Year in Review

We hope you all had a great 2007. I thought you would appreciate seeing Andrea's Christmas letter.
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2007 is not a year we will forget too quickly. Marc and I celebrated our seventh wedding anniversary and experienced our “seven year itch” a little differently than most. We thought it sounded like a great idea to sell our house, quit his job and move to a new state and a city we had visited just once before (maybe this was just a joint mid-life crisis a few years early). Many of you might have heard us talk about a move for the past four-plus years so we thought it was time to spring into action. In July we left Virginia—our home since 2002—and made our way to Marc’s parents’ house (equipped with a new portable DVD player and lots of fruit snacks of course!). We spent the 4th of July on Grandpa's new boat and enjoyed watching the festivities over the water. Our next stop was a fun family vacation with my family on Lake Travis just west of Austin (unfortunately the lake was flooded so we couldn’t go boating on it the entire week we were there).

After that, the reality of our decision really sunk in and we became vagabonds for the next three months (it is that gypsy blood from my Dad I guess). We spent time in Austin with my brother, Cory, at “the Property” with my parents, and in North Texas with the Marc’s two sisters and their families. We are very grateful to our families for helping to make our transition as painless as possible and for all of their generosity!

In October we settled into Austin at last and got a short-term lease of our very own. The boys have never been so happy to play with all of their toys before! They played together in their room for hours. By this point we were still waiting for that job offer and starting to sweat it just a little bit; but right before Thanksgiving we got two offers in Austin.

Marc started his new job with Freescale Semiconductor the first week in December and is doing business intelligence and market analysis. His return to the cube was a challenge for him after being free for so many months, but it will do until he becomes independently wealthy and can retire. Marc spends a lot of time with the boys and amazes me with his patience and energy.

I am not as busy as usual, but I am hoping to get some regular activities as I meet more people and learn the area. I ran my first half marathon this year and loved it so I am looking forward to another race in February.

Mackay is becoming such a big boy. He gets mistaken for a 5-year old often and I have to remind myself that he is only three (and a half). His accomplishments for the year include learning to ride a bike (with training wheels), write his name and go to the bathroom in the toilet (almost has it down…HOORAY).

We think Beckett is going to be our little clown. He has such a funny little personality and likes to make us all smile. He has acquired a love for sandboxes, animals and Cheetos. He says quite a few words and mimics just about everything Mackay does. They are really becoming good buddies.

We really love it in Austin and are excited for the chance to give it a go here. If we knew what we were in for when we decided to go on this adventure, we probably would have stuck with our comfortable routine, but where’s the fun in that, right!? We know the Lord has blessed our family this year and we are thankful for His goodness and mercy. We hope this holiday season finds you all well and that you will continue to have success in all your endeavors. We are thankful for the birth and sacrifice of our Savior and remember Him this Christmas season.

We love you and look forward to seeing you all soon!

Chasing the Train

I made this movie of our trip today with Andrea's parents and her sister (and her boyfriend) and brother down to Kemah Boardwalk--the boys loved riding on the merry-go-round and the train. It's the first movie I've made with iMovie '08. Fun to make. Perhaps I missed my calling in life! :)

A Christmas Double-Hitter

After visiting Marc's sisters in North Texas for Christmas, we headed south to visit with Andrea's parents--it got a little warmer but still left us wishing for the 70s that we enjoyed just a week earlier. Andrea's sister, Julie, was visiting from out of state (which means that we don't see her as often as we'd like) as was her youngest brother, Adam. Julie's new found boyfriend also visited, which was an added bonus. It was great to see everyone, even if it was only for a short few days. Unfortunately Marc had to work on Monday (New Year's Eve) so we weren't able to stay for Andrea's parents' famous party with fireworks and good hometown country fun! Perhaps next year...

Beckett loves Cheetos...need any more proof than this?
Mackay and Beckett got to feed the longhorns...we're definitely in Texas!

