The Church Is Still True!

Happy Birthday!!

One of Ryan's favorite places in the world is Hawaii!!

My Ryan is 29 (as of yesterday). I remember when he turned 18. He was freaked out about it so he decided to watch Peter Pan to make him feel young. Now he is an old 29. Time certainly does fly. Ryan and I have been together (in one way or another) for 11 years. He is my best friend and I love waking up to him every morning. I love you sweetheart and Happy Birthday.

BYU Womens Soccer

Jackson and Amanda sharing the number 9. This is now Jackson's favorite number and notices it everywhere we go.







This is from the MWC championship last year. This year it was in Vegas and we weren't able to go.



After going to close to every game Jackson and Cosmo became good friends.


Here is Jackson with the whole team, this was such a big deal for him. To go out on the field and sit with Amanda and the Soccer team. He still talks about it.


For the last five years we always look forward to BYU Women's Soccer. Our cousin Amanda has been playing and she is such an awesome gal. She is beautiful, smart, & sweet. She is just one of those people that you feel good about yourself when you are around her. She just concluded her final season at BYU. I think we went to almost all of her games. It began to be something we looked forward to. We are so proud of Amanda and her perseverance with soccer. She got injured , she didn't play much at when she was an underclassmen. Then she became one of the stars of the team. They won the MWC championship last year, and this year. They also got to the second round in the NCAA tournament, they played USC (reigning NCAA Champs) they held in to double overtime and then lost it in a shoot out. We are sad to have the season end, we always enjoyed Steve and Dara coming up and hitting Cafe Rio and eating chocolate cinnamon bears while watching the game. Jackson loved going to the games and would scream as loud as he could, even if Amanda wasn't on the field at that time. Then when we would go and see her after the game he always ran and gave her a hug. It was some great memories. We love you Amanda !!!!

Halloween

Ryan dressed as a Utah Jazz basketball player for his work. It took some coaxing on my part. He didn't want to dress up.

We visited Pumpkinland and went through a corn maze. Jackson loved this, because he could choose which way to go. I am raising a control freak.


Jackson and his preschool buddy Max, Jackson likes Max because he plays cars with him during playtime.

This is Jackson's other friend Jessica. He loves Jessica and wants to play with her constantly.


Jackson and his teacher Ms. Sherryn.


Jackson at the start of his preschool parade.


Jackson loving the parade. He just kept waving and smiling.


Ryan and Jackson carving our pumpkins.


How hot is my husband!!! I am a lucky girl.


Miley is enjoying a doughnut found on the floor after the doughnut eating game.


Here is my mom and sister dressed up and so happy to be dressed up.


Miley our little Butterfly.


Here is Grandpa with the grandkids.


OPTIMUS PRIME!!!


Here is Jackson enjoying his cupcake from the cake walk.



So, I know that I am a little behind on the posting. October has been so crazy for us that I just have so much I want to blog and so to sit down and do it takes some coaxing. We had a great Halloween this year. Jackson wanted to be Optimus Prime from Transformers. So like any good mom I went to the drawing board and tried to make one. I wasn't about to spend $40 on a costume. So, after long hours and a lot of cardboard boxes we did it. He looked great. For preschool he had a costume parade all the parents lined up on the grass to watch their kids walk on the sidewalk up and down, and up and down. Jackson thought that he was hot stuff. He loved waving and everyone taking pictures of him. He kept saying, "Mom, that was such a great parade." I would have to agree. Katie and her kids came to see him and so did my sister Amy. It was fun. Then on the Monday before Halloween we had a family Halloween party. It was so much fun. We all dressed up and played fun games with the kids, and then we carved pumpkins. I didn't get a picture but I dressed up like Ryan. It was a hit and everyone totally knew who I was. Miley was our little butterfly. She looked so cute. On Halloween we got Jackson already for trick or treating. It was the warmest Halloween on record in Utah. Which was so much fun. We would take Jackson around to houses and after just a few houses he would say I have enough candy can we go home. So, Ryan and I were terrible parents and made him trick or treat more. After all was said and done he had a great Halloween. It certainly comes more eventful when you have kids. I am ready for Thanksgiving though.

