Miracles Never Cease!

I have to tell you about our good friends Joel and Bonnie and their LONG journey to have a child. After much heartache and some almost adoptions, we are proud to tell you that Katelyn Andrews has a home with the best people I know. Their story brings me to tears every time I read it.

I am so happy for Bonnie and Joel and their families. Congratulations! (I'm also excited to do playdates with Katelyn and Portia. But I need to teach Portia some Spanish first!)

On the Hunt for an Internship

I had the opportunity to head back to our nations capital, Washington D.C., to attend the 2008 National Black MBA Association Conference. What an amazing experience it was and I saw the most black people that I've seen a while. I felt really good to be a majority for 3 days.

I made some great contacts in obtaining an internship with technology companies. I spent some time with Microsoft, Dell, Intel, Google, Amazon, Walmart and Bausch & Lomb. On another note, I realized that I am not interested in consumer product goods.

Another great thing about the trip was I made some new friends. I got to hang out with 2 second year BYU MBA students, Brandon Robinson and Davie Moeai, and BYU Marriott School Diversity Directot Kevin Giddens. They helped me to be grounded and it made my first conference experience a joy. Now I'm ready for the 2008 NSHMBA Conference in Atlanta, GA in a couple of weeks. Stay tuned!

Portia, Transformed

First, there's this child.

Then she sat here.

And became this girl.

I can't believe how long her hair is (or how long it took to straighten it...30 minutes)!


Here it is from the back. It kinda looks like a wig!

By the way, Portia had her 18 month checkup on the 12th. She's 25.4 lbs (60%) and 32 in. tall (85%). She's still my long and lean girl. But somehow her pants are always skin tight. I guess you can be skinny and still have a ghetto booty!

September?

This month has flown by! Ronell started school on the 2nd and ever since, our home has been a whirlwind of reading, playing, potty training (still working on it), and more playing. While Ronell went back to Washington, DC for a recruiting conference, I took to the kids to visit my parents and Lexie & Nick in Oregon.

Playing in Papa and Nona's backyard. Simba the kitten in roaming in this jungle, too..somewhere.

In Eugene, we went to Crosby and Tyus' soccer games. Portia actually sat down with McKenna and Madisen. Can't you tell she's soo interested in the game!

Walking with Nona to find the Rose Garden. We went to a playground right next to the Rose Garden (Palmer said it was "beautiful") and then took the kids up to the roses. We had to do a little trailblazing (haha!) to find the garden but once we were there, the kids loved the flowers.

Palmer liked to stick his whole face into the rose to smell it. Luckily, there were plenty of roses that covered his entire face.

Portia, laughing at Papa while he sang songs to keep the kids entertained. She's cute but...okay, she's cute and funny and not at all like a teenager! (I'm an optimist).

We also went to the beach (it was freezing) but the pictures are on my parents' camera. We went down to Salem and saw Nick and Lexie's adorable house. It was a nice break from Utah and especially nice to see family. Thanks, Dad, for being desperate to see the grandkids.

Some August Moments

Here are some of my favorite moments of August with the kids. I love that I get to play with such funny and entertaining kids all day.

Popsicles with Palmer and Portia. I love how Portia's watching to see how Palmer eats his popsicle. Either that, or she's trying to find the perfect moment to steal his popsicle.

Portia, probably thinking about how she can escape from the steps and get to either the park or the parking lot, her two favorite locations.

He has to be the cutest little boy ever. Don't say it, he should be in modeling (I may be biased)I'm accepting applications for sponsors right now. Pass the word around. Anyone with a spare $5,000 for photos and flights is welcome!

Both Palmer and Portia love playing in the dirt, mud, and rocks. Don't ask me what they're doing because all they seem to do is move the rocks and dirt around. Maybe someday it will turn into something constructive, but right now the main goal seems to be getting as dirty as possible.

Ronell built this "clubhouse" out of the box that our new printer came in. The kids thought it was the greatest thing ever. These are my kind of presents, free with the help of a few magic markers. It lasted only a few days before the new game was to see who could destroy it the quickest. But it was fun while it lasted. I love Portia's cheesy grin. She's pretty dang cute, too, just ask her.