The Chase Family

2011 Christmas Card Photo

2012-02-07T13:40:00.000-08:00

Like I've said before...every year I insist on taking a family photo to send out for our annual Christmas card. And yes, I insist on including all of our dogs! Jory loves it (read the sarcasm in my voice here). This year it was even more tricking because we were of course including our new baby but I also wanted all 3 dogs in the photo as well. I even bought a tri-pod!! So, we set up the tri-pod and set the camera timer and...

Kennedy wasn't loving this poseKennedy is the only one ready for this one!

Without Bailey (I'm trying to grab her with my right hand)

This is the photo that we went with. I know none of the dogs are looking but at least we look good.

After probably about 100 shots, I think everyone was done trying to get the "perfect" photo.

I could have made it easy and just gone with a photo of just the 3 of us but where is the fun in that???

Santa Claus is Comin' to Town!

2012-02-07T13:33:00.000-08:00

Kennedy's first pictures with Santa!!You woke me up for this???
I just don't know if I'm in the mood for pictures!

In her Christmas dress

Gooooo Seasiders!!

2012-02-07T11:39:00.000-08:00

In December we got to go over to Ellensburg to watch a couple of Tessa's basketball games. She is currently playing as a 2 Guard for the BYU Hawaii Seasiders!! Not only did we get to watch Tessa play but Tessa also got to meet Kennedy for the first time! Tessa and Kennedy meeting for the first time

Just me and my Auntie

It was love at first sight!!

2 of Kennedy's Aunties fussing (or fighting) over her :-)

All dressed and ready to go to the game

Warming up

Kennedy posing with the team

In her skinny jeans that Auntie Lindsay got her

GO SEASIDERS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

6 Week Status Update

2012-02-07T10:43:00.000-08:00

The time is flying by!! I just want to freeze her, or at least slow down time, so that I can enjoy each stage for just a little longer!

At our appointment on November 29, 2011, Kennedy weighed in at 11 pounds 5 ounces! We are finally gaining!

Started smiling!

Recognizes familiar faces.

Loves it when you talk to her and makes coo-ing noises back to you. She is the most talkative when she is laying on her changing table.

Started sleeping in her own bed! Yes, her bed is right next to mine but at least she isn't in the bed with me and her dad and her dogs anymore. Things were getting cramped!

Kennedy generally sleeps from 10pm to 10am waking up sometime between 3am and 5am and again at 7am to eat.

Loves to look at the Christmas tree.

Notices the dogs and will follow them with her eyes. They will randomly come over and stare at her for a few seconds to see what she is doing and then walk off. They are still not too interested in her.

Oh Christmas Tree, Oh Christmas Tree...

2012-02-07T10:38:00.000-08:00

These are the only pictures I got before my camera battery died! Lesson learned! Always keep that battery charged up! Especially when you have an adorable little newborn that you constantly want to take pictures of! Apparently the Christmas tree farm was a little boring because this little one slept through the whole trip!
Snug as a bug

Now that we have high ceilings, we were able to get a 7 1/2 foot tree!

A Visit From Jonathan

2012-02-07T10:33:00.000-08:00

Our good friend Jonny came to visit us from Chicago. He enjoyed spending time with the newest little Chase. We did a lot of cooking, some wine drinking (me excluded), hanging out, and even had time to fit in a pedi :-) Jonny and Jory have been friends since t-ball!!

Thanksgiving

2012-02-07T10:19:00.001-08:00

We got to spend Thanksgiving in our new house! Yes, that's right! We moved...yet again! We just bought a new house in Mount Vernon and moved in 4 weeks after our little Kennedy was born. I can't thank the family enough for all of their help! Seriously, my Mom and Sister had the entire kitchen unpacked and organized on the day we moved in! They are life savers.

Jory's Mom and Dad also got to spend Thanksgiving with us which was also their first time meeting Kennedy. They loved her of course!

Kennedy with her Grandma Rachel

Hanging out with Dad

With Grandpa Richard

The Chase Family

All dressed in her Thanksgiving dress and ready to go and eat some turkey at Nana and Papa's house!!

Sitting with Great Grandpa Loynd

Snuggling with Papa

November 13, 2011 - 3 Weeks Old

2012-02-07T10:09:00.000-08:00

3 weeks old never looked better!

Hanging out at Aunt Marcia and Uncle Randy's
Entertaining the Great Grandparents

2 Weeks Old

2012-02-02T11:50:00.000-08:00

We had Sara Welch come to the house to take Kennedy's newborn photos and they couldn't have turned out better!

Kennedy's 2 Week Update:

Kennedy dropped down to 9 pounds 11 ounces from her 10 pound 9 ounce birth weight. It is normal for babies to loose weight after birth but K did not gain the weight back as fast as we would have liked. Our main focus is feed, feed, feed!! We make sure that she eats every 3 hours (I have to set my alarm during the night otherwise she would sleep up to 6 hours straight!). After she eats, I pump (I try and do this 2 to 4 times a day). We offer her 2 to 3 bottles a day after her feedings with the milk that I pump which she normally takes. She is a very sleepy eater so it is important for us to make sure she is actually eating and not just suckling. So, needless to say, all we do at the Chase house right now is nurse, burp, pump, offer a bottle, sterilize the empty bottles and pump equipment, change diaper, sleep, repeat...

Kennedy is wearing size 0-3 month clothing and size 1 diapers and has since birth. We didn't even bother buying anything in a newborn size.

Kennedy hardly ever cries unless she is tired or hungry. Or, if she is naked. She's not a huge fan of being cold.

The dogs really don't pay much attention to her. Maggie will sometimes come and stare at her and sometimes likes to snuggle with us.

Even though I said that I would never do it, Kennedy is currently sleeping with me in our bed. Yes, you read that right! We currently sleep together...Me, Jory, a baby and 3 dogs! And yes, I am fully aware at how crazy that is!!!

My Mom brings dinner over every night. Or, we go to their house.

My Dad stops by almost everyday after work on his way home.

Lindsay comes over almost everyday and cleans our house, does laundry, rights out my to-do list, etc... Whatever we need, she just does it. She also has come over at 6am to hold and take care of Kennedy while Jory and I try to get a couple of hours of sleep.

We currently go to the doctor every 3 days or so to have Kennedy weighed.

Trying to be Photographers

2012-02-02T11:44:00.000-08:00

Lindsay and I tried to take some newborn shots of Kennedy. I mean, how hard can it be?? She is just a tiny baby. The photographer that took her official 2 week photos made it look so easy. So, we got a basket and a little pink blanket and threw a headband on her and wall-ah! Ummmm...not so much...ours didn't turn out that professional looking but it was worth a try! Kennedy still looks gorgeous though!

San Diego Super Chargers

2012-02-02T11:38:00.001-08:00

Of course being a Chase meant that Kennedy would be a Charger fan...naturally! So, we bought her some Charger gear before she was even born. I found a headband, booties and the onzie on Etsy! SO CUTE!! GO BOLTS!!
Because I am posting these pictures 3 months behind schedule...I can say that we had a very disappointing season...unfortunately! But there is always next year, right???

1st Bath

2012-02-02T10:09:00.000-08:00

Moooommmm...you're embarassing meeeee!!!!!Cutest little buns you've ever seen right?!!??!!

Kennedy did not like her first bath. She cried (read: screamed) the entire time! I have tried a few times now to upload the video but for some reason its not attaching. So...here is a picture from her second bath. She liked it a lot more than the first one.

Kennedy's 1st Halloween

2012-02-02T09:57:00.000-08:00

Nana didn't want to carve her pumpkin...she just wanted to hold the babe.
With Auntie Lindsay

First Family Photo

11 Days Old

Cutest little bumble bee you've ever seen!

"My Mom is making me dress up!! I just want to put my jammies back on!"

Buzzzzzzz

Introducing - Kennedy Ava Bleu

2012-02-01T14:11:00.000-08:00

October 21st finally arrived. Jory and I were at the hospital right on time for our 5am check in. We had to go thru a bunch of pre-op stuff before my c-section, which was scheduled for 7am. Its the weirdest feeling to know that, on that day, your life was going to change forever. It was the last morning that we would wake up for the day as just the 2 of us! Tomorrow we would be waking up for the day as just the 3 of us.

I was just so nervous and so excited all at the same time. I was hooked up to a machine that was monitoring Kennedy's heart rate, they took my blood, put my IV in, etc... My Mom, Dad and Lindsay all came in my room to see me, really quick, before I went in. I told them they could come later in the morning so that they wouldn't have to wait around so much, but of course they were there first thing! So excited to meet their new little granddaughter/niece. Jory put on the little white suit that he would have to wear in the operating room, kisses and hugs were given, the last pictures of me, as a preggo woman, were taken and then I was off. I started crying, for whatever reason, as they wheeled me down the hall.

The final belly picture - 41 weeks
Things are about to change!

Jory in his bunny suit, with my Dad, all ready to go

Once in the operating room, they gave me a spinal. The whole process took FOREVER! Apparently, my spine was/is rotated 30 degrees to the right and so the anesthesiologist couldn't get the needle in on the first try. He had to try a few times and it took so long! After I finally got my spinal, they brought Jory in and the process began. Having a c-section is the weirdest feeling that I have ever experienced. There is a lot of pushing and pulling and pressure. No pain, but such a weird feeling. Jory looked over the blue sheet a couple of times to check on things but for the most part he stayed right next to me. I did not want him to let go of my hand! Before I knew it, they were pulling Kennedy out and I heard her beautiful cry for the very first time. Which, of course, caused me to cry immediately! Again, such an amazing experience. Right away, everyone in the room was commenting on how big she was! Once of the doctors in the room kept calling her a 12 pound baby! They took her over to clean her off, at which point I told Jory to go and be with her and to not let her out of his sight! They got her all wrapped up and after what seemed like an eternity, Jory brought her over to me so that I could see her. I couldn't hold her right then but Jory put her right up to my face and held her there for a while so that I could just look at her and take her all in. In that moment, it was just the 3 of us with our faces close together. Our little family. Its amazing how much love you feel right in that moment and although you've just met this little person, you feel like you have known her forever. To create another life with the person that you love the most is just indescribable. I just wanted to soak in every detail of that moment. The first thing I noticed about Kennedy were her hands and how big they looked. She had the longest little fingers. Her head was perfectly round and her face was so puffy. She had perfect skin. The cutest little mouth and nose. Just the most perfect little baby I have ever seen.

