Micha & Pam's Blog

Ellie’s Newborn Photos

2012-01-26T06:46:00.001-08:00

Sorry but this is going to be a picture overload. We did Ellie’s newborn pictures when she was 6 days old. My friend Andrea took them and did such an AMAZING job! (You can check out her other work Here) I am so happy with how they turned out and I am having a hard time deciding on my favorites. The session started a little rough. We stripped her down to do the naked shots. First she peed everywhere and then she was wide awake and very wiggly. So, I fed her and got her to sleep. Once she was asleep, she stayed asleep the entire time.

Love this one!

While we were in the hospital, there was a photograph in our room of a baby with these big flowers on her bloomers. I knew I wanted some pictures like it so I told Andrea about it and she delivered perfectly. I LOVE how they turned out!

Another favorite…

Go HOGS!!

Our Little Ballerina

I am glad we got at least one while she was awake!

Snug as a Bug in a Rug….

I love this one of her smiling and her little toes and fingers sticking out.

Ellie Harper Bailey

2012-01-25T07:31:00.001-08:00

I will have to post more pics of her birth later. My dad and Marji were both taking pics with their nice cameras so I am waiting to get those (hint hint Marji :)

Grandma DeVaux

Grandma Bailey

Coming home from the hospital

Big Sister Olivia

Daddy and Ellie

Madison and Ellie

Meet our newest addition, Ellie Harper Bailey. She was born January 12, 2012 at 7:29 pm. She weighed 7 lbs 6 oz and was 20 inches long. This little girl made us wait patiently until her due date to make her arrival(she was well worth the wait). I had gone to my doctor on Jan. 11 hoping he would tell me I was dilated to an 8 and it was time to have this baby. Uh, not even close!! I hadn’t changed from the week before and was still a 2. I called Micha and yelled at him because it was obviously his fault and then I was just frustrated thinking this child would never come. I knew all along that I would have her very close to the due date and I was fine with that, I just didn’t want to go past my due date. I also didn’t want to be induced, I would rather her come when she is ready(plus I heard the labor is a lot harder when you are induced). Anyways, I got up the next morning and decided to just have a lazy day and enjoy it. My friend Andrea called me around 8:30 and I was telling her there was no change and I had no idea when this girl was coming. As I was talking to her I walked into the kitchen to get Livy some food and there was a sudden “Gush”. I calmly told her my water just broke and I would have to let her go. I immediately called Micha and told him my water broke and to come and get me. I wasn’t having contractions at this point and wasn’t sure when they would start up. I jumped in the shower, got dressed, put some makeup on, made beds, and got my bag ready while I waited on Micha. He got home and we dropped Livy off at Grandpa Bill’s and headed to the hospital. I was admitted and the waiting game began! The contractions started up so they gave me that wonderful pain medicine that just makes you feel happy and tired at the same time. A couple hours later I got my epidural, but it only took on my right side so they had to redo it. Once they got it right I was GREAT. My mom & dad and Micha’s mom were there to keep us company. Micha and my dad were doing their usual lame jokes with all the nurses that came in(they think they are pretty funny). My doctor finally got there about 7:00. I pushed for about 9 minutes(it felt like a whole lot longer!!) and our sweet little Ellie was born. We stayed in the hospital 2 nights and came home Saturday afternoon. Ellie has been an amazing baby!! She rarely cries, eats great, and sleeps even BETTER! I am hoping this isn’t temporary! We feel so blessed to have another healthy daughter.

Madison’s Baptism

2012-01-10T16:01:00.001-08:00

Madison was very excited about her dress and picked it out herself. I had another one picked out but she didn’t approve. I thought she made the perfect choice.

Madison with Micha’s Parents, her Primary Teachers- The Davis’s, and my parents.

This was the actual dress that Madison was Baptized in. It is the dress that me and all my sisters wore on our Baptism Day. Maddy was excited to be wearing such a special dress. When she tried it on I asked her what she thought and she responded, “I like it except for this collar, it looks like an old lady collar.” So, we tucked in the collar and she was happy.

Madison turned 8 which meant she was able to get baptized. She has been looking forward to it for the past couple of months. I had been stressing about it for the past couple of months with a new baby on the way. We decided to go ahead and set a date for January 7 (6 days before my due date) and go from there. We didn’t have anyone coming from out of town so a reschedule wouldn’t have been that big of a deal. The Baptism turned out wonderful. Madison asked both Grandmas to speak and they did amazing jobs. Micha baptized and confirmed her. Her uncles and grandpas were also able to stand in on the confirmation (it was a large circle). I am so proud of Maddy and her decision to be baptized and the young lady she is turning in to.

Happy 8th Birthday Madison!!

2012-01-06T11:57:00.001-08:00

Wow!!! How is my baby girl 8 years old?? She has grown up so fast and is an amazing daughter. She helps out with Olivia a lot!! Olivia wants to play with Maddy 24/7 and Maddy is very good about taking time to play with her every day. She is also a great help around the house(which has been awesome these past couple of months). She does dishes, laundry, makes her bed, and cleans her room. Madison has such an outgoing personality that I admire so much. I was always very shy, especially in new situations, but Maddy thrives on being seen and heard wherever she goes. Every time I go to her school, a teacher or worker always stops me and comments on how much they love Maddy. Just today, I went and ate lunch with her and one of the teachers came up and said how sweet Madison is. She said that Madison always speaks to her and asks her “How are you doing today”. Madison LOVES school and learning. She excels in reading and math. Her teacher commented to me that if Madison wasn’t so social she could leave Maddy in charge to teach the class. Madison is in her 4th year of dance and really loves it. She has always loved music and is never afraid to shake her booty to the beat. Maddy is very excited for the arrival of her new little sister but is glad she didn’t come today on her birthday(so am I).

Happy Birthday Maddy! We love you!!

Christmas Morning

2012-01-01T19:20:00.001-08:00

The only 2 things Maddy had asked Santa for was a 3DS and an Ipod touch. She was thrilled when she opened them.

A Dora Bike was on the top of Livy’s list and she was so excited when she opened it.

I love that Maddy is so excited and happy to get clothes as gifts!

Livy also really wanted a “Huniporn Pillow Pet”(Unicorn).

The girls trying out their new DS games

Ready for Church.

We had a wonderful Christmas morning. Madison came in our room at 4:00 am and I immediately sent her away. She went in her room and watched TV until 5:00 and came back in and asked if she could open her stocking. I told her yes and don’t come back in until 6:00. She was back in at 6:00. Micha and I finally rolled out of bed at 6:30 and woke Olivia up. Olivia opened her stocking and then it was present time! Olivia just kept saying, “Me want another present” after every present. Both girls were very happy and satisfied with all their gifts. I love watching the excitement and joy on their faces as they opened their presents. Micha and I got I-phones for each other and we are LOVING them. My favorite gifts this year was my Dior Perfume and TOMS. TOMS are SO comfortable and I wish I would have gotten them months ago. They are perfect for my prego fat feet! After opening everything we had to rush and get ready for church. We came home from church for about an hour(just enough time for me to get a quick nap) and then headed over to the Bailey’s to do Christmas with them. We did our traditional “hidden money in bags of candy.” I was the first one to find all of my money, what can I say, I have a nose for cash and can find it! Overall we had a fabulous Christmas.

Now we are preparing for Maddy’s 8th Birthday and Baptism this weekend and the arrival of our newest little one(due next week). We are hoping she waits to make her appearance after the Baptism but I am prepared either way! Maddy keeps saying, “I might be spending my Birthday at the hospital”. For her sake I hope that isn’t the case. January will be another busy and exciting month for us.

Christmas Eve- Part 2

2011-12-28T08:05:00.001-08:00

After getting home from Hot Springs, the girls got into their pajamas and got things ready for Santa. Livy wanted to leave a treat for the Reindeer too. They were so excited!!

The Stockings were hung by the Chimney with Care…..

The Children were nestled all snug in their beds….

Christmas Eve

2011-12-28T07:25:00.001-08:00

The kids digging in to our Christmas Eve Dinner

All the grandkids acted out Luke 2 while Uncle Jim read it. It turned out pretty cute and the kids really enjoyed it. These are the 4 Angels- Averi, Olivia, Ada, and Kaylee.

