life@McKenzie

Back to School 2010

2010-08-28T15:09:00.001-07:00

The kids started school two weeks ago. Avery is in 1st grade and Colin started PreK in the 3 year old class. We decided to move Avery and Colin to my home school, which I work at 2 days a week. Avery is loving the move and her new teacher. She has an amazing teacher, who is a friend and coworker of mine. Her teacher loves to challenge her students and she is having fun with Avery. Avery came home with all 100's after her 2nd week of school! Colin took a little while to adjust to being at school all day. It took him all week to get comfortable enough at school to eat his lunch. He is settled now and is enjoying it all. His teacher says he is a big helper and a hard worker! I must say it is nice to have the kids at a school where Neil and I know a lot of the staff.

Continue crazy summer

2010-07-26T05:28:00.000-07:00

Well while Colin was recovering from surgery Avery started breaking out in a rash. It started on her face and then spread to her limbs and body. The doctor said it was a virus and gave us no idea how contagious she was or when it would go away. It is now completely gone from her body and is slowly disappearing from her limbs. Luckily she did not have a fever and did not itch at all. Here are some pictures of her arms:

Crazy Summer

2010-07-26T05:11:00.000-07:00

Well this summer has been nothing like we had planned! We had plans to visit friends in Port St. Joe and a trip to Wisconsin. All the plans changed at the beginning of the summer. Colin had tubes placed in his ears in April to help drain the fluid which was causing a hearing loss. After the surgery he continued to have illness after illness. Started with pneumonia and strep throat, then a sinus infection, and an ear infection. He also developed sleep apnea. All of this within 2 months of the first surgery. I took Colin to the ENT that had placed to the tubes with a list of his illnesses and his reports of sleep apnea, he told me he was in no hurry to do surgery on him and gave me a prescription for a nasal steroid. So I called around and got him in to see another ENT 2 days later for a second opinion. The new ENT took a small scope and looked inside Colin's nose to get a picture of his adenoids. They reports his adenoids were so large they were causing a 75-80% blockage. His tonsils were a 3 out of 4, which means they were almost touching. They scheduled him for surgery at that appointment. Colin went in 2 weeks ago for a tonsillectomy. He did very well! We had to stop the pain medicine 3 days after surgery because it was making him sick. But Tylenol every 4 hours managed the pain. I was amazed at how much work it was to get him to drink, it was a full time job. I think the worst days were 7-10 days post surgery. The doctor had told us that is when the scab falls off and it usually causes more pain. It has been fine since then, I only give him Tylenol at bed time. Now he is eating us out of house and home! I told Neil last night he is so quiet when he sleeps now that I have to make sure he is breathing! His voice is still constantly changing, and I am sure that will continue for a while. The crazy summer has been worth it!

Remodel time

2010-06-16T11:11:00.000-07:00

We have finally decided to make the single car garage into a den/family space. Neil has been working hard designing the plans for the remodel, and with the help of our neighbor is doing all the work too! Here are some pictures of the start of the remodel. He has added a door on the side of the house and framed in a utility closet to house the water heater and air handler. Hoping to have it finished in a few months.

New pics of Liam and Devan

2010-05-16T13:34:00.001-07:00

My nephews will be 5 months old this week. We are so excited about seeing them in August!!! They are adorable and growing so fast:) Here are some new pictures their mommy sent me I wanted to share, enjoy! I am amazed at how much they look a like.

More Spring Break pictures

2010-04-12T16:46:00.000-07:00

Spring Break 2010

2010-04-12T16:20:00.000-07:00

We had our favorite visitors, Grandma and Grandpa, visiting for the entire break. The weather was amazing and beautiful the entire week. We enjoyed a trip to the fair, the zoo, and Hanna Park for a walk on the beach and a picnic lunch. The week went by too quickly, but here are some of my favorite pics from the week. We can not wait for August to get here so we can spend more time with Grandma and Grandpa.

Reveller's Ball 2010

2010-04-12T16:12:00.000-07:00

Avery was an amazing flower girl at Reveller's this year. She walked with a sweet little boy that was a little nervous and helped him feel comfortable being in front of lots of people. Her and the little gentleman were in charge of the queen's train. After the crowning of the queen Avery danced the night away with Neil and I. The band was amazing and we were impressed that Avery made it to 11:30 before she started to get tired. She was so beautiful and we were so proud of our sweet redhead!

