Saturday, September 26, 2009

Dustin's 32 at 32.



It is your birthday, shout HOOORRAAAYYY!! Happy Birthday to the best guy around! Dustin turned 32, so I thought I'd share 32 things you may or may not know about the sweet chap:

1. He has a scar on the lower, left side of his back, just above his booty. He got it from the reef in Hawaii....at Rocky Point, I think.
2. He loves avocado....
3. but, won't eat it if there's ANY brown or discoloration on it!
4. He blows his nose every day in the shower, which is how I know he's almost done showering.
5. He uses an electric razor on that sensitive face of his!
6. It takes him about a solid week to grow "five-o-clock shadow."
7. Cheese pizza is his favorite.
8. He can consume an entire 9x13 pan of tater-tot casserole by himself. I know because I refused to make anything else until it was gone and he obliged--it took three nights.
9. He is a natural surfer--he can go months without surfing, hop on a board, and still pull "airs," "floaters" and "turns" with ease. Factually, the best surfer around. Seriously.
10. Growing up, his dentist accidentally pulled a permanent tooth.
11. His two favorite sodas are Pepsi and Root Beer.
12. He uses "Axe" deodorant.
13. Once, he assisted the Border Patrol in capturing illegal immigrants.
14. He is an Eagle Scout!
15. In college, he participated in a Surf-a-thon, surfing for 12 SOLID hours...or more.
16. That surf-a-thon activity secured him a spot in the BYU-H newspaper. Plus, it gave him the worst pit-rash of his entire life.
17. He is a skilled wakeboarder. Barrel rolls, supermans and flips are amongst some of his riskier tricks.
18. He earned his MBA with an emphasis in Finance from Pepperdine.
19. He is the Marketing Manager at WTI.
20. Picture the sit-up position--on your back, legs bent, knees facing the ceiling. Yeah, he sleeps like that.
21. He checks on Kavella EVERY single night before he goes to bed. He makes sure her blanket is covering her and that the fan is pointed away from her crib.
22. He served his mission in Vina Del Mar, Chile.
23. He speaks Spanish, perfectly. In fact, EVERY time he converses in Spanish, whether we're in Mexico, Costa Rica or here in California, he is complimented and asked where he learned to speak Spanish so well.
24. He is quite knowledgeable about plants. This is probably from all the weeding he had to do growing up--his Mom had an entire yard of plants, flowers, fruits and vegetables.
25. He doesn't like scary movies. Wanna watch--no. Can we just see--no. It's not that scar--no. Not happening.
26. Typically, he is up until AT LEAST 2:00 am working on the Mica watches venture.
27. He can fix anything. Dishwashers, fridges, car engines, motorcycles, small electronics, computer applications, jet skis, trailers, shelves....you name it, Dustin can fix it, embellish it or restore it!!
28. Even with how busy he is with work and family, he still finds time to read his scriputers and fulfill his Second Counselor in the Priest Quorum calling.
29. He is the most selfless man I know--he will serve anyone at anytime. He looks for ways to serve me and Kavella. He will give everything he has so that someone else will feel more comfortable. He NEVER keeps tabs. He thinks of others before himself. His family--his mom, dad, sisters, brothers, my parents, my siblings, nieces, nephews, etc.--mean the most to him!
30. He taught me how to make quesadillas, cheese bread, spaghetti, rice and box macaroni. No lie.
31. He is a good "tipper." If you do even a remotely decent job of serving us, you'll be nicely rewarded!
32. He is conservative. Dustin does a great job of managing our money. He doesn't spend frivolously, he pays ALL of our bills on time, he honors his debts, provides us with many luxuries and meets ALL of our needs! I believe in Dustin and know he can accomplish ANYTHING he wants to.

I love you, love you, love you Dustin! You are handsome, kind, loving, loveable, thoughtful, generous, caring and honorable. I respect you. I look up to you. You are my superhero, my rock, my solace and the love of my life. How grateful I am for the solid marriage we have! What a joy to have an eternal companion who communicates effectively, works hard, loves his daughter and provides financial, emotional and socially for his family. Happy Birthday, Dustin!! You're the BEST!!

Wednesday, September 23, 2009

It's My Birthday, My B-B-B Birthday!

Cause it's my birthday, my b-b-b-birthday!! I had the absolute, BEST birthday ever!! My family gave me cards, moolah, movie tickets, candy, a TJMaxx gift card and dinner at the Newport Rib Co. (my favorite rib place)! Thanks Mom & Dad, Eloise & Dave, Deina & Jim and Shane & Erica!! Also, thanks for the birthday wishes from everyone else!! Could it get any better? Well....

My friends Melody, Kristy, Megan, Autie and Jenn all pitched in to contribute toward a Disneyland pass!! How generous and thoughtful of them!! It was such a surprise! Melody took me to the park and showed me the "ropes" of getting my pass and picture, so that was quite the blessing! Let me break it down:

Yearly Pass: $144
Friends' contribution: -$36
Birthday discount: -$70
=$38.00

What!?! How could I NOT buy a pass for that price? I am so excited to go with my friends and their kids this year! Thanks ladies!

Thanks, Melody!

Corban and Kavella on their way to play!


This was her first ride into the Haunted House....

Mel & Corban, Megan & Addison and Kristy & Dallin


Kristy, Jen, me and Mel

My beautiful, blue-eyed baby!

Pirates ride!

So, surely my birthday couldn't get ANY better, right? Well, my handsome husband took the day off work, gave me a couple longboards and took me surfing!! It was great because he could hold Kavella, walk all the way out to the waves (super low tide) and direct me on which waves to paddle for! It was so much fun! I'm stoked to get out there this winter--wearing a wet suit, of course!