Madison was Mary.

After Luke 2 it was time to open presents. We draw names among all the grandkids. Maggie had Olivia and got her Squinkies and a Squinkies Holder. She was very excited to get her collection started!

Madison got an Ipod docking station from Grandma and Grandpa. She definitely isn’t a little kid anymore, completely out of the toy phase!

David got her a very pretty Baptism Necklace, makeup, and a calendar. She loved it all.

After presents, the kids decorated cupcakes.

We spent Christmas Eve in Hot Springs with my parents. The kids always have a good time at Grandmas and never want to leave. We had an untraditional but delicious Christmas dinner consisting of steak, grilled shrimp, and twice baked potatoes. It was wonderful to spend the day with part of my family. This Christmas Season, Madison has continually reminded us that being with family is the best gift of all and I would have to agree with her(she is one smart girl and is usually right about things). There is nothing sweeter than celebrating the Birth of Christ with the ones you love.

Breakfast with Santa

2011-12-13T08:09:00.001-08:00

Maddy’s school did a Breakfast with Santa. Both girls were eager to sit on Santa’s lap and tell them what they wanted for Christmas. Olivia told him a Dora Bike and Maddy requested an Ipod touch and a DSI. After sitting on Santa’s lap, we ate pancakes and the girls made a frame for their picture with Santa.

The countdown is on now for the arrival of our third girl. I have about 4 weeks left and I’m so ready……….kind of. Now that this semester is over I have been able to concentrate on getting everything ready for her. I know these next couple of weeks will fly by and she will be here before we know it! We have Christmas, New Years, and Maddy’s Birthday and Baptism to get through before this little dear arrives. I keep telling Maddy that she might be sharing a Birthday with her little sister!

Thanksgiving

2011-12-07T09:29:00.001-08:00

Cousin Sleepovers are the girls Favorite!! This is Maggie, Livy, Maddy, and Gabby. (oh and Winston too)

Maggie and Livy spending some time together. These girls have really missed each other.

Uncle Gabe took a red eye flight to get here. All the kids were excited to see him!

A little playtime at the Andersons

DeVaux Family Picture-6 Kids, 3 In-laws, and 12 grandkids with 1 on the way! I think it turned out pretty good if you ignore my pregnant, chubby self!

All the kids were happy to be done with picture taking and took advantage of all the leaves.

Gabby and Maddy giving Aunt Trish a makeover. She looked beautiful! You can never have too much pink blush:)

Baby Parker and Averi-the 2 youngest grandchilren

Livy wasted no time digging in to the Thanksgiving Feast!

The Big Kids Table. We tried to tell Gabe that he still belonged at this table but he just wouldn’t listen!

Madison waiting to eat! Aunt Jenny’s fat arm is in the way of her food!

Olivia crawled into Micha’s lap(this never happens) after lunch and playing and went right to sleep!! She had herself a great Thanksgiving nap!! Love this sweet pic!

This was a GREAT Thanksgiving. It was the first time in almost 4 years that all of my family has been together!! We usually go to Branson with the Baileys for Thanksgiving but we went in July this year. It had been 8 years since I spent Thanksgiving with my family so I was really EXCITED. Trish, Jenny, and Gabe all came in from Utah and Idaho, but not without several travel issues. Our Cousin Marcie and her family came in from Dallas. It’s always nice to spend time with extended family you aren’t able to see much. We are glad they came! In the end, everything worked out and we had an AMAZING Thanksgiving.

Halloween

2011-11-02T16:19:00.001-07:00

I think Maddy’s favorite part of Halloween is getting to put makeup on! Livy is making weird faces in all these pics b/c of the lipstick, she won’t put her lips together when she has it on. She finally told me, “This lipstick is bugging me, take it off.” Our Goody table. We had fun making all the treats and had even more fun eating them! FYI- Nutterbutter cookies dipped in white chocolate=AMAZING

The girls were so excited for Halloween this year. Maddy knew exactly what she wanted to be, an Army Girl. Livy, knew she wanted to be a princess and went back and forth between Sleeping Beauty and Snow White. She finally decided on Snow White when I showed her a picture of the costume, she was convinced. I am not one who usually makes costumes, but this was so cute that I had to attempt it. I think it turned out pretty cute, but most importantly, Livy LOVED it! We had family and friends over for a little Halloween party and Trick-or-Treating. We did the usual Hot Dogs, cheese dip and lots of treats. By the time the party started I was exhausted and didn’t take pictures of anyone! Hope everyone had a Happy Halloween!!

Random Pics

2011-10-19T18:07:00.001-07:00

I had Snow White sleeping in by bed! The girls and Micha at Sophie’s Birthday Celebration We have had some beautiful weather lately and its perfect for picnics at the park!!

BFFAs(Best Friends Forever & Always) Maddy & Ana

Maddy’s Best Friend Ana moved to Kansas City over the summer. Maddy has missed her SO MUCH!! They were in town so I checked her out of school and we went to Larry’s Pizza for lunch with them.Scarlett, Maddy, Ana, and Ella

Matthew, Livy, and Kaylee The girls helping me make icing.

The Spotlight's on Maddy

2011-10-04T20:27:00.000-07:00

Madison's class spotlights one student a week and it was her turn this week. I love how she said she loves to play with her sister, but it bugs her when she gets into a fight with her(which is how all their playing ends). And it was so sweet that she said what she hates the most is waiting for dad to come. Micha and Maddy have a special bond and love spending time together. Micha has been working very long hours lately so Maddy has really been missing him! I enjoyed reading all Maddy's responses and her teacher's comments.

9th Anniversary

2011-09-27T06:47:00.000-07:00

September 27, 2002

2004

Thanksgiving 2007

Christmas 2007

May 2008

July 2008

Easter 2009

My Birthday 2010

4th of July 2010

October 2010

My Birthday 2011

July 2011

It's hard to believe that we are celebrating our 9th anniversary!! I am way too young to have been married for 9 years! These past 9 years have been filled with some of the best days of my life as well as some of the hardest. I feel so blessed to be married to to such an amazing and selfless man. I am grateful for the friendship and love that has grown over these years. I only hope he can put up with me for many more years to come! Here is a little bit of what our 9 years have consisted of:

2 apartments, 1 townhouse, and 3 houses
Micha in school for 7 years, earning his Bachelors and Masters Degree
Pam in school for the past 4 years, graduating in December!
4 job changes for Micha
One huge move across country to Utah
Another move back HOME to Arkansas
2 Beautiful daughters and one on the way
LOTS of Sushi and Mexican Food
Tears
Laughter
And Countless Blessings

Happy Anniversary Micha Cain!!

I LOVE You!!

September Already!!

2011-09-08T18:22:00.001-07:00

We went to Grandma and Grandpa DeVaux’s for Sunday dinner. The kids took advantage of the cooler weather and played outside most the day. Gotta have popsicles at Grandmas!

We are finally enjoying a cool down here in Arkansas!! I didn’t think the heat and humidity were ever going to end. With such perfect weather, we decided to go miniature golfing. Livy loved it and exclaimed, “Woohoo, I win” after “putting” the ball in on every hole. I kept my winning streak going against Micha. I don’t think he has ever beaten me, who cares if it was only by a point. A win is a win!

I can’t believe it is September!! We are in the full swing of school. I began classes a couple of weeks ago. This should be my LAST semester, I am taking my final 4 classes!! I am so ready to be DONE. This pregnancy is flying by, I am over half way done!! I went about three weeks ago for the ultrasound and our fears were confirmed…………Another GIRL! :) All we could do was laugh. Poor Micha is way outnumbered, he doesn’t have a chance.

Madison Starts 2nd Grade

2011-08-15T19:17:00.001-07:00

Ohhh Maddy-cakes!! How did you grow up so fast?

She was soooo EXCITED to start 2nd grade! It was up in the air all summer long which school she was going to attend. We had moved to another school district during the year but really wanted to keep her in the same school. Long story short, a week before school started, we got it approved for her to stay at the same school. Maddy was so HAPPY!! So she is back at Collegeville for the second year. We went to open house and everyone was so happy to see that Maddy got to come back. Mrs. Stroud is her teacher and after meeting Maddy she said to me, “She seems like the type of student I could leave in charge.” That’s my Maddy!! Maddy was thrilled to see she had several friends in her class. She woke up this morning and got ready before I ever woke up. When I picked her up and asked her how the first day was, she responded,”Second Grade is So AWESOME! I didn’t get any tickets pulled and I got 2 sand dollars for being good.” Sounds like a successful day to me!

