Purse Fetish

At Kyle's open house in Washington we found out that McKenna likes purses. She took off with my aunt's purse and headed for the door. Soon she will be saying things like "charge it." What are we going to do?

McKenna's First Birthday

We have had a very busy week! McKenna turned one the day after Christmas! We had a small party with the family and ate cake! She didn't get as dirty as I had expected, but she did enjoy it!

Here she is ready for the action! We bought her a cute bib to wear so we wouldn't have cake stained clothing!

She got started a little slowly. She had to concentrate really hard at first, see the tongue hanging out? She really loved the circles of frosting on the cake. At one point she decided to push in all of the circles!

She finally got into it - pushing her head back and everything! What a cutie!

We took the cake away and let her play with the frosting for a while. Lily wanted to lick McKenna clean and McKenna didn't mind. In the end they both got baths!

Merry Christmas

We had everyone at my parents' house for Christmas this year! Nine people in one house - crazy at times, but so much fun! It was really nice to be home with everyone and have the time to relax and be together.

It was so much fun to have McKenna around for Christmas this year! McKenna was spoiled by everyone, including Santa. Santa gave her a her a horse that plays music and neighs - she loves it! He also gave her some books that she is fascinated by - pieces of the pages come out and she can play with them. She got a little people bus that plays a really catchy tune - we have all been singing it since! She will be extremely fashionable in all her great clothes!

Jade and I got some fabulous gifts, including a Home Depot gift card that Jade has already spent on tools, or so he thinks!

Staci got a Wii and a Wii Fit for Christmas. We have been playing it for hours every day! Jade and I are going to try to find one when we get home! It is an amazing game that really is a workout. The only bad thing about it is that if you are overweight, it plumps up your Mii person! Hilarious, but embarrassing at the same time!

Little Dog

My sister has this tiny little dog that McKenna has taken a liking to. McKenna likes the fact that she can pick this dog up and hold it. She is used to Miley so she is a little rough with the dog. The dog, Lily, has decided that hiding is the best policy when McKenna is around. McKenna needs to learn to be more gentle before we ever get a small dog!

I Thought I Was Getting Away From the Snow

I was so excited to come home for Christmas and get away from the snow in Utah - I had no such luck! We were the second to last flight they let into SeaTac airport on December 21st. We had to wait for two hours in the plane on the runway in Utah before we got clearance to leave. After four and a half hours we finally landed in Washington, YEAH!!!! There were a ton of people sleeping in the airport because they had cancelled all the outgoing flights. I hope they all got to where they needed to be for the holidays.

By the time we leave here the snow will be melted and we will get to go back to the snow in Utah - I am cursed!

Santa

We had our ward party last weekend and McKenna got to sit on Santa's lap for the first time! She was great! She didn't exactly love him, but she was curious enough not to cry! It was fun to see her try to figure out the beard and she was very happy when he gave her a candy cane!

So when we saw Santa at the grocery store today and she held out her hand for a treat! This child is a candy - holic! I am not being a good example to my child! She will hate me later in life when she has love handles and is addicted to sugar!

Here she is checking Santa out. She had to get a real good look!

Santa read the kids a story. McKenna listened for a little bit of it and then focused on the other kids!

Staci got stuck with us for a few days because of a bad storm so she came with us. Staci let McKenna play with the ribbon and you would have thought she gave the kid a million dollars she was so happy!

I love this little girl! She is always willing to give her mommy kisses! These moments make getting through molars no problem ~ which by the way she now has two of!

First Snow

So this post is a little late, but I finally have a few minutes to breathe now that school is out! We were lucky and had a warm fall and winter until the past week, since then it has not stopped snowing! I was so looking forward to going home where it never snows, only to find out that it is snowing there! Next year, Christmas is in Hawaii! McKenna liked the snow for about two minutes, then she realized that the snow was getting in her shoe and decided she had had enough! She is a warm weather person just like her mom!

Kyle's Wedding

Kyle got married last night to a wonderful girl named Jen. Kyle has been very happy with her and we wish them the best! We had the wedding at our house and it was a nice ceremony and we loved having all the family around; McKenna was in heaven with all the attention. Congratulations Kyle and Jen!

Almost Walking

As a working mom, I am always worried about missing firsts for McKenna. Luckily I haven't had to miss much. McKenna is now walking more and more steps each day and can make it around the house walking from furniture piece to furniture piece. I have put a lot of videos up...mainly for my parents and siblings that are too far away to drive over and see her, but you may all enjoy. I love watching little babies walk - they are adorable! The second video is just funny because she acts like a drunken person - straight lines are so hard when you are learning to walk!

Thanksgiving

Today we went to Jade's mom and dad's house for Thanksgiving. We had a nice meal and McKenna LOVED all the new foods to taste - she especially loved stuffing! After we ate we took a picture for their Christmas card. Luckily it was a warm day, considering it is November. The pictures actually turned out well - we had all the kids looking at the camera!

