The Morris Crew

Reminiscing about Santa.....

2011-12-10T15:41:00.009-06:00

I get a little sad each year when I pull out the Santa pictures and see how quickly the kids are changing and growing. I remember each Santa experience just as if they were yesterday. Hope you enjoy our little trip down memory lane.

OU vs. Iowa State

2011-12-10T15:36:00.007-06:00

I know that I am way behind on blogging so I am going to do my best to catch everyone up on what the Morris Crew has been up to the past few months. One of the most exciting things that Kambryn got to do was go to Norman with mommy and daddy for an OU game over Thanksgiving. This was a last minute opportunity and we of course jumped at the chance to see our beloved Sooners play! We did however decide to leave Kolten with Ganny & BawPaw, we just didn't think that he would be able to tolerate the long game, cold weather and having to stay in one place for any length of time. We however did not expect the weather to change the night before the came and become a crazy cold day with a stinging rain and 40 mph winds. All in all we had a great time, Kambryn was able to talk with the cheerleaders, mascots and see the Schooner and horses upclose, she loves watching the Pride of Oklahoma (the band) and the halftime show. We did however leave at halftime because it was so cold but I don't think anyone had more fun than our Little Sooner!

Kyle may divorce me but.....

2011-10-22T17:54:00.003-05:00

it is just to cute of a picture not to post! Kambryn and Kolten were playing so sweetly together in the playroom and I was getting so many things done around the house (laundry, organizing cleaning, ect.) but I may need to monitor more closely next time. Kolten was so proud of the dress that he had on he kept saying "Me a princess" and all I could do was just laugh as he twirled like Kambryn and smiled from ear to ear. I think some policeman and fireman costumes will be on the Christmas list this year :)

Pre-K here we come...

2011-09-13T20:45:00.008-05:00

I can't believe that Kambryn started Pre-K this year! Seems like just yesterday I was pregnant with her, she was just beginning to talk, just beginning to walk and then BAM...we are in preschool....you know what that means - Kindergarten is just a blink away. I look back at Kambryn last year on the first day of school and she looks like such a baby compared to this year, what a difference another year will make.

First day of Pre-K September 2011

First day of preschool September 2010

Meet the Sooners Day 2011

2011-08-07T12:46:00.007-05:00

Best picture I could get of the back of Kolten's shirt, I didn't get Kambryn's at all!

Sweet Kolten getting his autographed helmet back from the players

Kambryn with a few of the OU cheerleaders

This weekend was the annual Meet the Sooners Day in Norman at OU. We have gone for 3 years now and have really enjoyed it. We have stayed at a different hotel each year but I think this year we have found the one we will stay at from now on. We stayed at the Sooner Legends and as you can imagine by the name every room was decorated with Sooner memoribilia but that isn't why we loved it so much. We have learned over the past few vacations we have taken this summer it is best to have a few things in a hotel for us to survive 1) mini kitchen with microwave and fridge 2) make sure it is a suite with a few rooms. This hotel also had the added bonus of having 50" flat screens in the rooms and dvd players, a bonus but not a requirment for the Morris Crew. They also gave us a couple of free passed to the breakfast buffet in the restuarant downstairs and I have to say it was not to shabby, we were all full and happy when we left.

This year they did make some major changes and I was not sure how it would all work out. In the past the Meet the Sooners Day had been open to anyone who wanted to come. Sooner Kids Club members (like us) got in 45 minutes before the general public. This year only kids 14 years and under would be admitted with one parent per child, this was not a problem for us (obviously). Also the past few years they had been set up on the Rugby feilds, this year we were set up under the Oklahoma Memorial Stadium (which was great with the fans and shade) and the team and coaches were divided between the east and west grandstands. They had offense and assistant coaches on the east end and defense, special teams and Head Coach Bob Stoops on the west end. All of the above changes actually worked out great! In the past the way it was set up it was crazy and thousands of people would come and it was a little overwhelming at times. This year it was very calm and organized, with the limited admitance no one was having to run around like crazy people to get autographs, pictures, ect. Here are just a few shots from our weekend. Boomer Sooner!

Dog lovers...

2011-07-26T13:48:00.006-05:00

Kyle and I have been talking for about a year now about when to get our first family pet. We started with some fish for Kambryn last year and she has done great taking care of them. Kolten is even getting in on the action and beginning to take care of things around the house. Our wonderful babysitter has a sweet cocker spaniel named Prissy and both kids love her to death. This past weekend our friend Joe came over and brought his puppy Chicco, he was so sweet with the kids and they absolutely adored him. I think we are going to have to get serious about getting a family dog, of course Kambryn has already been telling people the dog will be a girl and her name will be Bella, oh boy! We will see what happens.....

another project

2011-07-09T13:21:00.005-05:00

I love going to garage sales and finding little treasures that I can change and repurpose in our house. Our find on Friday morning was this great mirror, they only asked $5.00 for it, crazy cheap! When Kolten went down for his nap, Kambryn and I got busy deciding where we wanted to hang it and then what color to use to paint it. We ultimately decided to put it in Kambryn's room instead of the playroom. It will serve two purposed there, one for her to see herself in the mornings when she gets ready and also to serve as a dress up mirror when she is playing. Here are just a few pictures of our project and how it turned out.

for sweet Adalyn on her 1st birthday

2011-07-01T20:04:00.005-05:00

Happy 1st Birthday to my sweet niece Adalyn! We love you very much, Happy Birthday

The 4-pack a year ago.

Some people "plowed" on by for a party...

2011-06-14T15:36:00.008-05:00

Our boy is ready for his party

Loving his dairy free cupcake

Quick picture with mommy & daddy....eating his second cupcake!

Opening all the awesome presents...notice the back of his shirt, so cute with his name and John Deere logo at the bottom

Checking out the slip n slide

Our little "Deere" is 2!

