the Conners family blog

New Family Website/Blog

2011-12-13T11:07:00.000-08:00

Friends and Family,

Hope you all are doing well! I have been going crazy trying to keep up with facebook, my baby website, blogging, tweeting, and pinterest-ing (I totally made that word up). For the sake of time, and my sanity, I have combined our family blog and our baby website. For updates on our family and pics throughout the year, please visit us on www.theconnersfamily.net.

In order to keep our site for friends and family only, you will have to either leave a comment on here requesting the password, or shoot me an email at kimberlyconners@gmail.com.

Feel free to leave any comments, questions or concerns on the guestbook page.

We love all of you!
xoxo

3 months old

2011-10-03T11:24:00.000-07:00

Caden - I can't believe you are 3 months old already! Time has flown by since you were born and you are growing so fast! Here's a little about you at 3 months:

You are out of your newborn bed and are now sleeping on your stomach in your pack n' play. You are officially wearing 0-3 month clothing. You are smiling so much! You are learning to grab your feet with your hands. You are starting to make cooing noises in response to daddy and mommy's voices. You like to look at the TV. You are sleeping through the night and averaging 10-11 hours of sleep at night - which mommy and daddy are so grateful for! You took your first plane ride and first trip to the zoo in Colorado. You are starting to drool a lot and sometimes blow bubbles. You love when we stand you up on your feet. You still really like your binky - especially when you are napping. Your eyes are still a greyish blue color but will likely change to brown like your mommy and daddy.You try to hold your bottle when we feed you but can't quite do it yet. You rub your eyes when you are tired and it's the sweetest thing! You still have most of your hair. Your cry has changed so much and sounds more like a baby cry instead of a newborn cry. You are growing so fast and we are loving you more and more every day!

Love,
Mommy and Daddy

Visit to Colorado

2011-09-28T22:21:00.000-07:00

A few weeks ago, Caden and I took a trip to Colorado to visit one of my best friends and her family. I was a little nervous traveling with a 2 month old without Andrew to help me. It was definitely a different experience at the airport. I had Caden’s carseat, the stroller, a diaper bag and suitcase. Going through security was fun. Once we got on the plane, Caden did surprisingly well. I fed him right before take off and during landing which helped keep his ears from hurting.
He was pretty content just sitting on my lap and looking around for most of the flight. It’s amazing how helpful people are when they see a mom traveling with a baby and without a husband to help out. People offered to help me put my seat belt on, grab something from the diaper bag, bring the stroller down the jetway, etc… It was nice to have help – even from complete strangers!

We stayed in Colorado for 4 days. We had so much fun with the Sola family. I hadn’t seen them since June and it’s amazing how much kids can grow in 3 ½ months! This was also the first time they got to meet Caden. It was awesome to see Braylon and Jaxten interact with him. They kept saying “Your baby is so cute!” and they each wanted to hold him. They were so good with him! It was so nice to spend time with Kristy just hanging out on her driveway talking while the kids ran around and played. Since I recently got a new camera, and Kristy is an awesome photographer, she spent some time showing me how to shoot on manual and how to edit pictures in photoshop. I learned a lot and can’t wait to start taking better pictures!

Since we were in Colorado Springs, my close friend Kristen drove down from Denver to spend the day with us. We decided to take the kids to the Cheyenne Mountain Zoo. It was a gorgeous day outside and the zoo was awesome! They had so many animals. Caden had fun just chillin in his stroller. I can’t wait until he’s old enough to appreciate fun stuff like the zoo.

All in all, it was a super fun trip! I always have such a blast hanging out with Kristy and her kiddos. Now we get to add another little one to the mix! I look forward to many more memories with our kids in the years to come. Thanks again Sola family for having Caden and I at your house. Your home is beautiful! As always, we loved hanging out with you guys! We already miss you all so much and can’t wait until our next visit!

We love you guys!
xoxo

First Family Vacation

2011-09-11T12:19:00.000-07:00

We took our first family vacation to Las Vegas and it was a ton of fun! We went with our close friends - the Harrelsons and Johnsons. Brian works for Toll Brothers (Home building) and every year they pick a Toll House to stay in. So this year it was Red Rock in Vegas and they invited us to stay with them. Andrew was a little nervous about the drive because he was convinced that we would have to make a bunch of stops for Caden. We decided to feed him before getting on the road. About 10 minutes into the drive, he fell asleep. He stayed asleep the whole drive - until we pulled into the driveway of the house!! We were so proud of our little man!

The house was awesome! Perfect for three families with little ones. We made all our meals and never left the house once! (except when Andrew drove to the Casino to place a bet on Thursday's football game) Overall, the vacation was really relaxing. We spent a lot of time in the pool. Even Caden got his trunks on and went in. He loved it! We thought it was going to be super hot out there - like in the 100's. But it ended up being perfect weather the whole time! We got to spend time as a family which was really nice. We also got to spend time with our friends. It's so fun to have friends with little ones. We look forward to many more fun trips with our families. Thanks again to the Harrelsons for having us - we had a blast!!

2 months old

2011-09-05T17:17:00.000-07:00

Caden - We can't believe another month has gone by! You change so much day by day and we are having so much fun watching you grow. We continue to thank god for you and how you have brought mommy and daddy closer.

A few things about you at 2 months old:
You are starting to smile when you hear our voice and see our face. You are even laughing once in a while. You are starting to outgrow your newborn clothes but don't quite fit into your 3 month stuff. You are getting a little chubbier in your cheeks and thighs - and it's adorable! You are awake much more during the day and sleeping so good at night. You are starting to reach for things that are close to you and kicking your legs when you get excited. You definitely know who your mommy and daddy are and look for us when you hear our voice. You like your pacifier and like to hold it with your hands. You love looking into the mirror. You still look so much like your daddy (which is ok by mommy). You are such a good baby and we can't get enough of you. We love you to the moon and back!

1 month old

2011-08-03T21:13:00.000-07:00

To my baby boy:
I can't believe you are already one month old! You have blessed your daddy and I beyond belief in the short time you have been in our world. I stare at you all the time in awe of what a little miracle you are. I still can't believe that we created you and you are all ours! You have forever changed our lives and we thank God everyday for you.

Here are a few things about you at one month old:
You love to eat. You are a little milk monster. When we take away your bottle, you make the funniest grunting noises. You don't like to have your diaper changed but you are getting better about it. You have the cutest little nose and the most beautiful lips. You love to cuddle with mommy on her chest. You are wearing newborn sizes but a lot of the stuff is still a little too big on you. You love when mommy rubs your forehead. Your favorite way to sleep is with your hands by your face. You are really strong and can hold your head up when you want to. You look a lot like your daddy. You like your bouncer seat and your swing. You are really gassy and make the funniest faces when you poop. You usually don't cry unless you are hungry. You don't like getting into your car seat but you love riding in the car. You are a pretty good sleeper and take the best naps. We are crazy in love with you and can't get enough.

We love you baby boy!
Love,
Mommy & Daddy

{beautiful photos courtesy of Candice Brooke Photography}

Caden James Arrives

2011-07-20T11:23:00.000-07:00

On Tuesday morning, July 5th, I woke up at about 1 am with cramps. I decided to go back to sleep thinking they would just go away. About 5:45am, I woke up realizing that these cramps had started to feel like contractions and I was feeling them about every 10 minutes or so. I woke up Andrew and told him that I had been feeling these cramps now since 1 am. I had a Dr's appointment scheduled for that morning at 8:45 so I thought maybe we could just wait until we saw the Dr. to tell her about my pains. About 10 minutes later, I noticed they were getting more and more intense. I was definitely in labor. We scrambled to pack our hospital bag (it wasn't packed because I didn't think he would come a week early) and get our stuff together. I called my Dad right away because I knew he was about to step on a plane for a week long business trip. Sure enough, when I called, he was boarding the plane. He didn't know what to do since he thought maybe I was having false labor pains (my mom had them with me). I told him to go ahead and go to Seattle and to call us when he landed and we would update him as to what was going on. Since its a short flight, we figured he could jump on the next flight back home if I was in fact going into labor.

Andrew and I jumped in the car and headed to the hospital and arrived at about 7:45am. I was getting more and more uncomfortable as the contractions got closer together and became more and more painful. When we got to the hospital, they were about 4 minutes apart. We checked into our room and the nurse came in to see if I was dialated at all. I was at 5cm already!! I couldn't believe it. I was definitely in labor and going to meet our little man sooner than later. Around 9:45am, I decided to go ahead and have the epidural before the contractions got any more painful. It wasn't the most enjoyable experience but definitely worth it - as soon as the medicine started flowing, I felt a 100 times better. Poor Andrew almost fainted while watching me get the epidural - those needles are so long! After some crackers and water, he felt much better! In the meantime, my mom, brother Jason, Cristina and Andrew's mom arrived at the hospital to see how I was doing. We waited another couple of hours and around 2pm, the nurse said I was dialated to 10cm and could start pushing in about an hour. My dad called Andrew when he landed in Seattle to see how it was going. When he found out I was definitely in labor, he said he would do everything he could to jump on the next plane back to try to get to the hospital before Caden was born.

At 3pm, everyone cleared the room except for the nurse and Andrew and I started pushing. Through all the contractions and pushing, Andrew was amazing. He helped me to relax and kept telling me how great I was doing. I pushed for about 1 hour 45 minutes when the baby's head started to crown. The nurse called my Dr., who thankfully was across the street. As soon as she got there, I pushed a few more times and at 5:35 pm Caden made his entrance into the word. He weighed 6 lbs, 4 ounces and measured 19 inches long. They immediately cleaned him off and laid him on my chest. I can't even describe the feeling I had when I saw him for the first time. He was perfect! We got to enjoy the first 45 minutes with just the three of us - our new family. Andrew and I were overwhelmed with the love we felt for our little guy. After 9 months of patiently waiting, we couldn't have more blessed! We are so thankful that Caden was born healthy and that I didn't experience any complications during the delivery.

After we had our bonding time with Caden, our family came into the room to meet him. The last person to enter the room was my dad. I was emotional when I saw him because I was so thankful he made it back in time to be there when he was born. It was so neat to watch everyone hold Caden and see him for the first time. We are so blessed to be surrounded by such amazing friends and family who love us and baby Caden so much. The rest of the stay in the hospital was pretty good. All the nurses were awesome and it helped that our room had an ocean view :) We got to go home on Thursday morning and we couldn't have been more excited to start our new life at home with Caden.

Caden is now a little over 2 weeks old and we love him so much! He has been such a great baby so far. We are just in awe of the miracle that God blessed us with and absolutely love being a mommy and daddy.

37 weeks

2011-06-27T15:12:00.000-07:00

{Just a quick pic of my belly at 37 weeks. }

Oh and on a side note...today is my last Monday in the office for 3 months!!! Woo Hoo!!

