My Derrick Landon...

School Pictures

2011-12-08T18:54:00.000-08:00

This year DL is finally a preschooler!! Considering that he has been at Montessori for over 2 years now, this is a BIG deal!! These photos make him look like a big boy with only small traces of his baby face remaining. We are so proud of Derrick, it is amazing to watch him learn and grow.

Dear Santa 2011...

2011-12-08T18:40:00.000-08:00

Dear Santa,

I have been a good boy all year long. I would like a Lightning McQueen Cars Gas Station set, Thomas the Train, and Toy Story puzzles. Thank you Santa.

Love,

Derrick Landon

Jace & DL...Pumpkin Patch

2011-10-25T21:44:00.000-07:00

Jace and DL have started a yearly tradition of taking a trip to the Pumpkin Patch in the City of Duarte!! The boys had a blast, they are growing so quickly!!

I'm 4 now!!!

2011-10-25T21:36:00.000-07:00

Today our baby boy turned 4! Words cannot even express how much we love you Derrick Landon! You are the most beautiful soul and we are so lucky to be your parents!! Love you son, hugs and kisses!!
This picture was taken at home on his actual birthday before we headed out to dinner.

2011-10-25T21:25:00.001-07:00

Grandpa and Grammy Pammy came to visit from Oregon this September. We enjoyed spending time with them, we did lots of fun things...here is greandpa and DL before our trip to the fair!! We had a great time!!

Build-a-bear!!

2011-01-10T19:23:00.001-08:00

Happy 5th Birthday to Lil Miss Mya! We were invited to Mya's party at The Build-a-bear workshop!! Thanks to Ms. Jessica for snapping this photo of DL!

Happy Halloween!!

2010-10-31T22:54:00.001-07:00

Thank you to Miss Jessica for inviting us to trick o treat with Olivia and Mya this year!! Olivia in her adorable Fancy Nancy costume, and Lil Mya as a beautiful Owl, the kids looked so amazing! For mommy and daddy, this was a super sweet Halloween because DL actually understood the concept!! He was super excited and so determined to have his pumpkin treat bag filled to the top! We had a fabulous time, thank you to Jessica and Navy for the special moments that you both captured and shared!

My 3rd Birthday!!

2010-10-19T10:59:00.000-07:00

Thank you to all my wonderful family and friends that made my 3rd birthday extra special!!!

Beach Day...

2010-07-24T21:45:00.001-07:00

{Nine.Sixteen}Studios | PHOTOGRAPHY by Shayla J. | Page 2

2010-06-27T10:28:00.000-07:00

{Nine.Sixteen}Studios PHOTOGRAPHY by Shayla J. Page 2

Smile!!

2010-06-20T22:37:00.001-07:00

DL-105
Originally uploaded by MarieSamSanchezPhotography

This photo just melts every piece of my heart!

Happy Father's Day!!

2010-06-20T22:12:00.001-07:00

DL-9
Originally uploaded by MarieSamSanchezPhotography

Daddy and Derrick Landon walking together hand in hand. This photo is super special to me because it reflects how time has passed and our baby boy is growing into a young man before our very eyes. The relationship that these two share is a very precious depiction of unconditional love! Derrick is a wonderful father to DL, and he is deserving of appreciation, We love you Derrick, thank you for being an awesome dad! Happy Father's Day!

DL

2010-06-20T22:00:00.003-07:00

DL-8
Originally uploaded by MarieSamSanchezPhotography

DL

2010-06-20T22:00:00.001-07:00

DL-7
Originally uploaded by MarieSamSanchezPhotography

2010-05-17T15:52:00.001-07:00

Cheese!!!

