The Haggard Herald

I started writing about Lucy a couple of times but never finished/published it.  My reason is that I couldn't find the right words to describe this child and what she means to us.  She is happy, alert, quick to smile, easy-going, pleasant, and strong.  Very strong.  I could tell that she was full of strength as soon as she was born and I don't really know exactly what how to describe it because its something more that I sense than I can actually see.  She's physically strong but it's more than that too.  Anyways, she is our child of light and happiness.  I love you, Lucy B.  Love, Mom. And for the rest of  you enjoy some pictures I took of her today.  She is wearing her blessing dress in these first pictures, since I didn't take any last week on her blessing day.   A note about her dress: I wanted to make her a blessing dress that would be her own.  Madeleine had a beautiful dress Melory made (and Matt's Aunt Kel...

Here is a recap of the past month or so in phone pictures.  It's in reverse order, starting with last night.  A couple of my old roommates and families came over along with a couple families in our ward for an informal autumn-time kid party.  Everyone had a good time.  We got our corn hole game out of the garage and let the kids climb on it and throw the bean bags in the hole.  We also painted mini pumpkins and let the kids try eating doughnuts on a string. For Halloween pictures, take a look at Matt's blog, here . Maddie found this stick several weeks ago and loves playing with it still.  She calls it her T stick because, well, it looks like a T.  I was actually trying to take pictures of her hair this day because I was so happy with how good I did braiding it.  :)  It's gotten long enough that I can braid it pretty easily. Me and my sweet Lucy B, hanging out with Madeleine outside.  I love those chubby cheeks...

This short video was on the church's homepage this morning.  It's over a year old and I've seen this video before but it was especially meaningful to me this morning.  Take a look...

Today Madeleine and I went to the pool.  We had a great time together playing ring-around-the-rosie, playing on the steps, me catching her as she jumped in the water next to the steps, and also catching her as she came down the slide.  We did the same things over and over and she never got bored of it.  Surprisingly, I didn't either.  I mean we didn't just do something five or six times.  We played ring-around-the-rosie several dozen times.  It was fun because she was having so much fun.   She's getting really good at jumping (lots of practice) and also pretty good at putting her face in the water to blow bubbles.  She loves bobbing in the water although she still doesn't usually go underneath to do it; she just jumps up and down and likes the feeling of the water catching her as she comes down. *************************** Yesterday was Pioneer Day.  It's a state holiday in Utah.  Although Matt didn't get the day off of work...

It's been a few weeks but I haven't forgotten to finish writing about the heavenly trip home to Florida. Saturday, April 19th We met up with Michael, Sarah, Ethan, and Charlie at a children's museum in downtown Tampa for the morning.  My dad called Joe and asked if he could bring Joseph and James along with us and so we picked up cousins on our way over.  The museum was pretty impressive and reminds me a lot of the new museum of natural curiosity at Thanksgiving Point.  The kids had a great time.  There is a computer-game-like airplane on the second floor with a screen and controllers to simulate flying around Tampa Bay.  Besides that the kids kind of went in their own directions.  Jamesie found Madeleine after a while and really wanted to show her the ball pit.  Turns out that was one of her favorite stops and she cried when it was time to leave.  I love how Jamesie, in particular, wants to be with Madeleine and show her fun things and play t...

One day a week or two ago Madeleine helped Matt get ready to take a nap while he was home for lunch time.  He laid down on the pillows and she gave him her blanky.  He also got a blanky for his feet, so he wouldn't be cold. And then she tried to read him a book.  He may or may not have been given milk.  I can't remember now. *********************** We also went to the tulip festival on the second to last day.  It was packed but it was beautiful and we had a good time.  Madeleine was trying to roll down this hill like some other kids were doing.  She didn't quite get the down concept in the this instance and kept rolling sideways around the hill instead. Here's one of Matt's artistic photos of the beautiful flowers: The real interest for her were the gravel walkways.  This baby loves rocks.  I think we should give her a bag full of gravel to play with outside for her birthday.  She could spend hours playing with...

Matt and Madeleine and I enjoyed another trip home to my parents in Florida recently.  It was probably the funnest family vacation we have had so far.  Fortunately Matt took lots of pictures and videos on my phone.  I intended to practice my own photography skills with the SLR but didn't really do much at all. This was taken one afternoon when we were all together.  The kids loved the trampoline.  The adults were the weights on so that no body bounced too high. Flying Each time we fly Matt and I both worry about how Madeleine will do (and Matt but that's a different story).  And pretty much every time she flies she surprises us and is an angel to travel with.  This time was no exception.  We went to the store together the day before and she got to pick out a little kid roller bag (she was running up and down the aisles of Target with her chosen one) and we got a couple new books, a new toy of her choice--$3 doll, a new puzzle, and a Doc M...

Last week Maddie and I hung out around the house a lot but that's actually been pretty unusual for us on the overall these days.  I thought I would do a random picture post and share a few of the things we've been up to. 1.  Stealing others' shoes.  Madeleine wears Kimmy's shoes.  Madeleine wears any shoes she finds lying around the house actually.  Sometimes I go to the door (where I usually take my shoes off) and I only find one of the shoes in the pair due to Maddie carrying off the other one to some remote corner.  I don't mind though.  She loves shoes and I don't blame her. 2.  The Kimmo.  When Kimmy isn't at school, the testing center, or at one of her three jobs we love to invite her over to hang out with us.  This is the face Maddie made when I asked her to smile.  The goose.  Speaking of geese: Matt tagged me yesterday to finish up Madeleine's bath time.  My back was starting to hurt from sit...