Flashback Friday - In the Arms of a Sister

The twins will be two on Sunday so I've been thinking back a lot lately to the day they were born.  The first picture is one of maybe two or three pictures we got of MacKenzie together before Nia was taken to the NICU.  She loved her sissy at first site.   The second is from January of this year.  It was one of the first pics I posted on my 52 Week Blog for 2011.   Love love love the way my big baby loves my little babies. 

Wanna play, head over to Jen's blog and link up!  I already peeked...some wonderful flashback this week!

Flashback Friday

Found this old photo in my flickr stream...from 2007.  Yep, I was torturing Mack even then.  It was Fall Break and I took her out to take pics during the day.  I remember the day so clearly.   Man she's grown a lot.  So who does she look like here?  Nia? Nala? Neither?

I miss her little ponytails.  I'm not mad at that backlight...I know this pic is wonky but to me it's a treasure.  It was taken with a Kodak Z650.  I thought it was a wonderful camera.  I still have it (I have a LOT of cameras) but it failed me early on...

Wanna play, head over to Jen's blog and link up!

When you are done, I think you want to check out my 52 Fridays Blog...I'm just saying, it could be a treat...week 10 will be published by 8 a.m. cst.

Plasma Car

We got the twins one of those plasma cars for Christmas.  Because I figured they were a bit young for it, we got one instead of two.  But the thing is, it was supposed to be for them.  Big Sister had different plans.  She has a blast on that thing riding around the kitchen.  Glad it's something they can all enjoy.  Super fun!

Having sister is so much fun.  Love my girls :)

Ten

I love this girl...my first baby. And while I'll never pick a favorite, truth be told, there is something very special about that.  Today she is ten. Suddenly I am not so sure what to do with that. I just want to put life in slow motion a bit because I'd like to hang on to this time just a bit longer...(or forever).

Ten, yep ten years ago I delivered you MacKie. How was I to know then what you'd mean to me today? For so long you were our everything and only thing, yet though it would seem impossible, dividing the love between you and your sisters created even more love. In short, that is the one word I have for you. I love you more than I can describe and/or show.  I love the way you love your sisters. I'm in awe of your work ethic, intellect, beauty, faith, kind and gentle spirit, and humor.  In truth, I want to be like you when I grow up. 

I very much enjoyed getting to spend time with you today.  It reminded me of how easy and simple things were before the girls - going shopping on the whim - so up my alley! You are really so much fun to hang out with it. 

Thank You for being you and for being mine.  Welcome to Double Digits!

here you are on your 10th birthday...at home in the evening and at Krispy Kreme for breakfast in the morning, you insisted :)

i heart faces - best face photo of 2010

So yes, I know and you know ...I've posted this pic a few times. But for me it really was my best face photo in 2010...PLUS..this is my big girls birthday week. She'll be 10 on Saturday! I'm also especially proud because when I entered my first and only Pioneer Woman photography contest -  Favorite Photo, she picked this photo as one of her featured...proud moment for MWAC (mom with a camera). At any rate, here it is AGAIN.

Beginning on Tuesday afternoon, something I heart faces is trying out for the first time - they are  allowing viewer voting.  So if you didn't enter yourself...go find Mack's amongst the several hundred entrants and vote for her...you know...for her birthday and all :)  She is entry #668.

aspire photo challenge - black & white / secret keeper girl

Hannah has a new photo challenge posted.  The theme is Black and White. 

Click on the button here to see others.  Lots of great images!  I'd love to see your play :) 
Black and white photography is especially great for story-telling and for images that reflect emotion.

Here I have captured MacKenzie. I think she looks stunning. In this image, I see her innermost natural beauty. Not perfection by the world's standards, but true God given beauty - the only standard that truly matters.

