Alex's blessing day

Mommies passed out.. newborns had a loooooong day! Because it was daylight savings of course!

Madsen cousins making silly faces

Jonah in love with the new baby

From L to R, Charlotte, Hazel, Allysa and Alex, Sarah and Phoebe, Tyler, Sam, and Jonah on the floor

Another one with just kids. They were all so well behaved.. until they found leftover moon dough. WORST INVENTION EVER BTW.

Aunt Erin in love with Alex

Alex smiled for her a lot today btw.. made Ben so jealous!

Classic Sam, one cool drink o'water -so handsome!

My Alex snuggled up and sleeping peacefully in Aunt Erin's arms

Aunt Erin and her perfect smile with my perfect baby

Ben with Phoebe Mae Madsen, born Sept 6, 2011 (only 5 days before Alex!) She's so incredibly beautiful I might add.. brown eyes that simply adore and capture you!

Glenn Madsen holding baby Phoebe, and our dear friend who drove from Oakland to be with us (from the inner city Oak9th branch where Glenn and Carol served for 2yrs on a service mission) Anna Worden getting her baby fix from my sweet Alex

Charlotte and Hazel, perfectly sweet and perfectly matching! We love our Madsen cousins!

This one made me laugh.. we found Hazel wandering outside because she wanted to put a toy back in the car.. but she was also stomping around and pouting (she couldn't get in I think..) and we wondered what she was doing. She held up Gary the snail still in his packaging and i understood immediately why she was told to leave it. My boys would have sabotaged her! All this fascination with Spongebob..

Sarah and Jacob Madsen holding their newest addition, baby Phoebe

Tyler and Charlotte, the 6yo's.. or 1st graders

Mark, Dawnette, and Jonah.. I woke her from her nap, which is ALWAYS a bad idea! Sorry Aunt Dawnette!!

Mark and Jonah.. doing what they do best.. beating the crap out of eachother on Super Smash Bros!

Grandpa Archie and Benjamin Archie.. where is Jonah Archie!?

Glenn, Carol, Anna, and Alex

Auntie Risa -without her this weekend -let me just say- I would have been frazzled! She stayed the night Sat to Sun and helped us get ready on Sunday morning before our big day. She's practically family.. we've known her a little over a decade now, and we are still besties.
And of course Aunt Erin and Uncle Aaron.. Aaron with his mouth full! I took two others but they turned out fuzzy. This is the best I got..

Auntie Donut and Sam.. Sam crawled up to Dawnette and asked if he could go to sleep next to her. She shouted "camera" to me, and this is what I found.. absolutely so sweet!

This was not blessing day but I added it here anyway.. this is what I came in to find after I was busy in the kitchen.. all my guys huddled over our new baby, tickling him and trying to get him to smile. I love my family :-)

Alex stretching out while he was fast asleep, thanks to Aunt Tessa and her magical charms

My sweet baby fast asleep. Tessa offered babysitting services for Ben and my birthday gift. She watched all 4 boys and put everyone to bed. We found her and Alex asleep on my bed, and it was so sweet. I tried taking pictures while she was there, but there wasn't enough light and I didn't want to disturb them harshly. She didn't make it to the picture taking session of blessing day because she had to zip off, but she was there and she supported us and we love her greatly. I'm so glad she's my sister!

Thus ends blessing day. I woke at 3:30ish to find most everyone had left.. we ate lasagna and bread and lettuce wedges with ranch and bacon.. chatted and chilled out after church. Anna even brought a sweet treat at my request: moon rocks! Melted almond bark with rice krispies and reeses puffs and peanuts. So yummers! It really was a perfect day, and Alex was so handsome in his sweater vest suit. He was perfectly behaved.. makes a momma proud! I love November for so many reasons. And I can't wait to see everyone again at Thanksgiving!

Below are my favorite shots of my dad and baby Alex. Alex looks like Dave the most, and my dad (aka Dave) loves making goofy faces. I'm surprised he didn't pull one out on me! He hadn't even met Alex until today, and was excited to have his own photo shoot with him. These pics just make me smile :-) Enjoy!

