The Hite House

Angels Singing

2011-12-25T20:18:00.000-05:00

May you be blessed with peace and love this holiday season and in the year to come :-)

UK Game!!!

2011-12-22T19:51:00.000-05:00

For the first time in what seems like a million years, I went to a UK game today! We had a wonderful time, and it was fun to view it through Madeline's eyes. We told her stories of going to Rupp with Dad back in the day, cheered our bottoms off, and overall had a great time!

LOVED EVERY MINUTE OF IT!

Night Out With Friends

2011-12-22T19:46:00.000-05:00

We had a great night out with close friends last week - a trip to Hometown Pizza, to view the local Christmas lights, and the Living Nativity has become a tradition. It was a great time!

Christmas Play

2011-12-22T19:43:00.000-05:00

This isn't the greatest photo, but as you can see, Madeline was in the School Christmas play this year, it had a lot of fun music and the kids had a great time :-)

Knights Basketball

2011-12-22T19:41:00.000-05:00

The Lady Knights had a great season - they were undefeated in the Pre Season Tournaments and the regular season, then finished second in the Final Tournament. We were proud of our girls! Madeline was quite proud to hold the team Second Place Trophy at Dairy Queen (brilliant move on the part of the Coaches)!

Thanksgiving

2011-12-11T19:51:00.000-05:00

Getting ready for Christmas, the tree is up, exterior lights are on the house, and many gifts are wrapped, but before I undertook all of that fun, we had a great family Thanksgiving ..... lots of good food and good company - here are a few pictures you might enjoy:

An Interview with Madeline - Ten Years Old

2011-11-01T12:46:00.000-04:00

Me: Now you are ten years old and in Fourth Grade - what do you think about that?

Mad: Why?

Me: So we can record your thoughts....

Mad: Well, I think week-ends are the best part about it, but I like school.

Me: What do you like to do on the week-ends?

Mad: Play sports - do random stuff - be home - relax - play with friends

Me: What do you like at school?

Mad: Reading, art, play the recorder

Me: What sport do you like best?

Mad: Basketball and soccer, it's hard to choose

Me: What is your favorite food right now?

Mad: Are you kidding? Macaroni and cheese

Me: What do you want to do when you grow up?

Mad: Write stories, illustrate books

Me: Do you want to be a Mom when you grow up?

Mad: I'll have to be...

Me: How many kids do you want?

Mad: Two, or probably just one

Me: What do you like about me?

Mad: That you are you!

Me: What about Dad?

Mad: That he is Dad of course.

Not sure she's in the mood for the interview since she just walked off.....

Halloween

2011-11-01T12:29:00.002-04:00

Fun times, Halloween with the cousins.....

Tenth Birthday

2011-11-01T12:27:00.000-04:00

As amazing as it may be (to us at least) our girl is TEN years old! Yes, that is right, she has reached the advanced age of one decade. She is at a sweet in-between age right now. She thinks she is big, and was quite concerned about looking good in her outfit that day, but still ran around like crazy at the zoo on her her actual Birthday.

According to this sign at the Zoo, she is the perfect size for a 10 year old Kid...

They may be big, but they still ran to play in the playground :-)

They loved the animals, who were quite active that day thanks to the cooler weather.

Such sweet, beautiful besties they are!

Fall Basketball

2011-09-18T17:21:00.001-04:00

Fall Basketball has begun, and our little Miss is loving it... a nice change from soccer :-) She's having a great fall, participating in lots of activities and doing well with her school work. Life is busy, but it is good!

Remembering

2011-09-11T10:20:00.001-04:00

Not Lives lost, Lives Given Freely

He Led His Flock to Heaven

Just taking a moment to remember.....

Just a few short weeks later life went on for me, as it did for all of us.

Our Nation still stands and we are not defeated!

First Day of School

2011-08-03T12:19:00.000-04:00

Ah, the First Day of School.... I remember being sick with nerves when school started each year. Our girlie has been relatively immune to that until this year. She's heard 4th Grade is much harder, and she was placed into a different classroom than her Besties.... so when this pic was snapped she was a bit squirmy. By the time I picked her up at 4:00 she had returned to her normal smiley, confident self. We have high hopes for 4th Grade!

For those of you sentimental types, here is the pic from the first day of 3rd Grade :-)

Sweet Summertime

2011-07-28T20:25:00.000-04:00

What have we been doing this summer? Swimming with Pals...

Acting silly at the Cabin

Chillaxing at home

Laughing our guts out

Camping

and Loving!

The Biltmore

2011-06-20T21:03:00.000-04:00

I don't have a ton of time tonight to write the best post ever, but I have finally had a chance to get some of my pictures from this Spring onto the computer. We took a trip to the Biltmore - it was an AMAZING place. We were completely enthralled with it, and with the Vanderbilt family. You cannot imagine the magnitude of this place if you haven't seen it. Madeline even said she was glad that we chose a "historical" vacation instead of going to the beach this time.... you need to go there and check it out.

Father's Day

2011-06-16T21:50:00.001-04:00

Being a Dad, it has to be a hard thing. The pressure of knowing you have to support your girl through college, you have to be her example of what a man should be, worrying about her future boyfriends, worrying about her schooling, honestly, you could go on forever with the worries. But, there is such beauty in being a Dad. This picture I think captures it in a split second... the smile on her face... Daddy covered in water when he should be getting ready for a business trip. This is true love. What is this girl learning from her Dad in this minute? She is learning that she is important, that hanging out with her is more important than work, more important than all of the things that our society puts out there to distract you. That Dad loves her most of all. This is why she writes the multitudes of love notes to tell Daddy why he is THE GREATEST DADDY IN THE WORLD! This is why she decorated our entire bedroom with love notes to show Daddy that he would be missed while he was away. My Steven doesn't know what a great Dad he is. Sometimes he doubts himself. But he is A GREAT DAD!

Fun in the Dirt and Sun

2011-05-29T08:52:00.000-04:00

This family loves the dirt, the sun, and the fun. Cousins of all ages will join in to dig a very deep hole if you ask them to....

After you dig the deep hole, you have a hug and pose for a photo...

After you dig the hole, you wait for it to get dark, put on your glow necklaces, and run with wild abandon in the dark. Of course Mom can't take a good photo of that....

Last Game

2011-05-29T08:38:00.000-04:00

Madeline had a great year with the Mustange this year.. she learned a lot about soccer, teamwork and new friends. Love it!

This is what these girls are really like!

Grandma & Claire

2011-05-29T08:35:00.000-04:00

Grandma and Claire had a big time at the game too.... our Littlest Claire has brought so curiosity and love to our family, we had a great time hanging out together playing and loving each other :-)

Rebecca & Sophia

2011-05-29T08:33:00.000-04:00

Fun times with Little Sister! We actually got to go to a movie while she visited, which I was quite thrilled about, since it wasn't even animated!

