Time is flying...

Our new distraction technique with Loganne is asking her to show us a specific emotion on her face. It's amusing for her but I think more amusing for us. She can get pretty creative!

This is happy,

surprised,

and of course angry!

Kaleigh competing at the AWANA Grand Prix

AWANA uniforms! Both girls love having a "special uniform" just like their daddy!

Well with everyone here in a full holiday preparation swing our time is flying by. Here in San Diego the children get an entire week off of school so as of Friday Kaleigh begins her 9 day vacation. She will miss learning but is excited for the time at home. Both girls are excited about Thanksgiving but much more excited about their Christmas lists. I have been busy buying presents, ordering Christmas cards and all the fun things that come with this season. The weather is getting chilly and that's kinda nice for the holidays since Christmas in Texas is like 90 degrees. The girls have had a very chill schedule recently and their only big event during the week is AWANA and they LOVE it!!! Matthew and I were blessed to attend AWANA and now it is so cool to see my girls really learning about the Lord and memorizing His Word! These past few weeks have allowed us a lot of family time and a great time evaluating priorities! It's always wonderful to be reminded of what's important and gain a new perspective about life. God is good!

Fall has arrived in San Diego

Fall is here in San Diego. We recently went pumpkin picking at a local pumpkin patch and had our first AWANA Grand Prix. We learned a lot of lessons about what's required to complete a car......and what will make you have the slowest car on the track. Here are a few pictures of our latest adventures.

Starting to get a Routine

Bike riding at the park

Kaleigh and I ready for the Jonas Brothers concert

Loganne ready for gymnastics

1st day of Kindergarten

So September was all about getting into our new schedule with Kaleigh in kindergarten. After a month getting up early, changing nap time and homework are finally becoming the norm around here. Kaleigh loves school and Loganne and I are enjoying time together and fun outings! The girls are participating in gymnastics class as well as AWANA! Kaleigh especially enjoys memorizing her verses and game time. Loganne loves her puggles class and learning about God! We are now preparing for the Grand Prix! Matthew is liking work and enjoys quite a bit of family time and is hard at work making Kaleigh's car. AWANA pictures and our recent air show pictures to follow!

Wow it's been awhile!

So I'm sure I am not the only one who is upset that I have not posted since April. Sorry to grandparents, family and friends but I got lazy thanks to facebook and let's be honest Daddy being home! I would like to get back on the blogging horse (if you will) because I really enjoy how it chronicles our lives! The past few months have been extremely enjoyable and filled with wonderful visitors from all over. We saw Aunt Katie, Uncle Goose, Dana and Liam, Grandmere and Grandpa, John Agnelli, the GGs and Mema! So many good times and it kept us all very busy. Matthew's new job here in San Diego has been such a blessing and allows him A LOT of family time! I am still doing my thing at home but now only have 1 child for 6 hours a day since Kaleigh started kindergarten. I know, crazy! She is of course loving it and doing very well. Loganne is liking more mommy one-on-one time and is still as fun and as crazy as ever. The McKennas are well and we hope that y'all are as well!

Mini-Golf

The golfing girls!

After her hole in one!

During this pose Kaleigh says and I quote, "This is my new golf pose!"

So our family has been on a bit of a golf kick. Matthew and I got out on the course for a couples' date with with folks, Kaleigh and daddy go to the driving range and the whole family went mini golfing and everyone was quite successful. Loganne even had a legitimate hole-in-one! I think we might have found our family sport although t-ball and soccer are pretty exciting in our backyard as well!

The last month has been a whirlwind of crazyness. I officially detached as CHENG of MCM Crew Exultant and decided to take 3 weeks of leave before I report to the LCS CLASSRON as OIC of SUW Mission Module Detachment 2. We also had visits from Grandmere and Uncle Goose (My Mom and Alex), and Mema and Pa (Jen's Mom and Dad). Here are some pictures of our last couple of weeks.

Us golfing at the Admiral Baker Course

Grandmere and LilBit on the Buzz Lightyear Ride

Uncle Goose and Kaleigh on the Ferris Wheel

Mema, Pa, Boombie, and Lil' Bit at the San Diego Zoo

Our Family on Easter

Field Trip

This past Monday Kaleigh's class went on a field trip to Sea World. It was a very fun trip and the McKenna girls were very excited that Daddy could join us since he took some leave. I know! He finally took some days off and it has been so much fun. Unfortunately we have been bopping all over the place and not remembering the camera but here are a couple of pics from Sea World. Now we are getting ready for visitors and looking forward to our adventures with Grandmere and Uncle Goose (we'll try our best to remember to capture the fun!)

Magnus is 6

These 3 crazy people were singing to him!

