Cooney family

update

2010-09-15T13:09:00.002+09:00

Sorry, I'm not on here much anymore... it's so easy to upload pics to facebook and snapfish... Blogger takes quite a bit longer. Anyway, here are some recent pics of the kids - as you can see, Gramma and Papa came out to see us this summer, we sure had a great time!! And since it has been so long since I've updated this blog, I guess I should tell you we're living in Augusta, Georgia now.. Sean is working on Fort Gordon at a Navy command that is like a little island in a sea of Army. The girls are going to "school" part time, they really like it so far! I can hardly believe that they will be three years old in a month and a half.... my babies are growing up quickly!!
Love to you all!

Visit from friends

2010-02-27T01:46:00.005+09:00

We were very happy to see our friends from Tokyo when they came to Okinawa this month.. Toru and Rikako, along with their two daughters, Riko and Ran, and Toru's mom (I call her Okaasan, which means 'mom'). We did some shopping on the Friday they were here, then spent the next day at the aquarium. Kayla and Ran, the younger daughter, became fast buddies and held hands everywhere we walked. Makenna was interested, but she only wanted to hold mommy's hand... Anyway, we had a great time. Enjoy our photos!

bad, bad blogger...

2010-02-07T21:36:00.002+09:00

Yes, I know how far away we live... and yes, I know the girls' appearances change rapidly.. and yes, I even know that some of you only see pics of them via this blog. I'm sorry!! I am! I know it has been eons since my last posting, but I promise, we really have been busy - for the most part... okay, some of it is laziness on my part..

So until I can sift through a couple months worth of photos and get them posted, here are a couple more recent ones to hold you over.

For those of you that don't already know, we will be leaving Okinawa in less than six weeks now and heading back to the U.S. Sean is taking a job in Augusta, Georgia. The girls and I (and little Pearl) will be staying with Gramma and Papa while Sean is attending schools in a couple different places. Anyway, getting ready for the move is a challenge, but we are looking forward to being closer to "home."

More soon.....

Thanksgiving

2009-12-14T00:28:00.004+09:00

We spent Thanksgiving at a little resort spot here called Okuma. The girls had a wonderful day playing in the warm sun, and I didn't have to cook dinner - I call that something to be thankful for! Plus, the icing on our cake was this amazing sunset to end our day....

These are just random...

birthday clips

2009-11-06T11:46:00.002+09:00

just a few short videos from the girls' birthday:

Birthday Fun!

2009-11-06T11:06:00.005+09:00

Well, our little babies aren't babies anymore! They turned 2 years old on November 3! We celebrated the Sunday before so Daddy could spend the day with us. Here are a few moments of fun:

Halloween

2009-11-02T15:10:00.007+09:00

The girls had a fun Halloween this year, Kayla was a bumblebee and Makenna was a ladybug... On the 29th, I took them to a kids' party on the Marine base nearby, they were just happy to be wearing their costumes! We took them to dinner on Halloween night and were going to head out for trick-or-treating from there, but it was raining like crazy. So we decided to head home and the girls had some "backup" candy instead! Plus we had some yummy popcorn balls sent from Gramma and Papa, so we didn't need any more goodies than that!

Home after an unsuccessful try at T-o-Ting - Makenna is eating a Hershey's Kiss, not frowning!

The girls at their party - Makenna is holding the raffle prize they won - a Barbie doll

Pearly didn't have a costume, but she did get her hair cut that day, so she was lookin' pretty!

Daddy and his girls

At the restaurant where we had dinner... Japanese style seating means no chairs, means no highchairs, means no buckles to keep them seated!

scared of a "bug"

2009-10-21T00:26:00.002+09:00

well, it's not really a bug, just a piece of paper that we're blowing across the table, but it got some big reactions from the girls!

Go-Go girls

2009-10-20T23:57:00.001+09:00

Finally we get to see Makenna do some dancing! :o]

a few new photos

2009-10-20T23:19:00.002+09:00

Laughter, the best medicine...

2009-09-15T15:51:00.001+09:00

If you're feeling a little down, surely this will pick up your spirits a bit! Kayla and Makenna sure know how to crack each other up! and they always crack me up! Enjoy....

more catch up

2009-09-10T00:56:00.005+09:00

Kayla loves Gramma's "Lord of the Dance" CD - here she is making up her own dance moves. We eventually had to stop playing it because she was spinning so much she fell over and hit her head on a chair.. Gives new meaning to the phrase "dizzy blonde!"

Where's Kayla?

There she is!

