Mackay Madness: October 2009

Tuesday, October 27, 2009

Just keep running, running, running

Two weeks ago, Brandon did the Las Vegas Ragnar Race with 5 other people from Saratoga. The team consisted of 2 girls: Tara and Margo, and 4 boys: Brandon, his cousin and BFF Chris, Danny, and Jonathan. There was also another van of 6 people from Saratoga that made up the other half of their team.
The relay run went from St.George, all the way to Las Vegas. They had a blast. Brandon is totally hooked and can't wait to do the next one!!
The funniest part of the whole thing, is that their team name was: THE DIRTY UNDERWEAR GANG!!! Sooo gross, but I guess in runner terms....they all get it!!! They conned poor Tara into driving and completely trashed her car with team D.U.G. garb!
Their team placed 5th in the co-ed division!!! That is amazing considering how many teams compete! Way to go team D.U.G! And way to go Brandon, I am so proud of you....I knew you would do awesome, you always do everything to the fullest! Maybe next year I'll go... and drive the van! ha, ha, ha

Friday, October 23, 2009

HaWaii

We were lucky enough to spend a week in Hawaii this month. My Dad and Dotty had a fabulous condo in Kauai for a month and they invited us to join them for a few days. It was so great to be able to take our whole family (meaning our kids) and enjoy each other without distractions.

My boys had never flown before...they were crazy excited!!

We took Eastons seat on the plane so we could strap him down. He actually did amazing. After the 5 1/2 hour flight, people stood up and just told us how impressed they were with our kids. They were perfect....I couldn't believe it.

The girls were so helpful. Addie pretty much slept the whole way because we gave her dramamine....she gets so stinkin motion sick!!! She was seriously zonked the whole time.

We were able to fly with Brandon's sky miles and on the way over we got upgraded to first class. I have only been in that a couple of times, but now my kids are spoiled by the service and huge seats. This was a big mistake because on the "red eye" on the way home, we had lamo "coach" and the girls thought that was ridiculous. Ha, ha, ha....they are funny!

The boys played ukelele's with Poppy the whole time. After they almost destroyed my dad's expensive ukelele, we had to purchase them their very own.

We visited this stand frequently....SHAVED ICE!

Lots of snorkeling and boogie boarding

We took paddle boarding lessons. That was a riot. I could totally get into that. It was fun because the whole family could do it. Even the little boys because we would just put them on the front of our boards. We just practiced in this river before we went out to sea!

This is "Taylor" our paddle board teacher, tour guide, and new friend. He taught my girls how to make beautiful leis....what a great guy.

As you can see....the kids were in heaven!

Poppy took Chance kyaking

Easton...watching the umbrella man.

This was the first time I had seen a perfect rainbow...it was breathtaking.

We went to a waterfall to go on a huge rope swing. This is Brandon and the kids crossing some rough water to get to the other side where the swing was. We had to hike in quite a ways and it was a little creepy. But soooo worth it once we got there. It was so neat. Brandon and Hannah and I all went off the swing which was enormous. And when you landed down in the water, you were the only one down there... a little eerie but cool. We also played in the little pools around there and caught tadpoles...the kids thought that was neato.

All the troops. My camera fell in the water here and broke. But we were lucky enough to save the pictures off my card! This was such a great trip. We are all tan and content and can't wait to go again.

Friday, October 9, 2009

Sooooo UNLIKE ME!!!

If you know me well, you know I dont LOVE Christmas as much as some other holidays. I think it has become a little greedy and all about gifts and too busy. I think it has lost it's true meaning. That is why I LOVE SIMPLE LITTLE HALLOWEEN SO MUCH.
But I do love the tradition of Christmas, the lights, and the music. Those things are great.

ANYWHOOOO....

So, I am pulling in my driveway today and I see that the next door neighbors are having their Christmas lights put up and I think....OMG.... that is so lame. I am so against any Christmas before Thanksgiving is celebrated!!!

Then, as I pull in the garage, I remember Brandon saying something about hiring someone to put up our lights this year because it would be so treturous for him to do it with the two story roof line. So I figure...hey...just run next door and ask the nice man for his business card and in like a month or so, if it is reasonable, I can have them come back and do mine.

