hurricane irene...

Someone had posted this amazing picture of Hurricane Irene coming onto the NC coast..

It takes my breath away.

It makes me thankful for life.

Thankful for my house still standing.

Thankful my family is safe.

Pray for those affected...

girls' picnic

How do we spend these cooler days lately (and by cooler, I mean 88 degree days)?
Well, we pack up and head to the park for some picnic'n and playtime!


What better way to wrap up our summer than some picnics at the park. Soon, Rylee will be heading back to preschool, and it will just be Reese and I...It's gonna be quiet around here without Rylee chit-chatting with me every moment of the day....
But Reese will be good company.

We chat about all things girly while we munch our sandwiches...

Reese joins in but doesn't get any sandwich

ofcourse we pose for some cheesy pics

And Reese stares down a sandwich, poor thing.

We enjoy some shade and make pictures out of the clouds

Rylee takes random pics of our things

We feed the ducks our leftovers

Ummm, this duck needs a bath.

Reese being naturally adorable.

So, while we were at the park, I notice several other moms with their little ones. Now, normally I'm not one to judge, (ok, who am I kidding, I judge everything) but...if you go to the park in 4 inch heels, a mini skirt, 2 cans of hairspray in your purse, and neon pink lipstick....then you are weird. For reals, I should have taken a picture of these chicks. It was like a "Stripper Gals Mom Club". Seriously disturbing.

I love picnic'n with my little ladies..

what makes her laugh?

Happy Monday!

Seriously, look at these cute faces.

Ok, so I definetly missed a "first" moment yesterday! Let me fill you in...

Reese had her very first chuckle! You know that baby giggle where they can't catch their breath because the funniest thing ever has just happened before their very little eyes?

Well, luckily Daddy Mackey witnessed it.

Reese was sitting on Daddy's lap...

Dixie was bringing her ball back to Rylee for the (probably) 910th time...ok, if you don't throw Dixie's ball within .2 seconds, she totally freaks out by barking.

So....what makes a baby laugh uncontrollably?

A. Barking. Dog.

Seriously folks, that's it.

Adorable? yes.

Please stay tuned, because umm yes I will totally be making Dixie bark all day to capture the moment.

Hope the neighbors won't mind. ;)

I have 2 full time jobs...

It's amazing how happy a bath makes anyone feel....

Yesterday was one of those days where we were all a little cranky and irratable...perhaps mine was related to working the night before and being overwhelmingly exhausted, ok, past exhaustion. See, I work 3 nights a week at a hospital...and stay home with both babies. I knew I always wanted to be a stay at home mom AND bring home a paycheck. And I certainly did not go to school to get my Masters in Counseling to sit at home all the time.

 I never wanted the worry of leaving my children in daycare because if you haven't read/learned by now, I'm a paranoid Mama. And I like to spend money. 'Nuff said. So, I get the best of both worlds.  

I sacrafice a little sleep to stay home with my precious little ones. No matter how tired I may be, I realize it only lasts for a short while because as soon as I see Rylee & Reese's smiling faces, I forget how tired I am and realize it is all worth it!

At bathtime, we giggled, we had a bubble tea party, and we made crazy hair styles. It was just what us 3 gals needed. Just look at this precious face after bath time...

Also, yesterday...Rylee began dance (tap and ballet) class (she tried this like 2 years ago, and couldn't leave my side) -

Now that she is 4, it went much smoother....she actually enjoyed it.

a family visit...

This weekend, Gammy & Paw came up for a visit. As always, we enjoy their company and Rylee never fails to put on a show for them. So, she found her Thumbalina Barbie costume from like 2 Halloweens ago and decided to sport it. 

Reese was her cute self and watched Rylee entertain everyone.

And she checked out Paw 

Hung out with Gam...

It was a Happy Saturday filled with one of my favorite things..........family time

Icecream Truck!

Ok, so call me a nerd....but yesterday was Rylee's very very first "icecream truck" experience! So, naturally I explained to the icecream truck man that I have a family blog where I blog about all our "firsts" and must document this special moment. He naturally agreed to be in this documentary. And he was so precious. He even gave Rylee a little box to stand on so that I could take some pictures without her feet being scalded by the black asphalt.

I remember ordering icecream from the icecream tuck man when I was a youngster! Such fun yanking dollar bills from your piggy bank then flagging down the icecream truck!

Even Mr. Icecream Man explained to Rylee that 50 years ago, he used to run after the icecream truck.