Makenna visiting with Auntie Marian

Kayla playing "Pat-a-cake" with Auntie Marian

The Merzs and Weidners visiting

These are Dave and Terri's dogs, they just bought a new puppy - cute, right? Well, he's an English Mastif, so he's probably about as big as me by now...

The girls visit with Dawson and Carson. We were supposed to go to the pool this day, but it was too cool... so we decided on the park, but shortly after this photo taken during lunch, it started to pour... so we did most of our visiting in Terri's van - good thing it was roomy and comfy! :)

Time to go home.... We are SO not happy about leaving!!

Better settle in and get comfy, it's gonna be a long flight!

playing catch-up

2009-09-10T00:44:00.006+09:00

Okay, so I haven't posted any new photos since we left Chicago... I know, I'm such a slacker! So over the next couple of posts I'll try to bring this thing back up to date. As quickly as these girls grow, I can't go so long without posting photos - you might not recognize them!

Here's some pics from our trip to the zoo with Gamma and Papa - what a great time we had!!

2009-07-30T11:24:00.003+09:00

Here are some more random photos from our visit...

I still have some photos to post from our family reunion from Sunday, and from our trip to the zoo last week, I'll get those up soon.

One more week to go, then we'll be flying back to Oki - boo hoo! But we get to see Daddy! Yay!

More to come...

more pics of our visit

2009-07-16T12:21:00.002+09:00

just a few more... I'll keep 'em coming - soon, I promise!

fun in the sun at Gramma's house

2009-07-07T05:15:00.004+09:00

The girls are enjoying some warm sunny weather here at Gramma and Papa's house! After several days in the 60's, it was nice to warm up enough for the pool.. Oh, and Makenna waters Gramma's flowers with the pool water, too.. :)

Beach Babes

2009-06-12T15:33:00.002+09:00

I know I haven't posted in a while - I'm terrible with keeping this thing updated! Anyway, I have about a million photos between the last post and today, so instead of the overkill, I thought I'd just post a few from our day at the beach on Saturday. Hope you like!

A bunch more photos

2009-05-06T01:08:00.008+09:00

I'm so far behind on my updates, I'm posting bunches of photos at a time... These are slightly out of order, but you'll get the idea. I don't have the patience to rearrange everything - momma's tired!

The first set of photos shows the girls enjoying some of Pearly's birthday cupcakes, Kayla must have picked up pointers on how to eat from Pearly!

These are proof that Pearly isn't always a grouch to the girls. She's been so good lately about letting the girls pet her. And the girls have been SO GOOD about being gentle with doggie. The first photo is turned sideways (oops) but Makenna is giving Pearly a kiss!

We went to a local fish market recently that has a restaurant attached. Excellent food and the freshest fish I've ever eaten! I didn't even mind the raw salmon - and I don't usually eat sushi.. The girls ate some stuff, but of course we had to be careful with the fish, because there were a few small bones. So it was mostly rice for them.. Kayla didn't care much for the green tea!

Here is Pearly enjoying her birthday cupcake - yes, she turned 10 this year! I didn't buy special candles just for her, I used Sean's "40" candles and trimmed the 4 to make it a 1 - haha!

Taking a walk

My little basket case

Give sissy a kiss!

...and what would baby pictures be without bathtime?

lots of updates

2009-04-30T00:04:00.008+09:00

sorry it's been so long since my last post.. we've been so busy lately! I'll try to get as many updates done as I can. In recent news, Makenna has done both jobs on the potty, Kayla has gone peepee once.. I can see the light at the end of the dirty diaper tunnel! :)

These beach photos were taken the same day as our picnic at the beginning of the month, I just never got back to finishing the post..

Palm Sunday, the girls were dressed up, and we went to the Zoo after church with a friend and her 7-month-old (daddy was working that day). I was very interested in the momma kangaroos with the little ones in the pouch - I've never seen that in person before! Very cool!

Easter Sunday, we went out to a great spot for lunch after mass.. That's where we took these photos:

Weekend Fun, part 2

2009-04-05T00:21:00.004+09:00

I will have to add more photos tomorrow.. blogger isn't letting me upload them right now..

come back soon, I'll have more to share!

Weekend fun

2009-04-05T00:01:00.007+09:00

Well, we started our weekend with some Starbuck's, which is a good way to start any weekend - or weekday for that matter!

Keeping the girls occupied while mom and dad enjoy their hot drinks..

Mommy's happy now that she's had her Chai!

