Dos Dunlaps, X2

Dunlap Photo Shoot

2012-01-18T22:32:00.000-08:00

Back in late November we asked our very talented friend Jon to take some family photos for Christmas gifts. Jon took photos of our family two years previously, and perfectly captured our family of three. We were super excited to have him document our now family of four. If you are anywhere close to the Riverside area, I would HIGHLY recommend Jon for all of your photo needs. Jon and his wife Kathy make taking family photos fun, easy, and natural.

Here are some of my favorites from that day. Enjoy!

11 Months

2012-01-17T22:43:00.000-08:00

Jude is getting dangerously close to the 12 month mark! As a mother, I have such mixed emotions about my baby turning one year old. But that's another post for another month...

Weight: 22 lbs

Jude is pretty great. He's not walking yet, but getting closer every day. I'm sure I'll miss his signature crawl when it's gone. Jude has been consistently sleeping through the night for about a month now (hallelujah!), which makes life infinitely rosier. He's a good eater, a bruiser, and an all around sweet kid. We are neck deep in planning his cowboy birthday party, so if this blog becomes quiet for a few weeks, that's why.

We love you, Baby Monster (Delaney's new nickname for the guy).

Christmas in Oregon, Part 2

2012-01-17T14:34:00.001-08:00

Christmas Day 2011 was a pretty special day. We started it off by opening stockings and presents at my parents' house and then ended the day in Beaverton with my aunt, uncle, cousins, and grandparents. All in all, it was a pretty perfect day.

The first thing we did was line up on the staircase and wait for Grammie to take a picture of us like she does every year. Someone was a little bit excited:

Then we surveyed the loot:

Opening presents with Uncle Jimmy.

"Helping" Grandpa put together their new trampoline.

Yep, she was excited.

He was excited, too.

I was pretty excited myself!

This was my attempt to take a picture of them with their stockings under the tree. This was the best I could get.

And guess what? Santa did come and enjoy his snacks. I hope he knows his limits.

The aftermath

Like I said, after breakfast we loaded up and headed north to Beaverton, which is a suburb of Portland if you're curious. There we feasted ourselves on prime rib, pie, and gave and received even more presents.

Jude with Grammie

Jude with Grandpa

Jude checking in on Uncle Dave and Aunt Linda

Jude "walking" Rowan, the Wonder Dog. Rowan found the special caramels that my Grams had added to my present and ate ALL SIX OF THEM. Not that I'm counting.

Grams, Steve, Gunnar, & Aunt Linda

Jude, Solveig, & Jimmy

Gramps and his pooch, King

Solveig, Delaney, and Gunnar

I really love those "kids." They were our flower girl and ringer bearer in our wedding, and now Solveig is in high school and Gunnar is a freshman in college. I remember them vividly as babies, and have loved watching them grow. The terrifying thing is that if these kids can grow up, mine will eventually do the same. Yikes.

It's funny how, at the end of the day, the toy of choice is still a dollar bin Slinky.

Thanks, family, for all of your love and generosity. You spoiled us way too much...not that I'm complaining!

Christmas in Oregon, Part 1

2012-01-09T21:20:00.000-08:00

The week before Christmas, we loaded the rugrats into the car and headed north for Christmas. Because we're crazy like that. We weren't even over the Grapevine when Delaney asked if we were there yet. I'm afraid not, dear one.

But really, Delaney was in heaven. She watched movies, played on the Ipad, and ate copious amounts of fruit snacks all day long. It was almost as good as Disneyland. Except for the fact that SHE NEVER TOOK A NAP. Nope. We drove over 2,000 miles on our trip, and she never once napped.

And then there was this guy. He did nap somewhat, which helped with my sanity. I had a bit of time on my hands, so I finished making his sock monkey and gave it to him to chew on. I was going to wrap it up again for Christmas, but then I remembered that he was a baby and probably wouldn't care either way.

Things did get dicey a few times. Or maybe more than a few times. But then we got out the Slinky, and yay! Smiles!

We spent the night in Redding, thanks to the hospitality of the Lances. Not a whole lot of sleep happened, but I'm trying to focus on the positives here. Anyway, we finally made it to Jefferson and we met this little guy:

Jude and I really wanted to bring him back to California. You might recall that I'm a bit of sucker for barn kitties. But Steve, Mr. Party Pooper, said no.

The next day we got together with some of my very favorite people, the Kikers and the Cunninghams. Delaney was so happy to be playing with her "cousins" Jack, Sam, and Ayeresam. It was a little chaotic to say the least, but it was great fun.

Jude, Ayeresam, Sam, Jack, Delaney, and my dad's beer

We eventually put a movie on to curb the noise level. Also, we shot off fireworks. These things happen when you're in Oregon.

Delaney was all about the fireworks once she got on her ear muff thingy-s. Mary introduced her to the joy of sparklers.

Jude hung out with Grammie until they started shooting off the big, noisy fireworks. He was not a happy camper.

The next day, I was able to spend time with more favorite friends. Christina, Brody, and our family had some good ol' fashion fun at Pietro's Pizza in Salem. I used to play arcade games here as a young gal, and it was fun to share that with Delaney (and Jude, I guess).

Christina, Delaney, Pirate Brody, Karen, & Jude

Delaney also got to help out in the kitchen quite a bit on this trip. Grammie and Delaney made a very special cookie together that was my Grandma GG's specialty. The apricot horns were pretty time intensive, but the payoff was delicious.

Rolling out the dough...such a big kid!

Grammie & Laney

Jude and I did a pretty good job taste testing.

On Christmas Eve, my parents hosted the Lee side of our family for dinner. I didn't get too many pictures, but it was a full house and so fun to see how our family is growing.

2nd cousins Bailey and Delaney and Delaney's first Barbie, courtesy of Bailey.

Jude and his Great Grandma Lee

That night, we got ready to set out a snack for Santa and his reindeer. Delaney decided to ditch the milk and cookies and go for something a bit less traditional:

Delaney selected goldfish, fruit snacks, a sugar cookie, and some of Daddy's "Go Go Juice" to leave for Santa. I just don't know where this kid come up with this stuff.

Christmas in Riverside

2012-01-07T14:41:00.000-08:00

We celebrated Christmas with our Riverside family the day before we left for our big Oregon road trip. Nana, Papa, Uncle Monkey, Auntie Beans, and our little family gathered together to exchange presents and to feast ourselves on tamales handmade by my neighbor. Delicioso!

What with his busy schedule this time of year, you can imagine our surprise when we learned that Santa had made a special delivery to Nana and Papa's house. Santa made a special before-Christmas-delivery for one very excited little girl:

A mustache, just like her Papa!!!

Some background info: One day I asked Delaney if she would like to visit Santa and sit on his lap. Steve and I have been back-and-forth with the Santa issue, but Delaney learned about Santa on her own and is now a believer. So I guess that's what we'll go with. Anyway, Delaney informed me that yes, she would like to visit Santa. I asked Delaney what she would tell Santa when he asked her what she wanted for Christmas and she responded with, "Hmm...how about a mustache like Papa?" This response definitely caught me off guard and I cracked up. She quickly noticed that her request got a laugh, so from then on out, "a mustache like Papa" was her go-to-response whenever anyone asked her what she wanted for Christmas.

A few weeks later, we did visit Santa, and yes, she did inform him that she wanted a mustache. I don't think Santa had ever gotten a request quite like Delaney's; he said he would do his best to deliver, but wouldn't she like a dolly? Delaney noted that she'd also like some candy, and Santa was pretty sure that he could come through on that one. So, again, we were all quite pleased when Santa made his special delivery a week before Christmas.

Papa and his girl

Papa, Nana, Delaney, & Jude

Auntie Beans, Uncle Monkey, Jude & Delaney

This was the year for dress-up clothes and princess castles for Delaney. I'm trying my best to let my girl be who she wants to be, even if that means LOTS of pink and sparkles. This too shall pass, right?

I think Nana likes finally having a girl to dress up. Here Delaney is posing with her princess dress that Nana made.

And here Delaney is posing in yet another beautiful dress that Nana made. I really appreciate that this dress is purple and blue, not pink. Good call, Nana.

Delaney received not one but TWO princess castles to play in, and of course the task fell upon Uncle Monkey to assemble them both.

Don't worry, we didn't forget about Jude. Here he is staring in his role as "Baby Monster," with Delaney as the Damsel in Distress. This game gets played a lot around here these days.

He's a pretty terrifying Baby Monster, don't you think?

I love that I didn't take any pictures of the adults exchanging presents. Once you have kids, the show is really about them from here on out. What a lucky little family we are, to be surrounded by so much love.

Christmasy Happenings

2011-12-30T22:55:00.000-08:00

Here's a smattering of a few Christmasy things we did during December:

We started out December by making Jude his Dunlap stocking. Marsha helped me a great deal. I still have the note that was attached to my stocking that was given to me 10 Christmases ago.

Yep, I married into a pretty great family.

Here's both kids' stockings. Nana did A LOT of the work. Every Dunlap in our family has bells, a tree, and a train. Delaney has a bug because that's one of her (many) nicknames. Jude has an owl because his room is done in a forest theme.

Tree decorating time.

Putting the star on our lovely Home Depot tree.

We tried to visit Santa as the Bass Pro Shop, but it was a 2.5 hour wait! So, we rode the reindeer carousel and told Delaney that Santa was on a lunch break.

One of Delaney's advent activities included a Christmas puzzle with Daddy.

2 goofy peas in a pod.

We attended the Teddy Bear Tea at our local library with many of our dear friends.

Ruby Quesada, one of Delaney's "cousins," turned 2 years old this Christmas. We love you, Rubes!

Life in IPhone Photos

2011-12-22T20:18:00.000-08:00

Now that we have IPhones, I rarely take pictures on my digital camera. I haven't dumped my photos off my phone in awhile, and wow, there are a lot. If you're my friend on Facebook, you've probably seen many of these photos. However, not everyone does the Facebook thing, and I wanted to share these photos with the rest of y'all. They really capture the zaniness of our everyday life.

I can't wait to blackmail the two of them with this photo someday!

Awhile back (early November), Jude got his first taste of ice cream...and he loved it.

Jude and Brun have become fast friends.

This kid loves bacon, butter, and wearing very little clothing. She asked if she could butter her bacon one morning and we let her go for it. Delaney was very, very happy.

This is a great depiction of Delaney: baby in hand, dress-up clothes on, whipping up something delicious in her kitchen.

When my parents came down at the end of October, my mom brought me this beautiful leaded glass. It comes from my Great Grandma's ranch house, from the servant's quarters. I have been begging my mom for this glass for a few years and she finally gave in. I think it looks great in our home.

We took Delaney's dear friend Emma to Disneyland with us a few weeks ago. Steve is SUCH a good sport and did the tea cups with the girls...

...while Jude and I enjoyed watching them from a safe, non-spinning distance.

Delaney, Emma, and Pluto

Jude and I went on a date one Friday while Nana had Delaney. We went to Chick-Fil-A and Jude was quite the gentleman. Except for the fact that I had to pay and he threw a lot of food on the floor. So maybe he wasn't quite the gentleman after all.

This kid is so goofy.

And this kid has no interest in being a baby. He was so proud of himself for reaching the keys!

Thanksgiving 2011

2011-12-18T14:35:00.000-08:00

Looking good for Thanksgiving dinner

We were able to spend Thanksgiving this year in Riverside with Doug, Marsha, Mike, Arlene, and Arlene's brother Raul. It was perfectly relaxing and so nice to be with some of our very favorite people. I was also able to talk to most of my Oregon family that day, and even skyped with my brother in New Zealand the day after Thanksgiving. It was fun to see his furry face!

We have a lot to be thankful for, and in 2011 two new Dunlaps were added to our brood: Arlene and Jude. We all wrote out our sentiments of thanksgiving and clipped them onto this "tree." We read them out loud after dinner and tried to guess which person wrote the note. It was a jolly good game.

Blurry but happy kids

Karen Marie & Delaney Marie

Delaney, Auntie Beans, & Crazy Uncle Monkey

This year, we drew names for Christmas gifts. You can almost feel the anticipation, right?

Jude, just chillaxin'

The day after Thanksgiving was spent decorating for Christmas and watching the lighting ceremony at The Mission Inn. Delaney assisted Steve in hanging the Christmas lights. Delaney insisted on wearing her bibs, just like Grandpa, and her Hello Kitty boots. This kid has got style. She also sported a tool belt that Marsha made for Steve when he was Delaney-sized. I love that we have so many things from our childhoods that our own kids can now enjoy.

I think she likes her dad just a bit...

"Enjoying" the lights at the Mission Inn. It was super crowded and you can just see how much Steve loved pushing the double stroller through the crowds.

10 Months

2011-12-18T14:13:00.000-08:00

The silence that has befallen this blog is due mainly to my need to focus on Christmasy things. We have so many November and December pictures that I need to post, but first I need to document Jude's 10 month milestones.

Weight: 21 pounds

I think that every mother that has ever had a baby boy has uttered the words "He's just ALL boy!" I feel like I've been saying that statement since Jude exited the womb, but this month I have really noticed the difference between having a boy versus a girl. Jude is a tough, solid piece of boy machinery. Let's just say he keeps me on my toes. Good thing he has a bossy big sister that loves to tattle on him whenever he's up to his boyish mischief!

