OurLittleMcFamily.com

So it’s not exactly like home, but I’ll take what I can get. Our Las Vegas skies have been gloriously cloudy for a couple of weeks now. Every morning I wake up to a window full of gloominess with temperatures hovering between 45 and 60. Oh, early February, how I wish you could linger a little longer. :)

Our favorite family activity during this time of year is to go walking in the dark. The kids take their flashlights and get soaking wet in the puddles. Adam and I follow just enough behind to not get completely drenched. We just enjoying wearing our rain jackets…hoods and everything!

Denver, Finally!!! This friend trip seemed extra-long in the making (due to my canceling the summer). Here are our lovely hosts:

(yeah, we keep him around; great entertainment value!)

A mountain retreat with girlfriends is exactly what this girl needed after the holidays. The massive amount of talking, drinking (purely diet coke), and scrapping was enough to push any husband over the edge–good thing the boys didn’t come along this time. I only finished six scrapbook layouts, but I napped, ate, and lounged in between each layout. It was perfect. I think Jes’s numbers were in the 20’s and Amy’s were in the 30’s. They kick my trash every time–and I am totally okay with that.We also hottubbed in the snow, ate loads of sweet chewy Chex Mix, and walked around Breckenridge. A huge thanks to Grandma Carlson for letting us use the Mountain House.

Other highlights
Amy’s local day spa–I haven’t had a massage in so long. Thanks for the treat, Ames.
Downtown dinner and walking with Steffan–The chicken fajitas were also a treat.
Shopping for scrap supplies–Archivers and Hobby Lobby.
Talking until midnight in the basement–wish we could do it more often.
Spending time with Mya and Peyton–I miss them already. They are growing faster than any auntie would want.

Resolutions Made
Join Weight Watchers
Scrap more often
Drink less diet coke
Plan next girlfriend getaway

And could my friends be any cuter? I think our thirties suit us well. :)

Here’s some awesome sledding video from our trip to Washington. Where it gets really interesting is at about 1:50. Adam’s true colors shine through. I love being married to this guy!!!

Adam uploaded all of our sledding videos here.

Tio Brian and I took Danny, Ezzy, and Brooklynn up to White Pass on our Christmas vacation. It was the first time for the whole McFamily. It was Brooky’s 2nd time and about the 10,000th time for Brian :) We had a blast. Danny was a natural - he went with Brian and Brooky on a longer, higher run, while Ezzy and I got lots of practice on the lower slope.

Brian got some pictures also that can be seen on the Hirschi’s blog. Stay tuned for more Christmas adventures!

kid #1–Daddy, I like two things: naps and hiking.

 kid #2–Mom, we need to sell the Wii so we can buy a baby.

Felt. Felt. Felt. That is what I am up to these days. I don’t have a cool picture of felt like Jaime, but I did buy 28 yards of it. At half off, I walked out of the store only spending $60. Why felt you ask? We are making felt playhouses for Christmas. See Here

I don’t sew, but my girlfriends do. They are determined to teach me. So far, I have kept myself busy with cutting, stuffing, and pinning the pieces. Jaime and Jena have helped me with the sewing. Adam also sews so we borrowed a machine from a wonderfully generous someone. We are excited to finish the project together for the kids.

My kids are a little too big, and our space is a little too small, to make use of our kitchen table. So I came up with the idea of making panels that will hook onto the kids’ bunkbeds. Two for the girls and two for the boys. My panel themes are: Cupcakery, Grocery Store, Stargate, and Buried Treasure. The ninos are great at imaginative play, and playing together in general. So this is the perfect gift. They can pretend to walk through the stargate–ready to conquer another world one day, and then go shopping pastries and tea at the cupcakery the next. So Cool. I am planning a beauty parlor for Nikki’s birthday in February. So many ideas. So little time. I will definitely post pictures of the finished project.

The best part about this project is that I have been super productive while spending wonderfully abnormal amounts of time with my girlfriends the past few weeks. We could quite possibly never stop crafting for that reason alone.

The three oldest are really getting the “hang” of it. Danny and Ezzy can go over the edge and down the wall on their own now. Nikki is just two steps behind. Juan has yet to step over the edge. He pumps himself up, and then chickens out. We are going to a find a place where the edge isn’t so high for him.

Thanks, Unlce Dave, for always being willing to go out and help.

If you live in Vegas, or anywhere similar temperature wise, then you know not to carve your pumpkins until the week of Halloween. We broke the cardinal rule this year since Grandma and Grandpa Penning were here for the baptism. It was worth having to “deep-freeze” the pumpkins so that grandpa could help carve. We also dipped carameled apples and made Squished Witches with Grandma McCracken.

The next Saturday, we had the McCracken clan over to paint pumpkins and decorate Halloween cookies. Yeah, the kids have been celebrating for two weeks now. :) The ninos had a blast with their cousins.

Check out more pictures here and here. The amount of candy that was piled on top of the sugar cookies is totally kid ridiculous. Don’t you think? And yet, they ate the whole cookie. :)

Danny: Mom, what do pandas eat?

Me: Mostly Bamboo.

Danny: Oh, okay.

Nikki: Mom, what do piggies eat?

Ezzy: Out of the garbage can, duh.

Nikki: Oh, okay.

*worried look on her face. mom secretly laughing inside*

Nikki: Mom, do I have to eat out of the garbage can?

Mom: No, Nikki, you can continue to eat at the table like all little girls.

*all other children, as well as mom, laughing out loud this time for a good five minutes*

Apparently we tell her that her room is a pig pen a little too often because now she actually thinks she is a little piggy. And as soon as quiet time is over, I am going to help Danny look up information about Panda Bears–his newest obsession. Yeah, like Kung Fu Panda had nothing to do with that spark. Or the fact that his stuffed panda accompanied him through his circumcision surgery yesterday. I love it when I have all four ninos home. It just feels right. :)

I have many family members and friends out there that not only love to cook, but are really really good at it. My sister, Jaimee, started a family/friends food sharing site. There are multiple contributors, which I am one of. Yes, you heard me correctly! And, no, I have not contributed yet. However, I do have a few tricks up my sleeve–not many, but I do have a few.

Anyway, here is the site: http://fromourkitchenstoyours.blogspot.com/

I am sure that Jaimee would welcome more contributors to share yumminess with.

–rach