2011-06-05T19:15:00.011-05:00

just a few hours old

3 months

1 year

18 months

2 years

I can't believe that my baby boy is 2 years old. I was remembering the events leading up to his birth over the weekend since we had been at the zoo and it was a little like deja vu. We had taken Kambryn and Allie to the zoo with my sister and brother in law and all the time been joking that hopefully I wouldn't go into labor while we were there, that was Saturday. By the time we got home I was so uncomfortable and swollen but happy that the family had a good time. I went to work on Monday and waddled through the day, I had my 37 week check up Tuesday morning and the doctor was concerned that my blood pressure was elevated and send me to the hospital. Of course when given the option to stay in the hospital until I went into labor or go home on bed rest, I chose to go home. By making the decision to go home they wanted me to save all urine for the next 24 hours and bring it back to the lab within 36 hours. This was very interesting, the part about how to save it but we wont go into that one. Took that "sample" back to the doctor and wouldn't you know it, they diagnosed me with pre-eclampsia and ordered Kyle and I to head to the hospital. Knowing that I would be induced when I go there I made Kyle go through a drive though and get me some food. Got to the hospital, induction was started and our beautiful, pouty boy was here 12 hours later. It seems like just yesterday, I can remember every detail and moment and yet it has been two years.

Kolten you love to play with your sister or any other child for that matter. You have really come out of your shell in that last 6 months and have become a chatty Cathy like Kambryn. You love anything Toy Story, involving trucks or tractors and looking for bugs with your sister. Kolten you are such a sweet and loving boy, you adore your sister and want to do everything she is doing, you love to follow daddy around and help with big boy tasks and of course you are still a momma's boy and I just love that about you. Happy birthday big boy!

Zoo trips - part 3

2011-06-03T16:48:00.011-05:00

Our zoo trip today was awesome! Both kids are at the age where they love animals and love to see new things. They really enjoyed all the hands on activities at the zoo this year, of course it was hot today so alot of the animals weren't out but it didn't slow us down any. Here is a brief summary through pictures of our day, hope you enjoy.

Kolten, Daddy & Kambryn on the carousel, this is Kam's favorite part of the zoo

Just a quick picture with mommy, can you tell Kolten is saying "cheese"

They loved the turtles, these two where biting and fighting with each other

Both of the kids where very concerned that the turtles were fighting, Kolten told them "no bite"

Laughing at daddy pushing the safari jeep really fast

Kambryn "riding" the big elephant

Kambryn & daddy feeding the giraffe

Kolten and mommy feeding the giraffe, he LOVED this!

just a sweet picture of them watching the elephants

Zoo trips - part 2

2011-06-03T16:40:00.004-05:00

One of the few pictures from our 2009 zoo trip, I guess this is Kolten's first zoo experience. The running joke in our house is "can you locate the elephant?". I stand by the fact that I was 37 weeks pregnant and it was very hot and I was very swollen, I had Kolten 6 days later.

Kambryn and Kolten June 2010 on the baby elephant

Kolten June 2011 on the same baby elephant

.......do you see the running theme in this post!?!?

Zoo Trip - part 1

2011-06-03T16:21:00.008-05:00

June 2008 - 14 months

Yes, I realize there is not a picture on the turtle from 2009, that was because I was huge and pregnant with Kolten (I delivered him 6 days after our zoo trip) and I must have forgotten :)

June 2010 - Kambryn & Allie 2 years, Kolten 1 year

June 2011 - Kambryn 4 years, Kolten almost 2 years

I think I am going to post three seperate blogs about the zoo, there is just alot of things running through my mind as I think about our zoo trip today and also trips in the past. For all that follow my blog, I am making three entries for simplicity.

First is a quick look back at zoo trips with Kambryn over the years, we always take her picture on the large turtle and it has now become a tradition. It is really neat to see how much she has grown from year to year.

Teacher Appreciation!

2011-05-21T10:56:00.002-05:00

We absolutely LOVE, LOVE, LOVE Kambryn's teacher Ms. Cindy! She is so wonderful, patient and creative. Kambryn and I made her a birdfeeder for teacher appreciation and I think that it turned out really cute. We gave Ms. Cindy the bumble bee and we kept the ladybug for our house.

and summer offically begins...

2011-05-21T10:44:00.006-05:00

Leah, Kambryn & Whitney

Grady & Kambryn

Zach, Kambryn & Ms. Cindy

Kambryn finished her first year of preschool with Little Lighthouse Preschool on Thursday. It is kind of a bittersweet moment for me as a mom because I realize that kindergarten is just around the corner and that makes me a little sad.

Kambryn was able to build on a lot of things she already knew and also learn lots of new stuff. She recognizes all of her letters (upper and lower case) and is able to recognize some of the simple words that have been posted in her room all year (days of the week, colors, classmates names, ect), she can spell and write her own name now (which is awesome since she doesn't have the easiest name in the world) draw lots of shapes like circles, squares, traingles, crosses, ovals and rectangles. She loves to draw and will oftem draw people, flowers and rainbows. We are so proud of Kambryn and we enjoyed a fun filled last day at school with her Thursday, here are a few pictures of Kambryn and her classmates as they did their circle time for all the parents and of course said all their goodbyes.

Pinkalicious!

2011-04-27T23:33:00.003-05:00

Kambryn absolutely loves the Victoria Kann books: Pinkalicious, Purplicious, Goldilicious and Silverlicious. So you can imagine her excitement when a few months ago we were thumbing through the Birthday Express catolog and she saw the Pinkalicious themed party supplies, so you guessed it we had a Pinkalicious Party. I got the traditional cake from The Cake Stand in McKinney and they did a fabulous job as ususal with the decorating. Kambryn also just happens to think that she looks like Pinkalicious, short brown hair in pigtails, round face, big brown eyes...what do you think, can you see a resemblence? Here are just a few pictures from the party, we had a great time and everyone was busy feeding the animals, going on the hayride and playing...it was the most stressfree, relaxed birthday party we have had so far.

4 years.....

2011-04-09T07:30:00.025-05:00

4 years old 3 years old 2 years old 1 year old

My sweet Kambryn Avery.....I can't believe that you are 4 years old today! You have had a great year and have been busy learning new things and gaining wonderful memories. Over the past year:

You learned to swim last summer, you were fearless and brave each and everytime you wet into the pool.

You started preschool 3 days a week and have learned to spell and write your name, cut pictures with more accuracy, play games like duck-duck-goose and be a wonderful friend.

You got a big girl bike at Christmas and it only took you a matter of hours to learn to ride it like a pro.

