Flat Ella
I have a beautiful niece named Ella and she was doing a project at her school about the adventures of Flat Ella. It came from a story called Flat Stanley. Each child made a paper doll that was then sent to various members of the family. Each family member was asked to do something with Flat Ella, take pictures and write a note describing what we did. Flat Ella's first journey sent her to Florida to her Grandmother's house. There they made a necklace and it was hanging around her neck when she arrived here in MS. I decided to make Flat Ella a pink dress to go along with her new necklace. I also thought that she needed to travel more so I took her to Las Vegas with me. Well, she was such a hit in Vegas that all of the paparazzi that was there just had to get a photo of her. Thank you for visiting Aunt Renee, Flat Ella! Maybe next time you will get Ella to come with you! Check out how popular she was!
Flat Ella

Friends
I have always been someone who appreciated my friends because I believe that they are an extension of your family. The big difference is that you chose your friends and you have a choice in how strong, how deep and how much they are a part of your life. When I was growing up, I didn't always know who and how long someone was going to be my friend. It was a challenge growing up for me and while I don't really want to get in to that sometimes painful part of my life, I know that the experiences I had were great lessons to me. Fortunately, I have been blessed with a life full of wonderful people. I can count on my friends as much or more than my own family sometimes.
A few months ago, I was introduced to the world of Facebook. I fought it for a long time but finally gave in. I have to admit that there is an addiction of sorts in this crazy world of 'FB'. I find myself checking my FB a few times a day to see what everyone is up to. It is nice to reconnect with friends old and new and take a quick peek into their worlds. When you meet someone now, you automatically ask if they FB and sign on as their friend. It's amazing how quickly you learn about someone and how close you feel toward someone just by knowing what's going on in their lives. Like this blog, you can look at pictures, get snippets of their daily life and have access to the here and now. The thing about blogs and FB is that sometimes you can't get everything you want down in a single sentence or post. There are so many layers to my life and so many facets to my world that I couldn't possibly write about all of it in this blog. I guess the high points(and sometimes low) will have to do. The best part of all this technology is that we can stay connected and keep up with those we might now be able to otherwise. There are only so many hours in the day and while I would love to talk for hours to my girlfriends, it's just not possible these days. I received so many comments after my post about Landry's apple choking incident. I realized after that post how many people cared about us and how many wonderful people I am blessed to have in my life. Thanks for reading and keeping up with the Maders. I love all of you!

Cleansing
Mardi Gras was something I grew up with in Mobile. I never really thought much about it until I moved away and it seems like there is such a mystique about it for those who don't have first hand experience with it. Since we started planning our high school reunion and I got on Facebook, I really found myself in the Mardi Gras spirit. I wanted to go down for a parade or a ball but I have been burning the candle at both ends as it is so it just wasn't in the cards this year. I enjoyed seeing all of the pictures and hearing how much fun everyone had. Most people associate Mardi Gras with New Orleans but it originally started in my hometown, Mobile. I have been to some big balls in New Orleans but I haven't been to Mobile in so long that I am afraid it wouldn't be the same for me but it is a fond childhood memory. The culmination of Mardi Gras is big party called Fat Tuesday. The next day begins the season of Lent. Lent is a time where we take on something new or give something up to acknowledge the son that God gave for us to pay for our sins. I wrote a meditation on John 3:16 a few years ago for St. Philip's Lenten meditation book and I found it again today. I am still amazed that He gave his child for us. I can't imagine sacrificing Landry for anyone.....I mean ANYONE so the whole idea really takes me to a place I can't fathom.
For Lent, Mike gave up bread(that's a BIG deal...he loves his bread!!), potatoes and beer. This is going to be an interesting 50 days! I gave up bread and potatoes and took on water. I don't drink enough so I am continuing(from my New Years Resolution) to order water when I go out to eat and to also drink at least (3) 20 ounce bottles a day. That is huge for me because I just don't get enough water and chugging down that much takes effort on my part. I look at is as a kind of cleansing too. I look at the water in a symbolic way of it washing away my sins through His sacrifice. My Lenten motto: H2O.....have you been cleansed today?
BTW...I finally cut Landry's hair! She's needed a haircut for a long time now but I just couldn't bring myself to taking her to another hairdresser yet. We all really miss Pam. Mike told(threatened!) me that he was going to take her or cut it himself so I had to jump into action! Not too bad for a 'Mama cut' and as always, she was an angel while I did it.

