OTHERS September 2009

McKanda Mail

Summer is ending and Amanda and I are celebrating by working really hard. I'm down in Oregon City helping an investor get a Motion Graphics company off the ground, and Manda is working at the Nike World Campus for the Nike Foundation. To learn more about the Nike Foundation go here, and to learn more about Motion Graphics go here. Amanda is also working weekends shooting and assisting at various weddings around the Portland area. Last week she was privileged to participate in her first lesbian wedding, and we are all so proud of her (and by participate I mean take pictures and stuff... just didn't want you to get the wrong idea). A bit foreign, but the pay is good.

We also recently went to the state fair, and before that Ryan came up for a little guy time in the mountains, and before that we bought a VW Passat, and before that I went white water rafting with the venture scouts. You can read all about it on our blog found here.

So there you have it. I'm working, and Amanda is working.

much love,

McKay and Amanda

LA FAMILIA DURAN

We thought we had nothing to do this August cause there was nothing written in on our calendar, so we made plans to scrape all the popcorn off the ceiling in the family room. Thank goodness Jordan stepped up and did it for us cause August hit us like a storm, one big wave after another.

We all helped with the YSA Conference, Louie did security and ushering, (he thought it was way cool that he got to wear his gun at church and guard all the money) the rest of us (ThomasAmyJenniferJeremyMarcosMelodyJordanSamuelTimmyMicaElizabeth) helped with the dance and other activities. Big job. Thanks to John and Suzanne for the assignment and to all for making it such a success. It's just nice to know that you can depend on family.

We added a new member to the "Antonio Club" in our family. (Louie, Marcos, Trevor, and now Mason are members of that club!) Our beautiful Mason Antonio Duran was born August 14, but had to stay in ICU for a few days so we all worried and fretted over this new little guy and his new mama and daddy. Melody had to have an emergency C section and was a wreck, Mason had problems with his lungs working - you do need to be able to breath if you want to live, and Marcos forgot how to sleep. Mason is 3 weeks old now and all seem to be on the mend. Mason is sooooooo cute.

Louie was released from Worker’s Comp and went back to work. Before going back to work though, he took Trevor and Logan fishing a couple of times and out to to eat to the Dam Diner. Hmmmm, the place with all kinds of bad words on the menu, just what every elementary kid needs to learn. Anyway, Louie thinks he has to make up for all the overtime he has missed since October. Think he has worked 60 or so overtime hours in the last two weeks. Really.

Samuel moved to Sacramento to go to school. He downsized everything he owned by selling or giving away all his stuff and then putting as much as would fit in his car and the rest in our garage. He got a job in Sacramento working at Jamba Juice a few hours a week and has been exploring the area - a park on a river with a wharf you can walk onto out over the river - sounds beautiful!

Jordan had a car accident. Backed into someone who backed into him in the parking lot. Not much damage. Just one more thing to add to the "stress level" of the month.

Mica and Elizabeth started school. School is good for both. Mica got all her classes and is liking them. Elizabeth gets to work in math this year. Hallelujah - no more science!

By the way, Jordan did a great job on the ceiling. The popcorn is all gone. Wonder what is going to happen in September?