Grandpa and Sophia

2011-05-29T08:31:00.001-04:00

Grandpa was at Madeline's last game too.... other than her Mamma, he's her most faithful fan. Love you Grandpa!

Sweet Sophia

2011-05-29T08:30:00.000-04:00

Madeline's last soccer game was last week, and she had some of wonderful spectators! Sweet cousin Sophia came to enjoy the game. I have to admit this little girlie has my heart! She had a big time, and knowing her Mommy & Daddy, I'd say we'll be going to her soccer games soon.....

Easter Blessings

2011-04-24T17:31:00.001-04:00

Our Lord has written the promise of the resurrection, not in books alone, but in every leaf in spring-time. ~Martin Luther

I love the joy on their faces - they are like leaves in the spring - time :-)

HAPPY EASTER Everyone!!

Where have I been?

2011-03-28T19:09:00.001-04:00

Some may have wondered where I have been ..... well at least maybe one or two people did :-) My computer memory is full, so alas all of the photos I have taken since Christmas are locked away in my camera (which thank goodness holds a lot of photos). So, as soon as I either get a new computer and/or figure out what to do with this one, I can't post new pictures. When I do, you'll see our pictures from Nashville, the Biltmore, Gatlinburg, and a whole bunch of soccer. In the meantime, in light of UK's first trip to the Final Four in a while, I felt compelled to pull out an oldie but a goodie. Hope you enjoyed it!

Plus, here is a little gem that I happened upon today:

Our father who art in KY, let basketball be thy game. 7 banners won, the 8th to come, in Rupp as it is Big Blue Nation. Give us this day our defensive effort, and forgive us our turnovers as we forgive those who seeded against us.Lead us not into a shooting slump and deliver us from bad officiating. In the name of Rupp and Hall, and the... spirit of Bill Keightley. Amen.GO CATS

I'm sure my Cardinal Loving Hubby will LOVE this post... NOT

Delayed Reaction Christmas Pictures

2011-01-07T20:02:00.002-05:00

I got a little behind on posting my Christmas pictures this year.... I received a Kindle for Christmas, and have been reading like a maniac ever since! (Love, Love, Love the Kindle!) But, we had a wonderful, blessed Christmas full of fun, family, good health and love! We managed to convince both sides of our family to come to our house, so we didn't leave our place at all, and just had others come to us! Madeline was once again a blessing who brought us a lot of entertainment and giggles. I could not ask for more!

Our boys, except JJ who was sick unfortunately....

The ladies having fun - Linsay is a new addition to the girlie group

Madeline and Steven playing guitar - LOVE this - she has learned several chords and is picking it up amazingly quickly.

Love the necklace from Uganda - it is amazing to think that some wonderful woman was taken out of poverty to make this necklace for me out of old magazines!

Grandpa's love is like no other!

Steven loving his Army T .... he really does love these R & M!

Thank you to all of our wonderful family and friends who made this such a wonderful holiday.

We did not forget the real meaning of Christmas... we gave to charity, bought gifts for kids who do not have as much as we do, and thanked our good Lord for the wonderful gift of our salvation.

That's what it's all about!

Noelle the Elf

2010-12-24T12:59:00.001-05:00

This post is from Madeline:

This is my Elf, Noelle. She is a really nice elf. Santa sent her to watch over me. She really likes to eat crackers. Every night she moves somewhere silly. The first night she hung upside down on the Christmas tree. She also swung from the ceiling fan. She sat in the wreath in the kitchen, she took a joy ride in a low rider with Santa, she got in a bowl of marshmallows, she toilet papered my Christmas Tree and made a giant pile of cans. I've had a ton of fun with her and I'm sad she's leaving today.

The Holiday Spirit

2010-12-12T16:03:00.000-05:00

Steven, Madeline and I have had a great day full of the best of the holiday spirit..... no stress, no spending tons of money, no trying to impress. Just loving time with each other making creative decorations! This is what being a Family is all about! Next Steven is going to fry chicken and Mom & Dad are coming over for dinner. Love it!

My Senses

2010-12-07T20:18:00.000-05:00

What I hear right now - Steven playing guitar downstairs (The House of the Rising Sun), Madeline blowing a penny whistle, tapping keys on my keyboard.

What I smell right now - ham from dinner, scented candle.

What I see right now - darkness outside with a light now falling through window, Madeline with a bunch of toy animals around her, which she has had since she was probably three years old, but still plays with.

What I'm able to touch right now .... flannel pajamas, the keyboard, my blanket, wooden Noah's Ark

What I taste right now.... yummy hot chocolate that my Bro in Law kindly bought for me

What I feel right now.... the loving embrace of home and family.

What am I thankful for? A life of bounty, the love of my family, and God's forgiveness of my many sins and indiscretions.

Christmas Crafts and Winter Sports

2010-11-20T16:14:00.000-05:00

We've had a great Saturday today, making crafts and going to basketball. Madeline started making a wreath during Fall Break in Atlanta, using Weeping Willow branches from Mark and Rebecca's tree. We saved the wreath, and added a bit of Christmas cheer today. We were quite proud of ourselves! The two of us are not the craftiest pair in the world, so this was quite the accomplishment. So, I took her pic and she took mine :-) So, if you come by, keep in mind that we crafted this thing all by ourselves....

Soccer ended, basketball is well under way.... Madeline seems to love it! Her team has won all of it's games so far, and she has scored a basket or too. Fun times all around :-)

Veteran's Day

2010-11-11T10:45:00.000-05:00

On Veteran's Day I wanted to take a moment to recognize the hard work and sacrifices of all of those who wear the uniform, and all of their families who sacrifice right along with them. I enjoy peace, the ability to pursue my dreams, and the ability to speak freely because of their hard work and sacrifice, and I appreciate it!

Time With Grandpa

2010-10-24T18:37:00.000-04:00

What a blessing it is for Madeline and I that she gets to spend lots of time with my Dad! Today he came to her soccer game and post game ice cream. Just some quiet time in the park.... these are memories that she'll have forever and that I always thank God for. They had a little chat and some cuddle time. Thank You Grandpa for always coming to her games when you are in town. She doesn't always tell you, but she does appreciate it, and she will remember it, I have no doubt!