Okay girls, now after those double-frappaccino-with-whip-and-chocolate, make sure you brush your teeth! (is that even a possible drink? I just made that up)

Forget dressing up in mommy's clothes, I've got daddy's sweater!

Saturday now.. we drove up to this park area near Nago City (northern part of Oki) to have a picnic and maybe spend a little time on the beach. Luckily we had nice weather, not too hot..

random cuteness

2009-04-04T23:50:00.002+09:00

We bought these little arm chairs at a Japanese store called Nitori - they are really cute and the girls totally love them!

Kayla is getting into Al Bundy mode - one sock on...

Hope I am not creating future couch potatoes!

giggles video

2009-04-04T23:23:00.001+09:00

The girls have some silly time with daddy.. I love listening to them laugh!

I'm Lost.... Snail on top of the kerosene tank ...hummm

2009-03-29T09:30:00.000+09:00

From the Gulag

2009-03-29T09:26:00.002+09:00

Peeking outside....

Simple Beauty

2009-03-29T09:22:00.001+09:00

just having fun

2009-03-06T23:55:00.004+09:00

Just some random views of our lives from the last week or so... The girls are getting so big so fast, I want to make sure I update photos regularly!

Makenna was getting tired of climbing on the sofa, so she decided to take a rest in this position - for several minutes straight! Silly girl!

Kayla plays with her buddy, Josh

I took the girls to a play area in the mall today, and there was a ball pit... I thought "how fun!" Makenna, however, did not think the same way..

Makenna was content to play outside the pit, picking up stray balls that got tossed out..

But Kayla had fun, kicking and pushing and throwing them around.

Pearly says hello to a neighbor dog during a family walk

The girls look outside after a rain shower

Practicing using a spoon - yummm, oatmeal!

Pearl is on guard duty, making sure nobody steals the steaks!

I have to prop the sofa cushions up like this to keep the girls from climbing to the kitchen counter behind the sofa - little monkeys!

reading their current favorite book, Five Little Ducks

I don't know if the shirts are supposed to be this big, but they're cute anyway! We had a week or so of summer-like weather, so the girls got some use out of their new outfits!

just cute!

Recent randomness...

2009-02-22T00:06:00.001+09:00

Here are some random photos taken in the last week... I'll be uploading photos from our trip soon, but thought some silliness might be in order for today..

The girls check out a distant relative of Big Bird at the Aquarium/Tropical Dream center - Orchids are the main attraction there now, though this photo doesn't have any.

Walking around N's Garden, a place where we had lunch

The girls are a little figety after their Starbucks coffees - haha!

Kayla doesn't want to walk without holding someone's hand, so she found an even better way - she holds her own hand! She only did this for one night, now it's back to me or Daddy walking her around..

And here's the good ones, just plain silly!

Pearl Celebration

2009-02-14T23:13:00.002+09:00

Catchy marketing technique - Huh. Pearl's Japanese Groomer is enthusiastic about their clients. For their One Year Anniversary, they made up this laminated semi-collage of Pearl's best moments... check out the bottom right photo where they dressed her in a Halloween costume... we did not even know about that. Regardless, they are a great service, cheap, friendly and it gives us a chance to practice our fledgeling Japanese language skills.

Cheers from Okinawa!

Sad news

2009-01-26T00:01:00.004+09:00

As many of you know, Sean's Dad passed away this week, and we are currently planning our trip back to New York City, where he lived, and to Ireland, where he was from.

Those of you that met "Mikey" know that he was an immensely likable guy, though he was often very strange in his actions - and inactions - to the point that we may never understand what was truly in his mind. But I do believe that his heart was pure, and his love was real. He was always proud of Sean, was always very warm to me, and we only wish that he could have met his granddaughters, he would have loved them too...

It is a sad time for all of us, and also very stressful gearing up for this trek across the world with the girls, so please keep us in your prayers, and say an extra prayer for Michael Cooney, that he may rest in peace. Thanks, and lots of love to you!

This was taken during our visit to New York, not sure of the year, maybe 2003?

Makenna walking

2009-01-20T22:05:00.002+09:00

No hesitation here! Makenna is just starting to walk... but it looks like she's been at it for a long time! I guess she was waiting until she knew she could do it right.. Kayla will no doubt be right behind her..

Christmas photos

2009-01-16T01:18:00.006+09:00

We're finally posting some photos from Christmas, though there are more on my other camera that I haven't been able to transfer yet.. and as some of you know, my Mac has "checked out" recently, and that's where all the photos from the girls' first birthday are saved, so unfortunately, I'm not sure when I'll be able to post those. Hopefully I haven't lost them completely...

