Chili Fest

About this time of year each year at work we hold a chili cook off and we call it the Chili Fest. Several of my colleagues at work bring in chili, then others bring corn bread, cookies or drinks. I usually make a chili and bring it in to enjoy, but this year I just couldn't get my chili made the night before.
Anyway, chili fest was great as usual, but on the way home I noticed something in my car that made me reminisce a little. There I was driving home in the Xterra and I looked at the floor in the passengers seat. There in the rubber mat (and this is completely embarrassing for me to admit) was the remnants of a small spill from my chili from LAST YEAR!
A lot of thoughts went through my head when I saw that chili.....First, I can count about 3 times my entire pregnancy when a smell made me nauseous and last year's chili fest was one of them. There I was sitting at work with 9 or so crock pots full of chili boiling around me all day, the smell almost made me sick to my stomach and I usually love chili! Second, I now completely understand what people say when they talk about it only taking a short time to break a habit. You see, I am a neat freak...or at least I once was. I used to dust everything in my house 3 times a week, vacuum twice a week, 409 switch plates, plug covers and walls once a week, wipe down all of the base boards once a week and polish my wood floors once a week (vacuuming them at least 3 times) just to name a few things. Flash forward, nine months of pregnancy, one new baby, two months in a wheel chair, a month in a walker, multiple falls and a month on crutches and what do you get...someone who is out of their habit! I'm lucky to get the whole house cleaned in one day at all, it's only happened 3 times in the last 7 months, let alone find the time to clean up a small chili spill on a rubber mat in my car! Third, after thinking about the past days of my neat freakishness, I remembered a time probably about 3 or so years ago. I came home from work to find Robbie in the living room in his usual t-shirt and cargos, but this time also wearing an apron. He had dinner in the oven and was ironing some clothes while he was watching Oprah! Everytime I think of that memory I laugh!
Anyway, chili fest was awesome. The chili was delicious and I just keep thinking one day soon maybe my house will be really clean again! Oh, and I have not seen Robbie ironing, cooking and watching Oprah since!

More Weddings!

You may remember that back in June my sister Leslie got married. It was such a nice day. Well, back in June we didn't think we'd have another wedding so soon! My other sister, Jenni, got married on Friday. It was an early day (at the temple by 7:50), but a great one. They had a luncheon and a reception and everything was a lot of fun. I didn't get many shots of the bride, but I'll post some when she sends me some, but I did get some cute ones of McKinley and Robbie. McKinley looks a little dazed in this one, but don't let it fool you, she had a stellar time at the reception.

This is the closest thing we have that sort of shows her dress. She and her cousins wore the same dresses and they looked so cute.

There's my happy girl!

Robbie is one lucky guy huh? :)

Pass the Peas Please

On Wednesday last week we gave McKinley her first "solid" food (besides rice cereal I mean). We're trying to introduce her to fruits and vegetables now. We decided to start with the vegetables, because who would eat veggies if they tried fruit first?
Here is a little video of how it went. I'm thinking peas are not her favorite food.

6 Months Old!

Well, it’s official, McKinley is 6 months old. She seems so big now! She’s really starting to get her own little personality. Here is a little about McKinley:

• She loves to pull the CrAZiesT faCes
• Sometimes she ignores Robbie for fun
• She rolls all over, but sometimes when she’s on her tummy she forgets she can roll to her back and just lays there and whines until we remind her she can get to her back on her own
• She enjoys eating rice cereal and is really pretty good at it
• She recognizes her spoon and bottle and when they start coming toward her she starts shaking her head back and forth with mouth WIDE open
• She loves books
• She plays with toys and every toy goes in her mouth
• She can sit on her own for a few seconds
• She babbles a lot, but her absolute favorite thing is to growl
• She loves to PuLL Robbie’s glasses off of his face
• She also likes to sit on Robbie’s shoulders and hold on to his hair
• She hates cold wind! She doesn’t mind the cold, but if there is a wind, she is one unhappy little girl

Halloween

Well, McKinley had her first Halloween and would say with a few minor glitches it was a pretty good one. They had quite the party at daycare and she even made her own Trick or Treating bag. Glitch 1: she was going to come into my work in the afternoon for a killer party, but the Suby was in the shop and took longer than we thought...oh well, maybe next year. When we got home we handed out some candy and then went to see a couple of her cousins near by. She had a good time in their wagon! Glitch 2: After all of that pumpkin patch fun, we didn't get a chance to carve our pumpkins! I think Robbie is still going to carve his like a halloween something, but I think I'll carve mine Thanksgiving like. Anyway, after a day full of partying our little butterfly was tired and went to bed, but not before a few fun pictures. Happy Halloween!

Getting ready to take flight!

With her cousins in the wagon. Two butterflies and a cute little poodle.