A Day o' Cuteness

Jenna started her morning out with a yogurt bath. It's very good for your skin, and she really wanted to have that nice glow about her. 

 The after Ms. Independent put her own seatbelt on, we headed out to pick up Uncle Bretty from his job and take him home. However, we had to make a quick stop at Costco since it's right next to Brett's work. The two of them were frozen and equally excited by Toy Story playing in the entrance of Costco. They were so funny. I just adore these two. 

Remodel Day Twelve

The Freis and Berrys were back at it with us, bright and early this morning getting the master bedroom glazed before the carpet layers arrived. 

The living room and hallway all got glazed today as well. 

A close up of what the glaze looks like on the walls: 

 And as promised the carpet got laid in the craft room and master bedroom. 

And to round out the day, we put up our bed. Still not sleeping here though, the fumes are way too strong. 

Remodel Day Eleven

DAY ELEVEN BEFORE - Dining Room rug remnants: 

The second coat of texture was completed in the master bedroom.

 We hired Jordan Frei to help us out. He was key, because I am running out of steam. We got the ceiling  and walls painted in the living room, dining room, kitchen, pantry, and hall way. 

Got the master closet painted. 

 The patch in the living room got textured. 

The master bedroom got painted. 

And some surprised guests, Liisa Frei and the Berrys came and helped us paint the craft room. The carpet is being laid tomorrow so it was crucial that the craft room and master bed get finished before they get here to lay the carpet. They saved our hind quarters! 

 Seriously, how cute is he? 

Swiss Days & Park City

Casey, Jenna, and I did our first 5k together. Actually it was mine and Jenna's first 5k ever! It was the Santa Clara Swiss Days. It was a rough go there for a bit. Jenna wanted to push the stroller which slowed us down to the point of getting so far behind that the runners made their loop and and were running back before we made it half way. She eventually ended up and the stroller and we turned around. I would say we ended walking about half the course. Though it didn't go quite as planned, we still had a good time and I totally want to do it again. Plus as a little bonus, Casey bought her a new toy at the booths after the 5k while I was on my way north. She so has him wrapped around his little finger.

After the 5k, Casey took over watching Jenna while I went to Park City with my girls, Liisa Frei, Lisa Mitchell, Kay Berry, and Sheryl Kitchen. We drove up and I dropped them all off at the LDS Conference Center for the Women's Conference and I went and met up with Angie Gove, Michelle Taylor & Lisa Echols for dinner. It was a win-win situation; not only did I not have to go to Women's Conference, but I got to have dinner with my best friend and her sisters to boot.

Then I went and picked the girls back up and we headed to Park City. It was such a good time and the perfect little get away. I had to fly home Sunday night so I could get home for Monday. But even just 24 hours away was so rejuvenating. 

We happened upon a street fair and parade in Park City. It was full of silliness and fun! 

Love these women! 

The leaves were just starting to turn and it was absolutely stunning. 

It's Thursday Again!

I love Thursdays! We get to go to lunch with Grandma Liisa, Papa Stuart, and Uncle Bretty! We have the greatest time. Jenna adores her Uncle Bretty and it is so wonderful to watch how sweet their relationship is. And she loves how her Papa Stu feeds her salsa habit.

Uncle Brett the Injin

We went to watch "Uncle" Bretty Berry perform in the Special Needs Mutual play last night. He was so fantastic. We went to lunch with him earlier in the day and he was starting to get a bit nervous, but he performed marvelously! We went last year as well you can see it here. This year they did Peter Pan and Brett was a Indian. I got a little video of it. I'm discovering that my new iPhone isn't perfect after all. The pictures and video aren't fabulous. But I think you'll enjoy it nonetheless. Brett had quite the fan club there. I think there was probably 20-30 of us. How do you not love someone as genuine and loving as he is.

Jenna was just as entertaining at the play. She danced and clapped and sang along. I felt like my head was on a swivel Jenna-Brett-Jenna-Brett-Jenna. It was a great night.

