team walker

Reid's 1st Birthday: Cardboard Play-yard

2012-02-16T14:22:00.000-08:00

I cannot even believe our lil guy is already ONE! This year has been the best year of my life by far. I have never felt healthier when pregnant and nursing him. It has been a year full of blessing. As many of you know I LOVE planning parties. When i saw a similar idea on pinterest, I knew I had to run with it. REID LOOVES playing with boxes. Any kind of boxes. Whenever we get a package in the mail its like christmas for Reid. He will sit and climb inside and out of it. Push it around and think its so fun. I decided to keep with the classic red, kraft and black color scheme. That of which are the colors of a typical package. :) Sean and his dad were the creative minds behind the cardboard planes, trains, rocket and helicopter. It was so fun watching them build these unreal box-mobiles :) My mom and I baked all the desserts. A big task- but oh so fun!
I hope you enjoy the pics. It was a super fun day celebrating Reid's tiny life. He couldnt have a BIGGER personality and we love him oh so much!

Better Late than Never: New Year's EVE

2012-02-09T21:11:00.000-08:00

For the past 5 years- we have gone up to Lake Arrowhead for New Year's. It is always a highlight to our year. Sean and I love being up in the mountains and it is such a treat to stay in my dear friend Lauren's cabin. It is so much fun to be together with all my closest friends from college. This year was unique in that we had 3 lil ones with us. What a fun tradition that one day these lil guys will know. Here are some pictures of New Year's Eve. It was the year of the sparkle and bright colors. The boys think it's silly that us girls get dressed up.. but we think its fun and will continue to get our sparkle on year after year. :)

Christmas Festivities

2012-02-07T21:32:00.000-08:00

So, its 2 months overdue.. but wanted to post some fun photos of our first christmas as a family of three. We enjoyed picking out our tree all together, going to christmas on the prado, having sleepovers, and spending christmas with all our family! I am obsessed with christmas and I had to at least post a few pics from all our festivities! Sorry so late.

Christmas on the prado with our favs: Dodds

Met up with other favorites: Cheri with baby Landon and Stacy!

Mommy Besties with our boys that are clearly OVER us already.

Sweet Silberberg Fam

Crazy Diego being Spiderman in his Under-roos

Present time

Uncle Eric's Tortoise ride

Merry Christmas!

Sweet brother and sis in law

From Tortoise rides to Wheel Barrel Rides

Brother-Sister Love= Aunt Chris, Uncle Eric and my beautiful mama

Football Tradtition. Reid was on sidelines this year.. but soon enough will be playing with everyone

Dad with Bella

The Boys

Christmas Eve

Christmas Morning- just us three

Forever Plaid

Visiting Sean's grandma in the nursing home

Husband's 29th Birthday:: Bo Beau's

2011-11-01T22:15:00.000-07:00

So yesterday was Sean's Real birthday, but since I had to work last night, I thought I should take him out tonight. It was so fun to go on a date without our lil shark :) One of my best friend's offered to babysit and therefore I took her up on it. :) We tried out Bo beau's and it was Delicious! Everything we had was worth bragging about. We started the dinner out with a couple appetizers ( brussel sprouts and cornbread madelaines) Sean enjoyed the steak and frites and I devoured the mac and cheese. It was all soo YUMMY! And oh, the ambiance was super romantical. We sat on the patio next to the fireplace under the twinkle lights.. and they even gave me a blanky to put over my legs to keep me warm! LOOVED IT! If you havent tried it. TRY IT! Its so cute and delicious and well totally on of my new favs in San diego. Its located in Point Loma/OB area.

Reid's First Halloween

2011-10-31T21:58:00.000-07:00

Oh my gosh! If you know me, I am obsessed with holidays and now with a kid, holidays are even WAY MORE Fun than I ever have dreamed.. And it can only get better as they get older, right?? We had soo much fun dressing Reid up this year. Once I decided on him being a shark, I had to think of something we could dress up that would go along with the shark.. Well you guessed it, a shark-attack victim (sean the surfer) and a lifeguard( me)... dont mock the one piece..hehe :) We had fun doing a mini shoot at the beach in Coronado on Friday before attending a friend's halloween party.. The pictures of the Frank and Reid at the party are Priceless and the one of all the babies is Hilarious.. Cant wait to look back on this photo in the years to come as all the kids grow.

Today was Sean's birthday so we enjoyed a picnic in La Jolla and then I had to go to work, so Sean met up with his sister's family in Coronado for a little trick or treating. Jamie had the adorable idea of being Thing 1 and Thing 2 along with baby thing 3 ... and Christian as cat in the hat. So adorable!
Well hope you all had a spooktacular day! I am sick from the potluck we had at work. ICK! Sugar OVERLOAD!

More Pumpkin Fun: Date night with the Pykes

2011-10-14T22:28:00.000-07:00

Yes, we went back to the same pumpkin patch. It was just too much fun to not go back. This time we brought our dear friends the Pykes. I dont know if you remember but Karrie and I were pregnant together and have loved watching our boys grow up together. We cant believe how big they are getting. It was really fun to watch the boys interact with the goats and try to eat the hay and show their personalities in all the pics. I love adding captions to these photos. Its hilarious. These boys bring so much joy to our lives. I am getting so excited to celebrate all the upcoming holidays as a family of three :)Happy Pumpkin picking!

Dads: "Ok boys, go ahead and pet the animals" Frank: pets reid, Reid Pets goat. hahaha!

Frank: " Hey reidster.. i think we could hop this fence and ride the goats if we're quick enough.." Reid: "nah.. man.. dont you see that scary white goat over there.. she's got her eye on us. We gotta just stay real still."

Reid says:"Ok frankie.. you go this way and ill go that way.. we'll be out of this maze in no time."
Mama's boysFrank: "Hey reid.. are you seriously eating that.." Reid: "Yea..mmm this corn is delicious."Like father like son.Frank: "Hurry Reid help me out.. lets steal this pumpkin".. Reid: "Im not so sure.. i think they are on to us"Reid: " what the heck? after all that.. these are the pumpkins they picked for us..what a joke!"Frank: " i know. this is so lame. mine is so tiny..i cant even see it over my big gut."

I heart Everything Pumpkin!

2011-10-06T23:24:00.000-07:00

I love love love FALL!! It just always brings back such good memories of coming home from school and my mom having warm snickerdoodles baking and pumpkin candles burning.. Its just the best time. The weather cools down and the holidays are approaching and well I just love it. I love building memories. I love family. I love anything and everything PUMPKIN. My sister shares in this passion for Fall. So we decided we wanted to kick off October right. Down the street from where they live is an adorable little pumpkin patch. We met her family there along with my mom. It was so fun. It was a dollar for hayrides and corn mazes and then you got to choose whatever pumpkin you wanted off the actual vine. SO fun right? Well after the pumpkin patch my sister made us a delicious fall meal including: cornbread, pumpkin butternut squash leek soup, pork tenderloin with roasted pear and potatoes, and last but not least pumpkin apple crisp with vanilla ice cream! It was an Octoberfeast for sure. Make sure this fall you take some time out to enjoy the small things and make sure to bake at least one pumpkinny dessert.

Rock Creek 2011

2011-10-06T22:29:00.000-07:00

Last week we had our annual Walker Family Vacation up at Rock Creek. Rock Creek is located 20 min south of Mammoth Lakes. It is a beautiful quaint lake with a handful of cabins that you can rent. It is usually very relaxing and fun but this year was a bit different due to Reid not liking the altitude. The lil dude didnt sleep at all! He was up every hour on the hour in the night and only took short naps. IT WAS EXHAUSTING! But we made the best of it. We enjoyed fishing, eating delicious food, pie, playing dominoes and cards. My favorite day was the last day when we had a picnic outside and then took adorable pictures of Reid. He was super smiley for the shoot and we got some really cute ones.. So i had to share.
Hope you enjoy. Sorry its been sooo long since I last posted. I will try to be more on top of it. :)

Loong time NO see..

2011-10-06T15:21:00.000-07:00

I am so sorry it has taken me FIVE months to update this blog.. I just wanted to formally apologize. I was going to try to post pictures of our entire summer.. but Its too overwhelming. SO i am just going to pick up from NOW. Later today I will post pictures from our recent family vacation to Rock Creek near Mammoth Lakes, and also of our fun Fall day at the pumpkin patch. Thank you so much for being so patient. I will see you all very soon.

Reid's gift for Mother's Day

2011-05-10T13:18:00.000-07:00

Sunday was an incredible day! I had the privelege to celebrate my FIRST mother's day. What a blessing it has been to be a mom. Sean surprised me with flowers, home-made breakfast, cards from him and Reid, chocolate covered strawberries(which he makes me for every special occasion) an adorable necklace with Reid's actual silhouette and name on the pendant... and last but not least this amazing video of Reids "birth"day. Sean has to be the MOST thoughtful husband/dad out there. I was floored by all the thought he put into mother's day. I knew he would come through but WOW he sure set the bar high for the many years to come :)
The first time I watched this video, I couldn't stop crying. It was such a beautiful day. The best day of our lives so far. I then proceeded to watch it 6 more times.. I couldn't get enough of it. I know it seems a bit obsessive, but you too would watch it a thousand times if it were your baby being born. I love the song that it played to. The words say, "You make beautiful things out of the dust". God is so amazing how he creates life out of nothing. I am still in awe of how God works each and every day.
I hope you all enjoy the video and take extra time out of your day to think about all the beautiful things that surround you.

Silhouette Necklace: By my sweet friend Allyson Baker

Video Edited By : My amazing cousin Blake Abel

Video footage: By my incredible husband SWP and his very talented BFF Laren Poole.

Easter Day.. What a glorious day!

2011-05-03T14:59:00.001-07:00

Easter has always been one of my favorite holidays. I love that most Easters are warm and sunny, lunch is delicious, egg hunts are a blast, and desserts are my favorite.. But most of all the true meaning of Easter is the BEST part. As we sat in church on Sunday and listened to the message, I had so many new thoughts pop in my head this year. One- I thought- gosh we really shouldn't go to Easter Sunday because there is always overflow and we are taking up a seat of someone that may have never heard the message before. Two- I thought to myself how incredibly blessed I am to have had a child and to be able to love on him unconditionally. Third- I have never in my life felt more emotional due to the story of the Crucifixion and how God sent his ONLY son to be brutally beaten and killed. As a mom of a precious boy, I cant even imagine the sadness God felt for his son. And fourth- I desire for Reid to know Jesus in a real authentic way one day. I can not wait to see what kind of man He grows up to be. I pray over him every day that he will know and love Christ.
All in all, it was an emotional day along with a very fun, full of laughter day with my cousins, siblings, parents and more.. I love holidays especially when everyone rallies and comes together to celebrate. I hope you all had a blessed Easter and never forget what Christ did for you and for me.

Reid's First Easter

Bella + Diego= Pure comedy ALWAYS

My sister's beautiful familia

Bella and Tata= LOVE

I sure love my sunny bunny.. hehe

My mom made all these cute flower arrangements.

Bella Loving the Easter Egg Auction

Two peas in a pod

My whole family minus a few

Grandpa "bunny" who was born on Easter with his great grandchild

Not the best but we tried :)

One happy family of THREE

Walker Easter Egg Hunt

2011-05-03T14:40:00.000-07:00

Every year Sean's family throws a big easter egg hunt a week or two before easter. It is so much fun to watch all the little kids go crazy for eggs. This year was especially fun because we got to bring Reid. Even though he wasnt able to run around yet and find eggs, he was able to smile, coo and woo everyone with his adorable easter hat. :) Sean wasnt too sure about him wearing this hat, but after all the compliments Reid received, I think Sean decided he liked it. I cant wait til next year to watch Reid tottle around and get excited about the eggs. Here are a few pictures of Reid with all his cousins and family.

San Clemente: My Brother's beachy birthday day!

2011-04-12T10:26:00.000-07:00

Last weekend we headed up to San Clemente to celebrate my brother's birthday. It ended up being a very cloudy grey day, but that didnt stop us in having a beach day. The kids LOVED playing in the water with their "king tio" aka Uncle Christopher and also with their uncle seanny. They both adore their uncles. Probably because they were the only ones that would go in the frigid water. It was so fun just to hang all day up there. Sean and I had crepes at the creperie, walked the pier, met up with the fam, played boche ball, ate pizza port and finished the day with baskin robbins ice cream. It was a perfect family day and Reid did sooo good all day. Here are some pics from the day.

Mommy + Baby shoot by SWP

2011-04-12T09:35:00.000-07:00

A couple weeks ago, Sean took some pictures of me and Reid. I started getting sad because he was 2 months old and I only had a couple snapshots with my babe. So I made Sean do a quick little shoot with me and my little man. I cant believe how much he has changed since day one. I don't recognize the change day to day, but looking back to the "birth" day photos, its crazy how much babies change in their looks in the first few months. I have enjoyed every moment. I will be honest and say it has been very exhausting. Weeks 3-5 almost killed me :) But we got through them and since week 6 he has been sleeping much better at night which makes a world of difference. It has been so fun learning the things he likes and doesn't like. Being a mom is one of the most incredible gifts I have yet experienced. There are really no words to describe this incredible role God has allowed me to play in Reid's life. I am looking forward to celebrating my first Mother's day this May. Gosh, once you become a mom you realize how amazing your own mom is. I am so grateful for my mom and only hope to be as incredible to our kids. If you are a mom, take some extra time this week and just watch your child and pray over them that they would one day love others as Christ loved the church. Kiss them and hug them abundantly this week- making sure they know how much you love them.

p.s- I tried editing all these photos on my own.. so they aren't quite as good as the hub, but I wanted to post them so I took it upon myself :) I'm still learning.

Reid's Birth Announcement Shoot

2011-04-04T13:32:00.000-07:00

When Reid was almost 3 weeks old- we took a few more pictures of him in his very cute hand knitted aviator hat and diaper cover. I bought it on Etsy before he was born, imagining his little body in it. I fell in love with it! It was a bit pricey, but worth it when we captured these adorable pictures. He again didnt love taking pictures so it was an actual miracle we captured these.