You know me....fifteeen minutes later, THEY ARE PUTTING UP MY STINKIN CHRISTMAS LIGHTS!!! It was a great deal, the guy was so nice, and he said it would be great to put them up in this beautiful weather. After Christmas they come back, take them down, and store them for you until next year. So all and all I think it was a good decision.

There's like 10 billion lights on this tree. Temple square, here I come!!!

Here is his info if anyone is interested. They did the front, sides and back of my house plus 4 trees in less than an hour. They do an amazing job, they are quick and reasonable. I have already sent them to my in-laws and I am calling my Grandma right now!

My mom is rolling over in her grave "sorry mom I know I promised to never start Christmas until after Thanksgiving but it was for the safety of the little elf workers on my roof...I swear!!!"

From the mouths of "our babes":

*Our doorbell rang. Chance ran to get it. No one was there. He said, "oh darn,it must have been a knocker-ditcher." (Otherwise known as a doorbell ditcher.)

*Chance climbed in the back of the car this afternoon, and said "ewww mom, the back of your car smells gross...it smells like fries and poo all mixed together."

There was a little boy acting very naughty in Chances primary class...he turned and told the boy that he was an "ANGRY ELF." The teacher told me that it made her whole day and she nearly peed her pants laughing. (We were visiting at a different ward, which makes it even funnier because he didn't even know the boy.)

*Chance's kindergarten teacher's name is Mrs. Rasband, he came home and told Brandon that her name is Mrs. Wristband! Close enough

*As we were driving through the farmlands, Addie blurts out from the backseat, "it's cool how HAY grows, it just randomly pops up in perfect little blocks!" (She was DEAD serious)

*We came home from camping and Addie turns to me and says, "Mom, it feels so good to be home and walk on the grass and have a cup of milk!"

*We ate at a "Thai" restaurant tonight. Addie was so sick of peanuts on all of the food. She finally looked at me and said, "what the heck, do they have a peanut tree in that kitchen or what?"

*Chance asked me, "Mom, why Jesus make me so fast?" (Basically asking why he is such a fast runner)

*Chance was looking through the neighbors fence at their dog and he came running back across the street and said " oh sick, that dog just bless you'd all over my face!" Apparently, that means the dog sneezed on him!

*Chance calls "Walkie Talkies"... "Hickey Tickies"

*Hannah told me that we are going to give her "arthritis" because we are making her camp in a tent this year. (We sold our big fifth wheel last year.) Poor kids!

*We went thru the drive-up at Wendy's and they were out of Frosty's. As we pulled away, Chance murmurs to himself: "damn, damn, damn!" (I will take full responsibility for that one!) Needless to say, we had a little chat!

*Chance says that "chocolate milk" is his favorite taste!

*Chance was picking the seat of his pants today, and I said "what's wrong son, do you have a snuggy?" And he said, "no mom, I don't have a snuggly, my bums are just stuck together.

*Tonight at dinner, Addie told us that her favorite solid food is BUTTER and her favorite liquid food is SPRAY BUTTER!

*Chance told me today that his brain was making him scared to go to school. (He just kept holding his head in his hands)

*We had a "chick" die this weekend. Of course the kids made us do a burial. Apparently it freaked Chance out, and he wouldn't sleep in his bed because he just knew there were dead chicks in the sheets, and his feet could feel the feathers!

Easton "Such a Big Miracle, in such a Little Boy"

For those that don't know, our little boy nearly drowned in a bathtub accident when he was just 7 months old. I had run a bath for myself and left Easton (who could barely crawl) in his room on the floor. I ran out to the kitchen to clean up a glass my daughter had broken. When I returned to the bath... Easton had pulled himself into the bathroom and was floating face down in the water. He had his feet pajama's on which helped him slip over the side. He was under for about two - four minutes and it took four minutes of CPR from his daddy before he took his first breath. He was taken by ambulance to "Primary's" where he stayed in the ICU overnight. He had a full recovery. We are so, so lucky! He is ONE YEAR OLD now and we're so happy that our heavenly father decided that we could keep him!!! He brings so much SUNSHINE into our lives. "We love you Eastie". I put this on my blog for my own journal, but also for people to always be aware of your kids around water...they are capable of sooo much more than you may think!