OurLittleMcFamily.com

Being in this family means getting ready for canyoneering! Required skill #1 – rappelling. So, we took the kids out to Sandstone Quarry at Red Rock; first time for the littles. It was a bit cold and windy, but fun was had by all!

We are now in our second two-week dinner menu. I would say that my husband is VERY happy. Why? Because I am not only “cooking” more, but also adding sides to our meals. I grew up with sides on the table. We always had a salad on the table and fruit or vegetables or rolls. I, however, am a one dish woman!

With a growing family, however, I see the great need to help stretch our main dishes by adding easy sides to the mix. And, honestly, it is yummier. And I have cultivated great little chefs in the kitchen to help me. So, I am RESOLVED!

This week’s menu:

Cheesy Chili-Mac
w/garlic bread and corn

Turkey Jo’s
w/ sweet potato fries and fruit salad

Baked Potato Bar

Roast
w/potatos, green salad, and dinner rolls

Chicken Kebobs
w/ rice and peaches and pears

Beef
w/ rice-a-roni, applesauce, and green beans

Tacos
w/ chips and salsa and corn

………and so and so forth. See, nothing spectacular. Just yummy staples that everyone loves. But I’m sticking to it. And that is the very best part. Well, I’m off to boil pasta for our Chili Mac.

two pounds closer to my goal. Minus two pounds this week. YES!

1. Logged my food everyday.
2. Stayed slightly under my calorie goal everyday except at grandma’s bday…only 70 calories over.
3. Stayed off the scale most days.

Feel pretty good about my progress. I know it could be faster if I exercised more, but I feel like I can handle what I’m doing for now.

I love goals. I live to accomplish goals.

But I am far from perfect…so I am challenging myself a little more than usual this year. Here are the big ones:

PHYSICAL
1. 50 pounds of weight loss
2. Log ten miles per week
3. Track food daily (My Fitness Pal, free app, awesome)

–I am down 40 lbs from two years ago when I started “trying.” In fact, to my surprise, currently, I am down five pounds from Thanksgiving. How did that happen? Regardless, I am motivated to continue. I would like to drop another 50 lbs by the end of the year. Very slow and steady and long-term. Adam and I are walking at night together, which is one of our favorite things. We got away from it this past year. So we are getting back on track. And it is the perfect time of year in Las Vegas to walk at night. We must enjoy it while we can. :)

MENTAL
1. Read 75 books

–This is a big challenge for me considering I homeschool. It seems that my time is always cut in half by the kids’ schooling demands. It is so worth it, but I really want to read more for myself. I think I read 20 books last year. So I am trying to be home more…finding more quiet moments. That is helping.

SPIRITUAL
1. Finish Old Testament
2. Attend temple twice/month

–Yeah, I am still in Genesis two years later. So embarrassing. I am reading other scriptures with the family, but this is something I really want to accomplish. The last time I read the whole Old Testament was in high school during Seminary. I figure it’s time to take the challenge again. Part of this goal will include writing every day on the subjects and stories I study. And yes, I will be including the books in the Old Testament in my 75 count. There’s no way I could accomplish both, otherwise. Hey, I am a realist, people.

EMOTIONAL
1. Serve each child once a week on purpose

–I am trying to strengthen the bonds between myself and each child. I am so excited to try this experiment and blog it. I am assigning each child a day during the week. I am going to intentionally serve the assigned child in some way on that day. I want to do something above and beyond the normal mom duties so they feel extra special that day. I think this will help each kid feel extra special more often. I love the new phases they are each growing into right now. I can’t wait to get to know my kids even better.

OTHER
1. Make a written dinner menu every two weeks
2. Be home everyday when my boys get home from public school, except in extreme circumstances
3. Finish moving into our home…little odds and ends projects that need doing
4. Document and post our weekly dates this year

I don’t plan on failing. So I am hoping to look back in December and see that this is all accomplished.

