Spying on the Spaugh's

Sunday Ride...

2010-04-21T10:08:00.000-07:00

Cookie Monster

2010-04-21T10:06:00.000-07:00

Maddy is hooked on Cookies n Cream ice cream sandwiches!!

Nashville

2010-04-16T11:41:00.001-07:00

I went to Nashville for work this week and we did lots of fun stuff....

We rented out the 3rd floor of the Wildhorse Saloon and these horses hung from the ceiling....

This was an awesome, lip singing, cover band at the Cadillac Ranch...

A couple of my clients...

We held a casino night with a cowboy theme, had blackjack, craps, etc., karaoke and caricature drawings...

Playing with the table decorations...

We went to Tootsies the last night we were there and ran into Jillian Michaels...lets just say she was tipsy!

Ropin...

2010-04-12T16:12:00.000-07:00

Birthday Pictures from David

2010-04-08T07:48:00.000-07:00

My camera was broken during Maddy's 2nd Birthday Party so David took a bunch of pictures for me. We had it at Cheer Mania so all the kids got to run around like crazy and wear themselves out. Maddy had so much fun and so did we. I hope everyone who came enjoyed themselves. She is so lucky to have so many wonderful people who love her. She got tons of cool toys and clothes, too!

Ready for School!

2010-04-08T06:54:00.001-07:00

We took a couple of pictures before school this morning to send to Daddy...

Her pony tails are ALWAYS crooked!

What a cutie!

Towel Time

2010-04-08T06:51:00.000-07:00

Maddy loves to be all wrapped up after her bath...her eyes look crazy in these new pictures. I think the pollen is getting to her too!

At the Park

2010-04-08T06:49:00.000-07:00

Slacker...

2010-04-07T08:05:00.001-07:00

Ok, so I know I have totally slacked on the blog in 2010 - but I have a valid excuse. My camera has been broken! It is finally time I gave up on my wonderful little camera (it is very special because Brandon gave it to me when I was pregnant and grumpy) and get a new one - TONIGHT! So, pictures will be following soon.

In the meantime I have no idea what has happened in the last three months...Easter was fun - Maddy had a great time dying eggs and we had a fun, little egg hunt. I wasn't able to go to the annual MMC Easter Egg Hunt which was held in Pennsylvania this year (Baby theme). But, it was still fun. I can't remember anything that happened prior to Easter. Sorry.

Maddy is growing like crazy and really trying out this new independence thing. She makes me laugh and drives me crazy on a daily basis. She is so much fun to be around. She is going to gymnastics every week and LOVES it. Her little buddy, Gabe also goes which makes it even better.

Brandon has been out of town ALOT lately. He spent 6 weeks in Colorado with no visits home, which was awful. And he has been in Raleigh the last few weeks (Monday through Friday only - thank goodness). He is trying to get back into roping more often now that it isn't so hard to take Maddy along and the weather is getting better.

I have been just plugging along... same ol' same ol'.

We are looking forward to some fun trips (Wilmington in two weeks for Zac & Sarah's wedding, Ft Lauderdale the week after for our 5 year anniversary, Hoffman the second week of May, our annual beach trip for a week in August) as well as some dreaded work related trips (I will be in Nashville for several days next week, Pompano Beach soon after, Dallas for a few days in May and likely, Arizona, New jersey, Pennsylvania and New York before May is up) and who knows where Brandon will be sent!

Stay tuned for pictures FINALLY!

Boulder, Colorado

2010-01-25T11:16:00.000-08:00

I went to Colorado last week with a coworker/friend and we had a little down time, so we headed out to walk downtown through an outdoor mall in Pearl Street. Before we ever make it out of the parking lot, Jennifer steps on a rock and goes down to the ground at lightning speed, arms flailing above her head. It's a good thing we know each other well on a personal level, because I couldn't stop laughing, I am laughing now, actually. Thankfully, she's tough and a good sport and it didn't ruin the trip but she was, and still is, in some serious pain.

Jennifer taking a break from limping around...

This is the outdoor mall...

We stayed at cute little bed and breakfast. I even had a little fireplace in my room!

We had dinner at this yummy, little Italian place. The portions were HUGE!

Face Paint

2010-01-25T11:15:00.000-08:00

Roping Friends

2010-01-25T11:12:00.000-08:00

We went to a roping with Kyle, Stacey, Bailey and Mark, Kristen and Jersey. The girls had a ball playing together. They collected rocks and did makeovers.

Just gorgeous!

Bessie, Banks & Daddy

2010-01-25T11:06:00.000-08:00

Maddy LOVES to go fast - in the car, on a horse, she just loves it. Here she is riding with Daddy and she laughs out loud and shouts "Giddyup!" the whole time!

Hanging with Mr. Banks...

I love this - this is Banks' every day life - Maddy's little claws coming out at him and he just sits there and lets her do it.

Chuck E. Cheese

2010-01-25T10:49:00.000-08:00

After our trip, we wanted to spend some fun, family time with Maddy so we woke up Friday morning and took her to Chuck E. Cheese. There were only two other people in the entire place, which was nice. She ran around like a crazy person and I didn't have to worry.

It was wonderful and fun and she was having such a great time until we ran out of tokens. Well, she ran over to the token machine and put her little cup under the dispenser and when nothing came out she got rather peeved. I picked her up and nicely explained that now she got to pick out some cool toys to take home - the best part, right?! No. She freaked out and bit me twice. I was dumbfounded and didn't even speak, meanwhile Brandon turns around and hands her a new toy so she basically got rewarded for biting me. Gotta love it! I guess we have some work to do...

Last Day in Reno

2010-01-25T10:36:00.000-08:00

Amy took us out to Pyramid Lake on our last day. On the way out, we saw some WILD mustangs along the edge of the road.

The "Pyramid" is the smaller rock to the left of this island.

The lake is on an Indian Reservation.

Me and Amy...

Brandon and I at the airport in Reno, about to head home.

Walking, Shopping and Driving

2010-01-25T10:27:00.000-08:00

On Wednesday morning, we woke up to blue sky - FINALLY! We could actually see the mountains. Unfortunately, we didn't ski that day. We headed out to do a little shopping and stopped by to see the lake up close. Then, we headed back to Reno.

Sierra at Tahoe

2010-01-25T10:17:00.000-08:00

For our second day of skiing we headed to Sierra at Lake Tahoe because Heavenly was pretty much shut down due to high winds and a winter storm. Sierra was only about 30 minutes away, but we took the hotel shuttle which stopped about 80 times before we got there so it wound up being about an hour and a half drive.

