Hi, everyone. It’s with an extremely heavy, devastated and broken heart I share I miscarried our second baby girl this past week at seven, almost eight weeks, pregnant. We are hurting so much. I knew… More
January 2024 ❄️ Part 1
Good morning, everyone! Thank you all for your super kind words on the last post- they mean so much ❤️.
January (and the beginning of February) has been a heck of a stretch- it’s been challenging, fun, sad, happy, stressful and memorable. I’m currently getting some car repairs done, so I figured this is a good time to take a breath and start to reflect on it all.
First, our neigh-bors added a horse to the crew. It was stunning watching this gorgeous animal with a black coat running around in the backdrop of snow. I’ll try to get a better picture sometime soon! We have yet to get close to him though; he’s a bit skittish.
Speaking of horses, Quinn is all about her farm animals lately. She calls them all by the noise they make. My favorite sounds are her “oink” and “hee-haw”.
I’ve been all about easy, nutritious dinners lately. One meal on a weekly rotation is a pasta made with pea, lentil or chickpea with a veggie based sauce and sometimes sausage thrown in. Quinn loves parmesan, it’s her favorite cheese- so it’s nearly a guarantee she’ll eat it if I sprinkle some on.
That evening we took Quinn to her gymnastics class! We usually go on Tuesdays, but this was a makeup for a day we missed.
January 6 was a wonderful day. We went to Renee and Chris’s so they could get some rest while we watched Emelyn. Really, it was a selfish offer as we just really wanted time with Ender and the sweet baby girl!
They have three cats and Quinn was in heaven chasing them around.
My heart was bursting! I didn’t hold Emelyn the first time I met her since I was freshly getting over being sick, so I treasured this time so much. Quinn was unsure of her Mama holding another baby, but she warmed up eventually.
Ender and Quinn are quickly becoming thick as thieves. I love watching them play together.
Quinn hugging her big brother that evening… Her big brother tolerating the hug.
January 7th we went to Poppy and Sissy’s to celebrate my younger sister-in-law’s birthday!
Ender and Quinn had a ball together chasing one another around and dancing. Quinn was squealing with glee as she chased him.
After work on January 8th, I had an acupuncture appointment! I have read promising outcomes about it for fertility, and have heard stories anecdotally, so I figured why not give it a try. The acupuncturist puts the pins in my ears and my calves. I did notice an increase in my basal body temperature almost immediately after starting it (that’s a good thing). I try to go once a week!
I actually do really enjoy it- the pins are painful going in, but it’s very relaxing once they are all in place. It’s a rare time for me to just stare at the wall and breathe for 20 mins.
That evening, I made an easy stir fry with shrimp for dinner. So good, so simple.
January 9th Quinn helped me make some pancakes for breakfast. I have been letting her crack the eggs, and she’s actually starting to get the hang of it!
How many mornings look ❤️.
January 10th I scheduled a hair appointment to go blonder again. A few months back I went pretty dark with the thought of “Well if I get pregnant I won’t have to get it done again for a long time”. But the months came and went, and I was stuck missing the blonde. I decided to just get my hair the way I prefer it, and I’ll cross that bridge when the time hopefully comes. It would be a welcomed “problem” to have. Bad roots never hurt anyone, right? 😄 I got a Nervous Dog coffee to sip on through my appt. Charlie, my hair lady, worked her magic! 🪄
That evening, we went to a dog club meet up at Papa Joe’s in the Valley.
Marie got us a private room since there was a good amount of us, and it made it easy to let Quinn out of her chair to stretch her legs!
I ordered their lasagna, as it’s what they’re famous for. You guys, this was the BEST lasagna I’ve ever had. The noodles were perfectly al dante, the sauce was a delicious mix of savory and sweet and the ratio of cheese, sauce and pasta was spot on. I crave this!
We got Moose a new coat for the winter, and I think he’s such a handsome boy in it.
I feel like his face is saying “seriously, Mom?”.
We started using a new program called Speech Blubs as an extra tool to foster Quinn’s speech. I’m not sure if it’s the program or her stage in her development (or both), but her speech has taken off. Through the program, they have fun little breaks where she takes pictures with a fun filter or gets to pop balloons on the screen.
January 12th, we went to play at the playground at the mall. We did the Photo Booth together after too 🥰.
We went to brunch on our way home at The Valley Cafe.
Sweet girl sippin’ her milk :).
I ordered an omelette and a breakfast burrito, hoping she’d be interested in one or the other. She just wanted the rye toast that was doused in butter. I mean I get it. That burrito was phenomenal though! My mouth is watering just thinking about it.
I was away on Saturday and some of Sunday for my birthday, so I’m grateful I had that quality time with Quinn. I’ll recap that girls’ weekend in Cleveland next! 😊
Question for you:
– How has your year been so far?
