Happy 10th Maddy Rose!

It really doesn't feel like ten years have gone by, but then I can't remember life before our Maddy was born at the same time. She came nearly a month early and I think it was so that she could make sure that she was on t.v.! Local Channel 2 news was doing an early mothers day segment  and I happened to be the only mother in labor that morning so they stayed with us until she was born and all of Utah got to see Madeleine's first moments into the world! She's SUCH a showoff!

We love her so much and I want to share our top 10 favorite things about our Mads...

1-  She is OCD about caring for her younger siblings, a true helper to us for sure

2- She is very kind and nice to everyone. Some girls at school, who pride themselves on being "mean", asked her yesterday why she is so nice to everyone and she just said because being mean to people would be lame! I love it! She values friendships deeply, especially her friends from when she was 2 and 3 years old and only gets to see occasionally. Once a BFF always a BFF

3- She is very alert and always knows what is going on around her, even from her infancy. Nothing gets past her! 

4- She is always teaching Alex how to be a better person. She teaches him and reminds him to pray, and to be kind to everyone, even girls! She shares her testimony with him. It really is amazing!

5- She prays always! At home, at school, in the car....She truly feels a closeness to our savior and knows that when she prays he is always close-by! I am always in awe of her faith

6- She LOVES being a "tween"! (Although I think she has been one since she was 4!)

7- She loves her grandparents and thinks that they are amazing. She loves each and every one of her 23 (and counting) cousins. They are her favorite people and she loves learning from each of them! 

8- She is honest. I never worry about her lying to me and I never have. It isn't in her to know how to tell me an out right lie. Even the few times that she tried to she caved within seconds and came clean because she couldn't stand it.

9- She fights with her siblings and mouths back to her parents on occasion, and she has been known to stomp through the house and slam doors when she is really angry . Ok, I don't love this but what else could I expect? She IS human after all!

10- She is a social butterfly! Ask her teacher--that is ALWAYS the "area that needs improving" at parent/teacher conference. :)

 

We took her out for her B-day last night to celebrate and she picked Olive Garden for dinner and then a movie after. The movie had a couple of popular Disney actors in it and we thought it would be fun. When we got there we noticed that it was rated PG 13. But Josh and I, against our better judgement, decided it couldn't be that bad with these "clean" actors in it. The movie started and right away we didn't feel like it was appropriate for Maddy and Alex but it was her B-day and we thought maybe some of the material would go over her head so we wouldn't leave just yet. So josh and I are fidgeting and discussing what to do when Maddy says "Mom, I think we should leave." Without hesitation she pokes me to get up and we all leave. When we left Maddy said that she didn't feel right from the moment it started. And as it went on she felt worse and worse. I feel horrible for taking them in anyway! She told me that she started singing primary songs in her head and saying a prayer before she told me that we had to leave. I am sooooo proud of her (and ashamed at myself) for her willingness to listen to the spririt and to  leave a bad situation when she felt prompted. Once again, I have learned a valuable lesson from my sweet Maddy. I hope she never loses her desire to listen to and submit to the promptings of the spirit.