Adventures of Kelly and Cameron

My Progressing Pregnancy - Weeks 29 - 35

2011-02-03T10:28:00.000-08:00

I thought this was going to be my last week-by-week journal, but it was getting pretty lengthy so I decided to split it up. I'm not supposed to be sitting up at my desk for too long, so we'll have to wait on weeks 36-40 for later!

28 weeks, 4 days November 23rd, Did my glucose screening test, and was pleasantly surprised that the orange sweet drink was not nearly as bad as I imagined it would be and heard from others that it was. Results were good! I was happy about that especially since we were just heading into the holidays and it would have been so hard to stick to a stricter diet with all the yummy holiday treats (not to mention the baby shower with desserts I had coming up)! Doctor did tell me I needed to take more iron though for borderline anemia, which was not much of a surprise, since I've been told my iron count has been low before (pre-pregnancy). OB appointments are now scheduled every two weeks!

Weeks 29-31 The strong "boom" kicks and "pow" jabs are starting to feel more like rolls and and moving body parts, with only occasional sharp kicks, as the space in my uterus becomes more constricted. The "rolls" are not soft and subtle but make my entire stomach move! By this time I was now feeling the regular twitches of hiccups every once in a while and occasionally I would feel the pressure of his body up against my ribs. I never really felt like a "foot was stuck" up there but it was definitely more noticeable than the slight "rib tickling" I had previously felt. I almost always feel movement on my right side - rarely do I feel a kick or roll or movement on my left. When I told Dr. Koperek that (an OB dr I was seeing while my regular doctor was delivering a baby that morning) he said that it means that my baby will be right handed, lol. He said it very straight-faced, but I think he was pulling my leg.
Wanting to make sure we were prepared, and nervous because I wasn't able to make it to a tour of the hospital, after our 30 week dr appt we drove around to the women's hospital entrance to make sure we knew where to go. The nurses were very nice and helpful in answering our questions, and though we were not allowed back to see the rooms it was good to see how to get to where we needed to go when the big day comes.
I'm getting bigger and bigger as the days go by! I can tell I waddle at times when I'm tired. And its definitely getting harder to practice tae kwon do, especially the kicks! But I know the exercise is great, so I do what I can and make sure I take it easy and go slow - the tae kwon do still makes a great workout as long as I'm careful. I feel more tired these days, probably because of the low iron. I'm hoping that with some supplements I will feel my energy pick back up. I'm still sleeping well, but have to get up 2 or 3 times a night to go to the bathroom. The heartburn is manageable with tums, and it usually isn't too bad, but uncomfortable. I'm very happy that my hands, feet and face have not been swelling! =)

32 Weeks, 4 days, December 30, My blood pressure was 146/75 which was too high for the doctor's liking, so they had me lie down for a few minutes. Took my bp again and it had come down to 133/88 but it was still too high. They also found a trace amount of protein in my urine sample and I had gained a little more weight this week than before so she mentioned that we need to be watching out for preeclamsia. Doc talked to me about taking it easy at work, getting more rest and getting off my feet more to see if that helps my blood pressure for the next appointment in 1 week. Also scheduled an ultrasound just to make sure that baby is doing well and to check on his growth. The next week showed improvement - ultrasound showed that baby was doing very well and was probably about 5 1/2 pounds (estimate was still around 8 to 8 1/2 lbs at delivery), amniotic fluid levels were good and placenta was in a good position, BP did not concern Dr. Koperek at 136/86 (Dr. Kaminskas, my regular doc was on vacation) and there was no protein this time in my urine sample. Yay!

Weeks 33-35 Heartburn, heartburn, heartburn! Tums is becoming a daily snack, especially in the evenings as I try and fall asleep. I can't help but wonder how much worse this hearburn can get... will my baby have much hair as the old wives tale says? I had to take my rings off at 34 weeks (just a little to tight for comfort - and I don't want them to get stuck!), so I am wearing them on a chain around my neck. A couple of days my feet seemed slightly swollen as well for the first time, but it wasn't much. Also for the first time around week 34 I felt the "pelvic pressure" that the nurses have been asking me about at every appointment. Didn't know what they meant before, but I guess baby is beginning to settle downward a little bit more! Starting next week my doctor appointments will be every week! I scheduled all my remaining appointments on Dec 30th - so surreal!

