Apologies

Hi all!
For those of you who are unaware, we welcomed our second child on May 22nd, 2008 at 1:48a.m. Her name is Afton Paige and she weighed 7.12 lbs, and measured 20.5 inches. It was a Crrrrrazy night! I will get around to filling in details and posting pictures, I just wanted to post something in the mean time to let you all know I have not forgotten about you or the blog. In fact, it weighs on me more each day (and no one is to blame but myself). With a 21 month old, a newborn, and an impending move three weeks away (of which we were given 3.5 weeks notice), and a condo to worry about renting out, the blog should be the LEAST of my worries, but somehow I still feel guilty for not finding the time. Heck, I am LUCKY to find the time to shave my armpits. So, this is just to let you know there will be pictures on the way...however slow it may seem to the outside world ;)

Love to all!

Our Getaway

Luke took me on a much needed vacation upon his return from Indiana. My sweet Mom and lil' sis came down to watch and entertain(or rather,BE entertained by)Porter so that I could rest easy leaving him for the first time. It was difficult pulling out of our drive, knowing I wouldn't get to run into his room the next morning to see his face light up while he said "hi". It was difficult knowing I wouldn't get to feel his soft, chubby cheek against mine when he gets in his "clingy to mommy" moods. Or to know I wouldn't be there to be his first and last kisses of the day. I was teary for, oh, 40mn. or so, but when we arrived at our cabin in Big Bear, I realized how much I needed the getaway not only for my relationship with Luke, but for me, myself, so I could be a better me. A better wife, mother, friend, and leader.

After 2 nights and 2.5 days in Big Bear, we headed down to L.A. for 2.5 more days and nights. We visited Universal Studios, the Citadel, Hollywood Walk of Fame, L.A. LDS Temple, Bel Air/ Beverly Hills, and in Long Beach, the Queen Mary. (The Queen Mary was a lavish, British passenger cruise liner that was converted into a troop carrier during WWII. My Grandfather Walker rode the ship from New York to England in 1942.)

My Little Buddy

He always keeps a smile on my face!

Reading

I love that he loves to read!
It's so rewarding to see your efforts haven't been in vain!
...just like the sign language. That has been SO rewarding!

Pre-Christmas and Christmas Break

Well, there are a ton of excuses but to some of you, it wouldn't matter what they are. There is no excuse for not keeping in-touch, right? So here are a few pictures from our Christmas vacation and before. We spent Christmas with my grandmother and great aunt in Florida, then traveled through Utah to hit the slopes and see my mom and siblings. Unfortunately, we forgot the camera everyday we were up on the mountain so there is no proof of me riding down the backside in knee-deep powder while nearly 5 months pregnant. (sigh) Guess you'll have to take our word for it :) I also had a chance to teach my Dad how to snowboard! And if being able to teach a total brainiac doctor who is 54 years-old, how to snowboard successfully AND enjoy it, doesn't say something about my skills, I don't know what does! ha! (take it as a huge compliment, Dad :) These pictures aren't too exciting and I'm not in much of a mood to play catch-up on the journaling aspect of it all, so hope this will suffice :)

Ferryboat tour through Wakulla Springs, Florida. Porter was infatuated with all of the birds! The last time he and I went (nearly a year before this trip) we saw tons of Alligator, but none this time due to the cold weather.


Porter LOVES to read. He'll stop whatever he's doing if you offer a book. This moment was cute...Granny was prepping Christmas dinner and these two were in the back room reading.


I love how little porter looks in the picture. It puts things into perspective. And it's easy to lose it when you're with such a smart(=always keeping me on my toes) kid day in and day out. You expect them to act older than they really are.


Luke shot this picture as well, of "Aunty" and Porter. I love this picture because there is one eerily similar of myself with Aunty when I was his age(she is my great aunt, Porter's great, great aunt).


Picking Daddy up from his deployment...a little shy at first, but he remembered.


Personality!

Saying Goodbye to Daddy ...again

Luke deployed back in October. I know, I know, why am I blogging about it now? Because I'm very LATE. First there were the fires that lasted way too long. And lasted up to his deployment date. Then there was me thinking I was someone else being able to juggle three callings at church (ward primary sec., stake YW sec., and in-charge of an enrichment group in R.S.)... now only two callings and two Christmas program commitments. Oh, and not to mention one VERY busy 15 month old and my visiting teaching which has been anything but stellar for November :) Oh! and I forgot the best part on top of all this! We're PREGNANT...again :)

On Our Way


Saying Goodbye

The Fakest Fit Ever!

This is great! Porter has learned that he doesn't get much sympathy when he truly cries to throw a fit so he's decided he needs to put his dramatic acting skills into play. For those of you who know Sign Language, you'll notice that towards the end he's trying to do the sign for "all finished." This was his first attempt at the sign without any prodding.