MacKenzie and I enjoyed a Mother-Daughter night out on Saturday and attended the Secret Keeper Girl Pajama Party Tour which made a stop in Tulsa. It was all about modesty, fashion, and beauty and was a just a perfect event for moms and tweens in today's culture. At one point during the show, they asked the girls to reflect on any physical insecurities that they had so that they could take those insecurities to God  and we could pray over them.  MacKenzie said that she couldn't think of anything so she prayed about her "big feet".  She said that was all that she could come up with.  My first thoughts were "oh no!" I've made her feel bad about her feet, and while I will genuinely be more conscious of this regarding any comments I make about her feet, I feel so blessed that she actually struggled with something to come up with.  It's because I know that for her, it's not because she's vain or full of herself, in fact it is the opposite. Her outward appearance is not where her focus is.   I love this innocence and hope it never goes away for her.  Love the raw purity of being 100% content with how you are wonderfully made.  From her, I could learn a lesson...

I'm so blessed to have a little secret keeper girl - a true masterpiece created by God's hand.

A Secret Keeper Girl values modesty, she surrounds herself with wise friends and she embraces Godly beauty. She also knows that she can share all of her heart secrets with her mom at any time. The coolest thing for you to know is that a Secret Keeper Girl is a masterpiece created by God.

Enjoying the Park

We had a lazy weekend.  We went to the park Friday, Saturday, and Sunday...the girls loved being outside and with comfortable temperatures, I really didn't mind either.

We went at times that I thought it would be quiet without many other people so that I could feel comfortable letting them walk  little bit.  Nala was so excited that she fell down every few steps...her big sister thought it was hilarious...

They absolutely loved swinging.  Weekends are certainly to be treasured because it is then that I get to really spend time enjoying my three. 

Summer's Over!!

I'm not sure how, but somehow the summer has come and gone.  This summer, especially these last few weeks just completely flew by. 

MacKenzie went back to school this week after having a very full and exciting summer.  I can hardly believe that my baby is a 4th grader.  She was thrilled to go back to school.  She's been at her school since she was 4 and for her it is a 2nd  "home".  On Monday when she woke up she told me that she woke up every hour.  I remember that exact feeling every first day of school.  There is just something about coming back and starting it all over again.  We are excited about this year for her.  We think she has a terrific foundation and will do well - we are excited and hopeful that she will be challenged.  This year she will have to manage her school work load, continuing to do Kumon and piano, but will have to manage this with three nights of gymnastics versus two (10.5 hrs vs 6hrs/ week).  While I'm confident she can do it, I often offer up "outs"...she never bites :) ! Because she works so hard, I am willing to let her have this.  She really enjoys it and for her it is a challenge.  I love that she is working out and continuing to get strong and more so than anything that she LIKES it - but at anypoint she is ready to quit - I'm TOTALLY on board.

I asked her what she loved most about her summer.  MacKenzie is very indecisive and is in general careful about commiting her choices.  In the end, she said she basically LOVED it all - especially her summer trips - St. Louis, Fulton, Kansas City, and New Orleans.  And as far as local camps she really like a Project Runway class she took at her school and one that she did just last week.  Last week she went to a culinary camp.  It was AWESOME - she learned to make so many things including quesadillas, baked chicken, roasted carrots and lots of yummy desserts including made from scratch cookies , molten chocolate cake, and cinnnamon rolls!  I'm excited for her to try them out at home!

I'm prayerful that this year will be a good one for her and that she will continue to grow and mature as the little young lady she is becoming.

Finally - when I dropped her off on Monday - she revealed that as excited as she was - she was going to miss being with her sisters.  I LOVE it.  I love that MacKenzie finally has that...

