Still playing catch-up...

As you can see, I took a lot of pictures while we were in CA. I'll try to group my remaining shots in as few posts as possible, but no promises. We were blessed with undeniably warm temperatures for a January in CA, so Benji and I took McKinley on plenty of walks...to the Crest water tank, to the park, around the yard.  On some days it was even too hot to wear pants.

At the park:

Scrunch-nose baby!

Sizing up the swingin' competition.

Love it.

 

LOVE it!

LOVE IT!  (Nice shots, Cass.)

Goofin' around with Momma and Abby in the grass.

  Around the yard:

Pretty in purple.

At the water tank:

It's too hot out here!"

Chillin' with Dadda.

Family shot, overlooking San Diego.

 Around the yard (again):

Lizzie and McKinners...a fearsome twosome. 

Around the neighborhood:

Lizzie loved hangin' out with McKinners...

wherever McKinley went, she went.

At the house (one last time):

Some Cousin Lovin'

The first time McKinley met her cousins, Lizzie and Abby, there wasn't a whole lot of interaction...at least interaction initiated by McKinley. This trip, however, proved to be different. On one occasion, McKinley reached out her arms to hug Lizzie, and luckily we were able to capture it on camera. With Abby, she learned to take turns playing with toys. Overall, she was more social with her cousins, and those moments melted her Momma's heart.

Ladies only storytime.

   

Triple twinkies in matching pj's.

Thank you Stephen and Kathy for my snowflake jammies!

So precious!

Lizzie and McKinley playing princess dress-up.

Workin' the tutu!

First Birthday Party

We were especially excited to be in California during McKinley's birthday, and planning a Hawaiian-themed gathering to celebrate McKinley and her cousin Lizzie's shared birthday was a total blast.  Infact, I'm not sure McKinley's birthday would've been as memorable if we were in Oregon.

My Momma is crazy when she does the limbo!

 

Dadda, Momma, Ahmma, Dumpa and me.

Waiting to open presents.

McKinley-roo and Lizzie-beth....birthday girls.

What a face!

Whew! What a fun, but exhausting day!

McKinley's Year in Review ~ Part 2

McKinley

McKinley, what a special name

We remember when you first came

Into this world, without a care

A small, round head with little hair

From far away, we've watched you grow

Wearing each and every handmade bow

Your charm we've seen from head to toe

Oh, how we love you so

We remember your very first tooth

Precious, sweet McKinley Ruth

Your big, brown beautiful eyes

Shining into the heavenly skies

Your smile is as bright as the sun

We can't believe you're turning one

We thank God for what He's done

Given us our first granddaughter

Who's as cute and cuddly as an otter

And a bundle of joy to her mother and father

You are a blessing; we're in a whirl

McKinley is a special girl

This poem was written by Gramma Campoamor and was pasted into McKinley's birthday card. Here are a few more pictures of my baby girl...when she was a baby. 

All of the outfits in this post, with the exception of the snowflake sleeper and stocking cap, were my baby outfits. It's surreal to see my own daughter in the same dresses I wore in pictures long ago.  Most of these dresses McKinley only wore once or twice.  Thanks to my mom, I hope McKinley will pass these down to her daughter one day.