The Lay Family

Piano Lessons

2010-10-11T20:21:00.000-07:00

Mackenzie had her first piano lesson this afternoon. She did a fantastic job and couldn't wait to get home to practice. Let's hope her enthusiasm continues. We now have a keyboard at home, however I already have plans to get rid of the dining room table to make room for the baby grand!

Mackenzie's Open House

2010-09-15T11:09:00.000-07:00

Open House BINGO was a fun way to learn about Mackenzie's 1st grade classroom.

Mason is ready for 1st grade!!

He enjoyed using the pattern block center with Mackenzie.

First Day of 1st Grade

2010-08-30T17:22:00.000-07:00

Mackenzie started 1st Grade today. She has a FABULOUS teacher and had a wonderful first day. We are so thankful for all the wonderful friends/teachers who work at her school. They check up on her and make her feel comfortable throughout the day. THANKS friends!

Fearless!

2010-07-11T15:59:00.000-07:00

Kindergarten Celebration

2010-07-08T14:39:00.001-07:00

Pool Time

2010-06-28T19:37:00.000-07:00

Yes, Mason is wearing the pink goggles. We can't find any that fit other than Mackenzies' pair from last year. I'm sure he will appreciate this video when he is older!

Fun at School!

2010-05-12T15:16:00.000-07:00

We attended Literacy Night at Mackenzie's school. She taught us how to play many of the games she plays during center time each day in class. Boy, these Kindergarteners sure work hard!!! Talk about early literacy, even Mason joined in on the activities. No one is ever too young to learn how to read and write!

Mackenzie and Mrs. Kennedy

First Swim of the Year!

2010-05-12T15:10:00.000-07:00

Mackenzie has been dying to get into the pool these past few weeks. Surprisingly, the pool was warm enough and sorta clean enough for her to swim a few laps. Mason was enjoying the water as well. We can't wait until we have more 80-90 degree weather so we can take advantage of the pool everyday!

A TRIP TO ZION

2010-04-28T06:29:00.000-07:00

Zion, Utah's First National Park

Massive canyon walls ascend toward a brilliant blue sky. To experience Zion, you need to walk among the towering cliffs, or challenge your courage in a small narrow canyon. These unique sandstone cliffs range in color from cream, to pink, to red. They could be described as sand castles crowning desert canyons.

April

2010-04-21T14:52:00.000-07:00

I finally have a few minutes to post to the blog. I can't believe it's already mid-April. We have had a GREAT month so far. Our visit back to the Bay was incredible. We were able to stay there for more than a week, however with so many friends and family it was hard to spend quality time with any one person. Thank you to all for understanding our time constraints. We loved spending time with each and every one of you even if it was just for dinner or a quick visit, and for some, just a phone call. We had some good times full of laughter and love!

Kindergarten Celebrates 100th Day!

2010-02-24T10:48:00.001-08:00

It's a Kindergarten tradition in most Kinder classrooms to celebrate the 100th day of school. I remember teaching Kindergarten in California and celebrating this day. It is fun for students, parents, and teachers. 100th Day encourages the students to count in various ways to 100, by 1s, 5s, and 10s. It's great practice and at any age, who doesn't love making fruit loop necklaces? One for you, one for me!

Kristina Visits AGAIN...and We LOVE it!

2010-02-24T10:33:00.000-08:00

Our family LOVES it when my cousin Kristina comes to visit. We had dinner with her at the Rainforest Cafe at the MGM. Although, Mason wasn't too thrilled about the moving animals and the weird sounds coming from them, he eventually warmed up to the place. On the other hand, Mackenzie is always excited to see Kristina and considers her her BFF. So cute! After dinner, we walked to M&M world and of course, Kristina won Mason's attention after she purchased a bag full of M&Ms for him. Thanks Kristina! Come back soon!

Gung Hay Fat Choy and Happy Valentine's Day!

2010-02-14T10:05:00.000-08:00

Wishing everyone a healthy, happy, and prosperous
Year of the Tiger
and a wonderful Valentine's Day!

Phineas and Ferb

2009-12-17T22:16:00.001-08:00

Our household can't get enough of the Disney cartoon, Phineas and Ferb. Yes, Keith and I can admit to humming and singing Wiggles, Blues Clues, and Dora tunes, however the songs from Phineas and Ferb are by far the BEST from a children's show. Sorry, Elmo. How can you not be curious about song titles like, S.I.M.P(Squirrels in my pants), Backyard Beach, Disco Miniature Golfing Queen, and our FAVE, Gitchee Gitchee Goo?!? This leads me to this really grainy video clip of Mackenzie and Mason gettin' their groove on to our favorite Phineas and Ferb song. Check out Mason's moves. He has more rhythm than anyone in the Lay Family!!!

Mackenzie's Holiday Program

2009-12-02T11:27:00.000-08:00

Keith and I were able to spend time with Mackenzie in her classroom the last day before she went on Track Break. Mackenzie in on Track 5 which means she has the entire month of December off! We made turkey hands and the class sang a few songs. Track 5 also had a Holiday Program which we attended. Of course, the Kindergarten class did the BEST!

October

2009-11-01T19:54:00.000-08:00

October was a very eventful month for the Lay Family. Between, Keith being in Utah for 8 days for work, me losing my gall bladder and trying to fit in Halloween festivities, I think I can say we are all glad to finally be in the month of November. Thank you everyone for your well wishes during my gall bladder surgery. I am healing well and will hopefully have relief from the ongoing pain I once was having. Here is a glimpse of the month...no, you won't see any xrays, ultrasounds, or gall bladder pics(Debbie!).

