Pocahontas and Captain Hook

A while ago I was up in Idaho visiting my sister Brittany and my Mom. Ella has totally gotten into this Native American Princess thing. She loves to watch Peter Pan, and out of all the characters her favorite is Tiger Lily. She would have Koko (my mom) and her play Tiger Lily all day long by dressing up just like the movie. She had a dress and purse/pouch, and she would put her hair in fish tail braids, necklace, and even a headpiece with feathers. The best part is she said to Koko, "Will you paint my skin to red?" I died laughing, and my mom said sure, she whipped out her bronzer and with just a few strokes gave Ella a deep dark tan.

My mom and I left Idaho, and when we came back we both had new ideas of how we were going to play with Ella. I brought my Disney's Pocahontas DVD for her to watch... which she did 4 times, and Koko brought a billion more things. She found fabric to make a Teepee and dress for Ella. With puffy paint, Ella, Koko, and I got to decorate symbols and signs inspired by a Native American history book that Koko brought. Koko was even talented enough to make a dress that looked just like Pocahontas. She just cut a panel and with some yarn, Koko and Brittany added fringe that really made the dress special. They then wrapped Ella so the fabric would drape just right, and pinned it with a safety pin to hold it in place. Koko also brought face paint. I asked Ella if she wanted an arm band like Pocahontas and she was so excited she said, "YEEEEEEEES, and a necklace toooooooo?" So that is just what she got!

We couldn't leave cute Hunty out of all this fun, so I painted his face to look just like a pirate. He wasn't into all the artsy, fun imagination things that Ella and Koko were doing. But he did like having his face painted! Aren't they just such cute kids? Hunter was hilarious to paint his face. You could tell the brush tickled his face and he kept moving... hints why there are random stroked all over his face. Hunter also got to go with his dad to the grocery store where he could show off his fierce face! And from what I heard, the cash register lady was really frightened!

What do you guys think? Don't they make great characters?

Why I Married Gian

When Gian and I were still dating we were just hanging out talking when Fergie's song "Glamorous" came on. Time went by and we were both still singing the song because it was stuck in our heads. Gian decided to show off his vocal cords trying to impress me. This is how the song came out of his mouth:

"G-D-R-O-N-T-I-U-S yeah glamorous."

I instantly looked at Gian and with a huge stink eye said, "WHAT!!!!!!!" It wasn't even a question at that point.... it was a statement, like who in the world are you and where did you come from. He had no idea that Fergie was spelling out the name of her song. I literally was on the ground laughing with tears!

This is one of my favorite memories I have of Gian!

Viva Las Vegas

The first weekend of August we decided to go Vegas for several reasons:

1.) Gian hasn't been home since August of '09

2.) David Royal came home from his mission in Peru and this was the Sunday he was talking in his home ward.

3.) Mike Royal had a surprise birthday party on Saturday.

4.) We really wanted to eat at Hash House A-Go-Go (not really the thing that made us go... but it was on our to-do list).

5.) Feed our addiction of gambling hahahahahha just kidding! However I still feel tempted to put a nickel in the slot machine... YES I WILL SAY IT!!! It is tempting with all those bright lights and sounds! How could you not want to pull that lever in chance of winning money back? It is quiet inviting huh? I think so!

It was a very short trip we got in late Friday night and left Sunday afternoon. Saturday we woke up, ate breakfast with Gian's parents, then went to Gian's Lola's (that is Grandma in Tagalog... and what he and his family call her) house. She is soooooooo sweet I love her! She really has this sweet countenance about her. Gian's sisters Michelle and Natalie were there too. It was nice to see them and be able to catch up.

After that we went to eat at Hash House A-Go-Go for lunch with Brad and Whitney ... you may have heard of it because it has been on The Food Network twice and The Travel Channel once. It was amazing! Their pancakes are 12" in diameter... HUGE. Some pizzas are that size. Everything they make is fabulous. Gian got this thing with chorizo, cheese, potato wedges, and fresh jalepinos, it was amazing. It was exactly what I have been craving this whole pregnancy. I got brown sugar banana pancakes...... ohhhhh it was magic in my mouth. It was like having divine pieces of heaven on my fork! I can't remember what Brad and Whitney got... but I know they loved it.

