The Mackeys

Valentine's Day

2012-02-18T13:04:00.000-06:00

The boys are always so excited for Valentine's Day. Although it is not a big holiday for me, it is so fun to see it through their eyes. We put out M&M candy at the top of the stairs outside their bedroom door after they went to bed. When they got up the next morning, they followed the trails of M&Ms to their hidden gift bags. They were so excited! :)

We finished off the day with our traditional heart shaped pizzas from Papa Murphy's and a relaxing evening together. It was a fun day!!!

Carter's "C" (next to the trail of M&Ms leading down the stairs):

Ryan's "R":

Hard to see in this picture, but each boy had a path of M&Ms to follow down the stairs:

Carter excited about his Super Hero Legos:

Ryan checking out his card and iTunes gift card:

Their loot:

Boys' Bathroom Makeover

2012-02-18T12:57:00.001-06:00

Last weekend my Mom and I went shopping for a more grown up theme for the boys' bathroom. The boys and I have been discussing this for a while, since they have a duck theme in there from when we moved into the house when Kyle was 3. It was definitely time. When I told the boys we were going to do it, they both dissolved in a heap of tears - they did not want me redecorating their bathroom. We proceeded to paint it and redecorate, all the while I had a feeling of dread in my stomach. I felt terrible for taking away their 'ducky' bathroom they obviously wanted to keep, even though during previous conversations, they were ready for an older theme. Anyway, we put it together after the boys went to bed one night. They got up the next morning and both shouted "wow - this is the best bathroom EVER!" I felt like I dodged a bullet there...glad they like their new bathroom!

BEFORE: bright yellow walls and duck theme

Evan rolling on primer to cover up the yellow walls:

Having their bathroom torn apart meant taking a bath in our tub, which is like a party for them!!!!

AFTER: Hoopla theme

Their favorite part of the new bathroom? Personalized cups! :)

Preschool Sunday

2012-02-18T12:48:00.000-06:00

Carter sang in church for preschool Sunday last week. He was not thrilled to be up there. I kept trying to give him the 'smile' sign, but he was not making eye contact at all. He told me afterwards he was nervous. Not sure if that was the case, but that's his story and he's stickin' to it! :)

Singing three songs during the church service:

Listening to the children's message:

Jewelry

2012-02-11T19:13:00.000-06:00

My plan today was to make jewelry while the boys were at a fishing contest with Evan. I dropped them off at 10:45 for an 11:00 start, came home, got busy (finishing one piece), and low and behold, my phone rang at 11:30. The boys were too cold and needed to be picked up. It was below zero windchill and pretty cold to stand outside without a fish house. Ryan was there long enough to bait the hook, and attempt to catch a fish, which qualified him for his fishing belt loop for Cub Scouts! Anyway, got a little sidetracked there, sorry about that...this is my jewelry for today!

Additional discs for a necklace I had made previously:

Cool Whip

2012-02-11T19:10:00.000-06:00

Somewhere hidden under there is a strawberry... ;)

Adventure Park

2012-02-11T19:08:00.000-06:00

On Friday, Carter and I went to Adventure Park and met a preschool classmate of his there. He had a blast with his buddy, Jacob. Bonus for me: Jacob's Mom and I could sit and visit - it was a great time!!!!

Ryan's Creations

2012-02-11T19:06:00.000-06:00

Man, I have been gone from the blogging world for too long. There is definitely a corrolation between how busy my life is and how much blogging I get done. Things have been crazy busy here lately, so I have not been taking as many pictures or blogging as much. Hopefully that will get better soon!

Here is Ryan with the creations he made when I was cleaning out the toy room. I am in the midst of spring cleaning right now. Invariably, when I say "can I sell this?" it becomes their absolute favorite toy, even though they haven't played with it in years. Sigh...

Skating Lessons

2012-01-29T16:12:00.001-06:00

Ryan was registered for intermediate skating lessons, but due to lack of participants, he was bumped down to beginners. Since he was much more advanced than the first year beginners (like Carter, barely able to stand on skates), they split the class and the instructor's daughter took half of the class and the instructor switched back and forth between the groups. We brought Carter along to try to get him on skates, and he ended up participating in the class. It is pretty slow going with him, but I am proud of him for trying. He is so much more cautious than Ryan, I wasn't sure he would do it. He's not too excited about it, but he is slowly getting the hang of it!

Ryan and his class:

Skating towards me:

Carter taking it all in:

Boys listening to the instructor tell them what they would be doing next:

Carter falling - he figured out right away how to get up on his own!

Ryan playing pom pom pull away with the advanced class:

Videos: Ryan skating and Carter skating

Happy Birthday to Evan!

2012-01-29T15:53:00.001-06:00

On Friday, we celebrated Evan's birthday party. We started with his cards and gift here and then headed to Brunswick Zone for dinner, bowling, and games. It was a great night and it is getting easier all the time as they get older to take the boys out for nights like this!

Our family:

Dad and his boys - they ALL wanted to sit on his lap for the picture!

After dinner, we brought out the cake and sang Happy Birthday:

Carter had a huge bite!

He always makes me smile - little stinker!

Ryan's crazy bowling form!