Hey Jude, why don't you sit down for just a moment?

No? Well, maybe I can get your sister to help out...

Or maybe we can try to go outside for a bit...

Jude now has three top teeth and two bottom teeth. We are all done making baby food (yay!) and he now eats real people food. And he generally out-eats his sister, which I'm sure comes as no surprise to most of you. As far as sleep goes, he began sleeping through the night 2 weeks ago, then stopped sleeping through the night last week, and then started sleeping through the night again this past week. Phew!

Oh Jude, you're just about my favorite baby boy.

The Felling of the Tree

2011-11-28T15:38:00.000-08:00

Way back in October, my parents and brother came to visit. My dad was obviously very excited to see his "favorite daughter, favorite son-in-law, and favorite grandkids" (his words, not mine), but he also came to California with a mission:

To cut this tree down. The pine tree, not the palm tree.

The fact that I wanted this tree gone might come as a surprise to some of you. Around these parts, I'm considered somewhat of a nature-lover-tree-hugger, if you may. There aren't many true hippies here in Southern California, so the fact that I'm from Oregon and that I recycle automatically qualifies me as a hippie. Go figure.

Anyway, this tree was a real menace to society. The tree was growing crooked, dangerously close to our home, and threatening the safety of every child innocently passing by on their way to school. Not to mention the fact that the tree was blocking out sunlight, rendering it impossible to grow anything green underneath its bows, as well as littering our lawn and sidewalk with needles and treeish-whatnot. Clearly, this tree was all sorts of bad news and needed to go.

Before picture- side view

This tree-cutting business really turned into a family affair, as do most of our home renovation projects. Steve's Dad (Doug) brought over his chain saw and joined in the fun. And here's a picture of Jimmy doing what Jimmy does best; supervising:

My mom, Steve's mom (Marsha), and I were tasked with the job of entertaining the children, sewing Halloween costumes, and keeping Steve abreast with the progress. Even though he was dressed up in his fancy work clothes, Steve just had to jump in during his lunch break:

The menfolk, surveying their work

Now, my Dad isn't a professional logger, but he's a very capable guy. Nonetheless, I did make him swear that no injury would befall house or human, and he was true to his word. However, there was one small misstep:

I love that the instant this happened, Jimmy had out his IPhone. And yes, it was posted on Facebook within minutes.

However, that was just a small setback, and no serious damage occurred. Again, the whole family got in on bringing this baby down:

Then came the really fun part for my dad:

And then even more fun for the whole family:

And finally, TIMBER!

Jimmy gave up counting the rings at about 5 rings in...

Great work, Lumberjack Dad. We love you!

9 Months

2011-11-20T14:56:00.001-08:00

Jude, our baby, turned nine months old two weeks ago. And if you're mathematically inclined, that also means that Jude will be 10 months old in two weeks' time. This growing-up-quickly-and-not-so-much-a-baby thing must stop. Did you hear me, Jude?

Our nine month pictures aren't great because they were taking inside and the dude just doesn't like to hold still. Much like his sister, he's a crazy monkey. Except this time around, we have a crazy BOY monkey on our hands. Which means that, when excited, he is prone to flailing, squealing, hitting, head-butting and the like. But really, he's such a sweet guy.

A friend, my sweet Candace, recently asked what his personality is like. So here goes:

Jude is joyful. He smiles a lot, and has a very high-pitched squeal to match his excitement. It can be a bit embarrassing at times, seeing how his squeal is pretty feminine, but I'm sure that will all change in due time.
Jude is adaptable. Sure, he does best when he's on his routine, but he rolls with the punches so much better than our first child. Or better yet, his mom and dad have learned how to roll with the punches with the passage of time.
Jude loves to explore. He is interested in everything around him, and his one-legged crab-walk crawl is a hoot to watch. He takes his surroundings in, loves to put things in his mouth, which keeps us on our toes.
Jude is generally pretty content. He's not necessarily calm or chill, but he isn't phased by much.
Jude is currently a mama's boy. I find this to be endearing and taxing at the same time. We'll see how this plays out as he grows and matures.

Stats:
Weight: 20 lbs.
Height: ? Good luck getting this kid to hold still to measure him.

This picture really reminds me that Jude is losing his baby-ness.

Obviously, we are so in love with our little guy. And why wouldn't be? He's pretty great, minus the still-not-sleeping-through-the-night factor. That has to change soon, right? Jude now has three teeth; two on the bottom and one on the top. He eats everything (dog hair included) in his sight and is just four pounds away from outweighing his big sis.

Can you see those teeth?

October, Part 2

2011-11-10T21:24:00.000-08:00

We had the privilege of hosting Grammie, Grandpa, and Uncle Jimmy in our home a few weeks ago. We had a lot of fun doing harvest-y and Halloween-y things together, and my dad chopped down a tree in our front yard. But that's another post for another time. Here are some pictures of our adventures:

Grandpa and Grammie thought that Jude needed to man-up and sink his chompers into some meat. So we blended up some chicken (did that make you throw up a little bit?) and Grandpa had the pleasure of dispensing it. Jude loved it.

We went to Irvine Regional Park, which was just wonderful. They have a great little zoo, a train, pony rides, and they also host a "pumpkin patch." In regards to the patch, to quote my mom, "At least the pumpkins were placed on dirt and not on concrete." Yes, we're pumpkin patch snobs.

Floating Delaney and Jude heads

Scarecrow girl

Uncle Jimmy and Delaney on the train

Apparently we like the color orange.

Delaney had the time of her life on the pony with Uncle Red Neck.

See what I mean about orange? Baby Beaver Believers in training.

Nana and Grammie had fun bringing Delaney's Halloween costume, Super Kitty, to life.

And here's Super Kitty herself. I could have died with pride.

In other Halloween-y news, Grandpa got to carve pumpkins with Delaney and Steve. We talked him into creating his specialty from my childhood, a cat. I love how focused my dad is, and how silly Delaney and Steve are.

The jack-o-lanters, nestled next to the very special Delaney and Jude pumpkins shipped directly from Rasmussen Farms.

My parents and brother also got to experience their very first Trunk-n-Treat at our church. It.Was.Crazy. THOUSANDS of people kind of crazy. But it was also so fun and I think that my folks had a fun time watching Super Kitty and the Cowboy in action.

Grammie and the over-tired Cowboy

Grandpa and the kids in their bibs

I think she likes this guy

Thanks so much for visiting, Grammie, Grandpa, & Uncle Jimmy! The countdown to Christmas in Oregon is on!

October

2011-11-02T21:20:00.001-07:00

The month of October came and went, without even consulting me once. So here I am, in a new month, blogging about the previous month...

We planned a mini vacation to Disneyland this month. Steve's work schedule is different now that he's not a classroom teacher, so he was able to take a week off in October. Our plan was to spend a few days at Disneyland and then come home and finish up some house projects. Instead, we all got sick, and spent most of the time trying to get healthy. However, we had booked a hotel room in Anaheim, which required a 72 hour notice of cancellation. Seriously, 3 days? Who knows 3 days ahead of time that they're going to need to cancel? Seeing how we weren't going to get our money back, we decided to throw caution to the wind and go to Disneyland regardless of our health. And you know what? It all turned out just fine and we actually had a lovely time. Our dear friends Matt, Shannon, Ben, & Emma Miller came out and joined us one night. Ben and Delaney love each other, and I'm hoping for a double hook up with Emma and Jude as well.

Dancing, dancing, this kid is always dancing...

With the kids in line for Delaney's favorite ride--the train!

Possibly her 2nd favorite ride, the carousel...

Look, it's Jude! And he's drinking coffee! Aak!

Obligatory Sword in the Stone shot...

Matt and I on the teacups with Delaney and Ben. This is parental love at it's best, folk. I do not like to spin.

We also visited Hurst Ranch this October for their annual harvest festival, just like we did last year. This time around, Papa and Steve joined us. It was a beautiful, albeit hot, day. You think I would be used to 90 degree weather in October after living in Southern California for the past 8 years. Somehow, the hot autumn weather always throws me for a loop and makes me a bit cranky. I think it's time that I come to accept that fall in Riverside doesn't arrive until November...maybe. Anyway, the flower fairy garden was, once again, a big hit with Delaney.

Flower Fairy Delaney

Happy Fairy

Jude wore his overalls to the farm, because that's what boys do.

The Bowtie

2011-10-23T22:24:00.000-07:00

I asked Steve's Aunt Joni to share the bowtie story in greater detail. It was just too sweet to pass up!

In 1988 Steve’s Uncle Kevin and (soon to be) Aunt Joni were planning their wedding and had asked Steve to be their ring bearer.

Steve & Uncle Kevin

In the midst of all the wedding planning Steve’s younger brother, Michael, announced that he would “take the letter”. No one knew what he was talking about but he was insistent that he would “take the letter”! Finally, while watching tv someone saw the Hallmark card commercial that must have sparked his idea – a groom handed a small blonde haired boy (much like Michael) an envelope (with the Hallmark seal, of course) and he ran through a courtyard and presented this envelope to the bride who read the card and teared up – another Hallmark Moment! Michael must have thought all weddings had a card-carrier and he was the self- appointed card-carrier for his Uncle Kevin’s wedding!

Michael got, perhaps his first , suit and a bowtie for the occasion! Uncle Kevin had written a note including the words to the song he had written to sing to his bride, put them in an envelope and handed it to Michael to deliver. He proudly presented the letter to the bride who read the words and teared up – truly a Hallmark Moment!

Aunt Joni & Mike

In 2011 Mike and Arlene were planning their wedding and his nephew, Jude, was to accompany Arlene’s nephew as the ring bearers. Thanks to Nana Marsha for finding the bowtie so that Jude could wear it in his Uncle Mike’s wedding, who wore it in his Uncle Kevin’s wedding. The Bowtie Tradition has begun!

Uncle Kevin, cranky Jude, & Mike

Real men wear babies...

2011-10-23T21:25:00.001-07:00

Here are two pictures that I snapped of Steve today. He didn't know that I was taking them, and forgive me if they aren't very well focused--I was trying to be sneaky. But they do capture the essence of what a truly awesome, hands-on kind of dad Steve is. I'm pretty proud to be his baby mama.

Just building a fence with a baby strapped to his back.

Story time

And here Steve is at Disneyland, carrying Jude in the Beco carrier and riding the carousel with his daughter. Such a sweet thing, seeing a dad wearing his baby.

I love you, Stevie.

8 Months

2011-10-14T21:36:00.000-07:00

Jude celebrated turning 8 months old by a trip to the good ol' ER....twice in a 24 hour span. Thanks to sister's delightful germs, Jude got a nasty cough/respiratory thing, and had a difficult time breathing. Steve took him to the ER in the middle of the night after calling the nurse advice hotline. Once at the ER, they gave him a breathing treatment and told us it was just a case of the croup. The next day Jude wasn't getting any better, and we noticed that his chest was sucking in when he was breathing, so back to the ER we went. Thankfully, the pediatrician department was still open and Jude was able to be seen by a graciously kind pediatrician. Because Jude's breathing was so labored, he had to receive a shot of steroids and another breathing treatment. His breathing was finally under control, praise the Lord. We were sent home with oral steroids and instructions to administer breathing treatments every 4-6 hours for the next week. It's been a rough week; it's hard to see your 8 month old all hyped up on steroids. Plus, Jude hasn't really been sleeping great. So here's hoping that the rest of month 8 comes with a bit more sleep and a lot less coughing.

Look familiar?

Now onto the cute pictures...

Stats:
Weight: 18 lbs, 8 oz

Height: 28.25 inches!

In other news, Jude FINALLY has two teeth. And he is pretty much crawling. He's army crawling, and I guess that's as good as it's going to get for now. He gets where he needs to go quite quickly. He was doing really well sleep-wise, and then he got sick. Now it feels like we're back to square one, but hopefully this too will pass.

Work it, Jude!

Delaney, the 2.5 year old

2011-09-27T21:21:00.000-07:00

A few weekends ago, Delaney officially became 2 and 1/2 years old. Because we (Delaney and I, that is) love sweets, and because we started the tradition last year, our family celebrated Delaney's half birthday at Casey's Cupcakes by the Mission Inn. The half-birthday girl gravitated toward the same cupcake as last year, the very pink Razzmatazz Raspberry. Which just goes to show you that, if you ever go to battle against 2.5 year old girl and her love affair with the color pink, you will lose. No matter how hard you try.

Case in point: the pink dress.

This dress is cute, I agree. However, it's the only dress that she ever wants to wear. Delaney refers to it as "my pretty pink dress." Ick. She has such a lovely assortment of beautiful dresses, but once her eye catches sight of this one, it's all over. She insists on wearing it. Again, at least it's cute, right? I really should be counting my blessings.

Delaney and her entourage

Enjoying her cupcake

Anyway, being 2.5 years old and being Delaney Marie is a pretty sweet gig. This girl is energy, silliness, compassion, and friendliness, all rolled together into a pretty adorable little bug. There are so many moments that I think, "I just wish I could freeze this stage in Delaney's life." And then there are the emotional break-downs, tears, and time-outs that I really could do without. But overall, 2.5 years of age has been really great.

Look how long her hair has grown!

I asked Steve to put in his two cents about Delaney and he said, "She loves to make people laugh, she is so, so silly. And she's the most beautiful little girl ever." Yeah, he's a proud papa.