My Progressing Pregnancy - Weeks 16 - 28

2010-12-22T14:28:00.000-08:00

Good thing I've been keeping a journal of all my feelings and changes throughout this pregnancy - I know I'm SO behind in blogging! Here's most of my catch-up and hopefully I'll get another blog out here soon!

Weeks 16 - 19 - Nausea still a daily struggle, and during this time I was still throwing up in the mornings about 4 times a week consistently. Yuck! I was beginning to feel like I was going to be sick for the rest of my life! I began to realize there was a link between how much sleep I was getting at night and how nauseaus I was when I woke up. The more sleep the better, but that wasn't always possible. Admittedly I was beginning to develop some poor food choice habits; rarely picking up any fruits or vegetables, and usually reaching for the mac n cheese (good ole' comfort food!). Enjoying that my growing belly was making me more obviously pregnant - and even enjoyed the occasional tummy rub from others =).

19 weeks, 5 days - September 22nd, ITS A BOY!!! Doctor says everything is going as good as we can expect and that the baby is going to be big - approximately 8.5lbs at birth. I've gained 6 pounds total, which is right on track. Now we could go home and finally get a little more serious about finding a name!

Weeks 20 - 24 - September 29, I felt the baby move! When I was waking up in the morning I felt something like a muscle twitch inside. I didn't think much of it at first (especially since I was still half asleep), but then I realized it might have been our little boy moving around! That evening after choir we were watching tv and I felt a suspicious "roll" in my tummy. It was much bigger than the twitch I had felt that morning and I even saw my belly lurch with the "roll" I had felt! That was definitely baby! I wish he had moved more, since I had a feeling it would have been big enough for Cameron to have felt him too, but he was pretty wiggle-free after that one big somersault. =( Finally, Finally, FINALLY, my morning sickness was beginning to let up by week 23(ish)!! Wasn't gone completely, but I was going 4 or 5 days in a row without getting sick, which was a welcome improvement. Along with the lessening morning sickness however, I had begun to experience some regular heartburn throughout the day. I guess it was an exchange I was going to have to accept! Hips and back were feeling pretty achy and sore in the mornings when I woke up, but with the doctor's suggestion to make sure I keep moving and stretching, that seemed to help.

Weeks 24 - 28 Morning sickness was creeping away with each and every day! Baby Lee was moving a LOT now and Cameron was able to feel him for the first time at about week 25, and he could feel him pretty regularly in the mornings as we were waking up. Movements became much stronger than just twitches and rolls, and began to feel more like Baby Lee was practicing some tae kwon do in his own personal dojang! I always feel him on the right the most, which makes me curious as to what he is doing and how he is laying. Wish I could see him! No hiccups felt yet, but when he kicks sometimes I feel like my whole body shakes! We've had a busy schedule so I was feeling pretty tired as I entered the 3rd trimester, but overall this time was a pretty "good energy" month. People are sometimes surprised when I tell them I have three more months yet to go, because I'm starting to "pop" out pretty good. This stage of pregnancy has probably been the most enjoyable. I like that others can tell that I'm pregnant, and I love feeling the baby move! We've been trying out the name Christopher Noah; its definitely growing on us. And since we haven't been looking at names anymore, it seems like this is the one we're going with! Eagerly awaiting our first meeting with CHRISTOPHER!

Here are some pictures of my growing baby and belly!

21 weeks

23 weeks

25 weeks

27 weeks

My Progressing Pregnancy

2010-09-30T13:54:00.001-07:00

This little baby isn't even here yet and I feel like my life has gotten so busy! Lots to catch up on in baby-blogging!

