Photo Shoot Fun

Since Madi's birthday party is over and we displayed all the fun pictures we took of her when we did her "photo shoot" I wanted to share some of  the rest of the pictures we took of her.  It was so much fun:)

 

We Partied Like Rockstars

Today we celebrated Madisyn's 8th birthday!  Her real birthday was on the 8th but she wanted to wait until she had been in school a while so she could invite friends and also wait until Papa was home from work.  It was a fun day and all the kids seemed to have a great time.  Dave and I talked after the party about how loud it got for a while but knew it meant the kids were having fun so it really didn't matter.  Seeing the excitement in my kids' faces during, and leading up to, their parties makes the work, noise, mess, etc. seem pretty minor.  I feel like it's part of their gift from me.  Thanks to everyone who helped us celebrate; we are blessed to have our family so close!

Kid's party favors

 Thanks for "POP"ping by to "ROCK" with us at Madi's 8th Birthday Party

 My favorite decoration.  Dave and I made old cd's into a banner

 Kid's table

 The birthday rock star's photo shoot

 Getting a little practice in before her guests arrive

 The spread

 This jello was by far the biggest hit.  The kids even at all my "scraps."

 12 feet of subs...not sure we got enough food!

 Another beautiful cake made by Grandma Hoverson. 

 Best buds

 This girl is always ready for a party:)  (Hattie)

 The birthday girl!

 Make a wish!

Cousins Jack and Wyatt enjoying drumstick ice cream cones!

 

The Newest Addition to our Family

We went camping for the first time as a family last summer and we've since fallen in love with it and decided we would like to be a "camping family."  We tried out a pop-up camper and decided that was just a little too small and we'd like something bigger.  So then we upgraded to a small hard side camper that's ends fold out just like a pop-up camper.  Well, we quickly figured out that what we'd really love is a hard side camper where pretty much all you have to do is unhook from the hitch, put down the stabilizer jacks, and camp.  Dave and I both wanted to take a lot of the work out of camping so that we could spend more time doing all the parts of camping that we loved the most.  There was a lot of work involved in the set-up and take-down for Dave and for me in hauling everything in and out of the camper everytime.  Now Dave figures we can be "set up" in about 15 minutes and we have so much storage room that 90% of our stuff can stay in the camper permanently. 

 

Soooo, late Saturday night Dave found this camper on Craigslist.  The price was right and it was exactly what we knew we wanted.  Unfortunately, it had already been listed for 8 hours and it was too late to call or text. We figured they would've had lots of interest already but e-mailed on it anyway.  We hadn't heard anything Sunday morning so we decided to text them (pushy? maybe a little:).  They texted back and said we could come look at it later in the morning!!!  We had about a 45 minute drive so we headed out and knew pretty quickly after getting there that it would come home with us!  The girls were jumping up and down with excitement, hugging each other, in the family's yard who we ended up buying it from.  (the family owned a dairy farm and the wife let the kids feed their chickens (who knew chickens like grapes and watermelon?) and took us through the barn, showed us the calves, and where the cows are milked, the machines and tanks it goes through, etc.)  Their older daughters came home from church while we were there and were sad to see the camper go but we assured them we would take good care of it and make lots of good memories with it!  And, if you'd ever like a tour, I know two little girls who will happily oblige:) 

 

A Golden Birthday

Today our baby turned 8.  I remember the details of the day as if it were just yesterday.   It was a Friday,  I was working at the Y still and Dave and I had gotten up very early that morning because I was having some contractions.  They continued throughout the morning but nothing too bad so I went to work.  It was getting towards lunch time and my contractions were getting more intense.  My co-workers insisted I go home so I headed home and thought I should stop for a sub at Jimmy Johns on my way home because I was hungry and if this little girl was coming, I was going to need my strength.  As I was driving I had a HUGE contraction and decided to head straight home instead.  I made it home and called Dave and told him he may want to start wrapping things up for the day, I thought we should probably go to the hospital, but it was really no big rush.  Well fast forward an hour or so and I decided it was really time to go.  Dave ran in the door and was running around like a chicken with it's head cut off.  We made it to the hospital and just 4 short hours later, on a rainy September evening,  Madisyn Kaci Reed came into this world and made us the happiest mommy and daddy; and she still does everyday. 

Madi makes us so proud and when we look at her, we know we're doing something right.  She is a kind, caring, helpful, beautiful, girl and she is growing up much too fast for my liking.  Tonight we celebrated her "real" birthday with my mom, Grandpa and Grandma Reed, and Doug, Sarah, and the twinnies.  We couldn't let her Golden Birthday go by without celebrating since her party isn't until the 20th.  We take full advantage of any reason we have to celebrate:) 

 Sleepy eyed birthday breakfast:)

 Ready for school and to share her birthday treats with her class

 SOOO excited to get a little money!

 I think she likes her new jeans!

 A new bike!!!

 She couldn't wait to take it for a spin!

 Happy to be 8!

It took her a few tries to get all the candles blown out, there better not be any boyfriends:)

Sisters

These are pictures of Grace on her first day of 4K, September 2, 2014,

and Madi on her first day of 4K, September 1, 2011.  Both girls at the same school, Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary, Pulaski, WI. 

 

1st Day is in the books

The 2014-2015 school year has officially begun and we have a 2nd grader and a 4Ker.  I enjoyed my first summer as a stay-at-home mom so much; I think I was more sad than the girls to see it go.  They both had great first days and are ready to go back tomorrow.  There were no tears.....from the girls anyway:)  I was sad to see them go this morning.  It's sure to be a crazy busy year with two kids, at two different schools, with two extra babies, but it will be great.  We are blessed. 

 Our beautiful 2nd grader

 Sisters ready for school (I LOVE that they are holding hands:)

 Little brother wouldn't sit still for a picture with them

 Cutest little 4Ker!

 Madi headed into school with her BFF, Hailey

 And there she goes:'(

 Gracie bug in front of her school

 In her classroom!

This was Grace's "homework" tonight.  She had to draw what her favorite parts of her first day were.  Her favorites were eating Chex Mix for snack, finding a snake on the playground, going down the slide, and playing in the sandbox.  Her cheeks were BRIGHT red when I picked her up; they had just come in from recess and apparently it was a lot of fun.  She came home starving and curled up on the couch next to my mom and fell asleep.  I think her first day was a success:)