The Willcox Family

3 Generations

2008-06-30T15:29:00.000-07:00

I have 50 things to post and no time to do it. I am trying to get caught up after a few family sessions, camping with my family and cleaning poop off of everything that Kai spread it on...AGAIN! Disinfectant here I come!

A few weeks ago when my Mom was in town we had a few pictures taken by my friend and fellow photographer Molly of Luminaire Images. Kai was a bit more than a handful and LA traffic proved to be a formiable challenge, so we ended up in a random little church somewhere by UCLA. Molly proved her talent, yet again.

Last Post

2008-05-09T20:24:00.000-07:00

I have decided to merge the 2 blogs into 1, so this will be the last post on this blog. We had a family blog and a photography blog, but now it will all be at one place. The new blog is www.katwillcoxphotography.blogspot.com

Please drop by and say Hi :)

Today marks a Year

2008-05-07T13:38:00.000-07:00

Today gives me so many more reasons to be gr8phul but also to be sad. Today is the 1st Anniversary of Alese Coco's passing. She fought a long and hard battle with Hodgkin's disease. Alese used her life in such a powerful way, that a year after her death, she is still able to motivate, encourage and inspire. She and her family have touched people in such a deep way, that you feel the touch of God through them I really mean that). They have started the Fight 2 Win Organization, to help raise money and awareness for Hodgkin's Lymphoma, also known as Hodgkin's disease. They have worked so hard to put this organization together and I have never heard them complain about it. Here is the website, www.fight2win.org/private.

Cathy Coco is one of the most remarkable women that I have known in my lifetime. When I first met her I knew that she had just lost her daughter and my heart ached for her, for her family, and for their loss. I have loved and lost someone, but I can't imagine loosing a child. Everytime that I have had the priviledge to talk with Cathy, I walk away so encouraged and lifted up. Cathy and her family are so gr8phul, even in the face of such a huge loss. Gr8phul! They exude gr8phulness and that amazes me. Not fakey grattitude, but deep and sincere grattitude. That is a hard choice for a heart to make when hurting so bad.

If you have a moment today, please pray for them. Pray for the Fight 2 Win organization and God's plan and purpose through it all. Also, please treat yourself to Alese's Blog/Journal. She fought her battle bravely and with intense faith, and honesty, I for one, and humbled by her amazing spirit and I have such hope that God's purpose will be fullfilled.

Taaaaa Daaaaaa

2008-04-22T01:14:00.000-07:00

I am SO excited for this day to have arrived and for the new blog to be rolled out there and launched. I think that it is incredible what Maddie from Better in Pink was able to do. She reached right into my head and got the direction that I wanted, then the next time I saw the design ,my jaw was on the floor. She is so talented and she really understood the look and feel that I was hoping for. Well, she exceeded my wildest expectations!! She blew me right out of the water. Plus she is just a dream to work with. She is FUN and CREATIVE and PATIENT and an EXCELLENT LISTENER!! I can't think of a negative thing to say about the world.

It is 1 in the morning and I am kinda out of it but I wanted to see it launched!! Can I get a little whoot whoot!

A New Look

2008-04-22T01:09:00.000-07:00

The 1 stop shop blog for the Willcox family and business has had a MAJOR face lift. You should drop over there and see it fo your self :) You are definitely invited :) We are pretty excited about it.

www.KatWillcoxPhotography.blogspot.com

Happy Easter

2008-03-23T14:50:00.000-07:00

Sorry about that! I up and disappeared. Travis and I decided to merge the family blog with my photography blog, it was just getting to be to much to maintain, and my business is something that I take pretty personally so it seemed like a logical step... plus it was to much for Travis to edit 2 blogs. I am horrible at grammar and spelling and punctuation and all that, so he looks over it for me. What a sweet heart!

Here is the new address http://www.katwillcoxphotography.blogspot.com/ We will hope to see you there :)

2008-02-21T23:05:00.000-08:00

My new favorite song is the Itsy Bitsy spider, because he gets soooo excited!

2008-02-21T19:20:00.000-08:00

Ok, I have become one of those Mom's who can go on and on and on and on about her kid. So in an effort to restrain myself from "sharing" every story and gushing about how AWESOME, AMAZING and ADORABLE I think that he is, I am going to share some funny videos from this week and let them speak for themselves. Kai has had us overwhelmed with laughter lately, his personality is really starting to come out and he is a TRIP! He gets this *literal* twinkle in his eye and I think that when it happens that the world should stop and notice, well, maybe just me because I am the one who has to chase him and clean up after him. ;)

Listen and watch for him to throw his "shaka" sign, it is only approriate, he IS pillow surfing.

Travis loves to play the drum as much as Kai.