Livy Loves Laundry

2011-08-03T10:49:00.001-07:00

Livy loves to “play” laundry. This is how she does it. She folds everything and makes individual piles. She also gets all dish towels out of the kitchen drawer and folds them all over the house. She is getting pretty good at folding the towels, it’ll be no time before her and Maddy can take over the laundry for me:)

Livy’s Sleepover

2011-08-02T08:44:00.001-07:00

They ate McDonalds

Played dress-up and danced

Played tea party…..

……And Play-doh

Read books

Then crashed in Maddy’s room

Maddy was staying over at a friends, so I thought it was a perfect time for Livy to have her own sleepover. We picked up Kaylee and they played so well together all night! It was great to have Olivia entertained, she gets very bored when Maddy isn’t home. I would say it was a successful sleepover!

Fun in Hot Springs

2011-07-29T12:44:00.001-07:00

The Hot Springs Church sets up on this beautiful hill. Perfect for a Giant water slide!

Maddy going down!

She made it to the end!

This is my Dad. First hilarious part- My dad in Shorts! Second- My dad in a Hawaiian Shirt! Third- My dad in a straw hat! Fourth- My dad on a slip-n-slide!! If you know my dad, you know that none of these things go with him(He mows the lawn in a shirt and tie)!!

We went down to Hot Springs for a Pioneer Day Celebration at the Church. They had this huge water slide set up and the kids/adults all loved it! I was a little jealous at the fact that we never got to do this growing up!!

Trish and Gabby came for a visit this past week. It has been a year since I have seen them, so it’s been great to have them here. We decided to go to the lake for a little change of scenery. All the kids loved it! They were a lot of fish swimming around us so the kids had fun trying to catch them…….nobody was successful.

Branson with the Baileys-Part 2

2011-07-13T08:16:00.001-07:00

The condos we stayed at had a huge 4th of July Celebration. We ate hamburgers and hot dogs. They had this water slide, bounce houses, face painting, and clowns. It was soooo HOT that we didn’t stay too long, we opted for going back to our pool. Madison loved this water slide, Livy…..not so much. She went down it once, and that was enough for her. That night we watched the fireworks from the balcony of our condo.

Scarlett, Hazel, and Maddy

Livy and Kyra

Everybody LOVED the bumper boats! They were all drenched when they got done. I passed so I could take pictures(and I wasn’t wearing waterproof mascara).

All in all we had a great time in Branson with all the Baileys and look forward to the next time!

Branson with the Baileys- Part 1

2011-07-06T18:20:00.001-07:00

We usually go to Branson every Thanksgiving, but we decided it would be fun to go during the summer for a change. 4th of July weekend turned out to be a perfect weekend to go. It was fun to get to do some of the “summer” things that we don’t normally get to do in November.

All of us headed to Lambert’s Cafe, “The Only Home of Throwed Rolls”, for lunch on Saturday. It is about 30 miles north of Branson and we had an hour wait, but it was SO worth it!! This was mine and Micha’s first time going and I am hooked!! They literally throw you HOT, FRESH, MELT-IN-YOUR-MOUTH Rolls!! I have a weakness for hot rolls and these were no exception!! The kids(and adults) LOVED catching the rolls!

Livy and Grandpa eating Fried Okra

The whole Bailey Gang

Micha ordered Chicken Fried Steak and it was YUMMY and HUGE!! I love how they served it in a frying pan :)

Saturday night, we all headed to see Kirby. He puts on a great Magic show that all the kids loved! Madison really enjoyed it and didn’t want it to end. The next morning when I asked the girls what they wanted to do, Livy said,”Go to another Magic Show”.

Heading to the Pool. It was so HOT, we spent a lot of time at the pool.

The girls enjoyed our big Jacuzzi tub in the condo.

Micha and Maddy loved going to the game room. I had to show all the boys my mad ping pong skills. I left undefeated.

This was Micha’s “Air Hockey Stance”. We were all laughing at how goofy he looked!

Just Some Pics

2011-06-26T16:31:00.001-07:00

This is how I found Livy one evening, passed out in the laundry basket!

The Torgersons came down from Utah for a visit. The kids loved getting to spend time together, they really miss each other!!

Parker Scott is the newest addition to the Torgersons, we were very excited to meet him. Livy LOVED him!!

Livy’s new favorite spot for playing and reading is behind this chair in the living room. And yes, Livy enjoys reading in the nude! It’s HOT here in Arkansas!!

Maddy starting on her new book, Ramona Quimby Age 8.

Arkansas Travelers

2011-06-20T17:36:00.001-07:00

All the kids got free Travelers Shirts

Maddy got a foul ball, it was her first one and she was so excited!

We went to an Arkansas Travelers game with the Andersons last week. We got there early and ate dinner at the Ball Park and by the time the game started, the kids were getting cranky. It was very hot and the sun wasn’t going down fast enough. Heat + Pregnancy= Miserable We only made it to the 2nd inning. I didn’t mind leaving early, we were there the night before for Micha’s company Family Night.

#3

2011-06-09T12:24:00.000-07:00

Just thought I would share our latest news with everyone that doesn't already know. We are expecting baby #3 in January 2012!! Yikes, number 3, which means Micha and I will be outnumbered!! The girls are very excited about a new baby, they are already throwing out names. So far we have vetoed all of them, especially Livy's suggestion of PooPoo. I get a little overwhelmed thinking about having 3 kids, when 2 stress me out to the max already! But, being the kind wife that I am, I gave Micha one more chance for that beloved boy he is so wanting(which means this will be another girl)! I went to the doctor yesterday and I got a prescription for Zofran to help with the nausea and can I tell you, I LOVE ZOFRAN!! Now, I can look at food without wanting to vomit! Sorry for anyone who has to be around me for the next 7 months, it won't be pleasant!!

Brag Time

2011-06-07T07:57:00.001-07:00

Madison with her WONDERFUL teacher, Mrs. Shaw

Pool Party at Mrs. Shaw’s for the Top 5 Readers!

Sorry, but this post is to brag on Madison! She has really excelled this year in school and has made us so proud! It was award day at school and she racked up with 5 different awards ! They included Rising Reader, Outstanding Math, Outstanding Writing, Outstanding Reading, and The Wild Cat Award(an overall achievement award). I am grateful for Madison’s teacher this year. Mrs. Shaw really challenged Madison and kept her in check. It is so amazing how their reading level sky rocket in the first grade. She reads 2-3 chapter books a week. One of our goals for the summer is to go to the library weekly and continue her reading throughout the summer. She was on cloud-nine after receiving all her awards. Madison has such a passion for learning new things and I hope that passion stays with her. We are so proud of you and know you will do GREAT in the 2nd grade!

Livy’s Birthday Celebration

2011-05-31T12:39:00.001-07:00

On Livy’s actual birthday, we went with some friends to the Wonder Place. It’s been a while since we have been and I forget how much fun the kids have!! They were entertained the entire time, which meant the moms got to sit back and relax……well, until Anna fell in the water table!! She was literally lying on her back in the water, quite funny!!

This is what we got Livy for her birthday. She was so excited and could hardly wait for Micha to put it together!

We had her birthday party with all of the family on Saturday. She has been so excited about her birthday party and has talked about it constantly!

Opening some of her presents. She got some great things that have kept her very entertained the past few days!

Olivia is Three!!

2011-05-25T14:13:00.001-07:00

What can I say about my darling little Olivia??

She has a very strong personality and knows exactly what she wants.
She LOVES playing with her friends.
She still loves Dora, along with Team Umizoomi and Max and Ruby.
She enjoys playing with her My Little Ponies and Polly Pockets.
She is obsessed with Macaroni and Cheese and usually eats it once a day(thank goodness for easy mac).
She loves books!! We go to the library weekly and she gets about 10-15 books and enjoys them all week long.
She has a high pitched scream that is likely to send me to the nut house very soon!
She tests my patience EVERY day but I love her to pieces!!

