Kenna's first pony ride

We thought it would be fun to take McKenna to ride a pony for the first time ever since she just had her 3rd birthday. When we told her we were going to go ride a horse, she was so excited and kept asking every day "ride the horsie?" I told her it wouldn't be until Monday and showed her on the calendar how many days.
Whenever she told people she was going to ride a horse or if we asked her if she was excited she would just say "on Monday I am going to k"
There was this little equestrian ranch in Spanish Fork that Travis called up and asked if our daughter could come ride a pony and feed it and stuff and they said sure so we decided to go.
There were a lot of horses there and McKenna was so excited when we pulled up, she kept pointing to them and saying "I wanna ride that one" and she just really wanted to pet them all.

One of the employees came and took out one of the small horses and McKenna got to pet it while she brushed it and put on the saddle so Kenna could ride it. There were lots of flies around of course and so McKenna kept saying "eew bugs."
Once the horse was ready, she led it into the arena and we put McKenna up on it and the lady started leading the horse around in circles. McKenna absolutely loved it! She was so excited and looked so cute sitting up on it.

Travis was walking beside her trying to hold her a little in case she fell off but she wanted to do it all by herself without anyone touching or helping her.
She rode for about 20 min or so and then the lady brought the horse back and Kenna got to feed it a treat. She kept saying "come here horse," and gesturing with her hand for it to come....It was the cutest thing! When she was feeding it she didn't rally like the feel of the lips on her hand and was kind of scared, so she watched daddy do it instead.

We had a really fun time and I loved seeing her enjoy something so much. I think we will have to do it again sometime because that is all she talks about. Everytime we say prayers she says "thank you that we could ride the horsie," and she always talks aobut how fun it was.

McKenna's 3rd Birthday

I cannot believe that my baby is three already! It seems like yesterday I was bringing her home from the hospital, time flies by way too fast. McKenna has the cutest personality and is the sweetest little girl ever! She is always willing to help and has so much life and light that radiates from her. She truly is a joy to be around and I am so glad I have been able to be her mother for these pst 3 years.
She was a little tired since she woke up at 6:15am for some reason and only had an hour nap before I woke her up for the party, but her excitement weighed out for the most part.

For her birthday we decided to go to her favorite place which is Scera pool to go swimming. Auntie Abbey, Uncle Brandon, Aunt Melanie, Uncle Danny, and of course her cousins Taylor, Abby, and Alayna came to the water park with us. It was so much fun, and McKenna had a blast!

She is so funny cause she was a little awnry at first but as soon as I gave her something to eat she was totally happy after that. She is definately like her dad and gets really cranky when she doesn't eat enough.
After the waterpark, we went back to our house and played for a little bit while daddy went and got pizza. Travis' cousin Jen and her little boy Jackson came over and when Travis got back we all had pizza and pop and just hung out for a little bit.
We got McKenna a pinata that she picked out. It was a little kitty, she is obsessed with cats and I am not sure why because we don't even have one. After we ate we all went outside and the kids took turns hitting the pinata. It was really funny to see them do it. McKenna was kind of timid about hitting it which I surprised by, but she hit it a few times. It was really fun. Her cousin Taylor broke it, and they all scrambled to pick up the candy.....well the other kids did, McKenna just kind of sat down and started eating it instead.
Auntie Lindsay and Uncle Trevor came over when they got off work and we sang Happy Birthday to McKenna and had cupcakes. McKenna of course just ate the part with the frosting and threw the rest of the cupcake on the ground. After the cakes we opened presents.
McKenna got so many fun things, she difinately got spoiled this year! She got her two favorite movies, "Princess and the Frog" and "Nemo." Needless to say she wants to watch them all the time. She also got a lot of tinkerbell barbies and a tea set, a beach towel and toys, books, pajamas, cute clothes, a cute little kitty that she carries around everywhere, a potato head, ballons, a microphone, tinkerbell cards, tinkerbell cup.....in case you didn't know she also loves Tinkerbell, so she was very happy about all of her presents and loves playing with every single one.

