This year has been an interesting one for my lovely Colleen. She has been off of work since July 2008 with a neck injury, but if you think that is going to slow her down, you obviously don't know my Colleen. Not having a three on/four off schedule allows her to spend more time with her loving family and at the gym where she has cultivated a number of really great friendships as well as mastered the art of spinning, Zumba, and just about any other type of hard-core cardio workout. Colleen also made sure our garden was the envy of the rest of the neighborhood--no small feat given that California has been mired in a multi-year drought, but that's Colleen; she won't be denied!
Our Miss Ava turned 9 in September and is a fourth grader. Ava loves school--her favorite subjects are reading, science, and social studies. She keeps herself busy with a number of creative outlets including taking piano lessons, playing the violin at Tassajara Hills Elementary School, participating in her school's Leadership Program, attending Faith Formation classes at St. Isidores Church, and this December she donated 10 inches of her beautiful hair to be used to make a wig for a child who so dearly needs it. She is a wonderful little girl.
Young Parker (7 and in the First Grade) is quickly becoming the star athlete in the family--he played a season of coach pitch/T-ball in the summer and flag football this fall. He'll play in the YMCA basketball league this winter and Little League baseball next spring. He also enjoys hitting golf balls at the driving range (his favorite club is the "Bad Boy"--aka the driver) and is showing signs of being a naturally gifted bowler. When not playing sports or using his wonderful imagination to entertain himself (and the rest of the family), Parker enjoys all areas of learning including science, math, and computer lab at school and Faith Formation at the church.
As for me, I am enjoying my 12th year with Deloitte as well as playing the role of "paparazzi" for my family--photographing every moment of our lives (sometimes to the annoyance of those on the other end of the lens). I also continued my passion for watching and recapping that tasty bit of pop culture known as American Idol--you can read past season's recaps and follow Season 9 on my blog at (http://mackennasgoldenidolsseason8.blogspot.com/) ...I start bloggin' when they get to the top 12.
To wrap up the family news, we added a couple of new members to the MacKenna family--we are now the proud "parents" of two adorable Toy Poodles named Romeo and Juliet. These two little bundles of joy joined us in June. They are half-siblings who share the same father and that's where the similarities end--Romeo has black fur, is quiet, and is full of loving attention; Juliet has silky soft white fur, likes to bark and growl, and enjoys snuggling when it fits her desires. They are a great pair and we can't imagine not having them in our lives and home.
For a little extra excitement, we took a few trips this year filled with fun and family:
- In May we packed up the Pilot and drove to Southern California where we enjoyed a day of theme park thrills at Disneyland, an evening of Renaissance fun at Medieval Times, and an afternoon of adventure at the San Diego Zoo where we were joined by the son of one of Colleen's best friend, Jessie, who escorted us around the Zoo and made sure we saw all of the "must-see" sights including the facinating Pandas and Polar Bears.
- We traveled to Denton, NE where we spent the 4th of July weekend at Grammie Dot and Grandpa Jim's home and helped celebrate our country's 233rd birthday at the annual Independent Indepence Day party. There were many highlights including watching my nephew, Clatyon (8), coax a creepy snake out of the bathroom sink, swimming in G. Dot's pool, and playing a round of mini-golf with the family. But I'd have to put Grandpa Jim's firework display at the top of the highlight list especially since we had to wait out an awesome thunderstorm which provided its own firework display and would have scared most "amateur" firework artists away, but not Jim!
- At the end of July we took a trip to Angleton, TX where Grand Pop and Gramma Carole hosted us for a weekend of unbelievable fishing and beach time. It was fun to spend the weekend with my sisters, Colleen and Cara as well as my niece, Keegan and nephew, Jake. Ava and Parker had a blast with their cousins and celebrated catching their first fish as well as learning to throw the cast net to catch shrimp and smaller fish which were used for bait. Ava still hasn't forgiven me for sacrificing Sparkle the fish even though I told her Sparkle went to a greater cause--and that cause was called a lovely 27" Flounder!
- Parker and I made the trek to Downer's Grove, IL in early September for the 3rd Annual Randal Park Social Club Soap Box Derby hosted by Chris and Mary (and attended by about 300 of their closest friends). Parker was thrilled to race the #57 car and to take his cousin, Jack (3), down the track a number of times. To spice things up a bit at the derby this year, they held a chili cook off and a barbeque contest. It was fun to take part in the chili cook off in spite of being shut out of the prizes awarded those chosen as the best...maybe next year...
- To round out our 2009 travels and to mark Ava's 9th birthday, we took another trip to Disneyland, followed by dressing up like a family of pirates and going to the Pirate's Adventure dinner show, and then wrapping up a great weekend with a couple of days boogie boarding at Huntington Beach. It was a fantastic way to celebrate our precious girl's birthday.
We hope your year was as full of fun and love as ours and that as we say good-bye to 2009, we bid you glad tidings, God Blessings, and hope for a great 2010.
All our best to you and yours,
The MacKenna Family