We love you, Laney-Cat. You bring us joy and make us proud every single day.

Mike & Arlene's Wedding

2011-09-20T20:21:00.000-07:00

Approximately two months ago, Steve's favorite brother Mike married the lovely Arlene Vazquez. And the entire Dos Dunlaps x 2 gang got to be a part of their very special day.

Delaney was all set to be the flower girl. She had practiced being a flower girl at her Uncle Jeff''s wedding, and I was really hoping things would go smoothly this time around. Nana made her a "very special dress" and I swear I've never seen a more smoochable flower girl. However, Delaney is two, and two year-olds are very unpredictable, am I right? Well, long story short, Delaney did a fabulous job walking down the aisle, but proceeded to cry throughout the duration of the ceremony. I was mortified, my blood-pressure was through the roof, and I was feeling just a tad bit disappointed about the whole ordeal. The bride and groom, on the other hand, chalked Delaney's tears up to normal two year-old behavior and promised me that Delaney did not ruin their big day. Mike and Arlene, I love you. Once the reception got going and people began to dance, Delaney's mood drastically changed. She was an animal on the dance floor. She owned it. All was forgiven and we could not pull her off the floor.

Mr. Jude served as the ring bearer, which can be a bit tricky when you're just 5 months old. He sat in a wagon pulled by Arlene's nephew and look so dapper in his bow-tie and suspenders. Things went a bit south for Jude when the very solid, wooden wagon picked up a surprising amount of speed going down the aisle. We didn't really piece together the fact that the aisle was sloped until I saw my newborn bouncing towards me, looking as though he would fly out of his Bumbo seat at any given moment. I'm not sure if I'm being over dramatic about this retelling or not--he really did look like he was going to fall out and injure himself. Thankfully, somebody reached out and slowed the wagon down, and Jude just continued to happily gnaw on his bow tie.

Side-bar story: The bow tie that Jude sported is a hand-me-down from the groom himself, Mr. Mike Dunlap. Mike wore this bow-tie in his uncle's wedding, and then Jude wore it for his uncle's wedding. Did that story make you cry a little bit? So, so sweet.

All of the kid-drama aside, it was a gorgeous day, a gorgeous ceremony, with a completely gorgeous bride. And Mikey looked pretty good himself. And happy. Boy oh boy did he look happy. We couldn't be happier with Mike's choice in Arlene, and I'm confident that she's happy to be a part of our crazy family.

The other day when I borrowed their wedding CDs to copy a few pictures for myself, I mistakenly erased one of the discs. Yes, you read that correctly, I erased some of their wedding photos. Arlene, I'm so happy to finally have you as a sister. By the way, I think I ruined the physical evidence of your very happy day. Welcome to the family. Suffice it to say, once that happened, I stopped what I was doing and didn't snag any pictures of the ceremony or portraits of the bride and groom. Maybe someday I'll be trusted again with technology and try to post a few more pictures. Or maybe not.

Dos Dunlaps, x2

All photos courtesy of Alders Photography

7 months

2011-09-12T22:00:00.000-07:00

Seven months, baby!

Jude is a great little guy. He has found his voice and loves to squeal. It's sort of deafening. Man, we can't take that kid anywhere without getting a few looks. But he's so happy and cute, what's not to love about that?

Mr. Jude isn't crawling and doesn't have any teeth yet, but I swear it's going to happen any day now. And yes, I've been saying that for about 4 weeks...but seriously, it's going to happen SOON.

This month marked my return to work, and I think we've all adjusted relatively well. He has been napping very well these past few weeks (knock on wood), but not sleeping so great at night. Some nights he only wakes up once to nurse, and I get so excited thinking that he's ready to start sleeping through the night. And then we have nights like last night, when he wakes up every few hours or so. It's a good thing he's so handsome.

Jude eats whatever we put in front of him, and he now weighs more than Delaney did at her first birthday. We think that he's monstrous in size, but really he's only in the 30th percentile in weight. Apparently there are some very fat babies out there throwing the curve. Jude's height is still above average at the 75th percentile mark. Again, not what we're expecting, but we'll take it.

We love this guy, and Delaney is a big fan of her Brother Boy. Life is good.

This picture sort of freaks me out--Jude looks a bit maniacal.

Stats:
Weight: 17 lbs. 6 oz (30th percentile)
Height: 27 3/4 inches (75th percentile)

Check out the sibling love:

Tidbits

2011-08-30T22:00:00.000-07:00

While we are still waiting on Mike & Arlene's wedding pictures, as well as a guest post by Mr. Steven Dunlap himself concerning his new job, this smattering of pictures will have to do for now.

August has been hot! And there's nothing that says summer more than picking a pumpkin in 100+ degree weather. Our dear neighbor friends, Doug and Martin, invited the kids over to pick themselves a pumpkin. It was super duper hot, but worth it.

A Delaney-sized pumpkin

A Jude-sized pumpkin

Jude has decided to become a big kid in a matter of days. He's now eating solids in his high chair and sitting up unassisted. And he's so close to crawling. Hey Jude, what's wrong with being a baby? Slow down, buddy guy.

Just working on some literacy skills

Sitting up and pleased as punch

And this one insists on wearing dress-up dresses around the clock...I am loving her emerging imagination!

For Charlie

2011-08-29T21:25:00.000-07:00

On August 12, 2011, our family said good-bye to the greatest feline friend one could ask for. Charles Douglas Dunlap (known as Charlie or Chizzy) was not just a cat; he was a true friend and an important member of our family.

I haven't blogged lately because I knew that this was the post that I needed to write. And It's hard, writing about loss. Even if it's "just a cat." It's hard, feeling like you need to sum up the importance of a friend in one blog post. It's hard, having to say good-bye.

I found Charlie in my parents' barn when he was teeny-tiny and covered with fleas. He was sickly, dirty, and pitiful. And I loved him the moment I saw him, and I'm pretty sure he felt the same way about me. It was August of 2005, and Steve and I were visiting family and friends in Oregon during our summer break. I brought Charlie into my parents' house and announced that we had to save this poor soul. So I drove into town and bought some flea shampoo and a comb. My mom and I gave Charlie a bath in the laundry room's sink and I swear he was grateful. Charlie didn't even protest; he just purred his gratitude towards us for going to battle against those ding-dang fleas.

When Steve and I flew back up to Oregon that September, I convinced Steve that Charlie would be returning home with us. I don't know how I talked Steve into my crazy idea of purchasing a one-way pet airline ticket. Secretly, I think Steve had a soft-spot already carved out for that cat. Or maybe Steve has a hard time saying no to me...either way, Charlie flew home with us and thus began his life as a southern Californian kitty.

It's hard to explain to non-pet people just how important your animals are to your family. But Charlie came into our life pre-baby, and therefore, he was our baby. Charlie was around for some pretty big milestones in our marriage: me starting my teaching career, Steve starting his teaching career, the purchase of our first home, two pregnancies, two babies...Charlie was there for it all, even if he did choose to sleep under the bed for long stretches of the day once Delaney and Jude came along.

Not only was Charlie our baby-before-babies, but he was Delaney's kitty. Charlie was such a big guy, weighing over 18 lbs. before he got sick. We constantly gaged Delaney's weight gain against Charlie's weight, and celebrated the day that she outweighed him. It took Delaney over a year to do it, but Delaney finally had Chizzy beat! Charlie put up with Delaney's bear hugs, constant attention, and violation of personal space with great aplomb. One of the hardest parts of losing Charlie has been explaining it all to Delaney. Now that a few weeks have passed, she doesn't talk about him as much, and it's been difficult acknowledging the fact that she probably won't remember Charlie. But right after he passed, she would vacillate between statements such as, "Don't be sad, Mommy. Chizzy is in heaven, and he's running with Jesus" or "It's ok, Mommy, I go to heaven too and play with Chizzy." It's all so sweet and heart-breaking in the same breath.

Thankfully, when Charlie got sick, it all happened pretty quickly and he probably wasn't in much pain. A month before he passed I started noticing a few odd behaviors and that he seemed to have lost weight. I had a strange premonition that it was some type of kidney malfunction, and after waiting 5 hours in the vet's office, my fears were confirmed. However, the vet was pretty hopeful that with a day or two of hospitalization and a new diet and medication, we could get this problem under control. Well, a day or two of hospitalization turned into 5 days, and we were all so happy to have him home. Delaney made this sign to welcome him home:

Things were looking ok for a week or so, but getting Charlie to eat was a real challenge. He was on 4 different types of medications and let me tell you, shoving a slew of pills down a sick cat's throat is up there on my List of Things I Never Want to Do Again. On top of having a toddler, a baby, and dealing with my own set of emotions that come with returning to work and leaving my children with someone else. I'll save you the unpleasantries and let you know that Charlie put up a good fight, but in the end, kidney failure won. We had to make the terrible, horrible, no good, very bad decision to let Charlie go. As I sit and type, this part of the story is still really raw and difficult to retell, and yet, I know we made the right decision. It is what he deserved, but it was, and still is, really painful.

If you are still reading this, you are a champ and you must really love us. Maybe it's silly to spend so many words and tears over a cat, but if you know us, you know how important Charlie was to us. Our dear friends and fellow kitty lovers, the Heun Family, blessed us with a rose bush and we intend on planting it in Chizzy's honor. Now that Charlie is gone, we don't have to dwell on his sickness. We'll just remember how great the last 6 years have been and consider ourselves lucky to have spent them with our big, furry friend.

Charlie with Delaney at the end of his battle

Jude & Charlie...horrible picture, but proof that they were pals nonetheless!

6 Months

2011-08-14T22:34:00.000-07:00

Jude has been with us now for half a year. Half a year! Although it's terribly cliche to say, it really does go by so fast. "Brother Boy," which is what Delaney calls Jude, is such a joy. He has now had a smattering of solid foods and loves everything we offer him. He's such a different eater than his "big" sister! In fact, Jude now weighs what Delaney did when she was a year old. Jude's closing in on her!

While Ju-Ju-Bee is usually such a mellow, happy guy, teething has gotten the best of him lately. He still has nothing to show for all of that drooling and hard work. Jude gets up on all fours and is trying his darndest to crawl, and Delaney loves to encourage him. I returned to work this week, and so Jude and I have been apart longer than we ever have been before. While I sure do miss the little man, he's been a good guy for "Auntie" Kari. We can't wait to see what exciting milestones Jude will hit next. Maybe he'll start sleeping through the night...ha! A girl can dream, right?

Stats:
17 lbs.
26.5 inches (I think...this was what I measured him at last month as well, but boy-oh-boy is he a wiggler!)

Love you, Buddy Boy!

Summer craziness

2011-08-08T22:22:00.000-07:00

It seems as though every post I write begins with an apology. This post is not exempt...so, I'm sorry, it has been too long since I've blogged. And you know what? This post that I'm currently writing doesn't even really count. I just wanted to throw up a few pictures to let our fans know that we're still here. Summer has been crazy! Here are a few things that I need to spend some time blogging about:

Mike (Steve's bro) and Arlene got married and it was amazing.
Steve went to Washington DC and it was amazing (or so I hear).
Steve got a new job...he's now a fancy pants Instructional Services Specialist for Riverside Unified School District...because he's amazing.
Charlie the Cat had a 5 day stint at the animal hospital. Kidney failure in kitties is no laughing matter. He is home now but not doing very well. So not amazing.
I (Karen) started back to work after 6 months at home...amazing that I was able to take so much time off.
Jude turned 6 months old and he's amazingly awesome.
Delaney continues to amaze us with her sense of humor, smarts, and verbal ability...and dance moves. The kid has got some amazing moves.

So yes, we have a lot to talk and blog about. Tomorrow is my first day with students, so things are a bit hectic around here. If I make it through this week, I pinkie swear that I'll do some blog catching up next week...until then, here are few pictures to whet you appetite:

My mom sent me some pictures of our Oregon trip and she managed to capture a decent photo of the Dos Dunlaps x 2.

I came home the other day to find Super Kitty playing the drums. It was possibly one of the greatest parenting moments of my life.

Can you believe it's been half a year already? This little baby guy isn't so little anymore.

Summer Oregon Trip

2011-07-24T22:37:00.000-07:00

Here's the rest of the photos that I took from our Oregon trip. I actually spent what little photographic energy I had on filming our adventures. Have you ever attempted to capture precious moments on film while carrying a newborn and chasing after a toddler? Needless to say, the video I took is very shaky. But my mantra was "Hey, Steve can edit this, right?" So stay tuned for a video of Jude's first trip to Oregon.

Of course Delaney found a little barn kitty to beholden herself to. She is her mama's daughter!

Lord help us, this girl is a looker.

Cousin Solveig came over to play wearing her pink cowgirl boots. Delaney and Solveig have so much in common!

Uncle Jimmy bought this sweet Massey Ferguson pedal tractor for the kiddos. Delaney's feet just barely reach the pedals, but Jude has some growing to attend to.

This cousin of mine just keeps growing taller and more beautiful every time I see her!

Gramps and Grams finally got to meet their Great Grandson, baby Jude!

My dad got to spend Father's Day with his grand kids and favorite daughter and son-in-law. I think he was a happy guy.