She didn't quite get the concept that it was just her birthday at times because she tried to sing other people Happy Birthday and say it to them. It was so cute though because whenever someone would say Happy Birthday to her she was like "Oh Thanks!"
It was so much fun celebrating her birthday with our family and being able to see her joy and excitement. I am looking forward to many more birthdays with my girl and am so excited that I get to keep loving and watching every milestone and little things she does.
She definately gives my life meaning and makes every second of every day worth living. We love her so much and are so glad she is our little girl. Happy Birthday McKenna!

Fun summer activities

Since Travis doesn't have to work this summer, we have been doing a lot of fun activities together which has been so nice. I am taking advantage of this because come the end of August I won't have a husband for a while.
We have been to the zoo a few times this summer. Once we went with Travis sister and her 3 kids, and then we went with them again but her husband came as well as grandma Allen and Auntie Lindsay.
McKenna loves the zoo and all the animals. We got to see the new baby elephant Zuri which was soo cute! I think her favorite animal though was the giraffe.


We experienced raw nature while we were at the zoo both times. The first time we went we were at the gorilla exhibit and the gorilla had just taken a dump and then picked it up and started eating it. It was pretty gross....and people think we evolved from them....hmm.
The kids got a kick out of it though so it was pretty funny. The second time we were there the giraffe's were outside and the male giraffe was drinking the female's urine to see if she was ready to mate....needless to say the kids got course 101 of the birds and the bees.
We had a lot of fun looking at the animals, but I think the kids favorite part was riding on the carasoul and eating ice cream.

I am so glad I get to enjoy fun special moments with my family, I love seeing the joy that McKenna gets from spending time with us and her cousins. She will be so sad when we move and don't get to see her cousins very often.

Travis and I took McKenna to Bridal Veil Falls the other day and we had a lot of fun playing in the water and climbing up the rocks to the waterfall. The water was freezing, but McKenna didn't seem to mind one bit. It was really beautiful!


We have also been doing a lot of swimming in the back yard in the little pool,
at Scera pool which is like a little water park, and at Auntie Lindsay and Uncle Brandon's apartment pool. It has been really fun swimming. McKenna loves swimming, it is her favorite thing and can practically swim on her own.

It has been a really fun summer so far despite being pregnant, and I am looking forward to a lot more fun the rest of the summer.

Baby Shower

There is both good and bad things to be said for having the baby shower come and gone. The good thing is that it means I am getting closer to the end and actually have stuff for the baby, but the bad thing is that it is over and that I can't look forward to it anymore. I guess I will just have to settle for looking forward to when the baby comes. :)
Courtney is the best, she threw such a cute baby shower for me and even drove here from Rexburg to do it. My sister Lindsay was a co host and so it was fun to have a baby shower thrown for me from a good friend and my sister!
Amber came down from Rexburg with Courtney too, so it was like good old times all being together again. We had a lot of fun together, we went swimming
and out to dinner and just talked. It was so nice to have some girl time!
It was nice to hang out with our old roomie Annie as well, we all have so much fun together.
Travis mom was so nice and flew down from Oregon to be here for the shower, and of course she spoiled the baby to death. My mom was here a few days before the shower and likewise spoiled him, but I guess that is what grandparents are for right?
It was fun to have family and friends together for the shower, and I got a lot of cute things for the baby.
I always forget how much stuff you need for a newborn and how much stuff I didn't have that I had borrowed from my sister when McKenna was born that I now have to get. At least this gave me a good start! Thanks all who came it meant a lot to me to have you there!

With only six weeks to go, I am getting more and more anxious for baby to come. I still don't know what I am going to do with a boy, so any advice is welcomed! I just hope he is more mellow then McKenna cause I don't really think he could be worse......hope I didn't just jinx myself on that one. I am definately feeling the affects of the final stage of pregnancy and will so be glad when I can actually bend over all the way, or ride a bike, or lay on my stomach....I never thought I would miss such little things.

