A birthday weekend...

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! 

Madi & Grandpa...

I love the way grandpa makes Madi laugh!

More birthday fun...

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!!!

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...

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!

She's an All Star!!!

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!

A perfect Monday...

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.

Happy Easter!!!

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!!!