Merry Extramas

I’ve had this year’s Merry Extramas in mind for a while now, but haven’t had the opportunity to act upon it until now. This year’s edition of Merry Extramas has a theme and it is a tropical/surf one. Why you ask? Well, if you can’t already guess why, you’ll find out later on. I’m not sure how I feel about it yet so if you like it, enjoy it. If you don’t, no worries, we’ll be back to our regularly scheduled programming next year.

So this year has been quite the year for the McKinney household. As mentioned last year, Stephanie underwent surgery in December and so she had to cope with expanders for several months. In April she was able to get rid of the expanders but unfortunately she ran into complications. She’s currently working through those and we’re hoping that she’s finally finished. All the trials and tribulations were good impetus for the many fundraisers that she, along with family and friends, held to raise money for their 3-day-60 mile walk in Washington D.C. in September. They did an amazing job and over $30,000 was raised for the event held by the Susan G. Komen foundation. The girls faced more adversity during the walk, but they prevailed, had a great time and walked away (no pun intended) with lots of good stories.

We also threw a surprise birthday party for Stephanie who turned 30 (but doesn’t look a day over 21). Lots of friends and family showed up and totally surprised her which made for a fun night out. Speaking of birthday parties, Stephanie once again went above and beyond for Eden’s party. It was a Rapunzel theme and she made lots of fun decorations and crafts for the party. Even though the first run at the party had to be cancelled due to bad weather, the second attempt turned out really well. To say that Noah isn’t a big fan of crowds is a bit of an understatement, so we’re planning a day out at Pullen Park for his birthday where he’ll enjoy riding the trains.

Eden and Noah have kept us very busy this year. In early April they got to go to Disney (Eden’s 4th trip, Noah’s 2nd) with with Stephanie, O.G. and NeeNee. Towards the end of April we took a trip to Pennsylvania with GiGi to see several new additions to the McKinney side of the family tree. It was a lot of fun to see Liam, Peyton and Quinn who were all born within two months of each other. They also both have had a blast at the neighborhood pool all summer. Eden swam across the pool on her own and loves to jump off of the diving board. She’s not the most graceful entering the water, but it’s lots of fun to watch. Noah is perfectly fine in the water as long as he’s not over his head or having to wear his floaty. Eden has started dance class and is loving that. Makes perfect sense as she walks around the house on her tip toes all the time, so she’s a natural ballerina. In a bittersweet moment for Stephanie, Eden also started going to preschool two days a week. She really enjoys it as well and has met several new friends. Noah has joined his sister in going to Awana on Wednesday nights where he’s in the “Puggles” class. Not sure what a Puggle is, but it’s fun to say.

While it has been a long year, Stephanie and I were able to take a really nice break at the end of July. In fact, the reason for the theme this year is that we, along with NeeNee, had the opportunity to go to Hawaii for several days. This was my first visit to Hawaii and it was Stephanie’s second. Stephanie’s cousin was getting married in Lahaina, Maui and so we made a trip of it. 10 days of beautiful weather and scenery, a freezing morning on top of Mt. Haleakala, an all day trip to Hana, snorkeling in Honolua Bay and many more wonderful experiences, not to mention a great wedding, made it a very memorable trip. Eden stayed with O.G. and the Schmidt family who took her to Cocoa Beach and even a fun trip to NASA. PaPa and GiGi kept Noah where he enjoyed playing with cars and fishing with PaPa. Maybe someday we’ll make the trip with the kids, but we were very thankful to everyone that made it possible to go and allowed us to enjoy it all the more.

So once again we’re headed into the end of the year full-steam. We’re hoping that this year will end a little more uneventful than last year’s did. Eden is already excited about Thanksgiving and Christmas. We’re not sure about Noah since he doesn’t really eat anything that isn’t a graham cracker, granola or nutri-grain bar (no, that hasn’t changed since last year) and he still doesn’t seem to get the concept of presents. I’m looking forward to taking some time off from work (where I’ve now been for three years, the most at any job) and spending the time with my family.

Mele Kalikimaka from us to you,
-Matthew, Stephanie, Eden & Noah
http://www.matthewandstephanie.com/meep.htm

Ready for another year of Merry Extramas? Well, I wasn't! Hence the late issuance. In order to get it out this year, I toyed around with the idea of making it a DIY project and letting everyone just compile a Greatest Hits from the previous years. But, being that there are SO MANY great songs, how could one decide on 20 or so delicious little nuggets of Christmas cheer? So, the answer was compromise, and a jump into the 21st century. Lo and behold, this year's effort is going to be part DIY, part digital download. The songs are being offered as MP3s from our website. If you want to burn them to CD (or cassette tape if you know what such a thing is), feel free to. To go the full Monty, the cover is included so you can color it in with crayons, pens, or I'm sure Eden will help you with some of her glitter markers if you truly want. This is YOUR Merry Extramas, do with it as you wish.