Reid: 2-4 weeks

2011-03-28T21:31:00.000-07:00

This post highlights some more pictures we took of him, trying to get some good ones for his birth announcement. I think he knows that his dad is a professional photographer, because he sure HATES taking pictures. It was quite the task to get a handful of good ones.. haha. We went through many blankets getting soiled, had a space heater blasting heat on him to keep him warm, and nursed him abundantly to try to keep him asleep! It was really funny watching Sean and I positioning him and trying to get him to wear different things. We have so much fun with him already, I can't imagine how much more fun it will be when he is giggling and more interactive. I LOVE being a mom. Nothing has brought Sean and I closer and more in love with eachother than his little life. Enjoy the pics.

Reid: 2 weeks old

2011-03-28T21:19:00.000-07:00

Sorry it has been a few weeks since I last blogged. We have actually been really bad about taking pictures of our little guy. You would think that we would be taking pictures of him constantly, but we really haven't. These pictures are of him when he was only 2 weeks old. I keep thinking he hasn't gotten much bigger but looking back on these photos, he has grown so much since then. I find myself just staring at his tiny toes and fingers. God has created him so intricately and I am in awe of His greatness every day. I cant believe how fast they grow. I just told Sean tonight that I am getting sad about how fast he is growing, and how he will NEVER be this small again. I know it seems silly to say, but it already is going too fast. He will be 2 months old this Thursday. We have enjoyed every moment. The first 4 weeks were by far the most exciting and exhausting, but worth every minute of our energy. We thank the Lord every day for this incredible gift he has granted us.

Happy Weekend.

2011-02-25T15:06:00.000-08:00

You would think that I would have all this time to blog and I would blog multiple times a week since I am on maternity leave, but somehow all the days are blended together and the time ticks away so fast each day. All I do is lay on the couch, watch tv, nurse reid, change his diaper, and visit with friends and family that stop by. Its crazy how non-productive my days are. Well a couple weekends ago- we actually got out of our house and met some friends at Georges in La Jolla for lunch and walked around for a bit. The weather in San Diego was amazing that weekend. Unfortunately the weather has been cold and wet since then, but kind of fun staying inside with our newborn cozied up under blankets and having candles and fire burning..

Enjoy your weekend with your loved ones and take a moment to reflect on what you are thankful for. We all are so blessed and its so easy to take life for granted. I am thankful for so many things: my savior, sean, reid, family, friends, beautiful san diego, our home, meals- (especially all the yummy ones people have brought over the past few weeks- thank you soo much), my health, our jobs, etc... Be thankful.

Love.

2011-02-16T15:37:00.000-08:00

In theme of this week beginning with Valentine's Day.. I just wanted to write about LOVE. I thought I knew what love meant when I met Sean. And I think I continue to learn how to love him more and more each day. But there is something so different when you have a baby. Your love tank expands to new levels. It is indescribable. Our love for Reid is crazy! On Valentine's day, Sean and I spent the day at home just relaxing. Sean always makes a delicious meal for us on Valentines day. He makes macadamia nut crusted halibut with mashed potatoes and asparagus, with chocolate covered strawberries for dessert. He started this tradition 4 years ago and we enjoy it every year!

Well as Sean was making this amazing meal, Reid fell asleep and so I placed him in the middle of the couch. I had to go to the bathroom real quick and in the matter of minutes- we heard a thump and a scream. It was absolutely TERRIFYING. Sean and I rushed over to find him on the hardwood floors screaming his eyes out. Sean scooped him up real quick and i was kneeling beside them shaking and praying over him that he would be ok. I never ever thought an infant could roll himself off the couch. What a wake up call.

Needless to say, he was fine.. but never in Sean or my life have we been so scared and felt so emotional over his little life. We have only known him for 13 days and yet we were a complete mess when seeing his helpless self on the floor.

Therefore LOVE has a whole new meaning to us! We absolutely adore this little guy and each day is a pure blessing from the Lord. It made me think of how we are all children of God and we fall everyday and it must make our father in heaven so sad. God loves all of us so much and yet not until I became a parent had I ever been able to make that connection.

So where ever you are in life, continue to LOVE in whatever capacity you can. Everyone deserves love.

Happy First Week Reid!

2011-02-10T12:16:00.000-08:00

What a fun week of FIRST's. In celebration of Reid's first week of life, I wanted to post a few pics of his very first sponge bath at home. He loved the water running over his head- but when it came time to de-robe him- he wasn't so jazzed. We have enjoyed all the firsts this week. From bringing him home for the first time to being peed on numerous times, to his first doctor's appointment, to his first night sleeping in his bassinet next to us in our room without anyone helping. We love our little FIRST born! We cant believe a week has already passed. Time truly flies when you are having FUN!

No more Prego Twinsies, but now Baby boy Twinsies!

2011-02-10T11:06:00.000-08:00

If you have read my blog throughout my pregnancy, you might remember that one of my best friend's was pregnant with me. She had her precious boy 3 weeks ago. Baby Franklin and Karrie came over to hang with us the other day -to let the boys formally meet. It was so fun to see them side by side. After 10 months of pregnancy- we had dreamt of this day of finally seeing them next to each other.

I cant wait to heal up more and more so that we can go on lots of play-dates together. Here are a couple pics of the two little peanuts.

Happy Birth Day: Reid Austin Walker

2011-02-08T20:51:00.000-08:00

February 3rd, 2011 our first born son arrived at 9:55am weighing in at 7lbs 4 oz and 20.5 inches long. We cannot express to you what an amazing day it was. Sean and I could not stop crying and smiling for the first 24 hours and beyond.

The day began early. I woke up at 530am to shower and get ready for the day. Sean turned on our Ipod while we were packing up and getting ready. The first song he played was David Crowder's "Oh Praise Him". It is one of our favorite songs. When we got married we played it as our recessional. There was no better song to play on the day of our son's birth than "oh praise him- for he is holy". The entire process of conceiving and carrying and then birthing a baby is purely from the Lord and he is to be praised solely! As we listened to the song- we both started balling. We found ourselves just holding each other standing in awe of what was about to occur in a few short hours.

Well, we arrived at the hospital at 7am and the preop process began. Everything went smoothly. At 930am- they walked me down to the OR. From there- Sean and I were separated. They wouldn't let Sean watch them do my spinal, so I went in without him until it was all set up and ready. I began to panic a little. I was so scared of the spinal, but to be honest it didn't even hurt. It was super easy. Five minutes later- they brought Sean into the OR and one minute later they were cutting me open. It was so quick!

And then..the infamous first cry. I cannot tell you the emotion that overwhelms you when you hear your child's first cry. I couldn't stop crying. It was absolutely incredible! I couldn't see him right away but Sean kept saying, "he is perfect.. he is gorgeous.." It was beyond amazing. It was so great to have Sean there with his camera so that he could document all parts of the day. We hope you enjoy our little bundle of joy. The last five days have been the BEST days of our lives. We cant stop kissing and staring at him.

The bump: 39 weeks+ the night before the birth

2011-02-02T20:10:00.000-08:00

Wow.. I cant believe I am actually writing this post right now. It is 8:30 pm on February 2nd and I am laying on the couch next to Sean, watching Tv, fire burning, eating girl scout cookies, blogging. It is the night before our baby boy is going to be born. It is the craziest feeling knowing that he will be born tomorrow morning and that there is no more restless nights of wondering when he will make his debut. In 13 hours he will be out of my tummy! It is sooo crazy! I cannot describe the feelings I have been feeling today. I kept myself busy- meeting up with a dear friend for breakfast, mani-pedis, lunch, CPR class, lab draw, home to finish laundry and pack, then out for one last date night with my sweet husband. It has been an amazing day preparing for our lil man. I just cant believe that this pregnancy is almost over. I cant lie, I have LOVED being pregnant. Sure there are those things that get annoying about being pregnant, but for the most part- i have never ever in my life felt better. I was sharing with Sean tonight that this is the longest time in my life where i have been off ALL medications. It has been 14 months since I was last on medication for my Crohns and it has has been absolutely a miracle being able to carry this child.

We are overly anxious and excited tonight dreaming about how it will all go tomorrow. Please continue to pray for us as we endure a long awaited day. My C section will be at 930am tomor am! We are going to watch a lil modern family- and then call it a night.. One last night sleep before we are up every hour with Reid.

Thank you for all your love and support throughout these last 10 months, i have never in my life felt so BLESSED AND LOVED!

Stay tuned for an updated post tomorrow. We will try to get some photos and post an update tomorrow but don't know if the hospital will have Internet.

Here are a few photos of our last "non-parent" date tonight.. We tried a new restaurant in Hillcrest called "Red Door" and it was absolutely adorable and delicious!

NEW NEWS: Baby Reid's Bday Story

2011-01-27T09:47:00.000-08:00

I want to start this post with:

"Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding, in all your ways acknowledge him and he will make your paths straight"

(my theme verse for the past week)

So Sean and I have been battling with a very important decision this past week. Last Wednesday we saw my GI specialist to check up on my Crohn's disease. Everything went well, but as we were there, I inquired about what complications could occur if I delivered vaginally. She said that because my disease is in remission, I most likely would be ok. But as we talked longer, she went over some very serious complications that could happen in result to pushing for too long or tearing too much. The complications would result in multiple surgeries to fix me down there (don't want to be too graphic).

On Thursday, we saw our OB-GYN and she suggested that if I did not want to risk any of those complications - it would be more safe to schedule a c-section. I have been crying on and off everyday since, because I really wanted the "birth experience". Sean and I went through 6 weeks of Lamaze and we were both excited to do it together as a team! Our labor and post-partum bags have been packed anxiously awaiting my body to go into labor.

Well all in all, I began to seek out other professional opinions and continued to pray.. As the days have gone by- each perinatologist I have asked and other doctors- all have said C-Section without hesitation.

So it was up to me.. I had to trust that God was hearing my prayers and that he continued to bring people in my life to give me clarity. It has been a hard few days to wrap my mind around it. I so desperately wanted to have a natural birth and for me that is just not what is best. I have to do what is best for Reid and my own heath and future health.

I feel like there is such a "stigma" for women that have C-sections. I don't know why I feel that way, but I do and that has been so hard for me to cope with.

I have to keep reminding myself that God has blessed me so much already. The fact that I was able to conceive so fast and then carry him full term without ANY complications to me or him has been a PURE MIRACLE! So I have to trust that this is all a part of his Perfect plan!

Also it doesn't matter how the baby comes out, as long as mom and baby are healthy- that is the most important. Right??Well.. after all that saga.. the date for baby Reid's Birthday is:

THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 3rd, 2011 at 930 am.

We would so appreciate all your prayers that everything goes well and that my recovery isn't too horrendous.

We will be delivering at Kaiser Zion- visitors are more than welcome but please try to contact Sean before you come.

Thank you for all your love and support thus far. We cannot be more overjoyed knowing our son will be here in ONE week!

My Pregnant Twinsie gave birth: Happy Bday Franklin!!

2011-01-17T21:29:00.000-08:00

One of my best friends has been pregnant with me. She was 2 weeks ahead of me and well its been so fun to walk through this incredible experience together. On Sunday 1/16/11- Franklin Gregory Pyke was born. It was the same day as our joint shower, but unfortunately they weren't able to attend the shower since they were giving birth to their beautiful son! I guess it wasn't so unfortunate that they didn't get to come to the shower since they got to receive the best package of all! Today, we went and visited them at the hospital and it made me so emotional. I cant believe that in just a few short weeks i will have our own son! It made me so excited to see little frankie and to imagine their future friendship. Enjoy some pics we took today of the precious lil guy!

Photos by Sean Walker Photography ( my amazing husband)

Special Delivery: Friend Shower

2011-01-17T21:25:00.000-08:00

This past Sunday, we had so much fun. My best friends threw me a gorgeous shower including all the husbands. Andrew and Cheri have recently bought their first home and fixed it up so beautifully and so graciously hosted our beautiful shower. It was intended to be for me and my other dear friend Karrie, but Karrie went into labor that day and birthed her beautiful son the evening of the shower. SO it was an exciting day all the way around. The theme of the shower was "Special Delivery" and the girls made every detail so cute. It was truly one of my favorite days in my entire pregnancy. It was really relaxed. We ate delicious food, played really funny games, and just laughed alot and then got to celebrate all together when we received the text that Franklin Pyke was born. It made it so real that Reid is coming soon. This was the last "event" before his birth. Gosh I cant wait to meet this lil guy.

Bestest friends a girl could ask for!

Cheri and Andrew= Host and Hostest with the Mostest!

My precious mom.

Sister's lil family.

Love these kids.. cant wait for them to have their first cousin!

Spoelman Family, Oliver is goin to have a lil buddy soon!

Gettin started young.

Sean had to chug out of a baby bottle.. so funny!

He did it..almost 4 minutes later.

Who is going to dress, change the diaper and swaddle while blind folded the fastest??

Mommy of course.

the bump: 35+ 36 weeks::Official Maternity Shoot by the very talented SWP

2011-01-13T21:14:00.000-08:00

Last week we had a thursday off and in the afternoon we felt like doing something fun together and Sean has been wanting to take "official" pics of me while I am preggers. So we went on a photoshoot and ended it with sushi date. It was really fun. We headed out to Mission Trails Park and did a quick hour shoot. It was really fun but kind of awkward sometimes when it was just me and no one else in the pictures!

There has been no greater time in my life than being pregnant. I have never felt so healthy, energetic and blessed! As we get closer and closer to the due date, I have become overwhelmed with tears the last couple days. I just cant believe how God has adorned us to be parents. I have never felt so close to Jesus. I find myself praying and thanking the Lord numerous times a day for this miracle he has growing inside of me. Well only a few more weeks left of this amazing journey, so I am trying to live it up as much as possible!

Sorry if you think this is a vein post.. there are a lot of pics of just me and the baby bump.. but many people keep asking for more pics of the belly.. so here it is.. I promise not to post this many next time.

Sean Walker Photography Featured on Style Me Pretty's Emagazine: Top 2010 Weddings

2011-01-05T10:34:00.001-08:00

I am so proud of my husband for all the hard work he has put into our photography business this past year. There is no photographer that deserves it more than Sean. He literally has worked so hard this year launching our very first year of photography. So when we found out yesterday that he was featured in Style Me Pretty's Emagazine, we were shocked. We got to work with some amazing clients this past year and without them we would not be where we are today. Please check out one of our favorite weddings this past year. Sharon and Casey were so in love and it is captured in their photos. Check out pages 90-94 of the magazine to see the gorgeous spread of Sean's work.

