Christmas Day

Christmas morning Maggie woke up bright and early ready to open her presents. After we finished, we got ready and met my parents for church. Later that day, we celebrated Christmas with my family. The 2 best Maggie quotes of the day:

1.When she opened her new snow boots, she tried to get them to light up like her old ones did. When they didn't light up, she said, "Um, these aren't working. They don't light up. I like my old ones better."

2.My mom and dad wrapped money around some chapstick for Maggie, DJ, and Izzy. DJ and Izzy were pretty excited about the money. When Maggie opened hers, she said, "OH, CHAPSTICK!!".

Maggie Funny

Last night, Maggie was reprimanding her babies for not being safe and not making good choices (not sure where she's heard that!). The best part was when she came up to me and said, "Mommy do you know what they did? They did twdkrs." I about died that she spelled it out to me because that's what Rob and I do when we don't want her to know what we're saying!!

Fun-Filled Weekend

This past weekend was jam-packed with fun activities for Maggie! On Friday, she got to spend the night with Maddi and Sam (our neighbors). On Saturday, we went to their basketball game in the morning, got to go swimming for my best friend's son's birthday party, and went out to dinner and did some shopping with Nana Karen and Papa Bob! Then, yesterday, we spent the day baking Rudolph cookies and cinnamon almond brittle for our neighbors and Maggie's teachers. She couldn't pick a favorite thing she did because she had a blast with it all!

Maggie's visit with Santa

Rob had the day off today, so we took Maggie up to Bass Pro Shops to see Santa. She seemed a little nervous at first, but went right up, sat on his lap, and told him what she wanted for Christmas. She told him she wanted a Figit Friend and a stick horse she could ride. She's wanted one of the stick horses since we saw one at Dollar General about a month ago. The funniest thing happened after we left, got back into the car and started driving though. Maggie hit her hands on her knees and said, "Oh man! I forgot to tell Santa which Figit Friend I wanted!" It was so funny because she was so worried about that and said it in the funniest way. I quickly reassured her that Santa would know which one she wanted because Elfie, her Elf on a Shelf, would let him know. She seemed okay with that. :)

Last Weekend

Last weekend Rob, Maggie, my mom and I drove to Manhattan to help Rob's parents get moved and unpacked in their new house. Maggie had a great time helping to unpack by making snowballs out of all the newspaper! She and Nathan, her cousin, even had a snowball fight with them! We had a great time helping and can't wait to go back again soon!

Elf on a Shelf

My parents bought Maggie an Elf on the Shelf for Christmas. He's a little elf doll that you set out each day to "watch" your child to report back to Santa if they've been bad or good. It comes with a book to read and explain to your child how it works. Maggie even got to name it, so she chose Elfie. He will stay and watch over her until the night before Christmas and then come back again next year. Here are some pictures of her opening it tonight:

Thanksgiving and Other Maggie Funnies

We went to my brother and sister-in-law's for Thanksgiving today and had a great time and some wonderful food!! Maggie had a fun time playing Officer Maggie in Uncle Brett's police car. She really enjoyed calling orders out using the bullhorn. She also put the handcuffs on me and arrested me. When I told her I didn't do anything wrong, she said, "Tell it to the judge madam.". There's never a dull moment!

Yesterday, we put up all of our Christmas decorations and Maggie loves to help. She puts up her own tree in her room and decorates the rest of her room the way she wants. She wanted a nativity scene for under her tree, so I gave her one. Later, she asked me, "Mommy, are you going to put an activity scene under your tree, too?".

Marysville

We made a quick, weekend trip up to Marysville this weekend. We spent it helping Rob's parents get packed up for their move to Manhattan. Since we were all there, and they are moving around Thanksgiving, we decided to go ahead and have our Thanksgiving meal last night. It was great because Rob's aunt and cousin were able to come, too. As usual, Maggie loved spending time there, but really liked having some playtime with her cousin Nathan!!

Maggie is Famous!!

