What is that smell?

I smell like breast milk and spit-up. It's not my breast milk or my spit-up. I've been keeping Madilyn and Denton this weekend so Hillary could go to Austin with her hubby, Dennis for her birthday. She left me about ten 6-8 oz. disposable bags full of breast milk so I could feed Mr. Denton. I put them in the freezer but before I knew it, they were thawing...one by one... in the fridge! He was so good and he didn't seem to mind the bottle he was getting it from at all! But he ate and ate and ate and I was beginning to get worried. What if he drank all his milk??? And then, he spit up an entire bottle on me. It was yellow and curdled. I suspected that this may have been some of the milk from early June that Hill had frozen after he was born....BUT....we didn't have milk to spare! What if he needed more????I began to worry even more. She sent a large container of liquid Similac, but I knew if I had to open it, that it would ruin before he drank it all. So I began to plan......I would get out of the house someway and go to the grocery store. But how the hell was I gonna go anywhere with these little beings in tow. I had not left my house since Friday night when Donald and I took Denton and Madilyn to the football game...which by the way was great fun....we sat with Gina and Denver and Averi....but since Gina is assistant principal, she had to "monitor" the end zones and make sure no one was playing in the end zones (school rules and another blog)...but Averi and Maddie entertained us with cheers. Madilyn is quite the hip shaker!!!! Anyway, once we made it home that night, Madilyn and Denton went straight to bed. And Denton slept til 6:00 the next morning. Averi came over to join us about 9:00 Saturday morning. She wanted pancakes, so while Gina was there to hold Denton, I made pancakes for my grand-daughters! After that...I stayed pretty much 100% busy. I forgot what it was like to have a baby and small children! And at one point in my life, I had a baby, a 9 yr. old, a 14 yr. old, and a 17 yr. old......I was an expert! But OMG, that was years ago!!!! This morning I spent holding that precious baby...I couldn't stand to put him down and let him cry. So I rocked and fed him and burped him and read to the girls and fed him and burped him and changed him and fed him and over and over! Lunch for the girls was a peanut butter and granny's jelly sandwich...chex mix...mandarin oranges...I ate the edges of their leftover sandwiches and three pretzels from the chex mix and four mandarin oranges...I noticed after lunch that I was still in my pajamas. So, I lay Denton down and pulled on a Life is Good t-shirt and my khaki Columbia shorts. The girls were playing "mommy" with several dolls and of course my old cell phones....I was rocking Denton and noticed that Averi and Madilyn were in the other recliner, rocking their babies and "talking" on their cell phones. We all took a nap and I woke up with a greater appreciation for life!!! It was time to feed Denton again....I'm counting "milk bags" and trying to calculate how long they'll last if he eats 6 oz. every 3 hours or 8 oz. every 4 hours....math.......I look down and notice my tshirt has "milk" stains all over it! And I'm beginning to really smell. I've not had a shower since Friday morning and it's about 5:30 p.m. on Saturday by now! The girls are hungry, so I prop Denton in the crook of my left arm and throw a box of chicken nuggets in the microwave, and warm up some macaroni and cheese and open a can of corn to heat on the stove top. The girls chow down like they are in a five star restaurant! I eat 1/2 of Maddie's leftover chicken nugget and a spoonful of corn. I'm beginning to wonder if I've eaten today! Luckily, the girls want dessert later, and I fix them a root beer float! Averi drinks all of hers, but Maddie shares, hmmm, maybe three sips with me!!!! I put the girls in the shower while I get Denton ready for bed. My kitchen is a wreck. There is an empty can of corn, an empty box of chicken nuggets and velveeta mac and cheese all on the counter. Paper plates are on the table.....four dirty bottles are in the sink along with my coffee cup and the empty float cups....kernels of corn are on the floor...and there is a chicken nugget under the kitchen table. I'm tempted to pick it up and eat it....I'm hungry! I don't have time to clean nor any desire. I get the girls out of the shower and put them in their matching jammies and get their beds ready on the floor. We turn "Ice Age" on for the millionth time (today!!!) and I begin to smell my shirt....not good! Worse than that, I'm beginning to wonder if I even put deodorant on this morning. I know I didn't brush my hair all day! No one wants to lay down to sleep except me....I'm tired...and I stink. The girls are fighting over the same mattress that I've put on the floor. They finally crawl up into Dillan's bed....I put Denton in his playpen...and I put two pillows at the end of the baby mattress that I had put on the floor for Maddie....I collapsed on the baby mattress, not caring that my feet were hanging off the end of it. Denton only sleeps about 30 minutes so I get up with him and give him his midnight bottle (only four bags of milk left!). We rock in the recliner and sleep there until about 2:00 a.m. I head back to my baby mattress....he wakes again about 3:00 and we head back to the recliner where we sleep til 5:00...I fall onto my baby mattress not caring that my feet are on the floor! He wakes at 6:00 and the girls follow at 7:00. Donald agrees to watch them while I go to the grocery store and get more milk and some bananas. I still smell like spit up, but I do have on a clean t-shirt and clean shorts. I don't remember if I put on deoderant....again...I've still not showered since Friday morning! The grocery store is freezing...I'm glad I remembered my bra! I grab the food and find a can of powdered Similac...just in case he doesn't like the liquid Similac!!! I return to hungry girls and a hungry baby. We have biscuits and honey/butter for breakfast....I eat...finally! We bathe Denton and lather him lotion. He smells so good and I'm jealous of a 3 month old! Gina picks Averi up about 9:00....Maddie was not too happy about that, but I reminded her it was her mommy's birthday, so she made a birthday card just for Hillary. I decide to go to Alco...a major decision on my part...but we do it! I get them into their carseats and remember that I've still not put on makeup or brushed my hair or taken a shower!!! Who cares???? We make it to Alco and I find Hillary a card and some dish towels (what a crappy gift!!!). But we made it! We survived and soon....with only one bag of breast milk left....Hillary and Dennis return! What a fun weekend we all had!!! Before I knew it, they were pulling out of the driveway, heading back to Waco...leaving me with a sweet smell on my shoulder......no more little ones in the house....no more "Ice Age"....no more singing "The Fox went out on a chilly night"....ohhhh.....I miss them.....maybe I'll go take a shower!!!!