Open publication - Free publishing - More buying guide

the bump: 34 weeks and HAPPY 2011!

2011-01-02T12:37:00.000-08:00

This past week we had so much fun going up to Lake Arrowhead. It has been a tradition for the past 4 years to go up and celebrate with college friends. We got up there Thursday afternoon and stayed through Saturday morning. We caught up with dear friends, cooked, played games, read books, took lots of pictures and walked around the beautiful lake. It all was a blast! I cant believe another year has passed and now a new fresh start. I can not wait to see what this year unfolds. In just one month we will have a whole other person to add to our lil family, and I am sure that 2011 will be filled with growth and blessings. As far as new year's resolutions- i have a few, but I dont really like making them because I seem to always set them too high and then I fail.. so this year I am desiring it to be a year of flexibility, growth and love. I am becoming a mom- a role i have NEVER played before and I am wanting to be the best i can be, but also leave room for plenty of error. I hope you had a great holiday season with your loved ones.. Happy New Year!

The whole gang minus a couple..

Me + Cheri= Always posin for the camera.

I love him!

The Sparkle Girls

Lauren Started the Annual Dance Party off right...

Get it Stace!

Preggers can have fun too!

The Midnight Kiss

CHRISTMAS DAY!!

2010-12-25T21:00:00.000-08:00

I cant believe how fast Christmas came and went this year. I had it off from work, so I was able to enjoy the entire day with Sean and family. We woke up opening stockings at home, then headed up to Murrieta to be with Sean's extended family for brunch, then headed south to Fallbrook for the rest of Christmas day with my mom and her side of the family. It was all so fun. We enjoyed great food and fellowship with the ones we love the most. I hope you all had a very Merry Christmas too. It was so fun to hear the Christmas story this year. I totally identified with Mary in being pregnant this time of year. I feel overly blessed by all that God has given us. We deserve nothing and yet he has given us soo much to be thankful for. It is so crazy that this is the very last christmas with just me and sean. From here on out, we will be a family of 3 or more. I cannot wait to share christmas with Reid next year!

Early Morning Stocking time (look a little tired, not gonna lie)

My cute husband's tag on my gift

All the girls (Sister, Grandma, Mom, Me)

Diego LOVED Hank the dog.

The Whole Family

The kids performed for us a series of songs..

The red and black team

My sweet Grandpa of 88 years and still so sharp and witty. My hero! and my mom.. my other hero!

the bump: 33 weeks: Christmas Eve

2010-12-24T20:55:00.000-08:00

I had to work all day Christmas Eve, but as soon as I got off work we headed to Church with Sean's family and enjoyed Flood's Christmas Eve candlelight service. After church we went to Coronado for dinner at Sean's sister's house. It was so good. We enjoyed dinner and then went over to the hotel Del and walked around to see the lit up hotel and huge christmas tree while eating Moo-time ice cream. It was so much fun. I am so blessed to have such an amazing 2nd family. We all get a long so well. After leaving Coronado, we got home and decided we wanted to sleep under our christmas tree and watch holiday, so we pulled out our guest bed and moved the mattress in front of our christmas tree in family room, started a fire, and fell asleep under the lit tree. It was so fun! I felt like a little kid again!

Candlelight service (Sister-in-law, Ma-in-law, me)

My inlaws

The whole Family

Twas the Night before Christmas (Carrying on a tradion of grandpa reading the story to the grandkids)

Our slumber party under the Christmas Tree (Best Part of Christmas)

Family Christmas

2010-12-24T20:41:00.000-08:00

The weekend before Christmas, we decided to celebrate christmas with my family since my brother was not going to be at our real christmas this year. It was really fun to all be together. In the morning, we went to church as a whole family with my mom and then came home and ate a big brunch, opened presents and went over to the RB Inn for hot cocoa and viewing of the giant gingerbread house. I love my family so much. Later in the afternoon we hung out with my dad and my sister made a delicious dinner for all of us. We ate so much. It all was so tasty. Nobody brings me more joy than my family and especially my little niece and nephew.. Enjoy the pics!

The whole fam

The Three sisters

Diego= Always Excited!

Tio and Aunt Marci got Bella the Easel of her dreams!

Love my new sister!

The Lovebirds

Two Peas in a pod!

NO kids I love more!

Baby Reid gets presents too.. Grammy Gretchen is already spoiling the lil guy!

Reid's new doggie

My sister's sweet family

The originals

Love the RB inn

The sibs with dad

The whole fam with dad.

Christmas Baking with the kids and mom

2010-12-20T20:53:00.000-08:00

It is a tradition in our family that we have a baking day! It is always tons of fun. There is nothing I love more than baking and hanging with family and letting our creativity explode with sugar and icing. We all went over to my sister's house and we made 5 different desserts and cookies and the kids loved it.

the bump: 32 weeks: Early Christmas Present: A NEW CAR!!

2010-12-20T20:32:00.000-08:00

A few weeks ago, Sean flew out to Dallas to check out a car we had been looking for. We had been searching for the past month for a Volvo XC90. Everywhere we looked, everything was out of our price range or didnt have everything we had wanted. So one late night- Sean had found the perfect car for us, but the problem was is that it was in DALLAS, TEXAS. But if you know Sean, nothing will hold him back. The very next day he called about it and then had an inspecting company called "Inspect My Ride" go out there and after their inspection, everything came back good, so sean booked his flight for the following day. It was crazy. I was nervous during the entire process. Well all went well and shortly after Sean arrived, he bought the car and drove it back to San Diego. It was all a whirlwind, but oh was I so excited to see it when he got home. He surprised me at work with a big red bow on it and took me out to lunch. He is so romantic and loves to make things special. We love our new car and are so excited we finally have a safe, reliable, FAMILY car!

P.S. Sean hand made the BIG RED bow out of wrapping paper.. he was so cute.. he made it feel like a real life christmas car commercial! Love him!

Bakers come to Visit

2010-12-10T20:47:00.000-08:00

We had so much fun having our dear friends the Bakers come and stay with us. They recently had their first baby and so it was a blast having all three of them with us. August is the cutest, best behaved 4 mos old I have ever met. Me and Sean quickly fell head over heels for him. He made it feel so real that our lil guy will be here in just a matter of weeks. We enjoyed sushi with the Bakers, and late nights just chatting and catching up. We wish we could have hung out more. Here are just a few pics from their stay and giving August a bath in our kitchen sink!

the bump: 31 weeks: Christmas Card shoot

2010-12-07T13:08:00.000-08:00

We had an idea of what we wanted for our Christmas card this year, but then time went by and we never got around to it, so we resorted to plan B. Sean really wanted to take pictures on Sunset Cliffs amongst the Eucalyptus trees.. It was a great idea until when we went down there and it was socked in from dense fog!

So all in all, it was a bit of a mess.. my hair frowed and it was Freezing.. so we got a few out of the many we took.. All in all it was not the best shoot we've ever taken- but here are a few that we liked!

the bump: 30 weeks + Weekend filled with Christmassiness

2010-12-06T10:34:00.000-08:00

So this past week I turned 30 weeks! I cannot believe there are only 10 more. It is going by way too fast. I am just recently REALLY enjoying it. The perks of being pregnant: Not having to suck your stomach in in pics (even though I still do, thinking its going to go away..hehe), being able to wear elastic pants all day-every day. Eating absolutely anything i want and not having a stomach ache or the runs afterward. This is huge for me- having Crohn's disease, I have always had to be very careful with my diet. There is no way I could ever eat pizza at 10pm.. and with pregnancy I not only ate pizza at 10pm but topped it off with peppermint joe joes at midnight! haha! No but all joking aside, i just feel overly blessed with this little miracle growing inside of me!

There is nothing like hearing his heartbeat, feeling him kick, and last week we got to see him again and he was facing out looking at us. It was amazing!

Well after our appointment on Thursday- we started our big Christmas weekend with Christmas on the Prado with our friends the Dodds- and met up with many others while walking through, after Christmas on the prado- we got pizza at Whole foods, watched elf, wore matching pjs and had a little sleepover with our dear friends lacey and patrick.

The next day we celebrated Christmas with all our wonderful friends in Southpark.

It was so much fun.

Then on Sunday, I hosted a Christmas cookie decorating party. It was so much fun. I was EXHAUSTED by the end of it all- but there is no better time of year! Merry Christmas everyone!

Grumpy boys- lost from their wives in Balboa park

Cheery wives found their grumpy husbands

Cheri and Andy- love them

Met up with all the girls in front of the big cmas tree!

lacey +patrick

Pj post party: Dodds +Walkers= Plaidmania

Forever Plaid

I havent laughed soo hard in so so long! Patrick was making me laugh soo hard.. if you could only hear his laugh- it would make you laugh too!

Our cute christmas tree.

Annual Christmas Party with all the Ptloma Gals

Becks: Hostess with the mostess

Cute Decor- the girls did such a good job!

Beautiful friends: Becks, Kate and Melody

Our first PT(pregnant twinsie) pic

Be Sexy Kar..

Pykes-Prom pose

Struttin our prego stuff :)

Pregnant twins with our two lil boys :) laughing it up

Lauren being lauren.

Me and my dear friend Jen

Sean painting Reid's name on a piece of art.

Love the Arias's

Me and Lo

Sara and Rachelle

Best friends being jolly!

Relaxin at the end of the night

The whole gang!

Volunteering at the Toussaint Academy

2010-12-03T10:10:00.000-08:00

Last week, a bunch of us went down and volunteered at the Toussaint Academy. It is a home downtown San Diego that houses teenagers that need a home. Many of the kids are homeless for different reasons. Some have parents in prison, parents that have abandoned them, parents that have passed away. My mother in law's work always puts on a Christmas party for these kids each year, but this year they decided instead of throwing them a party- they had a bunch of us go down and decorate their home from floor to ceiling. So that they would feel like that had Christmas all season long! It was so much fun! It definitely started out the Christmas season out right. The kids really enjoyed it and it was so fun to just love on them. Here are some pics of the fun night. Each room had a different theme.

Chris- my bro in law- decorating it up

Sis-in- law decorated the cutest room using decals on the walls

My cute ma-in law- who organized it all!

Christmas is Coming..

2010-12-01T22:32:00.000-08:00

Tonight we went out and got our very first grown up Christmas tree. For the past 3 years that we have celebrated Christmas together- we have lived in the trailer- and always had to buy a charlie brown christmas tree that is only like 2 feet tall. But this year- we have our own little house and actually could get a big tree. It was so fun to go the lot and pick out our tree. We decided on the grand fir. It is kind of a crossbreed between a Douglass and a Noble Fir. I prefer the noble fir and sean likes the Douglass fir- therefore the Grand was the perfect medium. We strapped the 6 ft tree on top of Turbo and off we went. We picked up christmas sprinkled donut holes on the way home and enjoyed our 1st day of December-decorating our tree. Nothing better than spiced cider, donut holes, christmas music, fire, and decorating the tree with the person you love the most!

Happy December 1st. Hope everyone has a blessed holiday season and remember the true reason we celebrate this time of year. There is no other time of year I love more! Everything about December and Christmas makes me joyful!

the bump: 29 weeks

2010-11-26T22:23:00.000-08:00

I cannot believe Thanksgiving is already here. Sean's family goes beach camping every year for the whole week of Thanksgiving. Unfortunately since we were in Seattle til Monday before Thanksgiving- I wasn't able to get much time off work. But we did enjoy the latter of the week. Sean went up Thursday for the feast, and I came up later that night after work. We woke up Friday and did the deed of BLACK FRIDAY! Sean and I have done it before and got a kick out of it.. so we decided to try it again! It was so fun! We bought lots of electronics, movies and household items. It was really fun! Later Friday morning- the Walker women- threw me a little beachy baby shower. All the women that are a part of beach week- came together and threw me a shower. It was so adorable and fun! My mom, sister and niece joined us, and we had a great time, eating, playing games, chatting and opening gifts. That afternoon we just hung out at the beach, and then that night had some friends and more family come up for dinner/soup night. Friday night is my favorite night of all at the beach, because my family always joins Sean's family and we all eat together and make smores by the campfire. It is the epitome of what holidays are all about. I had so much to be thankful for this year! I can not express how blessed I feel to carry a child inside of me! It is mind boggling to me still that God would bless Sean and I with such a gift.
My sweet niece ( my lil twin)
My beautiful sister and crazy spaniard :)

My beautiful mom

My amazing aunt and uncle

My cute brother and sis-n-law

Lobster Diving at Beach Camping

My adorable niece and nephew.. always craziness!
Lovin the beautiful SD sunsets!

We are so cool in our ray bans :)

My beachy baby shower- love the homemade bag from bella boo.

the bump: 28 weeks

2010-11-18T22:17:00.000-08:00

Seattle here we come! So Sean and I had wanted to plan one last trip before the lil tike gets here! So we called up my aunt and uncle in Seattle and cousins and told them we would love to come up for a visit. We had so much fun! We flew into bellingham where my Uncle Wes and Aunt Diane picked us up and enjoyed the first day touring their coffee shops (the woods) and spending time with their family! The following day- we headed down to Seattle! It was so fun! We stayed downtown and shopped, ate great food, took some pictures , got our car towed :(, and saw all our cuzzies! We had so much fun despite the 20 degree and below weather. It was fun to have the change in climate. It made it really feel like the holidays were coming!

It was a great trip. It was crazy to think that, that was our very last trip- just the two of us, not having to worry about anyone else but the 2 of us! We cannot wait for Reid to come, but it is such a crazy transition thinking you and your husband will never again have what you've had before the kids come along!

Here are some pictures of fun times in Seattle- one of new favorite places!

Birthday dinner date at Tavolata- a delicious boutique italian restaurant in Seattle

Pike's Market Walk about with the cousins

Me and Britt are only 3 wks apart.. but you cant even tell she is prego.

Best Mac n Cheese EVER! Tasted sooo good in the 20 degree frigid weather!

Had to get a treat at the very FIRST starbucks! So fun!

Cousins + girlfriends photo op

Always laughing when you are with the twins.

