dave+diane+andrew+katherine

Katherine at 4 months

2010-11-07T10:36:00.001-08:00

STATS
weight = 16.5 lbs (93rd percentile)
height = 26.5 inches (97th percentile)
personality = perfect!

We love our chunky little girl!

Worked

2010-11-04T11:31:00.000-07:00

I would much prefer to work out at the gym or even just outside, but it's a little difficult to find the time away from my kiddos and I just can't get into the jogging stroller thing. So, I have resorted to using work out videos. It's boring, but it's something.

I have two that I like, but I needed to beef up my collection so I wouldn't die of complete boredom. I bought the Jillian Michaels - 30 day shred work out video at Target the other day. There are three twenty minute work-outs. I was thinking it would probably be pretty easy - 20 minutes is nothing, right? Yikes! It completely worked me. I did it two days ago and I'm still sore. Now, I am out of shape. But, still!

Pumpkin Patch + Halloween

2010-11-02T20:47:00.001-07:00

We kept Halloween low key this year. Our festivities included an evening at a local pumpkin patch and a church party. As you we will see, we also kept the costumes low key. But, let us begin with the pumpkin patch.

Andrew did not love the pumpkins. In fact, I practically had to force him to choose one for us to buy. We must make memories! He ended up picking a totally lame one and I believe it was just to spite me. Definitely. While he did not love the pumpkins, he did love the petting zoo. He was in heaven. Have I mentioned Andrew is obsessed with animals. He plays with little plastic animals all day and sleeps with them at night. He can't get enough!

I crack up every time I look at these pictures. Andrew's costume is hilarious to me. And, you may remember Katherine's costume from two years ago. It was Andrew's first costume. But, because Katherine fell asleep on the way to the party and didn't wake up until we were close to leaving, we didn't bother putting the entire outfit on her - just the hat. You have to admit, she looks awesome!

Pumpkin Coconut Curry Soup

2010-11-01T14:53:00.000-07:00

I cannot, for the life of me, figure out where I got this recipe. Thankfully, I had saved it on google docs so I will forever have a copy of it! Even though I can't properly site my source - please forgive me - I had to share this recipe because it was so, so good. This will definitely be made again. and again.

I did, however, make a few changes. Here they are:
- I used butternut squash instead of pumpkin
- I tripled the garlic (we LOVE garlic)
- I doubled the curry paste

Pumpkin Curry Coconut Soup
2 T. butter
1 small onion, chopped
1 small garlic clove, pressed
2 t. curry powder or paste, or to taste
1 t. sea salt
1/4 t. freshly-ground black pepper
cayenne to taste
1 T. very fine grated fresh ginger
4 c. chicken broth
3 cups pumpkin or squash puree
3/4 cup coconut milk
Instructions:
Melt butter in a large pot over medium heat. Cook onion 5 minutes, until softened. Add garlic, curry powder, ginger, salt and pepper and cook 1 minute more.
Add broth and puree; mix well. Reduce heat to low. Cook, stirring occasionally, for 20 minutes. Stir in coconut milk.

cute, cute, cute

2010-10-26T14:23:00.001-07:00

I swear I did not tell Andrew to kiss Katherine. He just did it on his own. In fact, he kisses her about 47 times a day and, usually, she loves it. Whatever his two-year-old faults may be - and I could definitely name a few - he is one very good big brother.

30

2010-10-26T13:30:00.001-07:00

Sorry about the crazy lighting in these photos. In some we look dead, in others we look like we are sunburned. Whatever.

So, yesterday I turned 30. And, in keeping with Rane family tradition, we kept it low key. The highlight was this AMAZING chocolate mousse that my brother, Scott, made. It was so good. The older I get, the deeper my love for chocolate grows and it is turning into quite a love affair.

We Dig Her

2010-08-06T21:15:00.000-07:00

There is more where this came from on my photography blog. She's amazing!

A Name and a Blessing

2010-08-01T21:01:00.001-07:00

Today Dave gave Katherine a name and a blessing in our Sacrament Meeting. It was wonderful. We were blessed to have many family members and friends there to be a part of the experience. Thank you for coming!
Here are a few pictures from the day. Please forgive our haggard appearances. As you can imagine, we don't get as much sleep as we would like, but it's all worth it...right? :)

Two Major Cuties

2010-08-01T20:46:00.001-07:00

Look at these two cuties!! Of course, I love them like crazy, but who wouldn't? Seriously.

A Few Snapshots

2010-07-19T12:14:00.001-07:00

Katherine is a month old already! I can't believe it. These are a few pictures taken during the last few weeks - they are posted chronologically. The last one was taken on Saturday.

a VERY quick birth story

2010-06-28T14:15:00.000-07:00

My cousin, Rian, recently had a baby and I liked the way she summarized her birth story. I'm going to copy you, Rian. I hope you don't mind.

I really wanted to have a natural birth at Best Start Birth Center and made all the preparations to do so.
However, on the morning of June 20th I was 12 days past my due date with no signs of labor and had only one day to deliver before I would have to be induced. I was nervous. We went to church, came home, and...

1:30 pm - water breaks; no contractions
3:30 pm - contractions begin
5:15 pm - drop Andrew off with my parents; eat dinner
5:40 pm - drive home
6:00 pm - take a shower
6:10 pm - get out of shower
6:20 pm - contractions 1-2 minutes long, 1-2 minutes apart
6:40 pm - leave for birth center (we would have left sooner but I had 4 contractions just getting to the car!)
7:20 pm - arrive at birth center
7:30 pm - 10 cm
7:37 pm - Katherine is born

It was amazing!

Katherine Mary Jones

2010-06-22T20:23:00.000-07:00

Born June 20th, 2010
9 lbs 14 oz
21.5 inches

Just a few for now...

Happy Memorial Day!

2010-05-30T15:32:00.001-07:00

We celebrated Memorial Day a few days early with a ward beach party. It was the perfect day to spend at the beach and we were lucky enough to have Dave's brother, TImmy, and sister, Emily, with us. Dave and Emily ran the 5k while Andrew and I hung out on the beach and Timmy surfed.

Finally! A Pregnancy Picture.

2010-05-22T15:13:00.000-07:00

In case you haven't noticed, I'm pretty bad about posting pregnancy pics of myself. I just never think to take them. So, I had Lacy snap a few action shots of me at a wedding we shot yesterday. Here is am 37.5 weeks pregnant...

And yes, I need to buy some bigger shirts :)

A few pics from the weekend...

2010-05-19T13:22:00.001-07:00

These are so random and don't really tell the story of the weekend, but I've been such a lame blogger lately that I just had to post something. Last weekend Kristen, my sister, and her husband, Chris, came down from LA for the weekend. It's always fun to see them and the nieces and nephews love it! I'm convinced you can't be the favorite aunt or uncle unless you are childless and, for now, Chris and Kristen fit that description.
In other news, I'm 37 weeks pregnant. Ahhhh!

