Merry Christmas to All !!! From the McKinnons!

Merry Christmas everyone! We hope your holidays are merry and bright!!! This is our holiday message from our family to all of you . . .

http://www.elfyourself.com/?id=1313779629

Turn up the volume on your computer and go to the link/website above! If is doesn't work, just copy and paste it into your address bar. It may take a minute or so to load, but be patient, it is worth it! We hope it brings some smiles, or laughs into your holiday season!

Pass the Cheer!

The picture of this cup makes it kind of hard to read - so this is what it says:

"Pass the Cheer . . . A good way to pass the cheer when you are on the road is to pay the toll for the car behind you. Do this and you might start to look at stop lights as holiday lights instead. Red means stop and be thankful for a moment. Green means go out and do nice things."

Aaaaaahhh! Starbucks. The home of delicious hot holiday beverages. I hope we can all take some time to "Pass the Cheer" this holiday season, and even all year long. Here is my story about how the cheer was first pass to me. . .

When I was in Indiana a couple weekends ago, my friend and I stopped at their local Starbucks drive thru. My friend Tamara was in front of me in her car. I ordered and pulled up to the window. The woman at the window said "The person in front of you paid for part of your order, so you now owe $1.56." I thought, oh that was nice of Tamara, but then the woman continued. She said, "We have something we do called Pass the Cheer. You are welcome to pay the $1.56, or pay a little more and pass the cheer for the next person behind you." I thought, "This is pretty cool." So I handed the woman $4 and told her to put whatever is left toward the order behind me.

I wonder how long the cheer was passed that day. (Hopefully there wasn't a scrooge who stopped the cheer - that's got to be some bad carma ;o) The cup above was the one I got that day at Starbucks, so I thought I would share the thought and experience. I hope we all have the chance to "Pass the Cheer" sometime.

I love you all!!! Pass the Cheer and Have a wonderful holiday season!

Visiting friends is always fun . . .

I got to visit my fun friend

and her family in Indiana this weekend. Tamara and Jimmy lived here in Utah for about 1 year, from July 2006 to June 2007, and we became fast friends with them. (They now live in Indiana)Hana and their daughter Kyla were best friends instantly. Kyla was born 9 days before Hana, so they loved having their b-days so close together. James is about 10 or 11 months younger than Conrad. As you can see from the picture above they loved playing together (when James was feeling good - he was sick when we were there) Of course we planned the trip to come over Kyla's 5th birthday (picture of Hana and Kyla, above, is at her party).






Now these pictures above and to the left side are of the fabulous experience it was, and continually is, traveling with just me and my two kiddles. As you can see my loony son must be restrained in unique ways, or he would be lost by now in some other state. Hana, as I have said before in other blogs, is a seasoned, and very well behaved traveler. Of course she has her moments, when she is bored or tired, but don't we all.

Anyway, it was a good trip. I am now getting ready to have Hana's birthday party (she turns 5 this Sunday, Dec. 16th). Wow, December is way too busy. I need to take a few of the extra things off my plate next year. :)

My teacher, Hana! I sure love ya . . .

This picture is Hana's first day back to preschool in Oct. this year.

I am finally blogging after a 2 month break - not on purpose.

I wanted to blog today about my sweet daughter, Hana. I am amazed at how quickly she is growing up. I find my self wanting to stop it somehow. She now is tall enough to reach things on top of our microwave, which is on out counter. I know that does not sound so great, but it is just a conformation that she is growing fast. Just yesterday she could bearly reach the light switch - ya know?

Scott and I also decided that we know how to do this parent thing with 2 year olds, because we've done it before. However, Hana is turning 5 in less than two weeks and we don't know how to raise a 5 year old. AH! Sometimes we feel like we are in over our head. :)

I have also recently taken on another parttime job, working at the YWCA, with kids and teens. I leave for work right after Scott gets home in the afternoon. I am still really enjoying it, but it has been a big change for our family.

Hana has said to me a couple times that she wishes everything was back the way it was before. She first explained that a couple of her preschool teachers are different, and she wished that they were the same again. Then she wanted her bedroom back the way it used to be (when we had the bunk bed set up and Conrad's crib up ) - we now have the bunk bed separated and the kids sleep in each of the beds. Then the final heart breaker for me was when she said "And I just want our family back the way it was, too. Mom, it sure is hard having so many changes." Well, there goes a little piece of her childhood, toddling out the door. Oh Man! What do you do? Yes, I have to agree with Hana, it is very hard watching changes happen - especially with my kids.

Don't get me wrong, I am very excited for my kids to continue experiencing life. What a great adventure! But ya know - I also hope I can be there for them the way that is need for them to have the fullest life possible. I guess it is a daily "giving up." This is where I put my hands in the air and say "I give it all to you, Father. Show me the way and Thy will be done! I give it up! It is Yours - knowing I will be shown my role in this beautiful life!"

I have also realized how individual my sweet children are. I mean in the sense that they are separate from me and each other. They are not mine. They only belong to themselves and the God or Goddess that they are. They are their own people living their own life experience. It is hard to explain from my true perspective, and everyone will have their own interpretations of what I am explaining. All I can say is that I am so glad I am their "mom" right now. I "know" these people or Spirits who have joined in on this particular life adventure. We are friends and they have gifts they have brought with them. It sure is a beautiful thing remembering that.