Weeks 9-12 - We began to tell a few more people the good news and it was great to get their reactions. Surprisingly, I didn't find myself telling the world right away like I thought I would. I guess there was still a voice inside me that was telling me to wait, since anything could happen still. So even though it was no longer a secret, and I didn't mind if people shared the news, I found myself keeping quiet about my pregnancy (no facebook posts, or wide church announcements, etc.), knowing that I would be a lot more comfortable after our 12 week ultrasound. The little bit of "welcome" nausea I felt before was now full-blown. Still grateful for the symptoms of healthy pregnancy, but the nausea was definitely worse. My doctor had prescribed an antibiotic at my first appointment for a mild infection I had and man, did it make me sick! Thankfully I realized the connection between that and my sickness (which was WAY more than just morning sickness) and I was able to get a different medication. But though week 9 and 10 were the worst (not to mention the warmest weather we had had in a while!) my morning sickness has stuck with me ever since. Throwing up has become a part of daily routine. I just hope it doesn't last throughout the entire pregnancy!

12 Weeks, 4 days, August 3rd - The day of our second ultrasound! Strong heartbeat, wiggly uncooperative baby, a beautiful sight! Cameron could not come with me on this appointment either which was quite a disappointment. But it was wonderful to see that little person on the screen! The picture was so much more human-like than the little peanut-like blob on the first sonogram. I could see baby's little nose and mouth, and make out the difference between head and body. But Baby Lee was a little stinker! The technician was having a really hard time getting the baby to give her the profile she needed, so she had me 1) go to the bathroom to empty my bladder, 2)get up and touch my toes about 10 times, and 3) then had me drink a cup of ice water and walk the halls like a lost patient for about 10 minutes! She finally got the pics she needed, and I was all the more pleased because the longer it took for her to get the measurement she needed, the longer I got to see my baby! =) Our uncooperative baby was also too wiggly to get to hear the heartbeat that day, but I was so happy to have seen the u/s I didn't mind too much!

Weeks 13-16 Mom took me out maternity shopping. I'm already getting so big! My friend Katie is a month ahead of me in her pregnancy and she and I look about the same size, lol. It was really nice to get a few pants and a couple of tops to add to my wardrobe, especially since anything remotely snug against my belly just makes me feel more nauseated. Its hard to get comfortable at night because even if my blankets are touching me wrong I feel sick! The morning sickness is easing up a little, contained just to the mornings mostly, but I still don't have much of an appetite. Meats & cheeses are the only things I want usually, and fruits and veggies are having a very difficult time getting down. Ah well, I'm doing my best, and glad for those horse-pill vitamins to help add some needed nutrients in my diet.

16 weeks, August 27 - Had a little bit of a scare to start my morning with - some slight spotting which I hadn't had at all this pregnancy. Of course, the mind immediately jumps to all thoughts scary and sad. Thankfully the doctor was able to see me that same day and confirmed that all was well after a once-over. And added bonus - got to hear the heartbeat for the first time! At my previously scheduled 16 week appointment a few days later both Cameron & I got to hear the heartbeat again together. There's life in there! And, I had only gained 2 pounds! Right on track.

Some pictures of my growing tummy so far:

11 weeks 13 weeks 15 weeks 17 weeks 19 weeks

The First Few Weeks

2010-08-27T18:01:00.000-07:00

Well to say the least, pregnancy is an adventure! Now, I know that the REAL adventure will begin once I hear those tiny baby lungs cry out their greeting in this world. However, pregnancy is no doubt an adventure all on its own. Here is a little bit more about my journey so far...

4 weeks, June 4th... expected my period and it never came!

5 weeks... positive pregnancy test!! Feeling nervous, but SO excited. Cameron and I talked right away about waiting to tell people until after our first ultrasound (u/s). At this time, I had no idea how HARD it was going to be to keep my mouth shut!

6 weeks, June 19th... My birthday! Summertime BBQ with the Young Married group from church and BBQ dinner with family. Family & friends all together, hanging out, wishing good birthday wishes... all the while knowing that the BEST birthday present ever was becoming a little person inside me!

7 weeks... pregnancy symptoms finally starting to set in. A little bit of nausea, a little tenderness in certain areas, but still feeling pretty good. The nausea actually was a welcome thing, being about the only thing that made me feel pregnant at all. Before that first u/s its pretty nervewracking the way your imagination can make you feel like something is going to go wrong!