Nursery Pics

2011-06-27T12:57:00.000-07:00

So although Caden's nursery isn't completely done, I am posting a few pics of some of the elements we incorporated into our little man's room. Once it's finished (hopefully in the next few weeks) I will post some pics of the finished product. If anyone has any ideas on what else would go good with this stuff, please feel free to leave a comment! I can always appreciate some good decorating advice.

{I'm making roman shades similar to these}

{a print we ordered from Etsy - I adore it!}

{ Another print we ordered to go above the changing table - found here}

{A rug for in front of the crib - I found it online here}

{Caden's bedding - found here}

Our 2 Year Anniversary

2011-06-07T11:23:00.000-07:00

Yesterday, the hubby and I celebrated our 2 year anniversary. I can't believe that we have been married 2 years already! We have been together now for a total of 8 years and it has been the best 8 years ever! On our wedding day, I didn't think I could love him any more than I did at that moment - I was wrong. The more time we spend together and the more of life's ups and downs we share, the more I fall in love with him. He is hard working, supportive, kind, loving, and of course, incredibly handsome. He makes me strive to be a better person. He is my best friend and I can't imagine what my life would be like without him.

As we our approaching the last 5 weeks of my pregnancy, we are getting so excited to call each other mommy and daddy to baby Caden. I can only imagine how it's going to change our lives and strengthen our bond as a married couple. We know we won't always have all the answers, but we know we can get through anything together.

God has truly blessed me with such an amazing man and I couldn't be more thankful and proud to call him my husband.

Ryan and Cristina's Engagement

2011-06-03T18:00:00.000-07:00

A few weeks ago, my brother Ryan and his girlfriend Cristina got engaged! The four of us went to dinner and after we took a walk down by the funzone on Balboa. We walked out onto a dock, where Ryan got down on one knee and proposed. Cristina was totally surprised and since we were there, I captured some great pictures of the proposal on my camera. After, we surprised her again by bringing her back to our house where my family and a few friends were waiting with champagne and dessert.

We are sooo excited for the two of them and couldn't be happier to have Cristina officially join our family.

Mike & Kait get hitched

2011-05-02T10:55:00.001-07:00

On Saturday, we got to witness some of our closest friends tie the knot! Mike and Kait got married and held their reception at the Tustin Hills Racquet Club. The ceremony was held outside, and although it was pretty windy, it was beautiful! We have known Mike and Kait since high school and it has been so fun watching their relationship grow over the past 7 years. A lot of the guests at the wedding are past co-workers (now close friends) of mine and Andrew’s through Chicks Sporting Goods. It is such a fun group of friends and we had a blast celebrating with all of them. It was also nice going to a wedding as a guest and not having to work for a change! Caden definitely enjoyed the music as I could feel him kicking and squirming while I was on the dance floor. We ended the night with sparklers as the bride and groom made their grand exit.

The photographer already posted some of the images from their wedding and they are stunning! I can’t wait to see the rest of them. Congratulations Mike and Kait – We are so excited for you guys and can’t wait to watch your relationship grow as husband and wife. We love you both! Welcome to the married club!

**On a side note – we had to drive separately to the wedding so we ended up leaving Andrew’s car overnight (since he had a few drinks). Andrew said by to me this morning on his way out the door to work. A few moments later, he walked back in the house and said “Ummm…we forgot to go pick up my car yesterday”. HA! I can’t believe the whole day went by without either one of us remembering to get his car. I guess we were so sidetracked with laying out by the pool and having a yummy dinner in Laguna that we totally forgot! Ooops!

4D Ultrasound

2011-05-02T10:24:00.001-07:00

On Saturday morning, we had our 4D ultrasound - something we had been looking forward to for quite some time! My parents and Grandma were able to come with us. It was such a neat experience! We got to see some amazing images of baby Caden. It's truly a miracle to think that he is inside my belly. He had his hands in front of his face most of the time which was kind of a bummer but we still got some great pics! The ultrasound tech said he looked like he had pouty lips and chubby little cheeks! He also has the cutest little nose (from what we can see). It's amazing how much you can see at 29 weeks. I can't believe he will be here in 10 weeks. We are so excited to meet our little man!

Baby Caden

29 weeks

Babies are such blessings...my debit card disagrees

2011-04-13T10:13:00.000-07:00

So I thought since I'm having a boy, I would save a bunch of money on clothes and accessories that I would usually go crazy on for a little girl. WRONG! It's only 10:15am and my debit card has been ~~abused~~ used three times this morning on Etsy! But when you come across things like this adorable stitched hat, how can you not want to buy it? I can't wait to see little Caden with this bear hat on. Just 3 more months til my little guy arrives!!

Peyton Reese Johnson

2011-04-11T11:18:00.000-07:00

On April 4th, our close friends, Gigi and Josh, welcomed a little baby girl into the world. Peyton Reese Johnson weighed 7 lbs 13 oz and is absolutely precious! They sure surprised a lot of people since most of us were convinced Gigi was having a little boy! Jana and I went to the hospital the next day to visit the new family of 3. Peyton is so tiny and so beautiful! She looks a lot like her Mama but also has some of her Daddy's features. It was so neat to see them as parents for the first time. Gigi and Peyton are both healthy and Gigi is recovering well. Gigi told us the story of Peyton's birth and I couldn't help but think..."oh man...I have to do this in 3 months!" So exciting...but a little scary at the same time!

Congratulations Gigi and Josh - We are so excited for your new addition. You guys are going to be amazing parents to little Peyton. We love you guys!

{Oh - & we look forward to Caden and Peyton having many play dates together}

Baby C has a name...

2011-04-04T11:20:00.000-07:00

They say that "good things come to those who are patient". Well I don't know if I would use "patient" to describe myself over the past 6 months as we went through every baby name in the book (of 60,000 names I might add). To Andrew's defense, some of the names in that book were Nimrod, Sugar-Ray and Spyder. No offense to the author's of the Baby Name book - but seriously??? Spdyer Conners? Hey everyone, this is our precious baby boy - Spyder. Right..... So after narrowing it down, we finally decided on a name for our little guy! We went for a walk yesterday where Andrew decided to reveal his choice... His name is officially:

Caden James Conners

We also love CJ and Cade as nicknames for the little man. I am super excited that Andrew made this his first choice because it's the name I have been pulling for all along. I guess he just had to "sleep on it" for 6 months!! I'm so glad we can finally call Baby C by his name. We love him so much already and are counting down the days (102 to be exact) until he arrives!

Baby Steals

2011-03-15T14:06:00.000-07:00

Last week I got an email from my friend Jana about a Baby Steal that was too good to pass up! If you are a momma, or just like to shop for baby stuff (don’t laugh….that was me back in the day), you have to sign up for Baby Steals. They have the cutest stuff, not to mention great deals on clothing, baby gear, etc… Thursday’s steal was for this adorable tie by Taylor Joelle Designs. Of course, I had to order one for our little man. I got the blue and green striped one and I can’t wait to put Baby C in it! I also bought one for my girlfriend’s little guy so they can be twins!!

Do yourself a favor and go sign up now to get the next great Baby Steal!!

Cresa Vegas Trip 2011

2011-03-13T23:00:00.000-07:00

This weekend we went to Vegas with my company. Andrew and I felt like we had just finished unpacking and putting laundry away from our trip to Colorado when it was time to pack again. Of course this time around, the contents of our luggage were a little different! We stayed at Encore and were upgraded to a Suite courtesy of one of the guys I work for. They had a contest to win one of two suites, and when my boss won, he graciously decided to give it to Andrew and me! We were so excited!! We had dinner with everyone Friday night and spent the later part of the evening at the craps table. I was able to hang until 2am that night, which really surprised a lot of people – including myself! It’s not easy to stay awake late night when your 5 months prego and don’t have the help of alcohol! Saturday, we spent the day hanging with everyone by the pool – in our clothes of course (because there was no way I was getting into a bikini with this belly…or lack of a tan!) Then we had a company poker tournament where I must brag and say that I lasted much longer than Andrew. After, we had dinner just the two of us and then headed to XS where our company had two tables with bottle service – believe me, I took full advantage of the unlimited cranberry juice!! The next morning we packed up and headed home. We stopped for lunch at the famous In & Out in Barstow and were back home by 2:30pm.

Even though I didn’t drink at all, I still woke up this morning feeling “hung over”. I think the combination of late nights, loud music and cigar/cigarette smoke got the best of me and Baby C. All in all, it was a fun trip. It’s always fun to get away from the office and let loose in Vegas – and some people took full advantage of that opportunity. You know what they say though…”What happens in Vegas, stays in Vegas”. Although I’m pretty sure most of it will end up on Facebook.

Thanks Vegas for another great weekend. I’m kind of relieved to say that I won’t be seeing you again for a while… well at least until our September trip with the Harrelson & Johnson families. Although technically we will be 20 minutes outside of the strip and Baby C will be along for the ride – and this time he won’t be in my belly!!

{A few random pics from the weekend}

Our Colorado Trip

2011-03-08T17:10:00.000-08:00

Two weeks ago Andrew and I went to Colorado to visit our friends Morgan and Kristen. They just bought a house a month ago and we couldn’t wait to see it! We arrived on Thursday morning and jumped right into an action packed day. Morgan works for Kia, the official sponsor of the NBA, and every year he gets to play in a “Court of Dreams” game. A bunch of Kia employees play basketball against each other and get to play at the Denver Nuggets arena – wearing the official Nuggets jerseys (with their name on the back). They also had an official announcer, cheerleaders and coaches. This year since we were going to be visiting, Andrew got to play in the game with Morgan. He was super excited about it! Kristen and I sat in the first row and cheered for our guys. It was really neat to be in the arena and so close to the court. After the game, we went upstairs where they had dinner and drinks for us. Then we got to go back down to watch the Nuggets play the Celtics. We sat in the 5th row from the court, which were the best seats I’ve ever had at an NBA game! It was awesome to see players like Kevin Garnett, Paul Pierce and Ray Allen. I know basketball players are tall but it’s ridiculous how big they are when you’re 10 feet away from them!

Friday, we took a quick day trip to Boulder and had lunch at a cozy little tavern. We walked around a little bit, but it was snowing out and a little windy so we didn’t do much shopping. Later that night, our dear friends, the Sola family, drove up from Colorado Springs to visit with us. We got to hang out with the kiddos – who by the way, have been growing like weeds! They are so entertaining and it is so fun to have conversations with them as they are becoming little chatterboxes! That night, we had a sleepover with them – and the next morning, they went on their way to Denver to take the kids to the Children’s museum. I absolutely adore the Sola kids and was so glad they came to hang out with us – and their mommy and daddy!!

Saturday, the guys went snowboarding at Copper Mountain and since I’m prego and can’t snowboard, Kristen and I drove to Vail. We spent the afternoon having lunch and walking around the cute shops. It is a really neat little town! That night we stayed in and ordered Chinese food since the guys were too tired to go out. It was nice just relaxing and spending time with them.

