Thanksgiving!!..... Finally!

Sorry it has taken so long to post about our Thanksgiving adventures in Colorado... We have been quite busy since we have been back! Anyway, we were able to spend Thanksgiving in Colorado at my dad's house for a week! We also had all the siblings there for the first time in almost 2 years! We had a blast! We spent most of the week hanging out up at the house spending "quality" time with each other! We wen't on many ATV and dirt bike rides and spent a lot of time visiting family. We had so much fun and miss everyone so much!

On Thanksgiving day we totally pigged out and played guitar hero.... like ALL day.

This is Tom and I rockin' out!

Earlier in the week we were able to throw a little bridal shower for my sister Casey (Congrats again by the way!). It was just a few close family members but we all had a great time!

Now, I know everyone pretty much just gets on here to see the little Madd-Man so here are a few of our favorites from the trip...

The whole week we were there Maddox LOVED playing in the kitty's water dish. He made a few messes :)

Cousins!!! I love that Ariana(sp?) had to be sitting in Maddox's bebepod chair!

Maddox opening his very FIRST present!

I was trying for the classic "cousins in the bath" picture..

On the last day in Colorado we were lucky enough to get some SNOW! Maddox didn't know what to think of it...

.........and we're home!!!

As much fun as we did have, it is always nice to return home! We have since begun getting ready for CHRISTMAS!!! Here is our beautiful tree....

WE HEART S.F.

This past week Tommy had to work at a convention in San Francisco. LUCKY US! Maddox and I went along for the ride and we all had such a fun time. We stayed right in the city so we had a great view (S.F. is the noisiest city I have ever TRIED to sleep in) but it was fun being in the middle of everything. Unfortunately, Tom had to work a little more than we thought so we weren't able to do all the things we wanted. He did have Monday afternoon off so that is when we got all the fun in! We went down to Fisherman's Warf. We went to lunch at "Boudin Bakery" and then walked down to Ghirardelli Square. We enjoyed some delicious desserts!

This was taken at our 1 year anniversary trip...

...and this is 17 months and a baby later....

So, during the rest of the week while Tommy was working I hung out with our friend Mindy and her two kids. We spend most of our time walking around all the shops and took another trip down to Fisherman's Warf to collect a few souvenirs. Anyway, here are a few favorite from the trip....

These robot guys are soo fun!

Hanging out down by the bay.

They are too cute!

This one isn't of anything particular, just the cutest little boy, EVER.

So, that was our little getta-way. It was so much fun to go on a little mini vacation together. Tom and I usually go our separate ways when it comes to traveling so it was so much fun for the three of us to be there together.

Well, we will be doing a lot of traveling over the next 2 weeks. We are going to Las Vegas for Tommy's LAST WORK WEEK (in vegas, I mean!). WooHoo! Well, its bitter sweet. I will miss the free trips to visit our friends and family but it will be good for us to stop traveling so much. Anyway, after Las Vegas we will head up to Utah to see my friend Ashley get married (YAY). Then we will go to Colorado to spend Thanksgiving with my dad and brother and sisters. I am so excited for these events, not so excited about traveling for 2 weeks! I'm sure it will be worth it!

Nap Lately?!

This is how I found Maddox this morning. He wore himself out!

HaPpY hAlLoWeEn!!!

So, we spent our Halloween weekend in San Diego. We were so excited to get out of the heat and into some good weather! We had so much fun while we were there... Our Halloween day started at the Birch Aquarium in La Jolla. For some reason I had been dying to go to an aquarium and since Phoenix doesn't have one, that was at the top of my list to do! Anyway, it is a pretty small one but we still had so much fun...

So, after we were done with the aquarium it was time to get all ready for Halloween night! Thanks to Nana Winfree, Maddox had the cutest lion outfit. I'm not sure he liked it so much but I thought it was darling! (yes, I just called him "darling") Anyway, we spent the night visiting friends and passing out candy with the family.

This is right when we had put the outfit on. I can only imagine what he was thinking...

So, that was our Halloween. Maddox was so much fun and loved seeing all the little kids dressed up. Thanks to Tommy's parents for "putting us up" for the weekend and sharing Maddox's first Halloween with us. We had a blast!

