maddie is eight!

"god gave me red hair because he knew i needed a warning label"

that quote was 100% written about my daughter.

i genuinely do not know how this day has arrived, but somehow my maddie is eight years old today. i always laugh when people say "oh it feels like just yesterday" but here i am thinking it wasn't all that long ago the midwife handed me a little girl all of my own to take home and love - and now look at her. she is witty, funny, inquisitive and the best person ever to hang out with. i feel like i am constantly arguing with a miniature version of myself, but she just gets me! i know she was sent to me for a reason, we were absolutely meant to be together.

this weekend we will celebrate again with family and friends as she is baptised a member of the church of jesus christ of latter-day saints. i am so proud that she wants to be part of the gospel and can't wait for her special day.

madeline we love you so much and i am so, so proud to be your mum 

girls breakfast! ♥

 

some of the lovely girls from church organised a girls breakfast yesterday at a local cafe (mecca gourmet) for three of us that had our birthdays in one week. such a fun morning with lots of laughs.

dom and i

amy and i - our breakfast was actually on her birthday...

the crew playing blackjack with the deck of cards we found on the shelf behind our table 

and the cakes that were whipped out at the end

squad goals. our ward is great and i feel very lucky to be surrounded by people who love me!

madeline is six!

this morning i woke up and just like that madeline was six! i swear it was just yesterday that we brought her home from the hospital - and now she is a little lady, wants to pick her own clothes, have an opinion and worst of all, talk back! (oh my goodness, i wonder where she learned that from?) i am so proud to be her mum and love that she will not have decisions made for her. i hope she grows up to be independent and continues to show the strong will she has, not allowing the opinions of others to sway her.

we have received excellent feedback from madeline's school teacher. she reads extremely well for her age and isn't afraid to read around words and use other ones to work out the story. she is writing all by herself and sounds out words she doesn't know (even if they aren't correct) so that she can "do it by myself!" her maths skills are great too and we spend our time in the car doing simple sums and spelling every word she can think of. watch out world. madeline is coming for you!

maddie and joseph got to spend the afternoon with my mum as i had to attend a funeral nearby, and she was thrilled to see a beautifully set table when we arrived, with her a gorgeous decorated cake for her to enjoy. she was one happy little girl!

nanna even let her cut the cake herself, something mummy would never allow (i'm far too ocd) and serve the pieces. 

after a long drive home, she was thrilled to see more gifts and a huge balloon from mummy and daddy. i was way more excited than her about the big one, a framed map of all the old landmarks in paris. i am obsessed with it and can't wait to see it hanging in her room.

more cake after dinner (this girl is going to be caked out) and then finally off to bed, so that mum can continue preparations for her birthday party this weekend. she may kill me some times, but i am so lucky she is mine ♥

happy birthday maddie!

maddie's birthday week

dougs parents arrived in perth last night, so seeing as they missed madeline's birthday by just 2 days, it seemed fitting that another cake and candles were in order... 

we found a hello kitty cake at the local coles, and amazingly enough it was delicious!

she was thrilled to have her birthday extended by a few more days (she will learn in time that the goodlet family [- my side] love to celebrate birthday week, not birthday day) and grinned away as we say happy birthday to her and she got to open even more gifts. spoiled girl! i have learned in time that although the word i automatically jump to in my head is spoiled, that i need to reword it and say loved. madeline is very, very loved. especially seeing as she was stephen and oli's first grandchild... nothing could stop them loving her

well there you have it sweet girl. it's all over for another year... you'll have to start talking about your 5th birthday now haha ♥

spoilt rotten

it's my birthday!!

and these lovely flowers got delivered to work for me this morning

from the bestie - jen :)

and the "boys and girls at cottage garden"

spoilt rotten