The M Family

Halloween 2011 Festivities

2011-11-09T20:10:00.000-07:00

Halloween festivities this year started out with our annual Pumpkin Carving at Family Night at Mat's Dad's home. This year my sister came along and enjoyed the fun with us.

Mat is trying to help Madison put pieces of a potato head in a pumpkin to make a face, but Madison mostly just wanted to take the pieces out.

My sister and I carving our little pumpkins. I ended up carving a ghost and my sister carved a bunch of stars. I did not get any pictures of our pumpkins finished though. I also ended up carving Mat's and just did a simple jack-o-lantern face.

A group shot of the fam and some friends carving away.

Our ward had a Halloween carnival a few days before Halloween and here is a picture of Madison there. Madison just ran around the whole time and for a while she was just dancing to the music (from the cake walk booth). It was so funny and really cute.

Halloween this year turned out to be really nice weather which made it so nice especially since it was Madison's first trick-or-treating experience.

Our little Sunflower.

We went and visited my sister at her work and then visited Mat and his work. After Mat got done with work then we also visited our parents so they could see Madison all dressed up. It was busy, but we had a great time.

Madison didn't really get the whole trick-or-treating thing, but just stood on the the porches of people's homes trying to put the candy in and out of her little pumpkin container.

We had a great Halloween and Madison made a really adorable sunflower.

Fall Photo's & More

2011-11-09T19:55:00.000-07:00

Life is busy and I seem to not blog that much anymore, but here are some pictures from the last two months of us and our little bugaboo Madison. Madison is so full of life and so exploratory. Madison is so very active and keeps us on our toes. Madison is so sweet though and is so good at giving us hugs and kisses which makes it all worth it.

These next few pictures are Madison's 15 month pictures.

My oldest brother and wife had their fourth child on the 10th of September. They named her Margaret.

I think I am already her favorite Auntie :)

Proud parents and sister (one of them) of Margaret.

Here are some family pictures of us that we took a little bit ago. Madison was not really cooperating for us, but I think that is typical of a child her age. Madison is still adorable even if she won't smile for the camera.

It was windy when we took the pictures

Madison loved when we let her put her feet in the water.

We took a few of just Mat and I and I felt like we were taking engagement pictures or something.

Our cute little stinker.

These photo of us turned out pretty well and Madison is kind of smiling.

Daddy playing around with Madison after all the photo's were finally taken.

Madison's awesome hairdo.

Madison with straight hair. Her eyes are so beautiful and blue.

Madison with curly hair.

In the beginning of October our niece got baptized. Here is Sydney on her baptism day. We are so proud of her for making the decision to be baptized and become a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints.

Madison running around the gym after the baptism. She is hard to keep still.

Here is my sister comparing Madison and Jensen. They are almost the same size. Madison is about 8 months older.

Just a random cute picture of Madison.

Madison is growing up way too fast.

We took some family pictures with Mat's Dad and Step-Mom side of the fam up in Layton a few weekends ago. Here is a shot that we just took of Madison.

Sweet picture of the took of them even though no smile from Madison.

I love that Madison's cute little hand is on top of mine.

Lake Powell

2011-11-09T19:32:00.000-07:00

We took a vacation with some of Mat's fam to Lake Powell at the end of August, beginning of September. We stayed on a house boat for a week and we took our little bugaboo with us and it was quite an adventure. This was my first time and obviously Madison's first time there as well. Mat use to go with his family at least once a year all growing up and stopped just before we got married. So Mat really enjoyed getting back there. Lake Powell is one of Mat's favorite places on Earth. I have to say that Lake Powell is a very beautiful place. The first day was a little stressful with Madison, but we made it through and the rest of the trip got better. Here are a few pictures from the trip:

The one and only time Madison actually wore an approved US Coast Guard life jacket. Madison hated wearing it every second. The other days we just had her in a swimsuit that had floating devices in it.

At Lake Powell Madison loved to play in the sand. Kaimen, Aiden, Mat, and Madison having fun in the water

Just enjoying some food.

Madison and her daddy.

So cute.

Sometimes she liked being in her little tube and other times Madison disliked it.

Madison having fun on the knee board.

Madison was fascinated with the ducks in the water at the marina and I thought this was a cute picture of Mat and Madison together.

Here is the view of them from the front looking at the ducks.

Enjoying the wind in her face.

Mat wake-boarding.

Mat trying to do some trick on the wake board.

A family shot, but couldn't get Madison to look.

Mat and Madison floating in the water.

These pictures are so high and it is amazing some people a long time ago were able to put them on the walls.

We hiked up to some ancient ruins. They were short people that's for sure.

Madison was being really cute with her Great Grandpa (Mat was trying to take the picture without disturbing them).

We only had one of Madison's book go over board, but Mat was able to quickly get it out of the water. So no major catastrophe's which was nice. I tried wake boarding for the first time and got up on my second try. It was pretty fun trying it out. We enjoyed all the good food, the warm sun, and the beautiful surroundings of Lake Powell.

Randomness

2011-08-26T23:09:00.001-06:00

I haven't posted in a long time and thought I would post a few pictures of a few of the things we have done lately. I need to take more pictures, but I always seem to forget too.

Madison and her Daddy on Father's Day. Madison is real happy as you can see. Mat is seriously the best dad ever and loves Madison so much and takes such good care of her. Madison will definitely be able to get anything she wants from her dad when she gets older.

We had a little party celebrating Madison and Erin's (Madison's Birth Mom) birthdays which both were in June. Erin had us come to her home and put together a great little party to celebrate. Here are some of the cute decorations. It looked so adorable.

Singing Happy Birthday to Madison and Erin. Madison's face is so funny in this picture.

Madison having some of the yummy cupcake that Erin made.

Madison loving her new little hippo that some of Erin's friends gave to Madison. It was very sweet of them.

Erin is in the middle holding an unhappy Madison along with two of Erin's brothers, sister, and Mom. It was really so great to meet some of Erin's siblings for the first time. They are really nice.

Cute picture of Madison and her birth mom.

Us with Erin and her mom. We look like Jolly Green Giants next to them.

Madison's face is so adorable while she was look at Erin's sister.

Madison's little flag on the 4th of July.

Madison's cousins trying to help Madison walk.

Our cute little fam.

We had a little BBQ at my mom's house on the 4th and it was fun. Here are all the cousins together except Jensen who was sleeping inside. They are all mostly all looking at the camera, maybe not smiling, but at least looking in the general direction of the camera.

Our first camping trip this Summer. We camped above Fairview. Here is us by the campfire.

Cloy, Steven, and my Mom.

Mat trying to eat one the jumbo marshmallows smashed between two cookies. The big mallows get enormous when you roast them and you can only eat one if you do. I prefer roasting the normally mallows.

Mat cuddling with sweet Madison after I got out of the warm blankets to get her and bring her to him. She actually cuddled for a while with him which is a miracle because Madison usually does not cuddle.

Just hanging out in the trailer.

We went for a little walk/hike. It was really beautiful. It is always so wonderful to get out and enjoy being in nature.

Madison trapped in her play pen.

On the actual 24th of July we went to my Uncle's cabin like usual, but I didn't take any pictures. On the 25th we went swimming with Mat's fam for our family night. Madison enjoyed the water like usual.

Tyler (one of Mat's step-brothers), his two girls, and Madison floating on the raft.

After swimming we went to my Grandma's to watch the firework show that Liberty Park puts on. While waiting we played some phase 10 and when it started raining we moved the game inside.

Here is our little fam. Madison did really well staying up so late. It was her first time watching fireworks.

Here is some of the gang waiting around and watching a few fireworks that we bought and lit.

One weekend we went to a campsite up Big Cottonwood Canyon and had a dutch oven dinner. Madison looks so cute in her little piggy tails.

The three of us enjoy the outdoors.

My little brother Steven and Mat posing for the camera

Here is the proof of us doing the dutch oven. We made some fried chicken, potatoes and veggies, and then some yummy peach cobbler for dessert.

The rest of the gang that enjoyed the delicious dutch oven dinner. We also played some action Uno which is a really fun game and it was very entertaining playing with my Mom.

After the dutch oven dinner the very next morning we came right back to Big Cottonwood canyon and went on a hike. We hiked to Lake Mary, Lake Catherine, and Lake Martha (not sure exactly what the hike is called).

Pretty view. We really do live in such a beautiful state.

Us by one of the Lakes.

Madison looking adorable with the little flower in her hair. Madison did really well on the hike and even fell asleep on the way back even though her head was bouncing all around.

Just because she is so adorable.

A couple of weeks ago Mat's youngest brother and wife had their first little baby. Here is us meeting little Tenley. She is so adorable and so precious. She weighed over 8lbs and was over 21 inches long.

The other weekend we went four wheeling with Mat's family. Madison had a great time playing in the dirt. Madison loves playing in dirt and even enjoys eating it too.

Madison hanging out with her daddy on a four wheeler for the first time.

Some of the gang hanging out while others were four wheeling.

Our niece Sydney learning how to ride a little motorcycle. She did really well and it was fun to watch her.

Us in the razor. We had a nice ride in it and even took Madison with us. Madison did really well and seemed to enjoy the ride. It was so beautiful and we had a really great day four wheeling.

A random shot of our little princess.

Our Blue Eyed Babe

2011-07-13T21:59:00.001-06:00

Madison turned one back on June 11 and I am finally posting about it. I can't believe Madison is one years old. The time has gone by way too fast and our baby is growing up. This past year has been so amazing with sweet adorable Madison. Our happy Madison has been the greatest joy to us and life gets better with having her in our lives each day. We are so grateful for adoption because without it we wouldn't have our sweet precious Madison. There is lot's I could write, but who has the time so here are just a few things about our Madison.

Madison loves sleeping with her face smashed down in the mattress with her bum up in the air. Seriously so funny and cute to watch her on our baby monitor. We need to get a picture of it.

Madison is very social and waves and says hi to everyone. Seriously wherever we go she is always waving to everyone.

Madison makes lots and lots of funny noises too many to name. Madison loves to say "uh oh". Madison talks and babbles all day long.

Madison prefers Mommy over Daddy right now even though she loves her daddy and gets so excited when he comes home from work each day.

Madison's smiles is so adorable and when she giggles it is seriously the best. You can't help, but smile and laugh too.

Madison still only has her two bottom teeth, is not walking yet even though if she didn't think about it she could.

Madison will sometimes sing along with me when I sing to her.

Madison does not use a bottle anymore and drinks well out of her sippy cup. Yeah no more formula to buy for us!!!!

So much more to write, but no time so enjoy the pictures.

Having fun at the fountains at Gateway.

Madison with the Goats at Wheeler Farm. Madison wouldn't let go of the bag of bread that I brought to feed the ducks. She is so funny.

Madison's first trip to Seven Peaks this Summer.

Madison had a blast at Seven Peaks and loves the water. Madison crawls towards the waves at the wave pool and is not afraid. Madison ends of drinking lots of water, but she had lots of fun.

At her one year check up Madison weighed:

Madison was 28 inches long at her one year check up which makes her almost double her length from her birth. Madison was 14.5 inches long at birth.

Madison's one year teddy bear comparison.

Madison's one year comparison to Mat's hand.

The next few pictures are some of Madison's 12 month pictures. At the time of this "photo shoot" Madison was not her normally happy self and so we didn't get any good ones of her smiling, but she is still so stinkin' cute.

In this shoot Madison is hugging a stuffed hippo that she loves.

I love the hand in the air.

Such beautiful scenery.

She is a cutie even if she wouldn't smile.

We had a birthday party for Madison at our house on her birthday. We had a BBQ with lots of good food and family. Madison is watching her cousins play with all of her toys.

Madison kinda trying to open some of her presents.

Madison's cousins helping her open her gifts. I think they opened most of them for her. Madison got lots of new cute clothes and some fun new toys. Madison was spoiled. Thanks to everyone.

Madison enjoying a birthday card. Who needs presents?

I made and M&M cake for Madison (of course) and some M&M themed cupcakes as well. They turned out nice for not being a pro or anything. Of course her party was pink and brown. I even made a banner using my big shot, but did not get a good picture of it to show.

All of the family singing Happy Birthday to Madison. She got a little scared and almost started to cry, but she didn't end up crying.

I love this face.

Madison staring at a piece of her chocolate cake.

Her first bite of chocolate cake.

What do I do with it? I think that is what she was thinking.

So excited!

There are several more pictures of her eating her first birthday cake.

I thought it would be fun to recap the year of comparing Madison to her teddy bear. Madison at the hospital when she weighed 4lbs 5 ounces. I can't believe she was ever so small.

Madison's one month comparison.

Madison's two month comparison.

Madison's 3 month comparison.

Madison's four month comparison.

Madison's five month comparison.

Madison's six month comparison.

Madison's seven month comparison.

Madison's eight month comparison.

Madison's nine month comparison.

Madison's ten month comparison.

Madison's eleven month comparison.

Madison's twelve month comparison. (Sorry the lighting is not great.)

Our beautiful blue eyed babe.

We love you so very much!!!

Jackson

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

Over Memorial weekend we went on vacation to Jackson, Wyoming. It was so nice to go on vacation and spend some time with family. We left on Thursday night and spend that night in Idaho at my brothers in-laws home. It was nice because Madison slept for the 3 hour drive. It was really great to break up the drive. My brothers in-laws were so great to let us stay at their home. Madison enjoyed spending some extra time with her cousin Payton. It seemed liked Payton had fun playing with Madison too and she was very cute with her. Here are a bunch of pictures from our time away.

This is us and Payton hanging out at my brothers in-laws in Idaho.

Cute Jensen (My brothers little boy).

We stayed at the Jackson Lake Lodge. This is the main lodge that we spent lots of time at.

Grandparents trying to feed Madison, but she was too busy with everything else going on.

On Friday night we had dinner at the Pioneer Grill in the lodge. It was good food and we had a really good dessert of ice cream between two large cookies with chocolate and caramel. It was yummy.

This is my sister Kami hanging out with Madison in our little lodge while we unloaded our stuff.

Madison looked so cute all snuggled in my little brother Steven's coat.

This was the view of the Tetons from the lodge where we stayed. It was amazing.

Our little fam and the beautiful view.

We went took a little walk on a trail by our lodge. It was beautiful and we saw a few animals.

A cute picture of my cousin and sister.

So happy!

Gorgeous View.

A bunch of us at Jenny Lake.

Another picture at Jenny Lake one where you can actually see the lake.

Here we are at Jackson Hole.

We played at a playground in Jackson hole. Madison enjoyed the slide.

Madison's first time being pushed in a swing by herself. Madison had lots of fun with her Aunt Kami.

Some of us played some frisby golf with some homemade markers. I actually was the only one to get a hole in one which was fun. My brother Craig got a different hole in one, he actually threw the frisby and it hit his 3 month old son w ho was laying on the grass way far away. We felt bad for Jensen, he was crying for a little bit, but finally got settled down.

Fam waiting in the lobby of a golf club where we had dinner on Saturday night.

Dinner at the Pines Restaurant at the golf club. Dinner was good, we also had a slide show and presentation. We had a grand prize drawing where 5 or 6 family members got to win a luxury they wanted that had been filled out from about 6 years ago. Mat and I actually were one of the winners. Mat and I had different luxuries so we will be figuring out which one we want We might be going on a cruise.

On Sunday we drove through Yellowstone. Here are the tall snow banks. Crazy how much snow there still is up there.

Hanging out at the main lodge.

On Sunday night we had dinner at the lodge. There was 62 people of us.

A cute little picture of my cousins Mindy and Jessica and sister Kami at dinner.

That night we celebrated a few birthdays of some of the fam that had birthdays over the trip or close to it. We sang them all happy birthday and had some cake.My sister Kami had her 25th birthday on that Monday.

The birthday cake.

Sunday was a long night with dinner and the program and Madison was really tired and finally fell asleep on Mat.

My Grandma.

Kami and Madison on Monday morning in front of Kami's lodge that was decorated with streamers and signs for Kami's birthday.

We had a great time on our trip.

Sixty Sixty

2011-06-05T19:47:00.000-06:00

My father-in-law turned sixty the other day and we had a birthday dinner for it. We had a good time and here are a few pictures from the event.

Stan in his festive birthday gear.

The fam eating delicious pork chops, potatoes, salad, and rolls that Tami made.

Riley one of Mat's Step-brothers got engaged a few days before and they announced it to us at dinner. We are very excited for them. They are going to be getting married in August.

The birthday cake.

Madison with her Grandpa Stan.

Another one with Grandpa Stan. Madison is a cutie.

Madison with Grandma Tami and Grandpa Stan.

Happy 60th Birthday Stan!!

Marvelous Madison at 11 Months

2011-05-25T15:24:00.000-06:00

So I am a little behind on posting Madison's 11 months, but that is no surprise I am usually behind. Madison finally started to get her two bottom teeth at about 10 1/2 months. It was really painfully for her, but we made it through and only have just the rest of her teeth to deal with, no big deal right :) Madison is still just crawling all over the place and standing up on everything. Madison is so happy and a really good baby. Lately when I have been singing and dancing with Madison around the house she starts to make noises and I think she is trying to sign along with me. It is very cute. Madison is still miss independent, but lots of fun. Our little Madison is such a delight.