Next, Jory had to take her down to the nursery to be weighed and the doctors had to get me all stitched up. I just laid there thinking about the magnitude of what just happened. Again, AMAZING! I had just become a mom! Once all stitched up and put back together, they took me to my room where I waited for Jory to bring our new little girl back from the nursery. After what seemed like forever, Jory wheeled Kennedy back in our room in her little bassinet and at that point I got to really hold my little angel. She was just so perfect and I will never forget the feeling of Jory handing her to me for the first time. We just sat on the bed (crying, naturally) and starred at her and held her and just sat in awe of the events of the day.

Incredible...

Brand Spanking New

She weighed in at 10 pounds 9 ounces!! Whoa!

Getting all checked out

Kennedy's blood sugar was low so they had to give her some formula. She gobbled it right up!

Getting cleaned up

Getting to hold my girl for the very first time

And let the introductions begin!!!

Meeting her Auntie Lindsay

Papa

Nana

Kennedy is the first grand baby on the Carter side. She will be spoiled!

Great Grandma Carter

Great Aunt Karen

Already a Daddy's Girl

Auntie Caitlin

With her very tired looking Mommy

Teeny Tiny

Uncle Aaron

No one wanted to leave :-) They came in and out, to visit us, everyday we were in the hospital, multiple times a day. Papa even snuck over a few times by himself to get some alone time with his granddaughter. A guys gotta do, what a guys gotta do, to get some hold time!

Me with my little Angel

Perfect in every way

Great Uncle Rod

Getting ready to go home

All buckled in. Hopefully I did it right! We triple checked everything and then had the nurse check to make sure she was buckled in right :-)

We made it home safe and sound

Trying out her swing

Such a happy little face. I magically took this picture just at the right time.

Kennedy Ava Bleu
October 21, 2011 @ 8:17am
10 pounds 9 ounces – 21 inches of pure perfection

Still Waiting...

2012-02-01T14:00:00.000-08:00

On October 19th, I went in for another doctor appointment. I still had not gone into labor, wasn’t having contractions, blah, blah, blah… The doctor checked me and still…NOTHING! Not dialated! Not even a little bit. So, we decided to do an ultrasound to check on the size of our babe. After doing some measurements on her head circumference and femur and a few other things, the doctor predicted our baby to be around 11 pounds!!! WHOA!!! Once you get to the point where your baby is over the 10 ½ pound mark, you then can decide whether you want to be induced or whether you want to go in for a c-section. We elected to have a c-section because I just had a feeling that that was how it was going to end up anyway. Plus, who wants to have an 11 pound baby the “regular” way??? Not me! So, the doctor scheduled us for Friday at 7am and sent us on our merry way. It was nice to know that our baby would be here in 2 days but I was so nervous to have a c-section. Its major surgery and I was so concerned with the recovery time. But, it was going to happen the way it was supposed to happen and I was OK with that.

October 15, 2011 - My "Due Date"

2012-02-01T09:43:00.000-08:00

Well here we are on the 15th of October and still no baby. I went in for a regularly scheduled appointment on the 14th and was told that I am not dialated AT ALL! They also informed me that they think my baby is at least 9 1/2 pounds at which point I started balling right there in the doctor's office. We are so anxious to meet our little one that the news of "lets see how you do over the next few days" was just not what I wanted to hear! So, what do you do to kill time while waiting for your body to go into labor you ask??? You go to the pumpkin patch of course!! I fit in quite well with all those pumpkins as I myself looked like a big round pumpkin!

Lindsay and Aaron

My black sweater is hiding my bump pretty well :-)

Mom and Dad

We got a little pumpkin for our little pumpkin

Catching Up

2012-02-01T09:35:00.000-08:00

I know...I know...I am super behind on my blogging...as per usual! I'm sure all 5 of my readers have just been dying to read about what we have been up to ;-) Once Kennedy came, I struggled to get anything done let alone making blog posts. How are you supposed to be concerned with anything when you have a beautiful new baby to look at?? But, I am slowly getting used to our new life with our little angel. And by "getting used to" I mean getting used to getting normal things done during the day like showering, caring for the dogs, taking care of the house, eating regular meals, brushing my teeth, laundry, etc, etc... We've made so much progress! Things couldn't be more perfect!

So, to fill you in on what we have been up to...

Maternity Photos

2011-09-10T19:40:00.000-07:00

Deception Pass

2011-09-09T09:43:00.000-07:00

We have gotten very lucky with the weather these past few weeks! We decided to take full advantage and headed out to the beach for the day. The day started out a little foggy

Tessa

She's leaving for college soon! Poor thing is going to BYU Hawaii! We will all be planning a vacation very soon to go over and visit her!! Someone needs to go and check on her to be sure she is ok over there on that little island!!

Jory, Zoe and Me. We felt bad for not bring all 3 dogs but the other 2 are just not as well behaved as Zoe. We told Maggie and Bailey that Zoe was going to the groomer for the day so that they wouldn't feel bad for missing the beach day :-)

Zoe loved the attention

Zoe's second favorite person (next to Jory) is Tessa!

Lindsay

Tessa and Lindsay trying out the teeter-totter

Aaron had to balance out the other side

It was such a beautiful day

Jory and Tessa playing smash ball

Aaron and Lindsay

Playing fetch. Her favorite game.