A Cold TX Christmas

We visited my two sisters--Carin and Amy--in North Texas for Christmas this year and believe it or not it was actually really cold (30s and 40s). Ok, so we already have thin Texas blood unable to stand anything below 60 degrees, but we're not used to dressing in layers anymore! Despite the cold, we had a good time visiting with everyone. My parents came too, as did my grandma from Florida--it's rare to get her on a plane by herself, so it was great to see her.

One of the nice things about living in Texas is that we've been able to save on air flights when we want to visit family, which means that we're able to see everyone more often. Of course we still miss our many great friends back in sunny Virginia (ok, so it's not so sunny this time of year), but at least we have all of these great technologies that make it much easier to communicate and keep in touch.

Mackay had an especially good time with his cousin Hannah (Amy's daughter who is closest to his age and also enjoys playing "kitchen"). He fondly calls her his "buddy," a title he uses with only the most select of his friends and family--Beckett also enjoys the title.

Mackay and his buddy Hannah....

The whole clan...my sisters and their families...my parents...my grandma (on my dad's side)...and Amy's in-laws...and of course Andrea and me...and the boys.

Mackay Loves His "New" Bike

My parents came to visit before Thanksgiving and brought a bike we had left at their house back when we didn't have room to keep a bike--nor a place for Mackay to ride for that matter. It was a bike Andrea had scored from someone's throw away pile (my dad and I cleaned it up and fixed the training wheel so it's like new). Mackay loves to ride his "new" big bike instead of his big wheel. He even tried riding into a curb and falling off for fun (it worked well the first time he did it, but the second time he tried he got off course and fell down early, resulting in a few customary tears!). As you can see from the video, he also likes to practice standing up and riding. Perhaps he learned all of he sweet skills from the time we spend together watching the Tour de France. He even asked me if I wanted to watch the Tour de France with him, "Hey daddy, do you want to watch the Tour de France with me." What a proud moment for a father! No pressure for Mackay or Beckett to ever get into cycling of course, but if they ever wanted to ride with their old man, I'm sure I could make time...



Check out the focus on Mackay's face!

A Grande Family Thanksgiving

Now that we are living in the same state with my sisters and Andrea's parents, we decided to do a big Thanksgiving get together at Andrea's parents house (aka "The Property). My parents came to visit as well, so it was quite the shindig. Andrea's brother came down from college to visit. And if that wasn't enough, Amy's in-laws just moved into our great state and they came down with their youngest daughter to join in the festivities. Like I said, it was muy grande!

Unfortunately, a cold front came through right in time for Thanksgiving, so we weren't able to enjoy the warm weather like we usually do this far south, but it was fun nonetheless. We made campfires, roasted marsh mellows, road on the four-wheelers, pulled excess fish from the pond, played in the sandbox, road bikes, etc. It was great to see everyone and fun for the kids to get together. We definitely enjoy living closer to family. It saves us a lot on what we would pay for airfare!

No more city slickers in this household...Beckett's on the tractor and Mackay is picking up dead fish!

Happy Halloween

We had our first Halloween in Austin. Mackay was a test pilot and Beckett was a tiger. Mackay loved his outfit. He would wear his fake helmet ALL the time. It was fun to look back at him in his car seat just chillin with his helmet on. Beckett on the other hand wasn't a big fan of his costume and wouldn't stay in it for more than 10 minutes at a time; with his hood up, maybe 45 seconds max!

Breaking Beckett

Well, we've been breaking Beckett for two nights now. The first night was tough with a lot of him (and us) waking up, but last night he slept until about 4 and didn't wake up to nurse until about 5:30...and then he went back to sleep for another couple of hours. Not too bad compared to what it has been.

Our New (Temporary) Pad...

...in Austin. We decided to go ahead and get a short-term rental in Austin. Let's just say that Andrea and the boyz are loving it. Mackay even thinks it's big, even though it is just a two-bedroom place...shows you how much space he has had lately!

