Maddie and I had a special treat today. Our good friends, Leona and Noelle Strait, invited us to an afternoon Victorian Christmas Tea. We had so much fun! We laughed, shared stories, and ate really yummy goodies! The tea was amazing (I had no idea all of the science behind teas!). We each had our own tea pots and chose from a huge list of teas.
I was so glad I skipped lunch today! There was so much food, and all delicious.
But even better than the wonderful food and tea was the company. I am so thankful for these two lovely ladies...
And you know how I feel about this lovely lady...
This was just what we needed to get in the Christmas spirit. We learned a lot about teas, and English Christmas traditions, including the Christmas cracker, which did not cooperate as the girls tried to pop it together. All it did was break, but it provided great laughter and entertainment!
Thank you, Leona and Noelle, for a super fun afternoon, and for your friendship! You bless our family in so many ways!
Tuesday, December 21, 2010
Christmas Tea
Monday, December 20, 2010
slumber party
Maddie's birthday celebration was on Friday night, and we invited 8 of her friends over for a slumber party. Knowing this is a crazy time of year, I was sure that there would be a few that wouldn't be able to make it, especially since it was the first night of Christmas vacation. All but one could come. So, including Maddie, we had 8 girls over for a Movie Theater birthday party, complete with concessions and movie tickets.
Concession Stand and movie tickets
Caleb helped me figure out how much (fake) money to give to each girl, and how much to charge each girl for the movie ticket, a box of candy, and a bag of popcorn (that way I could have a little control over how much junk they ate!). The girls loved having money to spend and picking out their own candy.
It was a great party, and the girls all seemed to have a great time. Maddie felt special surrounded by her friends. What a blessing to have such good friends. And what a blessing to have a slumber party with 8 girls and have NO arguing or bickering. They all get along so well!
The best gift came on Saturday night, when Maddie finally heard the results of her audition for The Sound of Music. Maddie got the part of Marta! She is sooooooo very excited! And we are preparing ourselves for the crazy and chaotic season of LOTS of rehearsals and late nights! Way to go, Maddie! We are so proud of you! For the role you got in the play, and even more so for the young woman you are becoming. Love you to pieces!
Thursday, December 16, 2010
maddie sue
My baby girl turned 11 yesterday.
Seriously.
Can't quite wrap my brain around that fact. It blows my mind that this little girl...
has become this young lady...
Nope.
But, seriously, isn't she beautiful?
We all tiptoed into Maddie's room and woke her with singing "Happy Birthday."
Then we started the morning with our traditional birthday breakfast (which, by the way, has become more complicated now that we have two different school start times...). Maddie's special breakfast included her favorite, cinnamon rolls.
She got to open her cards and present.
Then it was off to school, where she shared her special birthday treat of hot chocolate and candy canes. Here she is with her good friends, Lauren and Autumn.
And the whole goofy bunch...
Nate had a wrestling meet in the evening, so I took the boys to Manitou Springs for that, and Maddie went on a special birthday date with her Daddy. They had a wonderful time, but the pictures are on his phone right now...
We all gathered at home for ice cream. Maddie is excited for her party on Friday night...a sleep-over with 8 girlfriends! Should be a blast!
Maddie brings such joy to our home. She has a deep heart that loves to worship and serve. She is the most dramatic kid I know (in a good way, really!) and keeps us all entertained. My heart overflows with thankfulness for her life, and the gift that God gave me 11 years ago!
I love you, Maddie Sue!
