Coincidence?!?!

About a week ago, Spencer and I experienced our first toilet papering (if that's what you'd call this)!! Besides the streamers hanging from the door, the culprit had also rigged up a fold of cotton balls- so that when the front door was opened, we would be snowballed!



Along with the marshmellows "sticking" up so nicely from the ground, we also received an award that was taped to the top of our door. Should I be proud??


I brushed the incident off as no big deal, thinking it HAD to have been a mistake! No one WE know would do something like this. Well...... just this morning I woke up to another surprise!


Those are Dum Dums sticking out from the ground- spelling "SMARTY PANTS"! Pretty creative huh?! Not pictured are the toilet paper streamers that hung from our door. Then, in the middle of our front walkway, was a pile of stinks, leaves, and pieces of bark with an egg resting on top. On the egg was written, "Let the Games Begin"!

After wondering about this all day, analyzing all possibilities as to who would do this, I read my friend Krista's blog to find that something very similar had happened to her this morning. Coincidence?? I think NOT!! Lucky for me, Krista is quite the detective and I'm sure she'll be able to help me get to the bottom of all this! Let the games begin!!

Day 4: Close to Home

Sunday was Mom, Dad, and Jocelyn's fourth day here. We've been going nonstop since they arrived, so it was definitely nice to have a day off of site-seeing. Before church we went on a morning walk to show them the area around our home. I think they all agreed how awesome it is to have such beautiful fields, forests, and ponds right around the corner!


Church was great! Mom and Jocelyn got to join me in Young Women's for the combined lesson that I was teaching. After church we had a yummy barbeque. Madi was a such good helper to Grandpa Al with shucking the corn.



After dinner, mom surprised Spencer with an early birthday cake!


What a relaxing Sunday!

Day 3: Baltimore & Annapolis

For our third day of site-seeing, we decided to get out of DC and head north. For some reason, Jocelyn really wanted to go to Baltimore (my guess is from watching Hairspray:)! So, off to Baltimore we went. We had a nice drive through the city, got stuck in some traffic, unsuccessfully asked some impatient police officers for directions, and finally made our way to Fort McHenry- where the Battle of Baltimore of the war of 1812 took place-inspiring Francis Scott Key to write "The Star Spangled Banner." At the visitors center, we watched a movie about the history behind the battle and the origins of our national anthem. The movie was a touch on the dry side, but the ending was AWESOME!! At the end of the movie, they play a rousing rendition of the Star Spangled Banner and then slowly open the curtains of the darkened theater, giving us a spectacular view of the fort and its huge American Flag, blowing in the wind above. It was a pretty emotional experience. Spencer and I both commented on how powerfully it moved us! Understanding the history behind all this gave me a much stronger appreciation for our national anthem. While I've always loved the song, it definitely means more to me now! Afterwards, we headed out to walk around the grounds. It was another beautiful day- I don't think we could have had better weather than we've had this entire weekend!



Madi especially enjoyed the walk. We would walk one way and she'd take off in the opposite direction! Notice Madi way down the path (and I had to zoom in to take this picture) and Spencer coming after her!


So, onto the shoulders she went!


Madi was able to enjoy her lunch outside in the grass before we headed over to LP Steamers for lunch.


If you like seafood, you'd LOVE this place. Dad, Mom, Spencer, and Jocelyn were in heaven with their crab, steamers (clams), and crab cakes. While I'm not a fan of seafood, I do have to admit that my tuna sandwich and french fries were the best I've ever had! So if you're ever in the area, you'll have to check it out!




Madi refused to eat any of it- she was happy with the spaghetti we fed her at the park. But she did had a great time pounding out the crab!



After our bellies were full, we headed off to Annapolis! By this time it was almost 3pm and Madi was definitely ready for a nap. She was able to get a whole 30 minute nap on the drive from Baltimore to Annapolis! I do have to commend Madi though for what a trouper she's been! We've heard not so much as a whine or complaint from her. Annapolis was gorgeous as always. This weekend was the National Boat Show- biggest in the U.S, which dad really seemed to enjoy. Madi had fun checking out all the big boats!


After the sun went down it got cool enough to pull out Madi's Annapolis hoodie that we bought on our last trip here! So glad that it still fits!


Spencer, Madi, and I took off for home a little after 6pm- in order to get Madi in bed at a reasonable time. Mom, dad, and Jocelyn stayed behind for more shopping and a stop by the Temple on their way home!

Day 2: Capitol, Library of Congress, and Monuments

Friday morning mom, dad, and Jocelyn headed out at 10am for their scheduled Capitol tour, while Spencer, Madi, and I stayed behind to make sure that Madi got a real nap! We knew we would getting home late, and didn't want to keep Madi out all day again- without a nap! That 18 minute nap the other day just didn't cut it! And nap she did!! She slept for over 3 hours- putting us heading into the city not until after 3pm. Our first stop was the Library of Congress, where mom, dad, and Jocelyn were already in the middle of a tour. Luckily, we were able to jump right in and join the end of their tour.

From there we headed off to the base of the Washington Monument for our evening tour of the monuments and memorials. Of course we had to stop and snap a family photo in front of the Capitol on our way over!


