Madalyn turns 3

It is amazing how time flies! I can't believe my baby is growing up. Madalyn's Birthday happened to fall on a Sunday this year. I bought her this dress to wear to church and to her party. She loved it. I even painted her nails a similar color. She felt like the princess she is.

Later after church we had Grandma and Papa over and we opened gifts. She got a Barbie movie with many of the songs featured in the Barbie movies she loves so much. This is a huge hit at our house. She loves to sing along with the songs and she expects me to know all the words as well.

Grandma and Papa got her this beautiful, sparkly Barbie which she loves. I love it too because the body suit is painted on. So no nakedness :)

We got her this video game to use on Corbin's Leapster. She was pretty excited that she was actually going to get to use the hallowed Leapster. Corbin wouldn't let her play with it really before he agreed to let her use it for her game.

This girl loves stickers and princesses, so wouldn't you know she was over the moon about hi gift. We sit and do it when Corbin is at school which makes it extra special.

Madalyn had been asking Grandma for months for a piggy bank. Corbin was jealous. He wanted one too. And this one happened to be his favorite color as well.

But the best present of the day was dress-ups! If there is one thing that both of my kids love to play more than anything, it is dress-up. So Grandma and I both got her an assortment of dressups clothes.

She kinda looks like a combination of Snow White and Little Red Riding Hood.

So pretty!

This one is meant to be like a mermaid, which she loves!

Happy Birthday to you!

Blow baby!

She actually enjoyed eating the frosting off of the candle more than eating the cupcake. Next year I will remember she doesn't like cake and get an ice cream cake instead. Overall it was a wonderful day full of love and excitement. We are so in love with this sweet girl and so glad she is a part of our lives and our family. She is a treasure.

Chaos Reigns :(

I never cease to be amazed by just how much damage two little kids can inflict when left to their own devices! This is what Nathan and I found when returning home from helping Dad move into their new house on New Years weekend. Poor Grandma was left to watch the kids alone, and she can't do the stairs so she had no idea what they were doing in the basement :( She felt terrible though when I showed her these pictures. Unbelievable. Really. There are no words. Well, not any decent ones ;)

Yes, that is toilet paper. Yes we buy at Sam's Club, and yes it was a brand new package. And yes we actually used it. We put it all in a big trash bag and used it until it was all gone. Cuz we are cheap like that.

We also learned that kids will do naughty things again and again and again. And you do have to watch them every second. Or they will destroy, destroy, destroy.

Shaving at 4 years old

Corbin got this Batman shaving kit for Christmas and this is his first time using it. We had a great time painting his face and he reallyenjoyed pretending to shave. He is a natural!

He is so funny. He got so excited about his experience and couldnt' wait to share it with dad. Luckily dad got home in time to see him all painted up and shaving.

CHRISTMAS Picture Extravaganza

Merry Christmas 2009! We had an excellent Christmas full of family and friends and fun. We opened gifts in the morning with Grandma and Papa who were staying with us. They were getting ready to move here the following week and it was so nice to have them stay with us. After the presents we had friends over for dinner and it was such a wonderful day. It was great to feel the spirit of the season and of the Savior as we celebrated his birth. Here is a TON of pictures from the present opening. I didn't take any from the dinner :( but you can use your imagination!

My kids adore candy! Just like any child really. But I am a terrible mother and never let them have any. But on special occasions like Christmas and Easter I give in. However they were not allowed to eat it all in one go. In fact we still have some of it and we use it as potty training rewards :) I'm so stingy like that.

Madalyn really likes this movie. She is into mermaids and has been since she was very small. So cute.

This year Corbin actually remembered Christmas and what happens during this special day. He was especially excited. Madalyn got excited only after she saw what was waiting for her in her stocking :) CANDY

She had both of these suckers in her mouth at one point. She has a serious sweet tooth.

Corbin had no idea what this was, but it had Batman all over it and he LOVED it! Nate uses an electric razer so he has never seen anyone shave with shaving cream or a straight razer. We had to tell him what it was all for.

Madalyn got this pretty bag filled with costume jewelry from the Disney Princesses. She is obsessed with the Disney Princesses right now.

Corbin really liked it too :)

This is a felt book with little Lightning McQueen cutouts that "stick" to the pages. We thought this would be fun for church.

Madalyn of course got a Princesses one.

Corbin was so excited about this gift. He still loves it and plays with it all the time :)

My kids love books, and she loved looking at all of the pictures in this one.

Oh boy! This gift was the bane of my existence for a while. My kids had never really had gum before, but they got to be really acquainted with gum after this. (I still love you Trisha!)

That is a look of pure joy and a little spite. (Ha mom! I will get candy no matter what you do!)

This was by far Madalyn's favorite gift. 7 of the Disney Princesses! Wuhoo mom!

Yet even more sugar. Fruit snacks :(

Madalyn got Tinkerbell ones. Look at that face!

This toy didn't last too long. But it was very cool. It was a wand with a ribbon on it that you twirl through the air. Both kids fought over it.

Here is Papa's present! A proud Marine Beanie.

Here is Madalyn with her ribbon wand.

Aunt Chelsea got this super awesome Batman! Corbin was over the moon about it.

Grandma got a cashmere sweater and matching socks :)

She also got some very excellent memory foam slippers. Pink of course. Nate got some cozy pants to wear around the house. Unfortunately they were too big so we took them back and got some that were completel different. But he is happier.

These are Princess Dominoes! Wo comes up with this stuff???

A very handsome shirt for Nate. He looks positively dashing in it.

And some new slippers. His old ones were trashed. Dad has been losing a lot of weight so he needed new shirts. So we obliged. He only wore it briefly though, he just keeps losing weight. Way to go dad!

My mom found this shirt, it is pretty funny! Nate really likes it.

Here is Madalyn all decked out in her jewelry.

Here is the princess with her two tootsie pops! She made out like a bandit. We all did. But we also made sure to share our bounty with others and remember the reason we celebrate at that time of year.