The Big Day

We had a really nice day on Christmas. We went to church in the morning before opening presents. We were all really glad that our kids are young enough that they don't know that you're supposed to open presents as soon as you wake up. It was pretty crazy opening gifts. It was right around nap time and the kids were pretty overwhelmed by all their new stuff, so they were all whinny and stealing each others presents by the end. Oh well, I guess all we can do is try to enjoy this age and try not to lose our patience, right?

This Christmas also made me miss all our other family that we're not seeing this year. I've decided if there's a way to make Ohio, California, Texas, and Missouri in one place we'd have the absolute perfect Christmas. Until then, I hope our family in those places had a wonderful holiday season!

Kim and Milla waiting to open gifts

McKay opening some new jammies

The kids playing outside with Big Guy

McKay and Milla have been having a lot of fun together. These two really crack each other up. They both love their bath time!

Christmas Eve Events

Last night was a lot of fun, but so busy! First, we all put on our holiday shirts and had the annual gingerbread houses. Sean and I tried really hard to create something new and different, but sadly we didn't win. Taylor and Logan won for the third year in a row. The fourth picture down is our Christmas Village.

Santa even came over to bring presents to all the kids! They were so excited to see him. I didn't get a picture, but McKay had a huge smile on his face the whole time. He didn't want to sit on Santa's lap, but he was sure happy to just stand and watch.

Crazy California Christmas

This year we're spending the holidays in California with Sean's family. The reason why it's so crazy is because everyone in his family is here, which means there are six grand babies all under the age of three! It's a mad house. The adults spend our time chasing after babies making sure they don't break anything and making sure they don't hurt each other, while the kids are having the BEST time! This year, Kim asked us all to make our own Christmas shirts for the annual gingerbread house contest. So I made us Hanukkah shirts. I followed the idea I found HERE on Pinterest (of course) and I thought they turned out so great!

Here they are - almost done.

McKay and Milla love to have screaming contests. Great outdoors - really annoying indoor.

This is what we did all afternoon yesterday. Just sat and enjoyed the sun while the kids played with the dogs.

Milla and McKay high up in a tree. McKay was pretty nervous.

Milla, the daredevil, thought it was great!

This morning though, was the best! Grandpa Dan surprised all the kids by renting a bouncy house just for them! They'll get to play in it all day long. McKay jumped a bunch this morning and by 10:00 he was more then ready for his nap.

I'm sure more pictures will be coming later! Hope you're having a fun filled day as well!

Merry Christmas Eve!

Inspired by Pinterest (part 2)

I love Pinterest, but most of the cute things I see I know I could never recreate. So I was excited when I saw this...

source

Cute huh? I knew McKay would think this was great, since he's no longer allowed to touch my tree - he pulled it over a couple times and broke a few ornaments! Well, I couldn't find felt that was that big to make the whole tree part, and mine isn't anywhere as cute, but McKay enjoys it.

It's on our fridge so McKay can have something to play with when we're cooking. It's kinda in the way, but seems to work for the most part. Here he's telling me the colors. He really only knows blue. I still think he's a genius!

Christmas Crafts with Kayo

Nice alliteration, huh? I wanted McKay to create some kind of gift for his teacher in Toddler Lab, since next week is his last week (which he has loved going to and I want to try again next year). So I found a pack of ceramic ornaments with paints and I thought 'who doesn't love some toddler art for their tree?' BTW - a few of you lucky readers will be getting an ornament created by McKay as well :o)

He had a lot of fun, and even though the ornaments are mostly white still, he wanted to do more this morning.

I know everyone is really wanting to know how McKay liked my homemade birthday present (just kidding - only one person asked about it), but he seems to really like it. I do want to go to DI to buy some jeans so I can make more.

Thanksgiving Highlights

We had a really nice and quiet Thanksgiving. We drove to Utah and spent a few days with Kim's friend Donna, who was so nice to let Sean's family invade her home. Kim flew in from California and Taylor and Logan spent a couple nights there as well. Brad, Sean's step-brother even spent all of Thanksgiving day with us. We relaxed, ate some wonderful holiday food, and played so many games! Actually, that part of our holiday wasn't so quiet, as all the good games got really loud! We'll be with Sean's family again for Christmas and I can't wait to do it all over again.

Thanks in advance to Taylor for letting me steal all these pictures from your blog!

The newest boy that I LOVE!

