The Mac Pack

Joy to the World.....

2011-12-24T13:18:00.001-08:00

EEEEE!!!!

2011-12-08T22:04:00.000-08:00

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dZRvfJDecyQ

I'm baaaaaaaack!!!

2011-12-07T12:09:00.001-08:00

Guess who figured out how to blog one handed on the phone while feeding a baby?!

The Fourth (and final) round....

2011-05-22T22:10:00.000-07:00

McMillan Baby Name Game

(THE FOURTH AND FINAL ROUND)

Objective: Hey everyone, welcome to the fourth and FINAL round of the baby name game! As you already should know, we are not revealing the name of our baby. So, once again, we've decided to make some fun out of it. While trying to create some suspense, some fun, possibly some family bonding time, mixed in with a little gambling, our main goal is to start a college fund for our daughter, and guess what, when she grows up and wins the Nobel Prize or finds a cure for cancer, or most likely just enjoys her way through life, you can say you contributed to her education.

Game: Ok, enough introductions, now for the game. We have supplied you with a list of 50 first names and a list of 10 middle names (yes, the actual name is in there somewhere, we promise). Your mission is to pick one name from each list and combine them for your guess. It is $1 a guess (yup, we reduced the price…recession and all!), and you can make as many guesses as you would like. You can also play without putting money in, it’s just fun to see everyone’s guesses! (However, if you don’t put money in, you won’t win any money, even if you guess the right name.) For all you mathematically challenged, that means there are 500 total combinations. So remember, the more guesses you make, the more chance you have of winning.

Contingencies: Once we near the due date and we feel everyone has made their guesses and if we (the officials) see that there is no winner, we will send out another email letting you know. We will provide a list of all the names that have been guessed, so that you don't pick the same ones again. You have until the baby is born to get your guess in, at that time we will reveal winner and the name. (The due date is somewhere in between July 17-23, 2011!!)

Prize: Winner takes home half of the prize money; the baby takes home the other half (actually we take it to the bank and lock it away for 18 years). On top of the winnings, we will match the baby’s winnings. Ex. Pot amount=$500, winner gets $250, baby gets $250, Carrie and Ryan -$250. Baby's grand total= $500.

Headquarters:

Send guesses and money to

Ryan or Carrie McMillan

30392 N 71^st Lane

Peoria, AZ 85383

Just pay us when you see us,

Or pool your money in groups

We’re all family/friends, we trust you.

Or, just guess for free/fun!

Overview: Get competitive, tell your friends, get as many people involved as possible, and have some fun, it’s for a good cause. Last round the winner walked away with over $300!!

P.S.: Send your guess(es) back in a return e-mail (cewicky@yahoo.com), to the address above or by phone (623)748-1406. (and don’t bother asking Elly or Boe…they don’t know the name! Only Gray does….good luck getting it out of him though!)

Have Fun!!!

First Name

Abby	Kinzie
Amelia	Kylee
Aubrey	Lainey
Audrey	Lucy
Avery	Mabel
Breah	Macy
Brooklyn	Naomi
Carly	Olivia
Cassidy	Payton
Claire	Penny
Daphne	Piper
Emma	Poppy
Emry	Quinn
Evan	Rea
Faith	Regan
Grace	Sarah
Hadley	Selah
Hailey	Sidney
Harper	Stella
Isabell	Summer
Josie	Taylor
Julia	Violet
Katie	Willow
Keely	Wren
Kennedy	Zoe

Middle Name

Christine

Elizabeth

Grace

Hope

Jane

Joy

Lynn

Rae

Shannon

Sophia

Thankful...

2011-03-18T22:35:00.000-07:00

If you've ever met my sweet Boe, even for a minute, you know, he's a live-wire ;) He is my sweet, sweet, CRAZY boy! And I adore him. So, when he was throwing up for 2 days, unable to keep anything down, and not really moving, I thought maybe I should just call the Dr. just to see what I should do. I'm really not a worrier, and we have been so blessed to have really healthy kids, so I didn't think much of it, except that it had been going on for so long.
So, after I talked to the nurse on call, and she asked me a few questions (including when the last time he'd gone potty was, which I really didn't even know if he'd done that day at all!), she recommended I take him to the ER for some fluids, and started giving me addresses of ones nearby, I realized, that it was probably pretty bad (as far as the stomach flu goes). So, we hopped in the car, and headed over to the ER. Boe couldn't even really walk, his eyes looked glazed over, and he was burning up (103* fever it turns out!). SO unlike the boy who never sits still that he normally is.
Elly was my sweet helper the whole time, shuttling Gray around in the stroller, and being so patient and understanding. It was like Elly and Gray really knew how badly Boe was feeling. After all, they had seen him in the same spot on the couch for 2 days straight!
Ryan met us at the ER, and stayed with us while they did a few tests. It was one of the hardest things I have ever had to watch. Two nurses held Boe down to get blood and an IV, and all Boe could do was whimper, I really don't think that they really needed to hold him down, he didn't have the strength to protest anyways.
Of course, we brought our trusty friend Mater along, that made it a little bit better. The nurses started the fluids, and in the mean time, Ryan took Elly and Gray home for dinner.
Boe got to go to "The Closet" to pick out a toy....a new car. A friend for Mater (since Lightening McQueen was MIA!). And we just waited. I got to hang out with my boy, who said his eyes were tired. So he rested, and I watched weird TV in the room (darn it for forgetting my book!!). It was a precious time with him that I'm glad I was able to be there for. We chatted, and read a book, and watched the Spanish wildlife channel(....he thought the tigers were cool), and Cake Boss! (The only other choices for TV were teeny-bopper shows....no thanks.)
And I slowly got to see the life drip back into him. He started talking again, and moving around. Two things that he hadn't done for 2 DAYS! It was great. They ended up have to do 2 1/2 doses of fluids because he was that dehydrated. They said that just by looking at him, he didn't look too bad, but after looking at his blood tests, it was a lot worse than they had thought. he was so dehydrated, it was almost to the point of affecting his kidneys. I kept explaining it to him, like he was a car. His body was just out of gas, and it couldn't run anymore! So, we had to fill him up with some gas so he could run again!

