I love my little family!

I just want to say how much I love my own little family! Tonight we took a walk to the park and Steve and Sarah took a detour into a neighbor's lawn to catch a butterfly...they actually caught it and Sarah held it between her little fingers for a few seconds! I just stood on the side of the road watching and was overcome with a feelings of happiness and gratitude for my own family. I love being a wife and a mother and although both jobs are quite difficult at times, I can't think of anything that I would rather be doing. I feel so blessed to have a wonderful husband who puts up with all my craziness and puts a lot of spice in my life. He is such a great example to me in so many areas and I'm so glad to have a partner who challenges me to be better, even without saying a word. I also feel so blessed to be a mother to Sarah...I never knew motherhood could be so fun. Every day Sarah amazes me with how smart she is becoming, her cute sense of humor, and her sense of knowing how to give and receive love. I am very excited to be welcoming another little one into the family in just 10 days. I know this addition will change things, but I'm hoping (and banking on what others have told me) that it will be changes for the better. I just love my family and I'm so grateful I get to be surrounded by these good people!

Happy Birthday Steve!

Happy 28th! Today is the one day of the year that we all get to celebrate Steve! We love Steve for so many reasons and we're so happy we get to celebrate with him today. Here's a little clip of Sarah wishing her Daddy a happy day.

About a week and a half ago the three of us took a little mini-vacation to St. Louis. We've lived in Missouri for over a year and haven't been there to visit yet. One of our main purposes was to go to a Cardinals game for Steve's birthday (yah right, you don't like your birthday, Steve!).We had a great time seeing the sights and just being in civilization. I didn't even mind being stuck in traffic! We did lots of eating at great places, a little shopping (a couple Cardinals onsies for the new baby), visited the temple, visited the famous St. Louis Zoo, and Steve's all time favorite was the Cardinals game on Friday night(it was his big birthday present). We took the metro from our hotel to the game and Sarah loved riding on the train...she kept saying "choo choo" the whole time. The Cardinals played the Cincinati Reds and we even saw Ken Griffey, Jr. strike out. The Cards won 8 to 4 with a Rick Ankiel's grand slam in the 6th inning. One of Steve's favorite stories of the game was when I was screaming my little heart out for the Reds as they scored an in the park home run. I couldn't tell who was on what team--they both wear red. What can I say?....I never was the most sport savvy! Sarah loved the game as long as she had a different treat every inning...popcorn, hot dogs, root beer, fruit snacks, etc. We had a great time and can't wait to go to more games. St. Louis is a great city and we had a wonderful time having a break there.

Steve and Sarah on the carousel at the St. Louis Zoo. We were there just after the zoo opened, so we got to go on the carousel for free for the first hour! Sarah was in heaven...she thought we were at Disneyland and kept asking to go on Small World. She was a little hurt when she finally understood that we couldn't go on Small World, but all the cool animals made up for it.More pictures of Steve and Sarah at the zoo.

The Saint Louis Temple. It's just off a major freeway and it's gorgeous. Steve and Sarah outside the brand new Busch Stadium....also, the arch in the background. The Cardinals fans are crazy and very devoted. None of us had on red and we felt very out of place....at least we know for next time!

This is Ankiel's grand slam...it was AWESOME!!

Steve is so happy! Hope you have the best birthday ever!

Isn't Sarah the cutest!?!

We had these pictures taken while we were in Utah. Sarah was 19 months then....and now she 21 months! Time is going so quickly. I love this close up of Sarah because it shows her cute smile. I love this little girl so much. I love that I get to hang out with her all day long. She always has been such a sweet person and I feel so blessed to be Sarah's mother. She is learning to talk and it's so fun....one of my favorite things she says is, "Mama. Mama.........I yuv you!" I melt every time!

This chair was my great grandmother's, then my grandmother's, and now my mother's. As a little girl, I always had my picture taken in it and now it's Sarah's turn. She loved sitting in the soft blue velvet. In fact, when we were staying at my parents' last summer and we couldn't find Sarah, she was most likely sitting in this chair all by herself just feeling the fabric. Gotta love that girl!