Our cute little baby is getting way too big. I can't believe she is almost one years old. Crazy how fast it goes by. Madison is always on the move and it is hard to take her picture.

I was trying to take a picture of Madison in her cute hat, but she kept trying to follow me and get the camera and this is all that I could get.

So one day Payton (Madison's Cousin) wanted to hold Madison and Madison actually let Payton hold her for like 5 minutes. It was really amazing and really cute too. This definitely doesn't happen every day.

One day when Mat was feeding Madison he took this picture of her. Her face is so funny.

For my little brother's birthday we went out to dinner at Chili's. We had a good time with some of the fam and Madison did well at the restaurant. Here is a picture of the three of us.

I love this picture of Madison.

Madison and the birthday boy my brother Steven.

We had Madison's birth mom Erin over to our house for breakfast on Birth Mom's Day which is the day before Mother's Day. We had a nice time with Erin and we are ever so grateful to her for her decision to place.

Madison's hair is such a mess and she has so much of it.

Madison and I on Mother's Day. It was a nice day and it is so wonderful being a mom. Madison is such a good daughter and I love all the time we get to spend being together every day. Madison is learning so much and I enjoy seeing her explore the world around her. When Madison smiles it lights up her eyes and her face and seriously one of the best things ever to see.

Such a cute little one.

Our little fam on Mother's Day.

Madison's 11 month comparison to Mat's hand. Man it is hard to get her to lay still while we take pictures of her these days!!

Madison's 11 month teddy bear comparison.

Here is a bunch of pictures of Madison at 11 months. Madison is so adorable.

Excellent Easter

2011-04-30T21:10:00.000-06:00

So here are some things that we did last week for the holiday.

For family night we had an Easter egg hunt.

Of course Madison put the eggs in her mouth because she loves to put everything in her mouth.

We also colored some eggs the other day too.

Here is me coloring the eggs by myself. Mat ended up being busy for a short time after we started to color them.

Mat was finally able to join me again so that I did not have to color them myself.

Here is Madison's Easter basket.

Here is Madison crawling to her basket.

I think Madison liked her new stuff.

Madison all dressed up in her cute purple Easter dress.

Precious little one.

Cutie pie.

Pretty in Purple.

Our darling little girl.

Our little fam.

Easter is a great time and we had some fun festivities, but we also spent time reflecting upon our Savior and His great sacrifice for us and His Resurrection. We had a nice time reading from the scriptures about it and watching part of the the Lamb of God video.This is really the great reason why we celebrate Easter. It is truly amazing everything that the Savior has done for me and everyone.

10 Terrifc Months

2011-04-23T21:54:00.000-06:00

Well, these days the only time I blog is about Madison and her progress. Other stuff does go on with us, but it just seems like I never get around to it. Anyway Madison was 10 months on the 11th of this month. Madison is as cute as ever these days. Madison is crawling all over and getting into lots of stuff. Madison loves to push her little walker all over the house and when an object like the couch or the table impedes her progress she just bangs the walker into them until we move her. Gotta love it. Madison loves climbing up onto us and standing up and is getting so strong. For a while there whenever we laid Madison in her crib she would immediately stand up and not go to sleep. She thought she was so funny. We are getting out of that phase and now she usually just stands up in her crib after she wakes up from a nap. Madison is starting to copy noises we make and it is so much fun when she does. She has about 4 different noises that she will copy. Madison has been doing fishy lips lately and it is so adorable we need to get a picture of it though. Madison gets excited to see her daddy when he gets home from work each day. Madison loves music and bounces with excitement when she hears music she likes. We have been listening to a Disney station on Pandora lately and she seems to enjoy it. Madison still enjoys when we read to her and is into any books that have flaps. Madison is really starting to get the hang of the sippy cup. We have just given her a little water and she loves it. The other day when we took it away from her she freaked out. Madison is getting so big and it is sad to see her grow up so fast, but I guess we will just have to enjoy every moment. Here are a bunch of pictures of what our cute little one has been up to lately.

I love this picture of Madison. It is so stinkin' cute. Madison gets cuter and cuter each day

Madison looks like a little bumble bee.

Madison wearing her daddy's hat.

Madison pushing her little walker around having a good time.

Mat was trying to get a good shot of Madison's eyes in the light. Madison has such pretty blue eyes. Gotta love those cheeks that you just want to squeeze.

This is one of Madison's favorite spots to play. She plays with all her books and loves to stand up on the end table. Madison loves to pull out all of her books from her basket.

Madison loves this little toy car (or whatever it is). Madison gets very excited when the music goes on from it as you can tell from this picture.

Sometimes when we let Madison feed herself this is what she does. So funny that she is grabbing both her feet

Madison's 10 month comparison to Mat's hand.

Madison's 10 month comparison to her teddy bear. It is a challenge to get her to lay still for even a few seconds these days.

Here are a few pictures of Madison at 10 months old that we took of her.

We love our adorable daughter. Madison is so sweet and such a happy baby. We are so blessed and lucky to be her parents. We are looking forward to the many more fun milestones with Madison.

9 Fabulous Months

2011-03-15T21:23:00.000-06:00

Madison turned 9 months on last Friday. Madison is so adorable and growing so much. Madison has started crawling, loves standing, babbles all day long, independent (when she does not want something done she lets you know), loves electronics and cords, smiles hugely and giggles when I (not a fan when others try) make a moo sound, loves eating her little puffs and small pieces of bread, and gets so excited when her daddy comes home and much more. We love our happy baby.

Madison enjoys standing up and her balance gets better all the time.

Madison with her books. Madison enjoys books especially ones with pictures of other babies. We have a book right now from the library called, I Love Colors and Madison smiles and gets so excited when we read it to her. I love it!

Madison after bath time. Madison's hair is getting really long. Madison loves playing with her little froggies during bath time.

A couple of weeks ago I took Madison to the Living Aquarium with our play group from the neighborhood. Madison seemed to really enjoy it and we had a great time.

Madison and her penguin friend from the aquarium.

Madison is crawling now. Madison is not very fast, but she is getting better every day. One side effect is that once again she spits up a bunch and now it gets all over the carpet.

Madison with her Daddy.

Another one. (Notice the electronic device she is playing with).

Madison with her mommy.

Another one.

Madison now weighs:

Madison is 26 1/4 inches long. Madison is still on the petite side.

Madison's 9 month comparison to Mat's hand.

Madison's 9 month teddy bear comparison. It is very hard to keep her to lay still especially when you try and changer her diaper. It is a real chore.

Some 9 month pictures of sweet little Madison.

Such a big girl.

Those eyes of hers.

Cute smile.

Look at her.

So stinkin' cute!

Our precious little Madison.

The last nine months have been so wonderful with Madison. Madison is a bundle of joy and we are so grateful to be her parents. Madison is such a wonderful happy baby and we love every moment with her.

Baby Jensen

2011-03-08T15:42:00.000-07:00

Here is the newest addition to my family. My brother Craig and his wife Lani had a baby boy on February 17th. His name is Jensen and he was 9lbs 7oz and was about 21 inches.

Here is my little bro Steven with adorable Jensen.

Here is me with my cute nephew. I am his favorite aunt already :)

Jensen will probably pass up Madison in a few months. He is 10 pounds already.

Eight is Great!

2011-02-21T13:37:00.000-07:00

Madison and her 8 month update. We can't believe she was 8 months on the 11th of February. Madison is definitely exploring and understanding the world around her more each day. Madison even has started having some separation/stranger anxiety. Madison loves to babble all day long. Madison is still not crawling, but she gets up on all fours and bounces, rocks, and scoots her knees up. Madison does roll over a ton and can get around to things she wants by doing so. Madison enjoys standing up while holding on to the couch and loves walking around with our help. Madison still loves when we sing to her and also enjoys when we read to her. One of Madison's favorite songs is Popcorn Popping. Madison is so fun and gives us lots of smiles and is a happy healthy baby.

Madison our sweet happy eight month old.

Madison lookin' pretty all ready to go to church.

Madison is always putting whatever she can in her mouth.

Madison had a visit from her birth mom the other day. We all had a nice time.

Madison opening her gifts from Erin.

Madison with her birth mom Erin and mom. It was great to see them. We are so very grateful for adoption and our wonderful birth mom.

Madison's eight month comparison to her teddy bear.

Madison's eight month comparison to Mat's hand.

Beautiful Blue Eyes!

Some fun pictures of cute Madison at eight months.

These wings belong on Madison's teddy bear. They were a little tight, but she looked cute.

