The De'Toles Tale

Moving in Together

2010-12-26T22:13:00.000-08:00

I believe it was during summer that my little Koo Koo man discovered how to climb out of his crib. (So approximately age 2yrs 4mo) Since learning this skill, he has enjoyed waking up atleast once during the night and coming to Momma and Daddy's room to sneak in a snuggle and a few winks with Momma. Instead of letting him get in the habit of sleeping through the night with us, I would get up and take him back to his room, turn on his Einstein Lullaby CD and rock him back to sleep in the rocking chair....usually falling asleep with him for about an hour and then waking to place him in his crib and return to bed.

Two nights a week I am helping deliver babies at Riverton Hospital and felt a pit in my stomach thinking about my little man coming into our room and having Dad escort him back to his room with no "Rockabye" and I am sure the escort was accompanied by a firm, "Stay in bed and go to sleep". As my little man continued to fill my lap, I knew these late night "Rockabye" dates would not last. He was approaching 3 and I was on borrowed time....

Two weeks ago while working a night shift my little man decided that if Dad would not let him cuddle and/or if there was to be no "Rockabye", he would find a new date....his sister! And that was that....the following nights, even when I was not working, Kaizen found his way into his sister's bed between 2 and 3am and would snuggle with her until morning.

I thought this was absolutely adorable, but I did not want Kaizen to become too dependent on Celeste to sleep. Kai and I began discussing having them share a room and making Kaizen's room a playroom. On a trial basis, I had Celeste sleep at the head of her bed and Kaizen at the foot. It worked well and they were LOVING being together. After 3 nights Celeste came to me and said, "Momma, I have an idea."

"What's that Lew?"

"We should move Kaizie's bed into my room. Then he can be in my room, but in his bed."

"Super idea Lew!"

After this discussion I continued folding laundry until hearing strange noises coming from down the hall. I met Celeste in the hallway and she said, "It was tough Momma, but Kaizen did it. I got to his room and he had pushed his huge crib all the way to the door and had it wedged in the doorway. Too Cute!

A day later I did have the time to disassemble his crib in order to relocated in the now Sleeproom. The Little Peeps were so hyper and excited during this process, Kaifah had to practically hold them down in the living room.

After two weeks they are still just LOVING being together.

Santa brought new Princess bedding, fun pink/green/blue/brown striped rug and Princess wall decor for Lew and Toy Story bedding, navy blue rug and Toy Story wall decor for Koo.

I am so glad they love being together. And, of course, I recognize that this stage is also on...borrowed time....

Enjoying the Christmas Loot!

2010-12-25T22:45:00.000-08:00

Oatmeal for the Reindeer, Cookies and Milk for the Big Guy

2010-12-24T19:42:00.000-08:00

PJ's from Santa's Elves. Preparing to Sprinkle Reindeer Food in Yard

2010-12-24T19:37:00.000-08:00

A Body to Blog About

2010-11-30T23:38:00.000-08:00

I am recommitted to attain the absolute best body I have ever been privileged to call mine. Current training for this includes, kickboxing and athletic conditioning at Riven Academy. Weight lifting and cardio at Gold's Gym.

I will also be completing my education to renew my appraisal license and launch an appraisal business in Utah. I will be reducing my nursing hours back to part-time in February and will be focusing on this endeavor as well as being my husband's right hand in building his sales business.

We will be winning our first major Mixed Martial Arts Fight at the McKay Event Center January 28th! Kai is in incredible shape thanks to Dave Stroshine, athletic strength/conditioning/cardio coach for the UVU Wrestling Team whom Kai trains with as well as Ricky Lundell, World Champion Grappling/Wrestling Coach. He has just returned to Riven after consistent training with these coaches and is putting the pieces together for his MMA Debut.

It's been a while!

2010-11-30T23:20:00.000-08:00

Wow! Now let's get back to what I had originally intended this blog to be designed for.....my personal journeling of my amazing little family, our life together and my development as a Child of God.