Finally, he told me he had to go potty, which is what the nurses had been waiting for! So he did....hooray!!! And he got a popsicle. The first thing I'd seen him eat, and keep down, in 2 days. Such a sigh of relief. So, after about 4 hours, they sent us home, saying he was still dehydrated, but just to keep giving him LOTS of things to drink.

So, drink he did....he didn't really want anything to eat yet for the next 2 days after that. But finally, after 4 days of not eating anything, he had his first meal. Then the next day after that...he pooped. Which of course, I had to call Ryan at work to tell him about...you'd think he was the first child to ever poop or something! But, it meant he was eating, and was hydrating normally again. It was probably about that same time that I looked up dehydration online, and read about it, and had my break down. That was the sickest that any of our kids had ever been!! And it just made me realize, how precious their little lives are (getting teary eyed, just typing it!). And how very very thankful we are to have such healthy kids. I have friends who have to deal with IV's and hospitals and tests for their kids, monthly, weekly and even daily. I had to deal with it for four hours, and got a teensy weensy glimpse of what their lives and emotions are like. And man, it's hard!! I feel like such a wimp saying it was hard, because I do know that there are parents out there for whom this is their life! Daily. And they are my new heros!

It took Boe about a week to fully recover his appetite, and his energy. But now, a few weeks later, he is sure back to his old self. His once glazed over eyes, have their mischievous sparkle back! ;) So I will be thankful. Thankful that my children are healthy enough to drive me crazy some days!!

It's a......

2011-02-27T21:35:00.000-08:00

So. Finding out what little McMillan #4 was going to be was quite the waiting game. Ryan was out of town, and I went to the Dr. to find out, and the plan was that I would tell him over the phone, then we'd tell the kids once he got home a few days later. The night before my appointment, I was SO nervous, I hardly slept at all!! Knowing that this was most likely our last baby, I definitely wanted a girl. For heavens sake, I still had all of Elly's clothes saved, *just in case* we ever had another girl!! I hoped I wasn't keeping those boxes and boxed of clothes in my garage for nothing!
Now, my regular doctor is out of the office, she is on maternity leave. So I entered the office to a packed waiting room. And appointments running 30 min. behind. So....me and my nerves sat there, trying to pretend to read a book. Finally they called me back, and the doc whipped out the sonogram. At fist glance, I thought I saw a little something between the legs, and my heart sank. I said "It's a boy isn't it." The Dr. thought he saw something too, but couldn't be too sure....then after quickly looking around a little, said "Well, it's really hard to tell, because the baby is upside down, but I think it looks like a girl. But we can't be sure, so, we'll say a 95% chance it's a girl. But, you can go to a specialist in 2-3 weeks". And that was it! He was gone! I was SO bummed!! I felt like if he had just taken 5 more minutes, we would have known what this little baby was!!!
I texted Ryan half way around the world, and told him to call me so I could tell him the inconclusive news. And decided that we couldn't tell the kids without being totally sure. I did NOT want to tell Elly she was having a sister, only to have to tell her days later, "Oh! Just kidding, it's a boy!" She would have been devastated. So, we told no one. And I scoured the internet to find an ultrasound place that would tell me what this baby was!! Luckily, I called the specialists office and found out I could get in the next day!! But, being the great wife that I am, I waited 5 more days till Ryan got home. I figured, if I have to wait even longer, I may as well wait for him. So, the next Monday, we went in, and found out for SURE it's a GIRL!!!!! I was SO excited!! And so was Ryan! (Although, I think that part of his excitement had to do with the fact that if this one was a girl, we could be done having kids!)
So, I had a great idea for telling the kids....make a cookie, and put a chocolate chip cookie inside that represented the color of the baby! Pink=girl, blue=boy! So, I whipped up a batch of hidden pink chocolate chip cookies, and here's what happened.....

Sugar Cookies

2011-02-12T20:39:00.000-08:00

Your search for the perfect sugar cookie recipe has come to an end. These are the BEST. Trust me, I've tried dozens of different recipes. And this is the best. We got this recipe as a favor from a wedding, although I cannot for the life of me remember whose!? So, if you're reading this, and this was from your wedding, then THANKS!!

Sugar Cookies 375* 7-8 min.

1 1/2 C. Powdered Sugar
1 C. softened butter or margarine
1 tsp. vanilla
1/2 tsp. almond extract
1 egg
2 1/2 C. flour
1 tsp. baking soda
1 tsp. cream of tartar

Heat oven to 375*
Mix powdered sugar, butter, vanilla, almond extract and egg.
Stir in remaining ingredients. Cover and refrigerate for 3 hours (as I type this, I realize that I don't think I've ever refrigerated....so, take it or leave it?!).
Divide dough into halves.
**Just a tip, instead of dusting my rolling surface with flour, for this, I dust the counter with powdered sugar**
Roll each half 3/16" thick (I know for a fact that I have never measured how thick I roll it....just eyeball it!). Cut into shapes; sprinkle with granulated sugar (or decorate with frosting recipe that follows!)
Place on lightly greased cookie sheet. Bake until edges are light brown, 7-8 minutes. Makes about 5 dozen.

My go to Cream Cheese frosting recipe. I use it for cakes, cookies, and eat it by the spoonful ;)

Cream Cheese Frosting
1 8 oz. package cream cheese (room temp)
1/2 C. butter (1 stick) (room temp)
splash of vanilla (again, I don't measure!)
1 lb. powdered sugar

Cream together the butter and cream cheese, and add in vanilla. Slowly mix and add powdered sugar till it reaches a thickness you like. Add food coloring, or leave it white, depending on the occasion!!!
Enjoy!!
**You can also melt the butter before mixing, to make it not quite as thick, and more spreadable, if it gets too spreadable, stick it in the fridge for a bit, or add more powdered sugar. I also add a bit more cream cheese, because I like the flavor of it better that way**

PS-you probably want to make a double recipe....they'll be gone in 2 seconds, and you'll need more:) And if for some strange reason, you don't want to bake all the cookies right away, you can roll the dough up, wrap it in plastic wrap, and freeze it. Thaw it, roll it, and you're ready to go for next time!

Dear Gray,

2011-02-05T22:14:00.000-08:00

You're one now. And I can't even believe it. This year has gone by sooo fast. And, I'll admit it, the first couple of months were a bit rough, I didn't think I'd be able to go anywhere, if you were awake, you were screaming. I was a little nervous. But then, you turned yourself around, and have been a changed boy ever since. You are THE happiest baby I've ever had. Your smile makes everybody's day brighter, especially mine.
Let's see....now that you're one, you don't even drink from a bottle, or nurse anymore. You stopped that soon after we found out you were going to be a big brother. I guess you thought you'd get a head start on your big brother role. So, enough nursing, and forget the bottle, you're a big boy now. your favorite food is probably tomatoes. If I put a bunch of things on your tray, you go for the tomatoes first. Every time. Your next favorites are probably dried cranberries, and cucumbers. Such a health nut. :)
You sure do make a lot of noise, but the only recognizable words you say are "Dada" (Daddy), "Dawwww" (dog), "Nanana" (banana), and maybe a little something for ball...but I'm not sure. You can also do the sounds for a monkey and a lion. When you really get going on your lion sound, it's a crack up. I keep trying to get you to say "Mama", but you just say "Dada" and laugh. Little stinker. :)
Speaking of balls, you love to play with them. You love to just sit around and throw them, then chase them, then throw them again. You and Daisy are pretty good buds, because you like to throw the ball, and she loves to chase it. George W. doesn't like to play ball, but he lets you crawl alllll over him. And he doesn't usually let anyone do that! You snuggle with George, and lay your head on him, poke him in the eye, and most recently, you've been using him to balance while you practice standing up!
You have stood up a time or two on your own, but I think that you're really waiting for Daddy to get home before you show off all your moves. Daddy had to leave for a reaaaallllly long trip on your birthday, and we were afraid he'd miss your first steps! But, you're waiting for him. :) (You just have to walk before July, because that's when the new baby comes, K?)
You like to push cars around, just like your brother. It cracks me up, because nobody ever taught you that...all of a sudden you just started driving cars all around the house! You're doing all these "BOY" things now. And it's adorable. Just like when you play Peek-a-boo, and you cover your nose. That's pretty adorable too. Oh and you dance....boy do you ever dance. You wave your hands, and get up on your knees....you totally rock. That's adorable.
You really love to go outside, and if somebody just lets the dogs out, but shuts the door before you can escape, you get so sad. But we've actually had a really cold spell (REALLY cold for AZ!), so we haven't been outside much this past week. But, I'm sure it will warm waaaay up. Soon....unfortunately.
But, Gray. We love you. This first year has been a blast. I can't wait to see what the next year has in store, I'm expecting great things.

Grayson turns One.

2011-02-05T21:33:00.001-08:00

Gray turned one. I can't believe how fast his first year has gone! We had a small family get together, and celebrated the first year of Gray.
(He looks exhausted, because he WAS. He was so excited it was his birthday, he could hardly take a nap that afternoon.)

Elly and I made cakes for him. I made the big one, a monkey, since that was the first animal sound he made :) Elly made his little cake that he got to eat all by himself. She was so excited. Gray was very curious as to what all the action in the kitchen was.

Elly and her monkey cake!

The big Monkey.

Gray wasn't really sure what to do with the cake...we actually had to put some in his mouth to taste it! But, once he knew how good it was....he was all into it :)

And then he decided that he was a little too much into it....bath time.

Happy Birthday buddy.

Ground Beef "Gyros"

2011-01-31T13:24:00.000-08:00

I don't usually post recipes, but I should, because I have gobs of good ones!! I'll try to do more of it from now on! But I got this one from my friend Tracy, and have made it a couple of time, and it's been a HIT both times with every member of the family (even though I've never quite made it right, because I have never had the right Pita's!!)! And it's SO EASY!!!

*Just a note, I don't measure when I cook, bake-yes, but not when I cook. I just throw stuff in till it tastes good and is enough for my family! So adjust this to fit your family!*

Ingredients:
ground beef
onions
tomatoes
cucumbers
lettuce
ranch dressing
Pita's

Cook the ground beef with onions (I never have onions, so I used dried onions), salt and pepper. When done, stir in enough Ranch dressing to coat, you can save some dressing to pour on the "gyro". Slice up some tomatoes and cucumbers. Stuff the lettuce, cucumber, tomatoes and ground beef in a pita, and ENJOY!!! (I've never actually had pita's when I made it, the first time I had mini pita's-it was a bite size dinner, we had like 10 each! Then the next time I thought I was getting the right thing, but it turned out to be pita flat bread! But it still tasted great!!)

See!? What'd I tell you?? EASY! And so good. Seriously, last time I made it, Elly and I were eating just bowls of meat, before the rest of the dinner was even ready, that's how good it is.

I'm sorry, but what Season is this?

2011-01-30T15:45:00.001-08:00

Just enjoying a little AZ winter sunshine!

He's a real BOY!

2011-01-12T22:35:00.001-08:00

At first, your baby is just that...a baby. All babies kinda do the same thing whether they're a boy baby, or a girl baby. Then, all of a sudden, they start doing all these BOY things!!!

Holy Moly....she's FIVE.

2011-01-11T21:25:00.000-08:00

Elly is FIVE!!! I can't even believe it. She is the most wonderful 5 year old I know, and I feel so blessed that God has chosen me to be her Mom! Here's a few pictures from our celebrations!

Her day started off with a party in her room!!
Good morning 5 year old!!

Took Cupcakes to school, and she was so sweet handing them all out to her friends. (She was also very specific about what she wanted to bring "Purple cupcakes, then the frosting-a yellow background, with a purple flower, pick middle, and two green leaves...!" That's what she got!)

Being 5 means you get to do all sorts of cool things, like the monkey bars, ALL by yourself for the first time!!

(We continued the celebrations with lunch out with Ryan, but I didn't get a picture...)

And back home for her special Raclette dinner! (It's sort of like a fondue type meal, you cook the meat on the top grill, and melt cheese (as well as heat other things) underneath in little trays. SO GOOD!!)

Then Saturday, we had one of the most laid back (and budget friendly) birthday parties ever (I LOVED it...and so did Elly!). We had everyone bring their own picnic lunch to the park, and the kids just played! We provided beverages, and of course-Puppy Pops!! Lollipops made out of cake :) Very unique and delicious.

Elly and a few of her friends from Preschool, Sophie, and Allee (they totally were posing!!)

It was a great celebration of our sweet Elly!!