McKenna is so excited for the baby, she will touch my tummy and say "mommy I want him to come out...I want to hold him" It is the cutest thing ever! She is going to be such a great big sister. She is already so willing to help me with things so I am excited to have an extra pair of hands when he comes since I won't really have a husband for the next year or so. We are all just counting down until he arrives, I just want him to come!
Well, we had a fun time at the shower and I am so ready to have him here with us and then to move to Oregon and get settled in with our new addition.

Fireflies, cool thunderstorms and family, what more could you ask for

Last week was my first time seeing fireflies even though the first one I saw happened to be smashed on the windshield, but hey it was still glowing so that counts right? They are really cool bugs though, and it was really neat to see them in the darkness with their on and off gleams.
Another awesome thing I saw was thunderstorms like you don't see anywhere else. I loved it when it rained because it was humid and warm so it felt really good when you were outside.
You might be wondering where I saw these really cool things, and the answer to that is Nauvoo, Illinois. We were able to go out there for a whole week. I have been there before but I don't really remember a lot of it.

We left over Memorial day weekend and arrived back this last Saturday. We were able to travel with my sisters Abbey and Lindsay and their hubbies so it was a lot of fun being on the plane and driving with them. My brother and his wife and family came from New York, and my parents and sister Annie of course live there already so that is why we went to visit. My other brother Brett came down with his family from Iowa so we had the whole Marshall gang together for a week of laughs, fun times and of course drama because it is not a family vacation without that.
We flew into St. Louis Missouri where my dad was waiting in a huge van to take us 3-1/2 hours to Nauvoo. Needless to say it was a long day of traveling, but very worth it. If I would have had to drive for 2 days instead of flying and only driving for 3-1/2 hours I would have lost it so I am very glad we didn't have to drive the whole way.
We stayed in a really nice lodge the first few nights which was huge and there were bunnies outside which the kids loved to go and see and hold.
The other nights we stayed in this house which was kind of an adventure in and of itself, but that is another story.
We toured all around Nauvoo seeing all the houses and going on carriage rides and wagon rides pulled by Oxen. We walked the trail of hope and went on a private tour of the Nauvoo temple courtesy of my dad, and went through a session there. It was the first time my parents and all of us siblings have been in the temple together and it was such a neat experience.
We got to dress up like pioneers and play some of the games they had. This is McKenna riding a sheep. Her and her cousins could have played at this park forever. Overall it was a really great experience to be able to be where the prophet and the saints lived and to feel the sweet spirit that was there in the town.

We also went to Carthidge and went through the tour there and that was really neat. I have been there before like I said but it was just as sweet of an experience the second time as it was the first. We got a picture outside with all the grandkids except for Callie because she is too little to sit up there with everyone else.
The kids went swimming at grandma and grandpas and just had a blast running around and being with eachother. It was a little noisy at times with all the kids that you would think you were in a zoo at times, but fun nonetheless.
There is so much to do we didn't even get to see everything, but the best thing was just being with the family and enjoying the time we got to spend there. McKenna had a blast playing with all her cousins and was very sad when we had to say goodbye to them all.
I was not ready to leave, but like they say, all good things must come to an end. I always get so anxious for things to come and then when they do it just goes by so fast. I need to relax and not be so anxious but just enjoy every moment even if it is just being satisfied with taking McKenna to the park and entertaining and teaching her things each day. I should be just as excited for those moments as I am to go on a vacation right?
McKenna loved flying on an airplane, she kept telling everyone she was going to fly on an airplane even if she didn't know them. It was so cute and she did so well so it made my life so much easier. We experienced pink berry frozen yogurt for the first time and it was deliscious! It was a little hard for her while we were in Nauvoo because we were always so busy she didn't get naps in so she was not her usually well behaved self, but what can you expect from an almost 3 year old?
One thing we got to do which was really neat to me was to tour Brigham Young's house and so I got a picture of Travis and McKenna there because he is their great grandfather, 4th for Travis and 5th for McKenna.
I am so grateful for family and for the many blessings we have been given to allow us to take this wonderful trip. I am especially grateful for my parents who did so much to make it such a nice trip, we are very fortunate and I am so glad we got this opportunity.
Memories are some of the best things we have and I am glad that I have made so many good ones with Travis and McKenna so far and I look forward to many more with them and with our new son when he arrives.

