chadkaitlynkami

A pretty big deal!

2012-02-04T06:29:00.001-08:00

Kami has slept in her OWN BED every night this week! Can you even believe it? I honestly can’t take any credit for it though. I guess after a year or so of Chad being kicked in the face every night…he decided that he just couldn’t take it anymore! The first night, Kami cried for HOURS and Chad just sat next to her bed (in one of her little tea party chairs) and kept laying her back down. *it was pretty much torture to listen to* The next few nights she woke up crying but she didn’t try to get out of bed…she just wanted Chad to sit by her and hold her hand until she fell back asleep. And now she is sleeping through the night in her own bed like a pro! I think she likes all the praise she’s been getting too! When she comes in our room in the morning we tell her how proud of her we are, cover her with kisses and chant “Kami’s the best, Kami’s the best”. :)

THE PROOF! *there is nothing cuter then a sleeping baby…sleeping in her own bed;)*

Meeting Baby Zoey!

2012-01-30T12:57:00.001-08:00

Over new years…we drove down to TN to spend some time with Chad’s family and to meet our adorable new niece Zoey! The drive down was about 10 hours (Kami could not have been better…she just watched movie after movie after movie:) and by the time we got to the house it was about 8 o’clock and Zoey was sleeping. All Kami had been talking about all day was meeting “Baby Zo” and so every two minutes she asked if she could go in and see her. After we had been there about an hour…Zoey woke up (probably due to Kami running up and down the hallway a million times playing with the dogs) and she got to come out and play! Kami was SO cute and gentle with her. She stroked her head, gave her kisses, sang her songs and told her she loved her. *I think she’s very excited to have a Forsey cousin* We spent a relaxing weekend with Nana, Grandpa and Quin and on Monday we drove to Zac and Jamie’s home in NC and spent the night with them. Thanks again for having us! *such a fun trip*

Kami’s First Sleepover!

2012-01-26T13:51:00.001-08:00

Last weekend…Kami’s cousin Melia slept over Friday AND Saturday night! They had a BLAST.

Friday night we took the girls to Red Robin for dinner. When our (mine and Chad’s) chocolate shakes came to the table…the girls thought they were for them! So I shared with Melia and Chad shared with Kam:) They split a mac & cheese kids meal and ate lots of fries!

Then we hit up Beauty and the Beast in 3D! Look at Kami’s little excited face lol! This was the first movie (in the theater) that Kami stayed in her seat throughout the entire show (AND she kept her glasses on)! We did have to “shush” her a few times though when she screamed out MY FAVORITE PART and MOMMYS FAVORITE PART and DADDYS FAVORITE PART and HI BELLE! *I’m just surprised that I was able to sit through this movie for the 900th time! It is not much different in 3D!*

Love the ring pops!

It was past bed time when we got home…so we blew up a full size air mattress for the girls to sleep together and we snuggled in and read a story.

After we took this *happy photo* and said prayers and turned out the light…Kami had a melt down about sleeping in “mommy bed” so I snuggled in with Melia and Chad put Kami down. So much for the actual SLEEP part of your first sleepover Miss Kambria!

Saturday was our first snow storm of the season (which is why Kami does not yet own snow pants) so the girls enjoyed about 10 minutes of playing in the snow before coming in and requesting some hot chocolate. *here are a few of my favorite snow shots*

Kami kept eating the snow…

See….cheeks FULL of snow!

Saturday night we went over to Gramsie and Pop’s house for home~made corn chowder (SO GOOD mom!) and on Sunday we went to church and then returned Miss Melia to Meg and James at family dinner! *such a fun weekend*

Brownie Batter!

2012-01-23T11:56:00.001-08:00

Life with Kami (age two)

2012-01-20T13:01:00.001-08:00

I think that in Winter, when it is cold outside and gets dark so early, everything just sort of slows down. Nothing too exciting has been happening around here. Kami has been keeping her little self busy with daily “art time” (she is obsessed with painting) and music classes. She has also been thoroughly enjoying her kitchen set…..and I have been finding play food throughout the entire house. I am really beginning to understand the phrase my mother used to describe me as a child “she messes up faster then I can clean up”! *payback* Kami is near impossible to get down for her nap these days (it can take up to 2 hours to get her to sleep) but if she doesn’t nap then she falls asleep in her dinner. So…every day it’s a struggle that eventually I win! She naps for about two and a half hours while I read. It feels nice to just put my feet up and have a little “me time” during the day. I am going to be really really really sad when she someday gives up her nap for good. Each night we snuggle into bed with treats and watch a movie together. *she has been really into the Tinker Bell movies* We have had a bit of a set back with potty training. She was doing so well last Fall when she first got her pink potty…but the excitement of it all quickly wore off and she started to CRY whenever we put her on it! We figured that she was not ready and have backed off. *if anyone has any good potty training advice I would love to hear it!* Kami has become quite the little helper in the kitchen. She helps empty the dishes, puts on her apron and drags in her little pink chair so that she can reach the counter. She eats everything we do (chicken burritos with lots of sour cream are her favorite) and she has even started liking salad! She loves to be the one to say the prayer over each meal! Even if someone else is saying it…she whispers her own prayer to herself. Each and every Kami prayer includes this line “bless that we can go back to Disney World to meet Jasmine”. Ok…Jasmine is the ONLY princess we didn’t meet in Disney…which was on purpose because she hadn’t even seen the Aladdin movie! *I guess not taking her to see Jasmine when we had the chance backfired* She talks in full sentences now and I just can’t hear enough of “You are the best Mommy ever!” and “I love you SO SO much Mommy!” and “Thank you VERY much!”. We chat and play and read and dance and eat. I teach, Kami learns. And grows. She is getting so tall! I can barely see any traces of baby left in her :( Mothering a two year old is definitely not without its challenges…but for the most part… life with two year old Kambria is sweet and simple. I feel like someday I will miss these simple times.

Off to Church!

2012-01-11T09:34:00.001-08:00

Who even is this little lady in boots (like Mommy) who couldn’t leave for church without her purse?! *growing too fast*

Christmas Morning

2012-01-09T13:50:00.001-08:00

We are back from TN and I’ve finished the novel I’ve been reading during Kami’s naptime ….so I figured it was about time to post a few photos from Christmas!

The kids…ready to see if Santa came!

He came! Pure magic.

We bought this kitchen set for Kami last Summer with all the money I made working for Dad at the studio. She has been totally obsessed with kitchen sets since Melia got hers last Christmas so when I saw this one (and thought about how cute it would look in her room) I couldn’t pass it up! *Chad and I had so much fun putting it all together*

We probably should have put a sheet over the kitchen and waited to give it to her after she had opened all of her other presents…because we could not get her away from it for more then two seconds! *at least we know she loves it*

Gramsie and Pops got Kami a baby doll (that we have since named Emme) and a cradle, doll clothes and a baby Snuggle Bunny!

New books!

And dress up clothes!

Addie, Melia & Evie got American Girl dolls!

We couldn’t afford to do presents for each other this year…but Mom and Dad got Chad the Kindle he’d been wanting!

and I got some clothes, boots, a bag and a new Mary Engelbreit print for our kitchen!

After church we finally got a cute photo of Kami with her new loopies:) and later on we had a lovely dinner at Jenn and Darin’s house. We hope everyone had a wonderful Christmas and we wish you a very happy new year! xo

Christmas Eve

2011-12-28T09:23:00.001-08:00

We started off the day with a yummy breakfast prepared by Chad & Danny!

EGG NOG FRENCH TOAST (our new delicious Christmas Eve morning tradition:)

Later on…we all got together at Grandmom & Grandad’s house for the big sandwich!

The girls enjoying the big sandwich!

Kitty Calico Critters from OE!

New PINK Christmas jammies from Grandad!

Then we headed over to Gramsie and Pop’s house for a reading of The Night Before Christmas!

Putting out cookies for Santa!

Then we all sat very still and were very quiet until we heard Santa’s Bells. Then it was off to bed! This video totally CRACKS ME UP! If you can’t understand Kami…she is saying “run run run run to my bed”!