We had a great time, but we both definitely preferred Heavenly. I thought I was going to die going down the second slope!

Lake Tahoe & Heavenly

2010-01-13T07:32:00.000-08:00

Monday morning we woke up super early and started our drive over Mt. Rose to get to Lake Tahoe. Unfortunately, my camera would NOT take a good picture. The sun coming up over the mountains was breathtaking and this just looks like crap.

We took this after crossing Mt. Rose which is the 2nd highest peak in Lake Tahoe at an elevation of 10,776 feet!

So we finally get to Lake Tahoe and that dang fog is still there...this is a picture of the lake on a VERY foggy day but you can still see how the water is BLUE! It has something to do with the depth of the lake, the purity and the clarity of the bright blue sky (which wasn't blue that day) at this high elevation reflecting on the water.

The lake is 6,220 feet above sea level. It is North Americas largest alpine lake at 22 miles long, 12 miles wide and covers a 191 miles surface.

Our hotel was to the left of this shopping center...I took this on our 2 minute walk to the gondola.

The ticket station for the gondola which you ride up to the ski slopes at Heavenly. It is so cool and efficient. Check out Brandon's face in this one, he is complaining about me taking too many pictures...

You can see the trail up the mountain in the background.

A few pictures from the gondola...its about a 10 minute ride and totally gorgeous.

So the gondola takes you up to Heavenly. The ski slopes are divided between Nevada and California which is really cool because you can ski in 2 states. It has 97 runs and 30 lifts (the fast ones) and 4,800 acres (33% for skiing) which makes it the largest in CA. Its also Lake Tahoes highest ski resort at 10, 067 ft. I think Sugar is like 1,200 for comparison.

Brandon in Nevada...

Us in California...

A mogul trail...

In the afternoon you could finally start seeing signs of the lake through the fog...

A stop at one of the lodges...

Back at our hotel for happy hour before dinner....

We went to a place called Fire & Ice which specializes in Mongolian BBQ. You fill your bowl with everything you want and choose your sauce and then take it over to the grill and they make it in front of you.

This was mine...

Wild Mustang and Burro Management Ranch

2010-01-13T07:14:00.000-08:00

After lunch and Virginia City, we went to the Wild Mustang and Burro ranch. We didn't see any burros. This is a wild mustang and burro management ranch. They actually herd these wild mustangs down the mountains with helicopters and the state pays to care for them.

Aside from the obvious - mud and dreadlocks. These appeared to be pretty healthy horses. Most were even fat! Everyone we saw had good feet.

Check out the huge stacks of hay in the background.

There are about 37,000 wild horses and burros roaming the western states. In the same western states, there are about 34,000 horses and burros under state care. You can adopt them and take them home...

check out that dang inversion fog....it followed us everywhere...

Virginia City and Inversion Fog

2010-01-12T16:23:00.001-08:00

Unfortunately, this entire post is backward and I am too tired to fix it all. So if you would like it make sense, you should start from the bottom and work your way up :)

Brandon wanted to this picture of how they dump gold into the cart...

Mining for gold...

This little car parked under the gutter and it just got beat all day long. You can't really see the water but it was pouring directly onto the cars hood the whole time we were there.

Old mean in cowboy clothes....looks like Love Valley to me!

Check out the gutter system...

Brandon and Amy laughed at how crooked the building to the left was...

They had lots of pictures taken at this bar over the last 150 years, it was cool to see.

They had a casino in the bar...

A neat cabinet filled with old bottles and stuff that Brandon liked...

This was an infamous table where lots of men had lost their fortunes (one even an entire mine) and the killed themselves at the table after realizing what they had done...

Cool hat....

We visited Virginia City on Sunday. It is a 19th century settlement located between Denver and San Fransisco. It was a mining town.

On the way up, we ran into some inversion fog, which I think Amy explained to me as when the air is colder than the ground. It only happens about 5 days out of the year and so far it has happened every day that we have been here! And although beautiful, it blocks the view and makes for difficult driving.

This was one of many pictures take beside the road. We just pulled off the highway and took a picture...

Casino Night

2010-01-12T16:11:00.000-08:00

Amy picked us up from the airport and we went and had some yummy sushi and then went out to a casino...

Upgrades

2010-01-12T15:40:00.000-08:00

So began our trip out west...on our first flight, we were in coach for 4 long hours from Charlotte to Phoenix, on our second flight, we got upgraded to FIRST CLASS. Yay!!! So here we are basking in the joy of being in first class when you know you could never afford it on your own...

Here is a picture of our extra leg room and free drinks...

Sunday Dinner at Bimini's

2009-12-29T11:56:00.000-08:00

It was our first time eating at Bimini's and we met Allen and Adam there, who have both been there before. They ordered Brandon an oyster "shot". It had all kinds of gross things in it like hot sauce, beer, horse radish and who knows what else.

I'll give it to him , he tried to get it down...

The worst part was the DISGUSTING and GIGANTIC oyster that was way too big to ever swallow in a shot. No, he did not eat this. He almost threw up at the table when he saw it.

Saturday Skiing at Sugar

2009-12-29T11:54:00.000-08:00

Brandon and I went skiing Saturday at Sugar Mountain. It was a lot of fun and good weather.

Christmas Day at Chuck & Karla's

2009-12-29T11:49:00.000-08:00

Then we were off to Granny & Poppy's where I mostly laid on the sofa and watched.

Check out her new Mini Cooper from Granny & Poppy!

Her first cowgirl hat!

Once again, she started demanding we put ALL new clothes "ON!" so notice the belts!

Christmas Day at Our House

2009-12-29T11:45:00.000-08:00

You will notice there aren't many pictures taken on Christmas Day. I woke up at 4 a.m. with the stomach flu Brandon had the day before and I wasn't in the picture taking mood!

She is crazy about the tent from David & Crystal!

Some gifts from Santa...

This girl LOVES chocolate. She did not get this from me. I am guessing it passed through the genes from my mother. As soon as she found the chocolate in the bottom of her stocking, all gift opening ceased so she could eat some.

Christmas Eve at Betty & Richards

2009-12-29T11:35:00.000-08:00

Next we headed over to Betty & Richards house for the Tedder Christmas.

Crystal & Lindsay

Maddy LOVES banana popsicles.

She really got into tearing the gifts open this year...

She loves playing in her new toy box.

Kelly & Chevy

Lindsay & Logan

Christmas Eve at Karen & James'

2009-12-29T11:13:00.000-08:00

Our first official Christmas was at Karen and James' house with Andrea, Chris, Chevy, Kathy, Brent, Nolan and Elijah.

We started off with a yummy dinner.

Brandon was sick with Maddy and Chevy's stomach flu :(

This would have been perfect if Chevy didn't look like he'd been "drinking too much eggnog!"

Every time Maddy opened a piece of clothing she said, "ON!". So, this is where the layering started. She ends up looking about 5 pounds heavier than she really is!

Did Nolan drink the eggnog, too?!

More layers!

Horses BITE!

2009-12-29T11:10:00.001-08:00

Mom got bit by Smoke a couple of weeks ago as she was walking by his stall holding some hay. They've had him for years and he is normally a calm, trustworthy horse. Just goes to show you, you can never completely trust an animal. Thank goodness it wasn't worse!

Tough Little Girl

2009-12-28T10:38:00.000-08:00

I just remembered something I meant to share...I was out of town a couple of weeks ago and Brandon took Maddy to the doctor for not one - but two shots - H1N1 and Seasonal Flu. I called afterwards to see how it went and do you know that tough little girl didn't even shed a tear?! He said she briefly looked confused and that was it. She was very proud of her "boo boos" and her band aids when I got home. She just amazes me!

Santa...

2009-12-23T11:23:00.001-08:00

Finally....

2009-12-22T12:13:00.000-08:00

Ok, it has been a few weeks since I have posted anything. I was dreading catching up but I finally got it all done. I just posted SEVERAL posts and pictures so scroll down and click on older posts to get the all the new stuff. I hope everyone has a Merry Christmas!

SNOW!!!!

2009-12-22T11:54:00.000-08:00

Last Friday we got a few inches of snow - which is always exciting since its pretty rare here. We took full advantage of it!

Thank goodness Mimi gave her one of her Christmas presents early - this adorable snow suit! Which she wore with pink cowboy boots since we didn't have snow boots.

Then we drove over to Kaye & Danny's to go sledding. Here are Lindsay and Maddy posing for a quick pic.

I love how wide her butt looks in this suit!

Kyle pulled everyone behind the four wheeler on sleds. The kids loved it! The adults had sore rear ends!

Maddy in Mommy's goggles!

This is my favorite...she passed out in the car on the way home and didn't even budge while I took off the snow suit! Too much fun!!

Magazines are a MUST

2009-12-22T11:50:00.000-08:00

I put Maddy on her potty and she said, "book!" and pointed to a horse magazine Brandon had in the bathroom. I think it is so funny!

Christmas Program at Daycare

2009-12-22T11:48:00.000-08:00

Maddy was an Angel!

Sunday Night Dinner

2009-12-22T11:44:00.000-08:00

We had some friends over for dinner the Sunday before last and of course, Maddy & Bailey were playing.

She rode in the trunk like this for a really long time. She thought she was too cool.

Bailey the Snowman!

Granny & Poppy's House

2009-12-22T11:43:00.000-08:00

Maddy wanted to put diapers on everything...her animals, her head....

Bed Head

2009-12-22T11:42:00.001-08:00

Disney on Ice

2009-12-22T11:33:00.000-08:00

Brandon and I took Maddy to see Disney on Ice. At first, she didn't know what to think but by the end she was swaying her hands and rocking to the music. It was great.

Lindsay got her this adorable Minnie Mouse shirt and ears!

She passed out on the way to the show!

Bailey & Maddy

2009-12-22T11:28:00.000-08:00

We had dinner with Kyle, Stacey and Bailey at Mi Casa and I wanted to take a picture of Bailey and Maddy. Bailey tried and tired to get Maddy to sit still long enough to snap a quick picture but to no avail. I LOVE Bailey's frustrated look in the last picture. It looks like a Mom face!

Fashion Show

2009-12-22T11:19:00.000-08:00

Lindsay stopped by one night and put on an impromptu fashion show. It was hilarious! Maddy loved it. BOTH Lindsay AND Brandon were trying to teach Maddy how to walk the "runway"!

Maddy & Mommy

2009-12-22T11:12:00.001-08:00

Can you tell she is getting tied of "showing her teeth?" That is what we say to get her to smile for pictures!

You can see her tonsils!

Thanksgiving in Pennsylvania

2009-12-22T11:04:00.000-08:00

Maddy had her first official Road Trip - 9 hours in the car to Pennsylvania to visit the Young family for Thanksgiving. I am happy to say it went better than I expected. We had a great time seeing everyone. I didn't do a great job taking pictures, but here are a few.

Playing Corn Hole in Deb and Drew's living room.

Playing Spoons at Grandma & Paps house.

New Orleans in November

2009-12-22T10:56:00.000-08:00

I took a trip to New Orleans last month for work and got the chance to reconnect with an old friend, Christina Hill Stewart who lives nearby. We had dinner at a fabulous restaurant in the French Quarter where her brother in law is the head chef. The next day we had breakfast at Cafe Du Monde and walked through the French Market. The weather was awful, but it was a great trip and wonderful to see her and meet her little boy, Aiden.

More Make Up...

2009-11-30T10:50:00.000-08:00

David took this one...

Pony Tail & Make Up

2009-11-23T17:31:00.000-08:00

I am in Milwaukee tonight and I get a text from Brandon who is eating dinner at David, Crystal and Lindsay's house. It was a picture of Maddy with her first pony tail (up to this point it hasn't been long enough and we have to do pig tails on the top of her head only with the back down). I tried this 2 nights ago and couldn't do it, so I am amazed...an how stinking cute is she?!

So, I text him back and tell him I love it and ask who did it, he tells me Lindsay did and says that she put make up on her, too. I told him I couldn't really see any make up...a few minutes later I get this next picture! It freaked me out! Brandon said she just LOVED it.

I also asked him why it looked like the house was filled with smoke but it's just his bad phone camera.

Bathtub Crayons from Daddy...

2009-11-19T10:05:00.000-08:00

A new toy Brandon bought while I was out of town this week...you'll never guess who had to clean it (me!)...

Bailey's Chair...

2009-11-19T10:03:00.000-08:00

Sunday

2009-11-10T12:24:00.000-08:00

On Sunday Brandon rode in the arena with Maddy...

She just loves the horses...

She has started loping!!

Look at her smile!

Here he is teaching her how to use the reins, too!!

She caught on pretty quick...

And even pulls her to a stop! What a little cowgirl :)

Saturday

2009-11-10T12:19:00.000-08:00

Saturday we went trail riding with Lindsay and Grace...

Friday Night

2009-11-10T12:11:00.000-08:00

Lindsay came over last Friday night and we went to eat at East Coast Wings....

Her fabulous shoes...

Playing back at the house before bedtime...

The Maddy is Shocked face!

More Halloween Pics...

2009-11-06T12:34:00.000-08:00

Granny and Poppy came to our house to kickoff the trick or treating.

Then Maddy passed out before we even went anywhere!

Maddy & Colton...

Walking over to Maw Maw & Paw Paw's house.

She's not quite sure about Chevy's face!

Chris (with his eyes closed) and Andrea

Hanging with Mommy...

2009-11-06T12:31:00.000-08:00

Trunk or Treat

2009-10-29T12:21:00.001-07:00

Last night we took Maddy to the Fall Festival Trunk or Treat at daycare. She was dressed as Lady Bug. She had a great time. Lindsay was volunteering, she played games, won candy, took a hay ride and jumped in the big jumping thing. Well, she fell really. She had a hard time staying on her feet but she had fun, anyway.

This is Trace, Craig Canady's little boy...

She bounced her shoes off!

Sick Day?!

2009-10-28T10:02:00.001-07:00

I had to use some precious vacation time yesterday to take Maddy to the doctor and out of daycare yesterday. She has a very nasty cold with an awful sounding cough which was the primary reason I took her to the doctor. I just wanted to make sure it wasn't turning into something else or getting into her lungs at all. As you can see, by the afternoon she was feeling great. But, when she woke up and couldn't go 3 seconds without coughing, I knew daycare wouldn't have her!

This was a temper tantrum until I whipped out the camera.

I found her sticking cheese to the wall and peeling it off and eating it one by one.

Playing in a tent under the dining room table after Daddy got home.

Trying to take a picture of all three us of under the tent.

Making faces...

Lake Thomalex

2009-10-26T11:39:00.000-07:00

We took Maddy to the playground at Lake Thomalex yesterday. She had a ball...

Check out my hair...

2009 Chicken Stew

2009-10-25T17:33:00.000-07:00

We started out the day at the BBQ Festival...

Then went to the Chicken Stew...

Maddy took this picture of Granny!

Kaye and Silas...

Maddy kissing Silas...

Kathy & James...

Richard busy cooking...

On Great Dave's shoulders...

With Lindsay...

Going for a ride on the big country with Lindsay & Grace...

Playing with Bailey...

We had a great time at the Chicken Stew. It was DELICIOUS as usual. Thanks!

Las Vegas

2009-10-25T12:02:00.000-07:00

I had to go the NACS (National Association of Convenience Stores) conference in Las Vegas last week - don't be jealous. It was my first trip to Las Vegas. I can see how if I were there for the NFR with friends and family that I would have a good time. But, I wouldn't say that I had a good time this past week. I did do a lot of walking around the strip. Here are a few things I saw...

Walking through one of the casinos...

Walking down Las Vegas Blvd....

Shops I never even walked into!

Our first reception...

The after party at Tryst...

Where the reception and after party were held...

Horse racing...

FAO Schwartz toy store...

Walking through the mall. I love the ceiling!

Lunch at Planet Hollywood...

Treasure Island ship...

Thrilled! Not really....

This guy was walking in and out of the casinos, he was drinking a 40 ounce of beer, wearing make up and dressed up as a bumble bee. He came over and talked to me shortly after I took this!

Bye Bye!

2009-10-25T11:44:00.000-07:00

Mimi & Granddad stopped by to visit last Sunday night after they got back from the Quarter Horse Congress. They were getting ready to leave and Maddy just assumed she was going home to spend the night with them. She grabbed a bag, put some stuff in it and headed for the door and said, "Bye bye!" We had to break it to her that she was staying with us! (Check out her new cowgirl boots!) No separation anxiety for this little girl!

Annual Tedder Chicken Stew

2009-10-21T16:19:00.000-07:00

Don't forget! It's that time again. Hope to see you Saturday!

Logan did the invitation again this year - look closely - this is Richard!!

"We've Got Cows!"

2009-10-16T10:00:00.001-07:00

We sat down to dinner last night at our kitchen table and I was in the middle of a story when Brandon says, "There is a cow in our back yard".

I said, "what?!"

It turns out it escaped from a neighbor who lives through the woods. Brandon chased it back home.

He got back in the house and was like, "why in the world did you take pictures of a cow?" I said, "For my blog!"

Bailey & Chevy

2009-10-12T12:31:00.000-07:00

As most of you know, Maddy LOVES Bailey & Chevy...

PJ's...

2009-10-12T12:28:00.001-07:00

Don't you wish you had pj's as cool as these?!

Dinner Date...

2009-10-12T12:23:00.000-07:00

Maddy and I had dinner with Jennifer and Gabe at East Coast Wings last week. Check out their goodbye kiss!

Cowgirl...

2009-10-12T12:18:00.000-07:00

Maddy catching a ride with Poppy & Granny...

Each time we tried to get her off, she said "No!" Eventually, we just had to drag her off the horse.

The Dixie Classic Fair

2009-10-05T11:09:00.000-07:00

Brandon, Maddy, Karen, Chevy and I spent a fun filled - and exhausting - Saturday together. We first stopped by a roping in Walkertown that Brandon was supposed to rope in, but due to extenuating circumstances (a lame horse and Brandon's broken thumb) he had to back out. The kids got to see the horses, a small petting zoo with a donkey, goat and pig and get their faces painted.

Next, we headed off to the Dixie Classic Fair. It was a ton of fun, but after about 3 hours we were all ready to get out of there.

This is Maddy as a Kitty Cat...

Our first stop was the slide...

This was a fire truck that went up really high in the air and swung in circles...

This was a train ride...

Here we are looking at the huge horses...

Here is Chevy taking a break while I hit the ATM (I forgot how expensive the fair is!)

Next Stop: Ice Cream

This was hilarious - it was our favorite ride - the whole thing goes around really fast and then these little cages we sat in also went in circles! Each time it flipped in a circle you couldn't help but tighten every muscle in your body. Chevy's face was priceless and I was roaring with laughter the whole time!

Brandon and Chevy were on this one. It goes up really high and drops down...

Maddy & Mimi cheering the boys on...

Mimi & Chevy....

Here is Maddy checking out Daddy's boo boo...

On the way home, Chevy already wanted to know when we were going back. Brandon said we would be going back NEXT YEAR! It was a lot of fun though and a beautiful day for the fair. For anyone else thinking of going - do not ride the thing that looks like a hang glider. There is a reason no one smiles when they get off that ride!

Shades...

2009-10-04T08:55:00.000-07:00

Maddy wearing Mommy's sunglasses...

2009-09-30T11:47:00.000-07:00

My Grandma Lucier crochets like you wouldn't believe...she's made several sweaters and blankets for Maddy in the last couple of years (even before she was born). Here is a picture of one that she finally grew into. She wore it to church this past Sunday...

Lindsay took this picture Monday night during bath time...

I love this one, she looks like, "What the heck is this?!" Her Daddy makes the same face. Oh, and the hair - we tried making a mohawk but her hair is so heavy it wouldn't stand up.

Pumpkin Truck

2009-09-30T06:04:00.000-07:00

Check out what I passed on my way to work this morning!! It is a HUMONGOUS pumpkin the back of a pick up truck!!

Random Phone Pics...

2009-09-28T07:28:00.000-07:00

Here are a few pictures taken from my phone. This one was taken a couple of months ago. How cool is she?

This one was taken in the back of Mimi's truck. I have no idea where we were headed or what we were doing but she was being cute.

This was taken this past weekend. Doesn't her longer hair make her look completely different? It's really growing fast these days. Anyway, we were at lunch and she was entertaining herself by talking on the phone.

California

2009-09-22T18:04:00.000-07:00

I flew into Los Angeles yesterday morning and had two meetings and then drove to San Diego that night for a meeting today - then I will be heading home in the morning. I have never been impressed with Los Angeles, maybe because I've never been in the trendy, upper class areas - but I have to say I think San Diego is gorgeous. The weather is perfect, the beaches are beautiful and it seems much cleaner.

I am staying near the airport on Harbor Island. There must be a million sail boats around me. This is the view from my hotel room. there are probably 50 rows of boats just as crammed as these are...

Amazingly, I had some down time after my meeting today. I went to La Jolla Beach hoping to see some seals near the cliffs. It was too crowded and I didn't see any, but I did finish up a good book and spend some time laying out. Here are some pictures at the beach taken with my cell phone...

Later I went for a walk across the street from the hotel around the harbor. They had a perfect walkway with a view of downtown ahead.

You can see all the sailboats around - it was so pretty...

Here is a fuzzy picture of an aircraft carrier...

I am disappointed I didn't see any seals but overall its a gorgeous place - if you can put up with the traffic!

Always Keep an Eye on Your Child...

2009-09-18T05:36:00.000-07:00

Maddy caught a cold a week or so ago so we have had to increase the frequency of her breathing treatments lately. Well, it still hasn't improved and daycare mentioned that at nap time it was really getting bad. I thought Wednesday night it was finally starting to get better - but I quickly figured out it wasn't when I got her up to get dressed. She couldn't stop coughing. Sometimes she does that and its just a coughing fit and goes away. That's what I was hoping this was. We pull into daycare and she is still coughing. At this point I start to feel pretty bad and wonder if I should take her in there - on Monday we were notified that a child in Maddy's class had the swine flu and I just knew everyone was going to be thinking Maddy had it and I was bringing her to school with it. I checked with her doctor earlier in the week and because of her history and no fever they felt strongly that she was fine and this was just the results of the cold she had gotten mixed with her little airways. As I am walking in, I am saying in my head, "please stop coughing, please stop coughing..." We wash her hands, take her coat off, walk into the morning classroom and I hand her over to one of her favorite teachers and she coughs right in her face. I felt so bad. I apologized and told her it wasn't swine flu and that I would be back in just a couple of hours to take her home and do her breathing treatments every 4 hours. Which is just what I did. Thankfully, my boss let me work from home most of the day yesterday and today.

When we got home yesterday I had a ton of work to get done so when she wasn't sleeping I really wasn't paying too much attention to her. At one point I heard her in her favorite place - our bathroom drawers, so I went down the hall and she was playing with toe nail clippers and lipstick. She LOVES lipstick, as you can see. You can't take it out to put on yourself without also putting it on her.

Later, she was way too quiet. As you know, we have taken the paci away except in certain situations; sleep time, in the car and during breathing treatments. She popped up beside me when I called out her name and this is what she looked like...

Remember When....

2009-09-17T17:25:00.000-07:00

I went back to Best Buy today to pick up my camera and I noticed I had a few pictures saved on the camera itself - which I never realized because I always use a memory card. There were only a couple, but they must have been when Maddy was about 3 months old. I was shocked when I looked at them and realized how quickly time passes and how quickly she changes. It broke my heart!

No Pictures...

2009-09-03T12:11:00.000-07:00

My camera broke and was shipped off to the geek squad for repairs. The estimated return date is September 19. So, unless I can get pictures from other people or borrow one, we won't be posting many pictures in the next few weeks. But, I still want to keep everyone updated on what's going on...which really isn't much.

We are working on taking Maddy's beloved paci away (I added it on the list of new things she's doing). Although she still gets it during nap time and in the car. She's doing great when she is focused on something else, but when she wants it and can't have it, she let's us know she's mad!

I came home this week thinking aliens had taken over Brandon's body. Monday was a rainy day and he couldn't work long so he got home early and fixed the three broken kitchen chairs that I have been asking him to fix for over a year! The same day, he started working on refinishing our rocking chairs. They are white and sit on the porch and are just stained with mildew. We've tried everything to get them clean again but they needed to be sanded and re-painted (also about a year overdue) He has been working on this all week long and they look great.

I will be 30 tomorrow! When I type it, I just can't believe I have been on this earth that long, it sounds like quite a long time. But, I have to say it doesn't bother me in the least little bit. I don't really know why people freak out when they turn 30. I honestly feel like my life gets better with each passing year - the last couple of years, especially. Maybe I'll freak out when I turn 40.

Last Weekend...

2009-08-26T09:35:00.000-07:00

We've had a lot going on lately which is nothing new. I've slacked a little on the photos but my camera has started acting up and needs to be repaired. Here are a few pics from the last week or so...

This was Maddy at the Olive Garden last Saturday. She loves this place, just like her parents. She is starting to use a booster seat now instead of a high chair but usually spends the meal standing like this. She loves it.

These were taken at the barn.

She discovered this mud puddle and had a ball. Unfortunately, we were going to lunch at the Olive Garden afterward and she was covered in mud and dirt so we had to stop at Wal-Mart and buy her a new dress and shoes so we could go to lunch.

This past weekend was Nolan's birthday. We went to a park in Mocksville. Maddy played on the slides for almost the entire time...

This is Nolan, the Birthday Boy.

This is Maddy on the slide.

And Chevy on the slide...

Then Elijah...

Maddy and Mimi...

Maddy and Aunt Andrea (she had most of the slide duty!)

During "Happy Birthday"...

