To Madelyn

Happy, Happy Birthday Madelyn Dear.......

Can you believe she is four already? So to all those that love her this is a little glimpe of the past and some of my favorite moments with my favorite girl.....

Here she is on the very first day we meet. Dallan spent days and days making sure he picked out the very best car seat for her. It amazed me the amount of love he had for her from the very moment he held her.

Madelyn was definately a colicky baby. We tried everything and then by accident we discovered that the warm vibrating dryer calmed her down and put her to sleep. Adorable!

Her first Halloween. Have you ever come across a cuter pumpkin?

This was the day we had Madelyn sealed to us. She was so exceptionally good natured that day. It was almost as if she knew what an important day it was. This is one of my favorite pictures of that day. The dress and blanket were made by her great grandmother, Nana, or Hannah which is what Madelyn calls her.

Watching the Jungle Book with "Beba", her great grandfather. I am not sure how many times he was forced to watch that and Barney. I am sure the nightmares were abundant.

Madelyn and grandma. They have always shared a special bond. My mom was diagnosed with breast cancer just weeks before we got the news about Madelyn. So for my mom Madelyn was a sign of hope during a very difficult time. Every time we visit they both cry when it is time to leave.

Her first experience with snow.

Her first trip to Disneyland. We had so much fun with the Tenney's we went again the following year.

Madelyn loves horses! And so for her birthday last year we bought her a red rider horse, which she promptly names "Buddy".

Meeting her brother for the first time. She has many names for him..Jaskin, buddy, little buddy, brother boy and finally big boy. When you call him Jackson it doesn't even register.

This was taken on the day we took Jackson to the temple to have him sealed to our family.

She loves music and loves to dance. Her favorite lunch consists of a sandwich with peanut butter and grape jelly, and she could probably eat pizza every day if you let her. The girl can put down milk like you wouldn't believe! She loves chocolate and blue juice. Her favorite people (besides her dad, me and brother) are grandma, hannah and Uncle "D". She loves both pretend and real horses, especially if they are white. She loves to act silly and can easily make me laugh. She is bossy and quite sassy. I love that she loves doing "girly" things, but also loves to go out and play in the mud. She hates getting her hands dirty and hates washing her hair. If you ask her what color her hair is she will tell you brown. If you insist it is red she will argue with you until you give up. She is stubborn and sweet all at the same time. When I asked her what her favorite food is she told me chicken but not zebras. Her favorite song is Jesus wants me for a sunbeam. She loves to tease Dallan and in fact told him the other day when it was time to say family prayer that she no longer likes Jesus. You could see Dallan trying to restrain himself all the while telling her how much he loved Jesus. When his "talk" was over she looked at him and said well I don't. After he went to bed and I was reading her a book she looked at me and said mom, I love Jesus. That is when I knew she only said it to him to get under his skin. He has taught her well and now it is coming back to bite him in the well you get the picture. She is my best girl and I am so thankful every day that I was chosen to be her mother. She has changed me in so many wonderful ways. I look forward to many more birthdays and years of watching her grow into someone and something more lovely than I ever could have imagined. I love you little one.

It's the little things that count.....

"Happiness is the object and design of our existence; and will be the end thereof, if we pursue the path that leads to it;"

This was the quote that was used in a talk given at our youth conference. As I sat and pondered those words I started to feel somewhat guilty about my present state of being.....depressed. I have had the worst attitude about our current state of residence. Suddenly Dallan has been thrown in a house with unruly children and a depressed wife (I think the unruly children are a result of their mother's state of mind). So if happiness is the object and design of my existence why am I so unhappy here? The answer was all too obvious and made me feel even more guilty when the realization hit me that I was selfish. From the moment we moved here everything has been about me. How this has effected me. So today is a new day and with that comes the decision to "count my many blessings"......


