The Chatterleys

Elle Chatterley

2011-04-26T14:48:00.000-07:00

Three girls. What an adjustment that has been. Elle was born February 17th and weighed 6lbs 9oz. She looks just like her sisters did at her age. Dark hair and even darker eyes. She is loved and smothered by her big sisters and her parents too. I cant get enough of this new little baby. Love her!

Meggie Moo Moo

2010-06-10T09:34:00.000-07:00

This post is dedicated to poor little Meg who has been totally ignored on this blog. An old friend that I hadn't seen since before Meggie was born was asking me if she was okay and in good health. She seemed a little worried. She said I wrote about when she was born and that was the last she had heard. My poor little Meggie. Let me tell you she is the cutest little thing ever. She is totally round. Round face, round eyes, round cheeks, ,round bum, and even her hands and feet are round. She's also brown. Brown Cuban skin with brown eyes and brown hair. And boy is she ever fun. She starts to bounce and boogie at the sound of any music including the slowest church hymns ever played. Meggie can still find the beat. She crawls all over the place and fast. She loves to be chased around and tackled. She waves hello and goodbye, says "mama" and "dada", and loves to do the sign for "all done." She uses it when shes done eating, done in the bathtub, done shopping, when shes done getting her nose wiped, or diaper changed or clothes on. I think its her way of flipping me off. She's much more active and into things then Ayden ever was. She empties cupboards like its her job. Shes always smiling but can also give a glare like no one else (just ask Amy). She's FUN, FUN, FUN, and we love her.

The Party!

2009-11-04T09:41:00.000-08:00

This year we had a Halloween birthday party for Ayden. She was so excited! All of her guests arrived at 5:00 to go trick-or-treating, her favorite part of the night. If you didn't have a costume my mom provided one weather you liked it or not. We came home and had chili and bread sticks (a Goffin Halloween tradition). This year we added little pigs in a blanket and they were a huge hit. I think we consumed over 50 in under 2 minutes. The kids played games and had a little fish pond. We sang happy birthday and opened presents and had a great time. Ayden is lucky to have so many people that love her.

3 YEARS OLD

2009-11-03T15:59:00.001-08:00

A few things about Ayden at 3.

She LOVES to sing "You are my Sunshine" especially to little Meg.
She loves anything to do with dolls.
She has an imaginary friend named "Baby". She talks to her all the time.
She is the rule enforcer.
She yells "Hello" at the top of her lungs every time she hears a door creek.
Shes really into Dora!
She still has the blackest eyes I have ever seen.
She loves to play with friends
She is obsessed with tape. Everything we own has a piece of tape on it.
Shes scared of everything Halloween.
She loves to eat popcorn whenever it rains.
She loves to watch "Ayden movies".
She has a great memory.
She loves to read stories.
She could live outside. She loves it.
She loves to go potty during sacrament meeting.
She loves to eat whatever anyone else is eating.
She loves the nursery.
She wants to live and grandma and grandpas forever. With or without us.

She is the cutest 3 year old ever and we love her so much!

Happy Halloween!

2009-11-03T15:36:00.000-08:00

Happy Birthday Eric Chatterley PA-C!

2009-08-31T19:33:00.000-07:00

Today's Erics Birthday. Happy Birthday Eric! Boy are we proud of this guy around here. He graduated a couple weeks ago and then took and passed his boards and is officially a P.A.
The day he found he passed his test we called everyone and threw together a quick celebration party. All that work deserves a PARTY!

Ali Ooper

2009-08-08T11:45:00.001-07:00

This cute girl is my sister Ali. She is the toughest girl I know and she turns 21 today. Ali has had one tough week and thats putting it lightly. On monday night Ali was in a longboarding accident and hit her head. She's been in the ICU at Utah Valley Hospital since then recovering from surgery to remove pressure and stop the bleeding in her brain. She is getting a little better everyday and we love her so much. I just want to wish her a HAPPY BIRTHDAY and let her know how much we love her and are praying for her. We will have to have the biggest birthday party ever when this all over.

If you know Ali and want to follow her progress you can search Ali Watch 09 on facebook for updates.

Pioneer Day

2009-07-27T19:17:00.000-07:00

Ayden LOVES a party. She asks for one on a regular basis. This pioneer day Erics brothers and their families came over and partied with us. We swam, ate pizza and root beer floats, played in the sand, jumped on the trampoline and just had fun being together. Who doesn't love a good party?

Meg is Here!

2009-07-22T13:55:00.001-07:00

Meg Jae Chatterley was born on July 16th and weighed 6 lbs 10oz. She is the sweetest little thing ever! There is just something about baby girls that I LOVE!

Ayden can't get enough of her. She's full of kisses and baby talk and loves to sing "You are my Sunshine" to her.

This was our best attempt at a new family photo. We'll be trying again soon.

We are so happy that she is here and healthy and cute as can be.

Our Summer So Far...

2009-07-09T19:35:00.000-07:00

The next five posts are full of pictures that sum up some of our fun trips this summer. I LOVE summer!

Our next big adventure is a new little girl in just a couple more days!

Just the Three of us at Pyramid Lake

2009-07-09T19:12:00.002-07:00

Goffin Family trip to St. Anthony

2009-07-09T19:12:00.001-07:00

The Chatterley Family Campout at Lily Lake

2009-07-09T18:48:00.000-07:00

Visiting Erics Family in Florida

2009-07-09T18:20:00.000-07:00

We saw sun.

2009-03-05T06:58:00.000-08:00

We saw a little bit of sun today and took off for the park. We jumped the gun. The clouds rolled in, the wind started blowing, rain started falling and she insisted "I'm not cold. I need to slide and swing." She would have been slightly more convincing without the red face and runny nose.

We NEED Spring!

2009-02-24T18:39:00.000-08:00

Feelin' It

2009-02-24T13:03:00.000-08:00

One day when I was probably around 8 years old I put on my favorite red checkered shirt and spent a great deal of time doing my own hair. I slicked it into a tight side ponytail with numerous snap clips all over making sure every hair was in place. You know the gymnast look? I remember walking over to Jenny Smedlys house thinking I looked so good. I was totally feeling it and I remember it so clearly.
Well, today I could tell that Ayden was feeling it too. She was wearing her "Aunt Tubby dress" and "special special cowboy boots" and strutting around like she was the coolest thing ever. I asked her why they boots are so "special" and she said it was because Grandma and Grandpa gave them to her, which they did NOT! Why do they get credit for everything?

Lunch Date

2009-02-19T13:50:00.000-08:00

We woke up yesterday with fun idea. Lets meet Daddy for lunch. This month Eric is fixing bones and doing surgery on joints in an orthopedic office in the happenin' town of Blackfook, Idaho. Its about a 20 minute drive with nothing but farmland and Indians all along the way. I actually love it. He had 3 whole hours to waste so we hit the local Subway.

Ayden loved it as you can clearly see.

With time to kill we took a little drive to a cute farm house we dream of someday living in. A.K. pointed out every horse along the way begging to get out and feed them. We pulled over and she was in heaven. This girl loves animals and has no fear, which of course scares me. I think she was made to live in a place like this.

