Mandie's Matters

Time is Running Out.....

2011-07-21T18:23:00.000-07:00

Tick Tock Tick Tock - apparently I am driving the hubs nutso because I'm impatiently awaiting my anatomy ultrasound next Thursday. I CANNOT WAIT! We will then have a gender reveal party with our family to find out if we are having a boy or girl. And since my lovely Aunt Nancy texted me tonight and told me she needed updated pictures and blogspot to decide if she was for team pink or blue...I'm obliging. I've also included some comparison pictures of me pregnant with McKenzie (just in case you want them). Don't forget to VOTE in the poll on the sidebar!!!

McKenzie - 16 weeks 2 days

Baby #2 - 17 weeks 4 days

McKenzie - 18 weeks 2 days

UP and RUNNING

2011-06-27T15:28:00.000-07:00

I am so glad to tell all of you that my business "Simply M" is up and running! Please head over to the blog for the latest news: www.sewsimplym.com and to enter for a giveaway! Be sure to send your friends!

You can head straight over to my etsy shop to order the newest products today:

http://www.blogger.com/www.etsy.com/shop/sewsimplym

I'm so excited for this new venture and I love to sew! Enjoy :)

The Secret is OUT!

2011-06-20T15:23:00.000-07:00

That's right ... another baby is on it's way! After miscarrying once last August and then again in December we are very anxious nervous excited about this baby! We are truly blessed. We kept the baby in the bag until closer to my 2nd trimester. After my ultrasound today with the specialist with everything looking in tip top shape we decided to go ahead and tell the world! McKenzie went for the 1st time with me to an appointment today. She was very excited about seeing the baby but once it was on the screen she looked confused and perplexed. Which is understandably so. Of course, I've heard about nothing BUT baby today. She loved hearing the heartbeat (if the baby could sit still long enough) and would say "I hear it again." Which brings me to that "sitting still" part. Turns about this baby is a mover just like it's big sister! Every time I've gone in for an ultrasound they've all had a hard time getting the heartbeat because the baby just moved and moved. Today was no exception. After 30 minutes of the technician and specialist trying for measurements today they gave up LOL. But everything looked fine. We head back in 5 weeks for our gender/anatomy ultrasound with the specialist and then back at 24 weeks so the baby in-utero can have an echocardiogram. Since I was born with a heart defect our babies are at a higher percentage of having one as well - hence the visits to the specialists.
Differences this pregnancy - I'VE BEEN SICK AS A DOG! Major morning sickness and extreme fatigue (of course the 2 year old probably plays into that). Serious aversion to chicken (sniff sniff). No more chick-fil-a chicken biscuits and sweet tea...baby doesn't like. I lost 3lbs in my first trimester. Today I was back to my pre-pregnancy weight LOL. Hoping it starts going the other direction now. Just started showing a little last week.
So the details...
baby is due on you guessed it... CHRISTMAS DAY! Big sister's birthday in December 29...things could get interesting. That makes me 13 weeks 1 day today :)
You know what this means right?!? It's survey time! Tell me if you think it's a boy or girl at the poll on the right!

Hiatus because of Obsession

2011-03-14T13:08:00.000-07:00

Curious?

Well I've been a bit sidetracked - OBVIOUSLY - since the blog has been extremely neglected. My apologies.

I've been busy working on two things:

1. EXTREME COUPONING and

2. MY NEW BUSINESS

Extreme couponing is ADDICTING!!!! I guess saving money is a good thing to be addicted to right?

And my new business - well I know you are all sitting on the edge of your seats waiting to find out right?! LOL

The new business is called Simply M.

I'm almost finished with the new Simply M blog - which as soon as it's up (hopefully by next week) - I will be hosting a giveaway once I reach 50/100/200 etc. readers. So be sure to come on over and check it out - but I will be sure to put a post up when you can visit :)

And my etsy site is up - just working on adding items. Go ahead and visit me there:

http://www.sewsimplym.etsy.com/

Please feel free to send suggestions on items you would like made!!!

Here's a sneak peek at my logo:

Oh and besides those two things - I'm so glad Army Wives is back on and well the new Coming Home series leaves me finishing Sunday nights in tears - good tears.

And as always, being Mommy to these two crazy characters :)

And I heard of a "military wife" being referred to as a "voluntary nomad" today - Anyone else find the truth in this!

I can't wait to hear from you guys - it's been waaaaayyyyy too long!

Christmas

2010-12-25T18:42:00.000-08:00

Christmas this year has been loads of fun with McKenzie! Her pure excitement gives me joy. And I must say that she is one lucky kid because this makes her 3rd snow in her 2 shorts years of life. IN GA NO LESS! We had a wonderful white Christmas (other than me being sick - blah). Without further ado here's the video.
More to come later.

It's a FIRST

2010-12-05T18:49:00.000-08:00

Our very first Military Ball that is. Considering SSG has been in the Army for over 6 years now and this is our first...geez that's appalling...well that's what happens when there's a war going on uh? Deployments kind of get in the way of the fun stuff.

I wish I could say that our first military ball was all that I thought it would be...sadly it was far from it. No offense to any other recruiter's out there but you are NOT real army because if you were you would not have behaved in that manor. My soon to be 2 year old behaves better than that! Despite all the drunkenness, excessive yelling, horrible food, and flat out rudeness, I was awfully proud of SSG. He received his Recruiter's ring and that's a HUGE honor! He worked very hard and I'm so glad I got to accept the award with him and be there to support him. I received my own award for being a supportive spouse ;)

SSG has promised me when we PCS back to a line unit he will take me to a "real" Army ball - one where wives follow etiquette and the soldiers behave like honorable men. I hope that's the case. I felt let down after the experience so if any other spouses out there have been to a military ball please tell me you had a better experience!!!! PLEASE! I guess in my mind, military balls showed honor, pride and class of the bravest men in our country! I envisioned it to be something special thousands before us experienced - I guess I viewed it as being as classic as a Carey Grant movie.

Friday night was the Recruiter's ball and Saturday night was the Masquerade Ball for our company. Since my post a ways back concerning dresses - this is what I came up with. I borrowed one of my sister's dresses for the recruiter's ball and one of my cousins dresses for the masquerade ball! They were perfect oh and cheap! I already had the shoes - an even better bonus. I just had to find a mask and that was no easy task since I wanted it to compliment the dress. I turned to my faithful handmade site (etsy.com) and found a mask connoisseur. It was fabulous!

I did have fun spending time together and it wasn't all bad - we did get to sneak away early and eat at Johnny Carinos' for a late dinner (our FAVORITE)! It's back to the grind though - well SSG is - for me, well tomorrow it's JELLO making time with Little M and a HUGE bubble bath - I promised! Life is rough isn't it ;)

Our little Dawg Fan

2010-11-28T17:48:00.000-08:00

Twirling

2010-11-16T17:46:00.000-08:00

I think she likes her new skirt - what do you think? :)

I Fought For You By The Sound Tank

2010-11-11T10:14:00.000-08:00

Pom Pom's and Squeaky Shoes O MY!

2010-11-08T19:23:00.000-08:00

This post is for you Aunt Nancy! (and all you adoring Little M fans)

Oh and I had to add the video of her dancing skills - I think she could be a pro one day ;)

Baby girl it's COLD outside!

2010-11-06T20:11:00.001-07:00

The cold weather hit us sooner than I had anticipated. This mother was unprepared. NO COAT, gloves or hat - I know it's pathetic right?!? To solve this problem we went shopping - oh darn I mean that's the worst thing possible LOL ;)

Alas, we couldn't find a winter coat in the stores that both Soldier D and I could agree upon (I was asking myself why I asked him to come along in the first place). Little M did however find a hat and a pair of mittens that she loved. She literally pulled them off the rack and put the hat on her head. It was a keeper and boy was that easy!

Soldier D passed the snow globe display and they had to shake just about every one of them and listen to their music.

I did find her a 3-in-1 jacket online at Old Navy. I quickly ordered it and hopefully it will arrive in the next few days. I should order her a nicer jacket too but this one will work just fine for everyday.

Oh and I can't forget Ella! Little M spent the night at Lolo and DaDaddy's house last night since Soldier D and I went to Ft. Stewart for the day to attend to some things. When we got home late, Ella met us at the door and she was so confused when we walked in without the girl. She kept sitting by the back door looking at the door looking at us in pure puzzlement. She moped around the house and then slept in front of Little M's door all night long. However, this morning she was quite excited when we asked her if she was ready to go get her. She hopped right in the car :) What can I say - these two are quite a pair!

(Little M feeding Ella her "cookies" via spoon and hand)

SHOES!

2010-11-03T12:04:00.000-07:00

McKenzie LOVES and I mean LOVES shoes. Her Aunt Nikki would say "I taught her well."

Great Gran and Grandaddy purchased her first pair of tennis shoes today.

