Fun Fall Weekend

It was a perfect fall weekend. We had such a great time with our family. David, Sandy, Drew, Michael, Kendra, Ethan and Avery were here. It was the first time for David and Sandy to stay at Mom and Dads. Mom was the perfect hostess. There were fun snacks and drinks, and the house looked great. It was so neat to have them here. Cam, Ethan and Mac have so much fun with Drew. There is so much laughter and chaos when all the kids are running and playing. They all get along so well and are such good buddies. When Drew got out of the car he started running and I don't think he stopped the whole weekend. On Saturday we went to the pumpkin patch. The weather was perfect and the kids had so much fun. They ran around in a maze made of hay bales, went on a hay rack ride, and picked out the perfect pumpkins. They loved the maze the most. We came home and Michael helped all of the kids carve their pumpkins. Drew's was a classic jack-o-lantern, Ethan's was a cat, Cam's was Batman, and Mac's was a princess. While Michael carved Mac's pumpkin, she stared at him and did not leave his side for a second. She watched him like he was her hero, then didn't leave his side the rest of the night. The kids had such a good time playing with David. He chased them and ran with them the entire time he was here. It was great to see the kids spend so much time with David and Sandy. We miss them so much and wish they were closer. Avery was a perfect angel all weekend. She has changed and grown so much. She smiles all the time and laughs out loud now. Mackenzie is so fascinated by her. She hovers over her and talks to her and holds her hand. She giggles at every face Avery makes. When she starts crawling I think Mackenzie will absolutely loose her mind. Today was a relaxing day at home. The kids rode bikes around the pond and caught frogs. They all had a hard time leaving eachother. We can't wait for our next family weekend. I definately prefer the chaos, laughter and energy that comes with company to the quiet that is here when everyone goes.

Cameron

Yesterday I lost Cameron for about 5 minutes. It was by far the worst 5 minutes of my life. We were walking home from the pond and he cut through the grass between the houses while I walked his bike home on the road. He has done this before and waited for me on the driveway. When I got home yesterday he wasn't there and immediately I panicked. I was screaming his name and he wasn't answering. I kept going back and forth between the backyard and front yard. An AT&T worker stopped what he was doing and started looking. A worker across the street yelled "he's right here" and I looked and it was a boy from down the street. Every second that passed was so sickening. I ran to the Moore's down the street because that is his favorite place to go. When they said he wasn't there I thought I wouldn't make it. I could hear Kim telling the boys to get on their bikes and start looking. It all sounded like a piece from a horrible movie. As I was running back to ring another neighbors door it hit me that maybe my front door was unlocked and he went inside. I never leave the door unlocked so it didn't seem possible. When I opened the door I could here him coming down the stairs from his room. He remembered his new batman underwear on his way home and wanted to change. It never occured to me that he could have gotten into our house that is always locked up. I am posting this so we can all remember to be more careful.

Mackenzie

I have never known a little person like Mackenzie. She is so full of energy and life. She is so smart and sweet but also so independent and strong willed. Her favorite thing to do now is play with her babies. Every one of them is named Baby Avery. She wraps them in blankets and pushes them in her stroller. She pats them on the back, kisses them on the head, and sings "Little Feet Be Careful" to them. Everything with Mackenzie has been easy. She talked early, potty trained easily, and switched to a big girl bed without missing a beat. When she was 18 months old I told her it was time to let other babies have her paci's. I told her that mommys of babies without paci's would pick them up on our porch overnight. She said "Ok Mommy" and walked a ziplock baggy full of them to the front door and tossed them out herself. She never asked for one again. She is the toughest little girl. It is so funny to see such a little thing climb a rock wall and throw rocks with her brother. There is nothing she won't try. She loves dresses, bows, and princesses, but also loves matchbox cars and dirt. She has the most beautiful hair that looks like honey and she makes every dress look like it was made for her. She is everything you could ever ask for in a little girl. Since all of this blogging is for the kids to see someday, I thought I better take a second and let her know how amazing she is. Mackenzie, I am awfully lucky to be your mommy.

Baby Avery's baptism

We are so honored to be the godparents of such a precious little girl. She was so beautiful on her big day. She looked like an angel in her dress. Mackenzie told everyone all day that Avery was wearing her dress. The boys were so good all day. The weather was beautiful. It was a perfect day for a perfect little girl. Avery has the sweetest little personality. Her smile can light up a room. She really loves her Mommy holding her. I had her one time by myself for a little while and could not get her happy. I went and got the shirt that Kendra had worn the day before and put it over my shoulder and immmediately she stopped crying and went to sleep. It is going to be so fun to watch her grow up. She reminds me of Mackenzie in so many ways already. She would prefer to be held and she hates her carseat. Sounds like the making of another little princess!