All about Madelyn!

Yesterday July 10th, 3 years ago at 10:14 in the morning our little Madelyn entered the world.  She has been our sparkle girl(sometimes more like a firecracker) ever since.  She is loving, funny, sassy and a great older Sister.  One of the greatest joys to watch is when Madelyn sees Violet.  Her whole continence changes.  She smiles and changes her normally deep voice into a very high one.  She calls her "Bi-let" she can't quite get the "v" sound.  She talks to her and you can tell she loves her so much.  I always feared there would be jealousy issues but there never was.  Not even a little.  Madelyn also never walks.  She runs everywhere.  She always seems like she's in a hurry to get where ever she wants to go.  She has a beautiful smile.  Madelyn is truly a JOY and I thank my Heavenly Father for her everyday.  Even if she does color on the walls, have an accident in her underwear or decide that she doesn't need to clean up after herself.  She was meant to come to us and I am so grateful she did!

Her Birthday weekend was fun-filled and busy.  With Violet not feeling well and not sleeping at all at night, and a trip to the urgent care, Moroni and I were a little tired.  However, the party must go on.

It is a tradition in our family that on your 3rd birthday you get to go to Build-a-Bear, pick out your own bear and then build it.  We always have such a blast on this day.  So Saturday that is where we headed.

Madelyn and her Sleeping beauty themed bear named "Trips" short for Triplet.

Picking out the perfect bear.

Got to fill the bear with love.

Bath time.

The perfect outfit was found.

Madelyn was grinning the whole time.  She loved it!  She also loves Trips and wants her to go everywhere with her.

Next came the Birthday party at Mana and Papa's house.  Uncle Dave and Auntie Mar came for some yummy pizza and ice cream pie.  YUM!

Mana and Papa with their daughter's, daughters.  Did that make sense?

Uncle Dave gave Madelyn a great Fancy Nancy book.

Auntie Mar came with a whole bag of Fancy Nancy fun.

Madelyn with Mana and Papa.

Her fav gifts of the day. A cool Barbie phone and Trips.

Birthday!  It was filled with family, fun and more presents from Sisters.   It truly was a great weekend.

"I'm this many!"

"Me and my little Sister."

Madelyn and her cake.  3!!

(Side note: JULIE this was not my best work.  It was a long week with no sleep and I did not have the energy for the perfection you taught me.  Sorry from your lacking student)

Our 4 girls on Madelyn's 3rd Birthday.

She really is a sparkle girl(with a very low voice)!!

I can't imagine my life with out you!  To know you is to love you Madelyn.  Happy Birthday baby.

Warning: Picture OVER-LOAD!!

This is probably the longest blog I will ever do.  There is however too much to catch up on.  So here goes...

How do you spell fun??  K-O-C-H...that's how!  Our dear friends the Koch's came to town and boy oh boy did we live it up.  We had way too much fun, ate too much, laughed too much, stay up late too much and truly had the perfect little Vacation with friends.  It all started with a water park...

Yes, we were insane enough to go with all of these kids, skip nap and sunscreen multiply times.  The pleasant surprise was running into other amazing friends while we were there!

"Friend" and Kaitlyn.  Isn't she cute!(the baby's not bad too)

Uncle "Ra Ra" taking Maddie and Hailey for a spin on the river.

Oh yes, there were water slides!

Savannah's reaction was cracking me up!

Madelyn convinced Auntie Kristen to take her on a slide.  The best part was when she got done Kristen could barely walk.  She said "Okay, that is definitely not made for grown up.  There is a huge dip at the bottom."  I found it so funny.  Madelyn can really get people to do whatever she wants!

Future BFF's checking each other out.

Kaitlyn and Violet.  Born one month apart.

Next came the "Duck" rides.  Moroni and I have been on them before and they were so much fun that we decided to do it again.  It was worth it.  It was fun, funny, beautiful and the company made it even better.  The kids had a blast(well all but Madelyn who cried half the time).

All I can say is, Ryan stop making silly faces if you don't want me to post them to the world.  He seriously is one of the funniest people I have ever met!

Madelyn and Mommy before she realized that she didn't like the "Duck."

"Friend" and Me.

Two silly guys having a good time!

Violet did wake up for most of the fun ride.  It was SOOO hot that day though.  We took her out of her car seat and she was dying.  I think we went through dozens of water bottles on this Vacation.

Wisconsin never stops amazing me.  It truly is a beautiful place.

The Fam.

To cool off next we headed to a WI institution...Culvers! 

Savannah makes the funniest faces sometimes...

...she also makes the most beautiful ones too.

Do you know how hard it is to get one 8 year old, one 7 year old, two 5 year olds, one almost 3 year old, one 6 month old and one 5 month old to all look happy?  Well, it's HARD!

take #57.

Just us girls in our 4th of July gear!

"Friend," Me, and our girls. 

So after our amazing friends left for a family reunion the party did not stop.  We had a great BBQ with some friends Saturday night and enjoyed some fireworks.  I love living in America.  I love this country and I love this holiday that is set aside so that we can truly appreciate how blessed we are.  I'm also more grateful than I can express to the men and women who gave their lives so that me and my family could enjoy these freedoms!!

Sunday brought the famous Uncle Dave over and then Monday came the true 4th of July.  We had our annual Ward picnic and as usual it didn't disappoint!

There was a lot of face painting.  And arm painting apparently.

The goal was to cover the whole face apparently.

A huge slip and slide that was set up on a hill.  The best part was when someone took Moroni down with him.  I'm not saying any names...Darren! ;-)

Violet was enjoying lots of attention from loving women in the ward.  She's so spoiled at these things.

By the time this week ended, we were all happy and truly exhausted...

Can't wait till next year!

It's like a light switch.

Yesterday I woke up and I thought our daughter Madelyn had been possessed by some foreign life form.  With out going over it again, I will just say it was a rough day.  I had a great book club last night and I was also blessed with a lot of good insights.  I was reminded about how Madelyn's little life has been turned upside down a lot this past year.  Over and over we have gone and she has truly rolled with the punches.  I was also given something that has kept me thinking about it all night and all day.  The fact is we each go through "transitions" in life.  This is a huge transition for my family.  I have this theory that Heavenly Father knew what he was doing when it came to child birth.  Because by the end of pregnancy you are so miserable and want it to be over so badly that you don't care how that thing comes out you just want it out!!  So, this dear friend of mine said that is what is going on in my life right now.  I am being blessed with a really rough day to day life so that I will be so done with it that I will move and be happy to do it.  She was right!  I'm there.  I love it here and I love all of our family and friends.  However, I am at that stage of this "transition" where I don't care anymore I want to go.  I never thought I would feel that way.  I always thought I would never want to move and that I could deal with this forever.  I was wrong.  I'm so grateful for this insight I was given last night.  It was yet ANOTHER blessing.  So sometimes things come to you and sometimes they have to be turned on like a light switch.  Either way you are grateful for the light.  As for Madelyn she was wonderful today. I guess we all have a switch.

BEST SURPRISE EVER!!!

Remember a while back when I said that I loved surprises?  Well, there we were last night eating our dinner...

And I was in the living room feeding Violet hers.  When all of a sudden there was a knock at our back door and some guy saying "Hello!"  I of course started to freak out that there was a mass murderer in my home and he apparently knocks first.  But, then I walk in and see this same guying kissing my #3....

IT WAS DADDY and he was HOME!!!!!!!!!!!!!!  Moroni completely surprised us by coming home and spending the night with us.  It was truly the best gift I've ever gotten.

What a great and perfect end to the day.  I am still a big fan of surprises!!

P.S. Aren't the two Savannah's so cute!!!