Connor's Flag Football Highlights

One of the projects on my to-do list for Christmas vacation was to finish up a highlight video of Connor's flag football season.  Without further ado, here it is:

A bigger and higher quality version can be downloaded here.

Way to go, Conman!  We're proud of you!

Hello, San Diego!

In early October, we were blessed to be able to take a family vacation to beautiful San Diego.  As many of you know, we have fallen in love with DisneyWorld, but decided this time around to vacation in a different spot.  This vaca was the perfect mix between going and doing fun things and just relaxing.  We tried Vacation Rentals By Owner for our lodging, and ended up in a beachfront condo, which was great.  We were able to cook some of our own meals in the condo and have space to just chill out while enjoying a view of Imperial Beach.

We also got to spend some time with family and friends from California while we were on our trip.  Grandpa and Grandma McKinney drove down to have dinner with us, and we also enjoyed a visit from Steph, a friend of ours from college days.  We drove to Camp Pendleton to see Tim and Dawn and enjoyed seeing a military base.  The landscape of the city was beautiful.

We had a great time playing on the beach.  Hadley wasn't real sure about the waves, and the water was COLD, but that didn't stop us for enjoying the sand.  Connor and Kylee were insistent about going to the beach almost every day, rain or shine.  Connor and Brandon played football and the kids spent lots of time looking for shells.  It was so much fun!

The view out our door.  And baby buns.  Couldn't resist!

We could see the Pier from our condo.  We walked down to explore one morning.

A big part of our vacation is eating.  Trying new places is a highlight.  We found a dessert shop that made cupcakes and muffins the size of our heads.  Delicious!

We spent some time in historic Old Town, where the kids enjoyed exploring equipment and walking through historic buildings (well, okay, I enjoyed the historic buildings).  We found a place where the kids could dip their own candles, which they thought was great fun.

Our first official adventure was to go to Legoland.  It was very cool, but probably geared more towards Kylee's age group than Connor or Hadley's age groups.  A highlight of the trip was seeing amazing Lego city (New York, Las Vegas) replicas that were on display, along with, of course, the Star Wars movie scenes and characters that were recreated in Lego form.  Connor and Kylee both attended Lego "driving school" and had a good time with that.  Connor has since declared that when he grows up, he wants to be a Lego designer.  Pretty cool, I say.

We couldn't go to San Diego without visiting the incredible San Diego Zoo:

Monkey see, monkey do!

I love this picture because it captures all three kids' personalities.  This is outside the polar bear exhibit.

Connor and Kylee got stuffed animals as souvenirs from the Zoo.

Sea World was our last destination.  The kids had a great time observing marine life and exploring the park.  They had  Sesame Street World with rides that Hadley thought was pretty cool.  We saw the Sea Lion Show, fed the dolphins (brilliant marketing...hey, folks, want to line up and pay to do routine every day pet care?) and capped off the day with the Shamu Show.  It was a blast!

I mock the marketing, but dolphins are one of my favorite animals. ;)

After a busy start to the school year, this was a much-needed break in the routine.  We are so grateful to have had this time together as a family!

First Day of School....Finally.

I just realized I never posted the pictures from Connor and Kylee's first day of school.  We start the morning with a picture on the porch.  Here are big smiles from our third and first grader!

We then move on to school for another photo op:

Connor's teacher this year is Miss Gleason.  He has really enjoyed working with her.  Both the kids' grade levels added a 4th class this year, so class sizes are much smaller.  This has also created the opportunity for both Connor and Kylee to meet new friends, as many of their friends from last year are now in different classes.

Kylee's teacher is Mrs. Wise.  Kylee has really settled into the first grade routine and has enjoyed her new class, too.

We feel blessed to be at a good school with strong teachers.  We have our first parent teacher conferences next week, so it will be exciting to hear an update on what our amazing learners have accomplished already this year!

Haddie Lou, too!

Hadley and I really enjoy our time together at home during the day.  She's an independent spirit, much like her brother and sister, and enjoys doing her own thing most of the time.  Unlike her brother and sister, however, she will occasionally ask me to do puzzles or build blocks with her.  "Mommy, you come and play puzzles with me?"  I love it!

Hadley and I have started attending a Kindermusik class one morning a week.  It is a 30 minute class that, quite literally, makes Hadley's whole week.  She absolutely LOVES playing with the rhythm sticks and shakers ("sticks and eggs", she calls them) and sings songs and dances along with the best of them.  She asks about her "music class" several times throughout the week and singing one of the songs from class is sure to bring a huge smile to her face.  I am learning to let go of any dignity that I have and just sing and dance with her.  It's a good time.

Hadley dabbles in a little of everything...playing with Barbies, puzzles, books, coloring, playing with babies, and "cooking" in her kitchen.  She has also developed a significant affinity for "her" iPod and can be found watching videos on it as she moves around the house.  She can also be found declaring that she is a "rock star" or a "monster" as she plays.  The highlight of her day, however, is when our 12 year old neighbor, Hayley, comes over to play.  Hadley loves being with Hayley and Hayley takes excellent care of Hadley when they are together.  I couldn't resist sharing these pictures of the afternoon Hayley and her sister, Renae, were riding skateboards and invited Hadley to come along with them.  What a riot!