Carter started out with the ramp on the first frame, but bowled the rest of the game without it!

Getting his ball:

Kyle:

Ryan:

Me:

Final score - birthday boy took home the prize!

A few videos from my phone:

Ryan bowling, only Ryan could pull this one off!

Carter bowling, and another of Carter

Kyle showing us his form

Evan

Me

Jewelry

2012-01-29T15:37:00.000-06:00

It was a quieter weekend for jewelry, which worked well for our busy schedule. This was a rush order for a lady that I've done many orders for previously. She lives nearby, so it makes it very convenient for order pick ups!

Breakfast of Champions

2012-01-29T15:35:00.000-06:00

Whenever a cereal box shows a picture of fruit on the bowl of cereal on the box cover, the boys have to eat theirs the same way. This is the way Carter eats his frosted flakes. On the box, it showed it with strawberries, he had have those, but also chose to add raspberries! :)

Jewelry

2012-01-22T12:23:00.000-06:00

This weekend I had a birthday gift to make for Carter's preschool friend, several orders, and I wanted to try out a new style (square pendants) for myself. I'd love to hear your thoughts on the squares - I love trying new things!!!! :)

The above two necklaces were orders for a first communion coming up in February {Ironically, this order came from a lady that grew up and currently lives less than 3 miles from my parents' house - we don't know each other, but have mutual friends - what a small world!} To commemorate their first communions, I stamped a cross and the date very lightly on the back of the discs:

Pinewood Derby

2012-01-21T22:31:00.001-06:00

Ryan had his very first Pinewood Derby for Cub Scouts. Never having participated in one before, we really didn't know what to expect or really, how to build his car. Let's just say we learned a lot this year and have plenty of room for improvement. It was a pretty sophisticated track with speeds calculated down to the 10,000th of a second. Ryan had a good time at his first derby. There is a video at the end of this post - it is of Ryan's final heat in the derby - make sure to check it out!

Carter, on the other hand, was clearly excited to win 3 of the 48 raffle prizes. He and I spent a lot of time sizing up the prizes and deciding just which ones to put out tickets in. I really wish I could have had video (or even pictures) of him going up to get his prizes - it was priceless - he was so excited!!!

Ryan with his car at check-in:

After it was weighed, they store it overnight for safe keeping:

They have to make sure it fits in this little box. If it doesn't, it can't race:

Ryan checking out the progress of the track set-up:

The finish line:

The track took up nearly the entire gymnasium:

Boys playing video games while the parents worked on checking in the other scouts:

The starting line:

Ryan's going to race next:

Ryan's car is second from the right (in the green lane):

Ryan placed 6th overall in his den:

Ryan getting his certificate, ribbon, and driver's license:

Den 7 with their awards:

Ryan's awards and roadster:

VIDEO: Ryan's last heat of the Pinewood Derby

Book Club

2012-01-18T23:11:00.000-06:00

We celebrated our 4th Anniversary of our book club in November but I forgot my camera (not like me at all). And, as Evan pointed out, I was on the next block, it wasn't like I couldn't come home and get it, but anyway, here is our {belated} 4th Anniversary picture of our neighborhood book club. When I started this book club, I hadn't read a book other than a parenting book since Ryan was born. Since I've joined, we've read a book a month. My long bus rides allow me to read on the way to and from work and I can typically finish my Book Club book and my monthly magazine subscriptions, all on my bus rides! Score! We've had much of the same group for all 4 years, but a couple have moved away and we have a couple of new ones as well. It's a great group and definitely as much about the socializing as it is the book discussion! :)

Homework

2012-01-14T22:13:00.000-06:00

I had 3 homework assignments for Carter on Friday. He had to work on storytelling for his speech class, "Frank and Murray" strokes for swimming, and writing his first and last name for preschool (he's been writing his first name all year in school, but since their return after Christmas break, they added the last names). I was in the laundry room throwing in a load of clothes yesterday and when I came out, he had already finished practicing his name. Carter's penmanship was almost illegible starting the school year, so he's made a lot of progress (on all 3 ends actually - speech, swimming, and schoolwork). Great job, buddy - I am so proud of you!!!! :)

Boxcar Races

2012-01-14T22:09:00.000-06:00

Ryan's Cub Scout Pack 412 had their annual boxcar race this week. This is his first time participating in it. It was a bit of a mad house, but the kids loved it. The week before, we hosted the den meeting at our house and they selected the box they wanted to use and each helped to decorate it. They were so excited for their races!

At each Pack Meeting, the dens have to give an update on what they did that month. Ryan immediately grabbed the mic to give our update. We really need to work on his shyness...

Den 7 with their Den Leader, Cub Master, and Eagle Scout:

Ryan was ecstatic to receive 6 belt loops this month:

Baseball
Bicycling
Ice Skating
Soccer
Roller Skating
Swimming

Den 7 lining up behind their boxcar:

It's a thing of beauty, isn't it?

Ryan getting in the boxcar to race:

After their first lap, they had to sit down, take off their socks, and turn their socks inside out and then complete the second lap. Poor Andrea - she had the job of helping each scout with their sweaty socks and shoes! She told me afterward she needed to wash her hands!

Starting his second lap - he was on a mission!