Baby in a Bag 2

What is it about babies and small animals that make us see bags as an opportunity and not merely the book-toting canvases they are?

What's another word for "cute" ?????

'Cause I think I've over-used that one!

White Boy Dancing and saying "Please"

We captured Porter doing what he LOVES to do when we play music...dance! We also captured him signing "please". Sorry the video is so dark, we're not sure how to change the camera settings to fix it. The sign for "please" is rubbing your hand in a circular motion on your chest. We've been teaching him to say that whenever he wants something and it finally clicked about a week ago! YIPPEE!

Never mind my hair and outfit! It's cleaning day :)

A Day in the Life

Well, since most of you visit for picture updates, I decided not to subject you to anything other than happy, family postings :) I started another blog where I'll put my thoughts about everything else.

Here is a little video of Porter in the tub entertaining, as always. We'll get a better one up soon.


This picture is post-YM/YW Luau. I was informed later by attendants, that Porter was the hit of the party. Shucks.


Inevitably, after he's fed, the tray is removed, and he's waiting to be released from his chair, the leg gets thrown over the side of the chair...he's just "kickin' it."


This is one of the new things he's trying out. A fit. He doesn't throw it for any length of time because he realizes it's in vain. But he's so dang cute to us with that lip and face. (I know, I know, it won't be so cute a few years from now.)


He LUVS his Daddy


Anyone up for some surfing???


He enjoys washing his hands...and feet.


Ready for bed, and this is how happy he is 99.9% of the time! We feel so blessed!

Poor, poor mom and dad!

Don't get me wrong, she is BEAUTIFUL! But come on...Iraq? Is that REALLY a part of the U.S.? Where has she been for the past 6 years? I mean South Africa I could MAYBE understand since it sounds similar to "SOUTH America" and maybe she somehow thought that the question included both North and South America because she forgot what the "U" and the "S" stand for???
...(oh gosh, I know this one. ::smile:: u= united s= souths ...no, that doesn't seem right{just keep talking} I know we're South of Iraq and that South Africa just became the fifty-somethingeth state and I know they can't read since they live in the jungle...so maybe they can't get their maps delivered to them by the postman. That's it! That's why They can't find...wait, what was the question?)

Happy Birthday!

Luke was able to return home for 48hrs this past weekend to celebrate Porter's 1st birthday, before having to return to IN. It was Luke's birthday on the 12th and Porter's on the 18th so we had a lot to celebrate! On Friday, Luke and I met another couple at the BODIES Exhibition in La Jolla to see what all the fuss was about. It was definitely something to talk about but I'm not sure "fun" is the right word to describe it :) Educational, yes!

Saturday morning I dragged Luke to my favorite instructor's class so he could get a beating too. He was actually impressed and thought it was hardcore...(satisfaction to my ears. Though in NO way am I saying I can keep up with his athletic abilities!)

After we got our beating and changed out of our totally drenched clothing, I surprised him with his first ever, professional massage and he LOVED it (we actually had a couple's massage so it was totally fun)!

We then returned home, whereupon Daph and I made one of his favorite meals that consisted of Spicy Green Chicken Enchiladas, White Jalapeno Sauce, Green Tomatillo Salsa, and a special "cake" (made especially for him by Daphne)that was Sticky Sweet Rice with Mangoes. All I have to say is "MMMMMMMMMMMMMM"! I am STILL in-love with the food from that night!
***A little side note; Porter has officially spoken his first word. I don't count "Dada" and "Mama" even if they are said with purpose. It was the day of his birthday. When I approached him with a towel to get him out of the tub, he said "no," shook his head, and turned away from me.***

My Personality Quiz ...this is right on!

You Are An ISFJ

The Nurturer You have a strong need to belong, and you are very loyal. A good listener, you excel at helping others in practical ways. In your spare time, you enjoy engaging your senses through art, cooking, and music. You find it easy to be devoted to one person, who you do special things for. In love, you express your emotions through actions. Taking care of someone is how you love them. And you do it well! At work, you do well in a structured environment. You complete tasks well and on time. You would make a good interior designer, chef, or child psychologist. How you see yourself: Competent, dependable, and detail oriented When other people don't get you, they see you as: Boring, dominant, and stuck in a rut

What's Your Personality Type?