<3,
Mackenzie
Remembering my Grandpa, Jack.
Hi All,
It’s with such a heavy heart I share we lost our absolutely incredible Grandpa, Jack, a few weeks ago. You may remember him from many of my Traverse City posts over the years 💙 . He lived such a full, beautiful life and leaves behind many who cared about and loved him so deeply. I want to share a poem I wrote for him for his birthday a few years back as a way to remember and honor him (with a couple words changed).
Grandpa, today is the day we celebrate you!
One of the greatest men- honest and true.
The man who has lead this family since day one
And is always the center of any fun.
The man who is the greatest host
And knows how to make everyone laugh the most.
The man who may not have a lot of hair,
But is a pro at falling asleep in a chair.
The man who knows how to golf, ski and boat,
But one you will never hear gloat.
He’s the man who knows how to dance,
And you can count on in any circumstance.
“Mi casa es su casa” is something you will always hear.
And every time he says it, it’s very sincere.
Together, we’ve had many walks on the beach, eyes out for shells,
But mostly we peered into the distance, where a mermaid dwells
He’s the man of olives stuffed with blue cheese,
And who selflessly served our country overseas.
The man who demonstrates hard work and grit.
And the importance to never ever quit.
He’s a world-class grandpa, dad, husband and friend
And one whom you can always depend
He is the epitome of strength,
I could go on about him in great length.
But there is another half that makes up his whole life,
And that is my Grandma, Joannie, his loving wife.
So from all over now we gather ‘round the Bay,
For you Grandpa- we remember and miss you so much today.
We love you always, Grandpa.
Until our next “Hey you!”…
It’s 2024!
Hey everyone! It’s 2024! I know that’s how “time” works, but 2023 flew faster than any year yet.
Speaking of 2023, I have a few last moments to record!
December 26th Gigi and Amy stopped while Quinn napped. We drank coffee while chatting up a storm, as we do. It helped big time having them there because I was having a case of the post-holiday blues!
December 27th Quinn had a doctors appointment and we ran into my friend, Rachel, who works at that campus! She was with her dog, Trotter, who is a highly trained facility dog for kids. It was such a fun run-in. Rach even gave Quinn a little stuffed dog she had just received at a photo shoot for Trotter.
December 30th, DJ and I took Quinn to the Akron Children’s Museum in Akron. Before we walked in, there was a room of festive character displays.
We also saw the largest snowman, probably in history?
The museum was a blast!! It was different than I expected, but in a good way. I thought it was going to be larger and more science-based, but it’s actually a giant playzone!! This is going to be an awesome option throughout the winter.
At the coloring station, DJ and I realized how hard it is to draw a star with even sides. No seriously, why is it so hard? These were our pathetic attempts!
There were so many different fun stations.
On December 31st, NYE, we went to the Rainforest at CLE Zoo.
Quinn loved the leopard and the monkeys!
We had zero plans for NYE, which I didn’t mind one bit! Although I did have dinner plans. Amy and Chris had recently been to Italy and brought us back pasta, sauce and a truffle oil. I died with excitement when she gave them to us. So I decided to make it for NYE, and it did not disappoint. Quinn was a huge fan too!
We were asleep way before midnight 😆.
January 1st, we went to my brother’s house to make up for not seeing them on the 23rd. It was the perfect start to the New Year, seeing them all ❤️.
We had Panera and then opened gifts with the kids. My brother and SIL got Quinn a Minnie Mouse airplane push car. The kids were loving it and all taking turns on it pushing each other around!
Some New Years thoughts:
– I was really hoping to be pregnant again by now, and that’s not the case. I have totally come to peace that this is in God’s timing, not mine. It’s a great lesson right now in patience, surrender, hope and contentedness. I am also so grateful for my Quinnie; she’s my little miracle, and I’m soaking up each undivided moment with her in this waiting season ❤️.
– Three books in my queue that I have yet to finish this year: Maybe You Should Talk to Someone by Lori Gottlieb, Things We Never Got Over by Lucy Score and Open Book by Jessica Simpson. I’ve really fallen off my reading grind, and I’m looking forward to prioritizing it again. I’m not setting a lofty goal of number of books, but I would like to finish these at least!
– I plan to continue to heal and nourish my body. Quite counter to the usual resolution of losing weight, I’d like to learn to be at peace where my body is happiest and healthiest.
That’s really all I got!
Questions for you:
– Any New Year’s resolutions?
– What is something you’re looking forward to this year?
<3,
Mackenzie
Christmas 2023 🎄❤️
Hello all! This Christmas was extra magical this year. Quinn was enthralled with all the festivities, and I bet it’ll be even more exciting for her next year!
On December 21st our stockings came in. I ordered these ones from Amazon. They were reasonably priced and turned out beautifully personalized! Quinn took “stocking” quite literally.