Maggie made it on the front page of our local newspaper!

http://www.kccommunitynews.com/miami-county-republic-schools/index.html

Halloween 2011

Halloween Parade at school
Halloween Parade on the Square

Maggie with Amanda (one of my co-workers) and Baby Carson

Showing off her tail

Cutest little kitten I've ever seen!

Exciting Weekend

Maggie got to spend all day Friday with her friend Brock. Brock and Maggie went to the same daycare last year and had lots of fun playing with each other. So, his mom and I set up a playdate for Maggie to spend the day with them since neither of them had school on Friday. She had a wonderful time as evidenced by the following photos: The dragon and tiger
Love the dresses!

After we got home from Brock's house yesterday, Nana Karen and Papa Bob came to visit. We went out to dinner together and played all night. They spent the night and this afternoon with us, too. We also get to visit with Nana Linda and Papa Arrol tomorrow!

Pumpkin Carving

Maggie's completed "shape" jack o' lantern (triangle and circle eyes, a square nose, and a crescent mouth)!

Long Weekend with Nana and Papa

Maggie got to spend quite a few days with Nana and Papa since I had parent/teacher conferences and Rob and I went out of town for the weekend. They picked her up from school on Wednesday and she stayed with them until we picked her up yesterday. She was pretty excited and even had a list of things she wanted to do while she was there! Some of her favorite memories are: making spider cookies and strawberry shortcake, visiting Uncle Brett at work, getting some new baby items to play with her dolls, and playing lots and lots with Nana and Papa. It was great to get away for a little adult time, but I missed her so much and couldn't wait to get home to give her some love!

Nikki's Shower

This past weekend Maggie, my mom, and I drove up to Omaha for my cousin Nikki's baby shower. We drove up on Saturday and drove back on Sunday. Once again, Maggie did a fabulous job in the car! It was a nice little trip and it was great to have some girl time with the 2 of them. Maggie is ever-changing and growing up so fast!

Apple Days

Maggie and I had a great weekend with Rob's family and a wonderful day at Apple Days today! Yesterday, we got to check out some houses with Nana Karen, do some shopping, and have dinner with Papa Bob, Nana Karen, Uncle Jim, Great Grandma and Grandpa Thurlow, and Great Uncle Randy. Maggie was pretty excited to spend the night in our hotel last night, too. Today was Apple Days at Fort Riley. There were tons and tons of fun things for Maggie to do. She loved every minute, and was so worn out from all of it, that she passed out in the car on the way home this afternoon!!

September 11th

Today reminds me to be thankful for all my blessings!

Maggie's 1st Day of School

Maggie's 1st day of preschool as "one of the big kids" as she says now that she's in the 4 year old class! She was so excited!!

Fun-Filled Week

This week has been jam-packed and has flown by! On Monday, we took Maggie to Chuck E. Cheese for the first time. She loved it! She really seemed to go back to the same 3 or 4 games the whole time!

Showing off her dance moves!

She said this was just like a roller coaster!

This is one of the games she played multiple times!

This week we also met up with Papa Bob and Nana Karen for lunch one day since they were in town, played at the park (you've got to love this wonderful weather!), got Maggie's hair cut for school, and she even "helped" me work in my classroom!

Maggie's Cardiologist Appt.

I was wrong a few months ago when I said Maggie was finished with all her specialists. Right after I posted that, we got a notice to schedule her 2 year follow-up with her cardiologist (2 years is a long time to remember that!). Well, yesterday was her appt. They did an EKG and an echocardiogram and we got some mixed results. The muscle tissue that was so thick from working overtime is now normal. She still has a small hole in one part of her heart that her doctor is not concerned about because 20% of the population has it. The doctor found a leak in one of her ventricles. The doctor said she isn't too worried about it because she said it could fix itself, but she wants to follow-up again with Maggie in 2 years to check it. It was hard news to hear, but we know our faith will see us through once more.

Maggie and Ben

We had a great visit with our friends this past week and Maggie absolutely loved playing with their baby, Ben!

Buddies
Open wide!!

Maggie thought she needed to be a baby, too, so she tried out the Johnny Jump-Up!

A little morning conversation between friends!