We were able to go fishing before Keith left for Utah. We were just about to leave and what do you know, we caught something, a catfish.

Mason enjoys a Chocolate Halloween cupcake made by my coworker, Carmen. She is a fantastic baker!
We visited The Farm, a local farm in North Las Vegas. It was quite small, but was just enough for the kids. There were chickens, peacocks, turkeys, ponies, and of course, pumpkins. Mackenzie was on the hunt for the "right" pumpkin to take to school.

Mason followed the chicken around the pumkpin patch. He wasn't quite sure what to make of it! Hmmm...dinner?

I was able to volunteer in Mackenzie's classroom for Pumpkin Math. The students had a fun time observing, measuring, and squishing! Kindergarten is so much fun!

Our lil' firefighter and Tinkerbell get ready for some treats.

Mason enjoys his first treat of the evening. See the sticky drool?

Mackenzie is a KINDERGARTENER!

2009-08-24T10:04:00.000-07:00

Ready for her first day of school, Mackenzie was packing her Tinkerbell backpack a good 20 minutes before we left the house. She couldn't wait for her First Day of Kindergarten!

Mackenzie and Daddy walk a whole 50 steps to school! Mackenzie is attending the elementary school around the corner from our house. She is enrolled in an All-day Kindergarten class. I also taught 5th grade at this school 3 years ago when we moved to Vegas. It is comforting to know that she will be with a wonderful and caring staff. I know my friends/colleagues will take good care of her!

Mackenzie stops in front of the Kindergarten playground. She can't wait to play at recess with her new friends. She's been eyeing the playground all summer!

Mrs. Kennedy is Mackenzie's teacher.

Mackenzie gets ready for Circle Time. She's ready for a fun-filled day of Kindergarten!

Our Little Mermaid

2009-05-12T15:54:00.000-07:00

Mackenzie's first swim lesson of the year was on Saturday. She had a total of 20 last year and will probably have at least 10 this year. She remembers a lot of what she learned 9 months ago and even surprised me with her confidence this last weekend. Her swim instructor, Sophia is an incredible teacher! We are so proud of Mackenzie. As she improves, so does my heart rate each and every time she gets in the pool. Take a peek...

MmmmM...Sushi

2009-04-18T09:35:00.000-07:00

The Lam Family, Jeff, Lisa, Brandon, and Danika, plus Danika's friend Michelle came over yesterday afternoon to hang out and to have dinner. Danika and Michelle braved our very COLD pool. I have been meaning to buy a new thermometer to check the temperature. It must have been no warmer than 60 degrees, maybe 50! Brrrrrr...

After the swimming festivities and a few loads of laundry(hehe), we headed to dinner. Of course, we went to our fave spot Tachi. Can't go wrong with sushi! Thanks for stopping by Lam Family. See you next month???

Happy Easter!

2009-04-13T06:54:00.000-07:00

The Kroftas Visit

2009-04-12T11:58:00.001-07:00

As soon as we returned from the Bay Area on Tuesday, we had visitors arriving. Julie, Sierra, and Olivia Krofta from So. Cal came to visit for a few days. Ron wasn't able to come, so we had a great "girl" bonding time(with the addition of Mason the only boy). There was a lot to do since Sierra had never been to Las Vegas before. She was prepared with her own camera in hand. She knew exactly what she wanted to see on the Strip and her camera got a good workout! I didn't notice I didn't get any pictures of her, probably because she was too busy taking pictures of her own. We headed to MGM Grand to check out the Lion Habitat. Afterwards, we had lunch at the Rainforest Cafe and then walked to M&M World. I think Olivia and Mason had just as much fun hanging out in their strollers people watching and eating raisins.

We sure enjoyed their visit and hope they come back soon, maybe with Ron and the newest addition to their family in 4 more months! CONGRATS Krofta Family. We can't wait to meet the new lil' one!

Back in The Bay Area

2009-04-11T13:40:00.001-07:00

We went to the Bay Area to honor the Ching Ming Holiday last weekend. Ching Ming is also known as Grave-Sweeping Day, observed on and around April 5. The date is indicated on the Chinese calendar with the two characters: ching, meaning pure or clean, and ming, meaning brightness. Combined together, Ching Ming means clean and just. Every year, Keith's family returns back to Oakland to honor his fathers' gravesite. It's a chance for everyone to remember him and to thank him.

We were also able to spend some time with family and friends. It was a quick 4 day trip, however we crunched in as many visits as we could while keeping our sanity!

My parents were spending their last few days in San Leandro before heading back to good ole' Burns, Oregon. Mackenzie and Mason were so happy to see them!

I was also able to spend some quality time with my god-daughter Jazmyne and Jadon. Jazmyne isn't quite as tall as me...yet! She also gave me a tutorial on my new phone. Thanks Jaz! I love you and Jadon and miss you terribly already!

We were so excited to meet Tony's little sister Rachel! She had so much fun playing with all the kids. We are so happy about the new addition to Ike, Dena, Tony, and Blue's family. Congratulations and much love Aboubzou-Tom Family!

Even the Yee Family from So. Cal was in the Bay! Here is Brandon and Jaz checking out all the pics from the evening.