Big Brother Practice

2010-04-26T08:45:00.001-07:00

Every time I look at these pictures I start cracking up. Andrew is trying to be so sweet and Kai is utterly terrified. Oh, so funny.

We have been a little concerned lately because Andrew seems to be acting out in anticipation of the new arrival - ignoring babies, wanting us to feed and carry him around like a baby. So, I was thrilled when he requested to hold baby Kai. Thankfully, Alana (Kai's Mommy) is very laid back...

Belated Easter Pics

2010-04-19T15:11:00.000-07:00

We had a fun little Easter Egg Hunt in Grandma and Grandpa's backyard. All the candy was gone within 30 minutes....I swear I only helped a little.

It might be LOVE

2010-04-15T09:50:00.001-07:00

Of late, it has been increasingly difficult for me to make any semblance of a meal for dinner. By the time I should be cooking away all I really want to do is curl up with a good book, take a nap, or watch a movie. The answer? A CROCKPOT.

Yes, I just purchased one of these bad boys...

...and I think I just may be in love. Granted, I haven't actually tasted anything that has been cooked in it. yet.

But, this morning I tossed in all the ingredients for a vegetable barley soup, pressed the appropriate buttons, and got back to the daily grind (i.e. laying on the couch, eating bon bons, and watching Oprah...only kidding). I will let you know whether the deliciousness of the meal matches my relief at having dinner out of the way by 10 am.

Any good crock pot recipes to share?

Boy or Girl?

2010-04-07T13:03:00.000-07:00

Intuition-wise, I still have absolutely no idea whether we are having a girl or a boy. I have resorted to wive's tales in order to gain some insight. And, according to the wisdom of the ages, we are having - drum roll please - A GIRL!

I took a little test here.

Here are a few of the indicators:

- I crave SWEETS
- I refuse to eat the heel of a loaf or bread
- My feet are not colder than before pregnancy
- Dave has not gained any weight since I've need pregnant

And the list goes on. Based on these indicators, I would say it is pretty safe to bet that we are having a girl :)

What do you think? VOTE in our poll on the sidebar.

New Pet?

2010-04-04T20:39:00.001-07:00

Meet Millie. Millie is a pot-bellied pig owned by my parents' neighbors. I've often seen her around the neighborhood, but this weekend Millie and I got up close and personal. Okay, not really. But, I did pet her. FYI: pot-bellied pig hair is NOT soft. At all.

I was sure Millie was unusually large for a pot-bellied pig, but I thought wrong. Her owner told us she is totally average - weighing in at about 220 lbs. They have had her for about 4 years and say she is a great pet. She only has to be fed once a day, there are no vet bills, she doesn't shed, and if you run out of food....just kidding. I think we just figured out what our first pet will be!

Here is my brother-in-law, Chris, feeding Millie a carrot.

This image was taken from wikipedia. Apparently this is what a typical pot-bellied pig looks like. Yowza!

Elder Jones x 2

2010-03-23T12:25:00.000-07:00

Dave has two brothers on missions and we are so proud of them! Christopher, will be coming home in November and Matthew left last month. They weren't called to the same mission, but both are serving in Brazil - Matthew in Belem and Christopher in Sao Paulo Interlagos.
Matthew is currently at the Missionary Training Center in Sao Paulo Brazil and Christoper's Mission President arranged for Matthew and Christopher to meet at the temple in Sao Paulo this morning. So amazing! Were it not for this meeting, they wouldn't have seen each other for three and a half years.
This is the picture they sent of their meeting -

We love you guys!

The Park

2010-03-19T17:36:00.001-07:00

We ventured out to the park last Saturday just as all the smart people were on their way home. It was freezing! But, Andrew didn't seem to mind. He also didn't seem to mind that I was following him around with my camera. In fact, it was as if I didn't even exist :) So, this is what my efforts yielded...

This tree was a much more cooperative model.

Have a great week!

Please, tell me I'm not the only one...

2010-03-01T15:17:00.001-08:00

This time around, I have had the worst PREGNANCY BRAIN imaginable!! I mean, it's bad - really bad. Just to illustrate, following is my oops list since I've been pregnant -

1. Lost my keys, including a usb drive, house, and car keys - never recovered
2. Lost my driver's license - recovered two months later
3. Lost my visa card - recovered two months later
4. Lost only set of keys to our new condo - never recovered
5. Erased all data on my external hard drive - partially recovered
6. Arrived at one of my best friend's surprise 30th B-day Party with only a few minutes to spare. The problem? I arrived at the wrong place!!! Needless to say, I missed the surprise. But, I think Alana forgives me.

New Photography Blog!

2010-02-22T08:19:00.001-08:00

I know, I know - it has been way too long since I've posted on my family blog. My excuse is that I've been busy trying to get my photography blog and website up before the next addition to our family arrives. I am happy to report that my new blog is now up and running -

www.dianejonesblog.com

Yipee!! It was designed by Diana Rambles. I found her through google and wasn't sure she would be interested in doing the kind of blog I was going for as she normally does much more complicated, scrapbook sorts of blogs. But, she was absolutely up for it!! She worked so quickly and is extremely reasonably priced! Let me know if you would like to use her and I will give you more details. Thanks Diana!

Christmas Day...

2010-01-12T16:51:00.000-08:00

I know, I know, I am posting these pictures super late, but here they nonetheless. We spent the morning with family and the evening with Dave's. We had a wonderful day!!

Waiting at the top of the stairs until all the cameras are in place and ready to record...

I figure I can get away with a few more years of raiding the pantry to fill Andrew's stocking...right?

Grandma and Grandpa opening the book Lacy and I made of pictures of all the grandkids throughout 2009.

And on to the Jones' and a sweet White Elephant Gift Exchange.

Grandma got some sweet shades.

These guys thought they were pretty funny for wrapping up Adam's wallet and giving it as a gift -

And here is my favorite, a huge egg-shaped chicken candle. Where do people get this stuff?

My baby sister is married!!!

2010-01-05T15:55:00.000-08:00

We are so excited for Nick and Laurie. They tied the knot last Tuesday and headed back to BYU. My sister-in-law, Lacy, and I took the pictures for the affair. To see the rest head over to my photography blog.

Andrew is 2!!!

2010-01-02T11:01:00.001-08:00

Andrew turned two on Christmas Eve and we had a little party with my family after Christmas Eve dinner. We sure love that little guy!

San Diego Boat Parade

2009-12-30T12:30:00.001-08:00

A week before Christmas we went to the yearly San Diego boat parade. The weather was perfect and the kids absolutely loved it!