KCOM Lawnmower Man

Steve and a few of his friends created this short clip for the incoming student orentation. You may think riding to school on a lawnmower is a bit ridiculous, but I've actually seen (on more than one occasion, mind you) two grown men driving on a lawnmower around town. I guess it's a cultural experience around here!

Also, you may notice that these guys all have terrible facial hair...it's what is known as the "osteostache." Steve had this brilliant idea that all the second year students should grow a mustache as a way to bond and welcome the new students. I don't really understand how growing facial hair accomplishes these objectives, but the idea caught on like wildfire. Within a few days all my friends were quite angry with me for Steve's awesome idea of the "osteostache." Perhaps it would be better if they could actually grow facial hair, or if Magnum P.I. were still on TV, or if there would have been a prize for the best 'stache....but apparently, the reward of male bonding trumps all these!

Rumor has it that this is the first video of many more...I'll keep you in the loop as they come. It's been a huge hit at school and Steve is revelling in its success. Hope you enjoy!

More from Maine

My dad (Gus, as the girls call him) bought fairy wings and wands for Sarah and Beth and they had the best time prancing around in them. A cute side note: Gus went up to Amy and with the wings in hand and asked, "The girls need these, don't they?" And he went straight to the sales clerk. What a softie!
Somehow I was able to get all this stuff into our suitcases and all the way home to MO. Thank goodness the worker at the airport didn't check them for being overweight.

Beautiful shots of Maine...you can't tell, but the ocean is just beyond the houses. It is absolutely gorgeous!
Beth and Nate in Ogunquit while we were waiting for a table.
Amy and Beth on the rocks...that's the Atlantic behind them!
Kasey and Sarah...
Jane with Beth and Sarah on her lap.
Ryan was super excited about his lobster.
I brought this microderm-abrasion kit from this fancy spa (thank you XanGo!) and everyone, including all the boys, did the treatment to themselves. Everybody was so amazed at how fresh and smooth their skin felt. It was great to all be so in touch with our feminine sides. Enjoy the pics!

Maine with the Madsens

It was kind of an impromptu trip for everyone, but somehow we were able to all be together (except Steve who was in St. Louis) for just one day in Freeport, Maine. For my family these days don't come around too often and we had the best time just being together.

Sarah and Beth posing in front of a giant LL Bean boot made completely out of sand.

My mom and I both were able to get these toys working...all you have to do is turn the front wheels from side to side and you move forward. Way fun!
The whole Madsen fam after Ben & Jerry's ice cream in Freeport, Maine. (Kasey, Sarah, Jane, Jessy, Josh, Beth, Nate, Amy, Annie, Ryan, Mom, & Dad) The plan is to photoshop Steve in on the far left...we sure missed him a lot!

Sarah & Beth

After Steve left for St. Louis for his two week preceptorship I was able to meet up with my family in Maine. It was just Mom, Amy, Beth, Sarah and me for the first few days, which was nice to let the girls play and be with each other. Sarah loves Beth (Beffy, as she says) so much and had the best time copying her every move. The first few slides are of Sarah and Beth dancing on the bed with their new 99 cent purses...you would have though they won the lottery! The rest of the pictures are of the two girls hanging out in Freeport, Maine. We had a wonderful time!

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Canada Day

We went to Alberta, Canada to celebrate Canada Day with Steve's family. It was great to see family and attend all the Canadian festivities. Here's a quick slideshow of our trip. Thanks, Grandpa Regehr for being an incredible host. We love you!

Chuckwagon Race at the Raymond Stampede

These miniature wagons are pulled by miniature horses, which are no taller than 36 inches. These races were Sarah's favorite part of the entire stampede. This clip doesn't even do it justice, but it really was hilarious to see these tiny horses race around the arena.

