Real cowboys...

 ...sleep with their boots on!  This kid's obsession with hats has carried over to boots.  Although, he still favors the hat quite a bit.  But when he can combine the two of them...well, H-E-A-V-E-N!  

He absolutely refused to let us take them off for the night.  Once he was asleep, those boots could finally catch a break.

A picture of the hat-boot combo.  This horse was graciously donated to McRae by one of my Laurels who also happens to love horses.  Needless to say, she'd outgrown it and was looking for a suitable owner.  Once she was assured that McRae's obsession was not some fleeting thing, she lovingly passed the horse on to us.  It's been a big hit...as you can clearly see.

S-I-C-K

A few days after all of our Thanksgiving fun, our little buddy came down with a stomach bug.  While the worst of it (incessant diarrhea and some vomiting) only lasted for 12 hours, its effects lingered for nearly two weeks.  The poor guy would wake up with stomach cramps and there was little we could do to console him.  WOW!!  Healthy kids are not to be taken for granted.  Having just reflected on our blessings during Thanksgiving, I was especially aware of how fortunate we are to enjoy the good health we have as a family.  This was probably the first time McRae has been really sick for more than a day.  We are fortunate to live in an era (and a country) where access to good care and treatment is an option.   

 

 Thankfully McRae had a great disposition through the whole ordeal.  In fact, when he saw me snapping pictures of him on the floor, he even tried to sit up and smile for me.  Sweet boy!!  Of course I missed the smile because I wasn't expecting him to sit up; I caught him in motion.  Also...what 2 year old do you know that cleans up his own puke?  That's right.  Mine does.  We were sitting on the coach and he started making the noises that mean puking is eminent, so I quickly grabbed his blanket and held it up to his mouth.  Fortunately that caught most of the mess.  After I got McRae cleaned up--and a new blanket--I started to clean the couch.  McRae came right behind me and started to clean up with his new, clean blanket.  That pretty much made my heart melt and I quickly explained that mama would take care of it.  What a sweet, helper boy!

 We lovingly refer to this position as the "stink bug" in my family.  Try it next time you have some stomach cramps.  It's a dandy.  I was impressed that McRae instinctively knew this would help.

Seconds later.  His poor, exhausted body was overcome with sleep...right there on the tile floor.  Poor kid.  Thank heavens he's healthy now!  Now...just to remember that when his seemingly never-ending energy is wearing me out!

Gobble, Gobble. Hobble, Hobble.

Three years ago, my family started hosting our own Family Turkey Trot on Thanksgiving Day.  Who wants to pay the entry fee and fight the crowds on a busy holiday morning?  Although, we are becoming quite the crowd ourselves--but a very enjoyable one, I must say.  Kids bike, run or roller-blade.  Adults run, walk and push babies in strollers.  It's a good time and a great way to make some extra room for an afternoon feast.

This year, we had a special guest from the Thanksgiving Turkey himself.  Even with the warmer weather and possibility of overheating, this Turkey beat the majority of us and made for a very fun surprise!  I wish I had snapped a picture of the whole gang, but we only got one of our family...with our phone no less, so not the greatest quality.

 We ran 3 miles and walked the last mile.  (My hips, at 22 weeks here, are starting to feel the stress of carrying some extra weight...so any more than three miles and I'm doin' a little hobble for the rest of the day.  For documentation purposes, I had just run another 5k the Saturday prior and did it in 26:24--or an 8:38 min/mile pace.  Not too shabby for being 21 1/2 weeks along.)  McRae found our little outing the perfect opportunity to sneak in a snooze before a great feast.

The rest of the day was spent in food preparation and consumption.  Dan and Louise hosted this year.  Amy's family, Phil's family, and Mom and Dad joined us for the eating.  (Along with a sweet family from Dan and Louise's ward.)  John's family came after dinner was officially over--but the eating and snacking were still going on, let's be honest--and joined in with some great visiting.

It was a lovely day surrounded by some of our most treasured blessings--family, health and happiness.  We are very grateful.  

