A weekend of outings

It's October...which, for us spells c.r.a.z.y.b.u.s.y.

The whole month usually turns out to be a big blur, but it's so much fun and so gorgeous around here at that time that we are always sure to take in some of the beauty in nature and breathe some fresh air.

The weekend kicked off the month of running with our city's annual Komen Race for the Cure. Our sorority chapter has now hosted a team for this event every year for TEN YEARS! I'm so proud of our little team!

This was McKinley's second Race, my ump-teenth. Up until I lost Dad I was heavily involved in all things Komen. I served as a board member and the chair of the Education Committee, a vital and active part of the Komen brand. I loved the challenge of meeting the members of our community, meeting deadlines and attending the inspiring trainings. How lucky I was to have served such a wonderfully interesting role in my community in my early and mid-twenties. It's always so easy to get caught up in the meaning and the true celebration of the day. I've got goosebumps just typing about it!

This year, like every year, there is a parade of survivors and every man, woman, child and dog on that campus stands at attention, cheering and clapping. I knew so many faces from that parade, as did Mom. There was a special one missing this year, but she is in a better place than we are now. Even more chilling, I knew the youngest survivor of this year's parade! She's a year younger than me and someone I have been friends with since high school. I'm so happy she's doing well now. What a tough road. Much respect for all of them...much.

The morning was brisk, so Mom, McKinley and I bundled up - big time. I love that kind of weather where you layer and layer and shed those layers throughout the day as the sun warms you all over! Gosh, I love fall.

I made McKinley a very special t-shirt of his very own since no one has come up with the idea to add baby and toddler size shirts to the registration sheet. McKinley's shirt has a sweet hot pink-ish breast cancer ribbon on the front, and in blue boy-ish font above the ribbon says, 'Real Men Wear Pink'.

LOVE IT! I was so proud. Now, I do realize that someday he may get really irritated with me about that one...but it's all for the cause!

We had a wonderful day, but boy were we tired at the end...you can tell because McKinley really wanted his pacifier. He only wants it when he's really tired. Nuff said.

On Sunday, we again took advantage of this gorgeous weather. Cary, McKinley and I headed West to a small town about an hour away, the home of a long-standing tourist destination called Rockome Gardens. We had an awesome Amish-style home cooked buffet in the Gardens' restaurant, then went out into the actual park where we made our first stop to take a picture that has certainly become a tradition within our families. It's the picture in the GIANT rocking chair. When my family took me they took the exact same picture. When Cary's family took him, they took the exact same picture. Now, McKinley has one of his very own and I hope someday my grandchildren will have the opportunity to have that same picture. I should frame all three of us in the giant rocker.
We walked through the lovely gardens (forgot to take pics...duh!). The garden 'walls' were sculpted with rock in various shapes and sizes, they also feature a sunken garden and a secret garden, that made me just want to sit inside it's concrete walls for hours. It was beautiful.

After that, we toured main street of the 'ole town'. It was like stepping back in time. There was a blacksmith, a weaver, a horse barn (where Cary played a game of tic-tac-toe with a CHICKEN...no joke), a bakery, an old school house and a petting zoo. I loved the massive amounts of red ladybugs that were EVERYWHERE. They were seriously swarming, it was beautiful to see them float through the air.

McKinley thought the goats were pretty dang funny. Every time they would call out or run over to the food we had for them, he would let out this loud belly laugh! So funny!

At the end of the day we shared some yummy ice cream in the old ice cream parlor and went for a 'train' ride. Unfortunately, the train was 'robbed' on our way back to the Gardens and the 'robbers' took three prisoners and one lady's handbag. Ha ha ha. All in good fun. When the robbers came onto our car, McKinley was really just looking them over like, 'Um, what do you think YOU'RE doing?' He was quite the observer.

Finally, we packed it in and headed home.

We had such a fun weekend!

Yay for road trips!

Lynn

Visits

Last Sunday we made another trip to Bloomington to visit Grandma & Grandpa. McKinley even got to see Mamaw, Aunt Lori & Uncle Michael and his big cousins.

Cary took the opportunity to play some golf with his Dad and brother on one of their favorite courses, while McKinley and I had some fun of our own with Grandma. It was such a nice day again! We really are loving this Indian Summer...too bad I think it's almost gone.