Den Leader Andrea's time to race! :)

Pump It Up

2012-01-08T17:04:00.000-06:00

Pump it Up rarely offers open jump times on the weekends when my kids are out of school, so when an opening popped up for this weekend, we decided to head over to jump. The kids had a blast and wished we could have stayed longer!

Buddy Bear

2012-01-08T13:21:00.000-06:00

Carter had Buddy Bear home for the weekend from preschool. The kids are always so excited to bring home Buddy Bear! :)

Jewelry

2012-01-02T15:02:00.000-06:00

I spent some time catching up on jewelry orders placed in December after my Christmas deadline.

I also came up with a new charm bracelet - I'd love to hear your thoughts on it! :)

Would you like a strawberry with your whipped cream?

2012-01-02T14:47:00.002-06:00

Johnsville All School Sing-A-Long

2012-01-01T20:55:00.000-06:00

I should have posted this prior to now, but just thought to put it on the blog. This is Ryan's entire school (570 students) singing Christmas songs on December 22, their last day of school prior to the break. Ryan was so excited to see this when I showed him! I have to remember to go to this next year - very cute! :)

Johnsville Sing-A-Long

Necklace for My Mom

2011-12-30T22:55:00.000-06:00

This was one of my Mom's Christmas present, she picked out the tree of life charm and I stamped the disc - I love the new design...so much that I made myself the same one! :) I'd love to hear your feedback!

Edge Waterpark

2011-12-30T22:42:00.001-06:00

Mom and I took the boys to the Edge Waterpark in Duluth when the guys went fishing. We had a fun time, meeting up with my Aunt, Cousin, and her 2 kids. The kids had a blast playing together. We spent a lot of time in the pool in the first 24 hours, and in fact, got a little overchlorinated and checked out early (not for lack of fun, though!)

Olivia, and Ryan, two fish in the water, we never saw these two!!!!

Carter, stuck closer to me most of the time!

Pruny hands after a lot of time in the water:

Ryan eyeing up his target (touching the basketball net):

Success:

The chlorine burned Carter's eyes, so we put goggles on him:

Ball hog in the Vortex Pool:

The Edge, cleared out after lunch time, waiting for the next day's swimmers to arrive:

Was this the same kid...

that was scared to death of water just over a year ago?

Doesn't seem like it can be!!!!

Two very tired swimmers before we checked out. Watching a new favorite movie on TV - Shark Boy and Lava Girl!

Mom's deer were waiting for us to feed them every evening. They are so tame - they don't move when you are outside. I tried to feed them out of my hand, but they weren't that sure of me! :)

This is about 1/3 of what we had to unpack when we got home...

I never do this, but I just went to bed, knowing it would be there for me in the morning - that is how tired I was!!!!! (my least favorite part of a fun vacation - the unpacking!)

Christmas Day at Uncle Rich and Auntie's House

2011-12-30T22:29:00.000-06:00

We celebrate every Christmas Day at my Aunt and Uncle's house. We always have wayyyyy too much to eat and a lot of fun together - this year was no exception! We played a dice game with tons of prizes and also the 'name game' which is Ryan's new favorite. What a fun day spent with family!

Carter opening his Bunker Beach Water Park pass for 2012 (a favorite for 2011!!!):

and his game, Trouble:

Ryan opening his water park pass and game, Bounce:

Family at Christmas Dinner:

Kyle getting ready for bed that night...everyone texts while brushing their teeth, don't they??

Fishing Trip

2011-12-30T22:21:00.000-06:00

Evan and Kyle go on a fishing trip after Christmas every year with my Dad, Uncle, Cousin, and a few other guys. This year they went to Lake of the Woods. Here are a few pictures from this year's fishing trip. I'm sure Kyle would want me to point out that he won the biggest fish bet with Grandpa and came home $5 richer than he went up there! :)

Christmas Eve

2011-12-24T16:37:00.000-06:00

We celebrate Christmas starting with stockings on Christmas Eve morning, so we put out our cookies and Sprite (?) for Santa the night before. The kids were soooo excited to get started this morning, they could hardly wait from Grandpa and Grandma to arrive!

Putting out the cookies, candy canes and Sprite for Santa:

The stockings were hung...

Santa brings each of the boys an ornament with their name on it every year:

Ready for morning!!!!

In their robes from Santa:

Ready to open their stockings:

Ryan checking out his Survivor Wii game:

Boys putting their ornaments from Santa on the tree:

Evan and Kyle:

Carter in his new 'cuddly' robe!

Me and Carter:

Kyle and Grandpa opening their Santa gift:

It wasn't easy to open them...

But they were excited when they got them open - tickets to the Red Green Show! :)

Ryan opening a Lego sticker book:

Carter:

So excited for a Lego Target gift card:

And bugs!

More bugs!

Ryan opening Grandpa's new Kindle Fire:

Boys opening their new ipod touches:

I can finally reclain my phone!!!!

Grandma, Grandpa, and the boys:

Evan and his white elephant shop gift from Ryan:

Me with my white elephant shop gift from Ryan:

Kyle's white elephant shop gift from Carter:

Carter picked out this pink pokey ball for me at the Christmas shop!

