Happy Halloween!!

Last night we celebrated Halloween by going to the annual Trunk or Treat. This was the first year I have ever attended a trunk or treat. We had a really good time playing games and listening to the music. Madilyn enjoyed the music she danced the whole night. I tried to get video of it, but the lighting was too dark to capture her groove.

Argh...Matey!!

Where will be my next stop for candy? Madilyn became very comfortable walking around asking for candy!

She enjoyed pointing at all the trunks that were decorated with ghosts and pumpkins.

Trick or Treat!!

Fall Is Here!!

I love the changing of the seasons especially Fall. We don't see much changing of seasons in the valley so every year we head up to St. Johns to do our annual trip round the mountain to see the changing leaves. We stopped in Greer to grab a bit to eat at Molly Butlers. It was perfect we sat on the deck by the fire place and ate our French dip sandwiches. Afterwards we headed up the mountain and saw all the pretty gold trees.

The leaf crew!
Madilyn having fun doing funny voices... anything for a good laugh!

Our view during lunch off the deck...gorgeous!! (wish you were there Lora. :( )

Beautiful...

Gorgeous...

Wish you were here... (What movie line is that off of?)

We ended the day watching "Casper the Friendly Ghost" that Uncle Adam had bought for Madilyn's birthday. Madilyn received some Halloween pajama's with ghosts on them from Aunt Jill the beginning of September and ever since Madilyn has loved ghosts and shouts out BOO whenever she see them or anything else that resembles Halloween!!

The movie crew! (Nicholas, Audrey, Sarah, and Madilyn) We popped some popcorn and made a big bed in the middle of the room for the girls to relax and watch the movie.

This past weekend we went to the Venecia Farms where they had a pumpkin patch, corn maze, farm animals, and cow train. We had such a good time. Madilyn loved seeing the farm animals and most of all the baby pigs. We even made it through the whole corn maze playing a game kind of like Clue. The killer ended up being the duck who used a hammer in the barn. Everyone that knows me knows my favorite game growing up was Clue. So playing this game in the corn maze was a lot of fun.

The Cow Train...chu chu!!

Having a blast running wild in the corn maze. :)

Happy Birthday!!

Madilyn just turned 2 years old. This year I decided to do an Elmo theme birthday. Madilyn loves Elmo and can spot him anywhere we go. I had no idea that Elmo could be in so many places. We started off her celebration on Monday by taking Elmo cupcakes to her preschool class. Right when Madilyn saw the cupcakes she grinned and said "Elmo Mama Elmo" she was thrilled. Monday night I decorated the whole house with Elmo decorations. Madilyn woke up the next morning and didn't know what to do, every direction she looked she pointed and said Elmo!! I couldn't have asked for a better day. Madilyn had so much fun playing with all her new toys and eating her ghost marshmellows. We ended up swimming during the morning and had a birthday dinner that night with family. At the end of the night I was laying down with Madilyn putting her to bed and she would start dosing off and than would say Happy Birthday. It was the cuttest thing. I am so glad she was able to have such a great birthday!!

Starting off her birthday celebration eating Elmo cupcakes with friends.

Pointing at Elmo decorations

So excited about her Sesame Street ABC toy Aunt Jill gave her!

Showing off her new sketchers!

Madilyn's Elmo Cake!!

Madilyn was very excited about the all the Elmo's on her cake and kept touching them. :)

Blowing out her candle! I can't believe my Madilyn is already 2 years old.

Some things about Madilyn:

What makes me laugh: Scaring Mama

My favorite thing to do at home is: Jumping of anything and landing on pillows or floor.

At school I like to play in the water and music time.

I think when I grow up I want to be: a Dancer (she dances whenever she hears music)

I love to eat: chips n salsa and pickles (takes after her mother)

I don't like elbow noodles...yuck!!

Fun Day Out!

This weekend Madilyn and I decided it was time for us to have a fun day out on the town. We first headed over to the Phoenix Children Museum. I've been wanting to take Madilyn there for some time. It was so much fun she really enjoyed the grocery store and measuring the lentils. We also enjoyed the suction tubes that would spit out the foam balls in different directions.