All you kneed is exercise

As some of you are aware, I finally joined a gym that meets my need for "extreme". I joined The Boxing Club and am in-love with it! I don't know if I would even call it a gym per se because of the usual stereotypes that go along with the word "gym". Thus the word "club." In fact, Luke was pretty convinced that he couldn't get a better workout than what he was already getting and I definitely wasn't going to be able to convince him to join a club. I told him to just come and try it out. After all, the two times I had trained prior to convincing him to check it out, I had to summon every ounce of strength in me to keep from hurling into the bushes after each session. After his first session and while I was still boxing, he was signing up. :) They offer Muy Thai, Jiu Jitsu, Boxing, and Kickboxing. I stay on the safer side and stick with the boxing and kickboxing while Luke, well, pretty much goes without saying that, he doesn't stick with what's "safe".

Yesterday I FINALLY paid for a babysitter so I could get my much-needed beating. I don't know why I always feel like I'm "stuck" when Luke is gone. I feel like it's selfish of me to spend money when it's not a MUST and money that could potentially be used for our children..guess that's the frugal side of me coming out. Since Luke has been gone I've only used the club a handful of times because the club doesn't offer daycare (the ONLY down-side to the place). But I'm sorta glad they don't because I think that would bring in an entirely different crowd...you know the type; those coming to socialize and look like they're working out but oddly, not a drip of sweat has protruded from a single pore of their freshly made up face! Huh! So weird. Anyway, this club is HARDCORE!!! The only people that teach classes are dudes...and I think teaching comes second for them. Fighting first. What I learned after paying for a baby sitter was that it is important and a must for me to take care of myself. It's worth every penny for the way I feel afterwards!

It's difficult to see well in this photo, but here's what my knees looked like just after returning home from Steve's wrath. Nice!

Bathroom fun!

Okay so NOW I understand why, when I used to live in apartments, they would tell us that bathroom mats with "sticky" undersides were prohibited. Technically it's NOT "sticky" it's just rubber. Enter our "sticky" sided rug that's been so good to us for almost 3 years. We live in a nice condo with travertine floors and haven't had a problem with any of our other rugs. But because this one is the step-out-of-shower-with-damp-feet-rug, it has taken it's toll. Guess the sticky part of the rug, with enough moisture, eventually forgets which side to stick to...the floor or the rug on which it came. I went to move the rugs from the bathroom for the annual bathroom cleaning. (HA! just kidding) And to my dismay, had to use some brute force to pry it loose from the floor. Here's some of what was left (I didn't think of the photo op. until I was nearly finished scraping the residue off the floor)

A hero in my book

If you are unaware of Operation Red Wing that took place back in 2005 over in Afghanistan, please take a moment to watch this 8mn. interview with Marcus Luttrell...he is SO humble. His response to Matt's question regarding his vote to set the goat-herder free, breaks your heart. It is rare to find such humility among our generation...especially from guys of this caliber(though, I know of one more). He does a great job of deflecting and correcting any liberal propaganda Matt Lauer throws at him. What a good ol' boy.

I Enjoy Watching Myself

So a little preface to this video:
I recorded Porter a while back on our digital camera and was talking and playing with him(so you'll hear both of us in the background on the video that Porter is watching). I then played the video on our computer for Porter while he was playing in his crib. And this is his reaction(...or interaction?) to it. It's funny how he'll mimic what he hears himself saying or doing...like "bababa" and waving. I'm aware that some(no, probably most) of you might find it annoying, but it's cute to his parents :) Heck, his dirty diapers are "cute". ha

Where IS that "black hole"?

Ever wonder where that ever-illusive "black hole" is? Well, wherever it is I know it's gotta be pretty well outfitted with footwear and underwear, and equipped with all sorts of odds and ends from the home...like stamps, pens(oh the pens!), hairties, keys, cellphones, any cords that you rely on to view or download pictures, videos, and the likes, and let's not forget tampons! You swear you JUST bought a box of them, you put them right under your sink in their usual spot, yet where are they? You ARE the only female in the house, right?

Hmmmmmmmmmmmmm




AH, HA!

The Whole Clan

Our little family was fortunate enough to get to visit our family back in the mid-west over Independence Day. Porter and I had not yet met everyone in Luke's family because they're spread out from coast to coast. It was so much fun watching Porter interact with his 14 cousins! He's number 14 of 15...the oldest cousin is in the Airforce and the youngest hasn't yet had his 2 month birthday. I feel so fortunate to be a part of their family. I have to pinch myself during visits with them because I feel like it's a dream that will surely end. I always had the dream of being part of a large extended family, with so many relatives that you lose count. I am the oldest of 6 children in my family as well as the oldest cousin...that goes for both sides. I have one cousin on the maternal side and three on the paternal. And we've always been so spread out it's been difficult to keep in touch. I can not wait for Porter to enjoy all of his relatives!

(In this first photo, we have everyone but 2 of Luke's siblings and their spouses, as well as the newest cousin. Also, note how strong some of the family genes are!)