Did you notice the puddle he's standing in? I think maybe his Grandpa McKinley gave him this idea last summer...
How about some live action shots! (Warning: This footage may be a little "dirty" for younger viewers. :-) )
Kaden is doing great. (Sorry I've been so lacks on blog updates :-\). As you can see he continues to grow and change :( but he's still incredibly cute! Lately he's had a lot of fun being a cool dude with his sunglasses on. He also loves his soccer onesy that his Stouffer cousins sent him. :)
I can't think of anything else exciting to share right now.....must be the memory lapse and brain freezes I'm starting to have since I have a muffin in the oven now! (at least that is my excuse!) :)
Have a great weekend!
--Kaden's and someone elses mom :-D
After 7 1/2 years of hard work, blood, sweat, tears, late nights, early mornings, moving to Colorado, running a marathon, having insomnia, breaking a few toes, moving back from Colorado and then going back to Colorado to do more measurements, writing a 160+ page dissertation, developing a 50+ slide powerpoint presentation, adopting a beautiful boy, and climbing a volcano, (did I leave anything out?), Mike McKinley finally graduated from Georgia Tech!!!
Wait, this one is probably better. :-D
Betty and Jerry saluting Dr. Mike!
We're all happy to smile for the camera, as Kaden looks off in the distance having some deep, existential thoughts I would guess...
Kaden was diggin' the tassel.
As shocking as this is to believe, it appears that Kaden preferred going to the Varsity over sitting in a 3 hour graduation for 800 students. Go figure...
Kaden's Mom and Dr. Mike's wife :)
I had never been evacuated before last Thursday. As a child, I had to grab the cat and duck under the staircase with my mom and my brother to seek protection from a hurricane. As an adult, I've grabbed the dog and Kaden and jumped in the bathtub seeking safety from nearby tornadoes. But until last week, running from a fire was only something I had seen on television..jpg)
So, I did. I saw large puffs of smoke, but it seemed fairly far away. Then about 30 minutes later a neighbor or two called and we decided to watch the news, keep an eye on all the hubbub. A little while later we found out that Dana had a sheriff at her door ordering her to evacuate. (They live about 3-4 streets over from my in-laws where we were staying). About 7, I opened the front door and a huge wave of smoke came in the house. I could barely see the neighbors house across the street. No sheriff was at our door, but we quickly decided to 'head out of Dodge'.
This morning 2 year old Emmett wanted to climb up into "Aunt Chewin's" lap, so of course Kaden had to as well.
And how about some video! Here are Owen and Kaden enjoying the tire swing at the Ponderosa elementary playground.
Sheesh, lately my husband is just SO defensive!! Well, okay, he's mostly defensive about his Phd....which of course he needs to be since his oral defense is scheduled for THIS Thursday, June 26th!!!! 
Does he look stressed? tired? defensive??? Meanwhile, back at the ranch....Kaden and I are almost packed for our big trip, but more on that in my next post!
And now for a few more pictures from the aquarium and other recent adventures...
Kaden in the foreground; Beluga whale in the background...
Kaden not too sure he likes the safari ride...
That's all for today. I need to get back to packing and preparing "honey, i love you" leftovers for the freezer. :)
Jumpin Kaden Flash
They also partook of some "delish" bbq ribs at a restaurant called "Spiced Right" (pronounced "Spie -hhhhhhssssssd Raahhhhhht"). Kaden loved having the focused attention of two generous aunts. I don't think he whined the whole week! :)
Traversing "the Aunts"...
So, Aunt Eugenia, are you and Aunt Ethel going to stay a really long time so I can keep getting all of this attention?? :)
McGee Family Reunion
I always enjoy spending time with the McGee family....partly because we see "eye to eye" on a lot of things. :-) The McGee side is where the height comes from. So my uncle George who was 6'6'' and my dad who's 6'5'' owe their great stature to the McGees. I, too, have been told that I exhibit above average height, but I feel right at home when talking with fellow McGees. It's nice to not have to look down on people (ha, ha, ha).Wild Kingdom!
Some of these shots from the safari are a little hard to make out. We were trying to take shots while IN the van so it was hard to get much distance between us and the camera. In this first one, a gregarious Giraffe is happy to put her head in Jim's lap while getting some treats.
I've never seen my mother hop so fast as when this steer stuck his tongue in her window. It's hard to tell but she is more than half way OFF her bucket seat. My brother and I were quick to offer some support so she didn't fall on the floor. I'm not sure why mom was so jumpy! It looks like a very friendly steer to me!! :-D
Kaden wasn't too sure about this safari thing at first, but before long he warmed up to the idea. He even fed a llama, an elk, some deer and some goats! (Llama pictured below).
Lastly, my dad got some good shots of a colt zebra prancing about....
Photo Sharing - Video Sharing - Photo Printing - Photo Books
And now for some video!!! Here are some shots from our recent trip to Destin. Enjoy!!
The past several weeks have been quite busy! Sorry I got a bit lax on the blogging!! To make up for it, I have several updates. Today I'll post pictures and tomorrow I'll try to get some video posted. Notice that these updates will be backwards and therefore, my GOLB (that's Blog backwards for you slower types... :) )
Update #1
Update #2Update #3
Jumping back a week, we had Easter!!!! Say what?? Yes, that's right...we celebrated Easter on April 27th and it was great! In update #5, you will learn that we recently joined the Orthodox Church of America (OCA). The Orthodox calendar is different from the Protestant/American calendar. Don't ask me to explain it...but one thing I do know is that Orthodox Easter will ALWAYS come after Passover, never before.
