Spring Break!!!

Spring break was the first week of April and boy were we ready!  We went to Bryce Canyon!  Nate and Joel still had school and couldn't join us.  We missed them.  We rented my cousins rental house in Kingston and it was perfect!  We LOVED staying there!  AND, she brings her customers homemade bread! It was warm and wonderful!  She also brought me salad dressing when I needed it because it was the ONE thing I didn't pack!  Love you Camille and loved your cute house that was fully stocked with anything we might need!!  There will be a lot of posts and pictures about this spring break, it was a loaded vacation and we loved every minute of it!!

 Where's Walter?

 Two loaves of this yummy stuff!  Her mom was the best baker ever and she obviously taught her daughters!

 It isn't vacation without an Acquire game with Grandpa!

The view across the street...I found it very vintage and pretty!

9 months old already!

9 months and as cute as ever!  This little guy is so loved!

Adventurous kids...

When you get out of church by lunchtime, what do you do all day?  Our kids get their pajamas on.  Then if it's a little chilly outside, they put jackets on.  Then they grab shovels and go dig for treasure in our giant sandbox.  Today they found a dinosaur bone!  They are digging, digging, to get that thing dug up.  I know we will never convince them it is a tree root, so we just let them keep digging!  Maybe they will dig up a few weeds while they are at it.  Now the adults can take a nap!  ha ha.  

Mary Poppins Junior...

We went out to Saratoga Springs to watch Kamryn (my niece's daughter) perform in Mary Poppins Junior.  It was a grade school and they did an excellent job!  She was a statue.  Painted grey everywhere!  Her mom Holly got to do the make up for every performance.  It was really fun to go and see the cute production.  The picture is blurry with the kids, darn.  The one with just Lilly turned out a little better. Then we told Kamryn she looked like the statue of liberty so she struck the pose!  It was fun to be there and Dave's mom and sister were there too.  

DNA and a Family History Mystery...

Dave got a new plotter at work so he printed his family history fan chart giant size!  It is so great because we can read it so well!  For many, many years we have been having trouble with the McKinney line.  We can never seem to get past great great grandpa McKinney (William) who Grandma Vennie always said "His father is Nathan McKinney." Well, we can never find the connection - any document of any kind that substantiates that.  For YEARS we have been looking.  Well, several years ago John (Dave's brother) looked into DNA research and he had his DNA professionally done.  The results came back that he was not tied into the McKinney line, but rather a Gann line.  What? Of course Grandma Vennie was already gone but Terry (Dave's dad) knew nothing about any Ganns or how that could be.  We figured maybe someone was adopted?  It is a huge mystery.  So now Dave has done the DNA and is working on getting his siblings done too.  John has been helping with this "not so easy" project.  And of course Terry is gone now, why on earth didn't we get his DNA back when we could have!? And his only sister is deceased so that leaves one living brother (who was born many years later when Dave and his siblings were being born). It is a mystery for sure.  We think we know now why we haven't been having much luck on the McKinney line!  Dave's DNA proves the same thing, a Gann connection. So he is busy making charts and contacting descendants of Ganns and trying to make the right connection.  Who knows when we will ever get it figured out!  He thinks he has it down to either Grandpa McKinney or great grandpa McKinney that could possibly have been adopted.  We hope time will tell!  DNA doesn't lie and lots of mysteries are coming to light...In the meantime, here's a picture of Dave with his sisters Gail and Sus, Mom, and brothers Mike and John.  We were all together for a family get together out in Saratoga springs (where DNA kits were handed to siblings).  We love our McKinney clan!  Even if we really aren't McKinneys.  :)

A few cute pictures of Walter...

Walter is still the cutest baby and as popular as ever with his siblings.  He loves to watch them play video games. He sometimes will sit still while Lilly reads him a book. He is also getting pretty mobile and was scooting down the hall the other day!  Then one day, I was standing by the kitchen counter and opposite of me the stool started moving!  I ran around to the other side and there was Walter smiling at me as he was pushing the stool!  We are in trouble now!  He's just as cute when he's asleep!  I love spending my days with him and David still tells me how lucky I am that I get to be with Walter all day.  I call it blessed.  

 Grandma got quite taken back when that stool started moving!!

 Walter was pretty proud of himself!

Cali visitors!!

Lots of pics...you have been warned!  We were so excited that a few of our Cali kids would come for a weekend visit!  Ashley and Clark came and we finally got to meet Kristen!  I haven't seen Clark in about 4 years...the store he works at has new owners that believe in letting employees take some vacation time!  Finally!  Ashley had taught Kristen a few of our favorite games so we played!  I posted the score sheet from Nines...my best score EVER!!!  Clark was so great to play with the kids.  They love Uncle Clark!  He played video games, soccer, trampoline and went sledding with them too!  Those that felt like it (Ashley and Clark were both getting sick when they left for the trip) ate with us at JCW Burgers and we brought take out for the ones who didn't feel like venturing out.  As you can see it was shirt sleeve weather.  Boo. We want SNOW!  But they did all drive up to Tibble Fork to get a little snow and sledding action. Nate took Clark out shooting, pretty sure they both enjoyed that. They also went mini golfing at Seven Peaks and rode the Frogger ride. Some of them wore jackets as that day was a little cooler. We were sorry Ashley and Clark were sick but soooo glad they made the trip!  We really like Kristen and had fun playing games with her.  We also had Eric's family over for dinner (to celebrate Eric and Randa's birthdays) and the family met Joel's Kristen that day also!  I don't seem to have any pictures of that day!  It was a great day!  The missionaries even joined us last minute (we had plenty)!  We had made Cafe Rio and Italian sodas. And of course decadent chocolate cake from Costco for the birthday celebration. The missionaries really liked the sodas and we showed them how to make them. We made them promise not to tell their families (or mission president!) that we make "mixed" drinks at our house.  ha ha.  It was a fast few days but we enjoyed every minute of it!  We missed Clif and Lindsay.  SOMEDAY I will have ALL my kids here at once!  We were sad when they had to head back but so happy for the time we got to spend with them.  And we really like BOTH Kristens!!   

 

Great music, great food...

I finally did it.  I bought the CD of The Greatest Showman.  I LOVE the music (and the movie!) so I had to get the CD.  It was totally worth the money (I think 11 bucks at Wal Mart).  The kids love listening to it as much as I do!  I think Jacob has all the songs memorized!  I also made a meatloaf in the instant pot which was great!  The potatoes are in the bottom, meatloaf and carrots in the top.  A whole meal made in a matter of minutes!  Not everyone was a fan of the meatloaf, but most of the adults ate it and Walter really liked it!  And last but not least, my new favorite cookie!  I made the cake box cookies we always make (cake mix, one egg, one cube of butter) chocolate flavor, and after they came out of the oven, put an Andes mint on top.  It melts and you spread it around a little, the perfect frosting!  Yum!  

Eight months!

I cannot believe this little guy is 8 months old already!  Wow, time flies!  He is such a little cutie and I love getting to spend every day with him.  David always tells me (when he has to leave for school) how lucky I am I get to spend all day with Walter.  He's right!  I am blessed to have these littles in my life.  Walter is a good baby and easy to tend.  Thankfully!