You have really started to shine as a big sister, you love teaching your brother things like how to color with sidewalk chalk, look both ways before crossing the street and how he should use please and thank you

You question everything, I know that mommy gets a little annoyed with this at times but I do love your curiosity.

You started gymnastics and we have realized you have a natural ability that we are hoping you continue to develop and enjoy.

You are a very confident girl, you show us everyday that you are strong willed and have an opinion about everything.

We could just go on and on about all of the wonderful things you do and how we enjoy having you in our lives. We love you very much Kambryn, Happy 4th Birthday!

Obsession....

2011-03-27T10:33:00.004-05:00

I always find it funny when one of my kids gets attached to a new toy, object or item and begins taking it everywhere with us. Kambryn doesn't do this often and when she does it only last a few hours or a few days. Kolten on the other hands is overly loyal to his obsessions. He of course first and formost has his "bebe" and it is like a second skin for him, we can't leave the house without it and we definetly can't sleep without it. Our new obsession is Woody, Bullseye and Buzz Lightyear. Kolten got Buzz last Christmas but Woody and Bullseye were given to him by my sister. Woody and Bullseye are the original dolls from the release of Toy Story back in 1995. I can confidently say that neither of these toys was ever loved, played with or taken along nearly as much by my sister as Kolten does with them today. He will play for hours with these three and they are usually in the car with us daily (although I try to leave them in the car when we are out for fear of loosing them). Kolten won't let you forget Woody's hat, it it falls of he will hold his hands up and shrug while saying "Oody hat?", it really is sweet. So of course this leads me to the picture above and the nightly ritual that we have now been doing for about 2 months. Kolten has a Twilight Turtle that shines stars on his ceiling and a light baby (glow worm) that plays music. Each night at I lay him down he starts with list of requests:

"Tars", I turn on the Twilight Turtle and stars

"Ight baby", I press the glow worm to turn it on.

"Buzz Igh ear", I place Buzz in the corner by his pillow pet

"Ooz Eye", I place Bullseye beside his pillow pet

"Oody", I place Woody right beside Kolten in the bed.

He usually then rolls over with his "Bebe" and loves on all of his Toy Story characters. I ultimatly sneak back into his room a few hours after he goes to sleep and remove everyone so that he actually has room to sleep, as you can see above, the bed is getting a little crowded.

Cabin Fever

2011-02-08T10:01:00.004-06:00

We have been cooped up in our house for a solid week now. The first few days were because of the crazy weather and then both of the kids got the sick bug (stomach bug) and it has just lingered for days. So what do you do with two kids under four when you are trying to keep them still and resting......watch lots of movies, color, read books, do puzzles and sleep! We have done at least 20 loads of laundry in the past 3-4 days and it seems to be the same items over and over again (sheets, blankets, clothes, towels). Here is a list of the movies we have watched

The Little Mermaid
The Princess and the Frog
The Aristacats
Charlotte's Web
Snow white and the seven dwarfs
Sleeping Beauty
Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer
Frosty the Snowman
The Little Drummer Boy
The Sword and the Stone
Bedknobs and Broomsticks
Despicable Me
Shrek
Madagascar 1 & 2
Alpha & Omega
Toy Story 1, 2 & 3
Cars
The Incredibles

This doesn't include various TV shows like Mickey Mouse Clubhouse, Olivia, Chuggington, Handy Manny and Backyardigans. I am exhausted from trying to keep these two kids hydrated, happy and clean, I am actually ready to go back to work! As a mom things like puking and pooping don't really effect me, I just go into mom model and I am able to stay very calm and deal with whatever is happening. Kyle on the other hand struggles a little with the poop and puke but he did a great job holding Kambryn's hair back for her as she got sick. He has also been a trooper with the laundry, dishes and disinfecting and that has really helped. Kambryn did end up at Children's because her intestinal cramping was so bad they thought it might be something else like a blocked intestine or her appendix. I am happy to report after three visits with various doctors and two scans we have ruled that out and she is fine. Hopefully everyone in our house is on the mend as of today and we can get back to our normal routine just in time for another round of winter weather, ugh.

Happy Birthday Aunt Kiki!!!

2011-01-29T07:14:00.004-06:00

I had this video ready to be posted on my sister's birthday (the 27th) and I am just now posting it, sorry for the delay.....hope you like the kids attempt to sing Happy Birthday.

Christmas 2010.....

2011-01-15T12:32:00.008-06:00

Well, I know that it is mid January and I am just now posting a blog about Christmas but it just seems to have been crazy for us this year. Kambryn had her first Christmas Pageant at preschool and did great. I was a little sceptical if she would stand up in from of everyone and sing but of course out little ham was a rock start and belted out all of the rehearsed songs in all of their glory.

Christmas Eve we spent with my family and of course everyone was in heaven with all of the new toys. Kolten opened a few big trucks and a tool box and spent the rest of the evening in the middle of the chaos "repairing" his trucks with his tools and was completely oblivious to everything else around him. Kambryn got about 6 dress up dresses and she and Allie both proceeded to try each one on and model for everyone, they are really in their element when they are playing dress up.

Christmas morning was an early morning for us, Kambryn had gotten up to go the the bathroom at 5:30 and was walking to our room when she saw everything that Santa had left. She came running into our room and was so excited, she woke up Daddy and said "Santa came and he left us PILLOW PETS!!!, I think I saw a train too!" We then tried to get her to lay down and watch a few TV shows (because she wasn't going back to sleep) since we didn't want to wake Kolten up and we weren't going to let her start without him. So finally around 6:30 we heard Kolten start moving around and we were able to get started. This year was especially fun because both of the kids understood what was going on and loved seeing all of the new toys.

Christmas Day was spent with Kyle's parents and of course the fun continued because both of the kids got little four wheelers. The both quickly jumped on them and started navigating around as fast as they could. Lots more new toys like an aquadoodle, iXL video game, trucks, trains, and tons more that I won't even mention. I do have to say that I totally forgot to bring my camera and no one took pictures this year. That seems to be the running theme for us, I do have some pictures but over that 24-48 hour period my picture taking was on a steady decline.