8 weeks, July 2nd... the u/s was almost here! Family was in town back from their cruise and we all were celebrating 4th of July that weekend. I was SO tempted to spill the beans (looking back, I can't believe I didn't!) especially when the subject of babies came up. After all, my appt was just days away and my Grandma was going to be leaving for Arizona for months! But we kept to the plan and kept our mouths shut. Better safe than sorry.

Then a few days later we got to see this...

There's a baby in there!!

My heart was soaring, and within the day we had told our immediate family and a few friends. I even caught my Grandma as she was heading out for Arizona!! It was wonderful sharing the news with everyone.

Yes! We're having a Baby!

2010-08-13T19:20:00.000-07:00

So, you may or may not have heard the rumors. You may have known for a while and wondered why its taken me so long to blog! Yes, it is true! Cameron and I are going to have a baby, due February 11, 2011 and we are SO excited.

One reason why I haven't written anything here on this blog for so long is because we had decided once we found out I was pregnant that we were going to wait to tell people our good news until we had confirmation from the ultrasound picture that we really did have good news to share! And since I knew I was pregnant and wasn't telling anyone yet, it was so hard to find topics to blog about that weren't baby related! =)

We now have had not one, but two successful ultrasounds! Baby Lee looks healthy and has already proven to be strong-willed and stubborn by not cooperating with what the doctors wanted him/her to do, lol. It was so beautiful though seeing that little human being inside of me... wiggling, heart beating, so lovable.

I have a lot more to write but it may come in short little spurts! Hard to find time to blog these days with a busy business to run and a person growing inside me! Until next time...

Prayer

2010-05-18T14:22:00.000-07:00

Sometimes I can't believe how thick-headed I can be.

For example, when it comes to the subject of prayer, I know that it is a powerful tool. I know that we are commanded to pray. There are countless verses in the Bible about prayer and how effective prayer can be. Here are some of my favorite examples:

"Is anyone among you suffering? Let him pray... And the prayer of faith will save the one who is sick, and the Lord will raise him up...The prayer of a righteous person has great power as it is working." James 5:13, 14, 16

"Continue steadfastly in prayer, being watchful in it with thanksgiving." Colossians 4:2

"And whatever you ask in prayer, you will receive, if you have faith." Matthew 21:22

"Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus." Philippians 4:2

So, these verses are very clear on prayer. But for whatever reason I don't pray. Not like I should at least. Most of the time I don't pray until there's no other option. Why do I wait? It should be the first thing I do every day, the last thing I do each evening, the first thing I do whenever a need or even desire arises. But time after time after time again I don't take it seriously and I don't ask my Lord and Provider for the things I need and want in life. My prayers are memorized and repetitious.

These verses on prayer are true. The Lord loves us and takes care of us and he wants us to take our cares and concerns to him daily. In the last two weeks my husband and I have prayed much more earnestly and seriously about new students for our business... And they've been coming! We've had 12 students sign up for our introductory month of classes in the last two weeks and more who have come to ask questions! It has been so encouraging. And a great lesson in the power of prayer!

Going for the Green!

2010-04-23T16:36:00.000-07:00

Testing for my Green Belt Tonight!!

That's mine in the back!

Wish me luck!

Easter 2010 - Old Traditions and New

2010-04-05T15:14:00.000-07:00

We had a great Easter over at the Brown's residence yesterday, in spite of the earthquake shaking things up! But before the festivities could begin, the traditional pictures had to be taken!

After the traditional brunch and a little nap, we broke out a new tradition for the Brown family - Karaoke! A favorite pasttime and tradition of the Lee family households we wanted to introduce to my side of the family. And they really enjoyed themselves!

Good times all around! Happy Easter Everyone! Remember this year that the ground shook on Easter... Just as it did over 2000 years ago as the stone rolled away! Christ is Risen!!!

Rainbows

2010-03-12T17:57:00.000-08:00

Do you know that I have seen 3 (yes, three) full arch, double rainbows so far in 2010?!?

It is usually so rare to see a rainbow around here. Four or five partial rainbows a year is a lot, since it doesn't rain much here in southern California. But with the wet year we've had they have been abundant.