Happy Hour with all the cousins

Best coffee shop in Western Washington

Famous Micro brewery in Bellingham

(it is 16 degrees and we were so cold and slipping and sliding everywhere)

27 balloons, 27th Birthday Galore!

2010-11-17T22:06:00.000-08:00

November 17th- I turned the big 27 and unfortunately I had to work most of the day! Despite work, Sean always makes it special no matter what. In the morning- he woke up and made pumpkin waffles, eggs and smoothies for breakfast all set and ready for me on our patio. We then went and bought our lil Reid his stroller! Then went to work.. But when I came home from work- I came home to a BIG surprise. When I got to the front door there was a solitary balloon that said "pop me"- so I popped it and it told me to open the door and continue popping 1-27. When I walked in the front door- there were balloons covering the ceiling of our family room! It was just like the movies. Sean had rented a helium tank to blow up each balloon so that he could write a note and stick it in the balloon and then tie it. So i walked around popping one at a time and getting so excited to pop the next. In each balloon he had written different reasons he loved me. So sweet! Then in the last balloon it said- my present was waiting in the bedroom. I walked over to our bedroom, turned on the lights and there was the bed/headboard I had always wanted Sean and his dad to make. Bob did an incredible job making this bed all by hand. Sean gave him the design and Bob ran with it! It is so awesome! I still cant believe I never found out about it! I was so surprised. So all in all- it turned out to be a Great Birthday!

the bump: 27 weeks

2010-11-14T21:58:00.000-08:00

This week, I got to celebrate my birthday with all my girlfriends from college. I love all of them so much and it was so fun to try a new restaurant called Cucina Urbana. It was so yummy and adorable inside. If you haven't been there, it is a great spot in San Diego. Might be one of my favorites! I might have the greatest friends on this earth. I am so overly blessed by each and every one of them. All the girls made me feel so loved. I have been working a lot lately and it was especially nice to get a night off and just talk for ours over tasty appetizers and desserts.

Here are a few pics from that night.

the bump: 26 weeks

2010-11-07T20:15:00.000-08:00

This past week was another whirlwind, but we got to enjoy Friday-Sunday in Palm Desert. It was so fun to have a lil getaway/work weekend. We stayed at a really nice hotel and enjoyed laying by the pool on Friday and then going to Flemings to celebrate Sean's birthday. I haven't eaten that good of a meal in a LONG time! We started with the calamari, and then I ordered the pre-fix meal that included a fall salad, veal with seasonal veggies and mashed potatoes and dark chocolate cheesecake! YUMMO! Sean also had a delicious meal.. My eyes were a lot bigger than my stomach though and I seriously thought I might have popped after that meal!

Saturday- we shot a gorgeous wedding at the Miramonte, and then Sunday we enjoyed the pool again!

This coming week- Sean is in New Orleans for a Photography conference, and I am working a 40 hour week! So it will be busy once again! So we are cherishing those hours we got to spend by the pool and completely relax!

Well the baby is doing well, just keeps kickin and growin each day!

We feel overly blessed with all that God has blessed us with and could not be more thankful for this little miracle that is growing inside me.

PS. These photos are showing more skin than usual. It probably will be the most scandalous prego pics I will take :)

Sorry for the quick editing too- Just wanted to get some pics up quick! Not the best :)

the bump: 25 weeks

2010-11-01T14:25:00.000-07:00

I cannot believe October is over. Happy November everybody.. This baby is going to be here before we know it.. Some exciting news this week is that we finally decided on his name. The lil rascal's name will be: Reid. We are still sorting through some names for the middle name.. but soon we will have his entire name! It is so fun to be able to finally call him by name. Sean and I both love the name Reid and we think it sounds great with Walker. It isnt a family name, just one that we both could agree on!

Well what else.. we had a great time celebrating Sean's 28th birthday yesterday. We slept in, had breakfast in, opened presents, then went to Sean's favorite lunch spot: Georges in La Jolla for shrimp tacos! After lunch we walked around La Jolla a bit and got one of our favorite desserts: Rocky Mtn Chocolate Factory, Apple Pie Apple! YUMMO!

Later in the day I had to work, but sean went to Coronado to trick-r-treat with his nephew and had dinner with his family!

It was a great day. The weather in San Diego has been GORGEOUS and we have loved being able to enjoy it.

the bump: 23-24 weeks.

2010-10-21T15:16:00.000-07:00

Today marks my 24th week. I cant believe I am 6 mos pregnant already. It has just flown by. And I also cant believe October is almost over and the holidays are just around the corner! Each week I can feel him more- kick, turn and punch and each week my belly grows and grows..

He is almost 2lbs now and about 12 inches long. I went to the Dr's today and they said everything looked perfect on the ultrasound and that all my genetic testing came back negative, so he is a healthy lil fellow.

I still have so much to do before the lil guy gets here. I am still trying to figure out the nursery, and what stroller to buy, and all the crazy lil things that go along with the first baby!

Sean and I are counting down the til wedding season is over, and we can finally have a life on the weekends again. We've both been working very hard to prepare for this lil tike. I have been in nesting mode and cleaning mode and baking mode.. I have loved trying new pumpkin dessert recipes and fall recipes. There is no season I love more than FALL! Its truly the best!

Hope you all have a great weekend. Take time out this weekend and buy a pumpkin if you havent already to decorate your home or make a delicious pumpkinny dessert! Love you all!

My very first Baby Shower

2010-10-09T19:52:00.000-07:00

My mom, sister, sister in law, and aunt all threw me a GORGEOUS shower today. It was absolutely perfect. The theme was "cute as a button" and it was PERFECT! From the flower arrangements made by my very own mom to the button details on everything, to the button sugar cookies, to the food and decor. It was all so adorable!
I felt so blessed. All my mom and ma in laws friends and family showered me with many gifts and love and praise. When I said my thank you's at the end, I completely broke down.. I think I was just OVERWHELMED with their love for Sean and I and this baby boy! It was not cute though, it was one of those really ugly cries, not just a little choked with a sweet tear, it was the ugly uncontrollable cry! NOT GOOD! hahah.. but overall it was absolutely perfect and I honestly could not have dreamed of a more perfect shower!
Thank you to all who came and blessed me and our new little family.
The only word that described the day was: BLESSED!

the bump: 21 weeks

2010-10-09T19:49:00.000-07:00

Wow, What a beautiful wedding. Ive been to a lot of weddings and seen many brides... but i dont know if anyone has ever looked as beautiful as Dana Hamann/Sanders. She was literally glowing and so happy all day long. From her hair and makeup to her gorgeous gown.. It was all perfect! And the decor of the wedding was so Dana and elegantly vintage and classy.

Dana has been a dear friend of mine since high school, and I had the honor of standing by her side on such a sacred day! Here are a few pics of me at 21 wks, and also a sneak peak at the beautiful day. Sean was the photographer and took amazing pictures of the entire day!

the bump: 20 wks

2010-09-26T21:53:00.000-07:00

Wow! I am half way there.. can you believe it? It has FLOWN by and I hear the 2nd half even goes faster! I am finally showing more and more each day. Strangers are actually commenting and noticing my bump.. Its pretty fun. Especially when you get special treatment from people. Lovin it!
This week the babe is as big as a banana and weighs about 11 oz. It is so crazy that he is already fully developed but just gets bigger and bigger each day.. We are still trying to name him. We have a few names in the running but havent decided on any of them yet.
We also enjoyed the past week up in Mammoth with Sean's family. It was a great time of rest and relaxation. The air was crisp and fallish. It made me want to eat everything pumpkin flavored. Below are some pics of me and the hub in front of the beautiful aspen trees turning mustard yellow in color.
We look forward to the weeks to come but really cant wait for November because finally life will calm down a bit!
Enjoy the week, take advantage of the beautiful weather and I'll see you next weekend.

the bump: 19 weeks

2010-09-18T22:58:00.000-07:00

This week has been a whirl wind! I have never been so busy in my life. But I think i finally felt the little guy on Wednesday night. I was laying on the couch and there he was, he felt like gas, but also like butterflies in my stomach, almost like the feeling of when you get nervous before a test or presentation or something..Hahaha.. Maybe it was just gas and not the babe, but I wish to believe that it was the lil man :)
He is still growing well. He is the size of a large heirloom tomatoe and his arms and legs are now proportional. He is starting to grow hair too.. I wonder if he will be a blondie or a brunette. Oh how fun it is to dream about him every day. I have continued to pray for him each day that he will know Jesus and Jesus will know him. That he will meet a beautiful sweet girl someday and that they will have a family of their own.
Wow, I could not be more blessed!
Well here are a couple new pics of the bump.. every week i get bigger, but not only in the belly but everywhere..
I am still getting used to people "complimenting" me saying "wow you are soo much bigger"! Those words have never been a good thing, but starting to learn how to embrace it and love it!

Bridal shower for my dear friend Dana

2010-09-13T11:18:00.000-07:00

This weekend has been a busy one.. Yesterday I threw a bridal shower for my beautiful friend Dana Hamann. Dana has been a dear friend of mine since high school. She is like my lil twin! I love her so much and I wanted to make sure the shower was just perfect for her!
Everything was themed around her wedding colors and vintage motif. I used milk glass, and clear glass hobnail. Lots of white and creams.. (if you know me.. they might be my favorite colors/non-colors..haha) with touches of pale pinks. It was in the evening and looked so romantic with the candles lit and twinkle lights over head.. It turned out great and everyone enjoyed the tasty desserts, champagne and warm beverages. What a fun night!
Dana- I love you and thank you for being such faithful friend!

18 weeks: CAKE Cutting Party

2010-09-13T11:10:00.001-07:00

Wow.. what a day! I have never ever been so anxious, excited, sick to my stomach as on Friday September 10th. At 1:30 pm on Friday, we went to our official ultrasound. Our ultrasound tech was so sweet. She was from South Carolina and she had the cutest accent. Well as we got in there, sean held my hand and she began the exam. Oh my gosh it was the best movie I have ever seen in my life. Watching the lil bean move around and kick his legs and wave his hands and cross his arms was possibly the cutest thing I have ever seen. His little heart was beating away and i got to see all his bones and organs. A true Miracle! I just still cant believe it! Sean and I were smiling from ear to ear.. Well at the end of the exam, she told us to look the other way because she was going to look at the baby's privates.. so we did and then she states, "ok i got it", I said are you sure... she said "yep your baby isnt shy!" at that point we kind of had a feeling that it was a BOY.. but thought maybe she was tricking us.. so we anxiously awaited til the party..
The next 5 hours were painful! We stayed occupied and enjoyed a snack at cheesecake factory, but still was so hard to not know..
When we picked up the cake i could have sworn i saw pink on the baker's apron and also pink through the frosting.. and sean swore he saw blue! It was so funny!
Well 730 finally came and we CUT THE CAKE! It was filled with so many emotions (all good) and everyone anticipated the color of the cake! IT was.... BLUE!!
I was in utter shock.. i thought for sure it was going to be pink.. but none the less.. was sooo excited and sean has never been happier..
We feel entirely too blessed. THank you for everyone that got to join us on that special day.. It was so fun to expirience it together.. I dont think I will ever do it again.. way too stressful! haha
but super fun for the first!!
Here are some pictures from the party!

The "CAKE"

Blue or pink? What will it be??

Me and my beautiful mama!

A gift from sean's parents of Sean's original artwork..

Sean drew the babe in the womb back in high school..

Daddy Keeps trying to peak!!

and the time has come...

Everyone hovers...

The Boy's go WILD!! I love Sean and his dad's reaction in this pic!

Soo happy!!

Grandpa Bob keeps cheerin!! haha!

Boys Embrace!

Pink lost :(

BLUE WINs!!

The cake has been CUT!

And its Blue (looks turqouise in this pic)

the bump: 17 weeks

2010-09-05T10:02:00.000-07:00

This week flew by! Sean and I barely saw each other this week because our work schedules just didnt coincide.
But all is well in the baby world.. Getting so anxious to find out this coming week if its a boy or girl!
I would say 90% of the people I talk to- says GIRL.. but then there is that 10% that are holding out for the lil boy. I honestly am going to be so excited with either- I just want a healthy beautiful babe that Loves the Lord.. I pray for him or her everyday, that they will grow up feeling loved and loved by Jesus. It is so hard though not knowing if its a boy of girl. I feel once I know it will become so real!
The babe is still developing. our baby weighs 5 ounces now (about as much as a turnip), and she/he's around 5 inches long from head to bottom. She/He can move his/her joints, and his/her sweat glands are starting to develop.

Isnt it so crazy! Well keep following.. Next weeks update will be an exciting one! Friday the 10th is when we find out the gender! Cannot wait! Love you all! Thank you again for all your prayers, Im feeling GREAT!!

the bump: 16 weeks

2010-08-29T08:00:00.000-07:00

So this week has been great. Very busy with working a lot of extra hours at work and then shooting a wedding all day Saturday, but so fun. I am still feeling really good. I think I might be coming down with a cold. Couldnt sleep very well last night from all the congestion, but otherwise feeling great!
I got to enjoy time with my sweet friend Karrie, who is also pregnant, along with 8 of my other best friends this past friday. We had an amazing time. Here is me and Karrie's first prego pic together.. Karrie is 2 wks ahead of me and she has finally POPPED! I am still not showing much, but its fun to show our progress.

So this is our 16 wk with the little bean inside me and he or she has grown alot in the past week. Right now, he's about the size of an avocado: 4 1/2 inches long (head to rump) and 3 1/2 ounces. His/her legs are much more developed, and his/her eyes have moved closer to the front of his head. His/her ears are close to their final position, too. The patterning of his/her scalp has begun, though his/her locks aren't recognizable yet. He/she's even started growing toenails. And there's a lot happening inside as well. For example, his/her heart is now pumping about 25 quarts of blood each day, and this amount will continue to increase as your baby continues to develop.
I still sit in wonder everyday of how this lil miracle is developing all these amazing things inside me.. WHile i go about my normal day, the lil bean is being formed intricately. It is mind blowing and I am sooo thankful to Jesus for his amazing Creating power.
Below are a few pics, daddy took of me the other day. Hope you enjoy. Sorry we never took a 15 wk pic.. Life got too busy last week!

Want to know.. boy or girl?

