♫We're from North California and South Alabam' ♪ Country Boy Can Survive- Hank Williams Jr

Video Update

2012-01-17T14:33:00.000-08:00

Daddy and Kalai went on a "Hott Date" to the library a little while ago for a pizza/story/singing time activity. The kids dancing around her are some of her friends from church.
Last night, we all went on a "Hott Date" to go bowling. It was super fun especially since it was Kalai's first time ever! She was really good. She almost beat her dad :)
Here is Kalai reciting the 1st Article of Faith. "We believe in God, the Eternal Father, and in His Son, Jesus Christ, and in the Holy Ghost."
Here is Kalai having a blast at Panama City with family over Christmas break.
Hope you enjoyed our video update on our little fam!

Christmas 2011

2012-01-03T18:17:00.000-08:00

We enjoyed another white sand Christmas for the second year in a row in Panama City, FL! Hmmm...two years in a row...do I see a new tradition!?!

Merry Christmas from our family to you!

Sneak Peek

2011-12-15T13:11:00.000-08:00

More to Come!!!!!

My little Bookworm

2011-11-21T12:38:00.000-08:00

What a good little reader!

Also here is a little plug for Dolly Parton's Imagination Library! Do you want your child to recieve a free book every month until the age of 5??? Then sign up here:
http://imaginationlibrary.com/
We have been doing this for about a year now and Kalai has gotten so many fun free books in the mail! It is not a scam. It is completely free. You do not get bombarded with junk mail. I highly recommend it! The only problem I have noticed with it is that often the website is down so if it doesn't work the first time, try try again. It's worth it. Also, if you do sign up, it takes a month of so for it to kick in. Good luck! This months book was Llama Llama Red Pajama!

Belly Pics!

2011-11-08T14:14:00.000-08:00

I got to see our beautiful baby again yesterday on an ultrasound! The Good news: Baby is healthy and developing beautifully. Wiggly & as the the Ultrasound tech put it, "takes beautiful pictures." Of course I took this as a huge compliment :) The Bad news: The Specialist felt like I needed to be on Heporin Shots already...this Factor Five stuff is frustrating and confusing! So I'll begin those tomorrow when they have the shots in at my pharmacy. On a more positive note- Here are a few Belly Pics!

I am a Child Of God

2011-11-06T19:05:00.000-08:00

Makes my heart melt...

Ultrasound Pictures!

2011-11-01T12:57:00.000-07:00

Here is the first sneak peek of Baby Brown #2 taken at 7 weeks! The rest of the images were taken at our later ultrasound.

And what is this, you ask? Oh just an ordinary envelope with the gender of our baby sealed inside of it...no big deal! :)

Keep those guesses coming! We love the anticipation and it makes it just that much more exciting to hear what everyone else thinks we are having!
And one last one. Here is a side profile from one of Kalai's ultrasounds. Do you
think they look alike?

We think Baby Brown is very photogenic and the cutest thing ever! Enjoy the sneak peek and we can't wait to meet the real deal!

Ultrasound!!!

2011-10-31T15:12:00.000-07:00

Whew, we made it through our ultrasound without finding out! If you want to make a guess, leave a comment, and we will see who is right when this baby is born! And for your viewing pleasure...(drumroll)...here is our ultrasound video. Oh BOY! Or should I say, "Oh Girl!?!" We sure do love this baby already and watching it wiggle around just made my heart melt. Can't wait to meet baby #2!

And what is a blog post without pictures of my daughter???

As previously mentioned, Kalai had a couple Halloween customes that she wore to different activities this year. Here she is modeling her costumes. We had a great Halloween this year which included a trunk or treat, a carnival, treat or treating in a neighborhood that closed off the road and gave away treats for the adults too, (grilled hotdogs, sandwiches, cheese and crackers, chips, etc...) trick or treating at Public's Grocery Store and last but not least we hosted a fun Halloween playgroup for the kiddos this morning!

Happy Halloween!

Trunk or Treat 2011

2011-10-26T19:46:00.000-07:00

Or should I title it, "What do you say?"....

Happy Halloween 2011! Kalai has a couple costumes this year so I imagine this won't be the only Halloween post I'll make. More to come!

Modeling her hairdo

ANNOUNCING....

2011-08-22T14:33:00.000-07:00

Dedicated to my Two Favorite Beach Bums.....

2011-08-02T10:02:00.000-07:00

We are lovin' the summer life here. It seems like everyday is a vacation!

Love these two!

Life is Good!

2011-06-09T13:23:00.000-07:00

Have I mentioned on my blog that we moved to Mobile (South AL) for the summer? Michael was offered and accepted an amazing internship at the DAs office which he is really enjoying. On the weekdays he is busy with attending trials, trainings, research, meetings & more but the weekend is full of this....

Life is good!

Tornado

2011-05-01T18:35:00.000-07:00

Needless, to say, this past week has been horrific for the people living in the South. Thankfully our family is safe and sound and have only had to deal with no electricity for a few days and fallen trees everywhere.Unfortunately some of our friends have had to deal with alot of property damage. It was a really scary experience and we are praying for those how have been hit by the tornado. The church and community have been working hard at providing relief to the victims here and it has been really neat to see how the community has become united in helping the cause. This week, we had Sacrament meeting outside because the electricity was still not on so that was a little interesting. But in general, life is going back to normal especially since Michael has finals during the next couple of weeks.

Here is a video I made of some of the damage. It is so strange to drive around town and to see piles and piles of wood everywhere from the fallen trees. Thank you everyone for your throughts and prayers.Keep them heading this way since there are supposedly more coming our way later this spring.

Easter Photo Session

2011-04-21T21:17:00.000-07:00

He is risen, he is risen!
Tell it out with joyful voice:
he has burst his three days' prison;
let the whole wide earth rejoice:
death is conquered, man is free,
Christ has won the victory.
-He is Risen Hymn

Playdough Playdate

2011-04-06T19:32:00.000-07:00

Recently, Kalai had a few of her friends over and we had a playdough themed playgroup. First I made playdough and had them watch me dye the balls different colors.

Aren't they so cute together?

Friends!

This is how my hand looked after I had dyed all the playdough. People must have thought I was a freak all day walking around with a hand like that since no matter how much I scrubbed I couldn't get it all off during my shower. Or off during the next, for that matter!
Then I made an eatable playdough!

Kalai wasn't too sure what to think of it.

Josh liked it okay.

And Corinne loved it.

I mean really REALLY loved it.

Cupcakes

2011-03-28T17:30:00.000-07:00

My friends Amy and Hilda, both amazing bakers, were the inspiration behind these cupcakes! Today I felt up to a challenge and googled cupcakes and came up with these. Michael and I got straight to work. I'm pretty proud of how they turned out!

This little girl loves her veggies :)

Pi+(E)+ Day = Happy Birthday Michael!!!

2011-03-11T20:38:00.000-08:00

Happy early Pie Day and Happy Early Birthday to Michael!!! Every year it is a tradition for me to make some pies for Michael's birthday which so happens to fall on Pi Day. We had some of our friends over, the Edwards, Atwood's, Norris' and Mouritsen's and enjoyed an evening of good food and good friends. Here's how they turned it. Mmmmm...

Yesterday we had a fun early bday celebration for my hubby! I surprised him with cheese fondue for dinner and then The Melting Pot for dessert! Mmmm white chocolate creme brulee...yum! I love him.

One year ago we went to Sandestin FL for Spring Break! Heading there again tomorrow to spend some time with some of my favorite people!!! ♥ We are excited to do some more birthday celebrations there. I've got a few surprises up my sleeve. Pictures to come!

Also, this is old news but I just wanted to post a picture of the first sewing project that I have done in a long time. I got a sewing machine for Christmas so it has been fun fiddling around with it. I sewed this blanket for a friend of mine. Amy's nursery is decorated with a cupcake theme since she is an amazing baker so look closely and you can see tiny cupcakes on the material. Sewing her this blanket was totally worth it cause as a "Thank-you" Amy baked cupcakes that were flavored, pink lemonade, rootbeer, peanut butter chocolate chip, and key lime pie! I am in the middle of another project but this one is gonna take me longer but I like where it is going so I'll post pictures of it when I am done.

AND

Thanks Grandma for the Homemade Hair Bows......

