McKenna is 1!!!!

It has not been a year since my little girl was born. It really seems like it has been hours, not months. We did have quite the celebration though! Gramma Rue flew in on Friday (Mac's actual bday.) We did some shopping and just played. On Saturday we had Mac's party at 2. I made brueshetta, design your own pizza on the grill, veggies and dip, cupcakes for the kids, and strawberry cream cake for the adults. Gona, Baca, Aunti Em, Mark, Tali, Kade, Mommy, Daddy, Gramma Rue, Pat, Claire, Dick, Sam, and Grandma Great came. She enjoyed all of the attention until it was time to eat a cupcake and to sing the happy birthday song. Apparently we all have horrible voices because she instantly started crying! When she finally figured out that cupcakes taste great, and when we stopped singing, she calmed down!

--What a mess--

She got so spoiled with pianos, swimming suits, clothes, an outside water toy, books, money, I can't even believe all of the presents!

--Before everyone got there--

--Mommy, gramma rue and mac--

--Miller/Christians--

--Attempting to take the hat and bib pic--

--Mac playing with her hat after we gave up--

--Mac's response to our horrible rendition of "Happy Birthday"--

--The song was forgotten after she started eating--

--Crazy cousin Kade--

--Time to open presents--

--Spoiled rotten!--

--Water park from mommy, and swimming suit from gona and baca--

Thank you to all who came, we had such a great time!

Gona's Birthday

Today we celebrated Gona's birthday! It started with an 8 am pontoon boat rental. Everyone got a chance to ride, including McKenna! Then Gona, Baca, Emmi, Mark, Kade, Tali, Grandma and Grandpa Great all met back at our house.

We had shrimp and veggie skewers, baked potatoes, corn on the cob, tomatoes with mozzarella and basil, breadsticks, cheesecake and a lemon beehive cake that I experimented with. We ate outside, even though it was a little windy.

The whole family gave Gona a leather journal that she can write about her travels in. Josh and Emmi wrote a little something in the front that made her cry. Grandma Great quilted a pansie quilt for Gona's bed. We also got to look at the slides that Gona and Josh have been feverishly putting on DVD . Josh hooked the computer up to the TV and it was a really good show! Was fun to see what Grandma and Grandpa Great were doing when they turned 60!

Happy Birthday Gona!

Now poor josh is working on our never ending deck project.....sigh.....

--Here we are eating dessert--

--Gona opening presents, a quilt sewn by grandma great--

--Gona and all her loot, Mac is ready for a nap!--

--My experimental honeybee cake, not quite as good as Emmi's homemade cheesecake!--

Amazing Weather and Landscaping

I don't have a whole lot of new news. The weather here has been amazing! We haven't really even watched TV in the last 5 days or so! With the purchase of the new baby bike trailer, and the stroller, we have barely stopped moving! I love it!

With nice weather comes a million projects. Josh spent all weekend breaking his back in an attempt to build a limestone retaining wall. I was not much help, but managed to mow the lawn while he did that :) We (and by we I mean Josh) still have a long way to go to get it completed. I am hoping to plant a garden in the area that the wall creates!

We also need to reground the dog fence, organize the garage, build a "mud room" off of the garage, stain the deck, clean the carpets....and I am sure there are a million other things to add that are slipping my mind at the moment.

This weekend is Gona's bday. We are hosting, and can't wait! Then the weekend after that Mac is turning 1!!! I can't believe it! And gramma rue is coming out for the festivities....

Lots going on...yay spring!

Nothin New

Other than horrible weather - nothing much happening in Iowa. We went from a few weeks of amazing 70s to crummy 50 degree weather with rain :(

This week we are having all the materials delivered to build a retaining wall and garden in our backyard! I already feel sorry for poor Josh's back. We also got our new bike trailer delivered yesterday. Mac LOVES it!! We also got it big enough for two so that Damon and Shelly's kid can ride along!

--This was worth EVERY penny!!!--

--Helping dad set up the new home server--

--Pretty much the cutest picture ever--

Birthdays and Trees

I have been bad about keeping up with all the events in our family. I failed to even touch on my amazing birthday! Josh surprised me in the morning with swing dancing lessons- he signed us up for a 6 week course :) Also he made a cute frame for me with a pic of Mac to take to work.

Later I got to open my presents at Gona and Baca's house. I got spatulas, a cake frosting kit, a train cake mold, slipper socks, a new rug for our front entry, a picture frame, and many other wonderful gifts :) I am so spoiled!

--Oh so elegantly blowing out my candles--

We also found out that Tali was going to her first formal dance. So, she couldn't resist going through Emmi's old dresses and modeling a few....

--Baca bought this one for Gona....not quite up with today's fashion...--

--This is a flashback dress from another time--

Also last weekend was a destructive weekend. The storms we had this spring really destroyed a lot of trees at Gona and Baca's house. Daddy helped the whole family knock down trees. We also got to meet Lucky the newest addition to the family.