Wicked Witch rides in Thunderstorm

After several hours of watching Hannah Montana and The Suite Lives of Zack and Cody, I had enough! You can't imagine how excited I was when Denver turned to an old Donald Duck
cartoon! It was short lived and soon Hannah and her dad were reading the script as they told silly jokes about body functions. Anyway, before going insane, I suggested a bike ride! We all pulled on our shoes and dashed out the door to get on the bikes. Denver and Averi reminded me to do a "bike check" (thanks to the bike show we had at school this year) and sure 'nuf, we had to air up three tires! Thank goodness the streets in my neighborhood are fairly level. However, I'm sure I could see my legs becoming muscular as I pumped that bike down the street! We all rolled along singing one of my favorite Harry Nilsson songs..."Driving along at 57,000 miles an hour...look at those people standing on the petals of a flower...look at those petals pumping for a little bit of power....wow o wow o o o!" Anyway, we were having a good time until we started hearing rumbling from the sky. The clouds were turning dark and noisy! I could just imagine a tornado swooping down and carrying me into the sky while I was on my bike....and all the school kids would see me riding through the air and think of me as the wicked witch in Wizard of Oz....By the way....the song you hear as she is riding in the clouds is the song I hum whenever I see anyone on a bike or when I'm on a bike. So after a good 45 minutes of riding, Averi informed me that her knees hurt. Thunder and tired legs sent us back to the house to relax and.....watch...oh, no...you've got to be kidding...Denver has Zack and Cody on again.....These shows are really as bad as you can imagine!!!!!

Hey Cupcakes!