I have a few more videos but I am having a hard time loading them, so they will have to wait for another day. I have to go think happy thoughts after watching Rendition with Reese Witherspoon... it was disturbing. The movie wasn't that great but the documentary in the special features section made renting it worth its while. My heart breaks when I hear of injustices like that. I am so gr8phul for my freedom and I believe that God knows every persons struggles and cries of their heart, I pray he be with all the broken hearted people affected by injustices.

Settlling back into the Groove--kinda!

2008-02-17T23:01:00.000-08:00

We are back from vacation/working wedding in Kauai and the laundry is mostly done and the house doesn't look like a bomb went off. Well at least it doesn't look like we were ground zero. And now Trav's parents are in town. So our days have been filled with park visits, marveling over Kai, eatting and more eatting and the occassional game of Go Fish.
We also have some of our favorites friends in the area in from Georgia so we have been driving back and forth to San Clemte to hang out with them. It is good to have a life full of friends but it definitely makes for a busy life. It has been really cool to see the Hall family and Rena's Mom Lee. I just wish that we lived closer. Here are a few pictures from my little P&S camera that I have been meaning to upload for a while.

The pictures of Kelly & Lee's (A.K.A-- Grandma and Grandpa) visit will have to go up later, I am tired and heading to bed. :) Sweet Dreams!

One picture from Hawaii that I wanted to share. It was fun to be with good friends and enjoy "girl time!" The girls are Lissa, Liv, Stacy and then Me all enjoying being on the beach.

This is Zach and Liv in the "rain forest" of Kauai doing their best impression of Adam and Eve in the Garden of Eden--having to cover their naughty bit.

Once we were back in CA we enjoyed some time with our friends Luke and Kristen, and as you can see the boys were enjoying playing in the box.

On Valentine's Day Kai got a new stuffed animal from his super sweet Grandma is NC and he loved it from the minute he laid eyes on it (and mouth on it--it is a great teething toy--monkey's nose)

Hanging with the Halls! :) Here is Rena with her ADORABLE son Noah.

Grandma Lee is sooooo adorable. She loves every fiber of Baby Noah and it is so fun to watch her interact with him. The joy and loves she gets from him is contagious.

Noah post bath..playing in a towel being even cuter that thought possible.

Noah the future Heart breaker.

I hope you liked ALL the pictures, sorry it was so long. This was a bit of a catch up post...

2008-02-11T13:29:00.000-08:00

Last night our plane touched down at LAX and so we are officially home from Kauai. Travis and I are very happy to have that flight behind us, Kai was a screaming wiggle worm and we will be telling him stories from that flight for years to come.
I am starting to edit the pictures from the wedding and I thought I would share a couple :) Sarah was a STUNNING bride and Tyler was so taken with her. It was a beautiful Hawaiian wedding and I am looking forward to going through all the pictures.

Another Beautiful and Fun filled day!

2008-02-09T01:57:00.000-08:00

As soon as the sun came out, I have been to busy playing to post anything. We have been playing in the sun, swimming in the ocean and just soaking up all the goodness from Ksusi. Well, tomorrow is the BIG day that Tyler and Sarah get married, so I thought that I would do one last post from Kauai. Because tomorrow night I doubt I will have any energy left to put anything up.

This is Zach and Liv cuddling oceanside, they are such an AWESOME couple. They are so much fun to be around and so fun apart and even better together!

Stacy and Liv have been so much fun to be around. They have had me laughing non-stop!

Of course I have to share a picture of Kai oceanside! Je actually went all the way in today.

Trav and Kai checking out the waves and playing at the beach.

Have I mentioned how beautiful Kauai is?

Just taking it all step by step, day by day! It is sooo nice to relax and hang out with friends in such an amazing place!

2008-02-06T10:54:00.000-08:00

Day Two was pretty much a Ben Stiller movie, where he is the underdog and everything goes pretty wrong for him. We are just hoping that today is the beginning of the REST of the story that ends with a happy ending. Here are a few examples; Zach threw up in the ocean, Kat got punched (by accident) in the nose, everyone ended up at a beach that was beyond questionable with some really shady characters, Zach tripped and fell through the sliding screen door, Stacey and Liv got hit on by a few 15 year old boys and then ended up in a crack addicts bathroom, Kai tried to throw himself from his highchair, and the whole time Trav was surfing.
After being grumpy Zach and Liv and I went for a drive to try to blow off some steam and that was definitely where the highlights of the day happened.

The scenery is gorgeous and we are gr8phul to be here with some gr8 friends but today we are going in search of some SUNSHINE :)

2008-02-05T02:29:00.000-08:00

Were here and we are LOVING it! Fun! Fun! and a little rain and more Fun!

It's Not About Me

2008-01-29T20:41:00.000-08:00

It's Not About Me, It's Not About Me, It's Not about Me... I could have copied and pasted that but instead I NEEDED to type it out. I actually should type it out about a hundred more times. To think about every letter and hope that the message would make it's way to the deepest places in my heart that need to be reminded of that.

