The Jared and Cortnie McBride Family

"Built In Entertainment"

2009-04-08T17:29:00.003-07:00

As many of you know, Chloee lives in her own imaginary world...she is a princess, a ballerina, a chef, a mommy, variety of animals, a fairy...basically whatever she sees fit. It is very normal to hear her carrying on a complete dialogue with different characters all by herself. Being an only child, she has it down to a science!

Which brings me to the above picture...this evening we were coming home from her dance lessons when I hear her saying "No, no you bad bad wolf, stay away from my Grandma...she is SO SO SO old...all she can do is sleep & bake cookies! If you don't, I'll give you my karate punch!" (followed by an enthusiastic hi-ya!) I had just taken the exit off the freeway & turned to see this! Very industrious, I know...yes, that is her ballet skirt tied on her head. I busted up laughing & had to capture it on my phone...looking at it, I smile again....she sorta has a little Amish thing going on!

For the record, as soon as I had taken the picture I then got after her for not wearing her seat belt correctly...so PLEASE don't call CPS!

Sweet Little Weekend...

2009-04-07T04:49:00.011-07:00

My brother, Chace and his family came down from Phoenix for Conference weekend. One of the BEST things about living in beautiful Arizona is that they also live here!

Of course, the weather was perfect...(salt to the wounds for my loved-ones in Idaho!) and Chloee & Jensyn basically LIVED outside. Chloee's favorite part was when the "parents" as she so graciously put it went out on a date and left the cousins to party with the babysitter! She then proceded to tell me that we should do that EVERY night!

For some reason, I always feel like when people come to my home I need to rush around Tucson and seek out all the sites and that if we don't do something extraordinary then the time is somehow a wash. I have realized how far from the truth that is, sometimes it's just the good company of the people we love most that makes for the best of days. I'm so happy that they came and look forward to MANY more weekends just like this one!

What?... We Have a Blog?!

2009-03-25T13:04:00.004-07:00

Apparently, I took a little break from the blog world! I can't possibly begin to go back & try to cover everything since FALL...so my goal, to start fresh! Some monumental changes have taken place however, that I feel are worth mentioning, so here goes.....

Jared, along with his partner Richard are now happy owners of the Big O Tire Store here in Oro Valley! The contract went through in November...woohoo!!! We are really excited about this new journey and are happy to know that sunny Arizona is where we are putting down our roots!

Chloee is LOVING Kindergarten & doing so great! I'm pretty sure that her sole purpose is to bring me 24 hour entertainment! I am certain that she HAS to be the smartest, funniest, most beautiful 5 (almost 6-in May) year old in the world! We had a normal follow up EEG on her done in February, to see if she could be winged off her medicine but there was still some abnormal activity, so we will be keeping her on it. She does really well with her medicine & we have seen no side effects. She is really a little trooper, she just rolls with whatever tests or medical procedures that are thrown at her like it's nothing! Funny to think that just a little girl can be one of my biggest examples....oh, how I adore her!

And, finally....no. Still no new little additions, to this family. Jared and I would love to give Chloee a sibling, but I know Heavenly Father makes all families different sizes! We are just taking things one step at a time and see where it leads us...I believe EVERYTHING happens for a reason!

Fall Break Fun at Schnepf Farms!!!

2008-10-27T09:46:00.014-07:00

We had a fun-filled Fall Break this year! We started off the week in Lake Powell and ended it off at Schnepf Farms. Carlie invited us to come with her and a few of her friends on Thursday, October 16th....and it was a PARTY! There was about 10 kids and 4 moms & a whole lotta fun! Schnepf Farms is in Queen Creek and I would definitely recommend it! There was face painting, a petting zoo, a pumpkin patch, carnival rides, corn mazes, great food, pig races (the kids got a kick out of that) and even fireworks! We made a day of it, we got there around 2:00 in the afternoon and stayed till after 9:00 that night. To say the least, we slept well that night. Chloee still asks every day if we can go back...it is for sure on our calendars for next year!

I'm such a dummy & ran out of the house that day, without yes...my camera! Thanks Carlie, once again for saving the day & making it so I could post this to our blog!

Face Painting!

Merry-Go-Round!

Chloee LOVED the Airplane ride!

On the hayride around the farm.

America's Next Top Model? Brooke, Jensyn, and Chloee posing in the Pumpkin Patch!

The 3 girls on the "spooky" train ride...this ended up being a little too spooky for these five-year-old drama queens! This picture was taken at the beginning of the ride (they weren't so happy afterward) but us mom's sure got a good laugh!

One last ride on the Bumble Bees!

Carlie's friend, Sundi reserved our very own Bonfire...so fun! A farm employee escorted us to our private Bonfire, started the fire, and provided us with marshmallows & roasting sticks! We ended the day here, watching the fireworks show!

