Is that buy one get one free???

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...

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...

I love the way grandpa makes Madi laugh!

Dirt don't hurt...

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...

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...

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...

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...

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...

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!

Swimmer or soccer star???

Zebras...

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...

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.)