Tournament Time in AZ

We all went down to AZ last weekend to work at the AZ Fall Classic Tournament that Trevor's family runs. We had a blast, got a lot of sun (and wind), and got to make some money. It was so worth the quick trip.
Some highlights of the weekend:
Batman nicknames on the walkie talkies
Fantasy football updates by Matt Spring
Wicked wind storm Sunday night that broke three tents.
Sno-cones from the concession stand
Lots of Dr Pepper
Snuck in a game of Alhambra. Trevor wins everything :(

Trevor and Casey taking a ride in the golf cart.

Madi snuck in a visit at the pro shop. My mom watched her the whole weekend. thanks mom

Here is a look at my new haircut. Short but I love it.

Adventures in House Sitting

We house sat for the Church's over Conference weekend while they went to Hawaii. It really was a crash course for me in what it was like to be a busy Mom with carpools, soccer practice, spelling tests, play dates, dinner for 5, all the while working too. We had a lot of fun with Tyler and Bryce and Toby the dog. Madi and Toby became fast friends. Toby would sit by Madi's high chair and Madi would throw him food off of her tray. She was very interested in Toby's food too, but Toby was very protective. Luckily, she didn't get to taste any dog food the whole week. It was difficult baby proofing in such a big house. Madi rearranged almost every cupboard in the entire kitchen.

First Haircut

Madi's bangs were getting a little bit long so I decided she needed a little trim. Since I was already going to get my hair cut while we were in AZ, we made it a girls day and were both beautified. She was a little uneasy at first but then Candace brought out this car toy that did just the trick. She was so into that toy she didn't care what was going on.

The New Ride

We got a new car over the break and we love it. Our snuggly old car was breaking down on us. It is a Chrysler Pacifica, a crossover (not a station wagon). I wasn't ready for a van quite yet. It seats six so we can have at least 3 more kids, right Trevor? I'm ready to be a soccer mom already (or maybe a t-ball mom).

Oregon Coast

Okay so you would think our vacation would be over but no. Our friends the Olsens invited us up to their time share for a night on Gleneden Beach. It was beautiful. I had heard that Oregon beaches are the prettiest but I was skeptical. The water was freezing but luckily they had a hot tub! My favorite kind of swimming is hot tubbing. Tracy even came along and watched the kids while we swam. What a great grandma! We played games and had a delicious breakfast in the morning. It was a nice escape. Thanks John and Jessie and Sophia!

Our view from the condo. Gorgeous.

Madi and Grandma Tracy getting their snuggles in.

D.C. or Bust

We met Shana, Chuck, Kylan, and Brayden in Washington, D.C. and took a trolley bus tour. It was such a gorgeous day, perfect for touring. We saw many monuments, went to museums, got some good grub. What more could we ask for?

My Sweet Baby

Madi watching a movie on our laptop while on the plane ride.
Yes, that is a mohawk. She took out her ponytail.

My poor baby was so good on our trip. She was stuck in the kelty pack most of the time but seemed to like it. I think she got a better view that way. She even snuck in a few naps.

NYC

We toured Manhattan on Saturday. We went to times square, central park, FAO Schwartz toy store, south tip where you could see the Statue of Liberty, Wall st., China town, Greenwich village for NY style Pizza, and a cool street market that was probably a mile long.

Tyler really enjoyed the famous Naked Cowboy. We couldn't get Tyler to stop staring!!

Yankees Game

We decided you can't do New York with out going to a Yankees game. Not that we are Yankees fans or anything but they do hold a place in baseball history. Luckily we found a babysitter for Madi so we didn't have to take her with us to The Bronx at night. We drove into Manhattan and then took a subway to the yard. The Yankees fans were more entertaining than the game. They were hilarious and always had something to say to the ump. One guy walked past us with a Boston Red Sox hat on. Big Mistake!

Philadelphia Fun

It all started in Philadelphia where we saw the Liberty Bell.