December 23rd, we went for a long walk. I’ve been loving our winter walks.
We were supposed to go to my cousins house that evening, but I was still not feeling 100%. With a newborn there, I didn’t want to risk getting her or anyone else sick. We are going to make up for it in the New Year though!
Christmas Eve I was feeling well enough to make it to church!
It was such a wonderful candlelight service.
We ordered charcuterie boards for the different get togethers we were planning to attend from 2BoardSisters. They did an incredible job!!!
Christmas Eve evening, we were supposed to all go to DJ’s side of the family, but my symptoms started coming back on as the day progressed. It was an extremely hard decision, but we decided it’d be best for me to be cautious and stay back. However, they FaceTimed me in to say hi to everyone and sent tons of videos and pictures that made me feel as though I was there 🥰. It looked like the best time!! Quinn spent time running around with a kitchen towel on her back as “bat girl” and her cousin was “bat boy” with his own cape. So cute.
I made the most of the time at home, cleaning up the house, snuggling with Moose (I put a dog Christmas movie on for him) and making sure my ducks were in a row for Christmas morning. I made a batch of cookies to put out for Santa too.
After Quinn hit the hay, Santa stopped by 😉.
She woke up around 630 on Christmas morning. She didn’t quite grasp the concept yet of opening presents and seemed more eager to eat. So eat we did! Oh, and thankfully I was feeling totally better for the first time in probably 10 days?!
Moose was thrilled with his toy candy cane!
He also got this adorable Christmas bandana from Aunt Marie and Uncle Jorge.
We took the afternoon easy. While Quinn was napping, Amy stopped by with her boyfriend, Chris. It was so nice to see them and catch up a bit! Quinn finished up a nice long nap then we got ready to head over to The Farm.
Amy had Pool Noodle with her as well as their quarter-wolf dog named Skah. I wish I had gotten a pic of Skah because she was beautiful and legitimately looked like a wolf!!!
Quinn was in her version of heaven hanging out with Pool Noodle.
That evening I finally got to meet our newest niece, Emelyn 💕. She is just the sweetest.
And that wraps our Christmas!!!
Hope you all have a very Happy New Year 😊
<3,
Mackenzie
Luca West, Zoo Lights, Sledding and Santa!
Hey all! We’re almost caught up to real time! Woohooo! Hope you all have a wonderful NYE!
November 19th we started the morning out by going to Church. Quinn has stopped crying when we drop her off to go to the nursery which is a great sign that she’s adjusting. She always seems to be having so much fun when we go back to pick her up after service.
PS. One of our greatest toddler purchases was this Buckle Me coat. It’s safe to wear in the car, so you don’t have to take the jacket on and off for car trips.
Quinn was ready for a nap as soon as we got home. She woke up midway through her nap and seemed ready to get up. I brought her downstairs with me, and she ended up falling asleep again while we watched the Browns play. Moose snoozed on me too. I loved every second!
That afternoon, I went to Luca West for a surprise 30th bday party for my longest best friend, Melissa! It was so much fun and the food was delicious. I love her friends and family too, so it was a real treat to see everyone!
The atmosphere of the restaurant was so classy and romantic; I’d love to bring DJ back there for a date night.
After singing happy birthday and enjoying some cake, I went with Melissa and Michael to a nearby friends’ house. It was a blast! DJ held down the fort at home and encouraged me to enjoy the night out. We are in such an easier stage of parenthood right now. I couldn’t have dreamed of doing something like that a year ago!
Just had to share this stunning sunrise from November 20th.
November 22nd we left for TX for Thanksgiving!
November 28th started a week of chilly temperatures, frost and snow.
I tried to find any activities I could to get us out of the house that week! There’s a ninja zone not too far away we gave a go. Quinn loved it!
Here’s Quinn jamming to some Techno Christmas!! Miss Personality.
The week was filled with lots of hide-and-go-seek with Moose, waving to the school bus passing, playing with Dino nuggets (and maybe eating a few), and making a rock band out of pots and pans. I also cooked up some cozy meals like this beef stew and turkey bolognese. I probably don’t even need to say where I got the recipes from!
On a Black Friday deal (also doubling as Christmas/bday present), I got a set of Caraway cooking and bakeware. This stuff ain’t cheap but it’s WORTH EVERY PENNY! I’m truly obsessed. It’s entirely nontoxic, but still non-stick, and just the GOAT of cookware.
November 30th I dropped Quinn off at daycare for a couple hours so I could reset the house. I rotate her toys once or twice a month to keep things interesting.
I try to do something new with her nugget every time I do an overhaul too.
December 2nd we saw Santa. Sweet girl wasn’t thrilled! But everyone has to have one crying pic, right?! It’s tradition!