Pancho and Lefty

One of my darling nephews came to spend a few days with us before Thanksgiving.  McRae was in heaven!  He was just so excited to have a buddy around 24-7.  They loved sleeping together, going to the park, reading books, and even sharing toys and exchanging some hugs.  It was so cute to hear McRae cheering his cousin on and giving him praises.  If he shared, McRae was quick to say, "Oh!  Dank choo, Day-bid."  (aka "thank you"--in his cute little voice that I wish I could replicate with written word.)  Or, upon completion of a puzzle..."Good dob, Day-bid!  Good!"
After two days, the novelty wore off some and sharing with each other wasn't quite as enticing, but they still played really well together for the most part.  The highlight of the trip was a visit to Mima and Papa's house where the boys were in cowboy heaven.  They got to ride Sunshine a few times, and when she wasn't available, the stick horses were fine substitutes.  Well....see for yourself!
Lil' nephew is obsessed with "The Lone Ranger".  McRae has recently been introduced to it himself and his response hasn't differed much from his cousin's.  

(Finally!!!  After a week of trying to figure out how to get this video posted to my blog--with some new software/equipment--I got it!!  Hallelujah!)

The Many Hats of McRae

Our buddy has an obsession with hats.  Color, shape and size are of no importance.  Unless, of course, it fits just right.  It either has to be way too big or way too small.  The obsession started this summer and it's been going strong every month sense.  Here's a chronological view of his months of hats.

JUNE

This is probably where the hat obsession first began.  Cousin Tucker's hat was just right!

 He just couldn't get enough of himself in Dad's hat.  Unfortunately, this hat has been damaged beyond repair and is now part of our dress-up collection.  Dad needs a new hat.

JULY

Representin' SNAP fitness.


Boots and a cowboy hat found at Nana and Papa's.  Apparently, that's all he needed wear that day.

 And, we take skin care seriously around here.  This hat was simply to help protect  him from the sun while working with Dad in the yard.

 AUGUST

This hat was lovingly donated by the Wright cousins.  Notice the boots.  Mix-n-match...any hat goes with any boots.  Simplifying at its finest. 

 This is Papa L.'s Indiana Jones hat.  But it doubles as a train conductor hat, too.


SEPTEMBER

Papa L.'s hat and boots make for a good time.


 

Ahhh.  Another cowboy hat found at Mima and Papa's.  This guy can't get on a horse (real or pretend) without a hat.  Those two things just go together, don't ya know?

OCTOBER

And the hat made famous in our Halloween post earlier this year.  This beauty was one of his most prized birthday gifts.  Let's just say that we're definitely getting our money's worth out of that little expenditure.  

NOVEMBER

And doesn't he just look as handsome as ever in this beautiful garden hat made by his cousin, Shay.  Don't let the serenity fool you, he can still wield a mean light-saber while wearing such a masterpiece.

This boy loves his hats.  He wears them to the store, the library and to bed.  He's tried taking them to church too, but we drew the line there.  Sad day.  It's almost impossible to find a picture in our collection these days that doesn't include him wearing some type of hat.  Oh this boy...heart-melter, I tell ya!  

Thank You, Universe!

I just finished reading The Alchemist by Paulo Coelho this past week.  To sum it up, it's a quick, interesting read about pursuing your own personal legend and not giving up no matter what obstacles may arise.  Very thought provoking--to say the least.

Anyway...one of the recurrent themes throughout the book is that if you really want something, the whole universe (i.e. God) conspires in helping you to achieve it, and you must be attentive and follow the signs when they appear to assist you.  Will you be in tune when the signs are shown to you or will you be distracted by other alluring alternatives?  Will you settle for less than your legend because your life is already "good enough"?  Will you give in to the notion that you can't shape your future and that your life is controlled by fate?  So many distractions to keep us from reaching our personal legends...will you stay true to your legend?

So...the basis of this summary is to say that 1) you should consider reading the book because it just may inspire you and 2) to inform you that the universe recently conspired in my behalf.  Ok, so really...I'm sure that my personal legend is not to win contests that allow you to get really great deals on maternity active wear, but I won't complain when it happens!  And I do have to say...I encounter 3 different obstacles along the way to entering said contest, yet I persisted and the universe came back to reward me.

Well--in actuality--the lovely ladies at fit2bmom are the kind givers of the gift.  And it wouldn't be very gracious of me to fore-go mentioning how absolutely wonderful they have been to work with.  Yes...the prices are a little high (but really, have you ever tried to find true maternity active wear--it isn't easy and it isn't cheap...like multiply regular maternity clothing costs by 10) but the quality product and customer service can't be beat.  And it's hard to put a price tag on those sorts of things.