They're so beautiful, rainbows. They always catch my eye and add excitement to my day. I am a dangerous driver when there is color in the sky (drivers beware!). I let everyone within earshot know - "Have you seen this rainbow!!"

With all the struggle we have been going through this year I was going to write a sequel blog entitled - "A Tough 2010 So Far - Part 2". A blog about job loss for both Cameron and I and the bitterness I have been dealing with while I'm lame duck employee awaiting my freedom. But then it hit me... We are SO BLESSED! I don't need to continue to dwell on this heartache and self-pity.

It says in Genesis that the rainbow painted in the sky is a symbol of the covenant God made to His people. He would never destroy them in a flood again. He would provide for them. He would protect them. We still see rainbows in our sky this day and age, and His message is still the same.

Thank you Lord, for rainbows! I'm sorry for the way I can be so impatient and untrusting. Thank you for the way you provide so perfectly for your people. Even in the midst of our grumbling, you make good on your promises every time; every year, every hour, every minute, with or without my faithfulness.

Encouraging Verses

2010-03-05T18:22:00.000-08:00

The following passages have proven very encouraging to me over the last month and a half. Thought they were important to share with all!!

Isaiah 40: 10 - 14

"See, the Sovereign LORD comes with power,
and his arm rules for him.
See, his reward is with him,
and his recompense accompanies him.

He tends his flock like a shepherd:
He gathers the lambs in his arms
and carries them close to his heart;
he gently leads those that have young.

(I like this part)
Who has measured the waters in the hollow of his hand,
or with the breadth of his hand marked off the heavens?
Who has held the dust of the earth in a basket,
or weighed the mountains on the scales and the hills in a balance?

Who has understood the mind of the LORD,
or instructed him as his counselor?

Whom did the LORD consult to enlighten him,
and who taught him the right way?
Who was it that taught him knowledge
or showed him the path of understanding?"

(and skip down a few verses in the chapter - the part I like the best)

Isaiah 40: 26 - 31

"Lift your eyes and look to the heavens:
Who created all these?
He who brings out the starry host one by one,
and calls them each by name.
Because of his great power and mighty strength,
not one of them is missing.

Why do you say, O Jacob, and complain, O Israel,
'My way is hidden from the LORD; my cause is disregarded by my God'?

Do you not know? Have you not heard?
The LORD is the everlasting God,
the Creator of the ends of the earth.
He will not grow tired or weary,
and his understanding no one can fathom.

He gives strength to the weary
and increases the power of the weak.

Even youths grow tired and weary,
and young men stumble and fall;

But those who hope in the LORD
will renew their strength.
They will soar on wings like eagles;
they will run and not grow weary,
they will walk and not be faint."

A Tough 2010 So Far - Part One

2010-03-04T19:26:00.001-08:00

Its amazing how things can change so fast....

We were on such a high at the end of 2009. I guess God has said its time for a lesson in trust, faith and relying on him COMPLETELY for daily strength.

I haven't blogged for a while because I haven't wanted to bring the party down. It is still very true that God has blessed us with an amazing 2009. We are so grateful for everything we were able to experience last year and we still have some wonderful things happening.

But already this year we have experienced heartache and sorrow.

Early in the year, around the first week in January, I found out I was pregnant! Just 5 weeks along I was feeling good and excited, and yet couldn't really believe yet that I was really with child. I was feeling slight symptoms - just a little dizzy and slightly nauseous in the afternoons - just enough to let me know something was definitely different. I couldn't wait until my ultrasound which was scheduled for January 22, when I would be 7 1/2 weeks along. The day finally came, but it did not bring the happy news we hoped for. Alas, no fetus could be found. The doctor confirmed I was pregnant but apparently the baby never developed like it was supposed to and there was no baby. It was pretty shocking to hear and understand. How can I be pregnant but there was no baby? Instead of walking away with the picture of my baby I wanted, we walked away with an appointment for a D&C to end my pregnancy.

