**Just writing this to show how amazing God is and how He makes a way where there seems to be no way
There were several things we had to step out in faith and believe that God would handle (how Madi would like it here and how she'd adjust to living with us, whether we could get the guardianship paperwork figured out, transferring her to Ethridge, etc...). My biggest concern was healthcare. I told God several times that I was nervous about it and I felt like I just had to trust that He knew what He was doing. And figured that if we were doing what He wanted us to do, that He would protect her from sickness, injury and provide what we needed to take care of her.
We were not going to get her healthcare and figured we would just risk having her without it. Couldn't find the right programs using the internet and didn't have anywhere to turn (so it seemed). Our guardianship is done by an affidavit and not through the courts so we don't qualify for Medicaid or Medicare for children. Madi can not be added to either of our policies because she doesn't qualify. So once Madi came here, it became apparent very quickly at how much faith we'd have to have that she would be fine. "What? You want to go horse back riding? You want to ride a bike? You want to take karate at VBS?" Trust in God would definitely be high on the list of what I would have to do this year if I was going to let go of my fears of what could be.
A few weeks ago, I was talking to Shannon Stellman, a friend of mine and our pediatricians wife. She recommended looking into a program called CHIP, healthcare for children. I didn't think we would qualify based on our income and other factors. So I let it sit for a few days. About two weeks ago, I went online one night and looked at the CHIP website. I decided at that moment to open the file we had with all of Madi's documents and apply for the healthcare. Jeremy thought I was just looking into it and didn't realize that night that I finished the entire application.
About a week and a half went by and I hadn't received any word about it. Several days ago we received a letter from CHIP saying that Madi has healthcare starting 7/1 - tomorrow! And listed her healthcare coverage as well as her insurance number AND dental care number!! We just had to pick a pediatrician from the booklet. There were three different plans we could choose to go with. The plan they had picked for her had a local doctor. The plan we were able to change her to allows her to go to our daughter's pediatrician here in The Colony. And what is amazing is that he is the ONLY pediatrician within The Colony that takes CHIP using the program we choose for her. We could have driven to Lewisville or Plano, but what a blessing to be so close. And to have a friendship with the Stellman family (pediatrician).
The most amazing part of all is that we were told it was possible that we would have an enrollment fee as well as monthly fees and copays for the health insurance. I was expecting at least $50 a month. Our paperwork (and the lady we talked to on the phone) states that there is $0 enrollment cost. On her insurance card, it reads the following:
hospital copay - $0
generic/name brand drug - $0
office visits - $0
emergency room visits - $0
Total miracle. And a Total blessing! Her healthcare starts tomorrow and we're so blessed.
Another blessing: The Camp KidJam that we signed her up for at church mandates that every child that attends must have health insurance. No health insurance, no opportunity to go to camp. We are late signing up, but if we had tried to sign her up earlier, she would have been denied. God provided this insurance so that she can go to camp. He has a great plan for her.
Such a blessing in so many ways!
Thursday, June 30, 2011
Xtreme Day Pics
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| Karate group - Madi is behind Pastor Alan on the right |
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| Parents/kids to my left |
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| Parents/kids to my right |
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| Demonstrating Karate moves |
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| Knee up! |
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| Worship time "I get down, He lifts me up...." |
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| Hi Ya! |
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| More Worship |
Xtreme Days - Final Day
Awesome day. Madi had her last day of VBS. Over 800 kids this week at VBS and it was insane. Insanely great for all of them. And us too. She had so much fun. She's been singing and doing all the moves to her songs the entire afternoon. Riley started singing along with her and I have them stuck in my head. Great messages about wiping out your worries, your fears, your doubts and your needs. Praying that what she heard today really sticks with her.
Riley and I went to her performance. It's near impossible to find her as Pastor Alan and the Karate instructor were standing in front of her the entire time or close to it. But I'll attach plenty of pics so you can get an idea of what it was like.
We came home to have (gasp!) sandwiches. Madi was starving. And tired too. The girls played in the playroom. Lately they love to run around like animals and sometimes I am their owner. They were getting bored so we all went outside to play. Julia loved carrying the balls around everywhere outside. The girls went on the slide and just hung out.
Then they put on their bathing suits and I used the spray hose to get them wet. Didn't last too long - Julia was too hard to hold while spraying the hose and it was very hot. Plus we had no sunscreen on (left it at my parents' house). So we went inside for more playtime in the playroom.
Jeremy made a delicious meal for dinner. A new recipe of his own making. It was like a chicken fettuccine alfredo. He used rigatoni pasta with chicken and the sauce was whipping cream, butter, basil, garlic, and italian cheese. Madi said it was the best rigatoni she has ever tasted in her life. Riley said it was also the best rigatoni she has ever had. As soon as Riley finished her meal, she asked to be excused and immediately "rode" her imaginary horse named Scarlet and went galloping all through the house.
The girls then went on the computers to play a few games while Jeremy made smoothies. When he asked the girls if they wanted any, they practically leaped out of their seats and came running into the kitchen. They were SO excited to have it.
We read another Skippy John Jones book together - Skippy John Jones in Mummy Trouble. Cute book. Especially because Jeremy does his voices while he reads. Then we read the story of Jonah from the Bible. I spent time reading two chapters of a Babysitter's Club book with Madi.
When I pray, she always pretends as though she's going to pinch my nose. So the first time, I waited until the end of the prayer even though I knew her hand was there. Now it's become this joke where I start to pray and I know her hand is there so I'll gently move it down. Tonight I told her we needed to get serious. And at the end of the prayer, I moved my hand in front of her nose and prayed "Lord, I pray that you would help Madi to know that I am about to pinch her nose." She swatted my hand down and started laughing.
