I sure love all of this wonderful rain!!! It makes everything clean again and the grass green, it's beautiful. I also like seeing the lake with water in it again. Mom and dad took some vacation this week. Chris, Madi and I went out Sunday and spent the day and then Madi and I went back out on Tuesday. Dad got the boat out of storage for the first time in two years. We got it all cleaned up, it needs some work with the engine before they can put it in the water, because of being stored that long.

Madi loves being outside and she was able to play almost all day out on the deck. She also got to play in the boat. It will be interesting to see what she thinks about being on the water. Not sure how that's going to go over. We also invited Jack over to play for awhile. His parents run the Marina. He is almost 18 months and he spends most of the day in the store. So I am sure it was a treat for him also to be outside and playing. Jack and Madi are so cute together. I didn't bring my camera but Jack's mom took some pics and hopefully I can share those soon.

Not much changing with Madi lately. Still waiting on more teeth to come in and she is getting bravier all the time with walking. She takes about 3-4 steps on her own every once in awhile, especially if she has something in her hands and she isn't paying attention to what she is doing. She is now 11 months, yesterday. It has gone so fast and sure doesn't seem like it's been almost a year!

It looks like we are finally going to have a dry weekend. We are hoping to get our front steps poured this weekend and get that all done. We had Total Turfcare come up with a plan for plants in the front yard. They should be here sometime in May to get it finished. It will be so nice to get that done. Next step is to replace the roof, paint the house, finish rocking around the shed and do some work on the deck. Then the outside will be done. Wow, when you write it down like that, that's alot of work!!! Oh well, it has to be done if we want to sell this house someday. Then on to the inside!!

Need to get some work done. Have a great weekend, it's almost here!!

Love, Amy

I have been watching the coverage of the shootings that took place on Monday at VT. What a very sad time for all of those involved. Does it make anyone else nervous that someone can enter into a public place and start shooting people for no reason? Of course part of the coverage is also on gun control. A professor in Missouri said that if this had happend anywhere else in the country, not on a college campus, that this man would not have been able to kill as many people as he did. His reason, because with concealed carry laws, there would be people pulling there own guns and defending themselves. Okay, now that makes me even more nervous. I could be shopping at the local Wal-Mart, some mad man could walk in and start shooting everyone and then somebody else starts shooting (who isn't trained like a police officer in these situations) and what happens to the people standing between these two people? They also get shot. I know a lot of people are for the concealed gun carry, including my husband, but I am on the fence on this one. That's a lot of guns walking around the world.



On a lighter note, Madi has started playing pat-a-cake and blowing kisses when we say goodbye. She is so sweet. If everyone could stop a moment and see these happy things around them, the world would be a better place. I know I am a much happier person just being around Madi. You have a bad day or situation and then she looks at you and gives you that big toothy grin and the bad thoughts are gone and everything is good again. It's a great feeling!!!



I hope and pray that everyone is happy, healthy and loved. Have a wonderful weekend.



Love, Amy

We had a wonderful Easter. Service at church was nice and then we headed to Chris' parents for lunch. We then went to my mom and dad's while Jason and Tabatha were still in town. Madi looked so cute in her new dress. Not much else going on. It is cold and rainy today. I am ready to have the nice spring weather back. Enjoy the pics!!

Love, Amy

What a week!!!

I watched a 5 year old and almost 2 year old boys this past week and man they were a handful. They are brothers and they just pick at each other and feed off of each other getting into all sorts of trouble. And non stop movement. Madi liked to sit and watch them but she was awful clingy this week. She ended up getting bumped and toys taken away if she was on the floor, so she stayed in my lap or right beside me. Poor thing, she isn't used to all the commotion or movement (neither was Oliver, our dog).

Wednesday night I started a four week class at our church called Conscious Discipline. This is very interesting. It is discipline that is positive and talking to children to produce what you want and not focusing or pointing out the negatives in what children do. It really is a life-style change in the way you think and speak to your children. It is so natural, I think to most people, to automatically say don't or no to a child. But for self esteem and building a child's personality and the way they see themselves they need to be taught what to do instead of being told what they aren't supposed to do. Check out the website, they have some really good ideas on talking to children and even the use of time out. http://www.beckybailey.com/

Madi is up from her nap!! Have a great Easter.

Love, Amy