2010-05-06T13:32:00.001-07:00

After school we decided to take a trip to the park so that mommy could take a few quick pictures!! It was a beautiful day, the sun was shinning and DL loved running around picking flowers, climbing trees, and throwing daddy's football around! All my photographer friends have made me so interested in taking pictures, and displaying them on DL's blog, however, I quickly learned on this day that photography WILL NOT become a hobby of mine! LOL! I was soooooooooooo stressed out! I will not consider it a hobby option unless I can afford myself the time to take classes and workshops! I also appreciate my pals that that are into photography, kudos to you all, cause it is way more work than I imagined!! All this said, I still had a fantastic time with my favorite little person! He was such a ham, as soon as the camera was ready, he immediately smiled and repeated CHEESE, CHEESE, CHEESE...over and over...at least a 100x's! Still it was tons of fun! I fall in love with my boy more and more as the days pass. These pictures are not edited, I hope you enjoy them because they are perfect to me!!

Today at the dentist...

2010-04-29T20:49:00.000-07:00

Today was Derrick Landon's 6 month visit to see Dr. Kevin, his pediatric dentist. DL, had a good time while we were waiting to be called because the dental office has video games, and tons of toys to play with in the lobby! When they called DL in, he immediately recognized Dr. Kevin, and asked if he would get a toy from the box!! After each exam they kids get to pick a small toy to take home, along with a tooth brush and the Tooth Brushing Report Card!! DL did fantastic, and Dr. Kevin gave me some very good tips on cavity prevention, such as eliminating Gatorade,apparently it is overly acidic for the young tots and it is VERY bad for their developing teeth!! He also recommend that children visit a dentist at 12 months and not 3 years old as some books recommend.

Easter 2010...

2010-04-15T17:11:00.001-07:00

A day at the beach...

2010-03-30T21:02:00.000-07:00

Open House...

2010-03-26T20:47:00.000-07:00

Sun day...

2010-03-16T19:17:00.000-07:00

Yogurtland...with the lil mamas!!

2010-03-03T14:49:00.000-08:00

LOL....

2010-03-01T20:23:00.000-08:00

We found DL relaxing on his favorite couch with his legs chilling in one of his toy buckets!! He is too silly sometimes and all we can do is lol!!!

Mommy & me...

2010-02-24T21:04:00.000-08:00

It is always a great day when I get to spend time with my son! His smile is infectious, and I just love him to pieces!!

Snow time!

2010-02-23T22:19:00.001-08:00

Everyone had a blast playing in the snow!!

Snow trip...

2010-02-23T20:14:00.000-08:00

We had an awesome time in Big Bear this past weekend. This was the first time Derrick Landon was able to experience the snow!! Navy and Mya were our road trip guests!! Thanks to Kevin and Brandi we were able to relax at their timeshare and take a break from the super cold weather. We even stopped at a local shop in Big Bear to pick up some water resistant gloves and a sled!! Once we arrived, I eagerly dressed DL in his snow bibs and we were out the door and in the ice cold snow!!It was literally snowing on us, and we could not have asked for anything more! All the kids had a blast, sledding, eating snow, and most of all dressing the snowman!! Overall it was tons of fun, with the exception of the drive home! We left a little too late and the fog was very thick. We managed to make it down the mountain, but it was a true lesson learned!!

Happy 3rd B-Day Jace!!

2010-02-23T20:01:00.001-08:00

Happy 3rd Birthday Jace!! Derrick Landon and Jace have been buddies since Jace was born and DL was still in my tummy! They are now big boys and they even attend school together! I can see it now, these two are gonna = TROUBLE!!

Ouch...

2010-02-22T22:59:00.001-08:00

Derrick Landon had an accident at school, and he has the boo boo to prove it! I was so scared when daddy texted me..."DL's school called, he fell and busted his eye!" I almost fainted! Daddy rushed over to his school. When he arrived Ms.Gloria was applying an ice pack to his eye. Of course when DL realized that daddy was there, he began to cry and suddenly the pain was overwhelming. This is the picture that Derrick sent me. My poor baby, he got his first boo boo!!

Valentine's Day...for mommy & daddy!!