THANK YOU G & G

and just for kicks - some more halloween pictures

We did take little M trick or treating. After about 2 houses she had it down...knock knock...tweet pease...(with huge smile) pick up candy...put candy in bag...tank u...next door. It was a lot of fun!

The Duo

2010-10-30T18:47:00.001-07:00

This post really needs no explanation - it has PICTURES! (mainly for the fam but enjoy)

OH! I do have to say that we were a hit at the annual Harp's Harvest at our church. The Man in the Yellow Hat stuck out (gee can you guess why) and McKenzie was awwed over. Yup I'd say they were a good lookin pair!

M

Yes she's adorable!

Daddy and McKenzie having fun (despite the look on Daddy's face)

Fishin' for some treats

Look what I got!

A Girl on a Mission

2010-10-12T11:59:00.000-07:00

I'm Leavin on a

2010-09-18T18:31:00.001-07:00

ROADTRIP! I know I'll be back again next weekend (how was that everyone?)

Well, technically, McKenzie and I are leaving for our very 1st roadtrip - just us girls. Don't let Kenzie know but Mommy is a little nervous (but extremely excited).

Unfortunately, the soldier has to work and will be holding down HH6 for a while - don't worry I stocked the pantry, freezer, and fridge for him ;)

We are going to see my Daddy (or Pop Pop - depends on which one of us you ask) and then headed to stay with one of my closest friends and fellow military wifey and her two adorable children. (Her hubs comes home soon - eeeeekkkk how exciting!) I promise to take some pictures and I might find the time to post a note or two about how it's going. Until then.....

Wordless Wednesday

2010-09-15T14:30:00.000-07:00

My Heart Aches

2010-09-13T17:25:00.001-07:00

Words cannot really express the agony my heart has felt over the past few days for Rachel and Erik Brake. They are a couple in our Sunday School class whom we have gotten to know over the past months and rejoice with them in their pregnancy. However, at 37 weeks pregnant, baby Weston was diagnosed with a rare heart defect. On August 29 he came into this world, fighting for his life. The Lord has used this sweet angel in so many ways in his short life and still is. He went home to be with Jesus on Friday evening in the arms of his mother and father. As a mother, my heart is breaking for her and the emptiness she must feel. Today, we were able to share with them as they said goodbye to little baby Weston Lee Brake. He's in the arms of the Lord now. Please keep them in your prayers. To read about their journey please visit their Caringbridge site.

American Pride

2010-09-11T17:54:00.000-07:00

{our flag}

There will always be a flag - the flag of the United States of America - flying high with glory and honor at my home. It is a symbol of pride, freedom and honor. It is a token of respect. The flag stands for so much more for me. It stands as a reminder, a reminder of our past, our present and our future. It stands to honor my husband and all other military who serve. It stands for all those who have given their lives for mine. I haven't forgotten.

2010-09-10T09:52:00.000-07:00

I've joined up - have you?

and that was my pathetic attempt at being "recruiter wife's cute?"

It's GAME DAY!

2010-09-05T16:48:00.000-07:00

Watching the game and eating chicken nuggets - tyson ;) - with Daddy!

WARNING!!

This post contains TONS of CUTENESS - you've been warned :)

Yes that time has come once again...where every Saturday my dear husband adorns himself (and the rest of us) into UGA paraphanalia and afixes himself to the couch exactly 5 minutes prior to the game. It's all good though (that was really southern wasn't it?) because he did miss a few seasons of the Dawgs playing due to being in Iraq and all. So in honor of the 2010 football season....

At least she's being raised right!

This is and if you're not a Dawgs fan please don't take it personally.

Operation MKSoldier

2010-09-03T16:49:00.000-07:00

In honor of Setpember 11, I've decided to launch Operation MKSoldier! Go online and purchase one or a few of the MKMen products available and I will send them to our soldiers overseas! Our MKMen line is fantastic and is SSG approved - which says a lot if you've ever met SSG.

My goal is to send 25 complete sets!

(a complete set includes: body spray, shave foam, cooling after-shave gel, moisturizer sunscreen SPF 25 and face bar)

I'm doing this to honor our soldiers and to thank them for their service to our country. And since I'm not sending care packages to SSG right now I want to send them to your soldiers!

If you have a soldier who would like to receive one of the MKMen sets please send me a message or comment on this post. (women's sets are available as well)

Please help me reach a goal and make Operation MKSoldier a success because our guys and gals deserve it!

Go online to www.marykay.com/mandiestallings to place your order today!!! Please include a special thank you if you'd like for me to send along with it.

MK Mandie is on a mission!

Guest Spot

2010-09-02T10:14:00.001-07:00

I'm guest blogging over at Currently On Land this week :) I was really excited and nervous when Suomi asked me to write on her blog - no pressure or anything. I met her through another blog and it turns out she's a recruiter's wife too! To be honest there isn't a whole lot out there for Recruiter's wives these days...we're kind of on our own to network...hence the blogosphere. So go check out her blog!

I'M ON A MISSION to find the perfect name for my blog. Something creative and catchy to draw people into my crazy military motherhood world ;) That's where you come in...cause I'm creatively stumped recently. I'm BEGGING and PLEADING for suggestions - Please perdy please with a cherry on top?!? And let's face it...I won't be a recruiter's wife much longer - it will change to something else and recruiter's wife just gets added to the resume. I'll post what I come up with and you can send me yours!

READY

SET

GOOOOOOO!

really wants to crawl back in bed today and stay there with LMN on and a people magazine in my hand.

The search begins...

2010-09-01T13:50:00.000-07:00

I'm super-excited because....drum roll please....I get to attend my FIRST military ball this winter :) eeeeek! A little nervous but thrilled. And thus the hunt begins for a dress. Any suggestions?

Oh and the soldier...not so thrilled but hey he's a guy and clearly it's not his thing but it's mandatory and well I'll be excited for the both of us.

This is and I swoon over my soldier in uniform.

A HAPPY song for a HAPPY day!

2010-08-31T11:25:00.000-07:00

This is McKenzie's Happy Song. She sings it often...she sings her "luv u" song a lot too. I love listening to her sing. And today, well today, I received "happy" news so I figured the video for today was fitting.

The news you may ask?

For the first time in 3 1/2 years my insect venom levels were down!!!

I have struggled with severe anaphlaxis reactions to stinging insects for a long time. 3 1/2 years ago I was skin tested and started immunotherapy shots to try and reduce my risk those reactions if I were to be stung. I continued with the shots through all of the moves and through my pregnancy with McKenzie. After she was born I started having anaphylaxis reactions with the immunotherapy shots. Doesn't make for a great day let me tell ya! Just ask Daniel, Lolo and Granna - of course McKenzie may have a different opinion as she thought it was fun to ride in the ambulance ;) Since that day I stopped ALL shots and discussed other options...which in the medical field weren't any. Daniel and I started researching "alternative" options. We came across "laser therapy" and I was intrigued. Turns out there was a naturopath here in Newnan who used this technique. After much prayer and thought, Daniel and I decided to give it a try. I mean seriously what could it hurt...I had nothing to lose at this point. Get stung = anaphylaxis within a minute....get a shot = series of delayed reactions ...either way = I'm screwed!

Here's the picture - my venom levels in my blood are high and it's a life and death situation.

Playing outside with my toddler by myself during the day - YEAH RIGHT! (which is really sad!)

Turns out my chiropractor recommended "Dr. Rick" to me and he's the one who does the laser treatments - wahoo! I started the series of 12 treatments which are non invasive and he points a little laser around my ears. You can read more about it HERE.

I finished the treatments a few months ago and have continued to work with him in improving my health and I can't say enough about him. God is using him in a mighty way! After way the 180 days for my blood to recirculate I went back to the allergist (i.e. 2 weeks ago). I asked them if they could draw my blood again and re-test the levels to see if it had helped any at all. I didn't want to get my hopes up but this morning the results were in...the levels were down! I cannot express the joy in my heart and may all the praise go to God! My wasp category came down from a 3 to a 2 as well as the fire ant level (which the fire ants cause me the most problems). All of the stinging insect numbers decreased. Now a category 2 is still pretty serious but they are lower. After 3 years of shots my numbers had INCREASED after they were supposed to drop. Go figure that one.

Of course the Allergist says "there's no scientific proof showing that this will continue to work." To which I replied, "no there's not but those numbers sure don't lie!"

I will continue with the laser treatments and avoid shots at all cost.

God isn't scientific... My God performs miracles!

So today, we sing a Happy Song :)

A RECIPE FOR A MILITARY WIFE:

2010-08-30T09:43:00.000-07:00

1 1/2 cups PATIENCE.
1 cup COURAGE.
3/4 cup TOLERANCE.
a dash of ADVENTURE.
1 pound ABILITY.
With the above ingredients, add 2 tablespoons of ELBOW GREASE.
Let stand alone for 7 MONTHS to 12 MONTHS.
Marinate frequently with SALTY TEARS.
Pour off excess fat.
Sprinkle ever so lightly with MONEY & knead dough until PAYDAY.
Season with INTERNATIONAL SPICES.
Bake 20 YEARS until done.
Serve with PRIDE.