We sent in the application for camp today and paid for it as well so it's all taken care of. So it looks as though all will go well which would be awesome for her! It will last from July 26-29 in Denton, TX at TWU Campus. The video looks amazing. The name of the camp is Camp KidJam. Very Christ centered and geared for kids. It should give Madi a great opportunity to meet kids her age and also meet some great kids from our church.
That's all for now, folks!
Riley and I went to her performance. It's near impossible to find her as Pastor Alan and the Karate instructor were standing in front of her the entire time or close to it. But I'll attach plenty of pics so you can get an idea of what it was like.
We came home to have (gasp!) sandwiches. Madi was starving. And tired too. The girls played in the playroom. Lately they love to run around like animals and sometimes I am their owner. They were getting bored so we all went outside to play. Julia loved carrying the balls around everywhere outside. The girls went on the slide and just hung out.
Then they put on their bathing suits and I used the spray hose to get them wet. Didn't last too long - Julia was too hard to hold while spraying the hose and it was very hot. Plus we had no sunscreen on (left it at my parents' house). So we went inside for more playtime in the playroom.
Jeremy made a delicious meal for dinner. A new recipe of his own making. It was like a chicken fettuccine alfredo. He used rigatoni pasta with chicken and the sauce was whipping cream, butter, basil, garlic, and italian cheese. Madi said it was the best rigatoni she has ever tasted in her life. Riley said it was also the best rigatoni she has ever had. As soon as Riley finished her meal, she asked to be excused and immediately "rode" her imaginary horse named Scarlet and went galloping all through the house.
The girls then went on the computers to play a few games while Jeremy made smoothies. When he asked the girls if they wanted any, they practically leaped out of their seats and came running into the kitchen. They were SO excited to have it.
We read another Skippy John Jones book together - Skippy John Jones in Mummy Trouble. Cute book. Especially because Jeremy does his voices while he reads. Then we read the story of Jonah from the Bible. I spent time reading two chapters of a Babysitter's Club book with Madi.
When I pray, she always pretends as though she's going to pinch my nose. So the first time, I waited until the end of the prayer even though I knew her hand was there. Now it's become this joke where I start to pray and I know her hand is there so I'll gently move it down. Tonight I told her we needed to get serious. And at the end of the prayer, I moved my hand in front of her nose and prayed "Lord, I pray that you would help Madi to know that I am about to pinch her nose." She swatted my hand down and started laughing.
We sent in the application for camp today and paid for it as well so it's all taken care of. So it looks as though all will go well which would be awesome for her! It will last from July 26-29 in Denton, TX at TWU Campus. The video looks amazing. The name of the camp is Camp KidJam. Very Christ centered and geared for kids. It should give Madi a great opportunity to meet kids her age and also meet some great kids from our church.
That's all for now, folks!
Wednesday, June 29, 2011
Xtreme Days - Day 3
Day 3 of VBS went great! Madi was disappointed because it turns out that Margie was not actually the winner of the show "Wipeout." It was just one of the drama people from our church. I was disappointed too. However, she's still funny and Madi still had fun. She even went upstairs to lay down because she was so tired from the day.
Madi said that there were ping pong balls floating in a baby pool. You had to put your hands behind your back and dip your head into the water to pick them up. When she dipped down, she soaked herself - all over her shirt up to her waist and part of her shorts. Though she was laughing when she said it so it sounds like it was fun. She also really enjoyed the karate. We'll get to see her Xtreme performance tomorrow as it is the last day of VBS.
The girls played in the playroom this afternoon with me while Jeremy hung blinds in Riley's room and four pictures on Madi's walls. They changed their bunker (lawnmower box) into a jail. They were the horses and I was their owner. I asked them to smile and then we took some pics of them pretending to be sad in jail. Though I spent most of my time just chasing Julia around.
Then Jeremy read them lines to the Diarrhea song. It was super funny. He only read the appropriate ones that were disgusting, but kid friendly. Somehow the song was brought up during dinner. Which sounds even grosser than it was at the time. Anyway...
That was the day!
Madi said that there were ping pong balls floating in a baby pool. You had to put your hands behind your back and dip your head into the water to pick them up. When she dipped down, she soaked herself - all over her shirt up to her waist and part of her shorts. Though she was laughing when she said it so it sounds like it was fun. She also really enjoyed the karate. We'll get to see her Xtreme performance tomorrow as it is the last day of VBS.
The girls played in the playroom this afternoon with me while Jeremy hung blinds in Riley's room and four pictures on Madi's walls. They changed their bunker (lawnmower box) into a jail. They were the horses and I was their owner. I asked them to smile and then we took some pics of them pretending to be sad in jail. Though I spent most of my time just chasing Julia around.
Then Jeremy read them lines to the Diarrhea song. It was super funny. He only read the appropriate ones that were disgusting, but kid friendly. Somehow the song was brought up during dinner. Which sounds even grosser than it was at the time. Anyway...
That was the day!
Tuesday, June 28, 2011
Xtreme Days - Day 2
Another fun day at VBS today! I woke up early to go for a run. Madi wanted to go with me so she rode her bike. Great way for her to get out and me to run. So we did a loop through the sub. Then when we got to our street again, she went on one sidewalk and I went across the street on the other sidewalk. I asked her if she wanted to race. So off we went. Right before she got to the alley, I yelled out "Stop and watch out for that car that's coming down the alley!" So she slowed down to look down the alley and I said "Just kidding!" And ran as fast as I could to the end. Of course she still beat me. We had a good laugh. Though I won't be making it a habit to joke about seeing cars for fear she won't see one when it comes. However, it was much fun!