Happy Birthday Olivia!!

We LOVE You!!

Madison’s Dance Recital

2011-05-15T14:08:00.001-07:00

Stella and Madison are hoping to be in the same dance class next year. They are both great little dancers!!

Hailey, Brylee, Stella, & Madison all go to church together

Madison had her dance recital the other night. This is her third year taking dance and she LOVES it. She did such an amazing job, we were so proud of her. Her class danced to “Let’s go Surfin’ Now”. She knew every dance step and didn’t miss a beat. The whole recital scene can be pretty stressful, especially when you get thrown up on 15 minutes before the recital starts, but it’s all totally worth it to see our little STAR perform and how happy it makes her!

Olivia’s Pics

2011-05-14T14:44:00.001-07:00

Olivia was in major need of some updated pics!! So Marji said she would take them and I think she did a GREAT job. I was so worried while taking them b/c Livy will not look at the camera, but we ended up getting tons of wonderful shots! I know I am her mother, but I think she is pretty darn cute!

Talent Show

2011-05-14T14:34:00.001-07:00

Madison and three of her friends from school participated in their school talent show. They sang and dance to “Walking On Sunshine”. They did a GREAT job!! Madison LOVES being on stage!

Madison and Ana. They are in the same class and quickly became best friends!

Ella Grace and Madison.

The Group- Scarlet, Madison, Ana, & Ella Grace

Stationery Card

2011-05-11T14:41:00.000-07:00

Special Number Magenta Birthday Invitation

Turn favorite photos into your baby's 1st birthday invitations.

View the entire collection of cards.

Chicken Wings

2011-05-03T11:51:00.001-07:00

Maddy had a writing assignment at school. She was to write about her favorite food!! I will retype it incase you can’t see it.

“I love chicken wings. Thay taste jest like regler chicken but a lot of crispyer. I yooshaly(usually) eat them in May. Where I get the chicken wings is the chicken wing street. When you cook it it sonds like bobbls(bubbles) poping. The chicken wings look like a (large) head on a big fat stick. It fills like a gresy crispy juce stick. I ador chicken wings.”- Madison Bailey

Micha and I loved this! Madison was very proud of it to because she scored a 20/20 on it.

Speaking of Madison, she came home from school complaining about the back of her jaw and right under her ear. I could tell by looking at it that it was swollen and she flinched at any touch to it. So I took her to the Dr. this morning and as soon as she saw it and felt it she said that was a sign of the Mumps! I freaked out for a brief second! But she looked through all her records and she had both immunizations for it so she said it must be a viral infection. Which means there is nothing to take for it except tylenol! And she can’t go to school until it’s gone. My kids get the weirdest things! Here’s hoping she can go to school by Thursday(for my own sanity)!!

Livy LOVES Makeup

2011-04-26T18:54:00.001-07:00

Livy loves to put on “pink” makeup. She hasn’t learned that the eye shadow brush should not be used on her cheek, so much to teach her!

Easter

2011-04-25T15:18:00.001-07:00

The Girls before Church. I finally got a pic of Livy looking at the camera!!

We had the kids hunt eggs in shifts. The “younger” kids went first.

Averi and Tessa

Ada and Oscar The '"older” kids

All 12 kids after the Hunt!

Stella and Madison have become such good friends and LOVE hanging out together.

We had a great Easter. We spent Easter at my parents. We went down after church for lunch and it was DELICIOUS as always! The Swenson Family joined us this year. They have 4 kids, but their kids are very calm compared to the rest of ours! The weather was perfect, there were threats of rain, but it held off. Good food, friends, and family made for a GREAT Easter.

Just a side note: I asked Livy what they talked about in nursery at church and she told me, “A biiiiig rock”. I asked her if she was talking about the one that was placed in front of Jesus’ tomb, and she said, “Yes, Jesus”. I was thrilled when she said that. Usually all she talks about is bubbles and snacks! I am happy that something is sinking in :)

Princesses on Ice

2011-04-22T07:15:00.001-07:00

Liv needed a little lip gloss before the show!

Me and my Girls headed out to Princesses on Ice

We went with Leslie and Kennedy. Madison gave me a list of all the food she wanted as I headed to the concession stand, this girl definitely enjoys her food!

Livy sat on my lap the entire time and anytime I would sing the songs she would turn around and say, “Shhhhh, be quiet momma”. Apparently she, like most people, doesn’t appreciate by singing voice. :)

It turned out to be a fun night. I think this is Madison’s third time going to this show, but I think this time she was more impressed with the Ice Skating than the Princesses. Livy hadn’t had a nap and was a little tired, but still enjoyed it. She said her favorite part was when the dragon from Sleeping Beauty came out and spit fire all over the ice rink. After it happened, she just kept saying, “do it again momma, do it again”. I am grateful that I am able to take my girls to fun things like this and give them fun memories.

April Stuff

2011-04-13T14:42:00.001-07:00

Livy loves My Little Pony or in her words Hony Hony. I love to hear her little imagination in action when she plays with her toys.

Livy thought her skin needed a little moisturizing…….to be exact half a bottle of my face moisturizer!

Yes, this was an after school snack…….Donuts and Cheese dip :) This is Olivia’s extra CRANKY time of the day b/c she either needs a nap or took a very short one in the car and I will do just about anything to stop the WHINING!(Also a little sneak peek of my chairs I recovered recently. I will post pics later after I paint them…….which could mean months)

Reading books before bedtime.

I can not believe it is the middle of April already!! Which means it is almost May, which means that this semester is almost over, which means 3 months of no CLASSES for ME! The last couple of weeks of the semester are always the worst. This is when all the papers and projects I have procrastinated on must be done(4 of them) in the next couple of weeks. This is the time when this happens:

and add 2 more loads that were in the washer/dryer! I am looking forward to a couple of months of a little less stress and a little less laundry piled up!

I HEART Kenny!!

2011-04-08T14:57:00.001-07:00

Marji, Brandi, Me, and Andrea

Billy Currington was one of the opening acts. This is my second time seeing him and he is such a great performer!! LOVE “Turnip Greens” Ahhhh, Kenny……………… Uncle Kracker was one of the openings too and then he came out and sang “When the Sun Goes Down” and a few more songs with Kenny.

I was sooooo excite to go to this concert! I haven’t seen Kenny since college, right before he got HUGE! We had wonderful seats, we couldn’t believe how good they were. He is my Favorite music artist and I LOVE all his songs! The concert was AMAZING!! He doesn’t need special effects or props to make a great show. He gets so into his songs and you can tell he loves what he does. My all time favorite song of his is “Anything but Mine” and I was THRILLED when he sang it!

March Outings

2011-04-07T11:50:00.001-07:00

We went down to Garvin Gardens in Hot Springs a couple of weeks ago. It was a beautiful days and the kids really enjoyed it. I think the only times I have been there is at Christmas time, so it was nice to see all the beautiful flowers.

The second half of the pics are from Downtown Little Rock. We went and saw the Ducks at the Peabody one morning. The kids LOVED it. I can’t believe i have never taken them before. We ate lunch down at the River Market and then proceeded to the Clinton Library to see The Cat in the Hat. It was a fun but very hectic day! There were 17 kids and 7 adults!! CRAZY!!!

Olivia's Funny Faces

2011-04-05T11:51:00.000-07:00

Olivia has been doing "Funny Faces" lately and I couldn't figure out where she learned them from. Madison finally informed me that it is from "Yo Gabba Gabba"! This is a show that I find absolutely stupid, but she picked up the dvd from the library and watched it nonstop for weeks. At least something good came out of that ridiculous show!

“Another one Bites the Dust”

2011-03-28T14:49:00.001-07:00

Madison was at a friend’s house over spring break and had a little accident on the swing. She scraped up her face pretty good and knocked out a tooth! We didn’t realize she had lost a tooth until the next day! And the even bigger surprise is that they found her tooth the next day in their yard! So, this makes the 3rd tooth that Maddy has knocked out! Let’s just hope it’s the LAST!

My Birthday!!

2011-03-09T19:02:00.001-08:00

Me, JP, Clare, Chris, Otto, Kristen, Joe’s legs, and Anna’s head

Me and my girls!

Madison and Brock

Livy eating sushi. She loves it!