Me, Kennedy and Jory. I am about 33 weeks here.

And yes our parents were with us but they hate cameras!

A Visit With Friends

2011-09-09T09:10:00.001-07:00

Our dear friends Greg and Brianne came up for a visit the weekend of August 20th. They recently moved to the Portland area and came up for my baby shower. We had such beautiful weather that weekend so Jory and I decided to take them out to Washington State Park so that we could introduce Quin to the ocean. We had a lovely day. Very relaxing! Greg with Quin

Brianne with Quin (this pic is a little dark)

Little Quin

Jory relaxing

Me (at about 32 weeks) and Kennedy

Baby Shower

2011-09-06T14:14:00.001-07:00

I'm behind on posting these but...here are the pictures of the beautiful baby shower that my Sisters and Mom threw for me. We were so lucky with perfect weather that day and Kennedy and I were completely spoiled! It has been so nice being back home and close to all of our family and friends. After being gone for 12 years, it was good to see some dear friends that I hadn't seen in ages.

Lindsay made this diaper cake
Tessa painted these letters for Kennedy's nursery. So adorable!

Tessa also made these cupcakes from scratch!

Lindsay putting up the balloons

Lindsay, Tessa and me waiting for the guests to arrive

I got some of the most adorable little outfits

Another diaper cake...which is just what we needed. From what I hear...you go through a lot of diapers!

Grandpa & Grandma Carter with Me & Jory

Mom, Grandma Carter, Caitlin, Me, Tessa, and Lindsay

Me with the Sisters

Mom with her girls

I am about 32 weeks in these photos and have to say that I am still feeling really great. Kennedy is a very active baby and Jory and I enjoy sitting and watching/feeling my belly move around. Its just so entertaining! Kennedy is about 3.75 pounds and approximately 17" long; getting bigger by the day! I really have nothing major to report here! I have been extremely lucky with an extremely easy pregnancy thus far. Jory and I are enjoying our last weeks without a baby but are very much looking forward to Kennedy's arrival.

All vying for the "Best Auntie Award". This is basically what it is like anytime we are all together :-)

Jory stopped by at the end to say hello and load up all of the gifts!

THANK YOU Mom, Caitlin, Lindsay, and Tessa for such a wonderful day!

Anacortes, Washington

2011-08-12T14:00:00.000-07:00

Since moving back to Washington, I have decided that I really really want to live out in Anacortes! It is such a cute little town. Not too big, not too small. They get less rain out there per year and the town is situated right on the water looking out to the Puget Sound. Its BEAUTIFUL!! Last weekend my Mom and two of my Sisters and I went out for the Anacortes Arts and Crafts Festival. We had perfect weather and it was so fun to be able to just walk around and enjoy the scenery. We stopped for a bite at Gere-a-Deli. It was delicious!

Me and Mom looking at the magnets.

These gorgeous hanging baskets are hanging off of almost every lamp post.

Tessa and Lindsay

I really wanted to buy one of these bouquets but didn't...don't know why, but I should have!

After the festival, we drove around for a bit to check out some of the neighborhoods. This is one of my dream houses! It has a water view (not pictured) and is in the cutest neighborhood right down the street from Washington State Park.

This house even had an outdoor living area!

And there were deer just wandering around...stopping for a few quick bites.

Of course we will have to see where Jory finds a job before we can buy a house but hopefully, when its time, you will find me out on my patio in this neighborhood enjoying the beautiful scenery.

Kennedy's Nursery

2011-08-01T14:10:00.001-07:00

We finally got the nursery furniture set up...for the most part!! I still have some work to do. We don't have anything on the walls yet and I am currently looking for a rocking chair but, I do have to say that things are coming along quite nicely :-) The wall color turned out awesome and the bedding could not be cuter! Now I just need to get things organized and I think we will be all set! This is the crib, almost set up. My Mom got us the crib and the changing table!
The finished product. Isn't it precious!?!?!?

The changing table

Washington State Park

2011-08-01T13:19:00.001-07:00

With Jory in town and beautiful sunny weather at our finger tips, we packed up all 8 of us, 7 bikes, 2 coolers, 10 camp chairs, and a number of different games and drove out to Washington State Park. We set up camp and didn't leave for 6 hours! It was such a nice day, we just didn't want to leave!The Family (minus Caitlin)

Aaron and Lindsay

Jordan, Aaron and Tessa

Aaron and Lindsay

Me (at 29 weeks) and Jory

Tessa, Me and Jory

Everyone just loves to touch the baby!

Jordan and Jory playing beanbags

Lindsay and Aaron playing smash ball

Even Mom and Dad got in on the action!

Lindsay and Tessa

Dancing or Jumping???

Jordan and Tessa

Jory and Zoe

2011-08-01T12:06:00.001-07:00

Jory was home for a visit this past weekend and it was awesome! We had perfect weather, got to spend time with the family and even got the nursery set up (for the most part). This will be Jory's last visit, making the next time he is here a permanent stay!! Woo Hoo! Let the cont down begin! Only 19 days left and we will be together again.