It's about time

You are probably all used to my sporadic postings, so here is another update to what has been going on.
We moved into my grandpa's house in Orem at the end of April and are loving it here. It is so nice to have a backyard where McKenna can go out and play as well as being able to work out in the yard and just enjoy being outside in it. It is a lot quieter than our other apartment. No more sirens waking McKenna up.
We are really close to this really big park and swimming pool place as well as all the shopping places, so it is so nice to have something to do all the time. My sister and her husband are moving in with us for a little while so that will be really fun too.
McKenna is staying very busy these days, she loves going to the park, playing outside, playing with blocks and toys, coloring and reading books.
She does have an attitude now, but that is expected I suppose of an almost 3 year old. She is actually starting to eat more foods I give her which I am so happy about. She used to only like certain types of food, but I can pretty much get her to eat anything now. We have so much fun with her and she is growing up way to fast.
I am just starting my seventh month now, so I am getting big, at least that is how I feel. Everything is going well, I can feel him kicking all the time and doing whatever other weird things inside my stomach. I feel more uncomfortable with this one then I did with McKenna, but I am happy to bear it. Here is a pic of me at a little over 6-1/2 months. It is still weird to me that I am having a boy, I don't think it will sink in until he is actually here, but I am really excited and can't wait!
I am really looking forward to summer and all the fun things we have going on. I will definately have lots to blog about these next couple of months.

Easter egg dive and other fun festivities

We had a fun Easter this year, though I didn't really get to take many pictures, mostly because I forgot to do it, but hey I will work with what I got.
We went up to Haramen Utah where Travis sister lives and we went to an easter egg hunt with her, her husband and her three kids, although I wouldn't really call it a hunt but rather a free for all for the parents. It was freezing and we had to bundle up in winter attire to brave through the cold. The kids were of course excited despite the cold, but since there was snow on the ground at the park, they had the easter egg dive as I will call it, under the pavillion. The 0-2 year olds went first which was nice because McKenna is in that category. They had candy strewn out all over the floor and had a fire engine there that would put the siren on when it was time to go.
On the sound of the siren, the kids went out onto the floor to collect the candy, although at this age it was the parents pushing their kids into the center and diving in grabbing all the candy for them; if I didn't know any better I would think the parents were the ones needing an Easter egg hunt.
McKenna was kind of frozen in place because of the siren, so I picked up a few eggs and showed her how to put them in her basket so she would get the idea. She finally caught on and started picking up all the candy around her. I wish the parents would have let their kids do it themselves, but what can you do. Travis couldn't even take a picture because there were so many people scrambling all over that he couldn't even see us picking up the candy. In about 1 minute or less the floor was cleared of all the Easter goodies and the kids whose parents helped them had overflowing Easter baskets while some kids had only one or two things. It was a crazy mess, I am not sure if I will be attending one of those again. I think I will just take my chances at a nice Easter egg hunt at home where it is safe from crazed parents and the cold.
The rest of the day we just spent up at Travis sisters while the cousins played together and ate Easter candy.
Easter morning, the Easter bunny came to visit McKenna. Lindsay had spent the night so it was fun to have her there in the morning. She covered her eyes while we brought it out to her.

Her face was priceless and she pulled her old man face (those of you who have seen her know what I am talking about). She loved all the candy and toys she got and was glad the Easter bunny came.

We went back over to Travis sister's house and watched conference, or more like tried to watch it while all of the kids were playing and screaming. It was nice for McKenna to play with her cousins though and we at least were able to be uplifted by conference even if it was only a little bit.
We had a big dinner after conference with Melanie and her husband and kids, and some of Melanie's husbands family. The food was delicious and it was so fun being around family and enjoying time and good food with them.
All in all it was a pretty good Easter even if it was full of crazed people, screaming kids and candy I shouldn't be eating in the first place.