Easter 2010

2010-04-12T16:00:00.000-07:00

We celebrated Easter by decorating eggs with Grandma and Grandpa while they were visiting. We went to Nana and Papa's house to have an Easter egg hunt with all the cousins. We also enjoyed a yummy lunch with everyone on an amazingly beautiful day!

Jacksonville man having a ball planning Ye Mystic Revellers party | Jacksonville.com

2010-01-30T19:27:00.000-08:00

Jacksonville man having a ball planning Ye Mystic Revellers party | Jacksonville.com

Here is a local article on our dear friend Alan Weldon who is running the show for this year's Reveller's Ball on Friday. I started babysitting for Alan when I was 13 years old for his oldest daughter, Sarah. Sarah will be queen of the ball this year. He is an amazing person in so many ways and through the years has been a mentor. Hope you enjoy the article.

Liam and Devan at 1 month old

2010-01-23T07:11:00.001-08:00

Here are some updated pictures of our adorable nephews Liam and Devan. They are growing and changing so quickly! Enjoy:)

Updated pics of Addison and Parker

2010-01-23T07:05:00.000-08:00

Addison and Parker are 2 months old. The kids and I went for a play date with Emma and Michael on Monday. The kids have so much fun playing with their cousins! We also like to see Addison and Parker too:) The girls are so happy and giving lots of smiles. I was able to get some amazing pictures, hope you enjoy them.

Avery, our princess is heading to the ball

2010-01-19T16:06:00.000-08:00

Before Neil and I started our family we used to attend the Reveller's Ball in Jacksonville every February. Neil would perform in a skit and then we would dance the night away with good friends. I even took part in a skit one year when they carried me from the crowd and placed me in a fake wooden coffin. Here is a link to a page that explains Ye Mystic Revellers: http://www.yerevellers.com/PAGE5.HTM. Well our sweet Avery will be the flower attendant to the queen, Sarah. I took Avery to pick out her dress today. It is beautiful! She is so excited she can hardly contain herself. Here are some pics of the dress and I will post more after the ball on February 5th.

Avery continues to amaze us every day

2010-01-12T17:50:00.001-08:00

Avery received her second report of the school year today. In Kindergarten they receive satisfactory and unsatisfactory grades. There is also an O for "outstanding". Avery received all S, and 2 Os in reading and math on her first report card. This time she also received an O in writing. Her teacher wrote that she never ceases to amaze him. Well she never ceases to amaze us either! She is just a cool kid! She loves school and works really hard when she is there. We are so PROUD of our little red head:)

Oh, and she also had perfect attendance this 9 weeks too!

Way to go Avery!!!!!

Happy New Year

2010-01-02T09:30:00.000-08:00

We hope everyone has a wonderful and happy new year. We celebrating by having our friends Brian, Melissa, and their son Kevin over for an early dinner. The kids had a great time wearing party hats and blowing their noise makers. After dinner, Neil and I got the kids into bed and enjoyed watching a movie together while eating yummy taco dip. It was a wonderful evening. On New Year's day we went to Nana and Papa's house to play with cousins. We also enjoyed corn bread, cabbage, and black eyed peas (all southern traditions to bring good things into the new year).

Love being an Aunt

2009-12-27T09:04:00.000-08:00

The title says it all...I love being an Aunt! I now have 5 nephews and 3 nieces. I enjoy spending time with all of them, and can not wait to meet the two newest additions. I love them all and enjoy watching them grow and change. I am so blessed to have all these amazing little people in my life.

Merry Christmas

2009-12-24T13:27:00.000-08:00

Just wanted to take a moment and wish everyone a Merry Christmas. We have two cute little kids that are anxiously awaiting Christmas morning. The presents are wrapped and the cookies are baked..
time to relax and just wait. Hope everyone has an amazing Christmas day!

More cousins..they keep coming by 2!!!

2009-12-23T08:54:00.000-08:00

Devan Kenneth McKenzie (big brother)

Liam Andrew McKenzie (little brother)

Our nephews Liam and Devan made their appearance into the world on December 17th. Liam was 4lbs 5oz and 16 inches, and Devan was 5lbs 8oz and 18 inches. Both boys are doing well and so is their Mommy. We are so happy for Andy and Kathy, and can not wait until the summer gets here so we can meet them!

