Too Short

This morning my friend Kari returned to our Heavenly Father. Kari and I met in college and then worked together for a couple years after at Community First.
Kari was always smiling, it was contagious, you had to smile when you were with Kari. She was always happy and is loved by every one who knew her. This earth is certainly a lesser place with out her.
In October Kari was diagnosed with cancer. It is hard to believe that she was taken so quickly. My heart is sad about not getting the chance to tell her what a great friend she was and how much I loved her. So today I held my babies trying not to take any minute for granted. I pray that those who have been a part of my life know of my love for you. As for Kari I know that our Father in Heaven has a plan for her. I know that her work here on this earth is done. It hurts to know that the next time I go home I will not get to hug her or see her smile or hear her laugh. It hurts to know of the joys in this life that she did not get the chance to experience yet. However I am so happy that she is no longer in pain and I look forward to the day that I will get to see Kari again. Kari you will be greatly missed.

We must be doing something right

Madie has started to say prayers on her own and it is quite possibly one of the cutest things ever! When it is dinner time she crawls into her chair, says “say payrs”, she folds her little arms tightly across her chest and bows her head as far as it goes and says…

Heabony Fader
Maymen

Maymen is said with a large amount of gusto and usually her throwing her hands in the air like she just done a trick. She does all of this without waiting for anyone else to get to the table so when we try to pray as a family she refuses to participate (why should she, she has already said a prayer) and just tries to talk to us. On some occasions she will say a prayer in between every bite.

She is so funny! We are so grateful for this sweet little spirit.

From the mouths of babes

It amazes me the things that kids come up with and normally the kids in our little family don't disappoint. I constantly have people tell me that they love it when I post the funny little things that our Slade says on my facebook. That kid seriously cracks me up! However today I was not laughing as much as I was just so proud of him. Today Slade gave his very first talk in primary. He talked on service. He showed a picture of a mom and her son helping an elderly lady in her garden and shared the following scripture.

When ye are in the service of your fellow beings ye are only in the service of your God (Mosiah 2:17).

He talked about how happy it makes heavenly Father when we serve others and how he serves his family by helping around the house and listening.

Ben helped Slade give his talk and said that Slade did a great job and loved giving his talk.

I am so grateful for the programs that the church offers and for leaders that try so hard to work with our unique schedule so that Slade can have the same experiences that the other kids in his class have. I am so proud of Slade for being so brave and willing to talk in primary.

Great Job Slade!

You're Invited!

I am having a Thirty One online party this week (nevermind the irony that I will be turning 31 this week - UG when did I get this old?). Thirty One has some super cute stuff and I am excited to get started on my Christmas shopping. Click here to check out there stuff and if you order something make sure to do it under my hostess name.

Thanks,
Kari

Do You Ever?

Do you ever feel like your kids expect more out of you; that you are in letting them down in some way. Well this morning my sweet little 4 year confirmed it to me.
Whenever the kids are having a rough time wanting to go to daycare in the morning I always tell that I wish that I could stay home with them too and that Daddy and I are working really hard to get it so that I can stay home and that I just need them to be strong a little while longer.
So this morning Slade told me that maybe I need to work a little bit harder because he really wants to stay home… He is so sweet!

Happy 2nd Birthday Madie

Our sweet little Madelyn is 2. It feels like just yesterday we brought this angel home from the hospital. I can not believe how fast time goes and I had no idea how much I would love being her Mom! These have surely been the best 2 years of my life.

Her birthday celebration started Thursday night when she received a package from Grandma and Grandpa in Wisconsin.

I think that she might have been ok with just the box. But she was in for a big surprise.

On Sunday morning (her actual birthday) Slade and I got up and decorated the house and then Daddy made a special Birthday breakfast of scrambled eggs, french toast and sausage.

Then later that afternoon we had a birthday party.
With Presents...

and Cake...

and Family...

and Friends...

This is what Madie had to say about her day...


We sure love you Madie Lou!

Under Construction

I know this looks like crap but I have decided that in addition to needing to post more out blog needs a facelift. So please be patient with me while I attempt to make us presentable again and yes I will make a "real" post before the weekend is over.

Just Funny

Ben says that Madie gets this from me.



Please don't think that we eat naked at our house, I just find that when we eat anything with Spaghetti sauce it is way easier on the cleanup end if she just eats in her diaper. So if we invite you to dinner you do not have to worry that we might ask you to join in anything crazy.

Update

First I need to apologize for my lack of blogging in the past few months. Since we have moved we have had internet issues that resulted in no internet at our house. I had big plans to do an 18 month old post for Madie and a 4 year old post for Slade in April… didn’t happen. I am sure that if anyone did read my blog they have probably given up any hope on me posting some new pictures of our new house as well. I am hoping that this will all change in the next week or so. We are also getting Slade’s new bunk beds next week so I will be closer to finishing his room (that is the other problem… lack of time for me to get our home put together enough for me to feel comfortable posting pictures for everyone to see).

However amidst all of the chaos that is going on with us I have noticed that our kids are getting so big! So I thought that I would just put down a few things that are going on with us.

