Catch up!

Since it's -35 outside with a windchill of about -40 to -45 what a better time to get caught up on blogging? These last few months, well I guess Summer, Fall and now Winter have been pretty hectic in our family so I'll just recap each month briefly.

July
Madison and I made our annual summer trip to Utah. This was the first year since I've lived in Canada that I've been actually in the US for the 4th of July and it was so much fun. The 4th of July has always been my favorite holiday...good food, hot weather, parades, Stadium of Fire and Fireworks. This year was also Madison's first experience with the 4th of July and she had a great time. I've always been such a proud American and I hope I will be able to instill in her true patriotism.


And you thought I was kidding about it being my favorite holiday eh?

Also on our trip to Utah we went down to Lake Powell for a few days. Again this is something I haven't done since I moved to Canada and neither has Madison. Except for the weather and running out of gas in the canyon on the way down (thanks dad!) we had a blast! This was actually the first time I've ever been to Lake Powell in July where I was cold and had to wear a sweatshirt and would've had on sweatpants too had I brought them. It was unusually cold but it didn't dampen our spirits at all. I thought Madison would be really nervous about boats, water, tubing etc. But as you can see she LOVED tubing and wanted to go faster and faster. YEAH she didn't get all my inhibitions.


Uncle Jake and Madison

Sitting on the side of the road in the canyon waiting for someone to stop!

August

Around the middle of July we put our house up for sale and August turned into the month of doing what I could to get it sold. Cleaning, boxing up rooms, open houses and more cleaning! Towards the end of August when we were getting frustrated we had a buyer who also wanted possession in a week. Yeah it sold. Boo moving in a week! NEVER AGAIN!

September

The first week of September my mom came up to help me decorate the house. It was such a big help because I stink at decorating. I don't think I hung more than 1 picture up in my last house.

We also celebrated Peter's birthday.


October
October was filled to the brim with activities. Jordyn and her family came up the middle of October for 2 1/2 weeks and we had a blast! My dad came up for a weekend and we celebrated Canadian Thanksgiving and Madison's birthday. We had a wonderful Thanksgiving dinner, thanks to my dad (it would've been BBQ'd chicken had he not been here.)and it actually felt like Thanksgiving for the first time in a long time.


Madison turned 5 and it was so fun to have some of her cousins up here to celebrate with her.


Scout helping Madison blow out the candles
I was also brave enough to take Madison and some friends to Chuck E Cheese. It actually wasn't as bad as I thought, but I certainly won't be doing it again anytime soon.






November
November was a tough month. Right after Veteran's day Don, my father-in-law went in one night for emergency surgery. He had ischemia of the bowel, which is basically a stroke or heart attack but in the bowel. It was very serious and the doctors weren't sure how it would turn out. Don made it thru surgery and was in ICU for a week. He was making small improvements and we were thinking everything was going to be ok. After 3 weeks of being in the hospital, Don died on December 1st. It was extremely hard on everyone. Just 3 weeks ago he was fine and then he was gone. I miss him everyday and am so blessed to have had him in my life. We love you!



My sister Jordyn and my dad came up for the funeral on Dec. 6th. That morning we woke up to atleast 2 feet of snow and it was extremely cold but it was a beauitful service for such an extraordinary man!


All the boys and Don's brother and YES they froze at the grave ceremony!


Madison was the oldest of Don's 2 grandchildren.

Carnival

Madison had her end of the year carnival last weekend and it was a huge success. They had a bike-a-thon before the games and everything began. As you can see in the first picture she is a little nervous...


I was so proud of her...she had the biggest bike there and didn't fall off once--it helped that she went at a snails pace! :)


At the carnival she got her face painted on both sides.

On a roll....

Madison got her 1st "big kid" bike a week ago and is so proud of it! It has streamers, a basket and a ladybug bell. She is like her mom though...likes pretty things but just likes to observe them. She has had a couple of spills and now is scared to go too fast or make turns. I don't know what happened...she was so brave as a little 2 year old.




Don't worry she does have a helmet...this was just a "test" ride.

Sunday Afternoon Delight

Funny story...Madison learned a new song in Primary yesterday about Jesus being baptized. Well when we got home from Church and finished lunch Madison went outside on the back deck to play. All of a sudden I hear her singing "Jesus came to John the Batptist, in Judea long ago. And was baptized-by immersion in the river Jordan's flow" at the TOP of her lungs. Now this wouldn't have been so embarassing, but my neighbor was out sunbathing and trying to enjoy a peaceful, Sunday afternoon. Now once thru the song would've been fine, but Madison sang it over and over and over again for 20 minutes. Yes I should've stopped her, but it was cute and I figured that she was being a little missionary. Now to top it all off...this is what she was wearing....