The first is my husband. Last week a man from our ward was arrested on 9 counts of child pornography. He is 26 years old, has a wife and two small children. What a devastating situation for all involved. I think of that poor, poor woman and what she must be going through. What do I have to complain about? Dallan is a great father, he loves our Father in Heaven and all his decisions are based on that singular relationship, he is not only a good provider but as soon as he comes home he is non-stop help until it is time for bed. The best thing about him though is how much he loves me. How many women can honestly say if my husband could choose anyone in the world to be with I know he would still choose me. I know Dallan would choose me again even now that he sees all my many flaws.

Then there is Madelyn. Today she had to read the scripture in primary and so I went in to help her. As soon as she saw me she ran over hugged me and introduced me as her "most special mom" to anyone who would listen. She tells me almost everyday that I am the best mom, even after I have lost my patience with her. I am so thankful to be her mother and thankful she is so willing to love me so unconditionally.



Jackson! My sweet, sweet boy. I always wanted a baby boy and thought I would never see that happen. We call him the gentle giant. He is so masculine and big for his age but has the most tender of hearts. I love that every time I hold and cuddle him he pats my back with his chubby little hand. I love his sloppy kisses and toothy grin. I love when you say his name in a certain tone his response is "no, no"(I guess I say that too much!). And like Madelyn, I am so thankful he loves me enough to smile every time I walk into the room.

My family. I have such a good family on both sides. I am so thankful Madelyn and Jackson have people who love them so much. I love that my mom cries whenever she talks to Madelyn. I love that Madelyn calls my Nana, Hannah and asks to go to her house all the time. I love that my brother thinks my children are the greatest thing next to his children. I love that my grandparents want so much to hold Jackson each time we go home but can't because he is such a good boy (only if they are sitting down!). This time when we were home Jackson followed my grandpa everywhere wanting so much to be held by him. Every once in a while my ninety something grandpa would give in much to Jackson's delight. I just knew he was going to through his back out. I love Dallan's family and the fun times we have every time we get to see them. Madelyn still talks about the trips to Disneyland with Aunt Susan and Uncle Jeff.

Good friends. I can't say enough about the good friends I have made along the way. There are too many to name but each one I am so thankful for. Over the years they have changed my life, have made me a better person. They have laughed with me (and at me) and cried with me. I think back to each special memory and know there were many times I would have never made it through without their love and support. How lucky am I?



Indeed there are too many good things to list but I will just end with one more and that is life's miracles. They are certainly all around us and appear in both the biggest and smallest of ways. I have seen them in my own life and I have definitely seen them occur in the lives of those I love. Take the Carter Family. After years of trying and much heartbreak they were told they would not have any more babies. it was devastating news and both Dallan and I knew exactly what they were feeling. Soon after they started working on getting ready to adopt a baby and they were excited about it and we were excited for them. And wouldn't you know it Jen became pregnant. Truly a miracle. Yesterday the newest Carter (no name as of yet) was welcomed into this world by his mom, dad and big brother. Welcome Baby Carter!! We are so glad you made it safely here and we can't wait to meet you.
The more I ponder it the more certain I am that happiness is indeed the object and design of our existence and it is up to us to find the path that leads us in that direction. I am so thankful for the blessings in my life and for all the many, many things that make me so incredibly happy. I know all of them come from a source of immeasurable love and concern for my well-being and ultimate happiness. Thank goodness our Heavenly Father is able to look past our shortcomings and see the potential in all of us.

PS - For all those that occasionally peak, FYI you don't need have an account to post a comment (I think). I tried to set it up that way because I knew many of you would never get your own account. So Please feel free to comment away! It is fun for me to hear from you.

A name is just a name or is it?

