The Hawkins

I'm thankful day 3...

2011-11-03T11:00:00.001-06:00

Today I am so very overwhelmed by the love that I have for the most beautiful girl I know, Madison. She is my precious miracle and I can't imagine life without her. How grateful I am to be her mom. She brings so much life into our home. She has an infectious laugh. She has a strong personality and is so sure of herself. She has a precious, tender side that she has really shown to me lately. I had a rough day the other day and she came to me a stroked my hair and asked "Ok, mama?" How could I not be ok with such a wonderful little girl? I am so very, very blessed! She loves her little brother and likes to make him smile and laugh. She is a social butterfly and asks to play with her friends every day. She has a great imagination and it is fun to watch it develop and see the things she does. I am so grateful for my little princess!!! I love you Madi!!!

National Adoption Month...

2011-11-03T10:53:00.000-06:00

This month is National Adoption Awareness month. Adoption is something that is VERY close to my heart. So, when I saw a FB post from The R House I had to join in. Not sure if you noticed, but to the right I have added a section to help our friends find their baby. Matt and Eve are my first. They are our neighbors and a couple that we have bonded with since moving into our ward because they have had some of the same experiences. If you are adopting or their is someone you know that is and they would like their blog linked, I am totally happy to do that. I think the stats are that 80% of birth parents find their adoptive couples via the internet. Leave a comment and I will happily promote your blog/webpage.

One of the things that I love about adoption is the bond that is created among those effected by it. Each individual adoption is so unique and so different and yet when you meet others that have adopted or placed a child there is an instant love and connection with them like you know them. I love to hear and read other people's stories and have thought a lot lately about writing our adoption story. Maybe that will be my goal for the month. :D

Volume Two...

2011-10-24T21:58:00.000-06:00

I've reached my limit and I have to pay to add more pictures. Since I am too cheap to pay, head to my new blog at http://dmmehawkins.blogspot.com to get the latest on our little family. Be patient while I get it all up to date!

The ALMOST impossible...

2011-10-18T12:55:00.001-06:00

Madi has REALLY struggled lately with having her picture taken. She is so involved with all that is going on that she just can't focus on looking at the camera AND smiling. I know it is totally normal for her age but it still can be so frustrating. So, when Madi actually wanted her picture taken the other day, I jumped at the chance!

This is one of my favorites. I love her grin! I wish I had a better background but we were actually on our way out the door so I just took a few in my yard real quick.

I really like this one too!

Happy fall y'all...

2011-10-16T21:48:00.000-06:00

It seems like by the end of winter I can barely wait to bust out the shorts and by the end of summer I am breaking out the sweaters before there is even time for it to cool down. It is funny that I get so excited to change up the kids wardrobes. I was excited when we had a few cool days a week ago. It was fun to get the kids a little more bundled up and add some layers. Madi looked so cute in her pink skinnies and her cream sweater!

Madi LOVES her puppy. She wants to take him for walks and bring him in the car with us everywhere we go. She is such an animal lover!

My pretty little lady all ready for fall!

Bliss...

2011-10-16T21:25:00.000-06:00

A couple weeks ago Chantel and I took the kids to Antelope Island. I was excited to see her reactions, especially to the buffalo that walked across the road in front of us. She kept calling any on her side of the car "Madi's bufwos" and the ones on the other side were "Gwye's bufwos". She pointed out every one! The kids loved running around the farm and seeing the horses and chickens. They played for a minute in the kitchen and liked 'riding the horse'.

This is Madi's "one more" picture. She was in HEAVEN! This little girl is such a snuggly one and thinks Guire needs to hold her hand and hug, at least that's what she tells me. :D

A few more...

2011-10-05T19:03:00.000-06:00

When Derrick came home I asked him to tell me a few things he wanted to remember about Madi at this age. Here goes...
Anytime she says thank you she immediately follows with you're welcome.
She walks around saying "aaw abowd da choo choo twain, aaw abowd, aaw abowd." (all aboard the choo choo train, all aboard, all aboard)
Any type of ice cream, whether in a bowl, cone or shake, is refered to as an "ice cream cone", at least in her world.
She is starting to learn quite a few songs. She loves to sing and asks for specific cds of hers.
She asks every night to have "pammy night" (family night).
She calls Easton either "eesie, honey or beebee" (Easty, honey and baby)
She LOVES lipstick/gloss and chap stick and is frequently digging in the diaper bag to find some. She calls it "parcoes" (sparkles).
She loves talking on the phone.
Madi ADORES her grandma and grandpa and as soon as we turn down their street she starts repeating grandma and grandpa's house.
When she farts, she announces to everyone, with a grin, "I tooterd, cuse me".

She hasn't yet learned the dreaded three letter word (WHY) but she does ask about 192 times a day "wha doin?" When we answer, she asks it again. :D

I am sure I am missing some of those little things we love so much about her and since this is my journal I will probably be doing these posts more often so I can remember all this as she grows up.

Go win this...

2011-10-05T13:49:00.000-06:00

The House Wives of Riverton are giving away these super cute bats. Head over there and win them. NOTE: you don't have to be local to win! :D

My little lady...

2011-10-05T13:13:00.000-06:00

I have been meaning to do an update on Madi for a long time. It seems like she went from baby to toddler to little girl over night. She keeps me going and surprises me everyday. Like yesterday, I went in to tell her quiet time was over (she refuses to nap) and she was completely naked, jumping on her bed. Hopefully no one was looking in her window because her blinds were wide open!

She has entered the PINK faze. That is all she wants, her pink bowl, her pink spoon, her pink cup, her pink blanket, etc. She does however compromise on her jammies because Tinkerbell is purple stuff. She wants to wear Tinkerbell every night. Good thing she has four pairs.

She is doing pretty good at potty training most days (when I am not a slacker) with the #1 stuff but just can't seem to do #2 in the toilet. We are bribing her though. We told her that when she does it in the toilet we will get her Tinkerbell panties. She reminds me of that promise every time she poops, not in the toilet...

She says some of the funniest things. Anytime I change a diaper, pull ups or undies she says "oooh! pooopies!" and then follows with "Nope, jes wet" or "steeky, weeky" (stinky, winky) depending on the result. She also says "wow, neyee" (wow, nelly), "oh, dawnet" (oh, darn it) and on occasion "goodness, gosh". It is amazing the things they pick up on and say from what they hear others saying. Some of it she comes up with herself.

Madi is a little monkey. She climbs ANYTHING!!!! The other day I found her on the counter looking on top of the fridge for a treat. She uses her arms and pulls herself up into Easton's crib. She is fearless on the playground. I will be surprised if the kid doesn't break am arm or a leg by her next birthday.

Madi LOVES Easton and is usually very sweet with him. Easton can't seem to take his eyes off of her when she's in the room. She is funny, when she goes to hug him she lays right on top of him and squeezes him. Poor little Easton just grunts and flails his arms and legs. It makes me laugh every time.

She loves to help us in the kitchen, play with her dolls, color, do crafts, be outside and watch movies. She has several favorites. Among them are Elf, Santa Clause, Monsters Inc, Nemo, Signing Time and any movie with an animal in it. She still loves Tinkerbell and Disney Princesses. She is a social butterfly and asks to play with her friends every day.

She has a great memory and talks about the same thing over and over. When we went to the zoo in mid August the elephant went to the bathroom while we were there and she just stopped talking about it last week.

She is totally smitten by her little friend Guire. Last week we went to Antelope Island with them and they were sitting on a barrel for a picture. It was on its side and made to be like a horse. Guire put his arms around her waist and leaned on her back. I took a few pics and then said all done. Guire sat up and Madi said "one more!" with the biggest grin I have ever seen. We had Guire hug her again and I took another. Guire said "All done" and Madi said "one more". Guess she figured since it worked last time she may as well try again. :D She tells me on a daily basis that she wants to hold his hand. Let me just clarify that I have not egged ANY of this on (since I am sure that's what my family is thinking :D) but I do think it is hilarious. Guire isn't into the hand holding. He tries to pull away so Madi will hold his hand with both of hers. When she tries to hug him, he runs. Madi corners him and does it anyway. Poor Guire!

I am grateful for the time I have to be with Madi and that I am able to be a stay at home mom. I love that kid so very much! She melts my heart!

The Greatest Show on Earth!!!

2011-10-05T12:35:00.000-06:00

Derrick got tickets from his work for the circus. I was super excited because I had never been to the circus before and our seats were on the 16th row. Madi was in awe the entire time. I thought she might be a little scared with the lights out but she was just awe struck by all of it. She got a "princess wand" and thought it was great!

Her favorite part was the zebras. Even a week and a half later she still will tell you without hesitation that they were her fave. She has never seen zebras in real life before since our zoo closed that exhibit when they began construction on the Rocky Shore exhibit. She kept saying she wanted to ride one. :D

The pictures aren't great because it was dark and I had my point and shoot camera but that's ok. You still get the idea. These two guys have two massive logs and four girls on swings and a guy on top. They spun them around. They said they eat something like 7,000 calories a day each!

My favorite parts were the tigers and the elephants. I love to watch the elephants. It is amazing what they train them to do. Someday I would love to ride an elephant. Maybe when we are retired and traveling the world...

Aren't they so cute?

I loved the circus! Easton slept through the majority and Madi just sat, amazed at all there was going on. We will definitely be going back someday. Thanks babe for getting us the tickets!

Solids...

2011-09-21T15:22:00.000-06:00

I feel like such a bad mom for not getting pics of Easton eating his first solids, but I didn't, so his first biter biscuit with have to do. He thought it was great until it slipped out of his fingers which caused him to cry big alligator tears until we helped him grasp it again at which point the routine repeated itself. He loves solid foods but not the Gerber kind. I have been giving him real fruits and veggies and I think it must be the texture and the better flavor of the real stuff because he cries now if I give him Gerber. :D

He has been sitting by himself for a month now and really likes to play on his tummy or be in his jumpy jump. He LOVES to clap. He thinks it is hysterical. I love his laugh. Madi would squeal until she was one or so. It is fun that he actually has a laugh and he seems to do it a good amount of the day. He adores Madi. He watches her every move and gets so excited when she pays attention to him. (She is usually really sweet with him , however, doesn't like to get too close because he "spit up" on her. It's really just drool.:D) He still sleeps great and is an absolute joy to be around. Such a sweet boy!!

When did I get old???

2011-09-21T15:11:00.000-06:00

Okay, so 30 really isn't that old, but I'm pretty sure last week I couldn't even imagine being in my 20's and now I am in my 30's! CRAZY!!! I didn't have any break downs or hide under the covers or cry because I was old. Thanks to the world's most amazing man, I had the best birthday EVER! See all those post-it notes on the fridge. For the 30 days before my birthday I got a note along with a gift the coincided. Each note started "I love you because..." and then finished with something he loved about me. I got totally spoiled. Among some of the things I got... popsicles (Pace's, the best kind), toothpaste, Mt. Dew, a small camera (for the diaper bag), several books, Rio, 17 Miracles, Excedrin, a few games, a marble Christus statue, Sugar Baby's, Lagoon ticket, craft things and a bunch more I can't think of. It was so fun to wake up each morning and see what he had given me that day.