Mmmmm…… Best sushi in Little Rock. Doesn’t that just make your mouth water?

After having a fabulous weekend in Dallas, I was able to come home and celebrate my Birthday with some of my oldest, bestest friends! We went to Gina’s Sushi and I was spoiled with this AMAZING sushi. We have been going to Gina’s for about 5 years now and can’t get enough. Both Maddy and Livy eat sushi too. Just a side note, white tuna is the best raw fish ever. Anyways, back to my birthday. It’s nights like these that I am so happy to be back in Arkansas and able to celebrate with by best friends. Thank y’all for coming and celebrating with me!! I kept the Beatys up past their bed time:) 25 isn’t so bad after all!!

Girls Weekend!!

2011-03-08T18:55:00.001-08:00

These were all our purchases from the day. We somehow managed to fit our luggage in too!

One of my favorite purchases of the weekend.

I absolutely LOVE Mexican food, and Abuelo’s is my fave Mexican restaurant! So of course we had to eat lunch there and it was FABULOUS!

Cousin Marcie, Marji, and Andrea.

Brandy, Me, and Leslie

A couple of us girls decided it was time for a much needed girls weekend. Marji, Andrea Swenson, Leslie Posey, and me loaded up and headed out on Friday after all the husbands got off work. I can’t remember enjoying a 5 hour drive so much!! There were no kids screaming, annoying cartoons playing, or constant stops for peeing. It was a stress free drive full of great conversation! We got to Dallas around 10:30 and stayed with one of Marji’s friend, Brandy. We dragged our butts out of bed after staying up way too late, and began our day around 9:00. We went to IKEA, Sam Moon, the outlet malls, and Fire wheel Mall. Marji and I were able to see our Cousin Marcie who spent part of the day with us. We ended the day at a wonderful Italian restaurant where an Italian Elvis sang Happy Birthday to me. It was so wonderful to get out of town for a couple of days and have some “me” time. I didn’t have to worry about school, cleaning, cooking, or breaking up fights. The only thing I had to do was talk, shop, and eat………….it doesn’t get much better than that!! I am grateful for an amazing husband that doesn’t mind playing Mr. Mom when I am not around and encourages me to take time for myself to de-stress . I love that he realizes I am a much better wife/mother when I am able to take time for myself. I love that my kids were so excited to see me when I got back and welcomed me with warm hugs and kisses. I love that I have a sister and amazing new friends to share these experiences with. I look forward to the next girls trip………..

An old friend finally returns!

2011-03-08T18:36:00.001-08:00

Madison had her top 2 teeth pulled when she was 2 1/2 years old because she fell and chipped them. It is so weird to see her with a front tooth! She is so excited they are finally coming in!

Story Time and Sleeping

2011-02-27T20:08:00.001-08:00

I take Livy to story time at the library every Thursday. The story time is great and she LOVES it! They sing songs, read books, and then they always do some type of art project. She was working on a Birthday cake in the pics below. After story time, she does some puzzles and then picks out some books and DVDs. Livy is just now getting into books and is really enjoying them. We usually end up leaving all the books in the car and that is her entertainment while we drive all over the place.

Madison loves reading. She is really into the Junie B. Jones books right now. I get her a couple of them when Livy and I go to the library each week. I told her should could read for a little bit before she went to bed and this is how I found her.

I thought this was hilarious……..very lady like!!

I took this pic b/c she had a little bit of drool action happening. Both of these pics are Livy sleeping in our bed, which was becoming quite the habit. Livy had always been awesome at going to bed on her own and not fighting us about it. And then that all changed when we moved back. I think it was a combination of moving and changing from a crib to a big girl bed. The past 6 months have been her staying up late watching cartoons and usually crashing in our bed! Last week I decided it was time for her structured bed time again and amazingly she has done GREAT!! She knows that when Maddy goes to bed, so does she. We read a few books and then she goes right to sleep. It makes my evening so much more enjoyable and relaxing and gives me time to do things…….like blogging!

SNOW AGAIN………

2011-02-10T15:00:00.001-08:00

I can’t believe we got snow again!! Madison is going to be in school until July!! Everyone was really talking up this snow storm coming and it definitely lived up to the hype! Snow days are a nice time to get caught up on things. I have taken the time to start on a school Excel project that is supposed to take 15 hours to complete. I was able to get a good jump on it. I was also able to catch up on my DVR:) I can’t believe how many shows I had to sit there and watch, but I took one for the team so I could delete them and free up some space! Madison and Olivia have gotten to catch up on sleep(oh yeah, me too). Micha had spent the days working from home. Apparently his job doesn’t stop, it must be done. Now it is almost 5:00 pm on Thursday and I am getting out of this house! We are going out to dinner b/c I am TIRED of cooking! We’ll see if I can convince Micha that we NEED to go to Target. That would just make the night complete!! Hopefully this is the last of the snow this year, 65 degree weather is in the forecast for next week!!

Livy fell asleep after the first round of snow fun. She took a 3 hour nap!! It was quite Heavenly:)

We got about 7 1/2 inches!!

We put a bowl out so we could make snow ice cream. Madison loved it!

Livy eating her ice cream topless! Don’t judge her, she is proud of her body!!

Super Bowl Party

2011-02-09T09:52:00.001-08:00

We hosted a Super Bowl Party this year. Micha made chicken, steak, and shrimp fajitas. And they were YUMMY! We just got a new grill so he had to break it in! The guys watched the game, the girls talked, and the kids played. There were 14 kids at our house, which sounds really scary, but they were all GREAT! Toys scattered everywhere was the extent of the damage.

This is probably the happiest I have seen Matthew. He is a little OBSESSED with Star Wars, so when the Darth Vader commercial came on during the super bowl, he was more than ecstatic.

Matthew and Isacc playing.

Jex and Thomas playing the Wii in Maddy’s room.Melanie, Madison, and Stella Averi making one of her silly faces.

This is my new friend Tessa! We totally bonded during the Super Bowl. She is too precious.

Just some pics

2011-01-28T08:32:00.000-08:00

Livy did her makeup for the day. She got very up set when I had to wipe it off.

I LOVE when the girls play together............... It is a rare occurrence these days.

I came in my room and she was asleep on my floor and using her puppy as a pillow. So sweet!

This is definitely Livy at her sweetest!!

Maddy's Award

2011-01-28T08:01:00.000-08:00

Madison received an award at school for "Independent Reader" in her class. She was so excited to be getting a trophy. She just kept saying, "I can't believe I am getting my very first trophy!" Madison has really excelled in reading this year. I am so happy that she enjoys reading(not sure where she gets that from).

Snow Days!

2011-01-12T08:31:00.000-08:00

The girls wanted to go out as soon as it started sticking!

This was a couple of hours after it started snowing.

Liv staying warm after the first round of snow fun!

This is a Snow Day staple!! Gotta have your Cocomotion. We went through several batches of hot chocolate(Thanks Mom!)

Madison's attempt at a snow man :) We will just call it a snow blob. Good try. I gave her hershey kisses for the eyes and Winston ate them!

Snow Angel

And this is how your kids end up after a long fun day of playing in the snow!

Snow days was one of the things I MISSED about Arkansas! Life keeps going in Utah when it snows and I really didn't care for that. Snow days are some of the best memories a child can have. I can still remember snow days from when I was little. We would be parked in front of the T.V. just waiting for "Lakeside Schools Closed" to flash at the bottom of the screen(Now you can get an instant text). And once it did, it was celebration time. We would all put on as many layers as we could get on, round up mismatched gloves and hats, and head out to play. We had a couple of acres to explore and even a pond that froze over a time or two. We played until we couldn't feel our fingers and toes. Snow days were such a special and rare treat for us!

The past couple of days were perfect!! We played games, stayed warm by the fire, drank hot chocolate, and ate way too much! I was also able to rearrange the girl's rooms, paint Madison's bed, and organize/eliminate toys. Now I will enjoy my last week before school starts for me and the stress piles up again

Madison's 7th Birthday!!

2011-01-11T14:45:00.000-08:00

Opening presents

So I told the Cookie Company I wanted Ballerina Slippers......... Looks like flip flops!! Micha picked up the cake, otherwise I would have made them redo it! I mean, we are big fans of flip flops, but not on a b-day cake!

