Madelyn's Birthday!

Today is Madelyn's 24th birthday, and I thought a fun way to celebrate would be to write 24 things that make Madelyn amazing....

In no order:

1. On the first day we moved into our new apartment we met our new neighbor. After we walked away from the neighbor I said "Well its nice to have a cop next door", Madelyn said "Why do you think he's a cop?". I was shocked that she did not notice the LARGE firearm on his shoulder. She told me that she was too distracted by his T-Shirt.... which she liked very much.

2. Madelyn worked at a job she absolutely hated for 4 months so we could be more comfortable.

3. I don't think she has ever spent more than 20 dollars on an item of clothing... but she always is getting compliments on her fashion choices.

4. Madelyn has recently discovered she is afraid of birds. She told me its because they don't have arms......

5. She can't hold a drink in her hand without her fingers on the seam of the cup.

6. We find the same weird stuff funny.

7. She knows her way around Austin better than I do. I am always asking her for directions.

8. I have never heard anyone say anything negative about Madelyn....

9. I don't think I have ever seen Madelyn 10 feet away from a water bottle.

10. Madelyn moved to Texas mostly for me. And even though she misses her family I think she's actually really enjoying it.... or she is pretending very well.



11. If Madelyn could buy any car she wanted, she would probably pick out a Honda, Saturn or Toyota. She has never cared or worried about "name brands".

12. I think Madelyn's favorite show on TV is Cash Cab. She watches is it everyday, and pauses the TV after ever question so she can answer it herself.

13. Madelyn LOVES surprises.... in fact, I am having to write this in the dark so she doesn't know about it.

14. Madelyn has extremely soft hair even though she washes it with Suave (the cheapest stuff you can buy.)

15. Madelyn will sacrifice even her birthday day to show everyone a good time.

16. She had been making me banana bread with chocolate chips in it since we've been married. I told her the other day that I really don't like the chocolate chips, she confessed that she also hates chocolate chips but had been putting them into the banana bread because she thought I liked it.

17. Madelyn has spent hours trying to understand what I do at work. She always takes an interest in what I'm doing.

18. She loves to get into her pajamas, it's always fun to see her get excited about it every night.

19. She can always make me laugh super hard. Madelyn is VERY funny.

20. Madelyn nearly collapses when she sees baby animals.... especially puppies.

21. We've been together for 5 years but it really seems like a lot less. Even after all that time we always are finding out new things about each other.

22. Madelyn and I have never gone through a whole day without talking to each other in the 5 years we've been together. We always have something to say.

23. We still have a TON of fun together.

24. Madelyn is still " the best lookin' thing I've ever seen"

Our World

Thanks to Google Maps I was able to create a little snap shot of me and Madelyn's surroundings. I thought it would be kind of cool to give eveyone an idea of what our environment looks like. Enjoy!

McAustinTX Map

My two weeks as a stay at home mom:

Well, after months and months of trying, Cody has finally convinced me to write my own blog! Well played sir, well played.

As some of you may know I have been previously working temporarily for a real estate development firm. Well, I pretty much hated that job and on Friday, April 27, my contract finally ended. Since my awesome husband has an awesome job, I felt like it would be a good opportunity to take a two week vacation before beginning the grueling process of finding another job. My sister Lacy who lives in beautiful Visalia, CA needed help moving into her brand new ginormous house (thanks Centex!). The stars seemed to align as everything fell into place (well, with a little help) and within 24 hours of my contract ending, I had a plane ticket in hand to California.

My flight had a three hour layover in Salt Lake and my wonderful family dropped everything to rush out to meet me at the airport with an always delicious Café Rio burrito! I was so grateful for that! We even had time to take a quick jaunt to Baskin Robbins for ice cream. I arrived in Fresno (or as Cody calls it: FresYes) late Monday night. Lacy let me sneak a peak at the sleeping baby Elly when we got to her house. She has grown a ton since I saw her at Christmas! Six months old is a big difference from six weeks old! Elly is so friendly! The first morning I was there she let me take her on a walk by myself. I thought she would freak out, but she didn’t.

I basically lived Lacy’s life for two weeks: I was awakened every morning by a tiny person either sitting on top of me or really close to my face, then we would all make the trek to the kitchen to have a little breakfast before we went to Stroller Strides® at the park. For those of you who don’t know, Stroller Strides is like an aerobics class where you take your baby with you and use the stroller in the exercises. It was actually really fun! Then, every day after stroller strides we would go look for window treatments—yes, every day. I am pleased to announce, that by the time I left each window had treatments planned and purchased! A few of them even got installed.

We also spent a large amount of time researching refrigerators. When it was time for Elly’s afternoon nap, and food for the grownups, we would go back home, put Elly down and watch Rachael Ray (or whatever else was Tivo’d) while we ate lunch. The first night I was there Brandon came home to find me making dinner and Lacy tending to the baby. Brandon was a big fan, “This is great! It’s like having two wives—one to make me dinner and the other to take care of my kids!” We also squeezed in dinner out with Lacy’s friends and a little bit of shopping for some clothes for the baby. I had such a great time and it was hard to leave. If it weren’t for my husband who was so so sad without me (and sick of frozen dinners) I might not have come home!

On the way back from Fresno I got to stop in Salt Lake for an extended layover. We were rushed and only had time for the necessities: another Café Rio Burrito, Greek Souvlaki, Forever 21, Old Navy (of course we had a coupon!), a party for Jacob’s 2^nd birthday and a nice Sunday Mother’s Day dinner! It sure was nice to see the fam, I can’t believe how big all of my nieces and nephews are! Next weekend my mom and dad are coming to Austin to visit for my birthday! I (or Cody) will have a cool blog post about that, so stay tuned.

(my mom at Old Navy..... we would do anything for a bargain)

Hot Fuzz: Go See This Movie

Madelyn and I see a lot of movies, many of which are worth recommendations to friends. But the latest movie we saw is worth a blog post..... GO SEE THIS MOVIE! Madelyn and I were both in agreement that we couldn't remember the last time we laughed harder at a movie. Little Miss Sunshine and Thank You For Smoking (go see these if you haven't)were the best comedies that came out last year, and this movie beats both of them. The movie is "Hot Fuzz" which is funny, smart, well acted, and has amazing writing. It's from the same people who made "Shaun of the Dead" and some of the same writers and cast from the original BBC "Office". It's the story of a London cop who is too good at his job and is making the rest of the department look bad. They decide to send him to a small town, where of course, he uncovers a huge crime ring. The movie was made as a satire of American Action movies, and they hit the nail right on the head. The last 20 minutes will have you rolling on the floor. It's rated R for language, and probobly some violence.... but its far from offensive. If you go and see it, highlight your experience by watching "Point Break" or "Bad Boys 2" before the show...... you'll understand after the movie.