CJ WAVING

Bryce's family was here last weekend, and as they got in their cars to head back to Seattle, CJ waved to them. His first time waving and it was to say good-bye to his Grandma Sheila and Grandpa Greg...it couldn't have been more perfect! So later that night we got this on film so that Paige's parents could enjoy it too.

THE SPOKANE SHOCK

We went to our first Spokane Shock AFL game and it was lots of fun. The owner of the team is LDS and happens to be in the ward of some of our friends, so we were able to get hooked-up with free tickets, right down on the floor. The stadium was packed and the noise was crazy...probably a little too loud for the babies (every time the crowd would get loud, CJ would kick his feet like crazy). We were by some "super fans," who were super over-the-top, if you ask me, and so it was especially loud and overwhelming. So a thoughtful fan, who saw the babies, offered to give us some ear plugs (from his giant bag of ear plugs :). That really helped, and soon CJ was smiling and laughing and we were all having fun.

Bryce and CJ on the left, and Tyson and Brody Dobbs on the right. CJ and Brody are looking at each other probably wondering what all these crazy people are doing. And yes, those yellow ear plugs totally made the boys look like Shrek :)

After the game we went to dinner with everyone who was there: Tyson and Heather Dobbs, Misty and Shay Wells, and Shay's parents and two sisters who were in town. As we waited to be seated, CJ decided he couldn't wait to eat any longer and started to much on our keys :)

MISTY's BAPTISM

Our great friend, Misty Wells, was baptized by her sweet husband, Shay, this past Saturday, and we had the privilege of being there for her special day. The Spirit was so strong and everyone in that room could feel how much Heavenly Father loves Misty. Bryce was honored to stand in the circle on Sunday morning to help confirm Misty a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and bless her with the gift of the Holy Ghost, and Shay's dad really gave Misty such a touching blessing. Our lives have been so edified these last 9 months as we've come to know Misty and watched her testimony grow and we feel so blessed to be a witness to her journey. Thank you, Misty and Shay, for being such great friends - we love you guys!!

L-R: CJ, Bryce, and Paige Mackay, Misty and Shay Wells, Pierson, Mauressa, and Teagan Juassi, Megan and Gage Arnold, Brody, Heather, and Tyson Dobbs in front of the baptismal font in the Spokane Valley Stake Center

CJ AT THE PARK

click on the collage to enlarge it

CJ's FIRST TIME IN THE POOL

Mommy and Daddy with CJ

CJ loungin'...and then Mommy ruining that by dipping him in the water (sounds mean, but he actually enjoyed it)

Looks like the first pool experience was a success

AND CAMERON'S MISSION CALL IS TOOOO...

MONGOLIA!!

Bryce's little brother, Cameron, got his mission call today and he's going to Mongolia (well actually, his call came Saturday, but he was out of town and so he didn't get to open it until today :)! It's 5,219 miles away from Seattle, and since he reports to the MTC August 6th, he's only got 6 weeks to get used to the idea!

We're gonna miss you like crazy, Cam, but are so grateful for your steadfast example of righteousness and your willingness and enthusiasm to serve. We love you and know that you're going to be an amazing missionary! And of course, we can't wait to come pick you up in two years...summer of 2010, here we come :)

DADDY-O!

Happy Father's Day, to the three most important fathers in my life: my amazing dad, my wonderful father-in-law, and my incredible husband! Thank you for being the men in my life who continually teach me about patience, understanding, generosity, kindness, gentleness, humility, integrity, simplicity, spontaneity, and love! You have helped shape my life and added to everything positive that I have experienced....I know that you will always be a part of everything good in my life. Through your never ending charity towards me and our family, I am able to gain a stronger sense of the love our Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ have for us, and that, I am most thankful for! I love you all, very much!!

With sincerity and gratitude,

Paige

FATHER'S DAY WEEKEND

Bryce's family came into town this weekend and it was so nice to one, finally have some sun to enjoy; two, finally have some room for them when they come to stay with us; and three (most importantly), just hang out together! Here's a rundown of the weekend:

Friday:

Bryce had a double-header softball game Friday night (which they won both games, by the way), at which, our friend, Megan Arnold, took this super cute pic! After the game, we headed over to Outback with the Arnold's, the Dobbs', and the Wells', and then we met Bryce's family there (mom, dad, sis, and bro) who'd come over from Seattle to spend the weekend with us. Party of 12 = free appetizers. Yes!

Saturday:

I just threw this one in because it's just such a cute pic of CJ!

