VERDICT

Ok...the verdict is in!

ITS A GIRL!!

We feel so excited and lucky to get another girl! It will be so fun for Kenzie to have a lil sister to play with! And of course it will be much more cost efficient for us to be able to get a little more use out of all the girly stuff. :) (I know I'm cheap.) Russ will have to take one more round of princesses--so hopefully he won't get too sick of all the pink! He rolls so good with it all though and I know this next little girl will love him just as much as Kenzie! We just feel really blessed to have another baby on the way!

HERE IT GOES....

Ok Friends....here it goes.


This may be old news for some of you family and locals, but new for the rest I think.
We're expecting a 2nd child! I'm 17 weeks along now and can say -now that I think I am past all the nausea/vomiting- that we couldn't be more excited!! I've been afraid to post anything because I didn't want to jinx it or something. :) (silly I know) But I felt the baby's first little kicks on Sunday this week and all seems to be going well now. We will find out if its a little boy or girl in 3 weeks from today and I am getting a little anxious for that. :) Our due date is May 12, which is great timing for Russ and his schooling. He HOPEFULLY will be winding down a little and will be able to help out a little more.
Anyway...just thought we'd let you in on our good news! We are super excited!

( This ultrasound pic was taken at 12 weeks. )

Halloween Fun!

The PUMPKIN PATCH

The pumpkin patch is always one of our favorite halloween destinations, and this year didn't prove wrong. Mckenzie took a little more interest in the attractions at the pumpkin patch this year rather than just riding in a wagon looking at hundreds of beautiful, orange pumpkins...which turned out to have both pros and cons.

Pros:

-now we also are spared of looking at hundreds of beautiful, orange pumpkins one by one

-we get to do fun things too like ride on trains pulled by tractors

-no more pulling wagons through dirt, hay, and grass...crowds of people..

Cons:

-now we get to stand in line for 30 minutes to ride the fun train pulled by the tractor.

-much more hay/dirt stuck in pants and shoes

-dealing with the bounce house departure drama

It really was a good time and its fun to see their interests change from year to year and watch them grow!

TRUNK OR TREAT

Its been fun to go to a couple "trunk or treats" and see all Mckenzie's cute friends dressed up. (not the best picture I know, but we were just happy they all stood next to each other long enough to snap a picture).

It was especially fun to see her with her cute cousins Jacob and Caleb this halloween since their costumes all coordinated this year... Tinkerbell, Peter Pan, and Captain Hook!

HAPPY HALLOWEEN!

It was a fun halloween night last night. We went trick-or-treating with our friends Jeremy, Vanessa, Brendan, and Tanner. Their boys sure were cute in their hunting outfits...lucky for us--they were equipped to scare away all the spooky halloween ghosts and goblins!

A Trip to the Zoo

Last weekend was Russ's first weekend home in a LONG time...so we wanted a little bit of a change of scenery. We didn't make it too far though--but we decided that a trip to the zoo would mix things up a bit. We hadn't been for a good 1 and 1/2 years...which makes Kenz barely 1 last we went. It was a beautiful day and we had a really good time. We even splurged an extra couple bucks to ride the train this time around and Mckenzie couldn't have been happier. :)

Nothing like a shot of elephant bums. :)

First Haircut!

Its been a while since we posted...so we've got a little bit to catch up on. A few weeks ago we took Kenzie to get her first ever haircut. We decided after 2 1/2 years it was definitely time. And Mckenzie was as excited as ever to get one. We were kind of surprised...we didn't even think she knew what a haircut was... but she sure did love it. We took her to a little kids cuts place because I was unsure of how hard this task was going to be..but really the hardest part of it all--was just waiting for her turn. Especially since the kids get to sit in little airplanes while they get their hairuct- it was a little hard for her to sit on the sidelines. Once we got past that part--she was all smiles!

As you can see, she was a little put out that she had to wait.





















Here's the before shot.

Utah Highlights!

BOYS II MEN!!!