It takes a lot of car seats and patience to buckle up FIVE precious pieces of cargo!!!!!
Now...Let the wild rumpus begin!!!!!
What happens with Nana....stays with Nana!!!

Steak and Shake was delish!!!! Personally, I did not stay on any sort of healthy diet during my stay in Austin!

Waiting for the bats to fly!!!!

Denton would rather be snoozing, but Madilyn ready for the flight!

It was great to have Lisa and my niece, Bonnie to help hold a hand....Five kids....Five adults....it was definitely helpful...We felt like we had played a basketball game that night....the Kids won!!!! They may have been little, but they were feisty!

Hi!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Before this happy picture....Hillary had to jump in after Madilyn! I walked in to find Hillary's shorts and t-shirt dripping wet....Madilyn decided to go into the pool WITHOUT her floaties and Hillary decided to go in WITHOUT changing into her swimsuit first! Maddie wore her floaties after realizing she couldn't "walk in the pool" like Denver and Averi!

Denton....3 weeks and Tristin....9 1/2 months! Wow...what a difference a few months makes...as well as a few meals!!!

Nana crew! Averi, Denver, Madilyn, Tristin, and Denton....

hey cupcake! on Congress Ave.....amazing cupcakes BUT, I suggest you go at night or during the winter months to avoid the heat that reflects from that shiny trailer!!! Wow it was hot!
You might want to take a new box of Wet Wipes because you will have icing all over your face and hands.....it would be convenient if they offered a shower afterwards!

Kevin joined us for this excursion!










What an amazing time I had! Let me just say, it was much easier to travel back in the "olden" days....we spent 50% of our time unbuckling and buckling car seats!!! Since Cari lives in Buda, I took Hillary and Denton to her house to stay. I wanted to stay at Hampton Inn with Denver, Averi and Madilyn so they could swim and be loud and jump on the beds in the motel room. Luckily this motel had a rule...Rule 32823 You can only jump on the bed between 6:00 p.m and 7:00 p.m. The kids were great....they all took turns pushing the button on the elevator (they chose the floor we could stay on...which was 4...I'm sure they would have chosen 9 if they had offered it to us!). They also took turns helping me with the key-card. Lisa and Bonnie came to join our fun and after a swim, we headed to Steak and Shake for supper before heading to the Congress Bridge to watch the bats. The bats were not cooperative at all and didn't start leaving on their nightly flight until after dark...so we couldn't see as much as we wanted. We stopped by Amy's Ice Cream for a late night snack....sooo good! We didn't get to tour the Capitol, but I promised them we would go back during August for that. Nana sorta got lost on the way to the Capitol and the kids sorta fell asleep on our way. So we settled for a slushie! And of course, we stopped by hey cupcake! on our way home and it was fabulous! I'm ready for another trip....well, not today. I need to take a few naps and do a few pushups before I take them all again!

Braggin' Rights

This is a bragging post! Hillary and Dennis welcomed Denton Karl Thom into the world on June 21! Hillary had a smooth delivery and Denton was just perfect. I'm so blessed to have five adorable grandchildren...along with their parents...and of course Dillan who hopefully is years away from parenthood! Just want to show my little brood off!

Dillan just off the plane from 10 days in Europe. He was extra excited to get his iPhone back!

Tristin....he's 8 1/2 months and is growing up way too fast! He is cutting teeth and learning to crawl. He'll be walking before we know it!

Madilyn...just about an hour before her little brother was born. Denton was 6 lbs. and 13 oz. and 20 inches long. Isn't he a doll?

Cousins....Denton, Averi -5, Denver-7, Tristin 8 1/2 months and Maddie-3.

Proud Uncle Dillan and big sister Maddie

Home from the hospital....so so sweet!

Maddie came to Nana's house for a few days after Denton was born. Averi and Denver came over for a sleepover...we sang and danced and turned flips and rode bikes and swam and tried really hard to sleep!