They make me HAPPY!

Love,
K
Hope everyone has a fantastic Spring Break!!!

Can You Guess What Song???

2011-03-06T18:02:00.000-08:00

Magnetic & Chalkboard Paint Project

2011-03-01T12:17:00.000-08:00

A couple of weeks ago, I spontaneously decided to work on a project for Kalai. Here's how it turned out!
The first layer is magnetic paint.

The second layer is pink chalkboard paint.

I think she likes it!

Zzzz

2011-02-27T18:10:00.000-08:00

After a fun and long Sunday.....

Bon Appetit!!!

2011-02-23T19:47:00.000-08:00

For Christmas, my parents gave Kalai her very own homemade kitchen!!! It is so adorable and I love the vintage feel of it. It is made from an Ikea dresser. Words cannot describe how cute it is but maybe some pictures will.....

Thank you Grandpa and Grandma Familia!

Happy Valentine's Day Weekend!

2011-02-12T11:55:00.000-08:00

HAPPY VALENTINE'S DAY WEEKEND!!! I want to wish the two loves of my life, Michael and Kalai, a Happy Valentine's Day! I am so lucky to have them in my life! I am so excited for the surprise Valentine's date I planned for us! It's not gonna be till the 18th so I can't wait! We have some fun Valentine's Day weekend plans too but I'll blog all about those a different time. Here is a short cute video of Kalai counting to ten all by herself and also singing her ABCs. Kalai is nineteen months in this video.
Lastly but not least, is Kalai singing a song written after her. Our friend, Blake, once sang this song to her and ever since then, it has stuck. It is sung to the tune of The Boxer by Simon And Garfunkel-Lie la lie.....

I hope that everyone gets to spend time this next week around those they love!

Bedtime Stories

2011-02-10T20:09:00.000-08:00

Tonight we took Kalai to her first library time activity and she had a blast! She absolutely loves books/reading + she loves being around other kids so it was an ideal activity for her. It was so cute cause all the kids wore their pajamas and the library provided a bedtime snack and drink. We are going to try to go more often since Kalai had a great time and it was so fun! In between the stories there would be singing time. Here is a video of her busting a move on the dance floor!

Another Samford Grad???

2011-02-02T19:14:00.000-08:00

I think so!!!

For Christmas, Michael gave me the most amazing Christmas present! He handed me an envelope which read:

MERRY CHRISTMAS 2010

For your Christmas present I will give two hundred dollars to go towards the photography class of your choice (although this may not actually be as fun as it sounds, most of the classes have prerequisites). I will babysit Kalai during the times you have class or other class related activities. After you complete this first class if you would like to continue taking photography classes I will pay for half of any class that you would like to take and I will continue to watch Kalai so that you can attend. You can raise the other half through your photography appointments. If you are able to take enough classes (ten total) and meet the certificate requirements and once I have a full time job and we have a steady income then as a reward for your hard work in the Samford photography program I give $5000 to be used on the camera of your choice and any lenses or equipment that you will need.

I am very proud of you and love you very much. You make me very happy that you are my wife and you are a wonderful mother to Kalai. We love you!

Summary of Christmas Gift:

1. Free $200 towards the photography class of your choice.

2. Upon completion of first photography class I will pay half of any other class you want to take as long as it is towards completing the photography program.

3. If you complete the program and qualify for the photography certificate then when we have the money you may have $5000 to spend on the camera of your choice and any other photography equipment you need or desire to continue in photography.

Love always,

Michael

I was so happy/shocked/surprised when I read what was inside that I cried! I never imagined that an opportunity like this would become available but it has all fit into place. So basically, I am going back to school one night a week while Michael and Kalai go on a Daddy/Daughter Date. I am currently enrolled in Understanding Your Nikon and I am loving all the information. It has been an incredible experience and I couldn't have done it without the support and love from my husband. This is going to be an exciting and busy year for us! Here is some more information about the Samford Photography Certification Program.

Photography Certificate
The Samford After Sundown Photography program offers a certificate of achievement to students who have completed all required course work and successfully presented a portfolio for review. The certificate recognizes that the student has a broad background in photography and should be able to function at a high level as a photographer. Upon completion of the program, it is expected that students should be able to:
• Understand and operate the camera and peripheral equipment quickly and efficiently;
• Demonstrate a high degree of technical and artistic skills;
• Download or develop and manipulate the images—whether in a computer or in a traditional dark room environment—to achieve the look, the size and the format desired;
• Deliver high-quality output either as a printed image or a digital file.
General Course Requirements:
Completion of a core curriculum of courses including the following:
• Basic Photography
• Intermediate Photography
• The Art of Seeing
• A class in artificial lighting technique (At least one from the following presently offered courses. Please check with your advisor for new courses that might also fulfill this requirement):
o Flash Photography
o Studio Lighting (Basic or Advanced)
• A post processing course (At least one from the following presently offered courses. Check with your advisor for new courses that might also fulfill this requirement):
o Adobe Photoshop Elements I
o Adobe Photoshop Elements II
o Adobe Photoshop Lightroom
o Adobe Photoshop for Photographers I
o Adobe Photoshop for Photographers II
• Portfolio Development and Presentation
• Essential Digital Color Printing
• Three additional Samford After Sundown photography courses of the students choosing
To successfully complete a class:
• Students must attend a minimum of 80% of the class sessions. (Note: Leaving at the break is considered a half class.)
• Students must present work in each photography review program that immediately follows a completed “shooting” class.
Portfolio Requirements:
The student will present a portfolio of exactly twenty images. Five of the images will be in a series. The remaining fifteen will demonstrate mastery in a variety of subject areas; especially those in which the student has taken courses.
• All twenty images will be included in a well presented digital portfolio.
• At least ten of the images will be matted, archival quality prints.
• The five images in a series must be among the printed images.
• The prints must have been printed by the student.
• The student will present an artist statement that is:
o Well written and original
o Printed on high quality linen paper
o Attractively displayed
Other Requirements for the Certificate:
Upon satisfactory completion of the requirements, certificate candidates will submit their portfolio for judging. To qualify for the certificate, the student portfolio must pass the judges with an average score of 70% or higher.
Advisors:
The candidate must select an advisor from among the photography instructors at Samford After Sundown.
The advisor must be selected at least six months prior to application for the certificate so that the advisor has ample opportunity to counsel and direct the student in the finishing stages of the process.
The advisor may not serve as a judge on the portfolio review for any student he/she advised.
Certificate Award Ceremonies
Certificate Award Ceremonies are held during the two annual photography review programs.
Guidelines and Governing Covenants
The guidelines (this document) for the Certificate of Achievement in Photography will change from time to time. The candidate for the certificate will be governed by the guidelines which are in effect on the date the student selects an advisor. The current version of the guidelines is version 2.4 dated January, 2010.

Here's a recent picture of my two favorite models! I love them!

Oh and I made these mint meringue cookies for our YW New Beginning Activity today. I think they turned out really cute and I'm quite proud of myself!

Kalai's First Debut

2011-01-23T18:16:00.000-08:00

To Nursery! The picture above was taken after we got home from church today. You can see how happy she is! Now that she is eighteen months old Kalai is in a Nursery Class at church. Today was a bittersweet day for me. I knew I was gonna miss Kalai but at the same time I knew that having Kalai in nursery would help me be able to fulfill my Church responsibilities. I am the YW secretary and I work with the girls on their Personal Progress. So every week I try to pull the girls aside and get updated on what they have been working on. Things went more smoothly today and I got alot more done without having to chase Kalai down the hallways. But what really helped the most was knowing that Kalai was going to have a great time. And we were right. All her nursery leaders told us that she did just fine. When I walked in to pick her up, she was dancing. As soon as she saw us, Kalai wanted to show us all the new toys in the nursery room. Kalai is a super social little girl so I knew that she would love all this playtime with kids her own age. To prep for nursery, Michael and I have been teaching the nursery lesson that is going to be taught to her ahead of time for Family Home Evening and then I try to do a quick review everyday. Also, we taught her the song Popcorn Poppin' which is a popular nursery song. She can sing some of the words and do the hand motions too. She got a little shy for the video camera but if you watch the video, you can see her sing her little heart out!

And here are a few quick shots Michael took of us.