Anyway, the first couple pics are of the girls with their stockings on Christmas morning - Pearly had one too... and a blurry shot of our Christmas tree.. The second group of photos were all taken at the Southeast Botannical Gardens during their Christmas light festival, we attended the day after Christmas thinking we'd avoid the crowds, but it was incredibly busy! The girls enjoyed seeing all the pretty lights, and there was a show with music, laser lights and fireworks that they seemed to be somewhat interested in.

Sunrise in Okinawa

2008-12-30T00:38:00.004+09:00

Still have more Christmas photos to post, but with my Mac checked out on "vacation," I'm a bit limited in my photo uploading abilities - yes, I admit I'm spoiled! Hopefully my Mac eventually returns from this vacation.....

Meanwhile, here is a lovely sight to wake up to - I took these photos out our front door around 7:30 this morning... all that pollution makes for a beautiful sunrise! :)

Kayla's cuddly new friend.

2008-12-21T08:19:00.006+09:00

Family photo with... as Colleen says the "Grumpy" old Santa who really was not all that Jolly this day.

Scary St Nick!

2008-12-21T08:09:00.003+09:00

Happy Holidays! The girls had a chance to mingle and jingle yesterday in Okinawa. Alas, Santa and a few helpers made their way to the airbase for a visit and a free gift. Makenna was not soo impressed and Kayla was a bit too squirmy to really care!

First Meeting with Santa 26 NOV in IL

2008-12-20T19:22:00.000+09:00

Ah Santa and just before Thanksgiving. The girls did not seem to mind either way!

Visit with Grandma and Papa!

2008-12-15T22:56:00.007+09:00

So we just recently returned from a month-long trip to visit Grandma and Papa in Illinois - we had lots of fun and got lots of hugs and kisses, not to mention some yummy desserts!! Our 1st birthday was the day after we arrived (those pictures coming soon) and we certainly take after mommy when it comes to love of chocolate!

Kayla, being the little monkey that she is (we'll have to get some video of her making the monkey noise - she does it, I swear!), loved climbing in between the legs of Grandma's kitchen table. At one point, she slipped her head through the metal bars and got stuck... but it didn't stop her from trying again!

Some friends from church sent a birthday gift, but the girls are having more fun with the tissue paper than with the books they were given!

Kayla says that is SO hilarious!

Though they were a bit shy the first day or two, the girls quickly warmed up to Grandma...

...and Papa!

Looking for Santa - not yet, girls!

Playing with their cousin Joe (soon to be 3) on Thanksgiving.

Who needs a turkey on Thanksgiving? We can have roast Kayla! She's sitting in there like Daffy duck taking a bath before he realizes he's intended to be the meal!

Makenna is reading the cooking instructions..

Yeah, I'm a comedian!

final Aussie vacation photos

2008-12-09T22:39:00.013+09:00

Yeah, I know the trip was months ago, but we never got around to posting this last part.... So the final leg of our Australia trip took us north to Cairns, where we stayed with a friend that Sean met through the military several years ago... We felt like we were staying with family, and we all had a great time!

Here's all of us:

Grandma in training! Since we were there, Val and Bala became grandparents (Omi and Opi) for the first time - Congratulations! We were just there to help with the training....

The girls are so entertained not by the shows on television, but by the buttons... they turn it on and off, the volume is all over the place, and we surf through channels faster than a skilled couch potato..

Enjoying the grass.. it's so much warmer than it was in Sydney!!

Caught me! I'm enjoying a nice juicy orange from their fruit farm..

Beware of the green ants - these buggers BITE!!

Our tour guide.. proudly showing off his 16-acre farm..

Val babysat as we took the grand tour.. The tractor we were riding pooped out before we got back and we had to walk, so we owe her some overtime payments!!

Kayla is so comfortable here, she's just kickin' back... puttin' her feet up...

Vacation - part 5 (wildlife park)

2008-10-21T14:13:00.012+09:00

One of our days in Sydney we took the girls to the Wildlife Park.. They mostly liked the birds and butterflys, because they could see lots of movement.. here are some of the highlights:

Not much movement from the kangaroos!

Kayla is checking out a butterfly on her hat..

here it is, up close

Living in Japan, I'm used to seeing interesting things come out of vending machines, but I have to say this was a first for me!

I was surprised they didn't taste half bad!

Hi Daddy!