Our little Zoe just loves her Daddy! Jory is her person and she misses him so much. She climbed up on Jory's lap every chance she got. There is just nothing cuter that a 48 pound lap dog! She is a snuggle bug and just so sweet! She misses him and will be just as glad as I am once the calendar says its August 20th!

Happy 3rd Trimester To Me!

2011-07-26T09:03:00.001-07:00

I am now officially 28 weeks along! Can you believe it!?! I feel like this pregnancy is just flying by. You'll have to excuse these, not so great photos, for a number of reasons. First, they were taken with my iPhone, second, I had to take them myself (as you can see), and third, I am in our bathroom! Oh the joys of living by yourself! I'll have to have Jory take some better photos while he is here this weekend. These next 3 photos were taken on Sunday. It was super hot that day so you'll have to excuse the no make-up and undone hair look! I just didn't have the energy to do anything other than shower :-)

Our little bambina is now about two and a quarter pounds and measures about 14.8 inches from the top of her head to her heels. She can blink her eyes (which now have eye lashes) and she may be able to see the light that filters in through the womb. I can feel her moving around all the time now. Her favorite times to move are in the morning and also at night once I lay down for bed. She is quite the active little bug! We have a doctor appointment this Friday and will hopefully have an ultrasound picture to share!

Our First Born...

2011-07-24T15:36:00.001-07:00

Our Little Maggie is our first born :-) She has been with us for 8 of the 9 years that we have been married. We got her in Italy when she was 8 weeks old and she quickly established herself as the sassy, boss of the house. She has maintained that title for all of the 8 years of her life! She has been all over the world with us. She has even endured 3 moves! Italy to Boise, Boise to San Diego and San Diego to Mount Vernon. She has adjusted to us bringing home 2 sisters for her (Bailey and Zoe) to play with and now, in 3 short months, we are preparing to bring home sister number 3!

Lately Maggie has been very attached to my belly. Anytime I sit down she snuggles right up with either her head or her paw resting nicely on my belly. I think she is establishing her title as oldest and the boss of the house with Kennedy but regardless of her actual intentions, Jory and I think its the most precious thing that we've ever seen!

25 Weeks!

2011-07-20T10:46:00.001-07:00

Well...here I am at 25 weeks preggo! Sorry if this picture is TMI but to get the full effect of how big the belly is really getting you kind of have to look at it bare :-) I have nothing major to report and am still feeling really good, which has been so nice. I've said it before and I will say it again...I really hope it stays this way until the end! Hey, that rhymed!

At this point our little Kennedy weighs about 1 1/2 pounds and is about 13 1/2 inches long. She is just getting bigger by the week...literally! I have been able to feel her moving around for a while now but this weekend Jory was able to feel her kicks as well. It is such a surreal feeling to know that there is a little baby in there. Jory and I are so excited to meet her and to see what she looks like. We have so much to do to prepare but we have been enjoying this new experience every step of the way.

Photography 101

2011-07-20T10:32:00.001-07:00

I am a wanna be photographer! But now that I am close to family, I have a lot of Guinea pigs at my disposal that I can practice on. These are photos that I took of Tessa a week after her graduation, in the field behind my parents house. It does make my job a lot easier when the one you are photographing is so gorgeous and you are surrounded by beautiful scenery!

Tessa Graduates High School

2011-07-20T10:14:00.001-07:00

Congratulations Tessa!!

I can't even believe that the last Carter kid has graduated from Mount Vernon High School! Our little baby sister is now 18 (will be 19 in September), and will be off to BYU Hawaii in the fall. Does this mean that I'm getting older too? Here are a few photos of her big night.

Tessa, we could not be more proud of you! You are such a polished young girl with so much potential. Never change!!! You are perfect the way you are!

The proud parents

The proud Sisters

Tessa with Grandpa Loynd

Caitlin, Mom, Tessa, Lindsay and me

Almost the whole family. We are just missing Jordan, Jory and Aaron

Our cousin Hailey, Me, The Graduate, and Lindsay

So gorgeous!

Grandpa Carter with our cousin Dylan

Hmmmm...There were a lot more people at this BBQ! I need to be better with getting more photos!

We Moved...AGAIN!

2011-07-20T08:52:00.000-07:00

Well, I am behind on blogging yet again! But, due to the encouragement of a dear friend of mine (Bethie), I am going to get caught up AND try my hardest to stay current :-) Some of our biggest news, other than the fact that we are having a baby girl, is that we have moved...AGAIN! After 9 short months in sunny San Diego, we have moved to Mount Vernon, Washington. And by we I mean I. I have moved to Washington and started a new job with Waste Management while Jory remains in San Diego while he finishes school. We've been surviving on weekend visits but will be glad when he is permanently here. We hate being apart.

Luckily I have my family here to keep me busy while Jory and I are living in different states. They have helped me unpack the entire house, got me all organized, and even helped me paint the nursery (pictures to come). My Mom also insists that I come over for dinner every night! Which I love! I've been getting completely spoiled since I arrived!

After 12 years away, I do have to say that I am glad to be back in the Valley. The Pacific Northwest is so beautiful and it has truly been a blessing being closer to family.

