Madyun 9. Oh, and our little dog too.......

New Years Eve 2010!

2010-01-01T19:03:00.000-08:00

Na'im (not sure if he can make it 'til midnight), Tanshea and Aiden..What time is it?

Amir and Mommie (Amir is thinking how much longer must I pose and miss all the fun I'm having playing)

Strike a pose. Micah what is wrong with your head? Andersen doing funny eyes in the background.

This is Anderesen at midnight, Hello 2010.

These two are very handsome boys Aiden age 2 and Dad...age...well, maybe he's a man now.

Kristen and Benjy along with that beautiful Aiden.

The Gang's all here...plus 2 more (nephews). It's the Madyun 11 tonight...hmmm I like the sound of that.

I am so cold, I can only think "this is why we stay inside the house in the winter." However, the kids had a great time and I am very happy we were able to do it....THIS ONCE :)

Oh to be 14 again. I wouldn't do it, but Marcus who is 14 opted to stay and hang with the fam instead of going to a dance.. Is he sweet or what..

Maxien ready to start the fun of the Celebrating the health and love we received in 2009 and welcome 2010.

Tyler loved the sledding and having his family around.

Micah all bundled up trying to stay warm. He was the 1st person to come in after Andersen and I did. He and cold weather don't agree...he gets frost bite in a pool.

Amir is always all smiles...wow, it's hard to believe he's only 7 sometimes.

Andersen age 3 and Mom. Our last picture before we went to defrost.

Can you believe most of the Madyun9 have been born in MN and the rest have been here so long it almost makes no sense to call anywhere else home. However, sledding and skiing we have never done.

Micah,Maxien,Devin and Tyler.

Andersen braving the cold as best he can. Thank goodness for me he was ready to leave after his 1st run down the hill. Amir is just getting ready to leave on a fresh run down the hill.

Well to ring in the New Year we were invited to a sledding party. I really wanted to sled down the hill, but by the time we got there it was too cold for even my camera. I think it actually yelled at me in Kodak language. Marcus,Morgan and Aiden stayed in the warm house while the rest of us braved the weather.

So, our sledding team consisted of.. Na'im, Tanshea, Morgan, Micah, Amir, Maxien Andersen and 2 cousins/nephews... Tyler and Devin. Lucky for me..Andersen was ready to leave after sledding down the hill only once. YAH!!! inside to eat we goooooo.. The rest stayed out to enjoy the snow and ice of it all.

This was one of the best New Years Parties I have been too. The Seamans threw this ball which included 4 or 5 other families. There was lots of game playing, dancing, eating, laughing, picture taking and merriment.

The kids played Wii and boy did they have fun with the dancing game. Some of us adults joined in that fun also. You should've seen the dance to the Eye of the Tiger.

Ten minutes from the New Year, we turned on the T.V. and counted down to 12 am Jan 01, 2010.

Happy New Year!

and of course

Mad Love, Til Later... The Madyun 9.

Actors you say!

2009-12-30T17:37:00.000-08:00

Marcus,Micah, Amir and Na'im were in a Christmas play this year.. It was fabulous. All four of them did great. They spoke loud and clear, sang solos and knew their lines and lots of the other actors lines too. One of my favorite parts of the play was when one of the other child actors did not know her line and Micah stepped right in and saved the day....well, almost. After Micah started the line, the little girl remembered what the line was and started to say it also.. They kinda shared the line and then negotiated with eye contact and body positioning til the end... it was so cute..

They had a really good time with the play..I am really happy they had this experience.

Micah" I'll have my close-up now."

Amir "are you looking at me?"

Marcus" I'll be signing autographs after my closeup."

Til Later, Mad Love.

Christmas Tree Hunt!

2009-12-30T16:35:00.000-08:00

The Madyun9 Christmas tree homecoming really has no tradition. So last year I decided our tradition was going to be cutting down our tree as a family. Well, due to not being able to find the tree in a timely manner last year, that did not happen. Sooo....this year the Madyun9 got up at 7am on Dec 6th in order to be one of the 1st families on the tree farm... The logic was activity would be far more enjoyable because we will be sure to get the best tree. After all, nobody else will be there..Plus we will be out of there in about 3omin-1hr tops and not have to endure a lot traffic and lines and cold and......... Yeahhhhh... RIGHT!

While we were the 2nd and 3rd cars on the lot (we drive 2 cars when we all travel together), we did not leave the farm til 3 1/2 hours later. I repeat, not 30 minutes...210 minutes....

We drove and drove and drove and drove around the tree farm. I guess we hoped that driving by the same set of trees a fourth time would make the trees look different....then we walked and walked and walked and walked figuring that our TREE was hidden somewhere among the trees, but it appeared that the Madyun tree was not going to be found easily. As the time ticked and family grew more and more tired and frozen...and watched the tree farm fill up with people who seemed to EASILY find and cut their tree and leave in 30 MIN!!!!, it started to appear as though we were going to end up in the parking lot of some random store waiting on some man to bring trees down a run way so that we could yay or nay to one.

I thought to myself, "What is this craziness?.... All the the trees that look good appear to be damaged because they were marked with these gloves on the top of them. I saw lots and lots of trees with gloves on them. Then I thought, how many gloves do people lose trying to buy a Christmas tree. I mean it's good that they are lost so the trees could be marked but what makes buying a Christmas tree so bad on glove retention. Through so random talk with a different family looking for trees, I found out that a glove on the tree meant that those trees have been spoken for by other families. Wait, we could've just brought a glove out there? I could've come out here by myself one day, put my glove there and then send Na'im and Marcus back out to cut the tree down?!?!....No wonder some of these families are cutting their tree down so fast. Knowing is half the battle. Well, by this time almost all the kids and Na'im had decided this tree hunting thing was not for them and they were heading back to the car to stay warm and wait for others of us to alert when this super special TREE HAS BEEN FOUND!!!

While tree hunting is not for the Madyun 9, I don't think. It was a time to remember.There was no fighting or screaming. You lose too much heat fighting and screaming. Ultimately, we did find our tree! Even though it was only about 2 inches taller than Marcus once it was decorated and in our living room and much smaller than last year, it was PERFECT!.