--Daddy chopping wood--

--Gona and Mac watching the action--

--Newest addition to Gona and Baca's house, Lucky, a 3 year old adopted pup...very good dog--

New Car!!!

I am sure that some of you have heard our horror stories of our trailblazer. It has been a decent truck, and we did get a good price on it - but it has had its fair share of problems. Just a few miles outside of the 60K warantee, the fan started making a horrible noise. After we took it in, the told us that it would be well over $1000 to fix.....crap! Then we got a chip in the windshield and had to replace that, $250. Finally we needed to replace the brake pads, get new tires, and it was making a funny noise when we accelerated - so we decided to trade it in rather than spend any more money on it!

It is really ironic because I sold my infiniti FX35 when we found out McKenna was coming. The car payments were too high, but I LOVED that car!!! Also, a few years ago (around 2003) Josh really thought that the Nissan Muranos were a sharp car. I didn't like them at all at the time. But, the Miranos have the same styling and feel as the infinitis, and after I drove one, we had to have one!

We have been looking for a few weeks, but finally bought one yesterday. Below are the pix of old and new!

--Old Trailblazer--

--New Murano (MUCH BETTER!)--

Visit

This last week we had some visitors. Great Grandma and Grandpa Skinner came along with Grandpa Bubba. They were here for a sad occasion as my Great Aunt Marie passed away. She got pneumonia a few weeks ago and was admitted to the hospital. It progressed and caused a stroke and blood clots in her legs. She didn't make it, but didn't suffer. My dad flew down to Grand Junction Colorado and picked up my grandparents and they all drove out here. My aunt lived in Ottumwa which is about 2 hours southeast of Ankeny. I didn't know her very well, but her and my grandma were very close. She lived to be almost 88. Makes you cherish every day!

On a lighter note, they all stopped by our house on the way home. We played cards, caught up on news and went to Texas Roadhouse for dinner. We had never been there. It is one of those places you eat peanuts and throw the shells on the floor. It was pretty good, and Mac made a pig of herself! Visit was too short, but was really good to see everyone!

--Mac and Great Grandma Skinner--

--Mac and Great Grandpa Skinner and Grandpa Bubba--

Tali's Birthday

Tali had a birthday party on Tuesday. Gona and Baca came, along with a few of Tali's friends. She even got to have a slumber party on a school night....I think that is a big deal when you are 14! I got there kind of late because of work, and Mac was a little fussy because of her cold, so I really only got to see her open presents, then had to run. We got her a really simple digital camera so she can update her blog with pictures. Gona and Baca got her some really pretty diamond earrings. Emmi and the kids got her lots of good stuff like a new hairdryer, mirror, bra (that embarrassed Tali), and a certificate to get her ears pierced again. Seems like she made a haul! Can't believe she is 14!!! Happy Birthday Tali!

--Tali and her loot--

Minneapolis Meeting

I spent last week in Minneapolis at the Loss Prevention Market Summit. It was very impressive, and very fun! I was chosen out of hundreds of women to attend. All of the highest paid (most 6 figure salaried) loss prevention managers were there. Most were directors and even the vice president and CEO were in attendance. They put us up at the 5-star Hilton in downtown Minneapolis. All meals were catered and they took us to a dinner theater production called "We've gotta bingo!" It was hilarious!

I also got to go to the Mall of America. That place is ridiculous, and I could easily spend a week or so just looking around. I got a pedicure and spent the rest of my birthday money on clothes :)

While I was gone, Gona watched Mac two of the days. Heather was gone, so we are lucky Gona's schedule was free! Sounds like they had a great time crawling around and looking at her fish :)

Good to know that Josh and Mac survived without me, but good to be home!

This weekend we decided that we are going to trade in the trailblazer for a murano...just a matter of finding the right color (I am picky!)

Easter Pictures

I don't really have a reason to buy McKenna a frilly Easter dress. But who can resist a little girl in a cute dress? We had to have her professionally photographed! She is just changing so much, I couldn't wait until her 1 year pictures. Here are some of our favs!

--Baby Feet--

--What's over there?--

--I LOVE the chair!--

--I'm Bored--

--So Big--

--So Cute!--

--Angelic--

--Poser!--

Winter Blizzard Photos

Everyone thinks I was exaggerating with the blizzard we had. Here are the Photos to check out the drifts and damage! Thanks Damon :) Keep in mind some of these are major highways...not back roads. Pretty amazing!

Botanical Center

Last week Gona, Mac and I all went to the botanical center in downtown Des Moines. Gona was craving a tropical environment, and this was the closest thing to it in Des Moines. McKenna loved looking at the fish, flowers and trees. It really is a relaxing place, especially with the horrible winter we have been having!

On the way home we stopped and met Rufus. He is a bloodhound that Gona and Baca were considering adopting. I think that they have since decided not to, but he was a sweet dog!

