Catch up #1: MacAlister turns 4

Oh, this darling little stinker.

There he is on the first day of his free preschool class in La Habra.  Thrilled to be doing letters and numbers with his buddies Bruin, Molly, and others.

We knew this would be our last birthday party with all those buddies of ours ... and perhaps even our last party.

See, at this point Mark began the process of ... well ... haggling with a chiropractor and his landlords in Salt Lake City, Utah.  We had visited the failing practice during the weekend of Uncle Adam's wedding and fallen in love.  It was beautiful, a great location ... and an incredible price.  True, there weren't many people coming in.  But if anyone could change that, Mark could.  Right?

So with that in mind, we wanted to go all out for our California boy's fourth birthday party.

First things first.  It was American Ninja Warrior themed.  Ever seen the show?  Mac and Mark (and usually Belle and I)  watched it faithfully.  It's essentially a bunch of people doing extreme obstacle courses in a certain amount of time, winning the title of "American Ninja Warrior". Mac would practice these moves on his way to bed after every show.

And thus we had our theme.

Behold the cake:

And a bit more of the party prep.  Chinese takeout boxes (filled with stickers, fortune cookies, chop sticks, candy, ninja stars, and mini nijas ... the girls even got a flower sticker and eyelashes drawn on), and bandanas took up most of the prep time.

Worth every second.

I only almost tore 3 of those named bandannas to shreds out of frustration.  But somehow I still ended up with legible names.

The guest list above ... Mac circled all the kids names for me so I would know which ones were his buddies, and which were mine.

While I scrambled to finish all that without pulling my hair out, Mark set to work with the birthday decor.

We were interrupted.

At around 1 a.m., MacAlister peeked over the top of the stairs all squinty-eyed and whispered, "Is that my birthday?"

Naturally, my heart raced with disappointment as the "surprise" was ruined before it was presentable, but just as naturally Mark had a good laugh and gave him a quick tour.  Satisfied, Mac went back to bed.

The morning was still awesome.

And it only got better.

The day was spent at Knott's Berry Farm with our season passes, and Mac got a birthday button to put on his shirt.  At first he thought it was weird all these random people were telling him "Happy birthday," so he took it off.  When no one said a thing to him, he changed his mind and decided to ignore his shyness in favor of compliments.  It was worth it.  (I knew he had some of me in him.)

That night we ate hot dogs, opened presents, and finished off that entire ninja cake.

The whole thing was Mac-approved.

Then came party day.

It was to be at Newport Beach.

Mark went to the office that morning while I put on my super-mom undies and got to work.  Thankfully, I had a friend there incredibly early, and a whole batch of local teenagers literally looking for service to do.  My friend watched my kids while me and those Newport Beach teens unloaded my over-stuffed car.

Mark raced through 20+ patients in two hours with the help of one of his chiro buddies on physical therapy, and picked up a mountain of pizzas on his way to the beach.

Thankfully, 90% of our friends are late-comers.  Though Mark and I made it happen, it certainly wasn't in the time frame we told people.

We ate while the kids played and sticker-fied their bandannas in prep for the American Ninja Warrior obstacle course.

Seth Bias

Molly Holland & Sienna Leet

Finally, after a couple hours of top-notch beach play, we decided we were ready for the obstacle course.  I set up cones from our camp to the playground behind.  I booby-trapped the finish line with bad guys (angry-faced balloons tied to rocks and buried in the sand), and set out a buzzer for the kids to hit once they fought their way through.

Genius, right?

Well I missed one HUGE detail.  The balloon men were horrifically tied.  By me.  And of course, curious kiddos of all kinds wanted to practice their karate skills on them before we actually began the course.

One by one, every single balloon floated away.

It was stressful, but it wasn't until the "Mac" balloon left that we faced nuclear melt-downs.

Earlier, Mac had seen me drawing faces and asked if he could make his very own bad guy.  He did the whole thing; even wrote his name on the back.  "I'm gonna get this guy, Mom!" he told me.

And when that one flew?

Oh man.

I haven't seen a fit like that since ... well ... I can't even think of another fit like that.

