Wednesday, November 24, 2010

Will ‘Little Miss Sunshine’ catch buck fever, too?

I do not take part in hunting. And since Aaron took up hunting last year, Madeline and I are now the only ones who don’t hunt on my side of the family.

She has an excuse - she’s two.

I, on the other hand, just don’t want to. I’m not into it.
Being a country girl at TSC


But do I support it? Yes, I do.

I think hunting is a great activity for young and old and I actually hope my daughter gets into it someday. She can sit in the woods with her dad, or any number of family members who are anxiously awaiting the youth hunt of 2018.

By the time she’s 10, she certainly won’t be a stranger to hunting and the great outdoors. She’s already posed for a picture with her uncle and a big, fat turkey and she has also seen the excitement of pheasant hunting with dogs scurrying about.

Just yesterday, when I told her daddy was hunting after work, she said, “For deer?”

“Yes,” I said.

“He’s going to shoot ‘em,” she informed me.

“He is? Err... I mean, yes, he is,” I said.

“But he’s not going to hurt them,” she said.

“Uhh... right,” I said.

“They’re all friends,” she said.

I changed the subject to spaghetti.

The perspective of a 2-year-old tot never ceases to amaze me. Everybody is her “friend” and everything has a positive, happy result. She’s “Little Miss Sunshine” through and through.

Ready to roll
I’m not sure - and I have often wondered - what she’ll say when she sees a dead deer hanging in the garage. After all, it’s a sight she needs to get used to.

When I was little, I remember getting off the school bus several times and seeing a big deer hanging in the garage.

Gross? Maybe - but it also meant my mom would be making some venison pepper steak soon and that made the scene much more acceptable.

Hopefully, pepper steak has the same power of persuasion over my daughter as well.

As I write this, the family hasn’t yet bagged a buck during firearm deer season... or a doe, either. Perhaps that will change by the time the newspaper hits the stands.

That means I have a little more time before I find out how “Little Miss Sunshine” reacts to a big ol’ deer in the garage.

If I know her, she’ll be happy to pose for a picture with it. “Little Miss Sunshine” is always positive, but she also isn’t scared of much.

Circuit Assembly 2010

Circuit Assembly 2010 in Holt with Daddy, all decked out in red! Too cute!

Wednesday, September 29, 2010

Beach baby

Your first trip to the beach. Caseville, Sept. 1, 2010.

Where does the time go?

(Madeline Rose at the Octagon Barn Festival, petting an alpaca. September, 2010)


Monday, July 19, 2010

District 2010

Posing for a picture with Nana at the 2010 District Convention at the Dow Event Center.

Monday, April 26, 2010

A tooorkey

Well now... what is that, Jase? Let me just get a closer look at that big ol' bird... Hmm...

Ah yes. It's a TOOORKEY.

Madeline took full credit for this hunt. She was glad Uncle Jason just happened to be there for the picture.

Turkey's say gobble, gobble, gobble - right, Maddie? .... Well, this guy doesn't say too much at all any more... Some day this blog just might have Maddie's first turkey on it... or deer... whatever comes first. We'll see....

Wednesday, April 14, 2010

We won!

My cowboy casanova (total Carrie Underwood pun there) won us tickets to go see Sons of Sylvia, Craig Morgan and Carrie Underwood at the Dow Event Center in Saginaw.
We had a good ol' time!


The love bugs in Saginaw...

I was really tickled with the seats - row 27 seats 19 & 20. We were right on the edge of the aisle which was cool because Aaron could stretch his legs and I got to shake Craig Morgan's hand when he walked down our aisle. He was singing Redneck Yacht Club at the time, which I really enjoyed. He was really funny, kinda like Brad Paisley.


Here comes Craig Morgan... the bald dude has his hand up in front of his face. Thanks, bald dude.

Anyways, it was an absolute blast. We totally needed the little escape from reality and to spend some time together. I am so glad that Aaron's boss was out of town and could not use the tickets!

Carrie Underwood was a lot of fun. She has a great voice and changed clothing approximately 14 times - no joke. She changed a lot and actually acknowledged that she was going to change a lot. I don't know how she did it. She was fast!
I have to say, she sure is pretty!!!


She came out of the floor on this cute little couch





She also rode around above the crowd in this neat blue truck that parked right over our heads and then she sang a song. I would post the pics of her overhead, but it literally is the bottom of a truck... lame pictures.



She sang Randy Travis' song while he was in the background on the screen. This was the song that she sang when she got inducted into the Grand Ole Opry.





She was on a swing that went way up high in this shot... singing like a canary. The girl has no problem with heights.

Good times were had by all! Well, Aaron at least pretended to have fun!


A letter to my baby

Dear Madeline:
You're almost 2! I can't believe it. Sometimes I don't want to believe it.

Where did the time go, Madeline? It seems like just yesterday that I was rocking you to sleep the night we brought you home from the hospital. I remember looking at you and marveling at how beautiful you were... and you still are. I cried that night thinking of how thankful that I was that you were here and you were ours to love forever.

I love being your mommy and I know daddy loves being your daddy. Everyday, you amaze us - your energy, your intelligence, your laugh... your appetite for Goldfish and ice cream sandwiches.

More than once a day, someone in the house says: "Did she just say...?"
More often that not, you did say it. You say sooo much now. Maybe only mommy and daddy understand it at times, but you are quite the talker.

"Righhht!" That's how you respond when we repeat what you are asking for. It is as if you are just as tickled to get your point across as we are to understand you!

You are doing so many new things nowadays. I love every moment - yes, every "terrible 2" moment. I might get frustrated and I might not understand what your deal is at times, but I wouldn't trade it for anything. And neither would daddy!