Kennedy's 20 Week Check Up

2011-05-31T15:41:00.000-07:00

Our little Kennedy is getting so big! We were in for our 20 week ultrasound on Saturday and got to enjoy an hour long ultrasound while the doctor checked out our little bambina. We were very pleased to hear the word "normal" throughout the entire hour! Kennedy is average in size, has a perfectly looking heart and brain, 2 kidneys, a bladder, 2 lungs, 2 legs, 2 arms, toes and fingers and a heart beat of about 152. Everything looked perfect! Kennedy is about 10 1\2 ounces right now and about 10 inches long. We got a few good pictures while we were there:

Little Kennedy's profile shot

Kennedy sucking her thumb. I find this to be adorable and have gotten to see her do this at the last couple of appointments! The doctor said that this is a very good sign and means that she is swallowing, she knows how to self sooth, and will have an easier time latching on when I nurse her.

These are her little feet :-)

Now officially at the half way mark I am feeling really good. I am noticeably pregnant but other than the weight gain, occasional lower back pain and heartburn I feel completely normal. This pregnancy has been easy so far (knock on wood) and hopefully it continues this way until we bring little Kennedy home.

WE ARE HAVING A GIRL!

2011-05-24T12:13:00.001-07:00

At our appointment today, May 4th, we found out that we are having a girl!!! I was completely shocked as I was 100% sure we were having a boy! Today is also our 9th wedding anniversary. What a perfect anniversary gift. This is our little girl sleeping on her tummy. You can see her little arm and hand snuggled in by her face :-) This is probably the cutest baby I've ever seen!!

I just can't believe that after 9 years of marriage and 3 adorable puppy-babies we are having a little baby girl. These 9 years, up to this point, have flown by! Hopefully now with our little one, the time will slow WAY down so that we can enjoy every second with her. When I look back on the last 10 years since meeting Jory and think about all the places that we've been and the things we have done, this is just the perfect next step for our little family. We could not feel more blessed.

14 Weeks

2011-05-24T12:07:00.001-07:00

Getting bigger! At this appointment, on April 20, 2011, the babe was moving all over the place and trying to suck its thumb. The doctor asked me if I wanted to know the gender of the baby but because Jory couldn't make it to this appointment (he was taking a final) I had to tell them that we would wait until our next appointment which was 3 weeks away. Looking at the positive...that was 3 more weeks that I didn't spend buying baby stuff! This particular appointment was in the morning before work...what a great way to start the day!

We're Having A Baby!!!

2011-05-24T12:05:00.001-07:00

Jory and I were thrilled (and shocked) to find out that we are expecting our first baby on October 15, 2011. This is a picture of our babe at 12 weeks. We could not be happier!

Richard's visit to San Diego - February 2010

2011-05-24T11:47:00.000-07:00

Jory's Dad Richard drove his Grandparents down to San Diego from Idaho Falls so that they could celebrate Grandpa and Uncle Vern's birthday. We met them up in Palmdale for a round of golf followed by dinner and birthday cake.

Golfing in Palmdale

Jory and his Dad...so serious!

The birthday boys, Grandpa Chase and Uncle Vern

Turning 92 (Grandpa) and 94 (Uncle Vern)

Grandpa and Grandma Chase, Me and Jory and Richard

While Richard was in town we took him to the Del Mar Dog Beach

Jory and his Dad sporting their BSU gear

It was a gorgeous day

Happy as a clam!

Me trying to get a picture with Bailey and Maggie...and a random dog in the background! I didn't realize there was a dog behind me until after we took the picture! Maybe that's why Maggie wanted me to let her go :-)

I'm 30!

2011-05-24T11:36:00.001-07:00

Well...I have hit 30! I have to admit that it felt much more scary before the actual day got there. Once I hit my actual birthday and turned 30, I realized it wasn't as bad as I thought it would be. I had a lovely and relaxing weekend with some dear friends. Caitlin flew in from Seattle and Kali flew in from Hawaii. I enjoyed being absolutely spoiled! Even though I got a new camera for my birthday I don't seem to have that many pictures. I'll have to do better next year!

Caitlin flew in and surprised me for the occasion

Cheers!

Jory got me a new camera and I spent the weekend testing it out

Right before dinner and dancing (please excuse the mess in the background)

Merry Christmas!

2011-05-24T11:14:00.001-07:00

Christmas with palm trees is different from what we are used to but we still had a delightful 1st Christmas in sunny San Diego!

We got the tree!

Making sure its tight enough

Mr. and Mrs. Chase

One more family pic

2010 Chase Family Christmas Card

2011-05-24T11:06:00.000-07:00

Trying to get a family picture with 3 dogs isn't the easiest thing to do however, I insist on it every year! Being in San Diego, we figured we needed a picture on the beach in our San Diego Charger jerseys! I mean...the beach and the Chargers are 2 of our favorite things about San Diego after all!

We took close to 100 pictures but this is the one we went with.

Maggie being sassy!

Zoe! Turn around!

That's better!

Disneyland - November 2010

2011-05-24T09:31:00.000-07:00

Jordan was able to come and visit us for 5 weeks while he was in between moving from Hawaii to Idaho and we enjoyed every moment we had with him! We had to visit the happiest place on earth while he was there and to make it even more special, Disney was decorated with all of their Christmas decor. It was so much fun. Disneyland just never gets old!

Greg (our cousin) and Krista came with us and we were able to celebrate Krista's birthday

The Del Mar Dog Beach

2011-05-23T16:30:00.001-07:00

We were so excited to take the girls to the Del Mar Dog Beach! They had such a good time!

