Dust in Kellyfornia

Girls' Night Out!

2012-02-08T03:10:00.000-08:00

Amber, me, Hanne, Michelle (Chante had already left)

The other night, I got to go out for a GNO (aka Girls’ Night Out) to Disneyland! I was so happy to be out of my home past 6:30 at night, spend time with my girlfriends and have adult conversations. As an added bonus, I scored a handicapped pass for my foot, so we didn’t have to wait nearly as long to get onto rides! Besides one coaster being closed, things were going quite well…that is…until we went on Space Mountain (a roller coaster in the dark). It went something like this: hahahaha, whooooaaaa, weeeeeeee!!!!! Ha, ha, ha, ahhhhhh, weeeeee…*CLICK-FLASH*…… Oh, no. That can’t be good.

As we exited the attraction, my picture proved worse than my worst expectations; before me appeared, not a double-chin so much as a single blob of flesh-colored jello hanging from the tip of my chin to my clavicle. I barely glanced at the other girls’ pictures before I was quite literally yanking them by the arm to get them outta there and away from those pictures! Just in time, apparently, as I later learned that Chante was mid-process of memorializing the entire horrid experience for the world to see via Facebook, blog, myspacetwitterpinterest, er, whatever viral domain she saw as fit. I wanted to look like I was having a great, wonderful time, not like I was spending time in an anti-gravity machine. We all had a good laugh and I brushed it off as a fluke, but I didn’t ignore what my future behavior should be as to prevent that from occurring again; Okay, okay, smile, smile, smile. Smile the entire ride. Smile.

Later, while on Star Tours, a star command officer announces that a “prisoner is on board” and up flashes yup, you guessed it, this girl! Exciting, huh? I’m NEVER chosen in an audience, so I felt pretty stoked, Proud even. And, because of my previous experience, I knew that smiling since the moment I stepped INTO the “starship” would prove beneficial at THIS VERY MOMENT. This was my time to shine. A split second before seeing my face (I started from the bottom of the picture …up), I heard my friends saying, “Kelly, that’s you! That’s your picture!” My heart beat faster! What? Me?! It’s ME!? I relished in my milliseconds of pure joy… …Until I looked up from recognizing the outfit I was donning to discover the ugliest, most despicable, almost witch-like face in the exact spot where my face normally is. Oh, no, that can’t be good.

Then I got to thinking…”I wonder if that’s what I always look like?” Surely not. Right? Not so. It turns out, that’s EXACTLY what I look like. Enjoy a few of my crap-is-that-really-how-large-my-chin-is? photos:

This one is the WORST (above)!! I've deleted sooo many double-chin photos that look like this.

Welp, Curren, now you know who you inherited your chin from:

Ranch Livin'

2012-01-29T09:21:00.000-08:00

This is how a 2-year-old delicately indicates the burden of bearing bearded kisses (say that fast 5x's in a row); loves the kisses, hates the burn.

One of the most fun places to be: Morrison Ranch with Granny and Poppy.

Grant is NOT looking at wildflowers.

The weather was lovely.

Snoozin' on the Rhino.

Another snoozer! It must have something to do with the purr of the engine....

Go girl! You look faaaahhhhhbbbuuulouuuuuusss!

Morgan and Kavella (and baby Lilly)!

Our 4-wheel rides were the best because the weather was PERFECT! We'd find snow at the top of the mountains, but it was a balmy 70 something degrees out! It was so fun having Ricky, Morgan and Grant with us, too.

Oopsie!

2012-01-16T09:05:00.000-08:00

Kavella is so animated! These used to be sunglasses until the lenses popped out, so now she just wears them as spectacles. Isn't she sooooo cute? I could just snuggle her all day. Speaking of cute, look at Curren in his bath towel that Melody made for him....delicious.

It's all fun-n-games until Daddy spills you out onto the corner of the t.v....Do you see that strap around her chest? Yeah, that was supposed to keep her securely situated throughout the suitcase ride, but I suppose she unhooked it at some point, which is why she came flying out when Dustin tried to stop short. Oopsie! Time for an ice pack...

Here we are in Huntington Beach at the...um,....well, I don't remember the name of the area, but it's a protected flatland of water and weeds that attracts birds. A lot of people go there to take pictures of the wildlife, but we went to see the stingrays! It was a lovely day. After the wetlands, we had a picnic lunch up in Seal Beach.

Stingray. Do you see it?

Look at that perfectly shaped head! I know you'd like to kiss his lips and chin right now, huh?

Curren's Blessing

2012-01-11T08:53:00.000-08:00

Is that just the sweetest, most wonderful picture you've ever seen, or what? To make it more precious, I have to tell you that Curren is wearing the exact shoes that Dustin wore as a baby. Delicious.
When we blessed Kavella, I remember feeling overwhelmed--what if she spits up in her dress? what if she has a blowout? what if she's crying the entire time? is everyone going to make it to church on time? where will we have the subsequent brunch? what will everyone bring? what dress will actually fit ME? did we get a good picture? Ridiculous.
When we blessed Curren, I said, "forget all that jazz--let's just do it on a weekday." And, that's precisely what we did. It was awesome! Thanks goes out to Darci for letting us gather in her house! All the ladies brought a dessert and it was easy-breezy. Curren was a gentleman the entire night! I love him so much and am thankful he is my baby boy! My love for my children is stronger than anything else; they melt my heart and make it swell with joy, all at the same time. Perfect.

I have never felt so complete!

This is the whole clan! We all decided to do a "funny" face in the next picture, but I guess Dan and LesLey (center of the photo) missed the "memo!" Ha, ha, it would have been funnier the other way around--Dan and LesLey making funny faces while the rest of us were just smiling! Doh! Oh, and look at LesLey trying to pull a polygamy move on Dustin in the picture above--it looks like she's with my man! Oh, no you di-in't, girl!

Maddie calls Curren "naughty," but in a good way!

Three generations of Morrison boys! They are so handsome!

I wonder if Granny is disappointed that Curren isn't an EXACT replica of her, like Kavella is. Well, you can't win 'em all! Look how tan Eloise's arm is next to Curren; he's milky white!

Happy "34th" Dust!

2011-12-31T08:37:00.000-08:00

Happy 34th Birthday, Dustin! Your kids and wife love you the most! We are so thankful to have you as the patriarch of our family. You're the best daddy/husband in the whole world.

Best friends. Best.

Dustin looks good in blue!

Just so I remember, Curren didn't sleep for more than 3 hours at a time for the first 5 months of his life. It was brutal. He does not nap well and will not go back to sleep once he wakes up. But, look how peaceful he is when he is asleep! Oh, and don't try to kiss his luscious lips while he sleeps, even if you try doing it as softly as possible, because he WILL wake up...and smile at you. What a doll.

I let Kavella put her sweatshirt on all by herself for our walk; didn't she do just a great job! Ha, ha! I love you, Kavella!

Aunt Stacy came to visit us! We love when she comes over, even though we never actually DO anything when she's here; sorry we're so boring these days!

Kavella and Curren having a little morning-cartoon session.

Soooooo cute!!

Geese Are Scary.

2011-12-28T03:10:00.000-08:00

I love kissing baby cheeks, but I love to kiss baby chins even more! That way, I get to smell their breath while I kiss them! Is that weird? I think it's so delicious!

I swear Kavella doesn't wear hand-towel ponchos all day; just when she's eating. I don't know why I keep taking pictures of her with them on. She's still cute, though!

Curren's first Angels game; it was pre-Pujols, if you know what I mean. If you don't, look it up and maybe you'll laugh as much as I did when I realized it is pronounced just the way you think it shouldn't be pronounced! I'm easily amused.

This must be the beginnings of "sexy faces," like her Aunt Colleen and I do.

Same comment as above.

Curren's first Disneyland trip; he is such a pleasant baby when he's strapped to me! He loves to snuggle and be held.

When our stale bread and cereals start piling up, we head over to duck pond to feed the fowl. There are squirrels there that will walk right up to you and take food directly from your hands. I'm too timid to do it, but my 3-year-old seems quite confident. However, her confidence quickly waned when the geese came to feed. Instead of allowing Kavella to dictate how many little pieces they each received, they went directly for the entire bag of bread that she was holding. She kept trying to throw little pieces of bread at them with her other hand, but they aggressively kept trying to get the big bite! She was FREAKED! I'm pretty sure there is some permanent psychological damage from this experience. Oopsie.

