My Brave Kaylee!

I lost my camera for a few months - found it today in my bag from Newport Beach... duh.  Anyway, here is some footage of Kaylee at Raging Waters going down the super scary steepest slide in the park.  It took her a few tries staring at it and then backing away, but she finally did it.  I tried stopping her and telling her to just wait a year or 2, but no way - she was gonna do it - and she did.  The people sitting next to me in the viewing area were shocked and couldn't believe it.  

Guess the Morgan Boys!

So, to go back in time with the boys, I thought it would be fun to put some baby pictures on the blog and let you comment and guess who is who.  Start at the top as pic #1 and guess through #6 at the bottom.  There are 2 pictures of each of my sons.  Chris is now 24, Kyle 21, and Caden 14, but they all started as cute little babies with pictures that I can barely figure out who's who.  I'll wait about a week or so and put a new post with the answers.  Have fun playing!

Kaylee's Adoption Journey

So, I thought I'd go back in time and review some of the wonderful events in our life.   In April 2002, we added our Kaylee to our family.  She was 2 1/2 years old and we adopted her from Kaliningrad, Russia.  Kaliningrad is a little spec of Russia between Poland and Lithuania on the Baltic Sea.  History lesson... when the USSR broke up, Russia wanted to keep a port for import/export that didn't freeze over and so Kaliningrad is the place.   

The first picture is of Kaylee and I on our first day meeting each other on our first trip to Russia in March.  She was shy and a little nervous, but warmed up to the attention quite quickly (not much has changed there) and even cuddled a little with me.  

This was our adoption day after we had gone through the proceedings at the courts and came to pick her up at the baby home.  Big Day!  We had flown in that day, were exhausted after our 12 hour flight and found that they had changed our court date to that day, only a few hours after we landed.  After court, we picked up her new birth certificate with our names on it as parents and then went to pick up our new daughter.  I was almost as exhausted as childbirth after all the hoopla.  

Eating - Now that was exciting.  Kaylee ate everything she could get her hands on and was a pro with the spoon.  It was fun to watch her try everything just because she didn't have alot of variety in the baby home and it was so new to her.  Her faces were priceless.

This picture just cracks me up.  When we would visit her in the baby home, she had to come from a building next door to the offices.  It was literally across the driveway.  But they would bundle her up like she was going to the Appalachians or something.  It was probably about 55 degrees outside, certainly not freezing.   And she was always mismatched.  But always so cute.

Kaylee's trip to Moscow.  All of the US adoption papers had to be signed in Moscow and she had to have a physical and all alot of other red tape.  So we had some time to see some sights and was able to have some nostalgic pictures of Kaylee in Red Square.  Something to remember her heritage.  

Kaylee and I went on a 'field trip' to the Santa Rosa Plateau right by our new home in La Cresta on Saturday.  Here's some pics.  We saw a gray fox, a young groundhog, an awesome tortoise, plus a few more animals.  Then we walked around the Visitor's Center where nice older docents taught her about scat and other interesting facts about animals.  (Yes, these are just plastic poop!)  She had more fun talking with the docents because they gave her soooo much attention.  It was a fun day for Kaylee.

Halloween 2008

Caden went to the stake dance as a king and at Kaylee's school party, she was Lady Guenivere. 

We will be doing something a little different this year for Halloween night tonight - instead of trick-or-treating, we are going to watch a few Halloween movies in our new house.  It is completely empty, except for the TV and some chairs for watching TV.  We'll bring up food and have lots of fun.  Probably turn out all the lights and play some spooky hide and seek in the dark.  I figure there is less chance of harm to people and to my furniture if the house is empty when we do this.  

And to all of you - Have a Happy and Safe Halloween!

Caden's Crazy Hair Day at School.  Cute, huh?  

Kaylee's Hip Hop Dance from a while back.  I promised I'd put it on and I'm finally able to do it.  Enjoy!