This is Whitney's... They gave her a giant biscuit with a rosemary branch stuck in it.

This was Gian's... I really want it every single day!

My delicious caramelized brown sugar banana pancake! Words cannot do it justice!

Brad got a pancake too. Not even Brad could pack that thing away.

Later that night we went to Mike Royals surprise party... where he actually surprised us. We were all on one side of the yard waiting for him to make his grand entrance and we would all yell, "SUUUUUUUUUUUURPRIZZZZZZZZZZZE!!" Instead, he came on the other side of the yard where all our backs were turned to him. We were all caught off guard when Jeff Flagg shouted out, "Ohh, HEY OVER HERE... SURPRISE!!!" It was amazing! The party was a Beatles theme, and there was a band, BBQ, pool, and volleyball. Lindsay Miranda made the cake... isn't she amazing? Seriously she has never even taken a class. Some people just make me sick with their amazing talents! Her fondant is to die for by the way! I wont tell you her secret... you will have to ask her! See the photos below to try and relive our fun!

Whitney, me, Lindsay, and her boy Hurley.

Looooook... Lindsay even made the faces of the Beatles! And there were bubbles!

Just for your liking... Gian's traditional funny face. I guess I have caught on. Please don't enlarge this image. Just enjoy if from afar!

You Put My Heart in Motion

Do you remember that early 90's song by Amy Grant, "...and ever since that day you put my heart in motion. Baby, I realized that there's just no getting over yoooooooooooou." This used to be one of my favorite songs as a kid, and I always thought it was about a baby hahahhaha. So here you go Baby M... this song will be for you.

Our little Gummy Bear has been kicking and punching like I have no nerve endings. I think he may become a ninja or possibly an MMA cage fighter when he grows up. There are a few times that he has kicked or moved so hard that it tickles, and I have literally laughed out loud.

Fun facts...

Cravings:

Still loving spicy and sour foods, and meat with every meal. I have been craving icy things, but nothing in particular or specific but these things always sound good - smoothies, shakes, malts, icees from 7/11 and snow cones.

First Time Kicks:

I have no idea when I really felt him because I couldn't tell if it was him or gas... hahahha. But I know that Gian felt him for the first time when we were in church during sacrament. I think we both thought it was pretty interesting.

Pains:

My feet and back have started to hurt. I now must sleep with pillows to support my belly when I lay on my sides... it is starting to get heavy!!!

Thoughts:

My niece Lily was born and I was lucky enough to be there for her birth. I did not know how emotional it was going to be. It brought me closer to reality than I was expecting, which was a very good thing. I needed to see and be reminded of what it will really be like to have a new born. I have mini panic attacks where I am not sure if I know what I am doing, or if I even know how to do anything. Of course, I am so happy and thrilled for the day to come where I can finally see our little guy, but it has been very humbling to think God really must know what he is doing to trust me with a baby.

Names:

We have our list, but are choosing not to share the name until after the baby is born and we are set on what we will name him.

Nursery:

I have no theme, or idea how I want to decorate it. We just got our changing table this week, and the crib should be coming soon. I have found a bedding I like but it is pretty basic and classic, so it makes decorating much more difficult. Let me know if you have any suggestions.

Body Changes:

My belly button has popped out. I feel like it looks like that little thing you put in the turkey to indicate that it is cooked all the way. My wedding ring still fits... so I am happy that I am not swelling up toooo much, yet. Give it a few more weeks, you might see some "fake it till you make it" bling wrapped around my little piggy.

Doctors Say:

My uterus is measuring just on track. His heart beat sounds loud and healthy. Blood pressure is just fine. No gestational diabetes. Everything is good!!!

We have just less then 13 weeks before my due date. It doesn't seem like it couldn't come any faster if I wanted it to, and then I remember... no this timing is perfect. We have just the amount of time to get all the things we need.

... And the Land of the FREEE!!

I know 4th of July was almost two weeks ago, but we have lives people!! I can't just drop everything to update this blog. hahahah Just kidding. I just wasn't sure how I wanted to do this post because there are so many photos. So I thought the best way to do it is to just post the pictures with a brief description and let you enjoy them for yourself. Wahhh laaaaaaaaaaa... enjoy my friendly little blog followers. You are the reason of my very existence... well blog existence that is!