That afternoon we took Moose to the old trail we used to frequent almost daily! He had a ball being off leash.
We decided to have a pizza night! Athena’s has become our go-to.
Anything we didn’t finish,I just froze for later. Deej thinks I go a bit overboard on freezing things, but hey if it freezes well, why not?!
Sometimes you just need to talk on a pizza phone. Or two pizza phones. I can hear the old adage of “don’t play with your food” screaming at us, but come on, pizza phones!!
Gigi dropped off this super cute Advent calendar for Quinn that evening. The drawers all light up too. So cute!
The evening of December 3rd we went to the Akron Zoo Lights!
December 4th I made the creamy avocado bacon pasta. I’ve made this for Quinn in the past, and she downed multiple servings. This time she wouldn’t touch it. DJ and I enjoyed it though! And then I freezed the rest.
December 6th we received this awesome Disney themed advent calendar from my friend Sara in CA for Quinnie. Each day has a different Disney book, which means it’s reusable too!
On a walk that day I saw Will Ferrel lying on the sidewalk 🤷🏼♀️.
That evening, we had a celebration for Marie and her husband Jorge for their recent marriage. All the people at this celebration are clients of theirs for the dogs she and Jorge watch/board. They are the best and easy to celebrate! They are so good to Moose, and so much part of our “village” that we call them Moose’s Aunt Marie and Uncle Jorge. It was fun to meet the other owners too! Marie lovingly calls Moose a hall monitor because of the way he stands and watches over the other dogs..,.So I introduced myself as “Moose the Hall Monitor’s Mom”. 😄
Exhibit A
Quinn also apparently loves Mexican food. She could not get enough!
Someone even brought a cake for us all to share ❤️.
December 8th I had my first overnight away from Quinn. I went to Rachel’s to have dinner, bake cookies and chat the night away! She made these Grinch glasses which I thought were just too cute.
We ordered from Sitto’s. It was extremely good- I said it gave Aladdin’s a run for its money!
As nice as it was to have a night to be “off duty”, I missed my fam like heck. I wanted to be home for when Quinn woke up, so I zoomed back around 530 AM. I made pancakes to start off a lovely weekend.
Our tree came in a bit late, but we got it up December 9th. We ordered a “most realistic” tree from Balsam Hill on a Black Friday deal. It’s made with less PVC than classic Christmas trees, which made me feel a bit better about having it in our home years to come.
Also, we discovered the Elf Pets Christmas series on Netflix; it’s adorable! Quinn loves the Elf on the Shelf one and the Fox one. She squeals every time the fox tail lights up the sky.
First time putting ornaments on the tree 💕.
That evening I made rotisserie chicken pot pie biscuits. This was easily another favorite from Feeding Littles!
December 10th we had a lovely time celebrating multiple birthdays in the family!
December 12th Quinn and I went to another Ninja class meeting up with a mom and her son I met at the library. Look at me making mom friends! We stopped by Seven Grains after. It’s a nice grocery store, with healthy finds. I picked up a few premade meals, but we weren’t fans. Probably will stick to going there strictly for groceries!
For part of Quinn’s teachers’ gifts at daycare, I printed out these templates from Etsy on December 13th. She loved doing the handprints, but I realized maybe I should have used a different color from red. 😆 Oh well! Lol.
December 14th, we enjoyed a chilly morning playing outside.
I had a doctor’s appt that afternoon, so my friend Lainey came by to watch Quinn. Then we just hung out and caught up for a couple hours! It was so nice.
I made a teriyaki steak and green bean dinner. This was not great. I messed up the sticky rice and the steak had lots of fat making it tough to chew. I have several notes to make it better next time!
December 16th was a doozy. I caught Quinn’s pink eye. I was bummed because I thought we’d all avoided catching it. I sanitized the house & washed our hands like crazy and only got it at the tail end of her course of abx. Darn! Actually as I’m writing this today, I am going to see an ophthalmologist next week because I don’t have my vision fully restored in my right eye. Yikes. Trying not to panic, but it was truly the worst case of pink eye I’ve ever had/seen, and I had an allergic reaction to the abx. You guys are probably so sick of reading about my overall minor health woes this year! It’s been a weird year on that front for sure. Like what is my deal lol.
To start the day, we went out and fed the ponies 🥰.
Then I made these construction paper tunnels for Quinn to have her cars maneuver.
We went to a nearby park after to burn some energy.
DJ took Quinn to The Rainforest at the Cleveland Zoo that afternoon. I got a lot of chores done around the house while they were gone which was nice.
For dinner, I made cod fish sticks, peas and mashed potatoes.
We then sat in the empty bathtub and painted with the edible fingerpaints. We made the best out of the day especially since I couldn’t leave the house with my eye.
December 18th Quinn went with me to HomeGoods to put together a gift for my secret Santa at work.