I love my little girl!!

Mother's Day

I'm a little late on this post...but it's been purcolating in my head since Mother's Day. Madison's preschool class held a Mother's Day Muffin tea in honor of Mother's Day and I didn't think that motherhood could make you so proud or bring you so much love. The cute little 4 year olds sang lovely "mom" songs to us, served us with muffins, and presented us with pictures of our families in frames that they had designed and painted themselves. Then all the moms sat on the ground for reading time and each had their dear sweet child in the laps while Ms. Steed read us a great story on moms. What a special day with my daughter and I'm so glad I was able to be a recipient of so much love.

Singing her heart out

My Sweet girl

Jon & Joanna

Congrats Jon & Jo who were married on April 5, 2009 in Victoria, British Columbia at Bear Mountain Resort. We were able to go out to the coast for the weekend and have a few days of nice wedding festivites.

Madison was the flower girl and this was her at rehearsal.


At the rehearsal dinner the night before the wedding, I let Madison take 1 picture and from there on in she was the camera girl and a pretty good one at that!

Not bad for a beginner!


Madison looking on during the ceremony.

Madison and Daddy on the dance floor!

Catching Up!

Wow! I've been a tremendous slacker with posting our life up here in the cold, still snowy north. I've been so busy and I guess the only place to start is at the beginning.
In February my dad took all the grandkids to Disneyland for Christmas. Since he couldn't and wasn't going to take them alone the parents got to come too! :)
We had so much fun and the weather was absolutely gorgeous! I do have to admit that I will NEVER do 3 days of Disneyland with 6 kids under 5 again! However, the lack of snow, being in the US of A and being with my family all made up for it.
Madison's highlights of the trip were meeting Mickey Mouse, Minnie, Goofy and Woody. It's so funny how at the beginning of the trip she didn't know who they were and at the end she was obsessed! She wasn't much for the rides-taking her on Pirates of the Carriabean and the beginning of the trip was a HUGE mistake because it traumatized her to everything else. It looks like she is going to take after her mom with fearing and hating rides!
Thank you dad for such a fun, wonderful trip!



The girls patiently waiting for dinner (and to meet Goofy!)


This was one of the few rides I did not get sick on....Yes it's only a train ride!
#1 Grandpa!

Coming up...my quick trip to Utah and my trip to New York!

HIGH SCHOOL MUSICAL On ICE

Well the long awaited day finally arrived...HSM on Ice. Now I do have to admit that I was actually looking forward to it...I mean how bad could it be???? I like the songs, I love Troy & Gabriella etc. etc. I wish I could say my husband was as excited as his girls were. (He had to go because Grandma is still in St. George) So we endured walking 2 blocks thru -30 and finally got into the arena where there were THOUSANDS of little girls! Peter is looking at me like he wants to die!! We walk past the HUGE line ups of people trying to buy merchandise where the cheapest thing you can get costs $15 bucks! Hello where do these people get their money??? It wasn't like tickets were cheap to get into this thing and then a PROGRAM costs $20bucks...are you kidding me!?!?!? Needless to say I told Madison that Disneyland was coming up and she should be grateful she was even there (what a mean mom I am!) We climb over a gazillon people because of course the seats I bought are 20 seats in each way (way to go Kins!) The show starts and can I say that this was SUPPOSED to be on ice and the first 15 minutes we watched a video about the making of HSM3. DUMB!!!! I was quite disappointed with the whole program. It was CHEESY (yes cheesier than the movies), the skaters SUCKED, and it was long! I did have to laugh because Madison leaned over 1/2 way thru the show and said "Mom...Troy looks really different!" What a cute girl. I didn't have the heart to break it to her that we weren't really seeing Gabriella, Troy, Sharpay and Ryan skating....just look a likes and poor ones at that. The best part of the night was dinner...Thank you Won Ton Louies!

Once there was a snowman???

So it finally got warm enough up in the great North to actually go outside and spend some time! Madison has wanted to build a snowman for a while now so we decided Saturday would be the day. We got all bundled up (not really though because it felt like a heat wave outside) and headed out to make a snowman in the back yard. However our many attempts failed....why you ask?? Because the snow was too dry (according to Peter). WHAT?!?!?!? How can snow be dry? Well it was and so every attempt we made at rolling a ball crumbled--we ended up making snow angels which took a lot less time :)

Daddy's Day Out

I sent Madison and Peter out Saturday to "run errands" so I could have some time by myself to clean out the toy room. However, when they came home Peter had purchased a present for Madison. This is now what is on the wall in my daughters room (MUCH to my chagrin!)

Yes it's HUGE