Quick background... we were in Rexburg, Idaho. My sister Brittany and her husband live there with their now 3 kids. Ella is 4yrs old, Hunter is 2yrs old, and Lily is only 9 days old. My parents have a house out there too... it is where our family gets together. It is AWESOME!!!

Since this is where we come together as a family I thought I would make you a little key of family members incase you get lost in these photos. My dad's daughter Sita who is married to Adam came all the way from New York... they have a son Cyrus who is 3 yrs old and a daughter Minna. Kachina who is right below Sita came with her boyfriend Marco. They are living in San Diego. I have a cousin named Jared Ollerton who is married to Melinda and have 4 kids Lauren, Spencer, Leah, and Seth. They live down the street from Brittany. Jared is an anesthesiologist at the hospital.

Ok now you can enjoy the photos...

The beginning of the parade on Saturday morning July 3rd.

It is really hard to tell, but this is a baby horse that came up to us and she was sooooo cute!!!

Some fun cars...

This guy made this blue car himself, neat huh?

We love this grocery store, and how sweet is this float?

Bahahahhaah a pluming company!

This is the "man's trip." They went to Wyoming to get some legit fireworks. My dad loves having all these boys around!!

Lauren, Spencer, Leah, Ella and Hunter having fun in the hot tub.

hahahah Hunty has dinner on his face... look at that cute little boy!

Uncle Gian is throwing the ball to the kids. Look at how excited Ella is to catch the ball!

Sorry the pillar is in the way.

Kachina and Marco

Michael taking Ella and Hunter on a ride

These kids love their dad!

Koko (my mom) playing with Ella and Cyrus

They had such a fun time playing with each other.

Such sweet toys! I wish I had these growing up!

It may look like we started the fireworks early, but the sun stays out until 10pm in Idaho. I am not even kidding. We were doing fireworks until 12am.

It's The Little Things

Over the holiday weekend we went up to Rexburg, ID to see my wonderful loving family (another post to follow). While we were there I was convinced that my sister Brittany would have her baby. And guess what.... she did. Here are pictures and the baby's stats.

Liliana Kathleen Ericksen

July 3, 2010 at 10:03 pm

5lb 14oz and 19.5" long

Cries like a little kitten

Mom and baby are doing great. Brittany went to the hospital around 8:15ish and the baby was there less than two hours. Liliana is literally the smallest little thing I have ever seen, and she was full term, just 5 days early of her due date. I can't wait to spend more time with her and see her personality and watch her grow. She has Ella and Hunter for older siblings and they are sooooooooo cute with teeny weeny Lily. Congrats to Brittany and Mike!! What a cute little family you guys have.

Pregnancy Cravings or Just Weird

I have felt this urge of creativity with food after watching Cupcake Wars on the Food Network. While hungry one night I thought to myself... hmmm how can I make my quesadillas better? I looked in our pantry and remembered we have a bag of Doritos Salsa Verde. I instantly yelled to Gian, "Don't you think these chips would be good inside a quesadilla?" He looked at me with a weird stink eye and said, "No, I definitely think that is a pregnancy thing!" I then again plead my case of why I think it is an ingenious idea. "But you have your melty cheese, your crispy chip, and your soft fresh tortilla. IT IS BRILLIANT!!!"

The conversation ended quiet abruptly because Gian thought it was the hormones talking. To solve this problem I come to you of course. What do you think... weird or good? I need to know the truth and nothing but the truth. Be brutal if you must... I CAN HANDLE IT!!!

Products Worth Sharing

Since my last post some of you were wondering what the hair product Gian got me was. Sorry I did not share it before... I didn't know anyone would care. So with that said I thought I would share some other products that I really like. All of these work really well for me and I look forward to buying them again when I run out.

My sister Brittany showed this product to me about five years ago. It is sooooooooo AWESOME. It is a nail buffer and each side has a specific purpose, and by the time you are done with step 4 your nails will glisten with every flex of light. I get mine at Target, I saw one at Sephora, but I am not sure if they are the same thing. Sorry I don't know the name... but go to Target and you will see it by the nail polish.

