Saturday, August 30, 2008

Tres Dunlaps

What will you be doing around March 20th, 2009? We'll be busy birthing a child. Correction: Karen will be birthing a child and Steve will be running laps around Kaiser Riverside to ease his anxiety.
Yep, we're having a baby. A real one without a tail. If this is the first time you've heard this news, forgive us. I know it's kind of lame to find out via the internet. We've been trying to contact everyone but now we're giving in and just posting it on this here blog. 
We are so excited about this next chapter, but our excitement is also met with a lot of anxiety--mostly on Karen's part. If you know me, you know that multiple trips to the hospital to be poked and prodded by cold hands and needles is pretty much my own version of hell. However, it's all for the good of our baby child, and I'm ready to deal with some fear issues that I've held onto for far too long. I don't know who needs more prayer; stress-case Karen or my saint of a husband Steve. 
I'm 11 weeks along, still feeling pretty sick, and sneaking in a nap wherever/whenever I can find one. I guess you could call me a napoholic. So there's the semi-juicy details. And for the record, fat jokes are NEVER funny to a pregnant lady. 
We have been overwhelmed by the love and excitement that our friends and family have shown us. We will do our best to keep you up to date with our prego news, but we'll also try really hard not to become a blog solely dedicated to the growth of our unborn child. That's sort of annoying.

Wednesday, August 27, 2008

10 Years


This past weekend I (Karen) flew back up to Oregon to partake in my 10 year high school reunion. Steve was unable to attend due to school starting back up, which was a bummer because I was really looking forward to showing off my trophy husband. Anywho, we had a great time. I somehow got roped into being the MC for the event, so I guess you could say I was the life of the party...or maybe just the annoying person on the killer karaoke sound system. While the above picture may look like we had a sparse turn out, keep in mind that the graduating class of Jefferson High in 1998 numbered about 70 people. If you ever get stuck with planning a high school reunion, I highly suggest doing the BBQ in a park thing like we did. Everyone seems way cooler with a cheeseburger and Bud Light in tow.

Wednesday, August 20, 2008

Nightlife


Last night Steve and I went to a show at the Chain Reaction. That's right, living proof that we're not just a bunch of old fuddy duddies. We saw Matt Pryor, and he was spot on! Mr. Pryor was the lead guy in one of our all time favorite bands, The Get Up Kids. He also keeps himself busy with The New Amsterdams, which is another great band. However, last night, it was just Matt and his guitar. The show was great, minus the dingle heads who kept yelling out old Get Up Kids song titles. Matt Pryor did relent, and we were privileged to hear a few New Amsterdams and Get Up Kids songs. And for all of you Mama and Papas out there, Matt has written two kids albums under the name of The Terrible Twos. Not too shabby.

Saturday, August 16, 2008

The Great Northern Adventure of 2008

Warning: This post is super long.

We began our road trip by spending the night in Redding with the Lances. We had so much fun, and Steve and Zeke had plenty of wrestle time. It was so great to see how big Sofia has grown, how much weight Dan has lost, and how 9 month pregnant Alyssa was more beautiful than ever. We really love those Lance folks.

I told you she was pregnant and beautiful! (Spoiler alert: the baby in that tummy will make an appearance somewhere during this post!)

Next stop: Portland area to visit best friend Alison, hubby Brandon, and cross-dressing son Jackson. My other best friend, Beka (Alison's twin sis), came to join us for a sleep over just like old times. You know you're best buds with someone when you can spend an entire day in their company without really "doing" much...except for dressing up their son and buying school supplies. Man, I miss you guys.

Isn't it funny that all of these pictures involve friends and their children? I'm such a grown up. Here's a pic of my dear friend Christina and one of the most handsome guys I've ever met, Brody. Our time was short, but anytime we get to spend with Christina is well worth it. Plus, she made me a quesadilla. Bonus! I'm pretty sure that Brody told me that he wants to visit Disneyland soon...hint hint.

The next day we spent time up at my grandparents' farm, Rasmussen Farms. My cousins, Gunnar and Solveig, were up there working, so we had a bit a fun with them. The above picture was taken by Steve during an impromptu photo shoot with Gunnar.

After spending time at the farm, a bunch of family members gathered together at Lost Lake to have a BBQ and celebrate my Gramp's birthday. After the BBQ, Steve, my parents, and I stayed to camp out for the next two days. We had rented a cabin, and the nice way to describe the joint would be to use words such as "rustic" and "cozy." It was a tight fit, the four of us sleeping in such close quarters. Ahh, family vacations. We were able to go canoeing, hiking, and ate many smores. Yumm.

This is not a stock photo, my friends. This is a Stevie original. This was our view of Mt. Hood from the cabin. Not too shabby.

