It's Been A Blah Kind Of Week

Mackenzie & her new friend Will at church. They had fun together today!

This week has been kind of a lazy one because we have all been sick. Mackenzie had a little cold, gave it to Mommy and then Daddy. Me and Kenzie are feeling a lot better although Nathaniel just started feeling bad so he probably will be kind of out of it for a week. I think there is a bad cold going around town because several people I have talked to have been sick with the same symptoms. I hope everyone starts feeling better soon though! I never realized how being sick and a mom just do not work too well together!

Nathaniel's grandparents came over a couple of days this week bringing us chicken soup and a few other things that have been so helpful. They helped the week go by quicker and I always enjoy visiting with them. Mackenzie loves them so much and did not want them to leave. They offered to babysit on Saturday night and Nathaniel and I went to his brothers Caleb and Jacob's show at Kelly's Brickhouse Pub. It was nice to get out for a few hours and have some time together although I was thinking about my girl the entire time. I know she was having fun and had great people taking care of her so I wasn't worried. I am so very thankful to them though, Grandpa wasn't feeling well so I am sure she was a little challenging. She can be a handful :)!

Nathaniel's about to start a four day work stretch so I am already looking forward to next weekend. He finished his course so we will be talking to the Navy recruiter sometime this week. I am just ready to get everything going!

Nathaniel's Birthday Celebration

Nathaniel is turning 24 on September 20th, yay! We decided to celebrate a couple days earlier since Nathaniel has to work on the actual big day. We had so much fun and I wish birthdays were every weekend!

We had lunch at Olive Garden and a big group to enjoy it with. Nathaniel, his 4 brothers and sister, Grandparents, Mother, soon to be step sister, Uncle, Sarah and Dominic! The food was wonderful and I loved seeing Nathaniel so happy and laughing constantly. Mackenzie gave little one year old Dominic a smooch as well, it was too cute!! I wish I had been able to take a photo, he's a sweet little boy! Mackenzie was a little grumpy during lunch because it was nap time and baby needs her sleep like Mommy and Daddy. We are a family who gets a case of the "grumpys" if we don't have enough rest, haha. The only thing that could have been different would have been to have a round table so everyone could see and talk to one another. Thanks to everyone who came out!

Afterwards, the siblings all met up at Walmart to take photos! It was something I really wanted to have done and was happy when Nathaniel's mom got everyone together. The boys all took a photo together and they were so funny, I'm not really sure what they were doing but I heard lots of laughter. All the siblings took a picture and then one with their Mom which was one of my favorites! Nathaniel and I finally took a family picture with Mackenzie and it turned out pretty good. The pictures come out October 1st and I am so excited to see them and make more prints! I see some fun frame projects in my future!

Three of Nathaniel's brothers came to our home afterwards and played video games and did fantasy basketball drafts while I made cupcakes. They turned out so yummy also! They left not too long ago to play pool and walk around The Village's Square and I'm sure they are having fun. I'm so happy that Nathaniel has been able to spend so much time with his family. I know the Navy can take us anywhere and everywhere so it's wonderful that he's been able to make fun memories today.

Speaking of Navy, we will be learning more this upcoming week after Nathaniel finishes his final and takes his ASVAB. I am so excited to finally get the ball rolling on all of it.



Happy Birthday Daddy & Husband! We Love You!!



Nine Months Of Joy

Mackenzie Jordan's Birth Day

One Month

Two Months

Three Months

Four Months

Five Months



Six Months



Seven Months



Eight Months

Nine Months



The Funny, The Cute And The Not So Cute

Now that Mackenzie is reaching the old age of one, her personality is shining more than ever and as her loving mommy I can't help but write about every little funny, cute or not so cute thing she does.

Story One: Funny

The Walker Loves Me, The Walker Loves Me Not

From the day Mackenzie picked up crawling, her goal has been to climb under her walker. She usually encounters the problem of becoming stuck and then getting increasingly angry while she tries to overcome the obstacle or decides to give up and wait for someone to rescue her. Eventually, she did master the art of crawling under her walker although she soon realized she would have other problems when she wanted to go from crawling to sitting. She is too tall for that kind of fun. So, of course she becomes Miss Grumpy Pants and must be removed from the situation immediately. So, yesterday my sweet Kenzie decides to crawl under her walker so I say to her, "Mackenzie, sweetie pie, you know you are going to become stuck and it's going to upset you. Why do you put yourself in these situations?" and after a month of frustration and tears she manages to sit under her walker, tilt her head to the side so it doesn't get stuck and crawl back out! I was so excited for her little accomplishment that I could not help but loudly say "Yay!!!" and clap! She continued crawling under the walker and back out until something else caught her eye. What a funny girl! I just love her! She makes me one proud and happy mommy!

Story Two: Cute

Ziggy, There Is No Escaping These Quick "Crawlers"!