Christmas Card Photo

2011-12-27T12:50:00.001-08:00

So I kind of stress about “Christmas card photo taking” all year long! There is just so must pressure involved when you are sending a photo out to everyone you know…who will then be hanging it up somewhere in their home!

This years attempt did not start out well…

So after many more photos taken just like this one…we decided to take a dinner break. We then re-dressed her, fluffed her hair with the blow dryer and were ready for round 2!

She came back much happier…due to a full belly and my “fishy” face.

We finally decided on this one (due to the cute position of her hands, feet and star:) Big thanks to my very talented sister-in-law Laurie who captured our vision and made it so perfect (and glowey) XOXO!

Christmas Time Around The House

2011-12-27T06:31:00.001-08:00

It was SO much fun putting up our tree and decorating for the first Christmas spent in our home!

I think everything turned out so festive and magical! I am going to have a hard time taking it all down:(

This is the awesome manger that Darin made for us this year! And Jenny found the perfect doll to use as Baby Jesus at the antique store! My parents have a manger like this in their home and growing up (throughout the Christmas season) we would get to put in a handful of hay whenever we did a good deed. Then on Christmas morning if we had done enough good deeds to fill up the manger with hay…Baby Jesus would appear in the manger. I’m excited to carry on this tradition with my own little family! *Thanks Jenn & Darin!*

This was last years Christmas card photo that we got blown up for the stairwell! *thanks Dad*

LOVE Pottery Barn pillows.

My jolly Santa dishes on display!

I got this Santa print for Christmas last year and a few weeks ago my parents got it framed for us! It makes me happy whenever I look at it. :)

Mmm…Dove peppermint bark! *we have gone through a couple bags of these*

Kami loves Christmas time!!!

Gingerbread House/Winter Solstice Party

2011-12-23T12:23:00.001-08:00

Last night we all got together at Megs to make gingerbread houses!

Cute girlies.

Kami was totally a natural! Look at that look of concentration on her face and those little fingers at work!

Fav photo of the night!

Chad…building his masterpiece!

Everyone hard at work!

I love that we all live close enough where we can get together for any random occasion (like to celebrate the first day of Winter:) I also love that our kids will always have “built in” best friends.

All our cute houses!

Chad’s fortress

Kami’s little girlie house:)

My favorite Kami smile.

Then we went outside for our annual Winter solstice bon fire!

Such a fun evening:) *Thanks Meg & James for hosting*

Kami’s Pink Tree

2011-12-16T12:16:00.001-08:00

As we know…Kami really really loves pink. Needless to say, she was super excited when we put her very own PINK tree (that lights up!) in her room. She likes to show it off to anyone who stops by! She is also obsessed with the dress she is wearing in this photo. She asks “wear my pink dress?” all day/everyday! So when we are at home just hanging out… she normally has it on over her regular outfit:)

*LOVE this little girlie girl of mine*

Santa!

2011-12-13T15:41:00.001-08:00

Last night we drove up to Yankee Candle Factory in Massachusetts to see Santa Clause! *we met Meg, James & the kids there*

Santa’s workshop was so magical and he looked so cute in his work clothes:) We were very happy to get a SMILING photo out of Kami this year (although she wouldn’t really look at him). Baby steps…

Dear Santa,

Mo loopies pease!

Mo ponies pease!

Kitchen set pease!

Love, Kami xo

Sending it off!

Afterwards, we stopped at this random Mexican food place for yummy burritos! *Such a fun night*

Trimming the Tree

2011-12-12T08:05:00.001-08:00

Kami is SO mesmerized by the colorful lights and shiny ornaments that she is having a hard time “just looking with her eyes”! Total ornaments broken so far = 3.

Quest for the Perfect Tree!

2011-12-08T14:52:00.001-08:00

Now that I’m all done blogging Disney…I figured it’s about time to get festive around here!

On the Saturday after Thanksgiving…we went to get our Christmas tree! I cannot even tell you how excited I was this year to FINALLY have my OWN TREE!!!

this is not the one we got…;)

And we’re off to find a Christmas tree!

We hiked quite a ways to find the nice & big blue spruce we were looking for!

We searched for about 2 hours before we found this beauty!

It was unseasonably warm outside…which explains our lack of coats!

Chopping it down! *don’t mind Darin*

Then we had our tailgate party (per tradition) where we munch on little egg salad & tuna sandwiches, brownies and hot coco! *Stay tuned for photos of our tree all decorated!*

Disney…last day

2011-12-06T13:47:00.001-08:00

Saturday was Jenny’s birthday! We had a party for her in the morning where she opened presents and we all enjoyed some pineapple bread, fresh fruit and my favorite guava juice!

Favorite outfit of the week:) That mousy shirt just makes me really happy whenever I look at it!

Then we went into the Magic Kingdom…because that’s where Rapunzel hangs out! The line to meet her is always 40 minutes all day every day! Chad’s so funny…he was like “well we gotta do what we gotta do…we can’t go home without meeting Rapunzel”!

Kami and I love the flowers in her hair!

Then we went back on a few of our favorite rides.

I knew Kami would love Small World. It was always my favorite!

Then we got our last pineapple dole whip. *we thoroughly enjoyed one of these delicious creations almost everyday we were there*

And we finally got Kami some “shortcake” ice~cream…which she had been begging for all week! *love the cookie ears*

Then we caught an awesome parade down Main Street!

Dopey waving to Kami! *Kami LOVES Dopey*

The mice from Cinderella were totally in the parade!

This was one of my very favorite moments of the whole week! Both of the mice saw Kami’s shirt and came dancing over to give hugs and kisses! Cutest ever.

That night was the Cinderella Happily Ever After Dinner at the Grand Floridian. Evie, Addie & Melia had gone to the Bibbity Bobbity Boutique earlier that day to get their hair and nails done! Meg said it was one of the funnest things she’s ever done:) Can’t wait to bring Kami someday! *it’s for ages 3 and up*

This house (in the Grand Floridian lobby) is made out of actual gingerbread and candy! So pretty.

Kami was VERY excited to sit in Cinderella’s carriage!

Dinner was delicious and it was cute how Cinderella and the Prince danced around the restaurant. The stepmother and stepsisters were also there…but Kami didn’t want her picture taken with them!

Kami was a little sad because the Prince danced with Cinderella but didn’t ask her to dance:(

LOVE Cinderella’s dress!

After Kami fell asleep that night…Dad stayed with her while Chad & I went into the Magic Kingdom for a date night! We rode a few big rides, did a little shopping and shared a huge cookie ice-cream sandwich at Main Street Bakery! The next morning we packed up our room, went into the Magic Kingdom (just one more time!) to wave goodbye to the princesses during the stage show and then it was off to the airport. Such a perfect & magical vacation!

ps. I wonder when Kami is going to stop asking when we can go back to diney wold?!

Disney…day 6

2011-12-03T14:17:00.001-08:00

On Friday we put Kami back in her red Minnie dress to go take photos with Minnie wearing her red dress (because I do stuff like that;)

Then we ate lunch at Le Cellier steak house in Canada. This was Chad’s favorite day and meal of the week. I have to admit…the cream cheese mashed potatoes were to die for.

Then a quick outfit change and Kami was ready to meet Belle (this time in her blue dress) and Beast!

After Epcot…we brought Kami back to the hotel for a nap and then went back into Universal Studios that night. We saw the Beauty and the Beast play (again!) and went to Fantasmic (featuring all the Disney villains). It was awesome. Such a fun day!!!

Disney…day 5

2011-12-02T12:35:00.001-08:00

On Thursday morning we had a yummy breakfast at Kona Cafe. I had Tonga Toast - banana stuffed sourdough bread, rolled in cinnamon sugar and served with Strawberry Compote and your choice of ham, bacon, or sausage:) and then we took some photos around The Polynesian of Kami in her hula girl outfit!

Then we headed into the Magic Kingdom to meet Rosetta & Tinker Bell! Kami LOVES the Tinker Bell movies so she was really excited to meet them!