Proud of my Baby Girl!

"One of these things is not like the others,One of these things just doesn't belong, Can you tell which thing is not like the others?"-Sesame Street

2011-01-10T12:42:00.000-08:00

"One of these things is not like the others,One of these things just doesn't belong, Can you tell which thing is not like the others? By the time I finish my song?"
-Sesame Street Song

About three years ago Michael and I went shopping at one of our favorite stores IKEA and saw this kitchen table set. This is an image I found of the kitchen table online.

We absolutely loved it. However when we bought it there was one little problem. Can you spot it?

Here's a hint.....

Ugh! Our chairs don't match! Of course that was never our plan. When we bought the table Ikea told us that they did not have any matching chairs in stock but since it was a popular table the employee promised us that they should have a new batch delievered in no time. So we went ahead and bought the table planning to buy the matching bar stools later. Weeks later, I stopped by Ikea again to buy the stools and they were still out of stock. So a month or so later I stopped by again and still no chairs. But this time I got the sad news from a different Ikea employee. Ikea had discontinued the Ensta Line and we would not be able to find matching stools. I was disappointed but Michael and I realized there wasn't much we could do so we bought some stools that would do the job even if they didn't match. But there's good news! For Christmas, Michael's parents searched around and found some matching chairs for our table!!! I love them so much more than the orginal stools too! Thanks Julie and Larry! So here's a picture of our new matching table and chairs! Ta da!

P.S. I painted the wall in the background! I love how it turned out.

They also bought and painted another piece of furniture for us which I am really excited about. It hasn't arrived yet so I'll have post a picture of it later. Also, I decided to include a picture of our new couch we bought a while ago. I have had some requests to post a picture of it so my family members can see it.

Also, just for fun I decided to post a couple pictures of Kalai's room. When I was pregnant with Kalai I never really got to "nest" since I knew we were going to move one month later. So since I never posted a picture of Kalai's nursery I decided now would be as good time as any.

Last but not least I have to post a couple of pictures of my cute baby girl!

45 Days of Christmas!

2011-01-05T10:32:00.000-08:00

"Truly He taught us to love one another, His law is love and His gospel is peace."

This Christmas Season has been a crazy busy time of traveling for our family. Within the last two and a half months Kalai and I have been visiting family for 45 days! First we went to Utah to visit my sister for three weeks, then to California (2 weeks) to visit my parents and grandparents while Michael was taking finals. Then my family flew into Birmingham and we headed for Panama City (8 days), Florida for Christmas and New Years. It was the first time my sister had ever visited Alabama so of course we had to show her the sights. We took her to The Civil Rights Museum (which was amazing and I highly recommend everyone going), 16th Street Baptist Church, The Culinard, The Vulcan, Chuy's and ate plenty of southern food! In Panama City we went here

Ripley's Believe it or Not Museum and had a Blast! Adventures included a ropes course and laser tag and much more!
We also went here...

But we spent most of our time here...

Saying good-bye to my family was tough but luckily we had the Brown Family Christmas to look forward to! We spent a couple days there totaling up to 45 days. Here are some more pictures from our travels!

We are so thankful for the Christmas Season which helps us reflect on the birth and life of our Savior, Jesus Christ. We are excited to see what adventures the year 2011 brings us and wish everyone a Happy New Year!

Halloween 2010

2010-11-09T13:18:00.000-08:00

ROLL°¨¨°º¤ø ¸„ø¤º°¨¨°º¤ø¸TIDEº¤ø ¸„ø¤º°¨¨°º¤ø ø¤º°¨¨¨°º¤ø ¸„ø¤ROLLº°¨¨°º¤ø ¸„ø¤º°¨¨°º¤ø ¸„ø¤º°¨¨°TIDEº¤ø ¸„ø¤º°¨¨°º¤ø ø¤º°¨¨¨°º¤ø ¸„øROLL°¨¨°º¤ø ¸„ø¤º°¨¨°º¤ø¸TIDEº

Happy Late Halloween! Michael picked out Kalai's Halloween costume as a surprise when I was pregnant so it was fun to finally see how cute she looked in it!!!

Stats

2010-11-02T18:32:00.000-07:00

So I know that I am WAY behind in this but I wanted to let everyone know Kalai's updated stats (15 month check-up). Sorry I don't remember all the exact details
Head: 50 %
Height 50 %
.......AND drumroll please......
Weight: 10% 20lbs. She is technically more like 8% but still!
She is on the charts! I'm so proud of her!

Also, here is a video of a lightening storm that kept me & Michael up at night. Insane!

This one is for the Daddy!

2010-10-12T13:44:00.000-07:00

Short & Sweet! But that pretty much wraps up how we feel about Daddy!!!

ABC As Easy As 123!!!

2010-10-07T18:51:00.000-07:00

Extra Extra Read All About it!

2010-09-01T19:55:00.001-07:00

A couple fun stories from the life of the Brown Family...
*Kalai came up to me today and used a wet wipe to "clean" my face and then bent down and gave me a kiss! Aww..she's gonna be a good mommy someday!
*I had Kalai up on the conveyor belt at Wal-mart and the male cashier just loved her. Kalai was playing with a package of gum and holding it up like a phone. As we were leaving, he said, "My gift to the baby" and I looked on the receipt and realized he had bought her the gum! Oh how very sweet! And we benefited too, since we are gonna be the ones actually having the gum!
Ssshhhh...... I'm blaming this one on the daddy :)
*Michael was watching Kalai and she was going through my purse but he didn't think too much of it. When I got back in the room I said to Michael, "why is she making a face like she has dentures in her mouth?" but we still didn't think much of it. I pulled out her tooth brush and opened her mouth and realized there was something shiney in there. I pulled it out and it was a Hersey's chocolate hug wrapper! Oops. She had sucked all the chocolate out of it. She must have gotten it out of my purse. I went to brush her teeth again and again there was something in her mouth. Another wrapper. Are you kidding me? I pulled it out and went to brush her teeth and again another wrapper. That child had sucked clean three chocolate hugs at the same time. For a girl who was never had chocolate...she learned pretty quickly how good it was. Lets just say, we brushed her teeth extra good and also I'm gonna have to get a better hiding spot for my treats. Like I said...I'm blaming the daddy.
*Yesterday my whole family went to three different temples! What are the chances of that? I was able to go to The Birmingham LDS Temple with the youth from our church since my calling is in the YW Presidency. It was so nice to be able to see the rising generation take time out of there busy schedules to attend the Temple. There was a special Spirit there and I know they were doing the work of the Lord. I'm so thankful for their testimonies of the gospel and for their examples to me.
Michael and I took Kalai to the temple! Here are a couple pictures of her.

On the other side of the conversation

2010-08-30T11:17:00.000-07:00

My parents often call to talk to Kalai on the phone and so yesterday I decided to video tape Kalai while she was chatting on the phone so that they could see what it looked like from the other side of the conversation. My favorite part is at the end when I ask her, "who's sweet?" and she answers! Wait for it....

Life Lately

2010-08-28T14:49:00.000-07:00

Here are just a couple of pictures of Kalai modeling the bow I made her at Christmas time! Even though I think the bow is super cute I just can't stop from looking at Kalai and her beautiful eyes! She's adorable.

Even though I am the one who usually whips out the camera in our family, I love it when Michael tries his hand at it too cause I think he is really talented at capturing the moment!

Isn't He the Greatest!?!

2010-08-03T19:01:00.000-07:00

Yes, he is!!!
Michael surprised me with these when he came home from his internship today...

I love him!

Dream Vacation!!!