Christmas 2010

2010-12-28T21:45:00.000-08:00

MERRY CHRISTMAS!!

We headed out to my parents house in San Diego for Christmas this year, leaving the night of the 23rd so we could be sure to be there in time to make treats and leave cookies for Santa on Christmas Eve!! It was great to be with my parents, and so fun to watch the kids enjoy Christmas, and Gray enjoy his FIRST Christmas!
Here are a few pics from our day!!

This one was just too good not to throw in :)

Elly, helping Gray open his stocking

I know...talk about Christmas JOY!!! (And you can see his little "fang tooth" on the right! He didn't get his two front teeth, he got the side teeth first, and has little fangs! Love him.)

Elly trying out her "Easy Bake Oven" from Santa

She made quite the scrumptious cakes with that little oven!
(Really?! You can bake a cake on a light bulb!?)

Boe, on his bike from Santa!

He loved it...made it up a pretty big hill too! (And YES, he has a helmet, we just left it in AZ!)

We also had a special little gift to give my parents, and the rest of our families...

Yes :) Baby #4 is on the way!! Anyone traveling to Arizona, for the lovely July weather, is welcome to come greet the newest addition.

We hope this finds everyone having a joyous Holiday Season!
From our family, to yours...

2010-12-11T21:44:00.000-08:00

Ok, so I know I said that I was "back" and all....but then our camera broke. All I have for now is my phone to take pictures with...not quite the same!
We've asked Santa to bring us a new one....so hopefully I will REALLY be back in a few more weeks!!

Merry Christmas!

Step up to the microphone...

2010-11-21T21:39:00.000-08:00

Dear Boe,

2010-10-29T23:33:00.001-07:00

You're three. THREE! 3!!! I still can't believe it. You are currently my favorite three year old in the whole world. It's true. You have the ability to make my heart soar, and then make my head spin all within minutes of each other. You teach me patience every day, and bring such joy and laughter too.

Currently, at three, you are all about cars. Every day, you play with them, line them up, park them, then move them to another "garage".

You love to play with your sister, and Gray too. But I think that when Gray is old enough to be tackled, you will like playing with him much better. Especially if he likes to be tackled. At full speed. But we'll see about that.

I love that when you wake up in the morning, you have your own little routine....milk, a show, on the couch with a blanket. That sounds like my kind of morning. I however, wouldn't start it quite as early as you start your mornings. Just so you know.

You love to be a gentleman. I told you that a gentleman always holds the doors for a lady, and now, everywhere we go, you're holding doors, gates, I love it. And so do all the other ladies. That will take you very far in life ;) You're also the one to compliment a dress I'm wearing, or pretty toenail polish...such a sweetheart!

I am so blessed to be your Mommy, and I love the little boy that God has made you. I know that God has good plans for you. I love you little man. Happy 3rd Birthday!

Here I am!!!

2010-10-29T22:45:00.000-07:00

(OK, so let's just get this out of the way...I suck at blogging. It's been over 6 months. Apparently, life with three kids is busy. I have so many ideas to blog about floating around in my head, then I see all the other blogs out there, and I get overwhelmed, intimidated, and then I feel like I have no idea what I'm doing, so I just don't.
But really, it's time to get over it, and just BLOG. So here it goes.)

So let's update. A lot has happened....
We had a fun summer in and out of San Diego....(strawberry picking in CA)

We goofed off...(lunch in Coronado)

Elly went back to school...(first day of school!)

We learned to sit up...(Gray~7 1/2 months)

And we get cuter and cuter...(Gray is 9 months!)

And bigger and bigger...(Boe is 3!!)

We are growing into lovely little people...(Elly is 4 3/4!)

Aaaand, here we are! All caught up! Phew!

Hope to see you all more often!!

From the mouth of Babes...

2010-04-01T22:30:00.000-07:00

The things that you hear at our house...

What kind of baby store are you shopping at lady!???
(background: our old baby bathing sponge was a teddy bear shape, the new one we have is shaped like a turtle...)
Elly: Mom, is this Gray's new bath sponge?
Me: Yup, it is.
Elly: But what's this down at the bottom?
Me: It's the tail, see the legs up at the top, then his back legs down here, and his tail. This sponge is a turtle.
Elly: No it's not, it's a teddy bear.
Me: Well, the last one we had was a bear, but this one's a turtle.
Elly: No it's a teddy bear...is that the bears penis?

Lucky Dogs
Elly: Mom, I'm making the dogs a special treat
Me: Oh yeah?
Elly: YES. It's called "Speechless"...
Me: Speechless??! What's in it?
Elly: Weeelllll, first you put dirt. Then you put some dog food on it, then some more dirt on top. then the dogs eat it!! They really love it.
Me: Oh wow. Great. Now the dogs are going to barf up dirt! Dirt is not so great for dogs to eat.
Elly: But it's ok. Because they love it.

They eat like animals!
Me: Boe, please don't lick the Mac'n Cheese out of your bowl.
Boe: But I a Puppy!
Me: Please use your fork, and eat your dinner.
Boe: But I a puppy, I have paws, I don't use a fork!
Me: Well, when you are eating dinner, I need you to be a boy, and to use your hands to hold your fork and eat dinner.
Boe: But I not a boy. I'm a puppy, I have paws!!

Grayson

2010-02-20T13:24:00.000-08:00

Grayson Thomas McMillan
January 24, 2010
8lbs., 3oz.
20 1/2 inches
arrived at 4:49pm

Elly's 4th Birthday

2010-01-20T19:45:00.000-08:00

My sweet girl turned 4 at the beginning of January. I can't believe how fast time has flown by!
We celebrated her day by going to The Phoenix Children's Museum, one of her favorite places that we don't get to go to too often. She could play in the grocery store all day...

A few days later, we had her Princess Party. When I asked her if she wanted to have a Princess cake, she said "No...a Dalmatian cake!!" (Like, are you kidding?! What other kind of cake is there to have?? Obviously!)

So it ended up being sort of a "Puppy/Princess Party"!! This was the first year that she has really had her own little friends to invite from school, so we invited all the girls, just like she wanted to! So the neighborhood gang, as well as the little girls from school were all there! Such a fun group of kids (and parents!)!