This photo was totally worth the 35 minute wait!

That night the whole family ate dinner at Whispering Canon in Disney’s Fort Wilderness Lodge. There was so much food (all you can eat ribs, pulled pork, mashed potatoes, corn…) that we ended up canceling our breakfast buffet for the next morning!

Kami fell asleep during dinner (it was a no nap day) so we just put her in the stroller and headed back into the Magic Kingdom for the fire works show! Best fire works we’ve ever seen and it was awesome how different images and colors were projected onto the castle! Kami slept through the whole thing! I was sad that she missed Tinker Bell flying through the sky:( *next time*

During the fire works (only back at the Polynesian on the beach) Danny proposed to Brita! We were so excited to see them and get all the scoop:) I helped pick out the ring so I was really relieved/happy that she loved it!

Disney…day 4

2011-11-30T05:07:00.001-08:00

Wednesday was probably my (and Kami’s) favorite day of the week!

All the girls dressed up as princesses for the princess breakfast at Akershus in Epcot!

Baby Belle…

with Baby Beast!!!

Cutest ever.

The moment Kami had been waiting for! We walked into the restaurant and Belle was right there waiting “for her”! Kami RAN into her arms!

This was our favorite breakfast we had while in Disney and it was so fun to have all the Princesses come right to our table!

CUTEST character hands down! This was the first (furry) character that Kami went up to all by herself and she even gave her a big hug…

and a kiss on her nose!

While the big kids went on some “big kid” rides we hung out with the little ones.

There was some soft music playing in the background and Miss Kambria and Miss Felicity had a blast just dancing in the sunshine:)

I think this girl loves Disney World;)

We were so excited to see Daisy and Kami loved her pink dress and shoes! She gave Kam the LONGEST hug ever! *I have 20 photos just like this one lol*

We ate a late lunch at San Angel Inn in Mexico. FAVORITE MEAL OF THE WEEK! I have been craving those chicken enchiladas ever since! That night we went back into the Magic Kingdom and went on Tiki Room (which Kami LOVED…she was clapping and dancing all around) and Pirates of the Caribbean & Haunted Mansion! Kami was SO brave…no tears, just very wide eyes:)

Disney…day 3

2011-11-28T13:12:00.001-08:00

We spent most of Tuesday at Hollywood Studios. We ate at Galaxy Diner for lunch, saw the Little Mermaid show, Muppets 3d (Kam actually kept her glasses on!) and Kami finally GOT TO SEE BELLE! This was a pretty big deal because she had been saying “Belle where aw you” ever since we boarded the plane:)

This is a very excited little girl!

Kami waved and said “Hi Belle” for most of the play. It was kind of sad that Belle wasn’t able to wave back:(…so I was glad when she did a general wave to everyone at the end;)

Little did Kami know…the next day she was going to be having breakfast with ALL of the princesses:):):)

Kami’s first prayer

2011-11-28T04:45:00.001-08:00

Kami said her very first prayer a few nights ago! We got on our knees and I started to say the prayer (like we do every night) and then Kami said “No Kami do”.

“Heavenly Father,

Thanks we go to Grandad and Oleo’s house for yummy turkey.

Jesus Christ, amen.”

I love that at 2 years old…my daughter has already learned one of the most important principles she will learn in her entire life!

Disney…day 2

2011-11-26T13:56:00.001-08:00

Day 2 we headed over to the Animal Kingdom. Kami wasn’t feeling very well (her nose was running non-stop) so I didn’t take as many photos as I normally do;) But here are my favorites…

Our favorite part of the Animal Kingdom was definitely the safari. We went in the morning and all the animals were out!

The elephants were my favorite!

This is Kami’s new “cheese” face that we are not particularly fond of.

Pocahontas!

That night we headed over to Epcot for dinner.

We ate in Italy…

at the new pizzeria…Via Napoli.

Everything was authentic and oh so yummy!

Thanksgiving

2011-11-25T13:08:00.001-08:00

I must interrupt my Disney trip posting to put up a few candid's I took on Thanksgiving…and to express how grateful I am for all the ways we’ve been blessed. I have the gospel, an awesome husband, a happy & healthy daughter, a loving family and a really cute little blue house. What else could a girl possibly need?! So incredibly thankful.

On Thanksgiving Eve we went over to Jenny’s to make cookies…

and this jazzy turkey! Kami’s feather is the one with all the bright pink paint and sparkles (shocker:)

This years pretty table!

Lately I have been just wanting to freeze time…I love everything about being this precious girl’s mother. She is my most treasured blessing.

We hope everyone had a wonderful Thanksgiving and enjoyed their dinner as much as Kami did:)

Disney…day 1

2011-11-23T13:18:00.001-08:00

Kami…strolling through the airport at 5 am all “Minnied out”!

It was an easy breezy 2 hour flight to Orlando. We watched Beauty and the Beast on the ipad and then we were there!

Waking up so early caught up with Kam and she fell asleep in the shuttle on the way to our hotel.

I was SO excited to be staying at Disney’s Polynesian Resort! It is where we always stayed as a family growing up and I love everything about it!

We had some time to kill before our rooms were ready so we headed into the Magic Kingdom. Kami was VERY excited to see the “castle from all my movies” in real life!

Right as we were walking up Main Street…a parade was going by! She was in awe.

Then we caught a show at the castle!

Kami…was completely entranced by the dancing characters, princes and princesses!

Then we rode a few rides. The line for Dumbo was 40 minutes every day we were there! Needless to say…this was the only time we rode it.

For dinner we ate at the Crystal Palace (not my favorite but Nathan realllly wanted to eat with the Pooh characters!).

This was the first time that Kami saw a character up close and she FREAKED OUT! I could not get her to stop crying! Chad and I were both thinking how this week was going to be a complete NIGHTMARE! But then…Chad told Kam that Pooh Bear was his best buddy and then he gave him three or four hugs;) and after that she was totally fine!!!

The castle at night!

Coming Soon…

2011-11-21T16:38:00.001-08:00

DISNEY PHOTOS! It may take me a few days to go through all 800 of them:)

Packing!

2011-11-10T18:24:00.000-08:00

It's crazy...we are finally packing for the Disney trip that was booked last Winter! Over the past year I have been collecting cute Disney themed clothes for Kam...can't wait to see her in everything:)

House Warming Party

2011-11-05T13:42:00.000-07:00

With all the excitement of Kami's birthday, Danny coming home and Halloween...I didn't get around to posting photos from our house warming party (held on September 26th). It was such a special night so I feel the need to document it!

I guess I was feeling rather ambitious when I decided to make home~made banana cream pies:) There was A LOT of stirring involved...

but they turned out delicious! *thanks for your help OE!*

We got such nice gifts *thanks everyone*

OE did our special house blessing! "Bread, so the house will never know hunger. Salt so that life will always have flavor. And wine (sparkling cider) so there will always be joy."

The first night in our house was September 13th...which was also Grandmom and Grandad's first night in their house (on our same street) back in the 1950's. What a cool coincidence right?!

Before dessert we showed a slide show documenting our renovation process (including all the before & after photos that I've posted). I swear...every time I watch this thing I become more and more impressed with my husband's skills! The house was SO bad!

Nathan...thoroughly enjoying my pie:) I was SO excited to FINALLY show everyone the house all finished (even my sisters hadn't seen it)! It was such a fun night.

Decorating for Fall

2011-11-04T19:51:00.000-07:00

We took down our Halloween decorations a few days ago...but before we did....I snapped some photos to document how everything looked! I was kind of nervous about how to make our place look "fallish" because our colors are so pastel...but somehow it all came together!

I got these more Fall looking pillows from Pottery Barn. LOVE the embroidered ones.

I pulled out my Halloween bin (that I hadn't seen in YEARS!) and only used my very favorite things. I didn't want to go over board with the spooky black & orange stuff.