Well, the rest of the weekend we stayed pretty busy. Saturday morning we went to the soccer game of one of the little girls that I used to nanny for. She has gotten so big! It was fun to visit with them for a little while. Later on, I went to get my hair done, I am now a brunette! ( I will post pictures later..) It was just time for a change... I really like it, though it will take some getting used to! Anyway, while I was getting my hair done Tommy was out rallying for Prop. 8 (to proctect marriage between man and woman). There were hundreds of people there which was pretty cool. We will see how big of an impact he made tomorrow..........

Well, that was our weekend away in California. Now, we will be home for 5 days then we will be off to San Fransisco! Tommy will be working up there for a few days so I am going along with him to see the sights! Life is crazy but we are loving every moment of it....

Time to get the baby gates up....

IT IS OFFICIAL. Maddox is CRAWLING!!!! Tommy was playing with him in his room while I was getting laundry done and all of a sudden, Tommy is whisper-yelling at me "HE'S CRAWLING". I cannot believe my baby is crawling! In the video he is wearing a sleep sack which I am sure makes it a little difficult but, he did it!!

Trunk or Treat!

So, this was our first official "trunk or treat". I am sure we will be attending them for the next 20 years, but we kicked it off to a great start tonight. The evening started with a chili dinner. ( I signed up for dessert and made about 5o black and orange rice krispie treats) The food was delicious as it usually is at church events. We had a really great turn out with a few investigators. We are new in the ward so this was a really great way to get to know more people. Tom signed up to decorate our car and pass out candy. Of course, the best part of the night was... Maddox!! Tonight he went as our little cowboy...

Now this picture isn't from tonight but I think it is just such a cute picture of Maddox... He is a happy kid!

So, this was our trunk or treat experience and it was a good one. I guess we will go again next year... Anyway, we are heading to San Diego on Thursday to spend Halloween with Tommy's parents. We are so excited! They pretty much deck their house out and it is soo much fun!

I guess I should update everyone a little.. Maddox has TWO teeth! They are so stinking cute.. I should try to get a picture of them when he is smiling or something. He still isn't quite crawling yet but is sooo close. He can now go from being in the crawling position to the sitting position. Tommy caught him eating popcorn today! We deffinately have to keep an eye on this one!

If you want to destroy my sweater...

So last weekend we were able to go to the state fair and go see Weezer in concert. We were also able to see Tommy's favorite band, Angels and Airwaves. Tommy's buddy hooked him up with tickets and backstage passes.. We had so much fun, and Tommy was in heaven!

This is Tommy with the drummer from Weezer.

The night before the concert we went miniature golfing with some friends of ours. According to the score sheet I think I won but I am also pretty sure Tommy was cheating for me. Not to say I am not a great golfer, because I am!!.. but, I think Tommy was fudging a bit when filling out the score cards! It was especially fun because the course was all spooked out for haloween. We had a lot of fun!

The BIG 7 MONTHS

Alright, so Maddox turned 7 months on Monday. He weighs around 16.8 lbs (50%). He is 27 1/4 inches long (95%).. And I forgot his head circumference but that is the 50% as well. He loves to eat (if you haven't noticed from previous posts), he loves to bang on things, and his favorite game is peek-a-boo. It seems like there is always something new that he is doing. He cannot crawl yet but tonight he figured out how to get around.... Well, kind of. I swear he was "scooting" better, we just didn't get it on camera!

To Nana's House We Go!

Maddox and I just returned from our second trip to Texas. We had so much fun! We spent most of our time taking it easy, learning some delicious recipes, and working on the new house. That's right, working. :) My mom and step-dad are building their dream home and they were lucky enough to get our help on it! :) By the time we left the walls were up and it was really starting to take form. We are so excited for it to be done!

Well, our first night in town we went out to eat with my grandparents. We went to eat at Houston's and Maddox loved it! His new favorite dish... Spinich dip. We have a pop-eye on our hands! Being stir crazy from our flight, he was getting difficult to keep happy, until he got ahold of the spinch dip....

So the rest of the time, we would take it easy at home where Maddox liked to explore...

.... and play....

...and be silly...

(I swear that my hair is his favorite thing!)

We also were able to meet my soon-to-be brother-in-law, hang out with my step brother and his wife, and we got to spend time with some old friends!

Monday Night Football

For some reason Tommy was so excited about the Charger's game this week so we had to do everything right. We had to have "game food". We had to WOOT and YELL for the Charger's. Best of all though, we had to deck our kid out in Charger's gear (special thanks to Erin Berry!).

He was soo cute in that thing!

This is how Maddox fell asleep after church on Sunday. He is a hard worker.