2010-08-21T10:06:00.000-07:00

If you are in San Diego and you want to come find out whether the lil walker is a boy or girl.. you should come to our Cake cutting party..
Instead of finding out in our ultrasound appointment.. we are going to all find out together when we slice open the cake and it is either pink or blue.
How it works: On September 10th- we go to our official ultrasound appointment- while we are there, we tell the nurse not to tell us but to call our baker and tell them either boy or girl.. at that point the baker will make a cake that is either pink or blue on the inside.. So when we get to our party.. it will look like a normal cake- but then when we cut into it- it will reveal either BOY or GIRL!
Its going to be so much fun.. so if you want to come.. Let us know!

the bump : 15 weeks

2010-08-21T10:00:00.000-07:00

So I am 15 wks officially yesterday. I love babycenter.com- it gives you weekly updates of what the baby is developing each week. This week it states that the baby is the size of an apple and weighs approximately 2.5 oz. Which doesnt make since why i have definetly gained 7 lbs not just 2.5 oz.. haha! But it also said that the baby can move all its muscles and joints now and it's lil hands are opening and shutting. It also said that the babe's eyes are still fused shut- but very sensitive to light.. so i better stop laying out, so i dont blind the babe :)
I still cant believe this lil miracle growing inside me! It blows my mind! It is so wonderful to know that he/she is still growin well! I think I am beginning to love being pregnant. It is such an incredible time of life..
Stay tuned for the 15 wk pic!

the bump:14 weeks

2010-08-21T09:23:00.000-07:00

So last week was the end of my 14th week so i had SW take a picture of me while we were in CO. I love this picture! I know you cant see the bump much, i just love how he took it into the sun on a ridge so all you can see is the big blue sky. The bump is becoming more and more each day. It is hard to totally accept the weight gain. Every week I gain! It is crazy.. but i cant really say Ive been watching what I eat either.. That has to be be one of the best parts of pregnancy. You eat whatever you want whenever you want it! haha!
I finally have started feeling much better. I am having a lil more energy and the nausea is pretty much gone! So thank you for all your prayers.
I am getting more and more excited to find out if its a boy or a girl. Only 3 more weeks til the big reveal. Nothing else is too new. Just been working a lot at Kaiser and with Sean Walker Photography. Life is good!

Trip to Ouray, CO

2010-08-21T09:15:00.000-07:00

Last weekend we had the privelege to shoot a wedding of dear friends we met through Invisible Children. It was so fun because the wedding was in Colorado, and Sean and I have never been to CO so it was so fun to explore. The wedding was set in Montrose, CO. But only 1 hour from Montrose was a tiny town named Ouray. It was soo beautiful. It is named the little Switzerland of America. It is captivating. The pictures we took dont do it justice. but it seriously was one of the prettiest places we have ever seen. We stayed the first night in the oldest hotel there. It was built in the 1800's and it was beautiful. We enjoyed little hikes to the waterfalls and beautiful scenic drives. One of the drives was a lil hairy (very Scary actually- especially in a ford focus!)
Overall we had a blast and it was so great to combine work and vacation together.

We flew out of LAX so on our way we had bfast at RANDY's Donuts.. (A prego delight)

Our amazing Hotel in Ouray, CO

I dont know what my hair is doing in this pic.. looks a lil 70's- haha!

This is where we got tasty treats.. The Artisan Bakery had the best Pumpkin cake!

Our lil hike up to Cascade Falls

Beautiful Aspens

Our lil rental car along side of the treacherous path to Yankee Boy.. I was so scared!

How scary is this?

Modeling with our Focus.

GORGEOUS!

My belly looks bigger than it really is in this pic, due to the wind puffing up my dress!

My prego pose

LOVE HIM

2.11.11- A very important date!

2010-08-11T23:11:00.000-07:00

So you saw the pics of our house, and heard how excited I was to finally be in a HOME! Well we also have had some even more exciting news to share! Yes that is right.. you've guessed it. Team Walker is bringing another player to the team! We cannot be more excited. This has been a dream of both of ours since we were young. We have loved every second of marriage and now cant wait for this next step in our relationship.

On June 22nd, the infamous test was taken and it was POSITIVE! I have never been so overwhelmed with emotions. Nothing but joy. Tears of excitement and disbelief. Laughter and pure smiles for hours! It was an unforgettable day. It was a surprise to me, but even more of a surprise to Sean. He had asked 2 requests a long time ago.. He didn't want to know when I went off birth control, so that he'd be completely surprised and also wanted me to tell him in a cute way. Well as you will see below. That all went out the window. He was VERY SURPRISED but I couldn't think of anything fast enough to do-that was cute. I have never seen Sean so happy in my life! Many of you know Sean, and you know that he is a pretty chipper guy, but since the reveal.. I don't think he has stopped smiling!
That evening I made Sean's favorite meal, and he went out and ran errands while I cooked and when he came home he brought me back beautiful flowers, 2 pregnancy magazines, and an adorable card. He is so romantical and I feel soo overly blessed that he gets to be the father of our children. This child is going to be so SPOILED!

Well as we went throughout the weeks.. I had to keep it a secret because I wanted to make sure everything was ok, so we didnt tell anyone til week 10. We've never kept a secret like this before!

We told our siblings at my sister's world cup party and Sean woke up with the brilliant/crass idea to tell them in a soccer type fashion..
So what did we do.. We bought all our nieces and nephews goodie bags with soccer themed items, within the bag was a soccer ball with our writing on it. See below for the clever idea that SW came up with. I am still a lil embarrassed by it, but i must say it was clever :)

The following week we had my mom over and sean's family. We barbequed and had a very fun evening. Once we all sat down to eat, Sean said grace and at the end of his prayer he said something like: "Thank you Lord for the incredible blessing you have given brianne and I, please continue to keep brianne and the baby healthy." Before he said Amen, Sean's mom was completely freaking out (see pic below: Like mother like son) while my mom was just staring at me in disbelief. It took her a few minutes to finally get it.. it was hilarious.
It was an incredible evening. Oh and ps: Christian is already obsessed with the baby! So Cute!!

We could not be more blessed with the support we have received already. I am going to try to update week by week. I am currently 14 weeks and feeling pretty good.
Please continue to pray for us as we go through this incredible journey!

Our humble abode!

2010-08-06T14:56:00.000-07:00

In January, we finally moved into our adorable lil home. Although it is only 900 square feet.. we are over joyed with making it feel like HOME!
It took a few months to feel cozy, but little by little it has become my lil dream home!
I love how bright and clean it is. Some may say I am obsessed with white.. but i just love that clean, crisp feel.Hope you enjoy the pics.. and if you are ever in the area, our doors are always open to you! I love entertaining, so just call or come on by!

Family Room

Eating Nook/Kitchen/Laundry Room

Bathroom

Sean's Office/Guest Room

Our Room

Our beautiful backyard that Sean completely redid! We love eating all our meals out here!

Long time no see!

2010-08-03T14:50:00.001-07:00

It has been 6 months since i last updated our blog and I apologize. We have been non-stop busy since we moved back to San Diego. We are now in a REAL house. It is so adorable. I will post pics soon. I have had 3 jobs since the move back. I started out at Rady Children's Hospital and was there from Dec-March. Then from there, I moved over to Kaiser Pediatric Urgent Care. I love it. It is a great fit for me, and thirdly I am Sean's main second shooter and assistant. Sean's photography business has been a hit! We have been non-stop since we set foot back in San Diego. This summer is full of shooting wedding after wedding. Its been so exciting to see what God has done with our lives in the last year. From pursuing professional baseball, to getting injured, to going back to school to finish Sean's degree, to coming home and starting our own business, to finally moving into a HOME and unpacking all our wedding gifts, to sean coaching high school baseball, to me starting 2 new jobs, to learning how to balance the importance of LIFE!! It has been a journey this far for sure. Thank you for supporting us along the way. We love all of you and cant wait to share more of what is new with TEAM WALKER!!

Christmas on 5th!!

2009-12-05T09:23:00.000-08:00

On Thursday of last week we took a lil break from studying, writing, working and packing and enjoyed a night at Baylor. Baylor puts on a big Christmas event every year and it was really fabulous. They had music from well known christian artists- Ben Rector and Jon McLaughlin singing live, a huge real christmas tree, live nativity, carriage rides, pony rides, free cookies and hot chocolate.. and much much more and it was ALL FREE! It was a crisp 34 degrees and we were bundled (well not too bundled since we didnt really bring many warm clothes) but it was really fun and it finally started to feel like christmas!
We are getting very excited to be done soon and back in San Diego. We hope yall are starting to feel the christmas cheer!!

Thanksgiving/Cmas with the families.

2009-11-29T14:42:00.001-08:00

This past week we enjoyed traveling back home to San diego. Every year, Sean's family beach camps in San Elijo for the week of thansgiving. This year we got our own site and our own pop up trailer. It was a ton of fun. But amidst the fun with family and friends it was a bit crazy trying to fit 5 photoshoots and a wedding plus all the holiday festivities. On thanksgiving we celebrated Christmas with my family since my sister's family will be travelling to Spain for the holidays to spend time with Oscar's familia. My brother is getting married and therefore spendint this christmas most likely with his fiance's family, therefore we decided since we were all together on thanksgiving, why not exchange gifts then. Thanksgiving morning we opened stockings from our mom and presents from eachother. Sean and I both got great gifts. I got a subscription to RealSimple Magazine. I know this may sound silly, but I started crying when I opened this gift from my sister. I have NEVER had a subscription to a magazine before because I am always moving. Sean and I have never had an address to have it sent to. Well i guess it was just an overwhelming feeling that finally we are getting settled in ONE place and able to start a NORMAL life.
Sean received 2 hats that were custom made for Tiger woods. He was beyond excited. My new sister in law -to be, works for Tiger and therefore gets the hookups, and sean thoroughly enjoys any hook ups passed on to him! heehee!
We enjoyed a wonderful morning with lots of delicious food and fellowship with my family and grandparents. In the afternoon we headed back to camp to enjoy another delicious meal. It was all really fun and made you realize how lucky we are to have sunch wonderful friends and family. I am forever thankful!

My mom and lil niece Bella-boo

Future Venus Williams.

Lil diego playing with his trash truck.

Chris and Marci with Diego checkin out his new gift.

Say Cheese!

Sweet memories of grammy buying Bella her twinkle toe tennis shoes!
(It was a very special gift after the lil girls at school hurt bella's feelings for not having these certain shoes.)

Sisters.

Sister bought me Real Simple.. and was a bit emotional about it.. love this pic.

Me and Grandpa Bunny.

C+M=Young Love/ Grandma+Grandma= 65 years of love.

High five big boy!

Diego loves his uncle sean, mustache and all.

me and brother.

me and new sister.

me and mustache man= "unconditional" love

My mom and I decorated the table for thanksgiving dinner.

Hostess with the mostest

So beautiful.

Turkey time.

Brianne's 26th Bday

2009-11-29T12:36:00.000-08:00

A few weeks ago we celebrated my 26th bday. Sean had hidden 26 gifts around the house with clues to find each of them. It was so fun. As soon as I woke up, I ran through the house finding all sorts of treasures. He is so creative and thoughtful. He even made me my favorite gluten free pumpkin cupcakes with cream cheese frosting. He thought of everything I loved. It was so much fun. Then in the afternoon he scheduled me a wonderful hour massage. Later that night, we were going to go to a fancy dinner, but instead I decided I rather not spend the money and go to Texas Roadhouse- where I knew I loved the food! It was so fun to just spend the day enjoying each other and the things I loved. Here are a few pictures of all my presents, cake and us at dinner!

October 31st- SEAN's 27th BDAY!

2009-11-01T17:33:00.000-08:00

I was out of town fr: Thurs-Sat morning, so Sean had to wake up on his birthday without me. Before I left for Boston I decided to hide 27 red baloon shaped clues around the house leading to little gifts. Clue #24 lead him to his BIG gift, but i told him he had to pack up his stuff, and bring the gift with him un-opened. He loaded up his stuff and came to Austin to pick me up at the airport. I then handed him #25 that told him we were going to spend the afternoon horse bike riding. Sean LOVES horses, he dreams of owning one one day, I on the other hand am a bit scared of them. To start the day off, the biggest horse at the barn bit my arm. I went to scratch his nose and he decided to nibble at the back of my arm.. it hurt sooo bad!(picture below) hahah.. anyway, after our beautiful ride, we had a picnic on the grounds. The weather was perfect. Such a FUN day. After horse back riding we headed into town. We ended up in a new upscale shopping area in Austin called the Domain. We shopped around for a bit when I gave him number 26 which told him it was time to change into our nice clothes and head to Flemings Steak house for dinner. It is a tradition that we go to nice steak houses for Sean's Bday. We have done Mortons, Ruth's Chris and now Flemings.
Well we enjoyed a fantastic meal and after dinner but before dessert I gave him his last clue #27 to finally open his big present! He was so surprised! I got him the new 5D Mark II Canon Camera. He really wanted it/ needs it to launch our photography biz. I have never seen him soo happy! It was soo cool. I love giving gifts. Its the best!
Well it was a very amazing day and we were both all giggles and smiles! I love Sean so much and am crazy in love with him.
Make the day of someone you love today! It will make you feel so warm and bubbly inside, I promise.

Do I look a lil timid..

well i should have been.. OUCH.. he just bit my arm!

My horse's name was heartbreaker

She is sweet.. i think we are going to have a good ride.

Doin good!

Phew.. we made it.. seriously thought I was going to die a couple times.. when we had to trot at a high speed to get up the hills and then when sean's horse Charlie brown got to close to mine and he bucked at him and i wip lashed forward.. haha.. but we made it and it was fun!

Kiss.

Picnic time.

Happy Bday Sunny!

So this was funny too, sean put his arm up on the rail of the fence and it was electric and he got shocked.. hence his forced angry smile! He was shouting seconds before.

Time for dinner and presents!

At Flemings Steakhouse

My delicious savory but sweet slow cooked pork with sweet potato.

SOooo Happy.

The best cheesecake I have ever tasted.

Modeling after dinner.