Keith LOVES giving all the kids squeezy hugs! It looks like Tony is enjoying it! We were disappointed that we weren't able to see more of our friends during our short trip, however we are hoping to make it back to the Bay soon. If not, everyone is always welcome to visit us in Vegas!!! Come on down!

Mason takes a walk with a couple of friends...

2009-04-02T12:51:00.001-07:00

his milk and blankie.

Like Mother...Like Daughter

2009-03-22T14:49:00.000-07:00

I'm a MAC...(user)

Visiting with Ontie Tammy at the MGM Grand

2009-03-17T14:04:00.000-07:00

Ontie Tammy is in Vegas for a trade show at the MGM Grand and we had a chance to spend the afternoon with her yesterday. We hit up the M&M store where everyone got a few pink, purple, blue, orange, and white M&M goodies. We also stopped at the Adidas store and everyone(except me) got a new pair of kicks! For dinner, Keith met us at the Rainforest Cafe. Mason got lots of smooooches from his Ontie and from big sister. He was lovin' every minute of it!

Fishin' fer Nuthin'

2009-03-17T13:50:00.001-07:00

The entry title explains it all...

Mason takes over Mackenzie's fishing pole.

"I'm gonna catch a BIG one!"

"No fish, but we have plenty of smiles!"

Mason Turns One!

2009-02-28T20:37:00.000-08:00

A glimpse of the birthday festivities...phew! Thank you everyone for helping Mason celebrate his first birthday. We are very grateful to have such great family and friends.

Mason takes a pre-birthday party nap.

My co-worker and friend, Carmen baked Mason his very own birthday cupcake. He was quite amazed by the candle and also by the amount of frosting on the cupcake. Thanks Carmen for being so thoughtful and making Mason's First Birthday Cup"cake".

This is a group picture of the kids who came to help Mason celebrate. Starting from the left bottom: Noah, Jaxen, Brandon, Mackenzie, Birthday Boy Mason, Angie, Melanie. The top left: Giovani, Daniel, Adonn, and Bobbi. Not pictured: Emily, Jonas, and Josh

Mason enjoyed his cupcake very much. Initially, we let him dig into his personally cupcake, however he wasn't getting anywhere so we switched it to a "normal" sized cupcake. He eventually figured it out and grabbed the cupcake with both hands.

"MMmmmm...may I have some more please?"

Mason followed Leticia everywhere yesterday. He just can't get enough of his favorite caregiver!

February 2009

2009-02-25T06:17:00.000-08:00

February has come and is almost gone and I haven't posted to the blog. We can't believe Mason is turning ONE in 3 more days. We have been preparing for his birthday party on Saturday and can't wait to see him tear into his birthday cupcake! For those of you who don't know, my younger sister Debbie and brother in law, Marc are celebrating their daughters first birthday today! Happy Birthday Taylor! We love you!

Because I have been so bad about posting this month, here are a few pics of our exciting month. We celebrated Chinese New Year and Valentine's Day and we were able to spend a lot of time with our good friends from near and far.

We went to Ping Pang Pong to have some Chinese New Year dim sum with our good friends and neighbors, Greg, Linh, and Josh. After dim sum, Keith and I took the kids to Lake Mead to look for seashells. Mackenzie had a great time digging in the sand while collecting her treasures!

Mackenzie received Valentine's Day flowers from Dad. She was extremely surprised and excited. She also found some neat writing supplies and a puzzle in her Valentine's Day gift.

We had the crew from the Bay visit us on Valentine's Day weekend. We had a great dinner at Valentino's in the Venetian and spent most of the night hanging out at the V Bar and Lounge the rest of the evening.

Mt. Charleston

2009-01-03T21:47:00.000-08:00

We woke up bright an early this morning and dressed Mackenzie and Mason up in their snow gear. I never realized how difficult it was to put a snow bib, snow boots, mittens, and a hat on a 10 month old kickin' and wigglin'! With much anticipation, we headed for some fun in the snow. However, we were a little disappointed with our annual trip to Mt. Charleston. Since it hasn't snowed in over a week, there wasn't much powder and most of the snow we did find was pretty much frozen over. Nevertheless, the kids had a good time playing and trying to make snowballs and we also found a perfect spot for sledding and making snow angels the next time we visit. We can't wait to head back up there again, so we can enjoy some fresh powder after the next storm, if we ever get one!

Mackenzie's Special Kisses

2009-01-03T21:21:00.000-08:00

It has been fun watching Mackenzie and Mason interact with each other. As Mason gets older, we have noticed them playing more together and him seeking out his sister to "play". Mackenzie is a loving and caring big sister. She enjoys giving "special kisses", her version of "raspberries" to her brother. I finally got it on video with Mason laughing while trying to get away.

Welcome 2009!

2009-01-03T21:13:00.001-08:00

Cheers to 2009!

Christmas 2008

2008-12-28T10:25:00.001-08:00

Mackenzie, Brandon, Emily, and Mason made cookies for Santa. Don't they look delicious? MMmmmmmm... The kids went to bed fairly early on Christmas Eve and were definitely well rested for the Christmas Day festivities. Surprisingly, I didn't snap as many pictures as I typically do, but here are a few of Christmas Day.

The kids had so much fun opening presents and playing with them. Mason finally got the hang of pulling off the wrapping paper, although I think he had more fun checking out everyone else's "goods". Thank you to everyone for their generous gifts.

