Redding...AGAIN!

Last week, Josh and I got home from a wonderful 11-day trip to Redding. My sister Stephanie's birthday was on the 8th, so my parents flew us home to surprise her. (Josh is her favorite thing in the whole wide world. It's painful for them to be apart!) It was a great excuse for the whole family to gather at home for a few days...except for Matt. Sorry, honey. I wish I could just say "school shmool" but you know I wouldn't blaspheme like that.

I don't have a ton of pictures from our trip, and that's usually what I depend on to help me remember what we actually did on trips, but I do have some pics from my phone and some pretty cool shots that my brother-in-law Mike took. (Mostly of Josh, of course, but that's all anyone really cares about anyway, right?)

Could more joy be captured in a photograph? I think not.

This foreshadows his teenage years a little too well. I can just see him twelve years from now grabbing his skateboard and yelling from the garage "Mom, I'm going out! See ya when I see ya!"

Josh is actually getting really good at bouncing a basketball. You could almost call it dribbling in three-second stretches. And admit it...he does kind of look like a young Troy Bolton. Long hair, preppy shirt and all.

Working hard on the Mule. It's a tough job, but someone's gotta get that key in the ignition.

Sidewalk chalk. Don't you miss it? I can't wait until we have our own driveway so I can scrub this stuff off his hands, face, and clothes every day!

A very artsy picture, I must say. Nice job, Uncle Mike.

My beautiful big sister Melissa strikes a pose in the driveway! If you're wondering whether she finishes all her basketball shots like this, she does.

Matt didn't really appreciate this picture of Stephanie taking Josh for a little bike ride on her lap. I bet I don't have to tell you who loved it!

Another artsy fartsy pic from Mike. This is my littlest sister Julia. She just turned 12, and is easily the most athletic Madsen you'll ever find. We got to watch one of her softball games while we were there.

Josh thought he was important enough to hang out on the bench with Jules. I don't think the coach liked it, but I don't like her if she wants to ruin a sweet moment like this!

And that's the end of the good pictures. Here are the rest I took on my phone. 

Josh and Steven (16) pretty much became best friends. Josh followed him around everywhere and copied everything he said. (Good thing my brother has a clean mouth!) Josh would climb onto the back of this rocker chair while it was laying back, and Steven would come push on the other end and send him flying straight up! Then he'd slide down face first and hurry to do it again. Boys are so much fun!

We spent one morning at open gym time for toddlers at Julia's gymnastics place. Josh had a blast!

Another nerve-wracking picture for Matt -- Josh helping Uncle Steven mow the lawn.

He and Uncle Mike bonded a lot this trip, too. Thank goodness for daddies and uncles who know how to build really tall towers with blocks! These are actually the same blocks I played with as a child. Brought back memories!

 I think I have too many pictures like this....Anyway, JOSH GOT HIS FIRST HAIRCUT!!! Doesn't he look so handsome? So young and so old all at once?! I absolutely LOVE it! (And he screamed through the whole thing, even with a lollipop, which got covered in hair since it didn't stay in his mouth. Yuck.) I thought I might cry, and I did save a few locks of his hair, but I love it more than I could've imagined! No reason for tears. He's such a little MAN now.

Josh really enjoyed helping Steven hunt for bugs in the yard. Steven just caught a couple of lizards and bought a snake to add to his collection of "pets" in his bedroom, and he's been trying to feed them bugs. Such a boy. He also has two turtles and a bunch of fish. Needless to say, his is Josh's favorite room in the house.

Mesmerized by a weird Australian version of "Alice in Wonderland" while handling a butter dispenser of some sort. Whatever keeps him happy.

And here's the little man at church, playing with cars on the pew. He finally allowed me to put a tie on him that day, which made him look so studly that it was really hard to resist smothering him with kisses all day. But somehow I managed to share him with the family.

Until my dad sends me his comprehensive photo record of the entire trip, that's all I can post. Maybe that's a good thing this time...I tend to go overboard with picture posts. But look at my boy. Can you blame me?!