Sweet Success/Good Friends

2010-10-23T16:11:00.002-04:00

So I've made it no secret that I enjoy Madeline's soccer. As a person who never had one ounce of success in sports, it is fun for me to see her thrive. She has never backed down from a challenge in the game, and hopefully will never experience the shame of being the last kid chosen for a team (which I remember with painful clarity). This season has been a good one for her - her team didn't win every game, but she learned a lot, scored some, assisted friends, had a great kind coach, and all in all had a great time. Good memories were made.... and that other important lesson - how to lose with grace was also learned. Her team plays tomorrow in the semi finals, then we're done until March. She now has 7 soccer medals :-)

Madeline's Animals

2010-10-18T20:15:00.004-04:00

This is Madeline's Animal Post:

These are awesome animals! Turtles, otters, even a baby gorilla! It's so awesome! I wish I could own a zoo. Wouldn't that be cool? I would have all types of animals in it, and it would be fun to look around. I would have animals like big lizards, wild horses, komodo dragons, giraffes, and three zebras. There would be lots of other fun animals too. I hope you like these pictures!

Shoes

2010-10-18T20:07:00.004-04:00

This girlie loves shoes - she's obviously a girl after my own heart :-)

Atlanta Zoo

2010-10-17T19:37:00.010-04:00

During our all too brief visit to Rebecca's, we had a great time at the Atlanta Zoo. The kids absolutely loved the animals of all varieties, and I had a great day spending time with my sister and her sweeties!

My Sweetie :-)

Sophia is a great navigator - the map was consulted often.

Mommy/Daughter love.

Caught a sweet look :-)

Although there are several years between them, Madeline and Sophia love each other! Madeline loves being the "big" girl, and Sophia seems to genuinely look up to her.

It was wonderful to spend family time together. It hurt my heart to leave though, next time our visit will have to be longer than just a couple of days!

Lions - Oh My

2010-10-17T10:27:00.001-04:00

The Varsity

2010-10-17T10:13:00.004-04:00

Sometimes a wrong turn can take you to fun places! We had a little hiatus on our way to the Atlanta Zoo, and ended up having ice cream at The Varisty - fun fimes followed!

New Kid

2010-10-16T14:18:00.003-04:00

There's a new kid in town and she's winning friends right and left :-) She has a big smile and a sweet heart, and she wants to play!

She's free with a smile and wants to sit on your lap ...

She loves to check out new things and people - and when she does she points them out so that you are clear what she's interested in.

There's a new kid in town and she's really fun!

Sleep Over Extravaganza

2010-10-15T19:45:00.006-04:00

Our girl is a year older, and in honor of the big day she was allowed to have her first sleep over. The girls had a fabulous time giggling, running, playing Wii, baking, playing Twister and generically acting like the crazy girls that they are :-)

Madeline and her buddies are growing up so fast, but still are still little girls - its fun to watch them all grow and change over time.

It was not hard for them to make silly faces :-)

Doesn't she look excited :-)

Old School Photo - 6th Birthday :-)

Girl Scout Camporee

2010-10-03T17:03:00.008-04:00

What do you get when you combine 100 Brownies, 50 or so Moms, 50 degree weather, and nature?

Great friends to hold your hand....

Fairy Houses for your imagination

A million or so giggles...

A brave new adventure...

And memories and friendships to last a lifetime!

Always Remember....

2010-09-11T08:51:00.003-04:00

Labor Day

2010-09-06T15:34:00.007-04:00

We had a great time celebrating the end of summer this week-end... we spent time on London with family, including my niece Sophia, who is here in Kentucky while her parents are away in China adopting her new little sister Claire. We've had a great time doing some extra bonding with Sophia :-) Sophs misses her parents for sure, but I think she is enjoying herself just the same. I haven't spent that much hands on time with a two year old in a while, but I am up to the challenge! It did hinder my ability to take photos though!

Sophia, Madeline and I went to my friend's farm today to see her cows and animals. Sophia was a bit timid around the cows, but I think she really enjoyed it because she was completely enthusiastic talking about them as we drove away.

We topped off the day with ice cream - all kiddos love that!

Where have I been?

2010-09-01T21:51:00.008-04:00

You may be wondering where I have been... well, since my last post school and soccer season started, along with work and the excitement our family has experienced due to my Sister's adoption. I've been one busy Mama!

Third grade has started out wonderfully, Madeline has been loving her teacher, who has been teaching 3rd grade for FORTY years! She is wonderful with the kids, and her high expectations have encouraged Madeline to work hard. One of her requirements is that the kids do 20 (yes I wrote 20) book reports per year. Eight of them have to be what she calls a "creative" book report. Madeline finished her second one tonight after about 4 hours of work. I must say she was a hard little worker, and did not require redirection at all. Here is a picture of her completed work, which she is really proud of!

The other thing I've been doing is hanging out at the soccer field. Madeline loves soccer, and is playing in two different leagues. I have a great time seeing her shine out there. I do joke sometimes that I should get a camper to live in out there, but it is all worth it!

My Sister's Joy

2010-08-06T09:04:00.003-04:00

“"I wonder what Piglet is doing," thought Pooh.
"I wish I were there to be doing it, too."
- Winnie the Pooh”

My Sister and her family got their Travel Approval to head to China to pick up Claire. They have hoped and prayed and cried and laughed and loved so long waiting for this! I wish I could be there to see their faces when they get to hold her for the first time. I wish I could express how happy I am for them that this time is finally arriving. I can't think of the right present or the right words, I just know that God is great and love endures all things (including 4 year waits)! We love you guys!

First Day of School

2010-08-03T14:35:00.002-04:00

How well I remember the anticipation of that first day of school. Laying my clothes out the night before, looking at all of my school supplies, and for me, generally feeling sick with nerves! It is so fun to "relive" some childhood experiences through the eyes of your child. As I tried to pump Madeline to see how nervous she was about school, she looked at me and said "Mom, what do you think will happen? I'm not going to DIE" Pretty funny girl that one is. She jumped right out of the car with her backpack stuffed full of new supplies with a big smile on her face. No matter what she said I knew she was a little nervous, but still, she has more self confidence right now than I think I have ever had. As this is one of my biggest goals as a parent, I felt really proud today!

Bowling Green

2010-07-26T19:29:00.002-04:00

We spent a wonderful week-end in Bowling Green. It's funny, I always think that I have to do something huge to have a special time, but it's not necessary. Mostly we just swam in the hotel pool, but we had a great time just being together. These are the moments that we live for ....

Art Projects

2010-07-18T11:20:00.002-04:00

Madeline has really been working her creative side this summer :-) Her guitar prompted a night of air guitar, and the birds have enjoyed their feeder!