2010-07-26T16:26:00.000-07:00

After a long hard week of packing up and moving to our new place, we were rewarded with a fun-filled week of vacation time to FLORIDA!!! We drove down to Orlando with my parents to take Kalai to Disneyworld for the first time! My mom did volunteer service and was able to get us all free tickets there. Thanks Mom! Kalai loved it which is a good thing since we went there to celebrate her birthday with the Familia side of the family. She esp. loved Pirates of the Caribbean (her first ride) and It's a Small World (her last ride). She loved looking around and see all the sites. It was a really fun age to take her because she was just soaking in all the information. She finally fell asleep during the Electric Light Parade on my parents laps. We took video footage of her so I will put a video up here later. After that, we drove down to PANAMA CITY!!!Michael's side of the family owns a beach house there and we were lucky enough to get to stay there for the week. It was fabulous to say the least! The ocean was warm, the sand was white, the sunsets were gorgeous and the company was great! We had a couple of friends from Birmingham (The Thornton's and the Stoddard's) join us for the week and it was a blast! We spent the whole week shopping, boogie boarding and tanning. Plus I had my parents there so that was an added plus! My mom cooked her way through The Pioneer Women Cookbook and also made her specialty and family fave- Tacos! So, lets just say, we ate pretty good that whole week. At the end of the week, we threw Kalai one last birthday party so she could celebrate her birthday with the Familia side and my parents got her the cutest gifts but I'm gonna have to post pictures of the gifts later...believe me, it's worth the wait! Also, I will post some pictures later of the big gift we gave Kalai. Anyways, here are some pictures of the trip. We got also got to have our family photos taken on the beach and I'm really happy with how they turned out. Thanks Dad! The rest of the pictures are of fun-filled vacation! I hope going to the beach house is a new tradition!

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Here's a sneak pic of the photo shoot I did for my friends, the Thornton's, while at the beach. I have a few other photo shoots that I need to catch up on before I get to the rest of them.

Fire Pictures

2010-07-13T21:13:00.000-07:00

If you haven't already read about the fire that began in my complex, scroll down and read my last entry. Here are some pictures of the fire and smoke damage. We moved into our new place this past weekend. So many people helped us move. Thanks friends!!! We appreciate all the love,prayers and support we have felt during this time. We had a House Warming party this weekend to show our appreciation to our friends. There was a great turn out and the food was so good (thanks to my mom!). We are getting settled into our new place and I have had so much fun decorating it. I'll post pictures later of our new place.

FIRE

2010-07-02T07:49:00.000-07:00

Yesterday I was at my house packing up all of my stuff because we are moving. We spent ALL day cleaning and packing and hanging out and around 10:00 PM Rachel Atwood, my friend, called her husband Blake to see if he would come help her get their two boys loaded up and to go back home. The boys were sleeping and Blake was exhausted and so was she, so I invited them to spend the night since Michael was out of town.

I ran to the store and grabbed us some quick food to eat, and then came back and we started cooking it in the microwave. We sat down in my bedroom and started to eat some of it while the rest was cooking, and then my light started flickering. After the fifth flicker, we smelled smoke. So we ran into the kitchen, and it was filled with smoke. We thought it was from the microwave, so she grabbed a broom and started to fan it to clear up the smoke. But that didn't really work. I decided to open the back door and asked Rachel to open the front door to fan circulate some air, but when she opened the front door she yelled to me, "Carissa, there is a tons of black smoke caming in the apartment!". (we live on the upstairs floor of a small four house apartment and the access to each apartment is inside a stairway, so we couldn't just open the door and be outside).

We grabbed the three sleeping babies, and tried to go through the back door, but it was somehow blocked and we couldn't get through it. I broke the screen door because all of a sudden it was difficult to open. I ran into something and couldn't get out. There backway is usually always cleared out so I couldn't figure out what was blocking us but by that time it was so smokey it was getting difficult to see and breathe. It was evident we were trapped so we ran to my bedroom with three screaming babies, and at this point we were all breathing in smoke pretty heavily. My bedroom had the least amount of smoke, so we went in there and shut the door. Rachel called 911 and then we tried to get the window open. I'm pretty sure it was painted shut, but we were able to get it open. The firemen came and were able to put a ladder up to the window and helped us all down. The fireman came and I was told I needed to unlock the front door. Even though it scared me to death, I crawled to the front door and made sure it was unloocked. They told me not to open it so I crawled back into the bedroom and shut the door. When the fireman came in, it was so dark and smokey that they couldn't find their way. By then it was getting difficult to breath and I could feel the heat. They firemen put up a ladder next to our bedroom window and one by one they loaded us down beginning with babies to Rachel and me. Once my feet hit the ground, I was overwhelmed with relief that we were all safe. They firemen continued to work on the fire and kept asking me if anyone else lived up there and if I knew they were home. I told them I had a neighor named Daniel living across the way. Eventually the firemen had to saw a huge hole out of the roof. After the fire was incontrol, they let me go out to get some valuables and to check things out. I wanted to figure out why we couldn't get out the back way. Usually the screen door is so easy to open and we have clear access to the outside but this time the screen was difficult to open and there was a storage unit door blocking our way but I couldn't see cause of the smoke. The fireman said it was a good thing we didn't go out that way because futher down it was up in flames. I know that my Heavenly Father was protecting us that day and guided us into safety.

It was pretty tramatic. The man across the hallway, Daniel, died. The fire started in his apartment and we're pretty sure he was drunk. We saw him bring a big case of beer up to his apartment a few hours earlier. They think either he passed out drunk and left something on the stove or that his cigerettes caught something on fire. The fire never made it into my apartment, but there is tons of smoke damage.

It was actually really lucky that Rachel was there, because I would have gone to bed if she had left. Plus rachel had her phone with her so we could call 911 immediately. Our smoke detector didnt go off until after the firemen were there which would have made it a lot worse.

The firemen told Blake that in situations like this, it's not typical to have live rescues. I guess the fire was pretty bad.

Anyway, just thought I'd let you all know, since I'm still kind of in shock. The end.

12 months ago today, the secret came out! Happy Birthday Kalai!

2010-06-24T14:39:00.001-07:00

I can't believe one year ago today I gave birth to this most beautiful wonderful baby!!! I love you Kalai!!! Happy First Birthday! ♥ I still can't believe that we were able to keep the gender a secret. Here's are some more pictures of her on her first day of life.

Yesterday, a good friend of mine, Willow, and her little boy, Liam, drove all the way from Birmingham to Elkmont to visit us today for Kalai's Birthday! That's a little over an hour and a half drive. We went out to eat at Maria Bonita's, went around the town square, let the babies play in the kiddie pool, and had a impromptu photo shoot! Thanks Willow for coming to visit us!!!

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June Bug's 1st Birthday Party!

2010-06-14T20:48:00.001-07:00

My little June Bug celebrated her first birthday with the Brown side of the family this weekend. We celebrated a bit early since she had two uncles who traveled from out of state visiting this weekend. She had a combined birthday party with her great grandma who turned 89 and the theme was Over the Hill and Under the Hill :) Haha, actually the real theme was June Bug! Thanks for everyone who attended and who helped make the day so special and memorable! Of course I have to include pictures of the birthday girl!!!

The picture above is of a poor deprived little girl who has never had any sugar or junk food and doesn't know what to do with a cupcake :)

Hmmm....the frosting doesn't taste too bad....

Lets get down to business!

Opening some of her presents! Thanks everyone!

Family Photo

Michael and I can't imagine our lives without Kalai. She brings a special spirit, joy and happiness into our home and our lives! Happy Early Birthday! Let the festivities begin!

5 years ago today.....

2010-06-01T19:58:00.000-07:00

Five years ago today Nicole and I entered the MTC to served an 18 month volunteer church mission to Tulsa, Oklahoma and to Toronto, Canada!!! I am so thankful I was able to go on a mission and teach the people of Toronto the gospel of Jesus Christ about the restoration of the gospel through a modern-day prophet. I was able to teach people about The Bible and The Book of Mormon, which is another testament of Jesus Christ written by prophets living in the central America area. If anyone who reads my blog is interested in receiving a free Bible or Book or Mormon- check out this website, www.mormon.org

Things I miss about Toronto. -Sharing my testimony of the gospel everyday. -Tracting -District Meetings & Zone Meetings -Teaching English class. -The multiculturalness. -The friends I made. -Learning little phrases in different languages. -The public transportation. -More, More & More!!!

I know that my mission changed me and I will be forever grateful that I was called to serve to the Toronto East Mission! Can't wait till I can take my family back to visit someday!

Memorial Day was great! A bunch of friends, The Wrights, Edwards, Atwoods and our family had a bbq/potluck. The kids looked absolutely adorable in their matching red, white and blue outfits!

Michael has begun his internship. He began last week. Everyday it is so nice to see him come home and see how excited he is about all that he is learning. He is clerkshipping for two district and two circuit judges and also doing some Spanish Interpreting. He is gaining experience in so many different kinds of law. One day it might be family court, then drug court, then traffic court, or maybe criminal. Michael stays busy doing research and also joining the judges in the courtroom.

