You Scream, I Scream, We all Scream for Ream Ream????

Mackenzie loves ice-cream, well she calls it Ream Ream. She will even say, "Mommy pease come" and will take my finger and pull me to the freezer and say "Ream Ream pease"

Often times we settle for a fruit snack. When we visited the doctor her recco was to give Mac some ice cream to help with the blisters, and well she is her mothers daughter and sweet things are well sweeeet!

While watching her favorite show "Booooooots" thats Dora the Explorer for the rest of us, Boots was having Ream Ream, so Mackenzie wanted hers. Usually I say no, its 1pm on Monday its not ice cream time, then I thought........um why not.

I spent the first few years of her life living up to parenting books, I am actually better for these books but I dont want to live (or force this life on others he he he ) by a book. So we had a sweet treat in the middle of the day, today for no other reason then her friend Boots was having some ream ream too!

James Taylor said it best -

"How sweet it is to be loved by you"

(Bad hair days are Mommy's fault - but hey it was a slow Monday)

Lazy Days..............

We are starting to build a tradition us Dunns -

should we get to a Saturday and we dont have

to work..............

Have breakfast together, today it was at

our favorite place Evergreen Inn - actually

the restuarant workers know us and

remember Mackenzie and have watched her

grow.

Its nice to have a toddler who can eat at a table, and can feed herself!

Then we take Mackenzie to the park, and she gets to dictate when we leave......... We actually have an amazing park in our neighborhood - as well we should with the property tax we pay - but I digress.

Mackenzie, though cautious is pretty brave on this jungle gym

Down the slide she goes!

Jeff got up there to help Mackenzie because she was stuck in a tunnel. I love watching them together - they're my 'peeps' I cant help myself!

The park also has a water park attached to it - and Mackenzie had to get wet - !

After all our fun we got home and napped! What a fabulous Saturday!

Coming Clean

It's been a busy week. We had VBS at church (vacation bible school) and I was pied in the face. Kids rock!

Mackenzie is all better, she actually never had HMFD just its ugly cousin No Name Virus. She healed up quickly. Her language is exploded - she is a massive repeater, its exciting to watch her blossom!

I am watching the Olympics and am bawling - take about Hope of Nations. Its so wonderful seeing people in their moment - inspiring!

Here's some Mac -a-licous

Have a great weekend. We dont have much planned (huge sigh of relief).

Kicked OUT of the church nursery!!!

NO, this isn't a mug shot! Mackenzie

hasn't been feeling well the last few days.

First it was a reaction to Auntie Roni's

(Awoni as she calls her a mix of Aunt and

Roni I think) cats.

Then it was the 2 year molars - but the

last few days she seemed to be a littleextra moody, and you know I have alreadycomplained about her excess droll.

Well today she had a hard time warming up to her favorite Sunday School teacher - I figured its just the teeth. But then - I get paged to go get her.

Arriving at the desk they had already pulled her out of class - and they told me she had blisters in her mouth!!!! Thank the Lord a church our size has several nurses and doctors - so after talking and showing the blisters to them we are pretty sure she has HMFD (hand mouth foot disease) not to be confused with Foot and Hoof (thats Mad Cow people I may have a mad little heffer but she doesnt have Mad Cow).

She should be all better in a few days - but my faith is she will be better sooner the later. She does get to eat lots of ice cream so she will ride this train happily I imagine. Here are a few pics from the last few days.

This one is today after her very short nap.

This is whats on her "Bucket List"


Minutes after leaving church today

Happy Sunday!

Love makes you..........

I just put the babe down for a nap -

before I forced this nap on her,

she wanted to squeeze a banana but not eat it,

Tried to put a new shirt on but couldnt do it alone, and of course refused help.

Completely trashed the house I cleaned, organized, and vaccummed not even 24 hours ago.

Hit her dad, and rolled her eyes a new thing she recently mastered.

I am apart of a Moms group - 13 of us total - all of our children were due

(or came) in the month of August.

Several of us are first time moms, but we are blessed to have a few Moms who have gone before us.

These ladies have the patience of Job - I am better parent

because of them, and I love that we share the daily dealings with

our kids and lives together.

So back to nap time - I kept my cool put MacNcheese in her

crib that she almost climbed out of, she was almost hysterical....
....I scooped her up and rocked her for a minute.

Love makes you be patient, talk softer, repeat yourself

8 times, choose not to do it yourself - yes it would be

faster but she takes pride in being a helper.

Love makes you, want more then you had for your kids -

and makes you make the right choices to do so. It makes

you be consistent when you are exhausted and makes you

read the same book 2o times IN A ROW.

Love and desire to live a legacy are way bigger then pride,

and can overcome anything!

East Coast Meets West Coast

Mackenzie and Mamom

I actually remember complaining about a $300 flight to the NC - I take it back - I so take it back! Nevertheless my Mom came for a visit recently. We had a blast, Mackenzie loved spending time with her other Mamom. I was born in North Carolina where both my Moms family and my Dads family are from. We moved to California when I was 4 so I have deep roots as a west coaster. I don't get back there often, though I have lots of memories of summers with cousins there.

@ Pebble Beach

Now that Mackenzie is 2 we no longer have the lap option on flights - 3 full price tickets - ouchie! Two things I know, there is no place like home and having a Mom is good. It was nice laughing and hanging out with her for a week. Looking forward to next time.

Didn't I just have a new born?

Where did 2 years go? I can remember how hot August 2006 - and seriously not to take away from any pregnant women but August 2008 is not hot like 2006 was.

Life was so different, Jeff and I were just a couple. We could come and go, not cook and eat out for days if not weeks on end. Vacation where we wanted. OMG lets talk about sleep - I guess suffice it to say we could sleep - baawahaaaa - but we both could certainly sleep in without having to schedule it. We never had to have breakfast at home - we could buy it on the fly or just settle for a latte - and Sunday mornings where there's a million details we could skip all together and just get to chuch.

Mackenzie Grace - changed our lives as we knew it. And boy are we the better for it! After 29 hours of waiting she came out via C-Section. After her first 24 hours a nurse noticed her breathing was labored. She was in the NICU for a little over a week with a random infection that effected her breathing.

What a scary time. We made it home it took us a while to find our rhythm. Sometimes even longing for our old life that was carefree and easy. Having a family changed us, and me. I thought most of my selfishness vanished the first year of marriage - WRONG.

Parenting (if you are doing it right Ill add) is selfless, constantly giving more then you thought you would or could. Its our chance to leave the world better.

So we enter the month that my daughter is turning 2, I can hardly believe! She is so fun. One of my favorite things she does right now is shushing Jeff or me if we sing or talk to loud she will let us know by puting her index finger on her lips and saying SHHHHHHHH. She can repeat most words and is getting good at please and thank you. She is cautious when in a new area like a party for instance, she carefully checks everyone out then decides when she is ready to participate.

She is the best, funny, sweet and loves to laugh. She is proudly saying I am two while holding up 3 fingers. So much fun and so much work all rolled up into one. Amazing what a little love can do. Again I'll say, "Look what the Lord has Dunn!"

Here pictures for her 2nd birthday

Thanks Mac, I hope we make you as happy as you make us!