The night before Denton was born, Hillary asked Maddie what she would do once Denton was born. Maddie said, "I'm gonna stick him back in!" Looks like she may have changed her mind! Isn't this adorable?

Grandmothers

I officially have five grandchildren now and that makes me sound like an old lady who sits in her rocker with a dip of snuff watching "Days of Our Lives"! Do you remember your grandmother??? Mine were OLD by the time I got along!

Mama Cox had a butt-load of grandkids...since she had 16 kids of her own. (Those reality shows have nothing on her!) Mama Cox lived in Anson on the "north" side of town....just off the street that took you to the "New Addition" (which I always thought was hilarious cause the houses were built in the 50's and 60's....I wonder if it's still called the "new addition") Anyways....she lived in a little two bedroom house with no air conditioning (we all had no air conditioning...just window units...except for those who lived in the "new addition"...now those houses had the real thing!). When we went to see Mama Cox, she would be sitting in her rocking chair just a rockin away and dipping snuff, while a trickle of the brown molasses looking juice would barely escape the edge of her smile before she wiped it away with a handkerchief! I loved Mama Cox...she later moved to the rest home and died peacefully..in her rocking chair after reading her Bible....now that's the way to go! That was the first and only time I ever saw my daddy cry!

Mama Warren lived in Abilene...on the north side of town...just as you come in from Anson. Her house was also without air. We had to go see Mama Warren every Saturday and in the summer on a week-day every now and then... and let me tell you...it was a chore! She was addicted to "Days of Our Lives" and pain-killers. Lisa and I hated to go there...there was nothing to eat unless she had a box of saltine crackers and nothing to play with. Mother finally let us leave some paper dolls there and when we went we would go to her bedroom and play paper dolls while Mama W. and mother discussed the lives of Doug and Julie on "Days" and Mama W. planned her next trip to the drug store. After a while, we would get ready to take Mama W. to town (which meant grocery store, drug store and Thornton's dept. store). We watched in awe as Mama W. put on her old shoes (they looked like the type the wicked witch of the west wore in Wizard of Oz). Now, Mama Warren had big toes that had to have been 4-5 inches long cause they curved behind her other toes all the way to her little toe and beyond, if I remember correctly. I prayed nightly as a child that my toes would not grow like that. Once we got her shoes on, she would grab her purse and we would all head to town for a terribly boring trip. Mama Warren had a fear of escalators, so we had to coax her to even get on one. Lisa and I would go up and down them 5 or 6 times trying to convince her to get on...and that was the best part of the shopping trip. If we were good (very very good..."you girls be nice...Cheri don't be ugly to Lisa!") we got to go to Mackey's Toy Store after we left Mama Warren at her house with a fresh box of saltines and a supply of pain medications. We usually only got to look at the toys, but the store had air conditioning so we were fairly happy. I always wanted to get on the bikes and bouncing horses while Mother was steering us over to the doll section. Anyway, Mama Warren later moved to a rest home. We would have to visit her there and dodge the old women who would try to grab Lisa and I for a hug. Mama Warren died when I was about 13.

So...there are my memories of my grandmothers....hopefully I can leave a better memory with my grandkids.....so I vow to always have a fresh box of Nabisco Crackers...a beautiful pedicure...toys galore.....and a Bible next to my rocking chair! I'll hide the snuff and the pain pills until the grandkids leave so I can "dip" and relax while I watch "Days of Our Lives"!

Grandkids Galore!

Tonight is my last night to be Nana of four....tomorrow (or should I say "today"...it's already after midnight!) I'll have my 5th grandchild! I'm so excited and so blessed! If all goes as predicted, Hillary will have a baby boy...Denton Karl. I can't even sleep.....but luckily Madilyn has passed out for the night! Hopefully Hillary and Dennis are getting some shuteye. We asked Maddie tonight how he was coming out and she said Hillary was giving him a key! Then we asked what she would do with him when she saw him and she said, "Put him back in!" OOOPS!