We Don't Stop

So, about a week after we moved into the new place, we left for sunny San Diego! Our friends Colby and Corinne were married so we went to attend their reception. We had a blast, as we always do when we go back. It was a pretty relaxing trip which was nice after a hectic week of moving. We took Maddox down to the beach for the first time and just plain hung out! After San Diego, we had a work week in Las Vegas. While Tom was VERY busy with work, I was busy hanging out with family and friends. We spent time with "GiGi", Tommy's grandmother who recently had a fall. I was able to see some old friends and spent a lot of time with Kelly, Tommy's cousin. Later on in the week, Tommy lucked out! His cousins had an extra ticket to the BYU/UCLA game so his wonderful wifey let him go for the weekend to Utah :) I didn't have such a bad time myself! I went to Lake Mead to celebrate Kylie's 8th birthday. That was a fun and interesting trip (to say the least!). Glad to say BYU killed UCLA and I made it back from the lake alive! Anyway, here are some recent pictures...

Stacey and Mad-Dog. They are best friends!

Daddy and Maddox at the beach. Notice Maddox holding up a "number one" finger. He is already taking after Tommy....

Now here are a few new favorites...

Tommy tried taking his shirt off... pretty cute!

Maddox's first time in a restaurant high chair. He loved it.

Teething biscuit... I had to hose him off when he was done.

Hello, Goodbye

Well, as some of you know, we recently moved. We were sooo excited!! Our old house was just too big and the maintenance was a killer and.. the scorpions. Don't get me started on that problem. Anyway, so we moved about a month ago and we are slowly getting settled in our new place. It is a 3 story, 2 bedroom condo. We lost about 700 sf from our last place. Needless to say, we are a little cramped but we love it! We will post pictures of the place once it gets all decorated.

Anyway, I feel like I should give a little update since it has been so long since we have posted anything. Tommy's job is going very well. We recently got news that he will be moving to the diabetes division at the begining of the year. We are so excited about this! Megan is doing well. She is trying to get the new house put together. She has begun a few new craft projects and is loving watching Maddox grow! Oh Maddox... He is getting so big! He sits up on his own (for about a month now). Our little 6 month old has so much to explore! He has begun teething and is getting over his first cold. Also, on Monday we started him on his Veggies. So far, so good.. Take a look!

Anyway, that is what has been new with us in the past month. Coming up, Maddox and Megan are going to Texas for 8 days to visit Megan's family. During that time, Tommy has meetings in San Diego. It seems like we can never stay home for more than 2 weeks or so! Maddox sure is a trooper as we travel!

Gold Medal Eater

So the other night TOMMY was feeding Maddox while watching the Olympics. Our little Maddox loves his food and really can't get enough. This particular feeding session was hilarious because he couldn't get enough, fast enough! These pictures will explain...

"Mom, get that thing out of my face so I can keep eating!!"

Just watching the Olympics...

Ok, please note how huge he has his mouth open, ready to attack the next bite! He is serious about this food business.

Sick, Birthday, Baseball Game

Well, it has been a wild past few days! I will start with the "sick" part of the post. Wednesday night I woke up around 1am and my body felt like I had been hit with a train and I had the shivers like crazy. In Arizona in the middle of the summer, I had to put on sweatpants, two shirts, and sleep with a heating pad to keep me warm enough.. I was shivering so bad it woke Tommy up around 4am. He stayed up with me until I could fall asleep and in the morning he took charge! He totally took care of Maddox and tried to make sure that I was able to rest. We had done some research and had figured out I had mastitis. For those of you who don't know what that is, look it up. I don't feel like sharing all those details! :) Anyway, he tried calling my doc. whose phones were down so he decided to drive the 15 minutes over there! He got the prescription I needed and continued to take care of Maddox all day while I rested in bed. Unfortunately, Maddox also came down with a fever. Luckily, it wasn't anything a little Tylenol could fix. Now, a few days later, I am feeling almost back to normal... a few little aches and pains but I am doing well.

Before I go any farther, I just want to thank you Tommy. Thank you for helping me when I felt helpless. Thank you for being there for our little one when I couldn't be. Thank you for taking charge and doing whatever you could to make sure that I got better. Thank you for being the best husband and father that you know how to be. I LOVE YOU!!!

