken lots of my time lately). I finally allowed my husband to get a dog! I'm totally not an animal person, but we really scored on this dog. He is way sweet and mellow for a puppy. He's really smart and hasn't destroyed my house! So the mothering instinct is kicking in, and I have to say I really love the little guy. His name is Kobe, and he is a lab mix from the pound. Also there are pictures from Valentine's day and the Father/Daughter dance that Tori went to at school, but not with her Father, instead her Uncle. Unfortunately Daddy had a game that night, so super silly Uncle Bruce filled in and took the little princess to, "An Enchanted Evening!" She had fun, and loved to get all dressed up! Hope you enjoy the pictures!

2008-03-03T23:12:00.001-08:00

Our sweet puppy!

2008-03-03T23:09:00.001-08:00

Fun Times In December

2008-01-16T23:43:00.000-08:00

Below are slide shows from our time in Colorado for Christmas. We got to spend two days with the Deneui's (My College Roommate). Our husbands were present, but of course didn't make it in any of the pictures. Our kids had a blast playing together, and it was a very fun time! Next, are some fun shots of our time with Yiayia and the WA Waldecks (Uncle Steve, Aunt Glory, Riley, Derek, Caleb, and Bodey.) As you can see some special family memories were made! Hope you enjoy!

December Visit with The Deneui's in CO.

2008-01-16T23:41:00.001-08:00

Waldeck Family Christmas in CO.

2008-01-16T23:23:00.001-08:00

Delivering the Gift Bags to the Clinic

2008-01-01T09:46:00.000-08:00

All the bags packed in the van(right).

Here are some of the pictures of our time at Dr. Storch's clinic. It was so much fun to watch the three patients who were there, open their gift bags. (All the others would receive theirs at the clinic Christmas party.) All the goodies were packaged in tote bags and it was such a joy to watch their faces light up. It was emotional of course, but I couldn't help think how excited Logan would be to know that her artwork helped make these kids journey a little lighter for the moment. Each bag was made up of some gifts for the patient, and then several gift cards to some food places and a gas card. We enclosed a letter to each family telling a little of "Logans Race" here on earth and the hope we have knowing she is in heaven, because of Christ's work on the cross. The background to the letter was filled with many of Logan's prints. The whole experience was definitely a highlight of my Christmas season. I have never felt so much passion in giving to others, and of course it helped us to have some purpose in remembering our precious girl this first Christmas with her in heaven. THANK YOU to everyone who contributed to the project, you all made it possible for us to do this. Please continue to pray for the 17 patients who are currently having treatment there. Most of these children have a form of cancer or a blood disease/disorder. It was bittersweet being there without Logan, yet watching some of these precious children fight their disease gives me a thankfulness that it's all over for Logan. As much as we miss her, God's grace in allowing her to be done is so good! This mom really misses her, but I couldn't imagine having to watch her go through one more prick. So please pray for grace for their journeys and strength for those parents who continue to wait for an outcome whether healing or not.

This is a four year old named Christopher opening his bag.

Notice Christoper was wearing a blue shirt before. He was very excited to put on his new car shirt!

Above is Susana a 14 yr. old with Down Syndrome who is also battling leukemia. She was just tickled with all her new gifts. Logan and Susanna had been in hospital together in the summer of '06, and both shared a love of Nintendo game boy. Notice the original horse picture that Logan gave to the clinic in the background above the treatment bed.

Above Susana is Jasmine a 3 yr old, not so sure about what we were giving her!

November Happenings

2007-12-04T21:26:00.000-08:00

First, if you are looking for Logan's artwork scroll down to find it. So bear with me, next are all the pictures from our fun November activities. They are not in chronological order, but that's o.k. right, you all can figure this stuff out! Enjoy!

Colleen and I at Disneyland!

Braelyn and Harper hangin' out with EeyoreBraelyn sleeping on Minnie's bed
Dax and Braelyn sharing a moment in the tree house

Good Job Purple Mermaids! Tori and the team, and below with her best friend Kaylee
Thanksgiving with the Burnham side, above the "kids table", below the "big kid's table"

Like I said, out of order - the happy crew at Disneyland, the kids were being blinded by the sun

My cute girls, sportin' the new hair dues Mom and I on the cruise, so much fun!

Thanks for viewing them, I hope you enjoyed them all! Leave me a comment if you have time, those are fun to get!

Logan's Artwork!

2007-10-30T22:35:00.002-07:00

Ok, so I finally got around to getting pictures of her artwork. I did my best, and the pictures are a little blurier then the actual artwork. So take a look and if you are interested in purchasing a copy email me at waldeckclan@sbcglobal.net with your order and address. Each print will be $15.oo. Once I get your order I will copy and ship it ASAP. All the proceeds, minus packaging and postage, will go for a gift for Logan's Pediatric Oncology clinic at Kaiser Woodland Hills. Nurses Lish and Rosemary will help me decide how they want to use the money best for a Christmas surprise for the current patients. Some Pictures are sm, about 8in. by 10 in. and large is 11in/14in. They all look great when matted and framed. They are great for any room in your house or office. And of course you will always have a reminder of my Logan, and the great hope of heaven where she currently dwells with our Lord!