Of course what happens when you get all of these new toys and need places to put them.....mommy gets to reorganized and go shopping at Ikea!!! Yay for me!!! Kyle was less than pleased to have to put together more new items, especially large furniture but he handled it like a trooper and we only had one major fight while we were putting everything together and moving furniture around the house. I am so pleased with how everything is organized now and the kids are actually able to keep everything picked up with minimal help. Here are a few pictures from our holidays.

a parrot in the house....

2011-01-09T16:50:00.003-06:00

The other night I was in Kolten's room with him changing his diaper when I realized I needed something from the other room, I quickly called for Kyle and then waited for him to come into the room. As I was waiting our parrot, aka Kolten began yelling "Kyle", it was so funny and he used such a firm tone with it I almost wet my pants. A few days later Kyle and Kambryn were both gone so I grabed the camera and tried to capture some of the funny things that Kolten says on film.

A Fancy Dinner

2010-12-05T07:25:00.003-06:00

Kambryn came to me around 4:30 Thursday afternoon and said "I have a great idea", now of course the is a phrase she uses often and I never know what might follow but on this occassion it was really sweet. She told me that she wanted to have a "Fancy Dinner" which to her means that we eat in the formal dining room. So I thought for a moment and realized that there was no good reason not to eat in the formal dining room and I even took it a little further and got out my crystal and china for us to use. So I finished preparing dinner and I allowed Kambryn to set the table with the crystal glasses and her great-grandma Nanny Betty's china and we were just about set. She of course needed to bring her baby to eat with us so we moved the baby highchair in from the playroom and had a wondreful time. I put on Christmas music and turned on all the Christmas lights in the house and the kids both loved it. I just love that my little girl thinks outside of the box and loves to change things up. She did approach me the next night and say that she wanted another fancy dinner but I told her we might need to wait a little before we do it again, maybe we can make it a weekly tradition.

Santa through the years....

2010-11-27T17:05:00.007-06:00

Santa has been a pleasant experience for us up until this year. Kambryn has always been that kid that was never afraid of strangers and always wanted to talk to just about anyone. Kolten on the other hand is totally the opposite. Kyle and I even have trouble getting him to let go of one of us long enough for other family members to see him. I always joke that he is just another limb for me since it seems he is always on my hip. He doesn't like it when people talk to him while we are out and don't try to approach him if he is playing in a room because he will make a mad dash for his mommy or daddy to be rescued. So when we began talking about taking our picture with Santa this year I knew I would end up with Kolten crying in the shot.

she comes by it honestly....

2010-10-12T19:14:00.004-05:00

When we started Kambryn in preschool this year I knew that one day she would come home with the "needed to be reminded" box checked for something. We lasted an entire month with nothing but glowing marks from Miss Cindy until today.....we had that little box checked, ugh. Kambryn really is a well behaved kid at school (she saves all of her acting out for mommy & daddy at home) so I figured it couldn't be to bad. Apparently she had a hard time keeping that little motor mouth of hers quiet during "naptime" today. As most of you know the 3 year old class in preschool doesn't have to sleep during naptime but they do have to lay quietly and "rest" for the allotted time. Well what can I say about my spunky outspoken little girl, I really don't know where she gets the need to talk all the time :) Miss Cindy said that she just could not stop talking to her friend Brynn and was told 3 times that she needed to not talk before she was able to close that little mouth of hers. I guess this is a milestone that all kids eventually get under their belt, I am just glad that it is one of those moments that I can laugh about. Kyle and I did have a little talk with her tonight about making sure to have her listening ears on and follow directions, time will tell if she had her listening ears on when we had our conversation :)

Happy Fall!

2010-10-05T19:22:00.004-05:00

For those of you who know me well you know that I love when I can put the kids in matching or coordinating pj's. Halloween is the beginning of my fun each year. It is a little difficult finding cute pj's that look good on both a boy and a girl. I actually have a more difficult time with the Christmas pj's but that is another post. This year the kids got pretty simple pj's but the jack o lantern face does glow in the dark, Kambryn LOVES this little perk. Here are a few picture of the kids in their pj's, as usual it is hard to get a good shot of them together and of course Kolten is always on the move so he is usually running as I am snapping a shot. Happy Fall everyone!

It has been a while, huh.....

2010-09-13T18:30:00.007-05:00

Our laptop battery went out on us about a month ago and it has taken me this long to finally get one ordered and get it on the laptop. I am so excited to have my laptop back! We have had a busy few months. We finised out the summer with lots of swimming and playing outside in the horrible heat, Kolten was officially diagnosed with a milk allergy, Kambryn started preschool and Kolten started walking. These are just a few of the many milestones since July but I am condensing for the sake of time. Here are a few pictures and video of Kolten walking.

when you talk to a 3 year old, you never know what they will say...

2010-07-30T10:24:00.004-05:00

Wednesday evening Kyle and Kambryn went to pick up a pizza for dinner. Kyle said on the way Kambryn starting talking about our mini vacation next week.....
Kyle: "Are you ready to go to Norman next week and see Bob Stoops"
Kambryn: "Yes, where does Bob live?"
Kyle: "In Norman"
Kambryn: "Oh, is there a high school there?"
Kyle: "Uhhh, yes"
Kambryn: "Does Bob Stoops have a car"
Kyle: "yes"
Kambryn: "Does he wear panties or big boy underwear"
Kyle: "Ummm, I guess big boy underwear, why"
Kambryn: "Oh, just because"

Sometimes the our daughter's thoughts are so scattered and random, but always good for a laugh :)

Take me out to the ball game....

2010-07-27T14:40:00.004-05:00

This past Sunday Kyle and I took Kambryn, Allie and two of my sisters, Holly & Haley to a Frisco Roughriders game. This was the first baseball game that Kambryn and Allie had ever been to and we wondered if they would like it. Oh course the loved it! What is not to love....a big, new adventure to explore there park, eating hot dogs and chips and of course having Dippin Dots for the first time. Oh to be a child again and live in such a wonderful bubble of fun. Allie didn't smile much because she was very hot and Kambryn just wanted to dance everytime the music would come on. Here are a few pictures.