Us Mackey girls are very indesicive so we needed a good mmm 6-7 minutes deciding on what to order.  

Look at that icecream man posing for the picture too. Such a sweet man. (thank you Mr. Icecream Man for making my day)

Rylee made her selection, a fudge bar for $1.50

Then all the kids gathered around, we truly gave that Icecream Man some business.

It was a yummy little treat! 

look who's talking...ok, babbling!

Now, if you know me, then you know I love love love to talk. I could chat for hours about pretty much anything....(trust me, ask my husband) I'd say I've pretty much always been a rambler, always enthusiastic, dramatic, and exaggerative. Hey, that's just me.  Now, Mike is more of a laid back, "chatty when I wanna be" kinda guy...so we make a lovely balance.

Well....Ryle e has followed in our footsteps. The kid truly could talk your head off...about anything...it is adorable. And might I add she has a little southern twang when she talks, making it even cuter....

 Well today...the most precious thing occurred...REESE began talking! (babbling) Yal, it was so cute!

She had her very very first playdate with a 5 month old baby (I know, she's only 13 weeks old, but it's important to socialize with others your own age). (Rylee's first playdate was at 7 months old).

She bagan this morning, chatting it up with Rylee....and ofcourse Rylee chatted back

As I got her dressed, she chatted, totally saying "mommy please put the adorable pink headband on me because it matches my shorts and makes my face look thinner"

She chatted as I held her to watch Rylee swing...

tv or no tv?

so who loves watching tv? Well, I do sometimes...

Since Rylee was born I've always wondered how much TV is too much TV...

I mean don't get me wrong, let me go ahead and say that yes we do own and watch TV ~ I just feel that I should limit the amount my kids watch.

Rylee has such an imagination so I encourage using it to come up with things to play.....I tell her about when I was little and playing school, dress up, baby dolls, etc.....

I think it's important for my children to learn new things, experience new things, and make up new things....so we limit our TV viewing around her for that purpose...

Rylee loves painting, anything artsy and crafty, playing baby dolls and barbies, dressing up, dancing and singing

Reese loves....well so far she loves watching Rylee do all these things...

So around here, we turn the TV off, and let our imaginations run wild.....

Rylee getting ready for "flash-light hide n seek" (such fun and squeals with laughter everytime) 

We play outside.......we explore

Reese watches Rylee All. Day. Long. It's absolutely precious watching the two of them together

We play the Wii....and little Reese watches

We make the most of our days by doing all the things we love....

How do you spend free time?

ok, so have I mentioned that I take like 6.4 million pictures a day? And it's only on my blog that I narrow those 6.4 million to the top 5 or so..

When I was pregnant with Reese, people always told me..."oh just wait until you have her, you won't keep up with everything...no more scrapbooking, crafting, etc...you won't have time for this or that....you think you kept up with Rylee? well, pssshhhh, that's over now......hope you've enjoyed having only 1 child because honey it'll never be the same". Oh and my personal favorite "Since Rylee is such an angel, this next one will be a nightmare" (for the record, she's no nightmare folks...)

Blah Blah Blah....ridiculousness....but I have done a prettttty good job at keeping up. Here are a few examples:
* I've captured about every "firsts" moment on camara (so far)
* I've began Reese's first of five scrapbooks (5 because I scrapbook my kids first 5 years of life)
* I've been able to do things I love to do (during naptime ofcourse)

Now, don't get me wrong, if you have kids and don't do these things, I still think you are a cool mom. These are just things I do and vowed to keep up with because that's just how I am.  :)
Now, just check out these adorable little smiles I captured this weekend!

 Loving her Daddy and watching Rylee...she smiles most at Rylee

"oh, hello again camara"

she looks so tan doesn't she? I keep her out in the sun all day long with no sunscreen (seriously someone asked me that...)

(Oh and notice the flower pin I'm wearing? I made it! ~ more designs and chatting about that later)

 going to get icecream

but Reese would rather eat my finger

Happy Monday from the Mackey girls!

86,400

Imagine that you had won the following prize: each morning your bank would deposit $86,400.00 in your bank account for you to use....
However, this prize has rules, just as any game has certain rules.

Rules:

1. Everything that you didn't spend during each day would be taken away from you.

2. You may not simply transfer money into some other account.

3. You may only spend it.

4. The bank can end the game without warning.

What would you personally do?

Would buy anything and everything you wanted? Not only for yourself, but for all people you love? Maybe even for people you don't know, because you couldn't possibly spend it all on yourself?
well...actually this game is reality...except in another form...
Each morning we awaken to receive 86,400 seconds as a gift of life, and when we go to sleep at night, any remaining time is not credited to us.