The Man in the Pink Bracelet

2009-02-18T16:45:00.000-08:00

So check out the new feminine bracelet the very manly Eric is sporting. You can't see it very well but it's pink and says IT'S A GIRL!

That's right...we are having another little girl. She looked healthy and active and we can't wait to hold her. Watching the ultrasound just made me excited. It makes everything seem so real.

Boy is Ayden going to love having a little sister.

What a Weekend

2009-02-16T18:35:00.000-08:00

We...
Made valentines cookies for A.K.'s friends. She later informed me "I not share cookies with friends, okay mom. I just eat them...okay.

We...
Went to the playground and laughed at our little girls coordination, or lack there of.

We...
Checked the mail for the third time that day. Her aunts have made the "valentines mail" so much fun. Muchos Gracias!

We...
were BOTH surprised when we opened the mail box. Kung Fu Panda stickers for her and something sparkly for my finger from Eric!

I...
gave him a billion kisses for being so thoughtful and sweet. (who called him a valentines Grinch? She was proven wrong")

He...
Woke up at 5:30 and waited in the parking lot at the school gym for it to open.

We...
Laughed at him for not knowing it was presidents day :)

We...
loved that grandma and grandpa drove 3 hours to spend the day with us.

We...
loved that they decorated cupcakes, went shopping, took us to lunch and just spent time with us.

I...
loved that they brought us dinner and I didn't have to cook tonight.

We...
had a FANTASTIC weekend!

I...
should have taken pictures.

Happy Valentines Day!

2009-02-12T18:11:00.000-08:00

"Makes me so happy"

2009-02-12T07:19:00.000-08:00

We have been having a Sick week Ayden and I. One of those weeks where you lay around doing nothing but feeling yucky.

Well, that all changed for Ayden yesterday when we made our big outing for the day to the mailbox. I opened it and pulled out a bright RED package. I handed it to her and read the letters A-y-d-e-n. She started giggling. Right away she started saying "thank you grandma, thank you grandma" as if there was no doubt in her mind who it was from. She's no dummy.

Well the giggles and "I love yous" continued as she pulled out each little treat.
"Makes me so happy"!

Then it was my turn for giggles and "I love yous" as she opened a tin of my favorite homemade cookies.

When we woke up this morning to an empty tin of cookies I found Ayden looking around. I asked what she was looking for. The phone.."I call grandma, we need more cookies".

Thanks Grandma and Grandpa. We LOVE you!

Fly Away.

2009-02-11T08:02:00.000-08:00

We were looking out the window yesterday watching the snow fall (hopefully for the last time)when we saw a bunch of birds fly out of the tree. Ayden said to them "Oh hi birdies flying away. Going to Grandma and Grandpas house? I miss them so much too birdies" What a sweet little cheesy girl she is.

Cousins

2009-02-10T07:59:00.000-08:00

We had cousins come and visit this week. We LOVE cousins.

Cousins at the Petting Zoo

Cousins in Jail

Cousins in a girly tent watching Jungle Book.

We LOVE cousins and we LOVE visitors.

LOVE HIM!

2009-02-09T14:33:00.000-08:00

When Eric left after lunch today I went in the kitchen and found these

What a stud. LOVE HIM!

It's just FUN!

2009-02-05T13:36:00.000-08:00

I think I'm the only Chatterley that actually likes valentines day. I know it's commercialized and bla, bla, bla, but I think it's fun!

My mom always used to do fun little things for us. I remember the doorbell ringing and running to answer it to find fun valentines that my mom and dad would leave for us. I never could figure out how they got them there without leaving the house. Sneaky! One valentines my mom made a HUGE heat shaped candy bar card. When we read that there was a new "sugar baby" coming to join the family (you Ali!), we were so excited.

Anyways, I have good memories of always having fun valentines days and I want continue the tradition with my kids. Even if there is a valentines scrooge in our house. That is, a valentines scrooge that we love very much!

I think this would be fun and simple to make for Ayden

I don't know if I like the heart more or the cute old fasion cards. I love that old stuff.

And of course we'll continue the traditional sugar cookie decorating. With Ayden's help I'm sure they'll look something like this

Cookies Please

2009-01-30T18:57:00.000-08:00

How a two year old makes cookies.

Step one: Ask your mom five times a day every day until she finally gives in.

Step two: Ask for chocolate chips.

Step three: Poor in each ingredient being sure to taste each and every one before they hit the bowl. Including a spoonful of flour and a big bite of butter.

Step four: Ask for chocolate chips.

Step five: Mix together.

Step six: Ask for chocolate chips.

Step seven: Lick the beaters. YUM!

Step eight: Ask for chocolate chips and say "Thank you mommy, Thank you mommy" over and over as you poor them in.

Step nine: Pick out as many chocolate chips as possible and eat them as quickly as you can.

Step ten: Wait as impatiently as you can repeating the words "they're ready" for 8-10 minutes.

Step eleven: Poor a big glass of milk and ENJOY!

Are you crazy?

2009-01-29T17:41:00.000-08:00

So, someone asked me the other day when I was going to start weaning Ayden off her nap? What? All I could think was why in the world would anyone wean anything off of a nap. I didn't know people did this. Am I supposed to do this? Nap time is my favorite! I usually have a list of things I want to get done in the few hours of alone time I have.
-mop the kitchen
-scrub, REALLY scrub the bathroom
-finish up a project
-put away the laundry
-get dinner started
-paint my toe nails

All the things that are much easier to do without the "help" of a two year old. I'll admit that this list grows and grows because in reality nap time is spent making and eating a sandwich by myself. Not a bite shared. Then laying down and laughing uninterrupted at Ellen. That's right, accomplishing absolutely nothing for one whole hour.

Then comes another favorite part of the day when her bedroom door swings open and she comes stumbling out with bedhead and a big smile and wanting to "snuggle".

So NEVER! I'm never weaning her off her naps.

Okay, Okay...

2009-01-29T12:22:00.000-08:00

I think I have taken enough harassing. I guess it's time to get back to blogging. After being away for a month I got out of the habit and it's hard to find the desire to get going again. That's what's so great about blogs. I have people that bug, I mean remind me, to keep up a journal.

So I have been feeling great. The baby is due July 20th and it seems like everyone I know is pregnant right now which makes it kind of fun. In three weeks we have an ultrasound and hopefully the baby will show us what it has, or doesn't have. Ayden went with us to my Dr. apt and heard the heartbeat. She now tells me that the babies in OUR tummies say "woooshhh wwooooosh whoooosh".

Eric is on his forth rotation. Fourth out of eight so he's halfway there. He's working at a family practice office here in pocatello. He really likes it except for the fact that he's working Fridays. I know, cry me a river. This the first rotation in a while where he's had to work more then a 4 day week. I'm so glad he's chose to go to school for a little longer to get to do something he really loves. As for me, I still don't know how you can love anything that has to do with a hospital or sick people. My stomach turns just thinking about it.