The best present he gave me though was him. He surprised me and when he left for work Monday morning, he really ran to the store to get stuff to make my cake and my breakfast. He returned home with sausage and stuff for french toast, complete with strawberries and whipped cream on top. Then Madi and Derrick made me a pumpkin struessel cheesecake bar for my cake. It was AMAZING and I am pretty sure he will be making it next year too! :D He spent the day shopping with me and then we came home for some yummy enchiladas and my cake. It was a perfect day.

A birthday weekend...

2011-09-21T14:59:00.000-06:00

Derrick's parents take us to lunch for our birthday's every year. I love how special they make us feel and the little things they do to show us how much they love us. Since it opened, I have gone to the Cheesecake Factory for my birthday. I love that place! It is always so yummy. We met them there on Saturday (the 10th) for lunch. I enjoy spending time with them and watching them with our kids. They are such wonderful grandparents and I am glad they are so close to us. Here is Madi and Grandma.

After lunch we walked around Fashion Place and stopped at the Wood Connection to pick up a few crafts. Then it was off the the state fair. Each year we get tickets from Derrick's work and it seems like it is always on my birthday weekend. It's fun to go and see all the people and new things. I especially love the photography exhibit. Easton enjoyed being out in the sun (and rain) and watching everything that was going on. He is always so happy.

Madi LOVED the animals. We let her go on a pony ride which thrilled her. She was completely smitten with the bunnies and wanted to bring one home with us. Since then she has told us several times that she wants a bunny. So, if you know of anyone close to us that has a rabbit hutch they aren't using and wants to get rid of, we are looking for one. :D

People would stop to play with Easton while we were looking at things. He has the most captivating blue eyes. We don't go anywhere without someone saying how beautiful they are. I have to agree.

One of the things on our list to do at the fair was the Little Hands exhibit. Madi really liked it last year and we knew this year would be more fun since she was older. Here she is milking a cow. She talked about this for days too. She liked the cow and the sheep and talked about getting an egg from the chickens. So fun!

While we were looking at the bunnies it started to rain, not a lite rain, a down pour. Got to love what the rain does to my hair... :P

We bought Madi 10 tickets. She rode a train and a hot air balloon ride and wanted to use the rest in the bounce house. She went in that four different times! The last time the guy said since there wasn't a line he would let her stay as long as she wanted. She had a blast and it took some real convincing (or maybe bribery) to get her out.

Our little guy was happy all day, wet or dry, he enjoyed being outside and seeing all there is to see at the fair. I can't get enough of his grins and laughs. He is such a good baby and so easy for me. I love this kid!

Easton's first time...

2011-09-21T14:31:00.000-06:00

We have been taking advantage of the gorgeous weather outside and have been to the park a few times in the last couple weeks. On Sept. 8th, we decided to let Easton get out and play too. I put him in the swing and he LOVED it! He didn't stop laughing the whole time. It was adorable!

Labor Day...

2011-09-21T14:28:00.000-06:00

On Labor Day we went to Union Station to check out the trains. Madi LOVES them and will walk around saying "choo choo, all aboard" so Derrick wanted to go see the trains with us. There were more open then when we went before. Madi was able to climb up inside a lot of them and touch things. They were a little intimidating to her once she saw what was inside.

That didn't stop her though. She wanted to climb into every one of them. You can't really tell from the pictures but she was loving it!

"all aboard!"

Easton and I hung out and took pictures. I went in a couple of the trains but thought I would let Derrick see them since I can go back easier then he can.

Madi picked a flower that was growing by one of the old trains. It looked like it had caught on fire or something. It was rusted and black inside and totally gutted.

Derrick liked this one a lot. It is the train car used to bring the Olympic Torch into Salt Lake for the 2002 games.

We walked through the museum which was actually pretty busy. Madi liked to climb on things and see the model trains. This is on a caboose.

The horses were still up from the parade of horses. Madi thought they were cool and wanted to ride them.

I love when we have a three day weekend with Derrick. It is always fun to take the kids places with him and see and learn new things. We had a great day and were excited for the weekend since we had lots planned already!

Wowzers!!!

2011-09-11T16:21:00.000-06:00

Madi is such a good sharer. She has shared her fruit snacks, goldfish and suckers, among other things, with her little brother. Easton's favorite was by far the sucker! :D

Lagoon...

2011-09-11T16:18:00.000-06:00

Derrick's work had their company party at Lagoon on Aug. 27th this year. We haven't gone in the past because Madi was so young. This year we decided to leave Easton with Grandma and Grandpa and take Madi. She LOVED it! She wanted to go on all the rides over and over again. We had planned to go to Lagoon-a-beach but never made it.

We went on the Odessea. That was the ride we waited longest in line for. Madi did not love being sprayed but did like the ride. We went on this ride twice so she could ride with both of us.

Then we hit the kiddie rides. She LOVES the whale ride and kept asking to go back to it. She wasn't too sure about this ride but I think it is cause the boys face paint freaked her out.

We had a nice lunch and they did a raffle. Derrick won the coveted prize... the Rockstar BMX bike. He had five different offers to trade him things but we hung onto it in the end. Then we changed Madi out of her swim suit since we ruled out Lagoon-a-beach. We strolled through Pioneer Village and I got the sweetest picture of our Madi. I love it!

We rode the train and Madi went on several more rides before calling it a night. We had a lot of fun and can't wait until next year when we can go back!

I need help...

2011-08-31T12:02:00.000-06:00

I need advice and suggestions. Madi is mean. If she isn't getting 100% of undivided attention or if she doesn't get her way she will hit, step on, lay on or anything else she can think of to make Easton cry. She does it to her friends too. I have tried time outs, buckling her in a chair and facing it to the wall, talking to her, sending her to her room, nose in the corner, taking away privileges and nothing works. Any suggestions on things to try? I am getting so frustrated with her being so mean. She gets tons of attention from both Derrick and I, individual and with Easton. I don't know what else to do.

Ever have a day like that???

2011-08-31T11:36:00.000-06:00

Yesterday was one of those days. You know, the kind that you just want to go back to bed and pull the covers over your head. I am not sure why but I woke up and felt like I was in a rut. My floor was half mopped and I had no motivation to finish it or clean anything else for that matter. Easton is teething and is whiny. Every time I started to clean, Madi followed me around making a bigger mess. When I asked her to do something or help or NOT do something she would yell "ROCK ON" and go about her business, ignoring my request. By noon I was sitting in our rocking chair with my two babies, bawling, while I read them I'll Love You Forever. I decided I had to get up and do something to get out of whatever funk I was in. Nothing helps me relax and stay sane better Derrick and crafting. Since Derrick wasn't an option I went straight to the craft room.

Derrick has been spoiling me daily as my birthday nears. Since I am turning the big 30 he is counting down to the day with an I love you because... and a gift to match for each of the 30 days before my birthday. One of those sweet notes read "I love you because... you have many talents and you add 'a little something' to our house to make it a home." With it came the August ornament collection from the Wood Connection. I had a brilliant idea to make some ants out of seed beads and went to work finishing my craft.

Here is my sunflower...

and my crow...

and my watermelon...

and my favorite... my picnic basket.

I spent the most time on this one. I wanted it to LOOK like a basket. I braided raffia around wire for the handles and tried to make my ants just right. The seed beads didn't work. They kept falling apart. I think the surface was too smooth and they were too small. In the end I had to get creative and I made them out of a black hot glue stick I had in the closet. They aren't perfect but I love them!

It was the perfect thing to help me cheer up a little. Got the floor mopped, cushions, pillows, slip covers and swing liner washed, dried and put back on. Madi's room cleaned, dusted and vacuumed. Bedding washed in our room, dishwasher loaded and a few other things I had been needing to take care of. I love crafts and love that my sweet hubby supports my habit!

Stats...

2011-08-25T14:53:00.000-06:00

Took the kids in for their two year and four month check-ups today. Here are their stats...

MADI

Height: 32" - 11th percentile

Weight: 26 lbs. 4 oz. - 48th percentile

Head: 18.5"

Doctor said she is doing great and looks perfect!

EASTON

Height: 23.5" - 15th percentile

Weight: 15 lbs. 15 oz. - 65th percentile

Head: 16 1/8"

He is doing great too! They aren't concerned about his head and think it will round itself out since he is starting to sit and roll and will be on his back less. He has started solids and seems to really enjoy fruits.

What a weekend!!!

2011-08-25T14:48:00.000-06:00

We had a crazy weekend! My sister-in-law, Christina, flew down from WA state to see her mom because she was sick and in the hospital. After she arrived she found out that her mom was not going to make it out of the hospital. Since Nicholas was still in WA, I went to be with Christina. Barbara passed away on Saturday at 12:46 am. Nicholas drove through the night so he could be there when Christina woke up that morning. I was able to spend a day with my two beautiful nieces and my super cute nephew. It was so fun to see them since I have missed them like crazy since they moved to WA a year ago. These little kiddos are growing up way too fast! I wish we had seen them under better circumstances but it was great to see them anyway! I love you guys and am glad I was able to spend some extra time with Christina. I am thankful for my family, especially Derrick, who has been amazing and is always such a help to me. I am grateful for Jalene for taking my kids on short notice and making me available for Christina.

Mr. Bear...

2011-08-25T14:38:00.000-06:00

How cute is this giant bear? Madi and Easton both loved it! My brother got it for his wife who fell in love with it when they saw it at Costco. It is so soft and cuddly. Thanks, Annie, for letting my kids attack your new bear!

On a side note, Easton is sitting up. He started about a week ago and is now sitting all on his own. Good job little man! :D

Drool bug...

2011-08-25T14:33:00.000-06:00

Easton is our little drool bug! He soaks through at least two outfits a day before I strip him down to his diaper and give up on the clothes. I can see the buds on his bottom gums so probably within the next month he will be sporting some teeth!

Summer fun...

2011-08-25T14:29:00.000-06:00

This is Madi's friend Kaitlyn. I tend her once a week and Madi loves when she comes to play.

Easton loves being outside as much as Madi does. I am glad they enjoy being outdoors. I just wish it would cool down about ten degrees. :D

Is that buy one get one free???

2011-08-25T14:22:00.000-06:00

Unfortunately not. On July 22nd, Madi and Easton both got tubes in their ears. This is Madi's second set so they also took her adenoids out. It was much less of a wait this time since Easton was that youngest of the surgeries, they got to go first. That made it a lot easier for us! (Last time we waited HOURS because our doctor got held up in the surgery before us).

Here are the two of them all ready to go into surgery. They were both little troopers and did great!

I had to get a picture in the wagon of each of them. Easton did NOT love this. :D

Madi didn't mind though.

More from Yellowstone...

2011-08-25T14:16:00.000-06:00

These were on my phone so I am just barely getting around to adding these pictures of our cute kiddos in Yellowstone. Madi loved playing in the dirt and being outside.