What we haven't lived up that day... is forever lost.

Yesterday... is forever gone.

Each morning the account is refilled, but it can be dissolved from your account at any time....
So, what will YOU do with your 86,400 seconds?

Those seconds are worth so much more than the same amount in dollars.
Enjoy every second of your life, because time races by so quick.

* take care of yourself
* be happy
* treasure those you love
* enjoy life
* make memories
* dance
* laugh

{A friend emailed something similar of this to me...so I wanted to share with you...}

Enjoy the sunrise...

I'm a wee bit paranoid...

 As a parent, I am extremely protective over my children. Since the day Rylee was born, I have disliked taking her out in public for fear of someone kidnapping her. (I know it sounds ridiculous and a little OCD, but it's true) Something about luggin' a big ol carseat around just makes me nervous and an feel like an easy target. I even have a "going out with the kids purse" (that I've owned since I was probably 13)...its one of those that you wrap over your shoulder around your back so that if someone were to rob me, they'd have to rip it off my body to take. Again, I know this sounds like super paranoia...

When Rylee started walking, my fears settled a bit and I wasn't the "frantic paranoid mama". But....along came baby #2 and the overly protective, crazy, and totally paranoid mama came back! And now...with 2 kids...its reaalllllll bad! Seriously, this is our routine (Target trip example)...
1. mama parks, wraps that "going out with kids purse" over shoulder, (after double checking all zippers are secure...)
2. both kids still in car...
3. lock all doors
4. mama moves to back of vehicle, proceeds to unlock doors... to open the trunk door to get out stroller
5. mama gets Rylee out, escorts her to Reese's side of vehicle, (requesting that she "holds onto mama til I get sissy out")
6. mama gets Reese and carseat out and manages to get them into the stroller
7. begins to move away from vehicle after clicking the lock button approximately 6 times.

And that's just getting out of the vehicle, it's way worse for when we have to get back in. I know it sounds a bit silly, but all I can think about are precious little ones who are ripped from their parents while shopping, or checking the mail, or getting off the school bus...etc... I just couldn't imagine.
Now, I know I just should try not to think about it, but it's not that easy. My children are irreplaceable as any child to a mother is....so I take every precaution to keep them safe....even if that means one day they talk about what a crazy paranoid mama I was.

Now, look at these precious babes....

xoxo, Happy Friday

2 miles...popsicle?

So...something us Mackeys do together basically everyday...is excercise..we go for a walk and then we do Insanity...a "make you puke work-out" (For real, click that link and you'll see what I mean). Anyway, we like to try to keep in shape (it's a work in progress yal). And we hope to teach our children healthy habits. Because hey, as much as I'd love to eat this, this, this and definetly this everyday for the rest of my life occasionally...I know that I shouldn't. So I try to eat right and excercise. 

Reese strapped in her stroller, looks like she's going on a helicopter ride....seriously it took us 20 minutes to get her strapped into this thing... 

Look yal, it's about to rain and we're still truckin' it. And Daddy Mackey is really thrilled about it, see his face? It clearly says "Wow, walking in a rain and thunderstorm will be the coolest thing I've done all day". And also, it looks like he's 3 feet taller than me, but no I'm not really that short, mk?

This clearly must have been the beginning of our walk because I hadn't sweated a drop yet :) 

Ummm, I know it appears that every pic I take of Mike, he has that "ahhhh yaaay I love pics" look - but between you and me, he knows that if he doesn't look at the camara and show some sort of enthusiasm, I'll nag him non-stop. (I explain to him "babe, come on, it's for the blog - and I get a sweet smile everytime) :) 

How could we not enjoy an evening walk with a view like this....you know what it makes me think of...loved ones that are in heaven now...(my stepmom and grandmother....a blog post to come later about these precious women)...

We always have some really great conversations...Rylee here explaining to me that we'd better hurry home so we can eat a popsicle (hey, come on! we walked 2 miles...qualifying for a popsicle)

tummy time

Our little love will be 12 weeks old this week! Look at this sweet face!

so..every night we spend a little time on our tummies with Reese...The whole family, we all get down in the floor with her face to face, nose to nose, and watch her squirm around trying to push herself up, just as Mike and I used to do with Rylee.

We spent some time tonight giggling with one another, talking silly, reading books, and just being together. It's my favorite thing in the world to be cozied up at home with Daddy Mackey and the girls.