" It's simple. Some parents are just plain crazy. But few are as crazy as many soon-to- be parents, who, wrapped up in the fear and anticipation, the social status and expectations, go just plain mad."
As I logged on to the internet a headline caught my eye, it read something like this "Parents denied a bid to name their newborn son 4real". I just had to point and click. I thought to myself are they serious? What kind of parents would do that to their child? The name came about during their first ultrasound when they realized the baby was "4real". When they went to register the baby's name the New Zealand government rejected it because the name had to be a series of characters. I just think they were hoping to give this kid a chance at a normal life but the parents would have none of it. With the news came their decision to go ahead and use Superman as the boys legal name and 4 real as his nickname. I am not kidding here! Poor, poor boy, he is in for a rough life! In the spirit of this post I decided to do some research and find some of the most despicable names that have been given to people over the years here are just a few......(sorry if I offend anyone)
1. Pilot Inspektor Riesgraf Lee
2. Harold Bahls
3. Luke Skye Warner
4. Mercedes Binns
5. Vashara Rashea
6. Sharmonica
7. Nancy Ann Seancey
8. Twins Daryl and LaDaryl
9. Captain Bonar
10. Sloe Harlotte
Just a sidenote.....All the above mentioned names have been confirmed! Yes, there are really parents who are this crazy!

Things I hate about moving....

Up until this last move I have always loved the adventure of moving someplace new. It is great because you can always reinvent yourself when you go someplace new. But there are things I HATE, HATE, HATE about moving to a new place. Here are just a few (feel free to add to the list).

1. Finding someone GOOD to cut and color your hair. I do believe this is the absolute worst. Think about the trust you place in the person cutting your hair. Oh, I think back to the time when I would walk in, sit down and she would say what do you want and I would reply whatever you think is cute. You see I could say this because I TRUSTED her and she never let me down. Now I have to find someone new and from recent experience it isn't a girl names Natalie! As I was leaving she was explaining how she would take $5 off for every referal I gave to her and I was thinking to myself....DOES SHE SEE MY HAIR, DOES SHE REALLY BELIEVE I AM GOING TO BE SENDING PEOPLE HER WAY??? So the hunt continues.
2. Finding new places to eat. I love going out to dinner. In fact it is one of my favorite things to do. When you have been somewhere for a long time you learn the lay of the land. You learn where to eat and where you should stay far away from. Finding new restaurants is hard on the wallet and sometimes the stomach.
3. Finding new friends for your children to play with. There we were, just me and Madelyn in the living room playing "match" when through the window she noticed a group of kids playing outside. She said mom where are my friends mom? And if that wasn't bad enough she went on to add "I miss my friends so much mom". Talk about guilt!
4. Finding new friends for myself. I love having friends and in fact in each place we have ever lived my girlfriends have been my life line but I sure don't like having to find new ones. I really feel like the new kid in school.
5. Finding new doctors and dentists. Enough said.

This is making me depressed so I better stop, but feel free to add to it!

What do you do when......

So there we were, just me, my mom and the two children in the airport waiting to board the plane. Madelyn was sitting with my mom in the pre-boarding section when this severely obese man walked up behind her. In an instant Madelyn stopped wriggling long enough to notice that this man looked quite different from other people she has had contact with. So she looks at him and then she looks at Jackson and then back at the man. She becomes quite for a moment, this should have been a red flag! Before I knew it she had turned to this man and said "You a biiiiig boy" (notice she really exaggerated the word big). She then went on to tell him that "buddy", which is what she calls her brother is a big boy too. And then again said yeah buddy is a big boy and you a big boy too, you are like buddy. I thought she would never let it go. This poor man was so nice. He just laughed at her and explained that people come in all shapes and sizes, unfortunately by this time she had lost interest and the advice fell on deaf ears.

The house now.....

Some of you asked for pictures of the house now that we are moved in or at least close to being all moved in. So here they are. They were taken after Emily came to visit. I told Dallan that I had better take them now since everything was so clean. There is still so much more I want to do but I guess I will just have to be patient. The landscaping should be done within the next week and I promise to post pictures of that when it is all done. For those that know us understand just what a huge deal that is for us. I mean a landscaped front and backyard now that is a huge accomplishment! Anyway on to the pictures....

Day of miracles.....

It has been a long time since I last posted but that isn't the reason for this particular title although it would be appropriate! But I do promise that from now on I am going to be better at posting new entries regardless if anyone reads them or takes time to respond!