And a few pictures of Andrew with his new favorite person, Santa.

a little photo shoot with the cousins

2009-12-26T19:44:00.000-08:00

We've been having tons of fun with my brother, Scott, and his sweet family since they moved from Arizona. Both Lacy and I wanted to give our hubbies pictures of the kids for Christmas. Dave had been asking for pictures for his desk at work for over a year- yes, I'm a little slow. Here are some of the pictures from our backyard photo shoot.

Gingerbread Houses

2009-12-14T10:14:00.000-08:00

Lacy, my sister-in-law, and I decided it would be a great idea to make gingerbread houses this year. I had never made a gingerbread house before - not even the faux graham cracker kind. Lacy had been to a few gingerbread house decorating parties, but had never made the gingerbread herself.
We found a recipe, bought the necessary ingredients, created a pattern and began baking. We realized we had overdone it on the house size when creating the pieces for one house required tripling the recipe! Yikes. So, we ended up with two rather than three house and certain individuals (pictured below) decided to go faux.

We had tons of candy options.

Scott took it upon himself to create a graham cracker replica of my parents' house. I was incredibly impressed. He even employed a dremel tool to cut the more difficult pieces.

Thailand, Cambodia, and Vietnam

2009-11-19T18:08:00.000-08:00

On Sunday night Dave and I returned from a wonderful trip to Southeast Asia. Thanks to my generous, amazing parents who donated their frequent flier miles to us, we were able to spend 10 day traveling through a few cities in Thailand, Cambodia, and Vietnam.
We started in Bangkok, Thailand, then flew to Siem Reap, Cambodia, took a bus to Phnom Penh, Cambodia, another bus to Ho Chi Minh, Vietnam, and night train to Nha Trang, Vietnam. It was a whirl wind and we are exhausted, but it was great. I love to travel!!
Here are a few pictures from our trip. If you care to see all 667 images click on the link below -

http://www.flickr.com/photos/14740668@N07/sets/72157622833753686/show/

THAILAND

CAMBODIA

VIETNAM

Halloween Weekend

2009-11-01T17:53:00.000-08:00

We had two great days celebrating Halloween! On Friday we went to Bate's Nut Farm and had a trunk or treat at church. On Saturday we went trick or treating and then went to a party at Dave's parents' house. We definitely suffered the consequences of Andrew's candy overdose on Sunday, but hey, it's one day a year....right?

First stop, Bate's Nut Farm.

Aunt Jenn and cousin Henry came too.

I just think we all look so funny in this picture I had to add it.

We were so excited to have Amberlee with us!

Scott, my brother, and I were the only adults in the family to dress up.

Winners of my own personal costume contest:

The ward bikers.

Ashley's Mary Poppins costume was totally amazing! I wish I had a picture of Matt, my brother in law, who was dressed up at Bert and of their friend, Jeff, who as dressed up as a penguin. So awesome!

Andrew

2009-10-11T12:53:00.000-07:00

I haven't posted pictures of our little guy lately so here are a few we've collected over the last few weeks. Amberlee took the first four pictures while she was visiting last weekend.

Andrew loves sunglasses and cellphones. This is not an unusual sight -

I snapped these while we were at the park

He loves his books.

SO Good!

2009-09-23T11:25:00.000-07:00

I was in need a kid friendly dessert recipe last weekend for a get together we were going to. I tried searching my trusted fallback www.allrecipes.com, but nothing was appealing to me. So, I decided to go totally old-school and look in a cookbook. I combed my Mom's collection (since I have one) and found Nestle Classic Recipes. Here is what I decided to make -

It was delicious!

These images were taken from Bakerella, an awesome blog I found while searching for images of this amazing sweet.

Here is the recipe for your enjoyment-

Chocolate Chip Cookie Pie
1 unbaked 9-inch (4-cup volume) deep-dish pie shell*
2 large eggs
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1/2 cup packed brown sugar
3/4 cup (1 1/2 sticks) butter, softened
1 cup (6 ounces) semi-sweet chocolate morsels
1 cup chopped pecans
Serve with ice cream (optional)

* Preheat oven 325 degrees F.
* Beat eggs in large mixer bowl on high until foamy.
* Beat in flour, granulated sugar and brown sugar. Beat in butter.
* Stir in morsels and nuts and spoon into pie shell.
* Bake for 55-60 minutes. Cool on wire rack. Serve warm.

Recipe from Nestle Classic Recipes, 2003
* If using frozen pie shell, use deep dish style and thaw completely. Bake on baking sheet and increase baking time slightly.

Laurie is engaged!!

2009-09-08T21:25:00.000-07:00

My baby sister is getting married. It's crazy, but I'm so excited for these two love birds. Congratulations Laurie and Nick!

To see more from their engagement session go to my photography blog.

Labor Day Fun

2009-09-08T12:59:00.000-07:00

We had a smashing weekend. Laurie and her fiance, Nick, came down from BYU and Kristen and Chris were here from LA. We spent two days at the beach - the water was incredibly warm! And I took some engagement pictures of Laurie and Nick which will be posted on my photography blog very soon.
Andrew decided to take advantage of Nick's vulnerable position in our family and throw sand in his face. I have taught him well. Muahahah!

We went to the park to play croquette. I lost. As usual.

Andrew was pretty darn good.

I'm having major problems with blogger today!! These problems have resulted in the following photo being smaller than the rest.
That aside, aren't my boys cute?

Erin's Surprise Party

2009-08-17T17:11:00.001-07:00

Last Saturday night we had a surprise birthday party for Erin, Dave's sister. She likes Fondue - so that's what we made.

She was VERY surprised - especially since her birthday isn't for a week :)

Ashley, with the help of some friends, made a carmel apple cake. It was quite a creation!

The ladies hard at work making fondue. We had to get creative with the cheeses because 1 pound of the traditional Gruyere was $16. Ouch! Learn from my mistake - Gouda and swiss do not mix! Literally. They taste great together, but would not melt together. It was a lumpy mess.

There was even a chocolate fountain. The Jones' really know how to throw a party!

The cousins came down.

Andrew was, of course, very helpful in picking up the treasures that dropped from the pinata.

Published!

2009-08-13T08:35:00.001-07:00

It seems like just a few years ago that Bree and I were collecting sand crabs at Coronado Beach, choreographing rolling skating shows for my grandparents, and devouring Sunfire Romance novels together. But, the truth is, it's been more than a few and they've been busy years. Especially for Bree, who embraced her early passion for writing and has worked diligently to hone her talent and write her first novel. A lot of people dream about becoming a published author, but only a few of them see that dream realized - Bree is one of those few. Her first novel, The Dark Divine, will debut December 22, 2009.