At 6pm our tour began, and I must say that it was the BEST tour I've ever had! I've done the walk from the Washington to Lincoln Monument before, but didn't get as much out of it as I did from this tour. If you ever have the chance, you gotta go on the DC By Foot tour. It's a free tour everyday at 2 and 6pm that 2 college guys started as a little business. The guys are very entertaining, have great stories, and move you right along. I've been bored by all the tours I've ever taken and I always end up sneaking off to explore. However, this guy kept us right with him the whole time! And he's great with the kids! Have I convinced you yet?!? Big thanks to Spencer for insisting that we take it! Unfortunately, since it was an evening tour, it was already dark by 7pm and none of my pictures came out. So, again- all I can say, is take the tour yourself! We also lucked out with an incredibly gorgeous evening- well worth the late night out! We made it to the Metro around 9pm, not getting home until 9:45pm. Thanks mom, dad, and Jocelyn for another action packed day!

Family visitors!

Yesterday morning, Spencer's mom, dad, and sister flew into Reagan International airport. Even after a long red-eye flight, and only a few hours of sleep- they were excited to be here and ready for the site seeing to begin! With only 6 days to see ALL of DC and surrounding sites, we had to get going. Spencer, Madi and I met up with them at Gravelly Point and then headed off to our first stop- Arlington Cemetery! Before they flew out here, Spencer and I had typed up an itinerary for the week to make sure that we would be able to fit in everything they wanted to see. Jocelyn was the only one who had never been to DC, but even after living here for over a year, I had never done either of the things on our itinerary for Thursday!

Arlington Cemetery was nice. A very quiet and solemn place. We were able to walk along the grounds and even witness the changing of the guard at the tomb of the unknown soldier. I was fascinated by this- a routine that happens on the hour, every hour- rain or shine, heat or snow, even in the middle of the night! If you have never done this-next time you are in DC, this is a must see. You can't help but leave feeling proud to be an American!



After Arlington Cemetery we headed off to Mount Vernon. Spencer's been dying to take me here ever since his first visit last year. Sure enough, it was definitely a place I'd like to come back to. Even after almost 5 hours, there was still more that I wanted to see.


Madi did surprisingly well for only having one 18 minute nap! This is right before we went into watch a movie depicting George Washington's life- where Madi got her nap (the length of the movie) in the dark theater.


George Washington had the backyard to die for! Who wouldn't want a backyard with a view like this!

The Chair

Madi sat in her reading chair for a whole HOUR this morning! After getting her out of her crib, she went right over to the glider-begging, "Up Peez!" So I put her in the chair and watched her grab all of her favorite books. She read each book over and over. I finished my workout while she read. After about 20 minutes, I decided to wake up Spencer so that Madi wouldn't be left unsupervised while I got in the shower. He brought in a pillow and blanket and fell asleep on the floor of Madi's room. After a nice long shower I totally expected Madi to be off the chair, climbing all over Spencer. WRONG! She was totally engrossed in Clifford Runs to Story Time. Spencer was still on the floor- nobody had moved. I just wish she'd keep reading when I come in with the camera. I tried getting video 5 times, and every time she'd stop reading and start being silly! This is the best I could do. Notice how at the end she becomes interested that her daddy is sleeping on the floor!



Tonight I only let her have a half hour in the chair. She whined and wanted more, but I think a half hour of bedtime stories is totally sufficient! She can have all the time she wants in the morning!

Conference Weekend

April and October are two of Spencer and I's favorite months. Not only are they our birthday months, but we also get to watch General Conference! We had an awesome weekend being uplifted and spiritually fed by the words of our Prophet and other General Authorities. While Madi had a hard time sitting through the hours of speakers, she definitely tuned in for the singing. Her favorite was the children's choir on Saturday afternoon. While she normally likes to direct the music, during the Children's choir Madi was glued to the TV. I was glad to see her find some enjoyment out of Conference.


We also had the most gorgeous weather this weekend. So, this afternoon between Conference sessions, Spencer, Madi and I went for a walk to enjoy the warm sunshine.

Snuggles!!

Madi had her 15 month check-up today. Not much has changed from last month.
Height: 31 inches (70th %)
Weight: 21.75 pounds (34th %)
Head: 18.25 inches (65th %)

As soon as we walked into the exam room, Madi recognized that we were at the doctor's office- which of course resulted in immediate anxiety! I had to laugh as I heard a little boy crying from a neighboring room, "NO SHOTS, NO SHOTS!!!"

Yes, Madilyn cried when the doctor examined her. And yes, she BAWLED while the 3 shots were given. But the BEST part about the whole day was the snuggles that I got afterwards!! All I've gotta say, is Spencer has Madi very well trained! He's been putting her to bed a lot lately, and the one thing he does before laying her down is say "Madi, put your head on my shoulder." Then he sings her songs while she snuggles up against his shoulder. As I've mentioned before, Madi has NEVER been much of a snuggler. So of course, after the first couple of times that Madi snuggled with Spencer, he'd come in and brag about his 10 minutes of cuddle time!


After Madi's shots, I decided to try out Spencer's technique by saying, "Madi, put your head on my shoulder." And just like that- she DID!!! The best part about it, was that her snuggles continued as I gathered up my stuff, walked out of the doctor's office, into the elevator, out to the car, and for a minute or two before putting her into the car seat. Next stop was Costco, where I thought I'd try it out again for one last snuggle. Sure enough, she continued to snuggle into Costco and until my arms were exhausted! So, I guess I can now say we have a snuggly kid! YEAH!!!