Daddy's Little Helper

Tonight, McKenzie was playing outside with Mom and I. Jason was watering the flowers. McKenzie was watching him water the entire time he was watering. When the watering can was empty Jason walked over to McKenzie and she took the empty watering can from him. She walked right back down to the flower he last watered and watered it again! It was so cute! I had to run and get the camera!

I can do it!

Chuck E Cheese

Today I took McKenzie to Chuck E Cheese for the first time! We met our cousins Karen, John Russell, and Connor there. It was really fun! We ate pizza and then McKenzie got to ride a few of the rides. McKenzie now does not like you to cut her food up for her. She wants to pick it up and bit it off. So, today at Chuck E Cheese she ate a piece of pizza just like we do! She is getting so big! She really liked the rides at first and then seemed not very interested. Her very favorite one was the ride with Chuck E! She cried when I took her off that one so that she could try the others. Needless to say we went back to Chuck E!

Karen and McKenzie watching the show!

Clifford! McKenzie did not Clifford!

Stuart Little...Very fun!

She looks so scared!

McKenzie hated the kiddie coaster!

She got off early!

McKenzie and Chuck E!

McKenzie and her buddy!

Happy Birthday Patrick

Happy Birthday Patrick! Patrick was a dear friend of mine in high school. Today he would have been 28 years old. He was one day older than me! I would always call him today and tomorrow he would return the birthday call to me. However, Patrick's life was cut very short on May 5, 2004. Patrick was killed in a car accident. I am not writing this post to bring everyone down. I am writing this post to celebrate his life and to remember him. So, today I am still wishing my friend Patrick, a very happy birthday!

A Special Thank Ewe

A very special thank ewe to Auntie A, U.B., and Cousin Tate for letting McKenzie be a part of the flock! McKenzie had such a great time with you guys this week. She is definitely tired after playing with Tater! Auntie Amber always has fun things going on too...like play group, mowing lawn, sidewalk chalk, swimming, Nana coming, and even going for ice cream! McKenzie was very sad to leave Tate today. When he had to go up for his nap I explained to her that we would be leaving before he woke up. So she leaned over and kissed him right on the lips. Thank you also for lunch today! When we got there from the airport Amber and Brian had made us lunch. So sweet! I wish that we lived closer to them so Tate and McKenzie could play more often.

When we got home today she walked through our house and cried on and off looking all around as if to say, you mean Tate is not here? It was so sad. However, McKenzie was happy to see us...which made us feel good! She kept saying MaMa and would not let me put her down. She was so sweet tonight when I put her to bed. She had finished her milk and was enjoying her pacifier as I was singing to her. All of a sudden she pulled out her pacifier and kissed me right on the lips and then put her pacifier right back into her mouth. It was so sweet.

Jason and I had a wonderful trip to Philadelphia. We had time to tour around and see lots of the "visitor" hot spots. I also got to spend all day Saturday with Cookie! Her parents were in town also and her sister so I got to see them as well. There is never enough time for Cookie and I to exchange all of our stories but we did a pretty good job! There was never a quiet moment!

Saturday night was the Waddell and Reed awards ceremony. Jason and I had to sit at a reserved table up front because he had hit certain levels this year to do so. It is very interesting to sit at a table of "big wigs." It was totally out of our comfort zone but very fun to say the least! I am so very proud of Jason! He got 4 awards last night. He was the only one from his office to get 4! Also, I must say that one of his awards last night was for bringing in the most new clients. Jason brought on 223 new clients last year and that is more than any one else. I am just so proud of him and how hard he works for our family. It is truly a blessing to be able to stay at home with McKenzie every day and watch her grow!

15 Months

Wow! McKenzie Grace is 15 months today! That does not seem possible. We can't believe how fast she is growing up. McKenzie is now a very good little walker. She can bend over and pick things up off the floor and stand right back up. She is "talking" all the time now. Our house is always filled with her little voice. It is so sweet and so much fun! She is working on saying ball now and dog. She almost has it. MaMa and Da Da are mastered! She can also tell you where her nose is, her hair, and her ears! When she points to her nose she usually sticks her fingers up it. She loves that her nose has holes in it! Too funny! We love you lots our little 15 months old, Kenzie Grace!

Clueless

Well this is a weird feeling and I am so glad that I do not have it often. Today Jason and I dropped off Baxter at Granny and Granddaddy's house and then took McKenzie to Amber and Brian's house. We are leaving in the morning for Philadelphia with Jason's company. I am pretty much just clueless. What did I used to do without a dog to trip over and a baby to keep up with? Our house is so quiet tonight. I almost could not even use the bathroom because my little audience was missing! It is just so funny how fast life changes when a sweet baby enters your life and so hard to remember what it used to be until there are quiet nights likes this.