7 Splendid Months

2011-01-31T13:36:00.000-07:00

Madison is almost 8 months, but I am finally posting some pictures of her at 7 months. Madison is getting so big. At 7 months Madison was about 14lbs 4oz. Madison is a very happy baby. These days Madison loves to walk while we hold onto her hands. Madison is getting really good at putting her feet one in front of the other. Madison still loves when we sing to her. Madison also enjoys being in her little walker which she can only move backwards in. Madison is not crawling yet, but when she is on her tummy she scoots backwards. For now we are content that Madison is not very mobile because before we know it she will be into everything.

Madison loves to play and bounce in her exersaucer.

Madison's 7 month teddy bear comparison.

Madison's 7 month comparison to Mat's hand.

Madison making funny faces.

A few more cute pictures of Madison at 7 months.

Our adorable Madison!

Surprise!!!

2011-01-19T17:08:00.000-07:00

Today is my fabulous Mat's 30th Birthday. I had a surprise party for him on the 16th. Long story short, Mat was definitely surprised. I am glad that the surprise did not get ruined. We had a great turn out, good food, and some yummy chocolate cake for dessert. It was a fun night. Here are some pictures of our fam and friends.

My cute birthday boy is such a wonderful hubby. Mat is an amazing person and I am lucky to have him in my life. Happy 30th Birthday Mat!

Christmas Celebrations

2011-01-17T13:33:00.001-07:00

We celebrated Christmas Eve at my Mom's house. We had a wonderful dinner of flank steak. It was very tender and so good. We then read the story of the Magi, played chimes, read Christ's birth story in Luke, and then we watched some old home videos. We had some good laughs.

My sister Kami, brother Steve, and brother Craig with Madison looking at funny videos on the internet.

Mat, Payton, and my Step-dad. Having fun with the ipad.

Tender!

So cute!

All of us on Christmas Eve. I love that Madison has her head on Mat's arm.

The three of us on Christmas Eve.

We always play the chimes. The first song is always shaky, but we get better with each song.

Christmas morning at our home.

Our "little" stockings.

Christmas morning in front of the tree. Mat looks really tired, but Madison still looks adorable.

Madison and her new coat that her daddy picked out.

Some new jammies for Madison.

Mat opening up some of his gifts.

We stopped by Mom's for breakfast and then watched a movie on Christmas morning. Madison is starring at Emma because she was upset. So funny.

Then we went to Mat's Mom's for some yummy tex-mix and gifts.

Madison looks like she is about to dive into her gift.

Madison loving sucking on the tissue paper.

Madison then sucking on her new teddy bear.

Us with Mat's Mom and Step-dad.

Then we went to Mat's brother Bob's for a yummy dinner of ham and potatoes. It was delicious.

Mat's dad and Step-mom.

Josh and Melissa opening up a gift.

Madison looking at her new little doggie toy. Madison loves it because it makes noise and has lights.

Madison starring at her present from Grandpa and Grandma.

Madison playing with the ribbon of course and her cousin Sydney.

We had a wonderful Christmas. We enjoyed spending time with family and also reflecting upon our Savior and his birth. Holidays always come and go so fast.

Winter Wedding

2011-01-08T16:27:00.000-07:00

My brother Eric got married in the Salt Lake Temple on the 18th of December. We definitely had a busy weekend filled with lots of laughter, family, photo's, and fun. My brother found someone who is perfect for him and we are happy that he found Ruth. Eric and Ruth are very much in love and so happy. Congrats to them! Enjoy the fabulous photo's from the wedding, luncheon, and reception.

Eric and Ruth on their wedding day looking beautiful and very happy.

Some of the fam waiting around for pictures at the temple.

My cute hubby and me.

Sister Sister.

My little bro and I waiting around.

My brother Craig and I.

Kami, Steven, and I looking pretty (trying to anyway).

All my siblings and I except for my brother Eric.

Eric and Ruth with my Mom and Step-Dad.

Our fam outside the Salt Lake Temple.

Eric and Ruth at the luncheon. The luncheon was at a church in South Jordan. The delicious food was catered by my Uncle Siegfried.

Some of the fam at the luncheon. The tables look great. My Mom did a great job with them.

More of the gang at the luncheon.

More fam from the luncheon.

My dapper husband and I at the luncheon.

The Reception. Madison all dressed up. Looking as cute as ever.

Grandma (my mom) and Emma.

Two cousins looking very adorable in their brown dresses. Emma did not want to smile for the picture, but she is still so cute. They both have pretty blue eyes.

Madison being a good little sitter.

Emma walking. It was fun to see her walk.

All the kids looking so very good.

Cute picture of me and my sister. Normally my sister is not taller than me, but she was wearing high heels.

Madison eating her yummy dress.

I thought Madison was really cute in this picture and so I wanted to post it even though my eyes are half closed, but that is nothing new for me. I am always blinking in pictures.

My oldest brother Ryan's cute little family.

My second oldest brother Craig and his adorable fam.

The bride and groom looking nice.

All of the fam at the wonderful reception.

Just the three of us.

Congrats Eric and Ruth!

A Forever Family

2010-12-30T18:26:00.002-07:00

On Friday December 17th we had the privilege of sealing Madison to us in the Oquirrh Mountain Temple. That day was a culmination of everything we had waited for, for so long. We had a marvelous day and will never forget the great happiness that we felt that day. It definitely was a little bit of heaven on earth. As sweet sleeping Madison was brought in the room by my sister, they both reminded me of beautiful angels in white. It was so precious to witness this. Madison woke up and starting crying right after, but as soon as the sealer started Madison stopped crying. It was just perfect and special and many tears of joy were shed. We love Madison so much and are so grateful to have her in our family forever. We are so blessed. After the temple we came back to our house and blessed Madison. It was a busy day and Madison was such a good baby for it. Enjoy the pictures from our special day.

A forever family.

Here is some of our friends and fam there to support us on this great day.

All in white. Madison was really tired by now, but did a good job with all the photo's we took.

Outside the Oquirrh Mountain temple with my some of my family.

The three of us outside the temple. It was really cold, but at least it did not snow or rain on us.

This is us outside the temple with some of Mat's family.

Madison trying to stay warm inside her daddy's suit coat jacket.

A picture of all of the gang outside the beautiful Oquirrh Temple.

Us and the beautiful mountains in the background.

After the sealing we went back to our house to bless Madison, but first we had to feed her. Madison was SO tired, but still so cute.

Look at her eyes.

Duke (my cousins little boy) looking very adorable. He is a few months older than Madison.

My brother Steve, my brother Ryan, and his wife Lindsey waiting for the blessing.

My sister Kami, my Mom, and cousin Mindy.

Mat's brother Bob, his son Drew, and wife Chantal.

Cute photo of my sister and my cousin.

So, so, so tired Madison while we were singing Families Can Be Together before she was blessed by her daddy.

Our precious baby.

Our little fam on Madison's blessing day.

Madison's big day was just perfect. We will always remember this glorious day.

We are so grateful to have the gospel of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints in our lives.

Half A Year

2010-12-27T13:12:00.000-07:00

Madison turned six months old on December 11th. We can't believe that Madison is that old. It is so amazing and wonderful to watch and observe Madison's growth and development. We love our happy baby and here are some pictures of what Madison has been up to, along with her six month stats.

Madison is doing really well at sitting up all by herself these days. Madison sometimes even can catch herself with her arm instead of toppling over.

Madison is just starting to eat some solids. We started Madison out with some rice cereal. The first time we feed her she did not know what to think and did not like it, but now she LOVES eating solids. She opens her mouth wide and is ever waiting for us to put the food into her mouth. It is so cute.

Madison tried some sweet tender carrots the other day and she loves them. Madison is a good little eater.

I love that she is folding her arms.

Madison weighs 13 pounds 6 ounces and is in the 7th percentile for weight. Madison is growing, but still small for her age.

Madison is 25 inches long and is in the 22 percentile for length.

Six month comparison to Mat's hand.

Six month teddy bear comparison.

Here are a few of her six month pictures in a cute little dress.

So cute.

Standing with a little help from mom.

Our precious adorable little one.

A Simply Special Day

2010-12-13T21:14:00.000-07:00

Today we had a great day!!! Today was a special day for our family. We went to court today to finalize the adoption of our cute baby Madison. We headed downtown early this morning to meet with our lawyer and then go before the judge at our hearing. Madison is officially ours today. Hurray!!!

Here is Madison and I with my Mom and sister they came with us for the hearing.

Here is a picture of us with our lawyer and the judge. We had our court hearing in the judges chambers today. It was a great experience and so wonderful. We are so grateful that the judge decided that is was in Madison's best interest to be adopted by us. We are so lucky to have Madison in our lives.

Our fam in the judges chambers. We are so happy to have Madison in our lives. Each day we grow to love Madison more and more. Madison is such a delight and has brought us so much happiness.