We picked up Landon and then went to VBS. Then picked up some donut holes - glazed. Then she had a great time. Said that the karate was so tiring. All the push ups and jumping jacks and things wore her out. Sounds like she's having a blast.
They are still taking enrollments for the overnight camp that will be held at TWU called "Camp KidJam." Looks amazing!!!! Wish I were young enough to go. It's the last week of July - July 26-29. Our church camp for kids for grades 3-6. We think Madi will make great friends from church as well grow spiritually. It'll be awesome for her.
And in other exciting news - she has health insurance! Woo hoo! It is the CHIP program. Was recommended by Shannon. I applied a few weeks ago. We received the paperwork yesterday. It is such a blessing to know that we have health insurance for her. This was honestly my biggest worry if something happened and God really blessed us. No cost on our end. Government program for kids. Perfect for our situation. Just a total blessing.
So all in all a great day. I promise we are not eating sandwiches every lunch. And she's had a different dinner for the last two weeks. I'm sure a sandwich here or there won't hurt her. She'll probably have quite a few of them during the school year. And if that's the biggest complaint, then we must be doing a pretty good job! :)
Still working on the walkie talkie thing. Hoping to order that tonight. Otherwise all is good.
We picked up Landon and then went to VBS. Then picked up some donut holes - glazed. Then she had a great time. Said that the karate was so tiring. All the push ups and jumping jacks and things wore her out. Sounds like she's having a blast.
They are still taking enrollments for the overnight camp that will be held at TWU called "Camp KidJam." Looks amazing!!!! Wish I were young enough to go. It's the last week of July - July 26-29. Our church camp for kids for grades 3-6. We think Madi will make great friends from church as well grow spiritually. It'll be awesome for her.
And in other exciting news - she has health insurance! Woo hoo! It is the CHIP program. Was recommended by Shannon. I applied a few weeks ago. We received the paperwork yesterday. It is such a blessing to know that we have health insurance for her. This was honestly my biggest worry if something happened and God really blessed us. No cost on our end. Government program for kids. Perfect for our situation. Just a total blessing.
So all in all a great day. I promise we are not eating sandwiches every lunch. And she's had a different dinner for the last two weeks. I'm sure a sandwich here or there won't hurt her. She'll probably have quite a few of them during the school year. And if that's the biggest complaint, then we must be doing a pretty good job! :)
Still working on the walkie talkie thing. Hoping to order that tonight. Otherwise all is good.
Monday, June 27, 2011
Xtreme Days
Madi had a great day. LOVED VBS!! She came home telling and showing us her moves from the karate class. She was able to meet one of the winners from the show "Wipeout." She said she was awesome and so funny. The theme for today was "Wipeout Your Doubt." Over 800 kids signed up for VBS and looked as though there was much more than that as they were still registering kids this morning.
Jeremy dropped her off and picked her up while I took care of Riley and Julia. I'll take her tomorrow in the morning.
This afternoon the girls had computer time. Then made their beds and cleaned their room (or at least Riley did this as it was a total mess) and then put away their laundry.
Jeremy and I went out to dinner while the girls stayed home with Lauren. I'm sure the girls had a blast with her. She's been married for a year, sings beautifully and is such an amazing Godly babysitter. We're very blessed to have her in our lives. She is upstairs talking with Madi at the moment and we don't want to interrupt their conversation so we're just waiting for them to come downstairs.
Jeremy dropped her off and picked her up while I took care of Riley and Julia. I'll take her tomorrow in the morning.
This afternoon the girls had computer time. Then made their beds and cleaned their room (or at least Riley did this as it was a total mess) and then put away their laundry.
Jeremy and I went out to dinner while the girls stayed home with Lauren. I'm sure the girls had a blast with her. She's been married for a year, sings beautifully and is such an amazing Godly babysitter. We're very blessed to have her in our lives. She is upstairs talking with Madi at the moment and we don't want to interrupt their conversation so we're just waiting for them to come downstairs.
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| Ready to be Xtreme! Go Blue Team! |
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| Checking in |
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| Wow! |
Sunday, June 26, 2011
And again....more swimming
Today went like this:
Breakfast and get ready for church (Madi even made her bed without us having to ask!)
Church
Lunch
Swim at my parent's house
Snack
Computer Time
Dinner
Read
Bed
Madi had a great time at church. We did a devotional tonight about Moses which was also the same story they talked about in children's church today. She's super excited about VBS starting tomorrow. She is on the blue team. Can't wait to see the karate moves she learns!
Riley and Madi made paper dolls and paper horses with my mom after they went swimming. They also played in the bedroom upstairs and Madi was the lunch lady who served us all food from the play kitchen. Riley was in the tent - feeding her animals and trying to keep her horse from the bad men who kept tying her horse up (with a bracelet).
Julia fell asleep in her high chair today. Totally wiped out from the work she had to do in her room at church, I'm sure!
So that's about it for today!
Breakfast and get ready for church (Madi even made her bed without us having to ask!)
Church
Lunch
Swim at my parent's house
Snack
Computer Time
Dinner
Read
Bed
Madi had a great time at church. We did a devotional tonight about Moses which was also the same story they talked about in children's church today. She's super excited about VBS starting tomorrow. She is on the blue team. Can't wait to see the karate moves she learns!