Take Me Out to the Ball Game

My dad shares season tickets with a few friends to the Bees games, Salt Lake's AAA baseball team, and we have a great time going to the games. Steve already left for his ER preceptorship in St. Louis, so I went to a game with my parents and Sarah. I tried to explain the game to Sarah, but she could care less. I really thought she'd like the idea of the swinging bat and the flying ball, but she was mostly enthralled with the mascot, the Bee. If she wasn't eating her foot long hot dog or sipping on her 48 oz. root beer she was watching and screaming for the Bee.

I love going to baseball games...I practically grew up at the baseball park. With two brothers and a dad who all played on teams for as long as I can remember and ate, slept, and dreamt baseball from March to October, I could either curse the sport or embrace it. (But I really didn't have a choice....I was to embrace it.) I remember learning all the names and nicknames of my brothers' teammates and nagging at their apponents. I remember playing in the sand by the dugout. I remember sneaking off to by tiny boxes of Nerds for 10 cents, and my mom always finding out about it. I remember long, hot days at Bywater Park, then on to night games at Ken Price Field as my brothers got older and always having so much fun. It was about the time my oldest brother Nate graduated from High School that the Bees (then they were called the Buzz) came to SLC. It was just natural to keep going to baseball games. I love the atmosphere of baseball...the smells, the lingo, the hot dogs, the waiting for the incredible double play or the occasional home run. It's just the best and I'm so glad that my family continues to carry on the tradition of baseball. Whenever we get together as a family we still play woofle ball and we have a great time!







Sarah and my parents (Adele & Bard) eating hot dogs and hanging out at the game.

Disneyland

They say that Disneyland is the "happiest place on earth" and for our little family of three, this was absolutely true on June 19th. It was as if the entire theme park had been reborn to us now that Sarah was interested in rides, characters, and all the nostalgia. Because I am pregnant I wasn't able to go on any of the fast rides, so I wasn't even the least bit stressed out by the 2 hour lines for Space Mountain, the Matterhorn, etc., which I usually am dying to go on. And because we had Sarah in a stroller, Steve was able to get stroller passes to all his favorite rides without waiting in the long lines. Everyone was happy!

Sarah most loved the Small World ride and the carousel. So we went on Small World, then on the carousel, then back to Small World, and back for more carousel....and on and on. We souldn't believe how happy and excited she was. Another dream came true for Steve, too. Since going to Disney World for our honeymoon about 3 1/2 years ago he has dreamt of getting one of those huge turkey legs. So this time he took the plunge. It actually was very good and it's probably the best deal in Disneyland...it fed all three of us for only $6!

Sarah Dancing at Mickey's House

Sarah couldn't keep from dancing when she heard the music at Mickey's house in Toon Town. Wouldn't it be nice to be so uninhibited that you'd dance when and wherever you felt like it? I love that about little kids...

Newport Beach with the Laters

Here's a quick slide show of our trip. We roadtripped from SLC to Newport Beach, with an overnight stop in Las Vegas. Sarah actually did really great the whole ride, which I was kind of worried about....but she's a trooper. In SoCal the weather was perfect, the beach was tons of fun, and we had a great time. Hope you enjoy the slide show. Thanks Laters for a fabulous trip!

BHS 10 Year Reunion

TEN years since high school graduation! I don't feel old enough to have gone to my ten year reunion...but then I take a look back and realize that I've been busy these ten years. And I'm pretty glad to say that I am where I am. I'm very glad that I lived and saw and experienced a lot in the past ten years. How about a quick walk down memory lane?

Year 1: Freshman year at BYU...lots of late nights at Hinckley Hall and not much studying, but made lifelong friends and had a blast. I went to Vienna, Austria for a study abroad in the spring and although I didn't learn much German, I had an unforgettable time and decided to go on a mission while there.

Year 2: Sophomore year at BYU...moved into Liberty Square with three of my best friends and still didn't do a ton of studying, but had a great time. I did the Jerusalem study abroad that spring with my brother Josh, where he met his wife Jessy.

Year 3: Ran the St. George marathon for the first time, went into the MTC 3 days later. Began my mission in the Washington, D.C. South mission.

Year 4: Still on my mission....gotta love D.C.!

