Annie!!

Madison and I LOVE the movie Annie. I watched that movie all the time when I was little. I have almost all of it memorized actually all of the movie memorized. I found out that the musical was coming to the Hult Center. Shane likes it as well, so I called the Hult Center up to order tickets. The only tickets that they had left were in the 4th balcony. When I talked to the lady on the phone she said that from up that high it is hard to see their faces. I wasn't going to pay $50 a ticket when we weren't even going to be able to see them. I told the kids that we weren't going to be able to go since there were no good tickets left.

On the way to work on Madison's birthday I was listening to the radio. They said in the 7 o'clock hour we are going to be giving tickets away to Annie. My first thought was that if I could win those that would be the best birthday present Madison could get. The only problem was is that I was going to be at work and I am not able to listen to the radio there. So since I love e-mail I e-mailed the radio station and let them know that it was Madison's birthday and I was not going to be able to call in when they were giving out tickets due to the fact that I was at work. I told them that it was her favorite movie and I tried to buy tickets but there was only the nose bleed section left. Then I sent the e-mail......

An hour later I got an e-mail back saying that they had tickets for us at the front desk and to enjoy the show. I was so excited!!! After work I went to go get the tickets and there was only 2. I was bummed... What was I going to tell Shane? He liked the movie as well. So I told Madison at her party that night that I had gotten some tickets to Annie. Shane said I can't wait to go. I told Shane that I only got two and it was for Madison's birthday. He started to cry and got really sad. That broke my heart. I called the radio station the next morning to see if there was anyway for me to get 2 more tickets. They said that they have none now, but if I check back right at 5 on Friday they might have more. So by that time Shane was over it and was going to have a Daddy and Son night at the movies. So on Friday I still went back and they had 2 tickets so I got them, but Shane still didn't want to go so I gave them to my babysitter.

Madison was talking about it all day at daycare because we were going Friday night. The play didn't start until 8pm. That was almost Madison's bed time. This was a once in a life time event so she was able to stay up. So she was telling Lori what she was going to wear all day. So we get home and she said mom I am wearing my fancy dress. What are you wearing? I told her that I was going to wear black work pants and a shirt. She said mom, you have to wear a fancy dress with me. So I thought what fancy dress do I have. So I looked in my closet and I got the maid of honor dress that I wore in Nicole's wedding. It was FANCY!! I felt so out of place, but my daughter wanted to dress up with me so I did it. We had a great time. It was probably the best musical I have ever been to. Not to mention the first adult musical I have taken my daughter to. It was really special and she was a really good girl. I won't ever forget this night. It took everything that she had not to sing to the songs.. She is so precious..

Madison and I in our fancy dresses before we left for "Annie"

Madison wanted me to take a picture down by her.

Madison in the Hult Center. She was so excited for the show to start.

Madison and I in the Hult Center before Annie

I forgot to mention a couple of things. If you click on the pictures to make them bigger you can see our glitter. Madison loves glitter and so she made me wear it as well. :-) The other thing is that we were in the third row and there was a real orchestra playing the songs at Annie not just a recording. Madison thought that was the coolest thing.

Happy Birthday Madison!!

Our baby girl turned 4 today. She is such a big girl. I can't believe how fast she has grown up. She is our little princess and brightens our life everyday. She is such a joy to have in our family.

Enjoy some pictures of Madison as a baby. It seems like it was yesterday, but it was 4 years ago.

Pictures of Madison today on her 4th Birthday!!

Madison loved this game. it is a roller coaster simulation. She said it reminded her of Disneyland. She said can we go back there. I told her someday!

Madison eating her pizza! :-)

Madison and Mommy at Chuck E Cheese.

Happy Birthday Madison.

We love you!!!

New Years Resolution's.....

Isn't that what we dread EVERY year is coming up with a New Year's Resolution. This year I am over joyed about it. We had a goal setting class at work and it was about goal setting. We talked about starting our New Year's resolution now so that we are ahead of the game when the New Year got here (that was in the middle of October). When I heard that in October I have to say I was a little skeptical that I would participate. The way I looked at it I had 2 months to eat as much junk food as possible!! :-) Of course, that class came and went and then it was time for us to write our goal on the board if we wanted to and start it. So I wrote my goal like always...

Lose 10 pounds and exercise 3 times a week.

The same goal that I start out with every time. I was supposed to achieve this goal by January 1st. So I worked out and started my diet.
Drum roll please...... On January 1st I had lost a total of 33.5 pounds and I had worked out most weeks 3 times. I definitely over achieved my goal.

I have set my New Years Resolution now to lose 45 more pounds. I am so excited to see what this year brings.

I would love to hear what everyone's New Year's Resolutions are.
I wish you all the luck for your goals in 2009.

Happy New Year!!

Our New Year's Eve was laid back like every year. We always stay home and celebrate it with the kids. This year I had sparkling cider, plastic champagne glasses, party hates, blowers, poppers, streamers, etc. to celebrate. The kids thought it was the best party in town. Here are some of our fun times!!

Getting ready for the big party!!

Practicing for the big count down.

Making sure that his blower worked. We had one dud that night! :(

Posing for dad before the big countdown. Can you see in their faces how excited they were?

All of us toasting to the new year!!

Madison and Eric sharing a glass. They were being silly!!

Shane and Madison partying in 2009!!

I bought these poppers for the new year that were going to be awesome. They had surprises inside. Here is Shane and I pulling it apart. There was no gun powder in them they were just paper. I thought it would be better stuff inside. I guess that I should have known at 50 cents a piece. They had these really cheap party hats inside and a small toy. One had a blower and I blew and the stuff flew out of it. There was an eagle in one and a man and a parachute in the other one. Shane had a blast and wish that I would have bough more.

Here is Shane in his hat from the poppers.

Here is Madison's hat from the same poppers. She LOVES that she got her favorite color (purple). You can tell that they had a good time. If that is not a happy smile, I don't know what is. She also loved her "party necklace". That is what she called it!!!
Shane very proud to be drinking his sparkling cider out of a big boy glass.

Eric had a wild moment and let Shane do the poppers in the house. He thought that he was such a big boy. It is the ones that you pull the string and they make a pop sound and confetti comes out of them. needless to say my house was full of confetti.

New Year's Day the kids and I made gingerbread teddy bear men.
They had so much fun painting them.

We had a great night and can't wait to do it again next year!!