Blissful Afternoon

I will sadly not have a photo to go along with today's post..
This afternoon Jonah kept bugging me about wanting to ride his bike outside.  I had to give piano lessons until 4:45pm, so we couldn't go out in the street until afterward.  I was so glad he still wanted to go.  He loves riding his bike now, and it makes me feel at peace as I watch him pedal up and down the cul-du-sac.  He has to level the leading pedal with his hand, but once his feet make contact his balance is excellent and he's off!  I wish he could trust himself enough to know standing up and riding won't make him fall off.  I'm sure it'd be a scary thing for him, as he's just begun to feel comfortable starting off on his own only this week. 

It's the last week in March, in like a lamb and out like a lion.  Right now it's 10:30 at night and a chilly 47F.  Tomorrow will be the last day in March, and then it will be April.  Easter.  Springtime.  But today.. today I felt like I was on a remote part of the coast and could hear boats in the bay with their bells clanging, waiting to see the lighthouse.  I could taste the fog and could almost reach out to feel the rocks in the murky water as I'd hear the waves crashing against the reefs.  It felt like something out of a movie, because I know the scene could not belong in my suburb.  The cloud layer above me was scalloped in edges of ashes and rocks, all different hues of grays and dark whites, not billowing and not roiling.. just .. settling.  Drifting, waiting.  There'd be rain later. 

I hear my children racing each other up and down the street.  I hear Tyler fall off his scooter twice.  I can see them laughing, competing, and egging on the other.  They are truly kids at play.  They have no worries.  Their eyes are light, and they have sweat on their brows and in their hair.  They giggle and wait for me to see if I'm watching.  I wrap my arms around my stomach, because the wind starts to pick up and it brushes my  hair from my face in cold and wispy snaps.  I hug my elbows and worry if my boys are warm enough. 

Then it all becomes clear.  No, not my mind.  The afternoon is suddenly clarified for me.  A halo of whispered white glows through the clouds that are still wrapped in shades of gunmetal.  It burns my eyes to look directly at it.  I turn my face away, but then peek upward trying to catch glimpses from the corners of my eyes.  The sight is celestial.  Earlier today I witnessed a similar miracle: streaming rays of light, flowing from these same threatening clouds which were bursting through their darkness, touching the earth with forgiveness and redemption.  The vision I saw now was not of that caliber.  These were not sun rays defiantly breaking through the walls that held them captive.  This was a beaming, pulsing radiation of light and power.  This was heaven saying, "not even the darkest of gloom nor guilt nor sorrow can shade my glory."  I wanted to walk into this light.  I wanted to touch it.  I wanted to put my hand upon it and caress each whiff.  I wanted it not to disappear as suddenly as it came to me.  Because it came to me.  It came upon me.  And I beheld glory this afternoon.  And it was blissful.

What was also glorious was how peaceful I felt as I watched my sons play in the street during this blessed event.  They were so light and full of laughter and happiness.  They were kids at play as much as kids at play could ever be.  They cried when they heard it was time to come inside.  They fell down and scraped their knees and palms.  They raced time and time again.  They taunted and jeered, and then they sat and drank juice until it was time to race again.  Kids take it all for granted of course, but as a parent I will never see being "just a kid" as being just a kid.  I will see it as my children make me feel it.  I hope I remember this day forever.

Jonah's first day of 1st grade

Jonah in front of his new classroom.

Jonah and his breakfast of champions -french toast and bacon!

Jonah on his new playground outside his new classroom

Jonah and Tyler anxiously awaiting Jonah's first day of first grade!

This is how I'd hoped we'd get to school, but the trike is trashed and Tyler took forever getting home. We're gonna stroll and Jonah will scoot from now on

This is Tyler on our way back. The return trip has more uphill climbs and his trike does not have rubber tires that can take the trek. Sorry Ty, you're too slow for mommy!

Our first morning was sensational! We all walked/pedaled/scooted to school together so we weren't too rushed. Jonah has friends in his class even though none of them are LDS. We'll see how he did upon his return.. with a fresh batch of cookies waiting for him! I miss that Jonah.. but I'll get used to it. I'm sure I can find things to do ;-)