After our hearing we had to go and get some certified copies of the decree of adoption and Madison was very tired and I was able to finally get her to fall asleep as we waited for the clerk to get these done for us. Madison is so sweet.

A special day for our family. We are so grateful for adoption and for our birth mom for making it possible for us to have Madison in our lives. We are thrilled to be Madison's parents and feel honored. Madison has brought us great joy, happiness, and love into our home. As Madison continues to grow each new stage has been better. Madison is talking/babbling so much these days. It makes our hearts melt. Madison we love you and are so glad and grateful that you are part of our family.

St. Nikolaus

2010-12-08T21:58:00.000-07:00

St. Nikolaus came to our home this year and we must have been good because he left us some goodies in our shoes. St. Nikolaus is a German tradition that we did growing up and I am trying to continue the tradition with my little family. On the night of December 5th you are suppose to put out your best polished Sunday shoe and if you have been good then when you wake up the next morning St. Nikolaus will have put something fun in your shoe. Here are a few pics of cute Madison looking at her stuff.

Adorable baby!!!

Sweet Shower

2010-12-08T21:37:00.000-07:00

I helped host a shower for my soon to be sister-in-law Ruth who is marrying my brother Eric on the 18th of December. We had lot's of good food and good company.

Here is Madison hanging out before everyone came over.

Ruth is in the gray sweater.

We did a cheese and a chocolate fondue with lot's of different foods to dip into them.

Gift opening time. Ruth got some good stuff.

Lights

2010-12-08T21:16:00.000-07:00

Last Monday for family home evening we went and saw the lights downtown at Temple Square. Tami (Mat's step-mom) made a scavenger hunt this year to mix things up a little bit. Each family got a list of things we had to do or find and we had 20 minutes to do as many as we could. This year we invited my sister and little bro and girlfriend to join us. Some of the things we had to do were, sing a Christmas carol to a family, help a child not related to us, give a Christmas book to someone and commit them to reading it this year, find a palm tree, take a picture of a star, have an older person tell you a story, and take a picture of an original piece of art. Those were just a few of the things we had to do. We had a good time.

The car ride down with Kaylee (my brother Steve's girlfriend), my sister Kami, and Madison, but you can only see her car seat.

Some of the gang waiting for the others to show up.

Madison with her Aunt Kami.

This was the palm tree that we found.

Madison on the car ride home.

My sister took this picture of herself. Sometimes she likes to take random pictures on my camera that I don't know about and this is one of them.

We had a great family night!

Thankful Day.

2010-12-06T17:53:00.000-07:00

This year's Thanksgiving was wonderful as usual. It is always great to spend time with family and loved ones and when you include food it can't get much better. We went to Mat's Dad's and Step-Mom's for Thanksgiving. We made some homemade crescents and they turned out good. We ate lot's of yummy food. The holiday's always come and go so fast so you just have to take the time to enjoy every minute. Here are some pics from the festivities:

Madison and I before the feast began.

Madison looking at herself on the camera. She seems captivated by it.

Everyone enjoying the Thanksgiving feast. We truly are so blessed!

At Mat's Dad's we usually do bingo after we eat, but not this year. The little kids played bingo, but the adults made blankets instead. The blankets we made were going to help wounded soldiers. Making the blankets really made me stop and think about how grateful I am for my freedom. I am so grateful for all the people who continue to fight for it each day.

Madison wanted to be part of all that was going on.

Madison and her Grandma Tami.

Madison asleep on her daddy. Mat loves it when Madison falls asleep on him. It is his fav.

Our little family on Thanksgiving 2010.

We truly are so grateful for the abundance of blessings that we have in our lives. This year we are so grateful for our dear sweet Madison that is in our family. We couldn't be happier!

Kami's Homecoming

2010-12-02T17:59:00.000-07:00

Kami's homecoming was on November 21st. Kami did a wonderful job and after church we went back and had lot's of yummy soup and desserts. Here are some pictures from it:

Kami and cute little Madison.

People waiting to get some yummy soup.

Some of the fam and friends.

I love those pretty blue eyes.

Kami animatedly talking to someone.

Us and Kami.

It is great having Kami home.

Kami's Home

2010-12-02T17:38:00.000-07:00

My sister Kami came home from her mission two weeks ago. Kami served in the Berlin Germany mission. Kami was a hard working missionary for the last 18 months and it is great to have her back home.

We made this shirt for Madison to wear when we went to go see Kami at the airport.

Madison waiting to meet her Aunt Kami.

Our little fam anxiously waiting.

The gang waiting for Kami (in the wrong place). We soon found out we needed to go to a different building to pick Kami.

The first view of Kami coming out of customs.

Kami giving her first hug to Mom.

Kami meeting Madison.

Kami and Grandma.

Kami meeting another niece Emma.

The gang all excited to have Kami home.

Kami with one of her companions that she served with twice and their Mom's.

Kami feeding Madison.

The three cousins Madison, Duke, and Emma.

Here is the three of them when Steven came home from his mission.

Welcome Home Kami. We love you!!!

Finally Five

2010-12-02T15:08:00.000-07:00

I am finally posting Madison's five month pictures. Madison was about 12 pounds at five months. Madison is getting so big and learning so much each and every day. Madison is so much fun and her smiles light up our lives. Madison loves our attention and we love giving it to her. Enjoy the pictures of beautiful Madison.

Smile

So happy!

Hanging out in the leaves.

Madison and her daddy going out for a walk.

Madison's 5 month teddy bear comparison.

Madison's 5 month comparison to Mat's hand.

Cute little stinker.

Those eyes.

Madison's looks like she is posing for us, so cute.

Adorable little baby.

Madison practicing her punches.

Our beautiful baby at 5 months.

Time has gone by so fast and Madison is growing up way to fast. We are enjoying the ride.

Project Pretty

2010-11-17T09:46:00.000-07:00

Here is a project that I have been working on for Madison's room. I just need to hang up the letters with ribbon. I will put them above Madison's crib and hopefully will do it soon and post a picture when it is complete.

Happy National Adoption Month

2010-11-16T11:01:00.000-07:00

November is officially National Adoption Month and so I thought I would just post a few thoughts about adoption. Adoption is truly wonderful and has blessed our lives tremendously. We know that Madison is meant to be part of our family and came to us through the miracle of adoption. A quote that I like about adoption is, "In placing their faith in the Lord as they make a truly selfless choice, many unwed birth mothers find that from the ashes of their deepest pain, He makes something beautiful— for her, the baby, and a loving family."

Our birth mom is truly amazing and we will be forever grateful to her. There are no words that we can say that can adequately thank her or tell her how we feel about her placing Madison with us. Madison is the world to us and has brought so much joy and happiness into our home. Madison is so perfect and beautiful, a little angel sent from above to our home through adoption. Birth mom's are truly unselfish with the amazing sacrifice they offer.

Our Birth Mom

To learn more about adoption you can go to:

https://itsaboutlove.org/ial/ct/eng/site/pregnant/

or visit the local Riverton FSA (families supporting adoption blog at:

http://rivertonfsa.blogspot.com/

One other little tidbit that I would like to post is about some positive adoption language. Many people talk to me and use terms that are negative, but it's only because they don't know any better. I thought I would post them the terms so people are more familiar with them and could start using them.

Negative Terms	Preferred Terms
Gave up her child for adoption	Placed her child for adoption
Real parent; natural parent	Birth parent, biological parent
Adoptive parent	Parent
His adopted child	His child
Illegitimate	Born to unmarried parents
Adoptee	Child who was adopted
To keep	To parent
Adoptable child; available child	Waiting child
Foreign adoption	International adoption
Track down parents	Search
Unwanted child	Child placed for adoption
Is adopted	Was adopted

One last thing I want to post is some adoption myths found from the It's About Love Web Site:

Most birth mothers who place their babies for adoption are teenagers.
Most birth mothers who choose adoption are in their early twenties, although women of all ages make this decision.

Birth parents who place their babies for adoption are abandoning their responsibility and taking the “easy way out.”
There is no easy way out of unplanned pregnancy; any option involves emotional pain. Most birth mothers who do not choose abortion make the choice initially to parent their babies. Those who choose adoption do so after taking some time to carefully consider their options and the best interests of their child. Adoption is a courageous, loving choice which shows that the birth mother takes seriously the responsibility to be a parent.

An adoptive parent cannot love a child as much as a biological parent can.
Love is not based on biology. Many loving relationships are between individuals who are not related to each other, such as husbands and wives. The love of a parent comes from preparing for a child and selflessly nurturing and caring for that child.

A birth mother can reclaim her child after adoption.
Once a birth mother’s rights have been terminated, she cannot reclaim her child. Cases of birth parents obtaining custody after adoption are extremely rare and are exaggerated by the media.