Sunday, was an exciting day for the O’Malley’s. They had been talking for a while about adding another dog to their family but weren’t decided on what breed. Morgan wanted a Golden Retriever and Kristen wanted another Golden Doodle. We took a trip (a very long trip to the middle of nowhere) to the breeders to take a look at what she had available. They had made it clear that there was NO WAY they were coming home with a puppy that day – they just wanted to look. Well, we all know what happens when you “just look”. About 2 hours later, after much cuddling and debating, we were back in the car with a new member of the O’Malley crew – a Golden Retriever we collectively named Cooper. He is absolutely adorable! We enjoyed spending the remainder of our trip playing with the little guy and helping him get accustomed to his new home.

All in all, the trip was a blast!! We had so much fun hanging with good friends and enjoying some new sites. Thanks again to the Sola family for making the trip to hang with us. And thanks to the O’Malley’s for hosting us for the long weekend. We love you guys and are so excited about the home you’ve made in Colorado (but secretly can’t wait until you come back to California).

Another baby on the way...

2011-03-07T20:00:00.000-08:00

No I'm not having twins....trust me. I have asked, multiple times..."Are you sure there is only ONE in there?" But there is another baby on the way - one of my best friends, Jana, will be welcoming baby #2 in late October. Here is the funny story of how I found out:

A few weeks ago, I was picking up Jana to go to a friend's baby shower. I walked into their house and Jana pointed to her kitchen counter and said "Look what I did...aren't you proud?" (she was pointing to a display of Valentine's cupcakes and brownies that she had baked for the upcoming holiday). However, instead of noticing that, my eyes went directly to the pregnancy test sitting on the counter next to the cupcakes. I yelled "What is that??? Is that yours?" (duh Kym...who else's would it be?) Jana started laughing because she didn't realize she had left it on the counter. She had just taken the test earlier that morning and left it on the counter for when Brian came home and she forgot to hide it!!! Of course I freaked out and we both started dying laughing! I am so excited for their family and can't wait to find out if our little man is going to have a little buddy or little girlfriend to play with. They will only be 4 months apart!!"

Congratulations Harrelson family. You guys are amazing parents to little Hunter and we can't wait to watch your family grow by one more! (or maybe 2 - you never know...you could be the one having twins!)

{The proud daddy and big brother!}

Hudson's First Birthday...Elmo style

2011-03-07T11:30:00.000-08:00

Our good friends Blake and Casey celebrated their son Hudson's first birthday party this past week. (Hudson is also Andrew's godson) It seems like it was just yesterday that we were visiting them in the hospital to welcome little baby H into the world. It's amazing how fast babies grow into toddlers!

Hudson had his birthday party on Saturday afternoon at Lantern park in Dana Point and the weather couldn't have been more perfect! He had an Elmo themed party - which Casey made absolutely adorable! Daddy Blake fired up the BBQ and made yummy hamburgers and hot dogs. We got to watch Hudson smash his birthday cupcake and attempt to take a few bites (most of it got on the highchair). He opened all his presents with the help of his mama - he got so much cool stuff - including a monster truck car. We joked that one day Hudson and Baby C can go cruising for chicks together in it. All in all, the party was a lot of fun! Hudson did such a great job staying un-cranky considering he never got a nap.

Thanks to Blake, Casey and little H for inviting us to the party. We love you guys and can't wait to watch Hudson grow into a little man!

{Some pics of the party - notice how I made my first attempt in editing with Photo Shop. We are planning on buying a new camera sometime in the next month and I can't wait to learn some new shooting and editing techniques - especially before Baby C comes!}

Conners - Party of 3

2011-03-07T10:00:00.000-08:00

Ughhh…I hate this! Again, it’s been almost 5 months since I last updated our blog. Where has time gone? A lot has happened in the past 5 months and I mean a lot!

For starters, we are adding another member to our family and this time it’s not a puppy. That’s right – Conners, Party of 2, has officially become Conners, Party of 3! We found out last November, that I am pregnant and couldn’t be more excited! The third member of our family is set to arrive on July 15th, 2011. Here’s the journal entry from our baby website:

“November 2, was the day I found out our lives were about to change forever! I had already had a MAJOR suspicion that I might be pregnant. That whole week prior, I had been feeling really queasy. I also noticed that my sense of smell was out of control! At first, I thought it might all be in my head, and that I was trying to hard to look for signs that I could be pregnant. But after a whole week of symptoms that just wouldn't quit, I started to get that feeling that I had heard some of my girlfriends talk about - "Sometimes...you just know". I was really anxious to take a pregnancy test but I kept telling myself, I didn't want to take one too early and have it come back negative - because then I would have really been confused. But of course, my lack of patience got the best of me and I took a test on Saturday, Oct 30th, the morning before I was going to go coordinate a wedding. I took the test at my good friend Gigi's house and she warned me to prepare for anything! As we thought, it came back negative. I tried not to think about it because I knew there was a big chance that it was just too early and that I could still possibly be pregnant.

About 3 days later, I decided that it was time to take another test. I wasn't feeling that great so I left work early to meet Andrew at home. Together, we sat and waited a WHOLE 3 MINUTES before I ran back into the bathroom to check the window on the pregnancy test. It read "Pregnant"!! "See...I knew it!!! I'm not crazy!!!", I told Andrew, in between wiping tears from my eyes. He had a few tears as well amidst some laughter. I can't describe the feeling any better than pure joy and excitement! As much as I thought I could be pregnant, it wasn't real until that test said so. So many thoughts ran through my head that day and night but most of all, I continued to thank God throughout the day that he blessed us with a little one on the way! It is such a miracle and it continues to sink in each day that we are going to be someone's Mommy and Daddy in a matter of 9 months! We couldn't be more excited and look forward to sharing this experience with our friends and family.”

I am now almost 22 weeks along which is half way there! Oh and we are having a BOY! All of our Doctors’ appointments have confirmed that Baby C is healthy and progressing along just perfectly! We are calling him Baby C because we haven’t yet decided on his name. (Stay tuned). Surprisingly, these past 5 months have flown by. I guess it helps when you are busy with the holidays, work, weddings, and the like. I have been feeling really good lately and made some progress on Baby C’s nursery. I will post pictures once it’s complete! It has been so fun preparing for the arrival of our little guy. I have started to build his wardrobe with a few things that I just couldn’t pass up in the store.

All in all, we are so blessed to have a healthy baby thus far and we can’t wait to meet our little guy in a few short months. We know he will change our lives forever – in the best way possible! Thanks to everyone for all your continued love and support over the past year. We are so grateful to be surrounded with amazing family and friends and we know that Baby C will be one loved (and spoiled) kiddo!

{Some pics of my belly over the past 5 months}

13 weeks

15 weeks

17 weeks

19 weeks

20 weeks

a bunch of weddings, a new couch, and some other stuff...

2010-10-22T11:16:00.000-07:00

Ok - so I officially win the worst blogger EVER award! I have been super busy lately with weddings, work, soccer and meetings and have totally neglected the blog!! However, I have been updating my Kimberly Conners Events blog so check that out if you want to see what I have been up to lately in the wedding world. Besides the wedding stuff, I have been slowly working on getting my apartment ready for the holidays coming up...and I don't mean decorations.

For startersm, we FINALLY ordered our new couch!!! We have been in dire need of a new couch ever since our adorable ~~pain in the ass~~ boston terrier, Charlee completely destroyed ours! I must admit...when I first walked in the door and saw that she had chewed through the cushion and base of the couch, I yelled "Bad Girl!!!" and sent her to a "time out" in her crate (which lasted about 2 seconds because I felt so bad for yelling at her - I know, I know...bad mommy). But after looking on the bright side, I realized I should be thanking her because she just gave me an excuse to buy a new couch. Ok, so maybe I didn't need a good reason to spend an entire paycheck on a new piece of furniture, but my husband sure did. He didn't quite take my side when I made several previous attempts to say "You know what would really compliment those pillows I just bought is a brand new grey couch!", or "You know how we always want to lay next to each other while watching a movie, but we can't because this couch sucks! We should buy a new one!?!"

It was a little easier to say "So you know how your dog (of course it's his dog when she does something wrong) chewed up our couch and now it looks like it belongs in a frat house? Maybe its time to buy a new one?" Even though I had to say that every day for 2 weeks straight, he finally agreed! So we ordered our new couch and I can hardly wait until it's gets delivered!!

We also got our new headboard for our bed delivered a few weeks ago and I'm so happy with how it looks! Our bedroom is almost finished! As soon as our apartment looks somewhat close to how I picture it looking, I will post some pics.

On a happy note, I am getting busier and busier with my wedding coordinating business and have 5 weddings booked for next year so far! I'm so excited to see how my business will continue to grow over the next few years and hope that it will one day be a full time job! I am having so much fun with all my clients and I'm also developing some great friendships with some of the vendors in the wedding industry.

As for my better half - Andrew's job continues to be a struggle. Mainly for me....The drive to El Segundo is just ridiculous and takes up so much of his week that it's hard to have dinner together or do anything at night! On top of that, my patience has been more than tested with the promotion issue. He works his butt off and still awaits the much deserved promotion to a store manager. I know it will happen eventually, but I just wish it would happen sooner than later! So Mr. Dick (actually his name is Mr. Stack) if you just so happen to follow my blog, PLEASE promote my husband already!!

On a seperate note - With Thanksgiving coming up, I am reminded of just how blessed I am to be married to such an amazing guy and to have the best friends and family a girl could ask for! I also continue to be grateful for my good health and my job. I am looking forward to the upcoming holiday festivities and spending time with everyone I love the most! I am also really looking forward to the return of the Sola kiddos and my second husband, Kristy! I cant wait to see how much the kids have grown in the past 4 months.

In the mean time, I will try to get better about posting on this blog more often so that all two of you who read this, have something new to look at! :)

xoxo
Kimberly

{these pictures have nothing to do with anything except the fact

that they were taken this year and are some of my favorites}

Missing my little monkeys...

2010-08-17T16:32:00.000-07:00

{Missing these kids, and their mommy, like crazy!}

Counting down the days until they come home for Christmas!

On a positive note, I finally got my web-camera set-up so I can skype with the kids! I can't wait to see their adorable faces on Friday afternoon.

Love you Monkeys!!

xoxo

Priceless...

2010-08-02T10:41:00.000-07:00

Friday night, we went over to the Harrelson's house for dinner. We were excited to hang out with them and spend some time with little Hunter. He has grown so much in the past few months and has become so mobile! Andrew hadn't seen Hunter in a while so when we first walked in the door, he was surprised to see how much he had grown!

When Hunter was first born, he was so tiny and fragile that Andrew wasn't too sure he wanted to hold him (I think he had the same fear as most guys do with newborn babies). In the months that followed, he still wasn't too "hands-on" with the little guy. I would always say "Here Andrew...why don't you hold Hunter for a little while?" and Andrew would say "It's ok...You got him". To give him credit - Andrew has always been really good with kids, especially when it comes to his niece and nephew. But when it comes to the baby department...it seemed he needed a little work.

