HAPPY NEW YEAR!!!

Happy New Year!!

We are having a low-key New Year's Eve this year. It is just the three of us for the evening together to read some princess stories and play games. Our special New Years dinner was crab legs, and if you ask Madison they are not just crab legs but KING crab legs! She loves to eat the crab legs and play with them too as you can see.

Some sledding adventures from our trip to Michigan.

While we were visiting family in Michigan we took a morning to go sledding. It was a great little hill for Madison and David to sled down. Madison did go down the "fast run" on the backside of this hill.....but only once because she had hangtime off the bump at the bottom and she was flying like a rocketship down the icy slope.

Madison Sledding on her new snow tube.

Pulling David around in his new sled.

MERRY CHRISTMAS!!!

We wish you a very Merry Christmas!

Madison got a "Hello Kitty" camera for Christmas and here are some pictures she has taken already.

Cousin David

She is getting good at taking pictures of Mom and Dad.

We left cookies and milk for Santa and Madison insisted we leave some apples for the Reindeer too!

Grandpa and "Fluffy"

Video from Waterpark

Here is a video of Madison and Dad going down the Lazy River.

Thanksgiving at the Waterpark

We went to a waterpark for Thanksgiving this year as our own little family getaway. We had a blast! Madison loved doing the lazy river, again and again and again. We even had a Thanksgiving dinner complete with our own turkey at the Lodge restaurant.

Fun at the arcade! Madison went for a bus ride with Arthur Reed from one of her favorite PBS cartoons and she also played "bop the shark", don't worry, no sharks were injured in this game.

Madison also has taken up the hobby of photography like her dad. She must have liked the carpet at the hotel because she took a picture of it along with the animal mounts they had.

When your not quite 4 feet tall it is hard to take a picture over the top of railings!

Madison thought Great-grandpa would like these old motors that they had in the hallways.

Halloween

We had a lot of fun at Halloween this year. Madison was a genie this year and loved the way she sparkled! Halloween night was of course a little on the cool side so the winter coat came out to bundle up in.

Apple Orchard

Our recent trip to the Apple Orchard was a lot of fun!!!

Public Works Open House

We went to the Public Works Open House in Cottage Grove and Madison got to drive the payloader, go up in a bucket truck, and play on the inflata-slide. It was lots of fun! She also ate a sno-cone (make that two sno-cones) for the first time.

Bike Ride Video

Madison has gotten good at riding her bike. We went to the outdoor ice rink nearby to practice in a nice safe place (i.e. no cars, poles or bumps to hit).

New Bike!!!!

Grandma and Grandpa came to visit in July and Madison got her very own, brand new princess bike with training wheels. She got to ride it around the parking lot and made grandma and grandpa run a lot to keep up with her. She loves her new princess bike.

Learning to play golf just like mom!

4th of July

Grandma and Grandpa came to visit us over the 4th of July. We went to see fireworks two nights in a row. Once in St. Paul for the Taste of Minnesota festival and once in Woodbury. Madison stayed awake to watch this year!

Gone Fishing

We went down to our favorite lake (Powers Lake) to go fishing this weekend and as usual Madison was pulling in Bluegill left and right. After her typical 5 fish she lost interest though, and we headed to the playground.



Another trophy bluegill landed!

Madison insisted on baiting her hook....with the bright pink powerbait she picked out.

And finally, the last stop at the playground where she loves the tire swing.

COOKIE!

Madison and her friend Isabel made a giant cookie. Madison thought it was really yummy to her tummy.

Madison's New Bubble Mower

For her birthday we got Madison a bubble mower. She LOVED it! This is a video clip of her in the backyard using it.

Cupcakes and Birthday

Madison had a blast at her birthday party with her friends. They went to a playland place and got to run and play and work up a good appetite for lunch and Tinkerbell ice-cream cake.

Blowing Bubbles, a favorite thing to do.

Opening presents (another favorite thing to do).

Madison's Tinkerbell birthday cake!

She has been practicing her "wink"

Easter

Madison got dressed up for Easter and we went to church at what will be our new Church in Saint Paul. It was a great message of Hope in Christ that we heard and then we were able to spend some time fellowshipping over coffee and donuts with people from the Spanish and English church.




Madison had two easter egg hunts. One was in the morning and one in the afternoon (post-naptime). Outside she had fun finding them all over the yard and on her playset.