Vegas baby!

What an awesome trip!! I will say, 7 nights in Vegas is about 4 nights too long. However, we made the most of it. Unfortunately, Josh had to work a bit more than he had anticipated - luckily, he was able to hang with us just about every night. It was soooo great spending some time with Jill, Steve, Bruce & Rachel. We really had a fantastic time together. We didn't take many pictures -- because we decided before we arrived that we would follow the motto... what happens in Vegas, stays in Vegas. So... here are the few pictures we did take.

View of the mountains (and downtown Vegas) from our room on the 55th floor at The Aria.

Beautiful blue skies.

View of The Aria from my pool chair -- we basically lived at the pool while poor Josh had to work.



Yummy!


Getting ready to head out.....


Josh playing a quarter slot for his Mom.... sorry Nana, we didn't win it big.

We had cocktails one evening at this restaurant that had a glass balcony overlooking the strip.

I got up one morning and just walked the strip.....

The Bellagio.
Of course we had to have Margarita's from Margaritaville.

Paris. We lost some money in this casino.

The strip... The city of Entertainment.

New York - New York.


ESPN Zone.... closed.... so sad.

Labor Day weekend.

Frank & Leilani joined us on our annual trip to the lake for Labor Day weekend this year. We had a blast!

For one reason or another most of the pictures we took were while we were on the boat?!?

Carter and Granddaddy enjoying a snack in the sunroom....

Kenzie learning how to drive the boat.... I think Granddaddy may have a new first mate on his hands.

Kenzie's hair blowing in the wind.

Leilani and I enjoying our booze cruize.

Now there is the true first mate!

Kenzie & Nana enjoying the wind.

Awww... Frank & Leilani.

Carter and Daddy checking out the birds.

Here they come!

Beautiful sunset.

Sleepover @ Grandma's!

I dropped Carter off at Grandma's really early on Saturday morning so they could spend the weekend together!

Grandma & Carter had a fun filled day at the Museum of Life & Science.

Carter is a huge fan of Dinosaurs...... all of them!

The hand on the hip is a new one... not sure where it came from?!


Carter even got to dig for Dinosaur bones!! Mom said he would have done that all day long.


Playing with trucks.

All ready for bed....

6 months!

It is so hard to believe our little princess is already half a year old. I honestly feel like I blinked and she grew up. It is going way too fast. Mackenzie is doing a whole lot of talking these days. I often wonder if her and Carter already have a secret language. When she plays in her activity seat she will talk to the toys on it as if they have ears.... it is the cutest thing. She'll get louder and louder - hoping they will talk back.

Last week she decided to get up on all fours and do what all us moms pray doesn't happen as quickly with the second as it did with the first. I remember working with Carter all the time in hopes that he would start crawling - well, I learned really quickly how nice it is when they are NOT mobile. Well, this little nosy girl decided she had to keep up with her big brother - so, off she went. She is still trying to master it.... she will often get frustrated and just let her head fall to the ground - however, you blink and she is 1/2 way across the living room floor. We have found her under the desk in the office, under the chair in the living room, under Carter's train table in the play room.....

Mackenzie had her 6 month check up... here are her stats! She is one healthy little girl.

August 26th, 2010

Weight: 18 lbs. 1 1/2 oz - 95th %
Length: 27" - 95th %
Head: 16 1/2 - 50th %

2 1/2 month stats.

Dr. McBride had nothing but wonderful things to say... after observing her she said she appears to be sociably & cognitively off the charts. Had she not known, she would have thought she was 8-9 months old. We were told to continue to do whatever we are doing... um, we are just being the best parents we can be....

I'm pretty sure Mackenzie has tried every level one baby food there is - and loved each and every one of them. I can't even say she has a favorite. As soon as I put her in the bumbo she knows exactly what is coming. We finally got around to getting the high chair cleaned up - so, that will make meal time a bit easier - we figured it was time since her chunky legs hardly fit in the bumbo :-)

We have Kenzie's pack-n-play set up in the play room -- guess who decided he wanted to rest in it. Too cute!

Up to no good!

Myrtle Beach

Tom & Marie had extra room at their beautiful beach house - so, they invited us to spend the weekend. I'm glad we went... we had a BLAST! Josh took Friday off of work - so, we left late on Thursday evening. It was almost midnight when we arrived, so that messed with the kids schedule just a bit. Check out all the pictures on Picasa -- click here!


Friday was a fun day on the beach!



Saturday we spent the morning on the beach, the afternoon napping, and the evening at Broadway on the Beach!

Carter and his balloon parrot.

We got up early on Sunday and took Carter to the water park - he loved it. So much so we are thinking of heading to the one in Greensboro for the day - leaving Mackenzie with Grandma - allowing Josh and I both to enjoy the water with Carter!

Our NY friends!

We do our best to get together with them at least twice a year - this year we have broken a record! On their way to Myrtle Beach they stopped in for a night... as always, fun was had.

Cute shot of the boys.... Tommy, Little Tom, Vinn & Carter. We missed you Teresa.....

Kenzie just adores her Aunt ReeRee & Uncle Tom.

Without fail, when they visit the mason jar comes out.... Marie and I don't dare mess with that stuff -- Tom & Josh on the other hand never seem to learn their lesson! Tommy taking a little sniff......

Vinn had to get in on the action!

There they go.... just the thought of it makes me gag!

Dangerous stuff... I'm pretty sure this was not safe at the time! Everyone survived.