SO , anyway, our church had a ton of services, it got tiring at times, but it was also one of the most beautiful things I have ever experienced. Kaden was quite a trooper, lasting through so much. They do an amazing job of honoring Christ's crucifixion and ressurrection. I'm thankful God gave us the endurance to participate and celebrate the Easter services. I even read some scripture in french! Christ is Risen! Indeed, He is risen!! Le Christ est ressuccite!!
Update #4
About a month ago, we did a play date with some Atlanta friends who also have an adorable son from Guatemala. Jadon graciously shared his toys with Kaden and even let Fezzi lick on him some! :)
Kaden and Jadon
Jessica and Jadon (and Fezzi)
More to come with my GOLB updates...
Kaden and I returned from my parents house today. We spent the weekend with mom while my dad was off gallavanting across the Utah ski hills with my brother's family. I don't have any video from the weekend, but I promise that Kaden was as cute as ever. He continues to walk...with increasing speed each day. And he will often refer to Mike as "dada" or start saying something that sounds a lot like "fezzi" when we're looking for the dog. HOWEVER, He only smiles at me and giggles when I try to get him to say "mama". Wuzzup widdat??
The Navy and the Army
Speaking of "dada", Mike is already trying to expose Kaden to the military..sort of.:-) In honor of both of our fathers, Mike sang the Navy and the Army anthems, and Kaden marched onward!
Saint Patrick's Day
Happy Saint Patrick's Day! And HAPPY BIRTHDAY to my friend Amy who's birthday is today! :)
Did you know that Saint Patrick was an Orthodox Priest? I didn't. One of the ladies at our church sent this history of Saint Patrick below. I thought it was an interesting read.
St Patrick the Bishop of Armagh and Enlightener of Ireland
Commemorated on March 17
Saint Patrick, the Enlightener of Ireland was born around 385, the son of Calpurnius, a Roman decurion (an official responsible for collecting taxes). He lived in the village ofBannavem Taberniae, which may have been located at the mouth of the Severn River in Wales. The district was raided by pirates when Patrick was sixteen, and he was one of those taken captive. He was brought to Ireland and sold as a slave, and was put to work as a herder of swine on a mountain identified with Slemish in Co. Antrim. During his period of slavery, Patrick acquired a proficiency in the Irish language which was very useful to him in his later mission.
He prayed during his solitude on the mountain, and lived this way for six years. He had two visions. The first told him he would return to his home. The second told him his ship was ready. Setting off on foot, Patrick walked two hundred miles to the coast. There he succeeded in boarding a ship, and returned to his parents in Britain.
Some time later, he went to Gaul and studied for the priesthood at Auxerre under St Germanus (July 31). Eventually, he was consecrated as a bishop, and was entrusted with the mission to Ireland, succeeding St Palladius (July 7). St Palladius did not achieve much success in Ireland. After about a year he went to Scotland, where he died in 432.
Patrick had a dream in which an angel came to him bearing many letters. Selecting one inscribed "The Voice of the Irish," he heard the Irish entreating him to come back to them.
Although St Patrick achieved remarkable results in spreading the Gospel, he was not the first or only missionary in Ireland. He arrived around 432 (though this date is disputed), about a year after St Palladius began his mission to Ireland. There were also other missionaries who were active on the southeast coast, but it was St Patrick who had the greatest influence and success in preaching the Gospel of Christ. Therefore, he is known as "The Enlightener of Ireland."
His autobiographical Confession tells of the many trials and disappointments he endured. Patrick had once confided to a friend that he was troubled by a certain sin he had committed before he was fifteen years old. The friend assured him of God's mercy, and even supported Patrick's nomination as bishop. Later, he turned against him and revealed what Patrick had told him in an attempt to prevent his consecration. Many years later, Patrick still grieved for his dear friend who had publicly shamed him.
St Patrick founded many churches and monasteries across Ireland, but the conversion of the Irish people was no easy task. There was much hostility, and he was assaulted several times. He faced danger, and insults, and he was reproached for being a foreigner and a former slave. There was also a very real possibility that the pagans would try to kill him. Despite many obstacles, he remained faithful to his calling, and he baptized many people into Christ.
The saint's Epistle to Coroticus is also an authentic work. In it he denounces the attack of Coroticus' men on one of his congregations. The Breastplate (Lorica) is also attributed to St Patrick. In his writings, we can see St Patrick's awareness that he had been called by God, as well as his determination and modesty in undertaking his missionary work. He refers to himself as "a sinner," "the most ignorant and of least account," and as someone who was "despised by many." He ascribes his success to God, rather than to his own talents: "I owe it to God's grace that through me so many people should be born again to Him."
By the time he established his episcopal See in Armargh in 444, St Patrick had other bishops to assist him, many native priests and deacons, and he encouraged the growth of monasticism.
St Patrick is often depicted holding a shamrock, or with snakes fleeing from him. He used the shamrock to illustrate the doctrine of the Holy Trinity. Its three leaves growing out of a single stem helped him to explain the concept of one God in three Persons. Many people now regard the story of St Patrick driving all the snakes out of Ireland as having no historical basis.
St Patrick died on March 17, 461 (some say 492). There are various accounts of his last days, but they are mostly legendary. Muirchu says that no one knows the place where St Patrick is buried. St Columba of Iona (June 9) says that the Holy Spirit revealed to him that Patrick was buried at Saul, the site of his first church. A granite slab was placed at his traditional grave site in Downpatrick in 1899.
To read about the life of St. Patrick, see: http://matushkaelizabeth.vox.com/library/post/st-patrick-enlightener-of-ireland.html
Mike's parents and sister flew down from Spokane, Washington and Sun Valley, Idaho, respectively, for the occasion. My uncle Jerry and aunt Betty flew down from Cincinnati too! We were very blessed to have so many loved ones share this special weekend with us. :)
