Water Baby

Madi used to hate getting her face wet. Now she is a full on frog. She sticks her whole face in the water all by herself. She has just recently started throwing her body forward into the water. (almost like trying to swim) It's been pretty fun to watch her in the tub these last few days.

Do we have two dogs?

On Saturday, Carson said he found Madi stuck in the doggie door. I sure am glad he grabbed the camera first. I always wondered how long it would take her to figure it out.

Vegas

For my birthday (which was Dec 1st), my wonderful husband planned a 2-night get away for us to go to Las Vegas. He even got our friend's the McCoy's to watch Madi. It was wonderful! We stopped at the Hoover Dam on our way there. We had a tour and everything.

In Vegas, we didn't gamble or go to any shows. We just spent time walking around the strip, ate a lot of food, and hung out. We did end up going to the MGM & playing in the arcade for an hour or two. It was really nice to be able to relax and spend some alone time with Carson. On our last night there we rode one of the rides on top of the stratuspher & then ate at "At The Top of The World" resturant. It was the nicest resturant I will ever eat at. It was very romantic. (we were wearing jeans) In the end, we were very excited to come home and see our baby girl.

Phoenix Zoo

Part of Carson's family came down for Thanksgiving. We had a lot of fun with them. One thing we got to do was go to the zoo. It was Madi's first visit. She had a great time. I really enjoyed how focused she was on the animals. She also made to correct animal sound when we saw the elephant, tiger, and any type of monkey. It was great!

At the zoo, they had pedal car's you could rent for $30/hour. Carson's brother-in-law, Brent, thought it would be a lot of fun. So they got one. It fit 6 adults and 2 children. They quickly found out it was a bad idea as they hit their first hill. I didn't ride on it because Madi was too young. I didn't regret it for one second.

Fun pics of Madi

So I finally finished the Twilight books on Sunday. I've now returned to my normal routine, the house is clean, the baby is fed, etc. I thought I would finally catch up on my blog as well. I'll start out with some random pictures of Madi that don't have much of a story behind them. I think she is just cute.

So in these pictures, you can guess what happened. I don't remember if she put Carson's shoes on by herself, or if he helped. Either way, she was way cute!

I was actually able to get madi's hair into a ponytail. The best part of it was that she couldn't pull it out very easily.

I've become a prisoner!

So I don't usually consider reading a luxury. I'm not a very fast reader, and my attention gets drawn away from my reading quickly and often. However, I bought the book Twilight. That was my first mistake! I'm now completely obsorbed by these books. I'm currently on the 3rd in the series & can't stop. It is my curse and blessing. I'm very glad to have something I want to read. I'm also glad I can stay focused on what I'm reading. It keeps my attention so well. On the other hand, it's all I want to do. I feel like I'm neglecting my duties as a mother, wife, human being. I'm pretty sure Carson will be excited when I'm finish. Anyway, that's why I haven't posted anything in a while. I'll catch everything back up when I'm done. For now, I'm going to go read. . .

Sweet Josephine

My cousin, Josephine, was born on October 22, 2008. Shortly after birth, she was transported to Children's Hospital in Columbia due to Respiratory Distress. Josephine spent 8 days in the Neonatal ICU where she was diagnosed with Trisomy 18, or Edward's Syndrome.

What is Trisomy 18? Trisomy 18 is a genetic disorder associated with the presence of extra material from chromosome 18. Fifty percent of infants with this condition do not survive beyond the first week of life. Only 5 -10% of infants survive to their first birthday. The high mortality rate is usually due to the presence of cardiac and renal malformations, feeding difficulties, sepsis, and apnea caused bycentral nervous system defects. Severe psycho motor and growth retardation are invariably present in those who survive beyond infancy. The outcome is fatal - however, each case is unique and there is no timeline for Josephine's survival. Josephine has many of the outward characteristics as well as all four of the heart defects associated with T-18 - ventrical septal defect, atrial septal defect, patent ductus arteriosis, and narrowing of the aorta. She is fed through a feeding tube due to her small mouth and jaw and lack of the sucking/swallowing reflex. She also suffers from apneic episodes which require stimulation and the administration of oxygen until she begins to breathe again. She is currently being treated weekly by her pediatrician and has bi-weekly visits from a hospice nurse.