I arranged this cute bunch of flowers (bought at Michales) in an antique canning jar and displayed my very favorite Fall books on the bottom shelf. *By the Light of the Harvest Moon & Wild Child*

I switched out the cloth napkins that had the little blue birds on them for these Fall flower ones. I also replaced the pastel candles with deeper colored candles.

My Halloween tree!

It took me a while to figure out what to do with my (primarily blue decorated) china cabinet. I ended up taking some things out and just added in a few Halloween accents. I really really LOVE having a space to decorate again!

Happy Halloween!

2011-10-31T19:13:00.001-07:00

Chad and Kami with the cute pumpkin "they" carved last night:)

We went over to Mom & Dads this morning for a delicious Halloween breakfast!

As of today...Kami has finally warmed up to "Dan"!

The girls...very excited that it's finally Halloween!

Nathy-boy

Every holiday, the kids look forward to getting a festive book from Gramsie!

Later on (after a nice long nap:) we headed back to Mom & Dad's to get all the kids ready for trick or treating!

All ready!

I really really love the way Kami's costume turned out this year! *I think it's very whimsical*

We ordered it months ago and she has been talking about how she was going to be a "bye" EVERYDAY since.

All the kids...NOT cooperating for a group shot.

Clowns!

Cinderella and Gus Gus!

Super heroes!

Classic family photo by the fire!

We really lucked out here in Lordship with some AWESOME weather. Many towns in CT had to postpone trick or treating because they are still without power.

I don't think I've ever seen anything cuter then Kami trick or treating! At each door we knocked on she said "tritch treat" "happy ween" "tank you" and "good nigh nigh":):):)

After trick or treating...we went back to Grandmom and Grandads (per tradition) for sandwiches, doughnuts and bobbing for apples!

Kami's first apple bobbing experience! SUCH A FUN NIGHT!!! *kind of sad it's over*

First Snow Fall

2011-10-30T09:20:00.000-07:00

It snowed yesterday! Kami was super excited...so we opened up all the shutters in the Living room to watch it come down and we may have even put on a little Christmas music and did some dancing;) Then Kam remembered that I told her she could wear her purple boots when it started to snow outside (I tell her this everyday:) so she ran to her closet and put them on! I think the first snow of the season is always so magical.

Pumpkins!

2011-10-27T15:09:00.000-07:00

I thought it was about time I updated my blog for Halloween (I guess when you are crazy busy, blogging is the first thing to go)! Below are my favorite photos taken at the pumpkin patch last weekend...

Jenny's annual Halloween party was later on that night...

Unfortunately, poor Kami (who has been really sick with croup) wasn't up for any of the games or treats or dressing up like a mummy this year:( *really hoping she feels better by Halloween night*

2nd Birthday Slideshow

2011-10-20T18:18:00.000-07:00

It took us FOREVER to put together this years slideshow (maybe cause we took a few photos over the past 12 months?!;) Thanks to Chad who stayed up late with me (many nights) and humored my perfectionism...LOVE the way it turned out. Enjoy!

Danny's Home!!!

2011-10-18T20:51:00.001-07:00

We were the first ones at the airport...so Kami waited patiently for Danny's flight to come in!

Getting excited! Can you believe I found an Uncle shirt?!

Danny's flight came in 25 minutes early. I was really nervous that no one else was going to get there in time...but everyone showed up with just minutes to spare!

Love this photo! Pure happiness. He came running down the stairs and random people were clapping and chanting his name...classic:)

Kami was a bit wary of this Uncle Danny character at first;)

Plus it was past her bedtime...

This looks like a guy who's happy to be home :):):) WELCOME HOME DANNY! WE REALLY REALLY MISSED YOU!!!

Kami's 2nd Birthday!

2011-10-10T20:13:00.000-07:00

We started Kami's special day off with a birthday breakfast of banana pancakes!

Then Nana & Grandpa (visiting from TN!!!) gave Kami their gift. Her very own IPAD! Chalk full of movies, music, educational apps etc...She was very excited that it was PINK and that it had Beauty and the Beast on it;)

Then Nana, Grandpa & Quin took Kami to the Aquarium for the day so that Chad, Kara & I could set up for the party.

Chocolate cupcakes with pink cream cheese frosting and fudge covered Oreos for ears. Who's impressed with Chad's homemade marshmallow fondant bows?!

Pin the bow on the Minnie!

The Pinata!

She was very excited about opening her gifts this year and knew just what to do! Very cute to watch.

LOVE how the party favors turned out! Big thanks to Chad's family who helped out so much with the party preparations and stayed up until midnight dipping pretzels in chocolate:) xoxo

It may have been a mistake giving Kami her Belle dress an entire month before we go to Disney (I want it to stay nice)! As soon as she opened it she wanted to wear it! I finally let her try it on after her guests had left to make sure it fit and to show Nana & Grandpa! Such a fun night:)

October Photo Shoot

2011-10-10T19:46:00.000-07:00

We brought the birthday girl into the studio this past week (in her Minnie birthday dress:) for a little photo shoot! Thanks Dad...they turned out super cute. Stay tuned for party photos!

Kami is TWO!

2011-10-10T08:07:00.000-07:00

our bedroom

2011-10-05T13:14:00.000-07:00

Originally our room had tiny his & her closets (remember the house was built in the 1950's:). Chad demoed the entire wall and turned it into one bigger closet.

I love how calm and restful our room is. We painted the walls Behr WaterMark (which we also used in the dining room & kitchen). It is my VERY FAVORITE COLOR EVER! I think my number one decorating tip is...to surround yourself with colors that make you happy!

We just used the same furniture we had in our apartment out at school...but as soon as we can afford it we will get something prettier and non-black. Love our new Pottery Barn bedding though! Oh and having a fan above your bed is DIVINE. I know it sounds silly but it's actually one of our favorite things about living in the house!

OE gave me this cake stand at my house warming party! I decided that it was too lovely to put away in a cupboard so I turned it into a jewelry display...which I'll keep up until the next time I decide to make a cake;)

Well...we've come to the end of our house tour! Chad is still working on the upstairs rooms and the basement...I will post photos when they are finished:) *Thanks for looking and for leaving such sweet comments xoxoxoxo*

Kami's PINK room

2011-10-04T13:50:00.000-07:00

blah...

I feel like I've been waiting my entire life to decorate my own little girl's room just like this! It is so soft & pink & girlie & sweet...just like Kams. We painted it pink instead of yellow (like her old room was) because the hallway is yellow and because pink is *clearly* her favorite color these days. *I have to give Mom props for the way the room is set up! We arranged it 3 or 4 different ways and this way was Moms genius idea*

Originally, there was a reallly tiny closet on the wall with the sweets paintings...but we decided to make her a bigger closet on the other side of the room. So happy we did this....a girl needs her space;)

Kami's cousin Evie is letting her borrow her toddler bed because she has graduated to a twin:) I just cannot get over how grown up Kam looks sleeping in it! Each night when I go in to check on her...I can't help but take another photo;)

We had a bit of a dilemma when trying to decide on bedding for Kami's new bed because her crib bedding did not come with a quilt (just sheet, bumper and small blanket). We ended up *some how* tracking down the women who designed her crib bedding, explained to her the situation (how Kami hated her crib so we were going to try a toddler bed) and she sent us a bunch of fabric so that we could have a quilt made! So...our good family friend Terry made this GORGEOUS quilt as a gift for Kami. We absolutely LOVE it! It ties the whole room together. xoxo

Another one of Chad's super awesome ideas was building in this bookcase. I really really love having a place to store and display our books!

Who wouldn't have sweet dreams in this room?!

The Bathroom

2011-10-03T12:22:00.000-07:00

The bathroom was realllly bad. Like disgusting. It had green & pink tile and a creepy little window in the shower! It was the only room in the house that got completely demoed. I always tell Chad that it amazes me how he can totally destroy something and then put it back together again!

We painted the walls a pale green (Behr Cucumber Crush to be exact) and did white bead board half way up the walls. And I finally got to hang up the Anthro shower curtain that Chad got me 2 Christmas's ago!