Riley and Madi made paper dolls and paper horses with my mom after they went swimming. They also played in the bedroom upstairs and Madi was the lunch lady who served us all food from the play kitchen. Riley was in the tent - feeding her animals and trying to keep her horse from the bad men who kept tying her horse up (with a bracelet).
Julia fell asleep in her high chair today. Totally wiped out from the work she had to do in her room at church, I'm sure!
So that's about it for today!
Saturday, June 25, 2011
Successful Sleepover!
The girls really had a fun time last night. They watched the movie "Prince Caspian" and then crashed into bed around 10:30. Madi offered to let Jordan take her bed and we made a makeshift bed out of her duvet cover and blankets on the floor for her. When they woke up around 7am, we made pancakes.
Then the girls played some Wii and took turns riding Madi's bike up and down the street. Jordan's mom came around 10:30am to pick the girls up. The girls are sporting the finds from Gymboree - $3 tshirts and $3 skirts. Too cute!
I completely forgot that I had scheduled a piano lesson this morning at 9am. Thankfully the mom of the student called before coming and everyone stayed upstairs during the lesson (only 30 minutes).
Madi also received her first allowance today. We're paying her every other week. She is earning $5 a week, but has to tithe ten percent and save ten percent. So she was paid $8, saved $1 and will give $1 at church on Sunday.
This afternoon we're just hanging out at home. Tonight Jeremy and I are going out so my parents will be over to watch Riley and Madi (we'll put Jules down before we leave).
Then the girls played some Wii and took turns riding Madi's bike up and down the street. Jordan's mom came around 10:30am to pick the girls up. The girls are sporting the finds from Gymboree - $3 tshirts and $3 skirts. Too cute!
I completely forgot that I had scheduled a piano lesson this morning at 9am. Thankfully the mom of the student called before coming and everyone stayed upstairs during the lesson (only 30 minutes).
Madi also received her first allowance today. We're paying her every other week. She is earning $5 a week, but has to tithe ten percent and save ten percent. So she was paid $8, saved $1 and will give $1 at church on Sunday.
This afternoon we're just hanging out at home. Tonight Jeremy and I are going out so my parents will be over to watch Riley and Madi (we'll put Jules down before we leave).
Friday, June 24, 2011
Salmon and Fettuccine
Just realized the last two posts are about food. Sorry! Both the salmon and the hot chocolate were recipes Madi was wanting to try. Jordan had never had salmon and loved it. Jeremy was in heaven being able to have fish in the house. He rubbed it on my arm and no reaction. I even had a bite of it and didn't die so this is a very good thing. Looks like my allergies are getting better and going away so this is nice! Apparently the girls thought the dish was wonderful too!
No, they didn't really eat it this way... Just so you know! This was just posed for the pics.
No, they didn't really eat it this way... Just so you know! This was just posed for the pics.
Homemade Hot Chocolate
Ingredients:
Whole Milk
Heavy Cream
Ghirardelli Bittersweet Chocolate
Mini Marshmallows
Dash of cinnamon
Heavenly result!
Whole Milk
Heavy Cream
Ghirardelli Bittersweet Chocolate
Mini Marshmallows
Dash of cinnamon
Heavenly result!
Hot Chocolate is served!
Girls loving it!
Uncle Jeremy loved it just as much :)
Cheers!
Jordan
The girls had a great day again. We took a walk down to the park so I could show Madi how to get there and it gave the girls time to get outside before it was much too hot. I didn't let Madi ride her bike because I knew Riley would be chasing after her and that I wouldn't be able to push a stroller and keep up with the two of them. So we all walked. After they played at the park, we took the "long" way home (about ten extra minutes longer) as Madi wanted to see how to get home if she rode her bike that way instead of the way we had taken to get to the park.
The girls took showers after they talked to you guys. Madi loved the conversation. The hardest part is when she has to say goodbye. She tells me every time that she loves seeing you, but it's hard to leave you and say goodbye. She studied for 30 minutes today - English today - reading and answering questions. She did fabulous on the examples today! 30 questions, 2 wrong and 1 she wasn't sure what they were asking. We're starting with 30 minutes of studying and she's always welcome to do more. Doesn't want to at this moment in time, but we'll build up to a longer time as the summer goes on.
Jordan just got her head stuck under Madi's bed. They love to hide under there during the hide and seek games. Thankfully, she's all fine.
Girls had a ton of fun at the Hartley's house (home of Jordan, Peyton, Amy, Morgan and Mackenzie - five girls that are just awesome). They spent about 4 hours there. I had time out with Julia for the time they were there and it was super nice. Kim (the mom) said the girls were very respectful and very nice.
Jeremy just finished making salmon and fettuccine for the girls. They're super excited for tonight.
So here's to our first sleepover at the house. So far tons of laughter, giggling and smiling girls. Jordan's pants have already fallen down twice and Madi is laughing hysterically. Gotta go.... time for dinner for the girls! Wish us luck for making tonight very special and the morning as well... hoping Madi will really love this night!
The girls took showers after they talked to you guys. Madi loved the conversation. The hardest part is when she has to say goodbye. She tells me every time that she loves seeing you, but it's hard to leave you and say goodbye. She studied for 30 minutes today - English today - reading and answering questions. She did fabulous on the examples today! 30 questions, 2 wrong and 1 she wasn't sure what they were asking. We're starting with 30 minutes of studying and she's always welcome to do more. Doesn't want to at this moment in time, but we'll build up to a longer time as the summer goes on.