Boston

2009-11-01T16:28:00.000-08:00

This past Thursday I flew out to Boston for the Pediatric IBD Foundation.I arrived in the afternoon on Thursday and got to walk around for a couple hours. Boston is BEAUTIFUL and super fun. I only got to see a small part, but i am in LOVE and really want to go back to vacation. I took a few pictures of the gorgeous fall colors, but many of the trees were already losing their leaves. (PS. I am no Sean Walker Photography. But I am learning. Sorry for the blurry ones of me.)
The board meetings went well. I still feel a bit intimidated, but by the end i felt pretty confident. It was really fun to see my old pediatric gastroenterologist. I got to hang out with him a lot. He is such a good dr and a great friend. As I sat and listened to the scientific board I was thoroughly inspired. They really believe they are months to a year away of finding the cause therefore a CURE!!! There is nothing more exciting than hearing those words, that a disease I have had to deal with for over 20 years is just blinks away from being CURED!!
Please continue to pray for my health.. it has been a rocky road the last month. Please also pray for all these extremely intelligent doctors and researchers that they will have the funds to continue on this journey!
Enjoy the beauty of Boston and the beauty of Healing!

Layin in the leaves
( i know i am a huge dork but didnt have sean to take pictures)

My awesome room- wish sean was with me!

The view from my balcony ( i know its super blurry but really pretty)

Pumpkin Carving at the Walters

2009-10-31T08:00:00.000-07:00

Sean and I have been attending UBC (University Baptist Church) this semester at Baylor. It is a great lil church. The first Sunday they had sign ups for "mi casa" groups. Which were small groups that met throughout the week at someone's home. We got placed in the Walter's home. It has been really fun getting to know them and other Baylor students. This past Monday night we all sat around the table and shared our highs and lows from the week while we carved pumpkins. We were pretty impressed by the our lil haunted cottage punkin!
Happy Halloween!!

Carvin away.

I love carving pumpkins.

Our cute friends Amy and Wes ( the other married couple in the group).

All of our creative punkins.

our cute lil haunted cottage.

Baylor Homecoming 09

2009-10-25T12:00:00.000-07:00

This weekend we had a blast hanging with old friends. Friday, my twin/amazing friend Dana flew in for Homecoming festivities.
Friday night we enjoyed a yummy dinner with Dana, Michael, Kevin and Gianna at the glorious Texas Roadhouse. Yum it was so good.. Then we ventured over to Common Grounds where we enjoyed live music my the famous Derek Webb and sipped on scrumptious hot beverages in the crisp cool air. After Common Grounds, we walked to the infamous homecoming bonfire! It was crazy! The biggest bonfire I had ever seen. They started the night off with fireworks and a cover-band singing top hits.. It was really fun. Sean enjoyed seeing many of his Kappa Sig (fraternity) brothers.
Saturday- we started out early with breakfast at the house, then the Baylor Homecoming parade.. After the parade we went right over to the football game! After the game us girls napped while the boys played tennis.. We spent the night in cooking fajitas for about 10 of us. It was so fun to see Sean's Baylor friends and hang with their wives.. I don't know if I would ever take-back my PLNU experience, but I am definitely growing to LOVE Baylor, just like everyone that went here! Sean made amazing friends from Baylor and it will always hold a very special place in his/our heart. I feel blessed that I can pseudo live his college experience.

The ginormous bonfire!

Sean and I watching the Homecoming Parade.
(Did you know its the largest College parade in the US?)

Dana,me, and Gianna in front of one of the floats.

Kevin and his girlfriend Gianna.
Kevin is one of Sean's Kappa Sig brothers.

Sic em Bears!!

me and my twinsie. I love you d.

Amazing October Dinner!

2009-10-21T07:56:00.000-07:00

I have been quite bored lately since my work keeps cancelling me. So I decided I love cooking and why not try some new recipes. Last night we were supposed to have some friends over for dinner. So I planned for a very yummy dinner. Our friends were unable to make it so it made for a very delicious dinner date with the hub.
In the morning I found a gfree pumpkin cheesecake recipe with gfree ginger snap crust! I was very scared to try this because I have never attempted to make a cheesecake. I went out to go buy a springform pan, and while I was at the store I saw this adorable mini pumpkin cheesecake pan. So instead of the springform, i decided to make mini punkin cheesecakes. I was nervous making them because I had no idea when they were done. I looked up tips online, but everyone told me different! Anywho, they turned out soo cute and super delicious. I have a lot of leftovers! The only thing that wasnt the best was that the crust wasnt crunchy. It tasted awesome, but was a lil moist..
For dinner I made chicken cutlets with cream cheese and chive in the middle with bacon overlay along with roasted red potatoes and salad with balsamic. It was so good. I only ate half of mine because it was really rich and with my stomach still getting better, I didnt want to overdo it and I had to save room for my mini desserts. The chicken was soo moist and delicious. Sean could not stop thanking me and saying how it was his new favorite. It was soo simple, you all should try it!If you want the recipes.. check out my sister's recipe blog at www.shareitrecipes.blogspot.com.
I think I might start my own gfree recipe blog.. Have a happy week!

Punkin Patch in Texas

2009-10-18T17:59:00.000-07:00

We had the best time at this adorable pumpkin patch out in the country 30 minutes away from Waco. It was a lil funny, in that everyone there had toddlers running around playing games, riding ponies, petting the baby goats.. but we had a blast finding cool places and taking pics.
We love going on lil photo-shoots together. We enjoyed bbq brisket and cool beverages sitting on hay under a big maple tree.
They had the best pumpkins too. We got a huge one with a great stem for 8 bucks!
Sean and I cant wait to have kids one day and share these fun memories with them, but for now, we just took pics of ourselves.. haha.
Oh we also met this sweet mom, Nancy, who had two boys (Brian and Brennan). Brian has autism. They both were adorable. Nancy asked Sean if he was a professional photographer, since we were carrying all our gear plus a tripod! ( I know we are HUGE dorks). Anyways, we went on and told Nancy that we are professional photogs and that we love being festive and love taking pics, and that is why we were there.. Sean then offered to take some pics of the boys. Nancy told us that her husband had been in Iraq for the last 8 mos, and it looks like he wont be home til December.. We felt so bad for her. She definetly was a strong woman to look after her two boys by herself. We felt honored to take a few pics.
Here are the pictures from Saturday. The weather was so nice. It was a clear, crisp 70 degree day.
After the pumpkin patch we shared a carmel apple spice latte at Starbucks. It was a perfect fall day!
I am so lucky to have a husband that likes to do these fun dates with me!
Happy October!

Whats your joy? "You're my joy"

The silo.

Nancy and her boys Brian and Brennan

Adorable Brian!

Our Perfect Punkin!

Tonkawa Falls with the Keeseys

2009-10-11T17:28:00.000-07:00

So after all the wedding festivities, Ben and Tiff came down and visited us for a day in Waco.
It was so fun to have them visit! We enjoyed a day in Waco
exploring campus and eating a yummy breakfast.
Later on, Sean wanted journey over to Crawford to check out Tonkawa Falls
since he hadnt been there this year to see if the waterfall would be rushing! It was!
They boys had fun jumping off the rocks and us girls enjoyed chatting and making fun of our husbands. It has been fun to start lil memories with Ben and Tiff because Ben and Sean have been friends since Kindergarten, so it is fun that us girls get to experience this journey with them!
We love you Ben and Tiffany! We are so excited to come back to San Diego and share many more double dates!

Poole Wedding

2009-10-11T17:20:00.000-07:00

This past weekend we got to spend the weekend in Austin in celebration of Laren and Courtney getting married. Laren and Sean have been Best friends since Jr high! It was so fun to be with all our San Diego friends for the weekend. It was a beautiful wedding. Everything went perfect. Here are a few pictures to capture the weekend!

The Mansion- Where we stayed.

Rehearsal

Rehearsal dinner

Friends since Jr High

Gettin ready for GO TIME!

So happy to get married!

Ben, Lindsay (court's older sister) and Sean

The gorgeous Bride!

The Kiss!

Clink clink clink.. went the glasses ALL night long!

"Cant believe we're really married!"

2nd Anniversary Cont...

2009-10-11T17:10:00.000-07:00

The Friday following our 2 year anniversary, we went up to Austin
to celebrate Laren and Courtney's wedding. While we were there we
did a lil celebrating ourselves! We got a lovely couples massage and then went
home and got dressed for dinner. Sean had done his research before we went
there and found an adorable place that served anything on their menu
modified for gluten free diets! It was so fun! You could order any
pizza or pasta on the menu but just with g-free products instead
of the real pasta or pizza dough. It was DELIC!! We enjoyed a glass of red wine
and a fun italian dinner under a big tree that canopied over us with twinkle lights. It was a delightful night with my hub!
We are so in love and we love to get to celebrate our love!
Enjoy the few pics!

730 days and counting!

2009-10-01T19:13:00.000-07:00

Yesterday we celebrated our second anniversary! I cannot believe it has been 2 years already! We have done sooo many things in the last 2 years. Every year we make a photo album that recaps the previous year. Last year Sean made our album. This year I made the album. It arrived yesterday, so after work and school we enjoyed looking through it and reliving all the places and things we did this past year.
When I came home from work, Sean had planned out dinner. He made teriyaki chicken with sauteed mushrooms and green beans, spinach salad with apples and walnuts and sweet potatoes. It was very creative, and super yummy! I love his creative mind!
Also when I arrived home, there were flowers that he put together himself, our album and a cute lil pumpkin that he wrote all over. He said he knew i loved pumpkins and well he thought it was going to turn out a lot better, but I LOVED IT!! It was soo creative and that's what i absolutely adore about him.
I gave Sean a book called " Love Listography". It is a journal type book that I filled out with lists of things about US. Like where our first kiss was, what our favorite restraunts are, what our dreams are.....
It is tradition to give a gift of PAPER for your 2nd anniversary, so i filled this journal with entrys about me and him! He loved it!
Tomorrow we are going to Austin to celebrate a lil more. We are going to get a couples massage and eat at a cute wine bar that serves gluten free pizza and pasta.. Sean is one of the most thoughtful people I know. He researched Austin to find a place that would serve gfree items. I will post more pictures from this upcoming weekend. We are excited to get away and enjoy a weekend together without work and school! Marriage is the most amazing blessing that God gives to us. I am so blessed by Sean and love him soo much!
Happy ANNIVERSARY!

Becky B comes to visit "good ol" TEXAS!!

2009-10-01T18:52:00.000-07:00

Our dear friend Becky came out to visit us in TX. We had a fun-filled weekend. On friday we conquered Waco. Saturday we took off and headed North to Dallas. Becky had found on the internet that the big Dallas State Fair was taking place that weekend. So off we went to the fair. It was very hot but fun! After the fair, Sean met up with a college friend and played tennis and Becky and I went shopping and hit the famous starbucks for an afternoon treat. After tennis and shopping we got dressed up and headed to Fort Worth to eat some tasty bbq and dance the night away at billy bobs. It was a blast!
Sunday- we hit up a great breakfast in Waco at Cafe Cappuccino! Sean had to stay behind in Waco this day because he had a lot of school work to do. Becky and I heades south to Austin and enjoyed the day exploring Austin- shopping, walking around and eating a delicious lunch. Later that evening becky had to fly back home to San Diego. It was so fun to have a girlfriend out here to do all the girly things. Love you becks!! Thanks for visitin us!

i LOVE salt water taffy!

how frightening is that clown.. VERY!

the mysterious man with only an upper body.. there are some wierd peeps at the fair!

Sean racing the trucks at the Ford exibit

Me and Becky's Turn.. we were TERRIBLE!!

FRIED OREOS with powder sugar and carmel sauce.. Didnt try any.. Not G-free.. but they LOVED them!

Big GREEN tractor: This one is for my nephew Diego.. He is obsessed with Tractors!! Love you lil diego!

Sean eating ALL YOU CAN EAT ribs.. and LOVIN it..

Sean teaching me the 2 step at Billy BOB's.
( The world's largest honky tonk!)

It was sooo fun!

Some creepy old man that LOOOVED becky!

Lunch at the South Congress cafe, AUSTIN. So yummy!

www.seanwalkerphotography.com

2009-09-16T07:41:00.001-07:00

We did it! We spent many hours working on Sean's photography website and it is finally UP! Go to: www.seanwalkerphotography.com and check it out. We want to hear your feedback. We are still perfecting it! Let us know if you find errors, links that dont work... We have also noticed that the logo overlaps on certain pages if you have an older computer. Let us know if anything looks funny!
Thanks for all the support and continue to pray for us as we begin this new business. Sean is overly excited to have a career that he is soo passionate about!
Enjoy!

Southern Meal after a Rough First day!!

2009-08-26T06:43:00.001-07:00

For those of you who have not heard, Sean is Just Fine!! We ended up going to ER after school on Monday and they did a CT scan of his head and everything was NORMAL!! Praise the Lord!! He has been really sore the last couple days, but other than that he has a few scrapes and scratches but nothing too serious! We are overwhelmed with how amazing God is! He must of had a very strong guardian angel protecting him that day! :)

Anyways, I wanted to make Sean's favorite meal for dinner on his first day of school- to cheer him up after a Crazy scary day. I made delicious ranch cornflake crusted chicken, mashed potatoes, asparagus with some yummy sun-brewed peach tea! Sounds pretty Texan to me!! For dessert he had his favorite key lime pie, and i had some ice cream. It was a YUMMY meal. It also looked pretty, so i took a pic. hahah I know i am such a dork.. but i think i might start taking pics of recipes I make so that i know what they are supposed to look like!

Love you guys! Oh..the ranch crusted chicken recipe (gluten-free too) is on my sister's blog, check it out! (www.shareitrecipes.blogspot.com)

Sean's 1st day in his FINAL semester at BAYLOR!

2009-08-24T06:09:00.000-07:00

Sean all weekend, has been telling me "mommy dont make me go to school!!!!" or "Do i have to REEEEAAALLY do this?" My answer is always Yes YOU HAVE TO DO THIS!! Its going to be ok.. I bet you will actually kind of like it!! This morning he popped right out of bed at 630am. Headed to the shower, put on a cute new shirt he bought yesterday, debated to look nice and responsible or cool and relaxed.. hahah soo adorable. I then told him I would make him a yummy breakfast, but he said he' d rather have a bowl of cereal and OJ. After bfast he read his bible for a bit and then started putting all his supplies and schedule together. Around 740, I told him he better get his bike and get going so he gets there a bit early before his 8am class. He agreed and got on his way.. Well at 743 he called me. I said, hey what did you forget? He said nothing.. I JUST GOT HIT BY A CAR!!!!! I said, NO WAY.. stop joking.. He said IM NOT JOKING.. A lady was pulling out of the apartment complex and didnt look both ways.. and i saw it coming and knew she was going to blast me and there was nothing i could do to get out of the way. I said.. OH my GOSH!! Well i am coming, where are you? He said, NO i think i am ok. I put a huge dent in her hood of her car and I landed on my face, but i really think I am ok! I said, no let me come get you.. he persisted and said, no its ok.. i gotta get to class!!