We have A-TON of addition plans for the house...but one of the first things we'll do (within the next few years) is add a bathroom upstairs. For now...one small (but really cute;) bathroom will have to suffice.

Building a cupboard into the wall was one of Chad's very best ideas he had for the house. It holds our towels, the laundry and waste baskets, all our toiletries etc...

I believe that it's all in the details...which is why I replace ugly knobs with vintage looking Anthro ones;)

I got this print off Etsy forever ago and then recently had it framed. I thought it was such a cute print to hang next to the shower...since it talks about singing! Stay tuned for Kami's room:)

The Hallway

2011-10-02T17:57:00.000-07:00

Chad found our hallway stand at the antique store...which he made even cuter by painting it blue...

and adding an Anthro knob (per my instructions;)!

Took Mom and I forever to find a pretty hallway light. We got this one from lightingdirect.com and I LOVE the way it reflects light on the ceiling!

We put these doors throughout the entire house. I think they are charming and super cottagy looking:)

Our lovely glass knobs...or like OE would say "door jewelry":)

The Kitchen

2011-10-01T17:48:00.000-07:00

Yup...the walls were very peach.

I think our little galley kitchen has come A LONG WAY! Chad put in hard wood floors (to match the rest of the house), we got stainless appliances, Corian counter tops (that look like marble) and new bead board cabinets! I am really obsessed with my YELLOW cabinets:) Chad also did a tile back splash (we were VERY excited to find the exact color tile as the paint color we'd used) and he installed under cabinet lighting.

This Mary Engelbreit print is what inspired my vision for the room! It's why I decided to bring hints of red into my blue & yellow color scheme. I adore this print & quote!

Don't you love when tea cups have painting on the inside?!

We used glass knobs throughout the entire house...and the kitchen cabinets were no exception;)

My parents got me this Kitchen Aid back when I was a teenager (assuming I would use the color in my decorating someday) and I am finally getting to use it!

It just doesn't get any cuter then Anthro dish towels!

This vintage stained glass window is one of my very favorite finds I've had for the house! I saw it browsing the antique store one day and just couldn't get it out of my head! So Mom and I (wondering if it could possibly fit in this spot) went back to measure it. We told Chad the dimensions and were thrilled to hear him say..."I think it will just barely fit if you really think you need it". ;) We put up two little hooks to hang mine and Kami's matching aprons from...Chad's black apron stays in the drawer;)

September Photo Shoot

2011-09-30T13:12:00.000-07:00

I decided to take a break from our "home tour" to post Kambria's September photo shoot.....while it is still September!

A bit of KAMI news...

Our girl is so polite these days! She wakes up in the morning asking for "juice please Dada" and says "bless you" when someone sneezes:)

She loves to hide! Whenever she hears someone coming or when I tell her that Daddy will be home soon...she says "hide hide" and runs to find a "good" hiding spot.

She only calls people by their nick names. Pops is Popsydoodle, Nathan is Nathyboy etc...

She is learning to go on the Potty! Her proud little face each time she goes is absolutely priceless! We haven't made the switch to pull ups yet though.

She has graduated to a toddler bed! She HATED her crib and rarely slept in it...so we figured we had nothing to loose by trying a toddler bed! She seems to like her "big girl bed" so far and is staying in it about half of the night.

She is very musical and loves to sing and dance...especially to Disney songs!

She is honestly at such a GREAT and dare I say EASY age! She can easily communicate with me now and I can semi-easily reason with her;)

Every night before falling asleep, she cuddles up to me and says "your the best". Could life get any sweeter?!

The Dining Room

2011-09-29T18:38:00.000-07:00

After the carpets got torn out, the weird side door was the next thing to go! It just doesn't make sense to walk into your home through the dining room (hitting the table on your way in). We are still confused about why it was ever put there in the first place! We replaced the door with a window...even though Chad did not think it necessary at the time! How weird would that wall look now without a window?! ;) Chad also had to replace most of the hard wood floor in this room due to a mold issue.

Both Chad and I are really in love with the way that this room came together. We put up a chair rail to give it a bit more formal look and then went with half curtains (which still don't cover the pretty moldings) to soften the room.

The light from the chandelier throws off the prettiest shapes on the ceiling and walls. And my mom was the founder of our awesome rug...we love the way it mimics the branch look of the chandelier!

It took me for.ever to decide what to hang on the two back walls. We considered mirrors, shelves, other prints, clocks, plates etc...but I still kept going back to these prints that I fell in love with years ago in a catalog. Originally, they came in a set of four but on art.com you can buy them separately. I love how the birds are looking toward each other!

We even had art.com frame them and were pleasantly surprised when we saw how perfect they turned out (it's just so hard to tell exact colors online)!

Deciding on dining room chairs was another big decision! After looking at hundreds of different chair styles/colors I finally decided on these ones and my parents got them for us as a gift! The company that makes them is actually a family of Amish people from Pennsylvania and they hand deliver their furniture traveling by horse and buggy. Pretty cool. These chairs are legit....we joke that they are going to be around way longer then we will! Our dining table used to be Grandmom and Grandad's! Chad refinished it and stained it to match the seats of our chairs.

My Aunt OE got me these lovely platters for my birthday last year. I think this is just the perfect spot for them!

Speaking of OE, she was the inspiration behind my china cabinet! She has a BEAUTIFUL china cabinet in her home that I have been enamored with ever since I was a little girl. I always said I was going to have my own someday and have been collecting little things for it for years!

I found my china cabinet in perfect condition and for a great price at my beloved antique store!

My mom helped me arrange everything inside (because she is expert at this kind of stuff and I'm still learning;). We used my dishes as a base and then added all the other little details from there...my wedding sash & pin, some sparkly vintage buttons, Anthro glasses...

and a little photo of Kami:)

The Living Room

2011-09-28T19:07:00.000-07:00

The photo of all the kids eating pizza on the ground was taken the week we bought the house (look how tiny Kami was...chillin' in her Bumbo!). The morning after the pizza party, both of my nieces woke up with a nasty rash from rolling around on the carpets! The carpet was the first thing to go...

This room had to be painted a few times in order to get the color just right (sorry Chad!). I didn't want the yellow too lemony or too gold so I ended up going too cream....which didn't give enough contrast with the white molding. The perfect color ended up being Behr Provence Cream - full strength;) Love the yellow! It is incredibly cheerful.

Deciding on window treatments for the front of house was one of my toughest decisions throughout this entire process. Window treatments are just confusing...there are so many different options out there! I was originally going to do curtains until I saw how awesome the moldings around the windows turned out...then I didn't want to cover them up! So we decided on interior shutters...which I think really adds to the cottage feel of the place.

We replaced the rusted/bent/ugly/metal 1950's railing with a new balustrade.

We printed photos of us, our parents, grandparents, Kami & Truffy for our family gallery. The ledge and frames are Pottery barn.

I got this key rack from Anthro and then dug through buckets of keys at the antique store to find some cool skeleton keys to display. The ribbon was hand dyed by an Etsy seller to match the room:)

I found this awesome cupboard at the antique store to display some pretty things:)

Dad actually found this perfect little sign for us!

LOVE my blue rocking chair...it's one of my favorite pieces in the house. I found the fabric for the pad cover at Jo Ann Fabrics and the yo yo quilt on Etsy (when I purchased it I told the seller that I feel she made it just for me;).

One of (our many) antique store trips was dedicated to finding vintage books in my colors. I think they look so sweet stacked and tied with pretty ribbon! After discussing for months about what in the world we were going to hang above our piano and spending countless hours on Etsy and art.com looking for a painting or a quilt or a photograph....we finally decided on a mirror (to open up the room and to not compete with our Victorian piano). The size we needed was tricky so we ended up picking a frame and having a beveled mirror put in it.