After a child has been placed, a birth mother cannot have any contact with the child.
Adoption practices have changed over the years. Today most birth mothers have some contact with their children. Arrangements are agreed upon by the birth mother and the adoptive parents and are based upon the needs and desires of all concerned.

Children who were adopted are more likely to have physical or emotional challenges.
It is impossible to predict how any child will turn out, whether biological or adopted. Generally, children who were adopted as infants are as emotionally healthy as children who were not adopted. Children who were adopted when older may have challenges resulting from adverse conditions in their early lives, such as neglect, abuse, or lack of attachment. These challenges do not result from the adoption itself.

Birth mothers never recover from the emotional pain of placing a child for adoption.
Birth mothers who choose adoption go through a grieving process, which is a healthy way of dealing with loss. But most birth mothers also report finding peace in the knowledge that they did all in their power to provide the best life possible for their child. They find that the experience gives them the strength and confidence to face other challenges throughout their lives.

We LOVE Adoption!!!

Halloween Festivities

2010-11-03T13:22:00.000-06:00

Halloween was great this year. Our cute little daughter was a pink m&m for Halloween. We thought it was very fitting for Madison. We had a Halloween party at our house on Friday night. We invited both sides of our family and had a good turn out. Not everyone was able to come, but we had a great time. We had some homemade chili, bread sticks, and pumpkin bars. and we played a few games as well. Enjoy the pictures of our great evening.

The cutest m&m ever!

Madison and Mommy

Madison and Daddy

Madison and Grandma Tini (my mom)

Madison and Uncle Stevie

Madison and cousin Sydney

Cousin Payton, Mommy, and Madison

Mommy, Cousin Drew, Cousin Sydney, and Madison

Josh and Melissa (Mat's youngest brother and wife)

Trevor and Julia (Mat's Step-brother and wife)

Whitnie and either Sophie or Lillie (I am not sure)

Drew way up high

Will didn't want his picture taken, but Mat was able to sneak a few pictures of him.

Cousin Kaiman, Cousin Aidan, and Grandpa Stan

Tyler and Whitnie with their two girls Lillie and Sophie (Mat's stepbrother and wife)

Adorable little Madison

Madison with Grandparents (My Mom and Step-dad)

Madison with more Grandparents (Mat's Dad and Step-mom)

Madison with my Step-mom.

Madison fell asleep during part of the party. She looks very cozy sleeping there on Mat.

The gang playing a tootsie roll game.

The gang playing the m&m game which is one of my favorites.

Happy Halloween from our family

On Saturday we went to a carnival at our church and it was good. We then just stayed home that night and passed out candy. We only had about 10 knocks on the door. Next year we will probably take Madison out trick-or-treating since we did not this year. On Halloween night we went to a neighbors house and made some yummy caramel apples. They were delicious. Halloween festivities this year were wonderful.

Pumpkin Carving Night

2010-10-30T18:44:00.000-06:00

On Thursday we did our annually pumpkin carving for family night. We usually do family night on Monday's at Mat's Dad's, but it was changed to Thursday this week because more people were able to make it for the pumpkin carving.

Here is me helping Aidan carve his pumpkin. He drew what he wanted on the pumpkin and then I carved it out for him.

Madison hanging out with her Grandpa Stan. She was very tired.

Some of the gang carving pumpkins.

Madison hanging out with her Daddy watching others carve pumpkins.

Sydney our niece carving her cute pumpkin. She did a great job.

I tried to take a picture of us that is why it looks a little funny. Madison was not a happy camper.

So because I helped Aidan carve a pumpkin and Mat had Madison for much of the time we did not carve any of our own pumpkins. We just have plains one. It works for me.

A Challenge

2010-10-27T10:25:00.000-06:00

Most of Madison's clothes are pink or have some pink on them and I was wanting Madison to wear clothes that had no pink on them. I challenged myself to try this for 7 days and I was successful. It was kind of hard because most of her outfits have some pink even if it is a small amount. So cute Madison did not wear any pink for 7 days. Take a look at the pictures for proof.

Day 1

Day 2

Day 3

Day 4

Day 5

Day 6

Day 7

Our adorable sweet baby!

Four Months

2010-10-19T21:39:00.000-06:00

I am only a week and half late on posting Madison's four month pictures. Where has the time gone? I can't believe that Madison is already four months old now. It is so crazy how much she has grown. Madison really enjoys sucking on her fists, has rolled over two times now, and smiles a ton especially in the mornings. Madison is such a happy baby in the mornings. Some mornings she wakes up grinning from ear to ear and it just melts our little hearts. Madison is such a delight. Here are a few pictures from the past month with our dear sweet beautiful Madison.

Our little family

A cute little smile from Madison.

Madison with two of her cousin out for a little walk.

I love this picture. I was driving in the car and when I stopped the car and got out Madison was asleep and her bow was covering her eyes and I had to take a picture.

Madison and her Mommy.

Madison all bundled up looking adorable.

Tummy time

Madison now weighs: in the 10th month in 2010.

Madison is 23 inches long and in the 11th percentile for height and 3rd percentile for weight. Madison is finally on the charts. All right!

Madison's 4 month teddy bear comparison.

Madison's 4 month comparison to Mat's hand.

Here are some of Madison's 4 month pictures. Our little gift from heaven.

Precious

Adorable

A family picture at the pumpkin patch with Madison sucking on her fist.

I love that face. You feel so bad yet at the same time it is so adorable.

Where's Waldo I mean Madison?

We are so happy!

90th Celebration

2010-10-13T17:07:00.000-06:00

My Grandma turned 90 years old on October 1st and we had a surprise birthday party for her on October 9th. My Grandma (my Mom's Mom) is an amazing example. I have learned much from my Grandma. I could write many great things and memories, but because of lack of time I am only going to write a few and then share a few pictures from her 90th surprise party. My Grandma escaped with her 4 young children (including my mother) from Germany and came to America by herself in the late 1950's. It's a great story, but I am not going to share it now. My Grandma is such a hard worker and always has been. My Grandma still works in her Garden which is no easy task if you have been to her house and can still even drive a car. My Grandma is one of the most giving people that I know and is always sacrificing for others. Every time I go and visit my Grandma she always has to give me something. My grandma has basically nothing, but you won't leave her house empty-handed. I hope that I can be more like her in this regard.

My Grandma was surprised to see everyone. The surprise party was at one of my Aunt's. My Grandma thought she was going to see a play at Hale Centre Theatre.

My Grandma excited to see family and some close friends.

Some of the gang just waiting to eat some fantastic food.

The spread of fantastic food. I brought Brownie Trifle.

Madison and Me with Madison's cute pink headband that my Grandma made for her.

Madison spending some time at the party with her Dad.

After we ate we watched a slide show of pictures of my Grandma. My oldest brother Ryan put it all together after we gave him pictures that we wanted included in it. It was a ton of work for him and he did such a great job. It was fun to see the pictures of my Grandma from her younger days and then more recent ones that included good memories we shared together with her.

Watching the slide show.

Madison sucking on her hand while watching the slide show.

Mat holding Madison and my brother Ryan holding Emma. Before we know it the two cousins will be playing together.

The sunset that Mat tried to capture by photo from my Aunt's balcony.

My Grandma with her four children. My Mom (youngest), Aunt Heidy (third), Grandma, Uncle Siegy (oldest), and Aunt Nia (second).

Another one of my Grandma with her children.

Our little family with Grandma.

Adventures of Babysitting

2010-10-13T14:24:00.000-06:00

We did a little babysitting last week for two of our nephews and one niece. We watched Mat's brother Bob's kids because they went to Hawaii. Sydney is 7 (not in any pictures though because she was at school during the day), Will is 3 almost 4, and Drew is 1 and then of course we had Madison to take care of too. We watched them from Sunday night until Tuesday night which means I watched them because Mat was at work all day and would get home at 7:00 at night and the kids all went to bed at 8:00. Needlessly to say I survived. For the most part everything went smoothly. There were a couple of moments when I thought that 1 kid is definitely enough for me, but that only lasted for a very short time and then everything was great. The kids were really good and Madison did pretty well since she had to share Mom's attention which is something new for her. Sydney was at school both days which made it so I really only had to watch the two boys and Madison. Here are a few moments that I captured from the adventures of babysitting.

Will, Madison, and Drew posing for the camera.

Drew is a mild baby and happy most of the time. Look at his face.

Will loves playing with cars and trains. Will kept wanting me to take lot's of pictures of his Thomas train from different angles. He is all boy. I gave him some stickers and card stock one day and it kept him entertained for 1 1/2 hours. He loved it and was like, "I didn't know you had these stickers. I love these stickers."