Jordan just got her head stuck under Madi's bed. They love to hide under there during the hide and seek games. Thankfully, she's all fine.
Girls had a ton of fun at the Hartley's house (home of Jordan, Peyton, Amy, Morgan and Mackenzie - five girls that are just awesome). They spent about 4 hours there. I had time out with Julia for the time they were there and it was super nice. Kim (the mom) said the girls were very respectful and very nice.
Jeremy just finished making salmon and fettuccine for the girls. They're super excited for tonight.
So here's to our first sleepover at the house. So far tons of laughter, giggling and smiling girls. Jordan's pants have already fallen down twice and Madi is laughing hysterically. Gotta go.... time for dinner for the girls! Wish us luck for making tonight very special and the morning as well... hoping Madi will really love this night!
Jokes
The girls' new favorite joke is:
The Indian chief is talking to a little boy who is very curious. He asks the chief "Chief, I want to know where names come from."
The Indian chief says "Well, "Running Deer" got her name because her parents saw a running deer as soon as she was born. And Babbling Brook got her name because her parents saw a babbling brook as soon as she was born. Why do you ask, Pooping Dog?"
I should really be asking Jeremy to write this as his version is so much funnier - with an accent and everything :)
The Indian chief is talking to a little boy who is very curious. He asks the chief "Chief, I want to know where names come from."
The Indian chief says "Well, "Running Deer" got her name because her parents saw a running deer as soon as she was born. And Babbling Brook got her name because her parents saw a babbling brook as soon as she was born. Why do you ask, Pooping Dog?"
I should really be asking Jeremy to write this as his version is so much funnier - with an accent and everything :)
Thursday, June 23, 2011
And more and more swimming :)
Madi was super excited for today. Charidy and her mom came to pick her up around 11am to go swimming at their cousin's house. They ate out at McDonald's for lunch and then swam for about three hours before returning home around 5pm. Madi said it was a really great day and seemed to really enjoy time with Charidy.
Riley and Jules and I played in the playroom all afternoon - tons of little people time. Julia is making the people talk to each other in gibberish and it's totally cute. Madi loves to ask Julia to say "Hi" to her because she finds it so cute.
She ate dinner at home and then spent time reading the Bible with all of us, except Julia because she was already asleep. Then Jeremy spent time with her tonight and I had a Mommy night with Riley.
Jeremy surprised her with a helmet that's really cute. His coworker gave it to us and it's in perfect condition except for a little dust. She tried it on and loves it. Now to get the walkie talkies... and then she'll be all set!
Tomorrow should be one of the best days so far. Jordan Hartley is coming over for Madi's first sleepover. The plan is to watch a movie, drink hot chocolate (using the recipe from her cookbook), eat dinner and then do what girls do best and stay up talking late, I'm sure.
Riley and Jules and I played in the playroom all afternoon - tons of little people time. Julia is making the people talk to each other in gibberish and it's totally cute. Madi loves to ask Julia to say "Hi" to her because she finds it so cute.
She ate dinner at home and then spent time reading the Bible with all of us, except Julia because she was already asleep. Then Jeremy spent time with her tonight and I had a Mommy night with Riley.
Jeremy surprised her with a helmet that's really cute. His coworker gave it to us and it's in perfect condition except for a little dust. She tried it on and loves it. Now to get the walkie talkies... and then she'll be all set!
Tomorrow should be one of the best days so far. Jordan Hartley is coming over for Madi's first sleepover. The plan is to watch a movie, drink hot chocolate (using the recipe from her cookbook), eat dinner and then do what girls do best and stay up talking late, I'm sure.
Wednesday, June 22, 2011
Sad day made happy
Morning started off sad. Charidy is still fighting tonsilitis so Madi wasn't able to go to Hawaiian Falls. Her mom said she wanted to give her one more day to get better. Tomorrow Charidy and Madi will get together to go swimming which I think Madi will love. And we have Julia's doctor appointment at 9am tomorrow.
But things were made much better when I called Kami and Kenzie was able to come over for a playdate with her. They had a lot of fun together. Spent time playing hide and seek, Wii, computer time and just time together. Girls had chicken strips and corn for dinner.
Madi has done such an incredible job making her bed each morning and taking care of her room. Rarely needs more than one reminder to do it. I had her do some math today. She did well on most of it. I checked the answers using the index at the back and then gave her a few tips for how to correct the ones she got wrong. I asked her to go upstairs and try them after we talked about them for a short while. I wanted to give her a chance to figure it out for herself without just giving her the answers. She didn't want to do it and finally went up. And laid down. I came up after snuggling with Riley on the couch (who had diarrhea this morning - fun stuff). Madi said she had a headache. So I had her take her claritin and pointed out that I noticed she complained about headaches most when she was asked to do something she didn't want to. So we got her some water and went downstairs to tackle the answers together.
She was able to work through the answers with me and needed encouragement along the way. I told her she's doing a great job and that I think she's better at math than she gives herself credit for. She's a great student when she believes she can do it and feels she can be successful at it.
We think we've found the right walkie talkies and will hopefully be getting them soon. A friend has an extra helmet, or thinks she does, so we're not ordering everything until we know. She's dying to ride her bike and we want her to have that freedom - just want to make sure she has the right equipment and safety gear.
Another good day. I'm going to go up and read with her now. Please call even if you have a moment or two. I know you're busy but Madi would love to hear from you. And we enjoy it too! Hope school is going well!
But things were made much better when I called Kami and Kenzie was able to come over for a playdate with her. They had a lot of fun together. Spent time playing hide and seek, Wii, computer time and just time together. Girls had chicken strips and corn for dinner.
