family time in south bend

it's time to visit south bend again!  its always a highlight for diana and ledger to go and visit her family, so when we were invited down we jumped at the chance.  there really wasn't a reason, but since when do you need a reason to visit family, right?
(more pics)

snowmans

every year we try to make a snowman.  ledge has always loved snowmans, so from the time that the first snow falls, he asks every day, all winter long, if we get to go out and make a 'snowmans' (he always uses 'snowmans' as a plural, never 'snowmen').  this season has been pretty disappointing for snowfall so far, but that wasn't about to stop our boy!  he was a little disappointed with how small it was, but he was still happy to have made a snowmans.

poco's final bow

our dear sweet puppy has gone to the palace in the sky.  when diana and i first started dating she was a little concerned if I would like her dog.  the very first moment I saw him I fell in love- that cute little chihuahua and became fast friends!  I was lucky, she told me at the time that he didn't usually like the guys she dated.  I think that was my first indication that she and I might be something special.
while we were dating I even talked her in to letting me take him for a few days and have him at my place.  poco and I were good buddies, which was great because he soon lived with me full time when diana and i got married!
we spent the next three years treating him like he was our child- we showered him with gifts and treats, fawning over him and spoiling him rotten.  we had some amazing times with that little guy!  he was always very protective, which sometimes came out in aggressive ways toward others.  when ledger was born, we were a little concerned about how the two of them would do together.  rather than wait and find out, we made the hard decision: we asked diana's dad if he would be willing to raise poco from then on.  at first her dad was hesitant, not really wanting a dog, but he soon came around to love that lil fancy fella as much as we did.  the two of them were inseparable!  diana's dad actually ended up spoiling him so much more than we ever thought to!  he was living a life of luxury over there!
unfortunately, with poco's swiftly degenerating health, diana's dad had to make a hard decision.  poco was put to sleep, ending a 17 year long life that had a huge impact on all of us who loved him.  he will be deeply missed by all of us.  goodbye, little stink bottom!
(more posts about poco)