At Uncle John's Cabin

2010-07-08T15:41:00.000-07:00

Clubhouse

2009-06-21T14:19:00.001-07:00

Currently one of the wee ones favorite activities--playing clubhouse under the kitchen or bathroom sink. Too much fun!

Play Date with the Moss Girls

2009-06-15T00:48:00.001-07:00

The girls thought running through the sprinkler was just too cold despite our 90 degree weather....so they opted to play Barbies in the garden tub. Thanks for the visit girls!

Celeste's First Ballet Class

2009-05-10T23:57:00.000-07:00

Wow! I didn't realize how ready Lester Lou was for expression through dance. The instructor is soooo patient.

Too bad it's just for 4 weeks! She absolutely loved it!

The Queen of Sheba....or something like that

2009-02-26T21:08:00.000-08:00

Happy 1st Birthday Kaizie Koo Koo

2009-02-16T21:01:00.000-08:00

We did it Honey B!!! We survived the first year! Little Man...you are sooo special to us, but you've been a lot of work ;o) Happy First Birthday!

Celeste and The Little Mermaid

2009-02-07T21:42:00.000-08:00

Celeste is absolutely infatuated with the Disney Princesses despite our efforts to curb this in order for her to focus on her own imagination. ;o)

Our account manager and dear friend treated her to one of her most desired possessions.....a Little Mermaid Doll. The two of them have now been inseparable for the past 10 hours.

Too Cute!! Thanks "Leaner"

Christmas Tree Picking & Decorating

2008-12-05T23:15:00.000-08:00

Mommy's Monkeys

2008-11-14T23:10:00.000-08:00

Trick o' Treat

2008-11-01T22:21:00.000-07:00

Our Halloween began with touring our immediate neighborhood with Princess Jasmine, Buzz Lightyear and Meem (who came to visit for the festivities)....there were sights and lights to see, spooky sounds to hear, as well as tasty treats to enjoy! Kaifah & I were just getting warmed up....so after we made our first round, we tucked Meem and Buzz Lightyear in for the night and were proceeding with Princess Jasmine to the next subdivision....it was only 7:30pm....and there was plenty of candy still out there....we rounded the corner into the next neighborhood and I looked back to find that all the excitement was just too much for Princess Jasmine as she was already fast asleep....Happy Halloween!

Celeste's 3rd BIRTHDAY

2008-10-15T21:22:00.000-07:00

Today is our little Lester Lew, Mini Muffin's BIG 3rd Birthday! We celebrated as a family beginning with a breakfast of smiley faced pancakes and orange juice in a rocket cup---important things ya know! Then on to our first trip to the Phoenix Zoo! It was a great day. The weather was perfect! We love this time of year in the valley of the sun.

Friday we will celebrate with friends, family, pizza, cake, and all the fun things that come with it!

Submission Grappling Class

2008-09-29T00:01:00.001-07:00

Kaifah is now teaching submission grappling in Anthem. His students have gotten so excited about grappling and learning how to get the "TAP-OUT" that they are adding additional classes to the schedule. He's a great teacher and it's super fun to watch.

Sitting Unassisted--Go Kaizen!!

2008-09-28T00:08:00.000-07:00

Piggy Bank Potty Training

2008-09-27T00:10:00.000-07:00

Ok...so as we approach Celeste's 3rd Birthday, we are feeling the potty training crunch!! Upon suggestions from Ginette Rossi of the Caepe Preschool/Kindergarten we set a timer for every 25 minutes...if she's successful "coins" otherwise known as pennies are rewarded and Lew gets to add them to her piggy bank to buy some "cannies" when the bank is full....she's tooo cute about it...let's just hope it works.

Family Time

2008-09-09T23:41:00.000-07:00

Enjoying a Sunday with the fam in Scottsdale. What a precious time this is with our little ones!!! Celeste's vocabulary and ability to understand communication and mimic things she's heard or seen is unbelievable. And she's beginning to use and express her imaginative skills which makes everyday tasks and conversation a new adventure.