As for me, I'll share my lap and all my love with one more precious addition! I can't wait to meet him and "fall in love" all over again! Hillary and Dennis are leaving at 5:15 a.m. and I'm staying here with Maddie until she wakes up. Then we'll load up and head to the hospital. Pictures will be posted.

Making Cinnamon Rolls

There is nothing better than homemade cinnamon rolls. I have to confess...It has been years since I've made any. But I had all the grandkids with me Saturday morning and we decided it was the perfect morning to get flour all over the kitchen and ourselves.

Denver didn't care to help, but Averi and Maddie loved getting on the stool and helping Nana roll out the dough.
Tristin didn't know what to think about all the chattering!

Averi helped me ice the baked cinnamon rolls. We had been waiting 2 hours for this!

And the finished product......

This recipe came from my dear friend, Beverly Phillips. It is really easy and delicious!

Beverly's Cinnamon Rolls

2 T sugar

6 T shortening

1 tsp salt

Mix together until smooth.

Stir 1 1/2 cups lukewarm milk into above mixture.

Mix 2 packages dry yeast into mixture.

Add 4 cups flour and mix with wooden spoon.

Cover with damp cloth and let rise until double or about 30 minutes.

Take half the dough and roll out flat on floured surface.

Pour 1/3 stick melted butter over dough and spread.

Cover with sugar and cinnamon.

Roll up and slice. (Repeat for other 1/2 of dough) Put in pan and let rise 30 min. Bake 10-15 min. at 375 degrees.

Ice immediately!

Beverly's Butter Icing

1/4 cup soft butter

2 cups sifted powdered sugar

2 T cream or milk

1/8 tsp salt

1 tsp vanilla

Mix in order given. Beat on medium speed until thick enough to spread - more cream or sugar may be added to give desired consistency.

After cinnamon rolls are iced....eat immediately! These are best with a glass of cold milk or cup of coffee. But they are especially delicious when shared with someone you love!

Enjoy!

Another long day at the hospital

Well, our little Tristin is still in the hospital...I feel helpless! Cari said he didn't have a good night last night. They finally gave him Tylenol and that seemed to help him sleep. When I spoke to her at noon, they had put a feeding tube in his nose...oohh...makes me want to cry. He had not eaten since 7:00 a.m., so at noon they decided he needed the tube. He is so congested, it is just hard for him to eat. She said he slept from noon until 5:30, so he really must be exhausted! I think Cari got a little nap in there at some point. I assume they took the feeding tube out, because he nursed and then took a bottle around 6:00 p.m. and then he dozed back off. She said he finally smiled at them tonight...which is so unlike Tristin...he is such a happy baby. They will clean his nose again tonight, and that is no fun at all. They are watching his chest...that shows how labored his breathing is and it seems that he is still having a great deal of trouble. His lungs are still congested. Cari and Kevin are just exhausted. Please continue to pray for Tristin (and Cari and Kevin). Hopefully, tomorrow I will have much better news and they will be headed home!