So, there's a little plug for fit2bmom--if you happen to be in the market for some maternity active wear--and for The Alchemist, if you happen to be looking for a quick, easy and thought-provoking read.  

"I was runnin'..."

This past weekend our town had a little "Run and Ride" event to celebrate the grand opening of a new freeway exit that will benefit our community.  (We'll just ignore the fact that it isn't actually open yet....sigh...four more days!)  We participated in the 5k walk/run as a family--our first official family 5k.  Brian was a trooper.  I don't think he's ran that far in over a year, and yet...cold turkey, he did it.  Amazing!  I pushed the little man in the stroller and I don't know if it was the stroller or the fact that I'm 21 weeks pregnant, but it wasn't as easy as it always has been.  We finished in 30:10...a 9:45 pace overall...which, given the aforementioned circumstances, makes me pretty proud.

And here's our proof....

The proof that we finished and lived to tell about it...even had some smiles left!

 And the proof that I'm pregnant and have reached the half-way mark.  So far, 10 pounds gained...awesome. No really.  Compared to last pregnancy...that's awesome!

And as if I wasn't already looking haggard enough for family pictures, why not appear on a local news station?  Yeah, that's right.  Whose brilliant idea was that?  Maybe the guy just felt sorry for me.  Anyway, here's my claim to fame.  

(On second thought, I've decided to take the link to the video out.  I didn't realize it named our town, the freeway and the surrounding exits.  So, if you'd really like to see it after all, email me and I'll send you the link.) 

Facing Doubts

Just this past week, McRae has added some new words to his vocabulary.  We hear them most frequently when he doesn't want to do something--like go to bed.  They're not naughty words by any means, but for some reason when I hear them, they may as well be.  My heart just gets sad....I don't know--pregnancy hormones?  Over-reacting?  Quite possibly.  "The words", you ask?  Ah, the infamous words are, "I can't."  Those two measly words are like fingernails on a chalkboard to this mother.  I don't care for those words a whole lot and I've worked pretty hard to rid them from my vocabulary altogether.  (And especially my thinking!)  So, where did he learn that from?  I've analyzed and over-analyzed anything that Brian and I say, and I'm pretty sure he didn't learn it from us--thankfully--but he's still learned it from somewhere!

The thing that breaks my heart the most about it is that it seems the moment you start believing you can't do something, you quit being a kid.  I mean, that is the magic of childhood and innocence, right?  Believing you can be or do anything your heart desires.  Only grumpy teens and grown-ups give in to the notion that "they can't."

I'm sure I've way over-analyzed this, but it has given me some precious moments of quiet reflection.  Particularly about how I am--as a mother--going to teach my children that they CAN do anything they set their mind to do--provided they're willing to put forth the effort required.  If I had to pick the most precious truth I've learned in the past 14 months or so, it would definitely be this...that with the Lord's help, I can do anything.  Nothing is beyond my reach.  It might require a lot of work, sacrifice, blood, sweat, tears and possibly/probably some pain before I get there, but that will just make reaching my destination that much sweeter in the end.  I guess I always knew this, but I didn't really know it.  Does that make sense?  I don't think any truth has been as life-altering for me as this one has.  And because I've experienced the joy that comes from this knowledge, I naturally want my children to have it to.

So, how do I best teach it?  By continuing to challenge myself, by setting righteous goals and working towards them--never giving up until they're met and not stopping once they are.  To keep progressing.  So, what does all this mean?  A lot of hard work and dedication on my part, which I know will be exhausting at times, but it is absolutely necessary for them to see me succeeding and triumphing over doubt and fear and things that just seem "hard".  And someday...when they face their own battles (because some day their challenges will be greater than just going to bed when they don't want to), they'll see that person in the mirror and know with unwavering faith that they can do anything they set their mind to do.  And "I can't" will be forever absent from their way of thinking and their speech...once and for all!    

If it ain't broke...

...then don't fix it!  At least that's what Brian and I decided (as well as the person who coined that phrase to begin with).  I mean, we liked the way our recipe turned out for BOY #1 so well that we thought we'd give it another go and have BOY #2. Well, at least we're pretty sure we're having a boy.  The baby was a little modest today so the Dr. said while she's pretty confident its a boy, we'll take another peek next month just to be sure.  We couldn't be more thrilled!  Yay for healthy babies!  

A Yee-Haw-llo-ween!

