a Christmas post

A few pictures from us at Christmas time. We had a really wonderful Christmas season. Grandma and Grandpa Dalton came over for dinner on the 23rd and took a nice family photo (Scott will just love that I incl2uded one with the Dogs! Too bad we took this after the Christmas cards went out because it would have been perfect!)


Maddy got all dressed up for Church the week before Christmas. She looked beautiful.



Maddy gave of herself this Christmas.

We went to Grandma and Grandpa Bishop's house on Christmas Eve and stayed over night with Uncle Cody and cousins Caroman and Anna. Christmas morning, was great fun. Maddy had a wonderful time. I don't think she knew quite what to play with since there were so many new things to see!

A few days after Christmas my family got together to eat fabulous soups and exchange presents. Mary and Ryan and their kids were here and we were only sad to have missed Rachel and Spencer. Someday we'll all be together at the same time - someday!

a place to hang your hat

My husband does such good work! When we moved in, the closet in the kitchen was for the washer and dryer. There were no doors and I figured that at some point we'd put bi-fold doors on. After putting in the wood floor, we were worried about the consequences if the washer overflowed (it has once before) and we decided to move the laundry downstairs. There are goods and bads about that decision but I won't go in this post.

We don't have a lot of pantry space upstairs so I was so happy to have a walk-in pantry. Because it was so deep and thanks to the advice of my mom Edith (wherever the coats get dropped, that's where you need a coat rack), Scott made me a built in "mud room". When it's done it will have cubbys below for shoes and purses and hooks for coats. Most of all, I'm pleased to have a door!! It doesn't have a handle yet but we're one step closer. Maddy has been going into the pantry and pulling out the big bucket of dog food so she can climb up and pull food and fruit snacks off the shelves. What a sneaky little bugger. I'll post more pictures when all the walls are finished and the trim is up and everything is painted . . . One of these days I'm just going to have a finished kitchen!

a pile of photos

Here are some random pictures of my almost 2 year old.I remember so vividly putting pink curlers in my hair on Saturday nights so I'd have curly hair for Sunday. I decided to give Maddy the treatment. The curlers aren't all pink anymore and her stick straight hair didn't really hold the curlers well either. She sure looked cute the next day though with a little bit of curl to her hair

Ready to play in the snow

I love those blue eyes

games

Oh, what a Saturday. Scott and I were given tickets to the big game and we were so, so, so, close to being so, so, so happy!!! What a disappointment. However, since we were sitting surrounded by red, and since we had to ride back on the train sandwiched in by red - the result might have been safer for us than had the game ended with the other outcome.

Then, a week later, we were given some tickets to the Jazz game and got to sit on the second row. What a neat perspective! Boy those players are tall. As Scott mentioned to me, if you really want to enjoy the game, a little higher up gives you a better view of all that is going on but, it's cool to have a seat down on the floor to really see and feel what the game is all about. What a fun game and so glad that this time around, my team won.

In search of a Christmas Tree

Scott mentioned when we were first married that he liked flocked trees. I have to say, at that point I figured that he was out of luck because I had absolutely no desire to ever have a flocked tree! Well, after seeing a "Festival of Trees" tree last year, I decided to give Scott a flocked tree this year. Of course, we are used to our fake tree so this year, out we went to the tree lot.

We saw a reindeer and got our picture taken with Santa. Maddy wouldn't sit there herself so we took a picture together.

We did gold, bronze, orange and brown and I think it looks lovely. Very pretty and I'm pleased with it however, I think that I am more of a green tree gal. Maybe once every 10 years or so we'll do a flocked tree. The smell is wonderful though. I had forgotten how wonderful a real tree smells.

what blizzard?

that seemed like a plain old winter storm to me . . . what did I miss?

yum

Anybody else still eating loads of Halloween candy? If not, come to my house and I'll give you some!

leaves

The weather was so nice last weekend. Maddy helped me rake leaves.

Notice the chapstick in her hand? She walks around the house with a tube clasped in her hand all the time. I've had to give her ones where the seal hasn't been broken becuase otherwise she takes off the lid, puts her finger in, and paints things - herself, the dresser, the ottoman, the dog!

my baby and her baby

Maddy has a dolly. My friend Brenda gave it to us at my first baby shower. The other night Maddy was playing around and it was time to get ready for bed. Lately she's been reluctant to let me dress her, change her diaper - anything that I would want to do, she fights. On this night, I won with "look Maddy, your baby has on pink pajamas, do you want to put on your pink pajamas?" (notice Maddy's baby had to have a pink binkie too) and it was just too cute that they both are blonde with blue eyes and pigtails. I only wish that I had a better photo. This blackberry takes wretched pictures but it was what I had handy.

Maddy's Holiday

Maddy came to my office for trick-or-treating on Friday before Halloween. She was a cute little doggy. unfortunately, she wouldn't let me get a very good picture, nor would she stand for a picture at home later. So, here we document Maddy's second Halloween, but the first one she really knew what she was doing.

Happy to report that she got the hang of things pretty quickly. The only negative was that she was a bit reluctant to put any of her candy int he bucket. I'm not sure if she didn't make the connection that it twas still hers or if she just felt the need to hold it all in her hands . . . at any given time she had a snickers bar and whoppers in one hand while holding a sucker, laffy taffy, and m&ms in the other!

Halloween 2010

Happy Halloween from the Tax Department!

the happiest place on earth

While in Orlando last week working at our east coast convention, I was able to visit the happiest place on earth with my co-workers Myrna, Tyler and Austin. On certain nights in October, the Magic Kingdom has a special event - Mickey's Not-so-scary Halloween Party. As you enter the park, everyone (grown-ups included) get a candy bag and throughout the park are candy stations where you can trick-or-treat. And they are not stingy about their candy!