Look at those geese! They are so aggressive! It scared me.

WHOA, WHOA, WHOA, if you just strolled right past this picture with a quick glance, I strongly suggest you examine it more carefully. Oh, there it is--poop. Poop. Poop piles. Piles of poop on the side of the bathtub. It is not funny, Kavella. Not funny at all! Being a parent is awesome. Notice: no pooping in the tub or in your crib and then playing with it. It's foul.

Such a sweetheart.

Beautiful.

I love you, kids! Love, love, love you! I could kiss you all day!

G-g-g-G-Unit!

2011-12-23T04:42:00.000-08:00

Sweetie pie. I love you.

Granny...meet Curren. Curren....Granny. Apparently, it was a little unnerving for both of them.

While we were driving one day, Dustin had Kavella CRACKING UP by using a funny voice to say that his throat hurt. Honestly, it wasn't all that funny....but, that's coming from someone who tries all day to make Kavella laugh and gets about a third of the reactions that she gives her Daddy. How can I compete with him?!

Grantypoo works for a company that requires him to travel and one of his assignments was down in San Diego, so we jumped into the car and jammed down. Okay, we didn't "jam" down, we crawled. What normally takes about an hour and a half took us four hours. Totally worth it! I love seeing my siblings! Dusty took Grant surfing and I think Grant really enjoyed it; he even stood up!

"Grant is my favorite uncle. He's the best." Yes, yes, that's what it feels like to get punched in the face Shane, Ricky and Bryce! Ha, ha, ha!

After surfing, we went and ate at Oggi's. My food was pretty tasty, but Dust and Grant ordered a bbq chicken pizza that turned out to be way too spicy! The waiter was cool enough to replace it with a plain cheese. Such extremes!

Eden and Kavella just decided to take a bath one day. They weren't dirty, they just wanted to bathe. Fully clothed. With no water....soooo they wanted to play with soap?

Look at that tasty double-chin. Curren's, not mine!

Curren's nicely shaped ears.

It looks like he fell asleep during a roller coaster ride. Also, look at his hair--straight up, old dude! It's funny looking at these pictures because it's a lot more evened out now...just you wait and see!

Little VANS tootsie socks that Auntie Deina gave him!

Remember when Kavella used to sleep like this? As his mother, I crave kissing his cheeks. I mean, look at those luscious things!

Kitchen Nightmares..A Real Experience.

2011-12-09T04:19:00.000-08:00

Families are Forever.

Lowers. Or Uppers. I actually don't know.

Representing Mica!

Our family. Don't my babies look so cute and sweet and cuddly?

We thought we'd do one more with Choco in it.

Around the kitchen, Kavella proves most useful! This was my birthday cake--funfetti, of course.

So, one weekend, it was a bit too chilly for the beach, so we decided to head down to Laguna Beach and do some hiking. After dropping 15 bones to park, we trekked all around these paths that people rave about. Uh, in my opinion, it was the ugliest hike I've ever been on! If it weren't for the ocean views, I'd have thought we were in the middle of a remote military bombing site. Everything was dying and brown. Perhaps I feel this way only because I have been hiking up American Fork Canyon in Utah, which is unbelievably pretty. Oh well, at least it was fun to be with my family!

Rain!! Considering that we rarely see rain, Kavella was thrilled to use her rain boots and jump in the puddles! Okay, okay, it wasn't ACTUALLY raining--more like drizzling--but Californians are pansies like that. I suppose I make that statement because I've lived through Oklahoma rainstorms that shake the entire foundations of houses! Yes, yes, I am sooo well-traveled.

Sleeping smoochers.

So, we wanted to have Kavella's teeth (or lack thereof) looked at by the dentist. We spent all the time leading up to our appointment talking about what will happen, how to clean our teeth, how fun the dentist is, etc. When we got to the dentist, I went first so that Kavella could see what to expect. Actually, Kavella only came in while the dental assistant (a female) polished my teeth. After I finished, Kavella gladly hopped into the chair. (Side note, I have yet to find a good dentist in Huntington, so I just looked one up on my insurance company's website.) The dentist comes strolling into the room with a billowy, "Well, hello there!" Unfortunately, the dentist I picked had a massive Einstein-like fro that freaked Kavella out--literally, she was outta that chair and clinging onto me like a monkey before he could even sit down. I guess we'll have to wait to see what's going on with her pearly whites....

I'm too cheap to pay $700 for a new double-stroller, so this is how we improvise. Works perfectly...except when Kavella tries to climb down while in motion and I run her over. Don't worry though, she's a quick learner.

Ha, ha, ha, ha! Who watches "Kitchen Nightmares" with Gordon Ramsay? This famous chef/restaurant owner basically goes into deplorable kitchens and refurbishes them. Usually, the kitchens that he visits are infested with cockroaches, flies, rats or mold--just really nasty stuff. Anyway, I like watching that show. However, I do not like feeling as if I am eating in a restaurant that should be featured on his show! Such was my feeling when we went to Ruby's on the pier--I've never seen so many flies in one place. I admit that I have some phobias--hair, for example...dirty restaurants, for another example. It wasn't until this Ruby's experience that I realized just how much my daughter pays attention to my actions. Apparently, she followed suit in the I-don't-like-all-these-stinking-flies-near-my-food feeling. Look at her face in the above picture! Ha, ha, ha!

Focus, Kavella, focus--we're trying to take a picture here.....

Ugh, it's just too distracting! I can't focus on ANYTHING else!

This is us being productive at Daddy's work. Oink. Oink.

My big boy standing up!!

It's Good to be Happy.

2011-11-20T03:42:00.000-08:00

Well, at least one of them is happy....

Grunion Run!

Nighty night....

US Surfing Open. Some lady gave Kavella a flavored water (after K asked for it) and she was so happy to receive it! Not that I watch "The Real Housewives of New Jersey," but Kavella is "on display, on display, on display...." Okay, I do watch it.

Sittin' fireside, eatin' some corn on the cob.

Snaking Eden's birthday presents...

Whoa, whoa, the only reason my hands look that big is because they are the closest to the camera...I swear. No, really, I'm swearing--stupid man-hands!

Granny love.

It's getting a bit crowded in our truck...Kavella resorts to propping her tootsies on the chair in front of her, while I prop my feet on the dashboard.

We lost the little plastic piece that held our kite open, so Dustin MacGuyvered it with a stick he found! Dustin is AMAZING!

Worked!

Best shake ever. Chocolate Oreo Cookie Mocha. BLT Burger on the strip in Las Vegas.

Nom, nom, nom, nom, fast-flowing bottle.

Thanks for the birthday cupcakes, Deina!

Don't worry, that Halloween-themed bib that Kavella wears year round is getting closer and closer to the "appropriate" time of the year to wear it....

Standing up...

Sitting down. Pretty much, I slip into comfy pants the minute I get home. Jeans are just so confining, stiff and uncomfortable!

Oh, You Got Swaddled Son!

2011-11-17T05:45:00.000-08:00

We got to see Dalin for about 15 minutes, which we loved! Dalin spent a few weeks with his Grandma and Grandpa down in Carlsbad, then he hitched a ride with Dad and Bryce back home. I yearn for time with my family because they mean everything to me. Nothing is more satisfying to me than being around my loved ones.

Dad and Bryce got to stay for a couple days after Mom had to fly back home. When Mom left, I felt soooooo sad, but my sadness was slightly abated by still having my dad and brother there. It's always fun to visit the tide pools, so off we went! Dad looks good holding a purse, right?

XOXOXO. I wish we could see Curren a little better...or at all.

This is our first family photo! My heart swells with love for my family and my blessings. The Lord has given me everything I could have asked for and more. I am absolutely, completely happy with my life and my family. My biggest fear in life is to lose any member of my family. Thankfully, I know we'll be together for eternity.

Eden and Kavella. I love that they are best friends--we are so lucky to live near the Pilkingtons!

One morning, Kavella woke up cheerful (like usual), climbed out of her crib and came out to the living room to greet us. I was lying on the couch with Curren, which is where I had been for the previous 6 hours or so. Kavella came and gave her baby brother a kiss and then gave me a hug and a kiss. Suddenly, a serious look came across her face and she said, pointing to my face, "Oh, somethin's stinky in you Mom!" Yup, she's now old enough to recognize morning breath.

