Did I Say Three Front Teeth? I Meant Four!

Exactly 7 hours after Colin lost one of his top front teeth, he lost the other one. He was brushing his teeth before bedtime and it was just hanging there. So one gentle tug and out it came. The tooth fairy will be very good to Colin tonight not only for losing two teeth in one day, but because he was so brave about it. I have to admit that now that he lost the other top one, he looks much better. I just couldn't look at him with that one tooth hanging there. Is it normal for an almost 6 year old to lose 4 teeth in less than 2 weeks?

All I Want for Christmas is my Two Front Teeth...

...okay, how about three front teeth?
In the past 2 weeks, Colin has lost 3 teeth! He lost the top one today when Katie headbutted his mouth. It was loose anyway and she just took it out the rest of the way. It was so ready to come out, though, because the permanent tooth has already come through the gum. Is it possible to buy stock in the tooth fairy? because we would have made a killing by now just with our own kid!

Merry Christmas 2009!

Colin's Kindergarten Christmas Program

Colin and Katie in Colin's classroom in front of the class "fireplace" and stockings.Katie and I went to Colin's classroom yesterday. The kindergartners put on a little singing program. Colin's class and the other AM Kindergarten class sang two "color" songs, Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer, and Must Be Santa.

Colin is standing in the top row, first from the left.

After the program, the parents stayed and made Christmas crafts with the kids. It was a fun time.

Colin would rather eat the sprinkles than use them to decorate his "tree"

Katie turns 2!

Two years ago today, I looked like this. This was right before I had my c-section and we would finally meet our daughter. I was soooo miserable.

Our perfect little girl was born on Pearl Harbor Day, December 7, 2007. We named her Katie Maurine. Katie is a play on my mother's name and my middle name, Kathleen. Maurine was Mike's grandmother. Here she is just a few hours old.Katie at 2 months old. Look at that red hair!Katie at 6 months old. That was the last time she ever wore a bow or headband in her hair.One years old...and she knows it!Katie at 18 months old.Katie in September. This is typical for her. She is such a little goofball.Katie at 2 years old. She has grown into such a typical little girl. Happy Birthday Katie girl! We are so blessed to have you in our family. We love you!

Pretty in Pink

Katie sure is getting big. She is turning more into a little girl everyday. She will be 2 in exactly 2 weeks!

This is Katie's hair after a bath. It's soooo curly!

I was able to get some pictures of Katie on Sunday before church. Wearing ANYTHING in her hair is a rarity for Katie...actually it never happens. She was distracted enough for me to put this headband on her and she left it on for about 5 minutes. She is so cute with bows in her hair. And I can't get enough of this dress!

Colin looses tooth #3!

While trying to open a Rubbermaid container full of Playdough with his teeth, Colin was able to pop out a loose tooth.

Good thing Mike wasn't home when he did it. The mere mention of loose teeth, let alone the act of taking out a loose tooth, makes him light-headed. This makes 3 baby teeth gone. The one he lost today is right next to his other permanent teeth, all on the bottom. Good job Colin! Now can you do that again so the wobbly one on the top will come out already?!

7 Years Ago Today...

...I married the love of my life.

We took our engagement photos at the Berkeley Marina in Berkeley, California. It was very windy and chilly that day. You'll see a pattern here. That was where Mike proposed to me after a dinner at our favorite restaurant in Berkeley called Spengers Fresh Fish Grotto. It was very dark and very, very cold, and very windy the night he proposed. There were suspicious cars in the parking lot at the marina. But he took me to about the spot where we took the first picture, got down on one knee and I said, "what are you doing?" Yes. I really said that. Then he asked me to marry him...in so many words. I honestly forgot what he said exactly. Did I mention it was windy that day? and this shot was taken after a very precarious climb down near the water's edge (that's the SF Bay in the background).This was our official engagement photo that we put on our invitations (after some very clever photo shopping of the glare on Mike's glasses and the runaway hairs from my head).We were married and sealed for time and eternity in the Oakland Temple. This is where I was sealed to my parents and family when I was 3. This is where I took out my endowments with my brother, Jason, before we left on our missions (1 month apart). This is where we spent many Christmas seasons as a family looking at the lights. This is where Mike attended church with his family and lived just down the street from all his life. There was no doubt where I wanted to be sealed to my husband.
I love everything about this picture. It was a candid shot that the wedding photographer took. I remember her saying, "Krista, look over here" and then a big flash went off. I have no idea what I was doing before or what I was thinking. My smile is definitely a "Johnson" smile. That is my mother's pearl necklace that she let me borrow that day. My mother also made the headband piece for my veil. I love that she put a splash of pink on it...she knows me so well. My soon-to-be sister-in-law, Amanda-Mike's sister, did my hair and my makeup after waking up way too late the morning of my sealing. She did an awesome job. My sister-in-law, Mindy, drove me to the temple that morning.The events of that day are somewhat a blur. But one of the things I remember most was right before the sealing, waiting in the sitting area just outside the sealing room. Then Mike walked around the corner...all in white. He lost it. I lost it. This was it. This was real. We were about to be sealed for time and eternity. It was worth the wait.