2008-10-19T23:30:00.001+09:00

The girls watch daddy mow the lawn, and try to get his attention.. :)

Vacation - part 4 (Bondi Beach)

2008-10-16T23:45:00.006+09:00

We took the bus out to Bondi Beach one of our days in Sydney, and though it was quite chilly (low-mid 60s), there were still quite a few people sunbathing and surfing... of course the surfers are smart enough to wear wetsuits! The beach was beautiful, and I can just imagine how crazy it must get in the summer months...

This is a great way to exercise your dog...

I just thought the name of this cafe was funny and appropriate

This wading pool is filled by the tide... I was a bit taken aback by the little naked boy swimming - it was way too cold for that! Shame on his mom....

vacation - part 3

2008-10-08T23:40:00.002+09:00

Well, it's pretty obvious where this photo was taken... our next leg of the journey took us to Sydney, Australia. It was chilly there (being early spring down under) but beautiful!

from inside the opera house...

an interesting angle - I never realized there were 2 of these peaks.. all the postcards/photos always show the perspective of the first photo... I think there are a total of 7 different stages inside the building too - we took the tour, I just don't remember all the details.

St Mary's Cathedral right off of Hyde Park - the inside is gorgeous too, but I didn't take any photos

new video

2008-10-01T10:06:00.001+09:00

this one isn't connected with our vacation, but took this video a couple days ago and the girls are too cute not to share! enjoy!

vacation - Part 2

2008-09-23T13:29:00.004+09:00

Our next stop was to some other friends' house, about 2 hours drive away... Here they are! The girls are getting used to other people by this point. And they really like exploring new houses!

Our fearless driver is getting ready to take us on the long trek to Narita airport...

Hate to say goodbye, but Sydney is waiting!

The girls are ready for their 9 hour flight - bring it on!

vacation - part 1

2008-09-20T23:56:00.005+09:00

We have lots of photos to share from our vacation! We went to Tokyo, Sydney and Cairns, so I'll break up the blog posts over the next week or so..

Here is the first installment - after spending two days in downtown Tokyo, the girls and I stayed with some friends I've known more than 10 years now.. We had a great time, though the girls were sick (as they were for the entire trip). My friends' two daughters actually took a day off school so they could spend time with the babies!

Here is the welcome banner the girls made for us!

Kayla meets "Okasan"

Kayla meets the girls

Toru has fun with Kayla

Ran playing with Kayla and Makenna... you may notice that Makenna isn't in many of these. She was very clingy during our stay here and only wanted Mama for the most part.. But she did have fun, I promise!

the girls

2008-08-15T23:14:00.001+09:00

Mommy and her favorite girls....

Makenna looks so deep in thought... Is she pondering the meaning of life? ....or just working on the next poopy diaper?

just cute pics

2008-08-15T23:05:00.004+09:00

Makenna trying on daddy's hat...

Up close and personal with Kayla

A future movie star

She's really stylin' in daddy's hat!

The girls sure love their daddy (plus, it's fun to chew on his glasses.....)

Cafe by the shore

2008-08-15T22:55:00.003+09:00

It was a nice little open-air cafe.. small, but with a big view. There were really only two meal items on the menu: Taco Pizza (that's one item) and Okinawan Udon noodles. We got one of each, and both were really tasty! They had lots of desserts, so we tried a piece of cake.. tasted a little like banana nut bread, not too bad..

This was the only clue we had as to what the place was...

nice view... we live basically straight across the water from here.

Daddy and his gals

Banana Man

2008-08-15T22:41:00.002+09:00

One our way home from lunch last weekend, we stopped to check out the road-side stand that we'd seen so many times in passing. We knew it had something to do with bananas because of the signs leading up to it, and discovered a very "hippie" looking Japanese couple making banana smoothies out of the back of a van.. I'm not kidding, the guy's wife went up and started the van so he could run the blender!! I would probably never buy something like that in the states, but we just couldn't help ourselves!!

250 Yen for one, please... (that's roughly $2.50)

"Banana Man" poses for a photo

This was the inside of the card he gave us, I have no clue what it says, but I love the drawing of the little dudes with big noses wearing banana peels on their heads! I'm guessing this was some kind of Okinawan tradition...

randomness

2008-08-15T22:26:00.003+09:00

The girls "stroll" around the mall with mommy..

I thought it was funny to see the Japanese men sitting in the mall watching TV waiting for their wives to finish shopping... Guess that's an international phenomenon.. haha!