This is
sending a HOOAH to the OORAH wife who sent this to me today :)

Summer Cleaning?

2010-08-29T17:43:00.000-07:00

Is that possible? In my case it is...every season...I deep clean. I get restless. Thanks United States Army...I appreciate it : Or maybe I'm just a bit more OCD than most - you can decide for yourselves. I DO. HAVE A PROBLEM. AND I"LL ADMIT. IT DRIVES MY HUSBAND CRAZY! AND MAKES ME FEEL ACCOMPLISHED :)

This last week I did go a little crazy. Maybe because I have AWESOME parents and they took my kiddo for a few spend the nights this week. Which = alone time to: be productive, hear myself think, enjoy quiet, enjoy my hubby, enjoy food NOT prepared by me, sleep late and read a magazine. Things that I pretty much never do anymore thanks to a chatting, constantly yelling "mama" every two seconds because I need your undying attention, love and affection piggy tailed, covered in marker with a cracker and meow in her hand almost two year old. And thanks to all this time I had on my hands I had time to mellow out and reflect. The conclusion: Motherhood is exhausting in every way shape and form. Kudos to the mother's before me who survived - got any tips? And like any mother, I absolutely love and adore that little smelly diaper before breakfast girl. But I have determined that I need to remember to give myself a break and ask for help and by break I mean sometimes a full day and night away before I lose it. I find myself getting into I'm too tired to have the desire to do any of the housework that needs to be done let alone play with you constantly and still have time to do my work. Can you relate? But I've also found that if I'm not organized or things have gone array due to my state of over tired and annoyance of a whiney child that it escalates my need for escape from despair that much more. I'm the kind of person where if I'm organized and things are in a functional place then I am energized, happy and ready to take on the world! I'm still trying to find that balance of wifehood, motherhood, army spouse (yes it needs a title and category all itself and not to be swept in with wifehood - it's a bear all it's own), and career woman. I live day to day just trying to make it through one load of laundry, breakfast, snack time, lunch time, nap time, snack time, dinner time, pick-up time and bedtime. So those organization projects - yeah right! I do attempt it most days and those attempts quickly fail. I've also found that as an Army wife...I get antsy. REALLY antsy. This is the longest (whoa a whole year and a half) that Daniel and I have stayed anywhere since I married the soldier (who by the way is the BEST). So out of 4 years this is the longest. And because of that moving almost every year past...I'm antsy. The antsy like "ok I"m ready to move again and rearrange all of my stuff in different places so it all looks new again" (the adventurous side of me) and the other antsy of "I really really really don't want to move away from family again but I know it's coming anyways" feeling and the antsy of "ok God where are we headed next" It leaves me in limbo...I don't do well in limbo. Because have I mentioned that limbo = waiting on the Army which = waiting a really LONG time for a really quick you have to be here NOW which = unorganized and unorganized = chaos which = crazy mandie. I'm learning...I'm learning...God is molding me...and thank goodness God has patience and mercy on me! And he's blessed me with a family who LOVES and ADORES my I'm hungry every 30 minutes little girl and who obviously LOVES me enough to come to my rescue - on more than one occasion!

Confession: I'm scared out of my living mind of the day the Army says "GO" and I leave my instant not have to worry about babysitters anytime family! But don't cross that bridge until it comes right?!? And can I use them as babysitters via skype while I cook dinner?mmmmmmm food for thought.

Oh and to add to the jumbled up thoughts/emotions in my brain mixed with the exhaustion and unending to do list of my life - the second child. (P.S. DO NOT SCREAM - there is no second child on the way - I repeat NO BABY - yet) As my girl is no longer my baby girl but my all grown up girl gets bigger that desire for another one grows. That ache in my belly for a child. And as much as I give myself a reality check of the following: unorganized, no more naps, finally good nights sleep, moving, etc. fill my brain I cannot quench that DESIRE! The solution: Leave it in God's hands (but add to the chaos)

Did I mention the Army? Yeah that little booger right there...well see baby making and having with that attached makes things a little bit more tricky or fun whichever way you look at it. That thing ("the army") is making my baby crazed gotta have another one soldier a little crazy right now. Oh the possibilities! Oh you guys know that conversation. The one that involves " well, baby if I pass this test and the board accepts me then we could be moving by the end of the year and if we get pregnant, then we'll be moving, and I'll be in training, and we'll have to find a new house, and you'll have to set up the new house and I'll be in training, and I may miss the delivery, and oh yeah we'll be MOVING!" Yes THAT conversation. My solution and one my husband believe it or not the laid back guy has a hard time grasping: LEAVE IT TO GOD. I'm good with that. I'm more than good with that. You want to know why? Because by his GRACE I'm gonna make it. I may not exactly do it gracefully and I may walk around with food all over my shirt and snot on my pants but I'll make it.

It felt good to let all of you know that. Takes a load off.

But back to the AWESOME time alone...I am here to announce that my office is now re-arranged and re-organized and READY TO GO! Productivity here I come. And the hubs did an awesome job getting some major yard work done - cheers to us! Oh and earlier in the week I got the toy purge done and the playroom cleaned up and all those bins of baby stuff stashed safely away for that "second child." Anyone need any Fabulous Mary Kay products? Christmas gifts? A facial?

So for now, I end a crazy busy productive week and I'm ready to tackle a new one...with a new project except one that can be done with the monkey kiddo. And things feel like we are even more at home...which means that "move" is coming sooner cause that's ALWAYS how it happens.

YARD SALE COMING SOON!

Have I mentioned my favorite things to do with Kenzie lately...mmmm another post for another time. I'm off to enjoy some Mad Men with the soldier whose already asleep :)

Blogger HELP!

2010-08-11T11:10:00.000-07:00

Please please please help all my blogger friends! I'm trying to have different tabs for different blog sites on my post - does that make sense?

For instance, I want the tab for "McKenzie's Musings" to have it's own blog site but how do I connect them so when you click on the tab at the top it goes to the new blog site?

I need to do this for a Mary Kay site as well and I'm completely stumped! Any and all advice would be appreciated.

Oh and one more thing, has anyone ever used their blog site for ads to earn money? Any tips of the trade you mind sharing?

Thanks to all!

NEW Limited-Edition Vanilla Sugar Satin Hands Pampering Set

2010-08-10T17:58:00.000-07:00

This is a wonderful gift for yourself or someone else! Contact me today to get yours before they're sold out!

www.marykay.com/mandiestallings

So on that special trip

2010-08-10T17:39:00.000-07:00

{the hubs rockin the paper shades}

I took the passenger seat next to the hubs to accompany him to Ft. Stewart. He was doing all the pre-op for his lasik surgery. No dates have been set as of yet - just fyi. We left the girl in good hands with Granna and LoLo for the two days and off we went. This is the first time we've taken a trip away from her...it was thrilling and sad all at the same time.

We stayed in Army lodging for the first time this trip...and can I just say nIIIIiiicccceee! The price was definetely nice but the rooms were super nice. Thanks Stewart lodging! After his eye appointment, we drove to Savannah and ate at the Texas Roadhouse (our favorite) and walked the mall. OHHHHH the MEMORIES! When we got back, which was late, like 11:00pm late, we crashed! We're parents to a toddler...we generally go to bed pretty early considering she rises pretty early :) On our way out of town, we ran by and checked on the house.

All in all it was a quick little getaway, with eye pulling and dilating, etc etc., but a nice little break...all thanks to the Army (wink wink). And the girl...you might be wondering...well she was so spoiled rotten she didn't even notice we were gone!

This is and that was our special trip.

The GRACE'S

2010-06-30T10:21:00.000-07:00

{McKenzie giving Hannah a hug}

McKenzie and I had a special treat this morning. We got to go over and play with Hannah! Hannah is a very new and special member of our family who came all the way from China. Daniel's Aunt Lois and Uncle David just went and picked Hannah up a few weeks ago. You can read all about their journey HERE.

Hannah was very shy at first but once the goldfish, apples and cheerios came out it seemed to be a common bond and soon they were playing together. (FOOD - isn't that the way to everyone's heart?!?)

And you may be curious about the title...well the "Graces" refer to these two precious girls. They share the middle name :)

This is and HH6 is packing for a special trip (curious aren't you?)

OH you know those days, this day

2010-06-29T17:16:00.000-07:00

I'm tired...and therefore this post will not be one of deep intellectual thought unfortunately because that was the original plan earlier today and as you can see it's past 8 (and I'm ready for bed). Let's just say that teething toddlers are full of inner pain and outer tantrums. It was a LONG day. You know those days that you feed your kid an extra big lunch to fill their belly and then tuck them in for their nap - the relished time of the day! My relished time lasted for 3 hours and 17 minutes today ;) Thankfully "Nanna" came to play this afternoon to whisk the rest of the day away. We love our Nanna!