This piano was our totally brilliant amazing awesome Craigslist find for $200.00. We *almost* wanted to give the seller more money because we felt like we were stealing it lol! The piano stool was my great grandmothers and has been passed down to us! *love how Kami matches the room*

The Outside

2011-09-27T12:34:00.000-07:00

Clearly.....we did not buy this house for the house. We bought it for the property (big corner lot right across from the water). Nothing had been done to this home since the 1950's and it was NOT, shall we say, "move in condition". We really had to use our imaginations when looking at it's potential!

Doesn't it look so fresh and happy now?! We are completely in love with our "little blue beach cottage". It took awhile to decide what color to paint it and then once we decided BLUE we went through about 8 different shades and 4 different paint brands to find the perfect one. Sherwin Williams COPEN BLUE (not neon, not too pale, not too green, but just enough green so it's not baby blue etc......:)

The landscaping will be our next project....

We hung a swing in the breezeway and painted it yellow to match the door. This is our view from the swing...:)

More photos to come!

The Fair

2011-09-21T05:10:00.000-07:00

Last Saturday, we took a break from working on the house/getting settled and enjoyed our beautiful September weather at the fair!

Kami reallly wanted to ride the "polk dot" horsey:)

Sharing her kettle corn with Daddy:)

ps. We are taking photos of the house this weekend :) and I will start posting them early next week! *excited for everyone to finally see it*

Moving In!

2011-09-12T11:47:00.000-07:00

Remember how we've been re-modeling our home for the past TWENTY months? There were a few set backs this past Spring & Summer (mostly due to Chad's crazy schedule)...but it is finally *about* done and we are FINALLY moving in this week! Needless to say...I have been extra busy making final decisions, shopping, decorating, cleaning, packing and unpacking. Here are a few phone photos I've snapped of the process...

As of last Friday...our home has phone, cable & internet! We feel extremely GROWN UP with our own land line and answering machine!

Chad has been busy busy hanging stuff!

New towels! Kami has been such a good sport on all of our shopping trips:)

She's even been *kindof* good at the antique store! Our local antique store is actually a HUGE warehouse full of cool stuff just waiting to be discovered:) and we have had so many AWESOME + affordable finds there! When the owners see us coming they bring Kam a lolly pop to distract her and a shopping cart to contain her;)

August Photo Shoot

2011-08-31T14:16:00.000-07:00

A few nights ago...we headed down to Captains Cove to have some family photos taken. Thanks Dad:) They are darling.

Can you believe how big my baby is getting? Look at those long legs...with barely any baby chub left on them:(

Kami will be two in just over a month! Note to self...I really need to start working on her b-day slide show. *This is a VERY daunting task considering all the photos that were taken of her this past year*

She can now speak in full sentences! I'm sure she thinks it's super cool that I am starting to understand what the heck she's been trying to tell me;)

My favorite sentence to hear is "Tank you Mommy!". Those three little words just completely melt my heart. *probobaly because by the time your child can actually say thank you it seems long over due;)*

She is really into calling people on the phone. Nana, Grandpa, Shay Shay, Ra Ra and Kin receive Kami calls on a daily basis.

One of Kami's new favorite things to do is sing. She has the sweetest little voice and sings all the day long! She loves making up new songs to sing with "Gam" (Gramsie).

We love you Kam Kams! You are hilarious. xoxo

Peach Festival

2011-08-23T11:19:00.000-07:00

This past weekend we hit up the peach festival at Lyman Orchards...

and had breakfast on the deck!

Then we went into the orchard...

to pick our own peaches!

*favorite photo of the day* How incredibly juicy does that peach look!?

After picking, the kids (minus Kami, Felicity & Luke) ventured into the sunflower maze...

and after about 45 minutes (with only Jackie having found his way out)...Darin went in to gather up the rest of em;)

A lovely day.

First (of many) Mani/Pedi!

2011-08-18T11:14:00.000-07:00

Miss Kambria was beyond jealous when I came home the other day with "pink toes". So...Chad and I (each taking a hand and a foot) gave Kami her very first manicure & pedicure!

She now walks around chanting "pink nails, pink toes" and makes sure to show them to everyone she sees:)

Morning at the Zoo

2011-08-14T03:45:00.000-07:00

Chad took a little time off from working on the house this weekend to spend some much needed family time with Kam & me. So we headed to the Beardsley Zoo to get some fresh air, sunshine and cute photos:)

Kami hadn't been to the zoo since she was just six months old...I think she enjoyed it much more this time around!

Wet land critters...

barnyard friends...

Kami really loved the baby pigs...

and I really loved this bunny! I wanted to take her home with me (a friend for Truffy;)

The rain forest hut was probably Kami's favorite stop...

and this silly guy (honking his nose) was hands down her favorite animal of the day!

This little orange guy was mine!

Our tall girlie!

Kami was super excited to ride the carousel...

she waved & blew kisses to Dada each time we passed:)

Chad bought us a zoo pass today:):):)......so hopefully this will just be the first of many perfect "zoo mornings" spent together this year! *thanx babe xo*

Blueberries & Ice-cream

2011-08-04T11:39:00.000-07:00

Another trip on the berry ferry. This time...to pick blueberries!

Kami was a way better picker this time around...

although she ended up eating most of what she picked!

It was realllllly hot outside! *next year we definitely need to pick a cooler day*

I think these shots (in the grass) are some of my favorite photos I've taken this Summer...

Gramsie & a very candid shot of the kids:)

On the way home...we stopped for ice-cream! Kami started out with her own cookie dough flavor but the top fell off of it...

so she ended up with my chocolate *best rocky road I've ever had*

I think I went through half a package of wipes cleaning her up after this experience!

*love these chocolate eyes and this little chocolaty nose*

July Photo Shoot

2011-07-31T06:07:00.001-07:00

Miss Kambria now refers to herself as "Kam" and likes to identify herself in photos.

She loves to wear dresses and nightgowns. After I put one on...she runs to show DaDa and gives a twirl:)

She is getting a lot less clingy and when I have to leave her...she just waves and says "buh-bye Mommy"! *she is FINALLY loving nursery at church*

Her favorite movie is Beauty and the Beast. She wants to watch it every day and sometimes wakes up in the middle of the night begging to watch it. Most of our conversations center around the movie and how Beast turns into a "guy" at the end. She is totally obsessed with Belle and can spot her on something from a mile a way wherever we go! *we are on the look out for the perfect Belle dress to wear in Disney World*

She is bottle free these days...thanks to this little gem http://www.toysrus.com/product/index.jsp?productId=3987655&prodFindSrc=rv The first time I gave it to her instead of a bottle she looked at the spout kind of funny but took it just fine and never looked back!

She is a total juice junkie and asks for juice all. day. long. I try to limit her to one juice sippy in the morning and then we do milk for nap and bed and water throughout the day.

She is developing many of her own likes and dislikes and certainly makes them known.

She likes to tell people what kind of birthday party she is having and what she is being for Halloween (her Halloween costume and birthday dress are ordered and her party is in the early planning stages;)

She is getting very curious about the potty and talks about getting her own pink or purple potty allll the time. I am thinking about ordering this one http://www.toysrus.com/product/index.jsp?productId=3927507&prodFindSrc=rv within the next couple of months (along with some books) to start introducing the subject.

The toy she is into most right now are her mini lalaloopsies. You will rarely see her without one in her hand.

She loves "super foods". Berries, tomatoes, avocado & broccoli are some of her very favorite things to eat!

She is very sympathetic to others (always has been). We were at Carters the other day and a little girl started crying...so she went up to her, wiped a tear off her cheek and said "no sad".

She loves to play hide and seek! When Chad comes home, Kami says "Dada hide". Then she hides under or behind something and giggles till he "finds" her. She also likes to hide in the clothing racks at stores........she is not my favorite shopping partner these days.

We love you Kami! You are incredibly precious to us. XoXo

Golfing Girlie!

2011-07-22T04:56:00.001-07:00

Pool Party!

2011-07-16T10:49:00.001-07:00

My parents had a pool party this past week for all the grand kids! Below are some photos of the cousins...thoroughly enjoying themselves:)
*all except Rob & Laurie's kids who are on va-k.*

Kami LOVES her new princess pool!