A bit blurry, but Kayla is standing everywhere now.. she fell a couple weeks back and had a nice shiner - that didn't make mommy feel very good! But she's getting more and more stable.. Makenna pulls up to kneeling so far, but that's it.

Another blurry one (I'll have to read the manual for this camera...), but this is what we dubbed the "nap shack" though nobody has successfully napped in there yet (I tried once!). It's actually quite cozy!

Kayla is getting pretty good with the sippy cup. Makenna just gnaws on the spout..

sleepin' - yoga style

2008-08-15T22:22:00.003+09:00

I can't imagine that this is the most comfortable pose to sleep in.. there is a yoga pose called "child's pose" which is supposed to be comforting - and this certainly is not it!! Babies are so flexible... like little gymnasts! For the record, I didn't let Makenna keep sleeping like that - my joints ached just looking at her!

summer fun..

2008-08-15T22:10:00.002+09:00

It's been a little while since I've posted any pictures, so I'll start with some recent pics of the girls...

Sunset over White Beach

2008-07-24T22:27:00.002+09:00

White Beach is the name of the base where Sean works, it's a pretty small base, but probably has some of the best views of all the bases. We went by the other night for some BBQ at the restaurant there, and were just in time to catch this beautiful sunset...

Coffee Casa

2008-07-24T22:23:00.002+09:00

We had breakfast at a little place called "Coffee Casa" last Sunday. We had to sit outside, and it was pretty hot, but the food was good, and the girls liked going somewhere new...

Aquarium

2008-07-24T22:15:00.002+09:00

We have a few cool videos from the aquarium, but still working on getting those off the new camera... The girls saw lots of big fish, and even got to touch a starfish - not quite the regular bath toy!

Kayla's pooped from a long day at the aquarium...

roll on...

2008-07-24T22:11:00.001+09:00

Ladies, start your engines! The girls are getting ready to race...

Umbrellas are good for more than just keeping the rain out... that sun gets HOT!

Roo-bar

2008-07-24T22:01:00.002+09:00

Having lunch at Cafe Captain Kangaroo - which becomes Roo-Bar in the evenings... Great burgers, yummy fries, and the staff was super friendly!

Kayla likes to show off her teeth..

Makenna just smiles more and more!

...and let's not forget Pearly! Fresh from the groomer here..

Look ma! My first tooth!

2008-07-11T09:40:00.002+09:00

Kayla sprouted her first tooth on July 4th. Daddy and Mommy were having steaks and mashed potatoes, and daddy noticed after giving her a bite of mashed potatoes that his fork "scraped" something... The next morning, the tooth right next to it popped up too!

Makenna doesn't have any teeth yet, but still a great smile!

AmericaFest

2008-07-11T09:35:00.002+09:00

Over the July 4th weekend, the Air Base out here held a festival - AmericaFest, it's called. They let all the locals on base for the event, show off the planes, sell food, there was music and games and such... I saw so many Japanese leaving with pizza boxes - I've heard that's a big draw for the locals... Anyway, here are the girls contemplating whether to be pilots when they grow up...

Sometimes I feel like I should charge admission to our little "show"

funny face

2008-07-11T09:32:00.000+09:00

thanks Gramma!

2008-07-11T09:31:00.000+09:00

We love the outfits!!

yuck!

2008-07-11T09:28:00.001+09:00

The girls love these "Biter Biscuits," but they don't get them every day.... you can see why - what a mess!!

Makenna saying Momma

2008-07-01T11:49:00.000+09:00

Kayla gives Makenna a spanking...

2008-07-01T11:48:00.001+09:00

Highchair rodeo and Pearly's lucky day..

2008-07-01T11:46:00.001+09:00

more fun....

2008-06-27T14:59:00.002+09:00

Okay, I don't know what the attraction is, but Kayla loves this metal cover thingie on the floor in front of the kitchen sink. She'll scoot right over to it, GI Jane style, and try to eat it. I scrubbed the thing clean, because I can't always stop her before she gets over to it and plants her face on top - it's bizarre!

Kayla found a new play toy that kept her busy for a short while.. Who needs expensive toys for babies when a plastic water jug will do?

Makenna was content playing on her own with her stackable blocks... she's still not getting around as well as Kayla - no hurry, little one!

Speaking of getting around... here's Kayla hiding under the dining table!

somebody.. drugged .... my..... bott........zzzzz

2008-06-25T13:55:00.003+09:00

Poor Makenna was so sleepy today at lunchtime, she didn't even want to wait to get to her crib before napping. I've never seen her this tired! She's bright and chipper now, though. You can see in the picture that Kayla is getting pretty tired herself..

playtime!