Each year, we usually head to the Strip to take pictures. The past few years, the Strip has pretty much been a ghost town during Christmas. This year however, it was not the case. We headed to Bellagio, but sat in traffic just to get into the parking lot. I jumped out of our car while Mackenzie and Mason were sleeping and had Carrie do the same. She pulled Brandon and Emily out of their car and we hopped onto the sidewalk in front of the Bellagio to watch the Fountain Show while the husbands parked the cars. Brandon and Emily had never seen the show and they really enjoyed listening to the music while the water shot up into the air.

Cruisin'

2008-12-22T15:29:00.000-08:00

Mason started using his toy walker today. He was chasing after his big sister, Mackenzie. We were hoping he would stay somewhat immobile for a few more months. By the look of it, he'll be walking pretty soon. OH NO!!!!!

Snow in Vegas

2008-12-15T21:28:00.000-08:00

Mackenzie had a ball watching and playing in the snow this morning. Ok, I have to admit, I was having a good time too! Unfortunately, there wasn't much snow where we lived, but there was plenty about 10 miles west of us where Mackenzie goes to preschool.

A Weekend of Visitors!

2008-12-15T18:27:00.000-08:00

We had several visitors these past few weeks, starting with Jeff and Lisa Lam. The Lams visit us quite often and we are so fortunate to be able to spend so much time with them while they are in Vegas. On this visit though, Jeff was napping in his hotel room and we didn't get to see him, however Lisa met up with us for food and shopping. Mackenzie and I joined her at The Forum Shops at Caesar's. We had fun shopping and chit-chatting at The Cheesecake Factory. Mackenzie loved hanging out with just the girls!

That weekend, Gung Gung, Po Po, The Andersen Family, and the Yee Family invaded our household. We finally met our adorable niecey-poo Taylor. It was so cute to watch her and Mason play together. With them being only 3 days apart, it was amazing to see them doing the same things and even crawling after one another.

We were able to fit in a little Aliante Park time. The weather was beautiful. Brandon, Mackenzie and Emily enjoyed feeding the ducks and playing on the swings and the slides.

Phew...if that wasn't fun enough, we celebrated Carrie's birthday was some yummy cupcakes from the Cupcakery. The Chocolate Peppermint was so gooood. It tasted just like a York Peppermint Patty. This bakery is the place I "try" to take most visitors to while they are in town. If I haven't taken you, please don't be offended...=X

It was great having a lot of family in town, although everyone was quite sickly. I went to Quick-care twice, Walgreens three times, and bought 4 boxes of kleenex!!! Ewwww, maybe I should buy some Lysol too now that everyone is gone. Even though there were a lot of germies flying aorund the house, it was still wonderful having everyone here.

Post Thanksgiving in Diamond Bar, Ca.

2008-12-02T14:58:00.001-08:00

We headed to Diamond Bar to visit the Yee Family the Saturday after Thanksgiving. The Smith Family was also there visiting. It was nice watching the cousins play and entertain each other. On Sunday, we went to the Discovery Science Center in Santa Ana. The kids and adults had a great time! This was a perfect place for everyone to burn off those Thanksgiving calories and to work those brain cells!

There was a Science of Gingerbread exhibit where kids could smell the different spices in gingerbread and they also had gingerbread houses on display.

Emily and Mackenzie put the stegosaurus' bones back in their place.

Aidan and Mackenzie enjoyed riding side by side dinos! Where did Brandon go? He must have been too quick for my camera this trip. I didn't get any photos of him!

Centennial Academy's Thanksgiving Feast

2008-12-02T14:43:00.000-08:00

Mackenzie celebrated Thanksgiving with her classmates at Centennial Academy. They had turkey, stuffing, yams, and of course a variety of pumpkin desserts. She and her friends had a great time feasting!

Lake Las Vegas

2008-11-23T17:49:00.000-08:00

On Saturday, Keith and I decided to celebrate our 5th wedding anniversary without the kiddos. Our daycare provider, Leticia offered to take care of Mackenzie and Mason overnight for us! Wooohooo! We were very excited to go away for a night without the kids. Lake Las Vegas was our destination. It is a resort about 30 minutes east of the Strip and is made up of a man-made lake which is surrounded by Loews Hotel and Resort, Montelago Casino and Resort, and The Ritz-Carlton. There are also several golf courses and custom-built homes in the area. This is where Celine Dion lived while she performed at Caesar's. It is very beautiful and quite un-Vegaslike, aside from the Casino at the Montelago.

We had dinner at Marssa. It was the Sushi Restaurant at the Loews Hotel and Resort where we stayed. We started with an appetizer Bento Box which included the most incredible edamame dumplings with white truffle oil, kobe satay, chicken yahatamaki and crispy lobster cakes which had big chunks of lobster, YUM! We also had a tuna cocktail along with the usual suspects of hamachi, toro, sake, maguro and red snapper. The presentation was amazing as you can see!

When we were finished with the bento box and the sashimi, the waiter suggested we order a few more pieces of grilled toro nigiri. We had never had it this way before and he promised that the taste was better than the toro raw. The fish is grilled quickly and the fat and the flavors of the fish are brought out. He was absolutely right. This was the best sushi of the night. The fish melted in our mouths and if it wasn't at market price, we would have ordered more! I seriously would have been happy with just a fillet of grilled Toro over some rice!

The restuarant helped us celebrate our anniversary by giving us dessert. The mango mousse was very light. It was perfect for Keith since he doesn't really enjoy chocolatey desserts. The Chocolate Lava Cake was so rich and moist. I needed a gallon of milk afterwards to wash it all down. It was a nice way to end our meal. We would love to go back there again, maybe next year...with or without the kids???