Can you tell? ;)

Taye (the oldest) is an awesome swimmer and is such a big help with all of the little ones!

Jackie......who's arm is back in a cast after a second break this Summer:(:(:(

Miss Melia...

who had fun playing princesses with Kami in her pool! Her new name for Kam is "Little Belle":)

Baby Luke & his big blue eyes:)

Evie being silly...

and Addie doing tricks!

Sisters!

Nathan...who is "swimming" so well this Summer!

and....Miss Felicity....who is trouble! She has to be watched every second or she will just toddle right over the edge and into the pool!

Kami is a bit nervous in the big pool (but she likes the steps:) and is still getting used to her swimmies.....I think she'll be a pro by the end of the season!

Such a fun night!

Beach Babies

2011-07-14T07:05:00.000-07:00

We've been spending a lot of our time at the beach these days:) Below are some photos from the first couple trips! I don't think there is anything cuter then a beach baby.

100 days and counting...

2011-07-11T20:42:00.001-07:00

My little brother Danny (currently serving his LDS mission in Las Vegas) is coming home....

in exactly 100 days!!!

Mom made this awesome chain for the countdown! Has anyone else noticed all the Fall stuff out in stores?! October will be here before we know it! Time is flying.

Cannot wait until # 1 is the only link left on the chain:) WE ARE SO PROUD OF YOU DANNY AND SO EXCITED FOR YOU TO COME HOME! XoXoXo

4th of July Weekend...Part Two

2011-07-10T19:36:00.000-07:00

I finally got some time to go through the *many* photos that were taken while we were in TN. These are my favorites.......

We spent two glorious days on the boat. LOVE this silly photo of Kams with the wind in her hair:)

Kami developed a new found love of pretzels...which she munched non-stop on the boat!

hangin' with Auntie Shay Shay (hands clutched tight to her pretzel bag)

dancing with Uncle Z

a bit fearful of the water...

Kami...trying really hard not to laugh;)

Chad & his skills.

Family photo! We couldn't get Miss Kambria (who is not a fan of the heat) to smile. Oh well...everyone else looks awesome;)

Kami with her cute Aunties

and her sweet Nana

Kami loves Boom Boom!

and her Uncle Q:)

We had such a fun time with our TN family and look forward to the next time we're all together! XoXo

4th of July Weekend

2011-07-07T11:54:00.000-07:00

This past week was spent in Tennessee visiting Chad's family! Sunday night (the 3rd) we headed out to Jamie's parents home (in Bean Station) for fire works over the lake. Before the show, we took these shots of Kami in her patriotic outfit (right as the sun was setting over the water). *many more TN photos to come*

GORGEOUS view right!?

BOB Stroller

2011-06-27T06:16:00.001-07:00

I wanted to write my official review of our new BOB stroller.......which is......LOVE LOVE LOVE!!! Now for a little background story about my big purchase. This past Winter we were at Babies R Us just browsing when I started pushing around a BOB stroller. I told Chad that he HAD to try it out and he just looked at me like......don't even think about it. He said that BOB's are the Mercedes-Benz of strollers. Since that first smooth as butter test "drive" I had been formulating a plan on how I was going to get one;) So I did some online research and found out that they are pretty hard core...they have shocks, you can easily open and close them one handed with just one pull/push and they even stroll on sand! I also found out that they hardly ever go on sale. So...I ended up saving all of my birthday and Etsy $$$ and waited for the REI half yearly sale (last month) and purchased my 2011 PURPLE BOB for 15% off (which actually took off quite a bit). Our Quinny Buzz was good to us (we put ALOT of miles on that thing) but it made a terrible grinding noise on the road and could never make it down the beach path if there was any sand on it. It's better used as a mall stroller. I think I will stick with BOB from now on...and maybe I'll even fork out for a double BOB someday!

Strawberry Picking

2011-06-20T18:28:00.000-07:00

Today we went strawberry picking with Mom, Jenny & the kids.

Kami was very excited for her first ride on the "berry ferry".

This is the only photo I got of her picking...most of them are of her eating;)

Each time she went to dump her little basket of strawberries into Gramsie's big basket...we discovered that each berry had a little bite taken out of it!

Strawberries are one of Miss Kambria's very favorite foods...and we all know about her ongoing obsession with Strawberry Shortcake...she was in her glory!

Evie and Addie are "very seasoned" berry pickers and were a huge help! Kami and Nathan...not so much.

Ok... just look at Kam's face lol! I'm pretty sure that today was her favorite day ever:)

Father's Day

2011-06-19T15:37:00.000-07:00

From day one...

you have been an AMAZING father to our baby girl.

I KNEW you would be...

it is one of the (many:) reasons why I married you!

I love how well you KNOW our Kami...

and how much she absolutely ADORES you!

THANK YOU for all you do for us:)

We feel incredibly LUCKY that you are ours:)

Happy Father's Day Babe! XoXo

June Photo Shoot

2011-06-10T13:18:00.000-07:00

Kami's Pops took these lovely photos of her while we were out in Utah. *thanks dad xo*

At twenty months...

Kami has started calling me Mommy (sometimes Mombies) instead of Mama.

She likes to pick out her own outfits.

She loves playing with her cousins (& any other random kids) so much that I feel *almost* guilty that I haven't given her a sibling!

She can walk up the stairs on her feet (touching the wall for support).

She has such a hearty appetite that we've started ordering for her off the kids menu instead of feeding her off our plates.

She can count to ten!

The way we get her to smile these days for photos is...we ask her if she wants ice-cream or cake or pizza or chips (basically any form of sweets or junk food)! *works like a charm*

Part Two...The Wedding!

2011-06-06T06:08:00.000-07:00

Wednesday afternoon we attended Jake & Jordan's beautiful sealing in the Salt Lake Temple!

Such an awesome couple!

That evening was the ring ceremony and reception at La Caille. Chad and I (& Kami) were in the wedding party!

Brita & the flower girl:)

Kami had to walk down this very long set of stairs...

When she was about half way through... she sat down for *a break* and then stood right back up and kept going! It was very cute and there were lots of "awwwws" from the audience:)

When Kami saw Jordan walking down the stairs she said "pretty"!

the bridal party

I think these bride & flower girl shots are incredibly sweet.

First dance!

The cake! They very gently fed their pieces to each other:)

Kami (& her new little friend) had a blast dancing the night away!

I don't think Kami left the dance floor the entire evening:)

*dancing with the groom*

Such a perfect night. Congratulations Jake & Jordan!!! XoXo

Utah Trip...part one

2011-06-05T20:09:00.000-07:00

Last week we flew out to Utah for my cousin Jake's wedding!

Waiting for the plane...

getting tired of waiting for the plane...

Kami was a perfect angel during the flight and slept most of the way there! *thanks Mom for scheduling it right during her nap time:)*

Auntie Shay Shay picked us up from the airport and watched Kami while Chad and I had the opportunity to go through the Salt Lake Temple with Jake and Jordan (their first time through:)

On Sunday we drove down to Richfield to spend some time with Chad's grandparents and introduce them to their first great grandchild! Kami warmed up to them right away giving Grandpa Jim kisses and running all around their home like she owned the place:)

On Monday while Chad went fishing with Grandpa...Shayla and I took Kams to the play ground!

a little nervous on the slide...

We got to eat at Cafe' Rio twice while we were in Utah! Pure Happiness.

Kami loved it too!