The kids didn't seem to care what was on the cake!

Madison wanted to have a sleepover for her birthday this year and naively I said Yes! She had about 12 friends over on Friday night and 4 spent the night. The party itself was fun but very crazy(and a little too long). The girls that spent the night went to bed at 1:30 and up by 7:30!! I was absolutely exhausted!! Micha and I decided we are done with sleepovers!! Madison loved her party and was so happy to spend her special day with so many of her friends and family! I can't believe that she is 7!! Madison still loves being the center of attention. She loves going to school and learning. She has become an excellent little reader. She is in her 3rd year of dance and loves it. We LOVE you Maddy Cakes!!

A Very Merry Christmas

2010-12-25T19:01:00.000-08:00

Olivia and I at the Arlington Hotel in Hot Springs.

My mom makes these yummy Christmas Bread Wreaths every year and we LOVE them. It's not a DeVaux Christmas without them!!

My family is obsessed with red meat!! Everyone(except me) LOVES a good steak! 2 years ago, Dad bought a beef tenderloin that everyone still talks about. So, he bought another one this year and Micha prepared and cooked it again. It turned out wonderful, even I tried a little piece and enjoyed it!

Uncle Gabe

Gabe, Marji, and Me.

Maddy was Santa at the DeVaux get together.

This was about 10 minutes after opening presents! She was exhausted!

Madison made Magic Reindeer Food at school so she was sprinkling it in the front yard. "Sprinkle on the lawn at night. The moonlight makes it sparkle bright. As Santa's reindeer fly and roam, this will guide them to your home."

Maddy getting Santa's treats ready

Santa came!! PS, that cardboard house was a hit!! I recommend it highly!! Plus once you are tired of looking at it and the kids get bored with it(as they do with all toys), In the trash it goes! Livy has been playing it it and Madison has been coloring it. Madison's big gift was a bike. If you ask what she got, she says, "I got a bike with 2 wheels, one in the front and one in the back."

Micha sent me on a scavenger hunt where I found earrings and a ring! I was very surprised and happy, they are beautiful!!

Uncle Aaron got the grandkids hoodies.

The Baileys have a Christmas tradition where Bill gives us each a sack filled with candy and other little doodads, and he hides money in different things. This year was one of the tougher years!! I looked for about 10 minutes and couldn't find ANY money. I was about convinced that there wasn't any in there when I finally bit into a tootsie roll and found my money!! 1 down, 7 to go!! Long story short, there were about 75 mini tootsie rolls and all 8 bills were hidden in these stinkin' tootsie rolls!! Usually Bill hides the money in different types of items, so it took us a while to figure out they were ALL in tootsie rolls! Good thing I like that candy! We LOVE this tradition and look forward to it every year!!

I was hard at work. I get a little competitive and try to finish first, it's like a game and I like to WIN! I started slow but ended up in Third Place(and that's b/c the others got a head start!)

This is a pic of the money covered in tootsie roll.

These were all of my bills after I found them.

I thought I would go ahead a blog while Micha and the girls are entertained with all their new toys and while I still have a little steam left in me! This was a WONDERFUL Christmas! We spent Christmas Eve at my parents house and ate so much good food. I missed being with my family last year for Christmas, so it was great to be there this year. We got home and put the girls to bed so Santa could come and deliver. Madison came in our room at 12:15 and asked if it was time!! Hah, nice try Maddy!! We said no, so she climbed in bed with us. An hour later, Olivia comes in. An hour later, I kick Winston out of the bed and I sleep at the foot of the bed until 7:15 when Maddy wakes us all up. We opened presents, played a little and then headed to the Bailey's house. We ate lunch, opened presents and the sacks, and relaxed for a while before returning home. We came home with two extra nephews, the girls played with all their new toys, Micha played with his new video game with the nephews, and I cleaned! Moondough is fun, but I can't handle it on my floor, plus I will sleep so much better with a clean house! And after last night's visitors in my bed, I need a good nights sleep!!! I hope everyone had a Merry and Joyous Christmas!

A week of Old Friends and New Friends

2010-12-19T18:41:00.000-08:00

This week started with lots of stress due to finals but took a turn for WONDERFUL because of friends. I took my last final on Tuesday morning and immediately after it was over a huge weight was lifted and I knew it was time to relax and unwind. After my test I did a little shopping and found some amazing deals, then I went home and took a nap, also amazing! That night I went out with a group of girls from church. We went to dinner at a hibachi grill where we had an over-the-top chef that kept us laughing. We went to Marji's house for dessert, a game of white elephant, and lots of talking. It was so wonderful getting to talk and not be interrupted by a kid or a fight! We talked and laughed until after midnight. I am so grateful to have found such a great group of new friends. This was the perfect night to end a stressful couple of weeks.
The next day I went to Hot Springs with Jenn, my oldest, bestest friend(yes I know that's not a word) to visit some friends from the Arlington that I hadn't seen in over 2 years! We worked at the Arlington as a banquet waitresses for about 4 years. I absolutely loved working there, mainly because of who I worked with. All of these friends are at least twice my age but they worked circles around me! I can't believe it has been over 8 years since I have worked there. It feels like just yesterday I was putting on a white shirt, bow tie, and vest(I don't miss the uniforms). They are some of the hardest working people I have ever met and I have so much respect and love for them.
Thursday night we went out with the McCabes to celebrate Kyle's birthday. I love Kyle and Mary! They are hilarious and we always have fun with them! They are the type of friends where you can talk about anything and everything with! We have followed each other out to Utah and back to Arkansas over the past two years and love them!
Saturday night we went to Conway to celebrate Jenn's little Anna's first birthday. Once again I was surrounded by wonderful friends!! I was so sad last year because I wasn't able to be there for the birth of this sweet little girl, so I am so happy I could celebrate the Big ONE with her.
I am so grateful for all of my old and new friends that I have at this time. Good friends are hard to find, but when you find them, they bring so much happiness and joy into your life!!
Thank you to all my Friends who made this week AMAZING and STRESS-FREE!!

A Shout Out to Olivia!

2010-12-06T07:05:00.000-08:00

I needed to give my little girl a shout out for being passy-free for a month now, we took it away on November 6! I completely forgot to post about it and I think its a huge deal when this happens. I always feel so guilty taking away my babies pacifiers. That is her comfort she's had since she was born, but I know it has to go. It get's to the point where they look ridiculous and are way too big to have that in their mouth. I was amazed again at how easy the transition was. She bit a hole in her last passy and I told her to throw it in the trash. She asked for it for the first couple of days and I would remind her she threw it away. And that was it! I would much rather see that precious smile than an ugly pacifier!!

Thanksgiving in Branson!

2010-12-06T06:48:00.000-08:00

Making all the goodies for Branson

All the grandkids waiting to take pictures

We went to a new indoor waterpark in Branson and had a blast!!

Livy passed out about at the waterpark.

We took the girls to the Disney Outlet and Livy freaked when she saw Minnie Mouse!

Madison is making sure all the girls look pretty!

Gary had Razorback tattoos for all the kids to wear on game day.

Getting ready to ride Go-Karts.

We spent Thanksgiving in Branson with all the Baileys(there are 12 adults and 12 kids). We were very excited to go this year since we weren't able to go last year. As always, we had a wonderful time and ate way too much. I went to the Tanger Outlet Black Friday Sale around 2:00 am. They open at midnight, but I have discovered if I wait a couple of hours, that first crowd thins out and it is much more enjoyable! We went to a new indoor water park on Thanksgiving day and had a blast! I think the adults had more fun than the kids! It was a wonderful Thanksgiving and we are truly blessed to have spent it with family!

Halloween

2010-11-04T10:52:00.000-07:00

Madison and Olivia at the Church Halloween Party.

Olivia and Kaylee

JP and cute little Ballerina Anna

Pumpkin Carving

2010-11-04T10:20:00.000-07:00

Mine and Livy's Pumpkin

Micha and Maddy's Pumpkin

2010-11-04T10:10:00.000-07:00

Notice how they are sleeping exactly the same. Olivia doesn't typically sleep without a shirt(and her pants are on inside out because she put them on that way), just one of those nights. They were going to bed and Livy wanted to lay with Maddy. Then Maddy wanted to change her p.j.s because she was too hot, so of course Livy came and asked me to change her p.j.s too. I told her no and to go lay down. Next thing I know, she is in the bathroom with the sink on and putting water all over her shirt. Then she comes to me and says, "All wet". So I took her shirt off and she was off to bed. I was actually quite impressed with her quick thinking!