Any guesses what McRae was for Halloween this year?  That's right...we weren't about to fight a battle of keeping a costume on a 2-year-old, so we opted for something we knew he would have absolutely no reservations about wearing.  Pretty cute, don't you think?

Brian was worried his play rope would end up missing after the night was over but our lil' cowboy didn't let it go for one second.

 And just because he's as cute as can be, don't be fooled into thinking that he can't take care of business when duty calls...

 ...like when an evil Darth Vader tries to take over the ranch, our trusty cowboy is here to fend him off.  (That stick horse turns into a pretty good weapon, it seems.)

 

 And here our cowboy is running him off the premises for good.  I think Darth Vader had had enough...and definitely more than he bargained for from our lil' cowboy.  Little did Vader know that our cowboy has had some prior training in light-saber wars with his older cousin.  Needless to say, he's always willing to improve on said skills/training.  Thanks for the fun time Vader!

Short and Sweet...

...is exactly what I've got to keep this post in order to keep my eyes from welling up with tears.  My baby is turning 2 tomorrow.  As I put him down to sleep tonight, I realized that I can't really call him my baby anymore...I mean, he's a full-fledged toddler-- a walking, talking, and sometimes-ornery-but-mostly-sweet toddler.  I thought of these past two years and all that we've learned and I started getting a little misty-eyed.  But then I considered all that he still has to teach me and all we'll continue to learn together and that just got me excited!  Life with this guy is always an adventure.  So, sleep well tonight, my darlin'--because we've got some serious playing and exploring to do tomorrow!

Near Miss

Picture this scenario with me for a sec....

Young mother at church is taking her toddler to the nursery.  Her toddler happens to be a little extra clingy today--which means he's got a death grip on both of her legs.  Despite the extra weight and unsteady gait, the mother keeps heading towards the door where both of the toddler's teachers are waiting to greet him.  Somehow the toddler's feet get tangled up in his mother's and he trips.  As he trips, he maintains this death grip on mother's legs.  Mother is wearing a skirt--a somewhat sleek and silky skirt--and as the toddler falls to the ground, mother's skirt falls with him.  To her ankles.  Mother moves faster than Chuck Norris to get her skirt back up to where it belongs while nursery teachers look at her with jaws agape.   

Wow!  Good thing that was just a "hypothetical" scenario, right?  I mean, can you imagine?  How embarassing!  And the poor nursery leaders would've been scarred for life--and nobody knows if anybody happened to catch the whole thing from behind.  Good thing it was all just a made up story, huh?  Talk about a near miss!

(And for the record, because this is my personal record...it must be said that this situation actually did happen *ahem...to me...ahem* today.  My saving grace is that as my skirt went down, my slip remained in place--and because my slip happened to be the same color as my skirt--and because of my catlike reflexes, of course--it all happened so fast it could've been considered an optical illusion.  Oh how I love clingy toddlers!)

Sweet Dreams

For some reason--this pregnancy--I haven't been able to sleep really well. I've even made a concerted effort to get to bed earlier in order to rest these tired bones, but I usually wake up in the middle of the night (sometimes more than once) and have difficulty falling back to sleep. It doesn't help that I've been having crazy dreams either. (Is it just me, or does pregnancy give you some WEIRDO-where-in-the-world-did-that-come-from-dreams, or what?) I don't really remember not sleeping well with the first pregnancy. I mean, with the exception of midnight trips to the restroom during the first trimester, I slept like a champ--yes, even through the third trimester. My sweet baby didn't drop until the last minute, which meant little to no pressure on my bladder, and consequently, no middle of the night interruptions. This pregnancy, however, has been a totally different story. Now that I'm in the 2nd trimester, the midnight trips have subsided greatly, but I'm still sleeping pretty restlessly and having frequent interruptions anyway. Hmpf! Me with lack of sleep = not so happy camper. But, I've been staying content for the most part--just really tired.

Now that that overly long tangent is out of the way, we can get to the meat of the post here. Since we've been traveling quite a bit lately, I've had more than my fair share of occupying a room (and sometimes a bed) with my dear toddler. Definitely not my favorite thing in the world and it's probably contributing to my overall sleep deprivation. But, while I'm not sleeping so well, I've come to learn that my little buddy is doing just fine in that department. In fact, he's enjoying his sleep and dreams so much, he talks in his sleep--like, every night. And that's pretty impressive and all when your vocabulary isn't too fine tuned just yet. Just the other night, I woke up to giggles and him saying, "That's funny," in his overly cute voice. But, my favorite of all--so far, anyway--was the night I woke up to a giant, rip-roarin' "YEE-HAW!" I'm tellin' ya, I want some of whatever kind of sleep he's having. Doesn't that just sound like fun?