So fast forward back to Friday night...

I wanted to show Jana my new car. Since Bryan wasn't home yet, we couldn't leave Hunter with him while we took the car for a spin and we didn't want to go through all the trouble of putting his car seat in my car. So Andrew said (ever so confidently) "I'll watch him...you girls go ahead." So before he changed his mind, Jana and I scurried out the door to take the car around the block. I must admit, I kind of expected to walk back into the house to see Hunter crying hysterically and Andrew looking at us like "Ummmm...please take him back!" However, we walked in the house to see Hunter laughing and smiling as he climbed all over Andrew. Of course, I had to pull out my camera and get a picture of this priceless moment...

{priceless moment}

After having a yummy dinner, we sat outside in the backyard and talked over dessert (because ~~we have no self control~~ no dinner is complete without it). It was nice to spend some quality time with some of our favorite people!

J, B & little h - Thanks for having us over for dinner! And for letting Andrew prove to me that he is perfectly fine in the baby department - it just took a little time for him to get there.

{Some other pics from the night}

(no we are not wearing snuggies...we are wearing Bryan's sweatshirts to stay warm)

Molly & Ella's Birthday Party

2010-06-22T15:37:00.000-07:00

{Such a sweet picture}

{he could be in a catalog with this pose}

{Look at those baby blues!}

Although it stinks that Andrew has been working a lot and we don't get to spend as much time together as we would like, the upside to that is I get to spend a lot of time with my friends. One of my favorite families to hang out with is the Sola fam. Since Kristy is only here for a limited amount of time before packing up the kids and heading back to Colorado, I take full advantage of every opportunity I get to hang out with her and her adorable kids! This past Saturday was Kristy's nieces' birthday party. Ella and Molly celebrated their birthdays at Lake Mission Viejo and I was lucky enough to be invited.

About a month ago while hanging at Becca's house, Ella drew me a picture and said that it was my invitation to her upcoming birthday party. She even drew me a picture of the gift she wanted me to bring her...gotta love kids - and their lack of tact! Of course when someone invites me to a place where there will be a million little kids and babies, food, and birthday cake, I'm all in! We had a lot of fun watching the kids swim in the lake and playing water balloon toss (more like pick up a water balloon and throw it on the ground to watch it explode!) I had fun chasing the kids around and playing hide and go seek. Becca made the most adorable birthday cakes for the girls. She did such a great job putting the party together - its amazing what that girl can do being a mom of three! Everyone had a great time!

Molly Moo & Ella - thank you for inviting me to your birthday party! It's fun days like this that remind me how lucky I am to have such great friends - even friends that are 3 and 5!

Fathers Day

2010-06-22T15:10:00.000-07:00

{Some pics from Father's Day at Andrew's family brunch - I love these kids! (& my hubby too)}

Happy Birthday Avery

2010-06-10T10:14:00.001-07:00

June 3rd was my niece Avery's 9th birthday. Avery wanted to celebrate her birthday at Lake Mission Viejo on a party boat with 6 of her closest friends. Guess who was one of her friends?? Me!! I was so honored she chose me to be part of her birthday party celebration. My sister-in-law packed a lunch for all the girls and got us all goodie bags with a pair of flip flops and some candy. We cruised around the lake listening to Michael Jackson who is Avery's favorite artist! I never though hanging out with a bunch of nine years old could be so much fun!

I can't believe that Avery is a nine year old. I have known her since she was 2 years old and it has been so much fun watching her grow up. She is the sweetest girl and has such a funny personality. The best thing about her is that she absolutely adores her Auntie Kym. In fact, she insisted that there be an "Auntie Day" since we celebrate Mother's Day and Father's Day. Could she be any more adorable?? She has decided that Auntie day is June 19th. I am excited to see what she has planned for us! Avery and I have so much fun when we hang out, especially now that she is getting into shopping, pedicures and just hanging with the girls. It's kind of like having a little sister. She is always telling my that I'm her favorite Auntie - and of course I tell her that she is my favorite niece (even though she's my only niece).

I am so blessed to have married into such an amazing family. Not only do I adore Avery, but I also love Landon, Jeff and Erin. They have always made me feel like part of their family...even when we weren't sure if I would ever officially join! :) I love the Otsuji's and I can't wait until we have kids of our own because I know Avery and Landon will be the best cousins ever!

Happy Birthday Avery! We love you!

Happy Anniversary to us!

2010-06-02T17:37:00.000-07:00

Sunday, June 6th, Andrew and I will be celebrating our one year wedding anniversary (7 years that we’ve been together). I can’t believe that it’s already been one year since we got married! This past year has brought its share of ups and downs. They say your first year of marriage is often the “roughest” and it has definitely been one of the hardest years of my life. But not because of Andrew or our marriage…but because this year I experienced not only the best day of my life but two of the most difficult.

Looking back, getting married was one of the easiest and best decisions I've ever made! Our wedding day couldn’t have been more perfect because I got to marry my best friend and all of our favorite people got to celebrate with us! It was a party that we never wanted to end! We spent our first week as a married couple in Belize on our honeymoon and it was amazing! For one whole week, we got no phone calls, text messages or emails and we got to spend every minute of every day together. From the minute we arrived back to LAX our everyday life has been far from that. Between my full time job and wedding coordinating business and Andrew’s job at Dick’s Sporting Goods, it seems that one of us is always working in one way or another. We rarely get to hang out with each other for more than a few hours at a time which has been hard for the both of us. Not to mention, soon after our wedding we added a little girl to our family – a Boston Terrier we named Charlee. She has been such a joy in our lives and has taught us a lot about each other. It has taken a lot of hard work and patience but we both agree it’s been worth every minute!

When we exchanged vows on our wedding day we promised to laugh together and cry together. As cliché as that sounds, I didn’t expect to cry together so soon. Just 2 months after our wedding, my grandpa passed away. I hate replaying that night in my head when I first found out. I have never cried so much and so hard. I couldn’t believe how life could be so good and then in an instant, your world could seem flipped upside down. It was a rough time for my family, especially over the holidays. To make things worse, just 3 months later when things started to get better my boss and close friend Clint passed away. I couldn’t believe it was happening all over again. I know I wasn’t myself for a good part of this past year and I am so grateful to have such a wonderful husband who was there for me through all of it - even when I just needed to sit on the couch and be held while I cried.

Life has been crazy this past year, but when it comes down to it, we both agree on one thing - we love each other more than anything and are so blessed by God to have the life we have. We also agree that we need to try to slow down a bit, even if it means saying no to networking events, meetings, soccer games, or rounds of golf. We want to cherish the time we have with each other as much as possible before the babies come along and its no longer “Conners, party of two”. Thank you to everyone who has been there over the past year to help support us as a couple and as individually as friends.

Baby – I love you to the moon and back and can’t wait to see what the next year brings us. Thank you for making me “Mrs. Conners”. Happy Anniversary!

Forever,
your wifey
xoxo

Vacation with the Sola Family - sort of...

2010-04-27T10:18:00.000-07:00

About a month ago, I went to Colorado to visit Kristy and her adorable family. Her husband JJ was scheduled to be deployed the day after I arrived. To make things even crazier, her two boys were sick and her 2 month old daughter, Taytum, was really sick with RSV and was in the hospital. From the moment I stepped off the plane, things were hectic! I spent the first night at the hospital so that Kristy could enjoy her last night with her hubby and her two little boys. It was so sad to see Taytum hooked up to a breathing machine and laying on a hospital bed. She is so little! The following morning, JJ had to say his goodbyes. It was an emotional morning - to say the least!

Kristy and I didn’t get to hang out much the first two days since we had to take turns being at the hospital with Taytum and being at the house with the boys. I would make the boys lunch and put them down for a nap while Kristy stayed with Taytum at the hospital. Then I would watch Taytum while she went home to make the boys dinner and put them to bed. Then we would switch – she would sleep at the hospital while I slept at the house. Then the next day, we would start over again. Sheesh! I’m getting tired just thinking about it…. The day after JJ left, we were fortunate enough to bring Taytum home from the hospital. She had to be hooked up to an oxygen tank but at least we could all be together at the house. It was so nice to finally take showers and eat something other than cafeteria food! We spent a lot of time just playing with the boys and watching TV with them. I think I memorized a few episodes of Dora the Explorer thanks to Braylon. We had so much fun just talking and spending time together. Oooohh and we snuck in a few trips to Sonic to get cherry lime-aids!

As crazy and emotional as this trip was, I was so glad I could be there for Kristy and her family during such a difficult time. I can’t imagine what it must be like to have your husband leave for a year when you have three kids under the age of 3. But if anyone can do it, it’s Kristy! She’s such an amazing mom and wife. I have learned a lot from her over the past few years as I’ve watched Kristy raise her kids. She loves those kids more than anything and you can tell by watching them together, that they love her too! Oh and let’s not forget JJ – what he’s doing for his family and his country is amazing! Even though the kids are too little to know what’s going on, they will one day know how amazing and selfless their daddy is and how blessed they are to have such a wonderful role model.

Kristy - Thanks for letting me join in on the craziness for the week! I know it was hectic but it was still fun hanging with you and your precious family. I love you guys to pieces and will continue to pray for all of you! I look forward to hanging out with you while you are in California.

Love,
Monkey

{I’ll leave out the part where I got sick with the flu and was glued to the couch for an entire day. Oh and the part where my flight from Dallas back to Orange County was cancelled and I had to be re-routed to LAX where I arrived at 1:00am. Oh and the part where I had no luggage because it got lost in translation and didn’t arrive until the next day and I had to miss another day of work – but it was still worth every penny!}

Administrative Professional's Day

2010-04-21T13:48:00.000-07:00

Today is Administrative Professionals Day and almost my 4 year anniversary with CresaPartners. I have had several different bosses since I have first started this job and most recently I have come to love the guys I work for. Matt and Wes are two of the 6 guys I work for and they are constantly making me laugh - even when they are teasing me. Usually it is about them thinking I am pregnant. Anytime I am not feeling well, they think its because I have morning sickness. They are constantly asking what names I am thinking of or when my due date is. I don't know how long ago this joke started and I don't know why they get such a kick out of it. I don't think a week goes by that they don't bring it up. So for Admin appreciation day, I got cookies from one of my guys and a Nordstroms gift card from another. What do I get from Wes and Matt? A flower arrangement with the following note:

They said they tried to get me an "It's a Boy" balloon but they were all out. Thanks guys... I definitely feel the love....
{P.S. Next time you decide to tease me, at least spell "Congratulations" the right way...idiots.}

Kimberly Conners Events

2010-04-20T15:51:00.000-07:00

This has been a long time coming but I finally finished my new blog for Kimberly Conners Events. You can check it out at http://www.kimberlyconnersevents.com/blog. I am still working on my website but it should be done soon - so keep checking back! Also, I love reading your comments so if you have something to say - please say it! :)

For those of you who don't know, I have started my own wedding and event coordinating company. I have been working as a coordinator for the past 3 years. I started as an assistant for Charming Events, working for Michelle Tortuya. We worked on over 20 weddings together at many different venues. I learned so much from her and she helped me build the confidence I needed to go on my own.