Photo Booth Fun

2008-11-18T14:18:00.000-08:00

I was going through Photo Booth and found some hilarious pics. It seems like whoever touches my MacBook has an urge to snap a few shots of themselves or others using Photo Booth. What fun!

Guess What's for Dinner???

2008-11-16T19:42:00.000-08:00

MMMmmmm...

Yummy Cheerios!

2008-11-11T16:53:00.000-08:00

Mason loves feeding himself cheerios, but he still has ZERO teeth!!!

The Manriquez' 18th Anniversary Party!

2008-11-11T11:21:00.000-08:00

Gamaliel and Leticia Manriquez celebrated their 18th wedding anniversary this past weekend. Leticia is Mason and Mackenzie's day care provider. We are so fortunate to have not only Leticia, but the entire Manriquez family in our lives. We were so happy to help them celebrate their 18th anniversary and cant wait to celebrate many more with them! We had a fun evening with good music, food, drinks, and friends. Unfortunately, I didn't get a picture of the couple together. Duh! I was too busy drinking pomegranate martinis. MMMmmm...

Leticia enjoys Mason and Mackenzie's company "after hours".

Northern Exposure 2 Mile Run/Walk

2008-11-08T10:12:00.000-08:00

I talked my friend and co-worker Julie into pushing Mason in the Northern Exposure 2 Mile Run/Walk today while I pushed Mackenzie. We had every intention on jogging the 2 miles, however we ended up power walking all the way. Julie ran over 2 cones in the beginning and we didn't want any other casualties because of her inability to steer correctly. =) It was a beautiful day and Mackenzie and Mason enjoyed the ride! Julie was a good sport, even though she could have ran the 10K on her own! We hope to enter more running events in the future, with and without the kids!

This is Halloween

2008-11-01T07:52:00.000-07:00

Mackenzie and Mason were excited for Halloween this year. Mackenzie has been dressing up in her costume for weeks already. Cinderella practiced walking and smiling like a princess while holding her wand and her candy basket. She had it all mastered by Halloween night! Mason was a giraffe. In the beginning, he didn't mind the hood, but as it got darker, he kept pulling it off.

Mackenzie and Mason spent most of the evening with our neighbors, Greg, Linh, and Dr. Joshua. We went through 3 large bags of candy last night and had to close up shop at 7:30pm. Our neighbors didn't even make it that long. They ran out an hour into the festivities. Surprisingly, we didn't get a whole lot of older teens. It still amazes me to see parents drive down the street while their children walk from house to house. They cant even get out of the car???? There were a lot of younger children with their parents out last night too. It was nice to see families spending the time together. We had a great time!

Keith tried to carve a Minnie Mouse pumpkin, however he ended up having Mackenzie draw the basic round eyes and nose and happy face. It was too "scary" to take a pic of!

Happy Birthday Jazmyne!

2008-10-26T22:03:00.001-07:00

My god-daughter Jazmyne turned 14 today! I can't believe she is 14 already, let alone a freshman in high school. Awww, the memories I have babysitting her and the many times Micki talked me into going to the mall to help push Jazmyne in the stroller. Let's not forget the day I accidentally locked my keys in the car, with her buckled into her infant carseat. Yes, we had to call the fire department to jimmy the lock. Luckily, Jazymne doesn't remember this, although every once in awhile a few people tell her the story. I LOVE YOU JAZMYNE and Happy Birthday!

Gilcrease Orchard and the Pumpkin "Patch"

2008-10-26T19:40:00.000-07:00

Bright and early this morning, we headed to Gilcrease Orchard. Gilcrease Orchard is located in the north end of Las Vegas. The orchard spans over 50 acres, with more than 6000 apple, pear and peach trees. In the summer a variety of vegetables, including tomatoes, pumpkin, cucumber and squash are grown. It is a great place for the kids to roam and we were anticipating rows and rows of pumpkins, squash, and apples. Instead of a bountiful harvest, we ended up with 3 very small tomatoes and an even smaller green bell pepper.

We even found some eggplant at the orchard. After having breakfast at Mimi's Cafe, we headed to the Pumpkin "Patch", complete with petting zoo and carnival rides!

Mason was NOT amused with the pumpkins. Every time we set him down by anything orange, he started crying. Mackenzie kept choosing pumpkins bigger than her. We ended up picking 2 pumpkins for carving on Thursday. Stay tuned for those pics!

He stands, but where are those teeth???

2008-10-26T17:36:00.000-07:00

Mason loves to pull himself up using the furniture now, however he still has zero teeth. Will he walk before he can chew???

We Finally Took Professional Pics!

2008-10-23T09:53:00.000-07:00

Yes, we are bad parents. Our second child is almost 8 months old and it took us this long to get professional pictures taken! Nevermind the fact that we took Mackenzie every month for the first year to Picture People, Sears, and JcPenney! Sorry Mason, forgive us. We purchased every pose of Mason. Yes, that's guilt!!!! Here are a few poses from the sitting.

Baby Talk

2008-10-12T07:59:00.000-07:00

Mason wouldn't stop talking this morning. It's interesting how the intonation of his "words" actually sound like he's having a conversation with me. Unfortunately, I couldn't decifer anything, so I will just have to assume he said, "I want some chicken feet, please!"

Dinner Time!

2008-10-06T20:20:00.001-07:00

MMMMmmm...need I say more??