Oh and I got me some PINK! My friend uses it and I tried it and absolutely loved it. I got fun and flirty and warm and cozy.

I posted a couple of videos of the kids of memorial day, Kalai playing chase with her friend, and her playing games and giggling. I also included a video that is about ten seconds of something I filmed out here that is a southern treat. Can you tell what is going on? I hope everyone had a fun and safe memorial day! I am so thankful to be able to live in the Land of the Free and the Brave!

Kalai Kisses

2010-05-25T20:01:00.000-07:00

My daughter can now give me Kalai kisses!!! It really doesn't get any better than that! What a wonderful eleven month old gift that she decided to give me!

Purdy Lake

2010-05-16T12:30:00.000-07:00

Did you know a snail can sleep for three years? Did you know that Thomas Edison was a vegetarian? What about eating candy before you go to bed can really give you nightmares! For more random trivia, click on these videos!
http://www.bing.com/videos/watch/video/top-10-famous-vegetarians/uf1hj6dx

http://www.bing.com/videos/watch/video/top-10-true-urban-myths/uf0kara1

http://www.bing.com/videos/watch/video/top-10-bizarre-facts-about-animals/ufm5ia1y
Yesterday, we got to take Kalai fishing for the first time with Blake and Rachel Atwood and their cute kids! We went to Purdy Lake and had a nice picnic and then the boys went fishing out on the lake. Can't wait to do it again!

Kalai's first play " DATE"

2010-05-08T14:58:00.001-07:00

Love in the Air!?!
Although she tries to deny it, Kalai has been having fun hanging out with her "boyfriend" Josh ;)
Here it is again. In this one, you can see better how they interact.

Just what the Doctor Ordered & From the Mouth of Babes

2010-05-04T14:38:00.000-07:00

Kalai went to the doctors today to have a weight gain check up. She weighs......drum roll....... 15 lbs 14 ounces! She is still in the less than 5 percentile but she is gaining and increasing on the chart. My doctor feels like it was enough weight gain that she is not too worried anymore and says that we don't need to come back till her twelve month appointment. Go Kalai!!!
In this video she is showing off her sippy cup and talking skills. Listen closely for:
*Dada *Uh-oh *Hi *Mama *Boo *Apple
That's only about half of what she can say so eventually I may catch the other half on tape and post it!
Some of the pictures below are of us and the Green family at the Zoo. Haha, I love it! The Browns and the Greens :)

La La Land at the Park!

2010-04-29T10:20:00.000-07:00

Yesterday, we went to the park with a couple of friends. I love pushing Kalai on the swing cause she laughs so hard! I was telling them how Kalai is so active that she never really falls asleep in unusual places like in a high chair or something. Anyways, I was talking to them having a good old time and I looked over at Kalai and noticed her eyes were getting droopy. She fell asleep in the swing and stayed there for around twenty minutes! So of course, all I had with me was my cell phone so here is another bad quality video and a cell pic of her falling asleep on the swing but it was so adorable that I had to capture the moment!

Everthing I needed to know, I learned from Mama!

2010-04-20T17:27:00.000-07:00

Don't Tell Me I Never Taught Her Anything Useful! You know the thing where you flick your bottom lip and it makes a funny noise. Well, if you promise not to notice the messy bed, you can watch Kalai do it. I taught her everything she knows! Haha. Oh and sorry, the video is so blurry cause I taped it on my cell phone so I'm not sure you can even tell what she is doing. But she will also do it on my mouth too. In the video she does it only for a second cause she has an obsession with my cell phone so she gets distracted by it.

Ok. Time for me to tell you some PRACTICAL stuff that Michael and I have taught her. She can now also sign more and finished! She says, "Da Da" and "Bye Bye" "weeeee". We discovered this randomly when we were shopping at the Piggly Wiggly. We were gonna walk home so Michael asked her to say Bye and she did! She can drink from a sippy cup and wave hi. In the mornings, when she is done feeding, she will roll over in bed, grab Michael and say "hi". She is crawling on her hands now not just the army crawl. She is pulling up onto objects, letting go and actually balancing for about 10 seconds sometimes! For all the skills she is quickly mastering, this is one I'm so totally not ready for! My baby girl is growing up so fast. She began the crawling on hands, saying "da da" and balancing all just on Sunday. That's three milestones in one day! Impressive.
My photography business is having a great start! I downloaded some pictures of the Green Family on Carissasphotography.blogspot.com and also above in this blog. They were a beautiful and happy family and I believe we captured that well. I had another photo shoot this past weekend so I will be editing those and posting them soon. I absolutely have enjoyed everything about getting this business together!
Anyways, that's all for now. We have been busy with life and lovin' it!

Carissasphotography.blogspot.com

2010-04-13T21:28:00.000-07:00

I'm beginning a Photography business!!! Please check out the link to see some of my work. I am trying to build up my portfolio but here are some of my favorite pictures so far. Follow it, make a comment, add it to your blog list or just check it out!

carissasphotography.blogspot.com

I was able to do my first photoshot this weekend for James, Paris and Banx Green and am editing the photos now but will be posting them shortly. They are a beautiful family and it was such a good experience working with them. Wish me luck!!!

Kalai's 1st Easter

2010-04-05T19:04:00.001-07:00

HAPPY EASTER!!!

Happy Easter!!! It was so fun celebrating Kalai's first Easter. We celebrated with Michael's parents. Here are some of the traditions we established.
* Dye Easter Eggs, Family Meal, Candy trail leading to Easter Basket, Easter Egg Hunt, Family Photos, Golden Egg, and Lesson on Christ's Resurrection.
Kalai got the cutest easter basket. It was her first Vera Bradley bag and we used it as an easter basket. Check out Vera Bradley.com It's really big down South. We filled it with Banana puffs (her treat for finding the Golden Egg), lots of hair bows, sippy cups, a stuffed animal (lamb) from Daddy, a book (Blue Bird's Nest) and my mom sewed Kalai a homemade stuffed Teddy Bear. See picture below of Kalai cuddling with....hmmm...well, we haven't named it yet. Any suggestions? It was so much fun to dress Kalai up as the Easter Bunny all week and to take her out to look for the eggs. As you can tell from the pictures, she really got the hang of it!

\

Happy Easter Everyone! I always enjoy this Spring Season where I can reflect on Christ's Life, Death and Resurrection!
P.S. Kalai can now say Uh-Oh ( the whole thing, not just UH and she says it at the appropriate times) and boo (when she wants to play peek-a-boo).

Internship Offer, April Fool's Day Joke, & Baby Stats

2010-04-02T09:28:00.000-07:00

These are pictures taken from our trip to Texas!
Good News!!! Michael has been offered and accepted an internship in Athens, Alabama where he will be doing a clerkship for 2 District Court and 2 Circuit Judges and also he will be involved in Spanish Interpreting! Internships have been very difficult for law students to find this year so I am very proud of Michael that he was able to find one! Congratulations Michael! Love ya Babe!

GASP!!! Someone hacked into Nicole's facebook account and played a April Fools Day joke on her and a bunch of other people!!! I wonder who would have ever done a thing like that? See for yourself!

Nicole Familia Pierce Announcing....

Profile Pictures

11 hours ago · Comment · · View Feedback (28)Hide Feedback (28)

Heidi Larsen Kittelson, Becky March, Katie Church and 3 others like this.

Angela Jeanette Martinez-Terry

congrats!

11 hours ago

Angie Campanello

Congratulations Nicole!

11 hours ago

Amy Adams Noyce

Congratulations!! That is so wonderful! How far along are you? Are you feeling okay? When are you due?

11 hours ago

Shelly Baylor

Congrats Nicole!!!

11 hours ago

Kaitlyn Kae

This better not be an april fools.

11 hours ago

Kaitlyn Kae

It totally is. You just got me so excited for no reason!

11 hours ago

Dorey Pierce Ponce

What!? Is this an April fools joke? I hope not! =0)

11 hours ago

Caryn Jensen Stapp

I'm pregnant too!