Jenna dancing with Papa Stu

Jenna's ONE!

 

Jenna turned one today! Can you believe it? Because I can't. I think about what was going on one year ago today. It started out pretty much like any other and ended with me listening to her heart beat in a hospital nursery in Roosevelt, Utah. What? As the great Ferris Bueller once said, "Life moves pretty fast. If you don't stop and look around once in a while, you could miss it." But I regress...

We had the big blow out in San Diego as you can read about here. But we thought we would do a much scaled down version at home on her actual birthday. We had our local nearest and dearest join us and Casey's mom came down from SLC. It was a great time. Pretty laid back and full of cute. My dear friend Heather Kearl made Jenna not one but two AMAZING cakes. She is so talented. I printed 24 8x10's; two copies of one picture of each month she has been alive, and hung them all over the room. That's really as crazy as I got. And for those that know me, know that the was a feat in and of itself. Restraining my ever present need to over do it. What can I say, it's my mother in me. It was a genuinely wonderful night.

We are so very blessed to be surrounded by loved ones though living away from both of our families. We will forever be grateful for the Freis, Breinholts, Berrys, Mitchells, Henries, Kearls, etc. Can't believe how lucky we have gotten in the friend department. Thank you all for you unconditional love and support! 

Thought you might enjoy the invite too.

Picnic in the park

We went and had a picnic in the  park today with Uncle Matt, Grandma Liisa and Grandpa Nick, Papa Stuey, Rick and Kay Berry, and the Kitchens. It was so beautiful outside and we had such a nice time. Since we couldn't make it Weber State's football game, the least we could do was to get Jenna in her purple and use our Weber State blanket. Good times!

Adoption Finalization

We finalized the adoption today. It was such an amazing experience. Our judge, The Honorable Eric Ludlow, was so kind. Casey's friend and co-worker Todd Emerson agreed to be our lawyer for the procedures. He was amazing! After we were sworn in, Todd asked us a series of questions, starting with Casey. i.e. full name, age, how long we had been married, (cute Casey was so nervous he totally spaced on what our anniversary is. It was pretty funny.), if we have a good marriage, etc. Casey was so choked up, it was very sweet. Then it was my turn; full name, if I was a minimum of 10 years older then the child we were going to adopt (chivalrously not asking my age), whether she had been in our care since she was born, that we plan to care of her and raise her as if she were our natural child, etc. Then he asked our social worker, Kristy Barlow, of Children's Aid Society, a series of questions; who she works for, what her title is, whether she was licensed, if she had done our home study and found us to be fit parents, if she performed our post placement visits, the child's condition during the post placements, whether Courtney relinquished her rights, etc. Todd then submitted documents into the court records; our petition for adoption, the pre and post adoption evaluations, our background checks, the affidavit of adoption fees, and the finding of fact. The judge then reiterated to both of Casey and I that we understood that we were now 100% responsible for Jenna physically, emotionally, and financially including all rights of inheritance. He then asked me to read into the court records the names of all the fabulous friends and family that were in attendance in the galley. Until this point I had done pretty well at holding it together. But when I turned to see all the faces of love sitting behind us, I gave up the cause for lost. I introduced my mother-in-law Lorrie Madsen, and brother-in-law Matthew Madsen, our dear friends Nick and Liisa Frei, Brett Berry and Stuart Breinholt. The judge then read the Decree of Adoption (at which point, tears really started streaming), and I quote, "The Court, after having heard testimony in the matter of the adoption of Jenna Rose [last name of the birth mother], hereby decrees that Jenna shall be the lawful child of Petitioners Maclyn and Kate Malan Madsen, and that said child's name be legally changed to Jenna Rose Malan Madsen." signed The Honorable Eric A. Ludlow. My whole being was emitting love and awe. It was a moment I will never forget, and I was so grateful to have such loving people surrounding us to share it with us.