Ode To Mackenzie Shalae

It's Great to be Eight!!!

Our Mackenzie is the big 8 today!  She has blown me away with how much she has grown this year!
I can't count all the ways she brighten our lives, but I can name a few:
1.  She has a face for every emotion possible, this is something she has ALWAYS done since she was little.
2.  I love her georgous silky hair that I will never have
3.  Her ability to make everyone around her smile
4.  Her love for animals, and the sheer joy she gets in watching or reading about them.
5.  The way she loves to dance when no one is watching
6.  Seems to have so many friends around her, and loves to make new friends wherever we go
7.  Can give some pretty good back rubs/scratches
8.  Adores her father.
9.  Doesn't bother her that she is the only girl sibling.
10.  The absolute purity that emulates from her daily.

I recall the day I had her.  She was breech, so we were scheduled for a cesarian.  Justin and I were totally afraid of what to expect, and the more I think about it, I was just a child myself, barley 20 and having a baby.....  She was such a perfect little thing. She honestly was a beautiful baby from the very start of her life and has only gotten more and more georgous as the years have past.  I remember feeling so overwhelmed and so blessed at the same time.  The way my life changed from that day forward is unexplainable.  She is and will always be my little girl!   Happy Birthday my beauty!

My mother.

It would be just silly if I didn't honor my mother today.  She is such an amazingly strong woman, I'm not sure how I would be without her in my life.  She truly keeps our family together and I look up to her in so many ways I can't even begin to number them.  Her ability to move forward with life and take one day at a time is remarkable.  Her divine role as a mother is emulated in her every step.  I have such a respect and utter joy in knowing that she is my mother.  Knowing that I can talk to her about anything and everything, knowing that I ask her for just about anything and she will be there in a heartbeat.  Her complete love for the Savior, her testimony of the gospel and her faith that Heavenly Father will continue to take care of her, puts me in awe of her.  She is amazing.  And I love her.

Just lovin each other.

So Mackenzie was taking some pics of Justin and I and I just loved these ones.  I truly married the love of my life.  There are fewer and fewer moments where we get to just snuggle like this, just part of life right now with the little ones.  But I am more in love than ever.  And when I look at my beautiful children I see him in them, and I just smile.  He sure is cute.

Landon fell asleep the other night, and Gavin couldn't help but kiss him and lay by him.  Gavin truly loves his little brother, and its really fun to get to watch them become better friends as Landon starts to grow and interact more and more.  Tender moments these are.

And how could I forget Mackenzie.  Those teeth sure are coming in, and its making her look so much older.  Just a year ago even she looks so much different once she got those big girl teeth in!  I want her to stop growing!!

Not to brag or anything

I just have to say one thing.  Gavin is such a cute kid.  Honestly.  I love him.  I love that he just smiles for me when I get out my camera.  I love his dark brown eyes.  I love that he is a ham.  I love that he lets me kiss his face off.  I love that I get to spend every morning with him and he is my bud.  I just love him and these pictures just show what a stinkin adorable boy he is!!!  Not that I am bragging by any means. :)
I should enroll him in modeling or something, make some money off his cuteness....

T-BALL!!!

So its t-ball season, and has been for the past few weeks, but I am behind of course on life.  I have a love/hate relationship with it.  I love watching my stinkin cute kid out there, and its hilarious to watch all the kids play, the hate part is my 17 month old son who doesn't really allow me much watching time.  So I am able to watch a little and run around with Landon most of the time.  Gavin loves baseball and is quite the hitter I might add.  Justin is able to be one of the what 5 other coaches for the team....one coach per kid on the team I swear.   But its fun to see them out there together. 

Feeding the ducks...I was so brave!

So I am a little behind on my blog, but we went to feed the ducks when the weather was teasing us and it felt like summer time.  If you don't know me and that I am completly terrified of geese, I have been dreading this day for awhile.  The kids kept asking if we could go feed the ducks, so I gave in.  It wasn't bad to be honest.  There were far more geese than ducks of course, but they were in a good mood that day.  No hissing or chasing was involved!  Landon loved them and just kept pointing to them and smiling.  I kept my distance, and I survived.