Then she helped me prep some dinner. P.S. After the new year I said we’d get serious about weaning the paci!
December 19th we woke up to some gorgeous fluffy snow.
We took full advantage!!
This girl’s first time in the snow!
She loved it and loved the sledding! I’ve watched this video more times than I can count :
I’ll do a Christmas and New Years post next and we’ll be caught up!!
Happy New Years, friends! Thanks for following along with my little family’s adventures this year 🥰.
<3,
Mackenzie
Ohio City, Teschners and Enjoying the Simple Things.
Hello all! Continuing to catch us on up! November 4th, DJ and I had a date night! Gigi and Gordie stopped by to watch Quinnie. I had to give a big hug and kiss to my babies before leaving!
We decided to venture to Ohio City. We’d never explored the area before (although I’d been once to Le Petite Triangle technically located here).
We put in our names at a Thai restaurant called Banana Blossom. We were both in the mood for Thai, and this place had great reviews. We had about a 30 minute wait, so we decided to kill the time by shopping at City Goods!
These shops all adorably display the cutest local goods. My favorite was the honey store.
Right next to City Goods is an outdoor play area for kids. Look at this slide! How fun! It seems they have concerts here in the summer months too.
When finally seated at Banana Blossom, we were not disappointed. We had the rice rolls for appetizers, and they were as refreshing as could be and were accompanied by a delightful peanut dipping sauce.
I had their duck entree, and it was beyond flavorful and savory!
DJ got their classic pad Thai noodles. I had a bite (of course) and they were very tasty.
This was the closest Thai to Olarn that we’ve had since moving from CA. It definitely gave us our fix and the service was fantastic too.
After dinner, we walked into the main part of Ohio City and stopped into Mitchell’s for some ice cream cones.
If you walk to upstairs of Mitchell’s, you can see the ice cream being made!
On our walk, we scoped out many fun restaurants and dives we’d love to check out at some point. There’s even one spot called Tabletop Board Game Cafe that has tons of board games you can play while you eat your food.
November 5th, we chased a truck down the street. Quinn loves anything with wheels and will sign “wheels” whenever she sees a car or a school bus pass. She also loves singing wheels on the bus, so she’ll sign for wheels frequently. She lights up when she hears “Alexa, please play wheels on the bus!”. Yes, we try to be polite to our robots just to set a good example lol.
That evening I made an extremely easy meal of air fryer chicken, corn and a veggie rice.
November 6th was Quinn’s 18 month appointment! It goes by as fast as everyone says. We stopped by the playground in the mall after.
November 7th I did a little shopping spree. I finally got back to my pre-pregnancy weight (by gaining about 20 lbs). This was so much harder than I anticipated, emotionally, but I keep trying to “zoom out” and know this weight gain is worth it in the big picture. I decided to use a daycare day to get clothes to feel good in my skin again since pretty much nothing fit in my closet. I call them my fertile clothes 😆. I also hit a jackpot on sales this day- particularly at Altar’d state!
November 10th was a beautiful day. I decided to take advantage by taking Quinn to the zoo.
Always have to feed the goats too!
When we got home, I made some zucchini fries in the air fryer!
November 11th, we went to the Stow Kids’ Playground. It was the most epic outdoor playground I’ve ever seen!
After, we zipped down the street to the library.
“Hello?”
That evening I made the Feeding Littles Shepherd’s Pie with lamb. It was a winner! Moose ate the first batch off the counter (😭), so I kept it far from his reach this time!
I slowly started getting out some Christmas decorations on November 12th.
It was a gorgeously frosty morning, so it felt appropriate!
November 12th, we had a baby shower for my sister in law, Renee 💕. As I write this, her sweet baby girl is here!
This was Quinn’s face when she heard the Brown’s won the next morning. I know, we were all shocked too, girlfriend 😆.
For dinner on November 13th, I made a super easy dinner of Perdue Chicken Breast cutlets, Lima beans and potatoes.
I saw this, and it made me laugh. So relatable 😄.
That afternoon, Quinn said “bubble” for the first time, so we played with bubbles on the back porch for a good chunk of time then chased Moose around. I live for these moments! ❤️ I was chatting with DJ about this recently, how after having Quinn I’ve just found so much joy in simplicity again. It’s a wonderful part of motherhood I hadn’t anticipated.
After work on November 14th, I made an eggplant lasagna to have on hand for the next couple days.
DJ took over watching Quinn while I met up with Rachel for a girls’ night at Teschners in Richfield. I’ve passed this place countless times without paying it any mind, but Rachel said it’s a favorite of hers.
I see why! Their menu is huge with awesome options. I annihilated this burger and truffle fries. It was tremendous. I can’t wait to go back!
November 16th for breakfast I made these blueberry butternut squash oatmeal gingerbread men for Quinn. They were a huge hit!