We only color on paper.

Oh, my sweet, darling, beautiful, succulent baby boy! I love him!

Oh, you got swaddled son! (I took that saying from Colleen) It turns out, Curren HATES being swaddled, so there's 25 bucks down the drain.

Yea! The Straws moved down to Huntington! How lucky are we to all live in the same town!?

Aw, my other sweet, darling, gorgeous, kind baby girl! I love her! (I can gush because a) my kids are perfect b) this blog serves the purpose of memorializing our family history and c) I do what I want!)

The first time Kavella saw me nursing Curren, she asked what I was doing and I told her that I was feeding him breakfast. She thought about that for a moment, then quizzically she asked, "Baby brother eat your boobies?" Ha, ha, ha!

Up-the-nose shot!

Surf City, USA.

2011-11-09T05:00:00.000-08:00

Why does my kid have the face of someone viewing a most offensive, disgusting act--say, a child playing with a massive booger, a poop-eating toddler or one person vomiting on another? None of those examples were present that day. No, no, it was merely bc Mom looked "bad" in our first picture attempt of getting palm trees in the shot, even though I thought we all looked just fine. Mom threatened my life if I posted it, so here you go--I offer Kavella up as a sacrifice for your beauty, Mom! As Kavella frequently says, "Oh, sorry. That's my fault." A CHILD taking responsibility. Now, that's love. JK, you know I love you Mom!

Awkward family photos! In our defense, we have a really LARGE bed that can accommodate us all.

Time for a surfing lesson! Dustin is the master of all things water, so he was the perfect instructor for Bryce. First things first: getting into a wetsuit.

"I'm gonna point to an ideal surf spot, but let's be honest...you'll pretty much be bobbing and splashing around at random..."

"Now, when the wave comes, this is how you 'pop' up..."

"In reality, the wave is going to SLAM the crap out of you! Have fun--let's go!"

"Paddle, paddle, paddle, paddle."

"Yea! Bryce did it! Da na na na na na na na na na na na na na na na na..."

Best friends forever.

I love my Dad!

Pelicans don't normally sit on the beach like this; poor guy was hurt.

No one can come visit us without having their picture taken in front of these concrete surfboards.

We went on a Sunday evening stroll to Main St. where Kavella got this surely-covered-with a blood-borne disease from our local crack addicted clown. Good times.

Cuddle bug, cutie pea!

For Pretend and For Real.

2011-11-04T05:24:00.000-07:00

For a while there, Kavella had an aversion to having her picture taken--I guess that was her way of asserting her independence. That, and proffering up "no, I'm good," any time she didn't want to do something....like, going to bed ("no, I'm good), eating her dinner ("no, I'm good), sharing her toys ("no, I'm good), etc. She's such a funny girl!

So, here we are at "Pretend City." It's this massive place in Irvine where kids can run amok throughout various, interactive rooms/activities. There's a grocery store, a doctor's office, a post office, a beach, a house, a performing stage, an eating area, a dentist's office, etc. I will NEVER go there again. For one, it costs $12.00 a person, regardless of age. For two, the place was a total madhouse. I've never seen so many kids trying to do the same thing all at once. It was like a nightmare. Kavella is lucky that she gets to memorialize her experience with these three photos because I almost turned right around the second we walked in. Thank goodness my Mom was there to tend to Curren while I followed Kavella around to each germ-infested, child-saturated room. It probably would have been more fun for her if she had some of her Nursery friends go--it might prove a perfect birthday spot....if you're rich.

Ahhhh, now this is heaven. Seriously, my Mom's cinnamon rolls are my favorite breakfast, snack and dessert.

Happy 9th Anniversary, Dustin! Thanks to Mom babysitting, we got to go to P.F. Changs (shocking, I know) and go see a movie. I love you Dustin. I'm so thankful to have you for eternity. You truly are the best of the best in every way!

Look at that purple starfish!

Kavella loves her Bryce E. Boy!

Wow, Bryce knows how to take a picture! So artistic!

There's Bryce on the left, surfing, and there's Dad on the right, fully clothed....in the ocean. Classic Dad move.

Curren's very first beach trip! He was two weeks old. That's how we roll.

On Sunday, we walked down to the pier to listen to our local bongo players who meet every Sunday evening. Cut your hair hippies! Bryce had Kavella cracking up!

Not to take the spotlight away from Kavella, but check out fannypack-shirtless-texting-hairychested-socks and shoes at the beach dude behind her. Sexy.

Another thing Kavella likes to say is, "In a minute!" I'll ask her to come get her diaper changed and she'll say, "in a minute!" Her Uncle(s) will prod her to give him a kiss and she'll say, "in a minute!" and walk away. Her daddy will tell her it's time for bed and she'll respond, "in a minute!" Where did she pick that up? Hee, hee! My fault.

Balboa Boat Ride...Ok, Ferry Ride.

2011-10-28T04:24:00.000-07:00

Here's the Balboa pictures.

This is the ferry that takes cars and passengers to Balboa Island, where one can easily connect with PCH (aka Pacific Coast Highway), which is the main highway traveling north and south along the coast. Instead of exiting the ferry, we just floated there and back for fun! I think the ferry attendant should have only charged us half price, but she wouldn't go for it.

Look at little Mommabear up there! Isn't she such a cute little thing?

This is Bryce three months before he's called to serve in the Los Angeles mission! Handsome.

There was a picture where Kavella looked better, but I looked waaaaaay worse. That's a benefit of being in control of the blog--mwahahahahaha!

Yes, this is the EXACT same picture as before... with a Daddy/Daughter swap. We're lame.

When Kavella doesn't want to do something, she'll say (quite sweetly), "Uh, maybe not." Kavella, do you want to smile for the camera? "Uh....maybe not."

With Love

2011-10-25T05:27:00.000-07:00

Overall, I would say that Kavella has adjusted to her new baby brother marvelously. Flawlessly, in fact. I can only recall a solitary event that would indicate any sort of jealousy. As I was disciplining Kavella, for something inconsequential to this story, she began to cry. Subsequently, Curren began to wail in unison with his big sister. She immediately thrust her hand forward, with an outward facing/open palm toward him and yelled, "Stop baby brother! Stop! It's MY turn!" I would say she has mastered taking turns, too!

Make my heart melt.

No, I swear, she LOVES her new baby brother...."Kavella, smile for the camera," Grandma Roberts suggested....the next picture was the devil-like response she gave. It reminds me of a picture that used to hang in my parents' house of me when I was a teenager.

Ha, ha, ha!! Scary, huh? Look at bubby's snubbly toes against my black shirt! I love when he spreads his tootsies!

I am absolutely in love with my baby boy!

I love you Mom! My poor Mom endured day after day, hour after hour of Kavella "hiding" under the kitchen table and calling out, "Where me go, Grandma?" Of course, Mom would play along and ask, "where'd Kavella go? Is she in _____(fill in the blank--fridge, washer, bathroom, etc.)? Is she over here?" Each time, Kavella would respond to her--"No, Kallella not over there..., No, Kallella not in the _____." Clearly, we need to come to a better understanding of what hiding means.

We got a chance to go to the Newport Beach temple while Mom was in town and it was really nice. I was a crying mess, but I'm sure that was just leftover pregnancy hormones, right?

Unkie Brwyce and Grandpa came for a short visit on their summer road trip to AZ, CA and UT!

My sweet Dad! Doesn't he look like a big teddy bear--especially that huge paw that covers Curren's midsection in full! Eloise and I think that Curren looks the most like my Dad.

Cute.

In an effort to do fun, cheap activities, we headed over to Balboa. This, apparently, should have been with the rest of the Balboa pictures in another post...

Clearly, they're very interested in eachother. My two snubble loves.

Beach time!

Air-out time! Curren had the WORST diaper rash, so every day we'd lay him--sans diaper--with his bum in the air. Some kids have projectile vomit; this kid had projectile poo. Yes, I was hit a few times.

"Trying to Get Adjusted to My New Home."

2011-10-23T03:18:00.000-07:00

We have a great little park situated a few blocks from our home, so we took the kids (wow--the kids...plural? Weird.) there for an evening activity. Curren stayed cozy in the blanket his Granny made him--it's so cute; it has all the different surf spots in California on it!
Kavella is not, and was never, a snuggler. Cureen, it appears, is. I have to admit, I wished for a snuggler. Um, I also have to admit (now that Curren is actually 4 months old--I'm a little behind on posting) that he's a little needy. He not only prefers to snuggle, he can't function unless he's snuggling (i.e. being held, being slept next to, being carried, etc.). What have I done?

