Madelynn is FIVE!!

Our big girl turned FIVE yesterday. 

We had a rainbow themed birthday party on Sunday. Our amazing friends and family joined us for bouncy house fun, water fights and sunshine. There was so much love in our new house, it was overwhelming. We hadn't even been at the house for three weeks, but I was determined to have her party at our house. It was the BEST way to start our new lives here. Turns out the house is excellent for entertaining and the yard is perfect for the kids! Madelynn had the MOST fun! 

On her actual birthday mom took the kids and me out to lunch. We went to "Mexicans" per her request. (After we talked her out of the "House Restaurant" aka Arbys) She got to wear the sombrero and eat a special sopapilla. When Jonathan got home we opened presents, ate watermelon and pizza and had family movie night. She had several cupcakes left over, so we relit the candles and sang to her one more time. They got to stay up a little late and we had so much fun celebrating our FIVE year old!

Happy birthday, sweet girl. I pray that you always keep your sassy attitude, that you continue to be the leader and that you always love with all of your heart. You are so precious to us and you're becoming a young lady right before our eyes. We could never describe how proud of you we are. We love you Baby Bear, Madsy Pie, Pumpkin Pie, Madelynn Ann. 

Family Fun Night

Every so often, Jonathan and I will decide to have a "family fun night" with the girls.  We'll pull all of the pillows and blankets into the family room, set up their tents, light a fire if we can, and cuddle.  We'll play games, focus completely on them and do whatever they want to do.  It's a time when we turn the computers and phones off and will sometimes watch a movie together.  Now that I no longer work outside of the house, I try to make a lot of the day focused on the night ahead.  

I didn't want to have to worry about cooking a big meal and missing out on setting up and playing with the girls, so I opted for a Crock Pot recipe that my family LOVES.  This taco chili recipe is delicious and ingredients can easily be substituted or left out if you don't like everything that's in it.  I grate cheese, offer sour cream and serve it with warm tortillas.  It's a perfect fall meal that's not traditional chili.  Once that was in the Crock Pot and Annabella was asleep, Madelynn and I made Halloween cupcakes. 

Then it was time to set up the tent and pile up all of the comforters, blankets, pillows, and stuffed animals. The girls will stay entertained playing with their tent forever.  We don't have the space to have it set up all of the time, so it's a treat when they get to play inside of it.  The dog, the cats, and the kids all pile up inside of it, it's really adorable.  

"Hey mommy, look at this face!"

After we ate dinner and cupcakes, Jonathan and I focused all of our attention to the girls and let them have the rest of the night.  We always entertain the idea of sleeping downstairs and have done it in the past before Annabella was born, but at the ages they both are now, it's next to impossible to get them to both settle down and sleep outside of their beds.  I thought we could really do it this time because Madelynn was happily cuddled up with Jonathan in the pallet and Annabella was cuddling with my on the couch.  BUT they started getting restless and Jonathan and I started getting more and more sleepy, so it seemed we were going to lose the battle again.  

Seconds after I took this photo, Madelynn moved to lay on top of Jonathan and really cuddle.  Before I could take the picture, my battery died. :(

Around 10:00, we took them upstairs and they were asleep in seconds.  The best part of family fun night for me was getting to cuddle with my baby.  Anna is always going 100mph and won't sit still long enough for anyone to hold her and snuggle with her.  Madelynn is the same away a lot of times.  So when we settle down and put a movie on at the end of our night, they stop what they're doing and cuddle with their mommy and daddy.  It's such a sweet moment.  For the next few days, I'll leave the pallet and tent in the living room until they've tired of it or I can't take the cuddle anymore.  Now, go and plan a fun night for your family!!  

Dance Party with Daddy

Today I was reminded, for the millionth time, why I am so blessed to have the husband that I do. Jonathan usually works from 10:30am-9:30pm on Fridays.  That means he's home after the girls go to bed on Friday and he's already at work when they wake up on Saturday.  But today he didn't have to go in until 11:30.  It's amazing how much difference an hour can make, but it made the world to Madelynn and Annabella.  He could have spent that extra time doing fifty things to make his life easier, but he chose to spend his morning focused on his little girls.  After eating breakfast and cuddling with them, they made their way into the office to have a "dance party".  One of the girls' favorite things to do is watch Taylor Swift music videos on You Tube and dance with their daddy in the office.  Jonathan can't stand Taylor, but Madelynn is obsessed and regardless of how many times he tries to expose her to new music, the girl knows what she wants.  She knows all of the words to basically every song and invents new dance routines that she then makes her daddy learn.  It's so much fun for the three of them.  Annabella has started dancing and spinning, so she really gets into it.  They squeal, laugh, sing, spin, and twirl.  For that little bit of time, everything else in the world stops, all of the worries are put on hold and it's just the three of them sharing a special moment that they'll always remember.  And that's what life with children is all about, right?  Creating memories.  Making sure that you're present in their lives even when you can't physically be there.  I know that not every father takes that kind of time with his kids.  I know that most men won't dance with little girls to sub-par country/pop music and actually enjoy it, but Jonathan does.  He enjoys it because they love it and nothing makes him more proud than knowing he's responsible for their happiness.  I couldn't be happier.