Sick Baby

This morning Cari sent me a text saying she was in an ambulance taking Tristin to Dell's Children Medical Center! Scared me to death! I knew he had felt bad and was congested but AMBULANCE!!!!! I quickly went to the office and asked for a sub. We have a wonderful group of people to work for....they quickly found someone for me and I waited til noon and for word from Cari to see what the doctor said. Unfortunately they wanted to keep him, so I headed to Austin. I had never been to Dell, but it was a wonderful place for children. I wish I had taken pictures of it...everything there was geared towards children. I saw so many sick kids though! They all had on masks and you could hear crying and coughing and oh it was so sad! But I felt so comfortable and grateful that they had taken Tristin there. Kevin was holding a sleeping Mr. T when I found them in the ER. He woke up about 2:15 and we changed his diaper and he just lay on the bed like a limp dishrag! Finally he perked up and Nana got a itsy bitsy smile out of him. Soon, he was eating and smiling and was feeling a little better....I guess as good as a baby with RSV, two ear infections, and an oxygen tube in his little nose. They put him in his own room(complete with private restroom) about 4:30...which was good cause I had been needing to "tinkle" since I got there at 2:00, but I didn't want to leave him! We had lots of doctors and nurses to come in to check on him...all taking very good care to keep him happy...well, until they came in and put a saline solution up his nose and sucked out all the "boogers". He didn't like that...not one little bit. I had not eaten, except for my "perfect attendance" popcorn at 10:00, so I traveled the maze(got straight past the first elevator, take a left to the second elevator, go to the first floor, take a right yada yada) to the cafeteria while Cari was nursing him and Kevin went home to get clean clothes. I discovered lots of healthy food to choose from, so I got a salad, delicious chicken tortilla soup and a sugar free chocolate pudding. Then I did something I had never done before...I ate by myself in the cafeteria! Once I got back to the room, we watched American Idol. They hooked him up to oxygen again...since his oxygen level dropped. Cari had crawled up in the bed with him...they looked so sweet. Once Kevin got back, we put his jammies on him and he was getting sleepy. I knew he was in good hands and I also knew Cari and Kevin were exhausted...they had been up since 3:00 a.m. I was so glad I went to see him! He's such a precious baby...and as I left I knew we were so blessed that he wasn't as sick as some of the children there. Thanks to all my friends who prayed for Tristin today....and I'll continue that prayer tonight...for Tristin and all those other sick children!

Oh...and I think I figured out how to take the "verification" thingamadoochie off! Let me know if I did!

Tristin and Maddie

Couldn't resist sharing a picture of Tristin and Maddie! Aren't they just adorable? Tristin was so excited to see someone more "his age" when he woke up! He was so happy to see her and she was just as happy! It was a fun morning!

Dillan and the little 'uns

Just wanted to share a few pictures of Dillan and his two nephews and two nieces! I was so glad he went to Austin with me the day Tristin was born! He was so excited about our newest addition!

Tristin Hunter....October 1, 2009

He's here! Tristin arrived about 5:00 p.m.! Cari called me this morning about 6:15 as we were walking. I've been taking my phone with me on my morning walks...just in case...and sure enough, we heard the phone as we were chatting along in the dark...we looked at each other and shouted, "Cari!". We knew it had to be time. She was on her way to the hospital so we cut our walk about 30 minutes short and headed back to the casa. I started calling and texting everyone I could think of to let them know of her condition and that I would not be at school! I told Dillan I wanted to make sure they were going to keep her, but I promised him I would pick him up by 10:00. That seemed to satisfy him and it gave me time to get things together and to gather my senses!!!! We left about 10:15 and drove with my flashers on all the way...what fun! Luckily I didn't see a cop! Once we got there, she had dilated to a four and had been given an epidural. Dillan and I went to eat at one of his favorite spots...Steak and Shake...and by the time we got back, Cari decided she would try to nap. I left Dillan to nap with her...and I went to Walgreen's to get Chapstick for Cari and snacks for Kevin. Once I returned, we watched HGTV and the fetal monitor....by 4:00 the contractions were regular and I "suggested" to the nurse that they check her. She seemed shocked that no one had checked her since noon, and sure enough...a mother's instinct was true...Cari had dilated all the way and was ready to push! They hurried us out of the room. While Cari pushed, a crowd gathered....grandparents, aunts and uncles, cousins and friends! Trisitn Hunter was born about 5:10 and they finally let us in to see him about 7:00. He was beautiful! And just as soon as I saw him...I fell in love again! At first, I thought he looked like Kevin, but then I realized he really looked like Kevin's dad, Eugene! He is definitely an Ulrich! We are so blessed to have this little fella join our family. He is just as perfect as the others! We took lots of pictures and held him and ooohed and ahhhed over him like he was the only baby in the world! I got to change his dirty diaper and by then, the little munchkin was hungry again. We left him in good hands...Cari was ready to nurse him again and Kevin was standing guard like any proud papa would! Congratulations Cari and Kevin! You did a great job!

