Our Kitchen's back to normal!

YEAH! Good News! Our kitchen nightmare is finally over! We now have our cabinets and countertops back in! January 7th is a GREAT day for the McConkey's! No more looking at our slab while cooking! Or reaching for the silverware and forgetting it's not in that drawer because there is no drawer. Oh it's so nice to be able to have a completed, happy home! Thanks to my favorite construction manager James for getting everything finished with very little hassle! You're awesome!

Not so good news....

Well, it's not even a week into the New Year and I get to deliver some bad news. Justin and I went to the Dr's on January 4th. We got to see our baby's heart beat and hear it. What an amazing treat!! After seeing the ultra sound, we felt a bit of relief. The previous couple of days I hadn't been feeling so great.

Later that night I told Justin that something wasn't right. My pain had increased 10 fold. Being the good husband he is, he reassured me everything was going to be alright. We went to bed that night, only for me to wake up in misery at 3am. It was then I knew something was definitely not alright. I woke up to go to work the next morning and called in sick and scheduled a Dr's appointment. They got me in right away. Knowing that I'd had some interesting symptoms they did another ultra sound. Sure enough I was right, something was wrong. The baby's heart beat we saw the morning prior was no longer beating. :(

My Dr. is truly amazing. She talked me through the "what happens next" schpeel and tried to reassure me that there was nothing I could've done to prevent this. Sometimes it just happens... Of course that's all well and good, but let's be honest, I don't want to hear that!

We're so lucky to have such wonderful friends and family who've supported us through this not so fun time. I'm truly blessed to be loved by so many! I know that everything does happen for a reason and I look forward to the future. Time does cure all wounds, there might be a little scarring, but even that will stop hurting after a while.

New Year's Eve

We're starting 2011 with a BANG with great friends! Sarah and Mark are hosting this years new years event, and we've got the champagne open and already flowing! Mike's showing Justin how to open champagne with the back of the knife. I know...genius's right?
One.....Two......Three.....!

Threee.....Threee....Threee.... POP! Hilarious! Justin swiped the cork and nothing happened. We all just sat there for what felt like 5 minutes but was more like 5 seconds. Then the thing finally popped! SO FUNNY!

We're ready for 2011! Justin with the first glass of 30 for 2011. I with my sparkling cider. Love me some martenelli's!

Amber and Mike

Sheri and I

How Fun! I get to be pregnant with my Best Friend! We've only been planning this since we were little, standing on the corner of Post and Corona by the stop sign! Of course back then I was going to marry Donny and Lindsey was going to marry Jordan from New Kids on the Block. Probably a good thing, things didn't work out the way we planned....

Ken and Lindsey

It's officially 2011! Here we go!

Funny how once the champagne starts flowing the goofiness increases! Justin ringing in the New Year at 4am with Roxi! I've never seen him so happy and drunk! We had so much fun! Justin had no idea he liked champagne until tonight! Thanks to Karen and Rob for our magnum bottle from our engagement party. Apparently opening it 2 years later is the way to go! Tasty stuff according to Justin. Happy 2011 Everyone! Let's make this the best year yet!

The Whole Family on Christmas Day!

Let me help you with that. Scottie opening up one of the many white elephant gifts! In this case it was a beer fanny pack, fully stocked with 6 different beers! You have to admit, you'd never lose your beer with a fanny pack like this! Target should stock one in ever isle! Justin opening up his remote controlled helicopter for white elephant. Sure enough he remote controlled the helicopter right into the pool! Believe it or not it still worked even after fishing it out!
Josh and Sarah joined forces in the white elephant to get exactly what they wanted. This tag team played the game from the start to get their beer making at home kit and bread machine. Love it! Watch out you two, I know your strategy and we're on to you!

Sisterly Love...

Lyla Jeanne posing for the camera :)

Check out these pretty Ladies! Lyla, Sedona and Sophia watching their princess movie. Such good girls!

This is our crazy family Christmas mess! All these presents in the middle are for the 3 girls above! They are some lucky girls! Grandma always does well of course too!

Love this picture of Shawn and John sharing the chair!

Christmas Morning at Mom's

Looking extra handsome babe!

Jaci, Mom and I all got the Richard Castle books for Christmas! We love our Castle!

Tea and me smiling for the camera!

The Dixon Ladies

Mom always does an amazing job of setting the table for Christmas Brunch!

Such a beautiful tree!

The McConkey's, Roxi, Kristi, Tea, Justin and Crockett!

Christmas Morning at the McConkey's

Merry Christmas to me! Check out this stylin' lady! Justin got his Shop Vac that we Oh so desperately needed 2 weeks ago!
Tea woke up to presents from Santa and Eclipse in her stocking! We Love Us Some Twillight!

Our Christmas Eve Tradition

Christmas Eve is a HUGE tradition for the Dixon Girls! First Grandma gets to church WAY too early to save us seats. Then McKenna, Mom and I roll in 5 minutes before it starts. Grandma usually tells us, in an annoyed voice, that she thought she was going to have to give up our seats to someone else! Then we leave mass and between McKenna or myself one of us usually rides with Grandma. We used to head back to Grandma's to make our traditional soup dinner and sneak a peak at the presents under the tree. But the last 2 years we've all headed back to Mom's house. Grandma LOVES her traditional oyster stew. Which consists of milk, butter and oysters. Gross! Grandma would always make McKenna and I a back up soup like her famous Chicken and Dumpling....YUM-O! Grandma makes that the best! Mom's taken over making the back up soup and she does a great job. Let's be honest we're grateful to have anything other than oyster stew! We then usually adjourn to the TV room to watch some kind of Christmas movie. Mom still let's McKenna and I open one gift on Christmas Eve. Hey I might be turning 30 this year but gosh darnett I'm a kid at heart! :)

Grandma LOVES her oyster stew! She always tells the story about how when she was younger and they couldn't afford much so having oyster stew was a real treat! Oh Grandma...

Cookie Making Time!!

How cute are these girls! It's cookie cutting time! I swear they get more creative every year! Great Job Girls! :)

Christmas Eve Breakfast with the Girls

Spaulding flew in from Colorado late on the 23rd. With everyone's plans being so crazy around the holidays this was our only chance to get together. We met at Crackers for breakfast and decided it's certainly worth going too more often. Yum-O! So good to get everyone together all at once and catch up! Love my girls!

McConkey Family Christmas 2010

Tea's Here! She just turned 13 years old on December 12th! I can't believe how fast she's growing!

Jody, Jaci and Thomas eagerly awaiting to open presents.

Mom, aka "Grandma Jan" and Emily

Crockett's excited for his first Christmas!

Be careful what you ask for.... Gravy Boat..... A boat with a jar of Gravy in it...Really!?! You got me there Jody!

Uncle Tom opening away.

Great picture of Aunt Jody!

What could it be Thomas?

Love this face! This is what makes calling all those stores to find a hat that I assumed did not exist worth it!

Daddy opening up his golf pen from Tea.

All my gravy boats! Yes I got 3! Well, one of them can float in a bathtub so maybe that one won't count... :)

Tom, Thomas and Justin getting ready to open the last presents under the tree!

Playing with their new toys! Remote control anything goes along way in this family!

Jaci relaxing with Crockett. He was so content!

All wrapped up in pajamas. Based on this picture I'd say the annual McConkey family Christmas was a complete success!