Maddie's #8

Maddie is 8 today!  We love her!  We had a quiet morning opening presents.  She received scriptures and a baptism dress.  We are so glad she's preparing to be baptized by reading her scriptures everyday, making connections with Jesus's baptism, and asking promising questions.

 Rebekah asked which cousins were visiting when I posted this picture on the family G+ link.  I guess I really didn't see our family as "big" until even she thought we had extras.  No extras.

 But, then the Cleverlys came, and we swam and swam.  Maddie sure loves to swim with Jaxson.

Um.  I remember recording her cake and party songs.  I can't find them.  Anywhere.  It was a beautiful oreo cake, too.  We love Maddie because she is a creator.  She loves to make cards and notes of affirmation for us all.  She loves to play with Molly and carry her all over.  Her head rarely comes above the water when swimming, and she can make the two little boys belly laugh.  She is the first one to kiss me when I come home, and always waves until I'm gone.  She knows how to make me feel special.

June

Another summer week of sun and minimal stress.  My webelos came and swam to finish off our aquanaut elective.

 Grandpa B. came for the week.  He added much wisdom to our scripture study and constantly reminded the children how awesome they are, and how much he loves them.  We love him.

 He took us to pizza.

 My first baby that loves the water.  I think it's because the water is delightfully warm -- there is no chill factor when you jump in.

 She jumps and dives and touches the bottom like a pro.

 They made a little cake shop.

 She is trying to escape from rogue Batman.

 Poor little lady, he loves her so much.

 So kissable.

 Grandpa also took us to ice cream.

 Garden harvest -- our cool crops are out.  Now it's time for tomatoes, peppers and melons.

 Maddie and Eddie were Santa and her elf.  They passed out presents to each family member.  It was a great game.  Eddie made sure his shoes were passable for elf shoes.

 I'm a total shade seeker.

 He's a pretty handsome pool boy.

 We picked nectarines.  Ryan loved throwing the bird bitten ones over the fence.

 Maisie climbed up high and reached the ones way up top.

 Meg and Andy went on trek.  They loved the entire experience, and we missed them.

 I am glad they are apart of our eternal family.

 Our time in the mothers' lounge is special.  She rolls and moves and is crazy.

Summer Sun

We are so glad that summer is here.  Our pool heater went, but luckily the bishop of the next ward over owns the pool shop, so we are swimming in water that is 87degrees, which equals heaven.

This new float toy from Grandma B. is the perfect ride for one mother and two littles.

 These two girls chat and chat.  Maisie teaches Molly all sorts of facts.

 Meg finally finished finals and 10th grade.

 I bought this outfit for Molly on amazon.  She was darling at Shelly's graduation.

So I sewed her a gold skirt so she could wear it on Sunday.

 He made a "pea shop."  He picked al the peas off Austin's vines, then he shelled them and set up shop.

 Meg and I found ourselves sitting by the pool all alone.  It was really sweet to laugh and talk one on one with her.

 I made a natural visor.

 Jaxson and Mason were here all weekend.  We swam three times everyday and then went night swimming.  We loved having our cousins.

Fortune Teller

Austin and I (and Molly) spent the day in Phoenix.  The rule is that you get to watch one 22 minute episode, then you have to play another game for an hour.  We came home and the library was covered in blankets and Maddie had made signs for a fortune telling business all over the doors.  Today, I found a vase under the computer counter filled with little white slips of paper containing a fortune scribed in pencil.  I couldn't throw them away, but then I knew I had to.  So here they are:
Somday you will get 1,000,000,000.000.
You will not be a father.
You will love in Sandyego.
You will be a party maker.
You will live in Teaxes.
You will have dountus every day.
You will be a fortun teller somday.
You will be a messy righter.
You will stay here.
draw agian.
You will not be a mother.
You will read lots of books.
You will be nice to peaple.
You will live in Brazil.
You will clean your drow out.
You will be a librayn.
You will have freedom.

She's a gem, this girl.

The Last Week

These big boys came home with the same hip war wound from PE.

 His baby selfies.

 Meg received awards at her track banquet. She really was super star this year.

 Last morning making lunches.

 Andy finally received an award this year.  He and his teacher did not see eye to eye, so he missed out.  This was our first experience with teacher conferences and a teacher that did not see all the good that Andy did for her class.  I think she really missed out on what he has to offer.  She needed to pull her stick out.

 Then he dislocated his thumb Saturday morning playing his final flag football game.

 Two plus hours in the ER.

 We came home a swam.  Well, he did not.