LOVE

LOVE

Friday, August 13, 2010

Beautiful Children

I took Madeline and Max out for some pictures and it was part disastrous and part fun.

Here is the disastrous part because there were bugs and stinging nettle.    




Finally we had the good part.  




Max had all kinds of daddy long leg spiders crawling all over him and he was totally fine but we couldn't coax a smile out of him.   I think his picture is absolutely adorable though.



This was Miss Madeline about 20 minutes after the bugs and stinging nettle fit, when she was ready to go again.   We had to give her red eyes some time to look normal.  



We were lucky enough to capture this moment right before Madeline noticed the HUGE spider crawling on her... signaling the end of the photo shoot.  But I got one of my favorite pictures.

Thursday, August 12, 2010

Catch up... Madeline's 6th Birthday Party!

Madeline really wanted a birthday party this year.  So we scrambled to throw one together before her Utah cousins had to go home.  
We had a princess tea party.  I made cupcakes and we had little tea cookies, tiny PB and J sandwiches, and pink pop.   We had a lovely time, thanks to my sister Sarah for helping me!






Madeline and her guests, this was before our other guests showed up, so this was just the cousins.



 Madeline loved it.  We played games, did our nails and then we just played hard.  

Tuesday, August 10, 2010

Madeline's 6th Birthday

On Friday we celebrated Madeline's 6th birthday and oh what fun we had!

To start the day off we went to Homestead restaurant and had a wonderful breakfast.  

She had a ball!    





After breakfast we went home and opened a few presents.   She received a pillow pet, and some new clothes for her American Girl doll Elizabeth.

She was so happy and said thank you over and over again.  We loved that!







Madeline had requested earlier that she would like a day with just her mom and get a pedicure.  

I was totally up for that.  So we dropped Max off at Grandma's and went to get our toes painted.  It was so fun to have some girl time.  

After the pedicure we picked up Dad and went to dinner at TGIFridays and Madeline insisted that we tell the waitress that it was her birthday.  We told her and after dinner they brought out a huge ice cream sundae and asked if Madeline would like to be sung too.   Madeline surprised us all by saying "yes"!  So out came all the waitresses and they sang Happy Birthday.  Madeline looked terrified the whole time!  It was so funny.  
We finished off the evening by going to a movie.  
It was so fun to spend the whole day with Madeline.  We were all pretty anxious to get back to our baby Max though.  


On Sunday we had our big family celebration, with cake and ice cream and we blow out the candles.  



Our 6th Birthday Photo Shoot





Dear Madeline,

I am so happy that you are 6 years old but it makes me a little sad as well.  You are growing up so fast.  You love life and you don't quite understand why everyone can't be happy like you are.      You are very aware of what people are feeling and you take everything in.  You don't miss a thing.    

You love reading and you are quite good at it.   You have finished all of the Junie B Jone's books and you are starting on Percy Jackson.  Such a big book but you are not intimidated by that at all... you just dig in and go.    You love the History Channel and after watching a documentary of the Titanic you insisted on learning all you could about it and you have many of the facts memorized.  You even taught me some things I didn't know.    You are so excited to start 1st grade this year, and I am glad that you want to stay home another year so I can teach you.  I love watching you absorb everything you are learning and I feel a great sense of accomplishment when I see you finally catch on to the subject I am teaching you.    I know sometimes we don't get along but I love you more than anything.  

You love being a big sister.  You have waited a LONG time to finally have that role.   You hate it when he spits up though.  I can't say that I blame you... you have gotten the worst of it.... right in the mouth!   You were so mature and understanding when we adopted Max and then went through the crazy hospital stay.   Heavenly Father prepared you for the big moment of being a big sister.   He knew you could handle the sudden arrival of a new baby and all the demands a baby makes on me and Dad.    You love Max so much and when he cries in his crib you insist on getting in and cuddling with him so he will settle down.  Max adores you.  When I get him out of the crib and bring him into you he gets so excited and just watches everything you do.    You will be a great example to him.  
                                          


Madeline I want you to know how much your dad and I love and adore you.  You completely steal our hearts with your smile and good attitude.  Continue being a sweet girl and nice to everyone you know.   I   secretly love that you like to fall sleep in our bed.  I know you won't want to forever that is why I enjoy it now.  I take a picture in my mind of the moments when we are all in my bed and we talk about our day.    In fact last night I told your dad that in ten years we will be wishing that all our kids were in our bed where we knew where they were,  instead of being out late at night.   

I love how close you are to your dad.  You love going out with just Dad.    He loves to take you skiing and watch you learn spanish.  When you would come home from a skiing trip Dad would just talk about how good you were doing and he loved the conversations on the ski lift.  I hope you always remember those great times and good conversations with Dad.  He is a smart guy and can help you through anything.  

We love you so much Miss Mads!   Happy 6th Birthday!

Sunday, August 8, 2010

Fourth of July

For the Fourth of July we went camping.  We had a GREAT time.  It was so fun to get together with my family.
We were lucky enough to take Kendall's parent's camper and it was so nice!  We were all warm enough and comfortable.   Except for the time I got locked in the bathroom.   That small bathroom got smaller really fast.  

Here's Kendall and Max.  I just think Max looks pretty adorable in that cap.




Max got to wear Uncle Derek's bug hat.  









Madeline and her stink eye look.



Landen doing something dumb because he is 16 and that is what 16 year olds do.


 It was so beautiful.  





The boys were throwing an axe.






My brother in law Scott after going on a motorcycle ride and not wearing a helmet.  
You see folks it is for safety and to help keep your head clean.





After we got home we were invited to our friend's home to view their huge fireworks show!  

Madeline shooting fireworks with the kids.

We had s'mores and had a blast playing games.  

Max slept through the entire evening.  Even the LOUD fireworks.