Christmas

Happy Birthday Baby Jesus
Madi making Uncle Doug look like the princess he is

Mom got a new computer for Christmas, she must've been a very good girl!

Our family, so cute!

Daddy trying to put Madi's new bike together...doesn't he look so happy to be doing it!

This is my little fairy princess, she's dangerous with a magic wand!

We had a great Christmas this year, as always. We got everything we could ever ask for and more. We spent Christmas Eve with my family and Christmas Day with Dave's family and then the day after Christmas with Dave's extended family. Madi had a great time playing with all of her "great" cousins.

Some house pics

Living Room Madi's Room

Our Bedroom

Our bedroom

Madi's room again

Fireplace before
Master bathroom after

Master bathroom before

Fireplace after

Kitchen after-just ignore all the stuff on the countertops, we're baking for Christmas!

Kitchen before

Living room/dining room before

Living room/dining room after

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Birthday Memories

Well, today I turn the big 26...watch out 30, here I come! I've had some great and some not so great birthdays throughout the years (mostly great for sure). Here are some of the best, and the worst...

This is me with my beautiful mom who went through 36 hours of labor to get me here...she's the best. Sometimes I think she may have wished my labor with Madi would've been a little longer as a payback for my 1 1/2 day enterance to this world:) I love her so much.

This was one of my birthday parties in elementary school, notice I'm sporting the New Kids on the Block t-shirt:) and my brother was out bothering us...some things never change. This was the typical girl sleepover birthday party complete with fights and maybe even some crying if I remember right.

This is our "blood red van" as we always called it. On this day in 1998 I used this vehicle to become an officially licensed driver!

Here I am fresh out of the oven, December 11, 1982-Dickinson, ND

This was my birthday present in 2004-I graduated from the University of Wyoming with a bachelor of science in Kinesiology and Health Promotion. My family and Dave's family were all there to celebrate with me, it was a great day! After graduation we all went to eat at Wingers, one of our favorite restaurants in Laramie where my dad had the waiter bring me dessert and sing happy birthday to me; someday I'll get to pay him back for that...I still haven't forgotten:)

2000-Not such a good year. I was a junior in high school and my boyfriend's mom passed away and her funeral was on my birthday. It was a very, very sad birthday.

2003-I turned 21 in 2003 and although Dave and I were not an "official" couple yet, he made my birthday one to remember. All of my friends and I were planning on going out to eat on my birthday. Dave was scheduled to work that night and was very disappointed that he wasn't going to be able to make it to dinner since he was trying to win my heart at the time:) Well, we're at the restaurant and who walks in, Dave of course. It turns out he called in to work and told his boss he was in jail and was using his one phone call to let him know he wouldn't be at work that night...if that's not romantic then I don't know what is:) Then, he gave me my favorite movie, A Christmas Story as my birthday gift and took me out for drinks that night even though he was only 19 at the time!!!

Cutting down the Christmas tree

Not a creature was stirring, not even a busy little 2-year old!
Timber...

Daddy cutting down the tree

Daddy, Madi and Bear

Baby it's cold outside

We want this one Daddy

Our little snow angel

This one's even taller than Daddy

Baking Christmas Cookies at "Ga's" House

The damage from one cookie

There's no hiding the evidence here
Rolling out the cookies

Helping Ga with the mixer

All ready to bake in her apron

These cookies were ready to go in the oven until some little fingers got ahold of them

This past Saturday we made Christmas cookies at "Ga's" house (that's what Madi calls my mom). Madi had a great time but had more samples of cookies and frosting than anything:)

Christmas & the Rockettes

I just have to say that I absolutely LOVE Christmas. I went to see the Rockette's with my mom, sister, Grandma and Dave's Grandma this week and it really got me in the Christmas spirit, even more than I already was. First of all, the Rockette's were AMAZING. They put on an awesome show. One of their segments talked about how we all have favorite traditions and memories of Christmas and if you think back you can remember something from each Christmas. I was thinking of some of my favorite traditions and things about Christmas and I just wanted to share. Some of my Christmas favorites are...
1. My pink angel ornament. My brother and I each have a favorite ornament that we received when we were young that still, to this day, we have a competition to see who gets their ornament at the top of my mom's tree. My brother's ornament is a tiny pack of juicy fruit gum and mine is a pink angel; both of which we got from our grandparents a long time ago. My angel is far from a beautiful angel to most people; her hair is falling off and she has been chewed up by one of our many animals resulting in holes throughout her small plastic body. Still, I love this angel who represents so many memories for me and it will always be my favorite ornament-plus, my brother and I will always continue to have our little competition. He won last year but I'll get him this year:)
2. Taco dinner on Christmas Eve. My family has always had our main Christmas on Christmas Eve. We have a tradition that I love. We all go to church together and then come home, eat tacos and then open our gifts (except of course the gifts from Santa which come the next morning). Our taco tradition started a long time ago. When we were young we always spent Christmas Eve with my Grandma and Grandpa Heiser. The dinner tradition then was sloppy joes for dinner. When my family moved away from North Dakota to Wyoming, we started our own tradition. At the time, my brother and I decided our favorite meal was tacos. So, we have eaten tacos for our Christmas Eve dinner ever since. When Dave joined our family he thought we were nuts but has since come to enjoy our taco tradition!
3. Finding the perfect gifts. I often get teased about my love of presents and some people think I am obsessed about getting presents. But, my real joy is finding the perfect gift for everyone I love. I shop for Christmas all year long and honestly, I have some Christmas gifts for next year already. I can't even explain the feeling I get when I find something that I know the recipient will love. I absolutely LOVE getting gifts for other people, even more than I like getting gifts myself.
4. Christmas Music. I LOVE Christmas music. There is a radio station here that is already playing Christmas music and it is programmed into my car already. This drives Dave crazy but honestly Christmas music just makes my heart happy.

These are only a few of the things I love about Christmas, I could really write all day long about what I love about this time of year. I am hoping to wrap some Christmas gifts this weekend (another one of my favorite things about Christmas).

Thankful

Since it's November now and we're thinking about Thanksgiving (which we will be hosting at our new house this year!!!) I just wanted to share some of the things that I'm thankful for. Keep in mind that this is a very partial list:)

I'm thankful for my awesome husband. Dave has been working so hard on our house and at work lately and I'm just so lucky to have him. He is a great daddy and I am so thankful that our paths crossed in Wyoming:)

I'm thankful for this amazing little girl that God gave me, I love her more than words can say. Madi makes my heart smile everyday; she is always so happy and loving and I'm so thankful that she's mine!

I'm thankful for my family. How many parents would pick up their lives and move halfway across the country to live by their kids and babysit their granddaughter? My parents did and they have no idea how thankful I am for that. I am also so thankful for Dave's family but I didn't have a picture of them all together on my computer:( I'm lucky to have such great in-laws.

I'm thankful for my WONDERFUL new house. It still doesn't seem real that this beautiful of a house is ours. I'm looking forward to many memories in this house.

Halloween

Madi on the "Great Pumpkin Train" making me proud
Madi at the pumpkin patch looking cute...I just LOVE those chubby little thighs

Heading out to go Trick-or-Treating

Little Ladybug

I love the look on her face here

House Pictures...Finally

Dave & my room
Our room again

More of our room


Madi's room

Madi's big girl bed

Here are some pics of the new house finally. The pictures of Madi's room have a pink glow to them because of her curtains. Her room turned out just how I had pictured it. I will post more pictures soon and some before and after pictures of the living/dining room. We just finished the master bathroom on Monday so we're slowly making progess.