My Ayden has no baby left in her at all. She's a little girl now and I cant believe it. She's mastered (dare I use the word) going to the potty. She loves to cook and make "baby soup" while I cook. She sits on the counter with a bowl of water and puts a little of every spice in the spice rack in the bowl. She's a funny little thing and I laugh ever day at the things she does and says.

I swore I would never post a picture of my poor kid on the potty but never say never I guess

And here are a few of the bazillion Christmas pictures I took. It was so FUN!

This is Christmas morning. That's me in the bright festive pj's:)

This cheep little tent/sleeping bag kit was a huge hit. She loves it.

Erics parents where in town and AK took advantage of a little Papa time.
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Sledding with the Chatterleys.

Can you tell she LOVES this Poe from Kylie and Kevin.

Well that's just a little bit of a great Christmas.

So the whole time I have been typing I've been laughing at Ayden. She had a fiber one bar for breakfast and if you have ever had a fiber one bar you know why Im laughing. Poor little girl.

LET IT SNOW!

2008-12-16T13:07:00.000-08:00

Say Cheese!

2008-12-11T12:23:00.000-08:00

Ayden was being a little bugger this day. She wouldn't sit still, look at the camera, or smile. She pretty much would not do anything we wanted her to do. So that tells you what a great job Lindi did. How she got so many pictures of her smiling is beyond me.

I LOVE this one. I think the background looks so pretty.

I thought this one was funny. We call it "Time Out Chair"

Which ones should I order?

2008-12-10T09:07:00.000-08:00

Isn't she the cutest! We got our family pictures taken over Thanksgiving and I think they turned out GREAT. I love them. Thanks Lindi. I can't decide which ones to have framed so maybe I'll post a bunch of my favorites tomorrow and get some opinions. But I want to write down a few of the little things Aydens been saying and doing lately before I forget. So here we go:

Last night I had a horrible dream that I lost her at the mall or somewhere like that. I was running in circles yelling for her like a crazy woman. I woke up this morning all sweaty. I havn't had a dream that real in a long time. Anyways, I was telling her that in my dream I lost her and I was scared. She gave me a big hug and said "oh mommy, It's okay I'm not lost. It's not scary". She's so sweet.

She's been watching Micky Mouse lately. She's running around like Pluto liking everything. Not cute at all. We are working on this one.

Some of our conversations about the baby in HER tummy.
Ayden: my tummy hurts
me: why does your tummy hurt
Ayden: tiney baby in my tummy
We have repeated this conversation a million times. Each time she waits until I ask her why her tummy hurts.

Ayden: Mommy dont kick my tummy.
Me:Okay??
Ayden: A tiney baby in my tummy.
I hope this imaginary baby isnt in there for nine months.

Right now every thing big is "heavy" everything small is "tiney baby"

She now has an opinion about what she wears. I have been dreading this day. If she doesn't want to wear it she tells me its "ugly".

She won't step on the snow. If she has to step on the snow she says "sorry snow. Oh, sorry snow. I'm sorry snow" until she is off the snow.

She tells me "I miss daddy" about 10 times a day. Usually after I tell her she can't do something. Eric is a YES man.

Whenever she is talking to someone on the phone and they ask what shes doing she holds the phone out like shes showing them. She's showed my aunt some snow and tried to have my mom wach Kung Fu Panda with her. She doesn't quite get it.

She loves to leave the room and them come back in and yell "I FOUND YOU"!

Every baby she sees she calls "baby Jesus". Even random babies at walmart.

If the TV is on she wants it to be on "ball" (football). Her Dad loves that.

I can't believe how big she's getting.

Scary Santa

2008-12-08T08:32:00.000-08:00

The other day Ayden, Eric and I headed to the mall to pick up a few things. While we were there we walked by Santa. Ayden spotted him and he waved to her and said he had a little coloring book for her. She got really excited and insisted in waiting in the line to see him. She even withstood her Dad trying to tempt her away with the playground. So we waited. I asked her what she was going to tell him she wanted for Christmas and she gave her usual answer of Pizza and a Neigh (horse). Yes, she's asking for pizza. I tried to tell her he just brings toys but she insists on pizza too. She does have a little bit of me in her. Anyways, it's our turn and as we start walking towards him she starts holding my hand tighter and tighter and walking slower and slower. As soon as he looks down and says "hello little girl" She lost it. Big huge tears starting flowing down her face and she couldn't have cared less about the dumb coloring book. She was holding on to me so tight saying "Santas scary mommy, scary mommy". Poor little girl. I wish we had our camera with us.

So last night I hear her scram. I jumped up thinking she had once again fallen out of bed. She hadn't. She was laying there half asleep saying "Santa's scary". The poor little girl is even having nightmares about the jolly old man. I explained that he's really nice and he's going to bring her a toy for Christmas. She said "oh, Okay" smiled and fell back asleep.

Thanksgiving

2008-12-02T12:51:00.000-08:00

I love Thanksgiving. Especially now that we live away from home. It's no longer just a day but it turned into a whole week. A whole week of doing whatever we wanted. Which for eric consisted of watching a lot of football. For me it was a little shopping, a little napping, and a lot of visiting with my family. For Ayden it was being spoiled, doing whatever she wanted, and being spoiled. Did I mention she gets spoiled! She loves it and has been asking to go back since we got home.

On Thanksgiving day Ayden woke up talking about Baby Mack. Ayden wakes up every morning and talks about Baby Mack. This kid is Adorable. I think I miss him as much as she does. It will be a long 3 weeks until we see him again. He showed up on Thanksgiving day dressed as the cutest little Turkey you have ever seen. Pictures just don't do this kid justice (Although he is stinkin' cute in them). It's the constant smile and giggle. Oh, I just love him.

We ate and ate and ate. It was delicious! My saint of a mother made every single dish we ate. Except she put Greg in charge of the Turkey and I think that tradition died that day. Sorry Greg. He fried it and fried it to the bone. Luckily my Mom had a perfect backup turkey to save the day. Love you Greg.

My sisters and I all brought a pie or treat to share and of course Grandpa Madsen brought his famous shrimp cocktail. It's not Thanksgiving without it.

Amy and I crafted. Kylie entertained the kids. And Eric and Kevin took on my mom and dad in a few games of sequence. Thank goodness for son-in-laws because none of their kids will sit and play.

I loved this day and I love my family. I'm very Thankful.

Do I have to spell it out?