She

1) is Imani, known by most as MacKenzie
2) is my first born
3) has always been a very pleasurable child
4) was born 6lbs 7 oz, 19 1/2 inches long in 2001
5) is loved by many - but none more than her mommy and daddy
6) is a very fast learner - learned to read at 2, but still doesn't really know how to ride a bike
7) confessed that talking was her gift at the age of six
8) amazes me how fast she has grown up
9) is a natural born leader
10) was an only child for 8 years but loves her sisters like she'd never loved another before
11) can be silly at times
12) is a pianist, a gymnast, straight A student, and loves to dance
13) wants to be perfect and is dissappointed when she fails
14) enjoys spending time with her family - especially her cousins
15) is a friend to many, but calls Mia her best.
16) loves the color red on account of her daddy
17) motivates me to work - because if I could, I'd give her the world. 
18) lacks fashion sense, it's not of concern to her
19) at age 9 can share my shoes
20) loves to read
21) will someday likely be my best-friend
22) rises early and goes to bed way too late
23) loves unconditionally
24) lives by faith and is my constant prayer partner
25) was unplanned but is so much more than i could ever dreamed or imagined that God would have given
      me in a child.

Meet Me in St. Louis

After I picked MacKenzie up from camp on Friday, I had a major surprise for her.  I'd made plans with her best friend, Mia's mom for to have a meet up in St. Louis.  Mia moved to Chicago two summers ago, but the girls still keep in touch.  They met when they were four at school.  They have a beautiful genuine friendship.  I can so see them being life long friends.  When Mia lived here, people often thought they were twins.  They have so much in common too.  Both girls are strong academic performers, are competitive gymnasts, play the piano, love to read, were only children for more than half of their lives, and are just really sweet girls!  I'm so glad that Mia is in MacKie's life!  

While in St. Louis, the girls spent Friday night at City Museum and had a great time with eachother, their other friend Sydney, and Mia's little brother, Myles.  It was fun to get to see Myles.  I haven't seen him in two years, and boy has he grown up!  He is a character!  On Saturday, we planned to wake up early eat breakfast and head out to Six Flags/Hurricane Harbour.  Somehow, we didn't end up making it there until 4:00!  It turned out perfect though, because, really it was just enough time.  It was super hot, and I don't think I could have handled being there much earlier.  The girls had a blast.  Mia experienced her first roller coasterS and did quite well.    MacKenzie is an old pro.  We love amusement parks around here - (primarily for the thrill of roller coasters)!

Tuesday Beauty of the Day - A Week Late

MacKenzie had a photo session with Beth Jansen out of Oklahoma City.  Beth Jansen defines COLOR.  Her images are breath taking.  Last week she featured MacK on her blog.  Check out the images, and while you are there just check out all of her work.  She is AWESOME.  LOVE LOVE LOVE her photography style.

MacKenzie - by Beth Jansen

Beth Jansen Photography Blog

Finding the Joy - Week 1

This week's assignment - on  Sunday  to capture the budding relationships between my three girls...three sisters.  Here are a few of the pictures.  Click here to see a sampling of the full set posted on Flickr.
 
 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

Screenshot of the fullset 

Show Us Your Life - Names

I have a few friends that are expecting and it is always so exciting to prepare for the big ultrasound when you finally find out the sex of the baby.  You can finally give your baby a name.  Apparently the popular name list was listed today and Jacob and Isabella are the top names.  We have three girls and naming each of them has been very special.  I wanted my children's names to mean something and for them to love their names.  I ABSOLUTELY love my name.  I am the only one of my mother's girls that she named...and sorry sisters...but I think I win.  The name that my parent's gave me is Hope Christina...

imani macKenzie grace

Behind the name:
MacKenzie is our oldest...and well up into right at game time, her name was to be MacKenzie Imani.  I worked at Baskin Robbin's during highschool and decorated cakes.  One day someone came in and wanted a cake to say Happy Birthday Mac.  For some reason, it just had a ring to me, and from that point I wanted to be able to call my child Mac.  My husband wasn't fond of the name but gave in once I said I'd add Imani...VERY reluctantly though.  I really liked Imani too though.  Primarily because it means Faith.  I like that like Hope it is a virtuous name.  When MacKenzie was born, KT just couldn't let MacKenzie be her first name.  I agreed to switch the order of the MacKenzie and Imani under the condition that I got to add Grace - another virtuous name that I obviously (more to come) love.  I'm so glad we added the name because MacKenzie (in my life) is just the greatest manifestation of God's grace.  Today, nine years later MacKenzie Imani sounds funny to me...Imani MacKenzie has a better ring; however, because she was MacKenzie first in my womb, I will forever call her MacKenzie.  Lots of people are really confused when they hear her dad call her Imani and two seconds later I call her MacKenzie.  She is pleased to answer to either or both...or neither...she has LOTS of nicknames too. 