11 hours ago

Amy Duree

*gasp* I KNEW it!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! lol
Congrats!!!! :):):):)

11 hours ago

Britney Seay

Yeah!! Congrats...

11 hours ago

Natalie Pacheco Familia

You finally broke the news! No one is going to believe you since you did it on April Fools.

11 hours ago

Josie Familia

Wow! and on April Fool's day? Congratulations!

11 hours ago

Carissa Familia Brown

Woohoo!!! Put up a baby bump picture! You look so cute preggers :)

11 hours ago ·

Caryn Jensen Stapp

I will soon.

11 hours ago

Becky March

Congrats Nicole, that's very exciting.

11 hours ago

Sarah Familia

What?!?! Nicole, that is great!! Congrats! We are so excited for you!

10 hours ago

Caryn Jensen Stapp

I'm due in June. June...um...31st. Yes, that's the date.
picture below

http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_AhGe9uhQ1N0/Rqx7SfKhDzI/AAAAAAAAA1o/hwAlBOwuCgM/s400/buddha.jpg

10 hours ago

Tina Wells Miller

Congrats!! That is so exciting!

3 hours ago

Tammie Lowe

We are so happy for you

2 hours ago

Nicole Familia Pierce

Haha guys! Sorry this is a joke! But it is actually a joke someone played on me. I am pretty sure it was my sister but it could have been my mom. I didn't even know it was on here till now! I've been punked!

about an hour ago

Britney Seay

Too funny ;)
What a great April fools joke !!! Xo

24 minutes ago

Britney Seay

And even pretty you didn't know joke was on all of us... ;) too fun

23 minutes ago

about an hour ago · Report

Dorey Pierce Ponce

haha and I thought our family was mean. =0)

48 minutes ago · Report

Fabiola Marquez Jamieson

yea!!!! i'm so happy for you! You should have said something at jennie's!

34 minutes ago · Report

Hmmmm....that Ultrasound picture looks alot like Kalai...Strange.

In other news, Kalai had another doctor's appointment yesterday and she got more shots. Ouch! She is one tough cookie. Makes me sad when she has to get them. Here's her recent stats:
Ht: 26 inches 3/4 25th
Wt: 14 lbs less than 5th
HC:17 3/4 75-90th
Whoa! She is all over the charts! Lots of Brain in there.They said that usually development begins with the head so that is not unusual. Good thing she had a little head when I had her though!

So the Doctor thinks the milk I am producing may just be like skim milk instead of like whole so that maybe one reason why she is so tiny. She also talked about how she is small boned and has a small frame and having such a tiny mother she may be just destined to be tiny her whole life. Honestly with a mom and a dad like me and Michael, we pretty much knew she was gonna be either one extreme or the other. She recommended that Kalai begin trying to sip from a sippy cup to try and supplement with formula so yesterday we went out and bought her one. Lets just say, I think she only took a few drops. She is still young to be drinking from a sippy so we have a long time to practice. In other news, She said that Kalai's verbal skills were very advanced and that she was hitting her milestones right on! Kalai can now say hi, hey, mama, up, and baby (with a southern accent) consistently and mimics Uh sound for Uh-Oh. She has said dada once, of course that was in Texas when he wasn't even there to hear her :(
She has two teeth now, she can clap and dance. She smiles at everyone, laughs when other people begin laughing (she wants to feel included) feds herself little sweet potato puffs, pulls herself up and is trying to cruise. She's getting pretty mobile. She likes talking on the phone too. She even called her dad once, my aunt, and the doctors office...

Here are some videos of Kalai and I in Texas!
Ciao

Found: Long Lost Triplet

2010-03-26T20:31:00.000-07:00

I was looking at some pictures of Nicole and I ........

......And some pictures of Kalai.....

.....and all I can say is......

Like Mother Like Daughter!!! I think I not only have a twin but now I have a triplet :) I love you Kalai!!!
*Pictures taken in Austin, Texas. We are having a great time visiting family here! Just been busy doing what me, Kalai and my aunt do best...shopping, shopping and more shopping!

Surprise Visit to Austin, Texas

2010-03-21T15:32:00.000-07:00

Kalai and I traveled to Austin, Texas as a surprise visit to my brother-in-law and sister-in-law. We ate at Chuy's and had the hostess bring her out!!! We have been keeping this secret for a couple months now so I am proud to show you the results of all our hard work!!! Watch the video! We are staying with my aunt, uncle and cousin for the week and it has been so much fun seeing them again even though I just saw them a few days ago in Florida! Michael had to stay behind in Alabama cause he needed to study so we are missing him a ton and I wanted to post this video for him so he could get in on the action!

Spring Break 2010

2010-03-18T12:16:00.000-07:00

Here's some pictures of us getting our springbreak on in Destin, Florida with my Uncle Chris, Aunt Janette, and my cousin Mark. Well the standard has now been set high...I wonder what we'll do next year!?!

Surprise!

2010-03-03T08:14:00.000-08:00

This morning I walked into Kalai's room and SURPRISE! This is what I saw!

"Look Mommy, Look what I can do!"

Just another reminder that my baby girl is growing up! I love how she looks totally jazzed and proud of herself!

Kalai's 1st tooth pic & 1st Spring Break vacation to.....

2010-02-26T10:31:00.000-08:00

For Kalai's eighth month birthday she got her 1st tooth!!! Below is a picture of her modeling her new look. We can feel it and see it but when I downloaded the picture and took a closer look I wasn't positive you would be able to see it. Take a really close look, it's there, I promise. Can you see it? She hasn't been fussy, just her normal happy self so that either means that she has a high tolerates for pain and has a really good attitude or isn't in a lot of pain. Hopefully she isn't in a lot of pain...

When Michael and I attended BYU, we did not get a spring break and this was always TORTUOUS when all our other friends attending other schools did and they were going on fun vacations. Now that Michael is attending Samford University, he gets one! And so we are gonna take advantage and go on a spring break vacation to...........

........Miramar Beach, Florida!!! I absolutely can't wait to feel that beautiful white sand inbetween my toes!!!
AND...I get to go and see this guy!

Meet Mark Foster, the cutest cousin ever.
My aunt and uncle invited us so we will get to stay with them at their condo. Thanks guys! Let the countdown begin!!!

Kalai's Professional Pictures!

2010-02-23T12:37:00.000-08:00

On Christmas Eve, Michael and I took Kalai to get professional pictures taken. We then ordered enough prints and that is what we gave all the Grandparents, uncles and aunts as Christmas gifts. She looked so adorable and it was so difficult to decide which ones we liked the best but the two above were our final choices! The quality doesn't look amazing because they are pictures of the pictures but you get the basic idea. We love her so much!!!
I realized that I never blogged about our Valentine's Day. The night before we went to a dance and then watched a movie at home. On Valentine's, I made shrimp fajitas, with re-fried beans and a blackberry and raspberry fruit salad. We had pomegranate margaritas (virgin, of course!) and we bought a cheesecake from the Cheese Cake Factory for dessert. Michael surprised me with a dozen roses, lindt's chocolates (my favorite!) and a love note! I am so lucky to have him and I love him so much! He is such a romantic so it is so fun to have spend Valentine's Day with him! I can't believe that was our fourth one together over the years!
As many of you know, I am a vegetarian. Many people have asked me if my children will be too. Well, not after tonight! I've been making baby food for Kalai today. What's on the menu for the next little while? Squash with turkey and oregano & sweet potatoes with chicken and basil.....hmmm...she is moving up to anther level of baby food (baby food with meat). Hopefully she'll like it!

Skype

2010-02-21T12:01:00.000-08:00

For Christmas Michael and I received a web cam from my aunt and uncle so that we could go on skype with our friends and family. So if any of you have skype and want to chit chat send me an email or leave me a message with your user name and I'll add you! Now I'll leave you with some cute pictures of my fam!

Flexible baby doing the splits...I wonder where she gets that from?

Bubble Bath Baby

San Fran

Here she is trying to sip out a straw for the first time.

The first time she ever saw snow was in Reno, Nevada

Cutie Husband doing the raclette.

Playing with Bubbles from her Aunt Nicole & Uncle Ben

More Bubbles!

She's posing.

Ta Da! Finishing her dance moves with daddy!

Family Photo taken at the Sacramento LDS Temple.

Cutie-patootie!

Again....cutie-patootie!

