From the mouths of the babes

The kids and Blake (and sort of me) were playing swords and Cailee and Blake had them. Cailee had "killed off" everyone except Blake and when he got her she didn't die.
Blake said, "Cailee, you're dead."
Cailee said, "No I'm not, Jesus saved me."
I'm so glad she understands the power of our Savior...just never thought it would come out this way!

Cailee and Brandon had Abby by her arms and she was trying to get loose, but couldn't. So she says, "I've got a good one. Watch this...let go of my arms so I can show you." So they proceed to let go to see what she's "going to do" and she runs away and hides behind the table. That sure was a good one!

Brandon was sitting on the toilet the other day and sang such a lovely song:
"Poop and Pee, Poop and Pee, Here I am, Here I am. How are you today sir, Very well I thank you, Here I am, Here I am."
I've never heard this rendition before...what a boy.

Snow Day!!

Today had to be one of the best snow days EVER!!
We had such a great time today outside with our kids.
It snowed so much last night that even Mesa State was cancelled so Blake got to enjoy the day with us. We got everyone bundled up and headed outside...even Madie. She was so excited to be part of the fun! The kids had a blast getting pulled on the sled and running in the snow. Blake built a little hill for them to sled down and it was perfect...they enjoyed every minute of it. I have to admit it was a ton of fun!! I think I enjoyed the hill just as much as the kids. I took Madie down the little hill a few times on the sled and she just smiled and laughed. It was so much fun! Cailee, Abby and Brandon just couldn't wait till it was their turn. I'm so glad we got a snow day to keep the girls home and have a fun time as a family!

FUN TIMES IN THE SNOW!!

When we were all done outside we came in and had some lunch and watched The Polar Express. I think the kids played so hard outside that it really wore them out. They all sat this way pretty much through most of the movie.

Here is a clip of Madie laughing at Cailee playing with her in the snow!

Cute as a Cupcake...you betcha!

Our little Madie turned one November 17th. My where has the time gone. She is so full of life and I sure love having her in mine! Madie loves to smile and make faces. She is so cute when she folds her arms for the prayer and smiles because we are so proud of her. She is determined NOT to walk and that's alright with me. I'm definately not ready for her to grow up any time soon. She loves to play with everything her brother and sisters play with (which they don't always like) and definately loves for them to play with her and make her laugh. She is definately a Mommy's girl and I LOVE that she still cuddles with me. She does not have any teeth yet but is really interested in the foods we are eating and gums everything to death. She finally said "Mama" for the first time a month or so ago. She thought it was the funniest thing to have us try to get her to say it. She either laughed at us or gave us a big smile...it was worth the wait to get to see and hear all her sweet joy!! Her favorite stuffed animal right now is a giraffe we call "Rafie". It's a baby giraffe with BIG sweet eyes and we often find her playing with her after she wakes up in the morning or after her naps.
Madie weighs 18 lbs and some odd ounces, so she's still not quiet big enough to sit forward facing. She doesn't seem to mind though since she has the girls to entertain her from the back seats. She has finally stopped spitting up so much which is HUGE. She does a little sometimes, but NOTHING like she used to. Madie's hair has really grown over the past few months it seems. She has this one area on top that has a cute curl to it and I just love it. The back seems to have a little curl to it too, but the rest is straight.
For Madie's birthday we celebrated with the Voorhies family!! The kids were so cute with Madie and I think Madie felt very special thanks to Cailee, Abby, Brandon and the Voorhies kiddos! They even dressed her up at one point in the night! She was pretty hesitant with her cake and only ended up eating a tiny bit, but LOVED using the frosting as body paint! By the time she was done it was all over her forehead and tummy...I just love it. We did a cupcake theme...it just seemed so fitting. When I was pregnant two of my great friends threw a cupcake theme baby shower and I just fell in love with the idea of cupcakes and now Madie's thing is that she's cute as a cupcake!! So her cake was a flower made out of cupcakes and I made a giant cupcake for every one else. It was a lot of fun!!

We all LOVE you so much Madie!! Happy 1st Birthday!