Maggie Funny

Me: How did you know that?
Maggie: I don't know.
Me: Because you're a smart girl!
Maggie: Yeah, just like my mommy.

Man, this girl is a genius!! :)

Fashion Diva in the Making!

Striped tank top, red tights, pink crocs, and 2 flower bows to top it off...now that's fashion-forward!

Lake of the Ozarks 2011

We had a great time at the lake with some friends for the past couple days!!! Here are some pictures from our trip:

First 4-wheeler ride...She loved it and kept going back for more!!
Once she finally realized she could float on her own, there was no holding back!
Just chillin' on the boat!
Who knew a 4-wheeler ride was that relaxing?!
A little kayak ride with Sam!

Deanna Rose Fishing Tournament

Maggie and my dad participated in a fishing tournament at Deanna Rose Farmstead today. They each caught 1 fish!

Busy Maggie

Maggie and I went up and ate dinner at my parent's house on Wednesday night and she ended up spending the night. Well, she spent the night last night, too! I didn't know what to do with myself. I've never had a whole day/night to myself (Rob was working), let alone get to sleep in until 9:30 and get the next afternoon to myself!

Today, I picked Maggie up and we went to meet Rob's parents. Maggie and Nana Karen swam in the hotel pool and had a great time. Then, we went out to dinner and took some ice cream back to the hotel. When we got back to the hotel, Rob was there. It was so nice out, we ate our ice cream in the courtyard.

Tomorrow morning, Maggie is participating in a fishing tournament at Deanna Rose Farmstead with my dad. Rob is off tomorrow until the afternoon and his parents will still be in town, so all of us will get to cheer Maggie and my dad on!

Here are some pics of the swimmers:

Blowing Bubbles

Climbing out of the pool all by herself!

Maggie Funny

Maggie: Mommy, does the Easter Bunny live in the North Pole with Santa Claus?
Me: No.
Maggie: Where does the Easter Bunny live?
Me: I'm not sure Maggie. Where do you think he lives?
Maggie: Easter Bunny Hill.

4th of July

We had a great 4th of July spent with friends! We went to a party last night and shot off lots of fireworks. Maggie absolutely loved it and got to do some of her own! Since it was late last night when we finished, we went ahead and spent the night at our friends' house. We hung out today and got to spend some time in their pool, too.

Sparklers
Popping the Poppers

Relaxing in the pool

Maggie's 1st Movie

We took Maggie to her first movie today, Cars 2. She did pretty good, but let's just say I am glad we were in a theatre that was full of other kids! :) Once the chair seat flipped up when she was sitting in it, she was pretty much done with the chair though! She then sat on Rob's lap, my lap, stood up, or sat in her booster seat on the floor (see photo below)! She took 2 bathroom breaks and was quiet throughout the movie for the most part. Luckily, we did Fork and Screen, so she had food to distract her. We also went at 11am, so the theatre wasn't too full and she was able to move around a little bit more!

She's so excited to go in!

She loved her vanilla milkshake!

The booster seat on the floor!

Maggie's Swimming Lessons

New Bed

Maggie upgraded to a big bed today and is pretty excited about it! There just wasn't enough room in the daybed stage of her convertible crib for her and all of her stuffed animals!

First Sleepover

Maggie had her first sleepover at our house last night...not exactly the best night to do it with all the storms...but they had a great time. I'm sure all 3 girls will be taking a nap this afternoon since the excitement and storms kept them awake pretty late! It is so great having Maddi and Sam next door to us!!

Garage Sale Finds

Maggie and I went to a couple garage sales this morning, then went to the summer reading program at the library and did some grocery shopping, too. Of course it stopped raining, and the sun came out, once we got home today! You've got to love garage sales...I got all this stuff for Mag and only spent $17!!

Lake Miola Fun

Today, Rob, Maggie and I went to Lake Miola with my parents. She had a great day playing, swimming and fishing (although she only ended up fishing for about 15 minutes!). Our neighbors, Jesse, Brandon, Maddi, and Sam joined us up there for the afternoon, too. We even cooked out for lunch. It was a great day!!