A blog has been started to host a benefit auction to help my Aunt Clara and Uncle Jon with Josephine's medical expenses. We are asking anyone how has been touched by Josephine's story, or by Trisomy 18 in any way to please bid on items in the auction. If you would like to make a monetary donation, that would be greatly appreciated as well.
THANK YOU!

There's just something about Girls and Pie

So at church I am one of the leaders for the "Faith in God Girls". I am over the 10 & 11yr girls. We meet every Tuesday and have an activity or lesson of some sort. For this weeks activity, in honor of the upcoming holiday, I had all the girls over to make some pies. (we had it as a combined activity with the older & younger girls, age 8-11) I had a total of 8 girls in my house & 2 leaders. It was great! I pre-made the dough. When the girls arrived they had to roll it out, fill it, and decide how to decorate their top. Timing seemed to work out almost perfect. Everyone got to take their pie home, except one. (thank goodness, otherwise I would have no pictures)

This is Yoko's Pumpkin Pie (as you can tell) I think it looks absolutely marvelous. In fact, they all did. I wanted to eat every single one! We had 2 cherry, 2 apple, apple crisp, peach, coconut cream & pumkin.

The reason I decided to do this activity, is because when I was in Young Women, Sister Slaton had us come over every year around Thanksgiving and make pie. This was always one of my favorite activities. So, this one's for you, Virgina Slaton, thanks for the great tradition!

Fall Festival

We went as the "Little Red Riding Hood Gang" to our church fall festival. We had a chili cook off, carnival games, and pie eating contest. It was pretty fun.
This is our friends' dog, Lilly. I thought she looked more like a wolf than our dog, Charlie. Carson was the woods man. Madi was Little Red. I was Granny.

PIE!! ~~ No hands!

I got second place by about one bite. (or should I say slurp)

The Family

My mother just posted a similar post on her blog. She is such a great example for me. I want to be strong and stand for what I believe just like she does, no matter what people think of me. I believe marriage should be between a man and a woman. It's that simple. Here in Arizona we have a proposition coming up at election time. Prop 102- keep marriage between a man and a woman. I strongly agree with this!

The First Presidency and Council of the Twelve Apostles of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints sent out a standment. I have it framed and hanging in my house. I will always agree with and support these words.

The Family:A Proclamation to the World
We, the First Presidency and the Council of the Twelve Apostles of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, solemnly proclaim that marriage between a man and a woman is ordained of God and that the family is central to the Creator’s plan for the eternal destiny of His children.
All human beings—male and female—are created in the image of God. Each is a beloved spirit son or daughter of heavenly parents, and, as such, each has a divine nature and destiny. Gender is an essential characteristic of individual premortal, mortal, and eternal identity and purpose.
In the premortal realm, spirit sons and daughters knew and worshipped God as their Eternal Father and accepted His plan by which His children could obtain a physical body and gain earthly experience to progress toward perfection and ultimately realize their divine destiny as heirs of eternal life. The divine plan of happiness enables family relationships to be perpetuated beyond the grave. Sacred ordinances and covenants available in holy temples make it possible for individuals to return to the presence of God and for families to be united eternally.
The first commandment that God gave to Adam and Eve pertained to their potential for parenthood as husband and wife. We declare that God’s commandment for His children to multiply and replenish the earth remains in force. We further declare that God has commanded that the sacred powers of procreation are to be employed only between man and woman, lawfully wedded as husband and wife.
We declare the means by which mortal life is created to be divinely appointed. We affirm the sanctity of life and of its importance in God’s eternal plan.
Husband and wife have a solemn responsibility to love and care for each other and for their children. “Children are an heritage of the Lord” (Psalm 127:3). Parents have a sacred duty to rear their children in love and righteousness, to provide for their physical and spiritual needs, and to teach them to love and serve one another, observe the commandments of God, and be law-abiding citizens wherever they live. Husbands and wives—mothers and fathers—will be held accountable before God for the discharge of these obligations.
The family is ordained of God. Marriage between man and woman is essential to His eternal plan. Children are entitled to birth within the bonds of matrimony, and to be reared by a father and a mother who honor marital vows with complete fidelity. Happiness in family life is most likely to be achieved when founded upon the teachings of the Lord Jesus Christ. Successful marriages and families are established and maintained on principles of faith, prayer, repentance, forgiveness, respect, love, compassion, work, and wholesome recreational activities. By divine design, fathers are to preside over their families in love and righteousness and are responsible to provide the necessities of life and protection for their families. Mothers are primarily responsible for the nurture of their children. In these sacred responsibilities, fathers and mothers are obligated to help one another as equal partners. Disability, death, or other circumstances may necessitate individual adaptation. Extended families should lend support when needed.
We warn that individuals who violate covenants of chastity, who abuse spouse or offspring, or who fail to fulfill family responsibilities will one day stand accountable before God. Further, we warn that the disintegration of the family will bring upon individuals, communities, and nations the calamities foretold by ancient and modern prophets.
We call upon responsible citizens and officers of government everywhere to promote those measures designed to maintain and strengthen the family as the fundamental unit of society.
This proclamation was read by President Gordon B. Hinckley as part of his message at the General Relief Society Meeting held September 23, 1995, in Salt Lake City, Utah.

