Madi's Summer Break | The First Four Weeks, in Pictures.

We’re already a month into Madi’s summer break, which is just C R A A A A Z Y. Time is flying!  

I’m having such a great time with my mini me and I’m pretty sure she feels the same way.  We do almost everything together and have enjoyed our summer together so far!  Of course, our summer together would not be possible if it weren’t for Jack/Dad; he works hard so that I can stay home and just BE with Madi.  It’s all thanks to him that this is possible, which is a real blessing to Madi and I.  Jack/Dad is a real blessing to us!
Summer break started on June 1^st and for the first few days, Madi just vegged out.  Well, I guess I did a little veg’ing too.  :)  We watched movies and ate a lot of popcorn.  However, on June 4, we started our summer exercise routine, which basically consists of running. Lots of running.  I know, it sounds so wrong that I make my child go running during her summer break {her grandparents are feeling super sorry for her, let me tell you!}, but we’re doing this for Madi; to help her prepare for the upcoming Cross Country season.   It’s a choice she made at the end of the school year – to not continue swimming {btw, her last day was June 21 though I haven't withdrew her from it just yet} and to join the High School Cross Country team. She’s a swimmer, not a runner, so our number one goal this summer is to help her become a runner.


So, Madi’s Dad and I have been running with her  early in the mornings {at 6:30 because otherwise it is just too hot!} and in addition to the running she’s attending the High School Workouts three times a week.   It sounds like a lot for a 14 year old, who’s on summer vacation, and I’ll admit, it is.  But, she’s doing really great and most of the time {not always} she does it without complaint.  And, the best part is that she’s getting SO much better at running with each passing day!  For example, when we started running on June 4, she was only running a little over a mile before having to stop and walk.  Today, she is running 4 miles with NO walking breaks!  That is a fantastic improvement in just four weeks of training.  Also, she has dropped 2 minutes off her 5k time.  So, she’s working super hard and we are very proud of her hard work and of all the improvements she has made so far! There’s no telling what she’ll be doing by the end of summer!

Our summer hasn’t just consisted of running though; we’ve been able to have some fun too!  Because I want Madi to be able to look back on this time in her life, I’ve tried to take pictures and document the things she and I do together {along with her Dad when he is not working} and I plan to share them here on our blog throughout the summer for her sake and future reference.

I missed a few things here and there, but for the most part, this is the first four weeks of Madi’s summer vacation in pictures.

A rainbow or halo around the sun - Madi spotted this on our way to her Grandparents house, June 3, 2012



Madi and Sammy during our visit with her grandparents on June 3, 2012.

Watching her Dad practice his fly fishing skills - June 3, 2012

Madi's first ever High School Cross Country practice with the team & couch - June 5, 2012 *Madi had Cross Country Practice twice a week with her Cross Country team, but that was only for the first three weeks of summer.  It will pick back up in August.

Madi after her first High School Cross Country Practice on June 5, 2012. 
She was worn out!!

 Carly and Madison goofing around on the kiddy playground during our trip to Salado, Texas - June 6, 2012.

Poor donkey {or horse??}!  In Salado, Tx, June 6, 2012

 During our walk through the town of Salado, we walked past "The Inn at Salado" which is a beautiful historic bed and breakfast.  This picture hardly does it justice and was taken in the back of the Inn.  This is where most weddings take place and before we decided on Hawaii, Jack and I were thinking of getting married right there under that big oak tree.   June 6, 2012. 

Madi and I taking getting out of the sun near the Salado Creek. Thanks to Carly who took a picture, I have a picture of Madi and I from this day! June 6, 2012.

 

Madi, always the little cut-up! 

Madi and Carly - Salado, Tx on June 6, 2012.

That's better, Madi!

Carly, Bella and Madi watching "The Woman in Black" with Jack and I.   June 6, 2012.

The following are all pictures taken on June 7, 2012 during our {what we like to call} "Historical Marker Drive".  Madi and I have done it since she was a baby, it's just where we drive around looking for historical markers and learn about the history of the places around us.

Moffats Cemetery in Temple, Texas

 The Coryell County Courthouse.  It has a historical marker, but I don't have a picture of it.

Adamsville, Tx


Stanley Walker historical marker on the west side of US 281 in north Lampasas county.

 We stopped for a late lunch at "The County Seat Restaurant" in Lampasas, Texas

The bea-u-tiful Lampasas County Courthouse.

Hughes' Springs - off US 190 East of Lampasas.