2008-06-25T13:50:00.002+09:00

The girls really love this watermelon-looking beach ball... Kayla can chase after it GI Jane style, but Makenna still gets a bit frustrated when she tries to go after it and ends up scooting backwards! :)

Beautiful girls

2008-06-23T23:35:00.003+09:00

Earlier today, we went to a Change-of-Command ceremony for Sean's boss... The outgoing Admiral is very personable and treated all of us like family - she will certainly be missed. I have not yet met the incoming Admiral, but his wife is very nice.. Anyway, it seemed like the perfect occassion to get a little dressed up, so we went with these gorgeous Asian-looking outfits from Auntie Cindy.. The girls looked beautiful in them! And the smiles were too priceless not to share!

2008-06-23T23:28:00.002+09:00

Pearly! This is Pearly's "waiting for daddy" position. She's looking towards the front door, waiting for him to come home..

Kayla just laid down on daddy, cheek to cheek... she was comfy!

Makenna is having some fun with this toy..

guess who?

2008-06-16T00:01:00.002+09:00

Hmm... What do you think Kayla is doing under that table?

Oh, THAT's what she's doing! Trying to get Pearly! There's Pearl, making her escape before the little hands can grab her tail...

Kayla's so happy Daddy's home, now she has a good napping partner!

I put the girls in the papa-san chair so I could vacuum the floor, and they were having lots of fun playing together..

2008-06-15T23:46:00.002+09:00

I love to subject these poor girls to wearing hats - they don't seem to mind too much, and they look awfully darn cute! Here, Makenna is in a classic Quarterback stance, except of course she is holding a mini soccerball instead of a football. But see the concentration in her eyes?

This is another of the puppets I bought - the chicken.. well, I think it's a rooster, but I like making chicken noises better. The girls like it too!

Kayla, getting dressed after her bath..

The girls are ready for a luau! Auntie Cindy gave us these too-cute outfits, and I think the girls may just hula before they walk!

Okay, so not only does Kayla crawl on her belly like a Marine, but she can get into push-up position like no-one else! This cracks me up every time!

Daddy's home!

2008-06-15T23:32:00.002+09:00

After more than a month sitting off the coast of Myanmar (plus a few days in Thailand), Sean has returned home safe and sound. He flew back into Okinawa Wednesday, and all of us girls are happy to have him home.

It was quite a busy month for all of us, but mostly good - we sold our house in Maryland... which, in this market, is such a relief! Also, Sean found out he's on the list for promotion, so he'll be able to "put it on" as they say next summer sometime. The girls did have a bout of hand, foot, mouth disease, but they are both perfectly healthy now! I had a moment of inspiration and decided to volunteer to take over as editor for the Spouses Club newsletter - I'm looking forward to re-designing that this summer and having some fun with it..

We were able to celebrate a nice, low-key Father's Day today.. Next week we're having Mother's Day, since Sean missed it. We don't like to cancel holidays, we just have to delay them sometimes! And I'm in luck, because my birthday will also be rescheduled!

I'll find some recent photos and put them in a new post..........

puppet show

2008-06-05T00:17:00.002+09:00

I bought a couple of puppets at the "100 Yen store," which is the equivalent of the Dollar Store in the States - except here you can actually find some good-quality stuff there! I've spent more than $20 there just this week! Anyway, this is a dog puppet that the girls just love - be warned, the squealing gets pretty loud! :)

all dolled up ...

2008-06-05T00:15:00.002+09:00

havin' fun

2008-06-05T00:14:00.002+09:00

2008-06-01T23:32:00.001+09:00

Makenna rolled herself up in her blanket like a burrito - she was having a ball in there!

Kalya loves to get around and explore outside the "baby zone." Here, I caught her playing on the fam. room rug.

Makenna isn't quite as mobile, she would rather sit and play.

Funny noises

2008-05-26T14:50:00.000+09:00

This is Kayla... I just love it when she does this in public! :)

Makenna sitting

2008-05-26T14:39:00.001+09:00

Makenna didn't sit on her own until after Kayla, but she can stay put a little longer...

Kayla scootin'

2008-05-26T14:36:00.001+09:00

the first to scoot, Kayla loves to go after her diaper wipes package because of the crinkly sound..

Makenna laughing

2008-05-24T23:46:00.002+09:00

Here's a video of Makenna laughing... while Kayla tries to get some shut-eye! This one cracks me up...

