OurLittleMcFamily.com

Hey Readers! Obviously, 2008 was a huge year for this not-so-little McFamily. Please bear with the next two posts. They are for my journal, after all. :)

JANUARY started our year with great sorrow over my grandfather’s passing, and great sadness over another miscarriage. Most of January was spent in bed. At least, I had beautiful snowy goodness to look at. I also had a more-available-than-usual husband since we were away for his Master’s. On the adoption front, January was one of our very busiest months…full of paperwork and trips to fed-ex (yuck!)

FEBRUARY was spent training for the SLC 1/2 marathon (more like crawling) and watching baby Spencer while Jaimee and Brian headed to Tahiti. Adoption wise we finished up our home study interviews and accomplished our mandatory physicals.  

MARCH was spent losing weight, touring Southern Utah, and celebrating ADAM’S 30th birthday.

APRIL was one of the best months of my life. I ran/walked/jogged a 1/2 marathon! We also participated in our second Race for the Cure with our buddies in LV. But even more significant was the Adoption Shower that was thrown for us in Las Vegas. I still tear up when I think about the outpouring of love toward us and our children. It was one of the most joyous occasions I can remember.

MAYwas Zionfest #4. Our most favorite yearly friend retreat. We even made t-shirts this time. :)

JUNE was full of sad goodbyes and happy hellos. We said goodbye to my sister and her family. They were amazing hosts while we were at school. They have also been two of our biggest champions and supporters from the early beginnings of our adoption process. 

But back to Las Vegas we went as Adam graduated from Utah State University with his MBA. And our friends welcomed us back with open arms, as if we had never left.

Adam and Grandpa Penning took the kids out on a hike over Christmas Weekend. The ninos had a total blast. It was icy and cold and glorious. The round trip mileage was about three miles….and they all made. This was their first trip with packs on. In fact, it was their first “real” hike. We took them on a little one-miler when we first came home, but it had no elevation gain.

Calico tanks is one of our favorite little hikes out at Red Rock. We don’t have much to choose from around here. And it is one of the prettiest. The video below shows the kids “skating” on the ice, but the funniest part is Ezzy biffing it hard without trying. Our little klutzo.

httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fYHrdh0gP6s

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!!!! Okay, so it is January 12th–I know. But I can’t seem to post anything 2009 related until December is caught up. The kids woke up to stuffed stockings and hot chocolate. Grandparents McCracken and fam came over in the afternoon. And Grandparents Penning flew in around 2:00 p.m. The lucky little ninos had both sets of grandparents here to share in their very first Christmas. I will never ever forget that day. Because of our adoption expenses this year, Christmas was a little sparse, but it totally did not matter. The kids were grateful and cheering over their socks. They loved every little dollar trinket in their stocking. And the big gift for the year (two family scooters) were the hit of the day. I continue to be overwhelmed by our children’s gratitude for everything. And I am also overwhelmed by the generosity of grandparents, family, and friends toward our children.

Adam and I strongly disagree that it takes a village to raise a child–but we are blessed to have the companionship, support, and love of the village all around us. The village we have created for our family is the best bonus we could ever hope for. We also realize that although our Christmas was a little on the lean side, it was more than our kids had ever seen or imagined. In addition, there are so very many families either out of work and/or in poorer circumstances than us. Our prayers and thoughts go out to them. And we continue to count our many many blessings.

One interesting McCracken adoption fact is that the children didn’t really have Christmas at their orphanage. From what we gather, Juan Pablo did get presents from Santa–last year he got his Batman motorcycle and his Spiderman sweat suit, which are both going in his keepsake chest. But he was the only one to receive gifts because he was in the “baby” house. The older kids’ casas did not receive any presents or a visit from Santa. However, they did get to do some kind of activity to participate in. Danny explained to me that all the boys in his house got to go to a big pool and swim last year.

In short, the kids knew about Christmas and had a few glimmers here and there, but now they go to weekly worship service where they learn of the Savior, they pray in the name of Jesus Christ, and they understand a little more of what Christmas is all about. Adam and I did not exchange gifts this year, but Tia Jaime Lynne took the ninos to the dollar store and let them each pick out a present for me and Adam. We received silk hangers, school folders, pin-wheels, and other trinkets. And they were the best, most thoughtful Christmas presents EVER!!!!!!! We wouldn’t change our new world for anything.