Girl Scouts

2010-07-18T11:13:00.006-04:00

Madeline has enjoyed Girls Scouts so much! I love it because it promotes good values and good friends. I did it as a girl, and have great memories from my activities - we are also blessed to have a great troop leader. I've spent as much time as I can volunteering to help, so I get to share in a bit of the memories :-)

Summer Time

2010-07-18T10:49:00.006-04:00

Wow I'm so behind! I think this is the longest I've ever gone without blogging! We're having a great summer... more time at the lake, more time with family, more time at the pool, fun overall! It's so much fun having an 8 year old - less time spent directing behavior, more time just relaxing together. Mom & Dad's cabin has been a real blessing for us - there is just something immensely peaceful about sitting among the trees on the porch or looking out at the lake from the pontoon. Here are a few random pictures :-)

Memorial Day Week-end

2010-05-31T19:13:00.004-04:00

We had an absolutely wonderful Memorial Day week-end - we had a short visit to the family campground here locally Friday night, then we went to visit my family in Eastern KY. I hadn't seen some of them in a really long time and it was SO GOOD to spend time with them. Here are some of my favorite pictures, but I have many more that I will go through and post. Highlights - Steven and Dan playing guitar and Dad and Madeline catching a BIG fish! I also learned to drive the boat thanks to Dad... today Madeline had a play date. I loved every minute of the week-end :-)

Things We Learn from Soccer

2010-05-22T21:59:00.002-04:00

Another season of soccer comes to an end... I never played an organized sport in my life, but I make no secret in saying that I am so happy that Madeline loves soccer. We have learned so many things! Here are a few:

My child has athletic skill - I'm still amazed!
In life sometimes you win, but sometimes you lose, no matter how hard you work.
It's fun to win, but if you do, be nice to the ones who have lost.
If you lose, it's no big deal, smile at the kids who beat you.
If you're the Mom, no matter how loud you scream, you kid has to do it for herself.
You must listen to the coach - others know more than you do.
If you try hard, you get better.
You must listen to your teammates and work together.
It feels good to have others Cheer for you.
You must think about what you are doing, even when you are running all out.
Stop and take a knee if someone gets hurt.
It is good to run.
It's just a game.
In the end, you always get a snack!

Girl Scout Camp out and Daisy Graduation

2010-05-22T20:25:00.007-04:00

Madeline went to her first Daisy Scout Camp Out this week-end. I of course, worried for days about it - would she be afraid? Would the girls make her feel welcome? What if the weather is bad? On and on.... but Madeline of course, was perfectly fine. This is a good group of girls!

They had a ceremony to move up to Brownies...

Working on mastery of the cartwheel!

Totally fun game with hula hoop (I can't remember what it was called):

So grown up!

Loving the big play set.

Best buds!

Making some crafts... fun, fun...

Soccer uniform in all of the pics because our soccer tournament was this week-end too - tons of fun!

BFF

2010-05-22T20:03:00.000-04:00

Madeline had her last soccer game of the season this week-end, and had a fabulous time. These are a couple of her life long BFFs. I can't believe how big they are! They had a very competitive soccer game, and then immediatey ran to each other for giggles and fun. What a great way to learn how life works....

First Communion

2010-04-26T19:29:00.004-04:00

Saturday was Madeline's First Communion. What a blessed day it was! The ceremony was perfect. Father Bill's Homily was touching, the songs were beautiful (particularly one that included the names of all of the children), and the kids were so reverent and sincere. It was one of those milestones at which we pause in amazement at how grown up the kids are, the the love in the room was palatable. We had a full row of people who love Madeline there to witness the event. Afterward we had a reception for her here at our house - it was great to have so many people that she loves wholeheartedly here at the house. It was truly wonderful. Some people were missed, particularly both of her Godparents who were unable for different reasons to attend. We love them both and their presence was greatly missed. But, it was a great day. You can see from the big smile that Madeline has in these pictures. How often does a little girl get to wear a crown? Big fun!

A couple of pictures that I love!

2010-04-23T21:54:00.004-04:00

I planted some pansies around the house and love the color - I had to post a picture.

I love these pictures of Madeline and her friends - they had a great day that day playing in the sun. Aren't they beautiful girls!

Go Fly a Kite

2010-04-11T12:21:00.001-04:00

Spring Time at the Cabin

2010-04-05T18:53:00.003-04:00

We took last week off for a much needed week of Spring R & R, and spent the first couple of days visiting my Grandmas and Dad & Mom's Cabin. It was rainy, but we enjoyed nature anyway. Madeline and I took a walk, and appreciated the beauty of it. She told me how much she loved being there with me (Mommys love to hear that) and proceeded to stop and pray to Thank God for the cabin, nature and her Grandparents. It was wonderful for me to hear her appreciation and to remember what life is all about. Good times were had by all :-)

And So it Begins Again....

2010-03-20T20:47:00.001-04:00

Spring Soccer has begun - we love it! Go Flames :-)

Our House

2010-03-15T19:07:00.003-04:00

Madeline keeps talking about what a great house we have lately. She has gotten me thinking about it, because I have to admit that sometimes I'd like a bigger, newer, fancier house. But her comments have made me look around and see the beauty of this place. If I close my eyes, I can see my little one toddling around here - when we moved here we moved her into her big girl bed with the rails so she wouldn't fall out. We've had six Christmas Mornings here - what fun those were! Family parties with Grandparents, aunts uncles and cousins come to mind. First days of school, summer fun playing with buddies in the yard, lemonade stands, fun on the swing set all fill my minds eye. Steven has washed his cars many times in the back yard, flew his model airplanes onto the roof, listened to his music loud in the basement. We've danced together, laughed together and cried together under this roof. As Madeline says it has kept us warm and safe. The more I think about it, the more I love this place..... I can't put a picture on here for safety reasons, but if you imagine a happy home full of love you'll have a good picture of our place :-)

What's on my mind?

2010-03-14T14:20:00.003-04:00

I've been away from the blog for a while - just not a lot of photo opportunities this winter - we've been hanging out at home a whole lot. What's been on my mind? A lot of basketball! I am loving the team this year, and having fun with the exciting play... watching right now in fact - praying for a win of the SEC championship :-)

Braces :-)

2010-02-24T17:31:00.002-05:00

Madeline got her braces today - and she is quite proud of them. I told her they are bling for her mouth :-) She is doing fine, a bit sore, but I think she'll be fine. She has gotten to be such a big girl - she looked scared at the dentist, and asked a couple of times if things were going to hurt, but she sat still, didn't squirm and did exactly what the dentist told her to do. She's getting to be such a grown up young lady! I think the whole ordeal has been harder on me than it has been on her -I worry more than I should in all things. As usual it wasn't as bad as I had feared.

P.S. I know it's been a while since I've posted - we've been pretty busy and closed up in our house due to weather. But Spring is in the air, I feel it! Soccer starts in two weeks... so we'll be out at the field in no time.