Here are some pictures of Mother's Day weekend. Jackson's adoption was finally official which meant we could take him to the temple and have him sealed to us. As a mother who has not had the priviledge of giving birth I am so thankful I get to experience taking each one of my children to the temple to have them sealed. There is nothing so sweet as seeing your baby boy and three year old daughter all dressed in white and there is no greater feeling then the one you experience during that sacred ceremony.

Isn't that just the way our Heavenly Father works? Just when you think all is lost because something didn't go your way instead you are blessed with something much greater than what you had initally asked for. The night Jackson was born and I saw him for the first time I knew without one single doubt that he was meant to come to our family. I remember coming home from the hospital and climbing into bed completely exhausted emotionally. Dallan rolled over and said tell me everything. I think my first words were Dallan he has red hair. He just smiled. I started to cry and told him I wasn't sure she was going to give him to us and then said again, he has red hair Dallan. I mean what are the chances he would be born with red hair? Neither parent has red hair and yet he does, Dallan he just has to be ours.

So here they are my two red heads, my two miracles. I love watching them play together. I love how protective Madelyn is when it comes to her brother. I love it that he laughs at everything she does. It doesn't matter that they have different genes or were born to different mothers on opposite sides of the country, they are brother and sister in every way that matters.

I am so thankful for the love our Heavenly Father has for us. I am thankful for his infinite wisdom and thankful that he understands us better than we understand ourselves. I am thankful his answer was no when I asked over and over again to get pregnant. I mean could anyone ask for two cuter kids than these?

Our soon to be new home.....

After Looking at many houses this is the one we will soon call home. As much as I love this house and let me tell you I do LOVE it, I would trade it in an instant it it meant us staying here in Washington. And as much as we love the state of Washington we love our friends even more. But since I have no choice this will have to do......

The front of the house


The stairs going up to the family room


View from living room window

Basement family room

Hall Closet

Kitchen

Kitchen

Kitchen

Laundry Room

Master Bathroom

Front Entry

Laundry Room

Hope this gives you an idea of what it looks like. It really is beautiful inside and we both just love it. I wasn't sure about Rexburg but after making a verbal offer on another home in a different location I because sick at the thought of moving into it. So we told them we changed our minds and from there we went to look at this one. From the moment we stepped inside we just felt like it was the right place for our family. It isn't Washington and since I can't have what I want I will definately settle for this.

By the way there is lots of room for visitors!

Lots of love,

Mandee

What do you call....?

So what do you call a person who resides in Idaho? Are they Idahoans? Perhaps you are wondering why I would like to know that. Well the Lott family will soon be on their way to the great potato state. Yes, Dallan got a job in Idaho of all places. We are scared, we are excited, and yes we are more than a little sad that soon we will be leaving here and starting a new chapter. I suppose that it is possible that all of this might change but as for today it looks like we will soon be well.....Idahoans???

Now I know.....

I have called Emily my friend for quite some time now and there are many obvious reasons as to why I love her so much, all of which I won't go into right now (I am afraid she is getting a little too full of herself because of her good hair day and updated blog site). But until now I never understood just where she got all her talents and charm. Since becoming addicted to the "Blog-O-Sphere" as some like to call it I have spent many hours reading about her family. I have never meet her family with the exception of her mom and that was very brief, but I have to say I have never been so impressed with one family as I have been with hers. So for all this time I knew I liked Emily but now I understand why I like her so much. How could someone grow up in a family such as hers and not turn out to be anything but great. If anyone from Emily's family ever reads this you have to know how good your daughter was to me while living across the street from her in Charleston. We meet Clark and Emily just as we learned that we would not be able to have children. I think it is fair to say that at that time I disliked most pregnant women. But Emily was the exception. Clark and Emily would come over and we would eat junk and drink root beer while watching Survivor and as her belly got bigger and bigger she would completely let me invade her personal space and allow me to feel as Haley kicked and moved. Perhaps at one of those moments when you only want your family Clark and Emily called right after Haley was born and asked if we wanted to come and meet her. What a special experience that was to see first hand what a miracle a brand new baby is. Sometimes at night I would get a call from Emily telling me she was just about to give Haley a bath and did I want to come over and help out, or at church when as we all know is the best time to cuddle a sleeping baby, Emily would generously let me hold Haley. She was so kind and so generous to me and I can't imagine what that time in my life would have been like if she had not been there to help me through it. Now I understand where she learned it from. This is a family comprised of well just remarkable people. I hope someday I get to meet them until then I will just keep smiling, laughing, learning and yes, sometimes even crying as I read about them from the comfort of my home.