Of course no sooner than we decided to rent a place in Austin, Marc got a job offer in the Los Angeles area. Now the decision, "Should I stay or should I go?" (sing it if you know the song!). Vote for your option at the right...

Washing the Car

Mackay loves to help Marc wash the car. It's amazing how kids emulate their parents. Whatever we do, they want to do as well. Of course some day they probably won't think we parents are so cool, so we should enjoy it now while they are young and they still think we are cool!

There is nothing quite like the thrill of watching a child enjoy the newness of life in all its forms. Kids are tiring, but they sure are worth it, especially when they look up at you with that sweet smile that makes all of the "dirty diapers" worth it.

I'm not sure who got cleaner in this video, the car or Mackay!

Beckett First Haircut

Andrea finally gave Beckett his first haircut at 14 months. Let's just say he wasn't too into it. It's amazing the difference in the quantity of hair between Mackay and Beckett at the same age (Mackay was two and a half months old when he got his first trim!). I wonder if this trend will continue when they get older. Will Mackay be the kid with the locks while Beckett goes bald? Or with the Lord take away that from he who has and give it to he who has not...will the first be last and the last be first??

Going Poo Poo

Mackay recently started using the toilet to go "poo poo," albeit inconsistently. Nonetheless, we were VERY excited for him. After he went a couple of times in the potty, we gave him his cooking outfit that grandma bought him as a treat after he went potty like a big boy in the potty. Perhaps we can start to dream about the end of diapers...


Mackay had to check out where the poo poo was coming from.

Beckett's Got Some Sweet Walking Skills!

Beckett is now a walking man! He started showing signs of the skill at a year old and now at just shy of 13 months he has got some mad skills! He'll even chase Mackay and get Mackay to chase him. He'll be running any day! And Mackay is excited--he plans to play soccer with Beckett once they can both run together. At least they like each other...so far!

Beckett's First Birthday

Wow, it's hard to believe Beckett is already one year old! Was it really a year ago when he was born?! He certainly weighs enough to be one. It's time for him to start walking on his own so we don't have to carry him all the time (he's getting close and can take a few steps, but isn't quite there yet)!

We had a much quieter birthday celebration than we did for Mackay's first birthday. Of course it's not because we love him less. Given that we are still in transition--looking for a backyard--we weren't in a good position to throw a party this go around. That said, we had a good time celebrating his birthday with Andrea's family. On Saturday (his actual birthday), we took the boys shopping and then went to dinner at Maggiano's--the boys actually fell asleep on the way to the restaurant (see picture). By the time we got home, Beckett was asleep, so we did presents and cake on Sunday. Two days of fun for the price of one!

Mackay enjoyed helping his little brother celebrate by blowing out candles and opening presents. It's almost like a birthday for Mackay with all the new toys to play with!

Love the Dirt...and Water

Andrea's parents just built a new house and their grass isn't in yet. There back yard was like a huge sand box (or maybe a dirt box) for the boys to play in. The boys can't seem to get enough of playing in the dirt. Add a little water to the dirt and it's extra fun. Mud is always better than dry dirt!








After they got themselves (and their clothes) completely dirty, we decided to bathe them outside in huge buckets of water. Needless to say, they loved it! In addition to getting the dirt off, it's a great way to keep cool in the summer heat.

The Boys First Rodeo

...and mine too! After our trip to the lake with Andrea's family, we headed up to a small town in North Texas for some family reunion and wedding festivities. The first night we were there, we went to a Rodeo. It was something else. It's the first time I've seen wild cow milking--several cowboys try to rope a wild cow and hold her down while one of them proceeds to get enough milk out of her that it will drip from a bottle when he show it to the judge. In my opinion, it was way more exciting than the bull riding!


Mackay riding his first pony at the rodeo.


Beckett too!


We stayed at a bed and breakfast the same night as the rodeo. It was an amazing place with some sweet old stuff in it. One of the rooms, pictured above, had a jungle theme. Mackay looks a bit out of it in the picture, but he's hanging in there. I do feel bad for the boys, however. We need to settle down soon!