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.
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
It has been an impressive, emotional, unforgettable week here at the McCracken home. It will take a few days for me to sort through all of the pictures and events. For those who didn’t make it this weekend, be prepared for a barrage of pictures and text. So much happened in so little time–I can’t wait to document it all. There might even be some tears on your end. Heaven knows there were many happy tears on ours.
Knowing that sorting pics might take awhile, I don’t want too much time to go by without thanking everyone who did make the effort to attend. From the bottom of our hearts we thank each of you for your participation, support, and hard work. Whether you prepared food, provided supplies, donated time, or simply arranged your schedule to be in attendance….we thank you. We appreciate you. We honor each of your efforts in gracing our family.
Our children feel so much love. I see your patience, your caring and your kindness healing their little wounded hearts. It is unbelievable to me, eight months into this journey, how much gratitude I feel for each person who has stayed the course along side Adam and me. Our love for each of you continues to grow. We know you continue to invest in our children and in us. Sometimes that is not an easy thing. And yet, you continue on. That is why we care so deeply for each of you. That is why sharing this weekend with our close family and friends meant so much to us.
Whether you came from across the street, across town, or across a few states, we are grateful for your investment in our family. Whether you are of our Faith or not, we are grateful for your support. Whether you have known us for decades, or for a few short months, we feel gratitude for your service on our behalf. We would not change our situation for anything in the world. Thank You!!!
In two weeks, Danny will be baptized in our friends’ pool.
In two weeks, the six of us will be dressed in white looking toward eternity.
In two weeks, the kids will finally meet primos Victoria and Chase.
In two weeks, I get to squeeze newly adopted baby Truxton, and brand new baby Leslie.
In two weeks, we will join with family and friends in great celebration.
……………………..in two weeks
Our little Brookie was baptized last month. Look how grown up she is. The ninos and I made our way up to Logan, UT for the festivities. That meant that Adam and I spent Valentine’s Day apart. But small sacrifices are worth the big difference it makes in a little girl’s life.
While we were in Logan the children were able to play in the snow. And play they did. In fact, I didn’t see them most of the weekend. Uncle Brian brought down snow clothes from the lake, which made their second snow experience much more enjoyable. They played from sun-up to sun-down, and then hottubbed with Sponge Bob until bed. For me, it was the easiest single parent weekend I could have asked for. I was able to play games with the adults most of the time. Yeah!
The best part of the kids’ snow play was watching Danny on the snowboard. Brian and Jaimee’s house is surrounded by massive hills so Danny got a lot of practice in. And since I am snowboard illiterate, Danny was left to teach himself. Here’s a video of his efforts:
httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fc3CSDU9mG8
There’s no holding this boy back. He totally has first child syndrome! Needless to say, we had a blast in Logan, as usual. We are super proud of Brookie and her decision to be baptized. We can’t wait for Danny’s baptism at the end of this month.
Yes, that is Juan P. in a pink coat. But it is the only one that fit him. I can’t wait to post this picture at his wedding reception. :)
One of our favorite friend traditions is our annual planning meeting. Aside from our monthly family night rotation, we have monthly car camping trips on the books. Our other excursions include:
April–four days in the Grand Gulch area, UT. This is the backpacking trip Adam and I did last March, but were unable to finish. This year we will be more prepared, and we will finish!
May–5th annual Zion Nat’l Park Adventure, UT. We are camping this year to save money. Bye bye, Spa. Hello, kids. :)
August–Baker Lake/Johnson Lake Loop, Great Basin Nat’l Park, NV.This is a four day backpacking trip up in Northern Nevada. We will actually be hiking in trees and near a creek, yipee!
2009 will be a great year!!!
Last week I spent 5 days in San Antonio for the 2009 Tool Fair. It was a lot of fun to talk to people about the products we develop. It’s also nice to hear feedback from one step closer to the end-user; that really helps us as we try to make items that meet the customers’ needs. At the show was Chip Foose’s latest creation, the Terracuda. It’s quite the car – a 1970 Barracuda that Foose transformed.
Our booth was the largest among outside vendors. We spent all day Wednesday getting it perfect for the show. I think we each spent just a touch over 20 hours on the show floor, with lots of demonstrating, explaining, and displaying. We have a lot of new and exciting things happen and we had a chance to showcase some of those things.
On one of the nights, we went to the “best Mexican restaurant in the world,” also known as Mi Tierra. Some of my coworkers used to live in San Antonio, so they knew the local bests. We liked it so much that we went a second time on the night before we flew back. My enchiladas were excellent. They opened the doors in 1941 and haven’t closed them yet! The decorations are lively, as is the roaming mariachi band. Pictures are on the wall of many famous visitors, and many of the walls have murals painted that include many of these visitors.
Our hotel was about a 3 minute walk to the Alamo. Unfortunately, the show schedule didn’t allow me to visit while it was open, but I did get to see it at night after we were done. I still have a bunch of Alamo shots to work on. San Antonio’s downtown area is really beautiful and I recommend the Riverwalk area to everyone. I flew back on Sunday afternoon, excited to return to my family.
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….