I absolutely love my job and I feel like I was meant to do this! I love getting referrals from friends and family so if you know someone who is getting married or throwing a shower or big birthday bash, please send them my way! I would be super grateful!

{Thanks for all your support!}

Quote of the Day...

2010-04-07T13:11:00.000-07:00

{"God bless husbands, with decorating obsessed wives!"}

While browsing a favorite blog of mine, I came across this quote by Shelley Smith of House of Smiths. I laughed out loud because Andrew is always giving me a hard time about how obsessed I am with decorating! I am always looking through design magazines and browsing blogs to come up with new ideas to decorate our apartment or new ideas for DIY projects. Oh - and did you catch that? I said Apartment!! Lord knows when we finally make the big move to an actual house, he is going to experience a whole new level of obsessed!

Does this quote come stitched on a pillow somewhere? Because....I would order it. Seriously!

And while we are on the subject, here are a few pictures I recently found for inspiration/ideas on how to use my favorite color - blue - in a kicthen!

{Beautiful backsplash}

{Love this island!}

{Love the ideas of colored cabinets - just not with this flooring}

I'm so excited!

2010-04-05T21:21:00.000-07:00

Tonight I met with Libby, who contacted me a few weeks ago about her upcoming wedding on May 22nd, at Talega Golf Club in San Clemente. She brought along her mom and her fiance, Chris - who gets major points for coming to the meeting (it's not often I get to meet the groom at the first meeting). We discussed her wedding details and I can honestly say that I am so excited about this wedding! When Libby mentioned her idea to do a candy buffet - I knew we were meant to work together! I also was stoked to learn that she had booked my favorite florist - Aly with The Vine's Leaf. Aly and I have worked on several weddings together and I can't wait to see the amazing flowers she picks for this one. I don't want to give to much away but I can say this - the bridal party is HUGE! They have 10 bridesmaids and 11 groomsmen , which can only mean one thing - a kick butt party at the reception!

Libby - Thanks for trusting me with your big day! Oh and did I mentioned that I am excited?

{Also, a big thanks to Cristina, my brother's girlfriend (and one of my good friends) for referring Libby to me.}

(image courtesy of flicker)

Briana & Chuck - March 6, 2010

2010-04-05T21:05:00.000-07:00

“Dear God…Please don’t make it rain today so that Briana and Chuck can have a beautiful wedding ceremony outside. Thank you.”

That was my first thought when I woke up on Saturday, March 6th. I knew that the weather called for a 90% chance of rain but I thought I’d pray one last time. As I made by way up to the Doubletree, San Pedro, it seemed like the weather, and God, were going to cooperate. I had been looking forward to this wedding for a long time!

Briana and I first met 4 years ago when I started my job at CresaPartners. When she asked me to help her coordinate her wedding, I couldn't have been more excited! Our first major planning decision was her wedding colors – Tiffany Blue and Red! I have to admit that I got a lot of strange looks when telling people about these colors. “Just wait!” I would tell them. “It’s going to be awesome!” Briana has such a free spirit about her and this wedding was a true reflection of her personality. She chose to incorporate love birds as part of the wedding design – from the save-the-date cards and invitations to the table numbers and seating chart – no detail was left unplanned. She chose white chair covers with Tiffany blue organza sashes. She also chose to do a candy buffet as the favors. Her sister-in-law, Tara, did an amazing job putting it all together!

Unfortunately, no amount of praying kept the rain away that evening and we had to move the ceremony inside. We were so bummed that we couldn't have it outside like we had planned. However, when I saw the faces of the guests as they walked into the reception room, I was floored! People kept saying how stunning the room looked and how much they loved the colors together. The up-lighting, the amazing centerpieces, and the beautiful gobo-light helped make the room come alive. It was just how Briana had envisioned it! The rest of the night was filled with heartfelt toasts, yummy food and some hilarious dancing! It was so awesome to watch two people, who were so obviously meant for each other, celebrate their wedding. They both have such wonderful families and friends and there was no shortage of laughter and hugs as they celebrated their two families coming together.

Briana and Chuck - You two definitely know how to party! Thank you so much for letting me be a part of your special day! I wish you both nothing but the best as husband and wife!

{Thanks to the following vendors for your amazing work!}

Aly Morford, The Vines Leaf
Joe Rosenberger, Today's the Day Weddings
Joseph, Invisible Touch
Susan Sabo, Susan Sabo Photography
Laura Lovato, Doubletree, San Pedro
Donna Badger-Nell, Invitations Unlimited
Von Stegall, DVS Mobile DJ Service
Nevada Prewitt, Officiant

Pictures to be posted soon...

In the mean time, the beautiful bride.

I'm in Love...

2010-04-05T10:33:00.000-07:00

So this morning, I was checking my usual favorite blogs, when I stumbled upon this post. I am absolutely in LOVE with these roman shades! Aren't they amazing? I can just picture them in my dining room. I already have blue as the main color in my house so I think these would be perfect! I think I just found my next DIY project. Now I just need to start hunting for this fabric....

More pics of Baby Hudson

2010-03-11T12:10:00.000-08:00

The other night, we had dinner with Blake and Casey at their house. We got to see little Hudson again now that he is home from the hospital. He is so adorable! He slept most of the time we were there but he is such an angel! I just can't get enough of his chubby cheeks! There will be many more fun times ahead with this little guy, also now officially Andrew's godson.

Welcome Baby Hudson

2010-03-03T09:07:00.000-08:00

Monday, around 11:15am, baby Hudson Andrew was born. The proud Mommy and Daddy are Blake and Casey - who recently got engaged and are getting married in 2011. Andrew and I have been friends with Blake since Freshmen year of high school and have had so many fun times together. He was also a groomsmen in our wedding. We love Blake and he has been such an amazing friend to both of us over the years. He started dating Casey about 6 years ago and we fell in love with her too. They are perfect for each other and we have so much fun hanging out with the two of them. We visited them at the hospital last night and both of us got to hold little Hudson. However, I must say, he is by no means little - he weighed 10 pounds 1 oz at birth!!! Casey tried to deliver him naturally, but ended up having a c-section - I don't blame her! He is a beautiful baby and looks just like his mommy and daddy!

Congratulations Blake and Casey. You two are going to be awesome parents. We are so excited for you both and can't wait to watch little Hudson grow up.

(I only got a few pictures because Blake took the rest of them on his camera - including a video of his Auntie Kym holding Hudson for the first time)

Hudson in his little bear outfit - so precious!

Hudson with Uncle Andrew

Weekend with the Kids

2010-02-17T10:46:00.001-08:00

This past weekend, we had Avery and Landon stay with us since Jeff and Erin went out of town to celebrate Erin's birthday. We always love having the kids with us, especially since they are so well behaved!

Friday afternoon, I took Avery to get a pedicure/manicure while Andrew took Landon to the dog park to play with Charlee. Avery had so much sitting next to me in the message chair while getting her toes painted. Later that night, we went to dinner at our favorite Thai restaurant -these kids are not your average macaroni & cheese and hot dog kids - they are such good eaters! After dinner, we went bowling. The kids had a blast! It was fun for Andrew and I too since we don't bowl very often. The kids were so funny to watch. Landon would get a huge running start and then when he got to the line, he would throw his ball as hard as he could and we would all watch as it slowly (and I mean slowly) made its way down the lane. He would get so excited when he knocked a pin down! It was so cute!

After bowling, we took them home and gave them their baths. Then I read a few bible stories to them and they were off to bed! They wanted to sleep with Charlee but she was way too excited to settle down and sleep with them. All she wanted to do was lick Landon's ear. The next morning, I took Avery to her soccer game - she scored two goals and her team won 6-0! I must have been good luck because they never score that many goals. After her game, we had lunch at our -I mean my - favorite place, Bagels & Brew. Then I took them to sno-on-the-go, which is the best place ever! If you haven't yet been there - you must go ASAP! It's off Jeronimo/Los Alisos across from the new Sonic. It's this little house in the middle of the shopping center where they make amazing sno-cones (like the shaved ice in Hawaii) and stuff the middle with soft serve vanilla ice cream! It is so yummy - and of the course the kids loved it!

At the end of the day, I dropped them off at Andrew's mom's house, where they were staying for the remainder of the weekend. As much fun as I had with them, I was so exhausted! It definitely gave me a little taste of what it will be like when I have kids. So much work - but worth every minute!

Avery and Landon - Thanks for staying with us for the weekend. We love you guys so much and are so lucky to be your Auntie and Uncle!

Come back soon... xoxo

Taytum Faith Sola

2010-01-29T10:06:00.001-08:00

This morning at 12:22am, one of my closest friends Kristy, had her baby girl -Taytum Faith Sola. I saw this picture message on my phone this morning and was so excited! Both baby and mommy are healthy and doing great! I am so excited for the Sola family - now a family of 5! They were so stoked when they found out they were having a little girl, since they already have 2 boys (Braylon - 2 and Jaxten - 1). That little girl is going to be absolutely adored by her 2 big brothers.

Congratulations Sola Family. She's beautiful! I can't wait to meet your little girl!

All Mine!

2010-01-28T12:00:00.000-08:00

Yesterday, we found out that one of our favorite home decor stores, Homeology, is going out of business. I am so sad because our long time family friend is the owner and I just adore all the things they have in their shop.

I have been in the market now for a while for a chandelier for either our dining room or our second bedroom. I have searched far and wide and just couldn't find what I was looking for. Either it was perfect - but too expensive, or affordable - but Ugly! We were at Homeology last Saturday and I came across a beautiful white chandelier that I fell in love with! I could just picture it hanging above our dining room table, or hanging in our second bedroom above my desk. (I also secretly pictured it some day hanging in a little girl's bedroom). However, no surprise, the price tag was more than I wanted to pay - $130.00. So I said my goodbye's and parted ways...

Then I heard that the store was closing and everything was going to be marked down to 50% off! As sad as I am that they are going out of business, I was so excited because now I can feel better (my husband won't beat me) about buying the "once too expensive" chandelier for my house! Yeah!!! Today is the first day of the sale, so I sent my mom in since the store is open from 11-5 and I inconveniently work from 9-6 (I swear - work gets in the way of everything!). She sent me a picture message when she got there to make sure I still wanted it - like I forgot what it looked like - silly mom. She said I had to decide quick because another lady was looking at buying it. I think I set the record for fastest text message when I replied back to her "BUY IT NOW!"

So moral of the story - the beautiful white chandelier is ALL MINE! I can't wait to get home and tell Andrew that I have a new project for him.

(Don't worry Mom - I was only half way kidding that Andrew would beat me)

Ta Da!!

I'm in love...