Yes we had a birthday party for the dog. How do you say no when your 2 and 4 yr olds look up at you and say"But we have to celebrate with Magnus mommy"? So we went and bought a doggie cake, doggie-themed balloons and lots of goodies for him. Never thought I'd see the day that I attended a dog party and here I was organizing it! Happy Birthday Magnus!

My Girls

So as I sit in this very brief moment of quiet I am reflecting on the oh so precious children we have been blessed with. I'm no poet or a fantastic writer but wanted to put in to words the wonderful things about my daughters through my eyes.

Both are beautiful but very different and yet a lot alike. One is very much a girlie girl and loves everything princess-related- gowns, high heels and ballet. The other enjoys airplanes, trucks, helicopters and enjoys a messy hair day. The eldest is put together, organized and enjoys order and routine while the youngest flies by the seat of her pants and would be up for just about anything at anytime. Kaleigh is obedient and rarely questions authority. She does what she's told and usually will just take what you say as truth and move on. Loganne not so much. She wants a place in this world and she sure is willing to fight you for it. It's challenging but so cute when she is fighting with me and yet I can tell she knows she's wrong. If we can figure out how to harness that amazing spirit she'll be unstoppable. Kaleigh loves being around people and sharing stories, making everyone laugh and being center of attention. Loganne has her spotlight moments but very often can be found quietly playing in her room all by herself. We pray that Loganne will be like Kaleigh and have a true heart for God. Kaleigh loves reading her "B-I-B-L-E" and saying memory verses. Although Loganne is not quite there she sure does love to pray and most of the time truly only God knows what she just said. We all catch the very loud Amen though.

The gifts we have been given are different but very much the same. Loganne watches, studies and repeats everything her big sister does and Kaleigh takes her example role very seriously. They both love books, watching movies, singing and dancing. They both know how to rock out to some good ole country music and love their daddy very much. Both are polite, loving and sweet. Both enjoy sleeping (just like their mom) and both enjoy laughing (even when they have to force out a fake laugh to get some attention). Neither child misses a thing and repeats just about anything said by their mommy! They are a true joy and we are so grateful for them!

*Inspired by a dear friend's blog who always describes her children beautifully! Thanks Becca!

KinderNights at the Zoo

Telling the zoologist that her Aunt Sara and Uncle Scott went to Australia!

This past Friday Kaleigh and I went to a special program at the San Diego Zoo and learned all about pink animals. It was a lot of fun and included a few stories, a secret entrance to the zoo, a craft and snack time. The bonus was our accompanying guest, Larry the Lobster. Kaleigh was chosen to bring Larry home from school and take him on all our weekend adventures. She was very excited and quite sad to return him today. Loganne continues to drive us crazy and melt our hearts very often in the same moment. She is absolutely a strong little girl and yet so sweet and so loving. She adores her big sister and spends most of her day saying and doing anything Kaleigh says or does. She is quite the daddy's girl! We had another fun weekend as a family and we are all very excited that daddy's relief is now onboard!!!!!

Dining with the Dolphins

Loganne is 2

Wow how time flies! This past weekend we celebrated Loganne's 2nd birthday. Since we are new to the area and don't have lots of friends just yet to go all out on a birthday bash we decided to make it special with a night of dining and dolphins. The Dine with the Dolphins program at Sea World was so much fun and our early reservations got us the best seats in the house. It was so really quit wonderful and our evening ended with a Carvel cake and some presents at home. What a fantastic way to tell our oh so "spirited" child Happy Birthday!

PS It was quite cute to wish Loganne a Happy Birthday because then she would wish you a Happy Birthday as well!

We're BAACCCKKKK!

Well after a hectic homecoming, Christmas, Pack Out, Drive to CA, Move In to CA, Starting Work, Starting School, and all around craziness of moving in, We're back online. Things here in CA are going well. I only have about two weeks until I get relieved as CHENG and about 6 weeks til I transfer. Then I'll be reporting to LCS as the SUW Mission Module OIC. Before anyone asks-I have no idea what that means.

So far in CA we've joined the San Diego Zoo and visited there several times. My parents gave us Sea World Memberships and we've been using them. Each Sunday we've headed out to a different church because we haven't found one that we all really like yet. The girls get funnier by the day. They each have such big and different personalities. Kaleigh is the apeitamy of a girly girl. Loganne may have a little body, but she has a big heart and lots of "spirit". Every moment with these two is an adventure.

Here are a few pictures that I like. I'm sure Jen will be posting in the future.

Jen enjoying the "Fruits" of Sea World.

Me and the Girls with an Ooh Ooh Aah Aah.

Kaleigh checkin out the Walrus while Loganne poops!

My Girls and I in front of the Tucson Childrens Museum.

Two Peas in a Pod on the Sea World version of the Dumbo Ride.