Thomas the Train

2011-07-18T22:19:00.000-07:00

I am slowly posting pictures of our Oregon trip that happened almost a month ago, so please bear with me.

Delaney, like many toddlers, has taken a fancy to Thomas the Train. I don't really know why; they use peculiar words in the show like "shunting" and Thomas is sort of a screw up, but why question it, right? It just so happened that Thomas was making a pit stop at the Hood River Railroad on his 2011 tour right when we were going to be in town, so my Gramps and Grams treated us all to a ride on the shiny blue engine.

Of course it was raining, which made me excited because Delaney has never had the opportunity to wear her rain jacket, and it's just so cute. And of course the ride on Thomas was crowded and we didn't all get to sit next to one another, but Delaney had the time of her life. And that's what it's all about.

There he is!

Delaney and Grammie in front of Thomas.

Sir Topham Hatt, Grandpa, and Delaney. I love the look my dad is giving Sir Topham! I don't trust Sir Topham either...

Showing off her sweet Thomas tatt. This one's for Uncle Monkey!

Grams and Jude. They look good together, don't you think?

We don't even have photo evidence that I was there, let alone Steve, my Gramps, and Uncle Jimmy. But we were all there, in the rain, because we love that Laney Cat girl something fierce.

5 Months

2011-07-14T21:24:00.001-07:00

Jude, a.k.a. Ju-Ju-Bee, J. Billy, Buddy Guy turned 5 months old last week. Most days I worry about my heart exploding over the awesomeness that is my son. He's just that amazing. Jude is SO happy. He has found his voice and talks up a storm, because the Good Lord deemed it necessary for us to have TWO very talkative children. Jude has found his toes and really enjoys sucking on them. He is teething and drooling a ton, but has no teeth to show for his hard work. We have had a very busy summer, including a trip to SeaWorld, Disneyland, Oregon, an uncle's wedding, a ride on Thomas the Train, the beach, and Jude continues to be such a trooper. He is still taking about 3 naps and doing a fairly good job putting himself to sleep for naps and bed time. We gave him green beans today and he seemed to enjoy himself. All that to say, we love our Buddy Guy so stinkin' much!

Stats:
Weight: 16 lbs.
Height: 26.5 inches

Easter in July?

2011-07-14T21:03:00.000-07:00

So yes, it's July and I'm blogging about Easter...which happened in April. I don't want to bore you with the details, but my camera was lost/stolen during a trip to SeaWorld in May, thus adding to the blog silence. These Easter pictures were taken on our video camera and I had forgotten about them until recently since I have been using the video camera more due to the absence of my point and shoot camera. Ha! You thought you were escaping the boring details, but I gave them to you anyway! Sorry.

The kids and their baskets.

Delaney's super jazzed about the contents of her basket!

Jude...not so jazzed.

Yep, we got her a train whistle. We're gluttons for punishment.

This baby man is dressed and ready for church!

Looking good for church, posing with her book from Grammie and Grandpa.

Big Sister

2011-06-09T14:07:00.001-07:00

The big sis has been a busy gal.

We've been spending a lot of time outside because the weather has been so nice. Soon enough it will become too hot and sunny for my pale-faced children, so we're soaking up our vitamin D now.

Delaney is free to become whomever she want to become. However, I will be very, very happy if she chooses to be a softball girl.

The wind up...

...and the pitch is good!

The Big Sis has to be by her brother's side at all times.

While she's CONSTANTLY up in her brother's business, it's safe to say that she loves the little man.

So mom's taking pictures of baby brother in the wagon? Delaney has to get her picture taken as well. She mustn't be outdone!

She still loves playing in her kitchen and making a variety of appetizing dishes for Mom, Dad, Jude, and Brundibar, of course.

She also likes to claim that which is not hers. Case in point: mommy's gloves.

Delaney's back molars are almost all the way through, which has made her very emotional. She's so emo that we play Mineral for her at nap time to lull her to sleep. This is her shoe-gazing pose.

Delaney continues to be SUCH a people person and loves spending time with her friends. Today she started a folk-rock band with the Quesada kids (minus Emma, boo).

Eli is such a natural with the drumsticks!

Haven't you heard? Banjo/harmonica/drums/awesome Target microphone bands are all the rage these days!

4 Months

2011-06-08T22:47:00.000-07:00

It's that time again...time to throw Jude in the wagon and snap some pictures. As of yesterday, we officially have a 4 month old under our roof.

Jude loves to squeal, gnaw on his hands, play with his feet, and reach for his toys. He rolls over both ways, but only when he wants to...he's not much for performing on command. He is sleeping in his own room now, and doing pretty well. Jude goes to bed around 8pm and usually wakes at 2am and 5am to nurse. Getting him back to sleep is a bit tricky, but that's Steve's department and he's always up for a good challenge. Jude is taking 3 naps, but he's still not really on a totally consistent routine. We really love Jude, and would do just about anything for this bald little guy.

4 month stats:

Weight: 13 lbs 14 0z--15th percentile
Height: 25 3/4 inches--85th percentile (say what?)
Classified as One Handsome Little Devil (ok, that's not really a medical term)

Mother's Day and Beyond...

2011-05-24T21:45:00.000-07:00

Mother's Day has come and gone, and I'm sure you'll be pleased to know that Steve totally delivered. He fulfilled all of my requests on my wish list. Yes, there was chocolate and Cherry Coke. And the kids were about as perfect as possible. All in all, it was a really fantastic day. Delaney and Jude "helped" Steve pick out two hanging petunia baskets for the front porch (and yes, they were pulp pots, Dad!) and also gifted me with this beautiful necklace:

My necklace came with two pearl eggs representing my two little birdies.

The two little birdies which I speak of...

This little birdie is so darn lovable!

We hosted Mother's Day over at our place and Steve, Mike, and Doug were responsible for feeding the woman-folk. They grilled us up some delicious eats and Mike and Arlene brought over this for dessert:

And yes, that is sangria in the background!

Delaney loves her Auntie Beans! Only 46 days until Beans is officially a Dunlap!

We took an impromptu Disneyland trip the other evening and have the photos to prove it! It was just the right amount of time at the park with the kiddos and we all left with smiles on our tired faces.

Waiting for the train at Disneyland. The train is the highlight of her Disney experience every time.

I was clearly more determined to pull the sword out of the stone than she was!

Happy Disney family.

Random tidbits from around the homestead:

Both kiddos are rocking the Baby Legs. Looking good, don't you think?

This is what happens when I let the toddler dress herself. Eek!

Charlie turned 6 years old the other day. I didn't remember it was his birthday until later that evening and when I went to wish him a happy birthday, this is where I found him. I felt like he was sending me some kind of message. Poor guy, he has moved down a few notches, but he is still loved dearly by all of us...Steve included.

3 months

2011-05-09T21:24:00.000-07:00

Jude William turned 3 months old on Saturday. We pulled out the wagon and did our best to position him comfortably, but as you can see, he's starting to get a bit squished! Jude just keeps getting more enjoyable. He has found his hands, which he munches on nonstop, and also loves to pull his legs up and down. He rolled over twice the other day from his tummy to his back. He loves to smile and talk, especially to his daddy. Teething has begun, so hopefully our happy guy stays happy.

3 month stats:

Weight: 13 pounds (25th percentile)
Height: 25 inches--I think. I had a tough time measuring this wiggly worm. (75th percentile)

Aerial view of Jude enjoying his swing. Such a sweet little man.

Jude looks like he's ready to go pump some iron. Cue the Rocky soundtrack in the background...

Of course sister had to help.

He's such a good sport to humor us, don't you think?

Catching Up

2011-05-09T20:42:00.000-07:00

This post finds us, once again, in need of some catching up. Here goes...

Way back in April, we met up with some dear college friends at Disneyland. Joel and Jenni Florendo live in Boise now, which is not situated near I-5. That's usually how we reconnect with college friends--meeting up somewhere on I-5. So, if you're not close to I-5, you're generally out of luck. But as good fortune might have it, Jenni and Joel planned a surprise Disneyland vacation (coolest parents ever) for their twin 5 year old girls. We all got to spend the day together, and it was so great. Even though we haven't seen the Florendos in 6 years (boo), we picked up right where we left off. I just love those types of friendships. The only bummer thing was that I didn't take any pictures of the grown ups. So you'll just have to trust me and believe that we were actually there.

Johanna and Rosella became best buddies with Delaney in a matter of minutes. Don't you just love how kids can do that?

I don't know who this fairy is, and neither does Delaney, but she ran to her with open arms nonetheless. Perhaps it's time for a stranger danger lesson?

I don't know what's going on here, but I'm guessing it's some type of Delaney shenanigan.

And just last week another dear college friend, Megan Koops, came to San Diego for a visit. We got together with Joaquin and Laura Robinson (and our 4 rowdy kiddos) and journeyed to Temecula to meet up with Koops. It was another happy reunion, and it was so fun to have her meet our children. She works with kids so she was totally at ease with the chaos. We had dinner next to a duck pond, which the kids LOVED. I did my best not to hyperventilate as Delaney routinely got too close for comfort to the ducks and the edge of the pond. When will she ever acquire a healthy dose of fear?

Delaney actually asked me if she could kiss the birdies. Gross.

Delaney and Josiah. Delaney loves herself some 'Siah.

The gang: Laura and Harper (not sure what they're looking at!), Joaquin and Josiah, Megan, and the Dunlaps.

In other news, Delaney got her bangs trimmed, so she can now see the world:

And it's bathing suit season, which makes Delaney just a wee bit giddy:

And finally, Jude is really a very cute baby. Here's proof:

A few simple requests

2011-05-05T14:06:00.000-07:00

May is my favorite month. Although it's starting to really brown up around here, it's still technically spring, which I love. And more importantly, it's my birthday month and Mother's Day.

Yes, I celebrate my birthday month. Maybe it's a twin thing, always sharing a birthday with someone--which is very special in its own regard. But now that I don't live under the same roof as my brother (love you, Jimmy!), I pull out all of the stops in May. I am one of those freak adults who really, really likes birthdays. So yes, I play the birthday month/Mother's Day card frequently. Ice cream is almost always involved.

So in honor of Mother's Day, I have a few requests:

1. Take a shower by myself and shave my legs. Yeah, it's been awhile. A child is usually either in the shower with me or crying for me outside of the shower, so I've perfected the art of the 3 minute shower. Who knew Karen (Lee) Dunlap was capable of such a thing?

2. Drink some Cherry Coke and eat some Ghirardelli chocolate. Sorry, Weight Watchers. You're going on hold for a day. PS--Steve, are you reading this? You're responsible for making this magic happen.

3. Skype with my mom, call my Grams, and hang out with my mother-in-law. I have some pretty important ladies in my life, and I wish more than anything that I could have them under one roof for the day.

4. Take a nap. Do I even need to explain this one?

5. Relax with my kids and hubs. Really, Delaney and Jude are the reason(s) why I get to celebrate this day, and Steve also played an integral part in me becoming a mother as well. I really just want to be with them. Being a mom is the hardest thing I've ever faced, but oh-my-gosh it's also the best thing ever. I'm not quite sure how that all works out, but I know that it does. And also I'd like my children to be perfect, eat all of their vegetables, and keep the house clean, just for one day. Maybe that last part is too much to hope for...

A Wonderful Surprise!

2011-04-20T13:47:00.000-07:00

I'm sure you've heard the story about how I have had two best friends all of my life, right? Seriously, Alison and Beka have been my BFFs for my entire lifetime. They are identical twin girls, and our moms met while pregnant with twinies in a Lamaze class. I've mentioned Alison and Beka numerous times on this blog; they are two of the most important people in my life.

Anywho, Beka flew down last week to surprise me! My whole family was in on the surprise and I never suspected a thing. Beka left her almost 2 year old and hubby for a few days just to spoil me. I can't even come close to explaining how much it meant to have her here. I only wish we had more time together, and that Alison could have made it as well. We missed her!

The greatest thing about having a friend like Beka is that you can totally be yourself and not be anxious about how you're being perceived. I didn't care that my house was a mess, we hung out in our PJ's, and I didn't feel the pressure to entertain. Besides, entertaining is Delaney's department, not mine.

Of course we didn't really take any pictures. We were too busy chasing after Delaney and dealing with a super fussy Jude Man.

Delaney and Auntie Beka "driving" the car at In N Out on Beka's birthday.

This one is for my dad: 2/3 of the Kar-Ala-Bek trio!

Steve took the kiddos for awhile Saturday morning so that Beka and I could go shopping. Look what we spotted at a rummage sale! We came home and told Steve about the mini piano and he dropped everything to go buy it. That man cannot say no to unique musical instruments!

Steve recently cleaned up his first guitar as a kiddo and bequeathed it to Delaney. Here they're having a folksy jam session.

Jude also benefited from our shopping adventures...a play mat for $3!

Delaney loves to "play" with her brother. This often includes putting stickers on him, which is a true sign of love...Delaney doesn't easily part with her stickers!

Thank you so much for visiting, Beka. And thank you Jake and Ayeresam, for letting me have her for a few days. We love you!

31 Years

2011-04-13T09:38:00.001-07:00

Yesterday Old Man Dunlap turned 31. He's so old! I only have a few weeks to rub that in until I catch up with him in age.