Micah is cold,but can not wait to find that tree... well, Micah gets cold quickly anyway...not enough meat on Teenie Meanie.

Morgan was full of smiles and could not wait to get out the car and start some true hunting.She also could not wait to get back in the car and do some true thawing.

I am not sure how Na'im and Aiden felt about this whole tree hunting thing.. I think Na'im just prays that I always know what I am doing..and trusts the ride (I think).

Aiden did not say this but I am sure he is trying to find a way out of this place.. "What are we doing here?".

Andersen and his Sister Morgan.. Happily hunting that tree.."We are going to find you tree".

Andersen and Morgan cold and ready to sit in the car....somebody else can find that tree.

Til Later, Mad Love!

Merry Christmas.

2009-12-25T19:21:00.000-08:00

Christmas this year was amazing...as it was last year. We opened the stocking from Santa and took turns opening the rest of the gifts under the tree from Mom and Dad. However, before any of the gift giving started we talked about the reason for the season...Jesus Christ.

This Christmas there were clothes, DS's, Dolls, trains, a MP3 player and more...

Amir and his Connect 4 from Grandma.

Gift giving mayhem.

An Adrian Peterson football...with his new owner Amir. Did I ever mention that he really likes football.

Andersen and his DS.. This is something he wanted more then anything. Watching him open this gift made standing in the line to get it all the worth while. His brothers probably liked this gift more than anyone.

Aiden and his new phone. He's probably programming Santa on his speed dial.

Merry Christmas Madyun 9. I love you.

Til later, Mad Love.

Happy 9th Birthday Micah!

2009-12-25T19:08:00.000-08:00

There is a very good explanation....

Micah is 9 today. Instead of a store bought cake, I came up with an idea of how to make the cake really special. Micah and I made his birthday cake from scratch out of a box,lol. I bought his favorite whipped frosting from the cake decorator so that we could frost it and really make the cake special. Add in a red can of decorating icing and it was on. This idea turned out to be an even better idea than I could have imagined.

1) it was less expensive than a regular cake

2) Micah really liked being able to decorate himself

3) With the frosting he liked, it actually tasted really good.

4). Being able to control the ingredients, I was able to give it a little extra umphhh.

5). Because it was smaller, we ate the entire cake in one day instead of having a huge piece left over.

Overall, we thought it turned out great and tasted even better..

Happy Birthday Tennie Mennie!

Til later, Mad love.

Gingerbread House!

2009-12-20T18:57:00.000-08:00

Ok, well, first of all this is the first Gingerbread house we have ever done. Secondly, it is supposed to appeal to your sense of taste more than your other senses. Thirdly, I'm not sure if I used the best lens on my camera. Fourthly, I really encouraged all the kids to participate and they vary in their Gingerbread construction abilitiy. Fifthly, didn't a witch live in the one Hansel and Gretel adored so much....maybe there's some type of inverse beauty principle. Sixthly, due to current economic conditions I had to rely on limited resources for the construction of this home. Seventhly, I think this house is more environmentally friendly than your average Ginger break house ( I have not proof and no idea if this is remotely true, but it sounded like a cool thing to say). Okay,...one mistake I may have made on my own resulted from thinking we were supposed to put all the snow on the roof. I doubt that this is really a big issue, but once we were done with the roof there was none left for anything else....so that may have slighly influenced the outcome.

So brown house, brown house what do I see... I see a bunch of Madyuns staring at me...

Oh well, the kids had tons of fun and it was cool to have around throughout Christmas.

Eighthly, this picture doesn't show how really great the back porch of the house is (hopefully, nobody actually has a picture of the backporch).

Next year, our house is going to look like a Gingerbread Mansion. Yeah...Yeah...that's it...a Mansion!!!

Til Later, Mad Love.

Holiday Party!

2009-12-12T19:16:00.000-08:00

This morning, bright and early, our family tumbled out of bed and toward the door to share in a Breakfast celebration of Christmas. As we ate and ate... talked and talked...laughed and sang, I was beaming in the bless that was that Morning.

Some of the things done this morning consisted of the Primary children singing which Andersen was initially not apart of due to his age. However, after he watched them sing the first song he could not take it anymore. He wanted in on all the fun. So, while looking over at me out of the corner of his eye (with that half-way, I'm up to something smile) he asked.."Can I stand with Micah and sing?" After being assured it was OK, he ran to his spot and started singing. The fact that he did not know any of the words (well he knew some...) and just moved his mouth did not seem to put a damper on his moment. At the end of every song there was applause...to which ya friend Andersen was more than happy to take a full bow to. Nobody else bowed, except Andersen. Each time there was clapping in appreciation of the great song that was sang (y the other children) Andersen took a deep bow and would raise his head with a big smile as if he was soaking in all the fame he was due...letting his fans know that they were welcome for being in his presence.....Boy was it funny.. that kid is something else..

How I missed out on the the blessed feeling I get when at church during the time when we were away....Funny how I did not recognize earlier what I was missing. The Holiday Breakfast celebration at church today was blissfully fulfilling for my soul. As, I watched my kids sing carols with the other children (or in the case of Andersen, lip sync) and eat, dance and be merry...I beamed from the inside out..the warmth of the morning..the blessings of the morning were all more than I could have wished for.

Being there with my family..... sharing in friendship and love with one and all at the event was almost overwhelming...It seems that each day I am reminded what a blessing it is to be a member of this church.

Til later, Mad love.

A Day in the Life of an Elf. Macy's 8th Floor:2009

2009-12-05T19:37:00.000-08:00

As we waited for the elevator, there were two men also waiting who were visibly intoxicated... as we got on the elevator, one man said to both me and the other man on the elevator.."Man, she has her own tribe..." Then, I think he thought I was offended (which I was not) and started to explain that he was a part of a tribe (He was explaining that his heritage is Native American). Why am I writing this.. not sure.. I guess to always keep my perspective...uhmmm in perspective.
Seeing and listening to this man made me wonder how life would be different if Americans that are Native were individuals that I interacted with regularly in my day to day life. I wondered how much I did not know about their heritage about the present and about their future. Is their intoxication the result of historical pain or just current personal issues...or both? Regardless of the answer, this brief interaction with these two men pushed me back to reality...and knocked me out of suburbia...Where my home is warm...there are no addictions and I have husband that works hard to keep us safe,and my Holiday Season is here.

This interaction although short and more than likely insignificant to anyone else there..got me to thinking about how much I owe my American Freedoms to Americans that are Native to this land. The sacrifices they made, the trials they endured, the lessons they taught immigrants to the New World.....I am sure I owe much more than I could ever even think of.

To the 8th floor we go... This year I decided we would trek down to Macy's to see their Christmas exhibit. After we go through the Christmas exhibit, I figured we would go to see Santa. This is going to be a fun filled day.
As we start out everything seems fine, the 7 kids and I are doing great. But some time after our first step into the exhibit, some of the kids became upset. Some being: Maxien and Micah. Not sure what went wrong (like I said we had just gotten there), but something was no longer OK for them.

Morgan, Andersen and the rest seemed to really enjoy this magical Christmas place as they engaged in a deep philosophical conversation about the North Pole. They wanted to look and touch everything. I must admit, the decorations were wonderful. Lots of colors, textures and moving parts.

Mrs. Claus was walking around as were some Elves. We tried to get a picture of the kids with Mrs. Claus but the camera would not work for that shot. I know what you're thinking, but it's not like it's a rabbit during the month of June in Wyoming (against the law), or the open trunk or hood of the presidential limo (taboo or illegal, I'm not sure) or a vampire (a waste of film)...it's Mrs. Ho Ho Ho herself... Oh, well....there were lots of other pictures that did turn out.

It is always amazing to me the difference between the way a parent sees their family and the way it appears to others. I told you earlier that Micah and Maxien were not having a Merry Good time. Please believe me, we had a good, honest talk about that afterwards... anyway... As we are walking, someone walks up to me and starts to compliment me on my parenting skills and how well behaved the kids are.... funny to me, because I had been trying to figure out what punishment to hand out to Micah and Maxine from about the time we had gotten there because I thought there attitudes were not Merry at all. Although, they still could've been well-behaved with bad attitudes....right?

If you looked at the picture carefully you will notice that you have not seen Micah in any of the pictures. The reason for that.. he did not want to take any ('TUDE)..Well, anyone that knows this family.. KNOWS that this is not a democracy...I'm the emperor...the Queen....the Diva....the Judge, the Jury, the Sheriff...the Captain... and I don't make suggestions..I give ORDERS!! Lucky for him...I was really in a good mood and very appreciative of the remaining children that were thankful for the time we were spending together (maybe the two men earlier played a part in my mood). Like I told him then... " You are going to be sorry, when we look back at these pictures and you don't see your face in them" He will learn....oh...I'm also the TEACHER.

Marcus, always has my back...I know he is getting kinda old for this stuff, but, he never complains (I'm the Ombudsmen)...he may fall asleep in the car on the ride down and back...but, he is always all smiles and laughter while we're there....Unlike the two Madyuns who will remain nameless.

This picture started out with just Amir..but Morgan will run in whatever direction a picture is being taken. She got in this one just in time.....gotta love her.

I am thinking.. I should have taken this tree home instead of cutting down our own....maybe I can put it on my Christmas list... All in all, it was a cool time.. After we were done with the tour, we took pictures with Santa and it went ok. We had lunch downstairs in the Marketplace and walked around looking at all the candy and while even having a few samples.

Amir is always down for fun. Andersen really had a good time going through the tour.

Andersen(3), Morgan(3) and Aiden(2) The three amigos. The three musketeers. The three blind mice. The three wise people. The three stooges......nyuck, nyuck nyuck.

Til later, Mad Love!

Our Father.

2009-11-30T15:54:00.000-08:00

Today, our car was broken into. Amazingly, I was not mad......only sad that I left myself so exposed to the world. Our family, while believing we needed to be in church had been on sabbatical. During the time away, we were not full spiritually and we missed the activities of the church. Interestingly, our faith or devotion did not seem to be tested too often.

Immediately after our family returned to church, it seemed like life got a whole lot harder. I needed to call on the police twice in less than a week. I know this is no coincidence. I know when we were out of church the devil had no need to show himself in our lives with such force and vigor. You could say things were going too smoothly for us to be away from church. However, now that the 9 of us are back in church, traveling down the right road to our heavenly father, the devil is working overtime to drag us away from this So Right Choice for our family.

God thank you for your presence in our lives. I want to thank you for never leaving me even though we made a choice to suspend our walk in your presence. Thank you for always teaching me patience, kindness, and how to be strong. In this moment, at this time, I ask that you help us to stay true to our beliefs. I ask that you let all things both the good and the bad continue to be teachable moments that I am able to recognize. I ask that I am able to use those moments to guide our children's lives instead of using them to guide excuses, weaknesses or doubts.

Til later, Mad Love.

Thanksgiving and the Feast that helped us celebrate!

2009-11-29T19:26:00.000-08:00

This year our family was able to have and enjoy a great Thanksgiving. First, we are all healthy. Second, my kids are all warm and happy. Third, I have a husband that could not be a better head to our family; even if I were able to script his every move.

As we had dinner this year, we went around the table and said to each other why we were thankful. As I listened to my children, I heard them say how Thankfiul they were for: Family, Health and even for providing them with not just the things they need, but also things that they want. Hearing them say different variations of that last category was amazing -- knowing that there are really learning some of the lessons we are trying to teach and instill in them everyday is priceless.

As I looked around the dinner table, I saw 7 totally different children that we are raising in this home. I told them that I was so thankful,...so thankful for a Mom that taught me how to be good to my children. Thankful for a husband that loves us and provides for us. Thankful, for a God that allows me to live and learn and thankful that I even know to be thankful.

Aiden eating his Thanksgiving dinner. He really enjoyed himself. When he got his plate he looked around at us like he thought he was on hidden camera, "All this for me?!?"

Morgan is gobbling down her dinner also. Maybe gobble is not actually the best word since she is the slowest eater in the house...but don't confuse that with a finicky eater. She eats everything.

Micah was excited about being able to eat Pumpkin Pie. I told him I had a pie for him bigger then two heads put together. He thought it was the funniest thing he had heard.

