Christmas tree, O Christmas tree!

How tempting are your branches!

Our tradition has been to put the tree up on Thanksgiving day but, this year , my Grandma will be visiting us for Thanksgiving and we wanted her to see the house decorated. So we put up our tree on the 24th. Mackenzie has done really well with the " No touch, just look" policy although the first day she broke the policy and found herself in time out where she said over and over again " I'm sorry! No touch! Christree" .

First things first: Mike had to hunt out the " bad bulb" on our prelit tree!

After an hour of looking, a bit of sweat and a quick trip to the store for a replacement bulb, Mike had the tree ready for decorating:
We did most of the decorating while Mackenzie napped but left a few of the ornaments that were specifically for her out. Here's a picture of her getting her first glimpse of the "Christree" . She was excited, can you tell?

So hard not to touch!

The winds of change

News arrived that my brother-in-law, Ben , was awarded a promotion. It's a very hard earned, much deserved step up into regional management for the Albertson's food company. The promotion requires a move to Arizona. Ben, Nikki, Taylor and Coley are all very excited to explore new places. I am so proud of Ben and excited to see what great things lie ahead for the Hansfords. The selfish part of me quickly came to the realization that my trips home won't hold the same meaning since they won't be there. I am all the more grateful for the time Mack and I got in Colorado while everyone was together. And, on a happier note, it will be fun to explore Arizona!

Congratulations, Ben! Here are a few older pictures of the family:

Random thoughts on life from Mackenzie

When I go into get Mackenzie in the morning, she usually greets me with a little nugget of knowledge. It's as though she's been laying there pondering life and all it's questions. Sometimes she tell me about the stars or that the wheels on the bus do , in fact, go "roun an roun and roun"

Today she told me: " Candles fmell ( smell) good, yeah? Ok!"

Filling some big shoes

Or at least trying! Here are a few pics of Mackenzie trying out my heels:

She must have watched me putting them on before. She copied my form...hehe

She's only been walking for 7 months and she's already better in heels than I am.

La la la la! Elmo's world!

Many of you didn't know that Elmo frequents South Lyon, but he does...or he did! Grammy saw a posting outside one of the local restaurants that said Elmo would be visiting . It didn't take much persuading ( ok, it didn't take ANY persuading) to get us there. Here are some shots of Mackenzie meeting Elmo:

As the president of the Elmo fan club, Aunt Janet was on hand to welcome Elmo to South Lyon! We're always so glad to have " A" Janet in our family!
At first , Mackenzie didn't seem to really understand what was going. She had stars in her eyes and went right to him:
We were the first table Elmo visited. Mackenzie watched him mingling with the other kids and, when he made his way back toward us, she hopped off my lap and attached herself to Elmo's leg! She needed just one last hug! ( Am I the only one creeped out that Elmo has eyes in his mouth?)
Needless to say, my fears that she'd have trouble with Santa this year are gone! Thanks, Grammy, for a fun night!

Who knew flax could be so exciting!

While cleaning out the cupboards last week, I found an old container of flax seeds. Since they were far beyond their freshness date, I thought they'd be a great sensory tool for Mack and a great test for my new vacuum.

Shake! Shake!
Mackenzie kept saying " A mess!" There was a mess? I didn't see one!
That mess is no match for this mighty vacuuming ( bacuumin' in Mackenzien) duo:

My new best friend:

Family pics with a twist

Mike and Mack were wrestling on the floor and I couldn't help but snap some pics.
She's teething, can you tell? The four fingers in the mouth might be a good hint..
We also found a creative pose for family pictures. Mike is especially happy about those 65 lbs I lost this summer since he's at the bottom of the pile: