Sunny California

Brant's butterfly friend at the Academy of Sciences

After a day of wine tasting in Sonoma Valley

Click HERE if you have any interest in seeing more pictures.

Brant and I recently returned from a trip out to San Francisco.  We had some airline miles to use or lose, so we took the chance to head out West and explore San Fran.  What a great time!  It was tough leaving McKenzie for five days, but I'm glad we did it.  She had a great time with all of her grandparents (pictures of that soon), so I'm thinking she didn't miss us too much.  As much as we love McKenzie, it was nice to have some time together to actually have conversations and spend longer than 15 minutes eating a meal.  Still, my heart leapt when I saw McKenzie waiting for us at the airport and Brant actually teared up a bit.

No Time to Blog!

I realize I haven't posted any pictures or updates in a while and I took a moment to think about why.  Then, McKenzie started crying because she couldn't open the front door.  And there's my reason... I have a full blown toddler.  Not only that, but one who is so close to two that she has entered that "terrible" phase you always hear about.  Well, the terrible twos are hitting us hard around here.  McKenzie is completely irrational about almost everything these days.  I can't pick out the right clothes, the right shoes, the right toy, the right ANYTHING for her.  And the way she chirps "no" every time I offer something makes me think that she is completely playing me.  UGH!

For those of you that doubt McKenzie could be anything less than pleasant, here's proof.  She walked around for about 30 minutes like this until I finally forced a dress on her.  I think her face says it all.  And yes, she is at the door to the garage ready to get in the car like this.

Just a bit of static...

If you would like a hairstyle like McKenzie's, just get yourself a granddaddy that will buy you a mini-bounce house.  Then run around it for a few minutes, until you get just the right amount of static.

I Got This!

The smile in this picture is not so much sweet as it is "knowing."  And why is she smiling that way?  Well, she now knows that she can do this...

Yes, she can climb to the top all by herself.  Things get a little questionable as she nears the top, but when I tried to help her she screamed, "NO!"  Alrighty then.  I'll just step back and watch you grow up way too fast.

The Finer Things

On Valentine's Day, I introduced McKenzie to one of the finer things in life... microwaved M&M's.  So delicious.  Yes, I heat my M&M's in the microwave.  It all started in high school on a fateful day when I ate lunch outside.  I had a bag of M&M's that sat in the sun while I enjoyed my lunch.  When it was time for dessert, the M&M's were heated through and I enjoyed the delightful crunch of the candy shell followed by smooth, melted chocolate.  Been heating them in the microwave ever since.

Videos at Your Leisure

Brant and I had fun recording McKenzie a few nights ago.  There are several short clips that McKenzie actually took herself.  If you're interested, click on the links below to check them out.  If you don't have time to watch a few videos, please simply enjoy a few pics from the daffodils at Wye Mountain.  While Brant and I helped our friends with a garage sale, McKenzie went out to enjoy the flowers with everyone.  Thanks to Dandy, Lala and Aunt "Ernie" for taking McKenzie on an adventure!

Laughter Video

Cheeeese Video

I'm Slow (Turtle) Video

Smile Video

See ya later!

Funny Face

We had the Flip camera out last night when McKenzie decided to tear up a piece of paper into little bits and pieces.  As you will see in the video, the first rip was a tough one.  I'm glad we finally captured this face on camera.  She has been making it for quite some time, when she's trying really hard to do something.  And in case you're wondering, at the end of the clip, "it heaby" means "it's heavy."  The actual meaning of the word heavy escapes her.