Our Thanksgiving Pots waiting to be served up to the masses...Look at the big pot of Greens I made!.

Some of the boys sharing in the Thanks at the table. Maxien is deep in thought. My greens really help a person think deeply about life. Andersen is having difficulty not sharing everything that's on his mind.

Thank you Heavenly father for allowing us to be Thankful. It really was a good day.

Til later, Mad Love.

Congrats, to adoptive familes of 2009!

2009-11-23T19:49:00.000-08:00

I am so happy to say that in Jan 2009 our family grew by three new faces. Maxien, Morgan and Aiden. These 3 Beautiful babies blessed our home and lives by becoming my and Na'im's children; and brother and sister to the 4 boys we already had at home.

These pictures were taking at an event for families that adopted from foster care in '09. The event was in celebration of these new families. There were pony rides, face painting, Vikings, games, food, etc....

When we spoke to the boys about adopting,they were all for it. Marcus taking the lead as he does so unselfishly daily in his life. Welcoming and sharing all that he is,and all that is his. His parents, his home and time. It is amazing how many adult concerns he had regarding the adoption. Equally amazing was and is the trust that he has in us. Trust in our parenting, trust in our love and trust that we will always take care of and LOVE THEM ALL!

One of the things I remember most fondly about our adoption story was meeting Maxien. At the time he was 4 and I could only imagine what was going through his mind when was told he was going to meet some strangers at the zoo and they may want to bring him to their home to live forever. I mean come on he was 4. When we met he was so sweet, kind and open to the idea of us being his new family.

We were told when Maxien got home he went right to his room and started packing and said he was leaving for 70 years. He had a new Mom and Dad and was going to live with them now. How cool is that?

This blessing has been sweeter than I could have imagined. Our 7 children enrich our lives beyond our wildest dreams.

Til later, Mad Love.

Camera,camera on moms neck, who's the tallest of them all?

2009-11-23T09:49:00.000-08:00

Marcus and Dad Amir and Micah

Amir and Devin Amir and Tyler

Amir and Maxien Amir and Andersen

Andersen and Morgan

Marcus is pretty tall for 14. So my brother asked me to post some pictures of him next to like Na'im or something so he could judge his height in the picture. Well, what started off as one picture ended up being a series of pictures as each kid wanted to see how was taller than the other. "Me next...me next...my turn...my turn...." With the number of kids and a couple of cousins, this went on for a while. We just discovered a very inexpensive way of entertaining a lot of kids without balloons, cards, crayons or play doh. I thought I would add the pictures here in the blog, soooo here they are.

Til later, Mad love.

Aiden is 2!

2009-11-23T08:50:00.000-08:00

Happy 2nd birthday, Aiden. Since both Morgan and Aiden were born in Nov. We had cake and ice cream for them both on Sun the 22. Morgan looked at us like, (didn't I just get this cake and Happy Birthday stuff a couple of days ago?...I'll do this again, but somebody in this house is a little confused). Their cousins, Tyler and Devin were here with them along with Mom, Dad and

their brothers. We had Aiden's favorite food for lunch, PIZZA. Well, then again all food is Aiden's favorite sooo, really we could have had anything that is edible (I stand behind the words anything edible even though I know some people have learned to chew steel...Aiden's definition of edible is all inclusive...he's an equal opportunity eater). Picking anything "edible" would have worked, but, pizza is supposed to mean fun and happiness, RIGHT?

We had 2 candles on Aiden's side of the cake and 3 on Morgan's. Morgan really loved the princess and Aiden... Well, I don't think it really mattered to him as long as he could eat it, which or course he could.

Aiden loved having the Happy Birthday song sang to him. He even blew out the candles like a champ. As soon and the candles were blown out Morgan asked to lick the frosting off.
Morgan has got this birthday thing all figured out.

Marcus, Micah, Tyler, Amir, Devin, Maxien,and Andersen.. We had a great time. In this family, we also sing a remix of the Happy Birthday song. This used to be something that I would yell out randomly at the end of Happy Birthday. However, now Micah has taken over. He now leads the family in the remixed version at the end of every Happy Birthday song.
Happy Birthday Aiden! You're 2!
Til later, Mad Love.

Ooohhhh,gurl!

2009-11-20T15:56:00.000-08:00

This is Morgan's hair this morning.

Usually, I leave Morgan's hair in pony tails from night to night.
I do this because it keeps Morgan's hair from matting to her head or getting to tangled during the night. However, last night I wanted to give her head a break from being in rubber bands. So, I took them all out.

This morning, when Morgan came into my room from bedI had forgotten that her hair was not in pony tails from the day before. So when she came around the corner, I jumped and said "oohhh girl, what happened to your hair?" To which she replied, "You took my rubber band out." to which I laughed and smiled and said "oh, ok"

Now I know everyone out there in blog reader world wants to know if I let her go out into the world looking like this. Well, rest assured I did not, nor would I. This girl looks like she is a child of Don King in this picture.

Keeping Morgan's hair up is a lot harder than I thought it would be. With having so many boys I have been spoiled. With boys you never have to think of what to do. You show up and the barber cuts it low and you don't think about it again for two weeks when you go back.

Now with Morgan that is not as true. With Morgan's hair it's about washing and oiling and braiding and parting and, and, and... Do you get what I mean? I mean, I wash the boys' hair too, but that is all to it. Just shampoo, shake and go.....

With Morgan's hair, putting water on that is like putting water on one of those grease fires. It sounds like a good idea and the right thing to do, but before you know it, you've created a whole new list of things to do in order to get things back to where they started.

Before

After (she is actually happier with her hair fixed, this is just the beginning of her saying the word: Cheese. So, this picture is after her hair was done, but before she says the word Cheese. However, the first picture is before she got her hair done but after she said the word cheese.)

Til later, Mad Love.

Morgan and Andersen Fun Together!

2009-11-19T17:17:00.000-08:00

Morgan and Andersen are having lots of fun playing in shaving cream and paint.. These two are like peas in a pod. They love hanging out together and playing for hours.. Morgan is like Andersen right had...