Lake Powell

2008-10-15T20:47:00.013-07:00

Jared's brother, Jade recently bought a home in Big Water, Utah....Big Water sits on the Utah/Arizona border at Lake Powell. We all got together for a reunion this weekend and had a wonderful time! We all LOVE to water ski and play in the water, so that was the original intention, however, Mother-Nature must have not got the memo! It was a little too chilly for all of that, but we did do some great site-seeing, an afternoon picnic on the beach, some beautiful walks at the Marina's, good conversation, and just overall quality time spent with each other! I took TONS of pictures, obviously I can't post them all but here is some of my favorites!

Chloee & Daddy at the Scenic Overlook

We were trying to find a Ghost Town, but Jade found mud! Good thing Jared was following behind with his tow rope! Yes, this was on purpose....do they EVER grow up?

Grandma Linda with her 2 Granddaughters

Chloee & Telson playing in the lake...(they were joined at the hip the entire weekend!)

We could not resist...she looks so pleased, doesn't she?

Just One More Reality Check

2008-10-15T20:20:00.006-07:00

Saturday, the big boys went on a bass fishing trip....keep in mind this was the coldest day so far in Big Water for 2008 (statistic given by Jade)... I'm pretty sure he heard it reported somewhere? Anyway, the high was only in the mid 50's and the wind was ripping! Jared, said the bonding time was great but he felt like he was in the movie, "A Perfect Storm"... long story short: they came home empty handed, frozen through, and with some more McBride memories to share!

While they were on their adventure the women & children had a great time! We took the kids to a fall carnival that was held at the school. We had just pulled into the parking lot when Chloee exclaimed, "Momma, I think I got a loose tooth!" Once we got into the school I wanted to give it a better look, and it was VERY loose...I just kind of wiggled it to the side & it popped right out! She felt pretty cool & walked around showing EVERYONE the hole in her smile....as I watched her, I had one more glimpse of just how fast she is growing up!

Photo Shoot Of Chloee With My New Camera!

2008-10-09T15:02:00.008-07:00

Jared came through on my Birthday wish and got me a new camera! Woohoo! I love, love, love it! The only problem, I'm sorta photo illiterate! The camera is way fancier than I would have ever purchased myself....to say the least, I can't even perform a fraction of the functions that it is capable of! However, I REALLY want to learn how! Any free second I get, you can find me reading the manual. Hopefully, I can eventually be a Pro and not let it intimidate me quite so much! Of course I took it for a test run on my favorite little model, as usual she was not intimidated by the camera at all!!

A Visit From Some Of Our FAVORITE People!

2008-09-15T11:44:00.009-07:00

My Mom & Dad came from Idaho to visit this last week...it was wonderful! Chloee LOVES her Grandma & Grandpa Wray very much and she was not ready to let them leave! I was not so willing to let them go either.....while Chloee was in school, I drug them all over and made them look at what seemed like HUNDREDS of model homes! You see, my plan is clear...they need to eventually move here to Arizona! Perfect plan right, I get my parents close....and Arizona, is an ideal place to retire! After the model home extravaganza...Mom and I then drug Dad around and did some major shopping! When Jared got home in the evenings, we went to dinner at Macayo's Mexican restaurant, Jared grilled up some of his special steaks, and Mom made her famous enchiladas! (Wow! Sounds like all we did was eat, huh?) At any rate, I loved having them here and I wished they could have stayed longer....like Dad always says, "There never is a GOOD time to leave." I love them so much and I feel blessed everyday, that I was born into such a loving family!

Still having the dilemma with the broken camera, I told Jared that now he has my Birthday present on a platter....A NEW CAMERA!!!! So, I didn't get any pictures of my parents in town but I have this picture from before of my Dad and Chloee....it is so sweet! Can you believe the strong family traits? My Mom's friend, Kaz always says, "Hey look, it's Clark with a bow!" when she sees Chloee. No question where she got those big brown eyes!

Labor Day Weekend in Pinetop, Arizona

2008-09-05T21:12:00.026-07:00

Our friends, the Hinds family...invited us up to Pinetop over Labor Day! It was so beautiful and a wonderful escape from the Tucson heat! We rode go-carts, played in the pool, saw some breathtaking sites, and just enjoyed being on a mini vacation! We are so grateful that we have had the opportunity to get to know Mark, Denae, and their sweet little family and for the friendship we share! Here are a few pictures of our Pinetop fun......

Drivers, Start Your Engines....

Daddy and Daughter Burnin' Up The Track!

The Playground at the Resort.

Time to Swim!

Chloee and Sydney swimming at the pool!

Old Tucson Studios With The Wrays!!!

