Growing Boy!

The day after Kellen's birthday barbecue, Don, Connor and I were preoccupied playing with his new toys that we didn't notice he had made his way into the pantry and helped himself to a hamburger bun! Guess he was still hungry.

Happy Birthday Kellen Patrick, You are ONE!

Kellen Patrick came into our lives screaming his little lungs out a year ago today! I cannot believe a year has passed. My labor with you started almost identical to that of your brother Connor. Got up to pee for the 100th time at night. Got back to bed and WOWZA! Water broke! Woke up Don, called nonnie and pompa, got dressed and packed up the car and headed to Good Sam in Portland. However, this time, rather than a 17+ hour labor with 2 hours or so of pushing I did with big brother, you popped out in just a couple of hour and only a couple of pushes over 10 minutes! And you and your brother are so wonderfully and beautifully different and the same! You were both great sleepers and eaters as newborns. You both love binkies and both make the adorable binkie humms and has when they are in your mouth. You both love baths and books and adore your doggie Murphy. But Kellen you also loved and (love) electrical cords, outlets, small objects in your mouth, crawling behind beds and under coffee tables, and going head first down nonnie and pompa's stairs. You are our little daredevil and in to everything!!!!!!!!! You make us laugh, you keep us on our toes, you growing into your brother's best friend and I can't imagine our family being complete without you! We love you so much sweetie pea! Happy Birthday!


Must be a Corcoran, loves him some chocolate cake!

Older cousins Tommy and Joey witnessing the annihilation of the cake!

Maimo Corcoran and momma Steeceeee (That is how Kellen's says Stacy, our beloved nanny)

Connor and Rachel on the play stuff.

"Kiddie Table"

Adult Table

Christine Nichole Macken

Sweet Christine left the world unexpectedly on July 5th. Just like that. We had all been over at my parent's house celebrating Tom's belated birthday day. We got home and the phone rang. It was Sarah telling me Christine was gone. I didn't believe it. It didn't seem real. I put the boys to bed. I finished folding the laundry. I put the dishes away. I got ready for bed. I fell asleep. I woke up in the middle of the night sobbing. It can't be real. It seemed like forever before it was 8am (a suitable hour to call others). I called my mom, even though I talked to her last night, I had to call her again. As soon as I heard her voice, I cried again. Throughout the day I talked to all my siblings, several times, but most of the time it was just sobbing into the phone, from both ends. The sadness was overwhelming. As well as the helplessness of being thousands of miles away from her and her immediate family. That part was so much harder than I anticipated.

I am 9 years older than Christine. Uncle Jim and Allison moved to SLC when she and her little sister Sam were young. Sarah and I use to babysit them. They spent holidays with us as well as other family gatherings. Then they moved back east again. But Christine came back out to U of U for college, and it was so much fun hanging out with the older Christine. I remember picking her up in her dorm room one time when I was home visiting and she helped me run a zillion errands for my wedding. She spent many a holiday with us during college and even when my parents moved to Portland, she continued to fly up to spend Thanksgiving with us. She was an honorary Stuyvesant. She fit into our perfectly crazy family. We all hurt so much when she left. I miss her smile, her sarcastic and witty comments, her amazing love for all the babies of the family (she doted on them so, each and every one of them). Thanksgiving will not be the same without her incredibly sweet marshmellow sweet potato dish she made or her way way way stiff drinks she poured (it makes me laugh when I picture my mom taking her first sip).

My little brother is a far more eloquent write than I as he wrote the most incredible story about her.

http://talesfromathomas.blogspot.com/

Christine, may you rest in peace. Until we meet again...

Happy Birthday America!

Happy 4th of July!!!! We were a bit on the tired side from the big wedding festivites the evening before but we rallied by the afternoon for the annual Fox Hills Parade! (in Tualatin where Matt and Sarah and my folks live). We got the trusty old radio flyer all dolled up in yankee colors complete with mini flags for Rachel and Connor. Don was a real trooper again this year and walked the parade with the two while I stayed back with the lady folk and waved from the curb. We stayed on for yummy barbeque and of course, Matt's famous curbside fireworks extravaganza! I wasn't sure what Connor would think about the fireworks this year but he LOVED them! I mean LOVED them! He soon became Matt's right hand man, doing everything short of lighting the fireworks himself (and he would have if he could have). After each loud firecracker he would jump up and down and clap and yell "YAYYYY" Then he would run up to the pile of fireworks and drag another (and I do mean drag because they were big) down to Matt. It was hilarious. However, his courage was left at the curbside for as soon as we got home and inside ready for bed, he panicked when he heard the loud booms and both he and Kellen were hysterical. Of course, Don and I were practically hysterical too for different reasons (mainly that we had been out partying till the wee hours the night before and were just DYING with fatigue) so we brought the boys into the bed and with Don and I as bookends and our two boys nestled safely in between us, we all finally fell asleep!

Connor and Rachel ready to go!

So I had to throw this picture in from last year as I was one week exactly from popping with Kellen. Check out that belly!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
And here he is a year later. Who would have thought he would be so adorable? I did!!!!!! Nonnie is pretty adorable too!

Kellen sure adores his pompa!!!!!! Notice how my dad is wearing a sweater. Yes folks, it is the 4th of July but it is cold!!!!!

Waiting on the curb for the kiddos to come by.

Stud alert.

Here they come! Look at Don, smiling and waving. He does get father of the year!

Fireman, always a soft spot in the old ticker for them!

Another crazy group shot of the kiddos. Kellen is not happy.....

Ashley and Anth's Wedding!

The big wedding! Ashley and Anthony's big day has come and gone, and it will go down in the books as a wonderous occaion (yes,I think I made that word up). Anthony is a childhood friend (we attended grade school through college together) and Frischy is my dear college friend. To see them happy in love and get married was amazing! The whole weekend was perfect. It was so much fun to see all my highchool and childhood friends from SLC in town and then all my college gals together too. And the ceremony was fabulous. Down at the Gerding Theater down in the Pearl. The perfect setting. Ashley looked stunning of course and Anthony was smitten! I wish I had my camera at the ceremony to capture the moment, but alas, I only have a few pre pictures from the bridal suite at the Nines. Despite the copious amouts of wine consumed by myself, some crazy dancing to Black Eyed Peas, a crazy bike taxi around Portland in the middle of the night, one spilled Cosmo at Departure, and then despite and early check in, having the Nines give our room away but not finding this out until 1am and way too many drinks later, this wedding was phenominal! It was well worth the NASTY hangover the next morning!

Tasha with baby Luci!

The ever calm and beautiful bride attempting to locate her wallet...

Maris, you are next girl!

Beautiful mama Onchi with her darling daughter Luci, jsut a few weeks old!

Jen and Mary, adorable!

What is the groom doing in the bridal suite before the wedding???