All three boys had so much fun playing on the circle drive. McKinley's big cousins pushed him around on his firetruck while he squealed with delight. Logan and Mason played some basketball and rode around on their scooters, and everybody played with the sidewalk chalk. Good times! -Lynn

The outdoorsey type

I can't believe I'm just now posting this...our super-fun trip was almost two weeks ago! But seeing as how we have been crazy busy, well...I guess it shouldn't surprise me.

On Sunday (Sept. 21st), Cary and I grabbed the boy and a bunch of stuff (jogging stroller, cooler, sneakers, sunscreen & bug spray) and headed out to McCormick's Creek State Park about 45 minutes from home. This RARE picture of the three of us, not taken self-portrait style shows a 'glowy' Mommy & Daddy with a sleepy baby boy in a sling. This was at the END of the day, incase you couldn't guess. hahaha Good times!

On the way, we stopped at a great farmstand and got some Indiana peaches and some GORGEOUS green tomatoes - guess what we had for dinner? McKinley's favorite was the little tiny banana the owner gave him, 'just because he was a good boy'. He sunk his chompers into that little bitty banana and it was gone in a flash!

At the big park, we had a lovely picnic lunch ala nearby Subway (didn't want to pack sammies and have them get soggy on the ride), enjoyed an invigorating swing on the sweet little 'old school' play ground (yes, that includes Mommy & Daddy) and even took on a long hike.

We ended the day with a jaunt down to the Park's Falls, which aren't Niagra or anything, but they're pretty nice for the Hoosier State - uh...they were a tad dry. It had been a while since we'd had a good rain.

By the time we were finished we were all exhausted - McKinley especially, he had so many things to see and learn!

It was a nice way to spend the final Sunday of the Summer.

Just to update...

McKinley is having a fabulous time in Wee Read every week. He's quite the ham and the socialite. Last week ALL KINDS of girls were FLOCKING to him. Flocking, I tell you! Daddy was so proud! Must have been the singing. My son is already serenading the ladies. Oh lordy.

I'm still in Physical Therapy for 'the neck' from 'the wreck'. I'm seeing some results but still in a fair amount of pain. Here's hoping that goes away someday.

Cary's keeping up with all of our comings and goings like a champ. He's happy to see the fall weather and not melt into a puddle anymore. Maybe he can get in some more great autumn golf!

Lynn

She's BAAAAAACCCCCKKKK...

Look what's in our driveway.

FINALLY!!!!!

Whoo hooooooo!!!!!!

I'm happy to report we're 'moving along' with the idiot's insurance company. It's been a little slow because the Murano took so long to fix, but hopefully now that issue is over things will progress faster. This really did a number on our car (you wouldn't believe the total), but her 'plastic surgery' went well and she's back and better than ever.

I'm still in physical therapy for my neck. The therapist who evaluated me was SHOCKED when she tried to touch my neck and I jumped because my muscles were so tight. I'm really sore and it is uncomfortable to carry McKinley (which seriously ticks me off), but I'm hopeful that this too shall pass.

I'm just so happy to at least have our own safe, sturdy car back at home. I think we all feel less out of sorts and can get back to normal.

In the meantime, we're all three nursing 'colds' again. Yuck, it's been a bad year for that. I attribute part of that to the weather and the early-June floods that wreaked havoc on Indiana.

McKinley has a busy week in store. Wednesday he will attend his very first Wee Read at our library. I can hardly wait! We're meeting some friends there too (Mommy Heather and Van - pictures to follow soon) and I'm sure all four of us will make many new baby and mommy friends. The class is structured for babies ages 0 to 2, so McKinley will have a ball interacting with these children, no doubt!

Updates and fun pics to come!

Lynn

A good way to end a great summer

In honor of the unofficial end to summer (Labor Day Weekend), I thought it would be a great time to do the long-standing tradition of the 'What I did over Summer Break' Report.

This is the Vernon Version:

Our summer was filled with lots of excitement, beginning with our first family vacation to Myrtle Beach and my birthday (30!) and ended with a great trip to B-town for Cary's birthday over the holiday weekend.

Myrtle Beach was beautiful and the perfect getaway for our first family vacay. We had so much fun visiting the Biltmore Estate on the way to M.B. and really soaked up the sun for a whole week. Yours truly got a little too much sun...painful. See slide show of vacay here.

My 'Big Three-Oh' was soon to follow, and was a total blast. Cary and my Mom threw me a wonderful surprise party - I was SHOCKED - and had a great time, even if they did make me wear goofy glasses and a GIANT party hat (think dunce cap). lol

We celebrated the fourth of July together and the following night Cary and I had a great date to see a long-time fave, John Mayer. Good times!