Madie
• Has started talking a bit. She says baby, STOP, Don’t, Mama, Dada, NO, please, thank you, cracker, doggy, hi, hello and eyes (which is accompanied with an eye poke)
• Dances all the time
• Loves to watch Alvin and the chipmunks and sponge bob
• Is very feisty
• Eats everything that you give her
• Is figuring out doorknobs
• Has days when she likes to try the potty and others that she wants nothing to do with it
• Takes pee diapers off herself and brings them to me
• Loves her brother so much
• Climbs like a mountain goat
• Has to wash her hands every time that she sees a sink
• Builds guns out of legos (just like her brother) and spits at you like she is shooting
• Still sings herself to sleep
• Gives great hugs

Slade
• Constantly tells me that things aren’t very necessary
• Is very good at opening doors for ladies
• Will always tell me if I look pretty or if I need to go back in the bathroom in the morning
• Loves to help cook
• Begs for a cat or dog or both
• Asks the kids at daycare to call him by his full name
• Has tried and likes… no LOVES pizza and carrots
• Keeps asking if we can get a new baby and get rid of his sister
• Even though he says he wants to get rid of his sister he is very protective of her and hugs her constantly

In other news Ben got a new job and keeps assuring me that if I just hang on a little longer I will be home with the kids.

I am loving the warm weather and am really looking forward to my Mom and Mike coming in August!

Our Cute Little Family

We got some new family pictures taken a few weeks ago. Slade spent most of the time trying to flirt with our photographer (she is a very cute girl) and Madie was just plain mad this day. I was worried that we weren’t going to get any good ones of Madie because she was so ornery but we got some really cute ones. See some new pictures of my cute kids here. There are two posts so scroll down past the wedding that she did to see some more. I will post some more when I get them back too. I can't wait to see the rest, these turned out awesome!

I have the best husband in the world!

Ben knows that I have been having a rough time at work lately. Friday morning I got into work and found this laying across my keyboard.



He sure is wonderful!

I’m a big kid now!

Disclaimer: If talking about or seeing baby poop grosses you out then this might be a post you should skip.

Apparently I am not pushing the potty training hard enough with our little 19 month old Madie. So she is taking matters into her own hands. She has recently started grabbing her diaper and then running to the bathroom. So we have been putting her on the potty (the big potty – for some reason she is not a fan of the little potty, fine by me!) Well Tuesday morning as I was getting ready for work she came running into the bathroom, tapped her bum and said “Mama, bum bum”. So I asked her if she had to go potty and she nodded “Yes” so I put her up there and sure enough she pooped (most of the time she would just sit on the potty or just pee a few drops because her diaper was already wet when she went in there).

So I took her picture by the potty with her poo. She was so proud of her self and kept pointing in the toilet and laughing.



(This was actually the second time she pooped on the potty but the first time she told me that she had to and actually went)

What time are you going to listen?

The answer being “the first time”.

Last Sunday during Sacrament meeting Slade was acting up. He was being very loud and simply would not listen. I asked him a number of times to use his quiet voice and to be reverent only to get sassy remarks in return. So finally I turned to Ben and asked him to take Slade out in the hall and talk to him about listening better in church. Ben took Slade’s hand and led him out to the hallway. Ben relayed what happened out there to me like this.

He first explained to Slade that he needed to listen better in church and he needed to listen to us the first time that we ask him to do or not to do something. Then he sat him against the wall and told him that he was going to go back in to listen and Slade could come in when he was ready to listen, he turned and started back into the chapel. He stopped when he heard Slade crying hysterically. So he went back to Slade and said

“Now what time are you going to listen?”

Slade sat there for a while thinking, then between his sobs said

“In 20 minutes?”

Ben lost all sense of sternness and busted up laughing. He then reminded Slade that the correct answer to that question is

“The First Time”

Where do they learn these things?

This weekend Slade went to his mom’s and Ben was gone working most of the weekend so Madie and I had a lot of alone time. We made our first ever trip to Kings (a local discount that seems a lot like a Family Dollar). It happens to be Slade’s favorite store – he always wants to go there… I don’t see the excitement in it really. The we went home and I worked on our flower beds a bit. Then we took a break for lunch and I put Madie down for a nap and went back to my work outside. I went in and checked on her a couple of times and after about 2 hours she started to wake up a bit. So I was trying to clean things up outside before she got up and every couple of minutes I would poke my head in the house to see if she was crying. Nothing. So I finished and went in the house. We have a crib that has a changing table attached to it, she has outgrown the changing table so it now houses her stuffed animals and her baby monitor. I found her standing in her crib holding the baby monitor close to her mouth saying “Mama, Mama” into it. Seriously how does she know what that is for… Kids these days are just too smart!

I made it until 11 today

To do what you might ask… open my pepsi! Those of you that know me know that this is quite the accomplishment. In an effort to save some money and shed some pounds I am trying to give it up. Crazy I know but I am trying. So I am sitting here at my desk trying to ignore my urges to open that delicious beverage when I heard a loud Pop! It was my pepsi, literally calling out to me. The bottom of the can had popped out making it rounded. I had no choice but to open it. One of these days I will conquer it but not today!

Some of Madelyn's favorite things...

Climbing...


Cozying in her dolly bed...


Dancing...


Her rocking chair and a book...


Eating...


Sleeping...


Sometimes eating AND sleeping (notice the fork still in her hand)...


Her Brother Slade...

A sneak peak

We did it. We bought a house. We are so super excited. We bought a home in Rigby and will be closing on March 12. In the mean time I have been busy decorating it in my head (and on my sewing machine) and Ben has been working on the plans for the bunk beds that he is going to build for Slade. I have been talking a lot about how excited I am to do Madie's room. Well I have her bedding made and I just finished recovering a little rocking chair for her room. So I thought that I would give you a sneak peak at Madie's room.


I am super excited to see it all finished. I love this little chair, it was mine when I was little.

I am still searching for inspiration for Slade's room, let me know if you see anything!

You would think we were starving her

You might think that by looking at Madie that she is not a good eater. However after seeing her eat you would probably think we are not giving her enough to eat.



And this was her second plate... she does this with every meal. If you look close enough you can see a noodle stuck up her nose. So cute!