Shaving Cream and Paint is messing fun way to have lots of fun and smiles. Plus, it is very easy to clean up.

Andersen enjoying the mess of his hands.

Morgan get a little on her nose.

The table is covered with the cream. They were able to write and draw on the table. When it was time to clean it took only a few mins to get done... I loved this. It was fun and easy to do.

Til Later, Mad Love.

3.67.. What..What...

2009-11-17T12:25:00.001-08:00

Oh, ok. So Marcus brought home his report card yesterday and..... Drum roll, please. You guessed it a 3.67 grade point avarge. Alright, Ok, Lets go, High grade.... I am so proud of you. Without educaction life is made harder. I sure hope you are as proud of yourself as I am. Keep this up and one day the world will be yours for the taking. I love you. Mom.

Do you baby!

Til later, The Madest Love of all.

Wrestle Mania...

2009-11-16T18:39:00.000-08:00

This year the boys wrestled in a little community wrestling group that lasted 2 weeks. It was really cool. They got to learn some moves and make a few friends. The last day they had a take-down tourney where they wrestle until one of them is taken down. They then get back up and continue trying to take each other down for 30 seconds total.

This was Maxien's first time out there and it looks like he is just having fun. The Kindergartners just kind of run from each other and push a little bit. However, he really enjoyed being a part of the whole wrestling environment with his brothers and a team. Maxien looked like a little dynamo out there.

Amir, was of course the tallest kid in his group and might have had a little advantage because he wrestled last year. Boy was it something to see. This year he was a little bit older and not quite as dependent on Micah as he had been last year. He was a lot more aggressive and ready to rock and roll. Amir did wrestle a kid that got hurt during their match which was too bad. He was upset that he may have hurt the kid and stopped wrestling as hard...but that is Amir... he can not stand the thought of hurting someone.

Micah wrestled last year also. So he was one up on some of the other kids also. He really wants to wrestle this season, but I am not so sure(the season starts Nov30 and goes til Mar 14th).I really love watching them wrestle,but the season is really long. Plus, we have been doing some sport since last wrestling season and I need a break.

I really love that they all want to take part in sports and have fun doing them.

Til later, Mad love,

He.. Could..Go.. All..The...Way!

2009-11-13T18:39:00.000-08:00

Micah age 8

Micah played his first year of tackle football in 2009. He was the RB. That is one position I know what happens in(kinda). He played hard, hit hard, ran hard, and was tackled hard. He loves the game in a low and shy way. He goes out to get a job done without celebrating or looking for glory in the end. Micah was the smallest player on his team...maybe even in the league. However, none of that stopped him from making the plays or hits. On one tackle, he wrapped his arms around the waist and legs of this really tall kid and drove him backwards...one parent said, "that's the best tackle I've seen all year."

Micah was able to score lots of TDs which was all due to his teammates helping to make it possible. He's both able to move side to side and around people quickly...and break out of tackles if the other team doesn't wrap their arms around both his legs. There were some tears and some smiles. I know he really loved every minute of the season.

Til later, Mad Love.

Moooove! Get out the way! Get out the way! Get out the way!

2009-11-13T18:06:00.001-08:00

Marcus 14

Marcus was not ready for the seriousness of the game when last he played(5th grade). But, when Freshman year came along, he decided he was ready to show up again for football. As a Tornado, Marcus decided to become a linebacker. Although, I am still not totally sure what linebackers do, I was totally proud of all the progress he made throughout the year. He covered a lot of ground and made a lot of aggressive tackles. From what he said, some of them were sacks of the QB. Given that he hadn't played organized football in four years, he looked really good out there. If he stays focused, he's going to actually be pretty good out there...dare I say...maybe a beast. He had a lot of fun and I am hoping he goes back out for football next year.

This year was a great year for football in the Madyun household. The season was cold and raining, but that did not stop Marcus from showing up to games and practices. There were also a lot of muddy clothes that came home for washing.

Na'im and I enjoyed watching you learn and grow as a football player, and we can not wait to support you next year.

As much as Na'im and I loved watching him play, I don't know if anyone loved watching him more than his brothers and sister. They would shout his name from the time we drove into the parking lot, until he showered and got in the car. Now, that is some Mad Love for ya!

Til later, Mad love.

Lights, Camera, Amir football!

2009-11-13T17:26:00.001-08:00

Amir 2009:

Amir is supposed to play flag football until he is in the third grade. Those are the rules for this part of the country. But, he has a passion for football like no other. Due to his size and love of the game, Mommie asked if he could play Tackle this year even though he would only be entering the 1st grade. The Commissioner thought he still might be too young mentally for the move. So he offered to move him up to be on the 2nd and 3rd grade instructional teams. On this team, the players learned the basics of the game...How to tackle, holding the ball etc...

However, during the last scrimmage/game of the season, the commissioner said, "Normally we don't do this, but...he can play with the 3rd grade tacklers next year." Two big reasons were because he was afraid he may hurt someone, due to his size. "If he continues to grow...well, it's your call, but...I mean he's....well, he should be okay moving up...it's your call, but you can move him up if you'd like." He was the biggest person in the league, even though he was the youngest kid out there. My Gentle Giant! Secondly, he was very skilled (playing QB, RB...linebacker, Defensive Tackle)...almost as if he'd been practing football drills for hundreds and hundreds of hours in the front yard every day just waiting for his chance to put on a helmet and pads.

The only thing that could neutralize the Gentle Giant was the Minnesota cold one day. It was frigid during one practice and I tried to pump him up by saying if you want to play football, you've got to play in the cold sometimes....Amir said, "well, I guess I won't be playing in the NFL..." Now that is a big statement from the same kid who not only eats, drinks and sleeps football, but daily asks questions about how the NFL draft works provides commentary on different NFL players.

Til later, Mad Love.

Happy Birthday Morga girl!

2009-11-10T20:21:00.000-08:00

Morgan turned 3 today! Yeah!
When she woke up this mornging she said" I am a Princess". I loved hearing her say that.

Morgan, had just a little cake today. In a couple weekends Aiden will be turning 2. So we decided to wait til then to have one big birthday cake for the both of them.

Morgan have a cherry from a birthday sundae she had tonight.

Happy Birthday, My Princess..