Olivia and Maggie passed out when the Torgerson's were visiting. This is definitely them at their best!!

This is how we do it at our house :) We had all of my family over for my Dad's Birthday and this is how Livy ended up.

Pumpkin Patch and Carrie Underwood

2010-10-15T12:51:00.000-07:00

Sleeping Livy.

They did a little skit on the hayride and there was a "robber" that told every one to stickem' up. Livy didn't move and kept her hands up for a few minutes.

Marji, Mom, Me, and Maddy went to the Carrie Underwood concert. It was amazing!! Definitely one of the best concerts I have been too! Billy Currington opened for her and he is a great performer too.

This was Maddy's first concert and she LOVED it! She is wearing her Carrie t-shirt, which is huge.

This was one of my favorite parts of the concert. The truck was suspended in the air over the audience, it was a GREAT show!

End of Summer Fun & More GOOD changes!!

2010-09-30T17:55:00.000-07:00

Chris, Luke, Clair, & Madison at the Arkansas Travelers Game.

Kyra, Brock, Madison, & Grayson at Grandma & Grandpa Baileys

Livy with a loaf of chocolate chip banana bread that Marji made for us. Livy really liked it!

Madison and Livy in our front yard.

Livy did her makeup for the day!

Madison got to be on a float for her dance studio in the Bryant Fall Festival.


Livy and I waiting for Maddy's Float.

We are enjoying the end of summer and the cooler days!! We are staying VERY busy these days.

Madison started her 3rd year of dance and hasn't gotten in trouble at school this year! This is a huge improvement from last year!
Olivia is potty trained!(with the exception of a few accidents and it only took 3 days :) )
I am back at UALR and enjoying being in the class room and not online!
I started selling Scentsy(check out my website pamelabailey.scentsy.us )
Micha is 4 classes away from his MBA.
Micha got a NEW JOB!! He will be starting for Southwest Power Pool as a Settlement Analyst on October 4.

It is so wonderful when everything works out like you hope. We moved back to Arkansas knowing that good things were going to happen for us. And that is exactly what has happened. Micha got a wonderful job, we found the perfect house for us, Madison is in a wonderful school, and we are closer to most of our family. We are so incredibly grateful for all of these amazing blessings in our life right now!

Cousin Time

2010-09-05T15:00:00.000-07:00

Madison's first day of 1st Grade at Collegeville Elementary

Little Oscar and Olivia napping together at Grandmas.

Celebrating Gabby's 6th Birthday at Grandma and Grandpa's house.

We had all the cousins on the DeVaux side together. There are 11 of them and it gets pretty crazy with them all! This is the first time in a couple of years that we have had them all together. They are growing up so quickly!!
On a side note, we found a house and moved in this past weekend! We are so excited. The house has everything we wanted and is in a great neighborhood. Everything is falling back in place and we couldn't be happier. It will probably be a while before I post pics, I have lots of unpacking and organzing before the house is picture ready!

We're Back.......

2010-08-24T20:41:00.000-07:00

..........in Arkansas!! We moved back home to Arkansas a couple of weeks ago. It has been wonderful being back and it almost feels like we never left. It has been great being back in the South and seeing all of our family and friends. Madison is enrolled in 1st grade at Collegville in Bryant. We decided to live outside of Little Rock because of the not-so-good schools in Little Rock. Madison is loving her school and teacher and has already made tons of new friends(I really wasn't worried about that). I am continuing my schooling at UALR. I am enjoying being on campus and not having to do all my classes online like I did when we was in Utah. Micha transferred with GNC(I did not) and is 4 classes away from is MBA!! Olivia is adjusting well to the move and is enjoying getting to know all her cousins. She is talking more and more everyday!! We will definitely miss our friends and family in Utah. We'll be back to visit...........some day!

The Girls a year ago when we moved to Utah.

Here are some pictures of our last few weeks in Utah.

Playing Playdoh

Olivia borrowed one of Madison's sleeping masks :)

2010

2009

2010

2009

Bowling Night

Swimming, Sleepovers, 4th of July & Haircuts

2010-07-05T15:31:00.001-07:00

Madison's new haircut.

Trish with the sparklers.

Hot Springs Ward Reunion. Me, Trish, Gabe, Maggie Owens, Ashlee Schwerin Weber, Jenny, Rusty Robinson. It was so much fun to have old friends together! We had a blast, I haven't laughed that hard in a long time.
Enjoying the food.

This is my little brother Gabe with his Girlfriend, Hannah. We were very excited to meet her and we loved her! Gabe did good with this one :)
Olivia absolutely loves the pool!! She is very independent in the pool which surprised me because she really didn't like the pool last year.
Liv and Little David swimming.
Micha and Madison

Maggie and David came over for a sleepover.

2010-06-23T16:43:00.000-07:00

My sweet Family

Maddy and Aunt Trish at lunch
Liv and Maggie

Maggie enjoying her cake

Bailey's Vacation

2010-05-26T12:48:00.000-07:00

Liv's first glimpse of Tigger

She isn't sure what she should do

She finally goes in to meet him

Inside Minnie's House.

When we were leaving, Liv had to run up one more time and touch Mickey.
I love how Liv is standing in this picture. She loved meeting all the Characters!

Maddy is on the far left shaking her booty at the end of day Parade. I think the parade was one of my favorite parts of the day.
Olivia got to see Pluto during the parade.
Olivia chasing the birds.

We were able to go to California for a week for a long overdue family vacation. We were supposed to be moving back to Arkansas this month, but due to crazy, psychotic landlords, our move got pushed back a couple of months. After being pissed and crying for a day(Madison cried too when I told her we weren't going home), I decided the only thing to make this situation better was to go to Disneyland. I had never been so I was just as excited as the girls. So we made the 10 hour drive(which went very smoothly) and stayed with Micha's brother, Gary and his family. We had a wonderful relaxing time, it was just what we needed!

Happy 2nd Birthday Olivia!

2010-05-25T20:14:00.001-07:00

3 Days Old

3 Months Old

6 Months Old

1 Year Old

2 Years Old
May 25, 2008

Olivia is the typical 2 year old. She can be the sweetest little angel and then turn around and throw the biggest tantrum ever! Olivia has started talking like crazy, basically repeating whatever she hears. My favorite thing she says right now is "Mama, I want Caco Bell". I laugh every time she says it(which is a couple times a day). She is obsessed with Mickey Mouse Clubhouse, it's what she asks for when she wakes up every morning, along with pancakes. Olivia loves to torture and play with Winston. She loves to get food, show it to Winston, and run around while he chases her. But if Winston comes up and takes food from her, she will usually scream at him and then bite him. That's my little angel:) She is a great joy to have in our family and we love her lots!!

The Girls

2010-04-29T10:36:00.000-07:00

The girls playing Wii before bed. Liv loves to watch Maddy play "The Littlest Pet Shop" and act like all the animals. Her favorite is the frog and she loves to hop around like a frog and say "ribbit".

Madison has to have her sleeping mask on when she goes to bed every night.(I always go in and take it off after she falls asleep, I am a little paranoid about it slipping down her neck and choking her) She is very serious about her sleeping :)

I forgot to post the pictures from Madison's school St. Patrick's Day Program. It was a cute program and Madison did a great job. This is Madison with some of her friends afterward.

Easter and Lots of Pictures!!

2010-04-05T18:47:00.000-07:00

The Girls "Easter Purses".

Olivia thought both of them were hers.

The kids dying easter eggs with Grandma

These are the girls in their Easter dresses. As you can see, Olivia is going through that wonderful phase of not wanting to take her picture. These were the only ones I could get of her.
Olivia loves frogs and was very excited to see this giant one at the Aquarium.
Grandma and Olivia looking at some fish.

We had a wonderful Easter weekend. My parents and Gabe came in town, I was off for three days, we ate sushi, attended a session of conference, had mom's cooking(brisket), laughed a lot, ate some more, and had a killer egg hunt.

My Birthday................3 weeks ago.

