February update

Guess-how-old cake
"Elmo hat"

Book!
"Elmo Cake!"

Sydney was watching Keresa paint her toe nails like she always does. After they were all put away Keresa sat in her chair and did her hair like she always does. In the meantime, Sydney went unnoticed for a period. Then before long she returned. She typically sits behind Keresa and plays with toys, or something like that. When Keresa finished blow drying, Sydney said, "Mom- Paint Nails!!" And Keresa turned around to see Sydney all set up with a bottle of nail polish, her feet on a towel on the carpet, and silver shiny paint all over her feet. Keresa quickly bathed the babe in nail polish remover and told her this was a task that required Mommy's help.
Sydney's second birthday was Saturday. She got an Elmo cake, made and decorated by her mother. We celebrated twice- once at the Tingey cabin in Mt. Charleston during the day, then once with her Grandma Gifford in the evening. We learned that the digestive system of a two-year-old cannot handle two parties worth of birthday treats in one day. The next morning we had quite a mess to clean up.
While washing Jackson in the bath, I was trying to wash out his neck rolls because he is chubby, and sometimes throw up gets stuck in there. When I reached my fingers in there, he started giggling. So I called for Keresa, and he did it a few more times. Since then though, he has not laughed anymore. No matter how we try, we cannot get him to do more than a huge smile. I'm glad she was able to quickly come in the bathroom and see before he quit.
We went to a trip in Park City, UT last weekend. It was a lot of fun, and very cold. We saw -17F temperatures. Cold.
We went to Disney on Ice, The Incredibles. It was a lot of fun. Poor Sydney got bored during the intermission, then she couldn't really get back into it, and fell asleep before the finale. We tried to wake her for the fireworks, lights, and all the excitement, but she was just completely asleep. We shook her a little, stood her up, and it just did not do any good.
At some point before she fell asleep, I had her on my lap while I was eating the cotton candy. After a few mouthfuls I realized it wasn't continually melting in my mouth. I looked down to see that somehow I had gotten her pigtail full of hair into my mouth. It was nasty. She said, "No dad!"
MK KGW SRW JGW

January update

BB Jakn
BB Sydney
BB Banshee

Sydney, the other day when we were pulling up to the grocery store, she looked around and told her mom and me, "Albertson's. Shopping." Then later that same day we were stopped at a stop light where there is a McDonald's within sight, and similarly she let us know that we were next to the, "McDonald's. Hamburger." She thinks she is Jackson's mom. She walks quietly up to him and says, "Hi little guy. Doo doo goo boo doo."
Jackson only fit #2 diapers for one box worth, then onto the next. He may have that same super-growth gene that Bronson has. So just in case next time you see our family it looks like Sydney has a big brother instead of a little brother, it's Jackson.
We got to have a New Year's Eve bash with Chris and Summer and their kids. Grandpa and Grandma Whit showed up for a few hours of fun, but were scared off when Chris and Summer pulled out their new Christmas presents-- paintball guns! Let's just say they were wise to have left before there were any shots fired.
MK KGW SRW JGW

December update

Syd n Gramps playin blocks

Big red shoes Whitfam with four
Super swings at Gmpa Whit's in Logandale

So do Mom and Dad get a turn at planning the reunion or does it go right to Chris and Summer? It is confusing, I know, but we are back at the beginning again. Chris: Leahman Caves, Melanie: Circleville, Martha: California beach camping, Then was Matt: Casablanca, McKay: Flagstaff, then Becca because she got skipped by matt: Whitehorse lake near Williams. So now we should be back at either Mom and Dad or Chris and Summer right?
Over the weekend we went to play with Grandma and Grandpa Whitney. Grandpa played a game where he put individual toys up on the ceiling fan, then turned it on and let them go flying off. Sydney really enjoyed playing. After he was done (but she was not) Sydney said, "Play with Sydney!"
Matt and girlfriend came for Thanksgiving. It was fun to remember those days with Keresa, our courtship, as it were.
Last week we set up the Christmas Tree. Afterward, Keresa felt sick and lightheaded. I asked her if she thought she was pregnant, kind of for a joke (because Jackson is only 7 weeks old). Immediately she started crying and yelled at me to go buy a pregnancy test pronto. I got a double pack. The first one didn't work. So she stewed about it all night, had horrible dreams, then the next morning tried the second test, and found everything was normal - not pregnant.
A lady in our ward's grandpa died, and she said he had an organ. So we drove over and picked it up. It is a fun toy. It is very old, and has lots of rhythms and things on it. Sydney loves to climb up there and play it. It is nice for me because it gives me a chance to practice up on my hymns for church.
Jackson has begun to smile. This weekend we attended a baptism. During the service I was holding the baby Jackson, and the whole time I was just looking at him, and kissing him, and kind of playing with him. And he kept looking up and smiling. It is rewarding to have him smile.
Jackson is learning to make noises. Sure he has grunted since his birth, but now he can make noises to say he's excited or happy. He coos. He also smiles now.
Love, Mk, Keresa, Sydney, Jackson

November update

Us 2 kids
da boys
singing instead of smiling
Dr Dad and poodle skirt
Jack o lantern. Get it?
Ready to ride!
strong neck
I AM glad to get a boy!