Hungry?

Is it wrong to ask your three year old if she is done with her lunch knowing the response will always be yes and the only reason you are asking is because you want her last chicken nugget?

Lost in Translation......

Just so you know it is late and I am tired but I promised Emily I would get this done and so here it is. I tried to be witty but there is just nothing left in this brain. Anything that was left was sucked dry today while sitting on the bathroom floor reading "Thomas the train" and "Stinky Face" to Madelyn while silently praying she would hurry up and just "go"! Yes, that is right, I am in potty training hell, yes I know not that isn't a nice word but I think we all know it is justified. And by the way yes, she is 3 1/2! And further more this picture has nothing to do with the following post, it just makes me laugh when I see it, so I thought I would share it!

As a parent you are provided many opportunities to teach your children. These life lessons have a wide range when it comes to importance. One that comes to mind is the difficult task of trying to explain to a three year old why it is not appropriate or lady like to tell people to "watch" as you try your hardest to push out gas that has built up in your tummy and upon succeeding smiling and proclaiming with pride "that was me"! Try as I may there are times when it seems like no matter how hard I try somehow what I am trying to say just gets lost in translation. Let me give you an example.....It is Christmas time. Madelyn is finally at an age where she is beginning to understand the importance of Santa Clause. We loved reading books about him and singing songs explaining all the requirements that must be meet in order to receive a visit from the old man in red. However, we also wanted to impress upon Madelyn the true meaning of the holiday. So we talked about Jesus and how he was born in a manger. We even had a family home evening where Dallan reinacted Luke II using our porcelin nativity (needless to say that was a disaster, poor Joseph no longer has a head). For one small moment I thought I had mastered the art of teaching but soon knew there was a problem when I noticed that it wasn't Santa who was up on the house top listening to reindeer paws. No clearly something was very wrong when I sat Madelyn down and asked her what she was singing about in which she replied Cwismas. I said ohhh are you singing about Santa going down the chimney? She looked at me with the look of "Mom, you clearly don't know anything" and simply said "Mom, Heavenly Fodder comes down the chimney not santa". Do you see what I mean? Lost in translation. But I suppose it goes both ways. One day while driving through Tacoma I hear Madelyn sniffing something out when all of a sudden she says "Oooohh stinky cwap". I couldn't believe what I had just heard. Had she really just said crap? I quickly scanned my brain trying to remember any particular time I had used that word in front of her. Now I am not perfect and I definately say things I shouldn't but I knew I had never used that word in that context. So I said honey what did you say? I wanted to make sure I was hearing her correctly and sure enough she said "Mom, it smells like stinky cwap". While I sat there thinking of all the ways I was going to let Dallan have it for teaching her how to use that word Madelyn said "Mom, I touched a cwap". I said you did what? She said "I touched a cwap". I said really where did you do that and she said at the park and then it hit me she wasn't saying crap or at least she wasn't trying to say crap, what she was really trying to tell me was that it smelled like a stinky crab. Again, lost in translation. How about you? Has there ever been a time that something you said just didn't sink in the way you would have liked?

