Madsens in Midland

Watch out Midland. I'm converting my family to Michigan.

As you might know, my family came to visit last month. I never thought my littlest sister and brother would have the chance to come out here (probably because we never flew anywhere when I was a kid), but I'm so glad they did. Even with two sisters missing, it was still a great week.

Josh loved having so many playmates. I loved having so many babysitters! And fortunately, Jude seemed to remember his Uncle Steven and Aunt Julia. They were buddies right away.

As usual, Jude is pictured here eating/drinking someone else's snack. Rude little piggy!

The piano got a lot of use with a house full of Madsens. I loved it. I loved showing new fun music to my sibs. I loved talking to Steven about how to start teaching lessons to our little cousins. I loved how every time I would play, Julia or Steven or my dad or someone would come in and sit on the couch, just to listen and to be with me. Makes me feel loved and appreciated.

Julia was feeling sick for a couple days, so we spent time hanging around the house, reading, playing a lot of Rockband, and of course eating way too much garbage. Can you see my mom there in the bottom right? That's her classic "I'm eating brownies out of the pan with a fork" sneaky face.

We went for a long walk around the neighborhood to burn off the junk food one night. My parents found the house they want. Now I just have to get them to move in! 

After a long, extremely hot day of yard work, Steven blew up Josh's new little pool. Some of us may have been inappropriately underdressed, considering that there are no fences between yards around here.

You wouldn't be able to tell by looking at ME, but I have a family of sun goddesses, including the men. I am the PaleSkin of the family, with the lightest hair and the only one with blue eyes. (My sister used to tell me I was adopted.) Growing up, my mom taught us how to sunbathe rotisserie style, and how to mix oils and lotions to get the perfect SPF combination for each body part, down to the eyelids. Above, Steven is demonstrating one of his special positions to tan the backside of his paste-y legs.

It was a good day's work. My mom and brother put pavers around our front planter area, and we all helped my dad build an amazing workbench for Matt.

Josh and Jude were tremendously helpful, as usual.

They showed everyone the huge sand pile next to our house (a collection from all the building going on around here), and they kindly let my mom give them a bath afterward. Cutest little bottoms ever.

I took everyone to Dow Gardens on Josh's birthday morning because we have our gardening class there. It was a pretty hot day, and the gardens weren't at their most impressive stage because everything was recently planted and small. I still had fun.

I'm pretty sure this is how Steven and Julia felt about being dragged out of bed before 9:00 to come with us.

That day we had Josh's big garbage truck birthday party, and that night we opened family presents. 

I was almost able to capture the pure joy and excitement Josh felt when he unwrapped Battleship...but unfortunately my camera was on a super dark setting and the pictures were ruined. Just believe me when I say it was the cutest thing ever.  

Doesn't he look like a little angel boy in this picture? I should edit in a halo.

Steven got Josh a little set of Nerf guns, but I think you can tell who enjoyed them the most.

Julia came with me to play volleyball twice that week. It was so much fun to play with her! I've never had that chance before, and she's a really good teammate. Even my DAD played with us for a few games on Friday. He played serious volleyball in college, so he thinks he still knows everything about it. We mock him a lot.

We went to the lake a couple times, always followed by Great Lakes Creamery ice cream. We decided that Jude is too brave in the water. He'll walk right off the beach and plop down in chest deep water to play. No big deal.

That Saturday we went to the Farmer's Market and the Tridge. Jude's favorite part was the doggie drinking fountain, and Steven's favorite part was taking care of his two babies, Jude and Julia.

The last day was Matt's 29th birthday, so we had a little party for him. FYI, if you try to put birthday candles into a hot chicken pot pie, the wax will melt. Nothing wrong with a little waxy birthday gravy, right? Special gifts included a shirt that Julia tie-dyed, and a coloring book made by Josh and me. He really wanted to give Matt a coloring book for church, so he told me what pictures he wanted, and I printed them off the computer.

A most excellent week. We miss each other already. Seriously, my dad has already contacted me about THREE possible (read: impossible) get-togethers this summer, and another in October. I don't think he remembers that I live three time zones away and have a young family. Either way, it's nice to be loved!