Visiting the Utah Cousins - October

From October 19th to October 23rd Madelynn and I were in Utah for her follow ups with TSH and the Neonatal Clinic.

TSH gave us the option to stay the whole weekend in Utah giving us the opportunity to visit all the cousins.

On Saturday, October 20th, after Madelynn's testing we headed over to my mom's to see Bella and Matthew.  Later Darren and Elly joined us for some pumpkin patch fun.

This is one of my favorite pictures of Bella because of her upper lip.

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On Sunday we visited with Poppa Hurst and Grandma Myker.  Evan and MaKayla came over to play and paint pumpkins.

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Carving the Pumpkins

Okay, so we didn't actually have Madelynn carve anything.  We attempted to have her clean out her own pumpkin to which she replied "Ew".  

Madelynn instead painted her pumpkin, I cleaned mine out, and Jeremy shaved his. 

The finished products: one black pumpkin, a ghost, and a hollowed out pumpkin.

Pumpkins!

Saturday was a bit rainy, but being the Washingtonians we are, we all went to the pumpkin patch.  It was your typical Hurst/Reed outing with Madelynn and Andrew calling out for each other making sure they were never too far away from one another.

Finding the Perfect Pumpkin

 They had lots of little sights for the children.  Andrew drove him and Maddie on their first illegal date (or is second cousins legal?  Ew either way :) ) They found the Old Woman Who Lived in a Shoe.

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Craven Farms had a face painting area set up for the kids.  Madelynn and Mikhaila got their faces painted.  It was decided Andrew was too much of a boy, and would not sit still for such frivolous things.  Instead he ate a big old chili bowl.  (Have we ever mentioned how much we love that kid?)

My Little Kitty Cat

Mikhaila got Optimus Prime

Andrew After the Pickin' was Done

RIP Baby Blue

It is with a heavy heart that I bid adieu to my beloved Jetta.  I've had the vehicle since my sophomore year in college, and it has been an amazing automobile.  It was my fault that I didn't stop in time to prevent her damage.

3 Years Old!

Our daughter is a testament to modern science, and the human spirit.  

The nugget is three years old. She had her well-baby check up on her birthday.  She is nowhere close to the weight chart, but did manage to make her mark on the height chart coming in at the 5th percentile.

She weighs 28 pounds, and is 34 inches tall.

Visiting the Doctor

She was very spoiled on her birthday with presents coming in from Utah and California.  Madelynn received phone calls from across the country as the California grandmothers were in New York.    We celebrated with ice cream, and playing with her toys outside.

Ice Cream from Cold Stone

Her Dora Trike from Grandpa.

Bouncy, bouncy, bouncy

Her Rody from Grandmas Tammy and Jill.

T ball From Uncle Gerald, Aunt Lisa, Landon and Devry.

Madelynn Feeding the Ducks

Madelynn is a Ham Bone

Family Outings

My father and Angela were in town the first week of September.  We went to the park, and also got in some geocaching.  Madelynn enjoyed having the two of them visit from Utah.

Sometimes All You Need is 30%

Happy 3rd Birthday, Madelynn!

Candid Family Photos

Everyone had a camera.  While I do not have access to everyone else's photos I am posting the candid that I do have that do not really fit into a category.

The Three Amigos.  Who knew there would three toddlers around this
year?

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If there was a way to describe our family it would
be passive aggressiveness.
I guess Madelynn feels the same way. 

Popa and Matthew getting ready for some sand.

Miss Maddie Bug stealing Baby Bella's hat.

Grandma and Madelynn dancing with special appearances by Aunts Amber and Cheri.

50

In 1962 my maternal grandparents promised to one another they would be together until death do them part*.   Their marriage survived the military, Vietnam, children (5), grandchildren (10), great grandchildren (3), surgeries, triumphs, and Grandma's klutziness.

In July all of us, save for the cousin on his honeymoon, we able to gather around and toast my grandparents on this monumental achievement .  My uncle Larry gave a moving speech, and in that moment, when looking around at my grandparents' posterity I realized how truly lucky my family is to be apart of the Anderson family.

Cutting the Cake

Reminiscent of Their Wedding Day

My Favorite Picture

My grandparents are the reason I believe in true love.

Some of the posterity.

*My grandparents were later sealed with their 5 children in the Washington DC LDS temple at which time they become united for time and all eternity.