If you don't want to smooch those chubby cheeks, then there's something wrong with you. Seriously.

Considering that my own father announced him as "Cullen" to his entire office and our insurance company put in his name as "Cullen," I was pretty surprised that Dustin's work got Curren's name right in their announcement. Curren. Cullen? Really? Like on the Twilight Saga? Admittedly, our kids have unique names, but vampires? A little too far...although, have you seen Kavella's eyes? Hmmmm...

Mica watch!

Lake shoes from cousin Amanda. You'll notice, starting right about here, that Kavella appears slightly unkempt. That's because she is. No bows, now frills, clothes that don't match; what can I say? I was in survival mode.

Poppy!

Uh-huh, all rubbed in.

Dust saw this possum on our front walkway one night. He said it was all "drugged" up and slow moving. Gross.

Curren has the sweetest personality--he smiles ALL THE TIME! Even if he's in the middle of a complete breakdown, the minute you pick him up, he'll give a little grin. I love him and Kavella more than I can explain. I'm pretty sure I love my kids more than most parents....or does every parent feel this way?

"Get Me Outtta Here!"

2011-10-18T03:01:00.000-07:00

It's time to go home! It was a perfect 75 degrees outside when we brought Curren home.

He was just so tiny--he looked like a little doll in his carseat--except for those huge hands; look at those things! That's my fault.

Lil G.

Kavella was delighted to see Curren in our home and resting nicely in his bassinet.

This should help.

Hold still.

Be SOFT when putting his pacifier in his mouth.

Mica watches in the San Clemente shop! Nevermind the Nixon logo above them.... :)

"I Love Meeting My Family!"

2011-10-05T02:41:00.000-07:00

This is the sweetest picture in the world. I'm the luckiest and most grateful mom.

"Well, hello, Auntie Darci!"

This is your Aunt LesLey.....

....and here's Auntie Deina!

Carter

Tanner

Cassidy

Max

Dustin, Curren, me and some dude's hand...

Hair!! He has hair!! Luscious, luscious hair!

Insta-love.

"Dude, My Face Hurts."

2011-10-03T05:30:00.000-07:00

Kavella was a little sweetheart when she met her baby brother--you'll see how loving she was in later pictures.

Daddy got Curren dressed after his first bath.

I don't know why I always attract "crazies," but we had this nurse who literally brought me Curren's first poop and asked if I wanted to save it for his scrapbook. Here's the thing: that's the most foul suggestion I've ever heard. I think saving the umbilical cord (at your home, not in a bank) is nappy, so why on earth would I want to save a turd? Would I put it in a little baggie? I suppose I'd use the Ziploc brand since they claim to create an odorless seal. You got me.

Baby burrito!

Getting in a car wreck might have wreaked less havoc on this poor baby's face than childbirth. First, his face gets bruised from forehead to chin, then he draws blood with his baby nails. Can you believe that bruising?! Kisses to make it better.

Kavella was so excited when Curren wanted to hold her hand!

She sang "Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star" to him.

Held him all by herself....

Drooled when she thought about snuggy bug kissing him....

...tested his pudge-factor....

....and even caught some t.v. time while he rested!

All in all, I have the sweetest, cutest, most darling, lovable children in the world. (I'm sure you all feel the same about your babies!) I can't believe I have two kids! Being a mom is such a sacred blessing and I'm glad that Heavenly Father trusts me to raise and take care of his little ones!

"It's GO Time!"

2011-09-29T05:08:00.000-07:00

It's not "go time" just yet--this is how we spent the weekend before a really big trade show for Dustin's work. He had to pack a TON of bags with WTI information and stickers, so we "helped" out! We may or may not have been more of a burden than a help, but we tried!

Here we are on the 4th of July. You have to remember, which will be proven later in photos, I was 15 months pregnant at the time.....okay, okay, not quite that pregnant, but I was one week from my due date. What's a girl to do? How about ride her bike down to Main street for the parade! Then back home....then back to the beach for the day (with the Wakehams)....then back home.....then back to the pier for fireworks! Some people suggest caster oil to induce labor, but I strongly suggest riding a bike for a solid day in 80 degree weather.

Um, my shoes look waaaay naughtier on her than they do on me...or do they?

Kavella pretending to drive to work. This is how a child plays without a yard. Sad.

Gggjjjj! Watching the fireworks!

So, I've always thought it would be exciting to experience the whole oh-my-gosh-my-water-just-broke-we're-having-a-baby-NOW! thing. With Kavella, I had a slow leak, so I was unable to fulfill that...wish. Wish? Well, you get it. Lucky me, I DID get to experience it with baby numero dos! I always imagined being in a public place--shocking those around me, rushing out the door and leaving the mess behind. That's not how it went down though. Instead, around 10:45 at night, just as I was laying down for one of my last full night's sleep....POP! GUSH! MESS! Thankfully, Dustin was there to gather every single towel we own to clean up and catch the rest of the water. Water just kept coming in waves! Admittedly, it was exciting! After calling Darci to come stay the rest of the night with Kavella, we took off for the hospital.

Not gonna lie, I felt like a cheater. With Kavella, I wasn't given the option of an epidural until I was dialated to a 4, which took some 7 hours--4 of which were handled with excruciating contractions. With Curren, my contractions hurt, but not like Kavella's contractions. Plus, there were no restrictions on when I could get the epidural. I had the anesthesiologist pop that sucker in around 2:45 a.m....then our sweet babe arrived at 7:03. I was slightly annoyed that the nurse had me push through 3 or 4 contractions every hour before we were successful--I was hoping to catch some sleep before the baby was born, but alas that didn't occur. She would come into the room and be like, "Okay, let's push!" I'd push, then she'd be like, "Well, you're not progressing, so let's just wait a little bit." Then, she'd leave and come back an hour later. Annoying.

Whoa, whoa, whoa! You felt alarmed by this picture? When Kavella was born, there were a whole lot of pictures of me looking slightly shocked, perhaps a little grossed out even, by the whole birthing process. This time, I made a conscious effort to look happy, even elated when they threw the juicy, milky, bloody baby onto my person; all while Dustin happily click, clicked away, picture after picture. So, check out my acting skills when a completely blue baby was produced and laid in my arms. Oh, I'm smiling for the pictures, but I was also asking (with a great deal of concern), "is this child breathing? Is anyone concerned about this? Is everything okay here?"

Thank goodness, everything was alright. I'm going to blame his color on the fact that while he was crowning, I was instructed to just relax through the next few contractions, as to allow the doctor to get there. Really? Relax when the baby's head is halfway OUT!?! Lame. Next time, I'm just pushing.

Oh, my sweet love.

Apparently, being born isn't much fun either--Curren's ENTIRE face was bruised on his way out. It was so badly bruised that the hospital staff finally made a sign for his bed. This was to prevent nurse after nurse from coming in and trying to start CPR on the little guy. Poor baby.

Even with bruises all over his face, he is perfectly delicious. Another "Gerber baby," if I do say so myself! (Moms can say that) Perfect.

Snubbly Boy

2011-09-26T05:04:00.000-07:00

Ohhhhh, look at that big 'ole belly! Ok, I'm going to post this one and then go back to the BIG day. I just downloaded all the pics off of D's phone, which include the days before and after his birth. Until then, feast your eyes on this chunker, delicious baby!

Ok, even though most of the following pictures are of Curren SLEEPING, I can assure you that he is not an expert in the area. In fact, he has quite a lot to learn, in that regard, between the hours of 7pm to 7am. He DOES look most peaceful sleeping though.

Wow! Look at all those snickerdoodles! Was it Dustin's birthday? Anniversary? Father's Day? No, no, Mom just loves him that much!

No joke, the BEST baby kisses are the ones like this! Ha, ha!

Loving sister.

Darci gave us TONS of hand-me-downs, including this "Boppy." It serves as an assistant to nursing and/or a seat for the babe. I had one with Kavella, but I didn't use it much. I'm not sure why, but I have used this one a lot more with Curren. Perhaps it's because nursing isn't such an ordeal with Curren--I have experience and don't have to be totally nude from the waist up to be successful with him! Ha, ha, too much information? Let's just say, I've come a long way since my first baby!