Behind.....
I am so behind. It seems like I just can't catch up. I have people pulling at me from all directions. There are so many projects that I am involved in right now. Where is the light?! I love the feeling of a deadline and the feeling of having things to do but I wish I had a week to catch up on all of the things that I need to do....not want to do I would love to reorganize my closets. They are a wreck and Landry has more 'stuff' than any child of 14 months that I know. It is absolutely ridiculous how many toys she has. She could never get bored that's for sure! I would love to download all of my images from the week and post them but I know if I get involved in it I could be out for hours. I would love to get my office back to normal. If you know anything about me, you know that I hate not being organized! I hope that I can put a dent in it tomorrow so I can get this attitude back in check. I have to admit that the time I spend with my Bug are worth the endless clutter and I guess I'll have to live with it if I have to give up my sweet time with her. Have I told you how much fun she is lately? :)

A black eye and the slap disease
On our way back to Jackson, Jadeen called me and told me that she was going to take Landry to the doctor because she woke up with a pretty bad rash. I was a little alarmed but I would rather her take her in than not because she seemed pretty concerned over the phone. I talked to my doctors office from the airport and they were going in at 11am. I would be just getting into Houston about that time. I found out that Landry had the Fifths Disease also known as the 'slap disease'. She looked like a speckled trout. She was covered from head to toe with these red spots. On her cheeks were raised whelpy bumps. When I talked to her pediatrician, she warned me...Renee, I am going to go ahead and warn you. You are going to freak out. (WHAT!?) She looks pretty bad but it will go away. I promise, it's not going to scar.(Are you freakin' kidding me?!)....those are the words I heard while I was sitting on a puddle jumper of an airplane getting ready to take off from Houston. I was not a very happy camper to say the least. When we landed, I send Mike to get the car and I said I would get the luggage by myself. He kinda knew not to argue with me. He just did it. I got the two big bags and was waiting for him by the curb when he drove around. I couldn't get home soon enough. I wanted to get my hands on that kid of mine so badly I could hardly stand it. When we drove up, they weren't there yet. I just started pacing back and forth. They were there within minutes and I about flattened Mike getting out of the door to greet them. When she saw me I heard the greatest words on the planet....Maaa Maaa. I just held her so tight. She looked like a hot mess too but I am very glad I was warned. She had red splotches from her toes to the top of her head. I really didn't care about that when I saw her. I had her smushed up against me for so long that I didn't even see if for a while.
Flashback a few days....I am not exactly sure how the event took place only to say that they butted heads. Not in the way that one would think two females might. They actually butted heads and poor Momo go the worst end of the deal. Apparently, Landry's hard head hit her right in the eye. It hit her so hard that she had a goose egg come up on her eye and Dave had to put ice on it. It was really bad. The worse part was the 4 rings of purple that she ended up with around it. It looked like she went 10 rounds with Mike Tyson. I felt terrible for her. Dave said he wanted a signed, sworned affidavit saying that he did NOT hit his wife! She was such a trooper about it. This family has the type of servants heart that I long to have. I know that I do many things to the glory of God but I pray for the type of heart that they show every single day. I love these people like my family and they truly love us. I heard that Landry just went nuts over Paw Paw when they came to pick her up and that makes my heart smile. She was so good for them and they both really enjoyed their visit with each other. Momo, Landry said that she was really sorry she blacked your eye. She said she loves you and would never ever try to hurt you on purpose. I think we are all in trouble if that is any indication of how hard-headed she is going to be!
After two days, she is pretty much back to normal. It comes and goes but she isn't contagious and has never been ill or grumpy. She has such a great attitude and is so loveable. How did I deserve such a beautiful gift?

Viva Las Vegas!
I'm back! I have so much to tell so I guess I'll just jump right in. On my way out last Sunday, I had planned on leaving from church and going to lunch and heading straight to the airport. Mike asked me what the temperature was in Vegas so since I hadn't bothered to look I looked it up on my iPhone. I almost choked when I read how cold it was going to be. I didn't pack a jacket or anything remotely warm because I thought it was going to be fairly warm the whole time I was going to be there. We ended up going to church and going all the way back home so I could repack. I am so thankful I did because there were times when I needed the extra layers. I would have been very ill prepared if he hadn't asked that one simple question. Saying goodbye to Landry proved to be harder than I even imagined and I had hoped she would remember who I was when I returned. The flight there was fairly uneventful. I got in there at 7:30pm(their time...it was 9:30 our time) and I immediately hit the the ground running. I met up with my roommate Melanie at a party and caught up. We ended up going to the room and talking. I met a few friends for a little while and actually turned in at a fairly decent(Vegas) hour. I had my first platform class at 8am the next morning. I was so excited to see one of my favorite photographers, Jim Garner, give a great lecture and class. It was a wonderful way to start off my WPPI experience. The rest of the week was spent in and out of classes with photographers whose work I really admire. I loved hearing their methods, thoughts and stories on how they came to this industry. Every night had a party and Monday nights was a big one. It was Beckers [b]school party and it did not disappoint. It was held at the Palms in the same suite that the Real World filmed their reality show. It was crazy. I met so many fun people and I really had a good time. Every night there was something going on or a party to attend. I don't know how people do this lifestyle every day. I was burning the candles at both ends just trying to keep up with everyone. 3 nights is about all I can hang with....5 nights did me in. I am just not there any more! Mike showed up in my 4th and 5th night and we were both so tired that we turned in fairly early. We did have some great food while were were there and walked the Las Vegas Strip. I had to be up at the crack of dawn to get ready for Joe Photo's platform. I was assisting him and I wanted to make sure that all of the details were taken care of to perfection. He was absolutely amazing. He is such a passionate person and he truly loves his work. I was just so happy to be there for it thrilled that he asked me to help him. My name badge had my name and his studio name and city on it. I had several people comment about my southern accent and me being from California! It was pretty funny. All in all, I can't really express how truly wonderful this experience was for me. I loved every minute of it. I missed my baby girl in the worst possible way but she was in such great care with her Momo and Paw Paw that I knew I didn't have a thing to worry about. I love how much they love her and it is really important to me for her to experience that from someone other than us. It was a blessed week for many many reasons. And as I said so many times...I will be back.

WPPI
I am on the way to the Las Vegas for the WPPI convention for a total of 5 nights. WPPI stands for Wedding & Portrait Photographers International and it hosts the largest group of photographers in the world. I will be in classes every day and offer a trade show and so many things I cannot wait to experience. I was asked to help with Joe Photo's closing platform. I am not exactly sure what I will be doing but I am thrilled to be asked to help in any capacity. I cannot believe I am leaving my world to go to Vegas (of all places) for so long. I am in hopes that it will give me a chance to explore this passion I have and confirm what I think I already know. I am going to have very little time to blog and it's 15 bucks a day to have Internet access in my room so I don't know if I will be able to anyway. If not, I will have lots to tell you when I return. Until then....have a great week!

Happy Valentines Day!
I just want to wish everyone a Happy Valentines Day! I know it is really a contrived holiday that feeds the retailers but I also think that if there is a day where someone is made to feel special and loved then I'm okay with that. For some, it may be the only day they get any attention. I am thankful that not only do I have my big sweetie, I also have my little one and she will always have a Valentine in her Daddy.
Annie Lennox is on my TV and I am listening to a song that I haven't heard in a long time. It's amazing how a song will transport you to a particular place and time in your life. I feel like I'm back in college when I hear this song. She sang her classic tune Why . I just had a great moment listening to my past. Wanna join me? WHY-Annie Lennox

Whack!
Landry has decided that it is just the grooviest thing these days is to hit me in the face. She thinks it is hilarious. At first, I just said 'No, Landry' and told that it hurt when she hit and blah blah blah. When I told her no, she just hauled off and whacked me again. After a day or two of telling her 'No! No!' I had to progress to a more stern level of communication with the Bug. While I don't like the idea of spanking, I am not opposed to it. I think the fear of a spanking is more effective than the actual act. I have always believed if a child can get a lesson and/or a message without a physical punishment then that is the route I want to take. Unfortunately, Landry did not want to go that route so we commenced to swatting her on the hand after the third time she took a swing at me yesterday. We were in the doctors office and she started up. I finally swatted her hand and Mike had to turn his head he was laughing so hard. That got me tickled and then we both just lost it. I swatted her at least 3 times and when she started up again this morning, I did it again. I made it clear to her that we don't hit in the face and that it hurt me. She grinned...grinned I tell you! Hello!!! Now when I tell her 'No! No' for anything she swats her own hand and says 'No No!' Think she got the message? She's too smart for her own good. I am afraid....very very afraid.

Bonk your head...bonk, bonk your head.
This won't mean much to most people reading this blog so I'll explain. One of the things I have always wanted to do was give Landry the ability to recover from a fall or a bonk on the head(as we call it). I have always thought that children who are rushed to before they have time to analyze a situation often let their parents dictate whether or not they are really hurt or upset about something. When Landry started walking, we knew that it was inevitable that she would run into doors, walls, tables or what ever was in her way. The first time she took a good whack to the head, my first impulse was to go 'save' her but I held back and ended up saying to her 'Did you bonk your head?' while I patted my own head. Ever since then, when she hits her head or runs into anything we just sing the 'Bonk your head song' She almost never cries and usually ends up smiling and dancing. It's the darnedest thing you have ever seen. If she cries, I know she really took a good lick and she might need some attention. Otherwise, we are all aglow with the 'Bonk your head, bonk bonk your head' song. I wish you could see the Maders when all three of us are dancing around singing it. It's even more funny when we get Bella and she bonks HER head. That is a sure fire way to get a smile from the Bug.