We have been so busy lately that I've forgotten to posts pics/video of McKenzie at the beach for all the adoring Grandparents and Greats. Please excuse my Mommy brain.

And since it's summer (and excrutiatling HOT HOT HOT at least in GA) why not treat yourself to this:

Mary Kay Pedicure Set

You can order it here at my website!

For all those that just eat this little kid up....these are for you.

{look at my big bed Mommy}

{swimming in the pool}

{playing in the ocean with Daddy}

With sleepy eyes and a bed calling my name.

and yes I'm THAT Mommy.

Passing the Sunshine Along...

2010-06-28T10:11:00.000-07:00

I'm starting this week off right and spreading around some SunShine! Who doesn't need some brightness right?

"The Sunshine Award is awarded to bloggers whose positivity and creativity inspire others in the blogging world."

Thank you Army Wife for my first Award!

These bloggers have intrigued me and brought me into their lives. Reading their posts makes naptime fun and enjoyable!

Check them out:

Rachel @ A Happy Life
Kay @ I Got a Notion
David & Lois @ A Cooke's Corner
Abby @ Chris and Abby Ireland
Lindsey @ Dancing backwards in high heels...with baby poop on my shirt
Cindy @ Cindy Lou Who
Christina @ Christina's Fitness Journey
Julie @ Bakin' An Akin
Sarah @ The Daily Lailey
Nicole @ Mashena
Erin @ Real Life at the Shells
Renee @ From Adopted to Adopting (Brand new Blogger!)

The Rules:

1. Put the award on your blog and/ or within your post
2. Pass on the award to twelve bloggers.
3. Link the nominees within your post.
4. Let them know they received this award by commenting on their blog.
5. Share the love and the link to the person from whom you received this award.

Who Me?!?

2010-06-23T09:38:00.000-07:00

I'm deeply touched! Thank you Army Wife for giving me my very first blogging award! This has truly made my day!

Stay tuned to find out who gets the "Sunshine Award" next!

TV Addiction

2010-06-22T17:50:00.000-07:00

Not just to tv in general but to one in particular show...which sadly just ended *sigh*

Which one you may be wondering? Well I'm going to tell you but first I must admit that I'm a history junkie. Recently, I stumbled across a tv series within my netflix queue (you know when you rate a movie then it suggests ones you might like). I added it and soon...well Daniel and I became addicted. So much so that after we put the little missy to bed we would hurriedly pick up and race to the tv. Pathetic...yeah I think so too. Even after we finished the last season netflix had on dvd we found out that the new and final season was coming on showtime...and I'm going to admit that we paid to add showtime to our plan just so we could watch this final season (yes mother if you are reading this I know you are shaking your head right now and saying under your breath "what a waste of money") Every Sunday night Daniel and I cozied up and anticipated the next episode. I covering his eyes in the indecent parts and he telling me not to look in the oh so very gruesome (but true) parts. Have I peaked your curiosity?

We are Tudor junkies.
THERE - it's out there for the world to see.
From what I've gathered in my research about Henry VIII it seems to have been a decently accurate portrayal of his 6 wives.

Since it has ended we are now moving on to the life of Queen Elizabeth - I can't wait for the mail lady to bring me my movies :)

2010-06-15T11:21:00.000-07:00

I couldn't come up with a "clever cliche" title - please excuse my lack of brain power. I'm still recouping from the horrid bug my lovely child passed on to me after vacation. Which by the way, vacation was fun - but saving that for a later date and time...aren't you intrigued now?!

Yesterday marked the first day of VBS for our church and McKenzie dressed up and saddled up for a week at the ranch. Although, I have to admit, I laughed. Out loud. For a while.

Are you wondering what for?

About this.

{Headed off to VBS} {Returning Home}

Man a day of fun sure can wear you out...and make you a grumpy gus.

And for your viewing pleasure...music time. (sorry it's crooked, I forgot to turn the camera the other way and I'm too cheap to buy the $$ for the video editing)

if you're happy and you know it.....

2010-05-27T09:16:00.000-07:00

Water, Water and MORE Water

2010-05-25T10:55:00.000-07:00

If you didn't know, you do now. My kid LOVES water...any kind of water.
She doesn't like milk - she drinks water.
She loves bathtime and yells "BUBBLES".
She loves playing in her pool.
She loves lakes and calls the fish bubbles.
She loves to wash her hands in the sink with me.
She plays in Ella's waterbowl when I'm not looking.
She loves to watch the rain.
Yup the kid loves water. Well, guess what? She learned the other day that water comes out of the hose in the backyard! It was a splashing success!

The Great Outdoors

2010-05-17T18:40:00.000-07:00

We've been doing a lot of playing in the backyard lately.

I'm extremely tired tonight and I don't really have much to say today but I do know that my blog has majorly suffered from my blahness. My apologies blog. I will get back on the bandwagon tomorrow...til then..........

"the magnolia tree bloomed"

"playing in her pool"

a PICTURE is worth more than words

2010-05-04T09:33:00.000-07:00

Emailed along with picture: This little boy had a puncture wound in his abdomen and I stayed with him for about half an hour to keep him awake before he could get a flight out. He was one of 10 civilian casualties on a horrible day when the Taliban set off an IED in a local bazaar, targeting civilians.

I received this picture from one of my closest friends today. Her husband, Josh, is a Marine stationed in Afghanistan right now. Josh and I were friends in high school and worked together at Chick-fil-A. They have never met Daniel and I have only seen Josh once in over 5 years. Ah the life of our military men. Jasmine is very near and dear to my heart. We met our senior year in high school when she moved with her family from Michigan. I talked her into a job a Chick-fil-A ...do you see where this is going. Josh and Jasmine have been married for 6 years now and have two children: Liliana and LJ (LJ is 3 months older than McKenzie). Jasmine is one of the strongest women I know and an encouragement to me. Thankfully we get to see eachother generally once a year and we talk and email several times a week.

I think sometimes as military spouses we often wonder what our sacrifice is for? What exactly do we send our husbands off for months and years at a time for? Does it matter?

This picture reminded me what it was for today. For all those children and families threatened and tormented by the Taliban, by evil. Evil thrives when good men do nothing. I'm proud to say I married one of those good men, and his sacrifice as well as mine does matter. Thank you Josh for your service and we are praying for your safe return.

I am putting together a care package to send to Josh. If you would like to donate anything or write him a letter I'd love to put it in the box.

With Love,
M

JOY

2010-04-08T09:08:00.000-07:00

Pure JOY! It fills my heart and sometimes I think it may bust. This is why.

What are the best of afternoons made of?

2010-04-07T19:14:00.000-07:00

A Chick-fil-A cup, cookies, a comb and veggie tales of course!

Before all of you go and jump the gun....I (the MOM) drank ALL of the sweet tea in the cup and refilled it with water before I gave it to my child...silly you for thinking I gave her sweet tea :)

2010-04-06T17:28:00.000-07:00

Do you want to know what my FAVORITE moment was while hunting eggs?

This one!

Love,
M

Happy St. Patrick's Day

2010-03-28T19:02:00.000-07:00

and early Easter too!
McKenzie had a visit from Great Gran & Grandaddy on St. Patricks Day to bring her an Easter basket...is she spoiled rotten or what?!? Among the favorites were simply the plastic eggs - go figure ;) She plays with those eggs all the time but calls them balls. She totes around her pink rabbit and even gave it a bath in her ducky the other day. The little scooter bug...well let's just say Ella ducks tail and runs when McKenzie gets it out of the toy box. And then there's these....

They treated her (and me) to brunch at the Dwarf House! We love you both very much!

Love,
M&M

The making of BB

2010-03-25T16:03:00.000-07:00

I've been procrastinating in making banana bread for weeks (I even think months) but I decided today was the day I was going to succeed. The bananas were ripe and I had all the ingredients but there was just one problem....McKenzie. Here lately, every and I mean EVERY time I go to cook whether it be breakfast, lunch or dinner hey even a darn snack...it's like a timer that goes off and the whiny box starts! She clenches to my legs with arms reaching up with that wimpy whiny cry.

It annoys me. Plain and simple. It grates on my nerves. Makes me want to scream. I have a few times. Really loudly. Outside for all the neighbors to hear.

Today, yes today, I decided to take a different approach...a proactive one if you will. I have been waiting for the day that she would be old enough to help me cook in the kitchen. She's still young but since banana bread didn't deal with anything that could potentially turn bad I figured what the hay. I pulled a chair over and included her. NOW, I know what you mothers out there are thinking...you let her stand on a chair! YES I DID! I normally don't approve of her standing on chairs and yes it's a double standard but my sanity was at stake today...the whiny box started when she arose this morning. My big helper (and the silencing of the whine) was music to my ears! Ahhhh a few moments of peace and fun all mixed into one :) (Don't judge...you know you would do the same) We just discovered though that she's not a fan of the hand mixer...but that's ok. The banana bread turned out fabulous and McKenzie is taking it to her DaDaddy tomorrow (since we made a special batch just for him with raw sugar). I had loads of fun baking with her and she had loads of fun helping me and beating the measuring cups together :) These days she just wants to do whatever I'm doing and I'm glad she's getting older so I can include her in those things. Just so you know....she's a master at the laundry....except maybe the folding part haha!