2010-01-11T09:51:00.001-08:00

While browsing some decorating sites, I came across this amazing site - Ballard Designs. I was looking at their bedroom furniture and fell in love with this headboard! It's awesome because you can custom order it in any size and fabric you want. You can even send them your own fabric and have them make it for you. I am thinking since my bedding is a light grey color, I will go with some shade of white or off-white for mine. Or if I get brave enough, I might go for a print of some sort. It's not the cheapest headboard I've come across, but it would totally be worth it!

Now if only I can convince my husband to let me spend his fantasy football winnings on this devine piece of furniture...I just have to have it!

New Year = New Projects

2010-01-07T14:29:00.000-08:00

So another year has come and gone. I can't believe its 2010! Where has the time gone??

Andrew and I have been married now for 7 months and still don't have a grown-up looking bedroom! I get so frustrated everytime I walk into our room because its nothing like what I want it to be. I have so many ideas yet don't have the extra money lying around to put those ideas into action! So what does this mean for our poor college-dorm like bedroom? It means I have to be creative and thrifty to transform our bedroom into something worth getting excited about! Since I already have a creative side to me, I am half way there! I figure I just need to work on the being thrifty part, which is easier said then done.

Lately, I have been on a major "antiquing" and "rehabbing old furniture" kick. I find myself spending all my free time looking up pictures of junk that people have transformed into beautiful pieces of furniture. I have recently come across a blog called "Centsational Girl" which I instantly fell in love with. This woman is amazing! She has inspired me to start finding things in thrift stores and flea markets instead of Z-Gallery and Pottery Barn. I can now look at old peices of furniture and see something so much greater. I have so many ideas flowing through my head, I am tempted to ditch work (I feel a stomach ache coming on) and drive to the nearest thrift store to start hunting!

Ok, ok... so I am stuck at work 'til 6 pm. But when 6:00 hits, I'm outta here and off to purchase my first find. I was checking out craigs list when I came across this -

To the old Kym, it simply looks like a crappy old, ugly colored bench. To the new Kym, it looks like a bench that is crying "With a little new paint, some new fabric and some cute buttons, this could be a beautiful addition to the foot of our bed". So thats exactly what I'm doing. I am going to paint the legs either white or black (haven't decided yet) and find some pretty fabric to recover the bench. I think I will give it a "tufted" look while I'm at it. Below is a picture of a bench I found that costs $300!

Who would ever spend that kind of money? Not the new and improved Kym - that's for sure! I'm going to get my fixer-upper for a whopping $25! I can't wait to see how it turns out. (I will post a picture once its finished)

Here are some other ideas I have after being inspired by Centsational Girl!

Before:

After:

Wish me luck!

(images courtesy of http://www.centsationalgirl.com/)

Doesn't Get Much Cuter Than This...

2010-01-04T15:21:00.000-08:00

I was looking through some old pictures and came across this one of Braylon when he was a little guy (which seems like yesterday). I can't believe how much he has grown over the past few years.

This second pic is from a few months ago when Kristy and I were shopping at the mall and Braylon decided it would be fun to put a bunch of girls thongs around his neck. I think he had about 16 thongs on at one point! So precious...I just had to take a pic!

I wish the Sola family lived closer so I could play with my little buddy more often (and Jax too). We miss you guys. Can't wait until I come visit in April! xoxo

Me and my best buddies

2009-12-30T15:41:00.000-08:00

Hanging out with my adorable neice and nephew. I just love them to pieces!

(Notice Avery's gingerbread man tattoo on her arm - we took family pictures earlier that day and the photographer was like "Um, yeah we are going to have to cover up your tattoo young lady"...too funny!!)

San Francisco Get Away

2009-12-22T11:01:00.000-08:00

Last week, one of my best friends, Nicole, and I took a girls trip to San Francisco. We left on Saturday morning and arrived early that afternoon. We stayed with Nicole's old college roommate (Shauna) for the first two nights of our stay. On Saturday night, we went to a restaurant called Zuni, where Shauna's good friend is a pastry chef. She hooked us up with some desserts that were delicious! After dinner, we went to a little wine bar to hang out and chat. Sunday, Shauna took us to Union Street where we did what Nicole and I do best...SHOP! We both got a cute pair of boots and got a little bit of christmas shopping done as well.

The next day, we packed up all our stuff and moved across town to my cousin Carly's dorm at University of San Francisco, where we stayed for the next two nights. Our first stop with her was Haight and Ashbury where we had breakfast at a cute little cafe. Later that day, we did some more shopping down at Union Square. It definitely felt like Christmas since there were so many people out and all the pretty christmas decorations were up. That night we found a cozy little Thai restaurant to have dinner and the food was amazing! On Tuesday, we took the ferry to Sausalito - a cute little town across the Golden Gate Bridge. We walked around and did even more christmas shopping. (As you can tell, the overall theme of this trip was shopping and eating!) We ate at a restaurant right on the water where you could see all of San Francisco. We watched the sunset and the view was incredible! When we got back to Carly's dorm, we cuddled up and watched a movie, another one of our favorite things to do. It was definitely an experience for Nicole and I to be staying in a dorm since neither of us lived in the dorms when we were at UCSB. It was weird having to use a key to go to the bathroom and having to wear flip flops in the showers.

All in all, the trip was just what Nicole and I needed - to get away from everything for a few days and de-stress! These last few months have been difficult for us - My grandfather and close friend both passed away and Nicole's grandfather passed away as well. Hopefully 2010 will be a better year for both of us.

Nic - Thanks for being my travel buddy...we always have the best time together and I cherish each and every minute of it! I can't wait until our next girls trip together. xoxo

Cresa Christmas Partys

2009-12-21T13:59:00.000-08:00

Wes and Carson - he is the happiest baby ever!

Avery and Landon with Santa

The Johnsons and me

The Harrelsons

Amber and me -She is the best cubicle buddy ever!

Some of my awesome co-workers

We had our annual kid's Christmas Party at the office last Thursday, which is something we always look forward to. We have some of the cutest kids in our office! We had Santa come and handed out presents for all the kids. My sister-in-law came with my niece and nephew and they had a blast! It was so fun to watch all the little kids running around the office with their new toys.

We also had our annual company christmas party at Morton's on Saturday night. Unofrtunately, Andrew couldn't go because he had to work...I was super bummed! But I got to sit at a table with Jana and Brian and Gigi and Josh, so it was fun to hang out together. It is so nice to work for such a wonderful company and I definitely feel blessed to be a part of it. Hopefully we will have a prosperous 2010...and maybe even a trip to Vegas if we are really lucky!

Welcome baby Hunter

2009-12-21T13:56:00.000-08:00

We have been waiting very impatiently for baby Hunter's arrival for the last 10 months, so when Jana's due date of November 28th came and went, we were that much more antsy to meet the little guy! We had our annual girl's christmas party at my house on Friday night where we all got together to eat yummy food and spend some quality girl time. We were hoping that Jana was going to come with a baby but since he was "past due" she came with him still in her belly. We were just finishing up eating when Jana got up to get some more to drink and announced that her water had just broke on my kitchen floor! We all jumped out of our seats and ran to the bathroom. Everyone was talking at once and trying to figure out what to do next. We got Jana in the car and drove her home to meet Brian (her husband). They took off to the hospital where Jana spent the next 16 hours waiting for Baby Hunter to come. She ended up having a C-Section, since Hunter was a big baby and they were eager to get him out. He was born around 1:30pm and weighed 8 lbs 15 oz. Unfortunately, I couldn't get to the hospital until the next day because I was in Long Beach all day and night for a Christmas parade. So yesterday, we went to visit the Harrelson family and we finally got to meet little Hunter Thomas. He was perfect! He is such a beautiful baby and looks like his daddy. Jana and Brian are so excited to finally welcome the little guy to the family.

Hunter - you definitely made quite the entrance. It's not everyday that someone's water breaks on your kitchen floor - and quite frankly, I'm honored! Congratulations mommy and daddy. You two are going to be such great parents. I can't wait to watch him grow up. xoxo

Jana's Baby Shower

2009-12-21T13:45:00.000-08:00

Let me start by saying that this post is a way over due!

On Saturday, October 17th, I threw a baby shower for one of my closest friends, Jana. She was due on November 28th, and had a baby boy - Hunter Thomas Harrelson. When she first told me I could help her cousin throw a shower for her, I was so excited! Usually, I am busy coordinating and planning weddings for people, so I was ready for a new challenge. Not to mention, I am always looking at cute stuff for baby showers, just in case I get the chance to throw one. Well, here was my chance!

Jana and her husband Brian, decided on a Kansas City Cheifs (football) theme for baby Hunter's nursery...which was obviously Brian's fabulous idea. I knew Jana was bummed that she couldn't do her baby blue, white and brown nursery so I appropriately decided to make that the theme of the shower. So everything, and I mean everything, had to be baby blue, white and brown.

Since I'm all about details, I had a lot of ideas for decorations. I made Jana a banner that said "Hunter" which hung over a clothesline of baby clothes...all blue, white and brown of course. The centerpieces were white diapers rolled up and tied with blue and brown ribbon. All the plates, tablecloths, napkins, cups and silverware were baby blue, white and brown.

One of my favorite projects for this shower was a "candy bar". I had all the candy jars and scoops leftover from my wedding so I decided it would be fun to have a candy buffet for the shower favors - especially since the mom-to-be loves sweets! I got all baby blue, white and brown colored candies - and of course, Junior Mints - Jana's favorite! I made little tags for all the candy jars and we set it up on the counter in the kitchen. It was a major hit!

We set-up a drink station of water, soda, lemonade and sangria. The food table included pasta salad, a walnut/strawberry green salad, artichoke dip, sandwiches and a fruit salad. And for dessert, we made cupcakes with blue and white frosting and brown sprinkles. I also ordered the most adorable hand-made cupcake toppers from Etsy.

All in all, the shower was a big success. Jana was so happy with how everything turned out and loved all the little details. We had about 40 of Jana's closest friend and family at the shower. It was so fun to meet some of her extended family that had traveled from Missouri. You could tell that Jana is so loved and that Hunter will be one spoiled little baby!

Jana - I know I've told you this a bunch of times, but you and Brian are going to be amazing parents! Baby Hunter is so lucky to have you both as his mommy and daddy! Thanks for letting me be part of this experience.

I love you both...

xoxo

Also - a big thanks to Nicole and Gigi for taking pictures all day. We had over 250 of them! Love you girls...

Belmont Shore Christmas Parade

2009-12-08T17:12:00.000-08:00

On Saturday, I took Avery and Landon to the Belmont Shore Christmas Parade. We went with Nicole and her family - they go every year as a family tradition. We had a blast! When we got there, it was really cold and I was a little worried that the kids would be cold and miserable. But once we put down our blanket and chairs and got settled, it seemed to warm up a little. I think because there was so many people! We got to sit in the front row of the parade which was so fun for the kids. We ordered pizza for dinner and sipped on hot chocolate for dessert. The kids had so much fun watching all the high school bands, dance groups, and different kinds of cars. There was even a truck that came by shooting out fake snow...the kids went crazy for that! We will definitely be coming back to this parade next year. Thanks for inviting us Nic - we had an awesome time with you and your family!

