JaeKaeNae.

A few weeks ago our good friend Luke, from high school, got married to the cutest girl.  Unfortunately, we didn't get a picture with the happy couple.

BUT...

Katie and Dave got to come down from Idaho and play with us for an evening!  Even more important, Baby Natalie got to come visit too.

She's the cutest little baby that was ever born (until we end up having little mini Jamie's and Tyler's).  I'm a proud auntie.

This picture just kills me.  Little Nat is still getting used to Aunt Jamie, but loves her Uncle Tyler.  Seriously.  I don't know why babies love him so much.  Or maybe I do.  They cry after a couple of minutes of being in my arms.  But with Tyler?  They're happy little campers.  

I tell Tyler all of the time that when we have kids he can raise them until they're 2 or so and then I'll take over.   I think it's a great plan.

Kyle is Nae's husband and it took about 4 or 5 pictures to get this picture.  Natalie was a little preoccupied with other things around the room at the reception.  Picture-taking was not important at the time for her.

She's got the double chin thing down pat!  Adorable.  

And it wouldn't have been a smashing night unless JaeKaeNae got a picture together.  I miss my besties a lot some days.  We've had some great times together and they're what got me through high school.  There's no way that I would have gotten through alive without them.  

They're pretty special women.  It's crazy to think that it's been 6 years since high school.  We're actually grown-ups with careers, husbands, and starting little families.  Crazy, but incredibly fun!  We would talk late into the night at many a sleepover about what we thought the future would hold.  The 3 of us wanted to go on missions.  None of us did.  Three dashing men came into our lives and ruined the mission plan.  

We all knew that Kae would have the first kid.  We would always tease her that she'd drive a mini-van and be a soccer mom chauffeuring an entire soccer team to and from soccer practice.

Nae was always more business-minded and we thought she'd rule the business world.  Which, she is.  She rocks at  her job and works hard at what she does. 

Of course, I became the teacher and was the first of the 3 to be married.  I'm not so sure that was planned out that way.  Nae married a couple months after and Kae followed the year after us.

Sometimes life is so surreal and I can't believe how much time has passed.  It sure doesn't seem like that long since we were going on our first dates and eating popcorn and candy during late-night sleepovers.

Good times.

auntie Jae.

I'm finally aunt.

I've been waiting for this moment for years.

Kae finally had her baby and Nae and I got to go up to Idaho last weekend to visit, cuddle, and completely spoil mama and her baby (oh, and Dave too...).

 [JaeKaeNae+Nat]

JaeKaeNae got started back in high school when the three of us were inseperable.  

We came up with JaeKaeNae sitting on my parents lawn one night. 

Ever since then, we've been the inseparable trio.

Boys knew that if they asked us to any of the school dances, the three of us always had to be in a group.  

So yes, there were many times that our dates sacrificed being with their friends so they could go on a date with one of us because we refused to be separated.

A little high maintenance? 

Nah...

Once we graduated high school, we all had to go our separate ways.  

Nae took off to BYU-I for a few semesters while Kae and I stayed behind and went to BYU-Provo. 

Kae moved out into the dorms and I stayed at home to save some money.

We all made new friends and rarely saw each other during each semester.  

Before leaving for our first semester of college, we got together and bought a journal that we mailed to each other every 2 weeks (kind of like the Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants).

During those 2 weeks, we recorded what was going on in our lives and what new beau's were entering our lives and causing us new drama.

It kept us together and updated the whole group of each other's lives.

Every summer during college, we tried to get together and go up to my parents cabin for a JaeKaeNae sleepover.  

We'd dig up an old box that we put memento's and guesses about where we'd be in the future.  

I was always supposed to marry a hot cowboy who would wear tight wranglers and dance with me in the rain.

I didn't marry a cowboy... but I did marry a man who will dance with me in the rain!

It's been a couple of years since we all graduated college, got married, and now Kae is the first to extend her family with the first baby of the group!

Little Natalie is perfect in every way.  

She has Kae's cute little nose and LOTS of hair!  

 [Auntie Jae]

[Auntie Nae]

Welcome to JaeKaeNae, little Nat.

One day, you can marry one of my sons or become besties with my little girls.

Deal?

Deal.

baby shower. in a box.

One of my best friends, Katie, had her baby a few weeks ago.

In Idaho.

A state away.

Which, of course, meant I had to wait until school was out until I could go visit my first niece (blood-realted or not, no one else in my family is making me an aunt any time soon... it's about time I get to be an aunt!)