HERE IT IS! It is called Serum Nuit by Kerastase. It is all in French so I am not sure what I am reading on the bottle. Just look at the image if you have any questions. You put this product in your dry hair at night and your hair literally absorbs all the nutrients, leaving your hair healthy. I recommend using it several nights through out the week to see the full results. When I was using it consistently, people always asked if I had extensions or if my hair was real. It just gives your hair that moisture and luster it needs.

For skin products I have found that Aveeno's Skin Brightening Daily Scrub work lovely for me. Being pregnant I have developed the beauty of acne! This has been the only thing to help my skin that has a mind of its own. It does not dry out my skin which is always an issue for me, but it does not leave it oily either. Also, there are small little beads that exfoliate your skin very gently, so you do not feel like you have just removed the first 7 layers of your skin.

When I was in the 5th grade my friends mom gave me this Satin Hands by Mary Kay. Ohhh your hands will never be softer. It is a three piece set with thick lotion and exfoliates. Your hands will feel like porcelain.

My favorite mascara are these two. This first one is Clinique's High Impact it gives your eyelashes fulness, and makes them really dramatic. The other one is Channel's Inimitable. I love the length it gives my eyelashes and the brush separates each lash. So there is no way you could love one more then the other.

What product do you love and use? Feel free to share your favorites! I hope that this helps any one who is looking for a product but isn't sure of what direction to go.

Best Birthday EVAAAAAAAAAH!!

Where to start... Well as many of you know June is probably one of the best days of the year, [besides Christmas obviously] because that is when I, McKinley, entered the world and was able to grace every single one of you with my presence. Ahhahahahahah...JUST KIDDING!! I love my birthday. Not because I get gifts, but because it simply makes me really really happy to be alive. My mom was so cute with the way she let us pick out our birthday themes each year, and every time I think of my birthday as a kid I remember all the fun I had with my friends and family. Now getting older it is still just as fun. It is a time to reflect on your life and the many more years to come. Plus being pregnant I think I am beginning to get a glimpse of the joy my mom had when she held me for the first time.

Gian came home from work around 3:30ish and I being a complete mess after cleaning the house was passed out on the bed with greasy hair and glasses still on. I know I am a real fox!!! I heard him come home and with little to no energy I remained in bed. When I heard him not shut the front door I realized that he must have a heavy load. I KNEW EXACTLY WHAT THAT MEANT.... GIFTS! He loved me sooooooooo much he set everything up on the kitchen table. He got my favorite flowers, Peonies... which is a real treat because they are only in season for 3 months out of the year, and I am blessed enough to be born within that small time frame. See, I told you my birthday is amazing! Hahahaha I'm just messing with you. As you can see in the earlier image that he had two gifts nicely wrapped. They looked beautiful. The flowers were by far the prettiest set he has ever given me, and the wrapping... well was too pretty for a man to have done. So I asked him who he had wrap the gifts. His jaw literally dropped and said, "What? I am offended!!! You do not think I could do this on my own?" While his lips started curling with laughter I was sarcastic and said, "Of course not, this looks like Whitney's signature wrapping skills." He confessed and admitted to having Whitney Royal work her magic. Didn't she do a great job? She is so creative.

I opened my gifts and this is what was inside.

Gian has the best memory. A while back this store called Sassy Babies was doing a giveaway and this was the exact bag. I didn't win and he knew how much I wanted this bag. He said he bought it a while ago and was waiting for my birthday to give it to me. The other thing is a hair product that I think is heaven in a bottle. It makes my hair like silk. It is a mask you put on at night and you hair absorbs it so by morning time, it doesn't even look like you had anything in your hair. It is wonderful.

We then left for dinner at Bombay House which is an Indian restaurant in Provo. One of my favorites. It was delicious. After that we went to Brian and Megan Bollard's house (which I covet) and there was a cute decoration that Megan and Whitney made.... it was so cute! I even had a birthday hat! There was also miniature cupcakes from the Cocoa Bean. We played games and stayed until about 1:00am. It was so much fun. Thank you to the Royals and Bollards for making my birthday so much fun.

Also for your liking, a 20 week belly shot! I don't want to know how big I will be at 38 weeks. I feel HUGE already, where else is this baby going to go except outward. I am scared!

Happy Birthday McKinley!

It's McKinley's birthday tomorrow. I got her some stuff. Thanks Whitney for wrapping the presents. Hopefully McKinley likes it all.


I think my wife is pretty hawt.