After that it was time to get everything ready for another birthday...McKinley's FIRST! We had a lot of fun with that day and were so honored to have so many wonderful friends and family members there to share such a special day with.

I guess the next 'big event' during our summer was my wreck...but I promised that this post would be happy and upbeat, so that's all I'm gonna say about that!

In the beginning of August, McKinley attended his very first wedding and reception. My old buddy from...gosh, can it be ELEMENTARY SCHOOL? Yep...we go back pretty far...Jim and his lovely bride Caitlin got married. It was such a beautiful day for them and we were honored to have been guests at such a special occasion. I think McKinley's favorite thing about the whole day was taking a carriage ride around the Circle in downtown Indy and the horse he met. He loved it!

After McKinley was fast asleep, thanks to my Mom, Cary and I headed back to reception for some alone time. It was great catching up with Jim and Mike and their families. We had a great time. After the reception ended, we strolled around downtown Indy, hand in hand for a while. It was a nice feeling to be out on our own and relaxed together. We stopped off at a restaurant/brewery and had a little snack and drink (I had the Godiva Martini...YUM!!!), then headed back to the hotel for the night. Though it wasn't a planned date, it was so nice to be together in such a beautiful area of the city. I love being impromtu with Cary!!!

So, the summer 'ended', unofficially this weekend with the Labor Day Holiday, and Cary's birthday. Sunday we picked up Mom and headed to B-town for some R&R, tacos and cake. We had so much fun playing around all day, but my favorite part was watching Logan and Mason 'chase' McKinley through Grandma and Grandpa's house. It was SO CUTE! Check out the video-listen to the screams of delight! Love it! Ever seen anything cuter? Didn't think so...

(You can turn the music down or off at the bottom of the page to better hear the silliness!!!)

Those were most of the big things, but we also had so much fun watching McKinley go from baby to boy (and trust me, he's all boy, folks! hahaha). He's made some big changes over the summer. His vocabulary has grown, he's become VERY opinionated (No, really???!!!), 'graduated' to one nap a day, table foods and whole milk (organic, of course) in a BPA-free sippy cup. We've also had so much fun making many trips to visit family in B-town, going to the park, finger painting, coloring with crayons and playing in our backyard 'waterpark'.

Our boy sure is a ball of energy and loads of fun. Everyday is new and exciting and full of a new word, sound or trick. He has made it an extra fun summer for us.

We are sad to see the summer go, but anxious for a gorgeous and event filled fall. We've already got some fun things to look forward to for McKinley (Wee Read, Kindermusik, The Pumpkin Train), and for ourselves (anniversary #4!!!!, Zumba for me, Golf tourneys for Cary, and a special getaway).

Hope everyone had as great of a summer as we did!

Lynn

And MORE wreck news

I thought FOR SURE my next post would be a really happy one. Wrong.
Just a brief update:
*The Idiot has yet to respond to the mail or messages from his insurance company. This means they are going ahead with the proceedings by using the police report, my statement and the witness statement (thankfully, she saw the light colors). This could potentially be a good thing...then again, it might go the other way...and knowing my luck, well, you get the drift.
*The dealership called. Guess what?! They found MORE stuff wrong with the Murano. This means a higher price tag and more time. Thank goodness for insurance, huh? We won't see the car until AT LEAST Sept. 9th, if not later. That's well over a month in a rental...that'll be a fun bill to send to the Idiot's insurance company!
*Diagnosis: Whiplash. Classic case. Will continue to get worse if it is not addressed immediately...per my doctor. This means physical therapy THREE times a week for at least a month.
Um...I just really want one brief opportunity to tell 'the Idiot' what his stupidity has done to turn our lives upside down. Hello?! I'm a SAHM (stay-at-home-Mom), WHO is going to watch McKinley so I can go to P.T. AND Zumba, AND make all these calls to various departments of my car insurance company, AND just deal with our daily lives? It won't be him! I know, I know...at least I'm alive. I get it. But I'm so over all the 'stuff' that has come with this wreck.
I PROMISE the next post will be fun.
I promise.

A trying week

Lately, it seems that while we have so very much to be thankful for, we also have a lot to carry around right now too. It's been a difficult week, emotionally and we are looking forward to a better time of things...very, very soon.