Its sad but we have to keep Maggie on a leash. She likes to run away from us and is very hard to catch! Bailey and Zoe like to wander but never go too far.

Its impossible to get all 3 dogs looking at the camera at the same time but...here is our

Chase Family Picture - October 2010

Zoe had a blast and loves the water

Bailey enjoying a nice stroll along the beach

Ahhhh...what a nice day!

San Diego Super Chargers

2011-05-23T16:18:00.001-07:00

The second we decided to move to San Diego, Jory decided we needed to become San Diego Charger Season Ticket holders. We enjoyed EVERY game (missing only one the entire season) and enjoyed tailgating before the game every Sunday! Caitlin came down for a visit and joined us at one of the games.

She was very excited to be there!

Michelle, Brandon, Me, Caitlin, and Jory

Brandon and Michelle

On our way in to the game

Our seats!

Here they come!

Best Friends

To end the day...a little game of bean bags!

Happy Halloween!

2011-05-23T15:00:00.001-07:00

Nothing says Happy Halloween like a pumpkin t-shirt

This was Zoe's first Halloween with us and she's confused as to why she has to wear a t-shirt!

Bailey

Maggie being her usual self as the bossy big sister - Sassy Pants

Moving Day

2011-05-23T14:37:00.001-07:00

From Nampa, Idaho to Carlsbad, California we go. Once we decided that we were moving, our moving day crept up on us so fast! Being a previous military family, we were used to having movers come to do all the packing and moving for us! This time...that wasn't the case. We had to do everything all by ourselves! Which was a huge job. We made it work though. We packed up our entire house and got it into a 26 foot moving truck. It was packed from floor to ceiling but we made it fit!

Zoe decided to ride in the big truck. But, she was too afraid to get out once she was in!

Do I really have to ride next to all this stuff??

Where are we going again??

This was my view for the entire 920 mile drive

Nevada was just gorgeous :-) Can you read the sarcasm in my voice? There was just nothing out there!

Me, Maggie and Bailey. Its amazing how good these dogs are in the car!

If only this was me during the car ride

We made it to Carlsbad all in one piece and got the truck emptied into our little condo. Our movers didn't show up so Jory and I were left to unload our 26 foot truck on our own! We made it work but WOW! What a job!

Maggie's bed was packed so she made due with a moving blanket on top of a stack of boxes

And when the boxes got uncomfortable...she found a spot in the pantry :-)

A Trip to Idaho Falls

2011-05-23T14:23:00.000-07:00

Before our big move, we decided to run over to Idaho Falls to visit the Chase's before we left. I don't have a lot of pictures but I do have a few of our nieces and nephew. It was good to see everyone, as usual, and we will miss being a 4 hour car ride away!

Me and Jory at the Melaleuca Golf Tournament

We were lucky enough to get to play in the tournament with Rachel (who works at Melaleuca).

Our nieces Katie and Cienna

Little Brinley showing us her new trick

Katie and Cienna again...this time with Brinley

Our nephew Andy with Brinley

Jory with Katie

Me and Andy

Brinley trying to play with Raven

Next time I'll try and get more pictures!!

Moving to San Diego!

2011-05-23T14:13:00.000-07:00

Well...we are moving to San Diego! Jory has been accepted to the Golf Academy and will be going to school there for the next year. We are very excited to experience Southern California and have a list a mile long of things we want to do and see. We have found a condo in Carlsbad to rent and are excited to be living very close to the beach. We are winging it! We don't know where we will end up next but for now...you can find us in sunny San Diego!

Chicago (Our favorite U.S. City)

2011-05-23T12:06:00.000-07:00

We decided to pay a visit to our close friend Jonny in Chicago. We didn't realize how hot it would be in August but we had a great time with our dear friend and have also decided that Chicago is our Favorite U.S. city! We walked around the entire city, caught a couple of baseball games and enjoyed some amazing food and drinks!

Jonny was our amazing tour guide

On our way to a White Sox game

Best friends since t-ball!

After all the walking we decided we need to relax!

Wrigley Field

Padres vs. Cubs

We tried :-)

The field was beautiful

Padres WON!

The Michael Jordan Monument

Red Fish Lake, Idaho

2011-05-23T11:41:00.000-07:00

Every other year we go camping with the Chase Family at Red Fish Lake just outside of Stanley, Idaho (close to Sun Valley). The camping is amazing. Not only are you in a National Park, you also have a crystal clear lake with a sandy beach right at your finger tips! This is were we spent just about everyday of our 4 day camping trip.

Yes, we are in the middle of the woods/forest!

Jade and Shauntae

Where did everyone go???

Jory and Dan sitting in the shade with Brinley

Out for a canoe ride. The canoe got a lot of use this trip!

Jade and Brinley

Jade and Shauntae on a canoe ride with Cienna

Auntie Tricia with the adorable Brinley Isabella

Jory getting ready to play the "washer game"

The Whole Gang

Cienna, Shauntae, Brinley, Jade, Tricia, Andy, Jory, Rachel, Richard, Jamey, Amanda, Marissa, Katie, Marsha, and Caleb

Me and Jory

Jory, Me, Tara, and Dan

The adorable Clements Family

Jamey, Amanda, Marissa, Andy, Caleb, Marsha, and Katie

Jory, Jade and Jamey

Jory, his dad, Richard, his brother, Jade, his brother, Jamey, and his mom, Rachel

Jory with his Dad

Trying to balance on the canoe...

