Christmas Card 2013

Our Christmas cards came this afternoon...really late this year, so most of them won't get where they are going until after the actual holiday, but I still love the design I picked, and I LOVE the images I used.  Jack helped me stuff and label and stamp, and then we took them together to the post office, stopping on our way to make a few hand-deliveries.  It was a warm and muggy first day of winter, but we are still in the Christmas spirit despite the weather and all the sickness in our house.  Now Daddy has a stomach flu...following Lander's ear infection and the ridiculous cold that I'm still battling.  Jack seems to be the only one in mostly good health; I know I say it all the time, but the kid is tough as nails...

Anyway, I thought I would go ahead and share our Christmas card and spoil the surprise since they are going out so late as it is!  Merry Christmas from The McQ Zoo!  Maybe I'll have a chance to do some actual blogging again in the New Year.  :-)  Until then, the best, most realistic way to keep up with us is to check out my Facebook Page...

McQ 2013

View the entire collection of cards.

If you can't see the image above, click here.

To find me/us on Facebook, click here.

When/If I Can: The Birthdays Post - Part 1

It is hopeless.  I can't deliver on my promises of catching up, so I'm just going to have to accept that I am too busy to post as often as I'd like.  Working, momming, wifing, it all takes time and energy, and the truth is, I pour my heart and soul into LIVING, so enough is enough.  I'm done trying to keep up with my self-expectations and feeling bad when I can't seem to whip out a picture perfect post a day, a week or even a month after a spectacular event has transpired in The McQ Zoo.  I'm going to change my tune to this: 

I'll get to it when/if I can.

And tonight I have a little time and a bit of "umph" left in my brain after a great day with my kiddos, so...

Enter August, a month of birthday celebrations for both Jack and Lander!  Jack turned 4, Lander is now 1, and we did it up over the course of 2 weekends with a joint "little kid" party, and then individual family (and "big kid" for Jack) parties on their actual special days.  We could not have imagined it more perfectly.  With the excessive rain, I honestly think we got the best weekend of the whole summer for our outdoor shindigs; it was dry, sunny, and there was even a slight breeze that stopped in here and there.  Thank you, God, for those beautiful days!

Anyway, I posted the best pics already on Facebook from the 1st weekend, which included Jack and Lander's joint party (Power Rangers and Beach Baby themes) and Jack's individual party, which was the coolest Lego Ninjago theme complete with a visit from his karate Dojo Master who officially invited him into the "Black Belt Course!"  It was a HUGE deal!!!  We were so happy to have all the cousins and big kids from the neighborhood there to witness Jack's surprise, and of course aunts, uncles, grandparents and a few of our best friends.  Here is the video!

I also want to highlight some of GRandi's work on the parties.  Without her we would not have been able to pull it all off.  Thank you again, GRandi for all of your help and your undeniable creativity and talent!

Also, thank you to Grandma and Grandpa for donating all of the beach accessories!  These were the same ones we used 3 years ago for Jack's first birthday, so it was extra special to use them again!  

Lander and her little pals had a splash!

My Power Ranger and my Birthday Girl...

Here is Jack with his pals Aidan and Beck on the front of the 

bounce house we rented (left) and a few more of the guests,

including Molly and Ari, getting ready for cake (above).

These were our party favors: Power Rangers "Pocket Racers" and Goldfish Crackers!

 My Birthday babies enjoying their special "cakes" made by GRandi!

 These (above) were among the many favorite gifts received from our far too generous guests.  Jack wears his safety vest fixing stuff all over the n'hood now, and Lander LOVES to push her babies in their new stroller!  Thank you to all of our friends for so many thoughtful gifts!  We will be sending formal thank you notes, but please forgive me for the delay!

 Here is Jack decked out in his new sparring gear after Mr. Ewing invited him to the Black Belt Course (that's his best bud Braeden behind him) and also a pic of all the cousins and "big kids" on the bounce house. 
  