Happy 7th Anniversary, Mike. I love you more now than ever.

Pumpkin Patch 2009

Every year we go to Vossler Farms...the local pumpkin patch. It is a mere 10 minutes from our house. It is a great place to take the kids...tractor rides, train rides, pumpkins still on the vines, huge sunflowers, a huge corn maze and a not so huge corn maze, a "corn box," a place to make your own scarecrow and to paint pumpkins. We love going there and so do the kids!


Katie in the corn boxColin walking around the corn boxColin on the train rideColin waving at us from the train rideKatie loved being pulled in the wagonHow do I measure up?Colin's gotten bigger this year!"It sure is hot out here!""how do you move this thing?!"My favorite picture of the day!Now on to Thanksgiving! What a turkey!

Trunk or Treat 2009

Our church unit (more commonly known as a "ward") had a great trunk or treat on October 30th. Mike was in charge of it and we had a great committee that made it a huge success. We had great carnival type food, game booths, a costume parade and costume contest and the trunk or treating, of course. I would say the highlight of the night was the cotton candy machine, which Mike was in charge of all night.

Halloween 2009

The front of the house with Halloween decorations. I love the little ghosts in the tree.

Katie and Colin on Halloween night. Katie is the "itsy bitsy spider" and Colin is Peter Pan.

New Recipe on my Recipe Blog.

Click on the link on the right hand column to view it.

the girl in the mirror...

I was watching Katie looking at herself in my little makeup mirror that she found on the counter. She also happened to pick up my blush brush. She always watches me put on makeup and loves my blush brush. Whenever I have it out she wants to use it. It mostly ends up in her mouth, but I think it is adorable.

So I was watching her looking at herself in the small makeup mirror and she was practicing her facial expressions...moving her eyebrows, blinking her eyes, moving her mouth in different shapes, putting her finger to her mouth and making the "shush-ing" sound, and even kissing the mirror.

I just sat there and watched her and realized what a big girl she is now. She will be 2 in the beginning of December, but she seems so much older than she is.

She definitely takes after her brother - she loves to sing, play the drum pads from our Rock Band set, pretend to read, look at pictures on the computer, dance around the house, and she loves, loves Disneyland. She has such a sense of humor and is fearless....really fearless (she climbs on everything!)

I realized how much I love my little girl as I watched her look at herself in the mirror. I mean I have always loved Katie, but at this moment I had a realization of just how much I love my "Pearl Harbor baby."

Decoding Jackson Pollock

Decoding Jackson Pollock

See That Link to the Right?

Click on the Madsen Bicycle link and help me win one! No really. All you have to do is click on it. There is nothing to fill out. Much appreciated!

Recipe and Food Blog

I realized that I haven't posted anything on my "Seasonal Bites" blog since last December! I have two new posts for you all to enjoy if you choose to visit. There is a link to it on the right hand column of this blog. I hope you enjoy!

When your mom gives you plums...

...make plum jam!

My mom and dad stopped by last week on their way down to see my brother and his wife who live in Santa Clarita. They had been to our family ranch and picked a bunch of golden plums. I took a bowl-full and left them sitting on the counter all last week. They are really small to eat so we just didn't bother to eat them. Yesterday, Mike suggested we make some refrigerator jam out of them. I had a box of pectin so we did! They are still setting up on my counter and I can't wait to try some tonight. It sure does smell delicious!

Irvine, Sunset Beach and Disneyland Trip

Two weekends ago we went down to Irvine for the wedding of Mike's cousin. It was great to see all of his family on his mom's side. We went to the wedding on Friday. Spent Saturday with Mike's mom, his brother and his girlfriend, and his sister and her family. That night we went to a BBQ/birthday party at a house his uncle stayed at on Sunset Beach...literally on the beach. The backyard was the beach and the ocean! Mike's extended family on his mom's side was all there. Sunday we hung out with Mike' family. We went to Disneyland on Monday "on the way home." We only stayed until 5pm and headed back up home.

At the pool at the hotel in Irvine. The hotel is a converted lima bean silo. It used to be the largest lima bean silo in the world. They kept the original exterior. Our room was at the top of the silo. I wish I had taken a picture of it. Mike...no work...just relaxin' Colin pushed Katie around the pool by himself!Katie at Sunset Beach. It wasn't really cold, just windy.At Sunset BeachKatie was soooo tired by Sunday nightKatie and her cousin, GeorgiaEating dinner in the hotel room Sunday nightas long as there are cheeseburgers! Colin and Max at California Adventure Colin with Mater and Lightening "C" is for ColinMike took the kids so I could go on Splash Mountain. I had never been because every time we go to Disneyland the ride is shut down. I went by myself! Waiting for Finding Nemo submarine



Krista and Katie with the Queen of Hearts. Katie didn't like her too much.Colin with Lego Darth Vader!and the final business of the day...Mike and his churro.