Its amazing how much you can miss someone you have never met and who possibly never existed in the first place! I am grateful we were able to find out so early in the pregnancy, but still a month and a half later I find myself grieving. We are also glad and encouraged that we were able to get pregnant so quickly in the first place, knowing that so many cannot even get to that point, and we are hopeful that we'll have good news again (and an ultrasound picture of a little person inside) soon.

Cheers to 2009!

2009-12-28T20:14:00.000-08:00

What a year 2009 has been for the Lee family! God has blessed us so many ways in this second year of our marriage!

I just wanted to take a moment to share with you all the joyous events we have experienced in 2009, and praise God for what he has done in our lives!

1) Deciding that we want to make traveling a regular part of our family's life Cameron and I decided to sign up for the Disney Vacation Club, a timeshare through the Disney Corporation. We are super excited about all that this investment will bring in the years to come for ourselves and future little ones, and have already been able to stay at Disney's Grand Californian Hotel twice this year. So if we haven't come to visit you and your family recently... we'll make our way around sooner or later!

2) Both Cameron and I underwent minor surgeries in the early spring this year, and we are grateful that they both went smoothly, the cost was low, and we recovered very nicely!

3) We brought home a new kitten, Jazz! He has added quite a bit of laughter, scolding, playing, surprises, and general "cuteness" into our home. We brought him home a teeny tiny teacup fit-in-the-palm-of-your-hand size 6 week old kitten, and today at 9 months old he is just under 12 pounds!!

4) An off-season getaway weekend to Big Bear found us enjoying ourselves in an almost deserted ski town last spring. It was nice to explore the town feeling like we owned the place. Very relaxing.

5) Always one to love the sound of wedding bells, when our friends Julie and Jeff got married this summer in central California we decided to make the most of the weekend (which happened to be my birthday weekend as well) and booked a room at the eclectic Madonna Inn. We ended up staying in two rooms that weekend - "Currier and Ives" and "Mountain Cabin". It was a great weekend with college friends, Catan, the wedding was beautiful, the day before and the day after the wedding were absolutely gorgeous, and we ended the weekend off with a brunch with friends at a local bakery in down town San Luis Obispo and off to a vinyard for some wine tasting. We stopped in the little town of Solvang for a walk around the block and some ice cream before heading the rest of the way home.

6) And then came the trip we had been looking forward to all year! We were off to England in October - first to see the sights in London for five days and then over to the city of Poole to visit Grace and Richard Sanders and their little ones. There are so many amazing things to see and experience in London, historical sights, street performers, bright lights, incredible architecture, the river Thames, double-decker buses, the Underground (subway system - "Mind the gap"), the theatre... and we did our best to see at least a glimpse of as much as we could. Then the REAL adventure began... driving! My brave husband got behind the wheel for the next three and a half days and drove us safely over to our friends' and around the countryside sights - all without a GPS system! Praise the Lord for his protection!

7) After all the "playing" we were able to do this year, the Fall of 2009 brought us an amazing business opportunity that we decided to dive into head-first. We are now the proud owners of OC Tae Kwon Do, open for business since October 19, 2009. We both work for Mesa Energy Systems still during the day, and spend our afternoons and evenings at the dojang teaching, organizing, planning, and preparing. We currently have 15 students committed for at least a year and are confident that there are many more just around the corner!!

So here's to 2009. A memorable year. Another year that God has kept us trusting in Him, leaning on Him, seeking His will, waiting on His answers... blessing us in so many ways!

Our trip overseas

2009-11-18T18:12:00.000-08:00

Well, England was a huge hit!

We spent Oct 7 - Oct 17th traveling abroad in London and Poole, England. The first five days were spent in London and we were blessed with an outstanding hotel room right next to Kensington Gardens/Hyde Park (think London's version of Central Park). We filled our days with sights such as Wimbledon (yes, the lawn tennis courts - only used 2 weeks out of the entire year, by the way!), strolling through Hyde Park, Kensington Palace, The Royal Albert Hall (a grand place for concerts, basket ball, balls, you name it!), THE ORIGINAL Hard Rock Cafe, Windsor Castle (my favorite, I think), a cruise tour down the Thames River, the Tower of London, St. Paul's Cathedral, and Billy Elliot the Musical.

