Friday, November 27, 2009

2009 Family Recap


We went to Kiddie Acres over Spring Break.
Mark's baby sister, Liz, got married March 1st.
Easter 2009 (notice Tyler's band-aid to hide his stitches)

Tyler's 4th birthday and our new kitten, Juno (with old cat, Teddy).

Riley and Mark finished a family Triathlon! The boys played dress up this summer.
Our family at the pumpkin patch and the boys dressed for Halloween.

My big old belly at 29 weeks. Tyler loves his baby sister! :)

Mark
Mark is still working hard as a Programmer in the IT Department at Austin Regional Clinic. With 2 years under his belt, he feels pretty comfortable at his job. He has really enjoyed working out and running this year. This summer, he completed his first Triathlon, then did a family Triathlon with Riley. He’s also run a 5K and a 10K this year, as well as going on regular runs in the neighborhood with the boys to help Riley complete his marathon. I always keep him busy around the house, too! He has built many a furniture piece from IKEA this year!

Shelley
As soon as I finished teaching Pre-K at Mother’s Day Out this spring, I found out I was pregnant! It did come as a surprise, but in September we found out we are having a baby girl, which is so exciting! She will be at the top of our 2010 highlights, since she is due January 21st. Just before I found out that I was pregnant, I agreed to take on the role of MOPS Coordinator at my church. This is our third year, and we are still growing and going smoothly. God has really blessed this group! We even started a sister group in Kyle this fall, which 2 dear friends of mine are coordinating. This summer was tough for me, with the first trimester pregnancy yuckiness and the scorching heat. We spent a lot of time indoors at home this summer.

Riley
It’s amazing that Riley is a 7 year old second grader! He is such a big boy and so helpful to me. He’s a great big brother to Tyler, and I know he will be great with his baby sister (he loves babies!). He loves school and was so excited to get the teacher he wanted for second grade. They have lots of animals in their classroom, including leopard geckos and snakes. He really enjoys running and completed a Kids’ Triathlon in July and ran a 5K in October. He did his first sleepover camp last summer and had a great time.

Tyler
Tyler is 4 and is such a big boy. He and I are doing “home school preschool” and he is learning his letters, numbers and other fun stuff. He loves to “read” and has many of his favorite books memorized. He had to give up his room for the baby, but is excited to share a bunk bed with Riley. Their room is full of Legos, which both boys are very passionate about. I am always amazed at the original creations they come up with! Tyler is running with Mark and Riley—his goal is to do the 5K on his own next fall. Tyler has also had his fair share of boo-boos this year, including stitches on his forehead in March from falling at the park.

Family
It’s been another fun year for our family. We’ve gotten to do some fun things, like going to Round Rock Express baseball games and stock car races at the local track. Mark and Riley got to go camping this spring with a group of men and boys from our church. This summer, we tried some new things, like seeing “Up” at an outdoor theater, learning to play laser tag and race go-karts at Austin Park and Pizza, and going to the Children’s Museum in New Braunfels.
We got to go to Sea World in San Antonio and stay at the Hyatt Wild Oaks Ranch for our summer vacation. It was really fun, especially spending 4+ hours a day in the pool. We also took the boys to the Riverwalk and Rainforest Café.
Oh, and another highlight of our summer was the addition of another cat, Juno. He is an adorable Siamese cat who is so funny and friendly. We originally thought he was a girl until I took him to the vet about a month after we got him. He keeps us laughing and on our toes.

It has been another wild year, with lots of ups and downs. It is so rewarding to see the boys growing up and seeing their character develop. They have really bonded with each other. They both are thriving at church and love Jesus and His word, which is truly exciting. We are looking forward to 2010 with our newest addition. We can’t wait to meet little Kendall Joy in person. She has already captured our hearts! I am so thankful that I can look back and see God’s love and faithfulness in our lives. He has truly blessed us beyond what we deserve.

Love, the McDaids