Decatur for the weekend

HAPPY BIRTHDAY MADISON!
Memorial Day Weekend we went to Decatur with our friends the Bosworth's for the Alabama Jubilee at Point Mallard. Pats brother, Jake, lives right by there so we got to bike from his house over to the festival. We left on Friday, Madison's birthday, and started the weekend with Zoey screaming almost the whole way up there, but then got to have some Steak-n-Shake for dinner!!! Saturday morning we got up very early to see the hot air balloons take off. We went out into the middle of the field and got a terrific perspective of all the balloons. They were literally blowing up and taking off all around us. It was incredible.

It was unreal to have such a great view of all this enormous balloons. We biked around the field for a while and then went back to Jakes' for a big breakfast buffet and some of his neighbors' house. Zoey took a nap so I hung out at the house with her. Aren't we cute Energizer Bunnies!

When Zoey woke up us girls went back to over to the festival for some lunch and to the craft show where we got some unique jewelry and things and I ran into my office manager and her husband (small world). This is the "Real" Energizer Bunny!!!!!

The boys went to the antique car show and went biking around. Later that afternoon the kids went ice skating while Zoey napped again. For dinner Jakes' neighbors had a big cookout and then we went back over to Point Mallard for the balloon glow that night which was so pretty.It was a long, but very fun day! Check out that beachball belly!

Sunday morning we got up early again to see the balloons come in. They take off from a different location and then fly in to Point Mallard. They have a contest to win a new car. Each balloon crew has a sandbag that they drop from their balloon. On the ground there is a big square with a pole in the middle. Whoever drops closest to the pole wins the car. I don't know who won, but while we were their the 'Curves' balloon got the closest I think. After that we had a big breakfast at IHOP and then went on a bike ride down by the Tennessee River, which was gorgeous. We then rode through a park, where the kids played a little, and then back to Jake's to load up and head home. It was a great, funfilled weekend.

Madison's High School Musical Birthday!

Sunday afternoon, May 18th, we celebrated Madison's 8th birthday (which was actually the 23rd). I can't believe that my baby is 8 years old! She had decide that she wanted to have a High School Musical party and have several friends come over to watch the movies and sing/dance along. Vince realized several months ago that High School Musical The Ice Tour was coming and bought several tickets. So we decided to have her friends come over and then surprise them all by taking them to HSM The Ice Tour. I called the parents before hand and let them know what our plan was and to get their OK. Madison's friends and cousins came over around noon and danced a little as you can see from this precious video!

We then told her we were going to go ahead and have cake first.

Once they had pretty much finished with cake we gave Madison an envelope to open and the tickets were inside. At first she was like, "HSM on ice, oh good, when are we going?" And then we said "Now this is your party lets ALL get in the car".

You could've heard the screams from Trussville.

They were all so excited.

We had gone to see it last year in Nashville and we all loved it so much that we wanted to go again. The girls had a great time and Madison's face was priceless!
Two of Madison's cousins, her 4 closest friends, Vince and me, Aunt Lee, and Miss Hope all got to share in this wonderful birthday celebration that hopefully she'll always remember!

Zoey Walking

As sad as it is, it has taken me this long to figure out how to load video onto my blog. And what's really sad is that it is not that hard! Zoey gets a little interested in Elmo during this fabulous example of videographer experience (haha). Hope you all enjoy this and I'll work on posting some other videos!

Happy Mother's Day to Me!

I'll have to post some pictures later but for Mother's Day this year I got a little one walking, yes I said WALKING (I also got two new set of sheets, yipee, I love new sheets). Watch out everyone because here comes trouble! Zoey is just so amazing to watch, she is so funny. We just laugh at her. She's like the Energizer Bunny, she is nonstop. Last night Madison was running around and Zoey was chasing her, you've never heard a more precious sound than that little laugh. She was hysterically laughing about chasing her sister. She also has started eating solid food and we haven't found anything yet she wouldn't eat. Definitley was meant for this family! I hope all you mommies out there had a wonderful mother's day! Please keep the people of China in your prayers. So many lives were lost in the earthquake and the numbers are still rising. It too tragic to comprehend. May God lay His loving hand on the people of China!

Madison's First Holy Communion

Sunday April 27, 2008 was Madison's First Holy Communion. Her beautiful smocked dress was worn by her two older cousins for their First Holy Communion as well, which makes it really special. In the catholic church when the children who are enrolled in the parish school of religion (Sunday School) are in second grade they are able to complete the sacrament of First Holy Communion. This is the first time that they can participate in communion during Mass. We didn't take any pictures of her during her first communion in Mass because we didn't feel it was appropriate during such a reverent time.Again I have taken some wording from a catholic handbook I have to try and explain this sacrament. "At the Last Supper, on the night when He was betrayed, our Savior instituted the Eucharistic sacrifice of his Body and Blood. This he did in order to perpetuate the sacrifice of the Cross throughout the ages until he should come again, and so to entrust to his beloved Spouse, the Church, a memorial of his death and resurrection; a sacrament of love, a sign of unity, a bond of charity, a paschal banquet in which Christ is consumed, the mind is filled with grace, and a pledge of future glory is given to us." This mystery is the very center and culmination of Christian life. It is the "source and the summit of all preaching of the Gospel...the center of the assembly of the faithful". In every Mass Christ is present, both in the person of his priest and especially under the form of bread and wine. In every mass, his death becomes a present reality, offered as a our sacrifice to God in an unbloody and sacramental manner. As often as the sacrifice of the cross is a celebrated on an altar, the work of our redemption is carried on. (By the way, Vince has shaved his goatee)

At Mass we offer Christ, our passover sacrifice, to God, and we offer ourselves along with him. We then receive the risen Lord, our bread of life, in holy Communion. In so doing, we enter into the very core of the paschal mystery of our salvation-the death and resurrection of Christ.

Eating the supper of the Lord, we span all time and "proclaim the death of the Lord until he comes" (1 Corinthians 11:26). If you prepare for it with care and enter into it with living faith, the Eucharist can draw you into the compelling love of Christ and set you afire.

*****Passages taken from HANDBOOK FOR TODAY'S CATHOLIC******

After Mass we had family over for lunch to celebrate. If you ever need a cake for a baptism or other church function-Publix did a great job!

Madison obviously enjoyed it!

It was a wonderful day that I am thrilled we were able to share with our whole family.