The second part of our adventure in England started with renting a car (the Hybrid Prius is HUGE by English standards, by the way... if you have to drive in England get something smaller!), finding out there were no more GPS units available so we'd have to go off of the dilapidated maps they provided for us, and making our way west to Dorset County to visit friends Grace and Richard and their family, stopping to see Stonehenge on the way. We had a very pleasant stay with the Sanders but it was much too short. After seeing the English seaside and visiting the city of Bath for a day, it was already time to say goodbye. Already looking forward to the day we will see each other again! I miss you Grace! You were wonderful hosts to us!

Our travels back became loooooooonnnnnnnng. Upon arriving at the airport Friday morning (3 hours early for an international flight, mind you) we found our flight was going to be delayed 4 1/2 hours! Turned out to be almost 6 hours delayed, putting us at that airport for 9 hours that day! Thankfully the airport had a shopping center and computer access. Then we were put up for the night in Pennsylvania since we of course missed our flight home. But all in all, we got home safely after being up 36 hours. Good to be home.

There are far too many pictures to post on here right now. So if you want to see pics, check out my Facebook page as I've just downloaded them all there. I will try and add some of my favorites here soon.

Introducing OC Tae Kwon Do

2009-09-29T22:45:00.000-07:00

Its really happening... doesn't quite feel real...

Cameron and I are officially business owners! We received the keys today to our very own Tae Kwon Do studio!!

In case you haven't heard, we are going into business for ourselves. We've been contemplating being our own bosses ever since we got married basically. And technically, we did run Kelly's Gift Basket for a while, but that didn't really go anywhere so we stopped after just a few months (but we made out even, so it was a good experience!). And now Cameron is going back to his roots, which I am very pleased about and very proud of him for. He has done Tae Kwon Do for over 15 years and he even ran his own business for a while back in the day. His pre-Kelly days. Sad days (j/k).

My husband is so happy these days. Right now he is over there placing the mats on the floor with his brother. Even before we had the keys he's been driving by the place almost every night to plan and imagine things out. Its so cute. I'm so proud of him.

So here's the plan - we'll set up and move in as much as we can this week. Mats, desks, supplies, changing room set-up, phone, utilities, etc. THEN we leave for ENGLAND next Wednesday and hopefully he will have accomplished enough to set his mind at rest for a little while during our trip =). When we get back we'll start taking sign-ups for our INTRODUCTORY SPECIAL= 2 Private Introductory lessons for only $19.95 and we'll include a FREE uniform! Once we have enough students (by the first of November or so) we'll start classes!

So if you know anyone who may be interested, tell them to check out our website! WWW.OCBLACKBELTSCHOOL.COM.

And watch out, in a few years I just might be a black belt myself...

2 Years!

2009-09-12T20:32:00.000-07:00

On September 1, 2009 Cameron and I celebrated our 2nd anniversary! What a thrill it has been, and how fortunate I feel to have found a man who makes me laugh, allows me to open up and completely be myself, loves to dance, loves to be with me, loves the Lord. I love him for his hard work, his passion for life, his desire to do the right thing. I'm glad he's not perfect and I'm glad that he has (finally) gotten me to see that I cannot and do not have to be perfect either.

For dinner on our actual anniversary we went to one of my all time most favorite restaurants - The Old Spaghetti Factory! It was SO yummy! There's nothing better than mizithra!
Then, over Labor Day weekend, we had a wonderful time staying at the Grand Californian at Disneyland! It is such a nice hotel, and we were able to stay using our Disney Vacation Club points so it was a deal. When we arrived for check-in, they told us that there was a special wine and cheese event planned for Disney Vacation Club members which was unexpected and turned out to be a very nice event. We received as a give-away this collectors-edition painting which features Mickey and cute representations of all the Disney Vacation club resorts.We spent the weekend looking for Hidden Mickeys in the rides and had a blast! Totally puts a different spin on going on rides when you are searching out the hidden mickeys and following the clues. Can you spot the Mickeys in the pictures below??Here are some more fun pictures of the weekend.

