Ireland 2012

Introducing...Jaden Thomas Madsen

Our newest nephew, born on July 16th, 2011 to Michael and Vanessa. Jaden Thomas Madsen is adorable and we are blessed to have him in our lives.

Chicago 2011

In April, we traveled to Chicago for some site-seeing and fun! We visited Wrigley Field, ate a LOT of deep-dish and hot dogs, and enjoyed conquering the subway transit!

Douglas Family Visit April 2011

In April 2011, Uncle Jim and Heather came down to spend some time with my grandma who was not doing well. We got to spend some quality time with family that we haven't had in a very long time. Sadly, Grandma passed away on Easter Sunday, but it was wonderful spending the time we had celebrating her life and memories!

Gingerbread House Event 12.10

This year, we did two rounds of the Gingerbread House Event. First with the Deeper Life group, and second with the regular gang (plus a few more!) We took the houses to Orange Blossom (a retirement home in Fillmore, CA) to share. All nights were filled with great fun, food, and fellowship! Thanks to all involved!

Tahoe 11.10

Tahoe, CA/NV :: Most recently, we took the long week of furlough days at Thanksgiving to catch some snow in Tahoe. On our way up, we stopped in Stockton to visit with the Bryans, and then we were on our way up to experience a winter wonderland as a storm followed us right in to the resort. We were blessed to find a KILLER deal for snowboarding Heavenly, AND we got to spend Thanksgiving with my uncle, aunt, and cousins that I haven’t seen in so long!

Seattle/Canada 10.10

Vancouver, British Columbia ::
In October, we went up to Seattle to visit with the Anayas and travelled with them up to Whistler and Vancouver, BC. It was great to travel up and see the home of the winter Olympics. We also took a bit to visit with Victor’s friend from high school, Brooke, who he hasn’t seen in 15 years!

London 1.10

London, England :: To end our fabulous European vacation, we had a lay-over in London, England, and spent the night quite literally running all over the city. We hit all the big ones…Buckingham Palace, Westminster Abbey, Oxo, Shakespeare’s Globe Theater, the Thames river, London Bridge, Trafalgar Square, and of course Abbey Road. We also took a moment to enjoy some Bangers and Mash! Our time there was just long enough to make us realize that London will be on our list for future trips!

Paris 1.10

Paris, France :: We travelled to Paris, France, after traversing Italy for a few weeks. What a magical city! Champs-Élysées shopping, the Eifel tower, French Onion soup, Notre Dame, Au Bougnat (the BEST restaurant in Paris…yummy soups and delicious meals!!), the Louvre (Mona Lisa was one of my highlights!!), Arc du Triomphe, and Victor surprised me for my actual birthday by a day-trip to DISNEYLAND PARIS!!

Venice 1.10

Venice, Italy :: Very cool city to enjoy! Gondola ride was the best part of visiting this city!

Florence 12.09 to 1.10

Florence, Italy :: Our favorite city! We spent New Year’s Eve watching fireworks GALORE!!! It was a party! Michelangelo’s DAVID, the Renaissance, the FOOD!!, the architecture, the wine! Va bene!

Rome 12.09

Rome, Italy :: How overwhelming it was to see the sights of the ancient Roma, two and a half THOUSAND YEARS of history! The Coliseum, The Forum, The Vatican, St. Peter’s Basilica, the Pantheon…breath-taking! From here, we took a train ride to Florence. What a great way to see the sights of Italy! Victor’s favorite moment :: being an hour early to attend a FREE opera concert on the Spanish steps! So phenomenal!