Our little Easton boy with Uncle Chris at Subway on the way home.

Madi & Grandpa...

2011-08-25T14:13:00.000-06:00

I love the way grandpa makes Madi laugh!

Dirt don't hurt...

2011-08-25T14:07:00.000-06:00

We took Madi to her first drive-in movie at the beginning of July. Her favorite part... playing in the dirt before the movie started. She did great and even stayed up longer than Derrick!

Playing catch up...

2011-08-09T15:01:00.000-06:00

A few weeks ago our laptop screen broke. We took it to Best Buy to be fixed and they called me yesterday to let me know that it was going to be over $500 to replace the screen. I said forget it and we bought a new computer yesterday. It just so happens that the last couple weeks of July are usually our busiest time of the year. So, I have been blogging like crazy today trying to get things a little up to date. I still have more to post and will hopefully get to it today or tomorrow and then I can get all my other 'stuff' together on my computer and feel a little more organized. Some people can't live without their cell phones and I am glad mine has web services, but I would trade that any day for my computer with internet. It is so nice to be typing on something that actually fits my fingers. :D

Madison...

2011-08-09T14:53:00.000-06:00

Miss Madi turned two on July 30th. How did that happen??? It sure seems like these last two years have gone by way too quick. Here she is with her new bubble mower.

Some of Madi's favorites at two:

Foods: Noodles, chocolate and Lucky Charms

Colors: Pink and purple

Characters: Tinkerbell and Disney Princesses (although she still picks Tink over the other ladies)

Movies: Signing Time, Marry Poppins, Little Rascals, The Santa Clause and Elf

Things to do: play in water, be outside and anything with animals

Best friends: Guire and Kaitlyn

Favorite people: Grandma, Grandpa and Chani

Obsessions: animals and music

Word: NO

(Her stats will be coming but not until Aug. 25th.)

Madi is a pretty good helper and for the most part she minds really well. There are times though that she will ask to sit on her bed or go to the corner instead of doing what I asked her to. Where does she come up with that??? :D She is a good sister to Easton and is very concerned if he cries. She will bursts into tears and tell us "he's sad, he's sad". She has such a tender heart.

We are grateful to have her in our family. She adds so much joy and laughter to our home. Such a sweet little girl. She is totally a daddy's girl but still likes to cuddle with me a bit. She likes to help cook and always wants to see what we are doing. Her favorite saying right now is "carry ya" (meaning 'carry me'). She has started opening doors by herself and likes to go potty in the toilet. (We aren't in full blown potty training mode yet but we will be starting soon) She had her adenoids removed and tubes put in her ears again so hopefully this will help her this time. Even when she doesn't feel good she is still pretty happy. We love our little lady and are so blessed that she is ours!

Easton...

2011-08-09T14:37:00.000-06:00

Our little Easton boy is getting big too fast! I swear that we just brought him home from the hospital last week. None the less, he continues to grow and reach new milestones with each new day.

Easton started sleeping through the night the day he turned 3 months old. It was a very nice, very welcome gift to his mama. He has also blossomed into this happy little guy that makes us grin from ear to ear. He loves to laugh, long and loud and clear! (Okay, are you singing the song? I think Madi watches Mary Poppins at least twice a week. She LOVES that movie so I couldn't resist!) The other night I had finished feeding him and he was asleep while I held him in the rocking chair. He started laughing so hard he woke himself up. It made me laugh.

He loves to play pat-a-cake and have us sing to him. He has the biggest grin and has been so much more vocal since he had his tubes put in.

He absolutely adores his sister and giggles when she plays with him. He will follow her with his eyes as she moves around the room. Madi has gotten a lot sweeter with him too.

Easton is starting to build his upper body muscles and likes to sit and see everything going on. Since I never bought a Bumbo, we brought Madi's jumpy jump upstairs for him to try. It was a hit with him. not so much with Madi (she still likes to play in it).

Now I need to take it apart and give it a good scrubbin' so it isn't so yucky for our boy.

Just the other day Easton rolled from his tummy to his back. He has done it two other times and has tried really hard to do it a few other times. He also scoots himself around a little with his toes. He has really started drooling a TON lately. I change him several times a day and then I usually give up in the afternoon and just strip him down to his diaper because it doesn't stop coming. I remember Madi started drooling about this age and I thought it was from her teeth coming in. Looking back through her baby book I saw she actually was a month and a half older when she cut her first tooth. I guess we will see if Easton takes that long or not.

Easton really is a joy to have in our family and we are so thankful to be his parents. We love our little Easton boy!

Splish splash...

2011-08-09T14:17:00.000-06:00

I feel like all my posts we are doing one of two things, going to the zoo or playing in the water. I guess since that is pretty much the extent of our fascinating days, that's why all my posts are about the same two things. With that, another afternoon in the water...

More birthday fun...

2011-08-09T14:07:00.000-06:00

Grandma and Grandpa Hawkins gave Madi some money for her birthday so after she took a nap we went to her favorite store... Toys'R'Us. We walked around the whole store before picking up this fun water sink for Madi. We also took her to Noodles for dinner since it is one of her favorite foods.

We had to wait until the following day to put together the sink because we didn't get home until after dark.

There are three little cups that came with it. One is solid, one has one hole and the other has several holes for the water to drain out. There is also a water wheel.

What sold Derrick though was the working faucet. The water recirculates itself when you push the pump. She is still a little too short for that but there are several years of play for this toy.

It only took her a minute or two to figure out that she could climb in the sink all by herself. Trying to keep this kid out of water is almost impossible! :D

Look at that grin! She is so proud of herself for doing it with no help...

Then she thought she would dunk her head in...

It is always so much fun to watch Madi play. She loves to be outside and in the water and can't get enough of it. Thank you Grandma and Grandpa Hawkins for the fun present!

Our princess is two!!!

2011-08-09T13:03:00.000-06:00

Madi had a little princess party with us and Grandma and Grandpa Hawkins.

It was fun to set it all up and have her actually know a little about what was going on.

Here is our little princess, complete with tiara, and her family...

Madi has started taking an interest in money the last few months so we got her a piggy bank to keep her coins in.

She LOVED opening her presents. Since her birthday she has told me multiple times a day "Two. Presents." I love how excited she gets! She is such a sweetheart!

She got a little Cinderella doll and the movie Little Rascals. (We rented it from Blockbuster and she immediately fell in love with it.)

Madi, Grandma, Grandpa and Cinderella...

Next she went for her big presents. She got a doll stroller...

a bubble lawn mower...

and a piano! Madi LOVES music and she goes straight to the pianos after church.

I found some pink Whoppers to scatter on the table and they sure made our little princess excited.

Madi's piano came with a mike. She hasn't quite figured it out. She puts her ear up to it to hear...

I must have totally freaked her out when I talked to her about the candle and not touching the flame while we sang to her because she didn't even want to look at it and I had to blow it out for her. The poor girl will be traumatized forever!

It was a great day and we had so much fun watching her with all her presents. I can't believe that my little girl is two already. She is such a sweetheart! I love you Mads!!!

A party for two please...

2011-08-09T09:29:00.000-06:00

On the 30th we went with mom and dad to Garcia's to celebrate Derrick and Madi's birthdays. Little miss Madi was excited for her birthday. All week I kept asking her what was on Saturday and she would hold up her finger and thumb and say "two".

She wasn't so sure about the hat on her head. The thing probably weighs more than she does. :D

Two of my favorite people!!! Happy Birthday you two!

Swimmer or soccer star???

2011-08-09T09:05:00.000-06:00

Zebras...

2011-08-09T09:03:00.001-06:00

Madi has fallen in love with the carousel at the zoo. She picks a different animal every time she rides and she was determined to ride the zebra. This is the first time Kaitlyn had gone on the carousel when I have taken her. Not sure she totally loved it. She held on for dear life. :D

I love this picture of Guire! He is such a cute kid! Madi adores him!

A few more...

2011-08-09T08:54:00.000-06:00

Here are the two cubs with their mom. I love that the one was playin' in the tree.

And here is our little lady in Mammoth.

One of my favorite parts... Madi kept calling the elk "reindeer". (Two of her fave movies are Elf and Santa Clause.)

Yellowstone 2011!!!

2011-08-08T19:40:00.001-06:00

My Grandma and Grandpa Baum have spent time every summer in Yellowstone National Park for as long as I can remember. Most of the family goes up during that time and spends time up there. This year we were able to make a REALLY quick trip up for the weekend with Chris and Annie and Tara, Eric and their family. We left Thursday night (July 15) and met up with the Wardell's in Rexburg, ID. After some detours and a lot of hours in the truck, we pulled into our campsite at 2:07 am. (I remember because we made a bet as to what time we would get there and I guessed it exactly right!) After setting up what had to be done that night we all crashed with the hope that the kids would sleep really good. Derrick was great to get up with Madi when she was done sleeping way before the rest of us were. We ate breakfast and were ready to go explore by 11:00.

Here is Easton all dressed and ready for his first vacay!

There was elk EVERYWHERE this year. In the past, it has been bison that ruled the park but this year they were off far from the road and the elk were the ones blocking the roadways and stopping traffic.

We didn't get to stop at very many waterfalls but we did stop at this one that I don't remember seeing in the past. This is Chris and Annie. I am SOOO glad that we were able to go with them. We had so much fun and made some great memories that we will laugh about years from know!

Tara, Eric and their kids had never been to Yellowstone so Old Faithful was a must! We toured the new visitors center and watched a short movie before going out to see the geyser spew it's hot self everywhere. Madi saw several of her favorite animal... mans best friend.

I think this guy was probably the highlight of her trip. She LOVED this dog and he was so friendly. He couldn't stop kissing her and she kissed and loved on him right back. (I am not a dog person and find it gross but the joy it brings to Madi is one of the sweetest things. I love to see how happy dogs make her and have even thought about getting one in the distant future.)

And for me, camping isn't camping without some yummy smores. I showed Madi how to roast the gooey marshmallows and put it all together.

On Saturday we were determined to find us a bear. We planned to drive the upper loop. Across from the mud pots were the closest buffalo we had seen, so we hiked down a little to see them across the river.

Madi was excited to see the buffalo and kept yelling and pointing at them.

We stopped at Mt. Washburn for lunch and then kept going. Just past Towers by a little pond we saw our first bear. It was fun for the kids to see even though we had to stay in our cars. We just got a quick picture as we drove by.

Since we hadn't seen a bear or wolf in Hayden Valley we decided to check out Lamar. We didn't see our bear or wolf but we did see some pronghorn and bison close to the road. We only went a few miles in since there is construction on the NE side of the valley.

As we continued we on to Mammoth we saw three more black bears, a sow and her two cubs. (I am not sure where that picture is. I will add it later.)

As usual, there was elk all over Mammoth. We toured the museum, got some ice cream and relaxed in the shade before heading back to camp.

This is some of the elk in the median in Mammoth.