Til later, Mad Love.

Samantha= Madyun Dog

2009-11-08T19:59:00.001-08:00

Samantha is looking like a Queen in this picture.

Play with me, Play with me...

Andersen, trying to handle and love on Samantha.

Samantha, is showing Andersen much love with kisses. Although, Andersen does not appericate them. "Yuck Nasty".

Here she is Ms. Samantha!

Samantha is our puppy. Now , I know you want to know what made us get a dog. Well, who knows?

Samantha, loves us and is a good girl. She likes to play and is just a huge ball of White Fur. Samantha, loves to jump on Aiden. I think because when she stands on her back legs she is as tall as him and can kiss him in the face.

How did Samantha get here you ask?

Well, we drove 3hrs away and got her from a Farm.

Now let me tell you about this dog. She was good and some how know exactly what we were looking for, or should I say ( what I was looking for.) The only criteria I was looking for, is LOW KEY. Meaning no running and jumping all over.

Now, when we were there looking for puppies, Samantha was low key. She was just sitting and wanting to be snuggled. Exactly, what I was looking for right.

Now girlll, let me tell you..... When this dog got to Ramsey. She was a whole other puppy. Running all over. Peeing and pooping on everything and growling even.... What? Who? Where??

Now, don't get to concerned, because now she is mellowing out again. Things are going better for OUR LITTLE DOG, Samantha and the Madyun 9. She has been a cool addition to the Fam.

Til later, Mad Love.

Look out Taylors Falls, Here we come!

2009-11-08T18:34:00.000-08:00

Marcus not happy about Mommie directing his first photography shoot( He took the pics of Mom and Dad)
This picture is the reason I knew a girl was needed in the family. On our walk we saw a bug and your friends(the boys) could not live without a picture of it. They have no idea why.... they just need this picture....They just doooooo... Realllly BAD!
Cave dwellers!

The gang is almost all here.

The kids loved climbing and falling, and all the others things that come along with hiking with children ages 1-14.

A hiking we shall go...A hiking we shall can go! Well, the Madyun 9 went to Taylor Falls on Sat and what a trip it was. Actually, it started out great after we finally figured out how to pay to be there and how to get to the only open "official" bathroom in the whole park with 7kids (6 of whom are no longer in diapers). I started to 2nd think this trip again for the 4th or 5th time that day. Oh, well

Here is Micah " I'm to Sexy for this rock".

Marcus, thinking deep thoughts....

We start our trip, South of the Potholes and Downtown Taylor Falls and walk North. The walk is beautiful, the kids are full of life, running and smiling. Samantha, is playful and happy to be running in the sun also. And, I am on cloud nine thinking of the memories we have already started to make.
If you know anything at all about Amir, you know it is totally appropriate for him to be on a hike trail wearing this FOOTBALL gloves. Amir's love of Football is beyond anything I could even imagine. Outside, of my love for him and the others.

Well, with all the fun we had. There also came tribulation in the form of blood, pee and whining.

About 3/4 of the way til the end of our Hike, Micah had to pee. Lucky for us, I had two empty plastic bottles that he could use for going in. So, while the rest of the family shielded him from the passers by, he went in the bottle with my help. When he was done he promptly started to complain about being ready to turn back.

After he was done. I thought if he had to go others must need to go also. So, I asked Maxien if he needed to go and sure enough he did. So, we take to our shielding positions, while I hold the bottle and connect the "hose" to the bottle.

Well, for some reason our bottle and hose connection was broken and Maxien proceeded to Pee on himself, in his face my face along with two other brothers. While this was going on apparently Marcus was falling down on some rock and cut a huge V in his hand.

I mean it really looked like he had a faucet running out of his sleeve. So to lighten the mood I offered to pour the pee bottles on the cut to sanitize it. He did not think it was funny. Although, he did buck up and wanted to finish the hike, that by now all other Madyun's were ready to call quits(except for Mom and Dad that is).

So we continued on with the hike to find the end not to far away. Just let me tell ya, when we got there, we did a whole lot of celebrating. " We made it, We made it," we yelled...Like we had just climbed Everest.

But, now what! The car is all the way back the way we had just come. How are all the kids and the dog going to get back? Well, I don't know, but I do know.... I AIN'T walking them.

Rememberrr.... that Madyun Dad I told you about early. Well, he and Marcus hiked back to get the car. The rest of us found a restroom, and ate. Don't feel to bad for them though. I did order food for them, so by the time they got to us, they were able to sit relax and eat.

Our day at Taylors Falls was a lot of things. Fun, refreshing, family friendly, exhausting, and a first. However, it will not be our last. We left, planning the next time.

Til later, Mad Love.

Madyun Mom and Madyun Dad!

2009-11-08T16:34:00.003-08:00

Madyun Mom = Tanshea and Madyun Dad = Na'im

Both 30something, born in Aug of the same year. We met in 1998 and married in 1999. I could not have asked for a better other half to make me whole. I can remember when I asked God. I mean prayed and prayed for God to let Na'im be the one, and to send him with all his faults, not to fix or improve upon not even one. Let me just tell ya! I know, God listens and answers prayer, because he sent Na'im just as I asked to have him.

About me, trying to figure out how to give my husband all that he deserves in his wife and mother all 7 kids to their own temperament and personality.

Suppose that is all about us for now.
Til later, Mad Love.

Madyun Boy 6

2009-11-02T20:09:00.001-08:00

Aiden or Aidaboy, this kid is so sweat as long and he is eating and getting his way. One of his favorite things to say is, "water, more water." He is so smiley and loving. Aiden will be 2 on Nov 23 2009 and I can not wait to see what 2 brings. Aiden, talks so much. He is so well spoken. Which is wild that he has been talking for so long. More, about Aiden later.

Til later, Mad Love.

Madyun Girl 1 and only

2009-11-02T20:00:00.000-08:00

Morgan: Morgalicous, little Morga Girl. That is her song/nickname. Morgan is very sweet and shy, but never one to be taken advantage of...Or not get what she wants. Daily, she will tell Andersen,"There, no room for u Andersen." Morgan will be 3 on Nov 10th 2009. She is potty- trained for both pee and poop. This girl loves for Grandma to call so she can tell her "Grandma, I went poop and pee on toilet." That is always the first thing she says to Grandma. No matter when or how she is talking to her.

