Girls trip

My best friend Kelsey and I have been talking about taking a girls trip for some time and this summer we finally did it. We went to Lake of the Ozarks and layed out by the pool and shopped at the outlet mall. We had a great time and can't wait for our next trip. While we will be taking out husbands on the next trip we are really excited. For our 30th birthday's the four of us will be traveling to Jamaica next spring break to stay at the Sandals resort in Negril. I am already nervous about leaving Jaren that long, but am excited at the same time.

We had good luck shopping as you can see.

Fiesta

Each year after school is out I have an end of the year gathering at my place for all my students, staff, related service providors and their families. This year was extra special to me because I had a fantasy come true. One of my para's families runs a funnel cake stand and they brought it to my house and served funnel cakes right in my drive way. We had great weather and an even better evening. It's going to be pretty hard to beat next year!

Make your own picture slideshow

upcoming

I have tried three times to post some really cute videos I have and for some reason it is not working.

Jaren's doctors appointment went well. Dr. Chavez was encouraged to see that Jaren's head size had flat lined as had his weight. His height is still on the rise, but no problems there. He said if at his 14 month appointment his head is still flat lining we will be in the clear :)

Just so you can get excited I will soon be posting pics from our recent Kampling family vacation to Great Wolf Lodge - Fourth of July - after it happens and - Birthday after it happens. Many fun exciting photo opportunities coming up and I can't wait.

Thanks for checking our blog. I only know of fourish people that still look at it for sure as there are only approx. four people that ever comment, but I'm sure there are more of you out there so I'll keep posting if for no other reason Jaren can look at all this later - since his mommy doesn't scrap book. I'm still boring and just slide pictures into the sleeve of a photo album. I write on the back at least. :)

Any way get excited great pics to come.

basement

Mommy and Daddy (well mostly daddy) finished a home project lately. They 'finished' the laundry room. They didn't do much. They pained the concrete walls, hung OSB for the ceiling and laid sticky tiles for the floor, but mom is in love. She really loves it - she has wanted this done since they moved in. Uncle Nick and mommy and daddy's friend Casey helped hang the ceiling, other than that daddy and mommy did it all. They worked hard and they are pretty proud of the results.

Basement before they got started

Step one paint the walls

Pictures got a little out of order here sorry.

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Step 3 - lay the floor

Step two hand the ceiling

Memorial Day

I will start by saying I wasn't sure if this post was going to be appropriate or not, I hope no one becomes offended. It is important to me so I'm going to post it.

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If you don't know Jaren John was named after three of the most important men in my life.

1) My dad - Michael John

2) Mark's Grandpa John

3) My Grandpa John - Bud

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This year for memorial day I was very excited to get to take Jaren to 'meet' his name sakes. Jaren was not blessed to meet either of his grandpa John's, but I can't think of two better men for him to be named after.

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We love you both dearly.

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Mark's Grandpa John and Grandma Celia, whom I wasn't lucky enough to meet.

My Grandpa John - Bud

Catherine

Today marks the anniversary of the day Catherine (Jaren's birth mom) called me to say she had chosen us. It was one of the best days of my life and one I will NEVER forget.

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Catherine is an amazing woman who made the ultimate sacrifice for the love of her son and we will be forever grateful that God, gave us a path to meet each other.

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This day last year started a whirlwind of emotions and a small amount of panic. With Jaren arriving only 22 days from today. Our 9 month pregnancy was slightly condensed. Thanks to our family's and friends we were more than ready for him to arrive and when we look back we realize we were blessed we didn't have to wait to traditional 9 months. I might have gone crazy - I'm not sure how you all do it.

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This is the first Anniversary of any sort we get to celebrate with Jaren so we are excited!

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Please pray a special prayer today for all birth mom's, and their beautiful act of selflessness.

Here are some pictures of Catherine and Jaren.

update

I know mommy is really far behind on posts. As you will see below she is putting my 10 month picture and I am over 11 months old now. Mom and dad are getting really excited about my birthday party too.

On bigger news I can now sit up on my own from laying. I still refuse to pick up my belly to crawl. The army crawl is working well so I think I will stick with that. I am trying to pull up on things but still not success. And I have my two bottom teeth still although my top teeth are working on coming through.

Mommy is so excited this week. She said they get to celebrate my first anniversary. ????? Mom is crazy. Any way this Sat. Marks the anniversary of the day that my birth mom called my mom to tell her that she had picked them. Mom tells me she started crying right away and then couldn't wait to tell dad. One of the best days of her life she tells me. Kinda like the day you pee on the stick and it is pink or has a plus sign or whatever it is supposed to do to tell you you are pregnant after 5 years of trying to get pregnant. Pretty unbeatable.

And mom keeps confusing people also by saying that she can't wait for the 4th of July because it is the last first holiday they have to celebrate with me.

Ok, enough of this now look at the pictures that is what you are really here for.

my aunt brandi and my cousin matea at her 1st birthday party

me and my cousins ava and matea - don't we all look so excited

my bath took it out of me


mommy cuddling her precious duck


this is my 10 month picture

videos

Here are two videos: 1) Jaren showing off to his aunt and uncles by blowing bubbles, 2) one of the many videos I took trying to catch him 'crawling' for you all to see.



This is me blowing bubbles to impress my aunt Monica and uncles Michael and Mike

This is mommy trying to get me to crawl, but as you can see I won because I got mommy to play with me more than I crawled. I've got mommy and daddy wrapped around my finger.