Giddy like schoolgirls. Really, I was surprised how excited I was after I purchased my ticket!!!

Lots of kids and adults were dressed up. I was very impressed and wished that I had a costume on myself.The park patrons from earlier in the day are sent home at 7. Those with a wristband have the whole place from 7 till midnight.

The monorail ride from the ticket booth to actually get into the parkSplash Mountain, we were trying to see if we could hold our composure enough to look bored when we went over that first big drop. It was HARD but we succeeded. There was a little scream in my heart thought - I'll be honest. Waiting in line at Thunder Mountain - my favorite rideExhausted! We rode every ride we wanted to and saw the Halloween Main Street Parade. It was a well spent $63 and I am so glad that we had the chance to go while we were in Florida.

on the mend

Just thought you might like an update. I took Maddy in to the doctors office Wednesday morning since her fever was still up (104!) and they checked for bladder infection and ear infection - both look fine. No throat problems they could see - no real reason for the fever. "We'll just have to wait it out" they told me. I took Maddy to Scott's mom in Payson so I could go into the office for a few hours. She keep alternating Tylenol and Ibuprofen to keep the fever down and we found that as long as that fever was gone, she was a little more normal!

That night on the way home from Payson she screamed the whole way home. It was the longest hour of my life! Ok, maybe not, but it was painful for sure.

Thursday she had a lower fever 102 and Stacy said I could bring her over for the day - figuring that the infectious stage (if there was one) would have been before the fever. Well, by noon the fever had broken and Stacy mentioned that she had a good day and wasn't too miserable, just a little more quiet and subdued than normal.

Friday morning - NO FEVER!!!!! Wahoo! Of course - now there was a rash . . .

Saturday morning there wasn't a fever but I was a little nervous about the rash that was spreading and the fact that Maddy wouldn't stop crying. We took her to the doctor again and (of course) by this time she had calmed down. They checked her ears again just to make sure an ear infection hadn't developed. The rash is caused by a virus and isn't anything to be too worried about - in fact, by the time the rash develops, that is the upswing and Maddy should be feeling better.

Happy to say that she is feeling much better. She is more clingy than normal and as long as I'm not trying to accomplish anything - clingy is good. :)

So, I could have just let it run its course and not spent $40 for two visits to the doctor - but, that $40 bought me peace of mind (sort of) twice. At least nothing is terribly wrong with the little one.

mother's intuition

Madelyn is sick! I hate this. She woke up with a fever Monday morning - 102.5 by 6:30 that evening it was 103.8. When I called the pediatrician they suggested I give her Motrin and watch her behavior. He said, "it's more about her behavior than the temperature".

I am trying to not be a hypochondriac but I just don't know whether I should take her to the doctor. I don't' want to be one of those mom's that the doctor sees coming and says "oh, it Mrs. so-and-so again." they he checks her and sends her home and says - "give her Tylenol". But at the same time, after now two days of fever in the 103 range, should I be more worried? The doctor last night said to see if medicine brought the fever down - it does, to watch for really lethargic behavior - she only is sort of lethargic when her medicine has worn off and not "really" lethargic, and to call if she has a hard time waking up - so should I try to wake her up to test that?

This mothering thing is hard. I don't call because I think she's doing okay and because I figure "a mother knows" right? But what if I'm just not practiced enough yet and I don't actually know? What if I make a bad call here and her brain gets damaged from having a fever too long? These are the stupid thoughts that enter my head and then I think - please, I'm not that out of touch that I'd let her go that long - to where she'd get brain damage. I at least keep it down with medicine so she can't get to that point - right?

I think I'm going to give in after Maddy gets up from her nap. If her fever returns to the 103 range when the Motrin wears off at 4:30, we'll hit the doctors office - maybe the KidsCare simply so that I can stop second guessing my "mother's intuition".

crafty

Boy, there is something about this weather that is bringing out the crafty in me! I bought this candlestick and cheese block-thing 2 or 3 months ago. I wanted to do something I saw on a blog. I finally got around to sanding and painting

I think it turned out pretty cute. Of course, now I have to make sure to keep my counter cleared or it won't look nice!

It's Autumn Time!

I love decorating in the fall. It is just so warm and cozy - makes me want to curl up with a book and some hot chocolate.

The Circus

We went to the circus on Saturday. As we waited for the show to start, I let her sit in the empty seat next to me. Just as the show was beginning, I had Maddy on my lap looking at something and along came a 4 or 5 year old girl to sit in her ticketed seat next to me. Well, Maddy had a bit of a fit! Maddy started screaming and leaned over my shoulder to try to push the girl out of what Maddy thought was "her seat". It would have been funny had I not been horrified by the amount of screaming and back arching going on.

Scott quickly took her out so she wouldn't interrupt the show. I joined them about 15 minutes later and we saw the majority of the show from the sidelines. Maddy enjoyed the circus but each act was a little too long and she lost interest. She'd be excited to look at the new thing on stage but then her attention would move to the churro (or fruit snack or whatever else we shoved into her hands) until the next act came out. She was expecially interested in the tigers, the motorcycles all in that little steel ball, and the elephants (of course). Those along with the trampolines were my favorites too.

update in photos

Dad and I were leaning up against the truck just talking and Maddy came over to join us. She didn't say a word, she just walked up, put her feet ont he curb, looked back to judge the distance, and relaxed!
At Smith's

Maddy and her cousins Zoe and Anna. Getting foot massages

Sporting the new sunglasses. Lookin' good little girl!