Madi has done such an incredible job making her bed each morning and taking care of her room. Rarely needs more than one reminder to do it. I had her do some math today. She did well on most of it. I checked the answers using the index at the back and then gave her a few tips for how to correct the ones she got wrong. I asked her to go upstairs and try them after we talked about them for a short while. I wanted to give her a chance to figure it out for herself without just giving her the answers. She didn't want to do it and finally went up. And laid down. I came up after snuggling with Riley on the couch (who had diarrhea this morning - fun stuff). Madi said she had a headache. So I had her take her claritin and pointed out that I noticed she complained about headaches most when she was asked to do something she didn't want to. So we got her some water and went downstairs to tackle the answers together.
She was able to work through the answers with me and needed encouragement along the way. I told her she's doing a great job and that I think she's better at math than she gives herself credit for. She's a great student when she believes she can do it and feels she can be successful at it.
We think we've found the right walkie talkies and will hopefully be getting them soon. A friend has an extra helmet, or thinks she does, so we're not ordering everything until we know. She's dying to ride her bike and we want her to have that freedom - just want to make sure she has the right equipment and safety gear.
Another good day. I'm going to go up and read with her now. Please call even if you have a moment or two. I know you're busy but Madi would love to hear from you. And we enjoy it too! Hope school is going well!
Tuesday, June 21, 2011
A Short One
This will be a short one as there isn't too much to say. The girls went to Kami's house all day today. Madi played with Kenzie. She made two pot holders from stringy bands on a loom. Really cool looking.
We had sausage pasta together after Julia went to sleep. She was so tired from only taking a morning nap today. Madi and I started reading a new book at night. Can't remember the title, but it's something about an American Girl Doll. Kenzie let her borrow it.
Madi is excited about Hawaiian Falls tomorrow. However, Charidy is sick with tonsilitis so it may get postponed. Either way, I'm sure it will be a good day.
We had a bad storm last night. Madi slept through it. She is waking up early in the mornings (before 6am) and asked me to pray tonight that she would be able to sleep through the night without waking up. Thought I'd pass along the prayer request.
We had sausage pasta together after Julia went to sleep. She was so tired from only taking a morning nap today. Madi and I started reading a new book at night. Can't remember the title, but it's something about an American Girl Doll. Kenzie let her borrow it.
Madi is excited about Hawaiian Falls tomorrow. However, Charidy is sick with tonsilitis so it may get postponed. Either way, I'm sure it will be a good day.
We had a bad storm last night. Madi slept through it. She is waking up early in the mornings (before 6am) and asked me to pray tonight that she would be able to sleep through the night without waking up. Thought I'd pass along the prayer request.
Monday, June 20, 2011
Laundry is so fun!!
The girls had fun doing laundry today. Madison folded her laundry (with a little help from me). After each load is done, Riley loves to lay on the floor so I can dump it on her. It's warm and soft and she finds it so funny. So both girls lay on the floor next to each other and I dumped the laundry on them. They were giggling a lot. Then Riley sat in the hamper and Madison covered her with the clothes. Then Madi sat in the hamper and Riley covered her with clothes. They had a lot of fun. See if you can find Madi buried in the last picture - ha!
We stayed home today and did our weekly house cleaning - vacuuming, bathrooms, bedrooms, kitchen and several loads of ... you guessed it - laundry. Madi cleaned her mirror and counter in the bathroom. I did her toilet and shower. She also studied from her TAKS booklet for thirty minutes while I gave Riley a bath.
They played on Madi's webkinz account and even pretended to be horses and cheetahs. Riley said that was her favorite part of her day.
Madi's favorite part of the day was when I took all three girls to Walmart. They've really been great at the stores! Such good girls. This morning I showed Madi how to make cinnamon toast. She wrote down the recipes and pages from her Kid's Cookbook so that we could choose a couple recipes for her to help. This week she'll be making salmon with fettucine, hot chocolate with whipped cream and marshmallows and bread from scratch.
Lots of playdates this week:
Tomorrow - with Kenzie
Wed - at Hawaiian Falls with Charidy
Thursday - doc appointment for Julia and we'll make the homemade bread sometime that day
Friday - with Jordan at Jordan's house and then Jordan is going to come over our home for a sleepover! Madi is super excited about that. They'll do hot chocolate and a movie together and who knows what else :)
We're trying to give her opportunities to be with awesome girls her age as well as opportunities to be thankful and use her words to say "thank you." She gets very excited about things, but doesn't always put words to it. So we've explained that others appreciate it when they are told "thank you" even if we are thankful inside. It's always best to say it out loud. She's working on it and practicing it at home as well as outside home.
The last few nights Madi and I have taken turns reading a Babysitter's Club book together. She reads a chapter and then I read the next one. We'll finish the book tomorrow and then we'll pick a new book. I've got her book lists going for Barnes and Noble as well as the Frisco Library. At B&N, she'll get to choose a free book after we turn in her book list. At the library, she'll get a free ride on the carousel at Stonebriar and free pizza and other fun prizes.
I'm attaching a pic of Julia. Because this one is so cute. And she was such a cute mess after finishing her lunch :)
We stayed home today and did our weekly house cleaning - vacuuming, bathrooms, bedrooms, kitchen and several loads of ... you guessed it - laundry. Madi cleaned her mirror and counter in the bathroom. I did her toilet and shower. She also studied from her TAKS booklet for thirty minutes while I gave Riley a bath.