Evan started his Christmas shopping for me at Cabela's - apparently he was tired of me using this Thermos all the time - he got me my own!

Pandora gift card - woohoo!

And Ann Taylor - he knows me too well! :)

Carter missed the point of the white elephant gift shop when he picked out something for himself!!!!

Mom opening her necklace I made her:

Ryan playing his DS game while we were still opening gifts!

Kyle's battery operated socks!

Kyle 'sharing' his gift with Carter!

Our family at Christmas:

Merry Christmas from the Mackeys!

2011-12-24T12:31:00.001-06:00

2011 Christmas Card, this is a trifold design (you can click on each picture to enlarge):

Outside:

Inside:

Carter's Christmas Program

2011-12-20T21:01:00.000-06:00

Carter had his preschool Christmas program today. He was so excited and did a great job! Afterwards, the kids sang Happy Birthday to Jesus and had birthday cake for Jesus!

In the doorway waiting to come into the church, the kids holding their sticks:

Carter is easily the tallest in his class - he is on the top left:

He and his teacher, Mrs. Guenther:

Ryan's 7th Birthday

2011-12-20T20:54:00.001-06:00

This is officially my 1,000th post - thanks for sticking with me - I can't believe it's been that long!

Today was Ryan's 7th birthday. He woke up and first thing he did was open a gift. One thing about Ryan - you always know exactly what he thinks of your gift - he looked at us with 'the' look when he opened his new rollerblades - "Hmmmm...I would rather have had a toy!" Sigh...I thought it would be the perfect gift since he rollerblades every day in the summer and has literally worn out his old rollerblades. Apparently not that exciting as a birthday gift! Thankfully I redeemed myself with the dirt bike he opened after school!

I took the day off of work and brought him to school this morning, which is a big treat for kids to be 'parent drop-off'' or 'parent pick-up'. He loved it! Evan, Mom, Dad, and I also joined him at lunch and brought his favorite lunch - McDonald's! I also brought cupcakes for his afternoon snack with the class. After school, he opened his next gift and we went to dinner at his favorite restaurant, Perkins, where the wait staff sang Happy Birthday to him and brought him a piece of pie for his birthday. All in all, a great 7th birthday for Ryan!!!!

Opening gifts first thing this morning:

Cupcakes for his class:

Lunch with all of us:

"I've wanted one of these all my life!" :)

Kyle's Painting

2011-12-20T20:45:00.000-06:00

Kyle painted a flag picture with painstaking detail tonight. Good thing he is so patient and particular when he paints. I can't imagine what that would look like with one of other boys wielding the paint brush! :)

Ryan's 7th Birthday Party

2011-12-17T20:54:00.001-06:00

Ryan started out the day not listening to me and saying "I'm the birthday boy, I can do what I want." Ummmm...yeah, that didn't go over big. We had a little disussion and things improved after that!

We took 6 kids to Sky Zone in Plymouth for 60 minutes of jump time. 2 of his cousins met us there, so we had a total of 8 jumpers. We checked in, put on our rental shoes, and the kids waited {im}patiently for their 10:00 start. They couldn't wait to get on the course. It was pretty full, but due to the size, it didn't feel crowded at all. There are several areas to jump in - a foam block pit, a 'main' course that is just huge - filled with individual trampolines all connected with padding, a toddler jump area, and a dodgeball arena. The kids spent most of their time between the main course and the dodgeball arena. They were hot, sweaty, and tired after 60 minutes, but all would have stayed had we let them. It really was a great place and I'd love to go back - fun to try something new. None of the kids had ever been there before!

We came back to our house to do a pizza party here. Then the kids played, opened gifts, and had cake and ice cream. It was a great day and Ryan had a blast. That's what it's all about when you are 7! Happy Birthday, Buckshot - we love you!!!! XOXO

My fridge was FULL the night before the party!

The food was prepared, the decorations were out, it was midnight and I called it a night, knowing it would be an early morning!!! :)

The birthday boy with his Angry Birds cake:

6 of the 8 kids, ready to go in and jump (Olivia and Noah arrived shortly after this photo):

The 'main course':

Noah flipping:

Lexi:

Ryan was a blur the entire time we were there:

Carter was the easiest to photograph - he stayed the closest! :)

Reagan:

Lexi heading into the block pit:

The dodgeball arena:

Kids after 60 minutes of jumping:

Time for pizza!

Reagan watching Ryan open gifts:

Reagan knew exactly what Ryan would like: Lego Target gift card, Skittles, and orange Tic Tacs (his favorite!):

3 more cousins joined us at our house for the party:

Singing Happy Birthday to Ryan:

Angry Birds

2011-12-16T14:25:00.002-06:00

I have a first grader that is very excited about his new Angry Birds hat! :)

Shoes

2011-12-16T14:24:00.000-06:00

How is this even possible? These are Ryan's new shoes, and mine, for comparison. Ryan is 6 years old (nearly 7). What size do you think his feet will be when he is full grown???

Mackey Christmas

2011-12-12T00:34:00.000-06:00

We celebrated the Mackey Christmas today with 7 of the 8 Mackey siblings, their children, and their grandchildren. It is really getting to be a full house with all of us now! We were especially happy to welcome our nephew Nick home on leave, he is serving in the military in Kuwait. It was great to see him and all of the Mackeys today. The kids have been counting down to the Mackey Christmas for weeks - it is such a special time with their cousins!!!!