We got a call from my mother-in-law that Cary's Grandmother (Mamaw) had suffered a heart attack. Though it was mild, she is ninety years old and the doctors were being very careful with her situation. She remained in the hospital for a few days, was released to her retirement community and is under a greater amount of care. She will be in physical therapy now because the heart attack made her very weak and she was unable to walk. When we went to see her yesterday, two of her grandsons made her get up and walk! Go Cary and Jimmy! She did so well and I think she really liked having those strapping young men at her side. Who wouldn't, right?!
Anyway, we are all very worried for Mamaw , she is in our prayers.

The same morning, Cary called me to tell me that LeRoi Moore died unexpectedly. LeRoi was the AWESOME saxophonist from Dave Matthews Band. If you know Cary and Lynn, you know that the Dave Matthews Band, or DMB are a huge part of our relationship. On our first date, I got in Cary's SUV and heard DMB playing! I knew we were good to go then. lol
Though it's not like we know LeRoi personally, we appreciated his talent and his contribution to the band just the same. So, we were pretty shocked.
LeRoi was involved in an ATV accident back in June (link to story here) and had many complications. Unfortunately, it ended his life and broke many hearts.

Then we learned that a friend from my childhood had lost his sister - whom I also knew from all those years ago. The story is so sad. This young woman was pregnant and died from complications of Pulmonary Hypertension. This disease is more common than most think, though each case is different and rare, it is actually very common in pregnant women.

I don't talk about it much, because most of the time people just 'don't know what to say' or whatever, but this awful disease is what I lost my Dad to nearly three years ago. It is a devastating disease, though I have never really met a disease that isn't...maybe that's why they named them DISEASES. Not a pleasant word. At any rate, this disease is complicated, can easily and commonly be misdiagnosed (as in my Dad's case) and is most certainly fatal if not found and treated in a timely fashion - oh, and it's also hereditary.

Later that morning, while walking into my Zumba class my Mom spotted one of my Dad's best friends in the store beside the studio. I hadn't seen him since the memorial service I held for Dad. Mom called him over and told him she had 'something to show him'. He LITERALLY RAN to the car and said he knew exactly what she wanted to show him. He opened up the door and met McKinley. He couldn't stay away, he was so excited to meet our boy! He said that he always wished that my Dad could have held on long enough for 'this' because there's nothing like it (referring to beinga Grandparent).
Me too...

So hearing all this really brought what I've been feeling since the wreck to the forefront. While I didn't exactly see my life flash before my eyes or anything...it was an EYE-OPENING experience for me. I seem to have those a lot - lol. It's like God's little reminder to continue to strive to be the best person I can be and love and appreciate my family and those who are still close to me.

Even more good news (sense the sarcasm) regarding the wreck...the Idiot has NEVER even bothered to call his insurance company back to give them his statement about the wreck. That was August 5th...come on! Oh, and they've added an additional $1000 in damages to the car and it will be the 2nd week of September before we see it again. And one last thing...evidently I have whiplash or something too. Our insurance company is making me see our family doc next week so I can be further evaluated. That stiff neck never went away, so whatever...blah. I'm ready for all of this to be over.

I'm sure my next post will be more positive...it has to be!
lol
Lynn
aka Debbie Downer
;-)

Wreck Update

Well...there's good news and bad news.
Thankfully, our car is NOT totalled. The adjuster said the car had a great deal of damage, but looked more expensive to fix than it was. He also said that I was very, very lucky. Yep. You're not kidding.
The bad news...the idiot's lying game is costing us a lot more time than it would have taken if he had chosen the 'right' way and told the truth. Thanks to his indiscretion we are now looking at MONTHS before his insurance comes through. Thank you, Idiot.
Oh...and though the car is NOT totalled, it will take a month to fix. Seriously. Something about Nissans and how technologically advanced they are takes twice as long to fix after an accident. Oh well, it's fixable! Yahoo!
In the meantime we've been given a really stinky (ala cigarette smoke) little SUV. I'm hoping we can get out of it and move on to a much more lung-friendly vehicle.
Beggars can't be choosers.
More updates to come!
Lynn

Good Day to Count Blessings

This is a long story, but I needed to get this out. Tuesday was a pretty trying day for all of us. And unfortunately it looks like we're going to be dealing with this issue for a while. On my way home from Zumba class on Tuesday afternoon, I was involved in a very scary crash.
THANK GOD, I was by myself - which as a SAHM (Stay-at-home-Mom) is very unusual. Normally, I would ALWAYS have McKinley with me, if not Cary and/or my Mom too. Matter of fact, I almost asked Mom to watch McKinley AT my class...but I didn't. They stayed safe, at home. Thank God.
I was heading home, eastbound on Ohio Street (if you're from T.H. or familiar you'll know where I'm talking about - it's a very busy 'main' street). I was the lead car among the little pack on the 3 lane one way street and had the green light at the intersection of 13th and Ohio Streets - and it had been green for a LONG time.
As I neared the intersection, out of the corner of my right eye I noticed this truck which had come out of no where, heading northbound and was traveling at a high rate of speed...through the red light. In an instant I slammed on the brakes, screamed (trust me...I screamed. My throat still hurts), and tried desperately to avoid the car some way, somehow. Suffice to say I didn't, as the pictures below reveal.
Everything was a two and a half hour blur then. I'm okay, just scared, angry at the idiot driving the truck (and trust me folks, he was an idiot), startled and so very, very thankful all in one. What a wreck - oh, no pun intended. The ambulance arrived first while 'the idiot' (as I will forever refer to him) began claiming his leg was broken as he suddenly developed a limp - but was STILL ABLE TO MANEUVER on said broken leg. The EMT RUSHED him into the ambulance, closed the doors as if to leave, then suddenly the doors opened and the idiot appeared, released from his broken leg by the EMT, who I'm certain pulled away and laughed. Oh but wait! Along with the limp, the idiot suddenly realizes an amazing amount of back pain and grasps his back in a dramatic fashion, glares at me and says, 'Oh, my back HURTS'. Gee whiz, he sure was in a hurry to get from his truck to my car as he sprinted to check on my condition, ask if I was okay, beg forgiveness and admit fault for flying through an already red light. Where did THIS guy learn how to ACT?
It gets better.
The police arrive, thankfully I'm familiar with both of the officers working the scene. NOT familiar as in having dealt with them before, as I'm proud to say that I actually sat inside a police car for the very first time in my life yesterday afternoon...to give my statement...in the front seat. Call me vanilla. Ha ha.
So, the cops get the idiot's statement first, which -- SHOCKER -- changes from his original profession of guilt to utter blame and fault laid on yours truly. He began to get belligerent and angrier by the second and actually came forward, arms splayed as if to attack, asking, 'WHY THE F*** DID YOU TURN INTO ME?' All I said was, 'Excuse me?' Thinking back on it, I wish I'd been able to find my inner backbone, for I would have certainly given the idiot a piece of my Murano-wrecking mind. One officer immediately jumped forward and walked the idiot back to his car, warning him to stay there until he said he could move. Twice more he approached me again during the LONG wait for this afternoon to be over . I was actually scared.
Finally, after many frantic phone calls to Cary (who beat it to the scene as fast as his ride would carry him), my Mom, my friend Sara S., and a slew of other friends who I tried to reach to ask for a ride home (good timing, huh? Middle of the workday), I was released to leave..sans the family car. The Murano was towed away, while the idiot's truck was drivable. Hmmm...must be nice to be the one to have caused the whole dang thing in a great act of stupidity and then to just drive away, like la-dee-dah, all the while laying blame on someone else.
I'm happy to report that the idiot has met his match in the form of a witness. She tells a very similar tale to me - only from the angle of pedestrian about to cross the street from where the idiot came barrelling. She stated that my light did not even turn yellow until after the traffic behind me got through the crash site. Amazing how that all works out, huh? Someone else to be grateful for.
So, I got home, FINALLY. I am so grateful for Sarah, Mary and Ezra (see them in McKinley's b-day slide show!). They stopped everything they were doing and came to rescue me and everything I had to schlep home from the scene (car seat, stroller, McKinley toys, loads of paperwork, etc). I truly, truly appreciate the help. Cary and I both do.
So, here I am today, amid many phone calls to wrecker services, insurance companies, THPD, Babies R Us (for a new car seat...), and our Nissan body shop and I can't seem to get two very, very intense emotions out of my head: Unbelievable gratitude to God and my guardian angels - lead g.a. no doubt being my Dad - for keeping me safe (and I still can't quite figure out how) and for NOT having any of my family with me. And also absolute, red hot anger toward the idiot for treating a potentially deadly piece of metal like a freaking toy, disregarding common law and thus completely complicating many lives in tow.
All I know is that I am so very grateful for actually being alive to feel this anger and gratitude. Had I been one second sooner, my survival and any additional passengers would most certainly have been the question of the day.
Now we 'WAIT'. Not something I'm good at, but I have to do it. The rental will arrive on Friday (thanks to the idiot have 'questionable' car insurance, we have had to wait to move on everything and therefore having no option of availability), hopefully the new car seat will arrive by Saturday so that we may all attend a special wedding...and maybe, just maybe, the Murano won't be totalled. Though, after closer inspection this evening, Cary and I realize that this is a real possibility as the frame is possibly bent.
If I may, I'd like to toot the proverbial horn of Nissan. The impact of the crash was big...you can tell by looking. But I barely felt a thing, seriously. I mean, I heard it and I felt it...but not like I should have. That's some shock absorption.
I hope the next post about this wreck will be a very positive one. I'm not holding my breath, but I AM being as optimistic as I can.
Bottom line, I'm sore, my neck is stiff, I'm tired because I can't sleep, every time I close my eyes I see a truck rushing toward me out of the corner of my eye, Cary's tired and stressed, Mom's tired and stressed, even McKinley had a really rough night sleeping...but we're all okay.
Thank God.

Lynn

Picture taken at Nissan dealership

One of the points of impact

Again taken at dealership, side view of hood damage

View from the scene, taken with camera phone. This view shows damage all the way to passenger door

The idiot's truck. Note: man pictured is NOT the idiot. Don't know who this is. Notice that the truck is strategically placed between the posts of this bank sign. Kind of remotely funny. Damage done to his vehicle in this crash is at the left rear, behind wheel. That's it. I suppose he could have thanked me for pushing him by the HUGH traffic light pole...too much to ask?

A Big Birthday Celebration

McKinley's first birthday came and went very, very quickly. All three of us had some serious recouperating to do post-soiree, so I'm just now writing about the big day. I wanted to be sure that the post reflected just how much fun it was for Cary, McKinley and I. It was so great to see family, friends and neighbors gather together to celebrate 'The Big 1" with us.

First of all...let's just talk about the weather for a second. I don't know WHERE such a gorgeous, non-humid, non-sweltering day came from in Indiana in the middle of July but it certainly was welcome, if not down right unheard of. We can only hope/wish/pray that each year is just as beautiful for our boy and his parties.

Just before the party got started a giant, blue castle arrived in our back yard. It matched our Little Prince theme perfectly! It sure was a sight watching that thing expand and reach high into the sky. I am sure all the children enjoyed it, and I think a few of the adults got a little thrill in the jumping throw back to their childhood too...self included. Ha ha! Though, I certainly do not remember the jumping causing an instant head rush as a child...perhaps that's due in part to aging???

Everyone was invited to the make-your-own-crown/tiara station, I didn't see as many adult crowns as I'd hoped though...hahaha, just kidding! All the kids did such a great job on their little works of art. And on their way out we had treat bags complete with a 'grow your own' castle or rubber ducky, some glow sticks, star erasers and a hand clapper noise maker (bet those were noisy rides home...sorry parents...didn't think about that). Each of the kids also got chocolate-dipped, crown-shaped rice crispy treats that I made. Those were fun for me! I haven't made rice crispy treats in a very long time, probably since I made them with my Mom and Grandma actually. That smell of melting marshmallows brought back so many wondeful memories of my childhood.

After everyone was finished eating it was quickly time for CAKE! So, we got McKinley dressed in his cake outfit, complete with birthday crown, lit the candles and sang. He dug into his cake and got icing E.V.E.R.Y.W.H.E.R.E. It was in his hair, in his NOSTRILS, in my hair, on Cary's face, on our clothes...heck, we're still finding it in all of the little nooks and crannies of the high chair! Mmmm, the cake was so yummy, McKinley especially liked it between his fingers. That was the best part of the whole day! He got so 'into' his cake that we took him straight to the tub.

Once we were finally done cleaning McKinley up, we started opening presents. It's too bad some of our guests had to leave early because McKinley really started to get into the package opening and LOVED playing with his new goodies. He got some really great stuff!

Eventually, the castle came down and the three of us headed inside for the night. McKinley slept like a little log that night and had some extra long napping the following day.
I know he had such a wonderful time.
We hope all our guests did too.

Lynn

Reminiscing

So, we're heavy into preparation for an awesome First Birthday Party for McKinley Shane.