Madilyn figuring out how to get the foam ball into the suction tube.

Grocery shopping

Put your back into it babe!!

Ready for check out.

Washing her dishes

Here she's making a pizza and putting it into the brick oven.

Nothing like scooping up Lentils

Putting the ping pong ball in the PCP pipe so it will float in the air.

Taking a rest from all the running around.

After are fun day at the museum we decided it was time to eat. We ended up at Costa Vista's eating their delicious sweet pork burritos. It was quite the struggle sharing the burrito because Madilyn refused for me to help her eat and would take the largest bits possible. (What a mess) We ended the day with a swim at the pool, which was a perfect ending to a perfect day!! :)

Easter!

Easter was very fun this year. Madilyn and I went to SJ to spend time with our family. Because it was Good Friday we got there early and it gave me (Easter Bunny) more time to collect some stuff for Madilyn's Easter basket. I found the cuttest things a pink feathered boa and a stuffed chick. What more could a girl need? :) That night we decorated eggs and got ready for the Easter bunny to come. Easter day was fun we had a pinic with all my family and Lora did an egg hunt for all the kids. By the end of the day Madilyn was a crazy woman from all the sugar she had eaten, but all in all everyone seemed to have a great time!!

Madilyn in her Easter dress!
Madilyn is very much a girl and loves anything to do with bracelets, necklaces or purses. She definitely felt pretty!

Madilyn loved dropping the eggs in the cup of dye. Can you see the concentration?

What more does a girl need than a pink feathered boa?

Hanging out after the picnic at Grandma's house.

Happy St. Patrick's Day!!

Christmas Season

Christmas was a lot of fun this year. We had our whole family home. Christmas Eve day is always my favorite time. It's the day we bring down all our presents to lay under the tree and then we get to eat our Christmas lunch. This includes tamales, chili, Grandma Drain's famous fruit salad, enchilladas, and cokes. Now that's what I call a meal. :) It's also the day that we have our Patterson Christmas party and get to visit with all our extended family. These fun family traditions are what Christmas is all about.

Madilyn opening her tree ornament for the year.

Uncle Adam helping Madilyn bring down the presents

Jill and Brigham at the Patterson Christmas Party!

Madilyn Christmas Eve opening up her pajamas. Little stinker can never sit still so Lora is holding her arm so I can try and get a decent picture!!

Madilyn found the chex mix Christmas morning that Aunt Jeri makes each of us. Doesn't she look cute in her pocka dotted vest Grandma got her? :)

Caught...eating ginger snap cookies. Can life get much better than that?

Donut Day!

So this year I finally made it home for donut day. It took a great deal of convincing family members what an asset I would be if they waiting for me. Every year the girls spend a whole day making donuts to take around to my mom's and grandma's friends for the holiday season. This year Lora found aprons we had made during one of our Mother Daughter dates. Mine still fits however, Lora's was a little bit small, but she was trooper and still wore it.

Look at all those donuts around the countertops!

Madiyn helping out with the frosting

Madilyn's first donut...oh the excitement!!

Playing some football with her uncles

Poor Sick Baby

On Wednesday I recieved a phone call that Madilyn had a tempature of 101.7. I left work and went to go pick her up. After spending the rest of the afternoon trying to get her tempature down it was finally time for her to go to sleep. The next morning we woke up and she still had a fever so we decided it was time to take a day off and hang out. All Madilyn wanted was for me to hold her and lay on top of me and sleep. So I decided I would make our sick day fun and made a big bed on the living room floor with lots of blankets and wrap her with her favorite little blanket, Grandma made her. I grabbed the animal crackers and her juice and we sent and watched cartoons. Well as long as I could.:) I really don't like cartoons that much so we compromised and watched some of her shows and than some of mine. It was so nice spending the whole day with Madilyn and not feeling the pressure that I should be doing something else.

Madilyn has since went to the doctor finding out that she has a double ear infection. Here's a picture of her 3 days after being on the antibiotics. Back to happy baby sleeping through the nights. :)