Merry Christmas!

Here's Maddy by this year's plaid-themed tree with her beloved Horse on a Stick (thank you Angie!)

After about 40 shots we decided on this one for the Early Christmas card this year...

As you can see, she was really tired during the shoot...:)

Happy Christmas!!

Toys for Tots

While Mum and Dad were visiting a few weeks ago, we were talking about how difficult it is to help your child understand how lucky they are - particularly when we excess as much as we do at Christmas time. We decided after a couple of beers that it would be a great idea to host a 'Toys For Tots' drive at the house to drive the point home! We sent the invitations out that night (so that we couldn't change our minds once we'd sobered up) and everything just came together in time for the big day! We ended up with over 100 people delivering new gifts for TFT and huge donations of used gifts for Goodwill too! Here's Jen who ran the Holiday crafts entertainment...

Matt did a fine job of face painting!

Bob Loring from TFT showed us a video of how the toys get to the kids who need them. What an inspirational guy!

Maggianos did all of the catering for free (!) and everyone had a great time. At the end we delivered the new gifts to the local TFT fire station and the used ones to Goodwill. The kids were responsible for actually placing their old toys in the boxes in the garage (to make room for the new ones that Santa would bring) and really seemed to 'get it!' We were totally exhausted but it was such a worthwhile experience!

Liz and Matt's Wedding

Happy Halloween!

The hardest part of Halloween for Maddy is picking the pumpkin that's just right...Decisions, decisions...

Our very first Jack O' Lantern!!

We took the girls to Horsoween - a Halloween event that a local farm put together. The rides weren't exactly scary so it was perfect for the children and we loved the S'mores!

On the big night the girls dressed as fairies and trick or treated together - so cute!

HAPPY HALLOWEEN!!

The Texas Earlys and Out West with Pop Pop

We all went to Texas to see Pete, Steph and the kids in their beautiful new house. Pop Pop met us out there and he and Mike went from there on their 'Out West' adventure together! Here are the kids performing a show for us...

Pops at the Hoover Dam...

The crazy western terrain...

Jerome - the biggest ghost town in America...

The Grand Canyon....

Pete in Canab...

Bryce Canyon...

The boys had an amazing time (note - there were no photos of their night in Vegas - I guess it's true that "what happens in Vegas stays in Vegas" :)). I can't wait for us to go back and for me and Maddy to see for ourselves! One day...

Maddy and Tristan playing the backyard

Too cute!!

Uh oh...

First Day at School...

I found the whole 'first day at big school' thing completely traumatic :(. Mike took her on the big day and Maddy took it all in her stride!

Maddy's 5th Birthday Party!

After we got back from the UK, we had another petting zoo party at the house! We had ducks, rabbits, goats and a pony...

The birthday girl...

And the cake of course:)

The kids went nuts while Maddy was opening her gifts!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY MADDY - WE LOVE YOU!!

Maddy and Mummy in the UK

It was such a perfect time of the year for a trip home. There is nothing quite like an English country garden. Here's Maddy with Eliza and Lucia...

Maddy was a goofball every time I got the camera out!

Then she refused to take pictures! Here are the girls with Gail and the gorgeous Sara...

Playing in the park...

Me and Maddy by Gail's tree...

We went to see Mary's beautiful new house and met Charlotte for the first time. She is such a mini-Mary!

In the conservatory with Mum and Dad and Jan!

Gail even taught Maddy how to do a spot of gardening...

Dancing and graduating with a broken arm :(

Things didn't exactly go to plan this week. They were looking fine when the dance costume arrived and it fitted perfectly. Maddy looked adorable in it and was really looking forward to her first dance recital!

All she was worried about was if she forgot her steps...

So she practiced very hard...

And then with less than a week to go I arrived at daycare and Maddy had just fallen really hard on her arm. The doctor said it wasn't broken and to keep it in the sling for just a day or two "so that she doesn't get too accustomed to all of the extra attention."

We had a call back from the doctors two days later (and on Maddy's first day out of the sling) to say that they had taken a 'second level' check of her X-rays and her arm was indeed broken! We asked if it was OK for her to get through her day care graduation before we took her to the hospital since it was just an hour later and she had been so excited. They said that was fine and we told her not to move it...

Then the cast went on. We were so proud of Maddy that she decided to do the recital anyway! One of the other girls in Maddy's dance piece broke her leg too (there were only 6 of them!) so they looked pretty hysterical on stage doing the best they could to Crocodile Rock :)

Mya came to show her support - we couldn't have been more proud of our little trooper!!

Congratulations Madison!