Photo Tag

So I was photo tagged. I'm supposed to get the 4th photo out of the 4th folder, then explain about it & tag 4 more people.
This is the day Carson gave me my dog, Charlie. We had so much fun! It was the day before my birthday and she was only 4weeks old. She was sooo cute!

Anyway, I tag Brandi, Emily, Christy, & Josie.

Little Red Riding Hood's Hood

So we are going to have a family fairytale theme for Halloween this year. You guessed it... Little Red Riding Hood. You will see more pictures of the whole clan after the actual holiday. For now, I'm super excited because I made Madi's hood. It turned out pretty great. I'm also pretty sure it won't fall apart. I think I'm getting used to this sewing thing. The hood it's self is a little big, but I made it while she was napping, so I had to guestimate. I got the instructions from a site I found online. I altered the measurements for a child & the rest was pretty simple.

My little reader

Madi loves books! It makes me so happy. I'm sure most kids like books, but to me it seems like Madi likes them a TON! She could be playing with almost anything & I'll pick up a book... she'll drop it and come running. I hope this stays with her.

Anyway, one day she grabbed her book and climbed up into her chair. I thought it was the cutest thing. She just sat there and looked at her book all by herself.

Madi's 1st Birthday!

Madi turned one today! Super exciting for me! (she couldn't have cared less) On Saturday we had a birthday cookout with some friends. It was pretty great.

When I was growing up my mom was the best. (she still is) I remember one year she made my cake look like a swan. It was the coolest cake ever! So, I tried to make Madi's cake more fun-- It's supposed to be ballons (Madi loves ballons) It didn't turn out quite like I imagined, but it sure tasted great!

Then today we had a little family time & had birthday cake. Madi loved it. She picked off most of the M&M's before she even touched the rest of the cake.

Madi and the Hose

Carson gave Madi the hose and then turned on the water. She thought it was pretty fun.

When I thought we were done, I stripped Madi down & went to get some dry clothes. I guess we weren't done playing after all.

Dress Up

I pulled out all my costume stuff and have a little fun today. What do you think Madi should be for Halloween?
A Hippie? An Aviator?
A Fairy? Elvis?

"I am lookin' gooood!"

Golfing. . .

So, I've never been golfing before. I've done the putt-putt stuff, but never the real deal. Carson and I had always talked about going sometime. (I had been to a driving range, but wasn't very good.) So, I decided to take Carson golfing for his birthday. Just the two of us. We decided to only play 9-holes since I never played before.

Talk about a fun time! I must have missed the ball itself at least 3-4 times on each hole. (I mean swing and miss, swing and miss, swing and miss, etc) One time I even gave up and kicked the ball... it went straight into the pond. Also, they were reseeding the green, so it was pretty rough turf. They also had the sprinklers running. I almost wet myself once because I was laughing so hard. The sprinklers kept popping up randomly and almost spraying us down.

In this picture... Carson is trying to hit a bug out of the air.