Til, later, Mad Love.

Madyun Boy 4

2009-11-01T22:29:00.000-08:00

Maxien or Max-e-on-nay is 5 years old, very smart and can find anything. This kid takes better instruction than any Army General in the Service. He is a tactical expert. If you need to get a job done, fast and right the first time, he is your man.
Maxien played Soccer this year for the first time and is Wrestling also this year. His favorite thing to ask me is " Mom, did you forget" and my answer is always,"Now you know I did, just tell me."
Til later, Mad Love.

Madyun Boy 3

2009-11-01T22:16:00.000-08:00

Amir, Mir Mir Dees, Juicy, Juicy Booty, and Big Juice is 7 and 30lbs heavier than the soon to be 9 year old. However, looking at the picture above you will notice,he is not overweight. He is just going to be tall and thick. He is also about 4 inches (if not more) taller than Micah. He has a passion for Football like no one else. This kid plays Football by himself even if no one else wants to. This is not just throwing the ball, BUT full on plays. He will QB, Block and RB all alone if need be. And because his passion for the game is above and beyond the other boys, there are plenty of times when he is alone. Sweat running down his face and body, like he is in a rainstorm and breathing like a dragon...Puff the Magic Dragon that is. Amir plays Soccer and Wrestles also. Amir was also given the gift of gab. If you know Madyun Mom at all, then you know he got it from me.

He is also the Sweetest, most Gentle Giant you will ever encounter. More about Juice in the near future.

Til later, Mad Love.

Madyun Boy 2 and Madyun Boy 5

2009-11-01T21:51:00.000-08:00

I could not find a picture of Micah and Andersen alone, soooo for their intro into the blog world they will be together.

Micah is 8, approaching 9 fast( DEC 25, 2009). Micah ran in the Jr Olympics this summer in the 100 and 200 meter races. He did not move past the first round, but he had fun getting there. Let's see. He is also in the 3rd grade and an avid Football and Soccer player and he Wrestles some.
When Micah was born his daddy nicknamed him, little face, his face was so small. Then again, everything on him is small. Hence,his nickname Tennie Mennie, Tennie Mac and just about anything that means small and mighty,lol. Enough about him, for now more to come later.

Madyun Boy 5

Andersen is 3 and boy is he a handful. He has lots of funny things to say and does even funnier things. I will enjoy blogging about him here. This kid talks some much sometimes, I just want to run,but alas, I have not yet. Right now, Andersen is not taking part in any sports. Although, I did try and make him dance at the local dance school this summer and he was not having it. I mean, he stood in one place, for 4 of the classes and even, when pulled, would not move his feet. So he was being dragged around the room by the teachers. When he was not being pulled around the room, the teacher was literally moving his feet up and down to make the tap movement they were teaching. However, that did not work either and on the 4th day we left early, never to return.

But I will return for more in the day and life of Anderbear, Anderboy and as many other combos of Ander I can think of.

Til later, Mad Love.

Madyun Boy 1

2009-10-25T13:02:00.000-07:00

Heeeeeerres Marcus !

Marcus is our first 6 sons...age 14 and trying to figure out life with less involvement from Mom and Dad. He is trying football out for the first time since 5th grade this year and loving it. He is between 6'3 and 6'4 and wears a size 14 shoe. Marcus plays the Violin also and I hope he is going to try swimming in the Winter.

I love this picture of Marcus. It just really shows how mature he's becoming. He is so handsome. When I think of Marcus as my child, I don't ever remember thinking one day he will look like a man. Well, here goes. He looks like a MAN.

Here's looking at you kid,

Til later, Mad Love.

Had to start somewhere!

2009-10-24T22:08:00.000-07:00

Oct, 25 2009

Well, the Madyun 9 are moving into the new millennium, finally!

I, Madyun Mom, have decided to try and see what this blogging is about. I have made promises to write in a book journal of my kids daily. Nothing big, just a line or two about something they did that is cute, fun, naughty or nice. But, that has not happened. I am an okay Scrapbooker, but I have not been able to stay on top of that with 7 kids, a husband, and a dog named Samantha.

So here I gooooes................

I think I will start with some background on our family today.

Na'im = Madyun Dad

Tanshea = Madyun Mom

Marcus = Madyun Boy 1

Micah = Madyun Boy 2

Amir = Madyun Boy 3

Maxien = Madyun Boy 4

Andersen = Madyun Boy 5

Morgan = Madyun Girl

Aiden = Madyun Boy 6

That is a grand family total of 9, the Madyun 9 that is. I love our big family, but there are times when things get really busy. I am excited about keeping our memories on this blog. I believe I will start our next blog with a special post about each one of us. Look for it soon.

Til later, Mad Love.

Amir is 7! finally

2009-09-18T18:17:00.000-07:00

I am not sure why there are no pictures of the birthday boy on his birthday. However, for this year this lack of pictures for birthdays unfortunately is looking like a pattern. This year Amir turned 7 and boy was it fun. We had a garage party the night of his birthday, which means we turned the music on high brought in lots of pizza and pop and danced and sang the night away in the garage.

We had a great night celebrating the birth of my gentle giant. Amir's favorite player on the Broncos is Bailey#24. The cake decorator was kind enough to put his jersey on the cake in the top right corner. This is cutest cake. I was really excited for him to see it once I picked it up. Amir got a few presents also. Like a million or so football cards from Mimi, and a Ben Ten game from the Fam, and a few other things.
However, the only real present Amir asked was to have people show up to watch him on the Football field that day. So everyone came to one of his first ever experiences with football pads and a helmet.

One of the best things about Amir turning 7 is that we don't have as many suprised expressions like we used to when we would say he was only 6!
"He's how old???...my 4th grader isn't as tall as him!...he's 6????!!"

It was a great day.

Happy Birthday Juice!

Til later, Mad Love!

Kindergarten, 1st grade,3rd grade and Freshman year!

2009-09-02T18:36:00.000-07:00

The first day of school. How cool is school? The Madyun boys got up bright and early to meet the new school year.