--Gona and Mac hanging out in the flowers--

--checking out the koi pond--

--Mommy and Mac with the flowers--

Growin up

My little girl is officially mobile now. She crawls, pulls herself up, chases the dog, and pretty much wants to eat and drink by herself.....makes me a little sad :( I am excited to see her learning new things each day, though. This summer will be so much fun! It finally got to 75 degrees yesterday. Very strange to see the thermometer at 75 degrees and piles of snow along the freeway? I guess when you have a mountain of snow covered in salt and sand it takes a while to melt!

--Forget bottles - she loves her sippy cups!--

--YUM messy!--

The snow is gone!

Finally almost all the snow has melted! It is supposed to be in the 60s for the next few days and should get rid of whatever is left! We have been cooped up for weeks and got a little stir crazy. Below are some of our antics!

--Here she is playing fetch with Rylee--

--Playing computer with daddy (Josh is setting up a PC to connect to our TV, our home "server"--

--Giving mommy kisses after bathtime--

--Practicing to be a world famous drummer--

--Playing dressup with diapers, they make great hats!--

We can't wait to go outside and play! All these long days have made us get a little creative!

Jim Gaffigan's Hot Pocket

Last night we went to Jim Gaffigan's show in Des Moines. HILARIOUS! I have never laughed so hard in my entire life. He was amazing! We had no idea on the way there, but Barlow and BK both were there as well. Luckily Barlow got there early because general admission was first come first serve, so he saved us some good seats.

Mac stayed at Gona and Baca's with Tali and Kade. Emmi and Mark met us at our house then we drove through the blizzard to get there. We all had a great time. We ate at a little diner on Merle Hay with a pretty ditsy waitress...but my salad was good :)

Pretty tired of the crappy weather. Josh and I carpooled in the 4 wheel drive truck yesterday. Took us over 45 minutes just to get to Ames from Ankeny. Luckily we left early and took it slowly home. We saw three jack knifed semis and many cars in the ditch...seems like people should just slow down! They closed I35 north from Ames, basically most of 30 west and all of 80. I have NEVER heard of closing freeways down! Crazy weather! At least it is supposed to be 45+ degrees in the next few days...can melt all the crap!

Mobile

McKenna is becoming more mobile everyday. She can now successfully crawl backwards, go from sitting to laying down and visa versa, and scooch along after the dog. She still hasn't got crawling forward perfected...but we are in no rush :) As soon as that happens, it is a whole new world that I am perfectly content waiting for!

Here are some fun pix of us playing inside on the snowy days! I never did make it to work on Sunday, and luckily don't have to leave the house until Thursday. We my venture to Target today to get out of the house!

--Almost crawling--

--Playing in her sit n spin--

--Cheesin for the camera, showing off her 6 teeth--

Winter Wonderland

Apparently another ice age is happening in Iowa. Yesterday we had freezing rain all morning. I was driving in it and worried that the antenna was going to snap from all the ice that built up on it as I drove along. Luckily I got home just fine and watched as the ice covered everything. We now have about 6 inches of snow on top of that ice and I have to work at noon....woohoo!

All of the weather advisories say to stay inside and don't travel. Well, I guess someone thinks that customers will still want to buy CDs, so off I go! BRRRRRRRRRR.

--View from our deck in the back yard--

--Look at all of our poor trees sagging from the ice--

--The front of our house after the plow came through--

Changes

My little baby is turning more and more into a toddler everyday. She is sleeping through the night, eating almost anything we put in front of her by herself, and almost mobile. I can't believe how fast 9 months goes by!

I am applying to Drake in a few days. As soon as I get my last letter of recommendation my application will be complete. I plan on applying to the department of education's masters program in counseling. It is something I have always wanted to do, and with my lightened work schedule is now possible. The program is very competitive and I am trying not to get my hopes up. I did pass the entrance exam - so time will tell!

--Playtime!--

Best Husband Ever

That's right, I have the best husband ever. For valentine's day he surprised me with Phantom of the Opera tickets. The show was amazing. I think the person who played the phantom was the best voice I have ever heard in any production. We had great seats right in the center, near the front. Gona and Baca babysat, and we just had a really great time.

--Here is our messy eater with a cheerio stuck to her face at Gona's house--

--Jumping in the jumparoo at gona and baca's--

He also made me my own version of lobu-opoly(monopoly with events from our lives.) It is so creative! The cheaper properties start out with the first places we lived when we met. Then they progress (just like in monopoly) to the places we rented together, then our house in seattle, and finally our house in ankeny. The utilities are actually chores (trash and laundry) and the railroads are flights to and from des moines and seattle. It is so very sweet. What a creative and thoughtful gift!!!

Happy Valentine's Day

Here are some fun pics of McKenna posing for her valentine's day picture. I dressed her up in a cupid diaper and used a quilt from April's mom as the backdrop. We bought daddy a picture frame and put these pictures in it for valentine's day!

Enjoy!

--She really wants to crawl--

--Squishing daddy's valentine--

--Mischievous look--