Little Mr Boo is just my cuddle button....always wanting to be held...or fed. ;o)

Grappling--Establishing Side Control Ha! Ha!

2008-08-23T22:35:00.000-07:00

Training for Kaizen's submission grappling has begun. He's already perfected side control.....on Celeste's unsuspecting doll.

First Night in Lew's Big Girl Bed

2008-08-21T00:20:00.001-07:00

Appraisals....We can help Mom!

2008-08-19T22:17:00.000-07:00

Asia & Boo

2008-08-15T22:07:00.000-07:00

Lew and Boo

2008-07-27T21:04:00.000-07:00

Anthem Arizona

2008-07-22T20:47:00.000-07:00

THIS is the Community in which we've chosen to raise our wee ones....Anthem by Del Webb. The master-planned layout features a Community Center with Workout Facilities, Basketball and Childcare; Community Pool & Spa; Water Park; Splash Pad Park; Sport Courts/Fields; Tot Lots; Grilling & Picnic Areas; Catch & Release Fishing Lake and even a Community Train!! Come join us!

Community Park

2008-07-22T20:00:00.000-07:00

Community Train

2008-07-22T19:11:00.000-07:00

Ladies Man

2008-07-18T01:00:00.000-07:00

Kaizen James with the two best looking little ladies in town, Rossilyn Rogers & Jolie Miller.

Happy 4th of July

2008-07-05T22:10:00.000-07:00

We escaped the 114 degree heat in Anthem and drove north to celebrate Independence Day. During the course of our travel to Williams, we experienced rain, then hail, then snow...heavy enough that we were thankful for the car ahead of us...since all we could see was it's tail lights and even experienced a lightening strike that put the fireworks to shame. It touched down within a half mile from the convenience store we had stopped in at with a bright flash, a crrrrack and thunderous BOOM. It even knocked out power at the Moss's home for about 4 hours. The wee ones ate dinner by candle light making for an unforgettable Fourth of July!!!

Experimenting with Video

2008-07-01T22:02:00.000-07:00

Yes...we need work on our acting skills..but the main thing is that you get to see the "Princess Pink Shirt" and "Princess Pack-Pack" (Purse)

Time with King Family

2008-06-29T21:42:00.000-07:00

It was so great to spend time with family at the water park. The kids had a fabulous time. Tossa and "T" were quickly involved in an all out water assault with a few local residents and did not mind getting us wet in the process.

Pezz Princess Collection

2008-06-27T22:13:00.000-07:00

Easily amused when it comes to Princesses.

Mommy's Beauty

2008-06-21T23:09:00.001-07:00

Just a cute Little Man

2008-06-18T10:52:00.001-07:00

Swim Jacket

2008-06-18T10:49:00.000-07:00

Dad got Lew a swim jacket on Father's Day. She wears it contantly....only taking it off to go to her little school...although she's not too happy about having to leave it at home.

We tried it out for the first time yesterday at the Community Pool. She had an absolute ball! We were able to let go of her and she would swim to us...she LOVED it!!!

The "Buff Fly" Cupcake

2008-06-08T23:05:00.001-07:00

Story Time with Meem

2008-06-07T23:02:00.000-07:00

Meem and Mr. Man

2008-06-06T23:03:00.000-07:00

Enroute to Pan Am's in Carson, CA

2008-05-30T23:48:00.000-07:00

Jacare at Pan Am's

2008-05-30T01:01:00.000-07:00

Doesn't this just speak for itself ?

2008-05-26T11:20:00.000-07:00

Prince of Egypt

2008-05-24T11:23:00.000-07:00

Lew determined Daddy's favorite cartoon to be "too scary"....she kept saying "babies...babies in the closet...scary" in reference to the scene where Moses discovers from the heiroglyphics that Pharaoh put male infants to death.