Here is a funny story...I just got off the phone with Amber. She said that when they put McKenzie to bed she cried. Not an unusual thing to do for her when going to bed in a different place. However, shortly after putting her to bed, Amber's next door neighbor came over to see if everything was all right. They picked up McKenzie's screaming through their son's monitor in his room! Now granted, houses where they live are very close together. However, leave it to my child to be so loud that the neighbor had to come over to make sure everything was okay! Thank God for good neighbors!

I am really exicted to go to Philadelphia. Not only because it is going to be a nice get-a-way, but because my Cookie lives in Philadelphia! If you don't know about Cookie she is my oldest, bestest friend! We do not get to see each other near as much as we would like...once, maybe twice a year. So I am looking very forward to spending Saturday with her!

Check out the Lamb Family blog on the right side of ours to track McKenzie and Tate the next few days! They are a pair to keep an eye on! Thanks Auntie Amber and U.B.! Enjoy having twins!

Turn Around....

...Bright Eyes...Yes! Today, McKenzie's car seat got turned forward facing! She is now tall enough and weighs enough to sit facing forward! It was so funny to watch her look out the window and the windshield facing the right way for the first time. She just had this look of amazement on her face. She also loves that I can just turn my head and see her without using a mirror. It is so easy to hand her things and take her shoes off. She hates to wear her shoes in the car! Now she can see her pacifiers that are in the pocket of the seat in front of her.

Signing please...she sees her pacifiers! So smart...this girl is!


Looking out the windshield for the very first time!

McKenzie got a bubble mower today! She is going to stay with
Tate on Wednesday until Sunday while we go out of town
and Tate has a bubble mower that he loves! So now
they can mow the grass together!

Cuttin' and squealin'

We had a great 4th of July in the mountains with Jason's parents and youngest brother, Jared. Jeffrey was there in spirit and we talked about him several times. We went up to the mountains on Thursday. We celebrated mine and Jason's birthdays Thursday night. Friday we went to visit Jason's grandparents and had lunch with them. Jason's grandpa has a big garden and we took McKenzie to see it. His grandparents also have a huge set of wind chimes. McKenzie found them on the back porch and she could ring them from standing on the ground they are so long. She thought that was great! They make the most beautiful sound. Saturday, the 4th we went White Water Rafting! It was really fun. The water was very cold! McKenzie stayed home and played with grandma. She is way too little for rafting! McKenzie took a good nap on Saturday and was all rested up for the fireworks. I really wanted to take her because I thought she would love them...and she did! The very first firework was loud and she jumped at the sound but when she saw the result in the sky she immediately started clapping and yelling! She absolutely loved them! We came home on Sunday morning. Sunday evening we went to the Slocumb house for dinner to celebrate Jason's birthday. They were at the beach when we all went out to celebrate. Jason loved extending his birthday even longer!

McKenzie with a B-O-W! We spell it when I can slip it into her hair without

her realizing it is there! She always finds it eventually!

Daddy and Kenz

Our birthday cake! Jason's mom always adds our

years together! We are 55 this year!

Grandma and Papa bought McKenzie a pool! She loved it!

Still wearing the B-O-W!!

Picking flowers for great-grandma!


Mommy and Kenz

Precious Great-Grandma and McKenzie


Waiting for it to get dark so that fireworks can begin!

Still waiting for it to get dark! Grandma, Grandpa, McKenzie, Uncle

Jared, Megan, and Amber (Jared's girlfriend) (Jason took the pic!)

Our little 4th of July family!

Here is a new face that McKenzie discovered she could make!

M&M at the fireworks! It got cold and late
so the pjs went on!

Amber, Jared, and Kenzie

Kenzie biting Daddy's head!

Curls, curls, beautiful curls!

Jason and I leave for Philadelphia on Thursday. We are really excited! This is another trip with his company. Lots of people from his office will be there so it will be lots of fun! However, I am even more excited because Cookie lives in Philly now! For those of you who do not know Cookie is my best friend and has been since we were 3 and in nursery school together. I will fill you all in on our trip when we return on Sunday. McKenzie will be spending some time with Cousin Tate, Auntie Amber, and U.B.! She is very excited and can't wait to push bubble mowers with Tate!

Twice the Fun

Handsome Tate!