I REALLY wanted to see a grizzly and a wolf but all we saw on our way home was more elk, a few far off bison and a few coyotes.

We got back to the camp after dark and and had our yummy taco salad before turning in. Madi didn't sleep as well as she had the night before which means neither did we. As soon as we got up we had to pack up camp and shower so we could stand to be in a car together for the ride home. (OK, I don't think we really stunk THAT bad, but the showers were definitely nice.)

As we left the park we stopped at the Yellowstone sign to capture a picture of our first family vacation.

Chris and Annie...

Tara, Eric, Braden, Alex and Brynlee...

(It was so fun to spend time with them. It has been a really long time since we have seen them!)

Another of Chris and Annie...

(there was an elk that walked across the river right at the bend. It was cool to watch it go in. In the center you just saw her little head bobbing across.)

I love this picture of Madi. We almost didn't stop for pictures because Madi was asleep. I am so glad that we did.

Madi and Brynlee... the two of them are only six months apart. It was fun to see them with each other. Madi enjoyed having some new friends around. She is a social butterfly when it comes to kids and warms right up to them.

Tara and Eric had to park their van over by the laundry/showers due to the camp vehicle limit. When they went to get it on Sunday morning they noticed that a couple of visitors had tried to get in during the night. They had bear paw prints all over it. There was at least two, a cub and an older bear. This is about the best picture I could get since there was a glare and a little someone put his hand print over the top of it.

Madi slept a lot of the way home but enjoyed playing games on the phone too.

Easton did great! He was a trooper and hardly fussed the whole time. We had a fabulous trip and can't wait for the next one!

This one is a little out of order but sometimes that's how it goes. :D

out of order...

2011-07-23T15:17:00.000-06:00

She's an All Star!!!

2011-07-22T14:19:00.000-06:00

Derrick got tickets to the All Star game at Bee's Stadium last week. We were on third base. The game wasn't super great, in fact it was pretty boring, but Madi had a great time and it was nice to enjoy some family time and they had an amazing firework show at the end. It was Madi's first game and she didn't pay attention to any of it. (I didn't think she would :D) She loved going up and down the stairs, climbing in and out of chairs and over the backs of them.

While she was getting some ice cream with Derrick she saw this monkey that she went crazy over. (She has a bit of an obsession with ANY animal). During the last inning she was asking to go for a walk and she wrapped it around her neck and walked all through Fanz loving on this monkey. Lucky for her, grandpa had given Derrick a little bit of money to get her some peanuts and other snacks. After her $6 scoop of ice cream, $4 bag of 30 peanuts and my $4.50 bottle of water she had just enough left for the monkey. What a lucky little girl!

Merry Christmas...

2011-07-22T14:08:00.000-06:00

I never got any pictures of Madi in her Christmas dress and I LOVE it so I had to take some when she wore a couple weeks ago (minus the deep red velvet coat). Derrick is a guy that does not love lace and frill and fluff on dresses, so we compromise. I get to get a "fancy" dress for Madi for Easter and Christmas as long as it isn't TOO extreme and it is one he can tolerate. The funny thing is though, Madi gets more compliments when she wears this dress than any other dress. We have at least three or four people tell us how adorable she looks and how much they love the dress every time she wears it.

mommy's little guy...

2011-07-09T16:07:00.000-06:00

Easton is 11 1/2 weeks. I can't believe that he is almost three months old. He is getting stronger everyday and loves to be held in the sitting position so he can see everything going on around him. He has the biggest smiles and loves to talk to his mommy which I LOVE! He is starting to really chunk up and is too long for anything newborn. (He still fits best in newborn shorts though.) He LOVES to be outside which is good since we are out there a lot. He adores Madi! She always gets a little grin when she talks to him. Here are some ten week pics of our Easton.

Fun on the 4th!!!

2011-07-05T12:16:00.001-06:00

Happy 4th of July!!!

We had an awesome day filled with lots of fun, family and pictures. We started our day at the parade. It was Madi and Easton's first parade. They brought around Krispy Kreme donuts while we waited for the parade to start. Madi wasn't sure about the whole thing until they started throwing candy at her and then she couldn't get enough!

I tried to get one with both kiddos lookin' but no such luck.

After some much needed naps we went to the park to enjoy some dinner and fireworks.

Madi was in heaven! What's better than a cookie and a big slice of watermelon? :D

She played with daddy on the playground and played with the container her glow bracelets came in.

Mama snuggled with Easton for minute.

Got a picture with both of my kids.

And even one of the family!

Madi was funny about the glow bracelets. She insisted that they scare her.

She did eventually warm up to them and thought they were ok by the end of the night.

Again, I tried to get a good picture of the little ones together. These are the best I got.

I love this one of Easton!

Madi had her first experience with a bounce house and LOVED it!

She didn't even mind the big kids knocking her down with their bounces.

We were so glad that Chris and Annie

and Tiffany and Rick were able to come and share in the celebration.

We love hanging out with our family and creating new memories.

It was a great day and we are already looking forward to next year!

Sparklers...

2011-07-05T11:26:00.001-06:00

We bought some sparklers, snaps and flowers for Madi to do this weekend and it didn't go as well as we had hoped. Madi was TERRIFIED of them and kept saying "scare ya" and "I scared" while clinging to Derrick or I. She did like the aeriel fireworks as long as they were at a distance. The noise of them scared her if they were close.

All smiles...

2011-07-05T11:15:00.001-06:00

Our little boy is really starting to show his personality. He seems to be a bit of a mama's boy and I LOVE that! Last night after playing with his auntie all day Derrick fed him and put him to bed. He was wide awake and we were pretty sure he was not going to go to sleep. I picked him up and cuddled him for ten minutes or so and he drifted off to sleep. He just needed a few minutes with his mommy. He is so smiley and starting to become very vocal. I love when babies start to interact more. Of course I love the newborn stage but I think that as they reach a new stage it just makes being their mom more and more fun.

Let's go swimming...

2011-07-05T11:08:00.001-06:00

[Since I was trying to manipulate picture order on a post I am WAY behind.]

Two Saturday's ago we decided to take the kids to the Roy Aquatic Center. Madi LOVES to swim and play in the water but another thing she loves is to accessorize. This is what she wanted to wear to the pool. I didn't take the picture with her feet but I should have since she was sportin' her hot pink furry snow boots. This kid cracks me up! I love ya Mads!

It's true what they say...

2011-07-05T11:03:00.001-06:00

I always thought that I would make sure that I took just as many pictures of my second as I did of my first but alas, I am wrong again. It just doesn't seem to work that way. The luxury of time to do a photo shoot no longer exists with Madi begging for attention. Besides the fact that I am still trying to capture all that Madi is doing and she seems to be "doing" a lot more than our little Easton. I will try to be better though since my sister recently pointed out that Easton does not have enough pictures. :D

Wahoo... you're two!!!

2011-07-05T09:09:00.000-06:00

[I have been working on this post for days but Blogger is being lame and I can't get my pictures in the order I want, so just pretend they are. :D]

Madi's friend, Guire, turned two a couple weeks ago and got some fun water toys for his birthday. He invited Madi to come play. The last two times she had been, I had left her to take Easton to the audiologists so when we pulled in the driveway she started crying saying "no, mama" thinking I was going to leave her again. (As much as she loves Chani, Guire, Nash and Fenway, she likes when I'm there)

Here is Guire in his new pool. He was having a blast but Madi refused to go more than five feet away from me for the first hour. Silly girl!

Madi LOVES their dog, Fenway. She talks about him all the time and gets so excited to see him.

Her other love, Nashy!

One of the highlights for the kids was peek-a-boo with the pool. They thought it was the funnest and kept asking for more.

Oops...

2011-06-25T07:28:00.001-06:00

Since I wanted to see those beautiful eyes, we decided to cut some bangs for Madi. I've done it several times so wasn't worried at all about doing it myself. I didn't factor in the fact that she is one. So, I started to cut and she turned her head leaving them totally uneven and TOTALLY shorter than what we wanted, by at least an inch. They still aren't even because I couldn't bear to cut any more. I was so sad.

But, they do look pretty cute swooped to the side and those bright blue eyes are as beautiful as ever!

The best daddy ever...

2011-06-25T06:54:00.000-06:00

I'm a little behind on my blogging. So, Happy Father's Day to the best daddy ever!!! This is how he spent his morning. First he painted Madi's toenails and fingernails and then she returned the favor. Such sweet moments.

What's happnin'...

2011-06-23T19:38:00.001-06:00

Well, we have had a very eventful day so I thought I would update you all at the same time on what is going on with us.

Easton went in for his two month checkup today. He weighs 11 lbs. and is 23" long which is the 50th percentile for both. He is growing well and healing from his circumcision. The only thing that we are worried about is one of his testicles was HUGE compared to the other. The doctor said he has hydracel which is a fluid filled sac around the testicle. He said it isn't anything to be super worried about but he does want me to take him the a pediatric urologist just to be sure there is nothing else. He also went to the ENT today and he has fluid behind his ears which is why he has been failing the hearing tests. So, they don't think he has any permanent hearing loss. They don't do tubes until they are three months old so I take him back on the 11th of July and if he still has fluid (they think he still will) he will need to get tubes. He is starting to hold his head up pretty good. He still wakes up once a night to eat but I can't complain about that. He did great with his shots. He smiles a lot and coos and laughed for the first time yesterday. He has almost outgrown his newborn clothes. 0-3 still look big though. He is so cute and LOVES Madi. He smiles so big when she plays with him.

Madi also went to the ENT today. She has an ear infection. Both her tubes are in her ear canals. They think her tubes got plugged and the pressure popped them out. She also has fluid behind her ears. If she still does when I take them back on the 11th, she will be getting tubes again. That is kind of what the doctor is thinking. She is usually a pretty good helper but has proved to resist punishment. She asks to put herself in the corner or if I ask her she claps her hands and says "yea, corner!" I have started having her sit on her bed and that seems to be working since she HATES being alone. She cries when we drop her off at nursery but absolutely LOVES it. She talks about and gets excited when we get to church. She wants to sing primary songs ALL DAY LONG! She LOVES music and is singing or wants to watch a musical or movie with lots of singing. She knows how to turn on our radio and switch it from am/fm to CD and even knows how to change the CD to hers. She likes the Mamma Mia soundtrack and asks me to sing "Money, money, money" by ABBA all the time. She walks around the house on her tip toes and wants to be in the water any chance she gets. She LOVES her pool and playing in the bath. She doesn't even mind the freezing cold water from the hose, she just hops right in. She adores her friend Guire and his little brother Nash and talks about them several times a day. She is usually so sweet to Easton. She still gets upset when he cries but I can tell her that doesn't help and she will either hold his hand or hug him and say "oh, honey" in a sympathetic voice over and over. (I must call him honey alot.) She likes to cook and always wants to help and know what we are doing. she has started to really like the Disney Princesses, especially Ariel, but Tinkerbell is still her favorite.

