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?

A Cold Snowy Night.....

I love being a mother! Tonight as Madelyn was getting all soapy in the bath I was standing in our room watching big flakes of snow fall on the ground. I have to say I was mesmorized by the beauty of it and like a little kid I wanted to go out and play in it. It was 8:00pm and the logical thing to do would have been to finish bathing Madelyn put her to bed and sit down and watch the Biggest Loser while eating a box of chocolate covered mint oreos all the while berating myself for not being motivated enough to loose those extra pounds that have been plaguing my life for who knows how many years! Anyway back to the snow.....in our family I am not known as the responsible one and so I threw caution to the wind, marched downstairs put on the warmest winter coat I could find and headed outside to brave the cold frosty air. My sister and I thought it would be fun to get out the blow up sled I had just purchased at the local Fred Meyer and try sliding down the little hill in front of our house. Who knew you could get going so fast on such a little slope. Meanwhile in the house Dallan finished washing up Madelyn, put her pj's on and decided it would be fun for her to watch her mom being silly from the window of her bedroom. It wasn't long before I had convinced him to let her come outside and play with me. I am so thankful for those sweet and silly experiences I get to have with her because they help to erase from my mind all the times I want to tear my hair out because I am so frustrated with this whole "motherhood" concept. So after Dallan finishes wrapping her up like a miniature Michelin Man she comes running outside to play with me. We giggled as we laid down and made snow angels in the front yard and screamed with excitement as we made our way on the sled down the hill in front of our house. When we finally got too cold and had to make our way back into the house Madelyn looked up at me and said "Mom, that was crazy (her new favorite word). I said yeah Madelyn that sure was a lot of fun. She then said "thanks for playing with me mom, I had fun". At that moment I was so grateful to be the "not so responsible one". I was thankful that against my better judgment I decided to let my three year old go outside and play in the snow just minutes after getting her out of the bathtub. I know that in just a short while she won't remember much of the night we played out in the snow but I know I will. I am so thankful to be her mom.

My First Attempt

This is my first official attempt at blogging. As you can see this blog site is dedicated to my good friend Emily. During naptime when the house gets quiet for a moment and I have a little bit of "me" time I mentally go over the long list of things I should but instead make my way to the computer. With one click of the mouse I am transported to the mind of my good friend Emily. The name that graces her blogsite sums up just who she is....."Concrete Sequential", for those that don't understand just what that means please visit her page and prepare yourself to be entertained. I have to admit that I become almost giddy waiting for it to pop up so I can read her latest rant. I must say that the thought of writing down my thoughts for others to see actually worries me a little. Perhaps if or when my good friend reads this she will realize two things....the first is that I am a little more insane then she remembered me to be and second, I am not nearly as funny or as whitty as she is. So Emily, I am sorry if I dissapoint you!
The Christmas season has come upon us again. This year came with the anticipation of knowing that our three year old, Madelyn, would for the first time really get Santa Clause. So to start things off I went out and bought a Christmas classic....Rudolph the Rednose Reindeer. She had seen the movie while we were home visiting family and since returning from our trip I had been asked countless times to sing the infamous song. She was so excited when I came home from the store with it and immediately wanted to watch it. We have been watching nothing else. So today while strolling the aisles at the store I came across the cutest little Rudolph the Red Nose Reindeer plush toy. On his little ear was a tag that read "push here" which I did and at that point the toy came to life. His adorable red nose lit up and he started singing. I thought to myself Madelyn would love this and so in all my wisdom I purchased it. I was so excited driving home because I knew she would just go crazy over my latest buy. I showed her how to "push here" to turn it on and we are now coming up on 8 hours of me listening to Rudolph sing his tale of woe. I had just about had it when Madelyn walked into our office with the most dejected look on her face. I said Madelyn what is wrong which prompted her to hand Rudolph over to me while telling me that his nose was broken. Sure enough after careful inspection I found a large crack running down the length of poor Rudolph's nose. I asked her how the injury occured in which she replied it just broke. I knew this couldn't be the whole truth and remembered vaguely watching her put the little red nose into her mouth. I then asked her if she had bit Rudolph's nose. She shook her head yes and with tears coming down her cute cheeks said I don't want him anymore. This was the moment I had been waiting for all day. I could at this point just tell her that he wasn't good anymore and that would be the end of Rudolph's miserable life. However, I just couldn't ignore the distraught look on her face and so I said it's okay Madelyn his nose still lights up, he isn't broken. And like magic those few words fixed the problem and even as I put the last few words to this little story I am being serenaded by none other than Rudolph the Cracked Nose Reindeer. And as annoyed as I am at the moment I can't help but smile at Madelyn as she sits here singing along with her good friend the reindeer. Isn't Christmas great?