Alright, so Friday was my birthday! It was very low key which I didn't mind because I was sick.. But it was amazing! We spend the morning in Flagstaff (getting out of the heat!) cause Tom had to do some work up there. When we did finally get home we opened presents. My mother got me a charm for my charm bracelet, Tom got me a beautiful watch and a few other little things, and I got lots of loving cards from our family. Thanks everyone!! Anyway, after that Tom whipped out a Fondue Set!! Oh that was soo much fun! We made a cheese fondue and dipped breads and meat. Then we did a chocolate fondue and dipped all kinds of fruits! We had never done fondue before so it was a fun experience! Anyway, that was my birthday, sweet, simple, and perfect!

Alright, so Saturday night we were invited to go to an Arizona Diamondbacks baseball game. Tom was hesitant because he hates this team with a passion but we had nothing else to do... So we met up with a few friends and had a great time...

There he is, always with his binky!

Me and my baby!

We are a happy family!

Oh, and I must add, the Diamondbacks LOST!!!

Our Little Slugger

Well, as some of you know, Tom plays baseball in a city league here in Phoenix. He had a game this weekend so I thought it was only appropriate to dress Maddox in his baseball best!

....and there he is! Our future slugger!

Well, the Hainline family is embarking on a new adventure.. well, kind of. At least a new house! We will be moving into a condo across the street in about 2 weeks! Tom and I are extremely excited to be moving into a place that is the right size for our family. As you know, we have been living in a house that has been a little too big for just the three of us. It has also brought a number of headaches ranging from scorpions, to cats, to just plain throwing our money away! So, I have gotten busy packing and getting ready for the move. Thankfully, Tommy's sister, Stacey, will be coming out to help me with Maddox for a few days! We can't wait to see her and we can't wait to be in a new place!

Before I was a mom:

I saw this on a friends blog. I loved the poem because it expresses the joys of being a mommy! It brought tears to my eyes because I too LOVE being a mom!

Before I was a Mom-

I never tripped over toys or forgot words to a lullaby.

I didn't worry whether or not my plants were poisonous.

I never thought about immunizations.

Before I was a Mom -

I had never been puked on.

Pooped on.

Chewed on.

Peed on.

I had complete control of my mind and my thoughts.

I slept all night.

Before I was a Mom-

I never held down a screaming child so doctors could do tests or give shots.

I never looked into teary eyes and cried.

I never got gloriously happy over a simple grin.

I never sat up late hours at night watching a baby sleep.

Before I was a Mom-

I never held a sleeping baby just because I didn't want to put him down.

I never felt my heart break into a million pieces when I couldn't stop the hurt.

I never knew that something so small could affect my life so much.

I never knew that I could love someone so much.

I never knew I would love being a Mom.

Before I was a Mom -

I didn't know the feeling of having my heart outside my body.

I didn't know how special it could feel to feed a hungry baby.

I didn't know that bond between a mother and her child.

I didn't know that something so small could make me feel so important and happy.

Before I was a Mom -

I had never gotten up in the middle of the night every 10 minutes to make sure all was okay.

I had never known the warmth, the joy, the love, the heartache,the wonderment or the satisfaction of being a Mom.

I didn't know I was capable of feeling so much, before I was a Mom.

Maddox has been such a blessing to us. I can't ever imagine our lives without him. Each day is a new adventure with new developments made and milestones crossed. When I lay down at night, I can't wait to wake up and see that beautiful smile of his. When I see those big blue eyes look up at me, my heart just melts. He is such a sweet little baby boy.

I am totally head over heals in love with this little one!!!

Island Park, Idaho!!

Before we get into our vacation, Tom has requested that this should be the first thing anyone see..

Alright, this was our final stop on our vacation route! As I mentioned before, Tommy's family has a few cabins up in Island Park and we were fortunate enough to make it up there for a week to spend time with family. It was so fun and we are pretty bummed to be home! I think Tommy fished about 20 hours out of the day! He loved it! We spent lots of time on the 4 wheelers and on the river! We visited Yellowstone, Big Springs, and Mesa Falls.. it was soo beautiful!

We've got LOTS of pictures!

Kaylee, my dad, Maddox, and I in Yellowstone.

Maddox and I at Old Faithful!

Grandpa and Maddox.... Oh they were soo cute together!

Haha, alright, we had gone to walk around the hot springs and when we got back to the truck, from a distance all I saw was this little head bobbing around. It was funny...

Maddox pooped out on aunt Stacey's legs after a long morning at Uncle Tom's!

The three of us at Mesa Falls.

Stacey and Mad-Dog, the dynamic duo!

Maddox's first time on an ATV! This is for you dad!

Well there you have it! Just a few pictures from our Idaho adventures!