As for me, I am still in the primary presidency and I love those little kids in there. I feel like I am not a good enough teacher for them and struggle to know how to teach them how important the Gospel is. I worry that I will teach it wrong or they won't listen or realize what an impact it can have on their lives. It is so important for them to learn it now! They are such amazing little kids and so sweet to be with. I really enjoy seeing them each Sunday and hope that they will learn something from me. I have started watching a little girl that is two weeks older than Madi. It is my friends girl, Kaitlyn. It is fun for Madi to have more friends.

Derrick was released from the Elder's Quorum Presidency almost two months ago and doesn't have a new calling yet. He wants one though. He is still working on becoming A+ certified but doesn't have any interest in it at all so it is hard for him. We have already paid for the training and test though so he is going to get it anyway. He likes his job and looks forward to learning and progressing with the company, making management his career goal with Admiral Beverages (the parent company). He is amazing and always such a great dad and husband.

I am so grateful that he is a M-F, off at 5:00 kind of guy because that is something I always wanted for my husband and kids since I rarely saw my dad. I love that he can be involved with them and they can have the consistency of him being there for them. I am grateful to be able to be home with our children and to teach them and help them as they learn and grow. I love the example Derrick sets for me and our kids of sacrifice and serving. He is one that never has to be asked and is always willing to help. He is a quiet guy but is always thinking about others and how he can help them, especially his family. I love my little family and am so blessed to have them in my life.

Ouch!!!

2011-06-16T16:05:00.000-06:00

WARNING: Due the the graphic nature of this post, please proceed with caution (I say penis)...

Today Easton got circumcised. I know what you are thinking... Why did we wait so long? Well, I wanted it done at the hospital when he was born. The pediatrician there told us that Easton didn't have enough foreskin to do the ring and that is the only kind he did. He told us it isn't a big deal and just do it at our two week appointment. Easton's pediatrician went to Africa for the month of May. We saw his nurse practitioner and she told us that she had only performed one circumcision and we should probably wait for Dr. Wade to come back. She assured us that it was fine to wait, we just need to make sure we have it done before he turns one.

Since it didn't seem like anyone thought I needed to get it done right away, I figured I would just do it the same time I do his two month check up. I called this morning to schedule that and the receptionist started freaking out. She wanted to know how far away I live because I should have already had that done and we couldn't wait until next week (when his two month check up is) and said it is much harder the older they are and so on and so forth.

Well, everyone of them were right. It can be done later. Our doc even said he has done it on an adult. However, it is harder on all involved. Even at two months the nerves in the penis are more developed. They gave Easton the numbing shot and it didn't work. The poor boy felt the whole thing. The other draw back... the older you are the more risk of bleeding. We came home and when I changed his diaper his penis started gushing blood. I called the doctor and they told me to bring him back. (Our doctor is in south Bountiful so about 35 minutes away). So, I brought him back. They tried to cauterize the spots that were bleeding but it didn't work so in the end, Easton has four stitches, lots of cauterizing and a VERY sore and swollen penis. If I had known I would totally have brought him sooner. The poor guy!!!

The Wood Connection...

2011-06-14T19:22:00.000-06:00

Ok, you all know that I LOVE the Wood Connection. They are having a contest. Here's the details:

Facebook Giveaway
We are so close to 1,000 fans on our facebook page!In order to help us get there, we are giving away a $50 gift certificate.
To enter this giveaway, become a fan of our Facebook page.
For a second entry, share this giveaway on your Facebook wall.
For a third entry, share this post on your own blog.
For a fourth entry, suggest The Wood Connection Facebook page to your friends.

There is a link to their blog on my side bar under Family, Friends & Blogs I Love...

You really should check them out!

Picture overload...

2011-06-14T16:33:00.000-06:00

This morning we met up with Chantel and her boys at the Riverdale splash park. I love this place! (Free fun is always nice. Wish we had one in West Point.) Madi is loves getting wet, splashing and playing in the water but DOES NOT love getting it in her face. She still seems to have fun and like the park though but was not as fun to watch as Guire. He was really brave and didn't even hesitate before he ran in and got all wet!

Easton relaxed in his stroller while the kids played. It has been such great weather lately. I love it!

I love Easton's eyelashes. They are so long. He has beautiful eyes!

A perfect Monday...

2011-06-14T15:45:00.000-06:00

Yesterday was such a great day! Why??? Mostly because Derrick only had to work a half day but also because it was a nice, sunny, relaxing, lazy day. It began with big smiles and coos from that beautiful baby of mine. I love this stage where they really start to show their personality and respond and play. (It's also how I finished my day :D) When Derrick got home it was off to the court house to get temporary custody of Easton. (It is just a technicality we had to do this time since we did a private adoption. We've had custody since he was born.) We came home to a smiley girl and although we had planned on going to Tracy Aviary, Madi wanted to go swimming. Surprise, surprise! :D We had already planned on stopping to see Grandma and Grandpa Hawkins so we put on our suits, grabbed our towels and went to the South Davis Rec Center in Bountiful. It is one of our favorite pools and since it is summer the outside portion was open. It was the first time Madi has been able to go out there and she LOVED the pirate boat and the shallower pool. The sun had heated it up quite nicely and it was about the temperature of Easton's bath water. We put him in the tube and he yawned and fell fast asleep!

I tried to get a picture of Madi with him but she wanted to play, not have her pictures taken. So, we splashed and played and swam and slid down the slide and floated through the lazy river and swam some more. Before we left I grabbed my camera again and snapped a few shots. Easton woke up and enjoyed the water with his daddy.

What is it about black and white that makes the picture so much more precious??? I love this one of the two of them.

Madi is starting to be more and more brave around the water which excites me but also makes me worry. We need to get her in swimming lessons. Maybe in the fall we will take a mommy/daddy and me class with both of them. (I think they have to be six months so we will wait for Easton.)

Madi LOVES LOVES LOVES to jump lately so she was thrilled when she got to "jump" off Derrick's legs. He is such a great daddy to our kids!

We tried to teach her a few things yesterday. We let her hang onto the wall by herself. We taught her to blow bubbles in the water. We let her float on her back (of course she held onto me with a death grip). We let her kick.

Here she is, swimmin'...

When we told her it was time to go she was not happy. We got her out and put her towel on and next thing we know she is making a mad dash for the pool. We promised to bring her back and she did leave happy but has already told me today "swimmin, daddy, eaton, mama, pool". She'll have to wait til another day.

After the pool we went a spent a few hours with Grandma and Grandpa, had yummy hamburgers and strawberry shortcake and put the kids to bed early.

Our little fish...

2011-06-14T14:53:00.000-06:00

Madi tells me every morning that she wants to go swimming and pretty much every day she plays in the water. She loves to splash and play in her pool and thinks that EVERY ball we have should be in there with her.

She likes to sit on the sides and bounce. She says "I jumpin!"

She is a brave little girl and doesn't even care if the water is cold. She will get right in the pool with the hose water running into it. We got her a turtle that swims and she keeps calling it a bug. I love it!

So sweet...

2011-06-01T18:35:00.000-06:00

Can't wait...

2011-06-01T18:34:00.000-06:00

It was in the 70's yesterday so we went to play outside. Madi likes to splash her hands in her pool when we are out back. Yesterday though, she was done waiting to get in. Her pool was filled with FREEZING cold rain water and in she went. It didn't even faze her. She had a blast splashing around and playing with her balls.

A day at the zoo...

2011-06-01T18:25:00.001-06:00

Chantel and I took the kids to the zoo today. (Note to self... don't go to the zoo the last week of school EVER again!) It was a mad house, kids everywhere!!! We still had a lot of fun though. Chantel's mom and her nephew came with us too.

They have Zoorassic Park right now and have brought in these cute little horses. The kids didn't want to get off.

Giddy-up!!!

This was Easton's first trip to the zoo. Of course he just slept the whole day. :D

Me and my little ones. It isn't very often I get a picture with them. Thanks Chantel!

Little Miss Madi...

Madi really wanted to hold Guire's hand but Guire wanted none of that! Then while we were watching the elephant show she gave him a hug and then struck this pose. Guire wasn't totally cool with that either. :D

I love that they are friends! Madi talks about him all the time!

My pretty little lady...

Madi didn't want to see the gorilla's. She told me that even before we left our house. They scare her.

They had lots of dinosaurs and even one the kids got to play on.

This one's for you, Jayden!

The kids were wiped out! We called it a day!

Of course since it was Easton's first trip I had to get some pictures for his baby book. Madi wasn't having it.

But, I got a few cute ones of my little dude...

Memorial Day weekend...

2011-05-31T20:04:00.000-06:00

We had a great Memorial Day weekend! We had tons of fun seeing family on Saturday and then were so glad to have an extra day with Derrick. We decided to take the kids swimming for FHE. It was Easton's first time and I am totally bummed that I didn't bring my camera in. Madi LOVED it and Easton really seemed to enjoy relaxing in the water and seeing all the people.

What am I going to do with these bangs??? We are trying to grow them out so we don't want to cut them but the poor girl has them in her eyes all day long because she won't keep her barrette in.

Here is our little dude all ready for the pool. Good thing we had a pair of trunks that can cinch up good! :D

Here is try # 24,357...

The best part of swimming is that it totally tired the kids out. Easton slept from 10:00 pm to 7:00 am! I was up checking to make sure he was still alive but it was still a good night for all of us!

My cuties...

2011-05-31T19:50:00.000-06:00

My little Madi is getting so big and she reminds me several times a day. She is always saying " I big!" and "I cute!" Being big and being cute means she has to do everything herself and she thinks she runs the house. I can't believe she is going to be two years old in two months. It seems crazy how quick the time has gone.

This is Madi's new smile. Whenever I grab the camera her tongue comes out. What a pretty sight! :D

I have been trying to get a cute picture of the two of them since Easton got home from the hospital. Madi is determined to keep me trying!

How cute is this little guy?!?!?! I just love having him in our family. He is such a sweetheart. He loves to cuddle with us which I LOVE!

Playin'...

2011-05-27T08:07:00.000-06:00

Yesterday I got out our little activity pad for Easton. As soon as I set it on the floor Madi was right there to play with Easton on it. I think she enjoyed it more than he did. It was a sweet moment for me to see her playing with him.

Easton really enjoyed it for ten minutes or so and then he was done.

I just can't get over how cute he is!!!

Five weeks...

2011-05-27T07:40:00.000-06:00

It is hard to believe that this sweet little boy is already five weeks old. He is beginning to lose the newborn look which makes me a little sad. I love those first few weeks with my little ones and wished they lasted a little bit longer.

Easton has LONG fingers and feet. Basketball player? Pianist? Only time will tell.

I am in love! He melts my heart. He makes the cutest faces. I could kiss those little cheeks all day long!

Easton is a binki boy! We have even caught him sucking his thumb a time or two. When he's awake he will hold his binki like this a lot of the time.

Easton has been a fairly easy baby. He does like to be held lately which I don't mind at all but Madi isn't too thrilled about. She has actually done relatively well. She does have her jealous moments but we expected some of that.