Army Crawling Video!

2010-02-18T08:20:00.003-08:00

......TO WATCH MY LITLE ARMY CRAWLER!!!

So here is my little LoveBug showing off her new mobile skills. She went from scooting to army crawling and now she is able to put a little more weight up on her arms so she will be crawling any day now! I absolutely love it when I am walking around the room and she will twist and turn until she is facing me or when she army crawls up to me and then puts her hands up to tell me that she wants to me held! Love her! Now I just need to baby proof my place!

Thanks Everyone for your advice about how to help Kalai gain some weight. I was hoping I would get some when I posted. I am still breastfeeding Kalai and she is very much a social drinker...a little here...a little there all day long but I would say I am still feeding her about 5 times a day. I'm gonna try BF her before I give her the solids instead of after, maybe that will help? Thanks for your support! I'll keep you updated.

One reason why it is great to have a Graphic Designer as a Dad....

2010-02-16T11:25:00.000-08:00

Thanks Dad!

Kalai just ate two ice cubes worth of steamed carrots and a half cup worth of dried rice cereal! I have no clue how she can been so tiny, she is such a little piggy! Does that seem like a lot to anyone else? I met someone this week who told me that her mother had a 13 pound baby.....my seven month old is that size. I swear she has a high metabolism since she can eat a ton but not gain much weight.

* Also scroll down to see more pictures from our California trip.

California Love!

2010-02-13T10:50:00.000-08:00

Here are some additional pictures taken during our trip to California. We recently got internet at our place so now I will be able to update our blog more frequently. Tomorrow is Valentine's Day so I hope everyone has a wonderful time celebrating. I know I'm excited to celebrate with my two Valentines!!!
Sacramento LDS Temple Family Photos
Taken on Christmas Eve

Wicked was so WICKED!

Kalai PortraitsBikini Baby

Rub-a-dub-dub- I love bath time photos! Check out the awesome ducky my mom got her. It glows!
Grandpa love.....I love this sequence. Who's copying who?

Daddy/daughter bonding. This was taken the night Michael flew into California. He hadn't seen Kalai in a week and a half & she could not take her eyes off of him!!!
Cuddling with Grandma Familia

Picture with Santa

Good times at Slide Hill Park
I love my polar bear!
Kalai with her ornament at the ornament exchange.

Beautiful baby

Eating Solids for the 1st time.

Exhausted after a long and fun time in California!!!

Stats 'N' Stuff

2010-02-01T17:29:00.000-08:00

Kalai had her 6 month doctor's appointment at 7 months since we had been traveling during that time. Here are her stats:
Weight: A whooping 12 pounds 8 ounces... less than 5th percentile. Gotta beef that girl up! That's our goal,so hopefully by our next appointment she'll chub up.
Height: 26 inches- that's in the 25-50 percentile. So maybe that means she's is gonna be average and not necessarily so extreme on the height scale like her mommy and daddy.
Head circumference:17 inches- 50th percentile
Here are some skills Kalai has been learning!
* She is beginning to scoot. She wants to crawl so bad.
* She began signing her first word! She can sign milk when she wants to breastfed!!! It's so amazing to watch her little fist pump open and close and to know exactly what she wants.
* She can sit up on her own. Still a little wobbly. But once she has her balance she can stay there a long time.
* She grabs for the spoon when we fed her and brings it to her mouth.
* She's really good at the fake cough.
*She sleeps through the night 9pm to around 6 and 7, feds, then she sleeps in till around 9. I know, I'm lucky.
* When she sees another baby, sometimes she will squeak and try to communicate with them.

Funny story. Kalai and I were walking around the library and I looked down and Kalai's pants had fallen right off her bum. Good thing, I was able to find them. Anyways, if she gets a little fat on her legs maybe that won't happen.

38 days of Vacation!!!

2010-01-06T19:18:00.001-08:00

My Family from WiddlyTinks.com

Kalai and I have been on vacation for 38 wonderful days (29 in California and 9 in Northern Alabama)!!! Wow, that is by far the longest vacation I have ever been on. We have not gone to church in our own ward (congregation) for six Sundays in a row. We have loved visiting with our family and extended family. Nicole and Ben came from Utah and in Alabama all of Michael's siblings came for the holidays. Kalai has now been to Utah, Wyoming, Nebraska, Iowa, Missouri, Illinois, Kentucky, Tennessee, Alabama, Mississippi, Louisiana, Texas, California and Nevada. That's 14 states in 6 months. By the time I was 16, the furthest place I had ever visited was Texas to visit my Aunt. This girl has seen the world! It is really nice being a stay-at-home mom and not having to ask for vacation time. I think Michael had a nice relaxing much-needed break from law school and is now ready to hit the books. He is taking Evidence, Property, Contracts, and Civil Procedure. Today we are heading back to Birmingham...I can't even remember what it is like sleeping in my own bed.
Here's an overview of what we did!
* WICKED*Creche Festival*Went to an Opera House play*Kalai sat on Santa's lap for the first time*CrepeVille Restaurant*In-N-Out*Pier 39*Hard Rock Cafe* First Friday* Roasted Chestnuts*Christmas Parties*Reclette*Trader Joe's* Outlet Shopping*Sacramento Temple Wedding*Reno* Mission Companion's Wedding Reception*Mongolian Grill*Spent time with friends and Family*
Good times, good times.
Also...

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Alabama won the Rose Bowl against Texas and are now the National Champions! It is an exciting time to be living here in Alabama. It is a whole other world down here. I would say on an average day half of the people I see are wearing either a Alabama t-shirt. There are some loyal fans down here. It's intense.

Also, tell me, if this sounds a little suspicious. The day of the Alabama game, a ton of schools announced that they would be closed because of snow the next day. The next morning, Michael woke me up to tell me that it was snowing. He pulled open the curtains to show me and honesty, I couldn't see any flakes. I looked on the ground and yes, there were a few patches of snow here and there. But still school was cancelled, and people all over the state were sent home from their jobs. Hmmmm.....sounds like to me the people of Alabama just needed an excuse for a day off so that they could stay up late to watch the game, then sleep in and not have to go to their jobs. They should have just made it a state holiday. And why shouldn't they? They did win after all :) What do you think? I can't complain though. My mother-in-law was sent home from her teaching job at the local campus so we got to spend some extra time with her.

That's all for now. Here's to a fantastic 2010!!!

Santa Baby...I've been an awfully good girl!

2010-01-04T09:57:00.000-08:00

I posted pictures earlier today of Kalai at Christmas time but realized it had been three months since I updated the blog so I have added more pictures of Kalai (Sorry but I am obsessed with two things 1. My family 2. Pictures).

This is an old one but I just stumbled across it at my mother-in-laws and decided to post it sinceit is adorable. This is of us on Kalai's baby blessing day.

My parents came to visit us in Oct and it was so fun having them out here. We visited alot of the sites in Birmingham. Here is a picture of them taken at the 16th St Baptist Church.

Roll tide

Bama Pride

Family reunion on Michael's side of the family
Now......

Santa Baby....I've been an awfully Good Girl!!!

Truly He taught us to love one another, His Law is Love and His gospel is peace.
Love,
The Browns

Baby's 1st Christmas!!!

2009-12-28T15:14:00.000-08:00

For about the past month Kalai and I have been kickin' it here in California!I can't believe I haven't been to California since Aug of 2007. Michael had to take Law School finals so we flew out here a couple weeks ahead of him and then he joined us later. He was ready for a vacation! And vacation we did! We have been so busy going around to Christmas parties/activities, homeschooling visits with my mom, and hanging out with the family and close friends. I for one have been loving my time in Cali and from the smiles and giggles from Kalai, I think she would agree too. She has been so spoiled with hugs and kisses from her grandparents, aunt, uncle, great-grandparents and family friends. We are sad that are vacation is coming to an end. In fact, we dropped off Michael at the airport already today so that he could have a few days of peace and quiet to get ahead in his studies before we head to Elkmont to spend New Years with his side of the family. For here is an overview of the past month.