Mason's New Trick!

2008-10-06T19:56:00.000-07:00

Mason started crawling a few weeks ago. Here he is trying to get, of course, the remote control. He is much better at crawling now. He likes to follow all of us around the house. Mackenzie is starting to learn that she needs to pick up anything she doesn't want Mason to drool all over, although EVERYTHING seems to be drooly no matter what we do!

Mackenzie's 4th Birthday Celebration!

2008-09-21T10:07:00.000-07:00

Mackenzie turned 4 on September 4th! She had a week long celebration and then some! She enjoyed opening all of her birthday presents and eating lots and lots of birthday cake! There were quite a few pics we took of her birthday festivities, here are about 1/8 of them.

For her birthday party, Mackenzie invited some of her friends and her cousins over for pizza, cake, and swimming. Jordyn, Gracie, Joshua, Steven, Hayden and Mackenzie enjoyed floatin' and splashin' all afternoon.

We decided to take Mackenzie to Disneyland so she could celebrate her birthday with Mickey and Minnie Mouse and all the princesses. We had a great time! We spent 2 days in Disneyland and 1 day in California Adventure. We were able to ride on a lot of rides and even some of our favorite rides 2 or 3 times! Julie, Olivia, and Sierra met us Friday afternoon and we stayed in Fantasyland most of the time doing "Princess" things. Michael, Carrie, Brandon and Emily joined us a little later in the afternoon and we were all able to ride Dumbo together before the adults needed to go bed.

My Disneyland Birthday is held at The Plaza Inn. It is a restaurant at the end of Main Street. Mackenzie and other kids decorated Mickey bday cakes. They sang and danced with Mickey and Minnie. It was quite entertaining! We found Minnie Mouse again at Toontown where Mackenzie and Sierra got her autograph and took a cute pic!

We had a family photo-op on the Jungle cruise. Mackenzie was responsible for taking care of her classroom pet lion. Lucky lion, he was able to go on all the rides with us! The park wasn't very crowded the first 2 days we were there. We found ourselves wishing we had a babysitter so we could go on Pirates of the Caribbean and The Matterhorn. The lines were less than a 15 minute wait! Oh well, maybe next time we'll bring the grandparents.

On Saturday, we had breakfast with the Yee Family at Ariel's Grotto. When we arrived, Ariel was waiting for us and took a picture with Mackenzie. While eating, other princesses came out to visit with us. Snow White, Belle, Cinderella, and Mackenzie's favorite princess, Aurora(Sleeping Beauty) stopped by our table to chat and take pictures. Even Brandon got into it!

Carrie took Emily, Brandon, and Mackenzie on this Bug's Life version of the Teacups. I feel "morning sickness" coming on just looking at the picture!

Who's having MORE fun? Keith and Michael or Brandon and Mackenzie? We had such a fun time at Disneyland. We are so glad we waited until Mackenzie was 4 to go and although Mason won't remember, I am pretty sure Mackenzie will. Mackenzie and Mason can't wait to go back again...who knows when that will be, maybe when Mason turns 4 or maybe sooner.

Splash Time!

2008-09-12T18:15:00.000-07:00

Mason loves water! Take a look!

Mackenzie starts Preschool...again.

2008-09-03T20:37:00.000-07:00

Mackenzie woke up this morning very excited. She couldn't wait to start a new year of preschool. Last Friday, we met her teachers, Ms. Washington and Ms. Thomas. She took a tour of her new 4 yr. old classroom and was able to meet some of her new friends in her class. Bright and early this morning, she was ready to get dressed in her uniform. Her new Minnie Mouse backpack was stuffed full of so many supplies, she almost fell backwards. Regardless of the weight of her backpack and lunch box, Mackenzie was glad to go back to Centennial Academy for another year, her last year of preschool!

Rockin' and Rollin' on Labor Day!

2008-09-01T12:28:00.000-07:00

Mackenzie LOVES to perform for everyone in the house. She even tries to get us to perform. She uses her microphone to sing in and asks me to play music from iTunes. She likes to sing and dance to Fergie and Leona Lewis.

Mason is rocking back and forth on his hands and knees. He doesn't really go anywhere other than forward into a face plant! When he is tired of that, he rolls, rolls, and rolls across the floor. He is getting really good at using his walker. Once we took the bumpers off of the bottom of it, he was cruisin' on the carpet! At times, I think he is trying to run us over.

Mason is 6 Months Old!

2008-08-29T06:15:00.001-07:00

Mason had his 6 month check-up and shots yesterday. He is now a healthy 18 lbs. 4 oz. and is 26 1/2 inches long. I can barely carry him in the infant car seat. He is sitting up on his own now and enjoys sitting on the floor with his toys. Every once in awhile, he will take a nose dive, but he is getting pretty good at sitting without tumbling over. He really likes bath time since he can sit and play with toys.

Da Mahs Visit

2008-08-24T08:35:00.000-07:00

Da Mah Family came to Vegas for a wedding a few weekends ago. We were so happy to spend some time with them. Mackenzie wanted to take them to our favorite place for dim sum and we also got a lil bit of shopping in before they left for the airport to catch their flight home. Mason was so spoiled by them. He was constantly carried and held as you can see from the picture with Pam and Valerie. For some reason, I only took one picture which really surprises me since I am always camera happy. Sorry Marvin and Mich... =)

Old Friends...Good Times

2008-07-30T20:59:00.001-07:00

Lynn came to Vegas to visit us a few weekends ago. We haven't seen her since our wedding... almost 5 years now!!! She was finally able to meet Mackenzie and she spent a lot of time entertaining Mason. I enjoyed catching up with her and was so glad she made the visit from San Diego. It's great reconnecting with old friends and it's always nice to know that good friendships never die no matter how much time has passed.