Over the Hump

And on to the BUMP--baby bump that is!!  That's right--this is an official announcement that I'm just over 14 weeks pregnant and we couldn't be more thrilled!  The evidence is starting to speak for itself, so I figured I'd save friends and loved ones from any awkward moments the next time you see me. 

I'm one of those fortunate women who doesn't suffer much with physical ailments throughout my pregnancies.  I rarely deal with bouts of morning sickness or find myself hugging porcelain.  My biggest physical setback is extreme exhaustion and some pretty strong food aversions (which, unfortunately includes veggies), but those usually subside after the first trimester--so, I think I am even starting to see some light at the end of that tunnel.  So, I'll continue to count my blessings that this has been the case so far.  But, before you women who do happen to suffer physically through your pregnancies start to roll your eyes in disgust, just know that my pregnancies aren't without some sacrifice.  It just happens that my sacrifice comes mostly in the form of mental and emotional.  At least the last one did.  But, I've had a lot of internal growth since then, and I'm counting on a happier and healthier pregnancy/recovery this time around.  For starters, I didn't throw in the towel with exercise at 10 weeks (like last time) even when the exhaustion was seemingly unbearable.  I still got myself up at 4:40 a.m. and met my group of dedicated runners a few times a week. (Bless them!!!)  Even though I feel heavy and sluggish during the process, I'm convinced it's keeping my mood and mindset light and upbeat throughout the day.  I plan to keep exercising for the rest of this pregnancy--with moderations made towards the latter part, of course.  And while exercise will help, I think my biggest asset will be keeping an attitude of gratitude.  Gratitude for who I am, for what God has given me, and for a healthy body and baby for Pete's sake!  So, when the pounds start creeping on and things start expanding at lightening speed, I'm not going to fight them or hate the process.  Instead, I'm gonna embrace it, and love myself through the whole process, remembering who I am and what I came here to do, and thanking a loving Heavenly Father for giving me this opportunity in the first place!  I am blessed....

And just maybe this little clip will help on those days where it gets a little rough...



(McRae and I both happened to love this clip when we saw it on Sesame Street yesterday morning!)

What do you do in the summertime...

...when it's 110+ degrees outside?  (Or when it's STILL 100+ at the end of September?)  I'm thinking McRae has the right idea....ANYTHING WITH WATER!!

 Go swimming with cousins.  We had these two cuties for a few days in hopes to give their mom some time to recover a bit after having her 6th baby.  We had fun playing, playing and more playing!!  

We also took a Mom and Tot session of swim lessons in the early summer.  I mostly wanted to get McRae used to the water and to learn some basic water safety (blowing bubbles, how to climb out of a pool, and floating on his back.)  He did great and seemed to enjoy it.  In addition to that, we went to the pool with friends a few times this summer.  We learned that a little time in the sun + splashing in cholrine = awesome afternoon naps!

Play in irrigation water.  We loved visiting family in the hot, hot summer and catching a little reprieve in their giant swimming pool (aka their huge backyard that gets flood irrigated on a weekly basis).

Help your dad with sprinkler repair.  And to be sure you've got them working just right, you should always perform a test run by running through them over and over again.

If it rains, play in it!  Playing football during a summer monsoon shows your true dedication. You know what they say--rain or shine.  Stripping down to next to nothing makes it even more enjoyable.  This was probably our best rain of the summer...and McRae took full advantage of all the puddles in the back yard. 

And this is just goes to show that not only can you SURVIVE a summer in the desert, but you can THRIVE too!  (If you know some basic survival skills that is....FIND WATER!!!)

21st Century Cowboy

A lot has changed this past century--including the kind of work a cowboy may do.

But he still works hard...

 ...and as for this cowboy--he still enjoys his work!

Adventures in Utah

We decided to take a little vacation this summer to cooler climates.  My June marathon provided the perfect opportunity to do just that.  After the race was over, we stuck around for another week to enjoy some sights, some visits with loved ones, and of course, the cooler weather!  We really didn't want to come back and I started plotting ways to convince my entire family to move to Utah with us.  I didn't get too far before I was reminded that I would need to visit UT in the winter time and see if I still felt the same way.  Well, can we just be summer-birds, at least?  You know it's bad when the first word your 20-month old utters upon exiting the car in AZ is, "HOT!"  Yeah, McRae, it was definitely hot and not like what we'd been enjoying for the past week or so.