Sunday was Granny's birthday (my Mom). I made her the birthday cake she always makes us: Devils Food with 7 minute (it's really 10 minute) frosting. It turned out fantastic and Maddy couldn't get enough. You can see the sugar has already taken effect. She ran around in circles for about 20 minutes after this photo was taken.

Inroducing.....Silas Leonard!

2009-08-21T05:41:00.000-07:00

Jamie & Garrett Leonard FINALLY welcomed their new baby boy, Silas into the world, almost two weeks ago now (I think!). He is an adorable little man. I have only seen him twice and I haven't gotten the chance to hold him yet because I've had a cold, but he seems very happy and content. He's always either eating or sleeping. Bailey is making an AMAZING older cousin, but we all expected that because she is crazy about babies and has always acted like a little mommy to Maddy.

Chevy's 7th Birthday Party!

2009-08-21T05:29:00.000-07:00

We went over to Chris, Andrea & Chevy's a couple of Saturdays ago for Chevy's 7th birthday party. We had Chris's famous cheeseburgers, Andrea's fabulous deviled eggs and the Leonard's chip dip (made by Karen) - yummm. Chevy got tons of gifts and all the kids ran around like crazy. We even had an adult/kid game of softball in the back yard. It was a great time.

18 Month Check Up

2009-08-12T08:05:00.000-07:00

Maddy went for her 18 month check up yesterday. She did very well. She has a slight infection in one ear - which we were already treating. She has to continue her breathing treatments for another 6 months and they will re-evaluate it at her 24 month appointment. She got two shots, which are never fun, but she's a tough little girl and was over it in less than a minute. She is still tracking quite tall and thin. She is now 24 pounds (50th percentile) and 33 3/4 inches (95th percentile). As long as her weight doesn't drop below 50% they aren't worried. She's actually tracked the same at every check up since birth!

Playing at Home

2009-08-05T11:13:00.000-07:00

Maddy trying to ride her stuffed pony...

Granny & Poppy came by later that afternoon and she put on her dress clothes. She wanted to sit on Poppy's shoulders so Granny tried to put her up there but she sat on his head and wouldn't losen her legs!

She finally got it figured out...

We were at Bass Pro Shops the night before and she wore this hat and a pair of sunglasses with the tag hanging in her face the entire time we were there so we had to get them. She loves wearing this hat, she'll just come out of her room with it on, usually backwards.

Four Wheelers Maker Better Naps, Too!

2009-08-05T11:12:00.001-07:00

Headbands Make Better Naps...

2009-08-03T09:20:00.000-07:00

Maddy went with me to the mall Saturday morning so I could return two outfits bought the day before and find a new one entirely for a work sponsored charity dinner I have to attend in NY this week. Needless to say, I exhausted her. The minute she got in her car seat, she fell asleep. She didn't even care when her headband fell down and covered her eyes. She slept like this for about 25 minutes.

Beach Bubbles

2009-07-27T10:02:00.000-07:00

David took this picture of Maddy playing with bubbles on the beach and it's one of my favorites so I had to add it. I'm sure there will be more as the week goes on...

The Beach Trip AKA The Longest Post EVER

2009-07-25T11:59:00.000-07:00

Prepare yourself, for The Longest Post Ever. I took 274 pictures this past week and I had a difficult time only picking out the good ones for this post. If you are in a hurry, just come back later. If you have a few minutes, stand up and stretch, take a deep breath and read on....

Last Saturday we (me, Brandon, Maddy, Betty, Richard, Karen, James, Chevy, David, Crystal, Lindsay, Kyle, Stacey and Bailey) began our week long vacation at a house called Sandity on Murrell's Inlet (for pics refer to an older post, titled, "Can't Wait for July!").

Kyle, Stacey and Bailey spent the night at our house the night before we left so we could wake up early and get everything loaded onto the trailer and get an early start. That is just what we did. We stopped and had breakfast along the way and for the most part the kids did really well. It was about a 5 hour drive between breakfast, gas and a pit stop at Bass Pro Shops. Maddy starting squealing like a cat during the last hour and Bailey asked how much longer we had just about three hundred times, but considering the hours spent in the car and all the excitement leading up to getting there, I thought that was pretty good. Here are the girls watching a movie in the car...It's slightly obvious by the look on their faces that they are ready to get out of the car.

Once we finally arrived, we were all very happy with the house and the location. It was in a gated community in a culdesac - which was perfect for the kids riding bikes and throwing ball - we didn't even have to cross a street to get the beach. The pool area was everything we hoped it would be. Other than the bunk bed room, I don't think we could have found a more perfect place. And even that worked out well in the end when Kaye popped in for a visit.

Here are several pictures taken over the last week... You will start to notice a pattern; go to the beach, go to the pool, hang out outside, go to dinner and get in the hot tub. We tried never to stray from this strict itinerary.

This was the view from the beach...

The hot tub was our evening ritual...

We took two of these wagons and loaded them up each morning to make the short stroll to the beach a little easier. Maddy loved her little seat next to the cooler.

Miss Maddy didn't know what to make of the sand at first...

Brandon tried building a sand castle with her but she wasn't too into it.

At one point, she tried to put her mouth over the fountain! Unfortunately, I didn't have my camera handy for that one and she didn't try it a second time.

More watermelon....

Maddy kept kissing her Daddy's head every time he put her on his shoulders!

We found this hula skirt and matching bikini at Target and just had to get it. She tried it on and we got her to hula dance. Then, when it was time to go to the beach she refused to take it off so she wore it pretty much the entire day. Karen took her for a walk down the beach and people kept stopping them and saying how cute it was!

She loved hiding in this cabinet, too...

She wouldn't even take it off for nap time!

This was right before Granny Kaye had to head home and it was so sad! Both Kaye and Bailey were just bawling their eyes out and for a really long time -like 30 minutes. I'm not sure why since it would only be about 5 days until they would see one another again, I guess it's just the bond between a granddaughter and grandmother. Whatever it was, it was touching!

Here are some group photos...

Back at the house for our "swim meet," we spent this one particular afternoon racing each other...

Maddy spent the entire week begging for sips of soda and then chugging as much as she could. David even taught her to say "ahhhh" after a chug.

Later that night, Maddy was getting ready to go out for dinner....

Brandon and I at Creek Ratz for his birthday dinner with Kyle, Stacey and Bailey.

Maddy chugging more soda...

She's a multi tasker!

This is my favorite picture of her...

She just adores he cousin Chevy!

During the swim meet earlier that day, Lindsay raced Brandon and they bet that the loser would sing "She'll Be Comin' Round the Mountain When She Comes" at dinner, right before the meal. I have to give her props, she stood up like a champ and sung LOUD, clapped her hands and stomped her feet. The rest of us yelled, "yeeee haaawwww" in all the right spots.

