Meet Kate's Thighs

Jealous? They are chubby to say the least. I love every roll on those amazing legs. I squeeze, tickle and kiss them all day long.

Taylor's Visit

Matt's family always takes a fun trip for New Years. They rented a fun condo on the beach this year in Oceanside! We relaxed in the sun, and in the spa, and even braved the cold water to surf. We had a fun night out for New Years Eve. We had dinner at Chao Pasta, and then saw Benjamin Button, and then played a little Rockband to ring in the new year. Always fun when they are around!

Steph and Jon

I had so much fun hanging out with these two lovebirds today!
Enjoy a little peek Steph!

I plege in 09

1. Drink more water (and get Matt to drink more water)
2. Create- embrace the craftiness inside of me
3. Look cute when I go to bed
4. Be more active
5. More floor time (with Kate, to play)
6. Make new friends
7. Learn more conversational Spanish (we serve in a Spanish Branch)
8. Learn to sew well (with my new machine!)
9. Make and have dinner ready by 6 (more often, not everyday!)
10. Spend more time outside (in the "Winter")
11. Have more "alone time"
12. Improve my Photography

12 things, for 12 months. This year it is happening.
Month One: My water consumption has increased! And each morning I am filling a large glass for Matt at breakfast.

Watch out 09. The new and improved me is about to emerge.

Oh, and losing weight is never a goal because it never happens and everyone always says that. But, this year, I will lose my baby weight. All of it. And MORE. By her 1st Birthday.

(My own birthday is coming up on the 21st, and I am thinking about giving myself the gift of detaching myself, or rather, detaching Kate, from nursing. I cannot diet and nurse at the same time. What better gift to give myself than my {smaller} body back?! Selfish???? I'll probably change my mind. Why is there something to always feel guilty about as a mother?)

Our little Bug

Our little bug is turning into a big bug! She is changing so fast; I am scared to blink.

She flashes her gummy smile all day long.
Her cheeks are so chubby and round.


She loves Peek-a-Boo, especially with her Daddy.
And She plays Patty Cake with the ladies.


She loves her "Puffs" and sippy cup too.
She yells when she doesn't get them as fast as she wants.

She is obsessed with the Lamb puppet on Baby Einstein.
She laughs out loud everytime they "baaa!"

She is starting to be over her "nummy" (as Matt calls her binky)
She only takes it if it has something sweet on the end of it.

She is affectionate and sweet.
I can't get enough of my little (big) Kate Bug.

Patty Cake, Patty Cake, Bakers Man!

Imagine my surprise as I see this through my camera! My baby girl playing Patty Cake for the first time!

I am glad her Nana got to teach her this.

True Love:Best Decision- Matt's version

We spent very day together until the day she left. I was so sad. I had to do something to keep us together. I planned a trip to California to see Ani, and to meet her family. I was so excited to see Ani, after being apart for 10 days, and get a break for work.
On the pier in San Clemente

I flew out and met her family. We went to Palm Springs and I got to know her family pretty well. I liked her family. They were fun to hang with.BYU was starting, and so we made the trip to Utah. On the way we had a flat tire. It put us in a good position to see how she would react in this situation. We got out the tools and fixed it. Despite all the trials to get to Utah, it was really fun, and it went by fast. We talked and told stories, and laughed. It was the fastest trip to Utah ever.
Riding Bree and Eddie's tandem bike at the Yellow House! (it was fun until someone stole it) 

Once we got to Utah I didn’t want Ani to start school, because we would be apart. She was taking night classes, so I hated her being away from me. At this point I was thinking a lot about if I was going to move from Hawaii. I was considering the option of moving.


The night before I left we were sitting in the love sac, I said, “This is fitting that we are sitting in the love sac, because we are in love”. Ani said, “Are we in love?” And right then someone walked it!
At the debut of a new Rip Curl Surf Video

The next morning, the day I was leaving to go back, Ani whispered in my ear, “I love you.” I was ecstatic and excited and said back, “I love you.”
I knew I had to leave Hawaii.

To be continued...

True Love: Real Life and Still So good- Ani's Version

I left Hawaii crying. I did not want to this fairytale to end. Because, in all honesty, it was a fairytale, and I wasn’t sure it would hold up outside of the magical island I had fallen in love on. There was real life back home. School, work, responsibilities. No ocean. No warm sand. Just a mountain marked with a Y and snow. Surely things would be different in Provo. I was scared

Matt came a to California 10 days later. He met my family and he liked them. They liked him. Things still felt the same. But we were still on “vacation” and there was an ocean. But, he made the trek through the dessert to Utah with me. He impressed me with his patience and optimism, not to mention manly skills, when we had a flat in the middle of Nevada. I was taking note of these real life situations, and he was the same as he was in our fairytale. Consistently perfect for me.


Believe it or not, even with the mountains and snow as our new backdrop, I was still madly, deeply, falling in love with him. He staid in Utah for a week, got me settled in my new place, drove me to my first day of new classes, and met my friends. The morning he left to go back to Hawaii I told him I loved him. He told me he loved me too. And told me he had never told anyone that before. Ah!

I cried all the way home from the airport. I was miserable with out him. We talked constantly on the phone. We learned so much about each other from those countless late night hours on the phone. We fell more and more in love with each other. He came out and visited a few more times, and then made the big move. He took a leap of faith.

Day at the Park

Cousin Carter and Kate hanging out.
Carter was very interested in Kate's accessories. Bows and a pretty binky holder; he wanted his hands on it all!



Loving this warm and sunny weather! I laid out today! What did you do Danica?!

The fun continues

The day after Christmas we took Kate to Fisherman's for lunch. It was windy and super cold. But she staid toasty laying down in her stroller all bundled up! (beanie is from when she was 1 month old, found in my diaper bag...little small!) It was beautiful and so nice to get out after all that rain!
Matt thinks she looks like an elf in this picture. And she does.

Then we went bowling with the fam. Matt was playing Peek A Boo with Kate and she was loving it! Laughing so hard.


Matt has nice form. Me, no, I have terrible form. Now I have a pulled groin and a very sore arm!


Matt's family is visiting from Sacramento and staying in Oceanside on the beach!
Kate, Matt, Jamie, Michele, Ryan, and Pam!

a merry little christmas

Christmas Eve we had a good dinner. Megan made a really delicious Flank Steak, her sister Rachel brought twice baked potatoes, Dawn G. brought bread, and I made green beans and a salad. It was a very yummy!

Cheers...To a Merry Christmas!

Christmas Eve Present opening
Kate is more interested in the gifts than the handsome Benjamin next to her!
Dad reading out of the Bible
Mattie reading The Night Before Christmas to Kate bug before we went to bed. It is fun starting our own traditions.


Getting our bug all snug in her bed.
Christmas morning! Yup, mama still buys us all matching PJ, and we still line up on the stairs for the traditional picture. AND...my mom still yells from downstairs, "SANTA HAS COME!!!"


Best gift from Matt. I am definitely going to hold him to this one!

Love my cute guy with his awesome just-woke-up face!

Even though she is just seven months, she had fun! It was the best watching her excitement.



Christmas day all my sister and her cute family (and new puppy) came! For dinner, everyone, (including the boys) had an assignment.
Mom&Nana- Stuffing and Turkey
Dad-Jello Salad
Danielle- Rolls
Aaron- "Festive Drink"
Mike- Mashed Potatoes
Megan- Broccoli Casserole
Ani- Sweet Potatoes
Matt- Creamed Corn
Dave- Cranberry Sauce
Did we miss anything?!?! Nope. We were stuffed.

Hope you had a Merry Christmas! We sure did!