Delectable. He is adorable! Look at Mom trying to hide in the background--she's watching "Iron Chef," which she loved watching every night. When she left, we couldn't figure out how to stop recording it, so we have about 100 episodes to delete.

Do you think he resembles Kavella when she was a baby?

I am absolutely in love with my baby boy! I could kiss his cheeks and chin all day! XOXOXO At his 1 week checkup, he had already gained 1 lb and grown an inch! Way to go little guy!

Curren William Morrison

2011-09-19T06:18:00.000-07:00

Introducing.....Curren William Morrison!! He joined our family on July 6, 2011 at 7:03 a.m. He weighed 8 lbs 8 oz and was 20 inches long! I delivered him at Hoag Hospital in Newport Beach, CA. He has his daddy's feet, his mommy's eyes and he actually has hair! That was quite a shocker!

We are so thankful to have a healthy, handsome baby boy! I thank my Heavenly Father for blessing our family with this new addition. I have an enormous amount of love for him. He is perfect.

Nope, nope....not still carrying a child in my belly. It just looks that way. Well, it looks like a baby or a massive sack of jelly, you pick.

Upon hearing news of yet ANOTHER addition to the fam (aka another notch down on the totem pole for the dog), Choco turned into a possessed, raging animal that couldn't be calmed. Actually, he doesn't even acknowledge Curren--he will literally walk atop him as if he doesn't exist. At least with Kavella he acted curious--you know, slightly interested. With Curren, I think he knows the routine.

Sweet baby.

You will never meet a sweeter, more loving sister than Kavella. She tells everyone that she has a new "baby brother." "He's so cute," she'll say. She helps him when he's crying by giving him a pacifier, she gives him kisses and hugs and she even helps me change his diaper. One morning, as we were changing his diaper, he started peeing all over the place! It got on Kavella and me! Kavella started running to the bathroom saying, "Bath! Bath! I need a bath! Baby brother splashed me!" Last, his hand looks like its covered in elephant skin, huh?

She even invited him to join the races with her and her daddy--from the front door to her bedroom....about 30 feet. "On your mark, get set, go!"

Um, is it just me or does his hand look ginormo? Kavella, I love your silly faces!

Paddle feet! This kid should be a good swimmer with fins like that!

I LOVE baby feet!

Yea! Thank goodness Mom was able to come out for a couple weeks to help me!! In an effort to keep us from watching too much television, my Mom would always threaten us kids with things like, "I'm going to break that t.v. someday," and say, "there is nothing but junk on t.v." Coincidentally, the same week my Mom showed up was the same week Kavella became absolutely addicted to t.v. (aka her ipod--same concept). In case you missed it, that's what she's holding up in the picture. Looks like I'm going to "turn into" my mom with similar comments bc this addiction needs to be nipped in the bud! Especially when Kavella is like, "it's MY ipod." Uh, no it isn't.

We strolled down the the dog wash for a little cleaning. Choco hated it...and so did I. I think I'll pay the $25.00 to have someone else do the work.

Jenn made Curren AND Kavella the cutest, softest blankets ever! I need to get pictures of them both. Love you Jenn! Thanks!

Baby smoochers are the tastiest!

Three generations of Morrison boys. Sweet.

Gettin' Large!

2011-09-16T08:07:00.000-07:00

Hmmm, I think I was about 7 months along here. I can't really remember. However far along I was, it wasn't very comfortable! Things I like about being pregnant: people let you cut in bathroom lines, men offer to unload heavy items from your grocery cart, you can eat anything you want and have a good excuse, napping isn't seen as lazy, people will give you their seats, no one expects you to carry the beach bag bc it's too heavy and women are usually nicer to you!

I wonder what the rest of the family is going to eat....nom, nom, nom, momma's hungry!

You can hardly tell I'm pregnant here! We took Darci and Tanner to an Angel's game! It was really fun, but Tanner wore all his Dodgers gear and kept booing....that was lame of him. I told him so.

Kavella LOVED that Tanner was there to play with her! She sat with him the entire game and loved watching the fireworks with him. He is so sweet to her.

Perfect beachwear! I informed Kavella that if she wanted to spend time at the beach, then she'd have to wear a hat. I should have been more specific.

Kbaby pretending to be pregnant!

Oh, I suppose these pictures should have been with the other Hurricane ones...oopsie!

This was the quick 7 mo. pregnant visit to the hospital....just to check on things.

Thank goodness Emily the Elephant didn't go berserk while we were there. I mean, she's never gone berserk, but I'm especially glad she didn't do it while we were near her.

Auntie Darci gave K this dress--Darci always finds the CUTEST clothes!

Kavella accompanying me to Dr. Clayton's office. She was such a trooper while I was pregnant!

Morrisons

2011-09-13T07:19:00.000-07:00

While Dan and LesLey were in a tropical location, we babysat their kids (Conner/Amanda) for 5 nights. Now, I'm not entirely sure who had a better time--Dan/Les or me. I'll tell you why. I got to spend time in an air-conditioned, ginormo house, put my legs in the hot tub (I was 7 months prego, so I couldn't get all the way in), wash dishes in the dishwasher and use a washer/dryer combo that actually worked! It was quite delightful. Plus, their kids were absurdly well-behaved. I hope they leave town again soon....:)

Conner, Kavella and Amanda.

Happy Mother's Day! I love that I get to be a mother to Kavella. She is just the sweetest, most caring, loving, smart, happy girl. I love you now and forever! You'll always be my baby girl.

WTI had a zoo day! It was fun doing crafts, watching a magician, "fishing," eating street tacos and seeing the animals!

Belly.

On the morning we were to head to Hurricane, we had a slight scare with the baby. Specifically, I thought I had a small leak, which is exactly what happened with Kavella's pregnancy. So, being better-safe-than-sorry, we jammed over to the hospital for some tests. Kavella was so good while we were there! (Thank goodness for television...am I right?)

The baby was very active while we were there, kicking and moving all around! Thank goodness everything turned out fine...I did not want this baby to arrive 2 months early! Well, almost everything was fine--the valet wrecked our truck into a Range Rover, but it was pretty minor. Just a headache to fix is all! The Range Rover owner tried to get OUR personal insurance information (as opposed to the valet co.'s insurance) to get a settlement from US, as if we were driving when the accident occurred. I think not. Just relax Range Rover driver.

You can't really tell from the picture, but everywhere you see white, it's dented in. Oopsie!

Pretty Much...... Kavella

2011-09-08T07:51:00.000-07:00

While at Granny and Poppy's for Memorial Day, Kavella got to go for a ride in Poppy's airplane! She was soooo excited, and she even got to sit by big-girl self!

Tasty.

Look at how enormous Kavella's headphones look on her head compared to Poppy!

Sitting in her very own seat!

Yippie!

Being patriotic with Granny....Mini-Weez and Maxi-Weez! Maxi? Hmmmm, perhaps others wouldn't dare refer to their mothers-in-law using any form of such an adjective for fear of offending them...., but that's why I have the BEST m-i-l; she's got a good sense of humor!

Easter Egg Hunt (April 2011)!

2011-09-07T06:57:00.000-07:00

Yes, this pop-up tent is pretty amazing, in and of itself. However, what's more amazing is the fact that Kavella remembered that this tent was in Bed Bath and Beyond from the parking lot....and we had only been there one time! Girl has a steel vault!

Kavella and Westin.

We had our annual family Easter egg hunt at a park in Irvine this year.

This is the best picture we could get of all the cousins....not bad, not bad!

Daddy/Daughter. Love.

6 months pregnant. It's hard to believe I still had 3 months to grow...I mean, go.

I'm looking at Dust like this because I am actually stuck on the ground. Have you seen my legs? Let's just say that they're not the most muscular part of my body and that prego belly is QUITE heavy...

There is nothing sweeter than Kavella kisses!!

Oops, that's the same picture like three times in a row.

Yea! The Easter bunny came! He brought Kavella a basket full of treats while we were away at church. "A basket? For meeee?" she said in her sweet baby voice.

Nom. Nom. Nom.

Look closely at the reflection on the side of my truck...it's Dustin's truck!! One of Kavella's favorite things to do is "race" her Daddy home..."We're gonna get you Daddy! We're comin'!" Oh, and she gets giddy when we pull up next to him at a stop light--"Turn my window down, Mom! There's Daddy!" She is delightful!