Here's the baking of BB in pictures:

The whine did start again after we had finished...well it was nice while it lasted...I did get it stop again for a while when I gave her a peice of the BB since she stood at the counter begging for it. After she was already chowing down I realized it had nuts in it...whoops...oh well...but hey guess what...I figured out she's not allergic to pecans and walnuts! Good we can check those off the list LOL. (side note: you may be wondering what the big deal is about the nuts...well I'm apparently allergic to them and the allergist told me not to give McKenzie nuts until she was 3).

Love,

M&M

Just to make you smile

2010-03-19T19:22:00.001-07:00

more to come....stay tuned!

Love,

M&M

In McKenzie's words.....

2010-02-12T16:51:00.000-08:00

Brrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr!

Obviously the snow is cold haha! We treked out this morning...armed and ready...and quickly trying to finish all of our errands. Daniel checked his weather channel app oh only about a bazillion times giving us updates on the impending snow about every 10 minutes. We successfully signed our taxes, got my blood drawn at the hospital (which only took an hour and a half - sense the sarcasm) and grabbed some Chick-A-Lay, delivered Mary Kay products, saw MawMaw & Pop, put McKenzie down for a nap at YaYa's and Grandaddy's, had a chiropractic adjustment, went to Walmart, dropped by the Sleep Number store for a new pillow (for me! thanks for the Valentine present honey - even though I still haven't figured out if it's more for me or for you), grabbed lunched at ABC and then the snow hit. PERFECT TIMING! All that was left was to pick McKenzie up and head home. We stayed and played in the snow with Aunt Emme, Uncle Brett and Maci (or as McKenzie says "Eya"). By the time we started home the snow was coming down. The closer we got to Newnan the slushier the roads were. Thank goodness we got home sooner than later. We have equipped ourselves with bottled water, logs for the fireplace, batteries for the flashlights, candles, warm blankets and yummy food just in case :) Yes, I'm always prepared for the worst case scenario and Yes, it drives my husband bananas! We played around the house with McKenzie for a while and then I made a home-made chicken alfredo pizza and popped it in the oven. Granna surprised us with a visit just as we were about to take McKenzie to play in the snow.

After she was all bundled up we headed out.

She didn't really care for the snow to hit her in the face but enjoyed the snow. She squealed with delight with Ella running around her in the snow. Daniel and I enjoyed a snowball fight (which I totally won!) and then made our soldier snowman. Isn't he handsome? McKenzie helped. Pictures were taken and snow was brushed off as we headed back inside to eat our warm pizza out of the oven. McKenzie had her bath and is now fast asleep in her room...dreaming of snowflakes I hope. Daniel and I are about to sit down and enjoy 'The Time Traveler's Wife' on PPV. Perfect evening. The plan for tomorrow: wake up and play in the snow some more!

On a side note: isn't McKenzie one lucky kid....this is her 3rd snow!

For YA YA

2010-02-02T08:56:00.001-08:00

This is Ya Ya's and McKenzie's fun...and she's learned what's coming.

P.S. Thanks to everyone who sent me their favorite recipes! I will be fixing a few this week :)

Dinner Success!

2010-01-21T16:19:00.000-08:00

Tonight I tried a new recipe I found in a magazine for chicken alfredo. I bought all the ingredients at the store last week and have been waiting for a good night to try it. Tonight was that night. It really didn't take me as long as I had anticipated and our house smelled delicious. McKenzie and I waited patiently for Daddy to get home...well one of us waited patiently...but you know the other one of us is only 1 (lol). I added fresh broccoli for a veggie and we sat down to eat. Daniel had NO words but the big smile on his face said it all. Dinner was a success! McKenzie gobbled down her portion as well.

I'm trying very hard to cook every night and save of loads of money this year by not eating out as much. So far we've done pretty darn well. With that being said, I'm asking you (my wonderful readers) for your favorite (yet easy) recipes. And for being such great participaters...I'm giving you mine :)

Creamy Chicken Alfredo

Cooking time: 45 minutes
Serves 6
Preheat Oven to 375

Ingredients:
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 tsp. salt
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 1/2 cups whipping cream
1/2 tsp. coarsely ground black pepper
1 tablespoon coarsely chopped fresh parsley
6 chicken breasts
2 tablespoons + 1tsp olive oil
1 tablespoon minced oinon
1/3 cup grated parmesan cheese

* For a butter flavored sauce, substitute butter for the olive oil ( I did this!)

Directions:
Preheat ove to 375 F
Place flour in a shallow dish
Sprinkle chicken with salt and coat with flour
Heat 2 tablespoons olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat until hot
Add chicken; cook, turning once, until golden
Remove chicken from skillet and place in a 13x9 inch baking dish
Heat remaining olive oil (or butter) in same skillet over medium heat until hot
Add garlic and oinon; cook until garlic is fragrant and oinon is tender (about 1-2 minutes)
Increase heat to medium-high; add whipping cream, parmesan and pepper
Cook until sauce is bubbly and slightly thickened (about 2-3 minutes)
Spoon sauce over chicken in dish
Bake chicken until thoroughly cooked
Sprinkle with parsley
Add already cooked noodles before serving

A Little Birdie Told Me...

2010-01-19T09:34:00.000-08:00

That parenthood would be a fun, messy adventure! Well the messy part we definetely have down...hence the pictures strewn EVERYWHERE! The fun part...well we have that one covered too. What you can't see in the picture is that McKenzie is pointing and yelling "DADA" and "MAMA." Then she'll grab another one and point and just a chatter up a storm. The reason for the mess you may ask? We were working on Daddy's Army Scrapbook he uses for work and I dug out all of my momentos from both tours to Iraq.

Ahhhh the labelmaker! One of my most prized possessions. If it had feelings we would be kindred spirits...my best friend. It helps me organize my life and yes I am an organization freak. Can you blame me? When you move just about every year or hey even a few times a year...organization is a lifeline necessity. I just tend to take it to the extremes. With all of that being said, my little monkey found my friend the labelmaker which was tucked away nicely in my office drawer. Her eyes filled with bewilderment and curiousity as she began to press the keys. She squealed with delight seeing that her punched keys showed a letter on the screen. It was a priceless moment when she pressed the PRINT key and the label tape started to come out. Pure amusement and joy. Daniel just sat and watched, shaking his head in almost desperation and then he said it..."oh no just like her Mommy and at such a young age." :) Yes yes she is my child and I'm filled with joy. Thank you labelmaker, my true friend, because you have now provided me with more than labels. You've given me a few moments of to myself, to work and to switch over the laundry. You truly are a dear friend :)

Speaking of friends, my daughter has one. She's short, has black hair, and loves a good belly rub. Her name is Ella or these days "Eya." Her name is called from the depths of the crib in early morning. And yelled about a bazillion times a day; even when we are out running errands. McKenzie loves and I mean LOVES her puppy! I can hear McKenzie giggle with glee as Ella licks her fingers and her face. (yes at one time I would have cringed with disgust but these days...ah who cares) Ella and McKenzie go everywhere together. She's my little "mommy" dog as she goes with McKenzie up and down the halls and in and out of rooms. Ella has even taken to sleeping right in front of her bedroom door at night. It's the sweetest little bond they have. McKenzie revels in petting her endlessly in the afternoons and I'm sure Ella does as well. The other afternoon I sneak around (amidst the chattering) the corner to find this.

Christmas Morning Favs!

2010-01-11T12:11:00.000-08:00

Since I haven't posted about Christmas day yet, I thought, well, instead.....how about some of my favorite moments!

Or video clips?

HAPPY BIRTHDAY DOODLEBUG!

2010-01-10T13:18:00.000-08:00

McKenzie turned 1! I don't think there are really any words necessary...the video says it all!

Tis the Season

2009-12-16T17:01:00.000-08:00

I LOVE this time of year! I'm thinking McKenzie likes it too ;)

And this is her playing in her rocking chair...she's a big girl now and climbs up and sits down all by herself and then rocks.

Tomorrow we will try our hand at peppermint bark and chocolate covered pretzels for Daddy.

McKenzie's 1st Thanksgiving

2009-11-30T06:36:00.000-08:00

Our Thanksgiving Day:

I'm NOT an olive fan...but I just had to keep going back for more.

Mmmmm Mommy made apple cinnamon muffins for breakfast!

I love wrestling with Tigger at Grandaddy & Lolo's house!

And reading my books!

I was the little turkey that gobbled up all the food :)

Ducky Time

2009-11-24T08:30:00.001-08:00

I upgraded McKenzie Grace to the big girl tub last night. She wasn't quite sure what to think about that and I think she missed her duck. Much to her delight I moved the duck to the living room. She has figured out how to climb in and out of it and it has made an excellent toy. This morning my heart lept with joy while I was cooking breakfast to see her climb into her duck and sit there watching her morning show. It was just too cute!