The evening of November 17th we ordered from On Tap again. It was as delicious as the first time we tried it! I had their shrimp tacos, and just talking about it makes me want to order them again! (I ended up ordering them again after working on a draft of this post ha!).
We went out for a little froyo after at Sweet Frog.
After church Sunday, we went to Garretts Mill for breakfast.
This and Blue Door are definitely my two favorite breakfast spots in town. The owner of Garretts Mill goes over and above to make you comfortable from the moment you walk in. He’ll grab anyone waiting for a table a water or coffee and works hard himself to serve patrons. You can tell there are a lot of “regulars” here.
November 19th I set up a Velcro Christmas tree. Quinn loved it and played with it happily for a while. It’s lost it’s luster at this point, but maybe it’ll be a hit when I bring it back out again next year.
This is plenty long! All the Christmas Festivities coming at you next!
<3,
Mackenzie
More Catchin’ Up! Our October.
DJ’s birthday was that week, so on October 5th Quinn and I ran to the store to get some gifts for DJ. Long gone are the days of me being prepared weeks ahead… for anything, lol. I also found this Brown’s 75th Anniversary wine I added to his gifts. We ended up saving it for a big Brown’s win a few weeks later. Woot woot!
October 6th was DJ’s official birthday! He requested cacio e pepe, one of his favorites, for dinner. I was happy to whip it together, as it really is one of the easiest recipes out there!
Oh, and chocolate chip cookies for dessert, of course!
That evening we went to the senior night for my younger sister-in-law. We are so deeply proud of her, but it is incredibly hard to believe she’s a senior!
October 7th we had a couch delivered (the brown one). We finally have two couches in our living room. I was pretty stoked about this find- we got it on sale from Ashley Furniture. (P.S. we have hung our pictures since then, ha!).
That evening, DJ was out of town, so my friend, Rachel, stopped by to hang out with me and Quinn. We ordered some delicious eats from On Tap and then chatted the night away.
This pic was just too joyful not to share, stains on my pants and all! lol.
October 8th, I changed out the dying flowers for some sunflowers.
Clair has horses next door, so I’m pretty sure Quinn just assumes everyone has horses as neigh-bors. Ha! (Yes, I use that joke all the time now – thank you, Bex!).
October 13th, we packed up the car to get ready to leave the next day for Traverse City. Quinn found a cozy spot in the front seat? (Don’t worry, car was very much off, ha).
Quinn fell asleep soon after we arrived, so I just let her sleep in my carrier.
We ordered pizza hut for everyone. I still think Pizza Hut is some of the best chain pizza. Although, Jet’s still has #1!
Quinn was so sweet with them <3. It was a special time.
October 17th was our day at Szalays! That evening I made some enchiladas (Another recipe from Feeding Littles). This was one of my favorite recipes yet!
October 18th, we messily played with paints using a pumpkin and “stamping” the mini pumpkin on paper. It was just a pure mess, but still fun!
This was our first fall in this house, and I just relished watching the leaves change.
October 19th, I had a hair appointment. I decided to go back to close to natural so I don’t have to get it highlighted again for a long time. I miss my blonde though. Isn’t that how it always goes?! I ordered Jimmy John’s which is right next to the hair salon- mmmm mmmm!
October 20th, I ordered Bruegger’s Bagels for me and Quinn. I was craving a bagel breakfast sandwich so badly, and this delivered. (Literally and figuratively).
Our craft this day was putting bee stickers in their beehives (Leftover from her birthday party). Don’t mind Moose scavenging in the trash in the back… the stinker!
October 21st, I made some healthier pumpkin cookies for breakfast. I have to make these again! They were so good, even when my sister was here she asked for the recipe (which at the moment, I cannot find- but I’ll do some digging!).
Later that day we went to Ramseyer Farm!
October 22nd, I made some cheesy, veggie egg bites before church. We’ve gotten in such a great groove with going to church that when we miss a weekend, it feels off. I hope to get more involved soon with a Bible study of some sort.
This was peak colors.
For dinner October 24th, I made wraps with lentil patties, tomatoes, tzatziki, tabouleh and avocado. 
While making dinner, I’ll often put on Ms. Rachel for 30 mins or so to get everything whipped together. This evening, Mr. Moose was being a snuggle bug with Quinn. The sweetest!
October 27th started all the Halloween festivities. October 31st, actual Halloween, we just took it easy at home. We started the day out with a craft. Also peep the pouch on the table- I love these because they’re BPA free and reusable. Win-win.
Still taking full advantage of pumpkin season, we enjoyed some pumpkin waffles the morning of November 1st. These were from guess where? Yep, Feeding Littles cookbook!
They were a hit!
That morning was also the first snow of the season!