This year we had Maxien start Kindergarten.

Amir in the 1st grade.

Micah in the 3rd grade.

and Marcus in 9th, the short road to college.

Boy is it crazy to have 4 kids in school, and 2 of them riding the same bus going to the same school.

Maxien rides a bus to Kindergarten. For some reason the Kindergarten is not in the same building as the Elementary school kids. Last year Amir rode the same bus that Maxien is riding this year and spent his Kindergarten year in the same buildfing. So Amri is really jazzed about going to the same school as Micah.

In our family we pack the lunches. This way Mommy knows exactly what they eat. YEAH RIGHT!

Amir just had to have this Dallas Cowboys lunch box we found this summer in Alabama.

Micah and Maxien's lunch boxes are both detailed with our last name MADYUN. I like that part more then they care I am sure.

Boys, good luck and lots of kisses. This school year will be another great one.

Til later, Mad Love!

Summer of '09!

2009-08-11T19:25:00.000-07:00

The Boys and Dad took some time out from all the summer fun to put together a basketball goal...so they could have even more fun throughout the summer.

After a couple of trips to Home Depot (which I still don't understand why since all the parts come with the basketball goal), and some hard work and sweat, the basketball hoop was finally up!. This a birthday gift for Marcus. I think it may turn out to be the only way we can measure his height if he keeps growing.

Amir, Aiden, Micah, Andersen, Maxien, Marcus, Morgan and Samantha.
The lady in the shoe had so many children, she did not know what to do......One major difference between me and that old lady is...I ain't old! Not yet. Although I seem to have more gray hairs now than I did just a couple of months ago. Good thing it is Summer.....I have some time to figure it out. More than anything I like my kids.... I am so blessed that this is true.

Marcus, Andersen and Samantha.....Marcus and Andersen have always been soul mates. I believe God sent Andersen especially for Marcus... and Marcus especially for Andersen. They are the best of friends...have been since Andersen was born 3 years ago. Marcus would sometimes go and pick up Andersen when he comes home before saying anything to anyone else. When he was a little kid (Andersen's been a grown up since 1 1/2), Andersen would light up whenever he saw Marcus and called almost everyone, "Martis!" How special is that?

Andersen and Samantha bare foot in the grass. Andersen was one of the first kids who was very comfortable picking up Samantha and taking her anywhere. He would hold her over his shoulder, around his waist, or just in front of his chest as pictured above.

This summer we spent time in Grandma's pool. That is one of our favorite places to be in the summer. Due to the average age of the people living in her apartment building, the pool is not usually too full with kids or even adults for that matter.... so that makes it the perfect place for us to hang out over the hot summer days. Yes...Minnesota has hot summer days.

Maxien is just kicking his feet and hanging out in the cool water.

This summer we had a new face around the pool! Miss AJ( Audrey Jo) she is my new little cousin and my oh, my is she sweet. We met Ms AJ this summer at the pool at my moms house, her granny Gloria brought her over to play with us.

Aj and Morgan becoming fast buds.

Maxien and Amir smiling for the camera!

The kids really enjoyed play with her. There was lots of splashing, laughing and fun. Pizza was for lunch and Ms Gloria mom also showed Margret.
This summer Mommy took some time to try and spruce up the place. I stained the deck a really pretty brown color and added lots of flowers. We also put a table and love seat out on the lawn under our front yard tree. I enjoyed that a lot. Sometimes I would just lay across the love seat and just soak up the sun. There is nothing like the warm sun lulling you to sleep and relaxation, while at the same time, warming you to a golden brown stupor of delight. I love the sun...

Til later, Mad Love!

Happy Freshman year birthday, Marcus!

2009-07-12T17:40:00.000-07:00

Marcus had his 14th birthday this year and he became a Freshman at Anoka High School. Our oldest is a high schooler. He liked the cake a lot and I also thought it looked cool. Mom and Dad gave him clothing for his birthday and took him out for a quite dinner without his siblings. This birthday for Marcus was a lot more low key than usual. I guess that is what happens as boys start this last mile toward Manhood.
Marcus you have much to be proud of and have grown in more ways then just height. Although, there is no way to pretend that is not happening Boy are you tall now.
Happy Birthday My Fresh Man!
Til later, Mad Love!

Andersen's 3rd birthday!

2009-06-17T17:06:00.000-07:00

This year was Andersen's 3rd birthday. He had lots of family around. There was big singing as usual and lots of fun. Andersen really loves being the center of attention. He had hot dogs and brats to eat -- a few gifts and a whole lot of love. Watching Andersen grow older and show more personality from one year to the next is fantastic. I can remember when Andersen was born and I didn't think I'd make it to his 3rd birthday. He was our 4th son and boy did he make me believe we had bitten off more then we could chew.

Andersen had a SpongeBob cake for his 3rd birthday. SpongeBob and the gang are his favorite. If he's on good terms with you, he'll refer to you as Patrick. We love to sing the song together(Whooo, lives in a pineapple under the sea).

Andersen received this cool red car that he and the others share. I thought he would really be into it, but at the time he could take it or leave. If memory serves me correctly. I am sure that he left it :)

Just kidding. Andersen would talk about that car everyday and would often ask if he could drive out of the yard and driveway to drive down the neighborhood street.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vcgF1jt1IjI

Happy 3rd birthday Sen Sen Bear! My bobble head baby.

Til later, Mad Love.

At a store having a Easter celebration for children!

2008-03-23T20:43:00.000-07:00

Here is a little clip I wanted to include. I filmed an Easter event of Micah and Amir at a local grocery store. As we were leaving and after the face painting and candy gathering, I asked them to hop like the Easter bunny outside of the store. In an interesting turn of events, they seemed to switch personalities. Amir was looking at me like you must be crazy!...You want me to do what? What does this have to do with the true spirit of Easter? However, my man Micah hopped right out of the store for Mom. Micah was looking like, this woman is crazy cool...You're going to let me do what? What's not to like about this glorious time called Easter? I mean, I would have never predicted this switch.

I wonder what they are going to think about me years from now when I show this clip at future birthdays and graduations and random family gatherings and to THEIR children.

Til later, Mad love.