Chocolate Chip Cookies

2008-05-24T11:22:00.000-07:00

Girlie

2008-05-20T23:14:00.000-07:00

Lew's girlie thoughts are becoming more prevelant....she's wanting barettes in her hair, jewelry, Mommy's heels, Mommy's makeup (a definite favorite), the color pink is it, purses and even interest in her baby doll!

Handsome Little Man

2008-05-13T22:54:00.000-07:00

Thanks again to the Johnson family....for the dapper Polo attire. Toooo Cute!!

So Big

2008-04-29T22:28:00.000-07:00

Our Mini Muffin is growing up so fast! She is beginning to pick out her own outfits. Today was "Elmo Outfit"

Our Own Maid...ha..ha..

2008-04-21T00:15:00.000-07:00

Going...Going...Gone....

2008-04-20T22:38:00.000-07:00

Little man is on Dad's lap nodding off...too cute!

Makin' Cookies

2008-04-18T00:10:00.000-07:00

Picking Asia Up From Airport

2008-03-30T01:03:00.000-07:00

Easter Egg Hunt

2008-03-24T09:37:00.000-07:00

Missed this one in the Easter Post...oops!

Happy Easter

2008-03-24T09:23:00.000-07:00

The Easter Bunny hopped on by the De'Toles home leaving chocolate bunnies and two new swim suits for the summer fun for Lester Lew. Plastic poka dot eggs filled with jelly beans were also left for Celeste's hunting enjoyment.

At 9am we traveled to the home of the Moss's as the Easter Bunny had left eggs for not 5 girls, but 6....including Lew.

Kaizen was quite the ladies man and enjoyed every moment of it.

We then treked to Flagstaff with Chris Thomas and his Mother....dogs in tow to play in the snow before it all melted.

The Frog Prince

2008-03-18T22:19:00.000-07:00

Little Moo Moo--Check out the footies

2008-03-16T21:23:00.001-07:00

First Shiner

2008-03-16T19:06:00.001-07:00

Well....Lew has her first shiner....not from an MMA opponent as Dad would have it, but from the end table in the family room. Crying only lasted about 2 minutes....for both Lew and Mom. ;o)

The added face decor is from colored chalk from drawing pictures on the patio....and windows unfortunately....all comes out in the wash right? Except the shiner.

Warming Up

2008-03-15T19:11:00.000-07:00

Well the first few weeks with little brother have been a difficult for little Lew. She's been not been exactly thrilled to share Daddy and Momma with a little man who demands so much time with Mommy for meals and such, but she is starting to warm up a bit.

Passed Out

2008-03-10T23:50:00.000-07:00

Momma...I don't want to help with the Laundry

2008-03-05T21:29:00.000-08:00

Princess Jammy's

2008-02-20T20:15:00.000-08:00

Today Lou spent family time with Mommy & Daddy in the field. She helped Dad with inspecting and photo taking. The day ended with finally getting to wear a Christmas gift from Hope Wallen that Mom had been "saving". She looks sooo grown up.

Snug As a Bug in a Rug

2008-02-20T20:09:00.000-08:00

Little man loves his swing! If Mom's not holding him, this spot is the next best thing. He loves being warm and swaddled. (Big sister loved it too).

Milestone: First Doctor Appt with Dr. Patel. She says you look perfect! She advised us to use Vaseline or Aquaphor on your dry skin and to massage your left tear duct in addition to warm compresses to facilitate drainage.

Little Man

2008-02-16T18:01:00.000-08:00

What a sweetheart! We are starting to establish a 3 hr feeding routine which continues with 2am being our last feeding. Then the little man sleeps 4-5 hours...waking up at about 8:30...nice!

Milestone: Cord fell off today. ;o)

We're missing Meem as she had to return home to Reno last night. We can't wait for another visit in April.

Lester Lew and Kaizen too

2008-02-14T21:32:00.000-08:00

Wallen's, Our First Visitors

2008-02-12T21:15:00.000-08:00

The Wallen's stopped in see the little man. They brought delicious spaghetti, salad and french bread along with fun conversation about past memories. And Celeste also got a much needed playdate with Triston and Hope. Yay!