On Wednesday, March 10, 2010, you told me "I love you" for the first time before I left for work. I floated through the rest of the day. I told everyone at work that you said it. Those three words made me feel like the most special person in the world!

Today, on Wednesday, April 14, 2010, you peed in the little pink potty at Grammy's house for the first time! How cool? Someday you will read this and not think it is so special, but mommy and daddy do! (Especially after you peed on the same throw rug outside your bathroom twice now!)

Sometimes I get sad when I think about you growing up so fast. But sometimes I am excited about you getting older and all of the fun things we are going to do together (I tell you about them sometimes at night when I am rocking you - it always puts you to sleep).

Our Sweet Madeline... you certainly are sweet. You're our girl. Mommy and Daddy love you so much, Madely.

You'll always be our baby.
Hugs and kisses,
Mommy

Tuesday, February 23, 2010

Learning so fast!

Mommy (pointing to book on the coffee table): "Madeline what is this?"

Madeline: "Bee-o-ble."

Mommy and Daddy: "GOOOOOOD!"

Our sweet Madeline said "Bible" for the first time tonight. It truly is the little things in life that bring the greatest joy.

Monday, February 22, 2010

Daddy and Maddie go, go, go!

It wasn't as dark as it looks in these pictures.
Daddy and Maddie decided to go for a spin tonight!


Weeeeee......


She was literally saying "GO!" in this picture.


Mommy had to peel her off this thing so Daddy could plow the driveway. She wasn't too happy, but watching a little Strawberry Shortcake and Dora made it better.

Our little snow baby!

Sunday, February 21, 2010

Mommy vs. Daddy

She's smart.
Today, for the first time, Madeline pitted mommy against daddy. Where did she learn that?

When Madeline was in the tub tonight, Mommy called Daddy in to watch her while Mommy started dinner in the kitchen.
Splash. Splash. Splash.

"Mommy?"

"Mommy will be right back."
"Mommmmy?"
"Mommy will be right back, Maddie."
"MOMMY!"

And so Mommy came back.

"Bye! Seeeeee ya! Bye!" said the child to her daddy in victory. She waved a sweet victory wave and grinned. She had gotten her way.

Daddy squinted at her and muttered under his breath on his way to the kitchen to flip the chicken.

Mommy finished the bath and decided while Madeline's hair was still wet, she would comb it out to tame down the wild curls.
Brush. Brush. Brush.

"DADDY! DADDY! DADDY!"

Mommy was supposed to come back and play, not brush wild curls. Daddy was now welcomed back to the bathroom.

Sunday, January 24, 2010

Buttery Goodness



Daddy and Maddie were patiently waiting for popcorn on Saturday night. Mmm...
Watching the popcorn popper is half the fun!

Monday, January 18, 2010

The pups

These pictures were taken Dec. 4, 2009. This was the first time the puppies ever got to play in the snow!




They loved chasing after Aaron!



And they patrolled a little on their own, too. They are almost camouflaged in the snow!

Aaron had enough excitement outside and passed out on the floor! * Wink... Isn't he a cutey-pa-tootey?

And then it was time for a little rest when they got all warmed up and found a comfy spot to lay down.


Chauncey LOVES Aaron and Chloe is never far behind!

Sunday, January 10, 2010

Ahh Aveeno

Ok, so this is not going to be the next advertising campaign for Aveeno baby soap. However, 'tis the season for Aveeno. This winter my little sensitive skin baby will not suffer due to the harsh winter, dry air.

I plan on slathering her with Aveeno every chance I get, which usually entails a little kicking and screaming, but it's worth it. I don't want another bout of baby eczema to deal with this winter!

Sooo... although it does not smell as sweet as other baby soaps and lotions, Aveeno does the trick to avoid the itchies.

Seriously, mom! What's the big idea here?

And here are the results... a baby soft baby girl, smiling like a little bathing beauty!

The money shot...

Oh alright! I'll pose for you!

Our little model. Have your people call our people, Aveeno. We'll talk...

More fun in the photo booth

I love this goofy Photobooth thing on my Mac. Madeline and I look at Sesamestreet.org for her daily... sometimes hourly... Elmo fix. Inevitably, we always seem to end up in the Photobooth just for a sec or two.
Good times... It gives you a few seconds to prepare before the photo is snapped, but... who needs preparation?
Sometimes it catches some good pictures, others are random, weird shots... abstract art, perhaps?










Wednesday, January 6, 2010

Chauncey the Chauncinator and the Chloe Bug

Our new babies (English Springer Spaniels).... boy did we sign on for a wild ride with these two!


We have Chloe... she's such a love bug!

And we have our Chauncey! He is a survivor... the runt... now a chunk!

Madeline loves them! When they are out in the entry way, she goes up to her baby gate and says "Up! Up!" She wants to get in there and race around with them!

She tells them to sit, too and enjoys giving them biscuits. I once caught her feeding them mass quantities of biscuits through their pen. She thought she was doing such a good thing by feeding those hungry puppies. They probably thought this little short girl is alright!


The pictures with Madeline on Grammy and Papa's couch were taken before we brought them home. They were still so sweet and not getting into nearly the amount of trouble that they get into nowadays.

Just the other night, Tuesday, as a matter of fact, Aaron had to search for 50 minutes for Chauncey because he decided to chase a rabbit. Chloe was bopping around the neighbors yard... she must have lost her brother in the chase. They were only out for about 5 minutes by themselves when they decided to boogie.... Wonderful, right?

We were freaked!


But anyways, we're all in love with them...

Madeline has been doing really good with them chewing and biting - she tells them "NO!" And she gets right up if they try to lick her in the face... Eww! Mommy freaks out about that... (as shown in the top picture, blaaaah... yucky!)


These little ones certainly are something... A chore, awesome, fun, trouble, hilarious, irritating but ya gotta love 'em.