Congratulations...

2011-05-27T07:22:00.000-06:00

Congratulations to the newest nurse at Abilene Regional Hospital's ICU...

...my MOM!!!

Poor Bekka...

2011-05-26T16:20:00.000-06:00

Bekka didn't even make it out of the MTC before having issues. Yesterday I got a call saying she was in the hospital and would be going in for surgery to remove a softball size cyst from her ovary. They also found a pea size cyst on the other ovary and found her tube was twisted three times around. The nurses were great to let us break the two person rule. It was really a small room so I think the most we had back at a time was seven. She is very lucky to have a nurse for her comp. Sister Mix was great to help hold barf bags and all that. She is in good hands. She is pretty bummed about staying in the MTC an extra week though. It was fun to see her but would have been better under different circumstances. We love you Bekka and hope you feel better soon!!!

Ode to Parker...

2011-05-20T07:27:00.000-06:00

In February I went to my brother's in WA for a week. My cute nephew, Parker, LOVES Thomas. This is the only time Madi has been exposed to Thomas but she has not forgotten him. My sister, Bekka, left gifts for me to give our nieces and nephews when they come this summer but she wasn't able to get Brenton's and Parker's so she gave me money and instructions. I bought them Thomas pj's and since I got them on such a great deal I got a couple sizes for Easton when he gets older. Madi was SO excited about Thomas. She wouldn't let them go until I agreed to put them on her. So, Easton has to share his Thomas jammies with Madi. As soon as she woke up she wanted me to wash them and then wanted to wear them again last night. My silly girl looks like a little boy!

As soon as she puts anything on she asks to look in the mirror. Then she tells me "I tute!" Yep baby, you are cute!

Annie... Madi has taken over the bottle cleaner. She thanks you for her new brush! :D

Soakin' up the sunshine...

2011-05-18T21:19:00.000-06:00

Last week we had some beautiful weather! It was in the 80's and blue skies. We took advantage of it and turned on the sprinklers. Madi was a little hesitant at first and wanted to play with a cup. Whatever makes her happy. :D

Madi has found her belly button and LOVES to show it to anyone that will look.

I told her to cover it up and this is what she gives me...

Madi is so pretty. She is turning into a little girl. She isn't my baby any more. She wants to do everything on her own. She is a good helper. She is sweet to her brother (except the last week or so). She wants to try new things. She wants to do things that she is not yet ready for but thinks she is. She surprises me with some of the things she says, some of the things she does...

She notices everything, especially animals. She is pointing out the airplane that is flying by.

Once she started playing in the water I couldn't keep her out. She would fill up the cup and then dump it and fill it up again.

Not sure why she needed a cup though... :D

Three weeks and a day...

2011-05-18T20:49:00.000-06:00

Ok, I am totally behind on my blog. I was supposed to post this on the 12th. That is the day he had his two week check up. (Our doctor and nurse practitioner [they are married] decided to take May off so they are running behind at the office.)

Easton's stats:

Weight: 7 lbs 3 oz - 20%

Height: 20" - 25%

Head: 14.25"

He is doing great! He eats good. He mostly snacks during the day and then stocks up at night. He sleeps GREAT! He eats between 9 and 10 before we go to bed and then wakes up around 3. Then sleeps until 7. What more could I ask for? Derrick is great and gets up with him too so I don't have to do it every night. I am one lucky lady! :D

Easton failed his first hearing test. They did another one before we left the hospital and he passed in the left ear but failed the right. We made an appointment to bring him back on May 10th. At that appointment he failed both ears. We have an appointment with an audiologist on the 23rd to see what's going on. It is bizarre. It seemed like he was responding and hearing us but now I am not so sure. I am ready to go so we can see what they say.

Easton likes to be all wrapped up and then he will bury himself even deeper in the blankets. It makes me nervous but he's oh so cute! I can hardly believe that he will be a month old on Friday. It seems unreal. He is such a perfect part of our family. I can't imagine him not being ours. I love you little man!

So long, farewell, auf wiedersen, goodbye...

2011-05-18T18:44:00.001-06:00

Wednesday, May 11, 2011, my little sister entered the MTC. Bekka is going to the California, San Fernando mission. Annie made an awesome breakfast, Bekka's fave, stuffed french toast, and then we ran a couple last minute errands. Our final stop was to grab a smoothie before sending her off. She was too nervous for anything else.

(I stole a few pictures from Annie. Hope you don't mind!)

It is weird to think about her as a missionary. I remember dropping her off at college not that long ago!

Chris was awesome and agreed to say goodbye across the street so he could sit with Easton. There wasn't enough room in the car for all of us to go. Madi had fun playing on the fence. She kept pointing to the temple and saying "pwitty"

She is such a sweetheart! Bekka didn't want to let her go. Madi still talks about Bekka on a daily basis. She gets excited when she sees her picture.

And here she is making a wonderful impression as she arrived at the MTC. We gave quick hugs and said our goodbyes and wiped away the tears. She turned around and ran right into the #2 sign. She is good at running into poles. At least she made a quick recovery. It was a true "Bekka" moment! :D

We are so proud of Bekka and that she has made the decision to serve a mission. She will be wonderful and leave a lasting impact on the lives of those she serves. We will miss her like crazy while she is gone and look forward to her coming home but are glad she is where she needs to be. Love ya Beck!

Thanks ladies!!!

2011-05-18T16:29:00.001-06:00

On Tuesday, the 10th, my sisters threw me a baby shower. The best part was seeing my family and my two BFF's from high school. It has been TOO long since I'd seen them! I am so grateful for my family and friends that been so generous and wonderful. It is so fun have some blue! One of the most special gifts is the blue crocheted blanket. This will be the blanket we use the day we are sealed and he is blessed. My Grandma Gurney made it. My Grandma Baum crocheted the one we used when we were sealed to Madi so when I opened this one I knew that I wanted it to be the one we use for Easton. Thank you sisters for all you did to put this together! You are awesome and I love you all!

"I jumpin"...

2011-05-16T21:24:00.000-06:00

Madi is my shadow. She follows me everywhere! So, I was surprised when she went out with my cousin to jump on the trampoline and actually stayed out there when I went back inside. She LOVED the trampoline. She kept yelling to me "I jumpin"!

The kids were great with her and didn't bounce her too high. It was fun to see her play with other kids!

Pepsi...

2011-05-13T16:11:00.000-06:00

Derrick works for a great company. One of the things they do is really spoil you with Pepsi gear when you have a new little one. Easton got a diaper bag (much needed and WAY nicer than the one Madi got), a hooded towel, a hat, a bib, a fleece and a onesie all sporting the Pepsi logo. Thanks M&M Distributing and Admiral Beverages!

Grass...

2011-05-13T16:05:00.000-06:00

We have a retention pond next to our house. When Madi goes outside she heads right over there saying "grass" over and over. Not sure the difference from our grass because they are the same, green and weedy! For whatever reason, she loves to play over there so I grab a blanket or a chair and go over with her.

Madi LOVES balls! Someone left this football over there so she thought it would be fun to play with it.

Hut, hut, hike!!!

She has really started liking Disney Princesses, I think because they have so much pink.

I LOVE this little face! I could kiss it all day! She likes me to take a picture of her and then show her what it looks like. Sometimes she gets a little too close.

When Madi gets excited she runs a little too fast for those tiny legs of hers. It seems like she falls and scrapes her knees every time she plays outside. On this particular day she scraped them good enough that she had blood running down her leg. It doesn't even faze her. She jumps right up and keeps playing. It wasn't until an hour or two later when we went in and I put neosporen on it that she whined "hurt, hurt". For at least a week after she will tell you she has owies and point to her knee, then lift her leg up and say "kiss better". She is so sweet!

Here is the newest love of my life! He is such a great little boy. We all can't get enough of him!

Madi has been so sweet to him for the most part. She did kick him the other day on purpose (not hard) because I was taking care of him and she wanted me to blow bubbles and this morning she swatted his face with his diaper when I was changing him. Not really sure why, but she is sick so maybe she thinks she needs me to herself.

She really does love him though and wants to help take care of him and love him. She has to know where he is as soon as she wakes up and goes and gives him kisses right away. She rubs his head, lays with him, wants to hold him and help feed him. She is a good little mommy in training!

Easton is a hairy little guy. It is so cute, at least at this age! We love his side burns!

my little guy...

Easton's Newborns...

2011-05-07T17:44:00.000-06:00

I took Easton's pictures today and there are some that I like and a few I really like how they turned out. I need to decide what to print. What's your favorite?

This one is only kind of posed. Easton's hand position he did all by himself and it was too funny not to take the picture! I'm sure it's the way Madi feels when she sees me break out the camera too! :D

Easter outfits...

2011-05-03T09:00:00.000-06:00

Madi looked so cute in her Easter dress on Sunday. I love her in blue. It makes her eyes stand out.

I wanted to get a few pictures of the two of them so we stopped at the nature center in Kaysville on our way home from visiting mom and dad. Madi was ready to climb right up these poles. She was too excited about seeing the ducks to do much picture taking.

She is SO her mother's daughter! Is this the most lady like pose or what? She posed herself for this picture and it cracked me up because I could always remember my mom telling me to sit like a lady. Even still, I prefer long skirts so I don't have to worry about how I am sitting. :D

After daddy helped her sit more appropriately she finally flashed a smile my way. I can't believe how big she is getting. She is growing up so fast! She amazes me with some of the words she can say and the things she understands. I love the care and concern in her voice when she talks. She is so sweet to her little brother and is always worried about him, especially when he's sad. She always wants to know where he is and likes to give him loves and kisses. She is such a good helper too!

Our little Easton looked adorable in his Easter clothes too. We took him to sacrament meeting today for the first time. Thanks Erin for teaching me how to make the tie!

One week...

2011-04-27T20:03:00.000-06:00

Our little Easton is one week old. I can hardly believe it! He is such a sweet little baby and is adored by all of us, especially Madi. He slept from 11:00 to 6:00 last night! What a great blessing for mom! :D Hope fully he does it again tonight. Here he is getting his bath. Like his sister, he likes his baths. The picture on the right is Madi when she was about a week old. They do look alike but each have their own look too.

When he was all done he snuggled with mama for a minute. Isn't he the sweetest thing ever?!?!

Madi is so sweet to him. She is always asking where baby is and making sure he is ok. She has been really soft and gentle so far. If you look close you can see Easton's grin. He smiles A LOT! I love it!

Erin... This one's for you! Each time I put him in these jammies I think that Colson needs them too!

Easton Boy...

2011-04-25T20:36:00.000-06:00

Derrick took some days off and doesn't have to go back to work until Thursday. It is so nice having him home. It is already going too fast. Madi has especially enjoyed it. I got her out of bed this morning and she said "want dada". (Good thing I'm used to it or I might have felt bad! :D) Our little Easton has been great! We have had a couple nights that he has confused for day but other than that he has been so easy. I love snuggling with him. We have to bundle him up good and put a hat on him so he will be warm enough to sleep. He likes the bouncy chair. Luckily he isn't old enough to worry about it being a girl chair. :D

Isn't he just adorable?!?! I can kiss that little face all day long!