2008-11-25T07:57:00.000-08:00

The Weekend

2008-11-18T07:20:00.000-08:00

It was so fun having visitors this weekend. It would be cool if I could list a ton of fun things we did while they were here but to tell you the truth we just did a lot of hangin' out. The boys played football on Saturday morning and Jenna and I did our best to watch with the girls but it was freezing. And since their football "skills" weren't warming us with pride we had a good laugh and packed up. We watched the game (I don't know what game, but football was on) at a fun restaurant and then took a little drive. Then the highlight of the day...we made Cafe Rio. Eric LOVES/would give up his first born for this restaurant. We have missed it! So we got the recipe and did our best to copy it. It was Delicious and will hold us over until our next Utah trip. The girls finger painted and played. Ayden took away toys. Boys talked guns. Girls talked about a new baby to come (not ours). We ate LOTS of ice cream. Went to church. And played at the park. Well look at that, I was able to list some fun things. One thing I didn't do was take pictures. I can't wait for my memory card. Thanks Ivan and Jenna for making the trip. Anyone else want to come? PLEASE :)

Well Monday was back to real life. Ayden was lonely for "Baby Ali" so I did my best to distract. This little girl is a lot like her aunt Amy. She loves to do little project or "art" as she calls it. She's already said "Art please mommy" about 5 times and its only 8:30. My sister Kylie had given here these cute little puppets to make for her birthday. We pulled them out and she couldn't stop giggling as it came together. She loves her new little friend.

We also make a little turkey bacause we have been learning about thanksgiving. We put the body on and all the little feathers behind it. She could have glued those feathers on ALL day long. She named each color as she went. The last thing she did was put the face on. When it was all done I said "look at your cute turkey" She looked at it and said "no mommy, Owl". Whatever it was we had a good time making it.

Finger Painting

2008-11-13T13:15:00.001-08:00

So, it turns out the new camera will hold about 5 pictures without a memory card. I'm sure you're thrilled. Now you can see the finger painter in action.

Well that's a little bit of what we did yesterday. Today's activities so far have consisted of coughing, sneezing, runny nose, and sleeping. Oh, and getting ready for Ivan, Jenna, and "Baby Ali's" weekend visit. It should be FUN!

2008-11-12T10:58:00.000-08:00

I've been really slacking in the blogging department lately. My camera broke and whats the point of post without a cute picture. I know my writing won't keep anyone interested. But I went this morning to buy a new camera for me and some finger paints for Ayden. I was excited to get home and let her play with her new paints while I played with my new camera. Well...she had fun with her paints and I realized that my memory card is in the broken camera at my moms house. Figures. So no pictures for a little longer. But our kitchen is filled with sheets of finger painted art. They are everywhere and she is so proud. She keeps asking when Daddy will be home every time she looks at her masterpieces. He knows how to muster up the perfect amount of excitement to thrill her. She can't wait to show him.

Eric started his third rotation on Monday. He's in an OBGYN office and really likes the Doctor he's working with. He's already been able to sit in on two surgery's. This would be the low point for me but it's definitely a high for him. So two rotations down and five to go.

I did find a random picture my sister sent.

Where did she learn this from?

So True.

2008-11-03T19:53:00.001-08:00

Grandpa Madsen

2008-11-03T14:35:00.000-08:00

Ayden is one lucky girl. She gets to share her birthday with the worlds BEST Grandpa. I went into the hospital on Halloween morning to have Ayden. I guess she had a geater plan. Why come on halloween when you could share your birthday with this guy.

I love my Grandpa so much. I hope he stays around for another 86 years.

She's TWO!

2008-11-02T16:28:00.000-08:00

Holy Cow, my baby is 2! Where did the time go? We had such a fun time celebrating her big day. She is one lucky girl to have so many people that love her. She had Aunts, Uncles, Cousins, Grandma, Grandpa and great aunts and a great grandma and grandpa. Which means she had an embarassing amount of gifts. Shes been playing with her new toys all day. Aren't birthdays so fun as a little kid. I remember just lining up all my new stuff and looking at it. She's really been into horses lately and got lots of different little ones that shes been doing the same thing with. She lines them up and just looks and admires. My Aunt Denise gave her the cutest little horse that you wear and it looks like your riding him. So fun! My camera broke AGAIN so I'll have to get one of her wearing it later. My neice Allisons birthday is a week later so we just combined and had such a fun little party.

Here are the two girls in their cute party hats with their cakes. My mom made them each their own little cake. She is such a GREAT mom. Allison dove right into hers.

She opened her new boots from Grandma and wanted to put them right on her feet.

After their guests left the birthday girls put on their matching PJ's and relaxed. Allison even took her first steps.

I just love this little girl SO much! She makes everyday fun with the little things she does and says. Shes the COOLEST two year old I know!

Happy Halloween!

2008-10-30T20:37:00.000-07:00

The cutest little monkey EVER!

Baby Mack as a lizard...dragon..dinosaur..? Whatever it was he sure looked ADORABLE in it!

Aydens not so sure of all this halloween stuff. It seems to scare the you know what right out of her. We spent the last week babysitting for for the Madsens and their house was decorated with cute little witches and pumpkins. NOT scary stuff. She still did this when she saw it...

We spent one night carving pumpkins and decorating cupcakes. She loved the pumpkins until we took them outside and lit them. She was holding on to me so tight saying "scary mommy, scary".

This kid is a holloween WIMP! It may or may not have anything to do with me putting on a freaky mask and scaring her for a little laugh. She hasn't been the same since. Sorry Ayden!

What a guy!

2008-10-15T14:14:00.000-07:00

Before coming home this weekend I asked Eric what kind of mood I would be in when we got home? You see, I had ditched Eric for a week and a half to hang out at home for my sisters wedding. I don't know if any of you are like me but walking into a messy house puts me in a bad mood. Eric is not really known around this place for picking up after himself so I was sort of nervous about what awaited. Let me just tell you, this guy CLEANED the house. Not only were there still vacuum marks in the carpet but cupboards were cleaned out too! The place looked better then it ever has under my watch. Needless to say I was in a GREAT mood.
He's such a fun, great guy that does so much for our family with not a lot of thank yous. He's the perfect husband for me and I know he couldn't be a better, cooler, dorkier dad for Ayden. We sure love him!

The Cake.

2008-10-14T13:42:00.000-07:00

Yes, I was the one that said "Dont put the cake in the trunk. I'll keep it safe"
Yes, I was the one that wanted to protect it for Amy.
Yes, I was the one that carefully held it the whole ride home.
Yes, I was the one that walked it to the stairs.
Yes, I was the one that tripped on those stairs.
Yes, I was the one that fell flat on the ground.
Yes, I was the one that did this....

Yes, Im the one saying sorry Amy. At least it was after the wedding.

My family got a little bigger this weekend!

2008-10-13T13:47:00.000-07:00

Congratulations Jace and Amy Robison!

I think the family is done growing for a while judging from their reaction to the question "Who's next?"

I don't undersand why anyone wouldn't want to join this family.

What a fun wedding! You looked beautiful Amy.

2008-09-25T15:34:00.001-07:00

Today Ayden and I made these cute little animals. She's so excited to give the little dog to Baby Mack. The bunny is hers and she knows it! She helped by picking out a bow for her ear.

Their cute little bums.

We also made a bunch of these cute little headbands for her. They have such cute fabics now that I want to make more.

Well, I'm off to pack. We are heading to Utah for the weekend. I'm going to work to earn some Christmas money, Eric will be backpacking, and Ayden will be chillin' with the old people:)

Hangin' with her Homies.

2008-09-25T07:13:00.000-07:00

I'm so embarassed.