Have a beautiful New Year….love, the mccrackens

CHRISTMAS 2011, Yakima, WA

SO. MUCH. FUN. We haven’t had two weeks of solid family time in years. Actually, make that, Never. This Christmas was the perfect opportunity for our family to have some real time together. Here are a few highlights:

GINGERBREAD HOUSES…from scratch

SLEDDING…lots of sledding

ZOO LIGHTS…Point Defiance Zoo

SEATTLE SCIENCE CENTER…worth every penny

CHRISTMAS EVE…program and pajamas

And………
1. two treasured visits with Jes
2. a birthday party for six of the 14 grandkids (where are those pics?)
3. a visit to great-grandma and great-grandpa’s in Tacoma
4. four-wheeler rides
5. lunch and shopping with my favorite high school buddies
6. and last, but certainly not least, playing Santa to a family with eight children, whose dad lost his job two month previously. Adam even dressed up in a Santa suit for the occasion.

The whole Penning tribe pitched in so that we could not only provide Christmas dinner and presents for the children, but also, extra groceries, clothing, toys, books, gift cards for the parents, and new outfits for each child. For such a large family, it took the entire back of our Suburban and Papa Penning’s truck to carry it all. It was the sweetest and best highlight of the entire two weeks…watching our whole family work toward a common goal that reached past our differences and divisions, as we focused on something greater than ourselves….something that really matters.

As the four older girl cousins were helping me finish wrapping the gifts the day of the delivery I asked what their favorite part of planning for the family had been. Brooklynn said, “I am most excited to see the girls’ closets fill up with the clothes and things like I have.” The others chimed in saying they were sure the kids we had bought for didn’t have as much in their closets as we did and they were glad to share what they had so that someone else’s closet could be just as full. It made this mommy/auntie very proud of all our Tweens!

My other favorite moment was when Annie came in the living room with her brand new black leather church shoes and asked if she could give them to the three year old little girls (the family has twin girls). How could I refuse such a sweet and simple request. We wrapped up a couple of special things and Annie hand delivered them to the girls’ bed for them to open when they woke up. I think that will be one of Annie’s first real memories as she grows up, which makes me smile. I hope I can be more like that in my everyday living and doing.

Christmas was REALLY good this year! Christmas cards might not be sent out yet. My body may feel broken from the 17 hour drive. And my phone is lost somewhere between here and Ogden, but it was all worth it. And we’re home safe, looking anxiously into 2012. :)

In one night, Juan earned his Bobcat, and Danny earned his Arrow of Light award advancing in Boy Scouts.

Proud kids. Proud mommy!

New Thanksgiving tradition…hiking at Zion! So much fun. And prefect hiking weather. And no weight gained due to leftovers. But I did miss the leftovers. :)

We hiked Angel’s Landing. Correction, we hiked to Scout Lookout. Adam took Danny and Nikki all the way up the chains to Angel’s Landing. Pure awesomeness.

Favorite memories:
1. Singing Christmas songs on the way there (with children who actually know the words now).
2. Snuggling in one hotel room and watching The Music Man till midnight as we fell asleep one by one.
3. Watching the kids run up the very steep trail, as I wish with all my might for the boundless energy they possess.
4. Seeing so many other families out hiking. I don’t know why this makes me so happy, but it does.
5. Gorging ourselves at Red Robin on our way back home Saturday night. The kids each got their own meal and drink! A rare treat in our family when we go out. :)
6. Watching Adam skip rocks with the kids at the river….watching Adam with the children, period!

“Just Dance” was the hit of our church’s Halloween party! Too bad Jo Jo ate an entire bowl of candy (oh yes, there was much puke!)…he didn’t get to participate since he already had his share of the Halloween goods! Well Jo, there’s always next year!

October–Hidden Falls

November–First Creek

Soccer has slowed us down this season, but we are trying to get back into hiking. Last weekend, I taught Annie what an echo was when we were in the canyon. She has been “awooooing” ever since. She hasn’t exactly figured out why the sound doesn’t echo back the same when she is in the front yard. ADORABLE!

We are planning on Angel’s Landing the day after Thanksgiving. Anyone game?