Lester, the Big Sister

2008-02-12T21:11:00.000-08:00

Thanks to an adorable gift from the Johnson Family, Celeste was prepared to declare her Big Sister status. She is still not sure what to think, but she gets very excited when he fusses and wants to poke and squeeze him.

First Morning Home

2008-02-12T10:00:00.000-08:00

What a perfect whirlwind....we arrived and the hospital at approximately 9:00pm Sunday, the 10th....delivered at 11:44pm and were home at about Midnight Monday night!! We could not wait to return to our own bed and have our family all together. More Photos to come!!

Look What the Stork Brought Us!!

2008-02-12T05:05:00.000-08:00

Little Kaizen James was delivered to us Sunday, February 10th 2008 at 11:44pm at Chandler Regional Hospital. Our little arrival weighs 7 pounds and was 20 inches in length. My is he handsome!!

Visit With Cousins

2007-12-30T18:17:00.000-08:00

Brian and Melissa Morgan were visiting Phoenix and were gracious enough to take time to stop by for a visit. We enjoyed catching up at the house and then time in the park with the little ones. Happy 2008 to all the Morgans!

And to All A Good Night

2007-12-25T19:47:00.000-08:00

Merry Christmas to All and to All a Good Night!

Christmas Morning 2007

2007-12-25T17:00:00.000-08:00

The morning began with a stocking full of fun and treats. Santa brought M & M's, Chocolate Santas, Dr. Seuss books and the big hit....Mickey Mouse & Friends.

Stocking Fun

2007-12-25T16:50:00.000-08:00

Unwrapping Fun

2007-12-25T16:45:00.000-08:00

Santa brought Mega Blocks, a new Einstein toy that Celeste has had her eye on, and the real Mickey Mouse Clubhouse!!

Merry Christmas Everyone!!

We look forward to hosting Christmas at our house in 2008!

Christmas Eve 2007

2007-12-25T15:36:00.000-08:00

Christmas Eve at the De'Toles residence. Celeste is bathed, in her Christmas Jammy's and checking the tree and her stocking before heading to bed. Dad is telling her about Santa coming which is causing quite the reaction.

All Dressed Up for Christmas

2007-12-23T21:58:00.000-08:00

This is Celeste's 3rd Christmas and she's all dressed up for church and to see "HO! HO ! HO!". She's enjoying her latest favorite snack before braving the cold, Cherios and Fruit Loops....a favorite of her Auntie Kila's as well. Church will be at Crossroads in Anthem and Santa can be found in his temporary housing in front of the Outlets at Anthem. Two more days until Christmas...

Christmas Tree Hunting

2007-12-15T00:37:00.000-08:00

We found the perfect Christmas tree....just in time for Santa! (Ten Days 'til Christmas!)

Celeste sported her 2007 Christmas Jammy's delivered December 1st by Santa's elves and Santa slippers given to her by her good buddy, Hope Wallen. "Daddy" provided her with Christmas cookies to further "sweeten" the event.

Kaifah was amazed by the speed at which I selected the perfect tree. :o) It was by far the smoothest tree hunting and setting up experience in 12 years!!

We then made the trek to Target to start a gift registry for Baby Kaizen and completed some final Santa shopping for Lester Lou.

Not so little

2007-12-10T01:17:00.000-08:00

We're so amazed each day with Celeste Renee and all that she absorbs and processes. She is constantly on the move and exploring her world. One of my favorite things is to capture our little one when she's taking a break from all of her studies and discoveries. Look how big she's getting!!

Kaizen James

2007-12-10T01:09:00.000-08:00

Thanks to modern technology, we got up close and personal with our little man, Kaizen James on Wednesday. He's been cookin' now for 30 weeks! All looked fabulous and the proud boy was sure to show off all his parts!! We are so looking forward to this new arrival and are strategizing our schedule to best care for a newborn and an energetic 2 year old.