Wait.

Did I just say that?

Could it be that our boy's FIRST birthday is really here?

I get teary-eyed just thinking about it.

My, how our precious son has changed and grown and developed. My, how our precious son has changed the world as we knew it. What a smile he brings to our faces each day just with a silly jibber-jabber sound, or by clapping for no apparent reason, or by snuggling in real close and sighing. Was there a time before him? Yes, but it certainly was boring in comparison to the pacifier runs, incessant bottle washing (because you KNOW I insist we do it by hand, with non-toxic, biodegradable, plant-based dish washing liquid), and silly sounds we suddenly are professionals at making. I mean, who ever thought it would come so natural to do all but stand on your head, in public just to get that infectious giggle out of your kids?! It's GREAT!

I can honestly tell you that in the last year of our lives, Cary and I have become quite proficient at the following:

*calculating total fluid ounces of formula consumed by McKinley, as well as vegetables, meats and fruit and the baby food pyramid

*multi-tasking, one handed

*swooping (as in things OUT of McKinley's little grasp, very, very quickly)

*knowing and predicting his every move, every sound, every mood before he even knows it's happening.

And finally...my favorite:

*waking up, numerous times throughout the night, every night, just to see how McKinley is...that's a big one for me especially. Prior to motherhood I could easily sleep through a flipping hurricane and not be any the wiser.

As I anticipate the weekend's festivities, words cannot express the emotion of motherhood behind this big event. Can it really be that a year ago tonight TWO of us had checked into the hospital but THREE would be coming home? I remember every second of those last few days before we became parents (um, whomever said you forget these painful things CLEARLY did not have the memory I do. HOW can you FORGET pain like THAT?). Walking into the hospital, climbing into that ridiculously uncomfortable bed, watching Cary's eyeballs grow bigger and bigger as he calculated the levels of each contraction. Holding our tiny baby boy. Wow.

Though I was so out of it from the anesthesia, I still remember hearing McKinley cry for the first time. I remember the doctor bringing him over to me so I could kiss him...it was seconds before I conked out. I remember barely being able to move, but when he cried I felt this urge to get my sore body going so I could comfort him. I remember watching Cary change his first diaper (Lord knows I still had too much anesthesia and was in NO shape to do that...Cary did a FINE job!!!). I remember everyone who came to see our boy! That's mostly thanks again to Cary. He took pictures of EVERYONE.

I won't go into our birth story in detail...who wants to know that stuff anyway, right? Suffice to say the induction didn't work and after a complete mental breakdown from yours truly, we ended up going C-section VERY early on the morning of Friday the 13th of July.

I think perhaps the funniest thing that happened during our all-too lengthy stay at the hospital was during my Mom's call to everyone to update them on the news that we were going with a C-section. My Mom handed me her phone and I was suddenly telling a girlfriend the story. I do NOT remember what I told her, I only remember saying that I was seriously so hungry. After I was finished, in the most calm, collected tone she could muster my friend asked me this:

"So, just to clarify. You're having a C-section because you're really hungry?" God bless her for making it sound like it was the only reason there was and that it made SO much sense! She never questioned any reasoning of mine, at all. I really wonder what I said to her...hmmm.

And to clear up any confusion...no, I did not choose to go with a C-section because I was very hungry. I WAS very hungry, but there was a failed induction, no progress and a baby that needed to come out that factored MUCH higher in the decision-making process.

Also, I actually got to eat MUCH later than I would have if we had been able to go 'natural'. Ends up I went from 7pm Wednesday night to SATURDAY EVENING before I got to eat. And even then all I was allowed was CHICKEN BROTH and JELLO.

Yuck.

Have you ever tried to EAT chicken broth?

Well, don't.

Trust me.

So, I looked at McKinley's newborn picture tonight. And then I looked at him. It is truly one of God's many miracles to see all the changes and growth of human life. McKinley is our blessing. A beautiful, sweet little soul that was a gift to us, from God. We are forever grateful.

Lynn

Then & Now

Yahoo for date night!

Cary and I ventured to Indy last Saturday to see one of our favorite musicians, John Mayer. Mom and I each bought a ticket for Cary's Father's Day present, so it was a win-win situation for us. I got a date with my hubby and Mom got a date with her precious Grandson!