Sorry Sean and McKay, there's another boy that has claimed a piece of my heart. Ari will be one month old next weekend and it nearly kills me that I can't snuggle him. Don't even ask me when I'll be going to Ohio to meet him. It's a sensitive subject, since I was just there and have no idea when I'll be going back. *sniff* Love you Baby Ari!

I have a two year old

I know it's cliche, but I feel like it was just yesterday that McKay was a newborn. It's really weird to me that's he's now two....weird, but fun. I've got to be honest, I'm not a fan when people list all their kids likes and dislikes and measurements - I usually just skip to the part with pictures. However, since this has kind of become my online journal of our lives (that I hope to one day put into a book) I'm going to document here some things about McKay that I don't want to forget, because I know I will! So if you want to just skip down to the pictures I won't be offended!

Right now McKay likes:

- CARS! He lays on the floor next to his cars and watches the wheels move.

- Watching any Pixar movie

- Snuggling with Mommy in the morning while drinking his milk

- Running from Mommy and Daddy when it's time to get ready

- Hiding his toys in every drawer in our house

- Playing with his friends and cousins

- Any kind of animal...he has no fear

- Swimming in a pool, at the beach, in the bathtub

- Balloons

- Trains

- Books, especially when he's read to

- Escaping (crawling backwards) out the front door

- Riding his new BIKE!

Right now McKay Doesn't Like:

- Eating (he eats, but not like he used to!)

- Sharing his toys

- Being bothered while he's watching a movie (but really, neither do I)

- Having to sit still during church

- Rice

- Getting out of the bath

- When Mommy or Daddy leave for work

- The idea of potty training - we haven't started yet, but we've talked about it and he always shakes his head to let me know he's not interested yet.

2nd Birthday Party

Today we started celebrating McKay's 2nd birthday. We had his party and it was a lot of fun. Thanks to everyone who came. It was so fun to watch McKay enjoy his day while surrounded by his friends.

I've decided I don't want to ever decorate for a party again. I really didn't do much, but it took forever!

McKay's car cake. Thanks Sean!

Daddy helping McKay blow out his candle.

Ashley, Bailee, and Tyson checking out McKay's golf set.

Lucy, McKay and Hayden

Parties make me tired, but I love my new truck!

Inspired by Pinterest

Tomorrow is our "Veterans are SUPER" day at school so we're all supposed to wear a cape. Shockingly enough, I don't own a cape so I found a tutorial HERE on how to make a cape from a thrift store shirt. Like mine? It took me a whole 3 minutes to make.

Next week is McKay's 2nd birthday and this boy LOVES playing with cars. So on Pinterest I found THIS IDEA for a fabric road. Here's how I made it in case you're interested.

I cut up a pair of jean shorts (long pants would be better, but this was my practice round).

Cut different shapes for the road.

Chase around the little boy who thinks it's funny to grab your scissors. Silly Monkey!

Yellow paint for the road. Thankfully I'm not a perfectionist like Sean. This is how his would've turned out! After this dries I'll be sticking on velcro so it stays on the carpet.

Use the pockets for storage of the roads and cars!

Better Late Than Never

I know that Halloween has past, but I just got this picture of McKay at a Halloween carnival that we went to. McKay wasn't a big fan of the head part of his costume, but the rest of it kept him nice and warm that night. Oh, speaking of Halloween and Trick or Treating ... did you know that most people will lower their candy bowl so that a toddler can take a piece, and then just laugh when that toddler ends up taking two huge handfuls? I did not know that. We only made it to about ten houses, but McKay did this at each home so we got a TON of candy! He totally knew what he was doing.

Baby Ari & Halloween Activities

Remember how my last post was about my sister being in her cute pumpkin costume? Well I'm so very happy to be able to post a picture of her little boy! Here's Ari Hale Spooner who was born on Thursday, October 27 (and we share a birthday!). He's perfect and beautiful and wonderful and I love him!

Another little boy that I love went to a pumpkin patch last weekend and I did my best to snap some pictures, but this boy rarely ever stands still!

Running through the straw maze. He did it around 4 times, and then I finally pulled him out. He loved it though.

Checking out the pigs

McKay's first homework assignment for toddler lab. He had to decorate a pumpkin by dipping eyes, hair, etc into glue and then placing them on the pumpkin. I didn't think he could do it, but...

...turned out really cute!

Before the Halloween carnival at the gym. My little dinosaur!