2008-09-24T11:55:00.000-07:00

Today was Mommy & Me. I havn't been going lately and decided this morning to take Ayden and let her play.. Well they called and said we would be meeting at the mall and the kids can just play in the play area. There are not a lot of places around this little town and the mall playground is a hot spot on cold days. I got there and all the moms were gathered around discussing whos kids walked first, talked first, solved the worlds problems, you know the drill. Well, they see me coming and look up and wave. I have Ayden and purse in hand. I notice how crowded the play area is and start scoping out a seat by my favorite moms. The next thing I know I am laying FLAT on the ground looking up at a bazillion faces trying there hardest not to laugh and look concerned. Ayden was crying after having been launched across the room. My purse was everywhere and I could feel my face turning red. You see, there is this STUPID fish that sits about a foot off the floor and when holding a child you don't really see. I know this fish well because this is the SECOND time have tripped over the stupid thing. The first time was more of a stumble and less of an everyone-look-at-me kind of fall. Yikes! I then had to go sit down and have everyone ask if I was okay with there most sympathetic looks on their faces. Thank goodness for those few good friends there that can just totally laugh with you. With you...at you..whatever.

Candy & Grandma

2008-09-23T12:48:00.000-07:00

Ayden: "Look Mom" (Pointing at the Reeses Pieces and M&M's at the store)
Me: "Ya, that's candy"
Ayden: "Ya, candy Grandmas".
Me: "Do you eat candy at Grandmas?"
Ayden: "Ya...Grandma's House...Let's go"
Me: "No, we can't go to Grandmas"
Ayden: "Oh ya,(sad face)Far Away"

I think she asks at least 3 times a day to go to Grandma and Grandpa's house. After I say "no" she always answers "far away" with a little frown on her face. Maybe I need to start buying candy so she'll like us too.

2008-09-22T11:34:00.000-07:00

Aren't sundays the best.

2008-09-22T07:50:00.000-07:00

Is she trying to tell me something?

2008-09-18T15:27:00.001-07:00

It's Shot Day

2008-09-18T15:27:00.000-07:00

The day started with Ayden being so excited to see the fish. I didn't tell her seeing the fish would be followed with a shot to the chubby leg.

She was loving the fish. Completely enjoying herself when the nurse came out. As we walked back into the room you could totally see the fear set in. When her pants came off the tears started flowing. They gave her the shots. She cried some more. After a few minutes and a cool sticker she was feeling a little better. As we were leaving I told the nurse thank you and looked at Ayden and asked, "Can you tell her thank you?" She looked right at the nurse and said "NO WAY!".

We went and played on the toys because she was a "good girl" (aside from the whole "NO WAY" thing).

Her legs didn't seem to bother her at all until she woke up from her nap. When she stood up and tried to walk she said "ouch" with every step. Then she just laid down and felt sorry for herself.

Check out the lower lip on this kid!

More things to remember.

2008-09-12T16:08:00.000-07:00

The Man from Snowey River would play 24/7 if it was up to her. Here she is watching her current favorite with her "neigh". We couldn't find her cowboy hat so she had to settle for this one.

While watching Finding Nemo it was showing the dentist and I told her that he was a dentist like Papa. Now everytime the Dentist comes on screen she says "oh, Hi Papa...Hi Papa...Hi Papa" like she's waiting for him to say hi back.

We drove home from my parents yesterday and when she woke up and saw where we were she said "Oh NO" and started crying.

She loves to play Lions. She assigns someone to be Simba, Fufafa (Mufasa), and Nala. When she is Mufasa she has a completely different roar then when she's Simba.

I gave her a REALLY bad hair cut today. What was I thinking? A small trim turned into a slight Mushroom Cut. I will NEVER attempt a haircut again. I can't even blame it on her moving around. She sat perfectly still the whole time. Her face shows what we were both thinking afterwards.

She wants eggs for breakfast every morning. Bac bac (chicken) for lunch everday and Pizza for dinner.

She saw this picture of herself the other day and stared at it with a confused look on her face. Then looked up at and me, shrugged he shoulders and asked "Ayden, boc boc (chicken)?" She had no idea what this was all about.

Loves to play "Ashes" (Ring Around the Rosies)and jump on the trampoline.

Loves to tease! When Eric asks her who's the strongest she always says "greg" and laughs. When Greg asks she always says "Da Dad"

We LOVE her!

What a nice change.

2008-09-05T20:29:00.000-07:00

He's home A LOT now and we are loving every minute of it!

Go Amy!

2008-09-03T18:58:00.000-07:00

I just found this video of my sister on Studio Five. Its a local show in Utah so I didn't get to see it until tonight. It made me smile.

http://studio5.ksl.com/?sid=3780974&nid=61
(I don't know how to create a link so you'll just have to copy and paste it. I need a blog coach)

Go Amy!
She's going to hate me for this.

Hello

2008-09-03T16:28:00.000-07:00

This smile...???

2008-08-31T12:22:00.000-07:00

He...

is 28 today.
Happy Birthday Eric!

The Campout

2008-08-28T08:32:00.000-07:00

Have I mentioned we love camping? Well here is one more camping trip and a ton of pictures.

She was this dirty within the first hour.

This is my sister-in-law Lori and her kids Tess and Carson.

Erics brother Ivan with Jenna and Allison

My WHITE TRASH family. The things I do to humor my husband.

Creede and Carson

Ayden and her cousins.

And that is the end of our vacation :)

Take a Hike

2008-08-27T16:12:00.000-07:00

Isn't she cute with her little backpack on. When we got back from Mexico we took Ayden and headed up the Uintahs for a little hike.

We had sandwiches from the Village Bakery. I miss that place.

We did a little fishing

Ayden took a little nap.

Then we hiked back down the mountain and headed home. I love spending time with these two!

Can you believe that I didnt take any pictues of the best part of the vacation.

2008-08-26T09:44:00.000-07:00

It's true, no pictues of our trip to Cancun. So I stole some off Emilys blog. I hope you dont mind Em. We had so much fun!

The hotel was amazing.

The company was Awesome.
Emily and Brandon, and Athena and Ryan.

And we got to spend our anniversay lounging by a pool.

I loved it all. The beach, snorkeling, sleeping in, laying by the pool, volleyball, sea turtles, lots of food, shows, shopping, sunburns, drinks, friends. I hope we get to do it again soon!

While we were in Cancun Ayden was having her own little vacation at my parents house. I was a little worried that she would hate us for leaving her or be attached to us like glue when we got back scared that we would leave again. I shouldn't have falttered myself so much. I called the first night to see how she was and my Mom said she hadn't even asked about us. I LOVE THIS KID! She had a blast. Grandma and Grandpas house is like Disney Land to her. She can't get enough of them. They swam and played and watched movies.

Vacation Recap.

2008-08-25T15:26:00.000-07:00

Here it comes...another one of my boring, rambling, too many pictures, vacation posts. Not only one post but this may take a few. I hope your up for it.