Basketball and Snow Men

2010-01-31T15:53:00.004-05:00

We've been into some basketball around here! Grandpa and Grandma gave Madeline a goal, and we've played, come cold or come snow! We had a great time this week-end playing in snow - good times have been had by all! In case you can't tell from the pics, that is two different snowmen, one for Saturday and one for Sunday :-)

How to Have a Great Play Date

2010-01-10T16:39:00.004-05:00

If you want to have a great play date, you should call one of your very best friends, and you should let her stay all day. Then you should eat all of your favorite foods (pizza, mac & cheese, ice cream), sit in the hot tub for a while on a cold, cold day. Then, you should have a parade with musical instruments you got when you were two:

Then you should laugh and wrestle with your friend while you play Wii with your Grandpa

And put on a puppet show

for your Grandma and Grandpa (and your Mom, who is always there taking pictures)

with Paper Bag Puppets you made yourself!

The Thrill of Victory

2009-12-27T18:17:00.002-05:00

On Christmas night everyone came over and we had a Wii party - we had so much fun playing those games. Dad was happy to beat both Steven and Mark at bowling, and Madeline was happy to beat Mark at boxing. I think everyone seemed to enjoy themselves, so I was quite satisfied :-)

Christmas Fun at the Grandparent's House

2009-12-27T18:09:00.002-05:00

We were blessed to be at Mom & Dad's house with Rebecca, Mark and Sophia on Christmas Day. There is something so comforting about spending that day together! Dad tricked a couple of us with our gifts - Madeline was THRILLED to get a basketball goal, and Steven enjoyed his IPod very much as well. Most of all we enjoyed a great meal joined by Bridget and Nicole and just had fun being together. Sweet Sophia has gotten so big - she was a ton of fun to play with this time. A great time was had by all, and I'm sure it's a memory we'll keep for a long time to come.

Santa Came!

2009-12-27T18:01:00.003-05:00

Santa came to our house! Madeline loved her gifts, although she wasn't feeling well that morning. We did a simple good time enjoying each other's company... Plus we had a good laugh because we got snuggies :-) I don't care what any of you people say, I like my Snuggie :-)

Christmas Fun Number 1

2009-12-27T15:13:00.003-05:00

We had our first group of family over for some Christmas Eve fun - and we certainly had a great time together laughing, eating and opening presents. Madeline had fun playing with the cousins, presents and all. She even gave one of her toys to Carlee... I was really proud of her for that :-) Here are some pictures of us all having a great time:

She's a Basketball Player

2009-12-08T19:19:00.004-05:00

We've had fun this winter with Madeline's new sport - she's playing basketball now! We remain amazed that we have somehow brought a little budding athlete into the world.... Basketball is pretty fun, but it's hard to take a good picture! Another great aspect about basketball has been that Madeline's Grandparents have been coming to the games, and Melissa and Carlee came last week too. A great time was had by all!

What We're Thankful For

2009-11-27T20:28:00.003-05:00

Thanksgiving is the perfect time to reflect on our blessings.... we all thought a little bit about it, and came up with a few things that we especially appreciate this year.

Steven is thankful for:

Madeline,
Janie and
Our Cozy House

Madeline is thankful for:

My parents
Our church
My great friends

Janie is thankful for:

The fact that I married my best friend
That God blessed us with a healthy, happy, spunky little person
Reminders to count my blessings
Sisters
Brother and Sisters in Law who I love like they are my own family
Our sweet parents

Small things:
guitars
Pet Shops
dinner each day
Madeline's school
cars we love
books
Christmas decorations
sunny days
hot tubs
stuffed animals
cameras
video tapes of our kiddo
Happy days
warm blankies

Thanksgiving Fun

2009-11-27T20:21:00.004-05:00

We had a great Thanksgiving this year with Steven's side of the family. The kids had fun, the grown ups talked and laughed, and good food was had by all....

Fun Art Projects

2009-11-27T20:16:00.003-05:00

Rebecca gave Madeline an awesome tub of craft stuff for her Birthday - and she's enjoyed the gift so much! She has used them quite a bit. Today's project was drawing a Christmas tree on our front door with window crayons - totally fun!

Veteran's Day

2009-11-10T18:33:00.003-05:00

This Veteran's Day I am compelled to recognize the losses at Ft. Hood. It is incomprehensible what happened there, the losses suffered by the heroes there and the pain that their families must suffer. It gives me chills to think of those soldiers running TOWARD gun shots to help their fallen comrades. I pray for the souls of those lost today, and for peace for all of those who suffered losses.

To all of those who serve today, thank you, and for those who have served our country in the past by putting on a uniform we thank you too.

Trick or Treat

2009-11-01T09:35:00.006-05:00

We have had a GREAT Halloween week-end... on Friday night we went out to eat with Mom & Dad and had a good meal and some great time together. Then we got to visit Mark on Saturday for a while (Madeline was very excited to see him - she loves her Uncles :-) Spending time with family is the best!

We were quite pleased with our pumpkin carving endeavors....

Daddy/Daughter fun handing out candy, and they walked down to the scary house in our neighborhood to trick or treat and have thrills and chills!

Good friends came by to trick or treat.

And yes, even I got in on the dress up action this year, although all I had to do was skip putting on my make up and doing my hair in the morning :-) (I can't believe that I put this pic on the blog!)

Johnny & Jeanine came by, we were happy to see them - it seems like it has been a really long time since Madeline got to see her Nana and Granddaddy!

Halloween Fun at School

2009-11-01T09:18:00.009-05:00

Halloween Parties at school are so much fun! You get to do all kinds of crazy things... like get wrapped up like a mummy.

You get to actually dance around at school (usually you can't even run :-)

You also get to wrap up your best buds...

You hang out with your friends - everyone has huge dazzling smiles!

Your friend asks your Mom a million and one questions - all about your hamster...

One of your best buds dresses up like a dead bride... too funny!

You get to see your cousins in their cool costumes.

It was a GREAT day, and your Mom was there to see it all :-)

Halloween Party

2009-10-25T21:10:00.004-04:00

We went to the family Halloween Party yesterday and had a good time - it's a great party every year! We missed the hay ride, which is always fun, but did make it for a little while. It was a crazy day - I had to run out and buy Madeline a costume after the soccer tournament, and it was too big, so I had to "hem" it using tape and safety pins! Why didn't I listen to my Mother when she tried to teach me to sew? Ah, the wisdom of being old - my Parents were so right in so many ways! If I only knew then what I know now :-)

Last Game of the Season

2009-10-25T20:56:00.003-04:00

The Flames had their last games of the season yesterday - true to how it goes every fall, we had hot games in the beginning of the season, and a cold snowy end. The girls won their first game, and lost the second. We were proud though, because Madeline scored two in the second game, which was against a team that has not lost a game this season. She grown so much this year! It's amazing to watch her bloom in soccer - I have no athletic skills whatsoever, so it really trills me to see Madeline do well. She and I are both loving soccer! Next we start her first season of basketball - I'm anxious to see how that goes since she's never played.