Madison looking cute sitting on the couch. Madison is starting to suck on her hands a bunch.

Monday morning I ventured out before it rained and pushed two strollers while Will tagged along. We took a short walk and we stopped for a few minutes so that Will could play at the park.

Drew with his favorite toy Goofy hanging out in the stroller.

Will and Drew having fun smiling for the camera.

Will spending some time with Madison.

Babysitting was good, but next time I want to be the one in Hawaii.

3 Months Pictures, a little late.

2010-10-04T21:41:00.000-06:00

So here are some pictures of Madison after two months up till 3 months old. I finally got around to posting her 3 month pictures a week before she is four months. At least I am getting around to it though. Madison has had a major growth spurt in the last 3 weeks. It seems like overnight she grows so much. Madison has lost tons of hair and it has really lightened up. Just after Madison turned 2 months and before she turned 3 months she started sleeping around 9 hours at night (she sleeps even more now which is great). Madison has started smiling more and more. Madison still takes many naps during the day. Madison is getting a lot stronger and as you can see in the picture below is doing well in her bumbo. Madison is definitely recognizing us more and more. Madison enjoys when we sing to her and also enjoys being held face out. Madison still loves her binki. Madison is still being swaddled at night. Madison is our little angel. Next week we have a doctors appointment and hopefully I can post her 4 months stuff soon. Enjoy some random pictures of the adorable M baby.

Madison wearing pink, imagine that.

One morning all ready to go off to church.

Madison with her Grandma and Grandpa Val. (Mat's Mom and Step-dad)

I love this face. This yellow dress is actually a dress that I wore when I was a baby. I think my Grandma crocheted it for me.

We had a visit from our Birth Mom Erin a few weeks ago. She came and spent some time with us in our home. We are so very very grateful to her and words cannot express what Madison has meant to us in our life. Madison is the best.

Madison with her Birth Mom.

Erin also came up with us to a family party at my Uncle's Cabin. We also invited Mat's Dad and Step-Mom to join us. Here is Erin, Madison, and Grandma Tami (Mat's Step-Mom). Madison has meant the world to us and we love Erin so much for bringing her int our life.

These next pictures are Madison's 3 month pictures. Madison on her tummy.

Madison's beautiful smile.

Madison wondering what her parents are trying to do to her.

Madison compared to Mat's hand at 3 months. You will have to look back at older posts to see the other month comparisons. Madison really has gotten so big.

Madison at 3 months compared to her teddy bear.I remember when Madison use to fit in my arm.

Another adorable 3 month picture. I love the hand behind her head. She is already learning to pose.

So cute!

And this one too.

I think the hand on the knee is so adorable.

Madison is not a fan of having hats on her, but I think she just needs to get use to it or maybe she is just rebelling because she had to have a hat on her head 24/7 for the first 3 or so weeks.

Look at that face!

Madison has a good set of lungs no doubt about that.

Such a sweet picture and look at those eyes.

Well as you can see Madison is our world and we love her so very very much. We are so glad she is part of our family and know that it was meant to be. Madison is the best and most beautiful baby. I am not prejudice or anything.

Happy Day

2010-09-21T14:57:00.000-06:00

Yesterday was my Mom's birthday. Madison and I went over to my Mom's during the day to spend some time with her. We had a nice time together. My Mom is so wonderful and makes so many sacrifices for us and we really appreciate all that she does. I have learned a great deal from her and hope I can use what I have learned from her to be a better person. She is an amazing Mom and Grandma. We love you and hope you had a great birthday.

Madison and her Grandma Tine.

That night I had the family over for dinner to celebrate my Mom's birthday. Everyone was able to make it except my brother Eric and his fiancee Ruth because of work and obviously my sister who is on a mission. Here is my mom with Ellie and Ben at my house before dinner.

Here is my Mom and Step-Dad with the Grandkids except Madison who was sleeping.

We had some good food. I had marinated some chicken and we BBQ it on the grill. My 2nd oldest brother Craig was nice and cooked the chicken for me because Mat was still at work. In the picture is my sister-in-law Lani who is married to my brother Craig, my little brother Steven in the back, and then Craig on our deck in the back.

My other sister-in-law Lindsey made some delicious twice baked potatoes. They were so good! We also had some salad, rolls, and chicken. Everything turned out great.

Of course you can't forget the cake. The birthday girl and some of the kids blowing out the candles. We had Oreo cake, brownies, and ice cream for dessert.

Madison decided to finally wake up just right before everyone left. Madison was not happy in this picture, but oh well. We wanted to compare the two cousins like we did when Madison was like a week old. Madison has grown a lot and is starting to catch up to Emma.

I thought I would post again the picture comparing the two of them when Madison was like a week old. Boy Madison has grown SO much since then. I mean look at her skin rolls and now she has some fat on her legs.

Here is a picture of the fam that was there last night in our backyard except for sweet Madison who was sleeping at the time. We sure do have a gorgeous view from our house

We all had a great evening celebrating my Mom's birthday.

The Great Outdoors

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We went on our first and last camping trip of the summer about 3 weeks ago. We took Madison with us and we had a great time. We camped by Strawberry Resevoir with some family. It was so good to get out and spend some time outdoors. Here are a few pics from our adventure:

We are on our way to go camping. Madison and her Uncle Stevie. I went up earlier with my mom, step-dad, and little brother. Mat came up later as well as my oldest brother and his family.

Madison in her little hat hanging outside the trailer with me.

Stevie making a fire. We ate some hotdogs for lunch.

Playing Sorry in the trailer. The weather was rainy at times, but we had an enjoyable time anyway.

Roasting marshmallows and starburst after dinner and before the huge rainstorm that we had.

Madison in her jammies.

Madison really all snuggled up. She is such a doll.

We had our tent all set up and the play pen all set up, but we had been playing games in the trailer in the evening during a huge rainstorm. We decided we did not want to take Madison out of the trailer into the rain to get to our tent so we ended up sleeping in the trailer. Mat ended up holding Madison most of the night in the bed with us and that is why he looks so tired. This is us in the morning along with cute Ellie who wanted to hold little Madison.

My brother Ryan, cute Emma, and my little bro Steve in the morning.

My mom in the morning, but she did not want me to take a picture of her.

During the next day we went on a little walk/hike. It was beautiful. Steve, Mat, and Madison in her little backpack carrier.

Here is the gang that went on the walk except Steve who is taking the picture.

Our little family.

Stevie's Homecoming

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My little bro Steven had his missionary homecoming two weeks ago. He did a really great job and you can definitely tell he worked hard on his mission and was a great missionary. He talked about having a change of heart. After he spoke in church many family, friends, and neighbors came over to my Mom's and had lot's of yummy food to eat. It was a great Sunday.

Madison with her Uncle Stevie

The hard work happening in the kitchen.

It was crowded.

It was nice weather that day which worked out so people could eat outside.

Stevie with three of his nieces.

Some of the kids just having a good time.

My brother just above me Eric and his fiancee Ruth. They just got engaged on Saturday and will be getting married in December. Congrats to them both. We are excited.

Steven with us.

Madison with her cousin Payton. They both have beautiful blue eyes.

Our sweet Madison.

Our little family.

Again

And again

Life is good!

She's two months already

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Our little Madison turned two months last week. Time has gone by fast and it has been fun and a little sad to see Madison getting bigger and bigger. Madison is such a delight and joy in our lives. We are SO happy to have her in our home and a part of our lives. Here are some pictures of what we've been up to this last month:

Madison already to go for her first time to church.

Madison still sleeps plenty. I love how she looks like she is lounging around in this picture. So adorable!

Madison already to go and visit her Daddy at work for the first time.

Madison's first dip in the kiddie pool.

One of Madison's new tricks is to pull her hair and then cry. Funny how that works. It makes us laugh.

Madison has ventured out and taken a few showers. She loves them and hates getting out.

Madison's first sun hat. She is so cute!

Madison sleeping again.

Madison's first time playing Frisbee Golf. I think she might have beat us both.

Madison hanging in her Jammies.

Madison's first demolition derby. Mat and I try and go every year as tradition because it was one of our first dates and we had a really good time the first time we went. Madison did really good.

Madison at 5 weeks.

Madison at 6 weeks.

Madison at 7 weeks.

Madison at 8 weeks.

Madison is at her two month check up now weighs:

Birth, one month, and two month comparisons to Mat's hand.

Birth, one month, and two month teddy bear comparisons.

Madison at two months.

Madison is so beautiful. We are loving every moment and are enjoying watching Madison grow and develop. Madison is getting stronger each day, observing her world more and more, and even starting to smile. This is what life is really all about. We love you Madison!

Korky is Home!

