Thanksgiving 2010 & Owen's 1st bday!

We have so many things to be thankful for this year.  First, and most importantly, our 2 wonderful, healthy and happy children.  We could not be more blessed, and love being a family of 4!  Secondly, a wonderful and supportive family unit who we truly love and enjoy spending time with.  I know not all families can say that, but we honestly mean it!  Thirdly, great friends who we love like our own family, and who we would do anything for.   And, lastly, I would like to thank my amazing husband for providing for our family, so that I can enjoy a year off of work to make wonderful memories with our little ones, something I will treasure for a lifetime! 

This year, we celebreated Thanksgiving Day at my parents house, with all the traditional Thanksgiving fixings!  We got there in time to watch the Macy's Thanksgiving Day parade, which Mackenzie was all about!  Any female dressed in a costume, in her eyes, was a real life princess.  She was in heaven! The boys played on the floor with the kids and researched black Friday sales, the girls spent a lot of time cooking in the kitchen and laughing, and Grandpa gave me a tutorial on how to carve a bird.  Mackenzie was a bit concerned that the turkey's head was missing, and asked several times where it was, and if she was hurting the turkey when she ate it.  (I sooo love that girl!)  After spending the day together, we headed home to do a little (okay, we are the Grizwold's, let me try again, A LOT) of decorating, and that night, Jeremy headed out without so much as a catnap for black friday sales.  Bless the poor man's heart, he did not return until 9 a.m., and then showered, and came with us to get the kids Christmas pictures taken, and then to meet Santa. 

                              Great Grandma "Monty" with Caleb and Mackenzie

3 generations of snuggles

                                              
                           Checking out the head-less turkey with Mommy

                       Mackenzie's Hand Print Turkey Decor for the Table

                                                      About to dig in!

                                             

                                                       Em and Cody

Caleb eating turkey, mashed & sweet potatoes and stuffing

                            
                                                      Mommy's Little Turkey

....and of course, a video of Caleb from his very first Thanksgiving

*don't forget to pause the playlist on the right

       Picture with Santa....I am amazed at how well it turned out! 

Sunday, we headed up to Loudonville to celebrate our traditionally, untraditional Thanksgiving day. We love it, because it's hard to gear yourself up to eat the exact same meal, days apart. Instead, you look forward to something different....and honestly, who doesn't like steaks, baked potatoes, salad & rolls? We enjoyed catching up, hearing the little ones giggle and play together, and drawing names for the Christmas exchange. It was a beautiful day out, and a lovely gathering. Thanks Uncle Dave and Aunt Teresa for hosting!

                                                  Hanging with Aunt Kendra

                                     Playing at Uncle Dave and Aunt Teresa's

                                          Hangin' with his buddy, Ella!


A few hours later, we headed to Wooster to celebrate our nephew Owen's first birthday.  It is so hard to believe that our boys are growing so fast, and we are already throwing and planning bday parties!  Kate made an adorable cake for Owen, and it was as tasty as it was adorable!  The kids had a blast playing together and sharing in a very special bday celebration!  We love you, sweet Owen.  We are so glad to have another nephew to love on, and especially happy that Caleb will have a cousin around his age to enjoy playing with at family get togethers!

What up, Martha Stewart? 

             Owen enjoying a pre-birthday bottle before the festiviites!

Lots of little helpers. . . .

                                                  

                                                            Boy time!

                                                Best Buddies!

                                           Ummm...I'm pretty sure he liked it!  ;)

....and a video of the bday boy, showing off his fancy footwork....I'm predicting that he will be doing sprints by Christmas! 

....and finally kids in jammies, ready for a good night's sleep, after a wonderful day, except for Caleb who cried almost the entire hour and a half car ride home....ouch! 

Happy Bday sweet Owen!  So glad we could share in your special day!

Time Warp Tueseday - Thanksgiving 2007

In the spirit of Thanksgiving, I dug up some old footage of Mackenzie's second Thanksgiving (remember to pause the playlist to the right).  That girl sure does like her stuffing, and Nana sure was trying to avoid the video camera!  :)

Happy (early) Thanksgiving!  May you be surrounded by good food, family, friends, and lifes many blessings!

Time Warp Tuesday- Swimming without floaties

Today's Time Warp post goes to my sweet, Mackenzie.  This Summer she took Swim lessons and LOVED them.  For a 3 year old, going on 4, she actually got pretty close to swimming.  On the last day, she swam 4-5 strokes herself to her teacher (as seen in the video below, unfortunately it's from my phone and I think it must have had sunscreen on the camera:).  She was so proud of herself, and so were we.  She also loved any chance she got to go off the diving board.  And, she didn't jump, she dove....no joke!  The proof is below! 

