First Dance Recital

Our Little Ballerina

Erica and Madelyn--dance buddies!

Dancing the Jitterbug dance.

One of her favorite parts of the gym is the running warm-up.

One of the skills they are learning is how to use a spring board and jump.

Madelyn showing her bar skills

Just Hanging around upside down.

Mr. Jaime helping on the Balance Beam. See that tongue? She gets that from her father.

Madelyn received the "Miss Independent" award...Who would have thought!

Madelyn proudly displaying her new medal.

Madelyn's first dance recital was hoot to watch. The evening was divided up into three sections. The opening dance include parent participation in the Chicken dance and then the girls showed off their graceful Ballet skills. After a short shoe change we were energized with their Tap rendition and the final portion was a showcase of gymnastic skills they had learned during the course of the semester. At times I didn't know whether to laugh or cry as I watched my baby girl dance. She was so beautiful and did an amazing job. Not bad for being the youngest girl in the studio and I know that she had a blast the Little Gym.

Pretty In Pink

Madelyn wore the cutest Pink Dress to Church one Sunday

and she wanted to take Pretty in Pink Pictures in the backyard when we got home.

Bouncing Trampoline Fun

Madelyn put to good use the ten dozen caserones that Grammie sent her for Easter. Allie came over for the day and the girls went through two dozen so quickly, but the giggles and laughs that emanated from the enclosure was hilarious. The colorful confetti that bounced around was fun for the girls to play with, but I am still finding and sweeping bits in random places.

Madelyn and Paw-Paw playing together.

When Grammie came to visit she felt that Madelyn need something else to play with. What else but a trampoline! Maddie has loved her "new toy"and has literally spent hours bouncing up and down. At first Madelyn always wanted to have someone to "jump" with her. Which really meant one of us to just sit with her while she jumps. If we attempted to jump with her she really didn't like it, but now there is no stopping this bouncing babe. One would think that jumping that much would tucker that little energizer bunny out, but it just seems to re-energize her spirits. When the weather was cooler we used to come home from school and literally spend hours bouncing, watch the incoming air planes over head, and when we got lucky looked for stars in the night sky. Madelyn has even asked if we can camp out on the trampoline--maybe in the fall after the thousand degree heat subsides.

Happy Birthday Uncle Jon

The say the older you get the Cheesier you smile gets.


Aunt Suzette--Madelyn taking the picture


Baby Jacob slept through the entire dinner.


Boy she looks like her daddy!

Madelyn cheering on the Dallas Cowboys at the Texas Road House.

Bathing Beauty

Madelyn was given a few precious swimsuits from a friend and here she is modeling one of them at the Beach Pool. It was our first of many trips to the pool this summer. I am jealous that she tans so easily--she is going to take after my sister in her tanning abilities.

VBS 2009

All Smiles for Vacation Bible School

Madelyn with her best buddy Cooper.

She made a frog visor after learning about the plagues

That's the best smile I could get out of her during the show....

Madelyn's first time in the Worship center to watch the Keith Coast Show. She looks so little sitting in the pews.

This was Madelyn's first time to attend Vacation Bible School in the big kids classroom. She has been with me in the past, but in the nursery. This year's theme was Survivor Challenge and the church did a great job with the stories and the crafts. I couldn't have asked for a better teachers for Madelyn room--she had so much fun! The funny part is I have always told Madelyn that she was the only Madelyn Harris God made and that she was the best. Each classroom also has a teenage helper, and her classroom helper had the exact name and spelling--Madelyn Harris. My Maddie was a little confused and has told me several times that God made two Madelyn's--now she just thinks its funny. I wish could have been there all week to help, but I had some Professional development hours to complete with school first. But the days I was there, I had fun teaching about the Pharaoh and the Plagues. Madelyn was most excited to spend the week with Cooper and learn some new songs!

Summer Time & Sweet Friends

Jody and Leslie relaxing while the dads entertain the kiddos.

Madelyn and Zach after running through the sprinkler.

Murphie, Madelyn, & Zach--look at how big they are!

Madelyn attacking me with a caserone

Thanks for being a gracious host Leslie

Jessie just hanging with the big kids.

Watch out Murphie has a loaded bubble gun and she knows how to use it!

Madelyn showing Zach how to use the caserone.

Thomas Jefferson said that friends are like fine wine, they only get better with time. How true this statement is when it comes to our dear friends the Mirikes and the Bells. Every one's schedules are so busy, especially when you add in the kids so when we had the opportunity to spend a fun evening and dinner with our friends we knew it would be fun for all. Leslie and Bryan were gracious host and even allowed to bring over the rest of the caserone eggs to entertain the kids. It left confetti every where but provided many laughs. The kids had a blast running through the sprinklers, sliding, swinging, and playing with sweet friends. These are the memories that summer time should be filled with.

Home Depot Kids Workshop

Watch out world, I have a hammer and I know how to use it!

Hmm.....what can I clobber next?

She did a great job of hammering and getting the nail all the way through.

The first Saturday of every month Home Depot sponsors a Kid do-it yourself-workshop. Its a great activity in which the stores gives the kids an orange apron and a free kit and you take it to the kids workshop complete with kid size tools and hammer away. Michael was working, so mom got the challenge of taking Madelyn to make my Mother's day gift. She had so much fun! The most fascinating thing--Hammering! The kid was obsessed and I am lucky that I didn't lose a finger. That month''s kit was a wheelbarrow and then they got to choose and plant a flower in a pot and use the wheelbarrow to hold the pot--too precious! I was a little leery, because let's face it, Michael is the analytical and logical person of the family and well I am more of let's try and see what we get approach. But I felt better when I saw other parents turning the directions and trying to figure out where part C 17 went. If I can do it.... I mean Madelyn then anyone can do it. In the end Madelyn was so proud of herself and her wheelbarrow. She earn a certificate of completion and a pin for her apron. She looked so cute that the manager took her picture and its now proudly displayed on the community brag board.