Daily, I feel so blessed, and honored to have her as my daughter. She is such a sweetheart, a helper, a great big sister, kind friend, and happy girl.

She has such a zest for life, and she loves Jesus, animals, and her friends and family...

Happy Birthday sweet Elly-Girl...you are my favorite girl in the whole world! We love you!

A little Pregnant Lady Etiquette

2010-01-12T20:12:00.000-08:00

There is nothing like being pregnant. The dreaming of the little hands and face, the planning, feeling the baby move, the joy and anticipation...then there's the fat jokes, strangers wanting to rub your belly, people you don't even know giving you advice. Such fun.
I am blessed to have very easy pregnancies, I don't get sick, I still work out, and I can still carry on with normal life! BUT the one thing that drives. me. crazy...are all the comments from other people. And I know, most of the time, people don't say them intending to be rude, but seriously, would you treat any other person like that? Or does being pregnant give people the go ahead to say and do anything to you. If someone you knew had put on a few pounds, would you say something? Would you ask to touch it? NO!!!
So, to help everyone out, I've put together my "Top 10", of things that you should never say or do to a pregnant lady. (These are all real life situations that have happened to me or friends of mine)

{Things you should never DO:}

1. Don't ever cut in front of a pregnant lady in situations involving food or the bathroom.

2. Don't rub her belly. I mean really, would you want me to rub YOUR belly?
- Unless you really know the gal, i.e., you are best friends and know for a fact that she doesn't mind. (I had a bagger at the grocery store reach out and rub my belly...and it was a guy....ewww.)

3. Don't ever take a picture of her from behind. (Unless you have asked her permission, and received it, the lighting is flattering, and she is wearing her best pair of jeans.)

{Things you should never SAY:}

4. WOW! You're HUGE!!! Unless you are talking about a persons recent boob job, their heart or their smile, this comment is usually not really appreciated.

5. Are you sure there's only ONE in there?!

6. Did the Dr. say that it's OK to gain that much weight?!

7. Are you pregnant or have you just not lost the weight from your previous pregnancy?? (Yep, had that one said to me...I replied, "It's a good thing I am pregnant!!")

8. You look like you are going to explode any second! (Really? Thanks...maybe I should start selling tickets for the show then!)

9. Should you be this big already?

10. You look so miserable, you make me not want to have kids!

-Then there's the all the fat comments like: "Wow, you've really been packing on the cookies/beer/desserts huh?!"
"Looking a little chunky there aren't ya?!"

I mean seriously people. On what planet is it OK to say any of those things to anyone?! The only things you should ever say/do to someone who is pregnant are positive ones...even if you have to stretch it a bit!
Like:
-You hardly even look pregnant!
-You look adorable!
-You always get back into shape so quickly! (And this one is borderline...because it may imply that the pregnant lady is not currently in shape...tread lightly.)
-You make being pregnant look so easy!
-You're amazing, I can't believe that you are still doing all that you do!
-Always offer a seat.
-Always offer to get her a drink, or something to eat.
-Always ask how you can help.

So, next time you see a pregnant lady...even if you don't know her, tell her she looks fabulous. You will make her day!!!

Christmas Celebrations

2009-12-19T15:41:00.000-08:00

The Christmas Tree in the playroom, where we (TRY) to make different ornaments for every few days.

It's been a busy month! But a fun one too! Every day, we have tried to do something a little Christmas-y, whether it's making a Gingerbread house, or just tearing a link off the chain. It's been so fun to see Christmas through my kids eyes! Here are a few photos of what we've been up to!

Boe's Gingerbread House

Elly's Gingerbread House

We had a fun little Christmas Party at Elly's preschool as well, and it was even the day that I was helping in her class, so I got to join in on the fun and food! :)

And we mailed our letters to Santa...

I think I'm in love...

2009-12-19T15:11:00.000-08:00

...with our new Accountable Kids system!! I read about it on a friends blog a couple weeks ago, and it seemed to be just what I was needing. I had been feeling like we'd had an especially rough week, and all I felt like I was doing was nagging the kids to do basic things, and getting no results! I was exhausted, both physically, mentally and emotionally, and after a breakdown (from both the kids and I...really we were all sitting there crying), I decided there has GOT to be a better way!!! So I ordered the Accountable Kids basic kits for both Elly and Boe, even though Boe is still a little young, he'll get the hang of it, and learn right along with Elly! So, they've been sitting on our counter for about a week, and Elly kept asking what they were, she couldn't wait to start the "new game" for her jobs!! (They were sitting there because there is a little organizing to do before you start, you have to get their jobs organized, and read a little bit of the book before you start.)
SO, today was the day we started, I wanted to do it when Ryan was home, so we would all get the same introduction, and also, it turns out that we will have the next two weeks to really get the hang of it, since we don't really have much of a schedule due to Christmas break. Perfect!! So we explained the Core Chores that they do, and once they do those, they earn a ticket to do special privileges. I am not doing the program justice in my explanation, so go check out their website yourself. But I DO know, that once the system was explained, you would have thought Elly's tail was on fire by the way she rushed around to do her chores...without even being asked!!! And she was THRILLED about it!!! I'm sold. She is currently watching a show with one of her earned tickets, and her room is clean, and there has been no yelling or tears today!! I know that every day won't go as perfectly, but we will get the hang of it, and I can already tell that is will improve the way our house runs. I'll let you know how it goes in a few weeks!

Earning their tickets!

She's so proud of her hard work!

Dear Santa,

2009-12-16T13:13:00.000-08:00

For Christmas this year, I am only asking for one thing. PLEASE do not give my children big, noisy toys?!!!!! I looked at all the new toy ads with fear!! I shudder at the thought of having to pick up toys with a million pieces, finding places to put gigantic things in our already crowded playroom, and listening to the never ending sounds of all those battery operated toys (not to mention having to find all the batteries to put in them!). So, Santa, at the risk of sounding like Scrooge, unless you want to come clean and organize my house, keep the "junk" to a minimum...alright? Thanks,

Carrie

Happy Halloween!

2009-11-06T21:33:00.001-08:00

At the Pumpkin Patch!

We got our pumpkins...let's go!

Our little pumpkin family...a Mommy/Daddy pumpkin (BIG one!), Elly pumpkin (with the flowers and face), Boe pumpkin (little face), and new baby pumpkin (flowers, no face)!
(It was really bright...that's why nobody is looking at the camera!)