Santa delivered all of the gifts for the cousins' gift exchange:

Ryan on Santa's lap:

I love this picture with 3 of his aunts laughing in the background. Santa had asked Ryan what he did that was good this past year. Ryan said he made his bed. Santa asked if he did every day and Ryan said "not really". Santa told him "at least you're honest". :)

Getting his gift from "Ichabod" the elf:

A gift from his Godparents - a digital money jar:

Carter was next on Santa's lap (he wore his Spiderman glove all day long):

Kyle's turn with Santa:

Ichabod and Santa after the gifts were all distributed:

Noah and Ryan watching TV together:

Monster Jam

2011-12-12T00:25:00.001-06:00

Saturday night Dad and I took Ryan and Carter to Monster Jam at the Metrodome. I'm not sure who had more fun - Dad or the boys. It was a night of lots of action, loud trucks, and exhaust fumes! We all had to wear ear protection, which meant yelling into each other's ears whenever we wanted to communicate. Made for an interesting evening!!!! :)

Also, this post is very picture-heavy. Ryan had my camera most of the night and took over 350 pictures - took me some time to go through and narrow them down...

Bringing the flag on the field for the National Anthem:

Lights out after the Anthem:

Grandpa and Ryan:

The start of the races, this is Monster Magic:

And the crowd favorite, Dennis Anderson in Grave Digger:

Son Uva Digger, Dennis Anderson's Son, Ryan:

Maximum Destruction:

Mesmerized:

Start of the 4 wheeler race, it was Team USA vs. Team Canada, 7 racers per team:

Coming around the first corner. Look at them lean to stay on their 4 wheelers and keep them on course! Check out the red racer in back - he just lost his wheel!

The winner, Team USA!!!

The first of many rollovers for the evening:

Trying to save the truck from rolling...

and he did, but he landed right on another. This is what gets the crowd going!!!

Final resting place (until he was rescued by the heavy equipment!):

He's headed directly for the other Grinder truck...

And they end up colliding:

But go on with the show like nothing happened:

Precarious jump by Iron Man:

One of the kids' favorites:

Can you imagine the rush you would have driving one of these?

Ryan and Grandpa celebrating their favorites in the freestyle event:

Carter taking a break to play on the iphone!

Superman:

And the grand finale - Grave Digger!!!!!

His truck ended up breaking down on this pile of cars, he couldn't complete his freestyle event. Thankfully the victory stayed in his family - his son Ryan took home the first place title!!!

Olivia's Birthday Party

2011-12-12T00:09:00.000-06:00

Saturday was a busy day at our house - Carter had Christmas program practice at Church, Ryan had a friend's birthday party and pit passes to Monster Jam, Kyle had snowboarding, and Mom, Dad, Carter, and I headed down to Rochester to my cousin Kim's daughter's birthday party. It was a whirlwind, but great day. Happy 8th Birthday, Olivia!!!!

The birthday party bunch:

Carter and Noah, inseparable, playing on the iphone:

Santa Visit and Holidazzle

2011-12-11T23:32:00.000-06:00

On Friday night, my parents came down and we did our annual trek to my office for dinner at the Plaza, touring Macy's 8th floor Christmas display, visiting Santa, and watching the Holidazzle Parade from indoors! We always enjoy the night - my only complaint: it goes by much too quickly!

Grandpa and Carter watching the Holidazzle Parade:

Grandma and Ryan taking it in:

Outdoor News

2011-12-11T22:55:00.000-06:00

Kyle made Outdoor News for the second time this year, this time for his 9 point buck (previously for his 26 pound turkey). It is always so exciting for kids to see themselves in publication! Way to go, Kyle!

Carter's Preschool Class

2011-12-04T18:27:00.000-06:00

I seriously cannot believe this little stinker will start kindergarten in the fall. Seems like yesterday Ryan was starting preschool and now Carter is mid-way through his last year! Unbelievable!!!! I love the preschool the boys have attended and I am really going to miss the phenomenal staff there!

Carter is in the third row - can you spot him and that contagious smile of his? :)

Reader

2011-12-03T23:10:00.000-06:00

Ryan curled up on the couch and read his entire chapter book from school today. I love that he loves to read. I did as a child, too (still do, when I have the time!) After he finished it, he wrote a book report on it. I was very impressed!!!!

Ryan recieved a 'yellow' ticket last week for good behavior in his classroom. I asked him what it was for and he was being patient waiting for other kids to finish their schoolwork. I volunteer in his classroom every Thursday and this week his teacher stopped me to tell me how well Ryan has been behaving lately. What a great report to get!!! Good job, buddy! :)

Jewelry

2011-12-03T23:04:00.002-06:00

I had a busy, busy day stamping. I am happy to say that all orders received to date are complete! Woohoo! I never thought I would get through all of them last night and today. The boys were really good while I worked, I was so thankful because Evan was hunting today. With the two of them together, it really can go either way! ;)

My new necklace, three bars with the boys' names, an oval disc with our initials and wedding date, and a round disc with an 'M' for Mackey!