She looks sort of like the Michelin Man in these pics :-)

Soccer Celebration

2009-10-25T08:25:00.002-04:00

Check out these wild and crazy girls.... on the soccer field they are a disciplined (yeah right), serious (sometimes), group of fierce competitors.... at the soccer celebration they are a bunch of little girls having fun. It was a wild night!

Last Night at the Beach - a/k/a Vacation Heaven - Day 6, Part 2

2009-10-23T21:51:00.003-04:00

Just a few more pictures from our last night at the beach - we took a long walk, and heard that a 1300 pound tiger shark had been caught by a fisherman off the pier that day - apparently a crew from Sea World helped them release it back to sea. Not sure it was a true story, but it sure was interesting!

It was a great peaceful night together - I hope we can carry that feeling for a long time!

Vacation Heaven - Day 6

2009-10-22T21:20:00.010-04:00

We had the greatest day at the beach! I woke up early and walked out to the beach to see the sunrise - I took some pictures, but I am not sure they do the beauty of it justice. I tried to memorize the moment so I could bring that peace home with me. What a lovely world God made!

After I watched the water for a while alone, I went in and quickly woke Madeline. We were afraid that it was going to rain after lunch that day (it didn't), so we wanted to hit the beach early. We went out to the beach and Madeline and her Daddy set to work at making a sand castle.

Five or Six hours later, they had a fabulous HUGE castle! We had a laugh that Madeline has road construction in her blood, because she made a road to the castle, a bridge, and a giant moat. Daddy and daughter are so much alike, once they began the castle, they were on a mission! We named the castle Madiland, and in the end, it was so big it was hard to get it all in one picture :-) (In case you are wondering, while they were building, I was tanning, walking in the water, and reading a tear jerker :-)

I have so many more pictures, that I'll have to stretch Day 6 out into a later post, but I had to post this picture of my sweet pea - I love it!

I hope you aren't feeling like you are at somebody's slide show of their vacation pictures - I can't help it, I loved our trip so much that I have to put these on here. This picture didn't come out as well as I'd like, but Madeline drew her family on the beach - I loved it!

Vacation Heaven - Day 5

2009-10-21T21:09:00.012-04:00

Day 5 was a more relaxing day. We spent the morning swimming at the hotel pool at the French Quarter. It was a beautiful morning, and after several really busy days at the park we were ready for some relaxing! The pool was perfect for a French Quarter inspired hotel - it was a big dragon, and the water slide was his tongue - the kiddos loved it! Madeline met some kids from Canada during the week, that girlie finds friends everywhere she goes :-) By that time we were having some blisters and tired legs, so the pool was good therapy.

After the pool, we left the French Quarter with heavy hearts, and headed into the Florida sun to Cocoa Beach. It was a short drive from Disney, and was a beautiful place! It was perfect after the crazy busy Disney World to go to the relaxing beach. I jokingly asked whether they'd give us a free upgrade room to overlook the beach and they did it! Actually we went from a regular room to a villa, which had two floors with a full kitchen and living room downstairs and two bedroom areas in a loft upstairs. I have learned to always ask - it doesn't always pay off, but lots of times it does! Here was our first view of the beach from the bedroom window.

After getting settled into the room, we headed out to the beach - we were a happy family!

Here is the classic pic of my feet in the sand (I love these pictures - Steven thinks I'm a dork!)

So beautiful - it makes me feel calm and happy just looking at these pictures :-)

Vacation Heaven - Day 4 (Part 2)

2009-10-21T19:27:00.006-04:00

I loved the Magic Kingdom! So many bright colors and fun stuff everywhere :-) The balloon guys were holding so many balloons, I thought that they might float away!

This was the view from the train station:

Big Thunder Mountain (as seen from the train) - Madeline loved this ride!

We loved all of the shows :-)

Steven loves trains, so he enjoyed riding the train at the Magic Kingdom - they have 4 steam engines, which is pretty cool.

At night they light the castle up in pretty colors...

Minnie Mouse's house is cool - I could live there :-)

To top off our perfect day at the Magic Kingdom, we had a double rainbow.... how did Walt Disney arrange for that? :-)

Vacation Heaven - Day 4 (a/k/a the Big Birthday Celebration)

2009-10-20T21:02:00.008-04:00

On Day 4 we went to the Magic Kingdom, and it truly was magic. The Disney people have perfected the Magic Kingdom - I don't know any other way to put it. Even a jaded old woman like me can feel the magic in the Kingdom. Before the park opens, they allow everyone to go through the gates, but then sequester everyone into the entry of the park. After waiting a while in anticipation, you hear the classic Disney tunes and then an announcer comes out to announce Mickey's arrival on the train. Such anticipation! Smiles all around, and a whole lot of excited people. Madeline said it was "exquisite", which is how she kept describing the day.

After the exciting opening show, we had our first view of Cinderella's Castle - young and old alike loved the view :-)

Right away we enjoyed fun, fun rides - Big Thunder Mountain and Haunted Mansion first - Madeline LOVED Haunted Mansion - she was gripping Steven's arm hard! Big Thunder Mountain was fun too - the girl was up for a thrill for sure! Couldn't get pictures on either ride, but I'll remember the look on her face without a photo :-) We rode "It's a Small World" - LOVED it!

Steven and Madeline had a ton of fun Daddy - Daughter time. It's the best feeling for me to see the two of them laughing and playing together :-)

Madeline and I had some silly Mommy - Kiddo time too :-)

This was undoubtedly one of the best days we've ever had in our family. Loved it, Loved it, Loved it! It's going to take two days to blog that wonderful day :-)

Vacation Heaven - Day 3

2009-10-19T21:18:00.010-04:00

We spent Day 3 in Epcot - and once again had a great time! We rushed to get there at 8:00 am. Staying at the park gave us a lot of benefits - riding to the parks on the bus for one, and also extra magic hours, when the parks are open only for people staying in the Disney Hotels. We got there early, and rode Soarin, Test Track and the Dinosaur ride, all before 9:00! Loved Soarin... it was so much fun! Madeline had that Disney awe after riding Soarin, I think she was really amazed. She declared it the best ride at Epcot, and we ended up riding it twice.

Epcot is a HUGE park - so much walking! Plus, I don't mean to dwell, but it was HOT! We loved it though, and managed to ride all of the rides we wanted to ride, and also saw the fun 3D movie Honey I Shrunk the Audience - it made all of us jump!

After much running around and riding rides, we walked to the World Showcase, and ate lunch in the USA. There was a great Fife and Drum group that played patriotic songs, and I enjoyed seeing some old guys saluting while the songs were played. They did cheers for our soldiers, and people paused and gave a big Cheer. We also enjoyed checking out the other nations, although honestly the heat put a bit of a damper on our wandering around and shopping. We enjoyed the Viking Ride in the Norway Exhibit, Japanese drummers in Japan, relaxed in some blessedly cool air in the China exhibit. Germany had a train exhibit that reminded me of pictures from Europe from my childhood at a park with a miniature city - I can't remember being there, but remember cool pictures of that park.