Because it is Thanksgiving I wanted to make a list of things I am thankful for:

I am thankful for my husband. I know that sometimes I am not a very easy person to live with, but Jade has stuck it out and he helps me in so many ways. He may not be a millionaire, but he loves McKenna and me and that is all that counts.

I am thankful for my parents and siblings. I am so lucky to have such loving parents that put up with me while I was little, through the teenage years, and my still sometimes moody times. I can't believe that my siblings still like me after all the bossing I did when they were little - they really should be running the opposite direction when I come near. I love my family and could not ask for better people to spend eternity with.

I am thankful for little blessings. It is amazing how a kiss or a smile from McKenna can make my whole week. I love it when she cuddles, when she takes a few steps on her own, when she says "Ma," and when she scrunches her nose because she is so happy. I think God gave us babies so we would appreciate the small things in life.

I am thankful for prayer - even when they don't seem answered. I don't think I could go through life without believing that there is a superior being who helps us each day. I appreciate the guidance and the way it makes us live our lives. I am happier because I pray.

I am thankful for the amazing technology of phones. My parents and sisters went to London for Thanksgiving, it was weird not talking to them on a holiday. It makes me realize how much I take for granted the opportunity to call and tell them about a funny incident. I may not be able to see my parents as much as I would like, but I can call them whenever I want.

I am thankful for my job. Although I would rather be at home with McKenna, I do love my job. It is a wonderful job to have as a mother. My hours are good and I have the flexibility of being home with my family on holidays and during the summer. I can't imagine going to work if I hated it. I love seeing the kids each day, they make life fun and keep me on my toes. Kids truly help you see the good in life.

I am thankful for so many other things, but my daughter keeps calling to me from downstairs, I think I will go play! I hope you all had a fantastic Thanksgiving and are looking forward to the Christmas season!

So it starts! She will probably be walking by the end of next week to the horror of Miley who has a hard enough time hiding fromMcKenna with her in the crawling stage! It also means we really need to baby proof our house - I'm talking drawer locks, this child loves to pull everything out of them!

Feeding Miley

I know that some of you think this is totally disgusting and you can't believe I would let this happen (especially cause I am such a neat freak), but McKenna loves Miley so I have allowed things that I never thought I would!

Thanks Grandma and Grandpa

McKenna finally grew into this adorable outfit my parents gave her! Thanks for making her cute!

Halloween

On Tuesday we had our ward Trunk or Treat, only we don't have a parking lot so we had a sit around the cultural hall and hand out candy night. McKenna made it to about five people before she freaked out and my cute neighbor let me sit and eat a sucker! McKenna was thrilled and sticky! She crashed at the party before we even got ready to go home.

I dressed up for school yesterday as a cupcake! Staci came and helped...the picture is when we were working on it - I never got a finished picture - my students thought it was hilarious.

Blowing Kisses

She doesn't like to do it when she is told to, but she eventually gives in!

Disneyland

We went to the happiest place on Earth this past weekend...that's right, we went to Disneyland! My dad was on a business trip so we met him in Orange County. My mom and Ashley also met us there! Disneyland is a whole new experience with a baby and we had a blast. McKenna loved every minute of it! She was able to go on a lot of rides and she actually liked them. The parades were her favorite and all the characters in the parades would stop and talk to her...she is a people magnet! I've decided that if we get flight benefits when Delta merges with Northwest airlines then we are definitely getting season passes - I could go to Disneyland every day! Here are a small fraction of the photos we took during the three days.

McKenna loved the characters, especially the scary villians - she kept trying to give the evil step mother from Snow White kisses. The only character she was really scared of was Mickey Mouse!

She loved the shows and even kept her 3-D glasses on for most of the shows. The Tiki Room was probably the one she liked the best - she couldn't stop dancing!

She liked all the rides a lot. She squeeled on the lady bug ride in Bug's Land - it is like the TeaCups! Weird Girl! Jade had never been to California Adventure so we had to go on the Grizzly River Run - I hate that ride, you get so wet! We were lucky on that ride, it was Splash Mountain that we got soaked! Jade rode on the Tower of Terror about 6 times in the three days we were there! We won the Disney Dream Fast Passes on Saturday and it put you to the front of the line on the best rides in both parks!

Here McKenna is anxiously awaiting the parade! She was so fun to take to Disneyland - it made the trip that much better.

Everyone at the park could see how excited she was! In the morning she would clap if anyone said Disneyland! This picture of her on the Princess Throne is one of my favorite of all time!

Toon Town

We rode the shuttle bus to and from the park each day - McKenna became quite the commuter. She was exhausted at the end of every day - she learned to take her naps in any postition and wherever she could. She was the perfect baby on the trip we couldn't have asked for a better weekend. I love being around my family and it was a nice break to go visit them in such a fun place - we just wish Kyle, Jenn, Staci, and Chris could have been with us!