Family Slumber Party

Sleeping bag...check

Drink...check

Popcorn...check

Movie...check

Everything we needed to have a great family slumber party tonight! The best part is it's summer, and there's no school, so we can do this on any night we want!!

Mommy's Little Helper

Maggie wanted to help me clean, but also be ready at a moments notice if the neighbors invited her to swim in their pool!

Summer has Begun!

Maggie's first week of summer vacation has been pretty busy already!

We had a cookout and spent the day at Uncle Brett and Aunt Ana's for Memorial Day. She absolutely loved going for rides and driving "crazy" in the golf cart they have!! That night she even got to spend the night at Nana and Papa's house.

She's been helping me up at school in my room, too. I'm switching classrooms this year, so I had to move everything. Sometimes she's more of a distraction than a help though!! This year, however, I was actually able to give her some jobs to help me out.

We went to the city on Friday with a friend of mine. We got to go out to lunch and do some shopping.

Yesterday, Maddi and Sam, our neighbors, had their pool out and Maggie couldn't wait to join them! Rob and I had to explain that it's not polite to invite yourself over to someone's house, so she sat and watched them through the window. It was so pitiful looking! You can't imagine how excited she was when they came over to ask if she could come swim. I've never seen her strip off her clothes faster!!

If this week is a preview of what's to come, I'm sure we're in for a busy rest of the summer!

Busy Weekend for Maggie Pt. 2

Maggie made it the whole night at the neighbor's last night...and she took a 3 1/2 hour nap this afternoon to recover! :) Not only did she make it, but she was the youngest one there and not the one that had an accident!

To top Maggie's weekend off, we got a new guinea pig today. We decided to go ahead and get another one because we had Charlie for such a short time and Maggie said she wanted to do it. One of my co-workers had one for us. We know she's healthy because she is already months old and has never had any problems. She squeaks everytime we rustle a bag, so Maggie named her Squeaky.

My co-worker brought her over when Maggie was napping today. When Maggie woke up and saw her, she teared up and said she looked just like Charlie. After I talked to her a little bit about her, she seemed to be okay with everything. She started to play with Squeaky, pet her, and feed her a carrot. By tonight, she was mentioned in Maggie's prayers and told goodnight before bed!

Busy Weekend for Maggie

Maggie's had a fun and busy past 2 days! Since I went to the Tim McGraw concert last night, she got to spend the night with my parents and today she is having a campout with our neighbors for their birthday.

We'll Miss You Charlie!

A night full of mixed emotions...great time with Rob's family celebrating his mom's birthday, but unfortunately Charlie died tonight. He was acting strange earlier this evening and we couldn't figure out why. He was breathing fast and making a sort of whining sound. When he walked, he seemed to be favoring his back leg and when he was in his cage, he just kind of leaned to one side. We can't figure out what could have happened, especially considering he seemed fine last night when Rob and Maggie had him out playing with him. Maggie handled it pretty well. At first, she said, "Okay, well we'll just have to get a new one." Within 15 minutes though, she got a little upset, but didn't want to admit it. I told her it was okay to cry if she wanted to, but it was almost as if she didn't want to break down. Throughout the rest of the night, she brought him up a few times and asked different questions like "What if he gets hungry or thirsty?", "What are we going to do with his food?", and "Why did he get sick?". She still wanted to pray for him tonight and she broke down when she climbed into bed and said "He's not sleeping next to my bed anymore." When I told her that she still had all of her stuffed animals to sleep with, she simply said, "Yeah, but they're not real." Talk about heart-wrenching!

Shucking Corn

Minnie Mouse, aka Maggie, helping Daddy shuck the corn on the cob for dinner!

Lansing BBQ 2011

We had a great weekend at the Lansing BBQ contest! Uncle Brett and his friends made some fabulous BBQ, but I think the inflatables were Maggie's favorite part! She couldn't get enough of them. She especially loved the rocket ship slide!

Up she goes!
Higher...

and higher.

Here she comes!

I'm ready to go again Mommy!