McKenzie had her first taste of turkey this past weekend. She didn't know what to make of it.

I wanted to wish everyone a HAPPY THANKSGIVING!

I am blessed with a wonderful husband

a beautiful daughter

a well-behaved dog

a big family and good friends.

I'm thankful that Daniel is home with us again this year for Thanksgiving and we get to spend it together as a whole family. I'm thrilled to have a new brother-in-law join us this year too.

What are you thankful for?

HAPPY HALLOWEEN!

2009-11-24T08:21:00.000-08:00

I do realize this post is almost a month late BUT I have a few minutes while M is napping to blog. We had a great halloween with my Mary Kay business premiere, having family over and handing out candy to the neighborhood kids. We didn't trick or treat since McKenzie has no idea what is going on. She did get a few little "treats" in her pail :) Here are some pictures of my baby in her halloween costume Aunt Nikki got her before she was even born.

Roundtrip Weekend

2009-10-14T19:32:00.000-07:00

We had a wonderful weekend! Daniel had a long weekend and we made the most of it. On Saturday morning we took McKenzie to Uncle Bob's pumpkin patch which was filled with animals, a hayride, corn maze, pumkins and Aunt Emme, Lolo and Grandaddy. Sunday morning we headed to Warm Springs, GA to meet our Sunday School class for lunch at the Bulloch House. After lunch we walked through some local shops and then went to the "Little White House" and springs for a quick history lesson...McKenzie was bored because she knew it all...sigh (hehe). Since Monday was one rainy day we loaded up and headed to the aquarium! McKenzie LOVES fish which pretty much sums it up. We met our friends Terry and Amie who came down from Chattanooga (during their honeymoon) to hang with us at the aquarium. Enjoy the pictures...THE END.

9 Months

2009-10-07T14:59:00.000-07:00

I took McKenzie to Target for her 9 month photo session today. She was her usual smiley self and it took me a while to narrow down the picture selection. Here are some of my favs.

Nursing Clip

2009-09-29T18:15:00.001-07:00

I figured I would clear up some confusion over my post asking for some help naming my Etsy shop (which I still haven't decided on one). It is more of a nursing clip which you can attach to any blanket to keep yourself covered while feeding the little one. Here are some pictures to clarify...

Tupperware or Tubberware

2009-09-29T17:59:00.001-07:00

So there has been a long going debate over how to say "tupperware" in this household. I, being the english and grammer fanatic say it the correct way.. tup-per-ware. I can't say the same for the other two speaking members of our household (well minus the one that can't fully pronounce her words yet). They insist it is tub-ber-ware. Needless to say, NONE of this matters to the little mischief who turned 9 months old today. She was just glad she found the tupperware cabinet :)

(I love Ella's look in this picture...like dude what a mess you made!)

We've been McKenzie proofing the house lately since she is crawling, standing and getting into just about everything. It's a lot of fun though and it filled my heart with so much joy watching her open the kitchen cabinets and drawers today pulling out all of my ziploc bags, the cake pans (and banged them together) and the tupperware. We had so much fun playing with it all!

In other news, sadly, Sheldon has gone to a new home. Don't fret, he is about to be so spoiled rotten it isn't even funny. Unfortunately, we couldn't keep him any longer since he has been acting out and trying to prove his dominance and has shown aggression towards McKenzie. We love him so much and found him the best home. We will still visit him so we can give him hugs and kisses and so Ella can play with him again. That being said, poor little Ella has been sad but McKenzie and I made sure to lift her spirits today.

That's all I have for now but stay tuned because any day now she will be walking on her own. Oh and everything these days is "daaa-dddeeee"

HELP!!!!

2009-09-17T19:09:00.000-07:00

Ok so I'm starting to sell some nursing beads I've made and I wanted to open my own shop on Etsy. I'm in desperate need of some suggestions for a uber cute (and memorable) store name. All I can seem to come up with is Mandie's Marketplace...
So tell me what you think and give suggestions PLEASE!!!
Thanks :)

Livin La Vida Loca

2009-09-13T19:05:00.000-07:00

Leave it to my child to like Ricky Martin....oh goodness (HAHA!) Nikki found her old keyboard and well it's been music to my ears.

Welcome Aaron!

2009-09-10T09:40:00.000-07:00

My cousin Renee and her husband Mike (along with big brothers Cainan and Elijah) welcome Aaron Don to the world Saturday at 3:46pm. Weighing in 7lbs 2oz and 20 inches long. Congratulations you guys!

Brush Brush Brushing our Teeth

2009-09-09T07:44:00.001-07:00

I started teaching McKenzie how to brush her teeth. She has 7 teeth so it's definetely time. Here's the video to document this momentous occasion - now I have to teach her right so she can join her Mommy in the "no cavity club"

A Bag, A Wave and Lick for Luck

2009-09-01T17:15:00.000-07:00

I can't believe my little girl is 8 months old already. We have reached so many milestones and everyday holds something new. She is giving hugs and kisses now which melts my heart! She's eating a lot of different foods and generally likes everything I give her - which is awesome because I don't want her to be a picky eater like her Momma! Here's a little video clip of the simple things in life - all wrapped up in one little girl who stole my heart.

Odds N Ends

2009-09-01T16:57:00.000-07:00

I've fallen behind again but as McKenzie is starting to nap better I will try to update more.

McKenzie has begun to make some pretty hilarious faces. All I can do is laugh and try and figure out who she learned it from.

Besides crawling EVERYWHERE, she has been pulling up and standing all on her own...and probably thinking mmmm what can I get into next.

Because of the crawling, we have gotten a baby superyard to keep her contained and the doggies out. It's a nice compromise and saves a little more of my sanity throughout the day. The other night we made a tent and turned on Ladybug to reflect the stars on the blankets and read our books before bedtime.

Everything goes into her mouth. Today I had my first experience of her swallowing something - which I'm not quite sure what that something was. The only thing I have been able to deduct is doghair (eeeewwwwww) since there was nothing else swallowable near her.

Last Friday was Company Family Day...so McKenzie got to see where Daddy works, play at his desk and play with First Sargeant (whom she just loved).

And to add to the excitement, I've been repurposing an old desk of my Dad's and working on our back patio (that's not the exciting part). Well I had a little (uh em I mean BIG) visitor....yes it scared the bageebiz out me (and Daniel)! I did a duck and run but unfortunately it got into the house and my mighty husband (who was a little bit squemish) killed the booger! It turns out it was a European Hornet or in my case...an extremely DEADLY insect.

Snack Time & Playtime

2009-08-18T12:10:00.000-07:00

Are the BEST times! McKenzie has gotten into a pretty good schedule these days...which is a good thing and sometimes a bad thing (like when you take her out of it - not so good). Here's a sample of what happens in our day.

Wake up around 8:30
She nurses really quickly and then it's off to change the diaper
Cartoon time in the jumper (she really likes the sprout channel)
Snack time - cereal and fruit while Mommy eats her breakfast (around 9:30ish)
A little more playtime on the floor
It's naptime at 10am!
Wide awake ready to eat around 12:30
It's off to the living room for some more playtime
Mommy eats her lunch and gives McKenzie some fresh fruit to munch on(around 1:30ish)

Back to playing (she rides around in her laundry basket, we read books, go outside for a bit,etc)
She goes down for another nap around 3ish
Wakes up and it's more playtime (and eating time) until Daddy gets home
We eat dinner as a family
McKenzie gets her bath and gets ready for bed
She nurses to sleep around 8:30.
Mommy & Daddy have some time
The end.

We are trying to feed her more these days. She's got another bottom tooth coming in bringing the count to 5! And with these new teeth comes the biting...it's awful! I'm trying to stop that now. She's also crawling and moving everywhere and pulling up on just about everything. She at least makes it to her knees if not her feet.

Daniel had to lower the crib the other day too. He went in there to check on her during her nap only to find her head hanging over the crib because she had figured out how to stand up.

And some of her favorite things:

the mirror (this face cracked me up!)

her baby doll(or rather the tag- she looks at me like "it's the best part Mom!)

playing with daddy

I also found this classic Winnie the Pooh tent at a consignment shop a few weeks ago and I thought maybe she wasn't quite old enough yet BUT I came out of the kitchen the other day to find this...

The Seasons of Change

2009-08-18T12:06:00.000-07:00

Well the verdict is in...we should be staying put for a while. Don't ask me how long because the answer is "I don't know." Oh the joys of being in the Army...here one minute gone the next. But we are very thankful that Daniel has passed the 6 month new recruiter initiative and will be staying as a recruiter for a while. He's not so thrilled with the job but is taking it in stride as a learning experience, leadership training, and a chance to decide what he wants to do next. We are all happy with the fact that he gets to come home every night. It's nice having him around all the time for a change :)

Jammin July!