It was a crazy start to a crazy day!! I havent heard from him yet, but i am sure he made it to his first class. Please pray that he isnt super sore the next few days, that he is truly OK!! Wow God sure watches over us!! He wasnt even wearing a helmet!

Well wish us luck in this crazy semester! Pray not only for Sean's safety (hehehe) but also that he will enjoy school and do well and not be super stressed. Love you guys!

Not too happy about packing up and heading to school!

School supplies.

Checkin his schedule online, and writin it down.

Lookin cute, cool and responsible..

Just before he got hit.. so sad!

Hume in July

2009-08-22T14:15:00.000-07:00

THe week before we left for Texas, we decided to go visit my mom one last time up at Hume Lake. It was the Best! There are very few places in this world that I love more than Hume. Sean and I just love it up there! We enjoyed relaxing, swimming, boating, fishing, cooking, watching movies and playing games.

It was a great week with my mom too! We love her so much! She is a true Saint!! She has had a wonderful summer working for Hume and living in our cabin!

Here are a few pictures of the trip.

havin a picnic @ the cove-gotta love the one-piece ;)

he is so romantic! (this was before 100's of high schoolers bombarded the cove..hehe)

sean's friend who came and visited him every night.. he fed him ricecakes and pringles.. by the last day.. cody the deer ate right from his hand!

Beautiful 10 mile creek and seanny fishin!

i sure love my mama!

ALWAYS WEAR YOUR SEATBELT!!!

2009-08-22T13:01:00.000-07:00

On our way out to TX, we unfortunately watched a terrible crash right before our eyes. It was really crazy to watch. Basically a black pathfinder was in front of us on the 10 freeway eastbound right outside of Las Cruces, NM. It appeared that the driver had fallen asleep. He slowly veered off the road into the median, then over-corrected and swept across both lanes, 10 ft from being t-boned by a Semi, into a ditch, proceeding to roll 7x into the field. It was AWEFUL!! We were the only car right behind him.

We quickly pulled over. Sean jumped out of the truck.. running into the field to help this man. I looked for my CPR mask, couldnt find it, and grabbed my phone to call 911! I grabbed a water bottle from the car and ran out to where Sean was. I thought for sure the people in the vehicle were going to be dead. I was frightened to see the remains. As I came closer, Sean had yelled to me that he thinks he is ok. It was only one person, the driver. His name was Carlos. He had gotten himself out of his SUV and when Sean got there, Carlos collapsed to the ground. Sean immediately assessed him to make sure he was breathing ok and that he wasnt bleeding out. Carlos kept saying his arm..his arm.. His arm was really bad. It appeared to me that his shoulder was disslocated and arm was fractured in multiple places with gnarly puncture wounds. Other than that.. He looked GREAT!! PURE MIRACLE!!! He was wearing his seatbelt- and I truly believe it saved his life, as well as his guardian angels protecting him!

It took about 15 minutes for the police and ambulance to arrive. Once they got there, it moved very quickly and they got him out of there!

I was pretty shooken up the rest of the day. It just reminds you how precious life is and how quick it could be gone!

Here are some pictures, Sean took once he was taken away!

All his stuff was scattered everywhere from all the flips.

The EMT's are carrying him off on a stretcher.

Home sweet Waco!!

2009-08-21T19:02:00.000-07:00

We arrived in Waco, Tx on Wednesday afternoon. It was a LONG drive. I always thought these long drives would get easier- the more times I do them.. but not the case.. I get more and more bored! We filled our times with road games, lots of riddles and word puzzles, music, editing photos.. etc. We had a good safe drive. Thank you all for all your prayers!

We got to move into our apartment yesterday morning. We are sub-leasing an apartment from another Baylor student.. So far it has worked out well. We ended up with a 3 bedroom apartment for the price of one! It is very clean and nice. Below are some pictures. It is unlike me to bring "some" decor.. It is killing me that I didn't even bring pictures! We are living the minimalist life for the next few months. We did purchase one big item today at Target.. We bought our first TV. We were pretty excited about it. Its not too flashy but fun to know that we will carry it with us into our first home when we get back!!

School starts Monday for Sean. Pray that God will ease his anxieties. He loves Baylor and Waco but is not looking forward to the school part.

As for me, I had 2 interviews today, not wasting any time!! The first interview only lasted 10 minutes. It wasn't a good fit for me. The second interview seemed like a perfect fit. I think its going to work out. I will know more next week, but looks very promising. The only downfall is that I may have to work night shift again, which i dislike.. but I figured I would give it a try!

Hope you are all doing well! We will update as much as we can..

The pictures are just from my camera taken by me( not pro-style).. but we will try to put some better quality pictures up in the next few days.

Love you and miss you already!Outside of our place- we are on first floor.

The clubhouse (includes: fitness room, free tanning bed, movie theatre, cyber room, pool-tables, and pool and hot tub)

Our big 26" VIZIO Flat Screen

( half bought by Target giftcards from our wedding- thank you)

Our family room with Sean editing photos

Our One of a Kind TRIANGLE Table.. So random but cute flowers make it ok!

Our nice big kitchen

the hallway down to 2 bedrooms on right and laundry room on left with our bedroom at end of hallway

our bedroom( i always bring our own bedding- makes it feel homey!)

our desk area in our room

our bathroom in our bedroom

Wishes do Come True!!

2009-08-01T19:48:00.000-07:00

My wonderful brother has been dating a beautiful gal named Marci. They met at Hume Lake many years ago working on staff together. They went their separate ways- Westmont, PLNU, jobs etc... Then one day they reconnected and the rest is history. God has created them solely to be TOGETHER FOREVER!! They fell in Love fast and it has been amazing to see our Faithful Father work in their lives. Today was a big day for them. Christopher proposed!! They are now on an exciting journey to get married. It feels so good to know that my new sister is AWESOME!! Our family is now Complete.. except for all the lil ones to come!

We love you Chris and Marci! Congratulations!!
This is a pic I took of them when we were all up at Hume together.. I know what Marci was wishing for.. heeheee. and now it came TRUE!!!!

Padres Game with the crew!

2009-08-01T19:31:00.000-07:00

Last night we had so much fun going to the Padres game with some of our great friends. We bought the cheap park tickets and sat on the grass and enjoyed a great game! We were down 7-0 in the 1st and 2nd inning. By the 5th inning we had an awesome come back and ended up winning the game 11-7! It was the best. It is so fun to go to baseball games with Sean. He is so enthusiastic.. and the love of the game lives strong in our hearts. Here are some pictures of us with some of my bestest friends! GO PADRES!!

Shots by Sean

2009-07-28T18:53:00.000-07:00

Today, we received a special delivery containing my Vitamin B12 shots. I am excited to start these because they will give me a lot more energy. I told Sean either I can give it to myself or I can teach him how to do it to me. He didn't hesitate to volunteer. He was actually excited to give it to me!
So, after dinner he gave me my first shot. He was so excited. He wanted to take pictures of this expirience. So funny! Then I told him he should put my scrubs on to look like a real nurse, and he was really excited to do this too.. HAHAH!! So here he is being a "real" nurse and giving his first shot on his lil wife.
Hope these pictures dont make you faint. The red liquid in the syringe is NOT blood. It is the vitamin B12. I will be getting 2 shots a week. Hopefully I will feel better in no time.
Oh and he did a great job.. I DID Scream!! Which scared him a bit.. and left the syringe just sticking into my leg, asking me " WHAT NOW??" I coached him through it and he did great! I love having another nurse in this family.. but i dont really like being the patient!!

Weekend Getaway!

2009-07-27T19:44:00.000-07:00

This past weekend we had so much fun with our wonderful friends, the silberbergs. Cheri and Andrew are two of our closest friends and they invited us to spend a long weekend with them up at their parent's vacation home in Nipomo. It was amazing. So relaxing and fun. The boys played golf all day every day, then would join us girls by the pool. The girls cooked, baked, laid out by the pool, read, drank morning coffee, and shopped. We went into SLO on Saturday for shopping and dinner. Sunday we headed back home and spent the day in Santa Barbara. Both of these beach towns are charming. We enjoyed every minute of the weekend and wished we could of stayed longer. Thank you Cheri and Andrew for being such a blessing to us! We truly appreciate your friendship and look forward to the many more memories we share.

Brianne's Medical Update

2009-07-26T08:56:00.000-07:00

First I want to thank everyone that has prayed for me these past couple weeks. I have truly felt every prayer and am so blessed to have so much support and love.
Some may know, I had my annual Colonoscopy and Endoscopy 2 Fridays ago. It went very well.

Well as well as those can go... hehe.. The preparation "Clean Out" day is always the worst part, but with a wonderful husband and friends that cheered me on.. I got through it. The next day was the procedure and it went well too. I did wake up in it( which was a bit traumatic for me) but overall it went well.
The outcome looks mostly positive. The doctors said my Crohn's disease looks very under control in most of my body. GREAT NEWS!! I do have moderate inflammation in my small intestine and colon. Therefore they want to put me back on steroids for at least 2 weeks. I am very upset about this but I know I need to take care of my body.

I have been off ALL meds for 2 years and therefore it was very saddening to know that I have to be on medication again. They also have put me on a Gluten free diet and a minimal dairy diet. I have done the Gfree diet for over a month now (NOT even cheating for a communion cracker.. heehe) I surprisingly have felt a lot better without flour in my diet. I feel like it gives me a lot more energy and way less tummy aches. I also have been getting Iron infusions every other day at Scripps Mercy. My iron levels are shockingly low and cannot supplement orally, therefore need IV to boost my levels quicker.

I am also starting B-12 shots. I or Sean will be giving me B12 shots 2x a week. My B12 is also very low. I am excited how much more energy I will have once my Iron and B12 levels rise to normal levels.
There are a couple other all natural supplements they want me to take like Aloe Vera juice (natural anti-inflammatory), L- Glutamine (restores amino acids in your body), flax seed....

I am shopping very differently these days.. no more processed animal crackers, nilla wafers, hawaiian rolls, bagels... Now much more fruits and veggies and proteins.
I look forward to a restored body. I thank you all for caring and praying. I continue to work hard to take care of my body for my God.

Lake Arrowhead 2009

2009-07-13T11:46:00.001-07:00

This past weekend we had so much fun at Lake Arrowhead. Our dear friend Lauren has a cabin up there. There was a big group of 12 of us. We had so much fun wakeboarding in the early mornings, laying out on the dock, swimming, playing volleyball and cooking lots of yummy food.
Sean and I had a blast on the boat. We decided that if we ever strike it rich, we would love to buy a boat! I don't think there is anything else I like more than waking up early, watching the sun rise, listening to country music, jumping in the frigid water and getting behind a boat to ski. It is such a blast. We are so blessed by our friends. We love hanging out with them and it is trips like these that we realize what life is about. We treasure each and every friendship!

Sean catching some air!
I decided to give the pictures a vintage look!

Happy 4th of July!!

2009-07-05T14:52:00.000-07:00

We enjoyed Friday and Saturday celebrating the USA! We started friday with a pool party with the Pykes then BBQ with other friends downtown at the Silberbergs. It was so fun to watch the Padre game, eat yummy food and watch the great firework show after the game.

Saturday we slept in and then headed to Coronado with Cheri and Andrew. It was the best day!! We loaded our bikes in the van, parked near the bridge(so we could escape the traffic after the fireworks) then road our bikes around all day. We ate yummy Miguels for lunch, beached it up for hours, got refreshing drinks and fro-yo, played exciting rounds of yahtzee ( cleared out starbucks- because we were yelling so loud... hahah) hot tubbed at the Del, then watched amazing fireworks with champagne! It was perfect!

Coronado was filled with AMERICAN spirit - all the houses were decorated with red,white and blue..

The night ended with us girls riding on the handle bars with the hubs screaming U-S-A!!!

U-S-A!!!! and singing God BLESS AMERICA!!

Haha It was awesome!

Sean and I outside of Petco Park

Kate, AJ, Andrew, Cheri, Sean and me

The Day begins at Miguels (an all-time favorito)

Beachin it with the Keeseys and Silbs!

Ridin bikes in Coronado

Playin Yahtzee at Starbucks

Yahtzee for life (our favorite game)Sean being artistic!!

Hot Tubbin at the Del.. Felt so good after being in the sun all day!

The beautiful Hotel Del

Amazing Firework shots by S. Walker

This one was awesome because a fire truck went by while the shutter was still open.. Dramatic effect. The hub was stoked on this picture!!

God Listens when we Pray.

2009-06-10T20:25:00.001-07:00

Isnt he so cute!! Hahaha.. He hates that I put this picture on here.. But it tied into this blog so well. Sean and I have been praying so much about what God wants for our lives. Sean knows that his time in the Minor Leagues was not a waste. He strongly believes that his time there was to develop him for the future. He has been thinking that he really wants to coach high school level baseball, teach and have his photog biz on the side. Over the last few weeks we have been praying that God would use us and that we would be obedient when he calls us to do something. We are sick of listening to God and yet not DOING anything about it. Today was an amazing day. Sean was asked to speak at a local church on Sunday about what it means to be on a TEAM. After he spoke to the pastor, he was notified that Christian High School is in need of a Assistant Coach/Pitching Coach next season. Sean went to the game to watch one of the boy's he has mentored/coached. During the game, Sean met with the Head Coach and basically he offered Sean the job. Sean is overjoyed in how fast God answered his prayers. We will be gone for school in the fall but when we return in December, Sean will start coaching at Christian High (my alma mater). We are so thankful that our God is a personal God and that he listens to our every need, desire, hope. Thank you for all your prayers. We are excited for what the future holds.

Sean Walker Photography- BLOG IS UP!!