"Da na, na, Na, na, na, na, na, na, na, na, na, na, na, na, na, na....." If you've ever gone surfing with us, then you'll know exactly what song that is!! "ha, ha, ha, Wipe Out!!"

Kbaby wanted to take a shot at surfing, so we just threw her on the board and pushed her out. Jk, but she did practice standing up!

No possible way my birthday could be better. What? Outback for dinner!? Mmmm, I love Victoria's Filet. Hands down, the best steak around! Then, Dustin surprised me with a new ipod touch!!! I've been wanting one of those for a long time! I downloaded the Scriptures app, which gives me the four books, all primary manuals, hymns, primary songs, conference talks, U.S. Constitution, Proclamation, Living Christ, J.S. Manual and MORE!! Forget lugging the quad and manual to church anymore--I just slip this handy little device into my diaper bag and viola--anything you want. Like I said, BEST birthday ever!! Thank you (everyone) for making my day special!

Tuesday, September 22, 2009

Girly Girl

I find such joy in raising a daughter! Besides my delight in her curiosity, inquisitive nature and determination, I simply love all things girl--the bows, skirts, shoes, headbands, tights, bracelets, blankies and accessories! If it weren't for her Granny, Aunts, cousins and hand-me-downs, she wouldn't have nearly the array of such aforementioned items. However, at this early stage in life, she finds herself quite indulged in all the joys of being a little lady! Take a gander at her latest photo shoot--her Auntie Darci gave her that classy dress to don! After which, we'll discuss all the ladylike activities and clothing I had growing up....or didn't.

My favorite picture--serene, sweet, innocent and calm.


I mean, look at these shoes from her Granny--do they come in my size? But Iiiiii want some patent-leather, pink shoes now, daddy!! Tasty.


Go ahead, go ahead, click on the picture to enlarge it so you can check out her other delicious shoes that her Aunt Jennifer gave her! Sooooo cute!

Now we move on to me. Take no offense, Mom, as none is intended. I only state this as a matter of comical relief. First, my parents give me a unisex name--Kelly. Next, the hand-me-down clothes I receive come directly from.....my brother, Ricky. Specifically, in the following picture, his "Daliah Heights Elementary" t-shirt from HIS elementary school when we lived in CA. Last, my sweet Dad takes me to get a "pixie" haircut--one that hits your shoulders, then descends at an angle toward the front--only, he mistakenly tells the barber to give me a 'bob.' Yeah. A bob. On my son, I mean, daughter Kelly. So, here you have it folks, after many a Kavella photo shoot, here's a quick snap shot of me as a kid.......

Go ahead--laugh. Think my parents wanted another boy? I'm the one on the far left. My best friend Emily is in the middle and her nephew, Daniel, is the chubby baby! Thanks for emailing me the picture, Em! It's funny!

Steve! This is our good friend who I've mentioned before. Well, he's actually Ricky's best friend, but we stole him fair and square. He came down to Newport to speak (for his job), so we were excited to have Kavella meet him! Dustin got to take Steve surfing one morning, which was really fun for the both of them!

Copying Daddy!

"Let us out of here!"

Uh-oh, discovering BCBG shoes....Daddy better work on getting a raise.

This is Kavella's first forward-facing stroller ride!! Obviously, she loved it! She loved being able to see everything around her without having to arch her back, lean forward or strain her neck! Plus, you wouldn't believe how many more compliments she gets while cruising on Main street! (I can gloat if I want to--it's my blog!)

Now, a few tropical baby pictures! My sugary, sweet, loveable baby!

Dustin is the best Dad any baby could ever have!

Amelia Earhart wannabe? Time to fly baby girl!

She just loved wearing the glasses--didn't even try to take them off!

Slathering on the sunscreen--gotta preserve that "white and delightsome" skin....as my father would say!

Every tropical princess needs rest...

This is where I let Kavella jump while I cook or do the dishes. She seems to enjoy being inside and outside at the same time!

Friday, September 18, 2009

Angels and Beaches

This is our good friend Doug--he is married to Jill LeSueur who is a family friend to the Morrisons! We used to live in the same complex as them in Utah! We only get to see them a couple times a year now since they live in Arizona. We love Doug!

Dave and Ashley Bowen!! We were stoked that they could come to an Angel's game with us! Too bad they have to go back to Hawaii....that must be a hard place to live. Dustin lived with Bowen for years in Hawaii while they were going to school. They've been surfing together for over a decade!!

Staring contest...

Our little family.


Our little Angel's baby--don't you just love her built-in-shoes on her stockings? Thank you for those Granny!

Ruffle bum.

Look at that beautiful face!

Now that Kavella is crawling, the beach is a whole new experience! Yes, yes, she's face-planted in the sand, which proved irritating to the eyes and mouth, but overall, she loves playing in the sand!




Ohhhhhhhhh!!! How delicious is this little outfit? Auntie Darci gave her that cute shirt and she inherited her boots from her cousin Amanda! Scrumptious!


It's okay to dress like your daughter, right? No, no, she is dressing like me!! Hopefully I won't be wearing pink ugg-style boots with a mini jean skirt in the next picture.....

Nope! Don't mind the baby gang sign, G! This is how big dawgs ride stroller style, yo!



Kavella with her friends! From the left, Corban, Hailey, Dallin, Kavella and Ivy. You should have heard the noises we were making to get them to all look at the same time. Ridiculous!


Corban!

I love her sweet, little, white legs and toes!

I love my Dad!


Sup? I don't even use this stinking baby seat in my stroller anymore--I miss my personal biminy, but facing forward is way rad!