We were also able to spend some time with the Yee Family last weekend. Brandon, Mackenzie, Emily, and Mason had a ball wearing each other out or maybe they just wore us parents out!

We also visited with my best friend, Julie, her husband Ron and baby Olivia. We haven't seen them in over 2 years! Let's hope it doesn't take us this long to see each other again. I have a feeling it won't be!

Maybe I should have named the blog Old Friends ALWAYS = Good Times.

Rolling over...No Problem!

2008-07-12T08:20:00.000-07:00

Mason has finally gotten really good...too good at rolling over. There he goes again!

Lazy Weekend!

2008-07-06T16:00:00.000-07:00

Mason is using Mackenzie's exersaucer now. As you can see, he loves it just as much as Mackenzie did. There are times we still find Mackenzie climbing into the seat! I find myself humming those darn songs from the exersaucer all the time now....hahaha.

Keith and Mason ham it up for the camera! Check out the drooly boy! I do a load of Mason's laundry everyday. It's hard keeping enough bibs and burp clothes clean. We aren't conserving water at this household.

Mackenzie continues to have swim lessons every weekend. She has had 16 swim lessons so far. She loves her swim instructor, Sophia and has come along way. She now swims to us and to the wall of the pool without any help and can hold her breath for a longer amount of time in the water. She can retrieve swim rings from 3ft. deep with a little help. It's a little scary for me, but she is so ready! She is going to be a little mermaid in no time! Mason also wanted to get in on the swimming fun! Isn't he tooooo cute in his swim gear?!?

The Buenaventuras Visit Vegas!

2008-07-06T15:37:00.001-07:00

The Buenaventura Family was in Las Vegas this past week. We loved having them here. We had cupcakes from The Cupcakery on the 4th of July! Mackenzie and Ysabel had Tinkle Me Pink cupcakes, while Chris had Chocolate Peanut Butter and Marlit and Keith had Banana Chocolate....MmMMmm. Poor Kaela had a fever and wasn't feeling well, however she was able to enjoy the first few days here and the last few hours!

Kaela was a great help with Mason. She can't wait to be a big sister again. When I asked her if she wanted a baby brother or a baby sister, she excitedly answered, "A baby brother!" When asked the same question, Ysabel answered, "I want a baby sister!" Hmmmm...we will find out soon girls!

Mason Turns 4 Months Old!

2008-06-29T17:44:00.000-07:00

Mason turned 4 months old on Saturday. He loves to smile now, especially at 5:30a.m. every morning. He had his 4 month check-up on Friday. He weighs 16 lbs. 1 oz. and is 24.5 inches long. Dr. Kirmani said he could start on rice cereal and other solid foods, however Keith and I have decided to wait for a few more weeks until Mason is sitting up more on his own. Mackenzie is a great big sister. She wants to help feed him and she can't wait until Mason can dance and sing with her!! Look for that video in the future...

Auntie Tammy Visits

2008-06-29T17:29:00.000-07:00

Auntie Tammy came to visit last week. She was here for a trade show at the Mirage. We were able to spend some time with her while she was here. Mackenzie and Mason enjoyed having their auntie here. They miss her already! We hope she can come back soon along with Uncle Mark and Aidan.

How the weekends come and go so quickly...

2008-06-01T16:03:00.000-07:00

Mason turned 3 months old and has changed so much. Keith and I feel that his "baby baby" stage went by so much faster than Mackenzie's. He enjoys relaxing on his blanket. He's gearing up for the exciting weekend!

Mackenzie is taking swim lessons at our house. Her swim instructor Sophia comes every weekend for 30 mins each day. Mackenzie is aspiring to be a mermaid, like Ariel.

On Saturday, Mackenzie went to Ryenne's birthday party. She enjoyed posing for pictures with her friends, Ryenne, Natalie, and Grace. It sure was an exciting weekend. Here comes Monday...Booo!

Memorial Day Weekend in So Cal!

2008-05-27T13:40:00.000-07:00

We visited Southern California during Memorial Weekend. We were able to spend time with Uncles, Aunties, and lots of cousins! Mackenzie woke up this morning with one eye opened and said, "I just want to sleep all day." We were all a little worn out from the exciting visit!

Mason loves his Bumbo seat..take a look!

Cousins

2008-05-13T20:51:00.001-07:00

We spent Mother's Day with Keith's family. Morgan is a GREAT babysitter! As soon as she got home from work she went straight to entertaining Mackenzie, Tiffany, and Mason.

Mackenzie's Spring Recital

2008-05-07T10:50:00.000-07:00

Mackenzie's Spring Recital at Centennial Academy was this morning. We were excited to see Mackenzie up on stage with her classmates. Hope you enjoy it as much as we did!

It's 3:30 A.M. and all is quiet?

2008-05-06T09:43:00.000-07:00

Early this morning, Mason was NOT interested in sleeping. He ate and insisted on playing, laughing, and smiling. How could I argue with him? He's soooo cute!

Mason is 9 Weeks Old!