Our little family is so incredibly blessed to have Steve as our Fearless Leader. Delaney will never grow up having "Daddy issues." Jude has an amazing example of what a Godly man looks like on a daily basis. And I have a best friend to traverse through life with, the good and the bad.

Jude dressed up for Daddy's birthday...he's ready to party in his baby tux onesie.

Happy birthday, Stevie. Here's hoping that 31 is the best year yet.

2 Months

2011-04-12T08:16:00.000-07:00

Last Thursday marked Jude's 2 month birthday. We had his well baby check up on Friday and he's doing great. Here are his stats:

Weight: 11 lbs. 5 oz -- 25th percentile
Height: 24 inches -- 85th percentile...he's on track to become the tallest Dunlap in living memory!

Jude continues to be a great little baby. He's fussy from about 7-9 pm, and wants to be held most of the time, but other than that he's so chill. We love this baby guy!

Lately

2011-04-10T22:28:00.001-07:00

Here are a few pictures documenting the smattering of things we've been up to lately:

Camera one

Camera two

Jude keeps getting cuter. He's smiling so much, crying less, and still sleeping pretty good. So, to summarize, I suppose we'll keep him! :)

Our local Chick-Fil-A hosted a Western Night the other evening. With Delaney's current horse obsession, we just couldn't pass up free pony rides.

Yes, the pony rides took place in the shared parking lot of the Chick-Fil-A and PetSmart. This is Southern California for goodness sake!

Delaney took her pony ride very seriously.

Jude came as well, but didn't ride any ponies.

The weather has been nice and Steve and Delaney have been busy out in the garden.

Daddy and his girl

Playing in the dirt

Wearing Daddy's hat

Auntie Kobbs

2011-04-10T21:46:00.000-07:00

When I was a young gal of 18, I moved to northern California to attend college at Simpson University. I was very nervous about a great number of things, but on the top of my list of nerves was the roommate issue. I don't have any sisters, I'm not a girly girl, and I was so worried that I'd be stuck with a weirdo. When I walked into my new home away from home, my roommate was nowhere to be found. However, sitting on her desk was a copy of the Empire Records soundtrack. I breathed a sigh of relief; this was going to work out after all.

Fast forward about 12+ years and my roommate and I are still great friends. Laura Kobzeff (Kobbs) is more like family than a friend. She is my sister and I love her. We've all moved around since college but now she's back in Redding and attending Simpson again to become the world's greatest nurse. She's far away and we miss her like crazy. A few weeks ago she came to visit and Delaney had a fabulous time at the park with her Auntie Kobbs.

Sliding!

Jumping!

Climbing!

Swinging!

Twirling!

Thanks for visiting, Auntie Kobbs! Love you!

Photo Shoot with Kari Q.

2011-04-01T21:47:00.000-07:00

One of my very dearest, very favoritest of friends, Mrs. Kari Quesada, came over a few weeks back to take pictures of my kiddos. Actually, she came over to take pictures of newborn baby Jude, but as you can see from the photos below, Delaney stole the show. She's good at that. While Kari may downplay her talent, it's clear to the rest of us how very talented she is. So, enjoy gazing upon my offspring and basking in the photo genius of Kari Q.

See what I mean about stealing the show?

And a big thanks to Soren Fairfield and his parents for Delaney's beautiful dress!

Disneyland

2011-03-31T20:59:00.001-07:00

Delaney's birthday celebrations continued this past week with her first trip to Disneyland. Grammie and Grandpa flew down to make the event even more memorable. Nana also came, but Papa sadly had to work. We tried to keep Papa involved by texting him pictures of our adventures, but I think that might have done more harm than good. We missed you, Papa!

Here are Delaney and Grandpa getting ready to head out. Delaney's sweet friend Emma Quesada let her borrow the Minnie dress for this momentous occasion. Delaney LOVED wearing the dress both because of the Minnie factor and because it belongs to Emma. Delaney wants to be just like Emma when she grows up.

Look, Jude dressed up, too! As you can tell, he's very excited about the big outing.

Delaney loved riding the tram with her Grandmas. She thought it was a train, and trains are a pretty big deal to Delaney these days.

Mama and the kiddos...we're all pretty giddy.

You'll never believe who we spotted right as we walked into the park! Ms. Minnie Mouse herself.

And we also got to meet our favorite princess, Belle. This picture doesn't do the cuteness of the moment justice. Delaney ran to Belle with open arms and danced around a bit with her. So stinkin' cute!

Jude was a trooper a majority of the day and just chilled in the Sleepy Wrap.

But alas, we did have a few of these moments as well...

Overall, though, he did AMAZING. Do you see how cute he is?

The Dumbo ride was a big hit, with both Delaney and her Grandmas.

This was on one of the train rides. Did I mention that Delaney loves trains? She has asked to ride the train at Disneyland every day since.

On the Jungle Cruise with Grandpa. Again, it's hard to tell who's more excited in some of these shots.

Delaney is a pretty lucky granddaughter, don't you think?

The gang at the end of the day (complete with an obnoxiously large balloon purchased by Grammie). Delaney had a blast and we actually had minimal number of melt-downs. It was such a pleasant day!

Kids

2011-03-16T21:04:00.000-07:00

We have kids. Plural. As in more than one child. This information still blows my mind. When did we become grown up enough for kids? Who knows when it happened, or even if it ever did happen. Kids are the new normal for the Dunlaps now.

As mentioned previously, Delaney loves her Baby Jude. The bottom photos illustrate the sibling love going on in this house.

Giving Baby Jude a kiss...

Baby Jude's not so sure about the love...

Jude: What just happened???

I know we all enjoy watching Jude grow, so I intend to take a picture of him every month in the wagon. Here are a few first month favorites:

Poor Jude. He can cry all he wants, but this is happening monthly! I was hoping to get a better shot of the handsome guy, but he is still a newborn, so chances are if he isn't sleeping or eating, he's most likely crying. He is such a good sleeper (knock on wood), so I know I shouldn't complain about the few hours of fussiness that are bound to happen. Jude's fussiness doesn't quite rival that of his sister's, and for that I thank the heavens above.

March Happenings

2011-03-14T21:14:00.000-07:00

March has been a crazy month! We've kept busy with visitors, art projects, and birthday fun.

Last weekend, both of my brothers came for quick visits. Uncle Redneck (Jimmy) was here on business, and Uncle Jeffy (no witty nickname yet--any ideas?) was on his way out of the country. Jeff and his wife Evie were granted permanent residency in New Zealand and will be living there indefinitely. They both have jobs at wineries and are excited about this adventure. We're excited for them as well, but bummed that it's so far away. I've already put the bug in Steve's ear that I hope to celebrate our 10 year wedding anniversary (2012) with a trip to New Zealand, so hopefully that pans out.

Here Delaney is enjoying her Uncle's IPhone. She's a pretty tech savvy kid. The other morning I awoke at 5:09am with Delaney standing next to Steve's side of the bed with his Ipod in hand. She was happily watching a U2 video on the Ipod. Neither Steve nor I had given her the Ipod; she took it off the nightstand, turned it on, went to the video section, and picked out her favorite video. At least the kid has good taste, right?

We had a really nice visit with Jeff. He is admittedly not a "kids" kind of person, and doesn't have any desire to have children of his own. And I'm pretty darn certain that we put the nail in that coffin. Something to do with a 2 year old having a potty accident at the church's rummage sale and her uncle having to hover over the puddle of pee while the mama grabs the crying, pee-soaked toddler while wearing a crying newborn smashed in the Sleepy Wrap... that was a really long sentence, but hopefully it painted a lovely picture for you. So yes, I think Uncle Jeffy is quite content being just an uncle.

This past week was my first full week of flying solo without a grandparent or husband to help wrangle two children during the day. We did pretty well, all things considered. In an attempt to get Delaney away from the TV and her BFF Dora, we made some playdough. The girl loved it!

Concentrating so hard on rolling out the dough

And this is what Baby Jude was doing while we were elbow deep in playdough. He's almost smiling, don't you think?

We celebrated Delaney's second birthday a couple times this week, and we have even more birthday plans coming at the end of the month (Disneyland with the Grandparents!). I asked Delaney what kind of cupcakes she'd like to have with her friends during our park play date, and she said "Elmo!" Thank goodness she didn't want Dora...I'm not sure how that would have turned out.

The finished product

We brought our Elmo cupcakes to the park on our weekly play date with our friends and we all sang to the birthday girl.

She loved everything: the attention, the sugar, her friends, playing at the park...it was a good day for Delaney Marie.

The kiddos really enjoyed the cupcakes, but I'm not sure if the mamas were digging the BRIGHT red frosting. I particularly enjoy this picture of her friend Memphis (in the back) covered in frosting. Hopefully the moms have forgiven both Elmo and myself by now...

And in other news, Delaney had her 2 year old doctor's visit today. She's still a shrimp, but a healthy little shrimp, weighing in at 22.8 lbs and 33 inches tall. While that may not sound like much, she is still on the growth chart (yay for the 5th percentile!), and is following her own little growth curve. Her doctor is pleased as punch with her growth and development, so hooray for Laney Cat!

Two Years Old

2011-03-10T14:29:00.001-08:00

Photo courtesy of Kari Quesada

The Dunlap kiddos are hitting all sorts of milestones this week...one celebrated month one of being in the world and the other is officially a two year old as of today. I've already had a good cry thinking about how, in 16 years, my little girl will leave me and move out of state to start a life of her own, because that's how karma works, right?

Two years of Delaney Marie Dunlap. Two years of having my Laney Cat to chase around. This girl is a one in a six billion kind of gal. While she tries my patience endlessly, I am so stinkin' proud to be her mom.

Here's what Delaney can do as a 2 year old:
Disclaimer: I'm one of those totally biased kind of parents who believes that their child is above average in most areas.

Delaney is a talented kid. She can sing her ABCs, can identify a few letters (E,O,Z,M), and can count to 12 in English and 10 in Spanish. She knows all of her colors and a few shapes. She also potty trained herself at the age of 22 months. She is incredibly verbal and is always trying to do things to get a laugh. She loves having an audience.

Ick. I hate that I just spent an entire paragraph bragging about my kid. My blog is like a scrapbook for our family, a place where I can look back to remember how things were in the good ol' days. In a few years I'm going to love reading this post and remembering what Delaney was like at this stage, so bear with me.

Things Delaney likes:
Delaney loves music, loves to dance, and loves to "play" her harmonica and her uncle's drums. She loves Dora, Elmo, Thomas the Engine, and Beauty and the Beast. Delaney loves chocolate, Popsicles, and ice cream (she is so my daughter). She likes to collect pennies (not nickles, dimes, or quarters) and I find them everywhere. Delaney also loves stickers, which I'm constantly scraping off our hardwood floors and off of Brundibar. She loves Brundibar and Charlie, and doesn't understand why Imogene won't come out and play. Delaney loves being outside, and constantly begs us to go for a walk. She's a loving friend, and obsesses about the next time she can go to the park to play with her friends. She is an avid reader, and knows how to stall bedtime because Mommy has a hard time saying no to Delaney wanting to read just one more book. She loves to do art, blow bubbles, and loves loves loves to paint. Delaney enjoys "cooking" in her kitchen, and loves to bake cookies and make smoothies with Mommy. And Delaney loves her brother, Baby Jude. I don't know how old Jude will have to be for her to drop the "Baby" part, I think she believes it to be his first name. She wants to hold, kiss, burp, and snuggle with Baby Jude. It makes my heart get all mushy every time.

Things Delaney doesn't like:
Delaney doesn't like to eat. Why waste time eating when you could be playing? She hates most veggies and is not a big fan of meat, which doesn't leave us with a lot of options. Delaney doesn't like to sleep in, she prefers a 5:30am wake up call. Delaney loves the garbage truck from a distance, but gets very nervous when it gets close. She doesn't like being told no. She doesn't like doing things your way, she prefers her way of doing things. Little doggies make her a tad uncomfortable. Delaney hates being cooped up inside, and doesn't like to sit still. She is all energy.

Oh jeez, I think I could go on and on, but this post is already too long and chances are you've probably tuned out unless you're one of Delaney's grandparents. As you can see, we really lucked out with this kid. She brings us so much joy and laughter, I can't imagine life any differently.

Happy birthday, little bug. We thank God for you and pray that we can help you to become the person He created you to be.

One Month

2011-03-07T09:02:00.000-08:00

Photo courtesy of Kari Quesada

Today Jude William is one month old.

How did that happen?

We had Jude's first appointment with his pediatrician on Friday, and Jude is thriving away. He has already gained 2 pounds and weighs in at 9 lbs. 3 oz, which puts him in the 40th percentile. As someone who is slightly concerned about weight gain, this gave me great joy. He is now 22 1/4 inches long, which puts him in the 80th percentile for height. So maybe there's hope for a tall Dunlap baby?

Jude is a wonderful baby guy. He definitely has fussy bouts, especially during dinner time (of course!) and when I want to take a shower in the morning. But in general, he's a great sleeper and eater. What a relief!

We love Baby Jude and can't wait to watch him grow into his little self.

Lately

2011-02-25T21:04:00.000-08:00

Some images from the Dunlap compound...

Delaney has continued her foray into the art world. Here she's "posing" next to her Valentines that she so lovingly created.

Cousin Katie came over this weekend to play with Delaney while I did some laundry. Delaney painted a birdhouse while Katie supervised.