When I found out that I was having two more girls, I again wanted them to have names that had a meaning and purpose behind them.  I also wanted two girl names that started with the same letter, but that DID NOT rhyme.  It wasn't until the day I delievered that we decided who was who.  We gave Baby A - Nia and Baby B - Nala because we naturally said the names in that order...yep that simple...that's how we decided in the end.  Today, I can't imagine it any other way.  I can't imagine Nia being Nala or vice versa.

nia grace

nia - one who has purpose
grace - a blessing that is an act of divine favor or compassion
I love how that short, simple, cute name packs a strong punch with a powerful meaning.  It is so fitting for my little Nia who is so petite, but so strong and fierce (yes, already).   And yes, we repeated the Grace because I love that name OH SO MUCH and just really feel like since it's a third name for MacKenzie it just doesn't have the impact that I intended...yes I know I'm a mess.
confession - i really wish that i would have spelled her middle name Grayce.  I like that better and it would have separated her name from MacKenzie's.  Also, I think Grace is becoming overly popular, but because the name means so much to me, I went with it...AGAIN.

nala iman

nala - loved one; gift
iman - faith
Nala's name is very fitting.  She is so loving and cuddly...just the sweetest little thing.  No she was not named after Simba's wife in the Lion King or even Halle's Berry cutie patoodie little daughter.  Since I knew Nia's middle name would be shared with MacKenzie I also wanted Nala's name to be linked to her big sister's as well.  Iman has the same meaning Imani.  I was also inspired by the cute young model Chanel Iman.  I love her name. Also, THE Iman is so beautiful and carries the name so well.
Confession - I wish I would have spelled Nala's name Nahla.  I like that better.

Growing up I always said that I would name my child Morgan Kaitlin.  I've loved that combination forever.  When I was in highschool there were two young sisters that lived in our neighborhood.  One was Morgan and one was Kaitlin.  I loved both of their names.  If I had a boy, I always said I would name him Christopher Todd (linking my middle name Christina and also my dad's name is Chris).  After MacKenzie, although forever I planned to NOT have any more kids,  in the back of my mind I said if I ever changed my mind I wanted to name a girl - Gracelynne Faithe and that if I had a boy he would be Kevin Leroy II.  Another name that I considered while pregnant with the twins was Destini Hope (Miley Cyrus's real name...I think it's beautiful).


Confession - I have doodled these names many many times.  Yes, embarassing.

What names do you like?


Read other's choices here at Kelly's Korner.

Spring Break - It's Over Now...

Spring Break is over now so it's back to life/work/school as usual.  I feel blessed that I was able to be off to spend some quality time with the girls...especially MacKenzie.  My favorite part of this week was having Mommy Daughter Day with her on Monday.  We definitely have to make time to do it again soon.  We had  a blast.  We chuckled over how carefree life was when it was just the three of us...how we could just come and go as we wanted...and didn't have to plan a trip to the grocery store like it was a huge affair... my how times have changed!

Some pics from Mommy-Daughter Time are below.  We had lunch at one of her favs (IHOP), got pedicures at a new Nail Spa near our house (loved it...we'll be back!), Went Shopping, & Had a Movie Night.   Oh and just for fun...we found a random spot and took some fun pictures :)  What a blast!  The day was full and so is my heart...I love my MacKie!!

Friday Firsts - First Venture to the Park

Today it is snowing outside and freezing cold...on Friday it was REALLY nice and NiNa had their fist venture to the park.  They really enjoyed being outside...snuck a tator tot or two from MacKenzie and also ate a little bit of grass...as hard we worked to stop them...

I am so glad I took off from work and was able to enjoy the day with them!