2010 started off innocent enough. Well, not really. Noah decided that he wasn't going to let Eden one-up him in the tooth department and so he fell and cracked one of his front teeth. It was too badly damaged and had to have it removed. He now looks like a very young hockey player. Here's hoping he doesn't attempt to break his arm like his sister did a few years ago.

In perfect timing, while working from home a few weeks later, an email came through that told us that we had won a trip to the NCAA Final Four tournament in Indianapolis, Indiana. Stephanie and I were really excited at the opportunity to go to something like this. A week or so later we were in Indiana enjoying some great hospitality and a couple of great basketball games. We even had the opportunity to meet Darius Rucker (of Hootie and the Blowfish fame) and met former NBA star John Salley who was head and shoulders, literally, above Stephanie and I.

Soon came summer and after joining the local pool, Eden and Noah became little fishes. It took Noah a little longer to adjust to it, but Eden was loving it, even jumping off the diving board in the deep end. They also got their chances to swim down in Cocoa Beach, Florida for two weeks. During that time, Eden got to go to Disney World once again with her O.G. and Stephanie. We also visited the Brevard County Zoo which the kids loved despite the heat and humidity. In addition to swimming, Eden has played both indoor soccer in the spring and outdoor soccer in the fall. Unfortunately the fall soccer wasn't accompanied by fall-like weather and so it was a little too bright and hot to really enjoy. The spring soccer was lots of fun though and Eden did pretty well when she wasn't chasing her friend Ben around the field.

In October we had a joint birthday party for Eden turning 4 and Noah turning 2. Stephanie tried to keep it scaled-down, but in usual fashion it quickly blossomed. She pulled it off though and the kids enjoyed a great Peter Pan-themed party with lots of their friends and relatives. They're both growing so fast and it's funny to see how very different they are. Noah is jabbering up a storm. Most of it is incoherent to anyone but his mother, but I'm catching on to a few things here and there. His diet still mainly consists of chicken nuggets ("chicken"), Pop-Tarts ("pop-T"), Nutri-grain bars ("bar-bar"), and granola bars (not sure what his word is for that, usually just a lot of grunting and pointing). Eden is VERY talkative herself and has been learning her letters and numbers quite well. Eden and Noah love each other and we love the both of them. They're a constant source of entertainment, among other things...

And so we get to the end of the year which is going out with a bang. Not the bang we would have liked, but a bang none-the-less. Last year we were planning on taking a trip to Hawaii in December and had those plans up until about November when Stephanie tested positive for the BRCA2 gene which gives her an 87% chance of developing breast cancer. She elected to have a double mastectomy which will reduce that chance by 90%. She underwent surgery early in December and came through with very positive results from the doctors. The first week of recovery was really tough but she persevered and now she's just working her way through the soreness of reconstruction. The kids and I have managed through it all with a lot of help from family, friends, our church, neighbors, etc. We are SO thankful for all of those who are helping out in any way, especially in the holiday season when things are already so hectic and time is a rarity. One day we hope to be able to return the favor to anyone who needs it. I hate that Stephanie has had to endure everything she has in the Christmas season, but I'm glad that we'll all get to enjoy many more Christmases with her as a result.

Merry Christmas from us to you,
-Matthew, Stephanie, Eden & Noah
http://www.matthewandstephanie.com/meep.htm

...and we're back. Back to the usual that is. If anyone cares, the things that were "different" last year were that Blue Christmas was not the first song on the album nor did it appear anywhere on the album. The next difference was that the second song wasn't a "punk" version of a song. I always like the abrupt transition from "Blue Christmas" to something that wakes you up. Like it or not, it's back. The last difference (at least that I can remember or know of myself) was that Elvis did not have a presence on the album except in homage on the cover. Speaking of the cover, last year Noah made his entrance a little late to make it to press. This year he gets the cover in the same fashion that Eden did two years ago. The picture is definitely old as he looks quite different now.

As I mentioned, the picture on the cover is close to a year old. Since that time, Noah has covered a lot of ground. We refer to him as "the tank" because he'd be like a tank if he could just keep his balance. It doesn't help when Eden comes by and gives him a little "pat" on the back. None-the-less, he's now walking and jabbering up a storm. It's been fun watching him grow and noticing the differences between him and his sister. He's been to the beach twice this year and both times he didn't seem too keen on it. Whether it was the bright sun making him squint, or the weird feel of the sand on his feet, he just didn't seem too happy about it all. He does appear to like the pool just like his sister did though, so maybe next year he'll change his mind about the beach.