 And finally, what is a party without a black eye?  Jack was accidentally head butted by a pal in the bounce house during the joint party.  The first pic was after the swelling went down on the day it happened.  By the next day, it was a pretty noticeable birthday shiner!  Too bad he wasn't wearing his sparring gear in the bounce house!  Jack is one tough dude though, with some seriously hard-headed friends, haha!  

Well I suppose I should stop here for now before this post gets any longer.  I am sorry I didn't get to Lander's cake smash party yet, but...

I'll get to it when/if I can!

Just January...

I'm too far behind to elaborate,

But I've failed to keep this up-to-date,

So now I'm going a different route

To get my pictures sorted out.

A simple little slide show

Should be enough to let you know

What fun we've all been up to

Here in The McQ Zoo,

Month-to-month, that's my new plan,

I'm determined now! I think I can!

I only need a few more hours

And perhaps some stay-awake super powers!

But of course, I won't be caught up still,

I doubt, my friends, if I ever will,

I don't know when, and I don't know how,

So just January is all for now.


Just January: The YouTube Version

 

Just January

Stone Mountain Christmas: 12/21/12

Happy New Year!  2013 - can you believe it?  I am looking forward to this year, but I have to admit, I am hesitant to say goodbye to the best year of my life so far.  2012 was fabulous for me, not gonna lie!  I got my baby girl, and I got to spend extra time with both my kiddos while I enjoyed more than a few months off from working.  Now I have to hunker down and find a new job, and I am not happy about it.  

BUT - this is not about that.  This is about the JOY I just experienced over the holidays.  I am always behind, but I want to post about some of our Christmas fun before time gets too far away from me.

Stone Mountain Christmas: As usual, my mom, my sister and our kiddos all went to Stone Mountain Christmas, and this year Aunt Jen and her boys came too.  It was FREEZING.  I mean, like, INSANELY cold.  The kind of cold that no one in GA should ever have to know!  Still, if there was ever a time to be bundled up, this was it.  Unless you are a crazy, full-of-energy, hot-natured bunch of boys!

And of course, there was my sweet baby girl, all warm and cozy in her PJ's, and then later snug as a bug in a rug on my chest in the Moby Wrap...

Jack has been talking all year about the "Holly Jolly Cabaret," which is a fun, comedic musical show they have had for the last few years.  I can't believe he remembers it, but it somehow has made a big impression.  Here is the set from this season.  

Then of course we had to visit with the Snow Angel.  Jack looks a little worried, but he was actually really excited!  Baby Girl did great!

The fan fave is definitely the train ride.  I was playing with my iPhone on the train, and apparently the flash is a bit obnoxious!  Sorry Aunt Christie!

Nice "photo bomb," Logan!

My babies on the train: Jack with his new light-up sword, and Lander wrapped up close keeping ME warm!

After the train, my kids saw Santa.  Stone Mountain is the best place for us to see him b/c there is hardly a line, and it is just really calm and laid back...nothing like the chaos of the mall scene.  Jack asked for a metal bat, a real basketball, another train and a new PEZ Dispenser.  :-)  Lander just smiled like crazy!

The one above is the one I took with my iPhone.  The one below is the official one the Stone Mtn. photographer took.  Of course, I told Jack to do the funny face!  

We finished up with Santa just in time to see the Snow Angel make snow and watch the fireworks, or "boom-boom," as Jack still calls them!  Jack tasted a little of the snow on his tongue, and Lander enjoyed the bright lights in the sky!

It was a fun-filled event, as it is every year, and it is truly something I love doing with my mom and sister and the kids.  We got home to Daddy really late, but since it was a Friday night, we were all able to sleep in the next morning.  We spent the weekend before Christmas just relaxing together and getting the house ready for Christmas morning.  We also rode Jack's little bike one last time...

I have to stop for now, but I'll crank out Christmas Eve and Christmas in my next post!  Stay tuned for more of Christmas 2012 with The McQ Zoo! 

~The Zookeeper ;-)