I just want her to stay this sweet forever.

Dormant Diabetes

2011-08-31T06:10:00.000-07:00

Have you ever introduced your child to a necessity that subsequently became an addiction and a nuisance? Well, that is precisely what happened with those bulky, rubber-soled, bright pink snow boots in the picture above. After visiting the cabin one weekend, I was faced with tantrum-filled mornings in a struggle to dissuade Kavella from thinking about, locating and donning the stupid things. Alas, it became more effort than I cared to deal with, so I just built her outfits around them. Day, after day, after day....for like a month, but she sure looks cute in them, huh?

Adam and Chante's car got worked! You know what a Prius sounds like when it passes....? :)

Remember those boots? Yeah, pretty much the same concept with the sunglasses. It's going to be pretty bright tonight!

Mommy and Kavella--best friends forever! (At least, she'll be MY bff!)

Ha, ha, ha!! I can get Choco sooooo riled up! He puts up with so much--avoiding people stepping on him, waiting hours and hours to go potty, Kavella chasing him, me teasing him...poor dog probably wishes eternal families didn't exist.

If anyone is going to get diabetes in this family, it's me. I crave the sudsy fizz of soda pop, love fattening foods like spinach-artichoke dip, rocky road shakes, candy, salty chips and donuts, and I certainly should work out more to improve my cardiovascular system's ability to function. This body is hard to have jurisdiction over when there is so much temptation in the form of tasty fooooooooood!

This might be her first ice-cream cone! D-lish!

And, another one! We went up to L.A. to meet Grandma, Grandpa, Katy Jo and Stacy for dinner (they had a layover on their way to Figi) and we got Thrifty cones for dessert! The cool thing about being pregnant is that you can eat all you want and you don't have to suck in your belly.

Worst hamburger I've ever eaten. Plus, it was like $15.00; in Australia. Big mistake.

First time sleeping in her "big girl" bed! Then she rolled out...oopsie!

This is just a little preview of what's to come...specifically, our family Easter egg hunt.

Happy 2nd Birthday, K-Baby!

2011-08-30T05:51:00.000-07:00

Our snugglebug turned 2! She is just the sweetest, most entertaining, thoughtful, smart baby girl in the world!

"It's a pillow. It's a pet. It's a pillowpet!" Kavella has her cousins to thank for her inability to sleep without it! It's just so comforting....

Yes, I actually bought new gifts for her this year--as opposed to re-wrapping Christmas gifts like I did when she turned 1!

Look closely at the teeth marks on the cupcake...poor thing is gonna need Invisalign...and perhaps a few teeth implants. I have no idea where the rest of those teeth are hiding!

This was our trip to Coronado Island for the Managers' Retreat. We got to go on a dinner cruise in the harbor!

Making faces for the camera! I was getting my hair cut.

For the longest time, Deina was the only human being allowed to fix Kavella's hair. I loved sending her off with her Auntie and having her return all dolled up! Look at her kissable cheeks!

I think this is when Dustin went to London. I bet it was FRIGID.

Oh, that's right, he brought this big foam hand back from London and Kavella just loved to carry it around saying, "yeah!" with both of her "thumbs" up!

You look so dahhhllingg with all your gear!

CA/OK Christmas 2010

2011-08-28T03:47:00.000-07:00

Granny and Poppy invited us over for "Christmas" dinner, which was lovely! I think it was actually mid-December, but since it was the only time the family would be together, we did it! Kavella sure loves spending time with her cousins, Conner and Amanda.

Best.....gift....ever! Thanks, Granny and Poppy, for the baby stroller! Check out my excitement....

Handsome Baby Wyatt! We headed out to OK this year for Christmas--ALL of my siblings were going to be there, so it was a really special/crazy time!

Ellie and Scottipie!

Grant met Kavella for the first time, so she was inevitably the recipient of numerous smooches, nibbles and lubs.....things would only get more intense (in that category) when Ricky showed up...

Mom makes the world's most delicious cinny rolls, ever! I prefer mine with nuts and raisins. I could eat them all day, every meal.

Look at the adorable hat Aunt Morgan got for K-baby!

Thumbs down, thumbs down....I can't remember what Chris was disagreeing with, but it had something to do with the way bacon was cooked....or syrup was warmed or something. I can't remember.

Bryce and Scott--best buds forever!

Jenn and I were trying to get Luke to smile for the camera; I obviously gave up sooner than Jenn.

Aren't Dad and Ricky so handsome?

Shane and Colleen--they look like they're a couple. Awwwwkwaaaard!

Speaking of awkward....Kavella and Dalin watching t.v.

Ricky and Morgan celebrated their 1 year anniversary while in OK and they invited us to join them for dinner! Yes, I DID sit between them on both the ride to and from the restaurant--just to keep things "PG" and all. I love spending time with my family and I'm suuuurrree they love me, too. Ha, ha!

Ok, I took a picture of this FHE moment because EVERYONE in the entire room was tuned into Mom's lesson....until she started "singing" a rendition of "Hallelujah," asking each of us to join in. The only problem was that NOBODY knew which song she was singing, so she remained the only voice in her very own rendition of the song. FHE went straight downhill after that because we couldn't stop laughing.

Morgan, Bean and me.

Our neighborhood has been prone to flooding, so a retaining pond was recently built to solve the problem. It attracts geese and ducks, so we loaded ourselves up in the trailer (totally legal in OK) and headed down to feed them. Unfortunately, there weren't any there when we went.

Dustin had to stay in CA and work until just before Christmas, so Kavella enjoyed chatting with him in the evenings. The sweetest dad and daughter duo....ever.

Oh, there are a TON more....

2011-08-22T05:26:00.000-07:00

I have SOOOO many pictures to post that I'm hardly going to comment on them, so just create your own captions.

Ohhhhhh, so stinking adorable! Dec. 2010.

Kiss those lips.

Yup, it's as comfortable as it looks.

While growing up in Oklahoma, I wouldn't have looked twice at things like this because I saw them so often. Now that I've lived in California for almost 10 years, I had to take a picture because you would NEVER see something like the TEN COMMANDMENTS on display there! I miss the "Bible Belt."

Grrrrrr! Tulsa Zoo carousel.

Doesn't that girl in the picture with us kinda look like Melisa Mons? It's not her.

This toy sings. I'm amazed that Kavella can pitch-match its tones; she has a talent for singing!

Virtual Smorgasbord #1

2011-08-20T05:03:00.000-07:00

You may be thinking that my family gathered recently, donned the table with a red cloth, got out the fancy china/goblets and enjoyed a succulent dinner of ham, rolls, jello, etc, but in fact, this is the first of many pictures from last December. Actually, the pictures could be from anytime in the last year. Mom always makes the tastiest meals for our entire family--thanks Mommasita! Oh, let me explain what's going to happen over the next 3 to 400 posts--I'm finally taking pictures off of Dustypoo's camera. So, here we go. Don't worry, we're going to announce the birth of our baby boy soon...:) I just have so much catching up to do and don't want to be COMPLETELY out of order....just a little.

Look how handsome Scottypie is!

3-D glasses. And yes, that is a bag of home-made popcorn that I sneaked ( it feels weird using that word instead of "snuck," which used to be proper English back in my day--I'm trying to keep up with the times folks!) into the theater. You should see how much junk I can fit into my purse.

I love Kavella. Love her.

Oklahoma must have been negative 6 degrees this day.

Are you serious with how cute Kavella bug is in this pic?!

Cousin dogs--Bandit and Choco.

Bryce is so athletic! He is a natural at all ventures athletic/extreme. I remember the days when he would rollerblade and razor at the skate park. Then, he just tried skateboarding one day and--WHAM!--he ripped. Seems to be a common theme amongst the men in our family, huh?

Alrighty, I think I was almost ready to pop, say 37 weeks or so. We enjoy walking to Ruby's on the end of the pier. I typically order the chicken fingers and share some of Dustin's re-fillable fries. Anytime I can share or split edibles with Dust, I do. It saves us lots of money. We always just share with Kavella, too! We're cheap....or smart, whichever you want to go with.

Look at the size of that sandcrab! If you're familiar with sandcrabs, I just blew your mind. K loves catching sandcrabs at the beach. One day, while we were on a walk, Kavella said, "Mom, I got crabs!" The rest of the day was spent practicing that we say "digging" for SANDcrabs. Sand. Crabs. Sand.