2009-08-05T10:48:00.001-07:00

I know I've been a HORRIBLE blogger these days and have neglected my duty as a "supermom" and posted all of our [heres] and [theres] of late - SOOOooooooo here is my last ditch effort attempt to make up for it :)
July was a very busy month for us. McKenzie and I have been out shopping a lot...it's a lot of fun for both of us especially since she loves to ride in the cart. She talks to everyone we pass by too. She is jabbering up a storm and will tell me all about everything. It makes me SMILE. She is such a little wiggle squirt too! She's becoming a mover and a shaker getting in to {EVERYTHING}.

"dreams of crawling"

She is crawling but crawling backwards...hasn't quite gotten the concept of -forward- yet. She has started pulling herself up on things and prefers to stand. I have a feeling she is going to be walking before I know it. Her second top tooth finally cut through and that brings her total up to 4. She's so cute when she grins (which my little "ham" does quite often). I'll tell ya the hard honest truth though...teething is NOT may I repeat NOT my favorite (as I'm sure most moms agree). Tylenol has been my friend :) Her hair is finally growing and I'm loving every inch of that hair...not so much the 'white' sshhhh McKenzie pulled out of my head the other day eeeek!
There are days I can't believe my little bug is 7 months old. Where O where did the time go?

SwwwIIIInnnnggggg is FUN STUFF!

QUEEN

2009-07-18T08:27:00.000-07:00

of the REMOTE!

Daddy was a little too slow (hehe).

My new favorite tool

2009-07-18T08:18:00.000-07:00

Here lately McKenzie is soooo wiggly. She gets into EVERYTHING...so in order to contain her for a bit I put her in the laundry basket the other day while I was folding and hanging up clothes. She loved it just sitting in there playing with her toys. And I used my brain a little more and hooked up a cord to it so when I need to go in the other room we get the train going and I pull her along (generally followed by sheldon and ella). It's only going to last for a short while I'm afriad...she's getting so big so fast!

Good Ole' Summer Days

2009-07-18T08:08:00.000-07:00

Splish Splash I was Takin a Bath

2009-07-07T10:05:00.000-07:00

McKenzie got a new tub...and YES...it's a ducky that QUACKS! We ran across this tub when we ran into Walmart the other day and it's perfect. Daniel and I have been looking for a new little tub for her since she outgrew her other one. Lately, Daniel has just been getting in the tub with her which was fine it was just getting old. This little ducky tub is a steal of a buy. It will also serve as her swimming pool outside. Here's a video of my waterbug. I couldn't get the video to email so I'm going to post it on the blog even though I have my reservations...it's just too good not to share :)

Catch UP

2009-07-06T18:10:00.000-07:00

Sorry for not posting anything new lately. I've been busy hanging out with my favorite girl and that special guy.
About a week and half ago McKenzie gave me a major SCARE. She had what the doctor's are calling a "breath holding spell." Right before noon last Wednesday she was fussy and it was almost naptime but we were playing on the bed when she started getting really fussy. I stood up with her in my arms and before I could get around the bed she stopped mid cry and passed out. She wasn't breathing and wasn't conscious. I was frantic. I tried rubbing her chest and calling her name and for an instant she would look at me and then her eyes would roll back into her head. I called 911 but she came to a few seconds later. After the EMT's arrived they checked her over and decided she was fine. They instructed me to take her to the pediatrician. I called the pediatrician and headed their way. Daniel met me halfway and rode in the back with her. I was terrified driving because she kept falling asleep and I couldn't tell if she was breathing or not. We got to the ped's office and since they were closed for lunch the nurses told us to go to the ER. When we got to the ER they got us back pretty quickly. The nurses tried to prepare me for the worse case scenario but told me that they were concerned she had had a seizure. They tried to draw blood but since her little arms are so chubby they had to take it out of a vein in her foot but her blood was really thick and wasn't coming out very well. They came back to prick her heel but still didn't have much luck. After that they sent down the pediatric nurse to get the blood...which she did on the first try! It killed me watching her scream...especially since Daniel and I had to hold her down while they did it. Our ER doctor called our Peditrician and they decided to go ahead and send her to Scottish Rite. They sent the BIG BUS to come get us. The paramedics were WONDERFUL! They told McKenzie that she took the cutest kid of the year award :) She did pretty well on the trip up to Scottish Rite but it was feeding time too. Once we were there they told me I couldn't feed her until we saw a Doctor. The doctor came in finally and talked with me and told me she wanted to do a CAT scan but McKenzie needed to be asleep. I tried hard not to laugh but ummm seriously my kid who has NEVER and I mean NEVER missed a meal was going on 5 1/2 hours of NOT eating and you think that I'm going to get her to sleep...ummm yeah right! I told her she was going to have to drug her. She left and after about 20 minutes of trying to get her to sleep....with her screaming of course, the doctor came in and said nevermind. I was totally irritated at that point because I felt like they were just sick of hearing her scream. She came back and said that she thought she just had a breath holding spell. She explained that it could be instantaneous like that in small children. We left Scottish Rite around 11ish and headed home. Since McKenzie had missed her naps and was off of her schedule she screamed for a good while...with me holding my breath hoping she wouldn't stop breathing again. We got home and I put her to bed...and yes, I slept with the baby monitor right by my head with the volume turned ALL the way up so I could hear her breathing. The next morning we went to the pediatrician and explained the same thing. Apparently "breath holding spells" are common among strong willed children...just my luck! They don't tend to see it in young infants but well yeah...she's my daughter what can I say. They warned me that she might do it again but I'm praying she doesn't. I don't think my heart can handle it! My very happy joyful baby only has tantrums occasionally but yes she is already throwing them at 6 months! So that's the story...I'm so thankful that that is all it was BUT at the same time I hope she doesn't do it again!

Other than that we had a great 4th of July hanging out with family. Daniel has had a lot of days off here lately and it's been so much fun being together. We went bowling yesterday which was a blast...except when McKenzie fell asleep in my arms and Daniel had to bowl for me...I swear he was making me lose on purpose!

McKenzie had her 6 month appointment today. All is well. She weighs 17lbs 10oz and is 27 inches long. She's in the 80% percentile. Her top two teeth are making their way through now so her mood has reflected it some but not too bad. She's just biting on EVERYTHING! She got her shots and she's running a slight fever but hopefully it will go away soon.

Here are some recent videos of my girl being silly. Her laugh brightens up my life!

Toofers

2009-06-19T18:10:00.000-07:00

For all the adoring Grandparents and Great Grandparents...here's a picture of McKenzie this week at VBS - showing off her 2 toofers.

That was then....

2009-06-19T17:55:00.001-07:00

April 2009

This is now.....

June 2009

She's growing up so fast. This is her favorite thing right now...to bounce!

Mmmmm Applesauce!

2009-06-15T18:09:00.000-07:00

We gave McKenzie applesauce tonight. It's the first baby food she's had other than rice cereal. Once she got past the texture she seemed to like it.

100 POSTS!

2009-06-10T18:31:00.000-07:00

I've reached a milestone...100 blogposts! In honor our my 100th I thought I'd post a video.

We are still having a marvelous time in Florida. Daniel and I spent the afternoon out getting some seafood and shopping while McKenzie napped with Aunt Nikki and Granna. Tomorrow is our last day *sigh* but it's been a ton of fun.

Gabbing

2009-06-10T15:03:00.000-07:00

This video CRACKS me UP!! McKenzie has recently started doing this so it looks like she's talking but nothing is coming out. She's so cute and funny- it literally made me laugh and HARD!

Brunch

2009-06-07T10:57:00.001-07:00

We went out for brunch today at Aunt Catfish's. It's one of our favorite places to eat and eat we did! Buffets are just my style...I had 2 FULL plates and yes I ate every bit of it :) We drove around for a bit and got back in time to take a nap. Maybe later if the rain is gone we will go play in the pool.

Improvisation

2009-06-07T10:30:00.001-07:00

Upon arrival to the condo we remembered we had forgotten McKenzei's bathtub. Instead of putting her in the nasty tub or the kitchen sink we used her plastic bin. It was the PERFECT solution and she had a ball during bathtime. Happy baby, warm baby, clean baby = many smiles and giggles (and a happy Mommy).

My Little FISHY

2009-06-06T10:10:00.000-07:00

My little girl is also a fishy...she LOVES to swim!

Beach time in the Summertime

2009-06-06T09:45:00.000-07:00

After our 12 hour trip to the beach we FINALLY made it. McKenzie did pretty well in the car considering. We stopped in Savannah to visit some of our friends for a while. Dr. Goldberg and the ladies in the office (Kelly, Eileen Judy) got to meet McKenzie. We stopped for lunch at the Upper Crust in Richmond Hill with Cindy and Noel. At our last stop for potty and feeding McKenzie decided she wanted to drive - apparently Daddy wasn't getting us there fast enough LOL.