Buzz, Buzz, Buzz

2010-07-18T19:35:00.008-05:00

Well, we finally did it! Kyle and I have been talking for a while now about buzzing Kolten's hair for the summer. He has such long hair and is so hot natured, he would often wake up from naps with a wet head. He also didn't really have a hair style, just about 5 or 6 different hair lengths going on at one time. Of course after most big changes I totally had a big wave of remorse about "what have I done to my baby's hair". Kolten has never had hair this short, he was born with 2-3 inches of hair all over his head! He looks like a totally different kid, I think he looks like an older boy. He was also such a trooper while Kyle was buzzing it all off, he just sat there like a big boy and didn't even move. Here are a few pictures from the process.

Zoo trip 2010

2010-07-18T19:19:00.006-05:00

We went on our annual zoo trip this weekend and as usual we had a blast. Of course it was really hot but we had to go this weekend since it was TI's family fun weekend and we got in for free. We took Allie and two of my sisters, Holly & Haley, along as well. The kids all did great and loved to new exhibit "Giants of the Savannah". Kolten of course had that pointer finger out the entire time and would point and say "dat" for everything. The girls were equally excited about the animals, especially the giraffe's since they came right up to the fence and let you feed them. We also have a tradition to have the kids picture take on the big turtle each year. This of course was Kolten's first year to have his picture taken (last year I had him 6 days after our zoo trip). Here are a few pictures from our day.

Gymnastics Class

2010-07-12T19:58:00.004-05:00

Kambryn took a little gymnastics class last week and loved it! I wasn't sure if she would go into class since I would not be able to go with her. She was a little reserved the first 20 minutes of class but then warmed up and did great. We are trying to find her a place to take gymnastics but are still trying out a few different ones. Here are a few pictures.

and now there are four....

2010-07-07T19:44:00.003-05:00

We have had a busy weekend, I can't believe that I haven't had a chance to blog about our new niece! She is so precious! Adalyn Ellouise Kempson made her entry last Thursday. Funny thing is, before we left for the hospital that morning Kambryn had told me that "Baby Adalyn was going to have hair like her and Kolten not like Allie" and she did have a head full of dark hair. The kids (Allie, Kambryn & Kolten) did great waiting to see Adalyn and kept most of the waiting room entertained with there sillyness.

A treasured gift....

2010-06-23T21:13:00.007-05:00

A few weeks ago at Kolten's 1st birthday party my Dad gave Kolten a very special present. I have been sitting over the past few weeks trying to decide if I wanted to blog about this present and what it really means to me. This past weekend my dad had a minor health crisis and ultimately had a pacemaker placed on Monday so I decided to go ahead and write about Kolten's gift.

As most people know my Dad was "blessed" with four daughters, he was the best dress ironing, bow tying, hair fixing, lunch packing, meal preparing dad around. So last year when I found out that I was having a baby boy he was thrilled. Finally there would be some testosterone in the family! He of course doesn't favor any one grandchild over the other but I know that he is thrilled to have a boy in the mix.

So at the party, after all the presents had been opened and cake had been devoured by Dad quietly approached Kyle and I in the kitchen and said that he had a gift for Kolten that we would need to put up until he was older. This is a special object that he has had since 1971 and was holding onto, he said he would give it to his first grandson. When my dad was stationed overseas in Hawaii during Vietnam he was working in the Vet Clinic. Apparently his OIC (Officer in Charge) Dr. Jerry Bell had given him a Case knife. It is hard to believe that someone would hold onto something so simple for 39 years. Apparently when my dad began preparing to give Kolten the knife he sent it off to the Case manufacturer to have new blades placed because one had completely broken off and the other was extremely wore from use and sharpening. Case send the knife back with a letter stating they did not fix and replace blades but they would give him a brand new knife that looks exactly the same. So know Kolten has two sitting on a shelf in his room, one that is brand new and one that was carried by his Pawpaw for 39 years.

I know that for most people this simple treasure is not much but for me it really is special. Check out the pictures!

Buckaroo Birthday Party

2010-06-13T09:26:00.005-05:00

Our little buckaroo had his birthday party yesterday. He had a great time and got lots of cool new toys. The only problem we are having now is that Kambryn wants to play with all of his new stuff and isn't letting him get to much of it. Typical big sister! Her are a few pictures from our day. Thanks to all our wonderful family and friends for sharing this special time with us.

Kolten is 1 year old...

2010-06-06T09:40:00.005-05:00

I can't believe that it has been an entire year since our sweet Kolten was born. It seems like this first year has flown by! I remember back in those early days that I never thought we would make it to this point. We made it through the horrible reflux, not sleeping, then only sleeping on my chest, to sleeping in our bed and finally now sleeping in his own bed. Once we got the reflux under control we learned that he is a really laid back baby, almost to laid back sometimes. He finally started crawling and is all over the house now. He is the little man of many faces and always makes us laugh. He is also our "Human Hoover" because he eats anything and everything in sight or off the floor. He actually has lots of nicknames "Bubba, monkey, Kolt", I am really not sure how these all came about. Here are a few pictures from Kolten on his birth day and today on his 1st birthday. Happy Birthday Kolten!!

The Park and a picnic...

2010-05-31T15:41:00.002-05:00

We are always looking for fun and free things to do with the kids. So when Kambryn asked last week if we could have a picnic I thought it was a great idea. We finally made it happen this past Saturday morning. We packed a lunch and headed to the park. The park that we go to has lots of old trees around it so it provides lots of great shade. Kambryn would live outside if she could and never stops when we are at the park. Kolten on the other hand is not to thrilled about the slides and cars at this point and is happy to play in the grass and watch. Here are a few pictures, some of them really tell the entire story without me actually typing it out. :)

Big Boy Haircut

2010-05-29T20:37:00.003-05:00

Well the time has finally come that Kolten is getting his first haircut. Here are a couple of before and after shots. He doesn't look like a baby anymore, he looks like a big boy. It really makes me sad, he is growing way to fast.

Happy Birthday Daddy!