This year our Halloween was a little different...we ended up being in San Diego at my parents house! We hadn't really planned on it at first, but the kids and I were already there, so we extended our trip, Ryan joined us, and brought the costumes! It worked out even better! (Ryan also brought our candy that we had planned to give out, so that I wouldn't be stuck with it all when I got home!!) We all got to go as a family, and see some old friends, as well as my parents for the fun Holiday!!
Elly has been on a Dalmatian kick for quite some time, so of course that's what she was, and since Elly had the Bee costume last year...Bumble Bee Boe it was!! (But how crazy is it, that just days before, Boe got stung 4 TIMES by a bee at the park?! If you ask him about it, he'll tell you "Bee bite me!"...poor little guy! At least he's not allergic!)

George, Boe, Bailey, Elly, and Daisy! (Yes, we dressed the dogs up...!!)

Hey now! You're a Rockstar! Get your game on! Go play!!

2009-10-18T14:34:00.000-07:00

Well, we've had a few things going on here in our neck of the woods (but really, there aren't any woods here!), Birthdays, Football season, "Fall", Spring Cleaning, and it all seemed to happen at about the same time!! So, we've been busy, and I still don't have all my pictures organized and in one place, so these aren't even all of them!! But here's a little taste...

Hey now! You're a ROCKSTAR...
(Also known as Boe's 2nd Birthday!)

Boe loves anything to do with music, and so for his birthday was sort of a music themed party! I made him a drum cake, and we made tambourines, and just had a grand ol' time! BUT, one of his favorite gifts was a real electric guitar! I have never seen him so excited and so focused on one thing for so long. He has no clue how to play it, (and neither do we!) but he and Elly both love to crank it up and sing and play! He also got a few drums to bang on, and a harmonica from Elly, so all in all, it was a fairly fun and noisy birthday!!

And not to be forgotten, Ryan celebrated his 30th birthday, the day after Boe's!

Get your game on...
Well, it's that time of year again! Football season...yippee!!!! (Hopefully you can sense the sarcasm in my typing)
Well, every weekend, I refer to myself as a "Football Widow", since Ryan is gone most of the day, tailgating and watching the game, or going to watch the game on TV somewhere. It's just hard, because it takes up 50% of the weekend, and the kids and I only get to see him for 1 day on the weekends! So this year, we decided to go tailgating with him! I have no interest in going to the actual game, plus, the kids wouldn't last or really enjoy it yet, so by tailgating, we at least get to hang out, then go home and take a nap! It actually works out well!
So here are a few pictures from our first tailgating experience. Boe was actually in heaven, since they had the game on TV, and there was a football to throw around. Elly and I were delighted because our friends little baby was there to play with, there was free food, and we brought a coloring book with princesses!! It was almost nice out (not triple digits!), so it was nice to get outside, and be able to spend time with Ryan, instead of being a "Football Widow" for half the weekend!!

(Boe's personalized jersey)

Go Play!!
And of course, with everything else going on...there is still time to play!!

Painting the new sand table with Grandad.

Puppy love

Making Birthday cakes in the sandbox...and YES, they did really try to eat them!!

The First, First Day.

2009-09-11T21:25:00.001-07:00

Well, this week was a big week for the McMillan family. Elly started Preschool. We had the very first, First Day of School!!! I was personally so excited for her, I knew that she would have so much fun. I think that she was excited too, but she had no idea what to really expect. She did great though. She had her backpack ready, she'd been practicing loading it up all week, and playing "school" at home, and she wasn't even nervous. Boe was excited for her too, he kept saying, "Elly! P-Cool!" And he was a little bummed that he couldn't stay.
When I picked her up, she was filthy and tired...a good day if you ask me! She said that she had fun, but wouldn't divulge many details, much to my dismay. She's like that though, she doesn't really like to share all the details of her day...we may be in for it when she's a teenager! But bits and bits came out during the day: They'd read "Chicka Chicka Boom Boom", they had water cups on the playground (in which she generously partook of), they colored, there was sand, and a girl named (Sophie/Sasha?) that also didn't have to go to the bathroom when the others did, Hannah wore a yellow shirt, and snack was cheese and crackers. So that's about the wrap-up I got of the first day!! I can't wait to help in her class next week to get a first hand look!
And here's the traditional first day slide show...

My Boy

2009-08-24T11:47:00.001-07:00

Ok, so I am not as good at keeping this thing updated as I had hoped that I would be...oh well, take what you get!!
About a month ago, we were in San Diego visiting my parents, and Elly had the chance to go to Vacation Bible School! Needless to say, she LOVED it. But another thing is, with her at VBS all morning every morning, I was left with ONE child!! It was so fun! Being the second child, Boe and I don't get to really spend all that much one on one time, but we did that week. And you know what I realized? He's a really great kid. Actually, I already knew that, but all the time spent together just reaffirmed that!!

We mostly just hung out at the house, but we did get out a couple time, just him and I...
We went to the beach (his first time, I think?!)

He felt the water for the first time, and after that...
He ran away from it as fast as he could!!

He tried out some new hair products...
Apparently yogurt really keeps your "Boe-hawk" upright!

We did a little tidying up...

And did a lot of just sitting around looking real cute...

It was so fun to be able to spend all that time with my guy.

Here's a little video of him perfecting the tricycle

(And yes, I was the one who tied all those cans on the bike!!)

Just a few things...

2009-07-15T14:49:00.000-07:00

Well, Happy July everyone!! Apparently the McMillan Family has been busy, because I have not had time to update this blog for quite some time!!
It's been getting warmer here, so most of you know what that means...Carrie gets the heck out of Town, and heads to San Diego!! The kids (and dogs of course) and I headed out to San Diego at the beginning of July, for several reasons; 1) It was getting WAAAY to hot here in AZ. 2) We had a wedding to attend, and I had a wedding cake to make (!!). 3) The 4th, our favorite holiday, was coming up, and where better to spend it than San Diego??