2008-05-01T13:01:00.000-07:00

Mason loves to smile and coo, however he would NOT cooperate today while I was trying to video tape him. Oh well, maybe next time. He had his 2 month check-up and shots on Tuesday the 29th. He is a whoppin' 12 lbs. 2 oz. and is 21 inches long. Dr. Kirmani says that he must be putting all the extra weight in his cheeks. I would have to agree with her. Mason didn't really mind the FOUR shots he received. He cried when the needles went in, but as soon as the nurse was done, his crying was as well. He must get his courage from big sister, Mackenzie. She will actually watch as she receives shots! Gee, I can't say that for many adults, including me!

Mackenzie LOVES taking pictures with the digital camera! She's pretty good at it, don't you think?

Silly faces...silly sounds

2008-04-21T11:34:00.000-07:00

Playtime in the Springtime

2008-04-14T12:04:00.000-07:00

Mackenzie has the green thumb in the family. She enjoys planting our new spring flowers in the front yard. Everyday after preschool, she pulls the weeds around her flowers and digs around.
Want some dirt???
Mason tries out the playmat. He is very alert now and seemed to be mesmerized by the lights up above. Is that a little smile??? I think so!
Mackenzie remembers the good ole' days under the flashing lights and swinging animals! She loves playing with her baby brother.

Bay Area Weekend

2008-04-08T11:58:00.001-07:00

We left Las Vegas on Friday the 4th at 3am! Yes, that's right...3am! Keith and I love leaving at this time because the children sleep at least 4 hours into the trip. Thankfully, we made it to Bakersfield before hearing a peep out of Mackenzie or Mason. The last 4 hours of the trip was a different story though. Oh no, it's not who you are thinking. It wasn't Mason crying that drove us crazy, it was Mackenzie saying "Are we there yet?" every 15 minutes. Our answers started out like, "Oh, not yet. We have a long way to go still." and "We'll be there there in 3 more hours." Then the answers turned into, "Does it LOOK LIKE we are there YET?" I really thought we were in a family movie or sitcom. I didn't really believe that kids actually asked that! AAAaaaaah!!!!

We spent Saturday evening at Scott and Joanne's house in Oakland. Thanks Joanne for always being the "hostess with the mostess". Keith was excited to see his friends and enjoyed many bottles of wine with them...need I say more about the red faces? We couldn't believe how fast all of the kids are growing. There was non-stop playing, running, and screaming. There were no inside voices that night! =) Mackenzie and Angie even took some time out from playing to have some tiramisu from SOGO Bakery. MMmmmMmM...

On Sunday, the San Leandro house was full of visitors. Mason was thoroughly spoiled by his aunties and uncles and LOVED all of the attention from everyone. He now wants to be held ALL the time. Um, thanks guys! Mackenzie had a fun time with cousin Aidan, Jazmyne, Jadon, Kaela, Ysabel, Atticus, and Tony. Sorry Uncle Mark about posting this pic, but it's the only one I had and your wife and Mason look so cute!

We had a great time visiting friends and family this past weekend in the Bay Area. Thank you everyone for the fun and laughs and for taking the time out of your busy schedules to see us. We wish we could have stayed a little longer so we could spend more time visiting and of course eating all the foods we miss! Hopefully, we will be back soon! If any of you are looking for a summer vacation spot, you are always welcome in Vegas!

Fresh and Clean...

2008-04-03T13:32:00.000-07:00

Mason had his first bath a few days ago. Like how we positioned the towel just right? =) He was rather indifferent to it all. He smelled so fresh and clean afterwards! Yippeee for bath time!

Mason had his one month check-up on Monday, March 31st. He is now 9 lbs 2 oz. and is 19 3/4 in. long. No more preemie clothes! He can actually fit in newborn clothes now! By his two month checkup, he'll be in 2T(let's hope not)!!!

Happy Easter!

2008-03-23T13:19:00.001-07:00

Happy Easter Everyone! Mackenzie and Mason were up early this morning. They...well Mackenzie was ready to look for eggs at the crack of dawn(yawn). You can tell by Mackenzie's bed head and her duckie pjs. The Easter Bunny brought eggs filled with candy and gift bags full of Easter goodies. Thank you Easter Bunny. =)

We don't have any plants in our backyard yet, so the Easter Bunny hid the eggs in the front yard among the few desert plants and rocks we have. I tried to wake Mason, but he slept during the entire egg hunt. I am sure next year he will give Mackenzie some competition!

Our Friday Night Fun!

2008-03-21T21:21:00.000-07:00

Mackenzie in her new Ariel pajamas. She enjoys playing playdough before bedtime.

Keith tries to get in a few push ups while watching over Mason.

Camera Happy

2008-03-20T20:19:00.000-07:00

Mackenzie...

Mason...any resemblance??

More pics of the Lay family...minus me. =) Mackenzie LOVES being a big sister!

Mason Yee Lay

2008-03-20T15:08:00.000-07:00

Mason was born on February 28, 2008 at 9:35 a.m. He was 6 lbs. 1 oz. and 18 inches long. Thankfully, Gung Gung and Pa Pa were here during my recovery. Luckily, I was up and moving pretty quickly. They are now visiting Baby Taylor in Denver and I am now back to doing my own laundry and dishes....DARN! It was great while it lasted!

Welcome to Our Blog!

2008-03-19T11:45:00.000-07:00

Hello Everyone!

We figured this would be a great way to update everyone on Mackenzie and Mason! We know you don't wanna know how we are, but we thought this would be an easy way for everyone to see recent pics of the kids and to read about them. ENJOY and come back often!