They played on Madi's webkinz account and even pretended to be horses and cheetahs. Riley said that was her favorite part of her day.
Madi's favorite part of the day was when I took all three girls to Walmart. They've really been great at the stores! Such good girls. This morning I showed Madi how to make cinnamon toast. She wrote down the recipes and pages from her Kid's Cookbook so that we could choose a couple recipes for her to help. This week she'll be making salmon with fettucine, hot chocolate with whipped cream and marshmallows and bread from scratch.
Lots of playdates this week:
Tomorrow - with Kenzie
Wed - at Hawaiian Falls with Charidy
Thursday - doc appointment for Julia and we'll make the homemade bread sometime that day
Friday - with Jordan at Jordan's house and then Jordan is going to come over our home for a sleepover! Madi is super excited about that. They'll do hot chocolate and a movie together and who knows what else :)
We're trying to give her opportunities to be with awesome girls her age as well as opportunities to be thankful and use her words to say "thank you." She gets very excited about things, but doesn't always put words to it. So we've explained that others appreciate it when they are told "thank you" even if we are thankful inside. It's always best to say it out loud. She's working on it and practicing it at home as well as outside home.
The last few nights Madi and I have taken turns reading a Babysitter's Club book together. She reads a chapter and then I read the next one. We'll finish the book tomorrow and then we'll pick a new book. I've got her book lists going for Barnes and Noble as well as the Frisco Library. At B&N, she'll get to choose a free book after we turn in her book list. At the library, she'll get a free ride on the carousel at Stonebriar and free pizza and other fun prizes.
I'm attaching a pic of Julia. Because this one is so cute. And she was such a cute mess after finishing her lunch :)
Sunday, June 19, 2011
And even more swimming....
Swimming again. Super fun! We all went to church this morning. Madi loved it. Jeremy took the girls home and I stayed for the two services following the one all of us were at. Girls ate lunch. Then Riley went out with my parents for some alone time with them. Madi, Jeremy and I hung out at the house while Julia napped. Was very low-key.
All of us met up at my parents' home to go swimming. Madi had a blast. Swam for at least an hour or more. We ate spaghetti with Italian sausage. Then came home.
She's currently on her iPod talking with you and Marcus. Hope his Father's Day was a really great one!
All of us met up at my parents' home to go swimming. Madi had a blast. Swam for at least an hour or more. We ate spaghetti with Italian sausage. Then came home.
She's currently on her iPod talking with you and Marcus. Hope his Father's Day was a really great one!
Saturday, June 18, 2011
More swimming!
Another day of swimming at my parent's house. Madison had so much fun! Lots of "diving" (very shallow water diving - not from outside the pool). I'll try to get the video of her on here so you can see it. She swam for almost two hours. Then had some pizza with Jeremy, Riley, Julia and my parents while I went to Saturday night service. I am on worship team this weekend. Thus, the reason I was not there for pizza :)
Today was a fairly good day. First day that I have really felt that Riley and Madison were more like sisters than cousins. They hugged today, apologized for various things today (not sharing, taking turns, wanting to watch different shows on tv at the same time, etc...), argued today, and also had some really great moments of kindness today. All in all, a good day. I'm trying to make sure I'm fair in deciding who does what when. And making sure that I understand both sides of the story. And trying to use a mix of wisdom, love and firm boundaries at the same time. Not always easy. And I don't always get it right. But I am trying.
Madison earned $5 for her allowance this week. We'll pay her at the end of next week. She'll receive it every two weeks. You'd be very proud of her. She's keeping her room very clean, bed made, bathroom clean and putting her dishes up at meals. She's loving learning to cook. I'm planning to show her how to make pasta soon and I'll look over her kid's cookbook to choose some meals with her to make this week. She asks a lot of questions and wants a lot of things. I try to be very honest with her and upfront about why we buy what we buy and how we buy it. I told her to be patient which is a hard concept to grasp - even as an adult. I don't expect perfection in it, but I'm hoping that we're doing a well enough job of explaining things.
This week she has several playdates already lined up with different girls. And then the week after that is VBS which will be SO good for her!! I'm so excited to see what God does in her life that week.
Happy birthday to Marcus and I hope that he has a fabulous Father's Day tomorrow. We'll have Madi write him a note tomorrow or call. She crashed tonight!! She was so exhausted from the sun and swimming today. She really is such a great swimmer! Have a good day! We'll have a good night!
Today was a fairly good day. First day that I have really felt that Riley and Madison were more like sisters than cousins. They hugged today, apologized for various things today (not sharing, taking turns, wanting to watch different shows on tv at the same time, etc...), argued today, and also had some really great moments of kindness today. All in all, a good day. I'm trying to make sure I'm fair in deciding who does what when. And making sure that I understand both sides of the story. And trying to use a mix of wisdom, love and firm boundaries at the same time. Not always easy. And I don't always get it right. But I am trying.
Madison earned $5 for her allowance this week. We'll pay her at the end of next week. She'll receive it every two weeks. You'd be very proud of her. She's keeping her room very clean, bed made, bathroom clean and putting her dishes up at meals. She's loving learning to cook. I'm planning to show her how to make pasta soon and I'll look over her kid's cookbook to choose some meals with her to make this week. She asks a lot of questions and wants a lot of things. I try to be very honest with her and upfront about why we buy what we buy and how we buy it. I told her to be patient which is a hard concept to grasp - even as an adult. I don't expect perfection in it, but I'm hoping that we're doing a well enough job of explaining things.