2010-05-20T14:46:00.006-05:00

This past week Daddy turned 32. We had a couple of celebrations over the weekend and then one Wednesday, which was actually Kyle's birthday. Our first celebration was on Saturday with Ganny & BawPaw (Kyle's mom and dad) and after dinner we went to Braum's for ice cream. Let's face it, the stop at Braum's was more for Kambryn than for Daddy since he is not a really big sweet eater. Then Tuesday evening Kambryn and I made Daddy a chocolate cake. Since Kyle works 7a-7p over night we were not going to get to see him on the morning of his birthday. We prepared everything and set it all out for him to see when he got home. The plan was for him to walk into the kitchen and see the handmade birthday cards from the kids, chocolate cake and the laptop. The laptop had a sticky note that said watch me. I had placed the kids on the table and had them wish daddy a happy birthday and I recorded it on the Flip Video. Then I got worried that he might just walk past the presentation and I decided to call and make sure that he knew we had left something for him. Here are a few pictures and the video. Hope you all enjoy.

Typical Boy!

2010-05-14T07:11:00.003-05:00

Kolten was playing so well in the kitchen while I emptied the dishwasher the other day. Kambryn called me to help her in the bathroom for a minute and I left him perfectly entertained for about 2 minutes. This is what I saw when I returned.........I think the pictures say it all.

what was she thinking

2010-05-14T07:06:00.002-05:00

This is the sight that I saw when I went to check on Kambryn one day while she was napping. What is the world was this girl thinking??? Was she wanting to go for a sack race? Was she cold? Did she just want to see if she could fit in the pillow case? Who knows with this kid, she is so crazy, but we love her! Kambryn always entertains us with her crazy ideas.

"Sick Bug"

2010-04-24T20:37:00.005-05:00

Well, the Morris Crew is finally on the mend from our stomach bug. We each began coming down with it and it seemed to have lasted for a month. Kambryn called it our "sick bug" since it made our tummy and bottom sick. Oh, how the mind of a 3 year old works. Anyway, I am sure everyone is curious to know these stats but I find them funny (after the fact of course). We have gone through 3 containers of Clorox wipes, 2 cans on Lysol, 1 bottle of Clorox bleach, 4 rolls of paper towels, to many rolls of toilet paper to count, 1 package of pull-ups (poor Kambryn was mortified that we made her wear these, but it was just easier than cleaning up the accidents), almost a full box of diapers, a 720 count box of wipes and two prescriptions of Zofran. Both kids ended up at Children's before the sick bug decided to leave our house. Kambryn had mild dehydration and was able to come back quickly with a prescription of Zofran and a little rehydration. Kolten on the other hand had a much harder time. He also got dehydrated, although his was much worse than Kambryn's and required a longer stay at Children's and more IV fluid's and Zofran. He is still not 100% at this point and is slowly making his way back up to his normal schedule and intake with milk and food. Poor little guy lost almost 2 whole pounds and his little fat rolls on his arms and thighs, it is really sad! Kyle and I both got the sick bug but lucky for us, ours was a lot shorter lived, maybe because we are adults and didn't get dehydrated like the kids. I took a few pictures while we were at Children's and they just break your heart because both of the kids look so sad and pathetic! Hope we are all over this and no one else gets it, it was a really "mean sick bug" :)

My Birthday Girl...

2010-04-20T14:16:00.001-05:00

Just a few pictures from Kambryn's 3rd birthday party.

3 years.....

2010-04-11T16:09:00.003-05:00

I can't believe that it has been three years since Kambryn's birth. It seems like yesterday that Kyle and I were preparing all of the things we "thought we needed" before she arrived. She was our bundle of joy at birth and has been ever since. She has always been a very independent spirit and is always pushing boundries and questioning how things are done or why something is. She is a very busy girl and we just love that about her. I can only imagine what she will be like in her teenage years, she will probably give me grey hair at a young age. Here are a few pictures from Kambryn's birthday breakfast. She wanted mickey mouse shaped chocolate chip pancakes and got to eat off her special birthday plate (that mommy usually reserves for decoration). Her party is next Saturday so I will post those pictures next week.

9 months old....

2010-03-14T12:00:00.004-05:00

Our little boy is getting so big, can't believe that he is 9 months old. I also can't believe that I have started planning his 1st birthday party, wow how time flies. Lets see what Kolten has been up to....

9 month well check stats: 18 lbs and 28 inches long

says mama and dada

grunts loudly to get our attention (our little caveman)

army crawling (but trying very hard to crawl on all fours)

loves his solid food and starting to try to eat some finger foods

pulls on his sisters hair to get her out of his face :)

getting better about playing independently with his toys

becoming more curious and exploring more

loves to be outside - swinging, playing with bubbles or just sitting in the grass

getting into lipstick...

2010-03-08T20:04:00.005-06:00

Well we have had a busy few weeks and I have really fallen behind on my blogging. This post will mostly be about Kambryn (Kolten will get his own post later). I am learning more and more everyday that Kambryn is very much like Kyle (for those of you that know Kyle well you know what I am talking about). She is always pushing the limits with what she can and can't do and is also learning that she can try to "reason" with me. She has an explaination for everything and is so serious when she gives you the reason she did something. This video is a perfect example of Kambryn getting into something that she shouldn't but she feels like it was fine because she is a big girl.

Snow, Snow and more Snow

2010-02-14T10:32:00.003-06:00

As most of our friends know, we got a lot of snow this past week. Kolten got to actually experience this snow and venture out for a very short period of time and sit in the snow. Kambryn of course was very excited to play in the snow and was asking to go out every hour it seemed. Of course we had to have some hot chocolate each time we came back in to warm up. Here are some pictures from our snow experience.

Our tiny dancer....

2010-01-21T08:45:00.005-06:00

I know I have posted video's of Kambryn dancing before but this one is by far the funniest!

Where have we been.....

2010-01-21T08:33:00.002-06:00

I can't believe that it has been so long since I have posted anything. Sometimes time just slips right by you. Not much to report on our end, just some little things. Kambryn has decided that she wants to potty train and I have to say it really has been a breeze. I always knew that she would be that kid you couldn't push to do something before she was ready and sure enough here we are on her terms. She is doing so great and has been accident free for a week now. We are so proud!

As for Mr. Kolten he has had a rough time over the last week. Last Tuesday he started running a fever and he continued to climb up to 104.5. As you can imagine I was totally freaked out and we went to the doctor and were swabbed for everything they could think of, of course everything came back clean. So after 4 days of this high fever they put us in the hospital for testing, they did bloodwork and took a urine sample and still everything was "normal". Needless to say his fever remained high for 5 days but he is finally on the mend. We are thrilled, no if we can just get him to sleep in his room and sleep through the night, but I will save that for another post.