Madeline purchased herself some fabulous Minnie Bride ears, and proudly wore them around the park. Several girls stopped and pointed at them, which as you can imagine pleased our little ham to no end!

I can't remember whether I mentioned the Birthday Celebration in my last blogs - Disney does a Birthday right! We were there for 4 days, and Madeline wore a Birthday pin the whole time, so tons of people said Happy Birthday! A "Cast Member" pulled her aside and gave her a phone call - which turned out to be Goofy wishing her a Happy Birthday - I love the look of surprise she has in the picture :-)

We got more character autographs in the World Showcase, it was tons of fun and the lines were not as long as they had been at Animal Kingdom or at Magic Kingdom - brilliant Disney planning once again, all of the kids were excited about autographs!

At the end of the day we came back to our hotel, and took a blessed dip in the pool - Madeline loved swimming at night, and the pool was really neat, so it was a fun part of our day too.

All in all, we are glad that we chose Epcot over Hollywood Studios, we had a great time!

A Reminder in Vacation Heaven - Day 2

2009-10-18T19:49:00.003-04:00

Part of the fun of Disney was getting autographs from the characters... it's fun, but you also wait in crazy long lines for your kiddo to get these autographs, and it was 95 degrees with about 99.999999% humidity. So I was getting a little hot, a little tired and a little bit ready to be done with signatures. Until a park worker came in and put someone ahead of us in line... a Make a Wish family with a little girl in a wheelchair who had obviously been undergoing chemotherapy. Like a slap in the face I remembered that here I was with my perfectly healthy family doing a perfectly wonderful thing.... with no tears in my eyes and no lump in my throat looking at my little girl like that Mom had. Wow.... I thanked God profusely for the remainder of our trip. We have health and love, and no obvious time line for our family. Hug your kiddos. I hugged mine.

Vacation Heaven - Day 2

2009-10-18T18:24:00.008-04:00

We stayed at the park at Port Orleans French Quarter - the hotel was great, the room was nice, you would never starve on the food plan, and Madeline thought the pool was wonderful. The first day we went to Animal Kingdom - it is a cross between sort of a zoo and an amusement park. The safari ride is amazing with the animals seemingly running free, then at the same place was Expedition Everest - a thrill ride and a half. Madeline rode the Everest ride and LOVED it - she's definately not a baby any more! It was REALLY hot the day we were there, even though it was October it was over 90 degrees. So we look a bit sweaty in the pics - but we were having a fabulous time!

This photo is from the safari ride - it was amazingly realistic!

Expedition Everest - Madeline conquored it!

Family Fun!

It is so beautiful!

On a 95 degree day, this was my favorite ride

We were soaked after the Kali River ride - we needed that!

Madeline met Mickey and Minnie and got their autographs... too much fun!

Vacation Heaven, Day 1

2009-10-18T18:05:00.003-04:00

We just returned from our trip to Disney, and it's hard for me to sum up in words how wonderful it was.... honestly it was like a little bit of heaven. I enjoyed every precious moment with Steven and Madeline. We took no computer, watched basically no TV (other than the Disney channel in the room), made very few phone calls, and just enjoyed our family. I will never forget it. I took like 600 pictures (no joke) so I will split them up into days for the blog.

The first night we visited Rebecca, Mark and Sophia and had a wonderful time! The girls got to celebrate their Birthdays together, and did it in grand style. They also laughed, ran and jumped on beds - who can argue with that! Sophia gave me lots of hugs and attention, which I of course enjoyed to the max!

Here are a few pictures from our visit - enjoy, I sure did!

We stopped at IHOP on the way from Rebecca's to Disney, and there happened to be a balloon guy there who made Madeline a balloon horse - how cool is that?

Cloudy With a Chance of Meatballs

2009-09-27T17:20:00.004-04:00

Well, I had drafted a long post, but somehow I've lost it... now I'll try to recreate...

You might have noticed a bit of a lag in my blog posting. This Fall has been really busy with soccer games, School Board, PTO, family events, and planning our Fall Break vacation. Our small one has also had a round of H1N1. After all of the news stories, and tales of a local man who is now in the hospital with multiple organ failure from H1N1, I have to admit to being very scared when we got the diagnosis. But, we are blessed in that she only missed two days of school, and should be able to go back tomorrow. We are very thankful! I've said many prayers of thanks.

Today we went to see Cloudy With a Chance of Meatballs with Dad, and had a wonderful time! Madeline enjoyed the movie, and also enjoyed some good quality time with her Mom & Grandpa. We are blessed indeed.

Gone Fishing

2009-09-09T19:45:00.003-04:00

We had a great labor day week-end! We spent some time with Mom and Dad relaxing at the cabin, and it was just what the Doctor ordered! We took naps, read books, and went fishing. I have never been much of a fisher, but it was nice to sit and enjoy the quiet and the water, and I admit my competitive nature kicked in and I wanted to catch a fish! Lucky me, I finally caught a three inch long fish :-)

Madeline caught a frog, she was quite proud...

Here I am with my massive fish catch...

What fun for Madeline to spend time fishing with her Grandpa ... another memory she will benefit from so much in the future.

Here's Dad working on Madeline's fishing rod - he made sure that she had fun!

Anyway, I am not always perfectly eloquent in my blog posting - what I am trying to say is that I love my Mom & Dad and am really blessed to have been able to spend some quiet time relaxing with them. I'm always on the run, and they usually just catch me coming and going, but at least this week-end I was able to slow down and spend some time just quietly fishing with my Dad and Madeline. That is the best! Plus, I had time to just sit on the porch with Mom and listen to her talk about Mammaw....

The rest of the week-end was equally quiet, but I loved it! Steven, Madeline and I did nothing but hang out together. We discovered Jenga, our new favorite game around our house. We need to do nothing more often!

Today We Call Her Miss Hustle

2009-08-29T19:35:00.007-04:00

OK, so winning isn't everything, but it is pretty cool, especially when you didn't win a game at all last year... AND, Madeline played what has to be her best soccer game ever! She blocked goals, and then the Coach put her in as forward and she played a couple of great plays and scored! People were congratulating her all over the place, and she loved it. Victory was sweet for Ms. Madeline, she high fived, she hugged and smiled big time! So, we might never win again, but I'm glad that she got to experience it once ;-)

She ran around all of the girls, got the goalie out of the way....

Then she scored :-)

The Good Things In Life

2009-08-22T20:35:00.008-04:00

Life is good when you are 7 years old.... you get to experience so many of the good things in life...

Good Friends to dress up like princesses with:

Some great soccer - it's fun to stop that goal!