Caden put on his CEC shirt and played electrician.  (Actually, it was totally coincidental that Caden was wearing this shirt! - He didn't even know he'd be hanging a light that day!)  Sooo- if the light on the left side of the island stops working - it's Caden's fault!   ha ha

Not my best picture, but PROOF that I don't just tell people what to do all day - I actually aged all the painted cabinets in the house myself.  I'll update with the finished cabinets next week.  Yay me!

Some of you have asked for more pics of the house progress. Soooo - It's getting closer.  The Italian tile is AWESOME!  Couldn't be more pleased with the look.  The courtyard will be center stage in the house and I can't wait until it gets the brick laid next week.  The copper gutters will dull and bronze and not look so dang bright.  Nothing like trying to build a house that looks old and put bright copper all over it.  Unfortunately, it will take about 6 months, so I guess we have alot of landscaping, etc. to do in that time anyway before it will really look completed.  Move in date....Halloween?

School Pictures 2008

Caden and Kaylee started at Santa Rosa Academy Charter School this year.

Caden attends a full day of school once a week, which is new for Caden... he's never been to a full day of school considering he was homeschooled since Kindergarden.  We took his picture on his 1st day of school - literally - his 1st day of school!  LOL.

Caden is in 9th grade this year, a high schooler - can you believe it?  Kaylee is in 4th grade.  Both are doing well this year and thriving in the new program.  Kaylee is having to show more integrity in her work and seems to want good grades more than ever before - which is great!  Her math skills are improving and she is looking forward to the 5 day a week program.  Caden is getting A's and impressing the teachers.  This is a great program for him to start preparing for college work and one of his periods is a college prep course.  By 11th grade, he hopes to be in the 5 day a week program, if his gymnastics program isn't too demanding.

Kaylee's 9th Birthday Party

Pond party for the bday with a Camp Rock theme.  The kids did sing along performances.  They actually had alot more fun than it looks like they are having.  Obviously, there was way too much blue die in the cake frosting.  Yikes!

Newport Beach, Labor Day 2008

We take an annual trip to the Marriott in Newport for Labor Day.  Caden and Kaylee are messing around in the pool here and having a blast being in water without moss and fish!  There's something wonderful about chlorine clean pools after a summer of pond water!

Lucy & Bella are our Yorkie babies - okay, they are not babies any more, as they are about 1 1/2 years old, but they are so tiny, we think of them as babies.  Lucy is on the left and only weighs 4 pounds, while Bella, on the right, is more like 5 pounds and longer than little Lucy.  Aren't they just adorable?  

Recent Baptisms from the Morgan Missionaries!  It's good to know they are away from home for a good reason!  And according to the boys - it doesn't get better than Baptisms!!! 

Elder Kyle and the Fat Cat!  Whoa!

More pics of Elder Chris after the hurricane in Houston!

Elder Chris made it through a Hurricane!

The "Mormon Helping Hands" t-shirts were worn by all the missionaries and other members in the cleanup efforts.  Chris said that batteries are really important in a disaster where you lose power and remember that cell phones only work for a day or 2 without being charged.  

Angolo Di Toscana...   

Our "Piece of Tuscany"

Yes - we're building a home in the hills of Murrieta and it's getting closer to completion.  We're looking at an October move in.  

It's been fun building again and we've loved the building process.  They started shower tile and paint this week and cabinets go in next week, so it's moving along.  

For those who haven't seen it yet, this is our "Pond".  We finally finished the landscaping and are waiting for it to grow in, but are pleased with the overall look.  We have many great days here and it is our little Oasis.  

Caden is fishing on the bridge in this picture. The pond is stocked with bass, bluegill, and catfish (although I've never seen a catfish since they were first put in).  I've offered $20 to the first catfish caught and still no winners.  

We play often and just enjoyed a wonderful family/friend campout at the pond over 4th of July with many good memories made.  

We open the pond to friends, neighbors, church members every Tuesday at our Pond Day and love to share it with others and watch them enjoy themselves here.  

Dusk is probably our favorite time of day here.  Very peaceful, cooling off.  We turn off the waterfalls and just sit back and relax on a chair and feel lucky to be there.