Family fun day at the zoo

2009-12-23T08:47:00.000-08:00

On Monday the zoo had a family budget day with $2 admission. We headed out with the kids on a cold morning for zoo fun. Colin immediately asked to ride the train, which of course we did. It was the coldest day we have ever spent at the zoo, 45-50 degrees and windy the whole time. Since it was cold we decided to make a quick tour of the animals, which was fine because Colin was on super drive that day! We finished the zoo in an hour and a half, seeing all the animals we wanted to see. Then we headed to the Pizza Palace for lunch. It was a wonderful way to start our holiday break!

Cute kids

2009-12-19T10:01:00.000-08:00

Here are some pictures of the kids being cute together. They love taking pictures together lately!

Avery is growing up more

2009-12-19T09:43:00.000-08:00

Avery has lost her first tooth

Avery all dressed for her Christmas show at school

On Thursday Avery lost her first tooth. She was so excited! She had several questions about how to set her tooth up for the tooth fairy. She usually sleeps with 2 pillows and was wondering if she needed to sleep with only one. Or did she need to put the tooth between the two pillows. She was very good about going right to sleep that night. (She knew the tooth fairy would not come if she was awake). Friday morning she woke up to find 2 quarters under her pillow. She was so happy that the tooth fairy had brought her "favorite money". She looks adorable with her new smile:)

Trimming the tree

2009-12-08T14:49:00.000-08:00

We spent Saturday night decorating our Christmas tree. It was the first year I had both kids helping to decorate it. Last year we opted our of getting a tree since we were away from home at the holidays. Needless to say it was very busy with the 2 helpers! Ornaments were all over the tree and the floor. The tree looks beautiful and we are enjoying it.

Avery meets her new cousins

2009-12-04T17:41:00.000-08:00

Addison at 9 days old

Parker at 9 days old

Sweet sisters

Avery and Emma with Addison

Avery admiring Parker

Avery for very happy to finally meet her cousins last weekend. She was unable to go to the hospital due to age restrictions with the H1N1 virus precautions. They were 5 days old, but you would have thought they had been here for weeks the way she kept requesting to see them. She held each one and thought they were adorable. She commented on how heavy Parker was after holding Addison.
There are also pictures of the girls I took yesterday when I stopped by to visit. They were 9 days old. They are beautiful girls!

Addison and Parker are here

2009-11-27T11:31:00.000-08:00

Parker at one day old
Addison at one day old
Parker Lynn
Addison Mary

Robyn delivered her twin girls on November 24, 2009. Addison Mary weighed 5lbs 11oz and Parker Lynn weighed 7lbs 8oz. Both girls are beautiful and look so much a like! We are all so happy to have the two newest additions to our family:)

Camping trip 2009

2009-11-27T11:25:00.001-08:00

We went on our annual Allen/McKenzie camping trip at the beginning of November. We went back to Gold Head State park in Keystone, FL. It is a beautiful campsite with a lake, small play ground, and a ravine area. The guys took their RC cars/trucks out for a drive a couple of times. The kids enjoyed playing at the campsite and the park. The weather was perfect, just a wonderful camping weekend!

Halloween 2009

2009-11-27T11:10:00.001-08:00

We enjoyed a wonderful Halloween this year! We started the afternoon by attending Blaine's 6th birthday party. The kids enjoyed playing together, bobbing for apples, hitting a pinata, and having a treasure hunt. After his party we went to Michael and Emma's house for pizza. Then we went to about a dozen houses to trick or treat. Avery was a rock star and Colin was her roadie. Since he does not like costumes I just put a t-shirt on him that says "I am with the band". Maybe next year he will want to wear one!

