So Long, Old Friend

Here is a picture of me when I was little with my dog Bandit ("brother"). He got very sick, and went to heaven so Jesus will make him feel better. He was a really good dog. Mom and dad miss him the most, but I miss him too. We have been reading the book 'Dog Heaven' to help cope.

Dear Bandit,
Thank you for keeping mom company while I was in the NICU.
Thank you for welcoming me home from the hospital.
Thank you for cleaning up my snacks when I spilled them on the floor.
Thank you for running fast (and sideways) with me on the trail.
Thanks for wrestling with Jenks and making me laugh.
Thank you for always being nice, even though I sometimes pestered you.
Thanks for taking naps with me and mom on Fridays.
Thank you for letting me pet your ears. They were my favorite.
Thanks for being my friend.

Love,
Addie

A few of my favorite foods...

Pomegranates "Poms" and Edamame, but not together. And don't eat the edamame pod, even if Papa says it is good roughage.

Hospital Trip

Papa had back surgery, so me Mom and Ryan drove a long day and stayed in a hotel to keep him company. I kept asking Papa if he was okay and if he wanted my silky.
I really liked the hospital because they let me ride in the bed to take Papa to surgery. I told the guy with the funny hat to drive faster. Also, the hospital had a whole fridge of pudding and juice for everyone to share.
The hospital was right next to the zoo, so when Mary was watching Papa, Reina and Mom took Ryan and I to see the wild animals. My favorites were the flamingos, giraffes and the one year-old gorilla. By the way, I do a good impression of a flamingo. Ryan slept through the whole zoo, except when we ate lunch and he grabbed mom's fork and flung salad in her hair....that was funny!

Here is a curious bear.

A Bike Ride Adventure

Today Mom and Dad took me on a long bike ride in a beautiful forest with lots of waterfalls. Dad pulled me behind his bike in my rickshaw wagon. I like that the best because I can read the map and tell him to go faster. It was good to have everyone riding again. We used to go a lot, but then mom got in trouble for riding her bike with Ryan in her tummy. Oh, Ryan stayed with Grams and Pa...he's too little for the wagon now. Anyway, we saw a crane, lots of squirrels and fed the fish. We also had a picnic on a big rock and hiked a little.