Tuesday, September 30, 2008

The Staley's Do a 5k

Sofia, Stormy, Ryan, y Sydnei

We live in one of the cutest towns, Tigard, OR. Yes, it's a suburb of the Portland Metroplitan area yet it maintains a pretty cozy feel. Having lived in Beaverton just next door it's a "small town" compared to that place! Not really, but that gives you an idea of the proportions.

Satuday, September 13th, Tigard hosted its' 4th annual Family Fest. There were activities at the library, a treasure hunt, CAKE, a family/dog 5k walk, and fireworks....did I mention cake? LOL. Anyway, we chose to participate in the 5k walk (3.1 miles) and had loads of fun. A 5k walk is 3.1 miles. So we woke up (late, of course) threw everyone, the double jogger, and a bunch of water into the Vue and off we went. We arrived at City Hall, checked in, put on our Family Fest t-shirts and off we went. We had a blast and even though we were almost dead last (since we got off to a late start) we completed the course. Sofia would ride and then walk and actually mastered getting on and off the stroller while it was moving quite well. Sydnei looked around at all of the great views her front row stroller seat had to offer. We talked, laughed, and did a little jogging per Sofia's encouragement. It was a lot of fun to do as a family and get some exercise all at the same time.

We arrived at the finish line excited for what awaited us there: a full breakfast spread. Yes, I know, the food wasn't what one would typically expect to find at the finish line but we weren't complaining. Especially since we hadn't eaten before we left. At least we burned off the calories before we consumed them all over again! Here are some of the highlights!

Nearing the finish line, Sofia makes one last dash.

There I am in all my chunky-ness and glory!

Ryan, all smiles. Go #540!!!!

Enjoying breakfast.

The school bus ride back to city hall.

I think the bus ride was probably Sofia's favorite part!

Wednesday, September 3, 2008

Sydnei's Baby Blessing

Sunday, August 17, 2008, we blessed our Sweet Sydnei. It was a very special day for our family. We had many family members and friends in attendance to share this special moment with us. We can't thank each of you enough for traveling distances and making the sacrifice to be here on this special day. As a mother, I was overhwhelmed with joy and love for our sweet Sydnei. We love you, Sydnei!

Here is a slideshow of Sydnei in her GORGEOUS blessing dress. This dress was handmade by Sydnei's Nana, Ryan's mom. It's nothing short of breathtaking and will definitely be a special heirloom for Sydnei as she gets older. You just can't buy something this beautiful. It exudes purity and beauty. Just looking at it one can see all of the love and effort Clarissa put into making it. Thank you, Nana.




A few family pics of all that joined us for Sydnei's special day.

Ryan, Great Gpa & Gma Holgate, Sydnei, Stormy

Auntie Darci, Sofia, Stormy, Sydnei, Ryan, Cousin Careese, Uncle Bub, Cousin Josh, Auntie Maria, Cousin Allison, and MaMa

Gpa and Gma Great Staley with Sydnei

Gpa Staley, Auntie Tristyn, Cousin Jordan, Uncle Kristopher, Nana, Gma Great Staley, Sydnei, Auntie Carlee Sofia, Papi, Mami, Gpa Great Staley, and Sofia

Daddy-Daughter Love

BFF's For-EVA! Mami, Sydnei, and Tia Tori

Stormy, Sydnei, and Super Awesome Friend, Rebecca

CAKE! Some things never change...


What is a LDS (Mormon) Baby Blessing?
For those of you not familiar with a Baby Blessing in The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints, I will explain. The precedent for blessing children was set forth by the Savior, Jesus Christ, in Palestine: see Mark 10:16 and the new world, see the Book of Mormon 3 Nephi 17:21. The blessing of a child is not an infant baptism. It's a special blessing that first gives a name to the child to be recorded in the records of the church and then pronounces special blessings and promises for the child as revealed through revelation. The blessing is given by a man who holds the Melchizek Priesthood.

Tagged...

I've been tagged many a' times and finally need to do this! Here goes:

10 Years ago:

I had just finished my first two years of college and moved back to Portland, Or, temporarily. There, I worked at the Warner Brothers Television station in Portland, Oregon as a National Sales assistant, the Portland Opera selling season tickets, and Lane Bryant for the holiday season. I had three jobs because I had decided 3 months earlier to serve a mission and needed to pull together some funds to go. I hung out a lot with my stellar friend, Michelle. We even worked at the Opera together and had a lot of fun laughing at our boss, Christopher HYink. I was getting pretty pumped for my 21st birthday only a few months away. Life was good and busy. I talked incessantly about where would I be sent on a mission. I had a standing date with my parents to watch Law & Order every week!


5 Things on my To-Do List today:

1. Make Pancakes for Sofia's First day of School/Take Sofia to School
2. Set up my new hot red Shuffle with some sweet workout playlists
3. Hit the gym
4. Play with my girls, read them a story, and teach Sofia a primary song.
5. Laundry, laundry, laundry...this is an eternal to-do list item.


5 Places I have lived:

1. Portland, OR
2. Houston, TX
3. Taragual, (a tiny town in Honduras)
4. East L.A., Californ-I-A
5. Salt Lake City, UT


5 Jobs I have had:

1. Grants and Contract Officer
2. President of a Non-Profit Organization/Chapter
3. Assistant Bank Manager
4. Admin Officer
5. Lifeguard/Swim Instructor


3 of My Bad Habits

1. Procrastination
2. Not going to sleep when I should.
3. Worrying about things I can't control. (Amy-this is one of the many areas we align :D )


Things I would do if I were suddenly a billionaire:

I'm not a materialistic person at all...so I wouldn't naturally go out and buy a bazillion new things. There are a few key items I'd happily use the money for: a new house, probably a bigger car, pay off student loans, I'd invest a lot, and help anyone in my family go to college. Oh, and we'd go on a sweet vacation touring Latin America...and then Europe!

Things people don't really know about me:

1. I fractured my hip doing the cabbage patch dance when I was 15. Yes, it is possible to do, I'm living proof!
2. I'm pretty self-conscious when I speak Spanish even though I'm fluent. (probably because Ryan speaks the language perfectly!...not really, I was this way before I met him. I guess I just hate the idea of speaking incorrectly)
3. I won Champion at the County Fair and then went onto "State" (Oregon State Fair that is) with an award-winning eggplant I grew when I was 10.
4. I can do long multiplication and fractions in my head pretty dang fast.
5. My favorite musician growing up was Kenny G and my favorite pop-star was Debbie Gibson.

Warm and Fuzzy Baby Giveaway: Lavender Beanie

Here is another one of Vermillion Rules' great giveaways this week. It's an adorable lavender beanie by Warm and Fuzzy Baby. Click here to enter. Check out all of their adorable items!

Lovey Duds Giveaway: Awesome Baby Wraps, Slings, and Nursing Covers

Vermillion Rules is featuring some awesome giveaways. This week she's giving away a Lovey Duds wrap. The wrap is worth $40! Click here to enter. Hurry, deadline for all entries is Saturday, September 6th, midnight--pacific time.

Tuesday, September 2, 2008

Vermillion Rules: Custom Baby Clothes Memory Quilt

Thanks to all of the NieNie supporters, I've linked to some stellar blogs and shops. One in particular is Vermillion Rules. The first thing that caught my eye about her blog was an item she auctioned for the NieNie recovery fund. It's a custom one of a kind baby quilt made of your favorite childs' baby clothes. I love the idea of being able to preserve the memory of your little one in such a unique way. They're being sold in two sizes. Click here to view the larger sized quilt for $150 and here for a description of the smaller sized quilt for $70. Super Christmas gift idea; check it out!!