29 weeks pregnant with baby numero dos!

Go HUGE

2011-08-17T08:03:00.000-07:00

In case you hadn't heard, Dustin rips at surfing. It's like the minute Dustin gets around water, he transforms into some sort of fish in its natural habitat. He is a talented surfer, wake-boarder, skier, tuber......is that a word? If you are ever on a boat, you'll know what I'm talking about! Anyway, while D was in college, his buddies and he decided to organize a surf-a-thon. Oh, for a charity or something, you ask? No, no, just to do it. The goal was to enter the water at sunrise and surf non-stop until sunset, some 12 plus hours later....They even arranged to have some cute girls drop food/water off the pilings for them--into the water. Sweet, huh? One of Dustin's roommates, Mark--who is a ridiculously funny guy--wrote a little tiff on it. Check it out! They actually made it into the paper!

http://gohugetoday.blogspot.com/2010/08/twelve-hour-surfathon-sunrise-to-sunset.html

Baby Boy Shower!

2011-08-15T04:10:00.000-07:00

I can't believe this is the last pregnant photo I took before our baby boy arrived! I still had two weeks to go, but you get the idea; large and in charge. With Kavella, I never got stretch marks, even though I gained 53 lbs. With our baby boy, however, I saw/felt the stretch marks coming in at around 7 months...it bummed me out. Not that I will EVER wear anything that shows my stomach again, but it was still a disappointment to watch my body change so drastically. I only gained some (give or take) 40 lbs, but I started out 15 lbs heavier than I was with my first, so perhaps that had an impact on my body. Another change that I have a difficult time dealing with is my eyelashes--they are extremely thin and don't grow uniformly anymore. It sounds like I'm just griping a lot....yeah, I am. I'm just trying to memorialize a few of the sacrifices a mother goes through on behalf of her children! Aren't I such a champ?

38 weeks pregnant with our baby boy!!

My sweet sisters-in-law (Deina and Darci), mother-in-law (Eloise) and niece (Cassidy) threw me a baby shower! They are all such natural decorators, so everything came together flawlessly! I LOVED the color, decorations and details that were put into making it special. I felt so much love and appreciate all their effort. Seriously, I am so thankful for my in-laws. Some, okay most, people have complaints about their in-laws, whereas, I honestly do not! They are just normal, fun, selfless people that I'm glad to call family! Love you guys!

Deina made this little plaque, which I still use in my home. Cute, huh?

Cassidy was in charge of greeting guests and passing out "baby" ice water...let me explain...

Oh, wait, these are the bird's nests....see how everything is so shabby chic and comes together so nicely? Speaking of chic, back to the "baby" ice...or "dead babies" as they were called...

Why, yes, that is a miniature baby who has been frozen into a piece of ice! Slightly creepy, but it was a fun game--the first guest to have their "water break" (aka ice melt) won a prize!

My girls! Doesn't it look like we totally coordinated outfits?

Beth and Colton, Ginger, Stephanie and Tamara.

Taylor, Chante, me and Melody/Corban.

(L-R clockwise) Kristy, Eloise, Jackie, Deina, Darci, Cassidy, Hanne and Megan (Brooke is in the back left). It was so nice to have everyone and I'm thankful for all the gifts and love!

Alllllriggghhhht, this is pretty big news--after 30 years, I FINALLY got a pedicure! It was a pretty glorious experience and I'm almost positive that this procedure will be moving from the "luxury" category to the "maintenance" category! I can see why women love to pamper themselves like this--the manicurists massage your feet, exfoliate your heels, trim your nails, paint them--all while you sit in a massaging chair. Not bad, huh?

It was especially fun to do it with the ladies! Since we were all spread out, I had to basically yell to communicate with them, so I'm sure the entire salon just LOVED hearing our interesting conversations!

Can you guess who owns which feet? Dangit, my stupid crooked toe gives me away...It's not my fault that Dr. Radovic doesn't know how to do surgery--I should have sued. ;)

The most attentive, loving, patient, fun, caring father in the world gets an entire baking pan of snickerdoodles for Father's Day. Oh, and he gets a picture frame decorated by his baby girl. Don't worry, it bugs me too that there are 7 red balls on the left side and 8 red balls on the right--that's what you get for "free-handing" the letters. Ugh. Love you Dustin!

St. George Temple Trip

2011-08-09T03:53:00.000-07:00

It was so nice to do a temple session in St. George! Other than sweating like cow (what with being 7 months preggers and all), the sealing session was perfect--it was just the four of us, which made it quite special. I love my husband, brother and sis-in-law!

Let's just talk about how ridiculous my dress is--besides shrinking in the dryer, I'm pretty sure my belly grew OUT an inch while we were there, so my dress looks about three sizes too small. It was that uncomfortable, too.

Thanks to Ricky and Morgan for treating us to Chili's after the temple! That was so nice of them.

Flying with Poppy is always a treat! Look at snubbly's tasty face!

I don't want to say Choco HATES his life, but he may or may not dream of someday being treated like a dog and not a human. We should get him a little helmet.

Eloise knew what was most important for this picture; and that was getting Choco to smile for the camera.

Morgan and I are trying to be politically correct--just pretend she's the....well, OTHER mom.

What a thoughtful, little gem--Kavella picked flowers for everyone!

Do you see the four-wheelers on the path? No, seriously, I can't tell if they're in this picture because it won't enlarge for me...

"Do you not realize I have had diarrhea since Easters?"

2011-08-05T03:35:00.000-07:00

Happy Easter! See, I'm now only three months behind on posting pictures! I have to hurry and catch up so I can post pictures of our new bundle of love! Kavella is so delicious in her Easter dress.

The Easter bunny hopped into her room and left her a basket of goodies! She was so excited to find it after church (there was no talk of baskets before church because I didn't want to deal with that mess on her dress)!

The Easter bunny even left ME a goodie; a body pillow for pregnant ladies!

Bike rides are one of Kavella's favorite activities--especially with Daddy!

Oh, okay, here we are in Hurricane visiting Dave and Eloise.

Dustin let her push the throttle....so, that was scary.

Oh, wait, here she is shooting a gun....surprisingly, a little less scary.

Just what you want to see--your mother-in-law wielding a gun.

Ricky and Morgan were able to come down for a few days, too!

Um, so this may not have been the safest trip...it looks like we put our child(ren) in danger quite often. Hmmmm, is this a public forum?

Throwing rocks.

Yet ANOTHER family photo that didn't turn out. Well, there is the back of my kid's head and my dog's butt.

In my defense, I carry an exorbitant amount of water with my pregnancies, so I'm sure Curren was just fine in there while we were off-roading!

Aussie Rules Football!

2011-07-25T07:15:00.000-07:00

Dustypie--he is just so handsome!

We headed back down to Bell's Beach with a guy Dustin works with--Rich! He was most enjoyable to be around; we stopped to pick up some souvenirs for his kids, took a few pictures, checked out some local beaches and then he treated us to pizza/pasta!

One thing that I really liked about Australia was the big, open fields, which reminded me of Oklahoma; well, except for the fact that they had an ocean directly beside them!

Here are a few pictures of Melbourne--such an artsy town. Melbourne is very well maintained.

The Crown Plaza, where we stayed, has a bunch of over-priced shops, a theater and many fast-food type restaurants. While Dustin was working, I would window shop and eat. I was shocked by how expensive food/drinks were! One day, I got a doughnut and a hot chocolate from McDonalds that ran me some $7.00! What!?! The hot chocolate was like a shot-glass, too! I guzzle liquids while I eat, so I was sorely disappointed to find out that there is no such thing as a "refill" on drinks in Australia. Furthermore, when I ordered a LARGE drink, it was actually the size of a kids' meal drink in the U.S. This was a problem. Another day, I picked up a Powerade (20 oz) and it cost me $5.50. I am not exaggerating. Maybe Americans are pigs....and by 'Americans,' I mean me.

Why, yes, I did go all "touristy" and take a picture of the parrots on the light pole. They pooped all over our car that was parked beneath them!

This is a random picture of a burp cloth that I made while Colleen was in town.