Highlights of the trip:

• We became gun owners.  Thanks to our good friend, Paul, for his buying advice and expertise, Brian came home with not one, but two guns--a shot-gun and a rifle.  I'm not complaining...they are awful fun to shoot and now we're one step closer to feeling prepared and self-reliant.  Not to mention, that rifle will come in handy on our elk hunt this year...that's right folks, we drew out!  Self-reliance here we come!
• Visiting with the Bastian's and the Howell's.  Unfortunately, we didn't get any pictures of either family.  Rats!
• Hiking in the beautiful mountains!
• Visiting Joey and Lisa's family (Brian's Uncle and Aunt).  McRae loved their son, Tucker and I think Tucker felt the same way about McRae.  This just might be where McRae's hat obsession started...he always wanted to wear Tucker's hat.  
• Visiting the MTC.
• Taste-testing at the BYU creamery.  It did not disappoint.  
• And most importantly...a lot of R&R...just what we needed.  

A big thanks to all those who hosted us and made our stay so enjoyable (Hendersens, Bastians, and Skinners).  It was a perfect trip!  And now for our trip in pictures....

On our way to Stuart Falls.

McRae wrestling with Tucker before bedtime.  McRae borrowed some of Tucker's clothes for PJ's.

 The highly sought after hat.  Do these boys look like cousins or what?

McRae had just started getting a little testy before this shot was taken.  I remember thinking, "Can we just drop him off now and come back in about 20 years?"  Not really...we love our sweet boy!

 Taste-testing at the creamery...

And our stamp of approval!

We Visit the Zoo

I've mentioned McRae's obsession with animals in previous posts. But up until May, his exposure had been mostly limited to farm animals. We decided we'd take him to the zoo to branch out a bit. He'd seen some of these animals in books before, but other's were totally new to him. Needless to say, he was still pretty fascinated by it all. Our zoo is actually pretty small...but if you ask me, it's just right. You can get around the whole thing in a decent amount of time and get a good enough exposure to a variety of animals--both very important when you live in the HOT, HOT desert and you want to get in and out fairly quickly.

The elephants were a big hit, as you can see by the look on his face.

I think he is mesmerized by a very loud bird in the aviary.

Feeding the ducks and fish were definitely a highlight for him.

These fish were very big...and very entertaining!

Half-way through our tour, we stopped to cool off with some cold treats.  This was McRae's very first ice cream cone...and he hasn't looked back since!

Tigers are just awesome.  What can I say?

Riding the bronze elephant was also a big hit.

This giraffe was so close, McRae wasn't sure what to think of it.

What better way to end your day at the zoo then with animal crackers...well, if you can stay awake long enough to enjoy them, that is?

Since our trip, we've learned about several other animals.  McRae is VERY proficient at identifying any animal and the sound that it makes.  Sometimes he'll amaze me by finding some small little picture of an animal in a store somewhere and he is so quick to point it out--cows on yogurt containers or horses on a Levi's label on the back of some pants...really?!?!  He's very observant.

(After attempting for over a week to attach a clip of him showing off all of his animal-noise-making skills, I am abandoning the idea.  I will try to add it in a separate post at a later date.  Off to publish already!)

Country Bumpkin

In March, I got a new job that's closer to my home town. There are lots of perks of working in a small town hospital, but the biggest perk is that McRae has the best babysitters he could ask for when I work--Mima and Papa! McRae has always loved to be outdoors and especially loves animals. His visits to my hometown are much anticipated because he gets a lot of both of those--perfect! On one occassion (in April), we visited my grandpa's farm to allow McRae the opportunity to visit some animals he'd only seen in books. He was a little timid at first, but then the excitement just took over.

Mutton-bustin' with Mima

He wasn't too sure about these pigs at first....

McRae Lane--The McRae's were some of the first settlers of my hometown.  I wanted McRae to have a picture with this street sign for posterity's sake.

And right here on the corner of McRae lane is a new LDS chapel being built!  Very exciting for this little town.  Their current building is very old and the three wards are bursting at the seams.  I'm sure there has been a lot of progress since I snapped this picture.