Grandma and Grandpa's Visit to Dallas

Grandma and Grandpa Fillmore were able to visit this past weekend and we had so much fun!! When Grandma and Grandpa first arrived Mackay was really shy, but she quickly warmed up by giving all her stuffed animals to sleeping Grandpa, and ordering them around the house to do whatever she wanted to do--she has become way too good at that.

Mackay and her binkies. She loves binkies so much, but usually only gets them when she goes to bed--except for when she knows how to crawl under her crib and get all the ones that have fallen behind there...We went to Bachman Lake by our house and Mackay had so much fun on the toys!
Here she is rock climbing, and she really got in this position all by herself--though we had to help her up the rest of the way. Nate was very proud, as you can imagine.
Mackay loves wearing glasses. Here she is wearing Grandma's. She would not smile for the life of her. When she is wearing glasses, she is always in character with a very straight face.
I gave her my phone and the photo worked perfectly.
We went to the 6th Floor Museum by where Kennedy was shot and where he was shot from. Here we are on the grassy knoll.
Kennedy was shot at 3 times, and there were 3 X's in the middle of the street--we assumed that they were marking where the shots were fired, so Nate ran with Mackay into the middle of the street. The cars on the left side of the picture are moving our direction-I took the picture as quickly as I could and then yelled for him to get out of the street with our daughter.
The window where Kennedy was shot from. It is second from the top.
This was a beautiful building in downtown Dallas. It is being turned into a Museum, and used to be the courthouse.
We went to the largest bronze monument in downtown Dallas. Mackay stuck her hand in the nostril of one of the cows.
Grandpa, Grandma, and Mackay. Grandpa had to force Mackay's head toward the camera because she was very intent on watching some kid climb a tree.
Grandma and Mackay playing in the water.
Grandma and Mackay
We stuck Mackay in a stirrup of one of the bronze horses. She actually fit and actually loved it!
Mackay and Grandpa. She has him wrapped around her little finger. All she had to do was send a big cheesy smile his way and he melted in her tiny little hands.

South Padre Island

Nate decided that he really wanted to go on a short day trip to see the beach, since he never had before. So, spontaneously, we packed two backpacks and jumped on a plane (the best perk of Nate's job), and two hours and a short car ride later, we were on South Padre Island on the tip of Texas. This picture is Nate and Mackay's first look at the beach.
We packed a spare change of clothes for Mackay, but after we got off the plane we realized she had poured her "no-spill" sippy cup all over her pants. These next few pictures are a play by play of why we needed to pack more clothes for Mackay:

Right when we got to the island, we went to the beach. Before changing into our swimming suits, before lunch, before everything. Nate put Mackay down to feel the water. You can see how shallow it is, but pay attention to the tiny wave looming right in front of Mackay.
The wave crashed into Mackay's ankles and pushed her down. Pushed her down in the last outfit we had packed for her.
Here Nate is picking her up as quickly as possible, but it was too late--she was soaked.
Here they are casually walking away from the scene of the incident. Lunch was spent at a nice restaurant with Mackay in a diaper and a t-shirt. And the plane ride home had Mackay wearing a towel hoodie, that goes over a swimming suit, and her diaper. One change of clothes for one day just wasn't enough.
Mackay and Nate found many sea shells on the beach. Mackay stuffed the entire thing in her mouth.
Lunch was good, although neither Nate or I got fish--it was a super expensive place. The virgin daiquiri were pretty tropical feeling though, and Mackay loved it.
Woohoo for Nate's new job!

National Talk Like a Pirate Day

September 19 was National Talk Like a Pirate Day. We celebrated with our friends the Brockbanks from our ward. Everyone dressed up, and we had a real pirate dinner without manners.
Dinner was served on the table with no plates or utensils, and we drank IBC root beer. The girls seemed to be pretty disgusted by the fact that they weren't eating on plates, and they were way too excited for the treasure hunt, so they didn't eat much.
Angel bought a treasure pinata, and Nate put together a treasure hunt with clues hidden throughout the house. The girls had so much fun finding the clues, reading them, and then running to the next clue. Mackay pretended to read the clues like Tori and Abbey, and when they ran off squealing to find the treasure, Mackay ran off squealing, too. It was really cute seeing her copy the girls, even if she didn't quite understand what was going on.
Mackay wearing Brad's official pirate bandanna. She kept it on for a while, surprisingly!
We brought the treasure in the house and everyone dived into the chocolate. Mackay loved the chocolate kisses, but the necklaces came in a close second. These chocolates have been a staple in Mackay's diet ever since.

Miscellaneous Mackay

Mackay was supposed to be taking a nap, but was just whining instead. I waited for a while, and when I finally went in to check on her because she wasn't quieting down, this is what I saw: She was trying to take her shirt off herself, and got it stuck on her head.
Mackay has adopted this cheesy smile. Don't ask me where it came from, but it gets worse with her eyes squinted close and every tooth showing.
Mackay feeding the ducks at the park by our house. There are so many of them I sometimes get nervous!
Mackay has adopted a new diet: fruit and chocolate only. I can't get her to eat anything else! This picture shows what she did with her macaroni and cheese instead of eating it. (I also love the face that the camera captured.)
Mackay's new thing is typing on the computer like Mom and Dad. She must sit on this filing box instead of a chair, and she types away and moves the mouse around like we do. She finds the craziest shortcuts that I wish I could do.

Fun, Fun and More Fun!

Mackay is pretty obsessed with dogs right now, so we thought it would be fun to take her to the zoo to see all of the animals. When we realized the price of going to walk around in the sweltering heat, we decided against it. Instead, we came up with the ingenious idea to take Mackay to a pet store. This specific store we went to let you hold the dogs in a little room--way better than the zoo! (And cheaper, too!--if you don't buy anything). Mackay got to hold a King Charles, which she absolutely loved. When we found out it was only $1,400, we decided it wasn't cute enough to keep. These pictures are taken with Nate's camera phone--pretty good!
This blank stare on Mackay's face was what she was like most of the time. It was almost like she was saying, "I've been looking forward to this moment my entire life, just let me sit and enjoy it." The dog did really well for how Mackay insisted on holding it so tightly in a head lock.
One evening after dinner, Nate took us to "The Trail Drive"--the world's largest bronze monument. It consists of over 40 cattle being driven by some cowboys on horses. It was pretty cool seeing this western setting in the heart of downtown, with skyscrapers all around.


Right by the bronze monument was a really old cemetery. Mackay never looks at the camera with a normal face, so I had to include this one.


We have a beautiful park and lake by our house where Mackay and I like to go to feed the ducks. This one day big geese came up to us, too close for my comfort, to get some bread. That is why we are standing on the bench. We look happy, but I am really freaking out and begging Nate to chase of the geese. He didn't, and we survived.

I saw this old man walking briskly on the trail by the lake, wearing his Navy hat, and carrying his cane. I just thought it was so cute, I had to take a picture. He reminded me of President Hinckley when he would wave his cane in the air instead of actually use it.
Mackay at the park. This day was her first big tantrum. She did not want to go home, but I was sweating so bad, and was so exhausted that I was a little selfish and determined that it was time to go. She screamed all the way back to the car, all the way home, all the way into the house, and all the way straight to her bed where she slept soundly.
Mackay going down the slide all by herself. Don't be too impressed, she had to scootch herself all the way down.

Here is Mackay playing with something under the park bench.

Here Nate has lifted Mackay into the air. She loved it, and luckily I got a picture!