This past year for Christmas Theran gave Madsyn and I tickets to Dallas, Texas to visit my sister that lives there for a girls weekend. He set it all up with her and surprised us. We went this past weekend and had a BLAST!!! We ate way too much and shopped 'til we dropped and partied like rock stars. My sister Sonia is the most amazing hostess. She truly makes you feel like she has nothing better to do than to pamper and take care of you. Never mind that she is a full-time FBI agent (can I say that) busy keeping the world safe for all of us in ways we don't even see. She is raising two boys on her own while her husband is in Iraq, again keeping the world safe for us. Then she has he four doggies (babies), church job, and all the other things a mom, wife and woman of the world has to do. Every time I think I am busy, all I have to do is go visit or talk with her and I am amazed at how she juggles her demanding life.
In between shopping, eating, movies, pedicures, baking and chatting, Madsyn and I did get to go to Six Flags. We had such a fun time! I haven't been on rides like that ever! I am always with the little ones on the kiddie rides, and they didn't have roller coasters like that when I was growing up. I just about lost it 20 times-seriously. One of the rides went up and dropped us from a height of 25 stories. I kept thinking... "when is this going to stop falling?" In all the pictures from the rides I am screaming with my eyes tight shut. I don't think I ever saw a thing, except for when we took off. But I had so much fun just being one on one with my best girlfriend. I feel so lucky to have such a fun friend for a daughter. I am truly blessed.
Here is a special thank you to my sweet sister Sonia for making it all possible. We love you so much and miss you already. We can't wait for Bear Lake this summer!!
Duncan spent a whole afternoon creating this masterpiece. It is complete with Earth and the moon and sun and a comet barreling towards the earth to destroy it. If you look at the bottom right you can also see the Milky Way. I thought it was so wonderful and he worked so hard on it.
Madsyn had her 10th birthday party. It turned out to be a back to back birthday party with her girlfriend Erica. They started in the morning with All these girls going to the waterpark and swimming all day. Then they got dropped off at my house and we did pizza and all you can eat ice cream sundaes (which Madsyn wanted instead of cake). Then we watched "Twilight." There was lots of kissing of the TV going on. There was not much sleeping going on with the sleepover however. But let be honest, did we think there would be? Too many fun things to do and talk about! Happy Birthday Madsyn, we love you!!!
This past year for Christmas Theran gave Madsyn and I tickets to Dallas, Texas to visit my sister that lives there for a girls weekend. He set it all up with her and surprised us. We went this past weekend and had a BLAST!!! We ate way too much and shopped 'til we dropped and partied like rock stars. My sister Sonia is the most amazing hostess. She truly makes you feel like she has nothing better to do than to pamper and take care of you. Never mind that she is a full-time FBI agent (can I say that) busy keeping the world safe for all of us in ways we don't even see. She is raising two boys on her own while her husband is in Iraq, again keeping the world safe for us. Then she has he four doggies (babies), church job, and all the other things a mom, wife and woman of the world has to do. Every time I think I am busy, all I have to do is go visit or talk with her and I am amazed at how she juggles her demanding life. 
The biggest treat was just being with each other. It feels like a long time since we have been together. It had been over two years since Madsyn and her cousin Austin (in the white shirt) has seen each other. But it had been 5 1/2 years since she had seen her cousin Andrew (the balck shirt)! She kept marveling how much he had changed. They are both handsome, wonderful boys. I kept telling them they were "take home to mama cute" which they are. I give so much credit to Sonia and Barry for raising such wonderful boys. I hope I can do as well with mine. We missed Barry like crazy. He is doing his duty over in Iraq and we got to talk with him a few times, which was such a treat. We keep him in our prayers for Heavenly Father to bring him home safely. We also got to play with all her doggies/babies. She only has 4. She would have more but the state would make her get a kennel license, so she restricts herself to that amount. But I have to say how sweet they all are. Lucky they are loved so much because they have faces only their mama could love. Although (get jealous Alyssa) China, Sonia oldest pug, they tannish one actually was loving me while I was there. She would actually come and greet me first before greeting her own mommy. I wanted to take her home with me. She is the sweetest thing there is.
We shopped every day we were in Dallas. There are so many fun places to shop for all the girl essentials. We got so many fun things, some were needed but most were jut plain fun! Madsyn got herself and her Aunt Sonia matching hot pink glittery skull and cross bones necklaces so that they could match.