Year 5: Back at BYU living with great roommates. Ran the St. George marathon the second time, worked at the MTC, tried out nursing as a possible major, but changed my mind after a year.

Year 6: Still at BYU, now studying community health education, got involved in BYUSA (sort of like BYU's student gov't.) as an officer in campus activities, did the St. George marathon a third and final time. Went to Senegal, Africa as part of a humanitarian aid effort.

Year 7: STILL at BYU...but definitely graduating this year. Still involved in BYUSA as VP of campus activities. Married Steve on December 30, 2003--one of the greatest days of my life.

Year 8: Done with school, but worked a series of dead-end jobs until I was hired for my dream career as an event planner at XanGo, an international health company.

Year 9: Worked at XanGo, traveled the world, met many interesting people and saw many fascinating things. Sarah was born Nov. 20, 2005--another incredible day.

Year 10: Steve and I moved to MO where he is currently attending medical school. We love it here! Sarah is now 21 months and we're expecting baby #2 in October. Should be another great day! It's been a great ten years and I hope the next ten will be just as fun and exciting.



So, about the reunion...it was a lot more fun than I thought it would be. I honestly thought I would stay for dinner and a few minutes later, but I was one of the last to leave! For some groups it seemed the walls were still up and impenetrable, but for the most part my former classmates had all grown up nicely and turned into very civilized, interesting people. Unfortunately, Steve wasn't able to go because he was backpacking with my dad somewhere in the wilderness. He would have had a great time bumping into all his old flames and football buddies...they'll have to catch him in another ten. Liesel Enke, Chelsea Smith, Jodi Ide, me, Rebekah Ballstaedt, and Melissa Rappleye. It was great to have the girls all together again.

Back In The Saddle

Well, I've taken a couple months off from blogging, but I think I'm ready to get back in the saddle. Steve and I were visiting family since the end of May and we had an incredible time. Because we were with family every day, I didn't really feel the need to post all the news because they were right there! I'm in the process of downloading all my pictures and videos of May, June, and July and hopefully within a few days I'll be all caught up! It's good to be back!

It's a Small World After All

We went to Disneyland this past summer and Sarah fell in love again with the Small World ride. We went on it at least six times!(Note: don't watch this video unless you LOVE the ride, too. I am just posting it here for easy access so Sarah can watch it.) Steve said that he's never liked the ride before, but now he totally looks forward to it because Sarah loves it so much. Funny what becoming a parent does to your entertainment preferences!

I know it's kind of cheesy, but I actually really like the message of the ride....the music leaves something to be desired, but the message is great. I think in the world we focus too much on our differences, when we're really much more similar than different. Here are the lyrics just in case you forgot:

It's a world of laughter, A world of tears.

It's a world of hopes and a world of fears.

There's so much that we share that it's time we're aware

It's a small world after all.

There is just one moon and one golden sun,

And a smile means friendship to ev'ryone.

Though the mountains divide and the oceans are wide,

It's a small world after all.

18 Months Today!

Sarah is 18 months today. The time is FLYING by. It seems like just yesterday we were bringing her home from the hospital. I remember being so impressed when she'd lift her head or give a tiny smile, and now she's mimicking everything we do from speaking to cooking and even dancing! I love watching Sarah grow and learn about the world around her. She is the joy of our lives and we're so excited to be having another in just a few months.
Here is Sarah after church in her Easter dress. She loves sitting and reading in this chair. She'll just rock and talk for 20 minutes sometimes. It's adorable!


Here is Sarah checking herself out on her trycicle. She loves looking at herself in the mirror ("...you're so vain; you probably think this song is about you...you're so-o vain!"). Sometimes she'll wrap a necklace or ribbon around her neck and then she'll pose in front of the mirror--it cracks me up every time!
All bundled up with her favorite blanket....what would we do without the blanket and the thumb?

Sarah Reading

This is a cute clip of Sarah reading her Beatrix Potter book. She babbles like this all day long and it cracks me up. Hope you enjoy!