This is why I always take pictures outside with natural lighting, even in the dead of winter! I took this inside since I finished it late tonight. Sorry for the terrible pic!

I finally have my dining room table back again, stamping supplies cleaned off after busy season! Oh, how I've missed my table (and my sanity)! I am so ready to enjoy the holiday season with my family now that jewelry orders are complete. I'm 'off' until January!!!!!

Jewelry

2011-11-27T18:48:00.000-06:00

I felt like one of Santa's helpers this weekend. My dining room table was a sea of black jewelry bags. 30 bags will go out this week, which will hopefully put a smile on 30 recipients' faces at Christmas time! One more weekend left of jewelry making and then I have a little break until after the first of the year!!!!

This is what my table looked like after jewelry making today:

Videos from Santa

2011-11-26T21:05:00.000-06:00

Just this week, Ryan was questioning whether Santa was really real. Josh N. (our neighbor boy) told him there was no Santa, and that parents buy all the presents for the kids at "Black Friday". Evan and I struggled to keep a straight face during that one. It just so happened these videos arrived the night before:

Ryan's Video from Santa

Carter's Video from Santa

I wish I had a video camera to capture their faces as they lit up watching their videos from Santa. So amazing!

The kids and I went to Arthur Christmas today and as we left the theater, Ryan looked up at me and said "Now I know that Santa is real". Mission Accomplished. I'll take that as a successful Saturday afternoon with my boys! :)

To create your own video from Santa, click here.

Solar System

2011-11-26T10:58:00.000-06:00

I woke up on Friday morning to "Mom, what's the 5th planet from the sun"? I had shopped on Thursday night from 8:30 p.m. - 3:30 a.m. on Friday. I wasn't quite awake when Ryan asked me that question. I stumbled downstairs to see that he and Grandma had been diligently working on a project of the solar system. He just loves "projects". Here he is in all of his glory:

Thanksgiving 2011

2011-11-26T10:54:00.000-06:00

I counted my blessings on Thanksgiving and need to make more of a conscious effort to do so every day. It is so easy to get caught up in the hustle and bustle of the holidays and life in general and take for granted all of the wonderful things we have been given. I'm particularly thankful for my family, friends, health, and good jobs. Ryan did a project for school and he was thankful for "America, our house, and God." Puts things in perspective for me. It's not all about the 'things' but about the time we have with one another.

We spent Thanksgiving Day in Byron at my cousin Kim, and her husband, Shane's. It was a great day and it flew by. The kids love playing with their cousins and we enjoy eating and visiting! :)

Take some time today to think about what you are truly thankful for and what matters most to you!

Turkey Run

2011-11-20T16:43:00.000-06:00

I took a break this morning from jewelry work to run the Turkey Run around Como Lake in Saint Paul. It is my second year running it - last year the course was glare ice. This year was also slippery thanks to the snowfall we received yesterday, but it wasn't as icy since the snow was covering the course. It was cold (in the teens) but it was a fun run with friends. It is a small, well organized race and I love the scenery. It brings me back to the 'old days' when I would rollerblade around the lake after work in Saint Paul...

Me and my neighbor friends, Michelle and Diana:

Jewelry

2011-11-20T16:38:00.000-06:00

I am in the midst of my busy season, diligently working on orders as quickly as I can to keep up with the rush! Here are this weekend's pieces:

In case you are wondering what my dining room looks like during 'busy season', here you go! Someday we'll have a dining room table again. Right now, it's my workspace!!!! :)

Carter's Preschool Picture

2011-11-17T20:44:00.000-06:00

Does it get any cuter than this? Love that contagious grin of his!!!!!

Glow Birds

2011-11-13T21:18:00.000-06:00

Much along the same line as our Halloween Craft, we made Glow Birds for Thanksgiving that we found in Family Fun magazine. It held the boys' interest for about as long as the pumpkins, oh, about 5 minutes or so. The other hours were spent by Mom and I putting together the glow birds. We ended up with 7 and I think they turned out cute. When they are lit at night, they are really pretty, almost have a stained glass appearance! Ryan wants to know what craft we are doing for December, so if you have any cute ideas for winter or the holidays, please let me know! :)

Weekend at Grandpa and Grandma's

2011-11-13T21:14:00.000-06:00

The boys and I spent the weekend at Mom and Dad's, and Kyle and Evan went up to the hunting cabin for to hunt. We had fun at the Pizza Pub with our friends on Friday night and then spent a low key day on Saturday at home. The boys used their imagination to play much of the day - that is when I could pry the iphone out of their hands! ;)

Their movie theater. Can you see the names of the movies? All spelled by Ryan! :)

Dolphin Tale

Soul Surfer (Sole Serfer)

Arthur's Christmas (Arther Crismas)

Puss 'n Boots (Puss in Boots)

Transformers 3 (Trantsformers 3)

Rio

They acted out each of the movies several times yesterday!

Carter peeking under the 'curtain':

Carter is sick again and back on the neb! Poor little guy - hoping this one is knocked out as quickly as the last with his nebulizer!!!

