Maddie's Birthday & Christmas

This was from Maddie's first 'Girls' Night Out' with Mommy, her best friend Hailey, and her best friends Mommy. We went to a Chrismas play, then out to eat at Frisco Square where we watched all the 'dancing' lights (as Maddie Grace calls them)

Maddie & Mommy by the giant tree.

Next, was Maddie's Birthday-the big 4! I still can't believe it. And, in what has become a tradition, yes I cried on her birthday. I just can't get over how grown up she is getting and I'm just so proud of her.

Anyhow, our whole family went to the Galleria to try our hand at ice skating, then it was on to the American Girl Store for dessert in their cafe.

Amy & Maddie

Maddie Grace LOVED ice skating! She was going solo after 1/2-way through the first lap. She didn't want to get off the ice, and she has continued to ask me when she can go again. I was blown away at how much she loved it!

Maddie and her 'Baby Madeline' at the American Girl Cafe. Another experience that was beyond words. If she didn't feel special on this day, then something was really wrong. As we walked into the store, and were surrounded by hundreds of dolls, she said (and the drama princess needs no exaggeration) " Oh Mommy, it's wonderful, just wonderful!"

Tanner trying to hang in there amidst all the pink. Tanner and Rocky really were troopers throughout everything. Don't worry buddy, the favor will be repaid in June!

Now onto Christmas! It has gotten more fun for us every year with these two little ones. This year, on Christmas eve, we sprinkled Reindeer food on the front lawn. While we were outside, Rocky looked up and showed Maddie and Tanner-it was Rudolph's nose! Heading straight for our house! Maddie has never gotten to bed so fast, and she even prayed that night that Santa would not pass her house since she was still awake. Well, no worries there.

Maddie got a 'Sleeping Beauty Vanity', "it's just what I've been wanting! Santa remembered!"

Tanner got an Elmo Live

This is a cross that Maddie picked out for Mommy all by herself

Daddy got Rock Band from Santa! (with help from an awesome wife) :)

Well, this was the best picture I could get of the two of them in their Christmas jammies. Tanner's was an old fashioned one-piece, and Maddie's says 'Santa's Best Gift'-very appropriate.

All in all, we had a wonderful Christmas. It was so nice to be with our families, and we were really able to relax and enjoy the season of Christ's birth.

A really long attempt at catching up

Ok, I know I am the worst 'blogger' ever-but I'm kinda busy, so I have resigned to the fact that this will never be a huge priority and I will do it when I can. There, I feel less stressed already! So, here is a brief recap of December so far. (Since I will constantly be putting off getting caught up I thought I'd just start with the most recent). We began the month by seeing Santa and then a surprise visit with my brother Scott!

Here is a recap of our visit to see Santa, and although I haven't scanned the actual picture with Santa, this should give you a pretty good idea:

Maddie loved everything about the whole visit, and she jumped right up in Santa's lap, politely told him what she would like, then told him that "my little brother can't talk, so I'll tell you what he wants. He likes cars, maybe the movie cars, but I don't like that movie, but he does. He would like that movie". And (in true Maddie fashion) she didn't want to leave, she wanted to stay with him and help Santa all day.




Then there was Tanner, my sweet boy. He cried at everything throughout the whole visit! Train? cried. Other kids? cried. Taking pictures? cried. Santa? Oh man, he cried the cry where there is no breathing. Ya know? the face turning purple silent cry followed by the longest, loudest scream? Yah, that one. So, we ended up getting a lovely family picture with Santa. I still think that since I sat with Santa, maybe he'll leave me a little something under the tree.







Then we spent the day with my brother Scott. Although it was too short, we really enjoyed every minute. Maddie luvvvvved her Uncle Scott! (Tanner was still traumatized from the visit with Santa that morning and wouldn't let me put him down) She cried and cried when he had to leave and told me that she wanted to move to California. The next day, however, she shocked me with the sweetest revelation: she said: "Mommy, I really didn't want Uncle Scott to leave, but I learned something." me "What did you learn?" Maddie: "That when people come to visit, they have to leave, but I'm still glad we got to visit" I was so proud of her!


Although she was still sad, and talked about it for about a week afterwards-she did recover quickly. The night after we said goodbye to Uncle Scott we all had hot chocolate and finished putting the ornaments on the tree.




Ohhhh, it's the sweetest elf ever!




Maddie was great at hanging ornaments this year




Since Tanner has never had a turn, we decided it was his turn to hang the star this year. So, with (lots of) help from Daddy, Tanner put the finishing touch on our gorgeous tree!



Ok, now on to Maddie's 4th birthday party!
She had a Strawberry Shorcake party, and it was (if I do say so myself) one of the best birthday parties ever! Everyone there had a great time, and I know Maddie Grace felt extra-special.



The yummy cake! (Thanks to Mary!)