Tentatively...

2011-04-25T08:52:00.000-06:00

For all those that are planning on coming for Easton's sealing/blessing, we are tentatively planning on the Friday after Thanksgiving. We hope this helps you make your plans and would LOVE to have you there!

Happy Easter!!!

2011-04-25T08:43:00.001-06:00

The Easter Bunny made an early stop at our house Saturday morning. We love that he is so willing to do that so we can turn our focus to the Savior on Sunday. Madi loved her Easter basket. I didn't get a picture of it, but it had a Disney Princess sing along DVD, a ball, bracelets and her favorite... lots of PEZ! She also got a new dress but I don't have a picture of that yet. Easton's basket had a rattle in it. Grandma and Grandpa came over to watch Madi do her Easter egg hunt. Madi has sure taken a liking to her Grandpa. She LOVES him! We took advantage of the time and got a few pictures of them with Easton.

We also took our first picture with the whole family...

Here's Grandma with her little Easton...

Madi wasn't totally sure about the Easter egg hunt idea. Why should she pick up OUR mess?

Then I showed her there was chocolate inside the eggs and she decided it was ok to pick them up. Daddy helped her for a minute to get her going.

She got about half done and lost interest. She only wanted to eat her "choc".

A piece in the mouth and one in each hand...

Here's the guys... Grandpa, Daddy and Easton

Madi LOVES balls so she was really excited for the one the Easter Bunny brought.

Such a good daddy!

Grandpa actually wanted to hold Easton! (He likes to wait until they are older so he doesn't break them. :D)

After the eggs were all found and picked up we went to the Brick Oven for lunch. We always have such a wonderful time with mom and dad and are grateful they live close. We wish we were closer to more of our family, especially around holidays.

We are so very grateful for our Savior and the sacrifices He made for us. The atonement brings great peace and comfort to our souls and we hope to teach our children the amazing love He has for us. Happy Easter!!!

Our little guy...

2011-04-21T17:15:00.001-06:00

We had an incredible experience this week, we welcomed baby number two.

Easton Bernell Hawkins

was born on April 20, 2011 at 12:02 am.

Our experience was a very precious one. Mindy let us be in the delivery room when he was born and it really was incredible!

Welcome little one!!!

Both Mindy and Easton did great and are doing well. The hospital staff was wonderful to us and as soon as they had cleaned him off a little they brought him right to me for some skin to skin time.

(keep in mind it was the middle of the night when he was born. I don't love this pic of me. :D) It was so special to have those first tender moments with him to snuggle and bond.

After things were cleaned up they got us our own room and weighed and measured him. I said as soon as he was out that he was smaller then Madi. The scale confirmed it when he came in at 6 lbs. 5 oz. (Madi was 6 lbs. 9 oz.) He is an inch longer then she was though. He measured 19".

With Easton I decide that I wasn't going to nurse him since Madi preferred the bottle and it ended up being a little frustrating for her. Here he is, enjoying his first meal.

His daddy sure does love him. It is amazing how quick the love comes.

Derrick helped give him his first bath Wednesday morning.

All clean! I love his fuzzy little head!

Nice and toasty warm...

Madi slept with her mouth open like this too. I think they get that from their dad. :D

Grandma and Grandpa (Derrick's parents) were so sweet to take Madi for us while we were in the hospital. Derrick went and got her so she could meet her new brother. She was so sweet to him. She was so gentle and quiet. She would say "baby sleeps" and sign sleep as she watched him. When he cried she would say "baby sad" with the most concerned look as she signed it.

She was ready to take him home though. She held him for a little while and enjoyed pointing at his features and naming each one.

Daddy with our most loved little ones. We will see how Madi does with sharing her daddy. She even pushes me away and he was mine first! :D

Mindy with our sweet Easton...

While Madi was there we brought her in to see Mindy. We are so very grateful to her and will love her always!

Madi really liked the crib. She wanted us to change her bum in it after she saw Derrick change Easton. After we told her she was too big, she spent the rest of her time pushing it around.

We had some special visitors last night, Uncle Chris and Aunt Annie. Annie, we didn't a picture of you with him :(

I just love this little guy. He already knows I'm his mommy. When he is awake and I talk he looks around for me. He knows my voice already. The nurses would come check his stats and he would cry and as soon as they would give him back and I laid him on my chest he would immediately stop.

I really can't get enough of him!

We were able to spend some time with some of his birth grandparents. We already knew them so it was great to see them again. This is his Grandma Tammy.

And here he is all ready to go home. The hospital staff was awesome and we had a wonderful experience but I must say that I am glad to be home. It will be so nice to sleep in my bed tonight.

We stopped at Grandma and Grandpa's to pick up Madi. I sure did miss her! She is such an angel and so full of personality. She is going to be a great big sister and such a good little helper for me.

She is lovin' her little brother and wants to see him and be by him every second.

My two perfect miracles...

We are so blessed to be the parents of Madi and Easton and are so thankful to know Mindy and have her as part of our family. We love her so very much and will always have a special place in our hearts for her.

We are grateful for our family and the love, prayers and support they give to us. Thank you mom and dad for all you do and especially for taking Madi. She adores you guys!

Madi's first time...

2011-04-15T13:56:00.000-06:00

Last night we took Madi bowling and let her bowl. The first couple times she wasn't too sure and didn't really want anything to do with it but she eventually warmed up and got excited about her turn.

"Look at my ball!"

She ALWAYS picked the pink ball for her first turn and then would switch the color for the second. She could lift the ball but not carry it so if we didn't watch close there would be a loud thud from her dropping it.

"Yeah Madi!" She was so cute and would clap for Derrick and I. When the pins went down she would say "Crash!"

She thought the ball return was pretty cool. She would run and wait for her ball to come back up.

Here she is clapping for herself. She was so adorable! She danced to the music and had a great time. I wish I had brought our Flip so I could've videoed her.

In the kitchen with mommy...

2011-04-15T13:36:00.001-06:00

I love that Madi is old enough to help make cookies. (I think she loves it too.) This is the second time we have made cookies together and it is fun to have her help. It is something I have looked forward to for a long time. I measure and she puts it in the bowl. As she pours it in she says "dump" and is so proud of herself for doing each one. The first time we made them I started rolling the dough into balls and she got so excited. She yelled "BALL" and took it and threw it on the ground and then looked so confused when it didn't bounce. It was too funny!

Union Station...

2011-04-15T13:32:00.000-06:00

Chantel and I took the kiddies to Union Station Tuesday. Here's Madi and Guire on the caboose. They liked to see the model trains but other than that, I am not sure they totally loved the museum.

They did like running around and when they were able to play on the train though. This is the outside of the caboose. What cute kids!

We were able to tour a post office train and a hospital train. This is the hospital train. During the world wars they would use the hospital cars to transport injured soldiers. This is one of the patients beds. It was cool to see what they used back then and to learn about the post office train as well. For security reasons, PO trains never stopped. They would throw the mail bags out and had a hook to pick up new bags. They also had to have armed guards on board to protect the mail from outlaws like Butch Cassidy and Jesse James.

Waiting at Union Station. Lucky for us there weren't a ton of people there so the kids couldn't really disrupt anyone. That was nice to not have to worry about.

This is what we got when we told them to give each other a hug. They are too cute!

She did it...

2011-04-15T13:17:00.000-06:00

Madi has worn through her first pair of jeans! I love that she has holes in her knees. It's so cute!

Dinosaurs...

2011-04-11T16:52:00.000-06:00

Today Chantel and I took the kids to Eccles Dinosaur Park in Ogden. I got a membership so we will be going back lots. Included in the membership are Union Station, Tracy Aviary and Ogden's Nature Park so we are going to check those out soon! I love having places to take Madi to that are kid friendly, outside and not super pricey! I love having a friend to go with (thank you Chantel!!!) and I love how cute Nash and Guire are. Madi loves them both. When we left the park today Madi started crying and saying "Guire". It is fun for her to have a friend. Madi was worried she was going to fall off the rock.

We played at the playground and let them run around for awhile.

My little lady is growing up so quick. She usually minds really well and is a good little helper.

See, I told you Guire is cute. He is a little man. I love to watch them play together.

Guire took a ride on Dino from the Flintstone's.

We had a fun day and are excited to check out another place tomorrow!

Baby animal days...

2011-04-11T16:32:00.001-06:00

American West Heritage Center in Wellsville had baby animal days over the weekend. We talked about going but were kind of hesitant since it was winter outside. In the end we decided to bundle up, brave the cold and go see some animals. Madi loved sitting on this saddle. She kept petting the fur chaps that hung from it and said "horse".

We walked back to the barn instead of taking the wagon ride because of our stroller but Madi would go nuts every time they would pass because they were being pulled by Clydesdale's. They were so fun for her to see. One of the funnest parts is that you get to hold and touch a lot of the baby animals. Here is Madi lovin' on the bunny.

I wish I could bring one home. Madi was in heaven!

She wanted nothing to do with the turtles though!

In the barn they had ducks, chicks, lambs, pigs and goats.

At the back they had the main attractions... baby bears from Yellowstone Bear World. They were born in January. This is what I wanted to hold and cuddle with but they weren't letting the public touch them. I think there was a total of six.

How cute are they?!?! Don't you just want to snuggle with them?

On our way back to the main gate we stopped to see some calves and a foal. Madi wasn't to sure about touching the calves but liked to see them at a close distance.

Aside from the mud pits created by the rain and snow, it was a perfect day!

Waiting...waiting...waiting...

2011-04-06T16:22:00.000-06:00

Mindy is 36 weeks and 1 day. While for some they aren't even thinking about labor yet, I find myself checking my phone 50 times a day! I can't help myself! Madi's bag is ready for grandma and grandpa's, our bag is ready for the hospital, his room is ready, his car seat's ready and my arms are ready! I will continue waiting for the call and continue praying for a healthy Easton and comfort for Mindy.

Cereal...

2011-04-06T16:12:00.000-06:00

Madi likes cold cereal. She eats it almost every morning. One of her faves is fruity pebbles. She had three bowls yesterday for breakfast. Then we showered and got ready for the day. While I was finishing up, I heard Madi pour cereal. I came out to see and Madi said "Mess." Yep, it was a mess. She dumped the whole box! Guess I won't leave the cereal box on the table again.

She ate a lot of it for her snack.

I love her hair! It turned out great Bekka! Thanks again!

Madi's first hair cut...

2011-04-06T16:05:00.000-06:00

Madi's mullet had to go! Since my sister came for conference I let her cute it. Madi thought it was pretty cool to sit up in the chair and see herself in the mirror.

Look at that grin!!!

But, it didn't last. As soon as Bekka put the cape on her the tears started. Not just little ones either, big crocodile tears!

I wasn't sure if she was going to make it through!

Madi eventually overcame the sadness and relaxed a little.