I better get off the computer now because Kambryn is reminding me that today is the day she gets to go to Target and pick out her "special surprise" for not having any potty accidents. I also included a few pictures of Kolten from the hospital, he doesn't look sick but is running a very high fever at the time.

Santa came to our house.....

2009-12-28T09:23:00.003-06:00

Well, we all made it through Christmas and now are dealing with the aftermath. The kids both were blessed with way to many things and have enjoyed playing with new toys. Kambryn got her dollhouse that she has been asking for and we have rarely seen her the past few days because she has been so busy playing with it. Santa also blessed Kolten with some pj's that fit him, he is just so long that he needs 12 month things already. Kyle got his Wii and I got the Wii fit, I am already committing to using it and hopefully can loose the baby weight. Here are a few pictures from the holidays.

Gingerbread house and jumperoo....

2009-12-20T10:58:00.003-06:00

Well we have had a busy weekend. Kyle and I finally got up the nerve to attempt the gingerbread house with Kambryn. She loved decorating it with all the little candies. The problem that we ran into with her was she was not patient....I know right, big surprise. When I was doing the icing it needed to set for a few minutes but she couldn't wait and began placing her candies all over. So of course they all began to slide down the roof and we had to begin repairs. Oh well, it is the memories that you make during these little projects not the actual project itself. Kolten was great and he just jumped in his jumperoo and laughed at Kambryn being very silly.

Elf on the Shelf.....

2009-12-14T18:09:00.003-06:00

Ok, so we got Elf on the Shelf today and it is so cute. For those of you that don't know what this is, let me fill you in. It is a cute little pixie elf that sits on the shelf (or anywhere in your house) and watches and reports back to Santa if you have been naughty or nice. I comes with a cute book that tells the kids all about the elf and what he does. Well, we got out the book and read all about it and then put the elf, Kambryn named ours Charlie, on the TV in our family room. The story encourages kids to tell the elf there secrets or what they want for Christmas but never to touch him because he will loose his magic. Sooooo, after we placed Charlie and went about our business I heard Kambryn telling Kolten, "That is Charlie, he tells Santa we are good, say Hi to Charlie, Kolten" It was so cute, then she said " Kolten wants a truck and a hammer and I want a dollhouse". I am really going to love this new little tradition and I hope that it makes some great memories for the kids also.

The Christmas Card

2009-12-09T07:52:00.003-06:00

Ok, I know it has been over a month since I last posted anything but we have been very busy. We have attempted 4 different times to get a good picture of the kids for a christmas card. We have finally been successful! Here are a few of the other attempts and also the one that we decided to go with.

Conversation with Kambryn

2009-10-28T20:16:00.003-05:00

I had a funny conversation with Kambryn tonight......
Mommy: Kambryn what are you doing?
Kambryn: Getting my wallet.
Mommy: Why, are you going some where?
Kambryn: Yeah, going to Wal-Mart
Mommy: Oh really, ok see you later

She comes back a few minutes later from her playroom and says
Kambryn: Hi Mommy, I got strawberries, hot dogs and chicken
Mommy: Oh thank you for doing the grocery shopping.
Kambryn: (Signs, with hands on her hips) Mommy you made me forget!
Mommy: What
Kambryn: The MILK!!! (she states loudly as she throws her hands in the air and walks away in disgust)

I have obviously had a similar experience with Kambryn lately with forgetting the milk and I find is so funny that she is acting it out in her own way here at home. She is such a funny kid, never a dull moment in our house.

Family Pictures

2009-10-22T15:19:00.004-05:00

We recently had our first family of four photo taken. Let me just start by saying it was an experience. We are definitely in the thick of being two and all that entails with Kambryn. She told us about 30 minutes into taking pictures "I done with pictures now" and proceeded to try to wiggle away from us. We got really cute pictures but in most of them you can tell Kambryn in getting ready to run from us. Here are just a few.

This is what happens when you leave a 2 1/2 year old alone for a few minutes

2009-10-05T18:21:00.005-05:00

So tonight when I got home with the kids we all came in and began our normal routine. Kambryn was unpacking her bag, I was changing Kolten's diaper, we were sending dad off to work and so on an so forth. So after dinner Kambryn said that she was going to play in her playroom, this is a normal occurance since she loves to cook in her kitchen and take care of her babies. So after a few minutes of a silent house I of course went looking to check on Miss Kambryn. The following video shows that I found her in Kolten's bed, she had climbed in the bed so she could be a "baby". I only wish I could have gotten to my camera fast enough to show you how she was jumping and dancing in the bed because she didn't think anyone was watching.

then you have a bossy big sister

2009-09-28T19:12:00.002-05:00

In this little video Kambryn is telling Kolten "you can do it, you can open your mouth and laugh"

Typical big sister

2009-09-28T18:54:00.004-05:00

Kambryn is a typical big sister, she loves to try to make Kolten laugh and try to hold him. She honks his nose, gets his piggy toes and of couse tries to push his belly. We have to keep our eyes on her at all times.

New Pictures

2009-09-28T18:40:00.004-05:00

We had a friend take some pictures on Saturday, they turned out GREAT! Our friend Amber is an aspiring photographer and I think she will be very busy soon, she does a great job. Check out just a few of the pictures.

Happy Kids!

2009-09-13T13:57:00.002-05:00

Now that we have Kolten's reflux under control, we are snapping pictures like crazy. He has the cutest smile and those dimples are just to die for. Of course Kambryn never turns down a photo op!

Our visit with the GI doctor...

2009-08-24T12:42:00.002-05:00

Well we just got home from the GI doctor and I am feeling optimistic about our new course of action. Dr. Argao has increased the Axid to 1.2 ml 2 x day and added Bethanechol 4 x day. The Axid is to relieve the burning and the Bethanechol is to stop the reflux from coming back up. If we do not see a marked improvement on this combination by Monday I am supposed to call Dr. A back and we are discontinuing the Axid and going to Prevacid. If Prevacid and Bethanechol together don't work then we will start thickening Kolten's feedings. I am really encouraged by the doctor and he thinks that this first combination should show a marked improvement in both his feeding habits and sleep habits. Let's all pray that we get this under control soon so everyone in our house can get some sleep.