Eden continues to grow before our very eyes. It's scary at times seeing pictures of her and getting glimpses of what she'll look like a couple of years from now. She's really taken off in the conversation department. You can hold somewhat normal conversations with her at this point. In addition to going to the beach twice, she has also managed to go to Disney twice. It was a lot of fun seeing her reaction to the Princesses and then a 180 at the sight of Mickey, Minnie, Goofy, Donald & Pluto. Still, she enjoyed both trips and continues to talk about them often. To our delight, Eden has really taken well to Noah. She really seems to love him (at times to a fault) and that has made our job that much easier.

The year has been busy for Stephanie and I. We've mainly concentrated on getting Noah out of the baby phase and keeping Eden from mauling him. I've managed to stay at my job at SRC and Stephanie has taken up several things on the side such as sewing and being a Tupperware consultant. It's amazing that she finds the energy to do these things after handling the kids all day! Aside from trips to Disney and the beach, we haven't gone anywhere exotic this year although we're planning on a getaway to Hawaii next year. Hopefully that will work out, but we'll see if the kids have something different to say about that. If not, next year's cover might just be Stephanie and I wearing Santa hats with some beautiful Hawaiian scenery behind us!

Happy Holidays from us to you, -Matthew, Stephanie, Eden & Noah http://www.matthewandstephanie.com/meep.htm

So another year has come and gone and once again has been full of twists and turns. To spice things up this year I've gone and broken all of the unwritten rules of Merry Extramas (at least the ones I'm aware of). Hopefully you won't be that bored this season, but if you just can't stand another trip to the mall, see if you can figure out what's changed. If anyone is receiving this for the first time, you're S.O.L. Sorry, no receipt, no refund.

Just in time for his first Merry Extramas CD (but not in time to make the cover, maybe next year buddy), Noah Wilson McKinney joined the family at 10:46am on Friday, November 21st. Weighing in at 10lbs. 6oz. and 21 1/2" in length, Noah has been a great addition to the family. So far he's been pretty quiet and sleeps quite often (with the exception of a few times when we would have liked to have been sleeping). Eden wants to kiss him and hold him a lot so it seems she's really taking a liking to him. I'm sure that'll change when they're teenagers, but we'll enjoy it for now.

Speaking of Eden, our little princess turned 2 this year and it's been so much fun watching her grow and learn new things. She's been to the beach a couple more times and still thoroughly enjoys it. She's starting to catch on to things more quickly which can sometimes be for the better and sometimes not so much. Recently a local pumpkin patch had a giant inflatable pumpkin that she got to see when we went to get a pumpkin. Every time she passed by that spot for the next month she said how she wanted to see "big pumpkin." She also took note of the moon one night and now every time she's outside she wants to see "tiny moon." She also points it out in every book that she has. You may not notice it at first, but she'll sure point it out to you.

As most (if not all) of you know, Stephanie and I were attempting to sell our current house and build one that would hopefully last us quite a while. Well, for various reasons, it just didn't work out and we're actually glad. With the economy the way it is, it would have been a tremendous burden. It also allows us to stay closer to friends and neighbors that we've grown quite fond of (we just hope its reciprocal).

Since we weren't going to have to deal with the expenses of a new home, we decided that it might be time to deal with the expenses of a new kid instead. And so it was that we got pregnant with our second child. Upon finding out that it was going to be a boy, we decided to name him Noah Wilson McKinney. As of this writing, he isn't currently here but he's due November 21st. I'm having to do this a little early this year in anticipation of him arriving and my spare time being cut down to a little less than non-existent.

Now that we added another McKinney to the fold but weren't moving into a bigger house, we decided that we needed to do something to our current house to accommodate. The decision was made to close in our two-story living room and create a 4th bedroom in the house for Noah. And so began the single most frustrating potential catastrophe of our lives. Between a contractor that ended up in jail at least twice during the project, a schedule and a budget that went way over, failed inspections and sub-par work by the sub-contractors, Stephanie and I spent many a day filled with nervous anxiety. In the end, the project finished and will provide us with what we need to get through the next few years.

In addition to all of that excitement, I have once again switched jobs. I'm sure this is what I get for teasing Stephanie for switching jobs so often, but this one has actually worked out in my favor. I'm now with Surgical Review Corporation and I am once again happy at my job. It's been a while since I could say that and it's quite a relief to be able to do so. I really like the people I work with/for and don't mind, let alone dread, going to work. It's a good thing too as I don't know that I could have survived the construction nightmare otherwise.

