Dear Maddy,

I can't believe that you are 12 years old, really where does the time go? Turning 12 is a big milestone, you're leaving Primary and entering Young Women's, you get to start wearing a little bit of make-up, and you get to start sitting in the front seat..AAAAH!!
I really have enjoyed watching you blossom into the wonderful young woman you've become, you're beautiful on the inside and out, you've always been a easy child, never giving us any grief and I know you will continue that into your teenage years. I love your eagerness to learn new things, the sweet smile that is always on your face, your willingness to help out, your sweet spirit and your ability to make everyone around you feel loved. You are one of my greatest examples and I can't wait to see the great woman that you will be!

Love,
Mom
Happy Birthday Madisyn!!

New Years Resolution

While attending my brother's ward sacrament meeting one Sunday, I heard a fabulous talk. In this talk a woman spoke about a time where she considered herself a "mean girl" how she would always try to point out all the faults of people that she didn't like or people that she barely knew. One day she and her friend were sitting at church when another young woman walked past them and her friend leaned over to her and said, "Wow look how short her skirt is!" and instead of focusing on the hundreds of good things about this young woman they focused on the one "bad" thing they could find, and for some reasons it struck this woman that she really was just a "mean girl" instead of looking for the good in people she was always looking for the bad in people, and decided from that day on that instead of looking for the bad she was going to look for the good.

Now I wouldn't consider myself a "Negative Nelly", but I know that at times with certain people in my life instead of finding all the wonderfully good things in them I definitely have focused on the negative things about them, as to almost warrant how I was feeling about them, but in the end left me feeling like a "mean girl" at times.

So instead of the "cliche" New Years resolutions like losing x amount of pounds, exercising daily, or getting organized. This years New Years resolution is to focus on finding the good in mankind, and by doing so, I'll be a happier ME!!

A Christmas Story

We had a great Christmas holiday, we spent Christmas Eve with my brother's family, and spent Christmas day lounging around, and later in the day had our friends Melissa and Justin join us for Christmas dinner and games.



A few of their favorite things:

Clothes, hair clips, movies and shoes!

Maddy's iTouch

Emily's iTouch

Hannah's baby alive, moon dough, ds games!

Mason's Handy Mandy tool box, sports balls, and Toy Story books!