CJ's first carousel ride. He didn't quite know what to think, and as you can tell by the second pic, it was going pretty fast (especially for being over 100 years old!), so he spent most of the time looking up at the gears

CJ stylin' it up in his Grandma Sheila's sunglasses (he fit in well with the Gay Pride festival that was right next to us :)

On our ride down to see the Spokane River Falls. First pic (L-R): Greg (Bryce's dad), CJ, Sheila (Bryce's mom), and Kelsey (Bryce's little sis). Second pic (L-R): Cameron (Bryce's little bro), Bryce, and Paige

The falls were crazy! But we didn't really know why they're green...

Nothing beats family time!

CUTE, RIGHT?

...until you find one in your house!! Our landlord said that there were no mice all summer when he was in here remodeling, so he's convinced our new neighbors brought it with them when they moved in...great! At least it's not an infestation...or so we hope. Anyway, we're gonna let Bryce fulfill his duties as husband and father (what are they again? preside, provide, and PROTECT :) and set a lovely little mouse trap in our basement. Hopefully we'll have Mr. Mouse caught before Bryce's family comes to visit this weekend...we'll keep you posted

GREAT PICS OF CJ

CJ's favorite toy

Happy boy!


CJ whistling. We love it!

When he started, CJ was lying in Paige's lap...but he had to watch his Spongebob Squarepants :)

BRING IT!

Click HERE to see what we started yesterday. No, I will not post our "before" pictures, but check back in 89 days, and hopefully we'll feel confident enough to post our "after" pics!

M.I.A.

After having lost his wedding ring almost two weeks ago, Bryce was able to recover it yesterday. Now everyone can breathe a sigh of relief that one, Bryce now has the precious symbol of his marriage back in his possession, and two, he's back in good-standing with his wife :)

Thank you to all who helped Bryce look for his ring at the Spokane Valley Stake Center and to the bishop who held on to a stranger's ring, knowing they'd come back for it!

We are finally updated!

REASON #10:

Curtis Jason Mackay

probably the best thing that's happened to our marriage

SPOKOMPTON

Alright, so I haven't been the biggest fan of Spokane the last 9 months, but as the weather has gotten warmer, and our friendships have gotten stronger, I've started to grow a little fond of the place...

Until that was shattered by the recurring crimes that are happening so close to us. First, last fall, several people in our neighborhood, including some acquaintances in our ward, had their garages and cars broken into.

Then, as finals came to an end and some of the law school families packed up to move back to Utah for the summer, one of those families, who happen to be our friends, and who happen to live only a few blocks away, were caught in the middle of a drive-by shooting! with their two small children in the mix! right in front of their apartment (which happens to be on the back end of the complex, away from the busy road or anything)! in the middle of the afternoon!!

And if that wasn't bad enough, just on Tuesday, another one of our law school friends up here, who happen to have their third child on the way (due any day now), had their car stolen out of the parking lot of a busy store! in the middle of the day!!

So needless to say, I'm not gonna look back when we split this joint in T-minus two years and counting...

SOME OF CJ's FIRSTS IN OUR NEW PLACE:

First shower with Daddy in the new bathroom (look at him snuggling...awww)

First high chair (well it's a booster, but it works just as well and takes up less space)

First play date with Brody at our new place (actually, we were just hangin' out with the Dobbs, but same difference)

First bath in the new kitchen sink

SHAY AND MISTY'S WEDDING

We've made some great friends here in Spokane, two of which are Shay and Misty. They've been engaged since the beginning of school, and were so excited to get married this past Saturday. We felt really honored to have been invited to their big day, and it was a great excuse to visit family in Utah and take a little trip to Moab, where they had their scenic wedding. We love you guys and can't wait for you to get back from your honeymoon! Thank you for making us a part of your special day!!

NEW DO...AGAIN

Well I guess it wouldn't be a trip to Utah if I didn't cut my hair, right?

These are my before-and-afters from when I cut my hair in March...

And here's the afters from when I cut my hair on Friday. I'm not exactly lovin' it yet, but it's funky and versitile (I can wear the bangs to the side, all down in front, or even pinned back), which is what I wanted. I like how short it is in back, but wish it was just slightly longer on my left side (yes, it's an asymmetrical cut...on purpose!). But hey, it's hair, it will grow. And I'm still learning how to style it and whatnot too. Give me a couple of weeks and I'm sure I'll be diggin' it more than the last cut (which I loved!). I'm just glad that I'm finally at a place in my life where I'm not attached to my hair and I feel confident enough to do fun, crazy things with it. In the words of the great Nick Arrojo from What Not to Wear, "hair is an accessory, " so I say, let's accessorize!