Stephanie is still working away at the difficult task of being a stay at home mom and taking care of Eden all day. She's great at it, and Eden is a delight, but unlike Michael Keaton, it's definitely not for me. To aid her in the task of getting Eden and Noah around, we have sold the Mazda Tribute and purchased a Honda Odyssey. Stephanie swore she'd never drive a minivan, but I guess necessity overrides coolness. Eden can get in and out of it by herself and she's taken to calling it "her" new car.

Overall it's been a great year and seems to have flown by. We're crossing our fingers that 2009 settles down some, but between the two kids, we doubt it will. Regardless, it should be another interesting year.

Merry Christmas from us to you,
-Matthew, Stephanie, Eden & Noah
http://www.matthewandstephanie.com/meep.htm

Hey! Hey! It's that time of the year again! Once again I've cobbled together a collection of tunes for your Christmas celebrating. They're worth a listen or two and unlike the fruitcake that your Aunt Petunia gave you last year, hopefully it won't end up in the trash!

This year has kept us thoroughly busy. Although we've been very lucky when it comes to people wanting to watch her for the weekend, Eden has kept us on our toes. We've experienced a lot with her through the year: teeth, crawling, walking, first birthday extravaganzas and much more. With everything that's gone on, I don't think our camera has had a moment's rest.

Meanwhile, Stephanie has assumed (and done quite well at) the role of stay at home mom and has yet to start desiring a mini-van. Sorry Mr. Bell, no "married-man" song this year. This year it was my turn to switch jobs and Stephanie would like it pointed out that it's them, and not me. It's a shorter drive (for now) and was a bit of change of pace from the old job.

Stephanie and I celebrated our third anniversary this year with a wonderful trip to the mountains of North Carolina. We enjoyed great weather and a nice break from everything. It was no exotic location, but it seems that a lot changes when you have a kid. Neither of us are complaining though; it's well worth it and we love Eden more and more every day.

The year has been good to our family and friends as well. New houses, new jobs, new babies & babies on the way! (Not ours so don't get your hopes up!)

Merry Christmas from us to you,
-Matthew, Stephanie, Eden & Noah
http://www.matthewandstephanie.com/meep.htm

Well, I threatened it last year and considered it this year, but alas the 2006 edition of Merry Extramas is not a double CD. Many of you may know the reason why, but for those that don't and didn't key in on this year's cover, read on.

Last year Stephanie gave me the most expensive birthday gift I think I'll ever get. It gets louder than the best stereo systems, it has more visuals than the newest plasma TVs. It uses more batteries than the latest gadgets and is more entertaining than the Nintendo Wii. OK, enough with the cheesy innuendo. If you haven't figured it out yet, I'm referring to our beautiful new daughter Eden. On December 24th of 2005 I took Stephanie to the hospital because she was sick. We didn't know it then, but it turns out she was pregnant. Fast forward several months to October 3rd and all of a sudden we go from being excited about being an aunt and uncle to being a mother and father. Enter Eden Stewart McKinney. Weighing in at 8lbs 11oz, 21" in length and with a FULLY functional set of lungs, she's been a sight to behold and we've enjoyed watching her make her funny faces (as well as her not-so-funny faces). If you haven't been inundated by them yet, ask us about our photo collection. Put it this way, Snapfish doesn't have to worry about going out of business anytime soon...

Along with making people aunts and uncles, we were also made aunt and uncle by my older sister and her addition to the family, Connor. Hopefully he and Eden will have many a good time together in the years to come.

As long as Stephanie doesn't give me a similar present for my birthday or Christmas this year (and one is more than enough for now), we're looking forward to 2007 as a year to watch Eden grow, start walking and hopefully talking (which I'm told we'll regret soon after).

Happy Holidays from the newly expanded McKinney family and maybe the 10th anniversary of Merry Extramas will be a double CD (the 5th anniversary just doesn't seem as dramatic).
- Matthew, Stephanie & Eden
http://www.matthewandstephanie.com

TBD

Merry Christmas from us to you,
-Matthew, Stephanie, Eden & Noah
http://www.matthewandstephanie.com/meep.htm

TBD

Merry Christmas from us to you,
-Matthew, Stephanie, Eden & Noah
http://www.matthewandstephanie.com/meep.htm

TBD

Merry Christmas from us to you,
-Matthew, Stephanie, Eden & Noah
http://www.matthewandstephanie.com/meep.htm

TBD

Merry Christmas from us to you,
-Matthew, Stephanie, Eden & Noah
http://www.matthewandstephanie.com/meep.htm