Aussie-rules football is, well, awesome! The sport is extremely fast paced, rough and high energy! Unlike hockey, if a fight breaks out, the game just continues AROUND the fight. The officials don't break it up, there are no time-outs or penalties, you just get beat up and then continue playing! It's crazy! It was so much fun to watch! I was impressed with Australian fans--everyone was courteous and didn't take offense when their opponents' team was being cheered for. It ended up being a "tied" game.

We got to eat out, attend a rugby game, stay up late...it was almost like we were dating again....minus the child growing in my belly!

Port Sea, Australia

2011-07-22T04:41:00.000-07:00

Port Sea was such a beautiful place. The homes were all nicely kept and the scenery was gorgeous!

There were a bunch of high-school-aged groms snorkeling underneath this pier. They were talking at a normal volume, but we could hear EVERYTHING they were saying! Kids are stupid and have dumb conversations.

Traveling while 5 months pregnant (Australia) actually proved easier/more enjoyable than traveling while 2 months pregnant (Hawaii) for me, but I'm sure I was equally as annoying to Dustin for both trips; one with all-day sickness and the other with being slow/tired. Sorry, babe.

Yea! Dustin got to catch a few waves! He is such a good surfer; he knows exactly when the wave will break and where to enter it. Plus, he is sturdy while riding it. I quite enjoy watching him surf!

So, as I was laying on the beach, watching D surf, I was bombarded by horseflies! Ugh, I HATE horseflies. They are these enormous fly-like bugs that bite you and leave an itchy, big red spot. Growing up, they used to come around our pool every once in a while. We would find solace from them by quickly going under water and remaining there for as long as our breath would allow. However, I was unable to descend under water while in Australia, so I spent most of my time swatting, batting, shooing and running from the stupid things!

Yoink!

Double-chin shot of Joseph (Sales Manager), me and Dustypoo; I figure since I ALWAYS have a double-chin, I'll force others to have one so I don't look as bad. We had just eaten a delicious steak dinner and were heading back to the Crown Hotel to sleep off our indulgences. MMMM, steak is so good.

Bells Beach, Australia (March 2011)

2011-07-03T04:11:00.000-07:00

I don't know why I ALWAYS have to put my hand on my back when taking a pregnant picture. Perhaps, it's because I already feel so huge that not having my arm squished to the side of my body seems to make me feel smaller. Who knows. Anyhow, Dustin's work required him to be in Australia for a week and since I'd never been, I tagged along--sans Kavella! Should I use an exclamation point there? Sans Kavella--poor thing couldn't make it. We considered this our "baby moon," which is just another term that expectant parents use to pawn off their other kid(s) and take a vacation. Thankfully, I have top-notch in-laws and a best friend (Chante) to take care of K-baby while we were gone!! The next few pictures are actually Port Sea area, but how would you ever know that, unless you've been to Australia?

Let me explain a few things in this picture. No, I am not driving and taking pictures of myself. Yes, I am wearing a pair of Mens' Ray Ban sunglasses that I found in our rental car, which was quite lucky for me since I forgot my own sunglasses. Yes, my lips are outlined with black, gothic-style lipliner. No, I was not going through some sort of high-school-identity-crisis....I typically carry my lipliner in my wallet, along with other necessities. I have become quite the expert at applying it without a mirror. However, for our trip, I added eyeliner to the wallet mix and forgot that I did so--needless to say, I reached into my wallet, grabbed the first thing that felt like lipliner and began to apply, without looking into a mirror. Then, I felt something in my tooth, which necessitated a look in the mirror. Here's what I saw.

After 16 hours of flying, we drove straight to the water. We're getting closer to Bells Beach....

Now, we're getting further. This is Melbourne. It's a really neat city in the fact that they have lots of artistic structures, such as the one in the next photo.

Bells Beach! Looking toward Winky Pop. Whatever that means. I just know that surfers like to be here, according to Dustypoo.

Happy Valentimes Day, Dadddy! I love you.

Okay, I don't know where these pictures come from. I mean, I'm the only one uploading pictures, so I don't understand how they get so out of order. Kavella likes to read her scriptures! She flips through, looking for Jesus and other pictures that she recognizes! She is so snuggly, bubble cute.

Dusty, my little gem. Now, this IS Bells Beach. We made it.

OK--Zoo and Guns (Dec. '10)

2011-06-27T05:18:00.000-07:00

Clearly, this is not Oklahoma. Dustin and I got to spend the weekend on Coronado Island for a Managers' Retreat! It was a gorgeous weekend, of which, I only took this one picture. "Baaaaaxxxteeeer!" Name that movie. It's a good movie!

Saying goodbye at the airport. I hate goodbyes. I love my parents.

How great is this picture? Mom is a sure-shot! I was impressed with her hand-held gun skills, yo!

This stuffed dog got capped, son!

This gun looks especially small for Dustypoo, huh? Don't worry, it could cause some damage! Dustin is a gangsta, boooooy!

When we arrived at the dam, the entire area was FILLED with someone's personal effects. Actually, more than their personal effects--it was like someone cleared out an entire house of stuff and dumped it here. There were photos, stuffed animals, clothing, DVDs, Christmas ornaments, school work, etc. We took full advantage of these items by placing them as targets. A DVD of Denzel Washington was one of our favorites--he was quite elusive....until I popped him square in the cheek--sucka!

Um, scooty ride with Grandpa? Usually, it's a bit more enticing.

Nenner bought a zoo pass and got us all in for FREE!! Plus, we got to ride the carousel and train for free! Thanks, Jenn! Tulsa has a really nice zoo.

Scott became quite tired walking around in his walker, so Kavella gladly took over! Once she got her hands on it, she didn't let go until we left the park! She loved pushing it around! Uncle Shane carried Scotty on his shoulders all the way to the car.

Ha, ha, ha!! Mom and Shane went on a little scooty ride around the hood--apparently they jumped the Makins' dirt mound with ease...well, maybe it wasn't eaaaasssy on Mom's bum. Dustin was busy trying to get the other scooter started. Unfortunately, we never did get it up and running. The thing is pretty ancient, so I wasn't surprised, but I was disappointed that we didn't get to go on a ride, too! :( Back to the zoo...

Train ride!

What an enjoyable day at the zoo!

OK--Woolaroc Trip! (Dec. '10)

2011-06-24T04:48:00.000-07:00

Kavella's lucky-duck cousins get to live close enough to Grandpa to do lots of fun things with him! One of the fun things to do with Grandpa is fishing! Near Jenn's house, there is a little pond and park, which the kids got to visit and thoroughly enjoyed!

Isn't Dustin just so handsome? He is pretty much perfect in my book--I trust him in/with EVERYTHING!! He is meticulous when it comes to tracking our finances, he is responsible with his church responsibilities, he is ambitious, he is patient/loving/kind to children, he can fix/solve ANYTHING, he spoils me with foot/back rubs, he gives Kavella the attention she needs/wants, he is humble and he shows respect for others. I love you, Dust! Oh, Scotty is a little handsome gem, too!

When it comes to "the great outdoors," nobody knows it better than Grandpa Roberts! He is an expert at fishing, camping, off-roading, white-water adventures, hiking, biking, rock climbing, spelunking and more! What a fun Dad/Grandpa he is!

Cute kids!

Dustin was so good at helping Scotty walk! He gave him many opportunities to practice walking, which pretty much melted my heart! I love these two guys!

Woolaroc! This Oklahoma treat is about an hour-and-a-half from my parents' house, but it's totally worth the drive! Take a gander at all the wildlife we encountered!

Okay, this isn't wildlife, but it was wild! I was only inches from checking under his loincloth...Peek-a-boo!! Jenn was sticking to his abs.

Buffalo.

Long-horned....bull. Bull? I don't really know.

The buffalo were just out in the open, so it was important to keep children in their vehicles. Kavella and Dalin only kept as little of their bodies in Grandpa's car as possible. This picture is actually in front of the ostrich display--he was definitely fenced it. We fed him cashews. Lucky bird.

This buffalo would suck your trash up into his mouth! Dalin was the only grandkid brave enough to "feed" him.

What can I say? It was cold outside. We actually DO have lips, I swear.

After seeing the animals outside, we ventured into a museum that contained a vast array of Oklahoma history. We thought it was just a couple of rooms, so we spent a significant amount of time viewing the paintings, shrunken heads, Native American beadwork and pottery of the first two rooms, but it turned out that this museum was some four-stories and ten football lengths large. It just kept going. We spent significantly less time in all the other rooms.