So much concentration...

Delaney really enjoys pretend playing. Also, she likes to dress herself.

Delaney really likes playing in the sand at the park, much to this mama's dismay.

Jude and Brundibar, meeting one another.

Life is rough when you eat and sleep all day. That's all both of these guys do. And I know this picture is going to freak my Grandma Rasmussen out, but do know that Charlie was under constant supervision.

Jude's Birth Story

2011-02-22T15:58:00.001-08:00

Be forewarned: Blood and nether-regions are referenced in this post. Proceed at your own risk.

Jude has been here for a little over two weeks now, so I think it's time to share with you his birth story. That is, if you want to hear it.

Jude's entrance into this world was so completely different from Delaney's. With Delaney, everything was hard and fast. Hard contractions, fast(ish) delivery, two weeks early, etc. And then with Jude...not so much. I mentioned the differences to one of the nurses attending to me and she responded with, "Well, of course it's different, sweetie. Every baby wants their own story." That really resonated with me and was yet another reminder of how different each little human is and desires to be known as their own person, even at such an early age.

At my 39 week appointment my mid-wife declared that I was 4 cm dilated and effaced. I had been having contractions for a few days, but nothing was too regular. My mid-wife told me that as soon as my contractions started to become regular that I should head over to the hospital. Later that day my contractions seemed to increase, and we all thought that Jude was on his way. We made a phone call to my mom, she hopped on a plane, and we waited. Then we waited some more. My mom arrived (thank goodness--she missed Delaney's delivery by an hour and I didn't want that repeated) and we waited some more. In fact, we waited around for a few days. I had contractions every day, but no baby. Meanwhile, my toddler was driving me crazy (I love you, Delaney!) and all I could fixate on was the fact that I was exhausted and I hadn't even gone into labor yet. So on Monday, February 7th, after over a week of contractions with no baby, my mom and husband talked me into going to the hospital to just get "checked out." Normally I wouldn't comply with such an idea; I had no desire to sit around hooked up to an IV just waiting for a baby to come out. I wanted to go into labor at home, ride it out until it got really gnarly, and then show up at the hospital like I did with Delaney. But I was so tired and annoyed at those uneventful contractions that I agreed to go in and get checked.

We arrived at 3:30pm and had to wait around a bit to get situated. They put a monitor on me and when they came to check me I was having a contraction. During the contraction Jude's heart rate decreased, and they informed me that I wasn't going anywhere. I was 5 cm dilated anyway, which is when they usually admit. They threw around the phrase "possible c-section if this continues," which sent me into a tail spin of panic. Thankfully, it was a one time ordeal and Jude's heart rate was fine. My body was set to have a baby, except for the fact that my contractions weren't consistent enough, so they started me on Pitocin and I sat and waited for my baby to come.

I had birthed Delaney naturally and wanted to do the same with Jude. I always feel a little funny talking about this decision with people. Every person's birth experience and pain tolerance is different, and I don't want to sound self-righteous by flaunting my desire to birth my babies without an epidural. Personally, I feel like my body was created to withstand the difficulties of childbirth, and I want to honor that by doing things as naturally as possible. Also, I have a horrible aversion towards needles, and the thought of a huge needle shoved into my back really, really freaks me out.

Steve and I had practiced our breathing techniques, and I'm so thankful for my husband and his great coaching abilities. He really kept me focused, especially during transition. There was one point that I thought, "I've done this once naturally. Why did I think that it would be a good idea to go down that road again?" However, with my mom and Steve keeping me calm, I pushed that little bugger out of my body and into the world. Child birth is miraculous, disgusting, and beautiful all in one breath, and I remember looking down and seeing Jude for the first time as he was entering the world. I hadn't really spoken the whole time I was laboring, because that would require way too much energy. However, when I saw Jude, I said something incredibly silly and obvious along the lines of "Hey guys, look--it's Jude!" I was so glad that he was actually here. Jude, much like his sister, came punching out into the world, so I had to have some fancy stitching done in the nether-regions, which took over an hour to do. Jude was born at 11:48pm, so we were pretty exhausted by the time we were placed in our recovery room, but our hearts were full.

Jude weighed in a 7 lbs. 3 oz and was 20.5 inches long. Delaney was 6 lbs. 10 oz and 19 inches long, so he already has a head start at outweighing his sister. He is such a dream baby, and he looks like a carbon copy of his daddy when he was a newborn. I have been praying for a mini-Steve, and I'm so thankful that we have him here. We all think that Jude is the cat's meow.

First bath from Daddy.

Arriving home...we're all a little bit sleepy.

Meeting Charlie for the first time. I'm sure they'll be BFFs soon enough.

Heart breaker!

The Dunlap men.

The very proud big sister, holding Baby Jude.

Handsome Man

2011-02-15T21:11:00.001-08:00

I have a number of posts swirling around in my head, but right now I just have the energy to put up a few pictures. Stay tuned for some "real" posts about Jude's birth and week one of parenting two children.

My favorite guys.

Dang, he's cute!

I'm not sure what he thinks about his panda beanie, but I love it.

Jude Pictures

2011-02-11T20:05:00.000-08:00

Here are a few pictures to appease Jude's fans...

Such a serious, handsome guy.

Meeting the big sis.

Enjoying the ride home.

Chillaxin'

Yep, we're all pretty sleepy around here!

Jude!!

2011-02-09T20:26:00.000-08:00

He's here! Born (barely) on February 7th at 11:48pm. He weighed 7 lbs. 3 oz and is 20.5 inches long. We'll blog more when we have all gotten a bit more sleep.

PS-Big sister Delaney is over-the-top in love.

Waiting

2011-02-06T15:49:00.000-08:00

Yep, still pregnant here.

Right now I feel as though I've been pregnant all of my life, and that I will continue to be pregnant for the rest of my life. I know this is ridiculous/impossible, but logical reasoning doesn't always apply to a 9+ month pregnant gal. So go easy on me.

I had my 39 week appointment last Thursday and my midwife announced that I was dilated 4 cm and fully effaced. I started having semi-regular contractions, and we all thought Mr. Jude was coming that night. So my mom changed her flight and arrived sooner than we had planned. My mom missed Delaney's delivery by one hour, and none of us wanted to repeat that scenario.

But here I sit, still very much pregnant. I know I still have a few days until my actual due date, but I was spoiled with going 2 weeks early with Delaney. And I'm really, really uncomfortable. I'll save you the details, but I feel like I'm being stretched apart in all directions. I'm not sleeping, and I get major heart burn when I take a sip of water. BUT--Jude can't stay in there forever. And although I feel badly that I made my mom rush to get here, she has been an amazing help. Delaney is kind of going crazy, and having another adult around has prolonged Delaney's life expectancy by a few years...yes, again I'm being dramatic, but I'm allowed to be, remember?

So if you think about it, please pray that Jude comes soon, and that labor and delivery goes quickly. And painlessly. That's not too much to ask for, right?

Christmas 2010, Part 2

2011-01-22T20:37:00.001-08:00

I made a blogging goal to write about Christmas before January turns into February, so here I am doing it!
We had a great Christmas. Steve, Delaney, and I enjoyed our second (and last!) Christmas together having a relaxing day in Riverside. We began our day by opening stockings and presents at home and enjoying some yummy strawberry crepes.

Cranky on Christmas? Unbelievable!

Check out those slippers! They were handmade for her by her Great-Great-Great Aunt Zelda. How many people can boast about having a Great-Great-Great Aunt? Delaney can.

Steve and I didn't really buy Delaney anything big--we left that up to the Grandparents. :) Here Delaney's modeling the two things that I made for her: a baby sling for her baby dolls and an apron.

And here she is, enjoying her stackable blocks from her Great Gramps and Grams. She also insisted on wearing her new Elmo shirt that her Great Aunt Linda, Great Uncle David, and cousins Gunnar and Solveig gave her.

She was able to put her apron to good use when she helped me make strawberry crepes for breakfast.

We headed over to Steve's parents' house after breakfast, and Delaney donned her Christmas best. See that shiny piece of metal in her hand? That was Steve's gift to Delaney, and it's a harmonica. She really, really loves her harmonica. Is it a little obnoxious? Yes. Is it adorable? Yes.

Here Delaney is enjoying two great loves in her life: Uncle Monkey and his drums. I cannot express how thankful I am that the drum set is not at our house for her to enjoy.

Seriously, though, do you see how happy she is? Chick drummers are pretty hot...

We are such an exciting bunch. Look how lovely Arlene is...and look at Mikey's goofy face. I don't think I have any pictures of Mikey wearing a normal smile. He is just so silly...it's one of the things we love most about him.

Later that evening we spent time at Uncle Kevin and Aunt Joni's house. We all had a great time watching Delaney slip into super-ultra-hyper-mode. Very entertaining! Our Christmas was wonderful, and made even sweeter when my parents made the trek down a few days later. We are a very blessed family!

Getting Big

2011-01-15T09:46:00.000-08:00

Delaney Marie is becoming a big kid. There's really nothing baby left to her...except for her weight. She's still a shrimp. But other than that, this kid is growing up, and there's nothing we can do to stop it.

Case in point: The toddler bed

We knew that we needed to transition Delaney to her toddler bed before Jude's arrival. Steve and I were both dreading it. Sleep is not really Delaney's strong suit, she knows how to open all of the doors in our house, and the thought of Delaney jumping on our bed at 4am just made me want to cry a little. But you know what? She did great. She's still doing great. We've had a few rough nights, but that's pretty normal around this joint. Apparently she doesn't realize that she can get out of her bed....go figure.

Getting excited about her new bed

Pretending to sleep next to her babies

Point #2: Potty training

Delaney had decided that she's ready to be potty trained. I'm not putting my whole heart into it because a.) I don't have the energy, and b.) I know regression will occur when Jude comes. But she's doing really well, and it's all on her own initiative. We'll see how that all pans out.

Skinny, naked Laney booty

Point #3: Hair cut

While this is technically not Delaney's first hair cut (that happened in August), this is the first time Delaney sat in the salon chair and got more than just a smidge trimmed off. Delaney's hair is WILD, and our friend Kristy did a great job with what she had to work with.

The before picture

Kristy hard at work on those bangs

The after picture...such a bad picture, I know. But at least you can see her looking a little less shabby.

Jeff's Wedding

2011-01-09T21:44:00.000-08:00

On December 19th, my "little" brother (he's actually quite tall) got married to a lovely gal named Evie. It was sort of a surreal event. They announced and planned their wedding in 6 weeks or so, and I think my brain is still processing the fact that my baby brother is now a married man. It makes me feel so very, very old. Turning 30 this year was a milestone for me, but what really makes me feel old is when my younger brother gets hitched or when Steve's younger brother turns 28. These boys are still supposed to be in high school, right?

Anyway, it was a whirlwind 48 hours. Steve, Delaney, and I had just driven up to Oregon 3 weeks previously for Thanksgiving, so we weren't planning on making this a long visit. I was 32 weeks pregnant, and my midwife wasn't super keen on me traveling. It was down to the wire whether or not I would be attending, but I got the go ahead 2 days before we left.

The ceremony was simple and elegant. Jeff and Evie didn't have any attendants, but they did ask Delaney to be their flower girl. Except that she didn't throw any flowers...she just walked down the aisle...kind of. Of course the ceremony was during Delaney's nap time, she didn't really sleep much the night before, and she started running a fever right before she was supposed to go on. So you can imagine how compliant Delaney was. She walked down the aisle half way, then decided that was far enough. Steve took her the rest of the way. Once she got to Uncle Jeffy, she held his hand, danced around for a bit, and then sat back down. It wasn't what I was hoping for, but cute nonetheless.

How do you keep a cranky Delaney at bay? Bribe her with Dora downloaded on Uncle Jimmy's IPhone. And yes, that is Steve in a suit.

She made it part of the way...then Delaney needed some help from Daddy.

She was sort of stealing the show from the groom...

Exchanging rings with the lovely Evie

They're hitched!
Grammie & Grandpa did their best to keep Delaney from the open flames, water features, and a scary balcony. Side note: weddings are not really kid events.

Cutting up the cake...

Aww...the new Mr. & Mrs. Lee.

The return home was interesting at best. We were scheduled to take the late flight out of PDX on Monday evening. Halfway to the airport we received a text stating that our flight was cancelled. We got on the phone with the airline and quickly realized that our only option was to be re-routed to LAX. Uggg...all of our experiences with LAX have been pretty rough. Anyway, we got to the airport, our flight was delayed...long story short, we didn't land in LA until 11:15pm. We were given a voucher to take a Super Shuttle over to ONT airport where our car was located. We waited for an hour in the rain at LAX for the shuttle to show up, and when it did, it took half an hour to get out of the parking garage! At this point I was past the uncomfortable-I'm really too pregnant to be doing this right now- stage. Thankfully, Delaney thought it was the greatest adventure of her life. And yes, she was awake for all of it! Once we got out of LAX, our adventure continued. Through some massive miscommunication between the driver and a passenger, the driver got lost, which resulted in a screaming match between the two parties. Delaney was somehow asleep during this portion, thank the Lord Almighty. Steve and I kept looking at each other in disbelief, wondering if we were somehow being punked? We finally got to the Ontario Airport around 2:30am, and we dragged our luggage and sleepy bodies through the rain to our car. We arrived home at 3:00am and Delaney graciously slept until 7:00am. If you know Delaney, this is a big feat.