I'm going to miss you...

2009-12-01T16:02:00.000-08:00

On Thanksgiving morning, one of my close friends and boss, Clint Hubbard, passed away in a tragic accident. He was leaving a bar on Wednesday night, and was in an altercation with a couple that was walking to their car. He got punched in the face - one time - and that one punch, bursted a blood vessel in his head and he was left brain dead. His family took him off life support on Saturday, after donating all of his organs. Clint was an amazing boss and and an even better friend. I had the pleasure of working for him the past 2 and 1/2 years as his assistant. He made work so much more enjoyable for me. He was always making everyone around him smile and had such a contagious laugh. He treated me like a little sister, which of course meant that he teased me all the time. But he also looked out for me and always made me feel appreciated. He would always joke about giving me weekly "bonuses" for all my hard work - which were usually nothing more than a paper clip or a nickel that he would throw at me from across his office. He would often take Amber and I out to lunch to California Fish Kitchen and we would have a great time just hanging out and talking.

Today was the first day back to work since the Thanksgiving break. Staring at his empty office across from me, absolutely breaks my heart. I so badly want him to walk around the corner and for this all to be a big joke. Amber and I, and some of Clint's closest friends, went to California Fish Kitchen today to eat lunch together in memory of Clint. It definitely wasn't the same without him.

Clint - We had such a special friendship and I am going to miss you so much! You were way too young and had such a bright future ahead of you. You brightened my day and made my job so much more fun. I will miss the paper clips and coins that you threw at me more than you know. This office will never be the same without you. I know you are in a better place now and I hope you can look down on us and know how dearly you will be missed by everyone. We love you and will never forget you!

Love,
Kimberly "aka - Michael Johnson"

Genius!!

2009-11-06T10:07:00.000-08:00

So I was looking at some of my friends' blogs this morning and came accross this amazing picture on Megan Spiers' blog. This is pure Genius! If only I had thought of this during my college years at UCSB!! I mean who wouldn't want a gallon of diet coke straight to the dome? Beer is so overrated anyways...

Happy Friday!

Happy Birthday Grandpa

2009-11-04T17:25:00.000-08:00

My grandpa and I - I was probably 12 years old

My grandpa and I dancing at my wedding

Today is my Grandpa's 77th birthday. Sadly, he passed away just under 3 months ago in a boating accident while visiting family in Alaska. These past few months have been very hard for me. There are many moments when it suddenly hits me that he's gone...

Being the oldest grandchild, I was fortunate enough to have him in my life for 26 years. He was the best Grandpa a girl could have! He was such a big part of my life growing up. He always made it to all my soccer games, ballet recitals, award ceremonies, birthday parties, and any other important moments in my life. He had such a great sense of humor and was always telling stories and making me laugh. He lived such an amazing life and devoted so much of his time to serve the Lord and help others in need. He was such a good role model to my brothers on how to be a good father and grandfather.

The hardest part of losing him is knowing that he won't be around to see my kids. I wish so bad that my kids could have the chance to meet him and know how special he was to all of us. He would have been an amazing great-grandpa!

Since this tragedy happened, I have been reminded not to take my family (or anything in life) for granted. More than ever, I have realized how important family is and to enjoy every moment you have with them becuase you never know when it will be your last.

I miss you more than you know Grandpa - Happy Birthday!

Love,
your grandaughter
xoxo

Charlee

2009-10-30T09:32:00.000-07:00

This is what I saw when I came out of the shower yesterday morning. Charlee had crawled to the foot of the bed becuase she wanted to be cozy under the covers. When she heard me get out of the shower, she poked her head out to watch me get ready. I just couldn't help but get a picture. So cute...

PS. Don't pay attention to the matress...all of our new bedding from the wedding is king size and we are still waiting to get our new bed! So ugly, I know!

Pretty Girl

2009-10-28T22:38:00.000-07:00

Before I had a dog of my own, I would always make fun of the people who would dress up their dogs and take them out in public. I hate it even more when I see women pushing their dog in a stroller around the lake or at Fashion Island. What the heck is that about?? I mean seriously - stop torturing your dogs and wait until you have kids to play dress up and push them in strollers!

Then I got a dog...

And since Halloween is here, I just had to get Charlee a Halloween costume. I didn't stop there. We also got her this adorable little bandana - which she happily wears around the house. She looks so cute with it on! She even let me get some pictures of her in it. Thanks for being a good model Charlee.

P.S. I will never be the mom that puts you in a doggy stroller!

Blake and Casey's Halloween Party

2009-10-26T11:59:00.000-07:00

Me and the convict - aka Frank

Me and Clark Kent - aka Kody

The hosts - Blake and Casey

Me and Sexy Football Player - aka Nicole

Sexy Cop - aka my soccer friend Kelly

Nicole and Rebecca

The contest winners - Kody and Nicole

Saturday night, our friends Blake & Casey threw a Halloween Party. Andrew had to work so I went with Nicole and Rebecca. All three of us dressed up...I was a Flapper, Nicole was a 50's girl and Rebecca was Sandy from Grease. When we got to the party, we were surprised at how scandelous some of the girl's costumes were! They had a contest for best costume and sexiest costume...obviously, the three of us girls didn't stand a chance against sexy cop, sexy race car driver and sexy football player! Blake and Casey had trophies made for the winners...they were so cute!

The rest of the night, we mingled with some old friends and ate yummy Halloween cupcakes that Casey made. It was a fun party and I'm glad I got a chance to dress up. I really liked my costume this year and I think I will wear it again next year!

I'm looking forward to Halloween this Saturday when we go trick-or-treating with our neice and nephew. Even little Charlee will have a costume. I will be sure to post pictures of that...it will be interesting to see how long she will stay in her costume.

Over the Top

2009-10-12T09:25:00.000-07:00

I was reading my friend Kristy's blog this morning and noticed that she picked me as one of her top 6 favorite blogs to read! So I had to answer the following questions:

1. Where is your cell phone... on my desk

2. Your hair... needs a change!

3. Your mother... is one of the sweetest people I know

4. Your father... always knows how to make me laugh

5. Your favorite food... Italian

6. Your dream from last night... can't remember

7. Your favorite drink... Diet coke

8. Your dream/goal... to be able to stay home with my kids and also being an event coordinator part time

9. What room are you in... 5th floor at my work...wishing I was in my bedroom sleeping

10. What is your hobby... wedding coordinating and scrapbooking

11. What is your fear... losing my husband

12. Where do you want to be in 6 years... living in a house somewhere with my hubby and, hopefully, 2 kids

13. Where were you last night... at home watching a movie and hanging with my dog

14. Something you are not... good at saving money

15. Muffins?... zucchini walnut from Starbucks are the best!

16. Wish List items... a house cause I'm sick of apartment living

17. Where did you grow up... Orange/Mission Viejo

18. Last thing you did... went downstairs with Claudia to get a latte

19. What are you wearing... dress pants, a black tank top, a black jacket and black heels

20. Your TV.... is how I relax when I'm exhausted

21. Your pets... are a pain in the butt sometimes but worth it!

22. Your friends... are the best a girl could have

23. Your life... is pretty amazing. I feel blessed.

24. Your mood... tired. I hate Mondays

25. Missing someone... my Grandpa

26. Vehicle... just got a car wash, and now its starting to rain! I hate when that happens...

27. Something your not wearing... socks

28. Your favorite store... Target...Forever 21 is a close 2nd

29. Your favorite color... is turquoise (at least for right now)

30. When's the last time you laughed... about 10 minutes ago

31. When's the last time you cried... a week ago, like I said, I miss my Grandpa

32. Your best friend... there is more than one

33. One place you go over and over...Starbucks

34. One person who emails me regularly... my mom

35. Favorite place to eat?... Bagels N' Brew

Thanks for tagging my Kristy - I promise to do better at updating my blog so it is more deserving of this award!

26th Birthday in Colorado

2009-09-14T17:31:00.000-07:00

Last week, I went to visit some friends in Colorado. My first stop was to see this beautiful family, the Solas. I was so excited to see them and couldn't wait to play with the boys. I got there late on Wednesday night after the boys had already gone to sleep. Kristy and I sat on the couch and talked until were both struggling to keep our eyes open. The next morning (on my birthday) I woke up to the sounds of Jaxten and Braylon playing in the living room...even though it was early, I couldn't wait to go downstairs! They were a little shy at first, but after sharing some of my cereal with me, we were best buds! Kristy and I took them to the park and captured some great pictures of them playing! It was so fun to swing with them...I haven't done that in a long time! Later that day, JJ and Kristy took me out to dinner at Chilis for my birthday. It was so funny watching Jaxten try to eat everything in site! After dinner, JJ drove me onto base, so I could see where he worked. It was really pretty!

Later that night, we sat around and watched the boys play and Kristy and I sat on the couch and talked...it was so relaxing! Once the boys were in bed, we made a late night run to Sonic so Kristy could experience Cherry Lime-aids for the first time. I think I got her hooked! The next morning, I had to leave. I was sad to leave them...but I am so glad I was able to spend my birthday with some of my favorite people. I already miss waking up to Braylon and Jaxten's smiling faces...even if it was at 7:00 in the morning.

Love you guys...xoxo

More pics to come of the rest of my trip in Colorado...

K and K Quality time

2009-08-11T21:19:00.000-07:00

Tonight I got to hang with my close friend Kristy and her two little boys...Braylon and Jaxten. Kristy and I have been friends since Junior year of high school. We have had a lot of fun times together...vacationing with my family in Palm Springs, trips to San Diego, off roading in her truck, teaching me how to surf, working at KEGS...and many more. Things have definitely changed a lot in the last 10 years. Both of us are married now and she has two little boys and a third one on the way! (a little girl)

Tonight we got to spend some quality time together. We ate dinner outside on the patio and watched her boys play around the backyard. Her kids are growing like weeds! I have so much fun playing with them. After the boys went to bed, we sat on her couch and just talked. Something that we don't get to do often enough.

Kristy leaves Friday to go back to Colorado where her and her husband JJ recently moved. Andrew and I are going out there in September to visit them and some other friends. I can't wait to see their place out there! Its night like these that make me grateful to have such good girl friends in my life.

Love you Monkey!

See you soon... xoxo

Family Pic

2009-08-03T14:01:00.000-07:00

Our first family picture.

Robbie + Amy = Married

2009-07-27T14:24:00.000-07:00

Although we went to high school together, I officially met Robbie about 2 years ago when I joined his co-ed soccer team. He is such a fun guy to be around. He is so outgoing and friendly and is always making people laugh! When I first met his fiance Amy, I thought she was super shy and quiet. However, after a few meetings together, I quickly learned that I was mistaken! She is a little firecracker! She is the perfect compliment to Robbie.

