MADI'S BIRTHDAY CELEBRATIONS!!

Can you believe that Madi is six? I am having a hard time believing it myself. Her birthday didn't turn out quite as we had hoped. We didn't get our air shipment, so that means that we didn't get her presents. I did have some earrings that I had bought her before we left and put them in my suitcase. We headed out Tuesday morning in search of candles and a pan to cook a cake in (we didn't have those things either), and I bought her an Australian t-shirt with a koala on it. I told her that she had to act suprised when she opened it.

When we got home grandma Susan and grandpa John called to wish her a happy birthday - it was fun to talk to them. While I was talking to them I looked over and Cooper and Madi were eating the cake batter out of the bowl - I am not sure how much of it was in their tummies when I put it in the cake pan.

When Kev came home from work we went to McDonalds for dinner. McDonalds here is like the church in Utah - there is one on every corner. I had asked Madi earlier in the day what she wanted for her b-day dinner. She told me that we could go to Subway and get sandwiches, which I thought was a bit odd. She said that we could go to Subway because I don't like McDonalds (which is true). I thought that was very sweet that she was thinking about me on her b-day. I told her that it was her bday so we could go where she wanted - of course with that she picked McDonalds. When we got back to the apartment the other big plan was to go swimming. Madi loves to swim so it is fun that we have a swimming pool at the apartment complex. The hot tub, however, had something in it which felt a bit like soap all over our skin. When we got the kids in the bath later we noticed that they both had a rash where their swimming suits had been. Kev went down and told them at the front desk that they might want to check the hot tub. We put hydrocortisone cream on their rashes and they disappeared as quickly as they had come. Luckily, it didn't damper the night. After getting cleaned up from the pool and getting jammies on we had cake and icecream. It wasn't much, but I did the best I could with what I could find. While opening presents Madi did a good job pretending that she didn't know what the t-shirt was. Cooper had been worried all day; according to him, Madi couldn't have a bday without presents - we have told him over and over that we will wrap her presents when they get here and she will open them. I forgot to buy wrapping paper, so they were wrapped in newspaper. It is a good thing that she doesn't care about things like that. It turned out to be a good day, and Madi was happy. We will send pictures when she gets to open her presents that are coming.

We are so glad that Madi is part of our family. Life wouldn't be the same without her. She always has something to say - to anyone who will listen. She has started asking lots of questions and sometimes I am not sure how to answer her. She has such a good memory - except for people's names for some reason - she even remembers some of the street names around Sydney. We are excited to see what she will do with her life when she gets older. We love her with all of our hearts!! She is super swell!!