Goodbye Old Friend...

We are so sad that Madeline's first friend Lukas and his family are getting ready to move away to California. Lukas and Madeline have been friends since birth. Us mommies have been friends for many years and shared our pregnancies together with our due dates only 2 weeks apart. The photo above was from their first meeting.

We got together today for one last playdate and lunch. We thought how it was funny that they were dressed in blue and pink for their first meeting and then blue and pink today for their going away playdate. It's like we've gone full circle.

These two have gone on many outings together: trips to the arboretium, breakfasts with Santa two years, trips to Deanna Rose Farmstead, and to the pumpkin patches. We're sure going to miss going on all of our fun adventures together.

Today the kids had fun playing at Little Monkey Bizness and eating Mexican food. They both love chips and salsa.

They threw coins into the fountain and each made a wish.

Our little cuties!

Their good-bye hug. You will both be missed. I can't wait to visit you in sunny California! Until we meet again....

A Week of Birthdays!

Maddie has had quite a busy week with two friend's birthdays to help celebrate!

The first was her long-time friend Jenna. She moved a couple hours drive away from us over this past summer and we've been looking forward to visiting her. Her birthday party gave us the perfect opportunity to drive down for a visit!

She had her 4th birthday party on Saturday at an indoor inflatible play facility.

Madeline got to meet some of Jenna's new friends. Most were from her preschool. She had a couple of her cousins there as well.

Here's Maddie with a couple of the kids.

Of course opening the presents was fun!

Jenna checking out one of her presents from Madeline.

A few days later Madeline and Alyssa helped celebrate their friend Makaylee's 4th birthday. We had a fun lunch at Red Robin then went to a kids salon so they could get their nails painted.

Alyssa looking cute as always.

Maddie showing off her new "bling". A headband, wand, necklace, and bracelet.

Maddie helping Makaylee unwrap her presents.

The funniest part of the whole day was when the servers came out to sing Happy Birthday to Makaylee. They put the two balloons that were tied together under her chin. She just stood there like she couldn't move her head. She stood that way for the longest time and all we could do was sit there and laugh. Poor Makaylee. At least she got a free ice cream sundae!

Maddie feeding Makaylee her ice cream.

And Makaylee returning the favor.

The girls sharing the ice cream, so sweet!

Our little ladies.

After lunch we headed over to the spa for mani's and pedi's.

The girls each got to pick out the colors they wanted for their fingers and toes. Of course they all had to have sparkles on top!

The birthday girl sitting so nice.

What a fun day!

A very happy birthday to Jenna and Makaylee!

Halloween Witches

I thought this was so funny that I had to blog it to remember later...

On Halloween night when Madeline was getting ready for bed I noticed her pull back the shade in her bedroom a couple times to look outside. I asked her what she was looking for and she said that she was looking for witches! Too funny!

Maddie's 4th Halloween!

I can't believe that we've spent 4 Halloween's now with our precious little girl! How fun it's been! I thought I would start by posting a couple photos of years past starting with the one above when she was just 10 months old. She was at a baby Halloween party with her little buddy Lukas in 2008. We obviously didn't trick-or-treat that year.

The next year, 2009, we trick-or-treated with our neighbor kids Olivia and Robert. Robert was just a baby so he wasn't pictured with the girls. We just hit a few houses on our street.

In 2010 we headed over to our friend Lukas' house for Halloween and did our trick-or-treating in his neighborhood. They did more houses this year but after about 4 or 5 houses Madeline said that she wanted to go home.

This year was a completely different story. Madeline LOVED getting candy! We did a Halloween thing on the Saturday night before Halloween then trick-or-treated on Halloween night as well. This was the first year Madeline had a say in what her costume was going to be. Not sure where she came up with a pink poodle.

Here's Maddie getting candy from a clown.

Here are Lukas and Maddie getting ready to go out trick-or-treating. Olivia and Robert joined us this year as well. We probably went to 20 houses or so and Madeline was literally at the head of the pack running from house to house this year!

We stopped by the Graham's house first where Olivia handed candy out to us then we headed out.

Maddie with a cute pumpkin decoration.

Maddie and Robbie.

Me and my girl.

And of course the loot!

I'm really sad to think that next year Lukas, Olivia, and Robbie will have all moved away. But we will have such great memories of our friends...

Hope you had a fun & safe Halloween!