Caleb, 10 months

How is it possible that my sweet boy is a few months away from his 1st birthday?  He is growing and changing everyday.  Little by little, my baby boy is disappearing before my eyes.  It is very sad, and I am not ready for all these big changes. 

Here's what's new with our sweet boy:

*Caleb is standing!  He will pull up to hold onto something, and then let go and stand unsupported for about 5-10 seconds.  If you stand him up in the middle of the room and let go, he will just stand there until he tumbles over.   He is ridiculously cute standing!

*He took his first step this past week.  I was busy gabbing away on the phone, to my dear friend Michelle, when the 1st official step took place.  Shh, don't tell Daddy!

*He loves food!  Among his favorites are:  strawberries, bananas, blueberries, blackberries, cheese, yogurt, peas, cooked carrots, soup, oatmeal, casseroles and noodles.

*We have been experimenting giving him a cup with milk, water or juice.  He loves to drink from it, but has not mastered tilting it back, so you have to assist him in the process.  I am hoping in a few months he will transition easily from formula to milk without any problems and can master the sippy cup.  I am looking forward to him being able to feed himself in the stroller or on the go!

*He is as happy as ever.  He continues to make us smile and laugh all the time.  If you just look at him, he will give you the biggest grin ever.

*He loves to pull on earrings, hair, glasses, doors, drawers, and anything and everything.  He is very curious about the world around him. 

*He has really been "babbling" a lot lately.  Nothing that is intelligible, but you can tell that he is really trying to convey a message.  He still says "mama, dadda, goo-goo (good girl, aka Mackenzie) and ba ba (for bottle). 

*He loves to cuddle, and give kisses.  If you ask him for a kiss, he will plant a wet one on your mouth.  It is soooo stinkin' cute (and also a little slimy:). 

*We still feed him before bed, but that may change soon.  He sleeps until anywhere around 6:30 or 7:30 in the morning.  He takes two naps, usually one around 9:30 and then an afternoon nap around 1.  Each nap lasts about 1 1/2 to 2 hrs. 

*He loves peek-a-boo (Mackenzie can really get him laughing), toys with music (he will stand and dance), chasing Mackenzie around the house in his walker, or playing in Mackenzie's room with her toys...really, anything having to do with Mackenzie is a big hit.

Happy 10 month bday, buddy!  We love you bunches!  Here are some pictures and an adorable video from this month!

                                                     Giving Kenzie some kisses and hugs

                                                          My big boy....how is this possible?

learning to drink from a sippy cup....never mind that it's pink . . .

                                                                Checking out the pantry

                         His new discovery. . .. eating his own toes....lovely. . .

best buddies

                                                        Balancing

                        eating blueberries, raspberries, cheese and noodles. . .

at the park with Daddy

...and now, a video featuring Kenzie pretending to sneeze, making  Caleb giggle uncontrollably

(don't forget to pause the music to the right before playing)

Time Warp Tuesday

Here's a few blasts from the past. . . first, a video of Mackenzie, around 2ish (I'm guessing), eating Spaghetti and Meatballs, and of course salad.  She has been a good eater since she was little, and has always eaten whatever was on the table.  We hope our sweet boy will be the same!  

Secondly, lunch at 19 months. . . man, I love those pigtails!

Time Warp Tuesday

I am going to try something new.  I have hundreds of photos and videos that I have taken over the years, that go unseen.  So, I am going to try every week to pull up some oldies, along with some new never-before-seen videos to share.  Since I started this blog when Mackenzie was a toddler, it will be a fun way to share more memories of her as a baby. 

Here are two of my all-time favorite Mackenzie videos.  The first was taken before bathtime when she was a little over 1, and the other I took at my sister's house (when we bravely flew just the 2 of us for some time away).  Interestingly enough, the first video is from our old house, and the second is from my sister's old house.  I hadn't realized it until I watched these again.  Enjoy, but be sure to pause the music on my playlist first!

Preschool Parade

Mackenzie's Preschool class had a costume parade this week. It was adorable seeing an army of 4 year olds parading through the church gym. To say that she loved showing off her costume is the understatement of the year. Surprising coming from the same girl who was not a fan of having people sing "Happy Birthday" at her party just a few months ago. She loves anything having to do with preschool and this was no exception!

                             Being greeted by Mrs. Elliott, the sweetest woman ever!

I love this one.  You can tell how proud she is!

                                              Lining up to start the parade!

                                                Costume Cuties!

                                              Big Waves for Daddy, Mommy and Caleb

                                               The Genesis Class, 2010

. . . our futures lawyers, doctors, teachers, tinkerbell's, spidermen, princesses and more.  Destined for greatness!