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My little bro came home from his mission two weeks ago today. He spent the last two years serving a mission in Washington state for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints. Here are some pics of us going to the airport to welcome him home. We are grateful for his service and dedication that he rendered these last two years. He has been a great example to us and we are excited to have him back home.

Here is most of the gang waiting for Steven's plane to land.

A first glimpse of Steven.

Steven excited to see Ellie and Ben (niece and nephew) two of my oldest brothers kids.

Uncle Stevie meeting Madison.

Ellie and Ben being silly at the airport.

After the airport we went back to my mom's house to chat with Steven and to eat some yummy food. It was great. We decided to take a picture of some of the kids to see the difference in size. Madison is 6 weeks in this picture, Duke (one of my cousins little boy) is 3 1/2 months old, and Emma is 5 1/2 months old (my oldest brother Ryan's youngest child). Madison was stretching to try and be as big as her other cousins. What a doll. She has a long way to go to catch up!

Welcome Home Steven!

The 24th of July

2010-07-28T14:43:00.000-06:00

We celebrated July 24th at my Uncle's cabin. This was Madison's first big outing and she did such a great job. Here is my uncle cooking up some yummy ribs and bratwurst. There is always plenty of food and the company is great too. We usually go to my Grandma's after to watch fireworks, but this year we did not.

Madison chillin' with her cousin (2nd cousin because it is my cousins little boy) Duke. Duke is about 3 1/2 months and Madison 6 weeks.

I just wanted to post a picture of my Grandma because she is going to be 90 years old in just a few months and you would never know. She looks really good for her age. I think it is because she stays so busy.

Madison sleeping (imagine that) while we were trying to get some pictures taken.

A family photo.

We had a good time and it was nice to be able to go somewhere. Madison was really good and some of the fam that had not seen her yet enjoyed seeing her. Madison is getting bigger and is such a delight to our family.

One Month

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Madison was one month old yesterday June 11th. It has been a fabulous month. We have lost much sleep, but it has been worth it. We can't believe that she is already one month old. Madison is getting bigger, but is still very tiny. Almost 2 weeks ago we went to the doctor and Madison weighed 4lbs 11oz. We think Madison is just barely over 5 lbs now though. Yesterday I weighed myself and then held Madison and weighed again and according to the scale she weighs 5lbs 2oz. Mat also did it too and got the same weight. I don't know how accurate that really is, but she is gaining weight and we are excited about that. Newborn clothes are still too big for her, but she wears them anyway. Madison is eating every 3 hours and eats 2 ounces per feeding and she is staying awake longer during the day which has been fun. Madison still has pretty blue eyes and lots of dark hair. Madison does not scream during bath time which is good, but does sometimes pee which is fun. Madison loves to be sung too and loves getting her legs and feet rubbed with lotion. We still are hanging out at home mostly, but we are able to take her for walks and she sleeps the whole time so we think she likes it. Most of all Madison loves to be held by her Daddy and Mommy.

Here are a few pictures of what we have been up to lately:

Madison and Mommy's first stroller ride. We go on walks mostly in the mornings a few days a week.

Madison's first time hanging out at the park.

Madison being a big girl in the bouncer. She only likes it for a little bit, but is getting used to it more and more.

Madison spending some time on her tummy. She does not like it and tries hard to roll over. She will be rolling over before we know it. Her muscles are getting stronger and stronger.

Madison meeting her cousin Emma. Emma is her cousin that is the closest in age. Emma is 4 months older. Madison has a long way to go to catch up to her cousin, but they will be good friends soon enough.

Madison hanging out with her teddy bears.

Madison being patient while Daddy takes random funny pictures.

Madison getting wrapped up tight by her daddy. We use to call Madison a little burrito, but now that she straightens her legs more she is like a little egg roll now instead.

Madison being tired.

Madison spends lots of time sleeping.

Madison spends some of her time crying, but not very much.

Madison just being her cute adorable self.

One Week Old

Two Weeks Old

Three Weeks Old

One Month Old

Birth and One Month Old Comparison to Teddy Bear.

Birth and One Month Old Comparison to Mat's hand.

Here are a bunch of one month pictures of Madison. We took hundreds of pictures and it was so hard to choose which ones to post. Madison was a real trooper and did a fabulous job at her photo shoot.

We are enjoying our time with Madison tremendously. We can't imagine life without her and know she is suppose to be in our family. She is perfect!

SO Worth the Wait!!!

2010-06-19T18:45:00.001-06:00

Disclaimer: This is a long post and is mostly for my benefit so I can remember what went on with Madison, her birth, and everything else about her. She is the most beautiful baby ever.

The story of Madison began Friday June 11th, 2010. Friday morning Mat and I were going out of town to Lake Mead and we were all loaded up and just had to load up one more four wheeler from Mat's grandparents house when we got a phone call from our birth mother telling us she was going to the hospital because she thought she might be having a baby. We were literally 15 minutes away from leaving. Our birth mom, Erin, woke up bleeding and cramping and went to the hospital. Erin was dilated to a 3 and 90% effaced. She was bleeding a lot and almost had to have a transfusion, but was blessed not too. Long story short, she got an epidural and then around 3 in the afternoon she started to push about 3 or 4 times and had the baby at 3:37PM. Madison was 4lbs 5oz and 16.5 inches long. Madison was perfectly healthy even though she was 3 1/2 weeks early. Our birth mom Erin is also doing well and did not feel anything during labor which is so nice for her. Erin is an amazing person and we have been privileged to start getting to know her just a little over two months ago. When Erin decided she wanted to place her baby with us we were truly honored by this sacred responsibility. Erin decided to make a plan for adoption for her baby because she loves her so much and wanted her baby to have the best life possible one that she could not offer to her right now. We are so ecstatic and thrilled to be the parents to Madison. She has been such the perfect little joy in our lives and we could not be happier. Being parents is very fulfilling and our wait of five years of trying to have kids has been worth the wait. Madison has brought us more joy than we even thought possible in the short time she has been with us. We will be forever grateful to our birth mom Erin and her sacrifice. Birth mom's are so wonderful and we can't say enough good things about them especially Erin.

On Saturday we were able to meet Madison.

Mat holding Madison for the first time.

Our two favorite people in the world, our Birth Mom Erin and Madison.

Madison in her little hospital hat.

Madison is so tiny. It is like holding a doll. This teddy bear was given to Madison by her birth mom.

This is just before placement which occurred on Sunday. Mat and I had to sign paperwork for the adoption and then we waited until Erin was ready to see us for placement of Madison.

The three of us at placement.

The M family with our wonderful Erin who by the way doesn't even look like she just had a baby.

Everyone that was at the placement of Madison. Becca is on the far left which is Erin's sister who lives in Florida and on the far right is Erin's Mom.They were both great supports to Erin during this time. Both are such wonderful people and we enjoyed getting to know them. We love them all dearly and appreciate their support, confidence, and trust.

Erin kissing Madison.

Erin placing Madison into my arms. Such a tender moment. No words to describe it.

Mat and I changing Madison for the first time. This is still at the hospital before we left for home. Our caseworker, Erin's caseworker, and the nurse all had a good laugh and enjoyed watching us.

Madison's first car ride home. She did so good on the drive, but look how small she looks in the car seat. We were able to take Madison home on Sunday June 13, 2010

Our niece Sydney had made a cute Welcome Home sign for Madison while we were gone.

Madison meeting her Grandma's. This is my Mom.

Another Grandma, Mat's Step-Mom.

With all the grandma's Madison is sure to be spoiled. This is Mat's Mom.

Our first little family night together.

Madison's first bath at home which she did not like at all and screamed a bunch which Mommy and Daddy did not like and felt bad. (Madison is getting better at her bath times though).

Bath Hair. I love it!

Madison's first doctors appointment was on Wednesday. We went to the doctor already because she is so small and just want to make sure she is doing fine. They measured her at 17.5 inches. Madison's first time spitting up also happened to be at the doctors and it happened twice which was so much fun.

Madison's weight on Wednesday was 4 lb 1 oz. We also had to check her bilirubin level (for jaundice) while we were there. The experience of the nurse poking Madison' foot and then squeezing it trying to get a blood sample while Madison was screaming was not a fun experience for Mom. Her bilirubin level was high on Wednesday and we had to go back to the doctor on Thursday to get another blood sample. The second time it was not as bad and her bilirubin level had gone down. So hopefully the jaundice will just go away and that we won't have to put her under the lights. On Thursday she gained once ounce which makes us very happy.

Look at that hand. She is already trying to feed herself. Man we can't get enough of her. She is so adorable.

Madison's first bow in her hair.

Madison's hands at one week.

Madison's feet at one week.

Look at those faces.

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Mommy & Madison

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Daddy & Madison

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Madison's One Week Old Pictures

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Round 2 One Week Old Pictures

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