2008-09-03T12:00:00.009-07:00

The weekend before Labor Day...
Chace, Carlie, and the kiddos a.k.a. "The Wraysins" came down from Phoenix to spend a couple of days with us! We had a great time, and the kids LOVED it! We spent the day at Old Tucson Studios where we enjoyed a stunt show, can-can dancing, train rides, panned for gold, and soooo much more! I still haven't replaced my broken camera, so thanks Carlie for emailing these pictures so I could post them on our blog!
We didn't end the day there...we then headed over to the University of Arizona to visit the Planetarium. We watched a star show called "Under The Arizona Sky", it was really amazing! Chloee turned to me when it first started and asked, "How did they fit the entire night sky into this building?" We love spending time with Chace's family and I am so grateful that we get to live close enough to get to do it often! Jared and I have often said what great examples they are to us, we love them tons and are lucky to not only be family, but really great friends!

AND SHE'S OFF...

2008-08-06T10:21:00.009-07:00

Chloee started school this week. It is full day Kindergarten here in Arizona...yep, I'm feeling anxiety! Of course, Chloee isn't...she is so excited to get there in the morning and when I go to pick her up, she wants to know why she can't stay longer! Her teacher's name is Mrs. Kittle and Chloee can't stop talking about how wonderful she is. I know that she will do great things and now I just pray that day by day this lump in my throat will fade.

CAMPING TRIP TO PATAGONIA LAKE

2008-08-06T09:24:00.009-07:00

This summer...on Jared's Birthday weekend, we took a camping trip to Patagonia Lake. It sits a stones throw from the Mexico border. It was the first time we have ever taken Chloee camping and she had a blast! We rented paddle boats, swam, and played on the beach! Jared bought Chloee a Barbie fishing pole and then "attempted" to fish...unfortunately they never caught the "big one"! That didn't seem to bother Chloee, she thought it was the greatest thing ever! We did, however, bring back some really sweet memories and some not so sweet sunburns!

PASSED OUT AT PATAGONIA LAKE

2008-08-06T06:55:00.010-07:00

No "Parent of the Year" award here...

PRESCHOOL GRADUATION MAY 22, 2008

2008-08-06T06:20:00.008-07:00

Chloee graduated from Preschool....I know, probably not a HUGE tragedy...but it broke my heart! My baby is not a baby, not even close! I love being her mom and I'm so glad she chose me! She will ALWAYS be MY baby!

A real tragedy, my camera broke right in the middle of the Graduation ceremony, so I had to use my camera phone, so the picture quality is not that great...but at least, I have something.

Chloee's teacher was Ms. Jackie. Chloee LOVED her and loved everything about Preschool, it was so exciting to watch her learn and experience new things. When we left the school that day...Chloee clung onto Ms. Jackie and they both started to cry. Of course I had no control and there was a whole mess of water works!

2008-08-06T06:18:00.000-07:00

CHLOEE'S LUAU (MAY 10, 2008) GLADDEN FARMS PARK

2008-08-06T05:42:00.004-07:00

SHE CAUGHT A BAD BUG!!!

2008-01-23T18:26:00.002-07:00

Well, Winter Break ended for Chloee and she went back to school on the 7th...and it didn't take long for all of those preschool germs to spread! Early Saturday morning(about 1:00) I awoke to what I thought was a baby seal, instead I found Chloee -- a very very warm Chloee, she had a fever and an awful cough. So, I got her into the Doc and he diagnosed her with Bronchitis. Yesterday she was still struggling so I took her back and they gave her more medicine and said she had an ear infection and Croup on top of the Bronchitis....so to say the least, we've been stayin' home! She finally seems to be doing better this evening, I'll most likely keep her home the rest of the week and let her start fresh on Monday.

CHECK OUT OUR SLIDE SHOW...WELL, CHLOEE'S SLIDE SHOW!

2008-01-06T12:47:00.002-07:00

Just a few shots to catch you up to speed on Little Miss Chloee...

MORE OF CHLOEE LOVING HER NEW HOME!

2008-01-05T12:00:00.000-07:00

CHRISTMAS 2007

2008-01-05T09:47:00.002-07:00

We had a wonderful Christmas! We stayed here in Arizona...keep in mind, this is the first time in our married lives that Jared and I haven't gone to visit either his parents or mine. Yes, we were both a little homesick-but, it was so sweet to start some special traditions of our own. Chloee had her heart set on getting a playhouse from Santa this year, and I guess you could say Jared didn't have the heart to let her down....so the project began! He built her a beautiful playhouse in his spare time (which is VERY, VERY sparse!) and of course, the end result was perfect! He built it in the garage, with intentions of moving it out to our back yard, but it ended up being a bit heavier then he planned, so in the garage it remains. He promises with the help of a few good men and a tire dolly, I will be able to park in the garage again soon!