So he sat in his tent and cried and flailed while all his friends ran the course and won medals.

Finally after a solid 20 minutes or so, everyone ran through and we were ready to sing happy birthday and eat cupcakes.

Singing did nothing to stop the tears.

But cupcakes did.

Instead of tossing him in the car, we swallowed our parental-discipline pride and stuffed him with chocolate.

And he was happy.

So we decided he might be in a good enough mood be gracious about all these fantastic presents he received and began to unwrap.

One of my personal favorites ... this shirt came with instructions to wear on a date.  At the bottom it said, "Mac, will you be my boyfriend?  Love, Sienna"  Just look at his response.

Mac wasn't the only fan of the cupcakes.

The very few kiddos we gathered for a group picture.
Seth Bias, Mac, Bruin Elrey, and Luke Shaw in the back there.
At least I can say the party location was awesome.  The kids couldn't be pulled away from the beach.

The partiers slowly said their good byes and happy birthdays, and we stayed on.

At around four p.m. we decided to start cleaning up.  Before taking down the cones, I asked Mac if he wanted to try out the obstacle course.

We ended up staying another hour as he ran it over, and over, and over again, smashing the buzzer each time and throwing his hands in the air.  He loved being timed and as soon as I told him his number, he turned around to run the whole thing again.

He loved it.

And Belle couldn't even make it through her pizza crust on the drive home.  Too much fun.

Happy birthday my best boy.

Where Did 2013 Go?

Oh my word.

Is 2013 gone?  Are you sure?

That was ridiculous.

I don't know if I've truly ever had a year end in such a rush.  I mean ... three months without a single post on here?  If that doesn't say something about the end of our Gunn clan's 2013, I don't know what does.

So without ruining all the details, let me just say ... this has been the biggest year of our lives.  Well, at least it's comparable to our wedding day.  And the additions of our little sweeties here.

One of those fork-in-the-road times; know what I mean?

Read on my friend, and I'll catch you up on our latest adventures.

Mr. & Mrs. Wright

Well ... we had a visit from some newlyweds a couple of weeks ago.

My sister and her new little hubby came.

Those two are just ... sweeter than sweet.  I tell you, I will write about love day in and day out ... but for those two, it's all about verbal love.  They reminded me there's a whole world of compliments and thank you's out there; one I need to participate in more often.

They arrived on a Tuesday, which happened to be the very day one of my doula clients went into labor.  I was riddled with guilt that I couldn't show these newlyweds a good time, but I gotta admit ... I was so grateful to know they would be around to help me with my kids should I need it.  

See, as much as I love my little doula job, it's hard to wait around for a birth.  I have to be able to drop things (specifically my kids) at a moment's notice, and without family?  Well that's kind of difficult.  But as soon as each due date approaches, I start doing some massive praying ... and every single birth has worked out.  

This one was incredible; my client called me in right as my hubby was about to close up shop for the day, so I took the kids to him and he made his way out to the airport to pick up Michael and Jamie.  Mark had them to himself for the rest of the day ... so he got a real taste of the hosting business, and I brought home the bacon.

I ended up being at the birth all night long, arriving at about nine a.m. the next day.  I was ready to guzzle a Monster drink and finally be with my sister, but she shooed me away to bed and took the kids for the rest of the day.

You guys, I wanted to cry.

And guess what?  It got even better: I woke up to a nice, cool house.  

While I was sleeping, Jamie loved on my kids and Michael fixed our air conditioning.  Yes.  He is officially one of my favorite people.

I miss living by family.  And my kids felt the same.  They were in heaven with this loving couple, and cried when they left.  (Mac even drew a picture of a frowning face for them.)

We spent the rest of their time here doing the California classics:

Angel's games.

The beach.

And Disneyland. (Just downtown Disney for me and the kids ... prices have really gone up on those tickets and we couldn't quite fork out the dough this time.)

And of course, we chit-chatted our way through it all.  Michael is just precious as can be.  My sister really picked one that will care for her the rest of his days; I will never have to worry about laying the big-sister-smack-down on him!