2010-02-14T11:20:00.000-08:00

Pre Valentine's Day was celebrated over at Jessica and Clif's place. We were spoiled with a chocolate fountain and all sorts of yummys! We enjoyed a great dinner prepared by Crystal, and lots of Pink Champagne to toast the night away. Thank you Jessica for the awesome dinner party...you are a hostess with the mostess!! xoxox

Valentine's Day was reserved for my baby! Daddy had to work so it was just me and my boy!! We started our morning by sleeping in, and then off to Leroy's for a fantastic breakfast! I love this local restaurant because the booths are high enough to allow for DL to sit at the table without a booster or a high chair! He actually can sit at the table like a big boy and he absolutely loves it! He had silver dollar pancakes and toast with jelly...and we shared coffee. Yes, we shared coffee!
I HEART U MY DERRICK LANDON!

* photos by Navy Sou*

Grammy Sharon...

2010-02-07T17:12:00.001-08:00

December is already such an exciting month, and to make it even greater we learned that Grammy Sharon would be coming to visit from Texas!! We have not seen her since DL's 1st b-day. It was an extra special treat that she would be spending X-mas with us. Unfortunately when she arrived, it was still business as usual, since neither Derrick nor myself were able to take much time off of work! We did manage to take Grammy Sharon to the salon for an awesome makeover! She is sporting her fabulous new hair style in the photo above. She looked amazing and most of all Derrick approved! Derrick was so happy to have his mom in town. Grammy Sharon spent quality time with DL, and that was priceless! They laughed, played, and somewhere in between he learned to say..."NEVER", it was too funny he would extend the word,,neeeeverrr!! Well we really enjoyed having Grammy Sharon here for X-mas and New Year's! We miss you, and hope to see you soon!

Disneyland fun!!

2010-02-01T21:55:00.000-08:00

The happiest place on earth...
We decided to take DL to Disneyland over the weekend and he had a fantastic time! Daddy bought him an electric bubble blower gun and DL was ecstatic! It's amazing how children are so simple to please and yet as parents we spend, spend,spend to make them happy!!

Daddy's boy!!

2010-02-01T20:26:00.000-08:00

Derrick Landon+Daddy= TROUBLE!
These two have such a special relationship...they even have a special song! "Almost Everything is Boinga Here" by Alicia Keys with the Backyardigans. Anytime daddy and DL are riding in the truck they bump their song...over, and over...and over! Daddy is a man of much patience!! I am fortunate that my son has a wonderful relationship with his dad, but if you ask Derrick he will tell you that he is the lucky on in this situation!!

Fun with mom...

2010-01-26T11:25:00.001-08:00

I never imagined that my son would fill every crevice of my heart. Derrick Landon is by far my best friend on this planet. I love spending time with him, and it is amazing to see the dynamic of our relationship evolve daily as we both grow. Here we are having a ball in our indoor hotel pool in San Francisco.

Turning 1....

2010-01-12T09:32:00.000-08:00

The excitement of it all was just too much for my lil man! His 1st b-day was a major one! There was a face painter, snow cone maker, jumper, and a lot of friends and family to celebrate his big day! Navy our wonderful friend and photographer always seems to capture the truest of expressions. She managed to photograph DL in his most natural state...serious, not amused, and ready to have it all be over!

3 months old....

2010-01-12T09:10:00.001-08:00

It is so hard to believe how much our son has grown and how quickly time passes! Derrick Landon was all but 3 months old...we took these pictures at Target in Pasadena. I remember shopping for the perfect outfit for his first studio pictures, poor baby these look more like "first day of school" pictures rather than 3 month old baby pix! I have always treated DL like big boy, and with these pictures it is clear to see that I also dressed him like one!

DL and Olivia...