Here's a brief synopsis taken from her website:

The Dark Divine - Synopsis

A prodigal son

A dangerous love

A deadly secret . . .
I stood back and watched his movements. Daniel had that way about him that could shut me down in an instant. . . . I kicked the gravel a couple of times and worked up my courage again. “Tell me . . . I mean . . . why did you come back? Why now, after all this time?”

Grace Divine, daughter of the local pastor, always knew something terrible happened the night Daniel Kalbi disappeared—the night she found her brother Jude collapsed on the porch, covered in blood. But she has no idea what a truly monstrous secret that night really held. And when Daniel returns three years later, Grace can no longer deny her attraction to him, despite promising Jude she’ll stay away.

As Grace gets closer to Daniel, her actions stir the ancient evil Daniel unleashed that horrific night. Grace must discover the truth behind Jude and Daniel's dark secret . . . and the cure that can save the ones she loves. But she may have to lay down the ultimate sacrifice to do it—her soul.

“Reading THE DARK DIVINE feels almost like following a trail of moonlight into the heart of a forest at midnight--at once spooky and compelling. Bree Despain takes familiar myths and legends and wraps them elegantly around a haunting story of love, loss, family and forgiveness. Beautiful.”

-Lesley Livingston, author of Wondrous Strange

You can find her at:

http://www.breedespain.com

and

http://www.breebiesingerdespain.blogspot.com/

Backpacking continued

2009-08-10T08:39:00.000-07:00

Here are some pictures from my actual trip. These are stolen from Mandy's facebook page. We did a 60 miles portion of the John Muir trail - starting in Mammoth and ending in Yosemite.

Picturesque lakes like this one seemed to be around every corner.

This was at upper Cathedral Lake- named for the peak you see behind us.

Doing a little sap removal on Ashley's shorts.

We ate Mountain House dinners every night. They are freeze dried just-add-water meals. Let's just say we were very excited to get back to normal food.

Papa Jones living out a childhood fantasy.

We had to use bear canisters and hide them at least 20 feet from our tent each night. We didn't see any bears, but one night a bear visited two of the neighboring campsites. Yikes!

On the last day we climbed half dome. I've never thought of myself as someone who is afraid of heights - this experience made me think again.

Yosemite

2009-08-04T13:24:00.000-07:00

At 2:30 am this morning I arrived home from seven blissful days of backpacking through Inyo and Yosemite National Forests. We covered about sixty miles of the John Muir Trail. It was tough, but so worth it! It renewed my belief that everyone needs to spend a few days a year in the wilderness as a kind of recooperation from the dizziness of life.
I didn't have a camera with me (I know, crazy right?) but my sisters-in-law and father-in-law did. I'll share those pictures with you just as soon as I can. For now these ones I stole off the wonderful web will have to do.

Garnet Lake - one of many incredible lakes we saw on our hike.

Our last hoorah of the trip was climbing half dome. There wasn't this much traffic when we did it, but it was still pretty intense.

Stay tuned for pictures featuring your truly.

Sailing

2009-07-27T08:21:00.001-07:00

We had a great weekend! My sister, Laurie, and her beau came down from BYU for a visit and we did lots of super things like - play nerts, go swimming, have a photo shoot (of course), go to a play (my first since Andrew was born), and go sailing. Here are a few photos from our sailing adventure -

My husband, the captain... for a minute anyway.

Our good friend Tausha.

Scott practicing his modeling skills.

Laurie and Nick.

A Visit to Long Beach

2009-07-13T08:11:00.000-07:00

Last weekend Andrew and I took a little road trip to Long Beach to visit one of my very best friends in the entire world. Amberlee and I have known each other since we were 12. She moved to Long Beach several months ago and I took a shamefully long time to pay a visit, but she managed to forgive me and we had a great time.
These are all stolen from Amberlee -

We spend some time at the park.

Andrew decided it would be a good idea to hand feed Dutch. Dutch seemed to like the idea as well.

We tried Lebanese food for the first time. Andrew wasn't sure how he felt about it at first -

But it appeared to grow on him-

Kim and Alison came over on Saturday and we had a great time.

By the end of our little adventure Andrew was ready for a nap. What can I say, we party hard.

4th of July Weekend

2009-07-07T16:40:00.001-07:00

We had a wonderful weekend with my family!! It was sooo fun to have everyone in town. We also had a little photo shoot with Chris and Kristen. To see pictures of that check out my photography blog. Here's everyone -

Watching a rousing game of croquet -

Andrew was thrilled to have his cousins around. He couldn't stop following them around and hugging them. The girls weren't quite as excited about the situation :)

Scott made his famous pizza. It's delicious!

We celebrated the birthdays of these three cuties -

And we had a little fun relaxing at the beach -

Lobster Anyone?

2009-06-25T09:37:00.000-07:00

A few days ago I tried lobster for the first time. I have heard for years how amazing it is...but I have to say that I wasn't that excited about it. I am confused about what people love about it. If any of you are lobster lovers out there will you please uncover the mystery for me - what do you LOVE about lobster?

image by Jackie Childers

Happy Father's Day!

2009-06-22T08:45:00.000-07:00

I hope you had a wonderful Father's Day and that your life is just as full of amazing Father's as mine is! Here's one of those amazing Dad's -

Dave, thanks for being such an incredible Dad to our little boy!

SYTYCD!

2009-06-04T15:26:00.000-07:00

If you haven't gotten hooked yet, you should! As I have mentioned to probably everyone who checks this blog, I absolutely love this show and we should share what we love, right? Right! It's on Fox, Wednesdays at 8pm and Thursdays at 9pm. Check it out!

Disneyland

2009-05-20T08:39:00.001-07:00

Yesterday was Dave's birthday. And, as I'm sure most of you know, you get in to Disneyland for free on you birthday. Pretty sweet, right? And I have to believe it's been a great marketing tool.
Since I hadn't been to Disneyland in 15 years and Dave hadn't been in about 10, we thought we'd give it a go (sans Andrew - I know, so mean). Did I mention that Dave and his Dad have the same birthday? So, Dave's parents came as well and we met up with them for a few hours.
We had a great time and I'm pretty sure I got my Disneyland fix for the next 15 years.

I wasn't very happy when it took us 20 minutes to figure out where the parking lot was. Yeah, we have problems.

But, I was very happy once we finally got in and onto some rides. Here we are on Splash Mountain right before the big drop. You may be wondering how I had time to pull out my camera and take this picture and why there is such a log jam behind us. Well, the ride broke just at this point in our journey and we were stuck in this position for at least 20 minutes. A "cast member" had to come and assist us out of our logs :)

Mom and Dad Jones showing off their skills on the go-carts.

Dave absolutely refused to ride the tea cups, but they are so classic I had to snap a shot. It makes me dizzy just to look at a picture of them.

My adorable husband.

Space Mountain was definitely my favorite ride of the day and, as compensation for getting stuck on Splash Mountain, we were given fast passes. We used them on Space Mountain and a 45 minute wait turned into 5 minutes. Yes!