Bekka did a great job and although it is short, the mullet is gone! :D

Since she LOVES to be pampered, Holly did some gel toes on her. Madi knew exactly what color they should be... PINK!

Thank you Bekka and Holly! It was great to see you guys and Andrew. We'll miss ya!

Ducks...

2011-04-02T09:59:00.001-06:00

There is an awesome park close to our house that we fell in love with last summer. It's called Jensen Nature Park. We have been so excited to take Madi back to feed the ducks since she is older this year and plan to take her fishing there as well. Since the weather has been beautiful the last few days we took her Thursday night. She spilled juice on her pants she had worn earlier so I asked her what she wanted to wear and pulled out some khaki shorts. She shook her head no and without hesitation, pulled out her polka dotted shorts. I have a feeling I will be washing them daily this summer. I am going to have to buy some solid tees because she has nothing to match them. The closest thing is her Down East undershirt that accentuates her little Buddha Belly. :D

"peek-a-boo mom"

Could you please just give mom a little smile???

She is growing up so fast! In less than four months we will be celebrating her second birthday. Where did the time go?

Madi is 150% girl! She has developed a recent love for purses. She will get mine down and put it on her shoulder and say "purse" over and over while she struts around. She loves to try on shoes and doesn't care if they are dad's or mom's. She has started saying "I'm cute" but it comes out "I'm tute!" which makes it even cuter!!! (Do ya think she hears it all day from her mommy and daddy? :D) She LOVES makeup and thinks she needs it every time she sees me putting some on. (Thank goodness for lip gloss!) She loves her pretties (earrings and bracelets) and asks to look in the mirror whenever she gets new ones on (and when she gets her hair done, nails painted, "makeup" on, new clothes or anything of that nature). Her favorite color is pink and purple comes in as a close second. She LOVES Tink still and has began a new obsession with the Disney Prince's (princesses, but she can't quite get the last part out) and will now say

"I need it"

to anything she sees with one of them on. It is so fun to have a little girly girl.

So, back to the park... We went and fed the ducks and had so much fun we decided to go back yesterday with Chantel, her boys and Kyah.

The kids enjoyed throwing the bread at the ducks and just being outside. We always have such a great time with Chantel and her boys. Madi loves Guire and of course, "baby" (Nash). I enjoy the grown up conversation and friendship Chani and I have.

This girl could go all day! She loved the ducks but was thrilled when she saw a couple of horses on the trail in the distances. She ran right for them and wanted to get as close as possible!

Guire liked the truck... He was checkin' out the rims and everything! He's such a boy... so cute!

Little monkeys...

2011-04-02T09:26:00.000-06:00

My friend, Chantel, and her boys, Guire and Nash, are our new zoo buddies. We went a couple weeks ago and I am just now posting pics. Guire was so much fun to watch! He LOVED the animals.

Guire makes an AWESOME monkey!!!

"OoooOOOoo"

I tried so hard to get Madi to cooperate for a few cute pictures since it has been awhile since she actually posed for a picture. She was not having it! Here she is blowing kisses...

...and checking out the construction workers...

...and squinting in the sun...

...and praying mom will stop taking pictures...

Isn't she just the cutest?

Playing catch up and at the park...

2011-03-25T21:20:00.000-06:00

Happy Saint Patty's Day! Derrick brought home these stellar glasses for Madi! That was about as festive as we got!

Last week we had a day that it drizzled most of the day. I needed to drop something off at a friends down the road and we wanted to walk, so Madi went PUDDLE JUMPING for the first time and she LOVED it! She got soaked! (You can see a little dry patch on her pants) Now anytime she sees a puddle she wants to splash in it. When we came in from the rain she warmed up in a bath and then we cuddled and watched one of her favorite movies... Monsters, Inc.

She loves that movie but there are a few parts that scare her. It is so sweet to watch with her because she will bury her head when it comes to a scary part. We checked out a Disney/Pixar music CD at the library and when a song comes on from Monsters, Inc she gets so excited and yells "Monsters, Inc!"

Tonight we went to the park. We had planned on taking a walk, but with the wind blowing it was just too cold. Of course that didn't stop Madi from wanting to play for a few minutes. She headed straight for the slide! She gets braver each time we go to a park and wants to climb everything like the big kids.

Peek-a-boo...

She is such a happy little girl! I am really looking forward to spring and summer and being able to be outside with her more. She has so much fun and loves to explore!

Slidin'...

Even Derrick enjoyed playing at the park. This park has two diggers that are a hit with the kids and adults!

He did let Madi have a turn. What a GREAT daddy!

This is my FAVORITE picture of the two of them. I love their expressions as they come down the slide!

So, Madi has started picking her nose. She pulls it out and says "booger" with the biggest grin. Then she signs and says "More! More boogers! More!" At least she doesn't eat them, right!?!?!

In other news... Mindy went to the doctors yesterday and they scheduled for her to be induced on April 26th unless she goes on her own before then. We are so very blessed to have her in our lives and are so thankful for the amazing gifts she has trusted us with. She will always be so special to us!

An update on the fam...

2011-03-10T20:28:00.000-07:00

So it has been a slow week as far as pictures go. {When I say slow, I mean I haven't taken any! :D} Madi has done some cute things though so I thought I'd post about those.

Madi thinks that if you blow on ANYTHING that it must be hot. I was painting my toenails tonight and she wanted hers done too. After I painted them I blew on them and she said "hot, hot, hot". She always whispers it in sets of three. I love it!

She also called her daddy "Derrick" this week. He wasn't thrilled but does think it's better then mom. {Since we got back from WA he has been "mom" and I have been "mama". He thinks I brainwashed her. :D}

She gave up her bottle this week too. Actually, all the nipples were mysteriously broken {;D} so that kind of helped. She went down for her naps in her big girl bed WITHOUT me laying with her. {SO NICE!}

She has started using two new words a that I LOVE... "uh-oh" and "yesss". She really enunciates the "S" on yes and it is the cutest thing ever!

Another thing she has started doing... when she sees a park she will clap and say "yeah" over and over. She gets so excited at the thought of it!

Derrick got the training for his A+ Certification today so he will be starting on that and be super busy learning all that new stuff. I am praying he learns it all quick and is able to remember what he learns. I would love for him to have it done before Easton comes but that might be a little soon. He is still in the EQ presidency and stays busy with that. He really enjoys most of the people he works with and I am very proud of him for the example he sets for those he works with. He will tell me stories of things he has done to defend our religion or his values and it makes me proud to be married to such a great man! The people respect him and will apologize if they curse or say something inappropriate around him and will come to him if they have questions about the church and if he doesn't know the answer, he will research it and get back to them. He is such a great husband and is so patient with what a bad housekeeper I am.

I stay busy being mom and prefer to play and do things with Madi then keep our house clean. When I do clean, she follows me around undoing everything I did. I don't know how my mom did it with 10 of us! I am so excited for Easton to get here. I have to pace myself on getting things ready so I can still have things to get done for him before he comes. Yesterday I got out his blankets, burp rags and diapers. The diapers are so cute. They are so small, nothing like Madi's. :D I was kind of nervous about a boy at first but the closer it gets the more excited I am becoming. Hopefully the boy stuff will be as easy as Madi has been.

This week I moved a lot of the toys downstairs to our theater. Our bulb went out to our projector a month before Madi was born and I have been hoping we would have extra money to get a new one sometime but I am beginning to face the reality that it will probably be 2047 before we have an extra $250 for a projector bulb. So, we may as well let the kids go crazy down there, right?!?!?

Exhausted...

2011-03-04T17:23:00.000-07:00

We had a wonderful time in WA. I enjoyed playing with my nieces and nephews and spending time with my siblings. Erin and I were able to talk some things through that we should have years ago and become better friends and sisters. I got truly spoiled while I was there and had a lot of fun!

Although I already miss everyone like crazy, I missed Derrick more and am glad to be home with him. He had the house all clean with clean sheets on our bed, my fave! Could I be any luckier??? I really do have the best husband in the world!

When we got home we fed Madi and went to lay her down for a nap. She played, of course, but got quiet really quickly. We went in to check on her and she was just too tired to play.

She fell asleep on her ride along toy. The poor kid was totally exhausted! What a little angel!

Out to dinner...

2011-03-04T17:13:00.000-07:00

Tuesday night we went for a yummy dinner at Wingers. Madi was excited to be outside for a few minutes while we loaded in the van.

Here's Mr. Brenton waiting so patiently for his food. He is such a mellow kid and is always so quiet.

L to R: Christina, Nicholas, Erin

Lickin' her lips at the thought of her corndog nuggets and french fries. Yummy!

L to R: Parker, Daniel, Ava, Madi, Whitney

Three degrees...

2011-03-04T17:03:00.000-07:00

Yep, it was only THREE DEGREES in Pullman, WA but I knew Madi was going to freak out if I didn't take her outside to play. So we bundled the kids up and went to play in the SEVERAL inches (a couple feet) of snow. Erin and Ava went first! Ava looks like she is loving it!

Madi enjoyed a couple rides down but really just wanted to be outside, walking around.

Here is Parker. He got cold pretty quick but didn't seem all that excited about sledding anyway.

Poor Brenton... He couldn't even see. He's a trooper though and played for a while.

Little Miss Ava... She had so much fun sledding with her cousins, Whitney and Caitlin. It is really fun for them to be so close to each other. They are in the same apartment complex. It made it nice for me to be able to see Nicholas and his family too.

Caitlin followed the sled down the hill. She is fearless. She was going down the steepest parts of the hill like it was no big deal and laughing the whole way down!

I can't believe how grown up Whitney is. I remember her being born! I always thought adults are so weird and they say the dumbest things about how fast kids grow up but now I understand it! Where does the time go?

Madi found a trike and took it for a spin.

She played out there until I couldn't stand the cold anymore and then we went in to warm up.

Washington or bust...

2011-02-27T14:07:00.000-07:00

My younger brother, Daniel, had a tonsillectomy and a uvulectomy last Thursday so Madi and I flew up to WA for a week to help them out. We have had lots of fun so far playing with family. It has been fun for Madi to get to know her cousins better and I have enjoyed spending time with Daniel, Erin, Nicholas and Christina. It is so fun to see my nieces and nephews. They are all growing up WAY too quick!

Madi got to play with Play Dough and really seemed to like it. I am going to have to get some fun toys to go with her dough.

Here is Miss Ava playing with her sweet little brother, Colson. She is such a good sister and really enjoys her brother.

Madi has enjoyed having friends around although I think she is missing her daddy and is a bit overstimulated. (Hopefully Daniel and Erin will let us come back. I'm not sure with her screaming! :D)

We never bought Madi a Bumbo. With everything else we had we didn't think it was needed. She has LOVED theirs. I think she thinks it's hers because Erin said she wasn't thrilled about Colson sitting in it. I tried to get a picture of Madi with Parker. This is the best the two would give me. :D Silly kids!

I did get one of Parker by himself that is really cute though! He has the most beautiful eyes! Such a cute kid!