Photos Of Maximus 1-28-08

Chris and Julie went to their 3D ultrasound appointment tonight. Here are some of the photos from that experience!!! In my opinion he definitely has Julie's mouth and chin. He looks so cute, I am even more excited to see him now. We are going to Boston February 8-11 for Julie's baby shower and are all looking forward to spending some time with Chris and Julie prior to his arrival. Who knows maybe we will be lucky and he will decide he to make his first appearance while we are there (although I highly doubt it)!!! We will update you when there is any news, stay tuned.

Todd's New Toy!!!

Today Todd and I went to the Kruse Classic Car Auction in Phoenix. There were so many really cool fully restored classic cars there. We are not to experienced with these vehicles, so we were just intending to observe today and maybe go back tomorrow to bid. As we were almost ready to leave this 1965 Pontiac Grand Prix rolled into the lane. Todd knew the car and thought it was priced to high, but decided to bid. He outbid 2 other people, however the reserve price was about $10,000 more than his bid. At the last moment the owner took the reserve price off the auction and Todd got the car for a very low price. It is in wonderful shape with only a few minor improvements needed. He is very excited about his great deal and will be rolling down the road in his new Cream Puff in the near future. Congrats Todd!!!

Our New Appliances!!!

Last weekend we woke up and I went to the freezer to get a spoonful of ice cream but when I opened the container it poured all over the floor! Todd came to check it and it was completely off and not able to be repaired. We were really surprised because the appliances were new only 3 years ago when we built the house. Anyway, Todd and I went to Lowe's to look at refrigerators, since they typically deliver in a day or two, and decided to switch from all black to stainless steel. We were just going to get the fridge and microwave, but once they installed them I thought the kitchen looked silly with a black stove and dishwasher. I went back to the store and "surprised" Todd with a new stove and dishwasher (which did need to be replaced). Needless to say we love them and it made our kitchen look completely different. I told a couple of you that I would post the pictures, so here they are, enjoy!!!

Scuba Lessons For Seth and Madi!!!

Seth and Madi are taking scuba lessons in order to get their certifications. We are all going to do the pool portion of the class together. We had to wait until Madi turned 10 years old for them to be able to dive with us. They really enjoyed their first class and Seth has been asking every day when we get to go back to dive again. The PADI class consists of several classroom hours of instruction along with pool hours. The skills that they learn will enable them to become Junior Open Water Divers. Last summer Madi went on a dive with us in Maui, but could only use what is referred to as Snuba equipment. Her tank was floating on the surface and a tube attached to a stage 2 air source enabled her to breathe underwater. She was able to dive to about 20 feet and loved it. We saw several endangered sea turtles, an eel and a variety of colorful tropical fish. This summer we will all be able to dive together with traditional scuba equipment and hopefully have a wonderful time.

Madi's Braces!!!

Here we go!!! Madi has been very excited to get her braces. This is outside of the orthodontist's office near our home.

This is inside of the office next to the sign in computer. At each appointment Madi has to sign in at this computer. Her treatment will last for two years, so she will be signing in here frequently.

When she initially got into the treatment chair she was apprehensive for a few moments. The technician assured her that it would not hurt, she then relaxed and was a perfect patient.

Her Orthodontist is one of the best and I was surprised how quickly he put the brackets on her teeth. Madi's teeth are very crowded and she still has several permanent teeth that they need make room for so she has springs between some of her teeth in addition to the wires that will be moving and straightening her teeth. I'm sure when her treatment is complete she will have an even more beautiful smile.

And here you go, all finished. She has been doing great since yesterday and is only concerned that she won't be able to eat popcorn for two years!!!

Vacation 2008 !!!!!

These are a few photos from Maui last year. The Luau was an awesome event during that trip, Seth and Madi were especially impressed. We had such a great time that we are returning for vacation again this year. This time Melissa, Aiden, Christopher, Julie and little Maximus are going to join us. We are staying at the Grand Wailea on Maui again and are all really excited about our trip and will post photos as soon as we can.

Madi's Honor Roll Ceremony!!!

Madilyn got her Honor Roll certificate at a ceremony yesterday at her school. We are all very proud of her academic success and all of the hard work that she does every day in order to maintain her excellent grades. At the age on ten she has her heart set on attending Stanford University!!! She definitely has the motivation and talent to achieve that goal. Some of her other talents and interests include; drama, singing, dancing, riding her wave skateboard and bike, scuba diving, hiking and swimming. She is dedicated to maintaining her Honor Roll status and we will continue to keep you all up to date on her future academic accomplishments. I think that she is following in her big sister's footsteps with her educational achievements. Way to go Madi!!!

HERE COMES MAXIMUS!!!!!!

Only 2 months and counting until the arrival of Maximus and we are all getting so excited. The photos posted here were a few months ago when Christopher and Julie were still here in Arizona. We went with them to find out if they were having a boy or a girl and although there was apparently no preference, when the technician said "It's a boy" I did hear a resounding "YES!" from someone in the room!!! Check back for future updates and baby news.

Las Vegas, December 29 & 30, 2007!!!

Seth and his friend Kirtis headed to Sin City in late December. It was Kirtis' first visit so he was pretty impressed. We went to the M&M Factory, Rainforest Cafe, David Copperfield Show and the most important of all GAME WORKS!!! The boys would have stayed there the entire time if I had let them. They had a nice time and are ready to go back asap.