The first thing on our schedule was my cousins wedding. It was fun to see all my cousins I never see. I love this picture of Ayden and my Dad. She LOVES her grandpa. Eric says she has an "unhealthy obsession" with him. She's always asking for him if hes out of sight.

After the wedding Ayden started getting sick. She had fever and the next morning she had spots all over. We were sure it was the chicken pox so we stayed home from fish lake.

The next day she was feeling fine again. It wasn't the chicken pox. I guess it was Rosiola so we packed up and met my family at the lake.

We had so much fun! Ayden loved seeing the deer that wondered into camp. She kept yelling "Dambi"(bambi)and calling it to come to her like a dog.

The day after we got home we went to the rodeo. My nephews Creede and Carson were doing the muttin bustin. It was so cute! Creede held on for a long time and came in second. I was very impressed. It's entertaining watching all these poor kids get put on a sheep with no idea what they are in for.

Ayden holding on tight because there is a horse just out of the picture.

My sister-in-law Lori and her two boys Creede and Carson.

Well I'll post more later but Ayden just woke up and I'm sick of uploading pictures. Stay tuned...we still have 2 more weeks to go.

We're Back

2008-08-25T14:12:00.000-07:00

Well it's life back to normal for us today. Eric left this morning for his first rotation and 12 hr shift at an urgent care center in Blackfoot. I'm glad there are people like him out there that can do that medical stuff. Just having to walk into those places grosses me out and makes my head spin. Definatly not the career for me.

This is him getting ready to leave and calling me a dork for taking his picture. So I'm a dork, big suprise.

The stethoscope was a nice touch don't ya think.

Ayden and I have been hanging out and playing with all her toys. When we got home yesterday she pulled out every toy she had and did the same thing this morning. It's like all new toys after not seeing them for so long.

We had such a great vacation. It seemed like there was so much to do and so little time. It went by way too fast!

A little Hike.

2008-07-27T12:58:00.001-07:00

If you have been wandering through Inkom canyon lately and wondering why there is a shortage of rocks along the trail it's all because of this little hiker...

She gathered every rock and stick she passed on the trail not to mention stoping to look at (and sometimes stomp on) every bug in sight. And she did all this with babies in hand.

I think she woulds have these two surgically attached if she could. Needless to say it was a SLOW hike. But we wrangled he into her backpack and picked up the pace a bit.

It was really hot.

It's a beautiful canyon. I think we should do an overnighter. Anyone want to join us?

P.S. I know, I know, Im not in any of the picutes. Just picture a big red faced sweaty girl and you'll get the idea.

Workin' It!

2008-07-25T07:06:00.000-07:00

OOh Ya...

Two More Weeks!

2008-07-23T10:58:00.000-07:00

Eric only has two more weeks and then he is done with his first year of PA School. I can't believe how fast it flew by. Well, it flew by for me but I'm not the one who had to do all the studying and sitting in class. He might tell you a different story. But in the PA program you have one year of regular in class, listen to lecture, take test, school. The second year he does rotations. Every 5 weeks he will go work with a new doctor in different specialties. His first 4 rotations are in Idaho and the last few will be in Utah. So, if everything goes as planned we can move back home by December. I'm excited to move home but I will really miss our friends here in Pocatello. They have been great!
But I'm so looking forward to August. He has the whole month off before his rotations start. And boy did the month book up fast. We are going on a fishing trip to Fish Lake with my family. Eric and I are leaving Ayden behind and going to Cancun with some friends for a week. We have a camping trip with erics family planned. And a backpacking trip with Phil and Nat. Eric plans on spending anytime in between those days in the mountains! I'll join him but I'm really looking forward to some time by the pool!

Eric's the one in the blue surgical gown and mask.

I also took Ayden to the Dr. today. He has a HUGE fish tank and she was in heaven. That is until the dreaded shots came. She had no idea what she was in for. She only cried for a minute then they gave her a treat and she was good to go. That is until she saw her bandaid. Just the sight of it is like it's happening all over again. She weighs 26 lbs and is 33" long. Where did my baby go? I just LOVE this little girl!

Laying down after one of her bandaid sightings.

I'm never going back!

2008-07-19T09:50:00.001-07:00

Just the other day Eric and I were having a conversation that went something like this: "We are so lucky, she is such a good girl. She never throws tantrums, she's so good out in public. She's PERFECT!" Well, you guessed it, she decided to prove us wrong yesterday. The place she chose to have her first throw yourself on the ground, kicking, screaming, waving your arms around fit, was the dreaded post office. I HATE going to the post office anyways. There is always a line that doesn't seem to move and a million people in it. Well it was no different yesterday. On the drive there Ayden's in the back seat talking and singing and be being so cute. We get out of the car and I set her on the sidewalk and grad the three heavy boxes to be mailed and my purse that won't stay on my shoulder. Just juggling this stuff is hard enough. Then we come to the first set of doors and I open it to the sound of her high pitched "No, Ayden" She wants to do it herself. The door weighs 300 pounds and she can't open it. So I open it again. She screams, I tell her to stop screaming and come in now! She thorws herself on the ground (where do they learn this)? People pass us, stare, and give a polite your kids a brat smile and go on in. Then I notice the second door. I struggle to open it with my boxes and annoying bag in hand and she refused to go in. I put all my boxed down in the corner, hope that no one takes them, grab her and take her outside, threaten her with her life, and try it again. This time we make it through the doors. She is still crying but at least she will follow me. This is SO not like Ayden! Well we get in line wich by now is 5 people longer than it would have been if she hadnt been cleaning the discusting post office floor with her dress. I filled out all three shipping slips while wrestling with the little stink. We finally make it out to the car I buckle her in she falls asleep immediatly and Eric calls to see if I'll mail one more package for him today. You can imagine my reply.

A few things I want to remember about our Ayden.

2008-07-17T11:34:00.000-07:00

She loves Lions! She growls at us continually. If we act like she scared us she can hardly control her laughter. Lion King is her favorite right now.
She loves nursery. She can hardly wait for us to drop her off.
She like to pose in the mirror after we get her dressed and her hair done. She even does a little spin.
She loves to get the mail. She got a book and Nemo snacks from Grandma the other day and went crazy.
She loves and hates bugs at the same time. She loves books about them, loves to talk about them, but doesn't want the real ones anywhere near her.
She loves broccoli. Can't get enough of it.
She's obsessed with shoes. If we have ours off she wants them on. If they are on she wants them off.
She's starting to go potty on the toilet. When she goes she claps and claps for herself.
She loves swimming. Face under, kicking, splashing, LOVES IT!
Swings are big right now. She likes to be on the middle one with Eric and I on the sides.
She's very polite. "no, please" "more, please" We hear these two lines all the time.
Loves to wrestle with her dad.
She has AMAZING hearing. She can hear Erics truck from a mile away. She stops whatever shes doing and runs to the door yelling "DaDad, DaDad".
She's a sweet little girl, always giving hugs and kisses.
Loves to sing "Popcorn Popping", "Head shoulders knees and toes", and "Where is Thumbkin"
She has a crazy little smile.
When you ask her "Who loves you" she replies "Daddy" I say "No, Mommy" and she laughs and says "No, Daddy". It goes on and on. She's a little tease.
She has the best tan!