This week we have had the pleasure of having Tate visiting with us! Jason and I have had a ball with two kiddos so close in age. They are precious together. They play well with each other and keep eachother very entertained! When one walks out of the room the other one goes looking. They just chatter back and forth to each other as if they know exactly what the other one is saying. It is just precious! Jason and I took them both to the pool yesterday. They had a blast! Jason had to work today so we did not go to the pool. Instead we went on two wagon long wagon rides around the neighborhood. We took one this morning and one this evening. It was too hot here to play outside in the middle of the day. Bath time is so fun with two! McKenzie likes to dump water on Tate and Tate likes to splash McKenzie! So funny! It is so fun also to see their little personalities. They are so different. McKenzie is wide open, very loud (I don't know where she gets that!), and full of drama! Tate on the other hand is very relaxed, go with the flow, and much quieter! Tate is the hair puller and McKenzie is the biter. They are both good eaters now which makes life very easy at meal time. They eat just about anything! It has truly been a blessing to have Tate with us this week. It is going to be sad tomorrow when he leaves. However, I know that his mommy and daddy really miss him! It will be so much fun in the future for Tate and McKenzie to spend time together because they are so close in age. They are perfectly and wonderfully made. Thank you God for our sweet blessings that you have given us.

Yum! Yum!

Sweet Smiles!

Playing together when Amber dropped him off!

Wagon Rides! Yippee!



Playing with the ball popper.

McKenzie took the balls!

Jason with the kiddos!

Happy Father's Day

Happy Father's Day Daddy! Today at church McKenzie made Jason a Footprints picture. It is so sweet. The poem that goes with it is precious.

Footprints

"Walk a little slower daddy," said a child so

small. "I'm following in your footsteps and

I don't want to fall.

Sometimes your steps are very fast,

Sometimes they're hard to see;

So walk a little slower, Daddy,

For you are leading me.

Someday when I'm all grown up,

You're what I want to be;

Then I will have a little child

Who'll want to follow me.

And I would want to lead just right,

And know that I was true;

So, walk a little slower, Daddy,

For I must follow you."

Happy Father's Day to all the Dads!

Happy Birthday

Happy 27th Birthday Daddy! Happy 41st Birthday Karen!

Daddy and McKenzie on his birthday!

Take 2! :)

Happy Birthday Uncle Jeffrey!!

Happy Birthday to Uncle Jeffrey! Today is Jeffrey's birthday! He is celebrating his very first birthday in Africa! Jason was able to talk with him this morning but I have not been able to reach him yet today.

It is a beautiful day here today and very hot! McKenzie played in her pool on teh back deck for about 2 hours after lunch. We have a big umbrella that shades her pool so it makes it very nice for her to play in. She loves it! Enjoy the pictures!

I hate this hat!

McKenzie loves the water!

I got my ball!

McKenzie after a chocolate chip cookie! She loves them!

Goodbye for Now

Hey everyone! I guess I need to catch you up on the happens of life for us lately. We returned from our cruise safely very late Thursday night. It was so good to see McKenzie. She looked so big to us.

Saturday morning we got an early phone call from Jason's cousin Karen, she informed us that her sister Kathy "Sidda" Ewing had died. She just never woke up Saturday morning. It has been a whirlwind since the phone call. Kathy and Karen both live in Heflin, AL about an hour from us. We immediately got ready and went on Saturday to be with Brent, Kathy's husband. They have one son, Connor, who is 11. He was on a deep sea fishing trip in Gulf Shores until Sunday night. When he returned Brent told him the news. He has been such a trooper through all of this. Last night was the visitation and over 400 people signed the book. There was an amazing amount of people there to support Brent and Connor and Karen and her son, John Russell. The funeral was today and then of course the graveside service. It was a beautiful day here today.

Of all the people who were close to Kathy, Jeffrey, Jason's middle brother was the closest cousin. As you all know Jeffrey is serving the Lord in Africa until 2010. He was debating coming home for this but Brent told him to stay in Africa. However, we know Jeffrey, he was not going to do nothing in Africa so he wrote Kathy's entire eulogy. Jason's youngest brother Jared read it. Jeffrey wrote the most beautiful message and Jared had the most beautiful delivery. They both did such an awesome job. I am so proud of them!

Please keep Brent, Connor, Karen, John Russell, Grandmother, and Bonnie in your prayers. Kathy was only 35 years old. It is so hard not to question why. The coming days will not be easy and I just ask you to please lift these people up in your prayers.

Kathy with McKenzie the day after we brought her home.