Soccer Star

Mady played soccer again this Spring and this season she walked away scoring three goals!  Talk about an excited mom and dad.  You would have thought she was scoring a goal at the Olympics the way we were yelling!  She may have no interest in ballet pirouettes, but she is one cute soccer girl in all her gear.  She really improved from the last season too.  She had the same coach as last season and such a sweet team.  We are looking forward to a new season in the fall!

Slow down

Big month for our girl.  She registered for kindergarten, turned five, and as of today, ended her time in preschool.  I couldn't be more proud of the girl she is growing up to be, and I couldn't be more of a mess.  It feels like such an end to a chapter of her life as our baby.  She was our first, and our guinea pig.  I fell in love with her the minute I found out I was pregnant, and it's only grown since then.  I had no idea what I was doing when I became her mom, but we learned and figured it out together, and still are.

She teaches me more than I teach her.  She has shown me true love these past couple of months with our foster baby.  The love she has for him an shows him, from day one, both amazes me and makes my heart swell.  Talk about unconditional love.  As always she is strong-willed, determined, smart, sensitive, and funny.  Right now, she wants to be a doctor because she wants to help people feel better, babies and adults.  Before that it was a firefighter because she wanted to save people from fires.  She wants to be the super hero who helps everyone, and it's just part of who she is.

Her love language is definitely quality time.  We had a busy, stressful last month and a half.  This past weekend Nick was off and we made it all about the family,  We did fun things around town, nothing crazy, and the whole weekend she kept saying how much she loved spending time with us and how much she loved this weekend.  She loves family time, and I just want to soak it all in.

I told Nick the other day that I wish I could go back to when she was a baby for just one day and hold that chubby little thing.  Unfortunately, I can't, but my girl is ready to tackle kindergarten and I can't wait to watch her do it.  Mady, I want you to know that you are one of our greatest treasures.  You push me, but in the best way, and I am so blessed to be your mom and have the chance to watch you grow.  Your love for God, the conversations we have about Him, and your desire to learn more about Him is so sweet, and I can't wait to see what He has in store for you.  You are so loved baby girl, and will always have the biggest fan club in me and your dad.

Hanging with the cousins

The cousins came in town for a weekend, and they had such a great time.  They are growing up way too fast, and we are going to be adding another sweet addition to the group next month!  I always love watching them when they're together.

Owen is not a huge fan of pictures, if you couldn't tell.

Christmas

After the high from Disney, we were able to relax at home for Christmas.  After that we traveled back to see the grandparents and had a sweet time celebrating with them.  It is my favorite time of year.

He gets it.

Christmas

After the high from Disney, we were able to relax at home for Christmas.  After that we traveled back to see the grandparents and had a sweet time celebrating with them.  It is my favorite time of year.

He gets it.

Disney, 2015

It was months of planning, and it finally came.  We took our first trip to Disney as a family and we loved it!  I say first, because we are already talking about going back.  After such a busy fall, it was just the best to be able to kick back, and have fun together.  I went as a kid and always remember how much fun it was, but it was something special to watch our kids (and Nick!) experience it for the first time, and see it through their eyes.

We spent a lot of the time chasing princesses around to get autographs, and I would say we were successful because we saw every one, except Pocahontas.  Her favorite was of course, Jasmine.  She had questions for each of them, including asking Aladdin where Abu was, the stepmother and stepsisters why they were so mean to Cinderella, and telling Rapunzel that her daddy is her favorite. I think she got mixed up with that one, but Rapunzel played along and was so sweet.  Even Owen had fun seeing Mickey and all his pals, especially Donald Duck, which was his favorite.

We had to start with the main mouse

Even I was a little star struck by Pluto!

Love.  Her favorite.

"My daddy's your favorite!"  She got that a little mixed up ;)

Owen's fave duck

They loved the rides, and Mady's favorite was the Seven Dwarfs Mine Train, which was the only faster ride that she was tall enough for.  Judging by how much she loved that ride, I would guess she is going to be a fan of roller coasters.  Owen's favorite was definitely the tea cups.  How appropriate, because he loves playing tea party with his sister.

Pure joy

Thanks to rider switch, we both got to ride with her

We did character meals, including at the castle, and all the food was amazing.  Even with all the walking we did, I'm sure we still gained weight.  The park was decorated for Christmas, and the weather was great.  It was truly a magical trip and one we will never forget.  There were several moments where I thought to myself "I will never forget this moment."  I'm so thankful that we got to take this trip and experience it together.  But most of all, it was so nice to just spend some time together as a family away from the everyday.  Don't get me wrong, I love our life, but it's always nice to get away for a bit.

Halloween, Aladdin Style

Mady is going through an Aladdin stage right now, and loves everything about that movie, especially Jasmine.  So when it came time for Halloween, there was only one option.  This might have been the last year that I could choose Owen's costume for him, judging by how independent this guy has been lately, so we kept with the theme, and dressed him up as Rajah the tiger.

We took the kids trick or treating downtown a couple of days before, Mady had her party at school, and then Halloween, so the costumes got some good use, and the kids had fun.  We ended up with a good size group trick or treating around the neighborhood, and the kids had a blast.  I thought Owen would end up in the stroller most of the night walking around with us, but after the first house where he figured out that all he had to say was "trick or treat" and he would get some candy, he was hooked.  He hung with the big kids, and insisted on going up to every house just like them.  He ended up with just as much candy as Mady!  He was not happy when we were done.