But I do have to admit that it was odd for me to not have her to myself.  Share my sister?  After 24 years?  It will take my selfish self some getting used to.

I guess I can finally say I understand why Jamie cried when I told her I was going to marry Mark six years ago.  It always bothered me; for heaven's sake, couldn't she see how happy and in love I was??  But it's just weird to know that things will never be the same, and that she now has somebody else to share secrets with and whisper to all night.

It's a good thing Michael is such a great guy.

Thanks for coming you two; we love you to pieces.

The First Real Sleepover

What a milestone.

Mac and Belle had their first sleepover the other night.

Our good friends were in the process of moving, and asked if they could leave their dog with us while they moved things out of one apartment and into another.  The answer was an obvious yes; my kids are obsessed with their endearingly ugly little one-eyed dog and were ecstatic at the idea.

Their son Bruin overheard this plotting, and had an incredible idea.  "Hey mom, maybe I should stay at Mac's house too," he said.

Well.  Why not?

Bruin is one of our absolute favorite little people; he and my son proclaim they will be best buds forever each time we get together.  Bruin is one of those kids that makes life easier when he comes to play; he and Mac entertain each other all day long with nary an argument.  Belle is even smitten; she follows those two around, mimicking everything they do and hollering, "Booo-eee", as she pats Bruin's back.

And so, Gizzy and Bruin came to sleep over at our house while their parents set to work moving.

We did all the classic sleepover things.  Like, dinner and a movie.

Best buds

Gal pals

  We stayed up late.

"Sleeeeepover paaaartyy!"

"Miiiiike Troooooouuuuut!" (On a poster over there.)

And of course, a big pancake breakfast.

I would say it was a great success.

Elrey family, we will take your kids - and dogs - any time.

The Good Doctor

I grew up with a physical therapist for a dad.  It was so fun to have people stop me to tell me what a miracle worker he was.  (Still happens!) Comments like, "I wouldn't be walking if it weren't for your dad," were commonplace.  Gifts were also regular; birthdays usually included a crochet sweater or cherry chocolates for the family from a particularly thankful patient. I especially remember friends and neighbors coming over late at night while we were going to bed, requesting some help from my Dad.

And I always felt proud that my dad helped people.  Even though it sometimes boggled my mind that my sweet, goofy, loving papa could do those things people claimed ... it was fun to be the daughter of a healer.

But do you know what's even more fun?

Being the wife of a healer.

Mark has been in practice for about a year and a half down here, and already I'm hearing stories of Dr. Gunn's magic hands.  He's got people driving over an hour to come to his office, even though there's a chiropractor on every corner. (I'm telling you, Southern California has a thing for chiropractors and liquor stores.  They are everywhere.)

He often has people say, "Wow, I've never had anyone adjust me like that before!"  Or, "He was the first person who really looked at my problem and was able to piece together the specific cause ... and treat it!"  He even has a woman who drives an hour to him because she used to live in St. George and was originally treated by Mark's dad.  "I come here and feel like I've got Dr. Spencer Gunn working on me again ... it's wonderful."

I know this because I've been able to go work for the good doctor a few times.  He only uses me when it's absolutely crazy and he has no other options, so it's usually an exhausting shift ... but I love to do a little muscle work on the patients and hear them gush about Dr. Gunn and his magic hands.  (And also remember what it's like to work all day ... indeed I came home exhausted and that feeling rekindled my compassion for my working man.)

Ooo yes.  That x-ray interpreter is mine.

These patients also give gifts.  Cookies and cakes come home nearly every Saturday, but we've also gotten pajama sets from a sweet old hispanic lady in L.A.  My pajamas ... were ... well, more risque in nature.  Mark was three shades of purple when she gave them to him.  We've also been given cards, Angels gear, produce fresh off the vine (my favorites were the avocados ... heavenly) and even a diamond-studded ring.

And really, I see why they do it.  Mark is a solid, steady problem solver who immediately brings respect and trust from the people he associates with.  He is one of the most aware, caring people I've ever met and he chose a profession perfect for him.  Even the business part seems to be coming easier for him; presentations, events, and business owner groups are a part of daily life.