Goodbye Chula Vista

2009-05-07T20:11:00.000-07:00

We are moving this Saturday and our sweet friends, the Velascos, hosted a little goodbye party for us. I think the thing we will miss the most about Chula Vista is our ward. We have made many great friends!! We will miss you all.

Check out a few pics from the party on Tiffany's blog.

Trip to Arizona

2009-05-05T08:43:00.000-07:00

Andrew and I had a great time in Arizona this weekend visiting my brother Scott's family. We drove with my cute parents and stopped in Dateland to try their famous (or so they say) date shakes. I give them 3 out of 5 stars.

My little sweetheart.

Of course, all the grandkids followed Grandma around all weekend vying for her attention.

I saw some of my roommates from college. We haven't seen each other in eight years!

We went to the pool.

Just look at these cuties.

Talie.

Sweet baby Peyton.

My sister-in-law Lacy with her new Canon 40D.

Grandpa's Birthday

2009-04-27T16:35:00.001-07:00

It was the best of times...

It was the worst of times...

Andrew's molars started coming in on Saturday. It's been an interesting experience. But, although Andrew had a few less-than-wonderful moments on Saturday, the rest of us had a very nice time celebrating my Dad's 55th Birthday. I'm sure glad you were born Dad.

stripes x three

Jenn's Baby Shower

2009-04-20T13:36:00.000-07:00

On Saturday Andrew and I went to Jenn's baby shower. Jenn is my sister-in-law and one of Andrew's favorite Aunts. It was a beautiful day and Jenn received lots of amazing stuff. She had many good friends there, but I don't know most of them so didn't feel I could take the liberty of putting their pictures on my blog so you will have to content yourselves with family members :)

Here are a few member of the Jones family:

We had a lovely lunch:

Here are a few of the hostesses, there is one more but I don't have a pictures of her:

Jenn just looked so excited in this picture I couldn't resist putting it up:

Jenn and her cute Mom:

Maternity Pics

2009-04-15T16:00:00.000-07:00

Check out the newest post on my photography blog.

Palos Verdes

2009-04-14T12:20:00.000-07:00

Andrew and I took a wonderful little excursion last week. We went to visit one of my very best friends since I was 9 years old. Brooke, said friend, and her family just moved to China and - lucky me! - took at extended layover in LA before flying over. Brooke, Stuart, and Ocean were staying at the unoccupied home of a friend in Palos Verdes. I had never seen Palos Verdes and have decided that although I have always said I never want to live is LA, wouldn't mind too much if I got to live in Palos Verdes :) I'm sure I'm not alone in my feelings. The home was amazing!! And we had such a wonderful time with the Deans. We'll miss you guys!!
The first three images are mine, but the rest I shamelessly stole from Brooke's blog.

Andrew took to Ocean right away. I'm not sure whether the feeling was mutual :)

Sippy cup?

Check out the house! There was an open hot tube right in the middle of the house. Not the most baby friendly thing in the world, but very cool!

Is that Paul Bunyan?

2009-03-23T19:26:00.000-07:00

Wait. No. That is my manly husband chopping down a tree.

We were thrilled to have Amberlee with us for a day. She brought her sweet little yorkie, Dutch. Andrew and Dutch hit is off right away.

That's our cute neighbor Aileen behind Andrew's ball.

Check out that tree in the background. Excellent work Dave!

This Made Me Laugh

2009-03-20T16:16:00.000-07:00

Some of you may not be as easily amused by Jane Austen as I am, but I find her humor suits my taste quite perfectly. I finished reading Northanger Abbey a week ago and the following line had me in stitches -

"John would have me go, for he vowed he would not drive her, because she had such thick ankles..."

Is it just me?...maybe

Softball & Uncle Adam's 30th

2009-03-11T13:03:00.000-07:00

Last Saturday we spent the day in Escondido. Our first stop was the softball fields. Emily, Dave's sister, had a game and we were thrilled to be there to watch.

The week prior Dave had let me know that he would DEFINITELY be eating a cheeseburger while we were there. Apparently he has some fond memories tied to t-ball burgers.

A little fun with Grandpa.

After the game it was on to Adam's 30th birthday party. Jenn knows how to throw a mean party.

We played some awesome games.

Here is the birthday boy.

Thanks for the fun weekend Jones family!

Friday & Saturday

2009-02-22T10:27:00.001-08:00

Andrew and I had a very busy weekend. We left Dave at home to study and headed up to Encinitas on Friday. That evening I celebrated Alana's birthday at Katsu with some friends and Alana's family. Alana and I have been friends for over 15 years and she is one of the sweetest people I know.
Eating Katsu's is a birthday tradition for Alana's family and they are very close with all the chefs and servers. Very cute.

It was great to see all the girls.

Alana's husband's birthday is just a week after hers so they always celebrate together. Happy birthday John and Alana! Thanks for letting me celebrate with you.

Andrew and I spent the night with my parents in Encinitas and then headed up to LA Saturday morning. I am a bad sister. Kristen and Chris have lived in LA for a year and a half and this was my first visit. Please forgive me!!
Look at those two cuties. They were made for eachother.

Andrew loved hanging out with uncle Chris.

A trapeze artist on the pier in Santa Monica.

We finished the day at Rosco's. Rosco's is famous for their fried chicken and waffles. Very interesting combo. It was definitely an experience to remember.
These are not my photo. Between trying to eat, chat, and handle a screaming toddler, I just couldn't get my camera out. I found this image on flickr - http://flickr.com/photos/95402642@N00/2568413215/

Valentine's Day 2009

2009-02-17T08:37:00.000-08:00

I don't know about you, but we are never quite sure what to do for Valentine's Day. In fact, for the last few years we haven't done anything. So, we were delighted when some friends decided to host a Valentine's Day dinner. We had a great time!

I just had to get a close up of Kevin's outrageously huge potato. I'm not sure this photo does justice to it's enormity.

We played a newly wed game. Dave and I tied for first. Yeah, we rock.

Yes, we look a little scary. It's the angle. I swear.

I just had to add a shot of our munchkin. After the dinner we went shopping for some new glasses for Dave. Andrew was pretty sure he owned the store.

Goodbye Domino!

2009-02-07T12:28:00.000-08:00

I am so sad. Domino Magazine, one of the few magazines I have ever subscribed to, is going under. One of the many fantastic businesses that have felt the effects of our unfortunate economy. It was such a wonderful magazine, so inspiring for the budding interior design enthusiast (me). I am grateful, at least, that I kept all my copies of this great magazine.
Here are just a few lovely pictures from the site:

Getting Comments: A Query

2009-01-26T18:34:00.001-08:00

Dear Reader,

How do I do it? Get a lot of comments on my blog that is. I would like to solicit you, my dear friends, for advice - What can I do to improve my stats? We've never gotten an impressive amount, but lately we have gotten abysmally few. Yes, it is very sad. I definitely think you should, at the very least, feel sorry for me. And, hopefully, this pity will motivate you to HELP ME! I hope to hear from you soon!

