Protective Big Sister

I was just thinking back to our visit with G & G as I looked over the photos to put on this blog. There were some of us hanging out in their living room & I remembered a really cool thing that happened while we were there..... My parents have a floor outlet in their living room. If it has nothing plugged in, it has covers so they can't be touched. This one normally has a lamp plugged in it. I'm a little vague on the details of whether it had been unplugged or what not, but my mom & I were talking and apparently Keelyn was starting to play with the plug when Mackenzie started yelling, "NO NO KEELYN!!! NO NO!!!!". I turned around expecting her to be giving her little sister a hard time for wanting something she had.....when I realized that she was trying to prevent her from touching the plug. My mom & I immediately started praising her. Amazing that this little 3 year old was watching out for her little sissy! Love. It. She is such a good big sister!

On another random note, along these same lines.... Keelyn has a favorite past time of playing in toilet water. (Lovely, I know!). So, we try to keep the potty seat down! Mackenzie is super good at this. After she flushes (most times) she slams the toilet seat down. And if Keelyn starts to head toward the bathroom she alerts me and runs in there to make sure the toilet seat is down. I just love her!

Wakulla Springs

After Meemi & Poppee's house, we headed across town to spend a few days with Granmommy & Grandaddy. One of the days we were there, we headed to Wakulla Springs, a local national park where you can go on a boat ride and see alligators and other wildlife along the spring. We even got to see quite a few manatees - which was the first time I'd seen them there. Here's some photos of our day there:

So happy & ready to go into the springs!
















Doesn't she look so grown up in this photo???





















What a cutie - hammin' it up for the camera at lunch!
















Propping up her foot relaxing during our lunch!
















Waiting on the boat with G & G
















Walking with big sissy to the boat!





















She looks thrilled to have to look away from nature at her mother for a silly picture!
















Kisses for mommy on the boat ride!





















We wore our 3 year old completely out! (This doesn't happen too often!)

More Fun with the McKays

And here are a few more pictures from our days we stayed with Meemi & Poppee:

Baking Halloween cookies with Meemi (Poppee overseeing the process!)














Keelyn with Uncle Jake & Poppee














Mackenz posin' with her favorite Uncle!














The boys with Mackenz & Keelyn on her favorite ride (with a broken steering wheel!)

Pumpkin Festival

I will get caught up.....I will get caught up.....maybe??? I'm so trying to be current :) So, about a month ago, while daddy was up in DC for his big trial, we decided to head down to Florida to spend some time with the grandparents (and for some help & sanity for mommy while daddy was gone a LONG almost 3 weeks!). While we were at Meemi & Poppee's house, we went to a local pumpkin festival. Mackenzie was a little sick, so she wasn't feeling great at first, but she rallied to have a great time & even (miraculously!) posed for some pictures with her sissy in front of the pumpkins AND they both smiled. Amazing. Really, it's the small things in life that make me happy!

Ready to go!





















Posing through the pumpkin hole. Love this kid!




















Posing with the old/slightly scary looking snow white that was overseeing the pumpkin area.....





















Mack - ready for a fun pony ride














Keelyn LOVED her first time on a pony ride! Poppee was just sure she would - and he was right!














Checking out the wierd looking pumpkin with all the bumps!














One for the picture frame - LOVE it!





















Another (shocking) smiling photo....this one with Keelyn showing some of her standing/walking skills





















Pretty girl showing off her FOUR teeth :)

Granddaddy/Poppee's Girl

Mackenzie has always had a certain affinity for her grandmothers. I think it started with her being the first born and her grandfathers were a little more willing to let the grandmas play with Mackenzie since they were so very, very eager to do any & every little thing she wanted! Well, fast forward a couple years, and those same grandmothers are often preoccupied by a (VERY) demanding little 3 year old! But the laps of the grandfathers are often free :) So, look who's developed a certain affinity for her grandfathers.....

Cagle Dairy Farm

Our next fall adventure was to a local dairy farm with our MOPS group. It's not an actual working dairy anymore, but they have a few cows to demonstrate milking a cow and then we got to see some of the farm animals, go on a hayride, and finish up on their big bouncing area. So fun!

This was my view - two cuties on the hayride! It was pretty cool - they stopped on the ride to show a herding dog herd some sheep and then had some cows graze right next to the tractor!






















Feeding a goat - she wasn't scared at all to let it eat right outta her hand :)














Pumpkin, huh? What is this thing, anyways?? It's all over my clothes too!





















Three cuties














Big girls checking out the animals





















Little one checking out the animals too!





















Keelyn found this old tricycle and loved pushing it around the eating area





















Sliding down the bounce thingy (really not sure what this thing was called but it was a big bouncy area like a balloon in the ground)














Catchin' some good air up on the bounce thingy

Fall Festival

At the beginning of October (yes, I'm that far behind again!), we started off our fall festivities at the festival that is put on by Mackenzie's preschool. It was pretty impressive. Pony rides, train ride, bounce houses (galore!), pumpkin painting, and many, many more games. I think Mackenzie had a dum-dum lollipop permanently in her mouth since they handed them out at almost every single thing! Meemi & Poppee were in town that weekend so they got to come along for the fun :)

We got another good family photo on the train ride :)














Ella came to the festival too :) I couldn't get them to smile at me, but I love how Ella is watching Mackenzie eat her lollipop!














Serious pumpkin painting!














Group shot before the pony rides begin














She looks like she's having so much fun!














Keelyn & Meemi

Days at Home

As I see so many people posting what they're thankful for this November.....today, after enjoying a lazy morning with my girls at home, I am so thankful that I get to stay home with them. And though there are many days where I feel like I fail miserably at this SAHM thing (days where house is a mess, we watch too much TV (or me too much internet), I yell, the kids don't obey or act fussy.....) I am so thankful that some days I seem to do a decent job! That mostly makes up for days that I'd like to redo! Today, we hung out in jammies in the playroom for a couple hours, enjoyed the warm fall weather in our sandbox and slide, and just generally enjoyed not having anywhere we had to be. (I find the times I get most upset with my girls is when we have a deadline and they are not helping me to meet it!). That is one of the best things.....not being in a rush with them. One day I will go back to work & they'll go to school, but I will always cherish these lazy days!

We're Multiplying!

As I was reviewing pictures for that last post, I ran across another photo from Sophia's birthday party. A photo of Mackenz & her two buds & younger siblings being held by their mommies. It made me remember a photo from Sophia's first birthday party where we were holding our first (& only) little girls! We are quite the crew these days.....

August 2009
















August 2011

Fun Times with Friends

Some recent photos of us hangin' with some of our friends:

Keelyn with the big girls (eating Sugar Daddy's!) on a trip to Serenbe Farms while their daddies were at trial in DC














Playing on the cool in-ground trampoline at the farms with Hailey & Harrison.














Mackenz with her buds Sophia & Mady Kay at Sophia's birthday. They're all three now. Hard to believe.
















One of my college besties moved back to Atlanta recently. Her little boy Liam & Mackenzie get to hang out now! He so kindly brought cupcakes to their first playdate. That is enough to win over my little girls heart!
















One of my childhood besties visited recently and got to meet Keelyn for the first time. Can't wait to meet her littlest one in a couple weeks!

A Few More Trip Photos

Here's a few more photos from our spontaneous adventure to Chattanooga, Rock City & Ruby Falls:

Ringing the bell on the Chattnooga Choo-Choo





















Daddy and his two girls :)





















Pose? I need to check out this waterfall!





















Looking at all the states (7?) you can view from Rock City














Keelyn - just hanging out in her fave spot!





















Walkin' with her daddy.....