Appraiser Trainee

2007-12-05T01:38:00.000-08:00

Appraiser Trainee

2007-12-05T01:31:00.000-08:00

Just when I thought there were no available candidates to learn the art of appraisal. This little one is great at providing background noise in my mobile office when trying to discuss a problem file with a client while at the same time listening to TOM TOM navigation enroute to an inspection and enjoying my favorite nutritional supplement.....Starbucks Vanilla Latte.

Ten Year Anniversary!

2007-11-10T20:47:00.000-08:00

We celebrated our Ten.....yes, Ten Year Anniversary in beautiful Lake Tahoe! What an amazing place! I was even able to see just a bit of snow on the day of our arrival....my favorite!! I so miss seeing this seasonal phenomenon. It was good that there was not enough snow to ski, however, as with baby on board I would have had to spend my slope time in the lodge. ;o)

We first met with Meem in Reno where Celeste had a few slumber parties while Kaifah and I continued on to Lake Tahoe where we spent our first few days with Kevin & Dede as well as Oma and Opa who had made the long trip from California to celebrate with us.

Meem spent our last few days with us as we enjoyed dinner on the 20th floor of Harrah's, watched movies and enjoyed the fireplace.

So, yes our ten year was more of a family celebration than a romantic one on one....guess we'll have to plan this for our 20th, right Honey?!

"Colors"

2007-11-05T20:36:00.000-08:00

Celeste's just loves mommy's "colors" as she calls my makeup. I should have known when she was quiet for so long that she must be up to something. I missed snapping a photo of the entire bathroom wall that she decorated in addition to herself.

Halloween 2007

2007-10-31T21:26:00.000-07:00

The highlight of the spoky season for "Lester Lou" is our ghost lawn decoration that includes a "punkin" ,"meow" and even swirling bats.

For her second Halloween, she determined she would be "Bidder Man". We made an effort to browse the girly princess costumes, but she would have nothing to do with them.

We spent the Halloween evening at the Wallens, first greeting the dozens and dozens....and dozens of Trick or Treaters. Then we took on the neighborhood to seek our own candy for about an hour or so....Celeste LOVED it! And she was not frightened by any of the fan fare.

Lester Lews 2nd Birthday

2007-10-15T00:23:00.000-07:00

Surprise!!

2007-10-01T01:23:00.000-07:00

What began as a regularly scheduled MD Visit....ended with a big surprise!

Even more surprising.....especially to Kaifah....was the middle photo.....it's a BOY!!!

Andreana's Baby Shower

2007-08-24T17:13:00.000-07:00

Here is a photo of Celeste and Mommy at the shower.

Swim Lessons

2007-08-05T00:25:00.000-07:00

Takedown Drills with Fickett and Santino

2007-07-31T21:50:00.000-07:00

Santino's Gym

2007-07-31T00:27:00.000-07:00

Andreanna's Shower Invites

2007-07-28T00:28:00.000-07:00

Asia did a SUPER job with Andreanna's Baby Shower invites....including dressing her sister in them.

Submission Grappling

2007-07-20T00:02:00.000-07:00

The Kiss

2007-07-04T23:34:00.000-07:00

Sister Asia got waayyy more than she bargained for.

July 4th

2007-07-04T00:29:00.000-07:00

Williams

2007-05-27T00:31:00.000-07:00

Splash Pad

2007-05-25T00:34:00.000-07:00

Goin Swimming

2007-03-25T00:39:00.000-07:00

March Figure Competion 2007

2007-03-10T00:37:00.000-08:00

Bad Boy Boxing

2007-02-24T00:40:00.000-08:00

Happy New Year!!!

2007-01-01T00:21:00.000-08:00

The New Year arrived with a bang and a shout out to all of Anthem....literally...to welcome in the New Year.

Celeste was awoken by all the commotion and could not figure out quite what we were up to.

Happy 2007!

Sparkling cider only girls....ha..ha..

Merry Christmas 2006

2006-12-27T00:44:00.000-08:00