It really doesn't get any better than seeing Boys II Men live in concert--not to mention at the Scera Shell!! We went with the Schaack Clan to this and it was soo fun! I wish I had a recorded clip to let you all in on what you missed out on. Kenzie really enjoyed it and was dancing in the isle and with Lindsey most of the time; however this is kind of a silly picture and Kenzie doesn't look as happy as she really was. AND I think her moves were outdone by Papa Schaack's. I am refraining from posting a pretty good pic of him to save him from possible embarrassment. But i'm sure many of you can paint a pretty good picture in your head of what some of his moves might have been! :)

It was really fun to see Eric and Amber there! (and we give credit for this amazing night to you-thanks for letting us know about this concert!!--and then to my dad for making it happen) :)

It's always fun to spend time with family. Kenz had fun playing with all her cousins while we were there! We are so excited that this clan has now moved closer to us!! We think Mckenzie might have more of an influence on all these boys than we thought--who would have thought they would agree to a tea party with her?! ( ice cream incentive goes a long way I guess!)

It was fun to hook up with Grandpa Howard for lunch up in Sugarhouse while we were there! It was really great to see him and its always a good time when he's around!

One night we lit up the little fire pit in my parents back yard and roasted marshmallows and made smores. It had been way too long since I last did that. And the company was fun. Robbie and Jess came, along with Grandma Cook!! It was so fun to spend time with them all and catch up. And we enjoyed a little campfire music with Papa Schaack's guitar! Always fun when my dad starts busting out the guitar or banjo! It doesn't get any better.


My mom and Grandma Cook sitting around the fire. Aren't they cute?

We were able to make it over to Thanksgiving Pointe and the Dinosaur Museum while we were there. It was $2 day and we thought we would get in on the good deal along with the rest of the county. It was really crowded--but still interesting to see as we had never been there. Kenzie was semi-enthused by it...she tends to be a little cautious and timid with stuff like this-but I think she enjoyed hanging out with some of her cousins. I had to post this picture even though its not so cute and Kenzie looks a little challenged. I would like to draw your attention to the kid in the red shirt in the background though--if you haven't already noticed. :) So great- isn't it?! Love kids!

And last but not least we really enjoyed the wonderful weather and beautiful scenery (or not so beautiful). The mountain right above Russ's brother's house caught on fire while we were there and gave them a bit of a scare--but all turned out OK.

We also enjoyed spending time with some friends while we were there! Unfortunately we didn't get any pictures--but we were so glad to see you all and catch up!

Dancing Queen

This is just a funny little video that I tried to post a while ago, but couldn't get it to work. Its not the best quality (I think it turns sideways half way through) But it was taken at the 4th of July celebration and made us laugh. The girl has got some serious moves. She "danced" for at least 30-45 minutes straight, but I won't bore you with all the videos we took. It was almost embarrassing how into it she got. I think its time enroll her in some real dance classes so she can put all this energy to good use! :) Sorry Aunt Lisa...you definitely have your work cut out for you!

America's Favorite Past-Time

Last night we went to a Rangers baseball game with Russ's brother Jared and his wife Christy who are in town this week house hunting. Its been fun to spend some time with them. We are so excited they are moving here in a couple months! So....while I think those baseball games are fun...I wonder how baseball earned the title of America's "favorite" past-time. Its a pretty slow, uneventful sport for the most part. I usually find myself bored and analyzing how many more outs we need to end the game, through at least a portion of it.

So is it that we are able to eat popcorn, hot dogs, cotton candy, and other bad food and not feel guilty? Or is it really the peanuts and crackerjacks?

I personally love the beloved song that is sung in the 7th inning, "Take Me Out to the Ball Game," and in our case, the song in the 5th inning, "Deep in the Heart of Texas", which the fans seem to get into maybe even a little bit more. (and we feel proud to say that Mckenzie just about knows all the words to both those songs) :)

But the best part has got to be the part when "the wave" goes around and around the stadium. I started contemplating "the wave" while watching it through Kenzie's eyes. Her look of confusion and excitement made me laugh. Why is it such a thrill to stand up and wave your arms and scream like an idiot over and over again?? We all know its silly, yet a part of us gets a little excited about it everytime.