So off we went!! My parents were actually out of town when we arrived, so the kids and I were on our own for the first few days, which just happened to also be the cake making days. My poor children ate junk food and cake, and watched way more TV than they are used to for 3 straight days while I was busy making cake after cake after cake! Although, since the weather was glorious, they did enjoy playing outside quite a bit too!! So yes, the wedding cake! It was actually my first cake, for a dear, dear friend. The oldest of 5, whom I used to babysit for. She's like a little sister to me, so I was so honored and excited to make this cake for her!! I ended up making about 18 layers of cake, and using 13 of them!! I think at one point I figured out that I had used over 100 egg whites!! But the wedding was one of the most amazing I have ever been to, and am so happy for the wonderful couple!!!

On the morning of the 4th, our whole family (since Ryan had come out for the weekend), packed up and went out to Coronado Island for the 4th of July parade. It's a tradition that I had done for years, but had never gotten to do with the kids!! We met up with several of my great friends, and had a blast, all decked out in our red, white, and blue!

Next adventure was the Del Mar Fair (aka "The San Diego County Fair"...I don't take well to change, it will always be the DMF to me!!) with my parents (who had arrived home just in time to babysit for the wedding!!).
It was really fun, we got to see lots of animals, and just spend a fun day out in beautiful weather!!
We came back home just in time to head out to the latest thing in town...the premiere show of a new band called "half Smile". They are amazing. It was a really great show, and I can't wait to see what the band does next!! The drummer is also pretty hot, so that makes it even better...I'll post his picture below... ;)

So now we're back home, just baking away, waiting till our next trip to San Diego in a week or so!!
Oh and another thing, we are having ANOTHER BABY!!!! Yup, The Mac Pack will be expanding!! Everything is going great so far, and the due date is Feb 2, 2010! Elly is super excited about being a (fabulous) big sister again, and Boe doesn't have really have a clue yet, but he does love everyone else's babies. So I know that he will be a great big brother!!
So that's all for now...talk to you soon!

Cinder-Elly

2009-06-09T14:38:00.000-07:00

Elly recently has been all into cleaning up the playroom...I LOVE it. Things are never quite in the right spot, but who cares!! I will NEVER be the one to discourage any type of cleaning from my kiddos!! So Elly offered to help me the other day and clean up the playroom (!!!), and a few minutes later I returned and found this...

and this...

Then she moved on to the chairs...

My Mom (who the kids call Mimi), is a detailed cleaner...I am not however. So we call her "Mini-Mimi". We think that talent may skip generations. I sure hope that this lasts through her whole life...I could sure use the help!! ;)

And to top it all off...here's Boe pulling his weight

Loooove it!!!

Disclaimer

2009-06-02T16:42:00.000-07:00

As you can see from my last Post...I still don't get how to layout all the pictures and quotes and stuff...things got a little mixed up, but hopefully you still get the picture!!

Sorry!!

Nether-Nether-Land

2009-06-02T13:59:00.000-07:00

I have so much to tell, that I have been putting it off, but it's only fair to not keep anyone waiting anymore! (Like you all are waiting on the edge of your seat!! Ha ha!)

Well, as some of you know, we were so blessed to be able to take our family to Holland for 2 weeks to visit my sister and her family. I had only been once before when Elly was 6 months old, Ryan and Boe had never been to Holland, so we were really excited. We did a little bit of "touring", but mostly just hung out at the house, and watched all the cousins play. There were 6 kids total! Caleb 8, Joey 6, Elly 3, Zach 3, Boe 1.5, Laurel 1. So needless to say, there was always lots of fun and action going on!

Since a picture always tells a better story than I ever could, I will just let all the pictures tell you about our trip...

Finally, Boe's passport came Wed. Just watching for the plane

We were leaving Friday!!

Zach and Boe, buddies from the start!

The girls sticking together!!

Elly LOVED this swing zip line, she would have rode it forever!

Elly and Boe, a little jet-lagged, and a little cold, but having fun all the same!

-All the fun "big kid toys" that we don't have at our house. Elly had never ridden a big bike like this before, but she was really good at it and loved it!!

Sister, cousins, friends and daughters.

-On our way to the market, we passed a few little play areas, these spinners were really fun, we were all so dizzy!!

I was the only brave adult! Boe and Elly

Laurel and Joey At the duck pond

-Our family got to take a little day trip to Brugge, Belgium, where we sampled Belgium Beer, chocolate, french fries, waffles galore. It was a beautiful day, and Brugge was a beautiful little town, where you could hear the clip-clop of horse drawn buggy's, and the quiet of a beautiful Monastery.

This is one of my new favorites...

Now THIS is Holland!

Aunt Shannon and Boe

That point marks the corners of Belgium, Germany and The Netherlands.

A traditional Dutch Pancake dinner!

-My brave sister allowed Ryan and I the opportunity to escape by ourselves for a few days while she and Steve stayed home with the 6 kiddos!! We traveled through Germany, along the Rhein River, home to some of the greatest Riesling wines ever made!! We sampled a few.

Castle Burg Eltz Along with a few German beers ;)

The wine tasting! (#9 was my favorite....whatever that was!!)

Some of the Vineyards overlooking the town and the Rhein River.

The site of one of the Best Dinners Ever. (below)

This bell tower chimed on the hour, and the little figures came out and danced around the tower!

This is how they do shots at the Rudesheimer Schloss...6 shot glasses attached to a board!! We thought we were being "crazy" by telling our waiter to "surprise" us with the wine choices!! ;)

Our wonderful waiter Christian

-Home again...

Zach and Elly making Ice Cream on our last night.

Zach painting the fence (with water!)

We just packed a few things :)

On our way home...both sound asleep (notice Boe on the floor under Elly's feet!

-As you can see, we had such a good time...too bad we don't get to do it more often!! We sure do miss you Steve, Shannon, Caleb, Joe, Zach and Laurel!!

Sunshine and Sickness....

2009-05-10T15:29:00.000-07:00

Soooo....it's been a little bit crazy around here for the past few weeks. My intent was never to start a blog, then not keep it updated!! I will try to be better, as soon as things slow down. Which may be never, so I guess that's not really promising anything!!

All the craziness started about a month ago, when the kids and I all came down with a terrible head cold, you know, the snot, the coughing, all that fun stuff. The kids had it first, I followed, and luckily Ryan never followed! Well, the kids got better, however my head cold turned into, probably the most painful thing since labor- a double ear infection with a ruptured ear drum.