So, all of that aside, we were so glad that we could be a part of Jeffy's big day. I would have been heartbroken to have missed it. We love Jeff, and are happy with his selection in a bride. Congratulation, Jeffy and Evie. We wish you all the best!

Christmas 2010, Part 1

2011-01-05T07:03:00.001-08:00

I am SO behind in blogging, grr! I have a lot to blog about, as well: My little brother's wedding, Christmas with our Riverside family, Christmas festivities with my parents, transitioning Delaney to her toddler bed, the ongoing construction in Jude's room...yep, there's a lot going on these days.

All that blogging won't happen today, but I'm making an attempt to put a few pictures up to appease certain family members (ahem...Uncle Jimmy). I received a lovely little point and shoot digital camera from my parents for Christmas, with the hopes that I will take more pictures in 2011 and blog more. Call it a resolution, if you will.

Here are just a few pics from my parents' visit this December:

Totally blurry picture, but this was the kitchen that my parents got Delaney for Christmas. It's a pink retro kitchen from KidKraft, and it's amazing. She loves to cook for all of us, including Brundibar.

Grammie and Delaney with her Elmo shirt on. What is it with toddlers and Elmo? Such a love affair...

Grandpa and Laney. Grandpa got put to work the minute he got here, hence his work overalls.

Such a cheezy girl.

Thanksgiving 2010

2010-12-09T06:36:00.001-08:00

This Thanksgiving was spent in Oregon with our Lee/Rasmussen families. We braved ice, snow, and rain to make it to our final destination. It was a very LONG drive, but we were able to break it up by stopping in Redding and spending the day with some of our very favorite people, the Lances. As I was reviewing pictures that we took, I was once again disappointed by the lack of pictures. We are so busy chasing after our toddler monkey girl, and we just never remember to grab the camera until it's too late. So, we have a few pictures of Delaney playing in the snow, and that's about it. We did other things too, like eat, play, shoot guns, etc., but you'll just have to take my word for it.

Oregon was in the grips of an "Arctic Blast 2010" weather front. We quickly realized that Delaney (nor Steve & I) did not have appropriate clothing for this type of weather. Grammie remedied the problem by purchasing these snow boots for Delaney. This girl LOVES to wear boots!

My Great Aunt Francie also anticipated Delaney's need for warmer clothing and bought her this amazing Columbia snow-bunny-Christmas-Story snow outfit. I wish she could wear it every day, it's so stinkin' cute. However, it's not really suitable for Riverside weather.

There was a lot of snow at my Grandparents' farm. Delaney was overjoyed. She wanted to spend every minute outside, but mean ol' mama wouldn't let her.

Mama side note: How did this bug get to be such a big kid? It's killing me! Oh well, I guess I'll just have to go and have another baby.

My apologies to all of my family members and friends that we spent time with--we should have taken pictures of you as well. I'll make it my New Year's resolution to take more pictures of people other than Delaney.

Lately

2010-11-30T22:10:00.000-08:00

We've been up to a lot lately. We just returned from a week long visit to Oregon, which included lots of food, snow, good family time, and being trapped in a car with a toddler infatuated with Dora. Many, many hours of listening to Dora. Which is infinitely better than many, many hours of listening to Delaney cry, right? A post about our Thanksgiving trip is on my to do list.

In the meantime, here are a few photos documenting what we've been up to this November.

This kid loves to do art. She's in her element when she's at her easel.

She hates having dirty hands...except when she's painting.

Our 1998 Plymouth Breeze. Back in the day, it was our "good car." We've planned on driving it for as long as possible; sadly, that day came a few years too early. A blown head gasket that would cost more than the worth of the car forced us to say good-bye to the Breeze. It was an emotional farewell for us, but on the upside, the VW Squareback may actually get a new engine. We're not happy around here unless we have multiple projects on our hands.

This is me. I haven't posted any belly shots in a long, long time. I'm 29.5 weeks in this picture. Jude seems to be a happy, moving and grooving little guy.

Family portrait. We look awfully tired. That's what happens when you spend 23 hours driving in a car together over the span of 2 days. But we look happy, too, because we are a happy little family.

New Delaney Video

2010-11-23T08:28:00.000-08:00

Delaney in her Halloween costume.

Halloween

2010-11-02T06:52:00.001-07:00

This was a very busy Halloween weekend. Of course we didn't take any pictures of the activities that we participated in, but we do have pictures of Delaney in her costume. In deciding what Delaney should be this year, I took into consideration the fact that (a)I did not want to make her a costume that she would most likely wear once, and (b) I didn't want to purchase something at the store that she would most likely wear once. So I looked into her closet and concocted a cowgirl costume that turned out pretty rootin' tootin' cute. The red gingham shirt was mine when I was a child, which made her costume that much more special. The boots and hat were purchased by Grammie and Grandpa, the dress was a birthday present, and I bought the vest for $1 at a consignment sale two years ago. Score!

Posing with her stick horse

We fought over that hat all night long!

Her special pumpkin, shipped all the way from Hood River.

Cowpoke Delaney, full of mischief.

Her trusty sidekick Brundibar

Go ahead, gobble her up. I know you want to.

Yee-haw!

October

2010-10-28T21:45:00.001-07:00

We've been very busy this October. Here's what we've been up to:

A few weekends ago, we went to a car show in Placentia because Papa's truck was entered.

Laid back, enjoying the beautiful October sun.

Here's Papa's truck, a '64 Ford Ranger. She's a beaut, isn't she?

Oldies music was playing, and Delaney was our entertainment for the day. She really likes to shake her booty.

The following weekend Delaney, Nana, and I attended a historic harvest celebration of sorts at Hurst Ranch in West Covina. One of my sweet students is in 4-H (can you believe that there are 4-H clubs in SoCal?), and her club was in charge of the petting zoo. Hurst Ranch was a hidden gem--a historic ranch located in the middle of a Covina neighborhood.

Delaney found a pumpkin just her size. It's not as special as her custom-monogrammed pumpkin from Gramps and Grams, but exciting nonetheless.

The ranch also hosted a Magical Fairy Garden, which was probably our favorite activity.

Tabatha, my student, was a wonderful tour guide and toddler wrangler.

We met a beekeeper and got to create our own beeswax candles.

Busy

2010-10-24T21:59:00.001-07:00

We've been so busy around here that we haven't had much time to update the blog. So here's a little something to tide you over:

We'll try to update sometime this week on all of the events that have kept us so rootin' tootin' busy.

October Oregon Visit

2010-10-18T20:46:00.001-07:00

Once again, I'm behind in my blogging. A few weeks ago, Delaney and I flew up to Oregon to visit family and friends, and to enjoy some real fall weather. It was a short but action-packed few days. We started off the trip by spending time with my BFF Alison and her kiddos, but we AGAIN failed to take any pictures. There's just something about being outnumbered by children that doesn't lend itself well to picture taking. We also had an all-too-quick visit with other dear friends, Christina and Candi, and another all-too-quick lunch with BFF Beka and a good portion of the Kiker clan. Delaney and I were also able to spend time at my Grandparent's farm, Rasmussen Farms. If you know me, you know that this place is very special to me. Delaney visited last year, but I doubt she remembers much. This time around she ruled the joint.

Mama & Delaney at the entrance of Pumpkin Funland

4 generations- My Grams, Mom, Delaney, Me, & Great Aunt Francie

Delaney with her Great Grams & Gramps

Delaney looks in wonder at her domain...

This is the Halloween Hut. I didn't care to go in, mostly because it's about 4 ft. tall. But Aunt Francie braved it with Delaney--who wasn't afraid to explore in the least.

See, I told you she ruled the joint.

Isn't this corn maze awesome? The theme was "Where's Waldo? "

Delaney with her Mama & Great Grams

Pretty cute, no?

Delaney loved Great Gramps' tractor...that is, until she got close to it.

Gramps was trying his darndest to get her to smile.

My Gramps & Grams, once again, made special pumpkins for Delaney and the new baby. At the time, we didn't know if we were having a boy or a girl, so my Grandparents etched "TBA" on this pumpkin for the new little one. Pretty humorous!

Delaney's special pumpkin

She found her Delaney pumpkin!

Sis & Bro pumpkins, side by side.

After our trip up to Hood River, we got to spend some time with just my immediately family. Delaney was spoiled rotten by her Grandpa, Grammie, and Uncle Jimmy.

With Grandpa & Grammie at a farm by their house.

Sticker fun with Uncle Jimmy

Delaney's going to be a cowgirl for Halloween, so Grandpa and Grammie insisted on getting her REAL cowgirl boots and a hat. Her boots are really something else. I'll post more pictures of the boots later.

There's always a litter of kittens at my parent's house, and we found the most adorable little butterball. Delaney and I wanted so badly to take him home with us.

Making pancakes

Making apple crisp

Calazones

2010-09-28T21:02:00.000-07:00

Delaney has been loving the kitchen lately. The other night we made calazones together. It takes a lot for me to let my hair down and let the kid and the kitchen get messy, but I'm making great strides in this area!

Playing in the flour was Delaney's specialty.

This munchkin was such a great "help."

Delaney insists on wearing my apron like a cape every time she's in the kitchen with me.

Yup, we had some fun.

Baby Boy

2010-09-22T07:47:00.000-07:00

We received the very exciting news on Monday, September 20th, that we will be expecting a baby boy! To say that I was surprised would be an understatement. For various reasons, I had my mind made up that we would be having another girl. Steve and I are so thrilled at the prospect of raising a little man. A whole new world is opening up to me! Not being a boy myself, I am a little unsure of how to even go about raising a boy; however, I am blessed to have many friends that are mommies of boys. I'm sure they'll help steer us in the right direction!

If you talk to my family, they'll refer to the baby as Jimmy Doug. This is not the baby's name, but feel free to humor my Dad. We have decided on naming our little buddy Jude William Dunlap. We chose Jude because it means "praise" in Hebrew. Also, it's an amazing Beatles song. William was Steve's Grandpa John's middle name, and it just seems to fit.

According to my ultrasound and midwife, Baby Jude is healthy, perfect, and squirmy. So keep growing, little man! You have a host of folks who can't wait to meet you.

18 Months

2010-09-10T20:34:00.001-07:00

Today is Delaney Marie's 18 month birthday. That's 1 and 1/2 years of existence, in case you were counting.

We celebrated by "dressing up" (I put that in quotes, because the Dunlaps don't really ever get fancy) and taking Delaney to Casey's Cupcakes, located at the Mission Inn. She was hyper before we had given her any sugar, so we weren't sure what we were getting ourselves into. We ordered her the raspberry cupcake, and then let her eat it. Basically, she played with the frosting, had fun feeding mommy and daddy, and then climbed around on all of the chairs like the crazy monkey child that she is.

The fine establishment that we visited...

The choices, i.e., which cupcake will make the least amount of mess?

Opening the box; so much anticipation!

Who's more excited here?

Feeding Mommy...

and feeding Daddy.

I couldn't love this kid more if I tried!

Happy 18 month birthday, little bug. Your Daddy and I are so proud of the human being that you are, and will continue to grow to become.

Portillo's

2010-09-09T21:25:00.000-07:00

My dad is in town on business, so of course we hit up Portillo's Hot Dogs. My dad really likes hot dogs, as in he really, really likes hot dogs. Nana and Papa joined us as well, so Delaney was in heaven entertaining some of her very favorite people. In true Delaney fashion, she did a lot of socializing and very little eating. Unless you count ketchup. She did eat a goodly amount of ketchup.

Why waste time eating when you can perform for an audience?

See what I mean about the ketchup? How many calories exist in ketchup?

Action shot of Nana Dunlap and Grandpa Lee

Daddy and the Bug

Pretty much my favorite Father-in-law ever :)

Lately

2010-08-27T06:28:00.000-07:00

It's been very hot here this week, so Delaney and I have been trying to fill our days with fun activities that keep us cool. We both go stir crazy when we can't get outside to play, so we're trying to be creative. We finger painted yesterday, and now that's all she wants to do. She's a budding artist, but she mostly enjoys painting herself rather than the paper.

She's painting her belly button, eww!

Thanks to the heat, teething issues, and getting adjusted to Mommy being back at work every other week, it's been a really challenging week with Delaney. A really challenging week. But I don't want to spend all of my time blogging about the frustrations of motherhood. When I look back over my life, those aren't the things I want to remember. What I do want to remember are the little things like the way Delaney tries to sing her ABC's and how much she loves to dance to Beyonce's Single Ladies. These are the things that keep me smiling throughout the tiring days.

And finally, we had our 16 week appointment for Baby #2 this week. Here's a picture to prove to you that I really am pregnant and not just getting chubby. The baby is doing very well, and starting to go a bit easier on me.

A little dose of Delaney

2010-08-16T20:24:00.000-07:00

School has officially started for me (Karen), and Steve's students come back on Monday. I'm having a hard time getting my brain into school mode, especially because it's August. Mondays are tough, and tonight I'm mourning the loss of my summer. So if you're having a case of the Mondays like me, maybe this Delaney fix will help you out.

This is her new "cheese" face when she sees the camera. Totally natural and not at all posed.

Why are little girls predetermined to love pink and play dress up? I am already losing the battle...

