Category: Family Fun

We just returned from a trip to North Carolina to visit the fam there! For the first few days we were able to go to Myrtle Beach, South Carolina. It was a blast—fun and relaxing at the same time! Pace got a good deal on a big room at a kid-friendly resort, so we took some of the family with us and headed out there! Here are a few photo highlights:

We had 14 people staying in the big hotel room, and boy, was it a party! It was really fun to be able to have some of the relatives from the Keck side there with us. Chase finally met his second cousins Aden and Alex for the first time, and also got to play with Luke, who we haven’t seen since he was a baby. The adults also got to stay up late playing games and walking out on the beach after the kids were asleep. What a great trip!

And here’s a photo of all the cute little second cousins. (Hannah, Addison, and Kyle were not present but were missed!)

I recently realized that the ONLY photo we had of all 4 of us was a single family photo from Charlotte’s baby blessing. So I asked Rachel to take a few when we were out to dinner once, then out on a walk just today. So in addition to the baby blessing photo, these are the family photos we have now. Hmmmm. I think we need to practice more often…? Chase is quite the character in all of them– at least they’re realistic!

So Rachel is dating this Nathan guy, as of the last DTR update I heard that is, who knows if they are still. But we met him on Sunday for dinner. Didn’t seem like a bad guy, much less prissy than I thought he was going to be. Matter of fact turns out he is JUST like me… which is kinda weird Rachel. I’m sure it’s some sort of result of Rachel watching what an amazing husband I am to Joy, so when a package walked in front of her that was just like me she had to go for it.

Nathan is from CA; is going to become a lawyer; has been accepted to dozens of schools but is “waiting for Rachel” to decide on which one he ends up at; he has dark hair and colored eyes; the image on the left is what shows up if you search for his name on google images; he has a good sense of technology; he prefers to do it yourself; he rides a scooter; he doesn’t let people comment on his blog; he is as sarcastic, if not more, than me; he doesn’t facebook; he does twit; he’s older than Rachel; Rachel thinks he’s great;

So there you go, Nathan in a nutshell. NOW in talking with Nathan he’s a big sports guy and said he would come play some softball with me tomorrow. We’ll see how trustworthy he is at 6:30pm; but as softball is a great bonding time I wanted to throw out the opportunity for McBlog readers to contribute questions I should ask while we are standing in the outfield waiting for balls (baseballs), or maybe he’ll answer them right here! Even faster gratification.

Ok I’ll start:
What do you like about Rachel?
Why didn’t you catch that ball!?
Where would you live after you finished law school?
What side of the bed do you sleep on?
Do you think kids should be born? How many?

Everyone slept through the night last night! WHAT relief! And no, I didn’t do anything different. I know that Chase was just waking up because he had been sick, so I’m glad he’s gotten back to sleeping the whole night through. And I don’t know why Charlotte did, or whether it will continue this way, but we’ll take what we can get! 🙂

Not to complain… but OK here’s just one complaint….  The last few nights have been completely pointless in terms of sleep. Each night Chase has woken up 2-3 times, and SO has Charlotte. So we’re up with kids about 6 times a night. Usually I get up but sometimes Pace does too because otherwise I think I would die. It’s double the nighttime excitement around here now! I feel/look like a zombie and when I’m talking to Chase throughout the day I can hardly think, so I say all these wrong, incoherent words. I was hoping with all my heart that Charlotte would be a good sleeper, but at the moment it’s not working out that way. If I don’t make it to write the next post, you can assume I am no longer alive………..

There’s always a new challenge along with our progress in life, so we can’t be constantly looking to the next step and anticipating complete bliss. For me it’s been quite a challenge to take care of both Chase’s and Charlotte’s needs simultaneously. But I am so grateful for them; it dawns on me over and over again that I have two (cute) kids, and I am overwhelmed by the love I have for them.

It seems that with every milestone, or every corner I turn in life, I think OK NOW everything will get easier and be so much better (and sometimes that does happen). But people are right when they say just enjoy the moment, because I’ve found that there is something really great and also something rather trying in every stage of life! As the Trace Adkins song goes, “You’re gonna miss this, you’re gonna want this back, you’re gonna wish these days hadn’t gone by so fast. These are some good times, so take a good look around. You may not know it now, but you’re gonna miss this…” (and there are times that I have to REMIND myself that I’m gonna miss this, even when it’s hard to believe!)

Lately, Chase wakes up in the morning and immediately begs me to let him go outside to ride his bike. Does he want to play in our nice fenced-in backyard where he doesn’t require much supervision? Nope. He just wants to run free! (Right now he is standing here begging, “please please please!!!!”) I would let him just run around out there like kids used to in the olden days, which would be swell, but we’ve had 2 kidnapping attempts in our area (that I know of), so I can’t do that. So Chase gets to practice patience by waiting until Charlotte and I are both ready to go out there. Don’t worry, we generally get out there at least twice per day!

Chase LOVES to be outside playing and riding his bike, but it’s a little more challenging now to be out there all day watching him. I have a little baby who likes to nap in her crib, not in my arms. And then there’s the neglected housework… People always say just enjoy your kids and forget about the housework, but I’m sorry to say that housework needs to happen sometimes, too! I actually like to keep the house clean, and feel really good when it’s super clean, but it is nearly impossible now with 2 kids to care for! I am trying to NOT care about the messes…

Charlotte is a sweet baby who is showing her personality more and more all the time. Sometimes Chase will be playing with her and she doesn’t want him to, so she starts shrieking/squawking at him, like she’s telling him to back off! It’s funny. Lately she takes quick naps and sometimes wakes up 2-4 times a night, despite my concentrated Babywise efforts. I am trying to read more to get ideas about what might be up. She is super smiley most of the time, but then sometimes she is VERY fussy, and I think I owe that to the teething that the pediatrician confirmed she is experiencing. Mostly she just wants to be held, and gets upset when I put her in her swing so I can attempt a few dishes. Right now I’m typing with one hand while I hold her!

So yeah, motherhood is very challenging yet so rewarding at the same time! Chase is still quite strong-willed, but he is also a sharp, hilarious, helpful boy. Overall, life is really good; among other things I am glad that it’s been so nice outside, that we have fun kids, that we have good health, and that Pace has a job that pays the bills!

So big fatty McGowan, challenged big fatty me to a weigh off!! Here’s how it works: every year on each of our respective birthdays we get on a scale, the fatter of the two people has to buy dinner. Done, that’s it. Oh and Jason gets a handicap to help his motivation. For the next two years, until we are both 30, Jason gets a 5 lbs handicap. So fatty McG, let the games begin!!!! I’m gonna crush you in 2010.

It was that perfectly gorgeous, green time of year in California when we visited my parents last weekend! Chase was amazingly well-behaved because there was so much to do and different people to hang out with the whole time. Ongoing fun, attention, & entertainment are what that boy loves best!

A Few Highlights:

– We got to spend time together as a family (part of the family). Chase especially loved Uncle Gino, as usual!

– Tractor & 4-wheeler rides

– Grandma and I took Chase to Traintown and to feed the ducks! And he got to have a little Easter candy hunt.

– My two closest high school friends, Jamie and Elisa came to visit, along with cute Sherrie Wiseman. 

– We pigged out twice at In ‘n’ Out, my favorite fast food ever! 

– We got our teeth cleaned at my dad’s office (and my 2 cavities filled), always a good thing. Thanks Dad!

I’ll let Pace post about the little camping trip the guys went on.  Thanks SO much, Parents, for having us! It was a nice break from the usual routine. I’ll post a few more photos soon!