I was up ALL night about 2 weeks ago, because it was so painful, I tried everything, even going for a run at about 2:30am, since I was up, and thought that maybe the activity would clear my head. Nope. Honestly I would have rather been in labor, at least I got a cute baby at the end of that!!

Nothing was making this better, not even a trip to see my wonderful chiropractor, who can just about cure anything!! So after a miserable 24 hours, I ended up in Urgent Care (the same day that swine flu hit here...whoopie), and left with 4 prescription drugs and hopes to sleep that night. The medicine helped with the pain, however I had forgotten to eat before I took them, so I was also out the next day feeling like I was going to throw up!! Aarrrgh!! Thankfully, my mother-in-law was able to help out, otherwise, the kids would have been on their own!!

The kids were great, they helped me feel better, and put up with me laying on the couch doing my ear drops several times a day, Ryan stayed home to help out....it really does take a village, doesn't it!?

Ok, let me try to get the rest of this timeline straight. Here it is, Sunday, I am on steroids to try to clear up my ear, but I still can't hear out of my left ear because there is fluid in it, we leave for Holland on Friday, the kids now have "Hand, Foot, and Mouth virus", and we are still waiting for Boe's Passport to come.

Seriously, what else is going to happen?!? So let me back up, and I'll clear up a bit of that.

My ear: if it doesn't clear up by Tuesday, I have to go back in to get tubes put in, because the Dr. said that I should NOT get on a plane with my ears as they are.

The Hand, Foot and Mouth virus: started on Friday (at least noticeably) when Elly fell asleep on the floor at Kids Club at the gym. She NEVER falls asleep anywhere if there is any action going on. So I knew something was going on. She continued to sleep most of the rest of the day with a slight fever, and wouldn't eat anything. With all the hype about the Swine Flu going around, I was a little bit paranoid!! Boe seemed to be pretty good, although he had had a slight fever a few days earlier which I wrote off as teething. But then Ryan noticed spots on his feet. So on Saturday I took them both into the Urgent clinic at our pediatrician, and they were labeled with "Hand, Foot and Mouth Virus". GREAT. This is VERY contagious among kids their own age, so of course our neighbors kids came down with it in the middle of their Cinco de Mayo Party.

(and as a side note...as I write this, Elly has just pooped in her pants. WHY?!?!?!?)

Boe's Passport: We sent off for it about 6-7 weeks ago, and it was an uphill battle from the start. We had to go to the Post Office three days in a row, because they "just didn't do that on Saturdays". And didn't bother to tell us they didn't do it on Mondays either while we were there. So I had to get a notarized signature to take in since Ryan couldn't miss work to hang out at the P.O. again. Luckily two people at Ryan's work can do notarized signatures. One of them being his sister! Well, a month later, when I was just starting to really wonder where the passport was, we got a letter saying that you can't have a relative notarize anything for you. THAT WOULD HAVE BEEN HELPFUL TO KNOW BEFOREHAND!!!!!!!! So now 5 days away from our trip to Holland, we have expedited the passport, and they can't even tell us where it is in the process. I have even gone as far as asking my parents if they would watch Boe for two weeks if it doesn't come. (How sad would that be?! I would miss him so much!)

I start to wonder, is God trying to tell us something?! Or am I just being taught a lesson in leaning on God when things get crazy, that he will be in charge of all things. What is going on????? I don't know.

But it has not all been horrible.

Our family has learned to take care of each other,

May Day has come and gone,

Elly and Daddy went on a fun date,

and it's getting nice and warm out,

fun for playing in the water!!

(Think we need a pool? That's the dog's water bowl)

But on a lighter note, it's Mother's Day!! Today I have done all things that make me a Mother.

I got out of bed and got Boe up, I cleaned up dog barf off the floor, I applied a bandaid and sunscreen, played in the pool with my family, cleaned poop off a child, passed out snacks, laughed with my children, and loved every second of it. (well, maybe not the poopy child part, that really bugged me, since she is WELL past potty trained, and did it out of laziness!)

Hope that everyone is doing well, Happy Mother's Day to all!!!

Fabulous Fun

2009-04-23T16:08:00.000-07:00

About a week ago, we went outside to play, the weather was LOVELY, and Elly wanted to do something fun/different. She was asking if she could paint something outside...so I looked up "sidewalk chalk paint" on the internet, and found a great recipe:

Equal parts of corn starch and water, then add food coloring for different colors.

IT WAS SO MUCH FUN!!! It kept Elly busy forever. I even sat outside and read a book while she painted! She wrote her name, made pictures, then eventually discovered she could smear it all over her body. And it got even better-it was EASY to clean up!!!!!!! The sidewalk could be cleaned up with a broom once the paint dried, and we just brushed Elly-girl off!!! It was great.

A few days later we got Boe in on the fun. Elly and Boe had a blast painting the sidewalk, and eachother!! I don't think that Boe had ever really painted before, and he loved it too, of course he tried to eat it, but hey, it was cornstarch and water!! Eat up!!

Here it goes...

2009-04-21T22:23:00.000-07:00

So this is it. I have entered the blogging world!! "Why am I blogging" you might ask yourself? As a Christian, wife, mom to two kids, two dogs, and a cat, things can get busy. Things are happening every day, that I think, "Oh, I should write that down!". The kids just do the funniest things, or something happens in life, that makes me go "hmmm". So, in years to come, I want to look back and read through all the old posts, and remember what life was like back then. My goal is to record the memories, maybe make you smile, or laugh, and to just keep family and friends updated!!

A little bit about me, I guess The Mac Pack started back in 2001, when I met Ryan on the 4th of July. I knew that night, as he sat at my parents kitchen counter eating leftover cake, that he would be my husband. So fast forward, 2004, we were married, and moved to Norfolk, VA. We became a family of 3, then 4, then 5...ok,ok, so 3 and 4 were a cat (Sam) and dog (Daisy). But # 5 was sweet Elly-girl. After living in VA for two years, we then moved to Peoria, AZ (Ryan's hometown) when Ryan got out of the Navy. Enter #6, little man Boe, and 6 months later, #7, another dog (George W.) (We must have been high on puppy breath!!!).

So, our little family of 7...wow, when you put a real number on it, it sounds a little crazy!!

Well, I guess that's it, bear with me as I try to figure this out! And stay tuned, you never know what might happen!!