I am not sure what it is that keeps us going back again and again...in my case most credit is due to my sports finatic husband who loves EVERY sport. But I do admit to being excited to go and having fun, counting the outs left for the game to end and wishing that we could leave early, and feeling a little disappointed at another loss at the end of the game, and then discussing when we would go next.

We LOVE Summer!

Its hard to believe that we are deep into summer now..almost ready to enter August! We have definitely been keeping with many fun summer activities.A few weeks ago we went with a few friends to a petting farm. While I thought this would be a great idea, I quickly realized that Mckenzie is all for looking at these furry friends but never really likes to touch them. She has always been like this with dogs-- but for some reason I thought this fear of animals would magically disappear when she was around goats, sheep, donkeys, horses, etc. Not much of a success for us- but it was fun to watch some of her friends get excited over the animals.

We also had a great 4th of July a few weeks ago! We went to a great fireworks show with a bunch of friends. Mckenzie enjoyed staying cool in the water fountains while we waited for the show to start and she definitely enjoyed the pre-show music! She LOVES to dance, especially if she has an audience. I will try to upload some of the videos we got. It was pretty funny. We also went to parade that was a little disappointing-despite my high hopes. It was advertised to be the biggest parade in Texas...and me being the parade lover that I am insisted on making the 25 minute drive to see it....but I'll admit it still didn't really compare to the good old Provo Parade.

Some of our other favorite summer activities include going to the pool, baseball games, playing at the malls, and Kenzie's favorite pick....the library. She LOVES books and really would be happy going there everyday if she could. She could be there for hours wandering and looking/reading all the books.

And our most recent summer adventure has been moving to a new apartment. New management took over our last place which brought a number of changes, including a significant increase in rent....so about a week ago we packed our bags and moved to another apartment about 3 minutes away from our last one. It was nice to be able to sift through some stuff, but its always a lot of work! But I always like change and I admit to liking the feel of carpet beneath my feet rather than hardwood floors. (although the wood definitely made for easy cleanup)

June blues...

May Madness brought a case of the June Blues. After one crazy month last month...June has come with its own bit of craziness. For us, June came with fevers, croup, dislocated arms, and a yucky cold. Mckenzie literally laid on our couch for a good 5 days going in and out of consciousness. :) I always feel so bad when she is sick. However, I'll be honest--I really could have done without the middle of the night awakenings....its really been like the newborn stage all over again. And then to top it all--last sunday about 10 minutes before church we (meaning I) inflicted a case of nursemaid's elbow(partially dislocated elblow) on her. She has had this before (self-inflicted that time) and its something that once it happens once, tends to happen quite easily there after. I was trying to do her hair and she was trying to run away..so I pulled her arm trying to get her to come back and well, lets just say the arm came, but she didn't. :) So rather than go to church we took our screaming little girl to the ER where they popped her arm back in and then rewarded her with ice cream and a popsicle. Some of you may ask...why were they taking her to church when she was sick?? In hindsight I say this is a good question. Sunday she woke up with no fever and only a bit of runny nose so I assumed she was getting better, and thought we could just take her to the first hour of church and then one of us would just take her home after that. And she actually had a good day Sunday (minus the arm thing) until that night and the fever spiked again--not to go away again until 3 days later. :) So basically, the whole church thing back-fired on us. Oh well...better luck next time I guess.
Luckily, she is feeling much better now and we are now looking forward to many fun, sunny days spent in the pool and at the park. We welcome summer and good health with open arms.

MAY MADNESS!

YEAH FOR VISITORS!!

We have had a super fun month with both sets of our family coming to visit. Russ's parents came down to watch the kids for our cruise (thank you so much!!), and then my family came for Jon's dental graduation. (hooray!). We didn't get too many pics this time with Grandma and Grandpa Jepson because we were away most the time, but were able to spend a week with my family and had some really good times.

This restaurant was in Ft. Worth and so we Schaacks definitely had to get our picture taken in front of it. Next time we'll have to try eating there too. :)

Mckenzie loves Grandma and Grandpa Jepson!! She is always trying to sing the new songs she learns from them and talks about her time with them at Ben's house constantly! We just want all of our family to know how much we love them and how much we enjoyed their visits!! We definitely wish we could see them more often!