Oh, that reminds me, I’ve got to get this girl some real snow boots!
Following breakfast, we went to story time at the library then played in their kids’ zone after.
Moose found an… um, interesting, position to sleep in for his afternoon nap. Haha.
All of October, we had lots of fun learning colors. She has an Easter book with a different colored bunny on each page, and she’ll bring something in the room that matches the bunny. Such a fun little way to learn! We also sorted colors in various different ways.
Quinn also is loving stickers right now, and I found these decal stickers at Walmart that go on without leaving a sticky mess.
November 2nd, we had lots of fun playing with the leaves in the yard.
Whoops Mom accidentally got her in the face with that one!
November 3rd, we started the morning with some cheesin’ and some cheese!
Will go through our November next!
<3,
Mackenzie
Merry Christmas! 🎄
Merry Christmas from our family to yours!
Thanksgiving 2023
Y’all ever feel like your brain has a bunch of internet tabs open at once? Yeah, that’s me right now. So why not set that to-do list aside and type up a blog post instead?! Maybe not responsible with my time, but it’s responsible for my soullll.
Thanksgiving 2023 was one for the books! We started out by getting to the airport the night of Wednesday November 22nd. Quinn was drawn to the Christmas decor in the Cleveland airport, particularly this little guy!
We arrived to the airport about three hours early expecting there to be a super long line at TSA. To our surprise (and elation), it was hardly crowded at all. We speculate maybe now that people work from home more, they have more flexibility to travel earlier in the week? With arriving early, we had lots of time to kill. It was right around dinner time, so we grabbed some appetizers and a burger at Bar Symon. Quinn ate so much of the burger we were splitting that I ended up ordering another. See, this girl’s the reason I craved nothing but meat in my pregnancy after not eating it for 10+ years!
We arrived at my mom and Pete’s house in TX around 10 pm. Quinn had such a rush of energy from seeing everyone. Uncle Kevin (the dentist of the fam), relieved us of wrangling our crocodile toddler and helped her brush her teeth that night.
The morning of November 23rd, my mom made some delicious quiches for us to devour. Quiche (or egg pie as DJ calls it) just taste like a holiday morning to me!
As do cinnamon rolls!
Kevin and Halston brought along their new Mini Bernedoodle, Captain. Needless to say, Quinn was obsessed.
Time for a morning walk after breakfast! We used the ‘limo’ stroller my mom and Pete found for Quinn, and it happened to fit Captain perfectly in the back too!
When Captain grew restless in the limo, they put him in the carrier.
Quinn took a very long, much needed nap after, so I had plenty of time to get dressed and hang with the fam. I got some pics with cutie Captain myself.
We started to get appetizers out around 3. We enjoyed some drinks and munched on snacks while watching football.
Hilariously, my sister and I did not plan these outfits. But safe to say we’re sisters!
Time to feast! Pete cutting the turkey!
We enjoyed a yummy traditional spread with a twist. Kevin is from Peru and he made this scrumptious spicy Huancaína Sauce made from saltines!
The food was delicious per usual. Quinn continued to sleep through the meal, so we let her snooze while we savored our food.
When she woke up we made sure she enjoyed a big plate herself.
My mom’s neighbor had this little bench that was perfect for Quinn to eat at during meals through the week. She smashed several servings of green bean casserole and not much else. I hear ya, girl, I love the GBC too!
Kevin and Hal wanted a pic with Captain, and Quinn was adamant that Captain must have his toy for the pic, lol.
After dinner, we chatted on the back patio while enjoying Pete’s famous pumpkin crunch.
The next day I had the itch to venture into the Black Friday craziness for the first time in over 10 years! I had a couple returns to make, so I was aiming to be productive at the same time. My mom, Quinn and I headed out! We stopped first at Summer Moon to enjoy a treasured moon milk au lait from one of my favorite coffee shops on earth!
Then we headed to the mall, made returns and played in the mall play area. Once in the mall, I just decided I’d rather actually shop online 😂. Anyone else?
We had so much fun at the playground though.
For dinner that night, we enjoyed some delicious paella- a tradition here!
Sweet pic of Quinn and Uncle Kevin ❤️.
That evening we went to Andy’s for the best custard!
That evening, my mom and Pete put Quinn to sleep so us kids could get out on the town!!!
DJ and I tried the hard seltzer Topo Chico for the first time, and it was so refreshing and light! Loved it! Just can’t be in TX and not drink Topo.
We had an absolute blast at a local dive in Keller. We played darts, pool and this golf game. I lost every time. It’s fine.
I had these beyond indulgently good loaded fries to console me.
DJ created my outfit for the golf game, and he chose a witches hat. Tell me how you reallly feel, Deej! 😜
Sista Sista.
Saturday I woke up with a bad cold. Thankfully Quinn wanted to take a nice long nap with me that day, then we enjoyed some Hard Eight BBQ takeout in the afternoon.