Baby shower for Robyn

2009-10-20T14:19:00.000-07:00

On Saturday my Mom and I had a baby shower for Robyn. She is expecting twin girls, Addison Mary and Parker Lynn. The girls are basically due to show up anytime in the next few weeks. I made a diaper cake for the first time and I think it turned out pretty good! We all had a good time!!! Robyn received some adorable baby clothes and some much needed necessities such as diapers and wipes. It was a GREAT day:)

Colin is the birthday boy...3

2009-09-28T17:31:00.000-07:00

On Saturday we celebrated Colin's birthday party at our favorite park. He had a blast with all of his cousins:) It was a construction theme with a cool cake that Neil and I designed to go with it. He has been walking around all week singing Happy Birthday. It was a beautiful and warm day at the park. Colin received many "awesome" gifts (his new word) and was very thankful for all of them. He has grown up and become so independent in the last year! It is amazing that it has been 3 years since this sweet little man came into our world and we have loved every minute of it:)

Back to our busy life update.....

2009-09-19T04:12:00.000-07:00

Well we are officially back into the swing of things. I had no idea how busy life would be having Avery in Kindergarten! She is loving her "boy" teacher and is always telling me stories about how funny he is every day. Neil and I both love hearing her stories about life in school. Anyone who knows Avery knows she loves to talk and she keeps us updated on everything going on. Avery is also going to gymnastics every Monday. I am amazed at how quickly her coordination has improved. Then we have homework every night, which makes her feel like a big kid. She continues to amaze me with her reading skills! She is on to reading longer second reader books with only a little help. She loves reading and reads to me every night. Colin is just his busy little self. He is talking so much and it is getting clearer daily. It is hard to believe he will be 3 years old next week. Since school has started he has had two little colds and managed to sprain his ankle this week. It is only a minor sprain, but he was limping for a couple of days. He did it jumping out of the car at Nana's house. He is getting so big that I unbuckle him and he gets out himself. Neil and I have been getting adjusted to shorter weekends and longer work weeks. I have figured out it takes about a month or so to get back on a schedule when I head back to work after being off all summer. Next weekend is Colin's 3rd birthday party..... a new update to follow!!!!

Avery's first day of kindergarten

2009-08-25T15:24:00.000-07:00

Avery's first day of kindergarten was "GREAT" according to her report at the end of the day. It did not start so wonderful! She was all happy and excited at home and even once we arrived at her school (as you can see from the pictures). Neil met us at school to wish her a good day. Class was started and she was getting settled into her desk. We told her we were leaving and to have a GREAT day. This is the point when the tears started, she was so pitiful. We were strong and told her it would be fine!! I took off early today to pick her up from school. As she got in the car the first words out of her mouth were "I love Kindergarten". All in all she had a good day. Her one frustration was that she could not get her straw into her juice box. She was determined to not ask for help and her straw ended up on the floor. So she went almost all day without a drink. We tried to explain to her being a big kid, or even a grown up, is asking for help when you need it. She loves her "boy" teacher, even though she wanted a girl! All in all it was a good start to a new start at a new school:)

My little man

2009-08-13T05:20:00.000-07:00

This is my Colin and these pictures just show how much he is changing! He is getting taller of course, but I think I have discussed that part before. He is turning into a little man, he will be three soon. His personality and views on life are coming out more and more. He is a man's man! He loves anything with wheels and being outside. He can find dirt any where, so it is a job to keep him clean. I am amazed when he can make it from the front door to the car without getting dirty!!!! He loves the "playground" and is always looking for friends to play with when ever we go there. It is amazing how people are drawn to him. Colin is always asking Neil, Avery or I to come play with him. He will usually have a train or truck in hand when he comes to get you and says "come on". The words are really coming out these days which is wonderful! We love to hear him sing his ABCs and count (he has made it to ten once). He loves books, especially "I Spy". He is such an amazing person, it is hard to put into words.

Cousin fun

2009-08-08T12:02:00.000-07:00

The kids have been enjoying their summer...as you can tell from the pics and blogs I have posted. I think one of the best parts is being able to spend some much time with their cousins! Colin now asks almost daily if we are going to see either Emma, Michael, and/or Blaine.
Avery and Emma love playing babies together, which usually means Avery is the mommy and Emma is the baby. They are the only girls in the bunch (for a few more months at least) and love to stick together:) Michael and Colin have become the best of friends this summer. They enjoy all the same things, trucks, dirt, tractors, and trains. Even though they are young they both try really hard to share and be nice to one another:) Colin loves to watch Blaine and copy how he plays with cars, trucks, and trains. And Avery and Blaine have been the best of friends from the beginning. After two years of going to school together and even being in the same class, they will be going to different schools. We are going to have to plan lots of cousin play dates once school starts to continue to fun....