Tuesday morning we met up with Mom & Dad at Sundance (where they were staying) for a WONDERFUL breakfast. And then Dad did Kami's June photo shoot! *coming soon*

Later on...we met up with our friends Chase and Jenna for lunch at Zupa's and got to meet their darling little girl! *Jenna & I were both pregnant the last time we all got to hang out* Kambria & Charlotte had a blast running around/playing together:)

Tuesday evening was the *ring ceremony* rehearsal at La Caille and then the rehearsal dinner at Tucanos! Such a fun night:)

Stay tuned to see photos of thee cutest *flower girl* ever:)

Anniversary

2011-06-05T14:20:00.000-07:00

It's hard to believe that Chad & I have been married for FOUR years...but when I think back about all that we've been through & have accomplished together I guess it makes sense! This past year has been a bit tough. I swear we rarely got to even see each other (Chad gets home from work, we eat dinner and then he goes and works on the house till late)...but now that we are moving in (next week!) we're beyond excited to actually get to spend some time together and finally be able to enjoy our new home :) :) :)

Chad promised that next year (on our 5th) we could go back and stay in Newport RI (where Chad proposed and where we had our reception) *I'm holding him to it;)*

May Photo Shoot

2011-05-27T04:44:00.000-07:00

NINETEEN MONTHS

Kami's new favorite expression is "no way". She uses it appropriately too and says it whenever she doesn't want to do something. I ask her if she wants to take a nap and she says "no way". Chad asks her to just choose one dolly to buy and she says "no way". It was really funny the first couple of times she said it......

Her favorite color is purple...and she loves to spot and identify all the PURPLE things she sees. *In music class when her teacher throws all the different color scarfs on the floor...Kami runs around collecting all the purple ones*

Whenever you ask her where DaDa and Pops are she responds with "at wook":)

She is a bit of a scaredy cat these days and is especially fearful of swings and slides!

She talks with a French accent *We have no idea where this came from but ever since she really started talking it has sounded French* LOL!

She is a little trickster! Whenever she finds a red pen or marker she draws a line on her hand and runs up to me saying "boo boo". Cracks me up. You sure keep us laughing Miss Kambria! XoXoXoXoXoXo

Thanks for my bike trailor Grandpa!

2011-05-20T11:59:00.000-07:00

As you can see...I have been having SO much FUN cruising around town with Daddy:)
Love, Kami XoXo

Lion Cut

2011-05-16T10:09:00.001-07:00

Poor Truffy had to get shaved into a lion cut this past week because her mats got to bad to work out.

The last time we had to shave her like this...she saw herself in our mirrored closet doors (at our Utah apartment) and was so embarrassed that she didn't come out from under the bed for 2 days:(

*this time she has not seen herself in a mirror and is doing just fine:)*

When Chad went to pick her up from the groomers...he asked for Truffles and the guy at the desk said "you mean Troubles?" I guess she has a pretty bad reputation!

Chad thinks she looks super cool this way...he said that if it were up to him he would keep her in a lion cut.

It looks like she's wearing furry eskimo boots! LOL

I think Kami was a bit confused why I wasn't taking photos of her (per usual). She kept smiling right at the camera and saying "CHEESE":)

"Sweetie I don't think Truff wants an orange juice baba right now!"

*kisses*

Mothers Day

2011-05-09T17:49:00.001-07:00

Before church, I had Chad take a few shots of me & Miss Kambria...

The little girl who made me a mother *about 19 months ago*

It was nap time......

I don't think it's a secret how much I adore being a mom or that I am incredibly passionate about motherhood. I feel like I exist to be a good mother and to make Kambria's childhood bright, happy, safe, magical, creative, fun and sparkly! I feel incredibly blessed that I get to stay at home ...to play with her, teach her, nourish her little body, pick her up when she falls down, kiss it better, watch her grow, dress her:), and tell her that I love her all day long!

After church, everyone came over for...

our traditional Mothers Day dinner made by the guys...fettuccine alfredo, garlic bread and strawberry salad!

We ended the night with Darin's awesome fruit pizza! I hope everyone had a *beautiful* Mothers Day:)

Dear Mom

2011-05-08T18:51:00.001-07:00

Dear Mom,

Today (being Mothers Day) I want to say a special thank you for...

making my childhood incredibly sweet & magical

welcoming me into *the middle* for many years;)

teaching me school (grades 2 - 12) but more importantly...

teaching me the gospel

singing to me every night before bed and

reading to me everyday until your throat was sore and scratchy

spending countless hours in the car driving me to my dance, art & piano lessons

always making me feel beautiful, happy and oh SO LOVED!

your wisdom

your support

your advice

all your hard work (being a mother of five is not for the faint of heart!)

being my shopping partner and

buying me all the *cutest stuffs*

always being there (a girl needs to be able to get a hold of her mother at all times)

helping us with the house (it has been quite the process...but our vision for it is finally coming to life!)

your shining example of motherhood

and for a bout a million other random things!

Love you Mom. You never cease to amaze me!

XoXoXoXoXoXoXo

Pink Tree

2011-05-03T19:02:00.000-07:00

I think that Spring has got to be the most MAGICAL time of the year. Everything is coming to life again and there are big PINK blossoms on the trees every where I look! I absolutely adore pink trees (and this little GIRL in the pink outfit;)

Baby Cade

2011-05-01T19:16:00.001-07:00

Our new nephew *Cade Gibson* was born early this morning!

Laurie's contractions started around 1am and he was born before 3am (her water broke in the car on the way to the hospital)!

She had to cross her legs to try & hold him in until they could get her in a bed.....which does not sound fun:(

Her doctor didn't get there in time...so a nurse had to catch the baby! *sounded much more dramatic then Kami's birth*

He weighed in at 9 lbs and 4 ounces! Big & healthy boy:)

How adorable is he?! Congratulations Rob & Laurie:) Welcome to our Family Baby Cade!

April Photo Shoot

2011-04-30T12:04:00.000-07:00

AT 18 MONTHS KAMI CAN...

IDENTIFY MOST OF HER COLORS (she is still having a hard time with green & orange though)

SAY "PLEASE" (we are working on "thank you" & "excuse me")

BE MISTAKEN FOR A 4 YEAR OLD (no joke!)

SAY SIMPLE SENTENCES ("more grapes")

BE REALLY SHY (she has started hiding behind my legs when we are out in public & people try to talk to her)

ORDER FOR HERSELF AT A RESTAURANT (last time we were at On the Border she looked right at the server and asked for beans LOL:)

RESPOND WITH THE WORD "GOOD" WHEN I ASK HER HOW SHE SLEPT OR HOW HER FOOD TASTES

BE SUPER SASSY (which is Chad's nicer word for naughty;)

Nana & Grandpa sent Kami this adorable dress last week! And ever since, she has been carrying it around the house saying Nana Nana Nana:) *I swear this child plays with her clothes more then her toys*

We LOVE you precious Kambria! You are our joy. XoXoXo

Niantic

2011-04-28T11:50:00.001-07:00

Last week, Jenny & I took the kids to Niantic (a fun little sea~side town about an hour away).

First we went to the Book Barn...

which is this really random place with tons of books (in carts) all over the property, and stuff for kids to do (swing set, play house, animals, fish ponds etc...:)

we had a yummy picnic lunch

Chad was working in the area so he was able to meet us there!

Kami loved this little play house! I have commissioned Chad to build one for our back yard with our left over building materials:)

*trying* to feed the goats

free doughnuts:)

Next...we went to the childrens play museum! I had never been to one before and thought it was so cool how everything was hands on. *we could have stayed & played all day*

The weather station was Kami's favorite part:)

I think she liked seeing her little self on tv!

The kids also enjoyed playing in this area set up like the kitchen in a restaurant!

down in the submarine

There was also a lot of fun things to do outside...

Kami LOVED the water table!

and making bubbles

Last stop of the day...ice-cream!

Kami was very over tired by this point (no nap) so she had a complete meltdown when I tried to share the ice-cream cone with her (which explains the crying face)! *she slept the whole way home*

Easter Evening

2011-04-25T12:56:00.001-07:00

After church, we went over to Grandmom & Grandad's for Easter Dinner. Everything was lovely!

We were happy when it stopped raining so that we could get a few photos taken outside!

Kami in her Easter dress:)

I just can't get over how grown up my *baby* girl is looking these days!

All the little girls wore fancy Easter hats (the boys wore bunny ears) for a Easter parade around the house......was VERY cute to watch.

We ended the night with OE's amazing raspberry trifle!
*I am so incredibly thankful for this special day and for the real reason that we celebrate Easter!*

chad*kaitlyn*kami