Maceknzie Jo Happel

Mackenzie Jo Happel, our first born 16 years ago, she started us on this journey called parenthood. She just got her license about 2 weeks ago and has kept herself busy doing all sorts of things since then, driving herself to them all. So many people said to me, "oh now she can help you out taking the kids places". I just smile and say, "I do not need her help taking the kids places, I just would love it if she took herself places!". She finished up a rouging season which means taking out the naughty corn. She is waiting for detassling to start. You might think her to be a bit odd but she loves working in the corn fields. She also works as a waitress at Pizza Palace. She will be a junior next year. She is still schooled at home and she loves this. She has a lot of home schooled friends and they have great times when they all get together.

Mackenzie has a sweet heart, she loves children. The man she marries will be very blessed. Right now her life goal is to be married and have a family. She of course would love to find herself a cowboy. She still plays trombone and does a great job, she played this awesome solo at her band concert in the spring. She has been first chair trombonist for a few years now in the home school band. She also loves drama, and I do not mean the teenage girl drama, but theatre drama. She is in the I Live in Lisbon play, and the home school is doing The Wizard of Oz this year, which is her favorite movie. In one of the photos above you can see her holding two Wizard of Oz paintings that she got for her birthday. She is fun to have around here every day, like living with a girlfriend. She often calls me her best friend, I have not decided if she is trying to butter me up, or she really does like me. I enjoy her so much, God is truly awesome to have given her to us to start our journey.

She just started a small group study on purity, this is really important to her, and has been for a long time. It is neat, and I wish I could have started my married life in this way. A new friend of her's mother is running the study. Mackenzie has such a hodge podge of friends, I like to see the variety.

Reunited for sure, spent Saturday at Dean's class reunion, and Sunday at a family reunion on his side as well. Sunday was a Lake McBride and it was a lovely day to be outside. We got home late on Saturday night / Sunday morning and Dean and I giggled that we had not seen 1:00am in a long time unless it was for getting up with children. It is funny, it does not matter where we are, we are always getting comments about having 8 children. This life with 8 children is not always easy, does not leave me with much "me" time, but it is the most rewarding life, and it teaches me something new each day. I love my savior, my husband and these 8 children.

Met my step goal again, punched out 94,454 last week. I took OFF the pedometer yesterday, took a break from it. Now I will need to start my 7 day over today.