Back to School and a Trip to the ER . . .

Our girls seem to be growing up faster and faster every day! All three are in school for a full day this year! It's crazy! Every part of me wanted this forever, but now that they're all gone, I feel slightly lost, yet relieved at the same time! We are definitely transitioning into a different stage of life! All three got great teachers this year, which makes things much easier at our house!

Camryn started 5th grade this year!

Carsyn started 4th grade!

And Miss Tyleigh started the big 1st grade!

I know I'm biased, but they keep getting more and more beautiful!


Of course, being who we are, we can't do anything without a little drama/adventure/excitement, so why not do it on the second day of the new school year?!?

Tyleigh came home from school complaining about a tummy ache. I figured it was from nerves, or from the heat . . . after all, the school had no air conditioning and it was 100 degrees outside!
I gave her a snack, and didn't give her a second thought.

Carsyn got invited to a swim party that day at school. She was gone for about an hour when her friend's mom called to tell me that she had cut her foot in the pool. Carsyn had no idea how she had done it. I asked her if it was bleeding and needed stitches. She said it was deep, but not bleeding much. She didn't think stitches would be necessary.

By the time Carsyn got home, I was in a mad rush to get where I needed to go. She didn't complain about her foot, and I didn't see blood, so I took off.

On my way home, I noticed that I had several missed calls on my cell phone.
Apparently in my absence, Tyleigh came down with a nasty case of flu, and Carsyn's foot had started to hurt. Camryn was bawling due to lack of attention and chaos, and poor Rod looked frazzled. He said that Carsyn's cut was pretty deep and her foot was starting to swell.
He called a friend of his who is a surgeon to come give us a second opinion on whether or not it needed to be looked at. He told us that he could see deep tissue and that the swelling was most likely due to a fracture in her foot. Seriously?!?

Rod stayed home with a throwing up Tyleigh and a very upset Camryn, and Carsyn and I headed over to the ER. Within minutes it was determined that she would definitely need stitches and x-rays . . .
and sure enough, Carsyn had caught her little toe on the edge of the pool while jumping in, pulled it hard enough to tear her toe down to the deep tissue, and fractured her foot in the process!
She is now the proud owner of four stitches and a lovely new shoe to accessorize her new school outfits with!

She was extremely brave in the ER, didn't hardly cry at all, and made us proud . . .

And we can't wait to see what the second week of school brings us! Wish us luck!

A Fish Story

What could be more fun than having no parents for a whole week and staying with Grandma and Grandpa the whole time?

FISHING!

Rod and I spent a whole week up at Girl's Camp (long post about that one to come later), and the girls got to stay with Grandma and Grandpa. Grams and Papa planned lots of fun things to keep them busy (a.k.a. not killing each other, whining, screaming, etc.)! One of their most favorite activities was fishing!

Each of the girls got to catch one fish, and loved every minute of it.

They were proud of themselves . . .
but not proud enough to actually touch the fish with their bare hands. . .

Until Papa helped them just a little . . .

As usual, her facial expressions say it all!

Good job girls!

Thanks to Grams and Papa for a week full of fun (or chaos!), and for taking such good care of our little munchkins so we could be up at camp! We love you!

Six Years Old!

It's almost impossible to believe that this little munchkin (my BABY!) is SIX years old today!

Once upon a time, she and I made a pact that she would never get big . . . but here we are . . . turning six and getting ready to start 1st grade!

Tyleigh Keawe Madsen was another unexpected pregnancy,
but a wonderful surprise for our family!
After some complications after Carsyn's birth, we didn't think my body could handle another pregnancy . . . but she and the big guy evidently had a different plan in mind.

For months, we were POSITIVE that we were having a little boy. I had even started giving all of my girly things away! We were beyond shocked when an ultrasound revealed another "pink baby!"

On August 19, 2004, our sweet little "Beanie Baby" made her debut, stole our hearts, and completed our family!

(By the way, her middle name is the same as Rod's. He was born in Hawaii, and his middle name means "strong". It is pronounced K-ah -vey . . . not kiwi :))

Tyleigh is the perfect child to "end" with. She was such a sweet and content baby, and continues to be such a happy kid! She has the world's CUTEST giggle that is absolutely contagious!
She adores her big sisters (most of the time), and they adore her (most of the time)!

Tyleigh loves to learn, loves to read, loves to swim, and loves to do anything that her big sisters do. She is quietly determined to keep up with them in everything! She is the best help a mom could ask for! Tyleigh loves to help clean, organize, decorate, cut-out, cook, garden, etc. She mostly enjoys doing anything that involves being close to those she loves.

Ty, you are an amazing kid with lots of gifts to share with the world! You are a tender-heart, are always willing to share, are kind, and you always know how to brighten someone's day! I wish we could keep you little forever, but we are so proud of the girl you are growing up to be!

Happy 6th Birthday Tyleigh, Ty, Bean, Beanie-Baby!

We LOVE you!

Green Thumbs

I love that my girls not only love to garden, but that they LOVE to eat it too! While our garden is still fairly small, it is producing the yummiest, fresh food for us this year! We have carrots and tomatoes coming out our ears, and our cantaloupe are just about ready to pick!
(Is your mouth watering yet?!?)

Nine Years Old!

9 Years Ago . . .

Nine years ago, we got the biggest shock of our life! I was pregnant - AGAIN! The first time was a miracle, the second time was unbelievable . . . especially since I had a four month old baby girl (Camryn)!

Rod and I were still in college. Rod was playing football, and I was just getting ready to go back to finish another semester of school. We lived in a darling apartment complex, but in an apartment below the noisiest people we've ever met! We decided to move to a different apartment in the same complex. My family came down to help, and everyone ended up with a horrible case of the flu - including me.

A few weeks later, I was still throwing up . . . and no one else was. Rod had just started working a grave-yard shift for the Christmas Break, so we were staying up at my mom and dad's house for a few weeks. My mom was worried that I wasn't getting better and suggested we go to the hospital for a pregnancy test. I laughed at the suggestion, but obliged just to prove her wrong.

Rod had been working all night long and was sound asleep in the other room when the phone rang. Mind you, he didn't even know I had taken a test. It was the hospital calling with my results. "Congratulations Mrs. Madsen. It's positive."
HUH???? (Silence . . . and tears - lots of them!)

I was positive she'd called the wrong person!

I called back a few minutes later.
"Yes ma'am. That's right. It's positive."

Nine months later, and nine years ago today, Carsyn T. Madsen came into the world . . . only 12 months and two weeks after her older sister!


Happy 9th Birthday Carsyn!

Carsyn came into the world in a hurry and has kept us on our toes since!
She was the happiest, chubbiest, baldest, and most lovable baby alive!

As a toddler, Carsyn developed an insatiable appetite for learning and knowing everything!
She likes to know the answer to every possible question and could always be counted on to ask "WHY" 50 times to the same answer! With her spiky blond hair, contagious giggles, and beautiful green eyes, she was (is) spunky and hilarious in every way, and became Camryn's partner in crime in no time!

She makes us laugh (and cry), and has taught us a lot about being parents. She has the most incredible expressions, and will do most anything to make others laugh! She has an incredibly strong personality (that will pay off big time someday), is a dare-devil, and goes after what she wants!

Carsyn is extremely creative and has a knack for design and style! She is becoming a great gymnast, piano player and swimmer. She is an amazing organizer and leader. She is an awesome friend, sister and daughter.

Carsyn, you add so much color to our family! You are such a blessing to us, and we are so proud of you! We love you with all our hearts!

Happy Birthday Little T!