2010-01-03T11:29:00.000-08:00

Over the weekend Olivia and Derrick Landon had the opportunity to play together after they exchanged Christmas gifts!! Olivia was a wonderful play date, she was so patient with DL because she is "4" and he is only "2"! It was so cute to see them pose by the tree. Thank you Jessica for sharing this picture with me!! We love ya!

Vanessa's Cookie Party 2009!!

2010-01-03T11:27:00.001-08:00

Happy Holidays!

2009-12-18T13:38:00.000-08:00

We are counting down the days till Christmas finally arrives! This year has been very exciting and full of so many changes. Derrick Landon has done a great job in transitioning and adapting and we are so proud of him. It is so wonderful to see his eyes light up every time we pass Christmas lights and decorations. We will be baking cookies for Santa and watching "It's a Charlie Brown Christmas" on x-mas eve. We are so ecstatic that Grammy Sharon from Dallas, TX will be here to spend the Holidays with us! I am also pleased to report that DL has been a good boy all year long, and has made Santa's "Nice" list! Mommy and Daddy can not wait to see his expressions when he opens his gifts this year! We also wanted to teach DL the importance of giving, so we dontated 3 large bags of clothes to needy children, along with toys and stocking stuffers. It is so important that we do not take what we have for granted, this year has been a rough one for so many, we thank God that we are able to celebrate and provide for our family.
From our family to yours...Happy Holidays!!

Thanksgiving...

2009-12-03T11:47:00.000-08:00

Thanksgiving brings about all kinds of happy feelings for me. I become excited over the cooking, decorating and of course the eating that has to do with the day. This year we decided to implement a new family tradition. From now on we will pick a family movie to enjoy before dinner is ready. This year I bought WALL-E, a 2008 computer-animated science fiction film produced by Pixar Animation Studios. It follows the story of a robot named WALL-E who is designed to clean up a waste-covered Earth far in the future. He eventually falls in love with another robot named EVE, and follows her into outer space on an adventure that changes the destiny of both his kind and humanity. There was not much dialogue in this film, however Derrick Landon was very intrigued by the robots and animation. We questioned rather the film would keep his attention, and it really did. This was a special event for us because our family is lucky to have celebrated Thanksgiving together with a hearty meal to fill our belly's! We are thankful to have our health, happiness and most of all our family and friends. Hope everyone had a wonderful holiday!

Arr!!

2009-11-12T11:05:00.000-08:00

" I'm a pirate, Arr!" This was an extra special Halloween because it was the day of Mya & Olivia's Spooktacular 4th Birthday Bash!! It was very nice of them to invite DL to their extra special event! Unfortunately DL was asleep when we arrived so he did miss out on some of the festivities (and we all know how grouchy kids can be after they wake from a nap!!) still he was in awe of all the ghosts, goblins and spiders galore!
When "Boom Boom Pow" being spun by the DJ hit the speakers DL was ready to shake it on the dance floor! There was no stopping this 2 year old rump shaking pirate! After dancing a few songs, he was able to take some pictures with the b-day girls (both of them were so amazingly cute-Olivia 50's themed costume, and Miss Mya as a pirate) these girls really now how to party in style! We hope, in fact we are sure that Mya and Olivia had a fabulous birthday!!

My Pumpkin...

2009-10-22T09:05:00.000-07:00

School Days.......

2009-10-20T12:12:00.000-07:00

As some of you may know Derrick Landon is now attending pre-school. The first day of school also happened to be his birthday! Mommy and Daddy made some yummy goodie bags filled with all sorts of treats for his new classmates. It was so tough to leave him there, but before I knew it he was engaged in playful activity with other lil kids...he didn't even notice us go!!!

We hope you will all enjoy all the updates that will keep you posted on how Derrick Landon is growing and adjusting to life as a lil big boy!

We thank Jessica Lake, for gifting this awesome blog site to Derrick Landon as a present for his 2nd Birthday! xoxo

September 1st...look who's turning 2!!

2009-09-01T22:36:00.000-07:00

Happy 2nd Birthday baby!!