Camping

So we did our first camping trip... first ever, first as a couple, first as a family, first for McKinley. It was a momentous occasion!
Here's the three of us...

Here is our way too small tent. We will be selling this tent and buying a bigger one... much, much bigger. But it worked for the two nights we were there.

And one of McKinley the first morning. She didn't sleep great the first night, but slept like a log the second. Didn't even wake up when we unzipped the tent and moved her from our bed to hers! She was a champ the whole trip...

On Monday the three of us hiked one of the loops (The South Falls?). It ended up being a longer tripped than we had anticipated, but it was a lot of fun... Here is McKinley riding with mommy.

We stopped for a refreshing splash in the creek... I think that was the best part for her... she was mad when we packed up to keep going!

McKinley riding with Daddy... and enjoying one of the water falls! She loved the falls, she was fascinated with them.

And of course about 15 minutes before we got back to the truck... she fell asleep. : ) Is that not the sweetest face ever?

All in all it was a fabulous trip and we will totally go again. You always learn things, and we will definitely do some things differently... but we loved it and look forward to lots of family camping! My family did tons of camping when I was a kid and those are some of the fondest memories I have from my childhood. I hope McKinley has those same fond memories when she's my age.

Summer Fun

The cousins had a play date at Uncle Chris and Aunt Diane's a few weeks ago... and McKinley got invited too! She slept late that day, so the swimming was mostly done when we got there, but we got about 20 minutes in the pool to play with everyone. McKinley had a blast!
Here we're trying out a new floatie option:

The pool was loved by all... at the same time! : )

The smile says it all. I think it was a hit!

A day in the life...

The Beach!

We went to Tillamook weekend before last and had a great time. McKinley enjoyed the beach, although it was very cold and very windy! We spent about 15 minutes down by the water, and that was enough for all three of us! Here we are:

And here's our sweet girl with her toes in the sand!

We love the beach! Can't wait to go again...

McKinley is 12 months

It is really hard to believe our first year has come and gone. You are growing so fast!!!

You are 18 lbs 3 oz
You are 28 1/4 inches
You are fully weaned
You have started being picky about what you eat
You love to spit stuff out
You can walk behind your walker
You pull up on everything
You love to climb the stairs
You love to touch the TV
You are ticklish
You are getting your first molar (and it hurts!)
You still love bath time
You crawl all over the tub
You point at everything, especially the fan, daddy and flowers
You wave bye-bye
You blow kisses
You really really want to drink out of a cup
You sleep with your buns in the air a lot
You love the rocking chair (both yours and daddy's)
You still go to bed between 6pm and 7pm
You still sleep until between 6am and 7am

You are the light of our lives McKinley Rae!!! We love watching you grow and learn. We pray for God's blessings on you for all of your days!

Love, Mommy

We have a big One Year Old!!!

So we had our first First Birthday event. There weren't bouncy houses or pony rides... but there were a lot of loved ones, a lot of cake and a lot of chaos! It was a wonderful day! I spent most of the day in shock... how can McKinley possibly be a year old already? I mean, wasn't it just a few weeks ago that she surprised us all with her grand entrance into this world? As all of you mommies and daddies already know... they just grow so fast and change so much, all right before your very eyes!
So the party was a big hit with all who attended... just family this year. McKinley was kinda into opening her presents... her older cousins were more excited about it than she was. I'm sure in a year or two she'll get the hang of it though.
The cake was a huge hit as you can see. : ) She at a bunch with her hands too, and several people spoon fed her some homemade ice cream. She enjoyed it all, but never cracked a smile. She looked quite confused about why the paparazzi had shown up at her dinner table. Ha!
And here is our family on the big day. What a change from just a year ago!

Happy Birthday sweet girl... can't wait for many, many, many more!

Caution: Deep Thought Ahead : )

I have a wonderful husband. He often sends me emails during the week telling me how much he loves me and how blessed he is to have me in his life. I love that about Jeff! He is so thoughtful and he goes out of his way to make me feel special. This morning in particular, I have been kinda grouchy. So when I got his email, it really made my day!!! But the most important point is this: It reminded me that I am truly blessed beyond measure!

I think there are a lot of women in this country who feel unloved by their husbands, or neglected, or ignored, or oppressed or whatever you want to call it. Yet I have a husband who nurtures me, encourages me, loves me,and points me toward God. He takes the time to remind me how much he loves me and how special I am to him. He helps with the chores, he helps with our daughter and on top of that works full time at a job he doesn't especially love, just to support us. He bears the full financial responsibility for our family. And he does it all graciously and without complaint. Thank you Jeff for being the husband of my dreams... for making all of my dreams come true!

We've all had a case of the sniffles. Some days are worse than others, but it is so easy for me to get cranky about it. I'm tired of blowing my nose. I'm tired of not being able to breath. I'm tired of sneezing and I'm tired of coughing. Today, though, I am reminded that there are people out there who have terminal illnesses or broken bodies. There are people who have spent countless days in a hospital bed, undergoing tests, needles pokes, doctor visits, surgeries, you name it. There are people in this world who are thankful to have woken up one more time. And so I am humbled. Reminded that my minor cold is nothing more than a slight inconvenience, and I should treat it as such. Today I am grateful for my health and for this body.

Being sick and cranky isn't usually a good combination for both McKinley and I. I've found that I lose my patience more easily with her... even though I know she doesn't feel good either. She is whiny... she cries a lot... she won't sleep... she won't eat much. And after a good part of the day, it really wears on me. Yet there are men and women out there who long for a child, yet cannot have one. There are parents out there who have a child with a disability, so they may never see their child run or walk, they may never see their child smile or hear their child's voice. Again, I am reminded to be thankful for the healthy, beautiful, wonderful daughter that God has blessed us with. To be thankful that she is active, that she is vocal, even that she is mobile.

Whatever our lot maybe, there are so many more who have it worse than we do. So just a quick suggestion: Count your blessings today. We all have them... we just have to open our eyes to see them.

Thank you Jeff for the good reminder today. I have too many blessings to count!