Hayley and Hadley

Renae, Hadley, and Hayley

I treasure every moment with our littlest one.

Our rock star in action (note the baby's sunglasses, too)

It's Football Season

'Round about August, the men in this house begin celebrating the start of football season.  A big part of our football experience is watching Connor play in weekly flag football games.  Connor is playing on a team with the same Coach and several of the same teammates from last year, so it is fun to see the team take things to a new level in their second year as a unit.  Connor has developed a passion for playing offense and LOVES to run the ball.  It has been a blast to watch him.  He has also become quite adept at using his speed to position himself to grab flags off the other team's ball carrier when he's on defense.

We love it!

Birthday Party!

It's been awhile...so let's start with Kylee's birthday party.

Kylee opted to celebrate her 7th birthday with a party at Shear Madness, a local salon that provides haircuts and styling for the littlest folks among us.  They offer a birthday package where birthday girls and their guests can get their hair, nails, and makeup done.  In addition, each party guest gets to pick out a special outfit to wear during the party and gets to participate in a....wait for it....FASHION SHOW at the end of the party.  It was quite an event with a great deal of glitter involved.

Getting nails painted (orange to match the dress)

Waiting for make-up

All finished!

Cousins!

Close view of the masterpiece

Kylee's birthday present from Mom and Dad was getting her ears pierced.  She was an absolute champ, and despite a brief moment of uncertainty (captured below just before they pierced her ears), Kylee came through smiling.  She has been meticulous about cleaning her new piercings and has loved wearing earrings.  In fact, just today, we took out her studs and put in a new pair of earrings (thank you, Grandpa and Grandma Carlson!).

This bag says "Just got my ears pierced!"

Naptime, Mommy Style

Let me begin this diatribe by sharing that if I had to choose a hobby, it would, hands down, be sleeping. 

Before children, I could sleep 12 hours a night and take a 2 hour nap every day.  I thought people who called other people before 9:00 am were insane.  Connor worked into this routine fairly well, sleeping in late with me, playing for a few hours, eating some lunch, playing some more, and then napping into the early evening (he slept in so late in the mornings because he was often up watching The Tonight Show with Jay Leno in bed with Mommy and Daddy).  Then, along came Kylee.  She was not content to lay in bed and "chill out" in the mornings.  When she was up, she was up.  Lazy mornings were over.  And of course, when Kylee came along, Connor was dangerously close to giving up his afternoon naps.  It was a rough transition for me.

I now consider myself lucky to sleep 8 hours a night, and am reduced to an emotional mess if I consistently get any less than this.  My body has adjusted to the mere 8 hours of sleep at night, but I still LOVE naps.  Bliss is Sunday afternoons when Brandon is home to herd the children so I can lay down for 2 hours and snooze.  I should take a moment and say that one of God's greatest gifts to me was a spouse who doesn't need a lot of sleep.  This is (quite literally) one of my favorite things about my husband.  He is willing to get up in the mornings and get the kids started on breakfast so that I can catch another 15 minutes of sleep before starting my day.  He realizes that this is no small investment in my sanity...and therefore, his also.

Last night, Kylee had some friends over for a sleepover.  So, of course, she's been an emotional mess today because she's so tired (I don't know about you, but at our house, a sleepover means up way past bedtime, some sleep, and then eyes popping back open around 7:00 am).  Connor decided that he just wasn't tired anymore and woke up at 6:00 am this morning.  Hadley, not wanting to be left out, was also up early.  Brandon is away at class (more info on that later) all day today, so I was on duty in the early morning, cooking waffles for our slumber party guests.  I consoled myself by thinking "Everyone will be so tired...there will be a MANDATORY naptime this afternoon!".

So, at 1:30, I laid Hadley down in her crib.  Connor and Kylee, after doing their obligatory whining about having to be banished to their rooms, begrudgingly trudged up the stairs, where I explained that they could play quietly until 2:00, and then were required to make their best attempt at sleeping from 2:00-3:00.  At 3:00, if they weren't sleeping, they could get up and play quietly downstairs.  They acknowledged understanding of the plan and I gloriously retired to my own bed in eager anticipation of approximately 90 minutes of rest.  This is how mandatory naptime went:

1:30-2:00: I enjoyed reading my book.
2:00:I doze off, despite the dog deciding he wants to share the bed with me.
2:24: Tap. Tap. Tap.  I roll over to see Kylee staring at me.  "Mom, can I get up?"  Me: "What time is it?"  Kylee: "2:24."  Me: "Please go back and lay down until 3:00."  She waltzes off.
2:25: I close my eyes again and am beginning to doze.
2:30: I hear thunder.
2:35: Downpour begins.  I realize that there are windows open in the house.  Ugh.  Get up to head to Hadley's room to close window, which of course, squeaks loudly.  Try to sneak out of room unnoticed.
2:35 and 10 seconds: Hear Hadley crying.
2:36: Tell Hadley to lay back down.  Resign myself to laying on the floor beside her bed.
2:40: Success!  Hadley is back asleep.  Head back to bed.
2:45: Connor, hearing the thunder, shows up in my room.  Hops in bed with me.
2:47: Try dozing again.
3:01: Kylee is beside my bed again.  "Mom, can I get up now?  My clock says 3:01."  Me: "That is fine.  Just please go downstairs and play quietly."
3:12: Kylee resurfaces at my bedside with our container of children's Vitamins.  She has decided that she really needs to take her Vitamins NOW.  "Mom, could you please open the jar for me?".  I open the jar and reflect on the amazing sense of humor that God has.
3:15: Connor, hearing Kylee come into the room for the 3rd time, wakes up.  I tell him he can go downstairs.
3:20:  Forget it.  I'm up.

Naptime.  Mommy style.  Gotta love it.

7 Years

Kylee has been in eager anticipation of her birthday this year.  The other day, she proclaimed "Mom, can you believe you've had me for SEVEN YEARS?"  Her comment made me pause and reflect on the time that we've had with Kylee in our lives...and made me feel so very, very blessed.

If you've been following this blog or have been around our family for any length of time, you know that Kylee, or "Miss J" as she is affectionately known around our house, is our child that keeps us laughing....and forever evaluating our parenting skills.

Kylee came into the world late on the evening of September 9, 2006.  The midwife announced that she entered the world "sunny side up", meaning that instead of emerging face down (as is the normal birthing position), she came out face up.  Brandon and I have often reflected on how perhaps that was an early indication of the personality our daughter possesses.

Kylee is our passionate child.  She approaches life with a gusto all her own.  She is dramatic, sensitive, driven, intelligent, creative, loving, and imaginative.  She gets easily frustrated when she feels like she can't get something right and absolutely hates to disappoint anyone.  Kylee challenges us to think about things differently and when she believes in something, there's no stopping her.  She is firm and committed.

Kylee keeps us laughing.  She is so uniquely her that you can't help but crack up.  Be it her jokes ("Why does a dog like living in the Wild, Wild West?  Because it's RUFF!"), her latest dance routine, an art project, or just her viewpoint on life (Kylee is participating in Running Club at school and came home reporting that last week at club, she told Mrs. Wise, her teacher, that she looked like a unicorn when she ran.  I gulped and got up the nerve to ask "Well, why did you say that?".  "Mom, I said that because she looked so beautiful!"), you never quite know what to expect with our middle child.

Kylee is known around our house (and probably, let's face it, outside our house), for her hair.  It is strawberry blonde in color and very distinctive.  Adding to the distinction is the fact that she has inherited her mother's bedhead, so Kylee descending down the steps in the morning is always a bit of an affair as we observe the creation that is her morning hairstyle.  Kylee then insists on correcting her bedhead by "styling" her own hair.  This can range from having every barrette we own in her hair, to a ponytail, or, to that classic look where the front of her hair is wet down, brushed, and then the back of her head looks like something a small rodent could live in unnoticed.  She has conceded this year and allowed me to attack her with a blowdryer and flatiron on school days, which makes me feel like a better Mom because on days this styling intervention doesn't happen, I worry that someone might wonder if an adult lays eyes on our daughter in the mornings.  On weekends, her style comes out in full flair.  It's a wonder to behold.

Being Kylee's mom has made me a better person.  We do not take the responsibility of raising our daughter to be a Godly woman lightly.  Kylee gave her heart to Jesus about a year ago, and reaffirmed her decision this year in VBS.  She is passionate about her Faith, and inspires me as I look for ways to encourage her confidence in Christ.  I hope and pray that our relationship is one of openness, unconditional love, honesty, and respect for years to come. It is my honor to watch her blossom into the woman that God has created her to be.

Kylee Jordan, I really can't believe that you have been ours for 7 years.  I am so thankful that God entrusted you to us.

It is Finished....

Caden's garden is FINISHED.

Grandpa and Grandma Carlson have been brainstorming with us for months about a bench for the garden.  We talked about several different ideas, and then they sent us a picture of this bench....and we knew instantly that it was perfect.  The bench was purchased right around Caden's birthday this year.

"Those we have held in our arms for a little while, we hold in our hearts forever."

This year, things bursted in full bloom, filling our yard with bright colors and flowery smells.  We can see it directly out our kitchen window and it brings a smile to our faces every time we look at it.

Many friends and family members helped bring Caden's garden to life...we love the garden not only because of what it means to us in remembering Caden, but because of what it symbolizes in terms of those who love and support us...in good times and in bad.  We look at each plant and remember who gave it to us....and it warms our hearts every time.

So, once again, thank you, friends and family.  We love you!