Grandchildren

As of today...I still only have 3 grandchildren (Cari hasn't had Tristin yet!). And let me just say....when I say grandchildren...I mean GRANDchildren. They are all just grand..wonderful...fabulous...sensational...glorious...splendid...magnificent...I could go on and on! All three are completely different! I guess that's what makes them so special and makes me love them in a special way.

Denver Dwain Poe....what a wonderful kid! He's my first grandson. I remember the day he was born. We (about 20 of us!) gathered in the waiting room for the grand arrival. We thought HE was going to be a SHE until just a few days before he was born. (I had purchased hundreds of dollars of little pink outfits for who we thought was going to be Averi Grace.) We couldn't wait to see this precious little boy. Oh...he was certainly worth the wait! When I saw him all I could see was a miniature Gina! I thought he looked just like his momma! I expected him to look like Derek, but I could not see an ounce of Derek in that adorable baby boy! Needless to say, I fell in love! Denver has been a treasure to our family. When Denver comes over he keeps me busy...usually playing a game of baseball or basketball. Honestly, there is nothing he can't do! I love to watch him play sports already! My favorite sport to watch him play is soccer! He is awesome! He plays with the intensity of a pro! I get to see Denver every day now because he is in first grade and his classroom is across the hall from me! What a joy to hear, "Nana!" as I'm at school and to top it off with a hug and a kiss!

Next we were blessed with my first granddaughter....Averi Grace! This time I got to keep all the little pink outfits (I had returned the others and exchanged them for blue!) that I had purchased and Gina got to use the name she planned to use with Denver. Derek and Gina once more had a beautiful baby and once again, I fell in love! She was(and is) everything you could order in a little girl. I didn't get to the hospital in time for the actual birth....however, we did make a practice run to the hospital the week before she was born. Derek had gone hunting and Gina thought she was in labor, so I got to drive the "getaway car" to Waco...only to be told she wasn't ready to come. She was also, certainly worth the wait. We were a little worried how Denver would react, but he fell right in to the role of a big brother! Averi has a beautiful smile and she is already a "little mother". She is such a nurturer and she loves to take care of her brother! She loves to come to Nana's and play. She tends to be a bit shy but as soon as she gets on her tricycle...you'd better get out of the way. She's not at all shy once she gets behind the "wheel"! One of her favorite things to do is to help me sweep when she comes over....so I always get to do a little tidying up when she visits. She'll be in kindergarten next year...so I'll be blessed with two of my little sweetie peetie, tootie pootie, honey bunny, sugar bugars at school!!!

Madilyn Bryce is my third grandchild! She is just a joy! Hillary and Dennis certainly combined their genes when they created this little creature! The day she was born there was a gigantic halo around the sun! I think it was a sign telling us that she was going to be a special little girl. I made it to the hospital before she was born and was waiting in the waiting room when she arrived. I fell in love once again! The family gathered once more and we all agreed that she was a "keeper". Maddie is a bundle of energy and love. Some days she looks like her mother, and then a second later she's the image of her daddy! She has a beatiful head of auburn curls! Her personality is just like Hillary's....she's strong willed and full of energy. There's never a dull moment when Maddie is around! She is usually going 100 m.p.h.! She received a bicycle on her 2nd birthday and she began riding it immediately! She loves to play with her "Denber" and "Avewi" and they love to play with her. It's so much fun to see the three of them together...and Madilyn usually keeps them in line! She spent the week with us this past summer after she had surgery on her thumbs for "trigger thumb". I walked in one day to find her trying to cut her cast off with a pair of scissors! That's our Maddie!

Now, I'm waiting on grandchild number 4....Tristin Hunter Ulrich. He will also certainly be "worth the wait" and I am positive that once again....I will fall in love...and I can't wait!