Sleeping in My Big Girl Crib

Yes, Yes. I know. Michelle is almost 18 months old. However, until last Monday she had never slept in her crib. We had taken her on adventures into her room and let her sit and play in it. But she had never slept in it. Since she has to sleep in our room with us she had only slept in her pack and play bassinet. Well Tory decided last Monday that since we paid so much for this beautiful crib, we (or should I say Michelle) should use it.

Well here she is after her first night sleep in her crib.

It is actually really nice because as soon as we lay her down at night in the real crib she just rolls over and goes to sleep. Doesn't she look like soooo comfy sleeping in her crib?

These feet were made for walking

Michelle got this walker for Christmas and at first I think she thought it was just another jumparoo of sorts. She loved being in it and would play with the toys and bounce like crazy, but as soon Tory would help her move she would cry. Well the other day we decided to see what she would do if we put her on the kitchen floor. Voila, she scoots. Unfortunately, I think we have watched "Cars" one too many times because she drives Mater style, backwards. I guess we have always known she marched to the beat of a different drummer or I guess drove to the rhythm of a different radio station.

Nothing is as Cuddly as a Buffalo?

While we were visiting family, my cousin Marcie a.k.a. Mimi with her mom Diane a.k.a. Dine gave Michelle this little buffalo from Yellowstone. Michelle likes stuffed animals, but hasn't really had a favorite. Well, this morning I was washing dishes and gave her some toys to play with and that included the buffalo. When I looked over at her a little later she had laid down and was hugging the buffalo. I was in awe. She had picked the buffalo out from all her usual favorite loud toys and was quietly and cutely giving it a hug. Of course as soon as I pull out the camera to document the occurrence she tries to lay it back down but I think I still caught her in time. So I guess we found her favorite animal, the only problem is I am not quite sure what the sign for buffalo is.

There's No Place Like Home

Well, a year and half later we finally made the trip back home. It may only be a four hour drive, but until now it was an impossible trip. Things just started falling into place and working together so that we could travel to visit our family. It was definitely a wonderful vacation.

While we were visiting we did the somewhat courageous adventure of playing in the snow with Michelle and her cousins. We went cross country skiing around a park near my brother's home and then went sledding. Michelle enjoyed being pulled in the sled behind Tory and we enjoyed being outdoors again.


Here's Michelle in the sled that Tory pulled while skiing around the park.

Here's our cute little niece ready for our adventure in the park.



Here's my nephew ready to go, and lead the group around the trail.

Michelle being cute and just enjoying being outside with everyone, enjoying not being left behind.

A picture of us all together, enjoying being in nature.

Here are some pictures of the new Rexburg Temple while walking around campus. This was one of the main reasons we had been planning and trying to work out all the bugs in our equipment, so we could go through the open house. We were completely amazed by the beauty of this building. As soon as we were done with our tour all we could think was, "We have to go see it again."

Michelle with Grandma and Grandpa Thornton.



Here is a picture of four generations of McCrackens.

Here is picture of the Temple at night. Again I will say, it was so incredibly beautiful. Even though this trip took lots of planning, fixing, planning, and more planning, it was worth it. We don't have ruby red slippers that magically take us home when we become home sick, but we found out that it is not impossible either. There's no place like home.

Merry Christmas

Christmas morning was fantastic. I thought Michelle was too young for the waking up early routine, but nope. I have no idea why but she woke up practically two hours earlier than usual, but by 7:30 she was awake and ready to go. (Maybe she knew it was going to take forever for her to unwrap all her presents, since two took over an hour.) The picture above is her with the goodies out of her stocking.

Here she is with one of her gifts from Santa.

Just a cute picture of Michelle after opening some gifts.

She definitely loves boxes.



Michelle with cute new jeans her cousin Ashton sent to her. The belt is definitely a bonus.

Mommy with a pretty new earing and necklace set from Grandma Thornton

Santa sure must know Daddy because he brought him four Stephen's Hot Chocolate mixes and and a new Hot Cocoa maker.

Michelle with a new book from Grandma Thornton about Noah's Ark.

Michelle must have been an awful good girl this year because we found this great big stocking outside our house that was just for her.

She fit in the stocking really nice. Having her home is the best gift Daddy and I could have, sappy but true.

Michelle with her walker that Grandma Thornton brought. She was so excited the whole time we were putting it together and she ended up getting mad at us because we took so long to make it.

Daddy with his new bathrobe that Mommy got him. Doesn't it look so warm and cozy.

Daddy with a cool Boise State Broncos jacket from Michelle, Grandpa McCracken, Grandma McCracken, and Tino.This is just the candy that Santa brought us. We got even more from family and friends. Can we say we like candy?

Playing with some of her new toys.

Snuggling with Mommy.

Our tree at the end of the day with some of our new gifts.

Our Christmas this year was absolutely fantastic. We have been reminded of how truly blessed we are to have the family and friends that we have. No matter what life puts in front of us we are never alone. We have also been reminded how much of a blessing our sweet little Michelle is and how special each day at home with her is.

Merry Christmas.

One More Tradition

So a tradition I had as kid (and a million others did too I'm sure) was driving around and looking at Christmas lights Christmas Eve. Well we decided to take Michelle out this year and here she is getting ready to go. She really did love the drive around town looking at all the really pretty lights.

A Christmas Surprise

Well I got a super big Christmas surprise. I worked the night shift on Friday and when I got off early Saturday morning I sent Christine a text message wishing her a Happy Birthday. When I came home I decided to take a different route which had me coming towards our house from the opposite direction. I am telling you this small detail so you will understand my confusion. As I was pulling up to what I thought was my house I saw a car in the driveway that was not mine. I instantly got really confused. Then I got really excited because I figured out it was Mom and Dad's car. But then I got really confused again because I knew that they had plans at home for Tino's birthday. So I got really nervous that I had just pulled up to some stranger's house and was about to walk in, so I looked at the house number and low and behold it was my house. They had given me a big Christmas surprise. (I have in my defense being awake for over 24 hours straight and coming home from a different direction).

While they were at our house I decided to be selfish and have them open our presents to them so we could see their reaction. So there is Dad with the electronic Sudoku.

Mom with her new Lion's House Cookbook from Jana and I.

Here is Tino with her tool kit.

Michelle with the new clothes they brought her.

Our brand new Camp Chef. Oh I can't wait to use this. Yummy

Oh the Joy of Christmas

Well we had another early Christmas. Michelle's wonderful nurse Teddy brought over Michelle's gifts early, Dec. 18. I am never quite sure who is more excited, Michelle or me. Well, I guess it is pretty obvious that I am the more the excited of the two of us. But it is so fun to watch her. The two presents Teddy got her took more than an hour for her to open. She kept getting distracted with hitting the present and make that cool paper noise. Or as soon as she would get a piece of paper ripped off she would have to take the time to play with that piece of paper. Then of course she has taste every present and decide whether it is an edible present.

Who can get impatient with a smile like that?

Yep, here come the piranha teeth again.

I should probably not encourage her to chew on the wrapped presents, since I was getting wrapping paper out of her mouth all night. But hey, it works for her.

Wild hair, I know. I don't even think I put it pigtails that day. She just has the hair of a wild thing.

Here she is with Teddy enjoying the cool new things she got. The two presents were the coolest little book that the has an animation effect with the pictures when you turn the pages (the animals move.) The other gift was a laptop for kids. Perfect. Now while I do my thing with my computer she can do her thing with her computer, (but I have a funny feeling she will still try to help me.)