Which didn't really work out!

What a nice vacation!

Home Sweet Home

2010-07-03T11:38:00.000-07:00

Eaglemont was a very hard course but very beautiful!

Me & Tessa

Mom & Dad

Studying the green...

I think we need to put the phones away!

While I was home I got bangs!

At the driving range

Jory and I flew home to Mount Vernon to visit the family! We had such a great time! Washington is beautiful! I didn't get enough pictures of everyone but you just can't ask for a better family than the one we have! We are truly blessed!

Newport Beach, California

2010-07-03T11:23:00.000-07:00

Aaron, Lindsay, Jory & Me

Such a beautiful day

We could ride the beach cruisers all day, every day!

Jory & Aaron playing some b-ball at the 38th Street court

The happiest place on earth!

We were there from open to close!

For Memorial Day weekend, Jory and I took a quick flight down to Newport to visit Lindsay and Aaron. We hit the beach, played a little basketball, rode the beach cruisers (A LOT!), and even got to go to Disneyland! We had such a great time!

And the golfing season begins...

2010-07-03T11:14:00.000-07:00

I caught the ball just at the right moment!

I'm trying to get in the picture :-)

Heaven!

Perfect form

As soon as the weather starts to get nice, Jory and I hit the links! Actually, Jory hits the links and I watch! You can find us out on the course every weekend from April to September!

KiKi's Here!

2010-07-03T11:06:00.000-07:00

Rob, Jory, Me, Kimmie, Jeremy, Caitlin & Ashley

Me and Jory

Kiki and Jory. Yep...Jory's ball does match his party sweater!

Caitlin came to visit for the weekend. We just love having her here! She is just a slice of sunshine; I'm pretty sure she had us laughing the entire weekend! We decided this time we should go bowling!

And then there were 5!

2010-07-03T10:58:00.000-07:00

Zoe and Jory

Zoe & Maggie

Bailey & Zoe...still getting used to each other!

All 3!

WE ADOPTED ANOTHER DOG! That's right people, we now have 3 dogs! Zoe, a Springer Spaniel, is the newest addition to the Chase family. She is 4 years old and is joining her big sisters, Maggie and Bailey. Let's just say that the Chase House is a Crazy House but we love every second of it! ...and I am now constantly vacuuming!

Jory is 30!!

2010-07-03T10:49:00.000-07:00

The birthday boy outside of New York New York

The whole group (from behind)

Jory and I outside of Mandalay Bay

Greg and Brianne

Jory's b-day dinner at Rare 120

For Jory's 30th birthday we took a trip down to Vegas to celebrate! We brought our friends Greg and Brianne, Kali and Rob with us and had so much fun! It was my first visit ever! We stayed at the Hard Rock Hotel and Casino and were able to see Cirque du Soleil - O and also the Blue Man Group. It was a blast!

February 2010

2010-07-03T10:13:00.001-07:00

The whole group

Mr & Mrs Chase

Dan and Tara took us snowshoeing

Like my new snow jacket?

We really had to bundle up!

This month we were invited up to our friend's cabin. It was a blast! Dan and Tara are some of our closest friends and we truly enjoy every second with them! The cabin is about 40 minutes outside of Idaho Falls. Because of all the snow, the roads to the cabin were closed. We packed up all of our stuff, loaded it into sleds and snowmobiled 7 miles to the cabin. There is a first for everything! The cabin was so cozy! All we did for a full 4 days was eat, play games, watch movies, and play in the snow.

Where does the time go?

2010-07-03T10:10:00.000-07:00

Well, clearly I haven't been keeping up on my blogging! Its been a full year since my last post! WOW! Time really does fly! Rather than trying to fill you in on our past year, I will just update the blog with 2010 events. I promise to be better about updating our blog more often!

2009-06-21T10:05:00.000-07:00

Lindsay's Graduation Day

The Proud Family

2009-06-21T10:02:00.000-07:00

Snorkeling at Shark's Cove

2009-06-21T10:00:00.000-07:00

Jory was in Heaven on the golf course
Turtle Bay Golf

2009-06-21T09:54:00.000-07:00

Aaron, Lindsay, Caitlin, Jordan, Me, and Jory
Getting ready for a nice sunset BBQ on the beach

Our Hawaiian Vacation

2009-06-21T09:43:00.000-07:00

This year for our annual vacation we went over to Hawaii to visit Lindsay, Aaron and Jordan who are all currently living in Laie. Caitlin came over from Seattle and met us there for a nice family vacation. We were able to stay for 11 days and got to see Lindsay graduate from BYU Hawaii. Lindsay graduated with a Bachelors degree in International Business with a minor in Economics (she's 20!!!)! Lets just say that I am the very proud big sister! We had a fabulous time and enjoyed every second that we had with the family. There is just something very relaxing about being at the beach. So peaceful!

2009-06-20T10:55:00.000-07:00

Today I decided to start our first blog! I have enjoyed viewing other friend's/family's blogs and thought it was probably time for us to have our very own. Bear with me...I'm still trying to get used to this :-)