A Season of Miracles

After doing not much of anything all Saturday long, I decided to curl up in our big cozy bed and just "rest my eyes". As most mom's know, this never lasts for very long because "they" always know where to find you. This time "they"meant Madelyn and my husband Dallan. First Dallan climbs in by me and soon Madelyn follows and she didn't come empty handed. She was armed with "The Mouse Before Christmas", and wanted me to read it to her. I told her that my eyes didn't feel good (that is what she tells us when she is tired) and that dad could read it to her. As Dallan started reading the book to her she looked down at me and asked "Mom, your eyes don't feel good? And I said no Madelyn mom is tired. She then took her little hand and started to pat my head and said it's okay mommy just go to sleep". So there I was curled up in my bed with two of the people I love most in this world, while the third one slept peacefully in his swing, and I just thought to myself how did I ever get this lucky? As I have reflected on this last year with all of its highs and lows I can't help but be reminded that our Savior truly is a God of miracles. From the moment of His conception to the time of His resurrection, His life was and continues to be a message of hope to each of us. In 2003 around this time of year Dallan and I were getting ready to take Madelyn to the temple to have her sealed to us. As I think back to that day and how indescribable it was to see her all dressed in white just staring at us as we were being sealed together as a family, I can't help but remember what a miraculous day that was. Soon after moving here to Washington Dallan and I were eager to get the paperwork in order so we could adopt another baby. As I was being set apart for a new calling in the ward I couldn't help but feel that this time the adoption wouldn't be as easy as it was with Madelyn. As time started to pass and we weren't hearing anything from the agency, my faith was beginning to be tested. In all honesty it waivered. We started looking at other options but none seemed possible. It had been a little over a year when from out of the blue we got a phone call. It was a Wednesday and I was busy making cinnamon rolls for a mutual activity that I was having at my house. I was running late of course and wasn't excited that I had to stop what I was doing to take a phone call. On the other end was our caseworker telling us there was a girl who saw our profile and wanted to meet us. She was due anytime and so we needed to move quickly, could we come to the office the next day? Three weeks later Jackson arrived and a few days after that he made his way to our home. He is a miracle. Both his and Madelyn's birth mothers are miracles. The way these two adorable red haired babies made their way to me and Dallan is miraculous. My life is full of miracles. I am so thankful for the love I feel for both our Father in Heaven and our Savior Jesus Christ. I am grateful to know that I am valuable in their eyes and that the things that are important to me are also important to them. I am grateful they gave me the opportunity to be a mother and for allowing me to experience what it feels like to love and care for another person so completely. This holiday season as I reflect on all the many gifts that me and my family have been blessed with, I am most thankful for the tender mercies of our Savior and for the two miracles He has blessed me with. Merry Christmas.

Need a little Christmas spirit?

The penguins claimed they didn't see anything, but everyone knew

Frosty had whacked Santa with his cane.

Nothing takes away the holiday spirit like a quick trip to Walmart. Well, that is what it was suppose to be....just a quick trip. My purpose was to go and get milk or at least that is the excuse I gave. The truth was I had been locked up all day and needed a break. What was I thinking when I decided that a trip to Walmart would calm my frayed nerves. Did I not think about the throngs of people in search for the perfect toy at bargain prices. Armed with carts these people aren't playing around. They will cut you off, push you out of the way, and stare you down if that's what it takes to get what they want . Approximately 45 minutes later I left Walmart with my milk and a Christmas CD with the song "I want a hippopotamus for Christmas" on it for Madelyn. I know what you must be thinking first the Reindeer and now the Hippo song, this girl must love self-induced torture. I don't know perhaps I do. So on the way home I decide to take a little drive to look at all the Christmas lights with Madelyn. As I was driving and listening to Madelyn sing about not wanting Crocodiles and rhinoceroses I was reminded of mine and Dallan's first Christmas as a married couple. While dating I had never taken him home to the little town I grew up in and therefore he had never been to my mom's house. So there we were driving down the street when all of a sudden Dallan says "Will you look at that house, it looks like Christmas puked on the lawn", I quietly replied "Honey, that is my mom's house", he looked at me with a nervous little grin and said be quiet Mandee and I said no Dallan, that really is my house". By the way he would KILL me if he knew I had published this, but there is nothing like a little laughter at the expense of someone else. I do have to say that in my mom and step-dad's defense they were in the middle of decorating the lawn and hadn't quite gotten everything sorted out (so mom, please don't be mad at Dallan!).

I think I need to clarify that none of these are pictures of Christmas at my house!

By the way do you think these people know what they are getting this year for Christmas?