Chasing goats.....

2009-08-17T10:58:00.004-05:00

We had a fun family gathering this weekend. It just so happens that my uncle has goats and horses so.....the girls wanted to get up close and personal. They just love animals and always want to pet them, they just don't know how to go about that without scaring the animals. When they saw the baby goats they immediatly ran towards them, this of course caused all of the goats to run in fear. It was really funny. Here are a few pictures from the evening.

Norman Bound...

2009-08-08T09:28:00.002-05:00

We as most of our friends and family know we bleed the crimson and cream here at our house, sooooooo....we took the kids to Norman for their first on campus experience as OU fans. Friday was Meet the Sooners Day and we were able to get lots of autographs and pictures for the kids. We were also fortunate to have the kids enrolled in the Sooner Kids Club so we got early admittance to the event, which was great because the general public line was about 2,000 people long (I am not exaggerating). Kambryn did great putting her jersey up on the table when it was time to get another autograph. Kolten was such a trooper, it was beginning to get a little hot and he just sat in the stroller or let me hold him. Once we got to the car and turned on the air conditioning you could tell he was relieved. Here are a few cute pictures from the day.

Our trip to the Circus

2009-08-03T18:29:00.005-05:00

We took Kambryn to her first circus last week and she loved it. Here are a few pictures. It was dark in the American Airlines Center so we didn't get that many good pictures.

Just cute...

2009-07-19T14:41:00.003-05:00

Just a cute picture.

Kolten is growing and changing so fast.

Swimming

2009-07-19T12:15:00.002-05:00

The girls are doing so great swimming around, here is a cute little video.

Date night with Mommy & Daddy

2009-07-19T12:08:00.002-05:00

Kambryn got to go on a special "date" with just Mommy & Daddy the other night. Kolten was left with grandparents and off we went to Peter Piper Pizza. Kambryn is obviously not old enough to really play the games but she enjoys putting the "money" in the machines. Here are a few pictures of our outing. Also when we walked out to go home Kambryn sweetly looked up and Kyle and said "We go get Kolten now and go home", she is such a good big sister.

Summer Fun!

2009-07-16T15:38:00.003-05:00

I took Kambryn swimming today and she had a blast. As you can see she is not afraid of the water and is doing awesome using her floaties to swim around the pool. The only problem that we are having is that she is afraid of the pool vacuum. Everytime that the pool vac gets near her she paddles frantically towards the steps and says "That dragon gonna get me". Maybe this is because my sister Haley told her is was a dragon! Thanks Haley (ha ha ha). Here are a few pictures of the girls in the pool.

A baby and a big girl....

2009-07-15T20:03:00.002-05:00

It has been mentioned that I have not posted any new pictures lately.....so here they are. One of Kolten at 5 weeks, Kambryn being silly and Allie and Kolten together.

Things change with two kids...

2009-07-01T13:59:00.002-05:00

Kolten is almost four weeks old and I have already noticed a few major changes in our lives.

#1) I have a hard time doing simple things like checking email, paying bills, cleaning the house or even answering the phone.....
#2) Going to the bathroom is now a family event, I have to take all of the kids into the bathroom in order to make sure everyone is safe and not getting into things they are not supposed to or trying to "help" with their little brother.....
#3) The house is in a constant state of chaos and clutter.... (and for those of you that know me it is driving me crazy but again who has time to clean)
#4) It is very, very hard to divide your time between the kids (& husband) and give everyone what they need....

Would I trade any of this, of course not but it is a big change from what we are used to. I know that things will get back to some sense of normal at some point but that time just seems so far away.

Pictures, Pictures, Pictures...

2009-06-19T17:46:00.000-05:00

Ok, for those of you who know me well you know that I am a picture junky. I am always with camera and snapping photos as well as having professional photos taken. So, it is in my usual fashion that I took the kids today to have their pictures taken together for the first time. Both kids did great and I am very pleased with the pictures that we got. Here are just a few.

Kolten Wyatt is here...

2009-06-08T16:53:00.000-05:00

As most of you know Kolten arrived on Saturday June 6th at 3:20 am. It was a crazy 24 hours leading up to the delivery because we had been put on bed rest and then we found out that I had pre-eclampsia. The decision was made at that time to go ahead and induce for everyone's safety. It was a shorter delivery and he was here with only two pushes. He weighed in at 6 lbs 14 ounces and is 20 inches long. Here are a few pictures, I will post more as we have time. As you can imagine our house is a little crazy with a new baby and Kambryn adjusting to being a big sister.

Our trip to the zoo!

2009-05-30T17:17:00.000-05:00

Well, most people that I know have been calling me crazy for going to the zoo today with my due date just a few weeks away. All went well, no early arrival at the zoo! The girls had a great time and here are a few pictures from the day.

Child Labor

2009-05-24T11:04:00.000-05:00

Kambryn loves to help out in the yard. She is a great weed puller, is learning to use the weed eater and even has her own mower. Don't call the child labor law people on us. :)

The things two year olds say...

2009-05-18T19:04:00.000-05:00

Well, of course in our house right now we are really talking about Kolten's impending arrival. Kambryn is very sweet about the baby and loves to kiss my tummy. Well tonight as we were both getting baths and changing into our pj's she of course said something funny. She looked right at my belly and said "Hi Kolten, you come out now". That alone was cute but when she went on to tell me that she "Couldn't hear him talking" I could only laugh. She got very serious and loudly repeated again "Hi Kolten" as if she was waiting for a response. I could only tell her that he would come out soon and talk to her. Oh the things kids say.

Our little mover and shaker...

2009-05-15T12:12:00.000-05:00

Kambryn has a great little personality that is just coming out more and more these days. One of her favorite things to do is "shake her body" Check out our little dancer.

We have joined the world of bloggers...

2009-05-15T11:42:00.000-05:00

Well, here we are jumping on the band wagon of bloggers. I just finally decided that it is so much easier to create a blog than to continue to send out emails with pictures and updates. This will probably be a pretty boring blog unless you are interested in what is happening with the "Morris Crew". Hope you all enjoy the posts and I will try to keep them interesting but I am not making any promises.