Gymnastics for MIss Independence

2009-08-07T03:46:00.001-07:00

Avery went to her first gymnastics class yesterday. She was so excited and then when we got there she told me she did not want to talk to her teacher. I told her it was okay. Well when we walked in Avery was completely comfortable. She chatted with her teacher and told her all kinds of fun things, like Colin will be three soon! She ended up being the only kid out of 5 that showed up for the class, so she got complete one on one time. She loved it:) I was so impressed with the progress she made in her hour session. She can do a front roll, which she has been trying to do forever! The teacher was very impressed with her upper body strength when she was on the bars. I must say I got a little nervous when she got on the rings that one of her elbows would come out of the joint (even though it has not happened in years), but she did GREAT!!!! She continues to be Miss Independence, going right in for her class without even looking at me. Of course she did look over at me a few times, like she was making sure I was watching her progress.

Avery's growing too fast

2009-07-28T04:13:00.000-07:00

I know I always talk about how fast these kids are growing, but Avery is truly amazing me this summer. She is becoming a confident, smart, funny, and independent little girl:) We took her for her kindergarten screening yesterday, they ask her questions to check her kindergarten readiness. She was super excited about getting a chance to visit her new school. A teacher came out and introduced herself to Neil, Avery, and myself. Then she told Avery to follow her, and Avery did without blinking an eye! Just a couple of months ago I would have at least gotten a concerned look from Avery as she went with this new person. Then Avery and I spent the morning together shopping at second hand and thrift stores. We found some adorable outfits for her babies and even purchased matching outfits for her new girl twin cousins. Then we went to Panda Express for yummy Chinese food. After a nice lunch we went for dentists appointments, for both of us. She was so comfortable in the dentist office, and it was her first trip. She was patient while I had my exam. She was her usual adorable self and had everyone waving and talking to her!!! Her teeth are perfect and beautiful. She had xrays, her teeth cleaned, and a flouride treatment without any fuss. She is an amazing little girl:)

Beach fun

2009-07-27T15:45:00.000-07:00

We decided to load the kids up Saturday and head to the beach. Colin has really come to love the water and spends more time there than in the sand. Avery always loves splashing and jumping in the waves. It was a beautiful family day! And we finished it off with milkshakes from our favorite ice cream place "Shakes" on the way home.

Summer fun

2009-07-21T14:30:00.000-07:00

We have been enjoying another summer together with lots of family time. The kids and I have been finding all sorts of fun things to do during the week. We are lucky that Neil works four day weeks all summer, which gives us long family weekends together. We have made a trip to the zoo, Pump It Up, the Museum of Science and History, and the beach. We have visited a good friend and spent time floating on the lake with them. And of course there are the weekly trips to the pool, library, and local parks.

The kids are growing (taller) and changing so much this summer. Avery has taken an increased interest in reading this summer. She is doing so well with her reading it amazes me! She can read books like "Go Dog Go" and "Ten Apples Up on Top". And she loves read all sorts of beginning reader books. Last week when we were shopping at Publix she decided to start writing addition problems and solving them on her own. And she is loving the water! She gets better each time we visit the pool. Colin is talking more and more each day. He is a sweet little boy. He tries very hard to share and even be a good friend (cousin). He seems to find dirt where ever we go! He loves construction vehicles and figuring out how they work to complete a project. He is starting to sing his "ABC"s and can identify various shapes and colors. They both just amaze us on a daily basis!

With less than 4 weeks of summer left we have all sorts of fun adventures planned. Stay tuned for more pictures and videos to come.....

The tree is down

2009-07-20T10:16:00.000-07:00

Neil went to work Friday afternoon cutting down the tree, and two others, that dropped the branch on my car. He did a great job and worked really hard! Of course he took Sunday to go off shore fishing to recover!

Afternoon thunderstorm damage

2009-07-08T06:18:00.000-07:00

So this is the result of a tree limb falling on my car yesterday afternoon during a thunderstorm. I had no idea the tree limb had hit my car until Neil got home from work. He spotted the damage when he was walking up the hill from closing the gate. He walked in the door while I was making dinner and made a comment about the tree limb hitting my car. I walked outside expecting there to be a tree limb sitting in the middle of my car and was relieved it is only minor damage. Now I get to add taking the car for an estimate next week to my to do list!