Jewelry

2011-11-13T21:06:00.000-06:00

You know how you have some days at work that just don't go quite how you expect or want them to? That was my day yesterday working on jewelry. I had a tough time getting motivated and then I just couldn't get into it. I completed under half of the orders I had hoped to get done, and then when I got back home, realized I had misspelled a name on 2 of the necklaces - same name was on both. Ugh - talk about frustrating! It was just one of those days! :( I love making jewelry, but the holiday season brings a lot more pressure and I am trying to find the balance with spending time with my kids and making jewelry that works for all of us. If anyone has any tips/tricks on working from home that they'd like to share, I'd be all ears! :)

Kyle's Buck

2011-11-07T21:28:00.000-06:00

Kyle shot his very first deer on Sunday, and it just happened to be a 9 point buck. He shot it from the 'tower' stand with Grandpa. It was hard to tell who was more excited, Kyle or Grandpa! It was a pretty exciting time in the house, that is for sure! What an awesome experience for Kyle. Evan missed it because we were in Amsterdam...I wish he could have been there, but if he couldn't, I was glad that my Dad could.

Proud Grandpa and Kyle:

Nice size deer!!

Showing Carter:

Amsterdam

2011-11-06T22:26:00.002-06:00

Evan and I went to Amsterdam this weekend for the WORLD Demolition Awards 2011. Carl Bolander was shortlisted for Contract of the Year for Evan's project at Northrup Auditorium at the University of MN. Unfortunately, we did not come home with an award, but were very happy to be shortlisted nonetheless. To be recognized as a top project in the WORLD is quite an accomplishment!

Our room at Hotel Okura:

Last time we were here, we were upgraded to the Executive Level Suites, but no such luck this time!

The pillow has never felt so good as it did after a night without sleep! We slept 16 hours - I don't think I've ever slept that long in my life!!!!

The view out our hotel room window:

Front entrance of hotel room:

Bathroom - no heated seats this year - rip deal!!!!!

The coffee station - good for a few swear words out of Evan when he was trying to figure out how it works!!!!

Evan with a half pint at O'Donnell's Pub:

O' Donnell's Pub:

Walking through Dam Square:

Checking out the beautiful colors along the canal:

We had perfect weather while we were in Amsterdam - it was 50s/60s and sunshine - gorgeous!

Another canal:

Walking to the shopping district:

Check out how packed the streets were with shoppers!!!!

Apparently the penguin lady didn't want to be photographed during her performance in Dam Square:

Narrow row houses:

Evan in front of our hotel:

Cocktail reception prior to the Awards Dinner:

Walking into the dinner - de ja vu - this looked just like the dinner held here two years ago:

Evan ready for dinner:

WORLD Demolition Awards 2011:

Lindsay Gale, Editor of DRI Magazine:

Evan at dinner:

Shortlisted for Contract of the Year, Carl Bolander and Sons:

My dinner program:

Close up of Contract of the Year:

Lighting:

Our new friends, Brian and Rich of Jewell Manufacturing:

Evan and I outside of our hotel:

Bikes, bikes, and more bikes:

What a peaceful day on the canals:

Check out how much this building is leaning:

The flower market:

The flowers extend all the way down as far as you can see:

Everywhere you look, there are BIKES!

Evan's first bakery stop:

Yum!

One happy camper:

Cat on the window ledge above the bakery:

Angry Birds - I sense a theme for Ryan's 7th birthday:

Evan in another bakery, just down the street from the first!

This time it is heath that catches his eye!

Look how tiny their forks are!!!

All in all, a great trip. Wish we could have come home with an award, but incredibly proud of Evan and the job he does every day for Bolander. Love you!!!! XOXO

Happy Halloween from the Mackeys!

2011-10-31T21:23:00.000-05:00

The boys were soooo excited for Halloween, and who wouldn't be, as a kid? All the candy you can eat, at your fingertips! Thankfully we didn't eat at much as last year - when a certain someone {cough - Carter} got sick during the night. Although Ryan did say he felt a little sick before bed... We made it to more houses trick or treating than we ever have before and we had over 100 trick or treaters here. A successful night, all around!

Ninja and Star Wars Jenga Fett:

In action!

With their friends, Zach and Lukas (Spiderman and Transformer):

What the...? We couldn't stop laughing when Kyle came up trick or treating! What a great costume!!!!! :)

Jewelry

2011-10-30T21:21:00.002-05:00

I had a little lighter weekend for jewelry orders. I am caught up on current orders, but need to get started on my own Christmas gifts! I need more hours in the day...don't we all? :)

Carving Pumpkins

2011-10-30T21:18:00.000-05:00

The boys carved pumpkins at a party up north today and then again at home tonight. Well, to be clear, the boys did less carving, and more supervising...

Carter and Ella painting:

Creations with the help of Grandma:

Ryan, what do you really think about digging out the pumpkin guts???

Cub Scouts

2011-10-29T16:46:00.000-05:00

Ryan received his first badge in Cub Scouts on Thursday. He was one proud and excited kiddo!

Den 7 with their Den Leader, Andrea, the Eagle Scout, Moe, and in the back is Pack Leader, Clayton:

Ryan getting his gift as a new Cub Scout, a Star Wars Chewbacca key ring. Not sure how that ties to Cub Scouts, but he was thrilled, nontheless!