A bit of our weekend..

2008-07-14T17:41:00.001-07:00

We went to a BBQ at the park with friends and met little Roxy. I now want one just like her.

Does standing around looking at the grill make you more manley? I have never really understood this.

Ayden climbing the big rock...

..without much success. She gets that from her Dad:)

It was Owen's 3rd Birthday. HAPPY BIRTHDAY OWEN! Thanks for inviting us to your fun Party.

These two got engaged!! My sister Amy and my soon to be Brother-in-Law Jace. Contratulations!

We also had to speak in church on sunday. Thank heavens there are no pictures of that. Im sure you could see me shaking even in a picture. Don't you just hate speaking in church? So glad it's over.

Cute Golfers

2008-07-11T10:03:00.000-07:00

Macks Blessing

2008-07-08T06:51:00.000-07:00

My new little Nephew Mack was blessed this weekend. He is the cutest little guy. He is so tiney that his little socks just slip of his chicken legs. He likes to sleep and seems to be doing that 90% of the time I'm around him. He has big eyes and a little receding hair line. He is very patient with his cousin Ayden and puts up with all of her kisses and high fives. He looked adorable in his little blessing outfit and I'm glad we could be there for his big day.

Cute Cousins.

For Amy

Kylie, Kevin, and Mack.

Ayden with my cousins Madi and Kellen. Who said the word smile?

The cutest Grandpa in the world with Mr. Mack.

BIG Weekend!

2008-07-07T17:39:00.000-07:00

Part One: Fun with the Chatterleys

We visited the Kennecot Copper Mine.

Eric's brother has a little pond behind his house and they all took a swim. Ayden watched.

Eric hangin' with the kids.

Uncle Phil put on a great firework show that the kids loved. When Carsons sparkler burned out her told me he needed more magic. So cute.

Baby Tess was blessed this weekend. Here we all are after the blessing. She is such a sweet little thing.

Part Two: The Madsen 4th of July Swim Party.

This party is like Christmas to me. I LOVE it. All my cousins come and we swim, eat, laugh, yell, and have a fun RELAXED time.

Lots of eating going on.

Some sort of pool game.

Cheers! No...Aunt Karen in not drunk.

High Five

Part Three: Chillin' at home.
Ayden LOVES being at my parents house. Whenever we left the house she was constantly ask for Bampa (Grandpa). When it was time to come home to Idaho I don't think she understood where we were going and thought we would be back later that night. She slept on the way home and when she woke up and saw where we were she started screaming "No, Bampas" She cried and cried. The poor girl finally calmed down and is still asking for her Grandpa but doing much better. The little stink.

My mom gave her this little magneting fishing pole. It was a big hit.

Me and Mack Attack

One of the reasons she loves Grandma and Grandpas

We had a great weekend and I can't wait for our next visit.

Check out Cami's Blog

2008-06-29T12:40:00.000-07:00

She's starting a new blog called www.loveyourselfhealthy.blogspot.com. We were out running the other day and we were we talking about how cool it would be to have a place to write down our fitness goal so that other people could see them. I don't know if you are like me or not but I tend to go through phases. I get all excited about something like a new diet or exercise plan and I do great for a couple of weeks. After that...I dont know what happens. I just don't stay as motivated. I'll still workout but it's not the kind of workout that going to help me lose weight and get healthy. But I think this blog will help with that. When I'm writing something down that other people will read it gives me that extra little push. Someone to report to.
I hope some of you want to do it with us. I think it will be fun to see what you guys are doing to exercise, where you are running or biking, what you are eating, healthy recepits, whatever you want to contribute.
This is how it works. Go to Camis Blog (The link is on my sidebar)and comment on her post and she will add you as an author. Then you can post whatever you want whenever you want. It will be fun. So go comment! Even if you dont know Cami she will be excited to add you. I know reading your posts will keep me motivated.

This week so far...

2008-06-25T18:09:00.000-07:00

We went hiking and had dinner with lots of large ants.

Spent way too much time throwing rocks in the river.

Saw this movie.

I was inspired by these friends and started running! (Thanks Cami and Becky for letting steal your pictures :)

Hit the pool again and now I look something like this.

Laughed at this little goof.

Ouch

2008-06-24T06:17:00.000-07:00

Her head hit the toilet. Poor little thing.

A night in the woods.

2008-06-22T16:09:00.001-07:00

Good friends, campfire, fishing, sleeping in a tent, playing in the river, roasting marshmellows, what more could we ask for in a weekend.

Our campsite had a fun little stream running through it. The kids(and Nat)couldn't get enough.

She loved the tent.

Cutler caught a fish!

There is nothing wrong with putting the kids in a cage :)

I love staying up late and talking around a campfire. It's the best. My only complaint is why does it alway end with scary stories. I hate the creepy feeling that stays with you all night in that little tent.

Aren't they cute!

Thanks Brandon and Emily for planning an awesome weedend. Do you have any plans for next weekend:)

I love summer

2008-06-17T18:59:00.000-07:00

Summer is great. The days fly by, the kids are happy, and there are finally fun things to do. This little town of Pocatello has all kinds of fun things going on and we are trying to take advantage of all of them. Thats why my blog has been suffering. Who wants to be inside on the computer when the sun is out. Ayden and I went swimming the other day and she LOVED it. She is a little fish. (Speaking of fish...I think I have watched Finding Nemo 375 times this week. She's obsessed.)We have also been going to Zoo Buddies. Once a week the pocatello zoo has a little story time for the kids and they also bring out one of the animals for the kids to look at and learn about. Today it was a rabbit and as soon as Ayden got close enough to touch it she freaked out. Yep, the only kid there that was scared of the bunny. They were also filming a commercial for the zoo so hopefully Ayden will be making her television debut soon. We are also taking advantage of Pocatellos free lunch at the parks and plan on hitting the outdoor summer concerts. This really is a fun little pathetic town:)

Little Tess

2008-06-17T16:40:00.000-07:00

Or should I say not so little Tess.

This is my cute new niece Tess that I get to share a birthday with. She was born June 16th and weighs 9lbs 6oz. I can't wait to squeeze those chubby little cheeks!

2008-06-06T12:59:00.000-07:00

Mr. Mack

I can't wait to see this cute little guy again. Love him!

Our Vacation

2008-06-02T20:21:00.000-07:00

We just got back from visiting Eric's family in Florida. It was GREAT! It was one of those relaxing vacations where we did a lot of just hanging out. We did make it to the beach and of course had to go in for our teeth cleanings with Papa Chatterley. Now that we are home we are going through vacation withdrawals. I'm exhausted and Ayden's one sick little girl. Luckily both times she's thrown up have been in Eric's arms and not mine. They are both in their second pair of P.J.'s for the night.
I also have a new little nephew!!!! His name is Mack and I'll post some pictures of him when I get some. He is ADORABLE and so tiney.
Here are a bazillion pictures from our trip.