Michael and I were given Wicked tickets for Christmas presents from my in-laws!!! So we spent the night in San Fran. and saw the most amazing musical. When Michael and I drove across the U.S. to move to Alabama, we bought the Wicked CD so that we would have something new and exciting to listen to as we were traveling. Ever since then, we have been obsessed with the music. And let me tell you, Wicked was SSSOOO wicked!!! The songs, sets, acting, costumes were fantastic and I couldn't take the smile off my face. So thanks Larry and Julie for the tickets! Thanks to my mom and dad who babysat Kalai during the play and who swear she didn't cry once. I think Michael and I were the happiest people in the theatre.

Also, we having been piggin' out at

We went to a good family friends wedding at the Oakland Temple. Rachel Stapp was sealed to Benjamin Betts. The wedding ceremony and reception was beautiful.

I also went to an old mission companion's wedding reception. Sister Sarah Svetz and I served together in Toronto, On. and she and Jeremy held their reception in Reno, Nevada. She didn't know we were coming so that was a fun surprise.
We also went to a yummy Mongolian grill while we were there. It was interesting because you could dish up your own plate and they would grill it on the grill right in front of you. But at this grill you could also make fijitas and italian pastas which is unusual at a mongolian grill.

This beautiful baby enjoyed her first Christmas!

She sat on Santa's lap and got spoiled by him too. This year from Santa we got a group gift. Santa gave us a brand new camera! So those of you who know me, know I am obsessed with taken pictures. This obsession is about to take on a whole new level.
From my parents we also got a book-a-month gift. This means we will be getting a book every month sent out to us. The book is picked out specifically for each person. Michael and I just bought a new bookcase but it looks like we will need a new one soon.
For a few weeks before Christmas, I have been working on different projects trying to have some homemade gifts made for Kalai. Here are somethings she was given by me and my mom.

Two homemade dresses (one reversible), an applique onesie, a puzzle with Kalai's footprints (for Michael and Kalai). Kalai also got some savings bonds, pajamas, clothes, bubbles, ornaments, book of the month membership, and toys. It was so fun to watch her open her gifts. She is working on her hand/eye coordination and she absolutely loves reaching for tissue paper and pulling it out of the gifts. This year was also special because we acted out the Nativity story (an old family tradition) and this year Kalai got to be baby Jesus.
There is so much more to tell except that this is getting long already. I'm just making up for lost time. I can't believe Kalai is 6 months old already. She turned 6 months old on Christmas Eve. It was so fun to have a baby in the family this year for Christmas. It definiately gave me a different perspective on Christmas. She is so wonderful and it was so nice to spend the Christmas season here in California with family and friends!

Picture Update

2009-10-23T13:37:00.000-07:00

Click on these links to see a picture update of what my family has been up to. Even if you don't have a facebook account, you are allowed to see these photo albums.

http://www.facebook.com/home.php?#/album.php?aid=316586&id=648775056
Russ and Sarah's wedding photos

http://www.facebook.com/home.php?#/album.php?aid=319956&id=648775056
Coolest baby on the Block!

http://www.facebook.com/home.php?#/album.php?aid=316638&id=648775056
Austin Wedding Reception

http://www.facebook.com/home.php?#/album.php?aid=324943&id=648775056
What a Bod!

Austin wedding

2009-09-18T15:47:00.000-07:00

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In August Michael and I attended his brother's, Russ, wedding. The wedding was held in the San Antonio Texas LDS temple. Here are some pictures! My aunt Janette took the ones of us and I took the ones of Russ and Sarah.

Baby Blessing Pics, Ballerina Pics & Baby Shower Video

2009-07-29T20:31:00.000-07:00

Here are some pictures of Kalai and some of her baby blessing pictures. Kalai was given a beautiful baby blessing by her dad and she had a ton of family and friends come out to the blessing and then to the pinic we had afterward. Thank you so much for those who attended church that special sunday. It made it that much more memorable!

Here is a picture of my future ballerina!

And last but not least is a video of the baby shower I had with some of my really close friends. My good friend Hollie throw me the most wonderful shower! The decorations and food were great and it was really nice to spend some time with my friends before we moved to Alabama. Thanks to Holly and to everyone who attended!!!

Kalai's travel dairy...

2009-07-24T12:48:00.000-07:00

Kalai’s Travel Diary
July 21st- I left my lifelong home in Orem, Utah and spent the night in a Rawlins, Wyoming hotel room. Along the way I saw bison and passed through Fort Bridger, Wyoming (a trading post along the Mormon pioneer trail). I was a good girl.

July 22nd- We left Wyoming and cruised through Nebraska, Iowa, and Missouri. My daddy just kept driving and driving and his only break was a power nap in a Missouri gas station parking lot. We went through Council Bluffs, Iowa and I learned that I’d been sorta following the Oregon Trail. My great, great, great… grandpa, William Wood, marched from Council Bluffs to San Diego with the Mormon Battalion. It made me glad I was in a car instead, but there was a small bit of drama during a brief stop when my parents tried to stick me back in my carseat before I was ready. Once they saw the error of their ways, things went well. I was a good girl.

July 23rd- Today was another big day. I crossed the Mississippi River. I saw the Gateway arch in St. Louis. It was a little blurry through the back of my eyelids. I also went to Illinois, Kentucky, Tennessee before I got to see my grandparents in Elkmont, Alabama. I was such a good girl.

July 24th- My one month birthday and I’m already seasoned traveler!

Note from Carissa: My daughter has got me beat by about 20 years with how many states she's been in. We made it safe and sound to Sweet Home Alabama! We miss Utah and our friends and family but am excited for our new adventure ahead!

A Flip a Day & Kalai's 2 week appointment statistics

2009-07-07T15:28:00.001-07:00

"A Flip A Day"-that's what my parents wanted me to promise to do after they had to leave to go back home to California. Our video camera brand is called a Flip and they wanted us to post videos of Kalai everyday. Now I don't think that is realistic but I am excited to post these two videos. Both of them show my dad, Michael's mom, and Michael's brother's (Russ) fiance meeting Kalai for the first time. These were made over the 4th of July weekend, hence the patriotic music.
Kalai went to her two week doctors appointment today. Here's her stats
Length: 20.25 inches 30th percentile
Weight 6 pounds 9 ounces 5th percentile
Head 10th percentile
The doctor said she looked very healthy- her weight gain was right on and her muscle tone looked great. She said that Kalai was the first baby she had ever seen that could move from back to her side at such a young age. That's my girl!

In other news, Michael and I celebrated our 2nd wedding anniversary!!! He is such an amazing husband and it has been so neat seeing him as a dad! I love you Michael!!!

Announcing Our Beautiful Baby Brown......

2009-06-29T15:32:00.001-07:00

We just wanted to pass on the good news that we had our baby!!! We successfully kept our baby's gender a secret for 9 whole months! On June 24, 2009 I gave birth to a beautiful baby..............GIRL! Her name is Kalai Lydia Brown! She was born on Wednesday, her due date, at 8:58am. She weighed six pounds and 5 ounces and is 19 inches long. She is so tiny and beautiful and we just love being with her. We are so happy that she has joined our family! We love you Kalai!

Kalai's Birth Story
In my Daughter's eyes.....

This is when our family members found out it was a girl! Most of our family thought for sure she was a he.....oh, and if I look a little out of it, it's cause I was.

Okay, I had to make one more, I couldn't help myself. This one has no music so you can hear better what is going on.

Lots and Lots of Belly Pics!

2009-06-14T21:05:00.000-07:00

Here are our most recent maternity pictures. I included some of my cute hubby too. The last picture is of all the gifts we got from my surprise family baby shower. Michael, our baby and I got so spoiled! Thanks everyone!

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Videos of Preston-My Deaf/Blind Student

2009-06-09T15:35:00.000-07:00

As many of you know, this past year I was employed by the State of Utah as a Communication Intervener for the Deaf and Blind. I was assigned to work with a boy named Preston. I got permission from his mother to video tape and post videos of him at a summer camp that I am helping him transition to, so here is some of the footage I got of him. See how smart he is for yourself! I'm telling you, he is a genius! It was so much fun working with him all of this school year helping him learn new American Sign Language Vocabulary, spelling, typing, counting money, telling time, reading and so much more! He was really the most social kid and all the children in the school just loved him. He has the best smile and laugh. I'm gonna miss working with him but am so glad that I have some videos of him to help me remember what a special boy he is! All three videos are different even though it looks the same at the beginning.