OLIVIA AT 13 MONTHS

BEST FRIENDS
THE GIRL'S ROOM
OUR LIVING ROOM


THE GIRLS ENJOYING THEIR NEW ROOM

Wow! We sure have been busy since we last updated in February! Actually, we kind of forgot about it! Oh, well. Here we go!
Dan has been running around fixing everything on campus that he can while he works in the maintenance department for the Seminary. He has really become very handy with all the skills he has picked up and can pretty much fix anything that comes his way. He even is perfecting his skills in the automotive department when he fixed the air conditioning in our van a few weeks ago! So handy! He has just started his 5th year in Seminary this year (in August) and is still enjoying every minute of it. He will be starting his internship soon and has just submitted his thesis proposal. He also takes care of the kids all night when Christy is at work and helps out a lot around the house. He is a very busy guy!
Christy started working night shift at Medical City in Labor and Delivery in February. She is really enjoying getting to know all the nurses and doctors, and is especially enjoying getting to take care of preggos again! She usually works 3 nights a week and then has the rest of the week to spend with the family. She is doing her best to keep up with the housework on her days off and is having a blast with the kids as they are getting older!
Abbey is now 2 years old, although she acts like she is 10! She pretty much talks from the moment she wakes up (when she always says, "May I watch Mickey Mouse please?", to the moment we tell her to close her mouth and go to sleep at night! The things she says always make us laugh out loud. She is really developing her own personality and she is so animated about everything! Abbey is really enjoying playing with her sister, now the Olivia is getting more interactive. Abbey loves to read books, play Candy Land and Chutes and Ladders, and go to the pool! She has changed her name for Olivia now that she is older. Since Olivia was born, she was calling her "O-eee-ah". Now she calls her "Wivi" or "Wivi Jane". We're getting there! One day she'll be able to pronounce her "L's" and then we might get the real name. We are enjoying the little nicknames she is creating now though. Abbey will be 3 years old on October 3rd and she is excited for her "birf-day" party. Her Mommy and Daddy haven't really decided what to do for that so if you have any suggestions...they would be appreciated!
Olivia turned 1 year old on July 8th and she is such a joy! She learned how to walk at 11 months and has been moving ever since. She has learned how to say "Mama, "Dada" and "shoes" (which she wants to wear all the time). She loves to carry around her baby doll, wrestle with her Daddy, and walk around the sidewalk at the pool while the rest of the family is in it!
The girls are really becoming good friends as they play together. They are both having to learn to share, which has been a challenge, but we are sure that's going to be a life-long task. They laugh together everyday and they love to give hugs and kisses to each other. We are so blessed to have them in our family!
We also moved to a bigger apartment in our same building in July. It is so nice to have the extra space and the girls love their new room.
We'll try to keep this blog a little more current!

Abbey built a tower!

Playing on Abbey's bed

Livi and her "main squeeze", Caedmon

Transition Time

Well, this week has been a long time of transition for our little family as Christy has started back to work full time. The girls have been tossed around from sitter to sitter everyday as Christy has been going to nursing orientation from 8a-4p. Olivia has had a hard time taking a bottle from her caregivers but is finally coming around in the last 2 days. Abbey has had fun playing with different friends everyday, but is starting to get weary of not being at home with Mommy. Dan has been working and going to class during the day and helping out with the kids, and dinner, and baths, and bedtime at night.
The girls have really started to get attached to each other and enjoy laughing together. Abbey can make Olivia laugh at any time, and it usually makes her start laughing as well! It has been fun to see them become friends as Olivia has become more interactive. We know that they are going to be friends for life, so its neat to see that relationship begin!
Next week, Christy will have orientation on Monday and start working on the Labor and Delivery Unit on Tuesday! She will be working day shift for the next 2 weeks and will start night shift in March. She is ready to get started at her new job and ready to get a routine back into our lives.

I love looking in the mirror!

I can feed myself!

Daddy's girls

See my first tooth?

Laundry time!

Christy is going back to work!

Today, Christy went to her new job site, Medical City Hospital, to complete her new hire paperwork! She has been hired to work in the Labor and Delivery Unit on night shift starting in a few weeks! She is excited about getting involved in labor and delivery again, yet is anxious about leaving the girls. Olivia still does not take a bottle from anyone but Christy without screaming through it. She will need to master this soon as the nursing orientation is next week, all day, everyday! Please pray for her to get used to other people feeding her. This will be pretty stressful for Christy and whoever is taking care of her that day!
When Christy starts night shift, Dan will be at home with the girls for the whole shift of 6:30pm to 7am. The next day, while Christy is sleeping, the girls will be with their Grandpa McKinney, Miss Ann (our neighbor) or Daddy on Saturdays. We are not sure which nights Christy will be working but we are hoping for Wed, Thurs, and Friday nights. Thanks to all who have been praying for a job and help with the girls. Our Gracious Lord continues to provide for the McKinney family!

Best Friends

My New Outfit

Mommy and Daddy save water by bathing us together!

Christmas 2008

Welcome!

Well, we are finally joining the 21st century and creating a family blog!
We have been living in Dallas, Texas for the past 4 years as Dan gets his Master of Theology degree at Dallas Theological Seminary! He works on campus as the maintenance guy for the two residence buildings. He works 40 hours a week and is going to school full time as well! It seems like he is reading all the time but he always makes time for his girls! He loves to play racquetball when he can and has also played hockey for many seasons since we have been in Dallas. His plan right now, is to get his PhD after seminary so that he can teach when he is finished with school.
Christy has been staying home with the girls since this past summer and has really loved watching them grow everyday. She volunteers once a week at the local pregnancy center while Dan has time with the kids. Christy also likes to play racquetball with her friends when she gets the chance.
Abbey Dawn (who was named for her Aunt Dawn) is now 2 years old and loving every minute of it! She worked very hard over the Thanksgiving break to become potty trained and was successful! She has special panties with Minnie Mouse and others with Elmo and they were enough motivation to help her learn to be diaper free! She has many friends her age that live in our building and she loves to play with them as often as she can! She has a weekly play date at the Children's Museum with a friend name Gabe and she also plays with Ansley, Elysa, Jackson, Ben, Faith, Jacob, Aniah, Lena, Lily, and many more! We live in a 10 story building and each floor is filled with families with kids! Our floor itself has 20 kids! Abbey loves to read Berinstein Bear books, play with her Fisher Price Little People, and run up and down our hall with her doll stroller! She is a very happy child and she is usually very obedient. She knows how to say her prayers at night time and she makes sure to mention all of her friends in her prayers. She has been learning her alphabet, numbers, colors, shapes, opposites, and other early learning skills. Her daddy is also teaching her German as he is learning himself. She is very excited about playing with her new sister and is always very loving toward her.
Olivia Jane (who was named for her Grammy) is now 6 months old and was born on July 8th. Abbey calls her "Oh-wee-ah" since she cannot say the "L" sound yet. We have a feeling this will always be her name to Abbey. She has recently learned to sit up on her own and this makes it much more fun to play with Abbey. She has one tooth on the bottom and is working hard for the others everyday. She has a very big smile and is such a delight. We will update the blog when she does something more exciting than sitting up, and growing teeth! :)