Cary and I have been John Mayer fans almost as long as we've been Dave Matthews Band fans...well, I guess that's probably not true. We've been fans of DMB since we were in high school, John Mayer would still have been in high school too, he's the same age as we are, which makes him all the more cooler in my book. Anyway, whatever...point is, we love him. I'm absolutely obsessed with his 3rd studio album - every song is just awesome!!! My iPod is full of his stuff and I can never pick which song I want to hear. I fondly remember the day that Cary surprised me with a really cool new cell phone...this is LONG before we were even engaged! He also surprised me by picking the ringtone..."Your Body is a Wonderland", JM's first hit. I caught a lot of flack for that at work...I think my co-workers thought I had a pretty big ego, but I don't. I'm just a John fan!

So, that being said, can we just talk about how great the concert was?! OMG. We had the best seats, we were SO CLOSE! Not close enough to catch one of his guitar picks, or get an autograph (as he so graciously did at the very end...how COOL is he?), but we were very content. He sang almost everything we wanted to hear, he jammed with his band in that bluesy way of his, talked to the audience and even bragged about seeing Indianapolis' fireworks - oh...and making his own, in his hotel room I might add. Cary swears that's a reference to his very famous girlfriend, another favorite of ours.

Speaking of JM's girlfriend, humor me here. Never in my life have I ever uttered the words, "I just got to see Jennifer Aniston's boyfriend" until Saturday night. How cool is that? I know, I know, I'm a dork...and a long time FRIENDS fan.

So, get this: cameras are now allowed in concerts. Guess they finally gave it up. They all know we sneak 'em in every time, especially now that everyone has a camera on their cell phones. Gone are the days where I stuck my little crappy camera in my pants/shorts/shirt praying that no one would strip search me and stick a knife in my film, as was the big, scary rumor back in the day. I was always the kamikaze of our group, stating that I was taking it in anyway! lol This was also WAAAAAAY back when we always bought lawn seats only, please. So you know you couldn't even tell who was on stage in my pictures because what high schooler actually had ZOOM on their crappy cameras in the mid to late 90's? FUNNY!

This time it was simply posted, 'No Professional Cameras'. Well, great! However, that left me seriously out of luck. We lovingly use my Dad's camera from his dabbling in professional photography, so there was NO way I was going to get in with that hum-dinger. The only thing I have is another goofy self-portrait, taken in the car of me and Cary to share.

Oh - KUDOS to the genius engineer who finally figured out a completely foolproof way to get people the heck outta the Music Center. We waited THREE MINUTES, as opposed to the THREE HOURS we have previously waited to get out onto the interstate. Awesome job, Noblesville.

What a great night!!!

Happy Fourth!!!!!!

Hope everyone had a safe and happy 4th of July. We did!

On Thursday evening, the three of us headed downtown for our City's annual Fireworks. We weren't sure how McKinley would be, so we stayed near the car. It's a good thing too...once the big boomers (as my Mom calls them) started, McKinley thought it would be a MUCH better idea to enjoy the fireworks along with the simulcast of music from a local radio station. Good thinkin'.

It was pretty sweet seeing him react to the big, bright explosions in the sky. He sat in my arms and laid his head down on my shoulder to watch from a comfy spot.

On Friday evening, we invited Mom over to watch our own little display of 'kid-friendly' fireworks. McKinley didn't mind the tank (which was my own childhood favorite), and he liked the egg-hatching hen (which 3 out of 4 did NOT hatch any eggs, thank you) but his favorite had to have been the chinese pagoda (also a favorite of mine back in the day...). All decked out in his 'Little Firecracker' shirt, which we felt very appropriate for a July baby, he was quite the picture of Independance as he 'walked' all around the patio in his walker.

We put McKinley to bed that evening and had to play his lullaby CD three times to help drown out the crazy fireworks. It has never been so lively on the 4th in our neighborhood as it was this year. Fun! One of our neighbors had HUGE, professional-like fireworks...it was pretty cool to watch, once you got past the smoke screen in front of our house. hahahaha

Happy 4th of July!!!
Lynn

Cutest Invitations EVER

Okay, I cannot get over how cute these things are. McKinley's birthday invitations could NOT have turned out any more special or more like what we asked for.
I have to toot Polka Dot Bumble Bee's horn here (formerly Secret Stork Surprise), Veronica's company also did our Christmas cards and we loved both of them equally. I'm adding a link to her site (see left side of page), if you use her please mention our name.
She comes highly recommended!!!!!!!!!!!!

http://polkadotbumblebee.com