This and That...

This weekend, we did THIS...
Madeline had a belated birthday with a dozen of her closest friends...



and THAT...
we took a day trip to Garden of the Gods



The girls had a great time swimming...

and eating cake and pizza.

Garden of the Gods was beautiful, as always...

It was a perfect day to go on a family hike

The kids had a great time, and so did we!

I still have to pinch myself that we live in such a beautiful place. This land was donated to the City of Colorado Springs by the children of Charles Elliot Perkins, who was the head of the Burlington Railroad. Their one requirement was that it be a free, public park. I am grateful to this family for their generosity in sharing one of God's great creations with this city.

Hiding from the Skulls

Really. Baby booties?

I don't know about you, but I can bet that most of you shop at Target and Old Navy like myself...so why was I still hiding from skulls while back to school shopping? Is it just me, or are there skulls on everything these days? And they hide. Madeline wanted a cute pink and black patterned lunch bag...it looked cute and harmless enough, until I was packing it one morning, and noticed in the pattern a skull staring back at me! If people want to wear skulls, that is an odd choice, but I can respect it. As for my children...I would prefer them not sporting the symbol of death as they cheerfully walk to school each day.

Happy 9th Birthday Madeline!

Nine years ago today, little miss Madeline came in to our lives, and changed us forever! After being induced twice, and to no avail, I should have known what an independent and strong spirit she would be. She decided when she was ready, and would not come out a moment sooner! I can honestly say (with love) to this day, she is just as stubborn!

Madeline made us parents, and has taught us so much these past 9 years. We are so grateful to have her in our family. She loves her younger brother and sister, and is the best helper a mommy could ask for. To give you an idea of her personality today...she is the only nine year old I know that I can talk politics and religion with. She is wise beyond her years. We love you Madeline!!

This morning Madeline woke up bright and early to open her presents. Did I say early?

I mean really early...early enough in fact that we made it to church on time (well, almost).
So early, that some naps were had this afternoon.
We blew up 9 balloons, and Tom and I wrote 9 things we love about our big girl. Tom made this one....

Madeline is also: Beautiful

Honest

Smart

Spiritual

Loving

Talented

Fun

Repsonsible

Happy Birthday Madeline, we hope you had a great day even though today was Sunday, and we "couldn't have Little Caesar's for dinner"! Next year sweetie, I promise!

The Best Day Ever

Today the kids had the day off from school, so we went to the mall...

where Madeline got her ears pierced!
She was brave and smiled through it all.
Avery got to pick out a new "My E-pets" pet. It's a seriously rockin' blue bunny she named "Lil' Bun Bun".
Madeline with Mom showing off her new sparkly ear lobes!
We played...
and played some more,

then had some lunch at Chick-Fil-A...
We came home and made a craft.
The girls each painted and decorated the first letter of their name. They called them their "Bling" letters. Madeline's friend, Maegann spent the day with us.
Then, to top it all off, we made Chocochip Bombs...yeah, it was pretty much the best day ever. I dread tomorrow.

Nature vs.Nurture

Today, I caught Hayden in a precarious situation - and one psychological debate was clearly settled at our house.

The male species is obviously born with the desire to drink milk straight from the jug...

Sorry Tom, this doesn't mean you are off the hook.

Homework Buddies

Every night after dinner, Madeline and Avery have "homework" time.

Lately, Hayden has decided to join them. He has to have a paper and pencil just like his sisters. He scribbles what he thinks are letters, and when he has time to take out his "sookie" (pacifier), he recites the alphabet....

"A, A, A, A, E, E, E, E, O, O, O, I, I, A, A, A, A".....just 22 more letters to go! :) Maybe it's time to get rid of the "sookie"...

Remembering 9/11

I couldn't go to bed tonight without sharing some thoughts I have had through out my day. I will always remember, so vividly, this day seven years ago. We all will. I can bet all of us remember exactly what we were doing when we heard the news. It is etched in our hearts and minds forever.

We were living on base at Camp Navajo in Flagstaff, AZ. Tom was working as a security guard there. Madeline was almost 2, and I was about 2 months pregnant with Avery. I was sleeping that morning, when Tom came in the room and woke me up. "Callie, you better wake up, something really terrible is happening". I got up and still feeling like I was in a dream, watched the horrible scene play over and over again on the news. It was so surreal. It was so completely unbelievable what was unfolding before our eyes. I don't think I got dressed that day. I was glued to the TV and to the phone, calling friends and family. I held Madeline so close to me. The days that followed were so uncertain. I can remember looking at my precious Madeline, and thinking about our unborn child, and just bawling. What would their future hold? I was so scared for them.

The world isn't much better off today. Hearts have healed, the country has moved on, but there is turmoil and pain and uncertainty all around us. Today, as I was visually reminded of that painful day, and emotionally reminded of the fear I felt as a mother, the only peace I can find is when I look to my Savior. One of my favorite scriptures is posted on our blog. September 11th was the first day that this scripture had immense and profound meaning to me. To this day, it continues to. I am grateful for the gospel, and the strength it is, and will be to our children. There will come a time when it may be the only one sure thing they have in their life. 9/11 will always stand as a reminder to me of the responsibilty I have as a mother to keep my children safe...spiritually. I can't control what the future holds for my children, but I can control what tools my children will have in the future....