2010-03-18T21:07:00.000-07:00

Me and Micha, happy and full of sushi!

Sisters

Me and Margie

We tried out an all you can eat sushi place for my birthday. My expectations were very low for an all you can eat sushi, but I was pleasantly surprised. We went through a lot of sushi and enjoyed every second! I had a great night out with family and friends. It's wonderful to be 25 again!!

Olivia's Surgery

2010-02-09T15:41:00.000-08:00

I love this picture!! This show's her love for Doctors!!! :)
About a week and a half ago, Micha found a small lump on Olivia's jaw. It felt like a small gumball and kind of freaked us out. We took her to the pediatrician and they thought it was an infected lymph node and put her on some antibiotics. They said if it didn't change in size or get better to bring her back. Well it didn't so we took her back. A couple of pediatricians checked it out and thought it best to take her to a pediatric surgeon. So the next day we took her in and he thought the same thing as our pediatrician and said she need to have it removed. We took her in this morning at 7:00 am to get her all ready. The above pic is after getting her dressed in the hospital clothes, not a happy camper. They gave her some "happy" medicine to make the transition of leaving us easier and we sent her back for the procedure. The doctor told us when he made the incision, there was a lot of puss(sorry for nasty details) and the lymph node was pretty much destroyed. So he removed it and cleaned it up. They left a small draining tube that we will get removed on Friday. She did great and we are happy and grateful it all went well.

Madison's Recital

2010-02-09T15:32:00.001-08:00

Madison's Tumbling Class
Madison and Gabby with a really "cool" pose.

So this was Madison's first Dance recital and she was SOOOO EXCITED!!! All she talked about was getting her makeup and hair done. She is taking ballet/jazz and a tumbling class with Gabby. She has really improved over the year. Madison remembered all of her dances and routines and did a great job. I will have to post the videos later(Aunt Jenny has them).

Happy Birthday Madison!!!

2010-01-06T20:09:00.001-08:00

Madison chose to go to Macaroni Grill for her birthday dinner(same as last year). The Torgersons and Greenwoods came and celebrated with us. It's hard to believe that I have a 6 year old, being that I am so young and all :) Maddy is definitely a fun and entertaining girl. She has those moments when I want to ring her neck, but she also has those moments that make me so proud and happy to be her mother. She is so sweet with Olivia and helps out so much. She absolutely loves school and is excelling in reading and writing. Madison is also in her second year of Ballet and is doing wonderful. She is preparing for her recital next month and can't wait to perform on stage. She is also taking a tumbling class and has really shown improvement over the months on her tumbling skills. She practices all the time because she wants to be able to do everything perfectly.
Happy Birthday Madison, I love you!!!

David and Maddy with the presents he gave her.

Gabby and Maddy............that's one cute face Gabby :)

Our Place

2009-11-12T13:27:00.000-08:00

This is the upstairs loft that is the girls playroom.

Here are a few pics of our place for those of you who have been asking. I am still not done putting pics and decor up and who knows if I ever will!

Halloween

2009-11-01T10:56:00.000-08:00

This is the first year Maddy would touch the pumpkin guts! She loved it and did a great job cleaning it out!

The crew! Madison, Maggie, Gabby, David, Aubrey and Emma McCabe, and Olivia.

Maggie and Olivia
This Chicken is on a Mission!!
I really wish she would pose a little more!

Olivia did not want to stop, she stood at the door and screamed!
We shoved a sucker in her mouth and she was happy!
She really enjoyed the Chocolate!!

We had a great Halloween this year. Maddy new months ago she wanted to be a witch and it took her about 30 minutes to pick out the perfect witch costume. Olivia on the other hand, I didn't know what I wanted her to be. Then this stupid Chicken costume showed up in a box I was unpacking. I really didn't want her to be a chicken, it's not very girly (plus, we made her be scooby doo last year) but after putting it on her and laughing hysterically, Micha made an executive decision that she needed to be a chicken! She really liked wearing it too, which was another plus. We even taught her to say "Bock Bock", like a chicken. It was pretty funny. We went to Jenny and Davids house to trick or treat their neighborhood. The kids had a blast!

Olivia is Growing Up!

2009-11-01T10:48:00.000-08:00

All ready to go! She loves going outside!
Climbing into her booster seat.
Sitting in the kitchen sink while I cook.

Olivia is 17 months and is getting too big, too quick. She is talking like crazy and is beginning to repeat more things you say. She loves Mickey Mouse Clubhouse still and wants to watch it first thing when she wakes up. She screams from her bed "Show, Show", when she gets up in the morning and is ready to watch Mickey. She loves sitting in the kitchen sink and in my bathroom sink. She is always in my bathroom sink every morning while I am getting ready. She also loves to walk Winston. She will get his leash anytime she wants to take him out. Olivia climbs into her booster seat when she is ready to eat(which is about 8-10 times a day). She also has quite the temper when things aren't going her way!! She get's that from her father:)

DeeDah and Grandpa Visit

2009-11-01T10:41:00.000-08:00

An attempt to get all the kids together, didn't work out so well!

My parents came and visited the first of October. It was great seeing them and spending a little time with them. All the kids loved having DeeDah around and they couldn't get enough of her. That brought tickets for General Conference, so we were all able to go to a session with them.

Catching Up

2009-09-22T20:28:00.000-07:00

Jenny has apple and pear trees in her back yard and the kids love picking the fruit and eating them when they go outside.
This is what Olivia does when she comes into my store! Lots of rearranging

Boating with our friends,the Ballards

The girls playing at a mall play center.

Celebrating Gabby's 5th Birthday Party.
Wow, this has been a crazy, busy month!! First of all, I started working! I am managing a GNC store and Micha is now a SSM Manager for GNC. This job was basically handed to me and it has been a real blessing. Micha and I are able to work our schedules out the way we want them and what works best for our family. It is a great experience for me and a relatively low stress job. It is hard to be away from the girls during the day, especially Olivia. She is still so little and I feel like I am missing out on so much, but I also know this is what I need to do right now. It also puts my mind at ease that they are in good hands with Jenny. We are moving into our new place in less than a week!! We are so excited to get into our own place and have some order back in our life(and for my huge closet!). Micha is flying home this weekend to get all of our things out of storage in Arkansas. I can't wait to have all my things(shoes) back. After taking a huge leap of faith and moving to Utah, things are falling into place and working out. Utah definitely isn't home but I can stand it for a little while. Micha and I are getting the work experience we wanted and needed that can hopefully take us back to the south!

Maddy's First Day of Kindergarten

2009-09-04T17:18:00.001-07:00

David wanted to get in the picture action.

Maddy finally started Kindergarten!! We were all very excited. She only goes half days, 12:30-3:30, because Utah schools are apparently stupid! Fortunately Micha and I both had the day off so we were able to take her to school. We got there and they had muffins and milk for the kids. After that the teachers lined up the classes and took them inside. I am proud to say I didn't cry, I was too excited that she finally started! Anyways, when she got home from school I asked her how it was and she said, "Good, I got a Disney Magazine". Are you kidding me, that's all I get after hearing you talk about going to school for the past year! She finally told me she made 2 friends but didn't know their names. Her teacher's name is Mrs. Hutchings and she seems to be a great teacher and Maddy really likes her. Hopefully she will have a wonderful first year of school and not get in too much trouble!!

Maddy Loses her "First" Tooth

2009-08-13T18:38:00.000-07:00

Madison called me Monday while I was out and told me her tooth was broken and it was bleeding. I immediately freaked out because it wouldn't have been the first time. After talking to her and then Jenny, I found out the tooth was loose. Madison had her top teeth pulled when she was 3 because she had fallen and chipped them. So this was her first official loose tooth. She was very excited about it. She then asked when we were going to go to the dentist so they could pull it out. I explained that she would have to pull it out when it was time. She wiggled it and messed with it for a couple of days and last night she asked if I would pull it out for her. I got it good and loose and told her to pull it the rest of the way and she did. She started jumping up and down and ran to show Micha. She asked if the tooth fairy would give her $100 for her tooth. Well she didn't get $100, she got $5 and she was thrilled when she woke up. She went running through the entire house showing everyone. She has another loose tooth and is looking forward to loosing it so she can get another $5.