On Thursday we figured out if we walked a little ways there were some tide pools that were about 2 feet deep and were perfect for the kids to play in. Too bad we didn't discover this until the week was about over.

The last night out to dinner...

And the last night in the hot tub...

All in all it was an amazing week. I am already looking forward to next year! I hope everyone else enjoyed themselves as much as we did.

Josh & Penny and Bumpa & Mickey

2009-07-25T10:47:00.000-07:00

Last Thursday we got to see my "Bumpa" (my grandfather on my Mom's side) for the first time in a long time. It was the first time he met Maddy and believe it or not, it was the first time he's ever met Lilly. On Friday, Josh & Penny came up to spend the weekend and drive the kids back home. Our time was really limited with everyone since we had to be home at a decent hour to pack for our beach trip Saturday morning, but it was still really wonderful to see everyone.

Lilly and Maddy took turns riding Miss Pickles. We had to find something to occupy their time when they weren't on the pony. I think Maddy actually enjoyed this MORE than the pony ride.

Daddy tried it out, too.

We had some watermelon and Poppy shared some with the horses.

Then we went inside for a huge dinner and followed that up by playing some pool in the basement.

Josh, Penny, the kids, and Bump & Mic stayed through the weekend and it sounds like everyone had fun. Josh actually did some cowboy mounted shooting on Gambler (the horse eating the watermelon) and he was pretty darn good!

We sure wish everyone lived closer so we could visit more often, but hopefully we'll all get together again soon.

Our First trip to the Zoo!

2009-07-16T04:51:00.000-07:00

We've been planning to take Maddy to the zoo and it was perfect timing since Jake & Lilly were here, so Saturday morning Brandon, Maddy and I drove over to my parents. The plan was to leave at 9:00 a.m.. Well, Mom had to wake Lilly up and she wasn't quite awake yet and was having issues with her boots. She will only wear cowgirl boots and she doesn't like wearing socks with them, which usually isn't an issue but since we planned to walk around the zoo all day Mom knew she would end up with blisters. While Mom ran up and down the stairs trying to find the thinnest pair of socks ever created, Jake didn't want to leave the computer and was upset that he hadn't yet eaten his macaroni and cheese breakfast. He said he was too old for the zoo and planned to just stay home. Mom then explained that this was a family outing and everyone was going and everyone needed to get in the car! So, Jake got in the car where he finished his macaroni and Lilly limped out the car and immediately pulled her shoes off of her feet.

Luckily, after the ride to the zoo everyone had a chance to completely wake up and get excited. Once we got inside, we had a really great time.

Here is a picture of us planning our route...

First stop: Sea Lions

As we left that exhibit we came across a snake on the loose!

My FAVORITE, and I think Maddy's too, was the Polar Bear. He would dive in the water from the rocks, then swim right up to the glass and practically rub his belly along it and then jump straight up and out of the water and fall back and do it all over again.

We took a break at the Kid Zone. Lilly wasn't interested in being photographed at the moment, she wanted to play.

The Otter was Granny's favorite. He was too cute. Most of the carrot he was eating would fall out of his mouth when he chewed.

A herd of buffalo...

You can barely see this grizzly bear. He never stood up, he was just laying down getting some sun. His claws were gigantic!

Another carousel ride...Jake & Lilly are behind Maddy and I.

Next stop: Gorillas

By this point, Lilly's feet hurt and Poppy's hip had popped out of joint so Granny and I took turns giving piggy back rides. Granny did most of the work though.

Lilly's two favorites were the zebra's and the giraffe's.

The elephants stayed pretty far away...

Jake & Lilly played in a helicopter...

Towards the end it was getting pretty hot so we tried a couple of times to skip a few things but Jake would look at his map and let us know that we were missing something and we ended seeing just about everything except the hippo and rhinos and that was only because we got lost. Jake and I walked down to the lions (which I couldn't get a good picture of) and on the way I asked if he was glad he came and he said he was having a great time. I guess you are never too old for the zoo.

Here are some picture of us waiting for the shuttle back to our cars. Notice Lilly is riding in Maddy's stroller!

Wednesday & Friday nights with Jake & Lilly

2009-07-14T18:57:00.000-07:00

Every Wednesday night we go to dinner with both my parents and Brandon's. This past Wednesday, Jake and Lilly came along. We had dinner at Mi Casa. We tried for several minutes to get Lilly in the picture and we eventually gave up. I have a couple of pictures that look like a blur where she ran away in the middle of taking it. So, here is one of me, Jake and Maddy.

Check out how tall he is!

Friday night, we met my parents and Jake & Lilly at Chars for a quick dinner and ice cream.

Afterwards, we went back to Granny & Poppy's to play with Miss Pickles and the other horses.

Once it got dark, we went inside and hung out in the basement. Maddy and Lilly ran from one thing to the next but the funniest was when they started singing into the karaoke microphones. Lilly loves to sing and I had no idea Maddy even knew to sing into the mic!

Breathing Treatments

2009-07-14T18:47:00.000-07:00

So, Maddy had her tubes put in two weeks ago and I had high hopes that once that was over with we would have fewer trips to the doctor. Unfortunately, things haven't quite worked out that way. I mentioned in an older post that she got a case of viral croup about a week before her surgery, well it came back about a week after the surgery. So, back to the doctor she goes. She came home with more steroids and a breathing machine. The machine itself looks like a panda bear and it has either a mask or a pacifier that attaches to it. You pour the medication in the machine and it creates steam that she breathes. She has to stay hooked up to this for a minimum of ten minutes before all the medicine is gone. It can be tricky to get her to keep it on the entire time but she really does a good job. We go back to the doctor in the morning for a follow up appointment. I am hoping she is all cleared up for the beach trip Saturday!

Why Buy Toys?!

2009-07-14T18:38:00.000-07:00

Last week I was running around cleaning the house, going in and out of rooms. Maddy had been following me and I realized suddenly that she wasn't any longer. I heard some strange noises coming from the corner of our room and I kept calling her name but I couldn't see her. Check out where I found her...

Fourth of July Weekend

2009-07-07T12:34:00.000-07:00

Our Fourth of July weekend started early...Thursday morning Maddy had tubes put in her ears. After we got home, you never would have known anything happened to her. She was running around playing and having fun.

Thursday evening Brandon and I went to the Winston Salem Dash minor league baseball game with Kyle, Stacey, Bailey and Tyler. After the game they had fireworks.