Why do we even get toys? Why not just keep balloons on hand? They both love them, hmmm there's an idea in there...

This was our first all-girl party, and the girls' all stuffed their own strawberry shortcake doll. This is when they were making a wish on their star, then they put it inside and the instructor came around and secured the backs of their dolls. They all loved their dolls so much, and it was sweet as they all closed their eyes, and made their wishes-just precious!


What a cutie! (by the way-I made her shirt! I saw one online for $40, and I thought that was ridiculous. So I went to JoAnn's, came home and made it for $12 total) I just put this pic to show off my skills.

AAAAahhhhhhh! So excited! She got a My Little Pony Amusement Park with mini ponies, and she loves it. I believe she said "I always wanted this!"

Maddie also loves her American Girl Baby, aptly named Baby Madeline. She recieved this Christmas dress for her Baby.

Tanner was so good throughout the party, even though he was the only little boy there. Here he is on the rocking horse, Nay-Nay. Why you ask? Well, duh! A horse says nay-nay.

He is just so stinking cute!

I can't believe I got a picture of them both looking and (somewhat) smiling at the same time!

Our SUPER-BUSY October!

Ok, ok, I know I'm impossibly behind on blogging so here is my attempt to catch up. Our computer crashed (for the 3rd time), and it finally died really dead. Plus I got a new camera for my birthday, and I'm not the most technologically inclined. So, it's taken me quite a while to figure out the new computer, camera, and all the programs. Anyhow, here is my attempt to catch up. We started out the month by having a birthday party for all the birthdays in October in our family (sorry, no pictures due to they are on the old camera and I'm doing good to be able to do this!) Then, it was off to the fabulous Texas State Fair! The weekend after that we went camping at Lake DeGray in Arkansas. That post is still to come, there are A LOT of pictures. Until then, enjoy the state fair!

This is Maddie Grace chewing her first piece of gum. She chewed it for about 15 seconds, then spit it out and she hasn't wanted any since. Huh, who knew?

Jack is showing me his gum.

Awww, Jack and Maddie walking through the fair.

Amy, Maddie, her best friend Hailey, and my friend Deanna

Hailey and Maddie enjoying a famous Fletcher's Corn Dog!!!

Maddie & Jack: 'Hookem' Horns'!!! We went the day after UT beat OU!

Rocky took Maddie down this giant slide. At first she was pretty timid, but when it was done, she asked to do again! She said it was one of her favorite things of the day.

Rocky, Bobby, and Steve (friends of ours that went with us). These guys decided to go on what looked to me to be the scariest ride I have ever seen. The best way I can think to describe it is like the Earth revolving around the sun-the guys are the Earth, but they are going super, crazy fast. They all enjoyed it, but they all said that it was in fact, one of the scariest rides ever.

Maddie Grace got her face painted like a butterfly

She remembered this game from last year, and it was her favorite thing ever!

And she won! Princess Jewelry! She was sooo excited!

Now to the animals: Maddie wishes she could live in a barn with all animals all the time.

Here she is petting the cutest little zebra...

Feeding goats...

This giraffe was surrounded by people trying to feed it. It would walk around and just stick its nose in the air and ignore everyone. Then it came to Maddie, sniffed her little hand, and ate right out of her cup. She talked to it the whole time, it was precious!

Maddie and Hailey, getting ready to go after a long (fun) day!

Birthday Party at My Gym!

Maddie was invited to a birthday party for her friend, Connor, and they were both able to go. They had so much fun! Since then, Maddie has been asking me when she can have her party at 'My Gym'. She just doesn't remember that she has already had a party there when she turned two! Thank you for inviting us Connor, and Happy Birthday!

Here is Maddie on the balance beam

She loves to jump on the trampoline

Tanner is crawling through a tunnel

Maddie goes to a gymnastics class every week, and she is showing off her skills on the bar!

Tanner's favorite thing: up and down stairs, over and over and....

There was a mini roller-coaster that really made Tanner's day!

What a handsome little man!

Maddie is singing Happy Birthday to Connor at the end of the party

Getting back to his roots...

Tanner found these old sparring gloves in our spare closet one day while I had everything out and was cleaning through the closet. They were one of Rocky's dad's old pairs that he used to use, and Rocky worked out with them some as well. Tanner loved them! He was laughing so hard when he was 'punching' Rocky.

Rocky is showing Tanner what to do with the gloves

Hmmm, now what?

"I think I can do this"

"The Tan-Man takes him down with a right hook!"

These are just some pictures that I thought I would share:

Everyone in the house got a mean bug that had us out of commission for about a week by the time it was all over. This is Maddie sleeping on the couch. She ended up sleeping in bed with Mommy since we were both equally miserable and we actually had to share a bucket (tmi?). How pitiful is that?

Here is Maddie in all her sweetness!

Tanner Man!