Madeline is 8 today!

Wow I can't believe that Madeline is already 8. We are going to baptise her on the 2nd of January, here in Spokane. If any one would like to come that's fine just let me know - everyone is invited. We celebrated her birthday two weeks ago with dad here. We went to the Phillipee's farm. There were pigs, goats, rabbits, horses, ducks, deer, chickens, geese, a box turtle, lama's, and maybe something I forgot. The kids got to feed, ride, and pet the animals. We finger painted on a pony and the kids had their faces painted. It was so much fun adn just what MaDELINE wanted (She wants to be a vet.) I let her invite who she wanted and I guess she made additional invitations because there were way more kids there than the amount of invitations I made. We gave cowboy hats to all of the kids. It was a wonderful time. MIke said that I went way over board - but this is only her second friend birthday party!!!!
Today we are all going to eat school lunch with Madeline and take her class a treat (dirt cups). Then she'll have her favorite poppy seed chicken for dinner. We'll have cake and open a couple of gifts.
I am so lucky to have Madeline. She is helpful, smart, active, beautiful, kind, thoughtful, strong willed, silly, nurturing, artistic, dramatic, cordinated, musical, she is wonderful in many ways. She has a hard time listening and doing anything I ask, and she is working on obeying. She is stubborn just like MIke and I and likes to do everything different - like me. SO I am understanding why I sometimes drove my mom crazy. I love her so much and want he to grow up knowing what is right, to keep being kind to everyone, to always try her hardest and keep doing really well in school and in social settings. Her dad and I are proud of who she is (usually), and want her to know that we love her so much. That we always want to be with her and so we want her to choose the right so that she can return and live with Heavenly Father, Jesus and her family.

So much to say

Well it was absolutely wonderful to have Mike home. Maybe since I miss him so much when we're together I could stop complaining - that sure would be nice. We did fun things every day but this week has been really hard to have him gone, because each time he leaves we have to go through missing him and kids acting up. On the positivie side of things Maverick is wanting to be down now. He is army crawling and has 2 teeth at 6 months!
I have been thinking about old friends and times and I was in Miss Sanpete and just got back from Europe 8 days before competing so I totally focused on my talent and changed my song an everything and no one believed that I could do it- so I had to prove them wrong. Well my talent was perfect but my on stage question - embarrasing. It was what is the power of Music? It was such a broad question that I stumbled and so to clear my head hear is my answer. The power of music is of help a grandma with altizmers (SP) remember, an autistic child move smoothly, a sad child twirl happily around the room, and an outlet for a trouble youth. Music has no bounds, color or age, and is for everyone. I know only 2 things as powerful as music; people and religion. So there it is and maybe I won't ave any more nigtmares about this...