Showing me his key ring:

The den being presented with their Bobcat Badges:

Shark Pillow

2011-10-26T21:45:00.000-05:00

I was less than thrilled when Carter showed up with this enormous shark pillow last night, compliments of Dad from a trip to Cabela's. It is hideous! To top it off, Evan let him take it to daycare for show and tell today. I am sure Kathy thinks we are nuts! Carter loves his shark pillow, and hauls it around the house with him everywhere he goes. Who can deny their kid the simple pleasures in life? :)

Jewelry

2011-10-23T19:59:00.000-05:00

I set a personal record for jewelry making yesterday - 17 necklaces in one day. Not one I am too excited to beat in the near future, either! That was a very busy day!!!!! 'Tis the season with the holidays approaching!!!! :)

Here are the necklaces:

This is for a baby shower I am going to next weekend. My neighbor is expecting twins, so I left 2 discs blank. I'll fill them in after the babies arrived and have names picked out!

Weekend - farm style

2011-10-23T19:06:00.000-05:00

I was heads down working on jewelry for much of the day yesterday, so I missed some prime photo ops: boys riding four wheeler and going fishing with Grandpa, Evan hunting, boys playing outside, etc. I did take a break to make our winter arrangements with Mom. Too bad I didn't get a picture yet - they are stored in Mom's garage for safe keeping until after Halloween! A few shots I did get:

The deer eat under Mom's bird feeders every day. There was also a turkey there both days, but he was so skittish I didn't get a picture of him!

Mom and Dad have a jet black squirrel. I am not a big squirrel fan, but he was pretty cool to watch!

Too bad these boys have no exposure to technology! Favorites of theirs - Nintendo DS's, ipods, and my laptop and iphone!

Nebulizer

2011-10-17T23:56:00.000-05:00

The allergist prescribed a nebulizer for Carter when we saw him last spring. Thankfully, Carter has had a very long stretch of good health, and we hadn't even taken it out of the box...until tonight. He has had a cold for almost a week now and I probably should have gotten it out sooner. Kyle, a lifetime 'nebber' showed me the ropes with the nebulizer and also played Legos with Carter the entire time he was being nebbed. Technology is great in so many ways - who would have thought to make a Lego game on top of a nebulizer? Clearly a parent that's been there done that! Carter took his first neb like a champ - no complaints whatsoever! He coughed almost all night long last night, needless to say, we are praying for a much better night tonight. And on that note, off to bed I go - I've got toothpicks holding up my eyelids as I type!! Night!!!!

Still smiling despite being sick!!!

Fun on the farm

2011-10-16T22:01:00.000-05:00

Evan took the boys to Mom and Dad's this weekend while I worked down here. They did a lot of hunting, four wheeling, wood cutting, archery, and playing outside. Here's a snapshot of their weekend:

Who dresses these kids?

Great shot, if he was aiming for the deer (he was not, he was aiming for the target)!

Kyle's lincoln log masterpiece:

Jewelry

2011-10-16T21:50:00.000-05:00

Another busy weekend for jewelry!!!!

ID tags for my great nephews for their baptism today:

Additional tags for a necklace I made next week:

Front of the necklace:

First time I stamped on the back of a necklace, (this was a gift order for someone celebrating their 10th year of sobriety):

My brand new design - 3 stacked washers. This idea came to me out of the blue and I had to stop what I was doing to make it! :)

This wasn't something I made, but wanted to share. I had my wedding ring rhodium finished to update the look (basically white gold was applied over the top of the yellow gold) and I also had my Grandma's wedding ring resized and polished. They both look brand new!

One more to share - I ordered this spinner ring on etsy last week - it arrived yesterday and it fits me perfectly. Love it! :)

The Mackeys

Valentine's Day

Boys' Bathroom Makeover

Preschool Sunday

Jewelry

Cool Whip

Adventure Park

Ryan's Creations

Skating Lessons

Happy Birthday to Evan!

Jewelry

Breakfast of Champions

Jewelry

Pinewood Derby

Book Club

Homework

Boxcar Races

Pump It Up

Buddy Bear

Jewelry

Would you like a strawberry with your whipped cream?

Johnsville All School Sing-A-Long

Necklace for My Mom

Edge Waterpark

Christmas Day at Uncle Rich and Auntie's House

Fishing Trip

Christmas Eve

Merry Christmas from the Mackeys!

Carter's Christmas Program

Ryan's 7th Birthday

Kyle's Painting

Ryan's 7th Birthday Party

Angry Birds

Shoes

Mackey Christmas

Monster Jam

Olivia's Birthday Party

Santa Visit and Holidazzle

Outdoor News

More Santa Videos

Carter's Preschool Class

Reader

Jewelry

Jewelry

Videos from Santa

Solar System

Thanksgiving 2011

Turkey Run

Jewelry

Carter's Preschool Picture

Glow Birds

Weekend at Grandpa and Grandma's

Jewelry

Kyle's Buck

Amsterdam

Happy Halloween from the Mackeys!

Jewelry

Carving Pumpkins

Cub Scouts

Shark Pillow

Jewelry

Weekend - farm style

Nebulizer

Fun on the farm

Jewelry