October update

KGW & JGW
Always wanted a pic like this
in awe
kind of a tradition to take one like this
show us the lips
he knows Dad
mucho hair for 0 days old
Dads can nurse too
Wee little piggies

Cute nails Syd!
3 Gens of men
Everyone's asleep
the Asian nurses said he would be smart because he

is already reading from his comic-book throwup rag

The Boy is here!

Weight: 8lbs 10z
Height: 20 in
He came just before 8:00 am this morning, September 28, 2006 in Las Vegas, NV. It was a normal quick surgery that got the baby Jack Jack out in less than 10 minutes. Like his sister before him, Jackson was quite an acrobat in the womb, and left the umbilical cord wrapped around his neck and body. Thank goodness for modern medicine and surgery. It saved this mom's (and baby's) life once again.

September update

Welcome home Matthias!
swinging at the reunion in Whitehorse Lake, near Williams, AZ
kiss the lizard Syd
Glad to have Uncle Matt back!
Yo yo yo kids

In July we got to have a 4th of July party of cleaning out our junk room (most people have a junk drawer, we have a room) and making space for Sydney. She helped us move her closet items into the new room. Somehow, she knew the bunk beds were just for her, so when we were almost done, she pulled her bear and blankee out of her crib and put them onto her new bunk bed and climbed in. She has been sleeping there ever since! She does more and more grown up things all the time. It's just hard to think she is becoming a little girl.
Into the mid month Chris and Summer invited us up to Brianhead for a work vacation, that turned out to be mostly a vacation. They broke a lot of ground in their property in preparation for the cabin. It's called a cabin because it's in the mountains, but really It's a house I think. Chris used me most by sending me through the dense forest looking for a good path to run a string to mark his property boundaries. We had fun chain sawing and playing Bucheron. Summer hosted an excellent spread, complete with private casita for our family, and she made a primo dinner of meat and beans. Martha would have been proud.
We have been in a parenting class for a few weeks now that is a lot of fun as a date. Plus, Keresa's little sis has a steady baby sitting job with us that I think she rather appreciates. The class is called love and logic, and we would highly recommend its precepts to not only parents, but youth leaders, dentists who work with children, piano teachers, etc. It is a lot of the same kind of parenting that a counselor would use, so some of it is very familiar (because of our counselor dad).
In church on Sunday I reached over to whisper something to Keresa and Sydney looked up at me very seriously and quietly motioned her finger to her lips, "Shhh." She is in nursery now. It's very good for everyone. I'm sure you all remember sending babies to nursery and getting to go to your classes again. What a relief!
Sydney has been potty training. We got her some pee pee candy (skittles) that she gets to eat one each time she goes in the toilet. Of course it has been frustrating for Keresa with Syd not understanding about going in the place she is supposed to, but they are both surviving, and Syd seems like she is really making progress after a week. The first poop she did in the toilet is memorialized by photograph.
Saturday we did a boat load of chores. It seems like our first Saturday home after weeks of reunions and scout trips. It was nice to do so much. We even gutted the swamp cooler and began using it at night instead of the A/C. It cools us down to 70. (brrr)
I have also been selling my old school books on ebay. It was good that after all the shipping, ebay costs, etc. has been paid for, I am left with $170. I know I know, it is not enough to quit my job or anything, but it's a nice little bonus.
With love, mk kgw srw

July update

"Good morning this is Sydney. How may I help you."
New shelves in the closet, thanks to an inheritance of particle board from Grandpa Bert's will.