Their wedding ceremony took place on July 10th at Ocean Hills Church in San Juan Capistrano. Unfortunately, I couldn't watch the ceremony since I had to go set-up the reception. But I got to catch a peak of the bride before she waked down the aisle and she was absolutely GORGEOUS!!Their reception followed at Pacific Hills Banquet & Catering in Laguna Hills. I was pleasantly surprised when I walked into the venue for the first time. The walls were lit up by pink uplights and there was a pretty white swag draping across the ceiling. Glass bowls with rocks and pink votive candles lit up the guests' tables. The dance floor was packed the whole night thanks to DJ Flo Maracine. The photographer was Jeff Wallace, who is also a friend of mine that I play soccer with. He did an amazing job and I can't wait to see the rest of their pictures!

Since Robbie owns his own printing company, he and Amy designed shirts to hand out as favors to their guests. The guests loved them! In fact, so many of them couldn't wait until they got home so they put their shirt on over their suites and dresses. The dance floor became a sea of white t-shirts sporting "Rathburn 09" on the back. It was awesome!

Their wedding was a blast to coordinate! I am so thankful I was able to be a part of their big day. Thank you Robbie and Amy for trusting me to, in your words, "do what I do". You have such amazing families and friends. Congratulations Mr. and Mrs. Rathburn!

Charlee and her Daddy

2009-07-20T17:47:00.000-07:00

So precious!!

Newest Member of the Family

2009-07-14T14:24:00.001-07:00

Last night, my husband I got a new puppy - a 4 month old female Boston Terrier we named Charlee. She's the cutest little thing! We brought her home and she had so much fun playing with her new toys and running around the apartment. Jana and Brian came over to play with her and so did my brother and his girlfriend. We gave Charlee her first bath in the tub. She did so good! She tried to drink her bath water...it was so cute!

We expected to be up all night hearing her cry but to our amazement, she slept through the entire night without so much as a peep! She laid on her little brown and pink bed we bought her and slept like a baby! We are lucky we made it through the first night without her crying. We are crossing our fingers that she will repeat her behavior the next few weeks!

Welcome to the family little Charlee! We love you so much already!

Weekend with Nicole

2009-07-13T16:23:00.000-07:00

This weekend I got to hang out with one of my closest friends...Nicole (otherwise known as Nic to me). We spent the day Saturday in Balboa. We laid out on the beach, got lunch, did a little window shopping and of course...got frozen bananas. Saturday night, the two of us went Kevin's 40th surprise party at my friend Amber's house. It was a ton of fun! Amber and Claudia did such a great job hosting the party! After the party, Nic and I had a sleepover at her house with the two dogs. It was awesome...four girls in one room!

Sunday, Nicole and I went to breakfast with my family at Coyote Grill in Laguna to celebrate my brother Ryan's 23rd birthday. After breakfast, we went to Ryan's girlfriend's house in Newport and went to the beach. We spent about two hours laying by the bay and it was absolutely beautiful out! We watched all the boats go by while listening to music and flipping through magazines. After the beach, we went to a friend's house for a bbq. Nic and I made the dessert...homemade donuts! They were so yummy!

Thanks for being my date for the weekend Nic...I loved every minute of it!

The Wedding Pics are Here!

2009-07-08T11:38:00.000-07:00

We just got our wedding pictures from our photographer and we are so excited! They turned out amazing! I can't wait until she finishes our album. I'm sure it's going to be awesome!

Trista...Thanks for all your hard work and amazing photography skills. You helped us capture the best day of our life, and for that, we will be forever grateful. We love you!

Click on the link below for a slide show of some of Trista's favorite images...

www.tristalerit.com/kymandrewwed

To see the rest of the images, click on the link below:

http://www.tristalerit.com/pickpic/gallery/jump.php

and enter the password: ka060609

Enjoy...

Happy Birthday to my Hubby!

2009-06-22T17:36:00.000-07:00

Today is my husband's (still not use to that) 26th birthday. It also would have been our 6 year anniversary of dating, but of course, we have a new anniversary to celebrate! Married life has already been fabulous! I love that he's the first thing I see when I wake up in the morning, and the last thing I see before going to sleep. (How can you not love that face??!!)

Here is a picture of the gift I gave him. We are getting ready to get a puppy so I put together a basket of puppy stuff. I got a puppy bed, a dog food bowl, lots of toys, a pretty pink collar with rhinestones, a puppy teething ring, and some puppy treats! This puppy is going to be one spoiled rotten princess! I can't wait until we pick out the next member of our little family.

Happy Birthday Baby. I love you times a thousand!

xoxo

Love,

your wifey

Honeymoon in Belize

2009-06-18T17:53:00.001-07:00

Andrew and I put a lot of thought as to where we were going to go for our honeymoon. We researched a few different places such as Caymen Islands, Bora Bora, Costa Rica and Tahiti. We decided on Belize as the perfect destination. We left on Monday morning, June 8th around 7:00am. We arrived in Belize around 3:00 pm local time. We took a small prop plane from Belize City to the island of Ambergris Caye where we were staying. We were nervous because their hurricane season is typically June-August so we didn't know what to expect. However, the weather was absolutely amazing...all week! It was about 95 degrees and pretty humid. But there was a constant breeze which helped make it bearable. We were only two of about 15 people at the resort which was awesome! We got to have a lot of time to ourselves at the pool and on the beach. The food there was awesome. The traditional dish there is stewed chicken served with rice and beans. So of course we had our share of that, but we also ate fresh fish and a lot of fresh fruit.

We went snorkeling two different days - one day we just took a kayak out and went on our own. The other time was with a tour and they took us to Hol Chan which is at the Barrier Reef (the second largest in the world). We saw sea turtles, sting rays, tons of fish and one shark. We also went cave tubing one day which was really cool. We went on an innertube through a long, dark cave and we wore little lights on our heads so we could see. It was really neat - although it was a little scary because we could see bats above us. One day we went to the Mayan Ruins and got to hike up to the top where we could see into Guatemala. Another day, we went to a small island called Caye Caulker, an island that we heard about on a travel show. It was a small island that had no paved roads. There was a part of the island where a hurricane had come through and split the island in half. That was where everyone hung out - at the "Split"there was a neat little bar where the food and drinks were super cheap. We hung out there for most of the day and went swimming in the clear blue water. We also ran into a girl that I went to high school with which was totally random! So of course, we had to take a picture together. The nightlife was kind of quiet since it was there slow season. So we spent most of our in town but only until about 10/11:00. We watched both Laker games (of course) and even watched a little soccer - which is really popular in Belize.

We were so bummed when Monday morning came and it was time to leave. It was weird because when we were on our way into town to get on the plane home, it started raining - for the first time since we had got there! We were so lucky to have such great weather. We had such an amazing time on our honeymoon. It was so nice to be able to spend an entire week together without any interruptions. We agreed that we need to take more vacations together just the two of us.

Above are just some of the many pictures we took while we were there. Click on them to see them up close.

The best day...EVER!

2009-06-17T16:51:00.000-07:00

June 6th, 2009, was hands down the best day of my life! Looking back on that day, it couldn't have gone any better.

It started out Saturday morning at the Ritz Carlton hotel in Dana Point. I stayed their with two of my bridesmaids Friday night after the rehearsal. Surprisingly, I actually had a good night's sleep (I think because the bed was insanely comfortable!). I woke up that morning anxious to look out the window and check the weather. To my surprise, it was a beautiful morning at the beach! My bridesmaids started to arrive to the hotel around 10:30 am. Kristen started working on my hair as I watched the girls get ready. My mom and cousins also came to the hotel to get ready with us. When my mom got their, she broke the news that it had been pouring rain all morning at her house (about 10 minutes from the church). I started to freak out thinking...I can't believe its raining on my wedding day. I tried to calm down and just hope for the best as the make-up artist finshed my make-up. After the girls helped me put my gown on, we headed out to take pictures around the hotel grounds. All my bridesmaids looked so beautiful! And my flower girls and junior bridesmaid were absolutely adorable!

We got in the car to head to the church and to my amazement, the weather was cooperating!! The sky was clear and the sun was out! We arrived at the church and I started to get nervous. All the bridesmaids and I were waiting in the bridal room until the ceremony started. About 10 minutes before the ceremony started, Andrew's brother, Jackie, delivered a note to me that Andrew had written that day. Although the note brought tears to my eyes, it also brought a sense of calmness to me and at that point, I knew I was ready to walk down the aisle marry the man of my dreams.

Words can't describe the feeling I felt when I locked eyes with Andrew for the first time that day. I think I floated down the aisle...because I certainly don't remember putting one foot in front of the other. I somehow managed to make it through the entire ceremony without crying. It was better than I could have imagined.

After the ceremony, we took all of the family pictures at the church, then headed down to the reception site. We took all the bridal party pictures outside at the train tracks, and again, the weather somehow cooperated. Then it was time to make the grand entrance into our reception site. We got to take a sneak peak into the room before everyone entered. It was just like I pictured! The centerpieces were stunning - the uplighting was awesome - the chairs were perfect! Everything came together so perfectly. It was at that moment, that Andrew realized all the hard work that went into planning that day. He was so blown away by all the details I had worked so hard on - down to the rhinestones that were on the placecards.The reception was definitely the best party I had ever been to! Just looking around and seeing all my friends and family that were there supporting us on our big day was so amazing. My dad gave the welcome toast and read me a poem that he had found. It was then, that the tears started to flow. Then, Andrew and I's first dance came. Another moment I had anticipated for sometime. We danced to David Grey's "This Year's Love" - a song that Andrew picked out for us. We were afraid that because we didn't practice anything, our dance would look like two twelve year old kids at a junior high dance turning in circles over and over again. But to us, it was perfect...a moment that neither of us will ever forget! To top it off - the roof above us opened right when our dance started.

The rest of the night was filled with the usual cake-cutting, tossing of the bouquet, tossing of the garter, and dancing the night away! I had a blast dancing with all my friends and family - especially the little ones. Who knew that Avery could bust a move! When 11:30 came, I was so sad to see the night coming to an end. I wanted it to last forever! But we said our goodbyes and Andrew's uncle drove us in his Rolls Royce to the Ritz Carlton where we were staying the night. We ordered room service when we got there because neither of us had taken the time during the reception to sit down and eat anything (even though I swore that we would be the couple that actually ate our wedding food). We sat on our balcony and listened to the ocean as we discussed everything that had happened that day.

All in all, the day was nothing short of perfection! We both felt so lucky to have such wonderful friends and family to help make our wedding so memorable. Although I am sad that it is all over, I am looking forward to the next chapter in our lives - married life! Thanks to all of you for your love and support this past year. We love and appreciate each and every one of you. Stayed tuned for pictures of the next addition to our Conners family! No - not a baby...a puppy

(Above are some pictures from our photographer. As soon as we get the rest of them, I will post a link to them)