Battle Branch historical marker, just entering Lampasas.  This marker is named for an event in the Horrell-Higgins Feud in 1877.  It's like the Hatfield's and McCoy's, but on a much, much smaller scale!

The Ogletree Stagestop and Post Office - A really, really neat old place in Copperas Cove, Texas.

That’s the end of the Historical Marker Drive pictures.  Now, the following pictures are from Madi and Carly’s day of tubing with Johnny Dad on June 8, 2012.

Madi and Carly tubing together. This was Carly's first time tubing and she did great!

Just Carly

Just Madi.

Madi pointing out a bird to me - LOL, she knows me too well!  :)  However, I didn't get a good picture of it. Boo.

 My girl.

 This is my favorite picture from this day - it perfectly sums up these two; always laughing, always smiling, always fun!

Madi helping her Granddad.

Olive Garden in Temple, Texas on June 9, 2012 - Madi took this picture of her Dad and I, but didn't want one of herself. 







Madi's first day of High School Workouts - June 11, 2012.  Workouts will last all summer long.

One of the small projects we worked on together for Madi's room - June 15, 2012.

We went to Crystal Lake the weekend of Father's Day.  This is one of my favorite pictures of Madi during our visit. Taken June 16, 2012

Another photo from Crystal Lake on June 16, 2012.  Madi, her Dad, Cami {her Grandma}, Jackson {with his feet in the air} & Johnny Dad {her Granddad}.

Madi being a HUGE help in the kitchen!  Making MoonPies for her Papa on June 18, 2012.

The MoonPies Madi and I made together for Papa for Father's Day! June 18, 2012.
 Madi and I hung out with her Dad and Bella - watching them do some fly fishing at Miller Springs on June 19, 2012.

 Madi - dog sitting for our neighbor and good friend, Brenda.   These to cuties are Rusty {the tan one with the HILARIOUS face} & Baloo.   June 21, 2012

Hanging out with Jason for a short time on June 25, 2012.  : )

6am comes mighty early and Madi needs a little boost most mornings before her run. So, Madi tried her first cup of Coffee on June 26, 2012 before our morning run.

 Our weekly treat - Starbucks frappe's!  We enjoyed these two on June 28, 2012 while taking a break from shopping.

Masks! Some fun, some freaky!  Pier 1 Imports -  June 28, 2012. Fun stuff!

 Madi helped me bake again on June 30,2012.  We made Coconut Petits Cakes for Cami's Birthday!

Madi giving Cami one of her gifts - June 30, 2012.



Need you now...

Hey y'all.  I just entered a Valentines Day photo contest on Photobucket.  I entered it to win a $200 prize pack from Photobucket.  The prize pack is a point and shoot camera which I would like to win for Madi.  I've never entered a contest that offers a prize before, so this is a first for me and I'm super excited to see how well the picture does.

Here is the picture I entered. 

I don't have a lot of Valentine's photo's - this one is from Valentines Day last year, taken by Madi.  I just doodled on the picture (last year) to make it more Valentine-y.  So, it's not the best Valentine's picture (it's awesome to me because it's of Jack and I) but it's the only one I have or could think of that I had to enter.  I just found out about the contest this morning and really want to win the prize so I hurried and entered this one. 

So at this time, I am asking YOU to please go to this link:

http://photobucket.com/ibeatyou?entry=1627754 and vote for the picture of Jack and I. 

I figured if I want to win the contest, I would have to bring in the big guns - you guys!  Although realistically I don't think we will win - some of the other pictures entered are a.m.a.z.i.n.g!!  Very heart warming and touching stuff!  But, it's worth a shot anyway.

Currently we are ranked at in 45th place!  Which is pretty amazing seeing that I entered the photo about a half hour ago and was ranked 5,546.  When I started writing this post we were in 91st place.  Wow.

The contest ends at midnight on Feb. 17th and I believe you can vote once per day.  So, there is still plenty of time for our picture to go up or come down in ratings.  I hope it goes up even more!

A big thank you to those of you who have already voted (that I know of) - Hope, Trina, Andrea, Lindsey C., Mom, Dad and Melanie!!!  Thank you guys SO much!!!

Also, thank YOU in advance for your vote.  :)

She's not a girly girl...

so she doesn't really like too wear dresses.  She prefers jeans and t-shirts, which I get, because I was the same way at her age.  To me, Madi is beautiful in no matter what she wears, but I really enjoy those rare occasions when she dresses up a bit.  Last night was one of those occasions.  One of her friends had her 13th Birthday party at a local community center here in Belton.  The Birthday girl requested that all of her guest dress up for dinner and dancing.  So, Madi was kind of forced to dress up and even though she wasn't over the moon about it, I was.