6/23/06 The moment you've all been waiting for has finally come: I have to eat my words. We listed my sweet awesome Mountaineer in the Review Journal. I'm selling it. I can't afford the stinkin' gas. But incase any of you could, here's a sneak peek at what the rest of Las Vegas will be seeing early Saturday morning:
2002 Mercury Mountaineer, V6, All wheel drive, power everything, separate AC for passenger/driver, 6 disc in dash CD changer, rear AC, 3 row bench seat for 7 passenger seating, AC and Radio controls on steering wheel, leather, dual power and heated seats, separate lifting glass and rear door, class II tow package, new tires, roof racks, fog lights, alloy wheels, a horn that plays "la cucaracha," memory seat, keyless entry remote and on door, auto dimming rear view mirror, running boards...okay maybe it doesn't really have the cucaracha horn...
We are looking at some cars similar to the one we've already got: bigger size car with enough power to pull a trailer. My two top picks are Impala and Monte Carlo. We would like to spend around $7k, but could go all the way up to $9k. I would probably sell the house off before selling the banshee...back when I was single. Now-a-days, the banshee has a lower priority than I ever thought it would have.
This morning when I got out of the shower, I was still in the bathroom getting ready. Like most mornings, Sydney and Keresa woke up while I was in there, so they were in the bedroom calling me. I heard Sydney saying, "Dad, Dad, Dad...Muh-Kay, Muh-Kay... " Keresa said she started that on her own. It sounded so un-baby-like.
Thanks to Dad donating a short stack of particle board to the cause, we have built a 3-level shoe shelf in our master bedroom closet, and a more serious 5-level shelf in our hall closet. And, in building those, it gave me some good ideas for my lesson this Sunday about preparing for the Melchizedek Priesthood. I was able to talk about charging the battery on the drill, preparing all the boards to the right measurements and cuts, getting nails and screws and glue, etc. I was able to convert those temporal things for some spiritual aspects of preparing our boys for their next step. It was a good lesson.
Keresa is days away from the third trimester, and reaching the end of her feel-good days. She has started feeling light-headed and a little sick if she doesn't keep cool. So she invites over her little bros and sisters to swim throughout the week. It is giving her and Sydney a great tan!
Keresa had a doctor's appointment yesterday morning. She told the doc we are scheduled to tour the hospital that he likes, to make sure we like it too. He said, "Well is it getting that close to the date? Let's schedule you then." So she is scheduled for live birth, September 28, at 7:30 am.
I picked up a new DVD online that Mom sure thought was neat - it's a new compilation of Gilad's TV shows put together for a total body workout that is 70 minutes long. It's fun because the guy is such a character. I recognize some of the parts of the movie as segments from Mom's old work-out video.
Our office took us to a night on the town. We started at the steak house in Treasure Island, which was good. But things really got exciting afterward when we saw the show Mystere. It was a lot of fun and very entertaining. It is like a foreign circus set in a jungle. The characters are not people, but not animal, just like some kind of creatures. They do a lot of trapeze stuff, jumping really high on trampolines and doing flips, etc. It was really fun. We saw Blue Man Group in March, and we were trying to decide which was more entertaining. Keresa thought if you are a music/rhythm and technology person, Blue Man may tip the scales a bit, but any old person can enjoy Mystere.
When we got our Mountaineer in December, we noticed right away it had a problem where the brake lights would stay on. It was as if someone was still sitting in there holding down the brake pedal, so many times I would come out in the morning and the battery had gone dead, or after work, or after school at night, etc. We priced fixing it with the dealership and they assured us it would be 3 or 4 hundred dollars, so we said bag that. Instead of fixing it, we have just been reaching down and un-plugging the brake lights cable, so just adding another step to getting out of the car. Now that we are selling it, we decided to fix that problem for the next person. So we hesitantly dropped it off at our regular mechanic. He let us know after only 4 or 5 hours that he had fixed the problem, and the total bill would be 80 bucks! He said this is a common problem among this year of truck, and there is a recall switch that he purchased for $15 and installed it in only an hour. Word to the wise: fix the problems as they come instead of putting them off, and NEVER believe the dealership for an estimate.
With love, mk kgw srw

June update

MK -- UNLV Class of 2006
yum
grad party at MacCayo's
Grad party at Ice Rink
Pretty excited to get a boy!
Wait, Keresa already has two kids?
Shirt of my alma mater

Graduation feels a lot like retirement. I have so much time now. I get to catch up with my girls. It is very relaxing.
LV temple holds early sessions 3x per week. Those are nice because I can go before work, before the girls wake up, and make it through the whole session without getting heavy eyelids. Last week I did an early day. Then Dad called me in the afternoon and asked me to spot him and Mom who had a sealing assignment but were sick with headaches. Keresa asked me if I remembered what happened when pregnant ladies do sealings (they faint). So I went solo and met up with the Logandale stake folks.
Keresa and I are finding out that Sydney understands most of the things we say. She may also be dyslexic. She says diaper as "pye-der" and zebra as "bree-zha." Hopefully we can get her to switch those syllables around.
Sydney has tried to just whine and point to stuff, but we are making her say things instead of whine. One of the things she has picked up is that Keresa asked her, "You want me to help you?" when reaching for a cracker. So she started saying, "Help you?" when she wants help with something.
Keresa is having a great time creating ideas to switch Sydney's room into a suitable boy nursery. She has picked out new colors, paint, bedding, etc. And now, I actually have time to help her do that stuff!
Other than that, things are just warming up around here. Looking forward to those hot Vegas temperatures!
Mk kgw srw