XOXO

Diane

Ode to the Forward-facing Car Seat

2009-01-26T14:57:00.000-08:00

So, I didn't really write a poem in honor of Andrew's new car seat, but I just might have to. I love it that much. I also love Craig's list. The Britax Marathon Convertable Car Seat costs around $260 new. But, we bought our beauty for $50.
Why am I so excited you may ask? Because, previously, Andrew absolutely hated getting into his car seat and, unless he was asleep, would cry the entire trip. Now that he can see the world as we drive he is one very happy guy.

Our newest acquisition facilitated a fun family outing on Saturday. We went to Shelter Island on Point Loma. Having basically grown up in San Diego, it amazing me how many places I have yet to see. Here are a few pictures for our excursion.

Oh, how I adore the baby profile. Look at that double chin! So cute!

I love stormy skies.

These guys were hanging out on the roof of the fishing tackle shop on the end of the pier.

Fun Weekend

2009-01-19T14:57:00.001-08:00

Filipino food anyone? I've been wanting to try Filipino food for a while and when I read about Tita's Kitchen on Jonathan Canlas' blog I no longer had an excuse - close to home, cheap, and a local favorite.
I loved everything about it except for that I-just-ate-something-really-greasy-and-now-my-body-is-rebelling-feeling I got afterwards. It was worth it.

Then we had a little fun with the big kids from the Jones family.

Don't ask :)

Andrew was loving life!

Christmas & Birthday x 2

2009-01-01T11:28:00.001-08:00

We had a wonderful Christmas - two wonderful Christmases in fact. Instead of trying to split the day in half, my family decided to celebrate Christmas on Saturday. Not only did it mean we didn't have to drive all over the place on Christmas day, but it also meant double the fun! This is the first year I haven't felt that after Christmas let down. I hope we do this every year.
And Andrew had two birthday parties! But, I think spending so much time on Grandma's lap was his favorite present.

Check out the sweet cake Dave's sister, Ashley, made for Andrew.

He needed a little help getting into it.

Birthday presents too? Whoa.

Then it was on to my parents' house.

My two favorite Rane family Christmas traditions: scones and reading The Gift of the Magi.

Grandma time!

Didn't we do this yesterday?

I'm not really sure whether this birthday gift was for Andrew or Dave.

A Few Visitors

2008-12-26T09:11:00.001-08:00

We have had a wonderful week. It was also a very busy week so I am a little behind with my posts. I have plenty of Christmas pictures to post as well, but let's go in chronological order, shall we? We shall.
Last weekend my wonderful cousin Rian came to visit with her equally wonderful husband and children. Rian and I lived together for a few years during college and have lots of memories - some of which I wish everyone involved would forget, but most are great :) Unfortunately, but not surprisingly, I didn't get any pictures of all of us together. These will have to do:

Here is Rian with her sweet little boy Kees -

It didn't take Andrew long to get comfortable with Sid and Coy -

On Saturday we went to Sea World. Dave and I never do stuff like that so it was the perfect excuse for us to go. The weather was perfect and it wasn't crowded at all.

Everyone enjoying the Shamu show.

It was a little bright.

Andrew was mezmorized.

Coy loved the dolphins.

We tried to convince Andrew that touching the sea cucumber would be a great experience - he didn't buy it.

Sadly, Sid and Rian had to leave us on Sunday, but we got another visitor on Monday morning. Andrew new little buddy Isaac stayed with us for a couple days while his Mom had a baby. Congratulations Eric and Mitzy!

Thanksgiving

2008-12-13T15:17:00.000-08:00

I know this post is a few weeks overdue. And the truth is that I actually stole all these pictures from my parents blog because I am, well, lazy.

These three love hanging out together. Except, of course, when Andrew feels one of the girls is stealing too much of Grandma's attention - watch out! Here he is seen in the coveted position.

Here's everyone (I hope you have good eyesight) -

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And the most exciting news (for us anyway) is that Andrew started walking! He still prefers crawling because he can get around faster, but he takes a few more steps each day.

Final Portfolio

2008-12-05T10:48:00.000-08:00

My last class was last night. Our final assignment was to create a series of six images with a strong theme. Originally I planned on doing portraiture. Members of my fabulous family (you know who you are!) acquiesced to being my models and we got some great shots. However, I just didn't feel like there was a strong enough theme. So, at the last minute, I ended up changing my idea (don't worry, I'll still be using them in my portfolio) and decided to take pictures of cement. I know, I know, it sounds weird. But, I think cement is beautiful. Here is what I came up with...

Photography Class

2008-11-14T09:29:00.001-08:00

So, what has Diane been up to lately? I know, I know, you've all been dying to find out. Well okay, I'll tell you - along with all the fun Mom stuff I do everyday I have also been taking a photography class. I love it. Here are a few of the pictures of taken for our assignments...

Assignment 1: Landscapes

Assignment 2: Cityscape, Chula Vista

Assignment 3: Portrait emulation

Assignment 4: Abstract

Halloween

2008-11-02T13:46:00.000-08:00

I always forget to take pictures of anyone but Andrew. I will work on that. On Halloween I spent the morning making these scary spider cupcakes-

Maybe they were a little too scary - only about half of them were eaten.

The highlight of the evening (for me anyway :)was the cutest penguin in the world...

Crawling with all the padding was definitely a challenge for Andrew, but he handled it fabulously.

It's Fall!

2008-10-08T06:48:00.000-07:00

We have just finished planting our fall garden - broccoli (hopefully it turns out better than last year!), three kinds of lettuce, spinach, carrots, onions, and few herbs.
Andrew, of course, had to get in on the action. He was extremely helpful, as you can imagine.

Wait, what's on his face?

Lest there be any confusion, let's get a close up. Yep, the little rascal ate some dirt before we could stop him!! At least our garden is organic?

Lately Andrew has been joining us for meal time. He loves it.

And just a few more for good measure...

High School Reunion

2008-09-29T10:55:00.001-07:00

On Saturday night I went to my 10 year high school reunion. It was interesting and yes, I will admit it, it was pretty fun.
The truth is, I didn't actually graduate from La Costa Canyon, but it was the primary school I attended during my high school years. I went as Amberlee's guest (this explains the name tag everyone was so confused about). She was a great date.

We needed Kim to make our foursome complete. Where are you Kim?

I had to laugh at our dinner. You try to have the so-what-have-you-been-up-to-the-last-ten-years conversation while stuffing your face with a burger. It ain't easy!