I realize that this is not a great picture, but after camping we returned to civilization and had some good times with dear friends Beka & Jake, T.K., Lubes & Rubes, and little brother Jeffy. We ate good grub, picked some blackberries, and spent some time listening to awesome tunes. These people are like family to me, and it's always refreshing to be with friends who have loved you for an entire lifetime.

If you think that all of our time in Oregon was spent loafing around, you've obviously never met my family. My dad was SO excited about working on his fence, and he thought Steve would share in the enthusiasm. What a good son-in-law. However, Steve really did have fun on top of that tractor...and he looks good doing it.

Steve wasn't the only one spending time on a tractor. This picture is of my brother Jimmy's tractor hard at work. Jimmy thought it prudent to take his twin sis on a spin around the field. My brother is a successful farmer, and he is known around the area as the Straw King...at least that's what he tells me. It was fun getting to see how my brother spends his time. 

And here it is, folks. A smashing picture of Steve, Zeke, and brand-new baby Moses. Alyssa was so kind as to have her baby during our vacation, making it very convenient for us to meet the boy. Moses was just perfect, even his high-pitched cry was adorable (I don't have to hear it every night, though). Three kids seem to suit Dan and Alyssa just fine. 

And, although we don't have any pictures to prove it, Steve's vacation was made very memorable by spending time with Josh, Shawn, and Armin at TomFest. Steve loves these guys, and I'm so glad Brundibar didn't spoil it for Steve. 

Now we're at home, vacuuming cat hair off the couches, giving Brundibar plenty of attention, and doing copious amounts of laundry. Ahh, it's good to be home.

Brundibar's Saga


Here is the condensed version of the Brudibar drama:

We dropped off the pup to be lovingly doggysat at the Risinger Casa late Monday night before leaving for Oregon the next morning. The Risingers are totally dog people, so we knew he'd be in good hands. Well, Brun decided to make a run for it Tuesday morning, and he disappeared beyond view from our friends. He wasn't sighted until late Wednesday night, which is when we found out that Brun had gone AWOL. Brunie is still learning who is friend and foe, and although our friends and family went ABOVE AND BEYOND to capture the little rascal, he would not allow anyone to catch him. The decision was made by Steve and I that Steve would fly home for a day to try and nab the booger. This was an expensive decision, but we couldn't justify letting our friends go through the torture of trying to find the lost dog while we were relaxing on vacation. As Steve was walking onto his plane, he got a phone call from Kathy announcing that Heather had cornered Brun in a garage and that he was safe! Hooray! While this was nothing short of a miracle, perhaps the bigger miracle occurred when Alaska Airlines actually refunded us every last penny! Holy moly! Brundibar spent the rest of his days in a kennel...not as plush as the Risinger Casa, but that was Brundibar's consequence.

So, all of this to say, THANK YOU to all of you who prayed, walked the neighborhood, made signs, etc. to bring our gentle giant home. God bless you, Jon, Kathy, Heather, & Elizabeth. Brundibar owes you a fancy steak dinner.

Monday, August 4, 2008

6 Years


Then ( 2002)


Now ( 2008)

Happy 6 year anniversary to my favorite human being in the entire universe (which includes Middle Earth and Narnia), Stevie Dream Boat. Everyone wants to marry their best friend; I was lucky enough to do so. Thanks for making my life so...flavorful! I love you!

The grass really is greener...


Steve and I are heading out tomorrow morning for our annual Summer Oregon Friend/Family Tour. We may or may not be blogging while we're up north, but apparently they do have the internet up there as well. If we drop off the grid for awhile, that's why.

Friday, August 1, 2008

Family Dinner

I know we haven't checked in lately, but there hasn't been a lot of exciting stuff going on around here. We did, however, have a kickin' BBQ on Wednesday and we look forward to many more "family dinner" events. The need for deeper fellowship and community has been pressing on our hearts as of late, and we're hoping to have family dinner events at least once a month. And no, you don't actually have to be family to attend. If you were at our party and you don't see your smiling face here, please forgive me. I guess you'll just have to come to the next family dinner in hopes of making it onto the blog. Here are some pics for your viewing pleasure:

Man Time

Girl Time + Scott

Caleb, Brundibar, Steve & one Coronita = How to start a party right

Sisterly Love

Kinsley & Gwyn

Mama Casey, the new baby, and Agatha

This is Josh and Nicolle. The angelic pose is the posture that Josh normally assumes. Josh and Nicolle are incredibly generous and loving friends, and all they really ask for in return is for some blog love. So here it is: we love you, Josh and Nicolle. Our lives would be bleak and meaningless without you guys.