Adam took the ninos, Kavika, and Jordan up to the top of Rocky Gap road. It was super windy and super cold. You can’t tell that from their faces, can you? In fact, it was “so cold” that the teenagers wussed out and turned back from the hike to hide in the truck most of the time.

Whenever Rocky Gap road is involved, I stay behind!!! I hate driving it with a passion. My Sisters in Canyoneering who have driven up it understand what I mean. One time, one of the trucks got stuck and there were giant boulders flinging everywhere as the tires spun to gain traction. (Yeah, you can stop laughing now husband) I feared for my life, and have not returned since. To sum it up–the Four-Wheeling Club of Las Vegas maintains the road. They have to. Noone else has the equipment to do it.

Anyway, here’s a little video of the windiness at the top of the pass. And if you think they look cold here, wait until you see the pictures from our latest hike….

httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Bm7IvL9a3d8

Yes, we were actually prepared enough to let the kids sleep under the tree. Sleeping under the Christmas tree is one of my favorite childhood memories, and I really want the kids to experience it while they are still young. Next year will be even more memorable since their language abilities will be better. We might even join them!!!

You do notice that one little nino is not in his sleeping bag. I don’t even remember now what he did, but Juan Pablo ended up back in his room without his pillow. Adam and I laughed all night about it. I can’t wait to put this picture in Juan P.’s lifebook with a giant title named, “Wompied on Christmas Eve.”

We spent our first Christmas as a family here in Las Vegas. It was wonderful to not have the added pressures of traveling and packing for this particular occassion. Christmas Eve was spent with Adam’s family at Grandma and Grandpa McCracken’s home. We had a wonderful meal, as usual. Luckily Debbi likes us outlaws enough that she provided an itty bitty turkey to accompany the traditional Christmas Ham. Thank you, mother-in-law. I still wasn’t allowed to bring mashed potatoes :) which didn’t bother Adam because he LOVES scalloped potatoes!!! I’m really glad I made two giant pans because they were both gone in an instant.
As for the kids, they were contented to be with family and eat Christmas yumminess. But grandma prepared a special Santa treat for them. After we finished dinner, Papa Noel came by for a visit complete with giant candy cane sticks for each of the children. You’ll notice a fifth child at the back of the pack–that is Kavika. He has been with us for a month now and will be staying with us for a little while longer. He might be with us until the end of the school year. We are still pounding out the details. Regardless, we have enjoyed (and still enjoy) having him around.

The ninos were all able to open their gifts from grandma and grandpa that night! Check out these adorable furry hooded blankets. The kids went nuts!!!

Okay, we’re playing a little catch up. And yes, the rumors are true–we did have snow here in Vegas. The last time we saw snow in the valley was Christmas Day 2003–but it was only a skiff and it did not last through the day. This time Las Vegans enjoyed a few days of it. Our home is located in one of the lower points of the valley so we did not get any actual snow on our street. But we did get lots of rain and slush. It tried snowing a few time, but turned quickly to rain. Adam’s parents and our friends, the Brummetts, had a lot of snow though. I am just happy that it rained for so many days in a row. We didn’t see blue skies for three or four days–and it was Glorious! I woke up every morning hoping for gray skies. I know, I know–I’m weird. But there are a lot of us transplants here in the desert that are happy to call ourselves precipitation loving weirdos.
Our own Mt. Charleston got pounded with snow so we decided to take advantage of it. We piled the four ninos in the truck, and took off. It wasn’t so bad going up, but by the time we reached the top we were in the middle of an actual snow storm…the kind of snow storm we usually only partake of in places like Utah and Washington. Anyway, by the time we were able to get down off the mountain conditions had worsened, and there were many many people driving who had no business being on the road.

As you can see, the poor little children had a mish-mash of our clothes and theirs to try and keep them warm. There were a couple of babies–big big babies–in the group. Oh yeah, they were all wimps except Danny!!! Even Ezzy melted down a couple of times. And only Danny would climb the “big” sledding hill with Adam. It was really funny. Here’s my hottie of a husband:

Daddy and the kids ended the day by having a snowball fight with the neighbor kids when we got home. Yummy hot chocolate and soggy shoes were welcomed additions to our desert oasis.

We were so happy that out of all the years we have lived here snow graced us in 2008. Our children have never seen snow, never experienced it. Snow was one of the things they were most excited about when moving to the States. They had a total blast freezing their tooshies off in our short-lived winter wonderland.