She looked so beautiful!  I, of course, took advantage of this rare moment by taking a few pictures of her before she left for the party.

~ She was ready early; just sitting around waiting to go and was not happy when I brought out the camera.  I didn't ask her to pose in this one, I just told her to stay like she was.

She was really not happy when I asked her to pose for the next two pictures...

But, she looked so beautiful, I couldn't resist having her pose for a few.  :)  She may not have enjoyed posing, but she loves the end product - the pictures!  Now, maybe I can get her to be my "model" more often. 

We are so lucky to have this child; a beauty both inside and out!  She's truly amazing - even when she's a drama queen about getting her picture taken!

A daughter is a miracle that never ceases to be miraculous...full of beauty and forever beautiful...loving and caring and truly amazing.

~Deanna Beisser

Not only is she super goofy....

She's super smart too!!  Really.

Madi got her first six weeks report card last week and I’m so proud to say that she made all A’s! You can’t do better than all A’s, so Jack and I are very happy/proud parents!

Madi pretty much always makes good grades, but this year (7th grade) started off at a frantic pace and for awhile Jack and I were worried, wondering is she would be able to keep up with all the school work plus all the swim practices and all extra curriculum activities with swim and choir. But she has really surprised us with fitting it all in and still getting all A’s! Awesome Job, Madi! You make us so proud!!

So, because Madison made such good grades and because we felt like she deserved a little fun, Jack and I let her go to the High School Homecoming football game and the Junior High Homecoming dance this past Friday night WITHOUT us! You guys already know how huge this is for Jack and me! We’re the type of parents who chaperone everything and get involved with the activities. But, we understand that we have to give Madi a little bit of space, it’s not healthy to not let her experience things (at this age anyway) without her parents breathing down her neck. So that’s why, when she asked if she and her best friend, Carly, could go to the game together without adult supervision, we said yes. She earned it and so did Carly, who I’m pretty sure has never made anything less than an A – ever!

Jack and I took the girls out to eat just before the game started and tried our best to prep them for the night ahead. We must’ve told them a thousand times to be safe, stick together, hide your money, don’t talk to strangers, call if there’s any fighting going on at the game, call if you need a sweater, call if you need anything, don’t leave the lighted areas, don’t walk outside of the football field until we text or call you to tell you we are standing there waiting, and the list goes on! We agreed to not chaperone, we didn’t agree not to give our safety speech or worry!!

Anyway, after dinner we drove the girls over to the High School and I walked them up to the ticket booth. We had started worrying long before we dropped them off, but now the questioning our decision began. Was it the right decision or were we bad parents for just dropping two twelve year olds off at a football game?? I mean really, what were we thinking??? And, because we obviously needed to feel even more negligent, Madi’s cell phone battery died just before half time! Nice! The one thing we hadn’t thought of – the cell phone battery! Thankfully, just as we were about to walk over to the stadium (it’s just right across the street from our neighborhood), Madi called to tell us that her battery was dying and that she and Carly were ready to come home to get ready for the dance. So, we went on over and met them outside the stadium.

As we walked home, Jack and I asked the girls tons of questions, but they really didn’t seem to mind. They were both very chatty and more than happy to talk about the fun they had at the game. They were so chatty that they came right out and talked about how Madi (our Madi, our baby!) was “touching Dalton’s hair” because “it was soooo soft”!!
*Madi, you’ll love reading this story someday I’m sure, but for now, you’re just going to be embarrassed that I shared that little fact!

I’ll skip writing about how Jack and I feel about the whole feeling-of-Dalton’s-hair-thing. I really don’t have the energy right now, but I will say that neither Jack nor I blew a gasket.

After a quick few minutes at home, Jack and I drove Madi and Carly over to the dance. The dance was held in a beautiful old church in downtown Belton. After talking with a super nice lady at the door, Jack and I felt much better about the kids’ safety. We were so glad it was held at a church and so relieved that the adults really seemed to care about what the kids would be doing while there.

The girls were safely home, chatting, laughing and eating homemade chocolate chip cookies by 11:30pm. It was the absolute best ending to a really hard night for Jack and me!! I’m pretty sure it was the best ending for Madi and Carly too!
I didn’t take pictures! Sorry!