Nice work, honey.

It has been so fun to watch you grow ... seem like it wasn't long ago that you were yanking on my foot a good 18 times or so, trying to get it to release.

Look at you now!

I knew I married a winner.

Allergies

So ... we recently made a new discovery.

Apparently, MacAlister is allergic to cats.

Our sweet old bachelor friend recently had a stroke and a heart attack (literally within hours of each other) and so we brought him dinner.

He's a real cat person.

I love cats; don't mind them a bit.

But Mark sure minds.

And poor Mac is caught in between.  He loves them, and has never had a problem ... but he's also never been scratched by one.

Sorry bud.
After seeing that reaction (this was after the swelling started to go down), even I will have to say ...

no kitties for us.

Making Our Mark

You know, it's looking like we might be leaving our lovely little California sometime soon.

Nothing is in stone, so you won't get many details from me yet ...

But I think we might be moving on.

And I'm finally feeling sad.

We've lived here five years now.  For three years and five months of that, we've been in school.  I can tell you that it's sure hard to be in school without having the feeling that you're just floating through this place.  We had that for sure; always thinking that we just needed to get through this and then we could get back to real lives.

But then we had the opportunity to work here.  To have an income, and really be a part of the community. And I've finally fallen in love with our ghetto little town.

I hope we've done things while we've been here.  I hope we've lived here; made a difference here.

At least ... I can say I know Belen has.

Two weeks ago, our church building got brand new carpets.

This little beauty decided it was the perfect time for a full-blown, new-born-baby-scale blow-out.  I'm talking neck to heels ... poop everywhere.  

Oh, and her sweet little friend happened to be playing with her ... and her shoes had broken earlier and she was therefore barefoot.

So yes, I can say that my daughter has indeed left her mark on this town.  Or at least on the carpet.

We'll be remembered here.

Adam and Samentha Gunn, Married August 17, 2013

And here we have yet another family wedding!

This time the beautiful couple was Mark's baby brother Adam and his sweetheart Samentha.

We did the drive to Utah together as a family for this wedding; which made it less stressful, more fun .... and extremely quick.  When you are married to a man who is building his own practice, you just don't want to be away from those patients for long!  Still, it was sure nice to have Markus around to tackle that 12 hour drive with me.

We went clear up to his sister Rachelle's house; and though it added an hour, it was worth it.  MacAlister and Belen each have cousins their exact age in that family, and they had a blast.  Not to mention how much I dearly love Rachelle.  That girl has got goodness flowing from her fingertips; she is a great example to me of a beautiful, strong, loving woman.

We got there at about three p.m. on Friday, got the kids settled, freshened up, then were back on the road at five for the wedding dinner.  Mama Gunn put it together, and it was gorgeous.  It was one of those restaurants where food is the experience, not just a necessary part of the evening.

We were able to sit and talk with Sam's siblings; all of which I adored.  Her parents are from Haiti, having come to Utah when they were newlyweds to be sealed; they had recently become members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints and wanted a family that would last through the eternities.  Sam's oldest brother Bedford is the first Haitian to be born under the covenant of eternal marriage, and he and the rest of his five siblings really are as awesome as that record would make you think.  I got to sit next to Stessie, a med school student in Nashville, who said that indeed every Sacrament meeting has a top-notch musical number right in the middle ... just as I suspected.

As our bellies began to fill, we read Rand's clever little poems that went along with the gifts from the family.  We presented them all, then the Gunn siblings began with the stories of Adam ... "We just want to make sure you know what you're getting yourself into," says Ben.

Well I can tell you, Adam is one great guy.  His siblings told story after story; each showing off his blunt, get-it-done, fun-loving (and food-loving) personality.  Zack told about how Adam jumped up in front of the crowd and lead a cheer during a depressing baseball game ... for a bowl of nachos.  Rachelle talked about his decision he made during that momentous time for the Gunn family; after their father died.  She said he knew that he could do whatever he wanted to and people would say, "Poor kid, just lost his dad."  But he didn't want to be that poor kid, and he knew his dad would never let him get away with it.  So he made a decision to make his life a good one.  Ben talked about earlier that day, when Katie had asked him if he was scared to get married in the morning.  Adam replied, "Why would I be scared?  It's not like this is a baseball game where I don't know if I'm going to win or lose.  What am I going to do tomorrow?  I'm marrying Sam."