This week she has several playdates already lined up with different girls. And then the week after that is VBS which will be SO good for her!! I'm so excited to see what God does in her life that week.
Happy birthday to Marcus and I hope that he has a fabulous Father's Day tomorrow. We'll have Madi write him a note tomorrow or call. She crashed tonight!! She was so exhausted from the sun and swimming today. She really is such a great swimmer! Have a good day! We'll have a good night!
Friday, June 17, 2011
Fun Times
Today we spent time with Aunt Kaki and Tripp. We met up at Willow Bend Mall and ate at the food court. Was so hard to actually talk with Kathryn as we were both corralling children the whole time! Then went to the play area so the kids could play. Madi mostly spent time on her iPod touch as she's too tall now for the play area. We also went into the store "Justice," but we didn't buy anything today. Just a looking day.
One of her new favorites is the Talking Tom Two app. She says something and the cat on the iPod mimics it in a high pitched voice. The girls were giggling so much tonight as they would both talk at the same time and then listen to it. Riley kept saying "Day-lah" over and over. Still not sure what it means, but the girls found it really hysterical.
She made herself some ramen noodles for dinner - did everything except pouring the boiling hot water out into the sink at the end.
At the end of the day, Julia was already asleep so the rest of us sat on Riley's bed and read the story of Joshua. As Jeremy was reading, Riley stroked Madi's hair and said "Madison, your hair is beautiful." And kept stroking it. So then Madi says "Your hair is beautiful too, Riley." And they were both stroking each other's hair while Jeremy read the rest. There were several times where the girls would start to talk and share stories and then we'd all giggle. So it was a very fun night.
Glad to hear you're doing better. We're praying for you and the rest of the family as well!
One of her new favorites is the Talking Tom Two app. She says something and the cat on the iPod mimics it in a high pitched voice. The girls were giggling so much tonight as they would both talk at the same time and then listen to it. Riley kept saying "Day-lah" over and over. Still not sure what it means, but the girls found it really hysterical.
She made herself some ramen noodles for dinner - did everything except pouring the boiling hot water out into the sink at the end.
At the end of the day, Julia was already asleep so the rest of us sat on Riley's bed and read the story of Joshua. As Jeremy was reading, Riley stroked Madi's hair and said "Madison, your hair is beautiful." And kept stroking it. So then Madi says "Your hair is beautiful too, Riley." And they were both stroking each other's hair while Jeremy read the rest. There were several times where the girls would start to talk and share stories and then we'd all giggle. So it was a very fun night.
Glad to hear you're doing better. We're praying for you and the rest of the family as well!
Thursday, June 16, 2011
Surprise!
Today started like most days have. Girls sleeping. Julia wakes up screaming and talking. I get Jules and then the girls get up. I showed Madison how to make blueberry muffins this morning. The girls ate them all up and enjoyed them a lot.
Then they made their beds and got ready for the day. I decided to go to a local resale shop called "Kid to Kid" and sell some of the girls' old clothes. Outside of the shop, was a purple 20" bike. Super cute and had a final sale sign on it of $22.99. Madison looked online at some bikes and wanted one that was $75 which isn't a bad price for a bike. However, it would take up a lot of her allowance money. She really wanted the bike and so I asked if she could take it for a short ride just to make sure it functioned fine. We also used the kickstand and checked it out to make sure all was fine. It was in great condition so I bought it and had her pay me as soon as we got home. She is super, super excited about it!! We'll get her a helmet as well as walkie talkies so that she can check in with us and let us know where she is. Until then, at least she has the bike.
Then we went to the mall to get some new soaps. Madison chose the "sweet pea" scent for her bathroom to go with her perfume and lotion. We got home and had lunch.
She had a playdate with Charidy at our home all afternoon. They played hide and seek, Cranium, some stuff on her iPod Touch, Wii games and ate some snacks. Overall a very successful playdate. As soon as her mom came to pick her up, I had Madison tell Charidy "thank you" as well as telling her mom "thank you for letting Charidy come over." They invited her to use one of their guest passes to Hawaiian Falls next Wednesday so she'll really enjoy that.
Tonight I had worship team practice and it sounds as though things went well with bedtime. Jeremy didn't say too much about it. Hope you're doing well!
Then they made their beds and got ready for the day. I decided to go to a local resale shop called "Kid to Kid" and sell some of the girls' old clothes. Outside of the shop, was a purple 20" bike. Super cute and had a final sale sign on it of $22.99. Madison looked online at some bikes and wanted one that was $75 which isn't a bad price for a bike. However, it would take up a lot of her allowance money. She really wanted the bike and so I asked if she could take it for a short ride just to make sure it functioned fine. We also used the kickstand and checked it out to make sure all was fine. It was in great condition so I bought it and had her pay me as soon as we got home. She is super, super excited about it!! We'll get her a helmet as well as walkie talkies so that she can check in with us and let us know where she is. Until then, at least she has the bike.
Then we went to the mall to get some new soaps. Madison chose the "sweet pea" scent for her bathroom to go with her perfume and lotion. We got home and had lunch.
She had a playdate with Charidy at our home all afternoon. They played hide and seek, Cranium, some stuff on her iPod Touch, Wii games and ate some snacks. Overall a very successful playdate. As soon as her mom came to pick her up, I had Madison tell Charidy "thank you" as well as telling her mom "thank you for letting Charidy come over." They invited her to use one of their guest passes to Hawaiian Falls next Wednesday so she'll really enjoy that.
Tonight I had worship team practice and it sounds as though things went well with bedtime. Jeremy didn't say too much about it. Hope you're doing well!
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