Kayla laughing

2008-05-24T23:14:00.002+09:00

this was taken more than a month ago - but finally figured out how to get it online! I love this video, makes me laugh every time!

video of girls

2008-05-23T23:32:00.000+09:00

buds

2008-05-23T13:57:00.000+09:00

best buds, and the first taste of "chicken" from a jar...

2008-05-23T13:55:00.000+09:00

Makenna sure has the "being cute" part down!

2008-05-23T13:53:00.000+09:00

Kayla's the first to sit on her own - if only for a few seconds!

hands and knees..

2008-05-23T13:51:00.001+09:00

Even though Kayla is the smaller of the two, she has consistently been the first to hit the physical milestones... here she is, almost in a crawling position!

2008-05-23T13:47:00.002+09:00

Pearly is the biggest fan of the high-chairs.. The girls haven't gotten the finger food concept down yet, so Pearly likes to wait for Cheerios to fall from the sky!

Momma's Day

2008-05-11T17:15:00.002+09:00

Here's the girls and me on Mother's Day... daddy is away, but we're girls, so we know how to have fun!

Makenna laughing

2008-05-11T16:58:00.002+09:00

I have been trying to post a couple of videos but keep getting errors.... I'll try to figure it out! If not, I'll have to try again on you tube or something... any suggestions?

Beach Bums

2008-05-11T16:47:00.002+09:00

These are from a few weeks back, on the girls' first trip to the beach... well, at least their first trip where they put their feet in the water... man, that water was COLD!! You can see it all over Kayla's face! :)

more Easter

2008-03-24T13:13:00.003+09:00

never-ending cuteness...

2008-03-24T12:59:00.002+09:00

some of these photos go back a month or more, but were never posted cuz we didn't have our usb cord...

random cuteness

2008-03-24T12:41:00.004+09:00

just adding a couple of cute pics of the girls... in order, there's Makenna, Kayla, M, M and K

Happy Easter

2008-03-24T12:32:00.002+09:00

Aside from the rain all day here, our Easter was pretty nice.. Warmer than where Gramma and Papa live! They got six new inches of snow -- WOW! Anyway, here are the girls, Makenna in lavender and Kayla in pink...

2008-02-15T14:00:00.001+09:00

just wanted to post a couple more photos ... took these with the laptop camera... Still looking for that USB cable!

Hello from Japan!

2008-02-13T17:23:00.002+09:00

Hi all...

Well, we made it to Japan. We arrived in Okinawa late Monday night, and though we have adjusted to the time difference pretty easily, the girls are proving a bit tougher to crack. But they are doing great and don't seem to mind the warmer weather. Not that it's balmy, mind you. It's in the lower 60s most days, which is way warmer than it was in Chicago, but not quite the t-shirt and sandal weather I was expecting..

We have misplaced our camera usb cable, so until we find it, we won't have many photos to upload. But here is one I took with the MacBook a few days ago.. Kayla was hanging out with mommy while Makenna took a nap..

I can't wait to take lots of pictures around the island and share them with you!

Sending our love,
Colleen

Daddy Blog 25 Jan 2008

2008-01-26T11:22:00.000+09:00

Howdy Girls, Family and Friends!

Writing from Norfolk, Va. Have been away from the Family for just under 2 weeks and I miss everyone dearly! The Girls are growing and I am missing all the good stuff, but of course I am getting some sleep!...Not too thrilled, though about my 6-10 Hour Take home test that happens to be this weekend...... Other than the challenging course work down here, we are getting somewhat geared up for our trip to Japan in just two weeks....yep it is finally here believe it or not.

Hopefully, I can persuade "momma" to post some new photos.... soon.

Will talk to y'all soon.

Sean

cuties

2007-12-21T02:51:00.001+09:00

Just some more photos that I found too cute to resist....

Makenna - chowin' down..

Kayla - joking around

Kayla - just being cute

Makenna - snoozin' after a long day

Pearly getting some attention from Uncle Ed

more baptism photos

2007-12-21T02:35:00.000+09:00

hi all... momma loggin' in here... it's been almost two weeks since the girls were baptized. We were all sad that Grandma Weidner and Great-Auntie Pam both fell ill and couldn't make the journey, but we were happy to have Papa Weidner and Great-Uncle Ed there... We were also happy to welcome some friends as well! In spite of a fussy morning for both girls, once the ceremony started, they were truly angels! They already know they have to behave while in church! Anyway, here are a few more photos. I'll have to add more when I get them off the other camera and from friends who took pictures..

the Cooney girls...

Makenna

Kayla

the family