I just love this Gunn boy.  He is one of the most honest, determined people I have ever met ... and he is an incredible role model for my son.  He loves children and baseball; which makes him a bit of a hero in our eyes.  He will be a fantastic husband and father; and with the beautiful, hard-working, soft-spoken, and loving wife he managed to woo, this Gunn family is headed for one party of an eternity.

Sarah ended our Gunn-schpiel with a duet by her and Adam.  They got all of us involved, and with Adam and Sam participating in key parts, we sang Adam's theme song as a family.  It's the Pete's Dragon theme song.  You can listen to it here.  Just know that it involves a lot of mumbling and "I love you's", and sums Adam up quite nicely.

Afterwards we heard story after sweet story about Sam; she is truly angelic!  The peacemaker in the home; every sibling had only good things to say.  Then the night came to an end and we made our way back.  MacAlister was alseep with a book on his chest ... in a room full of his sleeping boy cousins!  And so we left him be for his first sleepover ever.

The following morning was spent racing around, preparing for the ceremony.  We worried we would be the last ones through the door with the construction we had to fight, but bless Sam's heart, we made it in before she did.  I said hi to Adam in the front room of the Timpanogos Temple, and he replied, "Well, I hope she shows up."  But indeed she did, looking like an absolute princess.

The ceremony was sweet, only slightly marred by Adam's crocs.  (Mark would say they were the highlight.)  My favorite part was the kiss over the alter.  Sam had big ol' tears rolling down her cheeks, and after Adam laid a good solid smooch on her ... he wiped it off.  We all held back laughter.

And so, with that simple, powerful ceremony, the last of the eight Gunn siblings has been married.

We gathered up our children outside and waited for the arrival of the new couple ... giving me an opportunity to nearly blow up my camera with pictures of all these beautiful people.

And here we have essentially the same person at three different ages;
MacAlister, Mark, and Grandpa Smith ... aka the Duke.

Isn't she dreamy?  And preggo too!  I love this girl and can't wait for her to move to California.

Isn't Katie beautiful?  She insists that I never ever put pictures of her on here ... especially only a couple of months after having a baby.  But I'm telling you, I'd be doing the world a disservice.
And Belen in the corner down there is just so true-to-life.  "Don't you dare hold me," is what that pose says.

Mark's dad couldn't be there, as he passed away ten years ago.
However, his sister Melinda comes to nearly every family event, and I love talking to her.  She puts a lot of pieces together for me as I try to imagine the person Spencer Gunn was.

Grandpa Rand ... the good judge is just as pure as gold.  We love him.

These ladies, in addition to Sam, are the ladies I get to commiserate with when it comes to what-its-like-being-married-to-a-Gunn-boy.  They are so much fun!

These two didn't get to hold the title of "newlyweds" in the family for long ... they've got a solid two months under their belts now.  And they are absolutely adorable.  The perfect amount of PDA.  ;)

Presenting ... Mr. and Mrs. Gunn!  Ow ow!

The Dort-lady-hug

Mac was concerned about the formal picture-taking about to happen.  So Adam asked him how the Angels were doing.

Good-bye, grumpies!

Sam had a constant trail of little ladies following her.

Gracie even sang the wedding song.

The day ended with a real reception.  Food, dessert, and dancing!  (And her decorations were all yellow, lace, and burlap ... just like how I tried to do my sister's!)  The kids and sisters-in-law had a blast, and we even got to see a couple of the Gunn boys bust a move.  Not mine, of course, (not even Mac, as hard as Grandma tried) but a couple of the others.

We sent them off on Adam's big old motorcycle (which Mark drove to the reception and thereafter decided he desperately needed an upgrade from his own little 250) with a line of sparklers ... and off they went!

A beautiful day, well worth the drive.

Congratulations Adam and Sam, we sure love you two.