THE BEACH!!!

For anyone that knows Ryan knows that the beach is his very favorite place to be. Especially in Hawaii ( who could blame him) but a close second is Huntington Beach. It feels like our second home. So one day on our vacation we spent some time at the beach. We ate some yummy Mexican food with Steve and Dara and enjoyed the beach. Scott and Emily and family were there and so we hooked up with them and spent the rest of the day with them. Miley of course loved to eat the sand, she had so much fun. Jackson joined the Yeates' clan and played with all the cousins like he was one of them. He loves building in the sand. The water was way too cold to go in however Ryan and Scott decided to give it a try. Later that night we went back to Steve and Dara's with Scott & Emily and watched the debacle of the TCU/BYU football game. It seems like whenever we watch of BYU football game on vacation they lose (last year we were in Hawaii when Tulsa beat BYU). I didn't realize how much our Cougars need us to be in Provo with the rest of Cougartown. If we could survive the "Crowton" years then I think we can handle one lose from a great TCU team. We had a great time that night just eating and talking and hanging out. Ryan's cousins Justin & Julie came and stayed the night with there three kids, Stephanie was there and Alison. We had a great time. Steve decided that Ryan needed to prove his loyalty to BYU and have him (Steve) shave a Y in his back (unfortunately Ryan had enough back hair to do this). He is now constantly complaining about how itchy it is. You never have to worry about Ryan's loyalty to the Cougs!!! I think my favorite thing we did this day was when I was introduced to Yo Yo Yummy. So good I want some now. Thanks to Steph and Alison for helping me see the light. All I have to say is Root Beer and Peanut Butter. We had a great trip and can't wait for next time we get to go and visit the Draegers.

The Saga Continues . . .

Celebrating Halloween with Mickey and Minnie


Jackson & Miley loving the tea cups!!


Isn't it sad that we are so poor we can only afford one stroller for our kids.


Chris and Ryan cooling off from the hot Cali sun.

Hallie and Jackson's budding love for each other.


The next day of our vacation was spent at Disneyland. This is a favorite McCarty pastime, is going to Disneyland. That is where Ryan and I went on our honeymoon. Jackson was very excited and couldn't wait. It just so happened that our good friends Scott & Emily were down in Cali, when we were. Also we planned to do this little trip with our friends Chris & Brooke. So we met up with them down there also. We were able to all go on the Jungle Cruise together which was so much fun, Miley loved it. Scott & Emily then went back with their family and C & B and us played all day. Jackson went on Splash Mountain which he said he loved, and then said quickly after I don't want to go on it again. Miley just loved everything. I just loved it when she would giggle or get excited about something that she saw. She was a perfect angel there, Jackson on the other hand decided that he was a scaredy cat and was afraid to go on anything. He started to warm up to Disneyland, he loved the Autopia (of course he did he loves cars). He also loved all the Fantasyland rides. He loved Bug's Life Land in California Adventure, especially the bumper cars. That was good fun. We went to Disneyland two days, and had a great time. The one thing that made it hard was how stinking hot it was in Anaheim. I couldn't believe how hot it was in October. We missed going to Disneyland with Stephanie though (sorry we ditched you, it was unintentional. Please forgive us). We really did have a great time, but Disneyland is such a different experience with kids. I think I could use a little break of Disneyland too much of a good thing can turn into a bad thing.
The bumper cars were a big hit!

Jackson loved being the navigator he had to have his map at all times.

Miley and Ryan on the carousel together.
Jackson loves posing for pictures. I wonder where he gets that from . . . :)

Autopia was the favorite. He loved that he could drive and tells us where he wanted to go. I think I may have whiplash from this ride. What I do for my Jackson.

Ryan and Miley looking so cute!!


Jackson holding on for dear life. I think that this was a flying ride in the Bug's Life Land.

Ryan and I looking "so thin" at Disneyland. I love that Ryan loves Disneyland just as much as me, that is one of the thousands of reasons I married him. This is what we all felt like after we were done with Disneyland. Now on to the beach.