Good Times
I just got back from a weekend in Mobile. We had a high school reunion planning meeting and those meetings have always delivered a good time. Fortunately, a few people showed yo that I have not see in 20 years and it was so much fun catching up. It's funny how you can just jump right back into compartments of your life without ever skipping a beat. There are people from my past that I know that no matter how long we are apart, we will always be friends and picking up where we left off is easy. We got our business done and then we just had a blast. We danced and laughed, reminisced and talked about how really great everyone looked. I have to say that we have some pretty amazing people in our class. Most are hard working, educated and super sweet individuals. We have our share of people that we wished better for but for the most part, I think we are all happy, grounded people. I am really excited about our reunion and looking forward to seeing everyone. Go Raiders!!!

On a Landry note, she was left to entertain Aunt Elaine and Uncle Robert and she certainly delivered! I am so blessed to have such wonderful family and they take such great care of us when we come to visit. My cousin Julie and her son Trey came to help get her to bed and spend time with her last night. I am so happy that she is building relationships with our extended family and that they love her so much. It is so important to me to have them in our lives and I do whatever I can to keep our visits as frequent as possible. I know I am home when I am with them and I am so proud that they are my family.

My Moment
It's been a while since I posted about My Moment Closest to Christ. I don't always single them out but I certainly have them filed away in my mind. There was one today that I have to share. I have been teaching Landry to hold her hands together when we say our prayers. I tell her "Let's say our prayers, Landry" and she puts her hands together and sits there and waits for the prayer to be said. For the last few times, I have had to help her but tonight she immediately put them together and just looked at her Daddy while he said the blessing at dinner. We were both so excited! Mike said 'Good Job, Landry! Give me five!!' She was so proud of herself. She gave him a high 5 and proceeded to eat a good supper. It's the small things in life that make you happy. It's small things like this that build the foundation of her life with Christ. I know she has no idea why she's doing it and she may not for several years but the sight of her bowing before God gave me the such a peace in my heart. Thank you for the priceless little things, little one. I hope you will always walk the walk.

Vestry
Mike was commissioned into the vestry at our church this morning. He was elected to become a member of the governing body of St. Philip's and I am very proud of him. He is a great leader and will be a great asset to the vestry. He went to a retreat on Friday night and it brought about many new ideas for change and revision for the coming year. I look forward to seeing him be even more involved help make the improvements we need to move forward. Mike wasn't actively involved in a church when we met and hadn't been in quite some time. In my dating life, I knew it would always be a deal breaker for me to have someone that didn't want to follow the same walk I did. Fortunately for me, he didn't have a place to call home so it was an easy transition for him to become an Episcopalian. I will never forget how he told me he was going to convert. It was Christmas morning in 2004 and he had given me all of my presents. There were way too many to count as it was but he said he had one more. I was like 'Are you kidding me!?' He handed me an envelope and asked me to read it. It was a long(4 pages and he writes really small), handwritten letter telling me many of the things that I had longed to know and the most important one was that he had talked to our priest and was going to start Inquires class to be confirmed on Easter Sunday. I was stunned. It was one of the best presents I have ever, ever received and I cherish it to this day. I didn't even realize at the time that it was a precursor to getting engaged. I just knew that I was very happy to spending my time with someone that wanted to be closer to God. Now, he is a full fledged, card carrying :) member of the Episcopal Church, a Christian and a Vestry member. You never know what life is going to bring you!

Breathtaking
Yesterday, I had the single biggest scare of my life. I was watching Landry while she sat in her high chair and she was eating one of those apples she so dearly loves. I was standing at the sink washing her cups and all of the sudden I look over and she has this glazed over look in her eyes. I saw two huge tears start to well up in her eyes and they were just about to fall. She was choking. I dropped whatever it was in my hand and ran over to her. I immediately tried to pull her out of her seat and she wouldn't budge and she was semi alert but dazed. I immediately ripped the tray off, picked her up, threw her arms over her head and started whacking her on her back. She still wouldn't cough it up and I was starting to panic. REALLY panic. Then I balled my fist up and put it under her diaphragm and hit her on her back again...and again...and again. FINALLY she started to throw up. I have never been so happy to be up chucked on...EVER! She still had some lodged in her throat and I had to work on her a little longer. She finally decided to start crying and I was beside myself with relief. I took her to the sink and wiped her hands down and took her pajamas off of her. I looked at her and I literally just sat in the middle of my kitchen floor and cried. I mean sobbed. It was a sight I'm sure. I am getting all teared up now just reliving it again. I just begged her not to ever scare Mama like that again. I held her so tightly she may have lost her breath again from my grip but I was just so thankful that she was okay. I also thanked God for letting me keep her just one more day. I fed her apples again but I cut them so small that they may have qualified for applesauce.

On a lighter note...
I love the expression on her face. I am having a contest to see who can title this picture. The winner will receive an attaboy(or girl), 20 style points and an autographed picture from Landry. I know, I know...It's a dream prize package. Put your thinking caps on and send them on. My entry is "No, I think I'll take a banana'.