Madison Gage is 3 today!!

My little miracle baby is 3 today. I wish I could say we celebrated with a great party yesterday, but James and I have been in bed since Wednesday with coughs and fevers! We have the flu! I think we might be the last ones in the state of Utah to finally get it. Maybe next year we won't procrastinate the Flu Shot.

We had to cancel Madi's party yesterday and postpone it until next Saturday. She wasn't too sad. All she really knew about the party was that Grandma and Nicki and her friends were coming and she was finally going to get to open her presents. So being the great parents we are we sang her Happy Birthday on Friday (2 days before her birthday), let her open her presents from Grandma and Grandpa Shores, Aunt Erin, Aunt Gioia and Aunt Stacey and then we shipped her off to Grandma and Grandpa Leavitt's house to play with Nicki for the weekend. Now James and I can get better without getting the birthday girl sick. I had so much fun planning her party this year and can't wait for next weekend.

In the meantime here are Madison's 3-year old portraits. This year I went cheap and did them myself... it is pretty obvious. The quality leaves a lot to be desired, but the subject is absolutely BEAUTIFUL, HAPPY, and FUNNY!

At this point in the photo shoot Madi realized she was a little model and began her own posing! She is such a ham and always makes me laugh. I love her to pieces!

Who couldn't love this ridiculously fake laugh?

Family Picture 2009

Not my favorite, but I think the older I get the pickier  

I get. This is the first year I started noticing wrinkles. The quality isn't great because we just took them in the backyard with my old camera. A new camera is the only thing on my Christmas list so hopefully Santa brings me one!

Happy Halloween 2009

 

 Cinderella

When I showed Madi her costume a few weeks before Halloween she said, "Mommy is that my Cinderella? I LOVE IT!" 

 

Madi is obsessed with dogs! Here she is hugging and loving on a ceramic dog from her Great Grandma Widdison's front yard. Maybe I should have dressed her up as a veterinarian.

The little princess went for a walk out to visit the horses while everyone was getting ready. On her way back to the house she was running and lost a shoe. It was just like Cinderella losing the glass slipper. And just like the real Cinderella, Madi didn't stop to grab it... she just ran through the whole field and garden with one shoe.

"Granny" Shores was able to join us for Trunk-Or-Treating. She was a little slow and awnry, but we were glad she could join us! 

I LOVE My Husband!!

So I came home from work on Wednesday and found this...

... you are thinking "No big deal, a fridge." But let me just say that we were out of tupperware because every piece we owned was crammed in the fridge full of leftovers! My husband (without me asking) cleaned it! That is why I love my husband!!

It is so clean you can see your reflection.

I am publicly declaring my "Thank You" to the best husband ever!

A busy month...

Madi has been working on her artwork. Her faces now include hair and the sides of the head. Maybe ears will be next.

Gioia's Birthday! We celebrated with a little backyard b-b-q, volleyball, and the girls went to a Lonestar concert. Good times as always.

Erin, Mom, Me, Gioia, and Nicki in the middle.

(We missed you Stacey... too bad you had to work.)

Mini Golf Date with the little munchkin

She golfs like her daddy... what a cheater!

Even a cheater deserves a kiss if he's cute.

A fun adventure at Pirate Island

Madi with her favorite Aunt Nicki

We said goodbye to our good friend and Madi's boyfriend!

John left us for sunny California... who can blame him.

Madi and Uncle Jared. Madi and John.

She misses her friend. She picks up the phone often and says, "I need to call John."

Kylie and Bailey Rock!

Kylie was my amazing student last year and her twin sister Bailey was in another class, but I like to pretend like she was my student too. Their awesome mom was also my Room Mother. Lucky me! Their entire family is wonderful, just the best kind of people I know. I am fortunate to call them all my friends. This month Madi and I went to watch the girls play soccer. They are so great, they both scored! Then a few weeks later Madi and I took them to see Kelsey play soccer for the BYU Women's team. I had a lot of fun! They are the best!

Kylie and Bailey

Can you find Madi?

Getting Kelsey's autograph

Wedding Flowers

I did my first wedding flowers (other than my own) for my friend Shay last December. The photos are not very close-up, but you get the idea. The Bride, Shay is way more beautiful than the flowers. Thank you Shay for being my "first".

I had my second attempt when I did the flowers for my cousins wedding last month and they turned out very beautiful, if I do say so myself! The pictures on the other hand, not so nice. Good thing I wasn't her photographer. When she gets her real pictures then I will post some better ones. I had so much fun making the arrangements, bouquets, corsages, and boutonnieres, thanks Breann.

So if you are getting married, or know someone who is contact me and I would love to do your flowers. I am gathering experience and adding to my portfolio... so get me while you can afford me because pretty soon I am going to be way out of your price range! Ha Ha!