We had a philly cheesesteak sandwich in the Reading Market.

Ashley, Madi, and I with Benjamin Franklin, both young and old.

A Day in the Life

We have been busy, busy, busy lately......but not too busy to have some fun. On Labor Day we went up to Wildwood and played in the river for a while. Then, Madi and her daddy had some fun with an empty box. The simplest things make her happy. I still feel like I've been playing catch up from the 3 day weekend. And with finals starting tomorrow, I know I am not going to be seeing Trevor much. However, I do see the light at the end of the tunnel. In one week we will be on our way to Philadelphia to visit Tyler and Ashley. We are so excited to go back east. It will be the first time for all of us. The plan is to visit Philadelphia, Omish country, New York City, and Washington D.C. (where we will sneak a visit with the Konopaski's!) all in one week. I can't wait!

Fun at the Park

Day at the Lake

I love the lake!! Last weekend we went to Merwin Lake with the Church's. We had lots of fun waterskiing and tubing on the boat. Madi even did some tubing. It was great to see Craig, Meredith, Ashley, and baby Brady who were visiting. I didn't get many pictures since my camera died mid-day. I'll add more if I can get some from Karen.

Getting into trouble

Caught red handed. Here's our little monster getting into the kitchen cabinets. Yep, we still need to baby proof some more.

Update

I think I'm a little blog happy today. By the way, Madilyn has been taking 2 two hour naps a day. As a Mom who's baby took very short naps, this is amazing to me. I guess she is starting to become more of a toddler than a baby. The naps help a lot with the work situation. Also, my neighbor and I trade babysitting one day a week so I at least have that time to get the really important things done.


Getting food all over the place. I always find it in the back of her hair. Gross!

Bath Time Fun

Madi loves her bath time. She practically swims around in the water. I think she's going to be a fish. Shana- doesn't she look like Kylan in the first pic?

Little Lady

Oh how she's changed. I think the first picture was when she was about 3-4 months old. Now her cheeks aren't quite as chubby and the belly isn't quite as round for sure. She is growing up to be such a little lady. I can put barrettes in her hair now and it's almost long enough for a pony tail. What a cutie pie!

Madi's room and the office.

More pics. We are still unpacking, decorating will come later.

Our New Lovely Apartment

We love our new place! It just feels so roomy and bright. I love the master bedroom; it's huge and has a walk in closet. The view is great too. I think we're going to like it here for the next couple of years. Thanks to all who helped with the move. It went so smoothly especially since we moved up the date by a week.

Who's kid is this?

Madilyn is in that squirmy stage where she doesn't want to sit still when I am changing her diaper. She really fights me lately and gets really mad. Lets just say this day I just gave up. She was perfectly happy roaming free.

Shox for all

We got to go to the Nike Employee Store this past week and got the whole family some sweet kicks. We went with friends (thanks Kunzers!) and it was like airport security to get in. We had to show ID and be on the list and for a minute I thought we might be turned away. Luckily, we got in and got to see all of Nike's new merchandise at lower prices. Half price Shox, how could I pass that up?

Working Girl

I have been praying for a while now to find a job would work with our situation. I just really wanted to help out with the finances while Trevor is still in school so we will accrue less debt and so we aren't so tight in our budget. The perfect job sort of fell in my lap last week and within 24 hours I was hired and had a computer, fax, cell phone, etc at my home. The best part is I work from home part time and it's really flexible ( and the pay's not bad either). What more could I ask for? I am so grateful to my Heavenly Father for giving me this opportunity. Sometimes I know that I just have to be patient and things will happen in due time. This was actually a great time because we just moved into a 3 bedroom apartment so I will have room for my office. Yea! Pictures will be posted as soon as the place looks semi good. We are still unpacking.

P.S. Does anyone have any advice for working with an active baby that takes very short naps? :)

Believe it or not!!

Press here for a video of Madi Walking.