Sometimes you get to go outside in your jammies to look for bugs...

Everyone loves a big bug!

You are happy if you get new pink Converse Tennies (Chuck Taylors for you old folks out there) - especially when you convince your Mom to buy matching ones...

Life certainly is good when you are seven, and it's also good for those old folks who are blessed to hang out with that seven year old too!

Summer

2009-08-16T21:56:00.003-04:00

I don't have a picture to post right this minute, because honestly it's late and I'm too lazy to download from the camera. However, I have been taking a few minutes to think back over the summer. I don't want to rush through life or Madeline's childhood, and was pretty successful this summer in making some fun memories with my family... I was happy that we accomplished the goal of having a good time without spending a ton of money. Let's see, here are some things we did

Swam at the local pool, a lake, and a swimming hole
Had several picnics
Slept in a tent all night once and just for a while once
Played in the swings
Did Slip-n-Slide
Saw a couple of local theater productions
Witnessed the famous family fireworks show
Laughed a lot
Walked in Knob Creek with my family
Put Steven's car in a show (oh and watched him wash it, a lot)
Went to the park
Had play dates
Rode our bikes
Flew Kites
Ate tons of fresh veggies
Read some good books
Went to movies on very hot days
Hung out at the cabin
Went to the family camping
Made cards for soldiers
Had a couple of family parties
Attended several Bible Schools (we are big fans of Bible School)
and otherwise just lived and loved together:-)

It's been a wonderful summer, such a blessed life, and memories which will last a lifetime. God is Good, and our lives are touched by his Grace.

First Day of School (Second Grade)!

2009-08-04T19:31:00.003-04:00

Today was the first day of Second Grade for Madeline. She has gotten so big! She woke up, got dressed, ate breakfast and cleaned her room, no problem. I asked her if she was nervous, she asked why would she be nervous? Then we drove to school, at which time she said she did not need for me to walk her in to her room. She declared that she is old enough to do things by herself and reminded me that she started walking in alone a LONG time ago in first grade. So, she jumped happily out of the car leaving her shocked Mommy to take the blurry photo shown above. Suffice it to say that she did fine, her Mommy, well, not so much!

Here are a couple of proper first day of school pics....

And for the sentimental folks like me, let's go down memory lane to the first day of Kindergarten and First Grade... Oh my sweet girl is growing up!

A Short Staycation

2009-08-01T21:38:00.009-04:00

We've been on a bit of a staycation this week - not by design really, but because we had no child care. It has been wonderful! Today we had our old buddies Lauren, Campbell and Ainsley over, along with one of BFF's Margaret. We were having a majorly big time! We were also happy to have Sarah, Joe, Jack and Annie for a little while too. It was fun for me to catch up with Margaret, while the girls had fun together with a million inside toys and then in our mini water park outside. They played in the kiddie pool and the slip n' slide (my parents would not let me have a slip n' slide, so I guess that goes along with opening more than one box of cereal at a time for me - it was fun to watch them). We made a good dinner of grilled fresh veggies and chicken. It was one of my favorite days I've had in a long time. Tomorrow, we are going to lay low and try to rest a little before school starts.

BTW I think the "staycation" name is kinda cheesy, but I guess sometimes it is descriptive.

You really want me to run and then fall down? On purpose?

Who needs expensive toys when you can play with a towel?

What's better than giggling with your friends?

This thing is FUN!

Annie was loving the pool :-)

Lauren mastered the slip n' slide!

Cobbler for the Foodies

2009-08-01T20:57:00.003-04:00

In case you were wondering what I did with the blackberries mentioned in the earlier post (of course you are probably reading this first - oh well), I made a cobbler. It was so pretty I thought I'd take a picture for you foodies (Rebecca this means you :-)

Back Yard Half Camp Out

2009-08-01T20:47:00.003-04:00

Madeline and I spent a great day together having some good Mommy and Madeline time. First we went to the Farmer's Market and bought some veggies and blackberries, then we put up our tent. Putting up our tent by yourself is quite the adventure. Suffice it to say Madeline said "let's get Daddy to do it" a few times, and I said "No, women can put tents up too" a few times.... then we got it up! We had a great time half camping. Why is it "half camping" you ask? Well, first of all the tent was in our backyard, second of all we only camped out until 10:30, then we came inside and went to bed! I went in to kiss Madeline goodnight and she said "Mom, I'm glad we came to our senses and came inside"... so once again she acted like mini me I guess. Are we country girls? Not so much! Nevertheless we hunted for lightening bugs, played cards in the tent, told stories and laid around generally in a tent at night. That's at least half camping, right? :-)

Riding Her Bike!

2009-07-28T20:19:00.003-04:00

A rite of passage - learning to ride your bike.... Steven and Madeline are working on it. She's doing well, she can balance and pedal, but sometimes forgets to steer....

Animals, Smiles and RAIN

2009-07-28T20:11:00.002-04:00

Madeline and I went to work together this morning, and she was so great that I decided to reward her with a trip to the zoo. We had a wonderful time, laughing and playing together. The animals were very active, which always makes the zoo more fun. It's a rainy summer this year though, and just like the 4th of July, we got SOAKED several times during the afternoon. We were tired and wet, but who cares, it was a wonderful Mommy and Madeline day... a day we'll remember for sure.

What Goes Around Comes Around

2009-07-22T19:44:00.003-04:00

So the conversation goes like this:

Me - "Madeline, scoot your chair in so your food doesn't fall on the floor"
Madeline - flashes Mom evil glare while breathing loudly and barely moving chair
Me - "Since you chose to make that face you won't watch TV tonight"
Madeline - "I didn't want to watch TV anyway"
Me - "Since you don't want the first punishment you can go to your room"
Madeline - "But WHY?! I DIDN'T DO ANYTHING WRONG!"

Now, those of you who know us take a moment to think.... does this remind you of anything?

What goes around comes around....

Daphne's Summer Home

2009-07-21T19:56:00.003-04:00

We have a pet hamster named Daphne, who we have had for over two years... this is a long life in the hamster world. Madeline and I decided that Daphne needed a new place to play, so we made her a cardboard box summer home. We had fun putting it together, and honestly I think she enjoys it!

Long Time No See!

2009-07-21T19:49:00.003-04:00

It's been a few days since I could make a blog post because our computer has been broken, but never fear, we've taken a few pictures! We're having a fun summer here at our house, it seems like we've spent a lot of time on the run. But we have managed to get in some fun family time at home.... Madeline made some puppets and has put on some puppet shows for us. This show was all about how to be a good friend :-)

Lake at Camp

2009-07-09T22:05:00.000-04:00

This is the swimming lake at the camp site - it is clean and wonderful! We really enjoy ourselves swimming up there. Madeline and Ellie did about a million cannonballs off the walkway. Too cool!