The next day we went to the mall and Maddy rode the carousel for the first time. You can see she isn't quite sure about it at first but as soon as it starts going around she realizes she loves it and she did not want to get off when the ride was over!

Later that night we went to Brandon's parents house for a cookout and Maddy played on the slide.

We went tubing down the New River in Virginia on Saturday and then went to the lake and road the boat to the firework show. Unfortunately, I didn't take my camera along that day...

Sunday night my parents brought Jake and Lilly home. They didn't get home until about 8:00 p.m. after stopping to buy new boots and hats. The first thing they had to do was go to the barn and saddle up the horses so they could both ride before they went to bed. We didn't get to see them until we went over there Monday night. Here are a few pictures of the kids.

I will definitely try to get more pictures of the kids over the next couple of weeks. You won't believe what a young man Jake has turned into!

Basketball, Bubbles and Banks

2009-07-06T08:13:00.000-07:00

Maddy playing basketball with Chevy, Colton and Daddy....

Blowing bubbles at the lake with Bailey...

And playing with Banks at the house...

Another Busy Weekend

2009-06-16T14:15:00.000-07:00

As always, our weekend was jam packed with excitement...Brandon borrowed a few cows from a friend and had some people over to my parents house to rope Friday and Saturday.

Friday night, we grilled burgers and I made some pasta salad. While I was cooking, I was in and out of the fridge and Maddy LOVES to play in there. She pulls out anything she can find in the door. So, I let her play while I made the salad. I looked over at her at one point and this is what I saw...It's proof that she is a Lucier!

Saturday afternoon, we went over to Craig & Allison's house to swim. We knew Colton & Chevy would be there too and we were hoping if she swam with her buddies, she wouldn't be quite as scared. We were right, she loved being in the water while they splashed and jumped into the water. Unfortunately, I didn't get any really good pics because I got in the water to swim. But, she got in again later that afternoon and cried when she had to get out. On Sunday, we went to Brad & Christina's to swim with Bailey and she had a ball there, too. She even went in the hot tub!

Chevy asked me to take a picture of him swimming under the water...here it is!

And here is one of his cutie pie dimple...

Can't Wait for July!

2009-06-10T11:45:00.000-07:00

Just about every night after Brandon and I get home from work and get Maddy settled in bed, we sit down in our chairs and say, "I cannot wait to go the beach!"

Stacey and I were walking yesterday (trying to get in shape for the beach, of course) and she said, "Man, I cannot wait to go to the beach!"

As you can tell, we are all pretty dang excited.

We are renting a house on the beach in Garden City, along with Karen & James (Brandon's parents), Richard & Betty (his grandparents), David, Crystal & Lindsay (his uncle, aunt and cousin) and Kyle, Stacey & Bailey (our best friends and their 6 year old daughter). We will be there for an entire week. It is going to be so awesome.

The house is a little old and kind of tacky on the inside but the backyard is to die for. Richard always brings his boat so he can fish and this house has its own floating dock and boat ramp. It has a pool, hot tub, several sitting areas where we can hang out at night and two grills inside a gigantic chimney AND it is across the street from the beach. Did I mention it is going to be awesome?!

Here are a few pictures...

Also in July, my nephew Jacob and niece Lilly will be staying with my parents for two whole weeks. Jake always comes up for some time in the summer but this will be Lilly's first trip. Unfortunately, Josh and Penny will be coming to pick them up the weekend we leave for the beach so we will only get to see them for a night or two. But, we all know the kids are more important, no one cares about the parents, right?

Memorial Day at the Lake

2009-06-08T11:11:00.000-07:00

On Memorial Day we went to Kaye and Danny's lakehouse to ride the boat, play volley ball and cookout.

Kaye & Danny bought a new boat - a pontoon and it is amazing!

Maddy wore herself out playing outside.

At the end of the afternoon everyone went out on one last boat ride and Brandon and I stayed behind in the hopes that we would be able to get Maddy to take a nap. She has really started hating to go down for a nap, especially when she knows people are having fun and she is going to miss something. So, we plopped her down on the hammock and started to swing her and before we know it she is passed out sitting up and folded in half. It was so cute. She stayed that way for about 20 minutes!

Flock of Seagulls...

2009-06-08T10:54:00.000-07:00

Need I say more?

Memorial Day Weekend in Wilmington

2009-06-08T10:04:00.001-07:00

We took a weekend trip to visit Zac in Wilmington over Memorial Day. As always, it was a great time. We finally got to meet Zac's girlfriend, Sarah and we all loved her, including Maddy. She was a little shy at first but by the end of the weekend she was handing out kisses like candy.

She seemed quite scared of the pool. She was ok as long as we were really close to her, but she never smiled.

The first night we drove the boat to dinner. I spent most of the dinner walking around with Maddy who was not happy sitting in her chair. She had a meltdown in the boat that night, too.

The next day we went out on the boat again and swam near a sandbar. She seemed to enjoy that a little better.

I think the thing she loved the most was Jacks, Martins black lab. He was only visiting when we showed up but every time we walked outside she would squat down and look for him under the deck.

Miss Pickles

2009-05-22T09:29:00.000-07:00

Granny & Poppy brought a new pony home for Maddy and Lilly. Here are some pictures of Bailey "riding the buck out of her" and then helping Maddy ride.

Maddy's First Horse Show

2009-05-22T08:58:00.000-07:00

Maddy took part in her first horse show at 14 months old. It was too cute. She and Chevy were in the lead line class (the only two participants) and both tied for first place - imagine that! She had a great day. She threw fits when it was time to get off the horse, took a nap under a tree, poured applesauce all over Mom's phone, rode the big country, and hung out with Chevy.

Arizona

2009-03-30T05:04:00.000-07:00

I took a work related trip to Chandler, Arizona last week with a co worker/friend and we drove out to Sedona and took a four wheeling tour of the red rock and desert. It was pretty cool. It was a very long day between the flight and all the driving we had to do to get to Sedona and back in time for our meeting but well worth it. Here are a few pics taken from my cell phone.

Maddy's 1st Birthday Party!

2009-02-18T07:21:00.001-08:00

Here are a few pictures taken by "Great Dave" at Maddy's first birthday party. I will try to get more out here in the next few days...

The party was a lot of fun. It is a lot of work hosting a birthday party! We had a cookout, birthday cake and ice cream (yes we "serviced" hot dogs, too - not funny), Karen & James brought Dixie so we had pony rides and then we opened presents. I hope everyone had fun and enjoyed the food. Thanks to all who came.

Oh, and take note of the adorable tutu skirt and birthday princess crown!