Hal and Kevin had to leave that afternoon, sadly. Before they left, my sister and I went through bins from our childhood to see what could be tossed. My mom and Pete are getting ready to move when they retire, so they’re trying to get rid of anything unnecessary. While it felt quite laborious going through all the cards, crafts and nostalgic knick knacks, it was a really special walk down memory lane. Some of it also made us laugh to the point of tears.
Before bed, I wanted to make sure to get packed up so Sunday we didn’t have to rush in the morning. My mom and Quinn watched a sweet Christmas movie about Elf on the Shelf on Netflix before we all hit the hay.
Sunday morning, my mom made some potato pancakes that were to do for. I love potato pancakes so much. I wonder why they aren’t more of a breakfast staple? They are SO good!
We had our flight back to Ohio that afternoon. We were biting at the bit to see Moose.
He had a great time at Aunt Marie’s, but was happy to be home!
Hope you all are having a wonderful season!!
<3,
Mackenzie
All the Busy! All the Fun!
We have got some serious catching up to do! Let’s get right to it and zoom way back to September. September 25th we soaked up the beautiful day. In the morning, it was warm enough to play with the splash table.
Felt so good to be back with both my babies! I missed Moose so much when we were in Austin.
This girl loves trying on my sunglasses! She gets this look when she has them on that says, “I know I’m cool 😎.”
September 26th, I ran some easy errands with Quinn and then we stopped at Panera for lunch after.
Since Quinn and I don’t have the dairy/soy restrictions anymore, I ordered our fam Meez Meals with a giftcard we had! The meals were very tasty, but we demolished this Oreo cake!
September 27th, we went to our first library reading time for babies/toddlers. All the songs, books and activities they do are adorable. And get stuck in my head 😆. At the end they blow bubbles, which the kids go nuts over!
Every month (?) they do a new theme in the library. This month was a vet hospital! So creative and cute.
Here is a Cacio e Pepe we made from the Meez Meals- it was so easy and the flavor was to die for!
Cuddles with Moose during nap time ❤️.
September 27th I changed up the sensory table. I included a little campsite, some spiders in their webs and orange crinkle paper hiding a light up pumpkin, spider and ghost. It basically all ended up on the ground 🤪.
September 28th Quinn refused her stroller big time. She agreed to go on a walk in her pink car though!
We did our walks in the pink car pretty much the rest of the week until she agreed to go in the stroller again lol.
September 28th, Quinn and I met up with my friend, Clair, and her daughter, Layla. I love whenever we can make our schedules match up.
We picked up some pastries and coffee from an incredible local bakery, Oncelot, then went over Clair’s mom’s house to chat the day away- just like we used to in high school!
September 29th, we went to a gorgeous wedding for one of DJ’s coworkers.
It was a beautiful wedding, but I loved how truly intentional everything was. You could feel the love so deeply!
Oh and the food! I think this is the only wedding I’ve been to where they served the beef, chicken and vegetarian options all on your plate. I don’t think I left a bite behind- it was phenomenal.
This doubled as a date night and was a blast! I don’t even think Quinn missed us as she was having fun with her Aunt Clair eating Sweet Loren cookies and doing lots of crafts.
September 30th, Gigi hosted a baby shower for a good family friend. As usual, she didn’t miss a beat when it came to decorations, food and fun games!!
I’m so bad at games like this, but still give it a valiant effort- and they are fun regardless! We did Bingo (ya have to!), Baby True or False and unscramble the words for baby related things. Some of those True or False facts were so interesting! Yes, the heaviest newborn was over 22 lb. 😭. Can you imagine?!
Oh and for party favors, we were gifted Nothing Bundt Cakes- nothing bundt’er than that!!! (Ok that has to be one of my worst ones to date, I’m sorry 😅).
That afternoon after the shower we continued to soak up some beautiful weather. Moose was all about it!
Mr. Model Moose
October 1st, we went to Mimi’s to say hi after church. Quinn had so much fun riding around the house and playing Mimi’s piano. We always treasure our visits and conversations with her.
That afternoon I made some savory, herby risotto from Meez meals for lunch. Yum!
BROWNS TIME! Quinn insisted on eating a salad while she watched which cracked me up.
That evening we ordered some wings from It’s Just Wings- the best!
October 2nd, we continued to soak up every little bit of the nice weather we could.
That evening, we had a good friend and coworker of DJ’s over for dinner. We kept it easy and ordered EuroGyro for dinner. We were going to order from Athena’s, but they were closed. This was a great alternative- really good pizza!
I’ll wrap it all up here!
Questions for you:
– How’s your football team doing this year?
– Oh, anyone watch The Golden Bachelor?! Must discuss!
<3,
Mackenzie