Thank you to all our family and close friends who have supported us and built us up over these past two years! We are so grateful to have many wonderful role models and examples of Christ-pleasing marriages at Christ Community Church!

England

2009-08-16T20:55:00.000-07:00

Well, its settled. We're going to England this fall! Our flight is booked and paid for. We just purchased LondonPasses for ourselves which includes admission fees for most sightseeing spots as well as unlimited underground, bus and train travel within the city of London. And we get to see my good friend Grace and her husband and two sons who live in Dorset. We are SO excited!

Has anyone been to England before and have any suggestions of sights to see or tips on driving in the English countryside?

Family

2009-07-31T22:44:00.000-07:00

I just have to write about how happy I am that I have such a large and connected family. I know my immediate family is not that large, having just one brother. But I have what seems to be an ever-growing extended family of aunts, uncles, grandmas, cousins, second cousins, first cousins-once-removed... And that's just MY family! I love the part of being married that includes HIS family too! Through marriage I now have four sisters, another brother, a father and step-mom and I'm an aunt EIGHTEEN times over! Some of this family I have yet to meet and I am so looking forward to when that time comes.

This week I met three of my father's cousins from Nebraska. Such sweet ladies. They saw the Pacific Ocean for the first time last Sunday and they've been having so much fun and can't believe they're actually in California =).

This week we're also hosting our first overnight guests in our 2-bedroom apartment. Cameron's sister Sunny from San Antonio, TX, and her two kids, Renee and Solomon (who were in our wedding), are staying with us until Monday. I'm having a great time reconnecting. I appreciate any time I get to spend with his family since we don't see them very often.

Thank you , Father, for the many blessings of family you have placed in my life. May Cameron and I be blessed to continue the legacy with a family of our own some day!

Fleas!!

2009-07-21T18:51:00.001-07:00

How does a cat who stays indoors all day get fleas? Well those darn bugs have found a way and Jazz has 'em! They're all over him, poor thing! We used some solution on his neck the other night and I'm hoping that they stay away. I guess its time to invest in some kitty insurance.

For those of you who may not know, we brought home a little 6 week old kitty last May. He is the cutest thing! He's very playful and unfortunately he's got a bit of a problem of biting us when he plays. Good thing he's so cute!!
This first pic was Jazz on the first night we brought him home. Take note of his size compared to the teacups for future reference!Just two weeks later he had already noticeably grown!
And this is Jazz just the other day!
Here are some of my other favorite pictures of our new pet as he has grown up.

Gotta love Goodwill

2009-06-27T22:15:00.000-07:00

We found this awesome desk at the Goodwill today! We like to stop in every once in a while to see if anything catches our eye. Today we were looking for a table/workspace, but saw this desk instead. Its a piece that could easily be $400 or $500 dollars new, and we found this one for only $30 and just a few dings and scratches! I love it.

Fun Times in SLO

2009-06-25T10:17:00.001-07:00

Last weekend Cameron and I had the awesome experience of staying at the Madonna Inn in San Luis Obispo. It was so cool! Since some of you may never have heard of this place, I'll fill you in... Besides the fact that it is absolutely charming and provides the perfect comforts of a resort-style retreat (even a heated toilet seat in every room!), it is also very unique. Every room has a different theme, and they go all out! Floor to ceiling every room is decked out in whatever theme it is and includes unique and fun features such as rock walls and showers (or entire rooms made of rock!), mural paintings, furniture and linens that match the theme, etc. You can check out their website at http://www.madonnainn.com/. We stayed in two rooms: Currier & Ives, and Mountain Cabin. Here are some pics from the rooms and hotel.

Introductions

2009-06-24T15:40:00.000-07:00

Wow, I've finally made it into the blogging world... a breakthrough! I can't promise that I'll post often, but I am so grateful that we live in a day and age where we can so easily keep in touch through the internet.

Two weeks ago was my 10 year high school reunion, and last weekend was a college reunion of sorts... a good friend from Azusa Pacific got married and it was wonderful to meet up in the San Luis Obispo area with so many friends from APU. Seeing all these people again that I've missed gave me new inspiration to be stronger at keeping in touch. Maybe a blog such as this one will help!

Pictures to come!