Christmas Tree Sm.

Bird Sm. frame

Bee sm Frame Seahorse Sm

Horse is large

Bear is Large

Castle is large (one of her first pictures), Lion is large, and Birthday Cake is large also.

Flowers in a pot is large and Angel is large

Not pictured I have Panda Bear sm. and Whale large.

Also. Lady Bug Sm. and Butterfly on a Flower Sm.

October Fun!

2007-10-30T14:23:00.000-07:00

Well October has flown by so fast! We had some fun times, a few fires, but survived it all! Actually, we were some of the few who did not have to evacuate. The worst we had to endure was being confined to the inside of our house for a few smokey days. Now, we can relate on a small (yes, very small) scale to all of you who live in climates with snow all winter! Of course we are thankful we can return to our normal outside activities.

In early Oct we got to visit Daniels' Aunt and Uncle who were here in CA for a wedding, that was quite fun! Uncle George and Aunt Linda are a huge blessing to us! Then the next week was fall break for Tori so my girls and I spent two days at Disneyland! Daniel thinks I'm crazy, but I can never get too much of that place, and my girls love it of course!

Above they are dancing to the High School musical pep rally at California Adventure Park.

My little cuties!

Tori is continuing to love soccer, getting better every game! Thanks to her coach of course!!! Ha, Ha, just kidding, I'm her coach in case you didn't know that! We have a few games left of her stellar season! Last week two girls who play basketball on rival teams of Masters, but are our dear friends came to cheer Tori on. Notice the purple shirts with "Go Tori!" on them. Michaela (right) is from Biola and Sarah (left) from Azusa. These girls are gems, and my girls love playing with them of course!

Daniel and I had the opportunity to go to a Steven Curtis Chapman concert last Saturday, which was a lot of fun. We also got a chance to meet him and thank him personally for his ministry. Daniel has been listening to his music since he was 12, pretty much spanning Chapmans entire musical career, so he was very excited to meet and talk with him. At Logan's service the song Daniel sang ("With Hope") was a Chapman song. If you get his new album that just came out, which I highly recomend, there is a tear jerker on there called "Cinderella". You'll have to go to your local book store to get the CD. It's a song that every parent will love, especially anyone who has little girls. So... the whole concert was great! My Pastor says he saw Daniel and I dancing, but if we were dancing so was He! ( Scott)

Tomorrow we have Halloween festivities at Tori's school. Tori is going to be a cheerleader and Braelyn will be Tinkerbell. I will be a mom I guess, or I will pull something out of my sleeve, we'll see what I have time to come up with. Hope this blog find's you all enjoying your fall!

As Fall Gets Going...

2007-09-27T19:10:00.000-07:00

My grandma and I celebrating our birthdays! (Upper left) Doesn't my gma look pretty hot for a 95 year old! Ilove you grandma!

A Family Picture... we thought we'd snap a quick one since Daniel and I were going out on a date, and looking snazzy in our matching colors, (not planned)!

As Fall gets going, life is super busy. I'm trying really hard not to be controlled by my calendar but embrace the moments as this stage of life can zoom by. Here are some more pictures of my cute kids! Tori is doing great in soccer. She is very much a girly girl, but can be very competitive. She loves to score goals, and so far they have come pretty easily. Though, when the competition may step up she'll have to realize many players don't score every game! Brae is just cute as can be, cracking us up, and melting us with her little sweet ways, and yes, she does have a fiesty streak as well. She's lucky she's cute! Hope you enjoy the new pictures. Also there is video below, click on the arrows to play each video. The first one is Tori scoring a goal. Watch closely it comes right away. The next one is Braelyn and Daddy singing 'Jesus loves Me', you may need to turn your volume all the way up, she was playing miss shy. Enjoy and Goodbye 'till next time!

2007-09-21T16:13:00.000-07:00

Tori's 1st day of School!

Her 5 yr. old birthday celebration with neighbors!
Coach Mom and Tori getting ready for her first game!

That's her, # 8 with a brake away, I think it ended in a goal!

Ok, so I've decided that the main reason I want to do this blog is so that I can post current pictures of what our family has been up to. Most of my deep thoughts and so forth will still be recorded on Logan's site http://www.logansrace.com/. So here are some pictures of what we have been up to in Aug. and Sep. Tori turned 5, started Kindergarten, and is loving it! Brae and I enjoy our time together while she is at school. Tori also started soccer. Her team is called the Purple Mermaids (gotta love it!) I am her coach, and let me tell you it's been a lot of fun! So hope you enjoy these pictures! Feel free to leave comments (Colleen) we love reading them!

The Start

2007-09-20T14:46:00.000-07:00

I have been blogging on my daughter Logan's (who went to be with Jesus on March 4, 2007) website for 2 years now, and I decided to start another one for the fun of it. I have been reading all these wonderful people's blogs and I have decided I like this format so why not give it a go! So not much to write for now, but stay in touch and we will see how this thing works out!