Catch up

So a lot has happened since my last post- sorry about that. We had a major ice storm, we've moved, and I have spent a few weeks in Utah (where I am writing this post).

Mackay is getting cuter every day. It is so fun to see how the wheels in her head have begun to turn in interesting and mischievous ways. This day, for example, she was eating crackers, and thought they looked like something she could place on her eyes. While I was taking a series of pictures of this, she got off the couch and was walking towards me. I kept snapping shots until she was just out of focus. As soon as I took the camera away from my eye, not realizing just how close Mackay really was, I got clobbered in the face with a cracker.

Our ice storm was interesting. It is nothing like snow. You can't say, "I'm experienced in driving on ice" because you can't drive on ice--it is impossible. Luckily, (or unfortunately), Nate lived 0.1 mile from work, so he had no excuse to take a day off to play with his family. All the schools had the day off, and I watched out the window as kids were treating the road as an ice rink, sliding all over the place in their shoes.



Later that day it warmed up, though, and Mackay and I decided to go out for a walk. I bundled Mackay up tightly and we walked up and down the street (the only street that I feel comfortable walking on by myself). This is also the last picture of this stroller because I accidentally left it on the front porch and it was gone in the morning, along with a camping chair. Fortunately, I hated the camping chair, so thank you for taking that. And luckily I was cheap and found a jogging stroller on Craig's list for $40, instead of paying the $160 at the store. And the tires were flat.

Some of the ice in the garden looked a little like snow, so Mackay played in the "snow" for a while. I should of got a picture panned out more because what you see is all the "snow" that there was.
Moving is always an awful experience. Interesting though, is how every time we move, I make this resolve of getting so organized and packing so well that it is a joy when we move and have to unpack. But, it always ends with throwing whatever you can find into a random box or garbage bag because you are out of boxes. I hate moving. It's worse with a child because you get things out that she never gets to play with, but you are so busy that you just stop caring. One year in Vail with Nate's sisters we made a kit of props that you can use to sing primary songs. It is really fun when it is well controlled--a mess when it isn't. Well, when we were moving it wasn't controlled, but Mackay had a ball. Here she is sporting her "bling".

I made Mackay's shirt immodest so that I could suction little ducks on her belly. I told her to go stand by the couch so I could take her picture, and this is the pose she struck. Oh, and the reason why she is wearing those little bloomers over her diaper is because when she takes her naps, the heat blows right on her and she gets sweaty, so I take off her pants, but she knows how to take off her own diaper. So this was my ingenious solution.

Mackay taking my picture with her play camera.

Cute little feet with legs crossed.

Grandma Barker came to visit a couple of weeks ago (heaven sent!), and they were playing with a sticker book. Mackay put two and two together that she was putting eyes, a nose, and a mouth on the book, and she has eyes, a nose, and a mouth. This was all her idea.

She did Grandma's "makeup" too.

Now on to Utah. Mackay loves her uncles. Especially when they leave her unattended with markers. She also loves chapstick. This is what happened with such a dangerous equation.

Notice the colorful teeth.

Mackay especially loves Chad. She says his name backwards, "Tach." When he comes home from school she instantly becomes hyper and runs to greet him, and then never leaves his side until bedtime.

This is the first time Mackay has really seen and played in snow. She loves it, and is always wanting someone to take her outside to walk in the fresh powder. I love Utah!