2009-06-10T20:01:00.000-07:00

Sean is launching his photography business. His blog is up and running. Check out his amazing work at www.seanwalkerphotography.blogspot.com . We are so excited to embark on this adventure. If you are interested in family, baby, engagement or wedding portraits- Sean is your guy. Please pray for us as we trust God in this journey. We know that Sean has a gift and we are excited to start using those gifts. I will be assisting Sean. It is very fun to work as a team. Stay tuned for his website.

Date day with my Joy... SRW!!

2009-06-07T18:26:00.000-07:00

Today we had a fun date day, just the two of us.. We haven't done that in a LOOONG time. We started the day cleaning and making breakfast, then we went to church. Church was awesome. It was about Joy. It inspired me to seek joy more. What is your joy? Mine is many things but my 2 greatest joys are: 1- My salvation, 2- My husband. How amazing is it that our salvation can never be stripped from us. I am so lucky to have a God who promises me a life after this that is free of sin, disease, sadness, filthiness. And that it lasts for eternity.

Well i was "overjoyed" after the service, because i knew the rest of my day was with my 2nd joy, my hub. We went to the Padres game and had a really great time. It was wierd going to a baseball game with sean and not alone. I miss watching him play, but it was very fun to have a date in the stands.

We decided to take some fun pics while we were there. It was a long game... 18 innings long.. but we left early.

Hope you have a great week and find your joys in life!

PS.. My hat was my brother's when he was a lil boy.. Padres 1980's... Pure brown corderoy with orange writing.. CLASSIC.. love you christopher.

Update since Easter....

2009-05-31T18:07:00.000-07:00

Bella's first sleepover EVER.. and who did she pick??

She picked Uncle Seanny and Tata Bri!!

We had lots of fun with her.. She wanted to go to Sushi.. so funny.. so we were bein silly with our chopstix..

She will always be my baby.. but she is becoming such a lil lady.. I love her so much!

Hume Lake 2009/Memorial Day Weekend

Us, best friends and brother and girlfriend looking at the stars!

Cheri and Andrew (Love them)

Me and Marci(playin frisbie golf)

Brother and his GF.

Me and the brother on the porch.

Oh seanny!

Looking over the Kings Canyon

Sorry fellow bloggers, I have not been blogging as much since we have been back in San Diego. I feel like we are home and therefore nobody really checks our blog anymore.. but I have been notified of a few faithful readers and they have voiced their disappointment with the lack of updates.. hehehe..

So since Easter.. we have been living in La Mesa next to the Walkers in the trai trai. Sean and I are currently unemployed. Sean has been working with Bob ( his dad) a lot during the week.. and I have been working on getting a Nsg job and everything looked great to go back to Kaiser and work at my old job, but just this past week they told me that there is no need right now. So its been real frustrating. I feel so purposeless without working. I am now with an agency called Nursefinders that helps me get temp jobs. I was a school nurse sub last week and look forward to getting more temp jobs.

Sean and I are in a BIG transition phase. Sean really believes that God is not calling him to Baseball anymore. Therefore we are searching out what is next for Team Walker. As of now, we are planning on living in San Diego through the summer, then we will leave to go to Baylor in August for Sean to finish school. Then come Christmastime- Sean will graduate and we will come back home to San Diego. From there, we will see what the Lord has for us. It is an exciting time, but also a bit scary. We have been challenged and want to make sure that we are seeking the Lord in everything. We want our desires to match God's desires.

We have had a great time with friends and family since weve been home.

Hope you enjoy all the updated pics. I will really try to blog more often.. Thank you for all your prayers and support. We love our lives.. even when its hard.

Please pray for me. My Crohn's disease has been bad lately. I hate being sick. Please pray that I will have strength through my sickness.

Holly's Wedding

2009-05-31T16:17:00.000-07:00

Holly and Jose's Wedding

Sheraton, Harbor Island

The Keeseys and Us dancing the night away!

the cute newly weds.. soo happy!!

One of Sean's childhood friends got married last night. It is always so fun to go to weddings, especially with good friends. All of Sean's pals from Elementary, Junior High, High School, and now were there. Fun seeing old friends and meeting new.

Here are a few pics of last night. We love you Holly. Hope you have a fabulous honeymoon.. Welcome to the Newlywed Club!!

Easter Lovin!!

2009-04-13T17:36:00.000-07:00

The whole fam

Mom, Sibs and me

I love these boys!!

the hub and me

We had a weekend jammed full of celebrating Easter. We had Melissa's bunny tea party on Friday, walker- easter egg hunt on Saturday, and easter Celebration on Sunday with my wonderful family. We had an awesome time in church Sunday morning. It was raw and real. It spoke to many hearts and made me realize how lucky we are to have a savior who died for us/me. Me, a silly girl who doesnt worship her God like she should. Me a chronic sinner. Me a girl who calls her God, "father" yet sometimes skip days talking to him and doesnt know Him as much as I should. I am so thankful, my God, father, friend.. accepts me for me.

Anyways, our easter Sunday was filled with family and joy. We went up to my aunt and uncles in Fallbrook, where my mom, cousins, grandparents and siblings all ate great food, hunted eggs, and laughed a lot.

Sean and I are so thankful for the family God has given us. But most of all thankful for the eternal life we receive for believing in him.

Alive and Well!!

2009-04-10T20:11:00.000-07:00

me and my momma

seanny and me

my beautiful sis and adorable diego

the cutest easter bunny ive ever seen!!

We are home in San Diego. We have enjoyed this week getting unpacked and settled in our trai trai.. We are searching out what the Lord has for us and what our next steps will be.

Today my sister had an adorable bunny tea party. She had it decorated so cute and the food was delicious. There were many tiny tots running around and it made it for a day of craziness and fun!

Sean enjoyed taking photos of the kids and I enjoyed holding the babies and playing with the kids.

Easter is such a fun time of celebration of LIFE. All these kids are so full of life. It makes me realize how short life is and how we need to make the most of it. I love seeing the innocence in kids and their care-free spirits. I hope that everyone has a great easter and we realize how lucky we are to have a sweet savior to die for us so that we may LIVE!!

"Released" into God's hands

2009-03-27T10:29:00.000-07:00

Yesterday, Sean walked into the Astro's spring training facility ready to get treatment done on his injured oblique muscle. Sean has been battling his oblique being strained for the last two weeks. As he went to dress out for the day, he noticed his jersey was no longer hanging in his locker. At that point he know his time had just been cut short to play for the Houston Astros. The Astros decided that they wanted to allow some of their younger guys to have an opportunity and that there wasn't a spot for Sean. Therefore, he was released from the Astros . We felt a spectrum of emotions. From being shocked, frustrated, sad, angry, to excited knowing God is in full control and He will prevail. We began to see a different meaning to the word released. We felt that it wasn't fair, that they didn't even give Sean a opportunity to make a team. But after a lot of thinking and meditating, we realized that there is so much peace and joy in our God. He is our leader. He is in complete control of our lives, and find content in Him. He is the one who has allowed Sean to be released in his hands so that Sean and I can do BIG things for Him. We are excited to see what that plan looks like. Sean believes God has given him the talent to be a pitcher. He believes he can do it and do it well. Although it has affected Sean's pride, right now he feels more enabled than ever to succeed in baseball. Our plan right now is to return home to San Diego..( yes I am secretly real excited to come back home), Sean will continue to train and heal from his injury, I will try to get a 3 month contract with a hospital. But who knows, God might have a much different plan for us. Sean will then try out for teams in about 6 weeks. We believe that this release is a closed door with the Astros, but not a closed door to baseball. In the next few months we will be able to know more. Please continue to pray for us as we endure this exciting life. We appreciate all your emails, texts and phone calls. We have been overwhelmed with the support we have received. My sister sent us a verse that we loved!

It is Proverbs 19:21

"Many are the plans in a man's heart, but it is the Lord's purpose that prevails."

We love all of you and will be seeing many of you soon.

Boston- Pediatric IBD Consortium

2009-03-27T10:12:00.000-07:00

I traveled to Boston on Monday and Tuesday of last week. I love Boston. I was only there for Monday afternoon through Tuesday morning. I went to Boston for my first board meeting. I was privileged to be asked to serve as a board member for the Pediatric Inflammatory Bowel Disease (IBD)Consortium. It was very fun and informative. I felt a bit intimidated by everyone at first. I was the youngest by 15 years. The board consisted of people from lawyers, physicians, CFO's, established bankers, and others. I was the only one on the board that actually has IBD, all the others are parents of children with IBD. Basically this non profit organization is doing research for Crohn's and Ulcerative Colitis to find better treatments and hopefully one day a cure. It was fascinating to learn that there really has been no research done for pediatric IBD, all the funds go to adult research. I am very excited to contribute to this consortium. They are doing a few different research projects. One has to do with the bacteria that grows in the digestive system to see if that has anything to do with the disease. Being a nurse, I get excited about the medical and research aspect of this organization. But I also get excited to bring more awareness to this disease so that others know about it and can be better educated.

I am uncertain of my exact role. But I hope to contribute personal experience and enthusiasm to this board. I unfortunately do not have the monetary contribution like many of them do, but hopefully one day will be able to contribute more. I truly believe the cure is out there. There are 12 brilliant pediatric gastroenterologists in this consortium working to find the cause and cure to these diseases. I am excited to be a part of this thrilling project.

5-4-3-2-1- BLAST OFF!!

2009-03-17T08:44:00.000-07:00

Our dear friends Sarah and Jeff

Discovery Blast off!

The smoke changing all different colors as the shuttle leaves the atmosphere

Sean and I having so much fun!

Sunday at precisely 7:43 pm the Discovery space shuttle launched to space. It was one of the most fascinating things Sean and I have ever seen. It was absolutely amazing to watch and hear and to think that there was a crew of seven leaving their families to discover the outerspace. So risky, an adventure of a lifetime. Our dear friends, the Mandels, live near Cape Canaveral, where the shuttle was launched. Sean played baseball with Jeff at Baylor and was great friends with him and his wife Sarah. I have truly enjoyed getting to know both of them more. We wish we were on the same team so we could have them around all year. Well as we got closer to the launch, sean researched NASA and all the incredible things about the actual shuttle and space. We trivia was so interesting. Here is some trivia that I thought was crazy:

Q. How much does the Space Shuttle cost?
A. The Space Shuttle Endeavour, the orbiter built to replace the Space Shuttle Challenger, cost approximately $1.7 billion.

Q. What types of propellants are used in the Shuttle? How much do they weigh?
A. At liftoff, an orbiter and External Tank carry 835,958 gallons of the principle liquid propellants: hydrogen, oxygen, hydrazine, monomethylhydrazine, and nitrogen tetroxide. The total weight is 1,607,185 pounds.

Q. How fast does a Shuttle travel? What is its altitude? How much fuel does it use?
A. Like any other object in low-Earth orbit, a Space Shuttle must reach speeds of about 17,500 miles per hour (28,000 kilometers per hour) to remain in orbit. The exact speed depends on the Space Shuttle's orbital altitude, which normally ranges from 190 miles to 330 miles (304 kilometers to 528 kilometers) above sea level, depending on its mission.

Florida- BASEBALL BEGINNINGS!!

2009-03-07T14:05:00.000-08:00

We finally landed in Kissimmee, FL at 1130 Thursday night. After 40 hours in the car, 9 tanks of gas, 50 riddles, 20 sudoku games, and 10 Cd's made by our amazing friend Pat, we were ready to be out of the car and be settled.

It was a long drive, but all our stops were very fun along the way. We truly made the best out of the drive. Sean is an amazing driver and busted through state after state. We unpacked and got settled yesterday, made dinner and went to bed early. Today, Sean started camp. He was up at 6 for a physical, then onto working out and start spring training. He said it was a great day. He is very excited for the season. He said that there are not very many old guys and a lot of new guys that the Astros' picked up from other teams. Sean says it will be interesting where everyone fits on the teams. We are hoping for a great spring training. Sean feels mentally strong, and physically ready to work harder than any of his teammates. It is exciting to see the fire in his soul for baseball. We are looking forward to meeting new friends and to be an ongoing light to all around us. I am currently looking for a part time job, but look forward to this time of rest for my body to heal. Please pray for both of us that we will be healthy. Also pray that God will place people in our lives to witness to and befriend. We look forward to opening our home open to boys each week for a home cooked meal. I loved doing it last year and hope to do it more this year.

Thank you for all your prayers. We are safe and excited to start a new chapter in our lives. Please read below for pictures and stories of our journey across the US.

Louisianna- Home of Mr. David!

2009-03-07T13:28:00.000-08:00

I actually shot and hit the skeet in this pic,

even with my bangs completely covering my eyes.. hahah.. i was soo EXCITED!

Me and Mo- almost died on the Mule.. SO FUN!

The funnest Four!!

Those shot guns are LOUD.. gotta keep our ear plugs in!

Shooting skeet with a 12 gauge shot gun. Result: not much shot, but a gigantic bruise from my right shoulder to my bicep. OUCH!!

Sean shooting skeet.. and he is really good at it.

Mr. David and Mr. Sean hunting birds.

Along our journey, we always stop in Hammond, Louisiana to visit our dear friend-Mr. David Clemons. Mr. David is one of Sean's fellow Kappa Sig brothers from Baylor. There is no one like Mr. David. He is PURE country boy. He is amazing. Sean and I have more fun with him. He lives in a very small town where everyone knows everyone. Mr. David is very respected in his town. Anyways, we had a hoot of a time with him and his girlfriend this year. We ate alligator, craw fish, jambalaya, shot skeet with 12 g shot guns, shot the rifle at targets, off roaded on the four wheeler's, and drank purple haze(the best raspberry ale) by the fire. It was awesome to get to know both David and Mo, his girlfriend. They always are so hospitable and let us play, play, play. Sean is in heaven when we are at Mr. David's camp and gets to be a real boy.. chopping trees down for fire wood, shooting his gun at anything he chooses, fishing.. etc.

I think Sean and I would do well in a small town. It is so simple and relaxing. It is truly good ol' fun. Don't need much money to entertain yourselves for hours.

Thank you Mr. David for being such a gentleman and so hospitable to us California Kids.

Oh P.S. I ate ALLIGATOR!! I was a bit nervous, but it was actually very good. It tasted like Chicken!! I was so proud of myself.