Avery turns 5

2009-03-08T13:32:00.000-07:00

Avery turned 5 on March 4th. Neil and I are still trying to figure out how this happened. (Of course we know) Time has gone by so quickly as we have been nurturing and loving this sweet red head. She has amazed us since the first day and continues on an almost daily basis. She is so nurturing and loving. She has always wanted to learn and continues to be a sponge, soaking it all in to expand her knowledge on life. Avery can count to one hundred, write her first and last names, starting to read and tell time. Her biggest struggle right now is with independence. It is as textbook as can be! She wants to do everything on her own and then will want help with the simplest task. Every day is an adventure:) So our oldest child is 5 and an amazing 5 she is too!

11 years and counting

2009-02-08T04:33:00.000-08:00

It is officical, we have been together 11 years now. We were thinking Friday night as we were enjoying a typical evening at home, eating ice cream together on the couch watching TV together, about how much life has changed. We figured out that we have moved 10 times and lived in 3 different cities that are within 50 miles of each other. We looked back at our time in Gainesville when I was in college. We hardly had a penny to our name, but we always managed to have a good time. Our simple wedding in Jacksonville on the St. John's River and that we would not have changed a thing! Then of course we started thinking about our 2 amazing kids. We love our family and are so happy that are kids are growing up with a strong sense of family in their lives. All of this started with two people bumping into each other at a night club on 2/6/98. Who would have known this is where we would have ended up? All I wanted when we parted ways that night was for him to call me. Thankfully he did and the rest is our history:)

Another year here we come

2009-02-01T10:53:00.000-08:00

Well we decided to finish 2008 with our trip to the Northwoods of Wisconsin. Avery and I wanted snow so we could make a snowman and go sledding. We got more than we needed the entire trip. We had fun sledding, making a snowman, having a snowball fight, and just running around in it. Colin did not enjoy the snow at all. He was fine being bundled in several layers when ever we left the house, as long as you did not put him on the ground in the snow. We had an amazing trip!
In the end we were happy to be back in our little house, without snow. Since we returned Colin comments on snow every time we see it in a picture or on TV. Avery says she does not miss the snow, even though she did like it.
The kids are continuing to grow, change, and amaze us. Avery will be 5 in a month, which is unbelievable. Five years old is a big deal..she is officially a kid! Avery and I have been reading together nightly since she was a baby. Over the last few months I have been trying to get her to sound out words and focus more on reading. Sometimes she does better than others. The other day when we were at the grocery store I realized how much she is reading now. We walked past a row of "buy one get one free" bins, with the word "free" written larger than the others, and she says "Mommy, look, all that stuff is free". I just stood still trying to figure out if I had said something out loud (which I had not) or if she just read that on her own. Avery continues to be a girly girly. The other morning on the way to work she asked me how she would become a princess when she grows up. Her mind is always working!
Colin has discovered trains and Thomas. He is always saying "want choo choo", which means he wants to watch Thomas. It seemed to happen over night. He is busy playing Avery's old Geotrax train system as I type this. He still loves his monster trucks and any truck in general. He loves it when we drive past construction vechicles and yells "wow". He gets excited everytime the Monster Jam commerical comes on TV for the local show this month. I can not wait until we take him to the show in 4 weeks. Colin has a love of coloring and books (especially about animals, trucks, or trains). He is a wonderful two year old with all of his own views on life!
Neil and I are trying to hang on tight as the economy continues to change. Between tax cuts in Florida and the economy there are budget cuts being made in the school system we work. We are trying to enjoy life as much as we can as we wait to see how it will affect us. We are so thankful for all we have in our lifes:)

Baby Jesus

2008-12-07T12:12:00.000-08:00

Since the Christmas season is upon us we have been talking about the meaning of the holiday. We have been reading and talking about the Jesus's birthday, as well as good old Santa. While I was in the kitchen this morning Avery walking in holding one of her baby dolls all wrapped in a blanket. She said, "we have a new baby". I asked the baby's name and she replied, very matter of fact, "his name is Baby Jesus". She also told me her name was "Mary" and that "Joseph" was at work. After provided me with all the information she went on her way to play Mommy for her baby "Jesus".