At the Pool

At the Beach

It was too hot to go to the park during the day so we went in the evening. It was perfect weather.

Here are some pictures of us just hanging around the house.

2008-05-19T07:55:00.000-07:00

She's insisting on doing things herself now. This is her attempt at getting dressed. She wore it like this for a while before she finally wanted a little bit of help.

The Beastie Boys have nothing on this guy!

2008-05-16T12:59:00.000-07:00

Eric was "singing" the other night and I thought when he saw the camera he would stop immediately. Well, it had the opposite affect. He must not have known I would put it on the internet for all of you to see. He's going to love me for this :)

I'll try to capture his Michael Buble/Sinatra impression next time. It has a dance that goes with it. That right, rap and Sinatra, this guy can do it all.

2008-05-14T20:30:00.000-07:00

It's adorable watching her walk around with her baby on her back while constantly telling me to "sshhhh", weather I'm talking or not, because her baby is sleeping. Aren't their imaginations so fun to watch.

So Sad

2008-05-12T13:48:00.000-07:00

Today Ayden saw a pictue of her Grandpa and starting crying because she wanted to go to his house. I thought it was cute so grabed the camera.

Aydens first camping trip

2008-05-12T13:01:00.000-07:00

Eric was excited to finally have a weekend off to take Ayden on a little camping trip. In his opinion its a disgrace that Ayden has been on the planet for a year and a half and has yet to spend the night in a tent (thanks to her mother). When we came home from the primary party on friday afternoon Eric had the car all packed and ready to go. We are still pretty new to Idaho and not familiar with the canyons yet but he knew of one spot and we took off. When we got there to our disappointment the road was closed. Being as determined as he was we drove around looking for a new spot to camp. This lasted about three hours before we ended up on an Indian Reservation and then a cow pasture at the top of a hill. Not exactly what we had in mind. Ayden was getting restless so we stopped to let her out to stretch. That's when the hail started coming down. I reached in the back of the 4-runner to grab her coat when I realized we had left the bag at home with all our stuff in it. So...three hours and a hail storm later we ended up back at home for pizza and a movie. At least we tried.

We were able to get a fun hike in on Saturday morning. I was able to take one picture before the camera died.

Happy Mothers Day

2008-05-11T14:51:00.000-07:00

We want to wish a happy mothers day to two of the greatest moms in the world. We LOVE you! Happy Mothers Day!

Happy Birthday Greg!

2008-05-09T08:08:00.001-07:00

I want to wish a happy birthday to my favorite brother. We love you and hope you have a great day. We miss you!

So happy to hold the sign backwards.

Not so happy to hold the sign the right way.

Ayden and her Uncle Greg. She LOVES this guy!

Our trip to the zoo.

2008-05-07T17:58:00.000-07:00

Yesterday we went to the Pocatello Zoo. The zoo is a lot like the town, small and simple. Instead of finding lions, tigers, and elephants, we saw cows, donkeys, and bears. The kids loved it and Cami and I had a good time too. We'll be visiting often.

Carson and Ayden growling like the bears.

Cami teaching them an indian dance in the giant teepee. Yes...there is a teepee at the zoo.

2008-05-06T14:59:00.000-07:00

Just a fun little video that the grandparents might enjoy. I'm not sure about the rest of you. I didn't take the time to edit it down so you get the whole long thing.

Hiking?

2008-05-05T09:13:00.000-07:00

We decided to venture out for a little "Hike" to enjoy the nice weather that will probably only be here for a couple of days before an unwanted snow comes back. Eric is the master hiker of the family and I don't dare go anywhere without him for fear I'll be lost in the mountains forever. I have no sense of direction. I'm the kind of person that comes out of a store at the mall and I have no idea which way I came from. So Ayden and I found a fool proof little trail and had some fun of our own.

She enjoyed going up a lot more than coming back down.You can see the fear in her eyes. I, on the other hand, always enjoy downhill!

2008-05-03T18:47:00.001-07:00

Ayden and I made a quick visit home last weekend for my sister Kylie's baby shower. It's always fun to get together with my aunts and cousins,I love them. We had a lot of fun and Ayden even had a surprise waiting for her. It's the cutest play house for the little grandkids which for now consists of Ayden. I hope she's not the possesive type.

Shout Outs!

2008-05-03T13:14:00.000-07:00

I just wanted to give a shout out to my sister Ali and brother Greg who are both moving away for the summer. Ali and her cute friend Alysa are headed to Alaska for the summer and Greg is off to Kansas City. We love you guys and hope you have a FUN summer. We'll miss you!
Do people still say "Shout Out"?

Some pictures of Ayden to make up for the ugly smile post.

2008-04-18T07:46:00.002-07:00

Smile?

2008-04-16T09:44:00.000-07:00

Do any of your kids not know how to smile? It seems like such a simple thing to learn but whenever I say "SMILE" this is the face I get. This "smile" has been around for a while and I'm hoping she outgrows it soon. Until then it's good for a little laugh.

Watching a movie before bed.

2008-04-15T09:23:00.000-07:00

New Chair!

2008-04-15T08:52:00.000-07:00

Ayden has fallen in love with this little red lawn chair. She reads in it, eats in it, watches movies in it. She sits in it as much as she possibly can. The other day I told her it was time for a nap so she stood up gave it a kiss and then waved good bye to it.

What a mess!

2008-04-13T12:36:00.000-07:00

This is what you get when you clean your room while your kid is left to eat alone. Notice how nicely she got all the ketchup rubbed into her hair.

Our 4 year old babysitter

2008-04-10T14:34:00.000-07:00

So this is Isabel. She informed me that she also goes by Bel or Belly Button. She is 4 years old and came to "babysit" Ayden the other day. Let me tell you she is the funnest, cutest, babysitter I have ever had. She and Ayden giggled for an hour straight. She fed Ayden lunch, cleaned her up, and then did her hair. They had so much fun and I can't wait for her to come back.

Hair Style #1

Hair Style #2

Ayden usually grants me about 35 seconds of sitting still when I do her hair. Isabel got a good 20 min. of her precious time.

Bel and little bro. Kingston

I Love This Little Girl!

2008-04-10T14:30:00.000-07:00

Look at all those new teeth.

Spring Break

2008-04-01T09:14:00.000-07:00

We had a great spring break this year. We celebrated my Grandma and Grandpa Madsens 60th wedding anniversary. 60 years...congratulations! I worked a little and shopped a lot. Took Ayden to the farm and the hospital (she was sick but feeling GREAT now). Spent a weekend at the sand dunes. Went to the movies. Eric got a couple golf games in and even made his way through a slot canyon. The easter bunny came and we loved seeing all of our family. Are you ready for a lot of pictures.....

Ayden and Ali

Ayden and Little Lucy

Her Easter Basket

Lookin' good in her new shades.

Wheelers Farm. She loved this place!

Checking out the saddle.

Ayden and Greg

Playing in the sand

This is the slot canyon Eric hiked.

They repelled off the back of the car into the canyon. Yikes!