Since Kae decided to move to Idaho while she was pregnant, we never got to throw her a baby shower.

It was a little depressing.

I got a genius idea (that was actually from my own head and NOT from Pinterest) to do a baby shower in a box for her and do a post-baby shower for her when Janae and I got up to Idaho (we left our husbands home to play with each other while we road-tripped it up together).

Introducing a Baby Shower in a Box...

 [box from Target $5]

 [Green sixlets and polka-dot napkins, Zurchers]

[Headband, Quilted Bear]

 [balloons from Zurchers]

 [mini glass milk jars and striped yellow paper straws, Zurchers]

 [green and white polka-dot containers, Zurchers]

 [Giraffe pajamas, Target]

 [same pajamas, Target]

[Jingle-y beaded socks, made by my Mom]

 [Yellow striped paper straws again, Zurchers]

So so so much fun to put together!  Kate loved it and I can't wait to see little Nat in her giraffe pajamas (once she grows into them, of course).

I'm an aunt!

Splendid Summer

This summer was absolutely delightful.

I about died on the walking sticks of death and nearly took my mother out on my way down too.  We couldn't stop giggling and laughing the entire time.

My ever so talented husband rocked at them though.

Apparently, stilts are not meant for those who have had "Madsen" as their last name before.

I went to Lake Powell for my very first time.  Ever.  We spent a few days on a houseboat and T went out wakeboarding and wakesurfing.  I enjoyed the more of the sightseeing aspect of the boating trip.

T endured the many baptisms we went to over the summer.  The greatest thing about teaching 2nd grade is that you get an invite to almost every single baptism of every LDS student in your class.  It was so much fun to go to all of them and be a part of all of those special days!  Of course, we had to bring cute little gifts to each baptism!

Tyler rocked the summer with his soccer skills.  He scored a couple of goals and got bumps and scrapes from his many encounters with the other team.  

My hottie husband started an unpaid internship at the beginning of the summer.  Towards the end of the  summer, he was given a paid internship at the same place!  He did so well that they wanted to keep him around!  Hooray for finally being able to quit Home Depot and work somewhere that will further his career in finance along!

Picnics in the park up Provo Canyon are a must during the summer.

Speaking of musts, camping at Lodgepole which is our favorite campground is a definite must.  This year, the camp host had a cat that roamed the campsites.  She was a sweetie and I may have let my parents dog chase her a time or two.  

T indulged my sweet tooth often (he still does).  He's so good to me and any time I have a chocolate craving, he's the first to jump up and satisfy it.

We discovered the CocoaBean this summer and I'm in love.  T likes the Sweet Tooth Fairy more, but I'm a CocoaBean cupcake lover.  Along with loving this darling husband of man.  Is he not just the cutest?!

We were released from our cub scout calling and playing with teaching these cuties.  In this picture, we built marshmallow shooters and they had a huge marshmallow fight on the church lawn.  It was pure awesomeness.

One of my favorite cousins came home from his mission.  Peter has always been my best bud during family get-togethers.  He still is.  We're in the midst of a Star Wars marathon on sundays at the moment.  It's fun living by so many family members!

One of my best friends growing up got hitched to a girl who we grew up with.  It's fun seeing friends happily married to the love of their life.  

My best friend, Katie, is having a baby girl in December!  It's sad having her up in Idaho so far away, but we picked out the perfect baby gift for her and sent it up!  She loves yellow and has always been a fan of giraffes.  I fell in love with this baby blanket at first look.  Thank goodness for etsy where I can buy things that are still homemade and cute.

Seriously though?!  Everytime I look at this blanket it makes me want a baby so I can get one for myself.  I die every time I look at it.

Not pictured are all of the lawns mowed, the garden we grew (how did I NOT take a picture of it at all?!), other camping trips, movies, dinner dates, and so many other fun times!

We had a splendid summer and we're looking forward to a fantastic fall! 

Turtle Baby

First off,
NO.
We're not prego.

With that out of the way....

How cute is this photo?!

When we do decide to start a family, this adorable crocheted turtle cuteness is definitely going to adorn our little one in his (or her) baby pictures.

It's been a while since I've been giddy with happiness over something.

This made me super giddy!

And yes, I used the word "giddy" in a blog post.

*Note to the sis (you know which one you are) I'm afraid you'll be the one making this. Be prepared. ;)