As for the rest of the holiday fun at our house, we have been baking cookies and shopping for Christmas gifts. Since we are traveling to Wisconsin for Christmas this year we have decided to forgo putting up a tree. Instead we went to Home Depot and got a wreath made from evergreen branches that keeps the scent of the a real tree in our home. We are so excited to be heading to the Northwoods for the holidays with family and friends. In our house we are dreaming of a white Christmas, if is going to be -10 degrees we need snow!:)

Another malfunctioning elbow

2008-11-04T13:58:00.000-08:00

Well it is official, Colin has dislocated one of his elbows! Today while at Nana and Papa's house Colin was playing on a Big Wheel riding toy. When he fell off he was still holding onto the handle and we believe that is how he dislocated it. When I got there after work this afternoon he was keeping his left arm by his side and refused to use it to do anything. I called Neil and he told me how to set it back and luckily it worked perfectly on the first try! (Avery's never went back into place easily, so we always ended up in the emergency room) I was shocked that Colin's elbow dislocated because he is always hanging and climbing and it has never happened. So word to the wise be careful around these little McKenzie kid's arms.

Life through the eyes of little ones

2008-11-03T17:20:00.000-08:00

Just wanted to add a few cute things that the kids have done recently:

* Avery was watching a cartoon on PBS kids called "Martha Speaks" based on the books. I asked her if Dolly (our dog) would talk if we gave her alphabet soup. She replied "no because it is pretend, and alphabet soup is out of season".

* Colin has figured out how to hold his monster trucks in one place while turning the back axle to make it do a "burn out". (He likes monster trucks and drag racing).

Life is never dull in our house! The kids are changing so quickly it is hard to keep up. Avery is starting to read and is able to write most of her letters. She is constantly asking Neil and I to spell words for her to write a story or make a card for someone. Colin is talking more each day and becoming quite the entertainer. He will sing a song (most of the time you can not understand the words), then take a bow while saying "thank you, thank you". We are amazed everyday with all the wonder around us, life is GREAT!

Avery's lunch with the Principal

2008-09-26T16:33:00.000-07:00

Avery had lunch with the Principal at school today because she is the "PRIDE" student in her class for the month. Avery has been so exciting since she found out last week. She has been planning what to wear and what I need to make her for lunch. She was telling me about it at dinner and I had to share. I asked her how lunch was today, and she told me she ate lunch with her class because she was nervous. She told me she was the smallest kid there (she is in PreK at an elementary school). After lunch she went on stage to get her treat (a cookie) from the principal. I asked her if she said thank you and she told me she was too shy. I asked her why and she responded that there were too many big kids around. Then she told me about a pretty big girl with a pony tail and that she was too nervous to tell her what her name is. Avery was so serious about being shy and concerned at the same time. I told her she is only 4 and it will get easier when she is 5.

Also I must add that when her Papa picked her up from school she told him she was starving because she was too nervous to eat her lunch.

So much excitement for a little girl in one day, all because she follows the rules and has good manners!

Life in Florida

2008-09-21T11:38:00.001-07:00

Well I have decided to start a blog to keep everyone updated on life in Florida for the McKenzie family. As the years go by and the kids get older life gets busier and busier. I can not imagine how it will be once the kids have their own schedules!
We try to step back and enjoy life as much as possible, which is sometimes easier than others. Neil enjoys fishing in his Gheenoe, usually along the intercoastal. Avery is his first mate on occasional, but she does not have the patience to do much fishing. Once Colin is bigger I am sure he will be by Daddy's side. I am busy just trying to stay ahead of the game. I am lucky to have had the summer off with the kids, but it made going back to work full time in August an adjustment. I think we are finally getting into a groove. Avery is in her second year of PreK at a local public school. She is so proud because she made student of the month in her class. She gets to have lunch with the principal next week. Colin is my busy little man and is always moving. He will be 2 years old in a week, which is amazing! He loves watching monster trucks and the TV show Pinks. He is talking more each day and becoming more of his own person.
I will try to keep everyone updated on what is happening here from time to time.