video of tooth

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Tyler lost his first tooth

About 2 months ago it was first brought to our attention that Tyler's first tooth was loose. He was in Houston at Grandma's and I was at our home in Austin. I was terrified he'd lose it before I got to him the next day. Well, it took a while to come out....mainly because his new tooth was already emerging and we couldn't wiggle it that way. Finally, daddy tied a string around it and did a little yank (it almost made me queasy) and it came right out. Very exciting, look at this proud smile! I need to dig up the video of the yanking process.

Scenic Puerto Rico

It's usually hard for me to take a picture without people in it....but I managed to get some fun ones.








Ok this is a painting I saw in our hotel, but I loved it!

My birthday in PR

Michael always does a good job of making sure my birthday starts out with a bang. This year, he and the boys cut up a whole bunch of 7's and taped them all over the room for me to wake up to. I do love the number 7, and this year, it was 07/07/07. He also gave me a charm and necklace with the number 7 (went to a jewelry store and everything). My shirt does not specify my age, although I wish (well, maybe not 17 with three kids).

Then he found me a starfish while snorkeling....

Then we went to an Old Fort on the corner of old San Juan where I posed with my 3 sisters that I've gained through my brothers.

and of course the brothers

Then there was a little party in my honor back at home....





And my final wish was all the adults play a conversation game at the end of the evening to which I fell asleep on Michael's shoulder at the end...I never fall asleep, I was just worn out!

Alyssa falling asleep

This is what happens when little girls don't sleep in their big girl beds at night....

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Waterfall and misc

El Yunque Rainforest....the boys ran up the winding paths and down the waterfall trail and the adults had to try to catchup.

my little brother

My youngest brother Kirk is getting married next month. He and Rachel met in High School, and they still loved each other just as much after his mission. I got to take their pictures in Puerto Rico and make their announcement. Here is is front and back (of a 5x7 card).

more of my favorites

I am a photographer. I'm used catching cute candid moments of other people...I love when someone can catch a cute moment of me with someone I love.


I think the only one of Michael and I from the trip...he gave me the flower:)



My brother Russell and his wife Kim adore my children and for that I adore them even more....on the hour long ferry, they sat and entertained them, and then they all fell asleep. It was a glorious sight.

tyler snorkeling

the only shot of our entire family...not the greatest, but i'll accept it

uncle steve should be proud of his nephew pulling a silly face

some beach shots

From Puerto Rico, we took a 1 hour ferry ride to a smaller island called, Vieques....we stayed there for the night and the water was sooo blue. A really cool thing we did that I don't have any pictures of b/c they don't allow you to bring cameras....is the Bio Luminescent Bay. Translation: glow in the dark water! We took Tyler and Matthew and my siblings (grandparents stayed home with little ones) and we took kayaks out to the middle of a bay. When it got pitch dark, and the water is irritataed, it glows....to read a further description on why the water glows, check this out and this too for another pict. The boys loved it, and so did we! Another interesting note (so the locals say)....Vieques is the 3rd corner of the Bermuda Triangle....other points being Bermuda (of course) and Miami Florida.

More scenic picts to come....

Our Puerto Rican Dinner

This family was so much fun! They know my brother Ryan from church. The mom has 6 sons, one of whom is the Bishop in their ward (at 25). She is the R.S. president at church (far left in video clip) and the dad the H.P. group leader (playing guitar). The ward seemed big enough, but a lot of leadership in the one family. Their youngest is a girl, Gloria, who I think is 15. She took so many pictures of us that night, I showed her my photography website and told her to email me if she has questions. She had fun chasing my boys trying to get a pict of them and they had fun hiding from her.

A lot of love in this home, I LOVED when they played this song for us. I don't even understand spanish, but I wanted to sing along! 2 sons (red shirt is 17, white shirt recent RM from Ogden, 21--his girlfriend is sitting with the neice next to them also singing along) on the drum/tamborine...dad on guitar, daugther and daugther in law (Bishops wife--at right) on other instrument. The song is apparantely a Christmas song about the Coqui, the tree frog native to Puerto Rico. I mean how many 17 year old boys do you see anxiously engaged in a good ole' folk song like this? Strong family, I'd say:) The clip is lengthy, so push the slider to the end if you'd like to see a fee snapshots.

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I'm so annoyed!

Ever since I've made my blog private, I've had a few people have problems....I just realized that you have to have a gmail account to view it...if not you can only view for 30 days. So I made up a gmail email and password that hopefully everyone can sign in with in the future. It is a pain for others to remember all sorts of details, and I want to make it easy for people to view my blog. I've even toyed with the idea of going public again--we'll see.
When I send out emails about my blog, I'll include this.

email: kristenblog@gmail.com
password: kristenjoy

If you are reading this now, you got in somehow:)

Puerto Rico

This is the first installment of PR picts.....I took nearly 1000! But I was trying to get a bunch of cool scenic shots because I want to blow up a large portrait for our home. Also did engagement picts, family picts, ryans family picts, couples picts, ryans home, and kids playing here and there.

Here are the kids individuals with the backdrop of the fun bright colors found all over PR