Children's Museum

One of the stops we made while my parents were here was to the Children's Museum. The kids LOVED it...there were so many things to do and play with. And as you can see, there were a few things for the big kids to do too. :) When we first got there, we were a little worried because all the displays on the top floor seemed to be broken or really lame...but once we got downstairs it was great!!

The fire truck was probably the favorite kid pick. We'd leave and try and go do something else, but it kept drawing them back in. :)

This was outside the museum where we ate a picnic lunch.It's been so fun to watch Mckenzie and her cousin Jacob grow up together! They are so cute when they are together. They are either screaming fighting over the same toy, or laughing their heads off.

The Schaack's hit the Ft. Worth Stock Yards!

We went out to Fort Worth to the Stockyards while my family was here. It was really a lot of fun! This is a western district of Ft. Worth that has been preserved and is actually really cool. We walked around the shops, where my dad tried to find some good cowboy boots and a hat (which was unsuccessful--turns out size 15 shoe is hard to come by in cowboy boots).

Then we ate at a great place called J.T. Garcia's. It was really good food and very inexpensive. Its always an experience eating out with the Schaack clan (which is why we probably didn't venture much farther than McDonald's growing up). Mckenzie insisted on dipping her tortilla chips in her water, and I think we spilled another cup of water at some point, but all in all it was a good time.

The last stop was the Rodeo! It was really fun. Its held at an indoor stadium which was actually really cool. After a heart warming prayer to start things off (a rehearsed cowboy version) we enjoyed some bull riding, barrell racing, and calf roping. :) The kids loved it, Kenzie hasn't stopped talking about it since.

THE CRUISE

We spent Cinco de Mayo in Cozumel Mexico this year! Russ and I were able to land a great deal on a cruise and had a blast. We went with Russ's brother Bryan and his wife Laurie and left the kids in Austin with Grandma and Grandpa Jepson! (Thanks again!! It would not have been the same experience.) Although we missed Mckenzie--it was so nice to have some good R &R, some great food (always too much), and enjoy the sun! The cruise was 5 days and went to Cozumel and Progreso. It was sooo much fun!

Here a couple pictures of some of the highlights.

In Cozumel, we rented scooters to get around the island. Then we found a good little place to go snorkeling that wasn't too crowded. Laurie and I had a little pre-snorkeling anxiety (I don't know what it is about ocean water these days) , but were able to work through it and had so much fun. Here is a picture of Russ and Bryan all geared up in their snorkleing stuff.

Our last stop was in Progreso. There we took a tour to go out to a place call Chichinitza (spelling?) where there are a bunch of old Mayan ruins. This was a 2 hour bus ride (each way) with some somewhat comical tour guides, that went through some towns that reminded me of China actually (which means they were not that nice). It was cool, but it was soo hot and after a few days spent in the sun...we were a bit sunburned and I serisously felt like I was on fire. So I don't think I enjoyed these as much as I could have. But they were very interesting to see and I am glad we went.

AND here is the classic cruise picture. You gotta love it. :)

Potty Drama

Just a little something I thought I would share......

So we have been doing the potty thing for a few weeks now. Mckenzie is doing pretty well-but still has accidents from time to time. I don't think I am a star toilet trainer, nor her a star trainee, but I would say we have made progress. When we started this Kenzie LOVED to go #1 in the potty, but #2 was a whole other story. This was drama at its best! She screamed and cried, and was absolutely TERRIFIED of letting the little logs drop. :) She does much better now, but I captured this moment during one of these first moments because I could not help but laugh. She was unamused but I did not want to forget how fun these days were. :) So sad, yet so darn funny.

If you look closely, you can see the drool down her stomach. Its just an all around great picture.

Spring Flowers

This was a few weeks ago but as many of you have noticed I have not been a very efficient blogger lately. :) Texas is beautiful right now with tons of wild flowers blooming everywhere. I love it--all these flowers make me so happy!! :) Kenzie and I, and my friend Kelly and her little Bella set out to take some blue bonnet pics a little while ago and these are a few of the pics we got.