I know, I know - An evening without Mom can be pretty exhausting, but if it produces Kodak moments such as these, I might have to go out a little more often. I love my boys!!

Girl's Weekend

2008-08-20T14:06:00.000-07:00

Last weekend Dave's sisters, Mom, female cousins, and I had some fun girl-style. Andrew was there too. I think he might have had the most fun as he definitely got the most attention.
I would have posted more pictures of everyone but we were in our bathing suits in most of the pictures. I think I would have been in trouble with a few people for that!

4th of July Weekend

2008-07-08T10:46:00.001-07:00

We had a wonderful weekend. Almost every member of both my family and Dave's family were in town. It was great to see everyone but, unfortunately, I failed to get pictures of everyone. I hope those who are not pictured will forgive me. It's nothing personal. I promise.

Here is some proof of our fun-filled weekend -

And Dave's brother, Chris, received his mission call. So, maybe my guess was a little self-interested but is it too much to ask that one of my relatives be called to Thailand?...

The envelope.

Drum roll please!

And the winner is - San Paulo, Interlagos, Brazil. Even though it's not Thailand I am still very excited for him. Isn't that gracious of me?

Swimming

2008-06-22T21:46:00.000-07:00

Andrew went swimming for the first time this weekend. As expected, he loved it! We can't wait to take the little cutie again.

"Man, all this swimming is really making me hungry. Luckily I have my hand here to eat."

Look at that little baby bod!!

Graduation

2008-05-19T10:49:00.001-07:00

On Saturday Dave graduated from law school!! Yipee. He looks pretty happy don't you think?

Mom and Dad Jones with the happy graduate.

Eating Cereal for the First Time

2008-05-19T10:29:00.000-07:00

Back to Arizona

2008-05-07T10:34:00.000-07:00

Mom, why don't I have any hair? Peyton is half my age and she already has a Mohawk. --That's what he is thinking. I can tell.

Before Peyton's blessing.

Carrots and Our Little Rocker

2008-04-22T20:10:00.000-07:00

These carrots are the last of our winter crop. We have proved the old adage, "you reap what you sow," wrong. We did absolutely nothing to facilitate the growth of our garden (we didn't even water it - shh, don't tell anyone, that's kind of embarrassing). True, these aren't the most beautiful carrots in the world, but they taste good!

Okay, so Andrew doesn't usually wear headphones when he listens to music but he does love music.

Uncle Michael's Wedding

2008-04-07T07:34:00.001-07:00

On Saturday Dave's Uncle got married. We drove up to LA for the wedding and had enough time to stop at Dave's favorite curry place before the big event. Dave hadn't been there is almost ten years. It was a happy reunion.

The wedding was on this cliff overlooking the beach. It was the perfect photo opp so we took a Jones family photo. Everyone but Erin, who is on her mission, was there.

The happy couple.

After the wedding we went to my parents' house to watch conference. My sister and her husband were there - Andrew loved all the attention.

Trip to Arizona

2008-03-17T11:52:00.000-07:00

Andrew and I just got back from Arizona where we visited Scott, Lacy, Talie, and their new addition, Peyton. Although we missed Dave, we had a great time!!

Grandpa & Grandma with their three grandkids. Cute, cute, cute!

Andrew with his Grandma Rane. I think he got the Rane hands - long fingers.

Cutest Boots Ever

2008-03-17T11:42:00.001-07:00

Brooke sent us these adorable boots. We wish it were colder just so he could wear them more.

Andrew loves his family

2008-03-10T19:53:00.000-07:00

Andrew with Uncle Isaac and Grandpa Jones

Andrew with Aunt Jenn

Andrew with Great-Grandma Adams

More Pictures.

2008-02-26T07:57:00.000-08:00

He's Smiling!!

2008-02-13T18:54:00.000-08:00

Andrew is now 7 weeks and 2 days old. He weighs 11 pounds 9 ounces and is 23 inches long. We can't believe how quickly he is growing and changing.

Amberlee Came for a visit.

Naptime and other fun stuff

2008-02-04T05:44:00.000-08:00

Andrew loves his naps and so does his Mom.

Andrew was blessed on Sunday. I don't know if you can make out his little suit - complete with tie and vest. He looked very handsome.

Our friends let us borrow a swing and Andrew loves it!

Andrew

2008-01-20T15:00:00.000-08:00

Two Weeks and Two Days

2008-01-09T13:29:00.000-08:00

Our little Andrew is two weeks and two days old today. He's doing great and he even slept for five hours in a row last night! Yipee. Hopefully it wasn't just a fluke.

More Pictures

2007-12-31T12:32:00.000-08:00

A few more pictures of our little boy. He is a week old today!

I know, I know - the color is off on this one but it's still so cute I couldn't resist.

Andrew has some very loving aunts and uncles. What a lucky little guy.

He's Here!!!

2007-12-27T10:06:00.000-08:00

Presenting Andrew William Jones - 8 lbs 9 oz. 21 inches. Born Christmas Eve - 9:10 am. Healthy and handsome. We are so happy.

Very Pregnant

2007-12-07T11:47:00.000-08:00

Yesterday I took the day off of work and a few lovely friends came over to help me get organized. Thanks Amberlee and Alana.
It was fun and I insisted they take a few pictures to document my pregnantness. After you see these pictures you will understand my blog title choice.

Kristen's Wedding

2007-11-27T14:35:00.000-08:00

On Saturday my sister Kristen was married. They had a lovely sealing in the San Diego Temple and then a reception at our parents' house. Now they are enjoying their honeymoon in Mexico. Congratulations Kristen and Chris.
We were lucky enough to have our cousin Kelli there to photograph the affair. She did a beautiful job. To see some of her pictures go to -
bykelli.com and then click on "blog."

Baby Shower!

2007-11-19T18:42:00.000-08:00

One indication that the baby is coming soon is the baby shower. I have now had a baby shower. The baby is coming soon - 5 weeks if he comes on his due date (or guess date as I've heard it called).
The shower was absolutely lovely. It was the hosted by Amberlee at the home of Suzi and Lisa Franken. Here they are -

Thank you, thank you, thank you!

They were smart and enlisted the help of many people. Alana and Adorna, for example, were responsible for this beautiful creation. It was so pretty that no one wanted to eat for fear of destroying the aesthetics.

And there were games. This game is called "draw a baby on your head." There is Leah leading the game. She organized all the games and much, much more. Thank you Leah!

And there were gifts. People were so generous! Amberlee had the fabulous idea of having a book theme. I wish I had a picture of all the books our little baby got. When I brought them home and showed Dave he was really excited - he was particularly interested in a book entitled, "Walter the Farting Dog." He read the entire thing immediately. Sadly, I don't have a picture of that either so you will have to settle for this -

We're so thankful for everyone who was involved in any way.