At the end of a long day we put our toes in the sand and watched the waves and then had pizza for dinner. I'll keep you posted as our week at the beach continues. I know you all are like "get on with it"...I know you don't actually READ my blog you just want to see McKenzie pictures and well I guess I can't blame you...so for your viewing pleasure....

And it's on again...

2009-06-04T19:38:00.000-07:00

her shoe that is. After a month of going back and forth to the Dr.'s office they finally decided that the shoe was not the best option. Her heel wouldn't stay all the way down in it and she constantly kicked it off...ultimately defeating the purpose. So after all that they made a cast mold of her foot and leg and made her a brace to fit her and keep her foot straight. Here goes round #2. I'm praying it stays on. So far I haven't had any problems and I think McKenzie likes it a lot more and I definitely like it a LOT more than the shoe. It's easier for both of us!

3 Years

2009-06-04T19:31:00.000-07:00

and going strong. It's hard to believe it's only been 3 years. I feel like I've spent most of my life with Daniel. I love him so much and I'm so lucky to have him not only for a husband but as my BEST FRIEND. I know it may sound cheesy but I consider our love story to be one of the "old fashioned" ones. Girl meets boy, boys goes off to war, their love blossoms through correspondance, boy comes home, boy proposes, boy and girl get married...and on and on it goes :) I am so blessed!

We went out for some good mexican food in honor of our 3 year anniversary and thanks to Grandaddy and Lolo for watching McKenzie!

See the Resemblence?

2009-06-04T19:28:00.000-07:00

One of my FAvoRiTe Things

2009-06-04T19:21:00.000-07:00

McKenzie loves to fly. We fly just about every day...until she gets tired and poops out right there LOL.

Friends

2009-05-21T14:35:00.000-07:00

Today McKenzie and I had lunch with Sarah and Lailey. We chowed down at Steak N Shake which was yummy! Then we headed to Babies "R" Us for some shopping. It was so nice getting to spend some time with Sarah - post baby belly and share all our stories about our little girls. Lailey and McKenzie are about 3 1/2 months apart and it is going to be so much fun when they are old enough to start interacting with one another. Sarah and Davey - Here's to 3 years of marriage and our beautiful girls!

It's My Shoe

2009-05-18T14:02:00.000-07:00

I haven't written about this yet...so here it goes. When McKenzie was born the nurses and doctor were concerned about her right foot since it was severly turned in. After discussing it with our pediatrician we decided to wait until she was a little older before going to the orthapedic just to see how she was going to put weight on it. Afterall, it was just simply positional - meaning it was just how she had her foot in my womb for 9 months (I have the proof)

At her four month checkup a few weeks ago, Dr. McMath noticed that she was still turning the foot inward so she wanted us to go ahead and go see her husband (the pediatric orthapedic). He was very positive in the fact that none of her tendons are tight and rigid which makes it workable. She does have a club foot but it is really very minor compared to some. We are doing our "jane fondas" as Daniel calls them where we work on strengthening her leg and foot muscles and turning them outward. She also has a twisted tibia which is causing her right leg to bow. It's pretty common apparently and will hopefully untwist and correct itself with time. They don't want to mess with that in any way shape or form until the bone has solidified which isn't until kids are 6 or 7. (but we are hoping it fixes itself by then) Dr. McMath (the orthapedic) wrote her a prescription for a "reverse latch shoe" which is supposed to help turn the foot outward. Thankfully we were able to order just one shoe instead of the pair since we only needed one. She has to wear it basically all the time but hopefully it will help her to straighten her foot back out before she starts walking. So here's my girl in her new shoe. She likes the noise it makes when she kicks the wall LOL and it doesn't really seem to bother her all that much.

Rice Cereal

2009-05-13T20:14:00.001-07:00

It's the first time McKenzie's had rice cereal...the pictures will speak for themselves :)

My First Mother's Day....

2009-05-12T11:47:00.001-07:00

Was more than I could ask for! I had a wonderful day waking up to my chatty little girl and my handsome husband. I was showered with love and gifts. McKenzie and Daddy got me my cookbook holder that I've been wanting. I LOVE IT!

I also got a Mommy is.... magnet from McKenzie but I think that is more for Daddy's benefit than hers LOL.

We went to church and had just a great time of fellowship with our Sunday School class - McKenzie went to the nursery for the first time :) I officially have my first peice of McKenzie artwork which is already hanging on the fridge - and of course it makes me smile every time I see it!

Afterwards we dropped off gifts for our Mommies and then Daniel took me to the Italian Oven for lunch. It was delicious!! And for my Mother's day treat - they took me shopping. I got a new pair of shorts whoohoo that brings my short total to 3. I'm slowly getting a new summer wardrobe - yes it's pathetic I know but having bigger hips now doesn't help any and well I had slim pickins to begin with. I'm trying to take advantage of the new bermuda shorts before they go out of style so I can have plenty of them. I love the bermuda shorts! I don't have to worry about bending over and exposing myself with all the other skimpy skimpy shorts out these days - ok that's my soap box.

It was the perfect ending to Mother's day when I got to spend my evening playing on the floor with McKenzie as she was rolling over and over.

I now know and understand the full meaning of the phrase "you will never know the love of a mother for her child until you have one." I love her more than words can express!

Here's to the Military Spouses!

2009-05-08T09:22:00.000-07:00

I am so thankful to have my fellow military spouses - my dear friends. Army life can sometimes be lonely and I find it a little more lonely now that we are in recruiting and not living near an Army Post. But then again...the only constant thing in the Army is change. Along with the changes I find that one thing remains the same...the bond between spouses. I was blessed this week to have spent my Thursday with two of them. Michelle, who is currently living in Germany with her husband Chris (he's currently deployed), came over for lunch. It was nice getting to catch up since the last time we saw eachother was almost two years ago. We chat through emails and such but it was encouraging listening to the stories of our lives. How they are so different and how the Army in itself has taken us down different paths but yet we are still living the Army wife life.

Last night Danielle (future Army wife to be) and her fiance Joseph joined us for dinner. The boys talked Infantry and the girls talked wedding, deployments and housing LOL. They are being stationed at Ft. Stewart and talking about it made me a bit nostalgic. It was a great time - and of course Daniel got to "grill out" again which always makes him happy.

My two cool grillin cats :)

So here's to my Military spouses! All of my friends who are living the life, loving a soldier. We may live a life of separation, hard work and loneliness at times but we live of a life of honor, strength and pride! Here we are America...the backbone of your military!

That's my little miss hollywood -
I couldn't help but put a picture of her in my post.

Roll Over Roll Over

2009-05-07T13:40:00.000-07:00

May is Moooooooo Month (oh it's gone to the cows)

2009-05-05T18:24:00.000-07:00

This is for you Aunt Nancy!

In my Wagon

2009-05-05T18:19:00.000-07:00

Since it's been so incredibly nice outside lately we've been taking McKenzie outside. We put her in her wagon and she loved it. The dogs were playing all around her which I think she loved more.

2009-04-22T13:00:00.000-07:00

Doggie Daycare

2009-04-22T09:49:00.000-07:00

Recently I've been letting McKenzie play on the floor more often during the day. The dogs have really done quite well with her and haven't gotten right in her face. I can walk out of the room to get something and they stay right with her. If she starts to cry normally Ella comes running to get me. Ella is even really protective over her. Today, I had her all laid out on her blanket and Sheldon just came on over and laid down. She talked and talked and talked to him for a while. Ella joined us a little later. When McKenzie sees Ella or Sheldon now she gets all excited and smiles. We all have a bet going that her first word is going to be "Ella." So here are some pictures of my kiddos.

Sheldon touched his nose to her arm

right after I took the picture and she giggled

Talking to her ShelMel

Poor dog he's already get beat up on LOL

She's kicking him in the nose -

and he's taking it like a champ

Hook'em Horns

2009-04-19T09:46:00.000-07:00

Sssshhhhhhh!

Despite my Daddy's objections I've decided to be a Texas Longhorn Fan. BUT I am a girl and entitled to change my mind :)

My little JuMPinG bean

2009-04-19T09:36:00.000-07:00

McKenzie is growing up so fast these days or so it seems. She's learning all sorts of new things and LOVES colors and music. I guess she got the best of both worlds :) Daniel and I decided it was time to get her a jumper so she could play and play and play which is what she wants to do all the time now just about. We picked out this baby einstein one at the store which McKenzie really liked the one on display. She loves it and figured out how to "jump" in it yesterday. She also figured out how to mash the buttons to get the music to play - I have such a smart cookie.

Finally Finished!

2009-04-13T19:32:00.000-07:00

I finally finished in McKenzie's room tonight - painting that is. I still have a mirror, shelves and a few pictures to hang up but I finished her tree :)

Laughing at the dinner table

2009-04-13T19:19:00.001-07:00

Since McKenzie has been doing so well sitting up on her own we decided to try out the bumbo seat tonight. We put her up on the table with us while we ate and then Daddy and McKenzie began a giggle fest. I got some priceless pictures of her tickled pink :)