Family of Eight

This last week we watched my sisters kids while they went on vacation. They have 3 boys and 1 girl + our two. Six kids...it was a little crazy to say the least. You name it, we experienced it. On top of the craziness both our girls ended up with the stomach flu and were throwing up. I don't think I stopped doing laundry, dishes, and diapers the entire time I was there. They're great kids though and we had a fun time at baseball games and practices, Costa Vida, playing outside and the park, Kangaroo Zoo, game night, making cards for grandma's birthday, and just being together. The best pictures we got were from Ty's iPhone.We survived church.A car full...

No more pigtails for awhile for Madelyn...

Madelyn and I had a day at the salon last Friday. I had been debating about cutting her hair for a long time and finally got up the courage to do it. After we cut it short and Emily styled it, she kept a lock of hair for Madelyn to keep. When she showed it to Madelyn, she said, "Put it back in." Umm...it's a little too late for that. Anyway, she likes it now, but I have to say, it's not as low maintenance as I thought it would be. I tend to want to round brush and flat iron it everyday due to my perfectionist behavior.

Before...

After...

Happy Easter!

We enjoyed celebrating Easter this year by having an egg hunt and dinner at Grandma Wilkins house the week before, attending Madelyn's preschool party, multiple egg dying occassions with friends and family, and baskets from the Easter Bunny. Here are a few pics from Easter morning. Unfortunately, I didn't get their pictures in their Easter dresses as we rushed out the door to church the Sunday before Easter.

Happy St. Patrick's Day

Madelyn after her preschool party.

Enjoying the free admission day at the Children's Museum with their cousins.

Kitchen Update

For the last few months I have been wanting to update the kitchen a little by refinishing the cabinets. I got a few ideas online and from my talented sisters. Here is what the kitchen looked like when we first moved in...extremely boring.

Here is the kitchen now...after glazing the top cabinets a dark brown, painting the bottom cabinets and drawers cream, and applying glaze in the cracks. We also put up bead board below the counters and added some hardware from Pottery Barn. A very needed update. We still have plans to paint the walls tan and get some barstools at the counter, but with time each little project happens.

Fun in the Snow

New Years Day we went sledding with my family. The kids had a great time!

A few days later we played in the snow in the backyard. Madelyn spent most of the time licking and eating the snow.

Christmas Eve and Christmas Day

We enjoyed Christmas Eve at my parents' house. We had an incredible steak dinner and then my dad read Luke 2 while the kids acted it out with the little nativity set. The best part was when my mom said, "and the angel said..." and Audrey said, "Ho Ho Ho!" really loud. We had been practicing, "What does Santa say?" It was hilarious. I wish I had it on video. Then we put the girls Christmas pj's on and headed home. We put out milk and cookies for Santa and put the girls to bed and finished wrapping presents. Unfortunately our Christmas pictures didn't turn out very well, so here's the best of them.

Christmas morning we woke up and the girls were so excited. They had so much fun opening presents. Madelyn got a dollhouse with furniture, some dress up shoes, games, princess Barbies, and her stocking stuff. Audrey got sit n' spin, busy ball popper, Mrs. potato head, a shape sorter, a pony, and her stocking stuff. Ty and I got Sonicare toothbrushes, and a few surprises from each other. We had a great morning! We spent the afternoon and evening at my parents' house again. We had a casual dinner, and then opened presents. Madelyn got a Leapster from Grandma and Grandpa, and she was so excited, she could hardly breathe, she said, "This is what I've wanted my whole life!" Then she got some games to go with it. Audrey opened a highchair for her babies and some great church toys (I Spy bag and a dressup wooden doll). Then Ty and I got clothes and some new frames for our family room wall, which we've wanted for a very long time to frame the girls pictures we had taken this summer. We had a good time, playing, laughing, and enjoying one another. It was an awesome Christmas Day!