For those of you who do not know, we have a sweet little cat named Ziggy who can be more of a handful than Mackenzie at times. Anyways, it does not matter what Kenz is up to, when Ziggy appears she is gone. She loves to tackle him, pull his whiskers and anything else that may annoy him. I was in the kitchen cooking and was able to witness a cute game of theirs. Ziggy would run away from her and she would chase after him and then he would run the other direction just to have her turn around and tackle him down. They did this for a while too! It was so funny and cute to watch. They are just like brother and sister! I know he is just a cat but I mean, maybe you had to be there, I could not help but just smile and laugh at them!

Story Three: Not So Cute

WARNING! This Is Gross!

I know mom's out there can relate and probably have stories of their own like this so I am sharing this because it has been the worst disaster yet. Poo disaster that is. Mackenzie has had her share of disgusting masterpieces that she's created in her diapers..some that I have to wonder how she's even capable but nothing like this. We have a pretty good routine down for the evenings after Daddy leaves for work, I workout and she plays around me, watches and after it's shower time! She has a little baby bath I buckle her into and I put her at the end of the tub without the shower head and I jump in to shower and then fill the tub up for her to play in when I'm done. It's sometimes the only way I'm able to get a shower in during the day. Back to the disaster though, this one day I am about to jump out when I see her "poo face" and then sure enough a nice, lovely pile shows itself. I should be happy it's in the tub I know and I was. I sit her at the clean end of the tub while I'm cleaning her baby bath and after everything is clean she has another incident. I then place her baby bath on the floor and buckle her in it while I clean the tub again and after it's clean I turn to get her and see ANOTHER disaster. Thank goodness it was the last of them though. It was an experience!

Mackenzie is such a joy in my life and makes being a mommy the most rewarding job on Earth. She has a laugh and smile that makes your heart melt and when she gives kisses, they are the sweetest! She puts her hands on my cheeks and smooch! Of course, she has to be in a cuddly, loving mood and usually she is too wrapped up in exploring and investigating the world around her to cuddle. I love that I can share all these fun stories and pictures with friends and family that live far away and/or do not get to see her often.

Things That Make Us Go "Yum!"

CHICKEN FIESTA!

This is a recipe Nathaniel's Grandma enjoyed and sent to me, it's so yummy and I am super grateful to her for sharing. Our family loves it! I tweaked it a little but not very much.

What You Will Need:

6 Chicken Breasts

2 Cans of Corn (drained)

2 Cans of Black Beans (drained)

1 Can of Mild Salsa 15 oz

I place all the ingredients into the crockpot for about 5 hours and during the last twenty minutes make rice to go with it. It's so delicious! Thank you Grandma Wragg :)!!

CHICKEN PUFFS

These are Nathaniel's absolute favorite. A friend of ours made them once and I don't remember exactly what he did but this is what I remembered and how I made them.

What You Will Need:

1 Chicken Breast

4 oz Cream Cheese

1 Can of Crescent Rolls

While cooking the chicken, I preheat the oven to 350. After the chicken is fully cooked, I chop it in to tiny pieces and mix it into the cream cheese. I roll out the crescent rolls and put about a tablespoon of the mixture

onto each one and roll it up. I place it in the oven for 12 minutes and they are ready! Thanks Adam Gwyn for introducing them to me.

CHOCOLATE CHIP COOKIES

This is the Nestle Toll House chocolate chip cookie recipe. They are the BEST cookies we have ever made together and the batter makes so many and you can save the rest for some other time!

What You Will Need:

2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour

1 teaspoon baking soda

1 teaspoon salt

1 cup butter, softened

3/4 cup granulated sugar

3/4 cup packed brown sugar

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

2 large eggs

2 cups Semi-Sweet Chocolate Morsels

Preheat oven to 375° F. Combine flour, baking soda and salt in small bowl. Beat butter, granulated sugar, brown sugar and vanilla extract in large mixer bowl until creamy. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Gradually beat in flour mixture. Stir in morsels and nuts. Drop by rounded tablespoon onto ungreased baking sheets. Bake for 9 to 11 minutes or until golden brown.

CHEDDAR BISCUITS

This is a copy cat recipe for the biscuits at Red Lobster. They are so yummy although not very good for you!

What You'll Need:

2 cups Bisquick

3/4 cup buttermilk

1 cup shredded cheddar cheese

2 tablespoons margarine

1/4 teaspoon garlic powder

1/4 teaspoon dried parsley flakes, finely crushed

Preheat oven to 400. Combine Bisquick, milk, and cheese in medium bowl. Divide the dough into 12 portions and spoon onto a nonstick cookie sheet, flatten with fingers a bit. Bake for 18-20 minutes. In small bowl combine margarine with garlic powder, heat in microwave for 30 seconds. Brush atop biscuits immediately after removing from oven.Sprinkle with parsley flakes.

FRUIT PIZZA

I learned this easy recipe in Young Women's growing up and remembered it recently and love it!

What you'll need:

Sugar Cookie Dough

Cream Cheese Frosting

Strawberries, Sliced

Kiwi, Sliced

Mandarin Oranges

Blueberries

Preheat the oven to 350. Roll out the dough onto a cookie sheet in whatever shape you like and let it bake for 12 minutes. After it cools, frost and add toppings! So good!

TUNA CASSEROLE

My mom made this all the time and it grew on me. It's so easy and good.

What you'll need:

2 boxes of Mac N Cheese

Tuna

1 Can Cream of Chicken

Preheat oven to 350. Prepare the Mac N Cheese like you normally would. Once it's finished stir in tuna and cream of chicken and add it to a casserole dish. Bake for 30 minutes. Nathan likes to add peas and he loves it although it's up to you!



RED VELVET CUPCAKES WITH CREAM CHEESE FROSTING

I have been on the search for a delicious cupcake recipe for Mackenzie's birthday in Decemeber. I know I am really planning ahead but I just want to make sure she has the best because she is the best! I found this recipe on the Food Network's website. They are SOOOOOO good!!!!!

What You'll Need For The Cupcakes:
2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 1/2 cups sugar
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon cocoa powder
1 1/2 cups vegetable oil
1 cup buttermilk, room temperature
2 large eggs, room temperature
2 tablespoons red food coloring
1 teaspoon white distilled vinegar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Line 2 (12-cup) muffin pans with cupcake papers.

In a medium mixing bowl, sift together the flour, sugar, baking soda, salt, and cocoa powder. In a large bowl gently beat together the oil, buttermilk, eggs, food coloring, vinegar, and vanilla with a handheld electric mixer. Add the sifted dry ingredients to the wet and mix until smooth and thoroughly combined. Divide the batter evenly among the cupcake tins about 2/3 filled. Bake in oven for about 20 to 22 minutes, turning the pans once, half way through. Test the cupcakes with a toothpick for doneness. Remove from oven and cool completely before frosting.

What You Will Need For The Frosting:
1/2 pound cream cheese, softened
1 stick butter, softened
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 cups sifted confectioners' sugar
Chopped pecans and fresh raspberries or strawberries, for garnish

In a large mixing bowl, beat the cream cheese, butter and vanilla together until smooth. Add the sugar and on low speed, beat until incorporated. Increase the speed to high and mix until very light and fluffy. Garnish with chopped pecans and a fresh raspberry or strawberry.

The Adventures of Mackenzie & Mommy

Mackenzie and I usually spend our time in and around the apartment although this week I made a goal to try and get out more and that we did. We have had so many fun little adventures together.

The first couple of days we spent going to Lake Sumter Landing, one of the two town squares in The Villages, FL. Our favorite place to hit was Barnes and Noble Bookstore. Mackenzie loves crawling in the kid's area and they had so much for her to do. Stuffed animals EVERYWHERE and books galore that she would not destroy. She spent her time playing, crawling and climbing and when it was stroller time she was not very thrilled. We have been celebrating Nathaniel's birthday month as well and he treated his self to a Robert Jordan book and is hoping he will be surprised with all the books he's missing for his birthday but we will see :)! We had dinner one night at TGIFriday's and it was yummy. Mackenzie is not the easiest to take out places anymore now that she has found her crawling and walking freedom. Sitting just is not fun for her unless she's being fed, then she is the happiest, haha. There is way too much for a little girl to explore and she is ready to go at all times! We splurged a tad and bought Mackenzie a toy that she LOVED at the children's store although now that we are home she seems afraid and not interested. It's a chuckle buddy monkey and rolls around on the floor laughing. We had a blast being able to spend time together!

Nathaniel had been scheduled to work after those two days so Mackenzie and I decided it would be fun to go to Clermont and see family and friends. Mackenzie has grown out of most of her clothing and it gave me a great reason to go shopping for her which I absolutely LOVE to do and probably could everyday. Amy joined us and we had a good time! Afterwards, Kenzie and I went to her Grandma's house to visit and kidnap Uncle Micah to bring back to our home for the Labor Day weekend. We spent yesterday back in Clermont to see Kenzie's Uncle Jacob and Uncle Caleb perform at Kelly's Brickhouse Pub and they were awesome! Mackenzie slept through the first set although the second set was so great that she could not stay asleep and since she would not let me cover her ears we had to leave. It was so much fun although today Mackenzie is such a sleepy girl. She has been a napping queen!

I love going out and showing Mackenzie the world and having her interact with people. She has an amazing time and is just the most fun person to be around. I love her and as silly as it may sound she is my best buddy! I love being her mommy, it is the most rewarding job! One of her little laughs or smiles could turn a bad day good and I sincerely mean it. Mackenzie Jordan is my world and life would definitely not be as wonderful and fun without her!