Anytime there's a box/tub/container remotely Delaney-sized, she's in it.

Steve dressed Delaney today and had a photo shoot. Go Mr. Mom!

What are the chances that the next kid will be this cute? I'm keeping my fingers crossed.

Santa Barbara

2010-08-08T20:57:00.000-07:00

Way back in July we traveled to Santa Barbara to meet up with my best friend Beka, her hubby Jake, and their baby boy Ayeresam. Jake's Grandma lives in SB, and she is the picture of hospitality. She hosted us all in her new beautiful home, and spoiled us just like we were her own grandkids. Grammie (that's what we all call her) is the kind of lady that I hope to be when I grow up.

Of course we forgot the camera, but Jake was present to document all of our shenanigans. Have I ever mentioned that he's a very talented artist, photographer, all-around-awesome guy? He is. Take a moment to check out Jake's work.

Ayeresam took a liking to Rowdy Uncle Steve

Taking a walk in Grammie's lovely neighborhood

This kid loves to slide

Young, summer love

This will be so fun to show them when they're in middle school...

Seriously, who doesn't love Steve?

It's always a party when you put two babies in a box

Grammie treated us to a trip to the Santa Barbara Zoo. This was one of the few moments when Delaney was compliant in holding Daddy's hand.

Delaney & Ayeresam are checking out Grammie

The happy Dorr family. I really like these guys.

We took a trip to the beach. Ayeresam & Delaney ate their weight in sand.

Check out Laney's sand mustache. Pretty nice.

Me & him; him & me

2010-08-04T06:28:00.001-07:00

Today marks 8 years of being hitched to that guy. To say that it's been a good gig would be an understatement.

We celebrated our anniversary by escaping to San Diego for the weekend. We spoiled ourselves rotten, which is not very much like us, but very much needed. We took a nap, had dinner in a restaurant that required a reservation, and it was so nice to eat a meal at our leisure. Steve took me to dessert at the Ghirardelli ice cream shop, we went to a movie, and we even slept in past 6am the next day. Pure bliss.

Thank you, Stevie, for making my life more wonderful than I could have imagined it.

Plus Two

2010-07-29T19:59:00.001-07:00

Maybe you've been wondering why this blog has been so quiet lately. Maybe you haven't been wondering. Either way, my excuse for the silence is because I've been zapped of all semblance of energy by the wee baby growing inside of my belly.

Yep, the Dunlaps are ready for Baby Round #2. Well, maybe not ready, but we're doing it anyway.

Again, we apologize if this is the way that you're finding out our big news. We've been trying to spread the word, but now we're succumbing to facebook and blogger.

Our baby is due February 10th, 2011. This due date is exactly 23 months after the birth of Wild Child #1 (Delaney). I'm more than a bit nervous at the thought of having a two year old and a newborn, but I'm confident that this timing will be just right in the long run.

I'm 12 weeks along today, and crossing my fingers that the morning sickness/exhaustion will start to subside. I'm very, very thankful that Steve has been around this summer because I haven't been on my A game when it comes to things like discipline and doling out patience towards my high-energy toddler.

That's our big excitement here at Casa Dunlap. We'll make sure to keep you posted on further baby-whatnot.

Sequoias, Part One

2010-07-25T21:21:00.000-07:00

We returned from camping on Thursday, and we're still recovering a bit. We had a great time with our dear friends. Delaney LOVED the great outdoors, she's such a nature baby. I don't have the energy to give a detailed report right now, so this post is primarily for my family. They're itching for some new Delaney pics, so here you go. Stay tuned for more pictures to come.

Delaney and Moses found the dirt pile to be vastly entertaining. I tried really hard to be ok with this arrangement. They were just so happy playing in the dirt.

Delaney is in love with Moses, can you tell?

We spent a day at Hume Lake, where we met up with the Osborne family. Delaney proved, once again, that she has zero fear when it comes to water. Boo.

Delaney thinks she can blow bubbles. Pretty cute, huh?

Delaney is like her Grandpa Lee, she rises with the sun. She actually did a great job sleeping at night, and didn't wake up too obscenely early.

In the backpack with Daddy. This kid has it made.

4th Percentile

2010-07-17T17:08:00.000-07:00

Sorry, no pretty pictures of Delaney here today...

I know the blog has been silent, and I promise to give full-fledged updates in about a week or so. We have had a busy summer, but we keep leaving our camera behind, and I really don't like to write a post without a picture. But I did want to share a few exciting things going on around here...

We spent a few days in beautiful Santa Barbara with our BFFs Beka, Jake, and Ayeresam Dorr. Jake's Grammy lives in SB and was the hostess with the mostess. Jake took a ton of pictures, so we'll eventually have pictures to post. We had a wonderfully relaxing time with some of our favorite people.

Tomorrow we're heading up to Sequoia National Park to camp with some more of our favorite people, the Quesadas and the Lances. Don't worry, the camera is already packed. I'm excited about the trip, but Eagle Scout Steve is especially excited to share one of his favorite past-times with his daughter.

Steve finished up his commission work in Sacramento. I'm going to make him write a post about his experience so that you can hear it from him.

And lastly, we had Delaney's 16 month check up yesterday. Drum roll...SHE'S FINALLY ON THE GROWTH CHARTS! Yeah, it's just the 4th percentile, but we'll take it. We all cheered when we saw her little dot on the chart, her doctor included. Eating is such a struggle with Delaney. She is finicky, temperamental, and likes to exert her control and independence into the eating process. I know so many families who have tougher battles to deal with, so I'm trying to be thankful for what we have.

Check back in a week or so for some actual posts with pictures!

A Day at the Beach

2010-07-01T22:14:00.000-07:00

Here is a little video of Delaney's first trip to the beach.

Father's Day

2010-06-21T20:09:00.001-07:00

Father's Day was spent doing things that Steve loves to do. We went to church, took a walk, played in the yard, "helped" Steve in the garden, played some music, and gave Brundibar a bath. Here are a few shots of the day:

They don't look all that happy, but I promise that they were having a grand time.

Brun wasn't excited about this part of the day.

After his bath, he rolled around in the dirt. Because that's what dogs do.

And after all of that hubbub, we went over to Doug & Marsha's for some tri tip BBQ. We were able to Skype with my parents to wish my Dad a happy Father's Day and my Mom a happy birthday. After dinner, Delaney played in her tunnel and entertained us all.

We really had a great day celebrating our favorite guy, Stevie. Delaney is such a lucky girl to have a Dad that will always keep her best interests in mind and love her no matter what. And a big thanks to both of our dads and my Gramps Rasmussen who have done the same for Steve and I.

Colorado 2010

2010-06-20T20:34:00.000-07:00

At the beginning of June, Delaney and I had the opportunity to head out to Colorado to meet my Great Uncle Dick and to see his ranch. I was excited about this trip, but nervous about the traveling aspect. This was to be my third time flying by myself with Delaney, and all of you mamas out there know how enjoyable flying with a squirmy, independent monkey child can be! We actually flew to Salt Lake, had a 2 hour layover, then flew to Albuquerque, where we meet up with my parents. Then we got in a car and drove 4 hours to Colorado. All in all, it all went ok, but I'm not anxious to do any of that again.

Once we were in Colorado, we were joined by my brothers Jimmy and Jeff, and Jeff's girlfriend Evie. Our time in Colorado was limited, so we did some pretty big things in just a few short days. The first main attraction was Mesa Verde National Park. This park is home to many Ancestral Pueblo Indian ruins. The third grade teacher inside of me loved every minute of this experience and wished my students were there with me. We hiked down to the the most famous ruins, Cliff Palace, and it was breathtaking. Delaney was strapped to Grandpa's back and she enjoyed the ride.

Before the hike...

Cliff Palace

Grammie & Grandpa...with a little Delaney head poking out

On the way back up...Uncle Jimmy was Delaney's spotter to make sure her head didn't get knocked into a rock

After our time in Mesa Verde, we headed over to my dad's cousin's house. We meet my Dad's cousin Rick and his wife Helen, as well as their son and daughter-in-law and kids. My Great Uncle Dick was also there and this was our first time meeting. He is almost 92, in great spirits and health, and a really fun guy to be around. He kept saying goofy little things to Delaney that really reminded me of my Grandpa Lee, who was his brother. My Grandpa died when I was 9, so it was extra special to spend time with his brother and hear all of his stories.

At Rick & Helen's house. Delaney was entranced by the horsey.

These are Delaney's third or fourth cousins...I don't know, that stuff makes my brain hurt. As you can see, Delaney has no problem warming up to boys that she just met. Please start praying for us now!

Here we are with my Great Uncle Dick. He took a real liking to Delaney, and she to him. My favorite goofy little song he had for Delaney was "You're a pretty little lady with a pretty little figure. You can like the boys, but not 'till you're bigger!" Classic stuff.

Jeff & Evie. So cute!

Dad & Uncle Dick

This meadow was the original site where my Uncle Dick's log cabin used to be. They would run their sheep up to this meadow to graze and stay in the cabin. It was a very beautiful, serene place.

This is the pretty little lady with a pretty little figure that I was talking about...

After spending time with my Great Uncle Dick, it was time to head home. This time around my parents, Delaney, and I drove to Salt Lake, UT to catch a flight. Yep, we drove for 6 hours, and then boarded a plane. A major bonus of this travel plan was that we were able to stop by Arches National Park for just a bit. Our time there was short, but WOW! That is one amazing place. I'm really thankful that my parents have taken us to so many amazing national parks and sites here in the Western U.S. There is so much to see and so much diversity in a relatively small region.

The bug and I. Can you tell we're a bit tired?

Bye, Mom & Dad. Thanks for the short-but-fun adventure!

Steve's New Opportunity

2010-06-08T08:09:00.000-07:00

I am so proud of my husband, for many reasons. The most recent reason being that he was appointed by Gov. Schwarzenegger to serve on a commission to make a recommendation to the legislature regarding the adoption of national standards. Steve is only one out of eleven teachers throughout the state of California that were selected to serve on this commission. He will be flown to Sacramento three times over the period of the next month. This is a big deal, a very big deal! Steve is such a humble guy and he won't toot his own horn over this, but I have no problem tooting it for him. Check out this very official press release.

Congratulations, Mr. Dunlap!

Home Projects

2010-06-07T19:40:00.001-07:00

I like to document our house projects on our blog, mostly for my sake. I tend to get a bit overwhelmed at what we still have left to do on the homestead, but when I look at pictures I am reminded of the many improvements we have already made. August will mark our 3 year anniversary of buying our home, and we really have done a lot. The following projects are more aesthetic than functional, but they deserve a shout out too.

Way back in December of 2009, we commissioned my very talented best-friend-in-law Jake to paint us a picture of an orange tree. Riverside has a very rich citrus history, which we just love. I sometimes need to be reminded that it wasn't always cement and smog down here. My apologies to Jake regarding the poor quality of my pictures. The actual painting is much more stunning.

I bought the frame at an estate sale and then we painted it and gave it some TLC. I wanted to do a family tree of sorts, and I love the end result. In case you can't tell, those handsome son-of-a-guns are our parents on their wedding days.

Speaking of estate sale finds, Steve and I purchased this cedar chest last summer at an estate sale with the purpose of upholstering it. We need all the storage and seating we can get in our comfy abode. This chest is a prime example of how ideas in Karen's brain turn into a huge family affair. I bought the foam and fabric, and we hauled the chest over to Steve's parents on Super Bowl Sunday. My intent was to have the guys watch the game and have Marsha watch the baby while I worked on the chest. In the end, Steve, Doug, and Mikey did the grunt work while I supervised. I think that I make an excellent foreman.

Camera one

Camera two

We planted a garden once again, and it is thriving despite our losing battle with the weeds. Delaney loves to help Steve in the garden, and watching them together amidst the corn and tomatoes brings me the most wonderful sense of contentment. If I could freeze these moments in time, I would.

I've been wanting to do an art piece focusing on our non-human family members for sometime, and I finally got around to doing it. I chose to create silhouettes of Charlie, Imogene, Brundibar, and our human child as well. If you think it's odd that I would want to decorate my home with pictures of my animal friends, we have clearly never met. While they've moved down a notch or two since the arrival of Delaney, our pets are sort of a big deal to us.

All lined up in a row. Just to clarify, Delaney's the one in the middle.

Charlie & Imogene

Delaney

Brundibar

This year, Steve and I celebrated our 30th birthdays. Instead of buying one another something special, we commissioned each other to make something. Steve requested a sign for his garage and I requested that Steve re-purpose an old stereo cabinet that we have into a buffet. I held up my end of the deal; now Steve needs to deliver! Again, the idea for Steve's gift was all in my head, but Mikey and Doug (Steve's dad and brother) are really the ones who did all the work. Mikey found the parts and welded them together, Doug helped me with the border, and assembled the whole thing. I love how it turned out, but I think Steve loves it even more.

Close up before it was hung

Who thinks that our next project should be painting the garage?

For Fiona

2010-06-01T22:01:00.000-07:00

Miss Delaney is sporting this fabulous African dress from my dear friends the Kikers. Awhile back they started a fair trade company in Oregon called The Andando Foundation. This organization does wonderfully meaningful work. Please take a moment to check it out. Fiona, if you're in need of an incredibly white baby to model for you, I think Delaney's your girl!