Thankful for family

pictures taken by Melinda Bowler

I am thankful to have these boys a part of my life (even though McKay doesn't look very thankful). I just loved his little face on this picture, so I had to add it. We leave today to spend Thanksgiving in Seattle, my true HOME! I can't wait to be there again. That place holds so many memories for me, especially around Thanksgiving time as we have a lot of traditions as a family there for this holiday.

Free Babysitting Anyone?

(This picture doesn't really have anything to do with the post other than I was excited to have a couple hours of free time with no pots and pans on the ground. Ha ha)

Last night the young women of our ward offered free baby-sitting from 6-8pm at the church during their normal mutual activity. During the day yesterday, I kept thinking to myself, "I don't think I'll take McKay over there. Kimball will be at scouts and I don't really have anything I have to do." Then one of the YW came over to remind me, and I think I sensed a pleading in her voice to let her play with McKay that night, so I reconsidered, and I am SO glad.

Let's just say I felt a little funny driving to the church because I thought, "I'm going to be the only one bringing my kid and they're going to think that I am a crazy mom," but when I arrived, there were tons of kids already there!! (Yahoo) So I got to spend a couple hours alone at my house while the girls googly eyed over McKay. When I picked him up, they said, "he was the only baby that didn't cry. He is soooo good!" Sweet. Good ending to a great two hours alone.

Happy Fall

With fall comes BYU football for our family! This year hasn't been so great, but last Saturday's game was fantastic! We went with Brian and my parents.

McKay played with Blake & Heather (Kimball's brother) while we watched the game.

Fun Costumes

We went to a party as salt and pepper shakers. That was a lot of fun. I love to get dressed up in costumes with Kimball. He's a great sport about it too!

McKay scared everyone who came trick or treating at our door (not quite, but he is working on his roar).

Birthday Party

McKay having fun with a couple presents. He loves stuffed animals. He grabs them and puts them up to his face and kicks his legs up and down.

McKay's balloons

The cake. I could not figure out how to rotate the darn picture, but you can just turn your head.

McKay's so happy he turned 1!

1 Year and Tender Mercies

McKay turns 1 tomorrow, and I can hardly believe it has been a year. We, as our little family of 3, have had numerous tender mercies this past year. A leader of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints, Elder Bednar, gave a great talk on tender mercies.

He said, "the Lord’s tender mercies are the very personal and individualized blessings, strength, protection, assurances, guidance, loving-kindnesses, consolation, support, and spiritual gifts which we receive from and because of and through the Lord Jesus Christ. I testify that the tender mercies of the Lord are available to all of us and that the Redeemer of Israel is eager to bestow such gifts upon us."

A few tender mercies that I have been thinking about over the past little while:

• My OB for McKay. We were living in Logan at the time, and he strongly encouraged me to induce labor the same day I had some tests done that showed McKay was not responding well in utero. After a few days in the NICU, McKay's pediatrician said to me, "it is amazing that he came when he did because if you had waited even one more day, he could have been much more sick or dead."
• Family-my parents, Kimball's parents, siblings, cousins. We have so many wonderful people in our families! The first two years of our marriage, we had the privilege of living close to some of my aunts/uncles/cousins. Now we live close to Kimball's parents and a few siblings. This is a blessing in our lives.
• Our house. I love it! It has helped me be more positive and adaptable to living in Southern Utah! After renting for a couple years, which really isn't that long in the grand scheme of things, I feel blessed to be in a house.
• McKay. Boy is he happy (most of the time). I just hope all his little siblings will follow in his footsteps and be just as smiley and happy. Some people have been shattering this hope in saying that all my children won't be like that.....ha ha. On a more serious note, it is truly amazing that McKay does not have any neurological problems after finding out that my placenta was not giving him enough nutrients to grow. I find this to be a huge tender mercy!
  
• Friends. I can't even begin to say how grateful I am for friends that have become my second family while Kimball works such long hours.

Thanks to everyone who has made our last year great! We love you, McKay!