Weddings and Babies

2007-11-08T12:43:00.000-08:00

On Tuesday night Dave and I went to our first Childbirth Class. We and 6 other first time parents were in attendance. Dave and I kept giving eachother "the eye" as our instructor discussed every symptom I've had throughout the pregnancy. One of the funniest moments was when she mentioned that often pregnant women will have vivid dreams - Dave and I looked at eachother mutually acknowledging that I have definitely been having some strange dreams - for example, she went on, "when I was pregnant I dreamed that my husband had an affair with our neighbor and when I woke up I was so angry with him." - Dave and I looked at eachother again this time in shock and on the verge of laughter because just three days ago I had the very same dream and the very same reaction. Sorry Dave :) We also had to hold back our laughter when we watched a video on which a women who had just had her baby was being interviewed. She explained that she had gone through a "nesting" period just before the baby came. She wanted to clean everything and organize all the baby clothes. Only one day earlier Dave had come home to me frantically organizing all the baby gear we've been given. Come to find out I'm not very unique afterall...

Now for the "wedding" part of this post- my little sister Kristen is getting married at the end of this month and last night was her Bridal Shower. It was quite fun. I'm always amazed by the generosity of our parents' friends. Lucky us!! You can tell that Kristen was pretty pleased!

Isn't she a cutie? Congratulations Kristen and Chris!!

Let the Party Begin

2007-10-30T12:34:00.000-07:00

By Thursday, my birthday, our area was out of danger. But, still pretty smokey.

This is my yeah-it's-my-birthday face

Dave was planning on taking me to get sushi (my favorite food) for my birthday, but I had a hankering for Chili's. There is a reason for this - when I went to BYU-H we rarely went out to eat. Once every few months we would make our way to Walmart to get some supplies in a town about an hour away. There was also a Chili's in this town and we would always eat there on our outing. Ever since these fond experiences I will, once in a while, have a craving for Chili's.
Dave couldn't believe I wanted to go there over sushi and kept asking, "are you sure?" and "you really don't want sushi?"

Scott (my brother) and Lacy were in town this weekend with the cutest baby in the world who just happens to be their daughter. We had a lovely little birthday party and went to the pumkin patch.

Do you think my Mom and I look alike?

On Sunday afternoon we headed over to Dave's parents' for a visit. It was the first time we had been there since the fires. We were amazed to see how close the fire had gotten to their home. These pictures were taken about a half a mile from their house, but the fire burned right across the street from them.

At Mom and Dad Jones' we celebrated with a delicious italian meal and this fabulous cake made by Jenn Jones. Isn't it lovely?

The Fires

2007-10-23T10:04:00.000-07:00

Just wanted to give you an update on how we have been effected by the fires here in San Diego. Dave and I haven't left home since yesterday morning. We live in the west part of Chula Vista which is safe from the fires, but the Harris fire is quickly approaching the east side of Chula Vista. It is super smoky here and there is ash all over the ground.
Both my parents and Dave's parents are currently on mandatory evacuation. My parents, Kristen, and Della (the dog) are in Palm Springs at a hotel. The fire is currently about 3-4 miles from their home. Dave's parents' area was hit really hard, but they have heard that the homes in their neighborhood are still standing. Let's pray that is true!

AGAIN!?!?!??

2007-10-19T14:32:00.001-07:00

You will not believe this - seriously! Yesterday I worked at the temple until 9:00 pm and on my way home picked up Dave from School where he had been studying (aka swapping law school woes with classmates :) ). We planned to stop by the trolley station to pick up Dave's car which he had parked there that morning and then head home for a late dinner. We did stop by the trolley station and we did eventually have dinner, however, we did not pick up Dave's car. Why you ask? Because it had been stolen!!! That is right - our second car stolen within two months. The car was locked and had a club on the steering wheel. Yes, the very same club I thought would bring me "peace of mind." Yes, the very same club I was pictured holding with that formidable scowl on my face only a few days ago. Sigh.

Below is a picture of a car very similar to the one we had stolen yesterday. He will be missed.

In case you are interested, the following link explains the fact that San Diego is one of the nation's auto theft hot-spots -

http://www.signonsandiego.com/uniontrib/20050823/news_1n23stolen.html

Photography 101

2007-10-17T13:12:00.000-07:00

I am currently taking an oh-so basic photography class at UCSD. I thought it would be a fabulous hobby to pick up and hopefully a great blessing to my family (if I ever get the hang of it that is). Below are a few of the photos I took for our last assignment. We were playing around with ISO and Fstop.

Baby news:

I am now at thiry weeks. I went to the see my lovely midwife, Linda, yesterday and everything is going well. Just two weeks ago the baby was head up, but he has already turned and is head down now. He must be getting excited :)
There is so much to do to get ready! My next homework assignment is to find a suitable relaxation technique. Apparently if I am serious about natural birth then I should also be serious about a relaxation method. Linda told me there are many different things she has seen people do, but Hipnobirth (sp?) seems to her to be very effective. I will be looking into that this week. Does anyone have any suggestions?

Two Unrelated Things

2007-10-12T13:01:00.000-07:00

Thing # 1:

Great news! We went out to check on the garden this morning and - drum roll please -there has been some growth. We think these are the snow peas, but we'll just have to wait and see.

Thing # 2:

Which is actually comprised of two sub-things - 1. Our new car and 2. Our new club.

Some of you may already know that Dave and I had our car stolen from our driveway a few months ago. It was 1 am on a Saturday and Dave heard the car drive off and jumped out of bed. We immediately called the police, but it was never found. The good news is that we had theft insurance and received enough from the claim to purchase another car.
In the picture above I am standing next to our new-used car which we purchased from Dave's sister, Erin, last week (she is now in the MTC). As you can see, I am taking measures to protect the car from being stolen. If nothing else THE CLUB (don't the capital letters make it seem intimidating?) will give me a little piece of mind.

Our Very First Garden

2007-10-10T17:34:00.000-07:00

Dave and I have been inspired by the respective green thumbs of my Dad and Dave's brother, Adam, and sister-in-law Jenn. A few months ago my Dad decided it was about time for him to plant a garden and we have been the grateful recipients of many delicious vegetables as a result. Jenn and Adam made a similar decision a few months later and have enjoyed it immensely. I will say, however, that both parties admitted that gardening is by no means cost effective. Nontheless we decided to try it for ourselves, but didn't have any particular plans as to when we would begin. One weekend I was away for a bachelorette party and Dave surprised me by getting a plot of land prepared for our soon-to-be garden. I might add that this was no small task and it required the aid of four of his family members. It was a very sweet surprise.

In the picture above you will find a few of the vegetables we planted. I say "we" when actually it was Dave who did the planting. It was really hot okay - and did I mention I am VERY pregnant right now (pictures to come).