It's about HIM. It's about God, My Sovereign and Mighty God who for some reason allows me to be a part of HIS plan. I am such a "Jacob" or a "Peter" (but in the girl form) I screw up over and over and am forgiven OVER and OVER and yet I still can't remember my lessons from one time to the next. Oh Yeah--I could be a Travis too :) (He is sitting here smiling as I type that saying that he can relate) because we both know that God is AWESOME and we are so gr8phul for his FAITHFULNESS and his FORGIVENESS!! It is not about us it is about YOU and what God is doing in the lives of ALL those around us.

We are humbled and can just hope that tommorow we will be able to live out the lessons of today.

Spinal Tapped

2008-01-29T13:59:00.000-08:00

Man, challenges, challenges, challenges. I am writing this lying flat on back (well not totally flat-but pretty close) I have been a sicky for WEEKS now and after my NOT-SO-FUN ER visit last Friday I have what is called a spinal headache after the Spinal Tap. That translates to me being really grumpy and pretty whinny. I am trying to take Dr.'s orders and (More importantly) my sister-in-law's orders to lay down and just rest.

Being sick is the pits but it reminds me of all the things that I have to be gr8phul for. I beleieve that God has a plan for me in this and I am going to try to hang in there and see what it is. :) It's amazing that even in times of trials God is still such a source of JOY. The hope I have in him is eternal and that ROCKS!! So that take "Spinal Tap Satan" and know that the joy of the LORD is what will bring us through.

Ok--So a picture, hmmmm let me see what I have....it is one from Baja, Mexico. I just always like to add a picture to a post. :) I hope that all is well with you and that you are managing to enjoy today, no matter what the circumstances are.

2008-01-27T15:48:00.000-08:00

I have been sick for a while and that is why I haven't been blogging as much. I have been in "hunker down mode" just wanting to get through my days and also REALLY wondering what is going on with me. But no matter how I feel God is still moving in our lives and giving up plenty to be thankful for. So, today and every day... Glory to God in the Highest and Peace to his People on earth!

Here are a few pictures from a wedding this summer that I never got around to blogging. That is one thing to be said for being sick, I have finally gotten caught up on my projects around the house.

Resolutions

2008-01-19T19:52:00.000-08:00

I made some resolutions this year and some promises to myself to actually keep them. I am happy to report that they are being ACCOMPLISHED!! {Yipppeeeeee} Maybe that will help me to stay on it and keep working on them. That and God has hooked me up with some awesome friends who inspire me to keep working on my look, my weight, and my heart!

My first reolution was to loose weight--well I have lost 4 pounds!! {Woo Hoo} That is WAY COOL!! And I will be hitting the gym again on Monday and trying to work off a few more. As I write this my husband is making a pizza, oh what I would do to have a metabolism of a man.

Also, one of my resolutions was to not look like a frumpy Mommy. Well God sent me an angel and her name is Anna A.K.A Fashion Extrordinare!! She rocks! Over the past week she has helped me cut 11 1/2 inches off my hair and get some New, Fun clothes that are going to be fun to wear.

I would show a picture or the transformation, but I am not going to post a picture until the transformation is complete :)

Till Then, here are a few pictures of our New Climbing Wall in our Garage!! Trav made it and it is WAY cool!! I think we might go climb around on it tonight once the kiddo is in bed. My husband amazes me with the projects he comes up with :)

We had some friends over to play... Jaime and Cole and they both took a try at the wall.

And then we headed over to the park to play some soccer and hit up the playground equipment.

Something New for Me

2008-01-17T15:51:00.000-08:00

The voice you hear on the video is Anna Tomlinson because I needed some support and encouragement. Plus she has the cutest hair on the planet, so I figured with her directing the shots (cuts) I couldn't go wrong :) It was fun and I am donating the hair to Pantene Pro-V and they will make a wig for someone who is fighting cancer. Now I just have to figure out what to do with my new haircut, I know nothing about short hair.

How is it the middle of January already?

2008-01-14T21:49:00.000-08:00

Life is not just flying by me, I feel like it is flying past me. I feel like the hour glass broke and the sand is just dripping through my fingers. Man, I have realized that is a constant and I have to be able to "cope" with that. I need to: Smile in the face of adversary, somehow not be burdened by my growing to do list and all the while not complain. This is where I admit that I am not perfect and I am constantly trying to get it right, and I always get humbled.

Can you tell I am a bit grumpy and that I have been sick off and on for 5 weeks. Yup, since December 6th there has been some form of sickness at our house. So, today I decided to fight back, I bought all the antioxidant teas and immune defense juices that I could think of, as well as that stuff Airborne and a bunch of veggies...so hopefully the next time I write, it will be a healthy me again. I always remain hopeful :) and God always gives me a reason to hope! Now it is time to head to bed and try to get a good nigths sleep :)

Happy New Year!!

2008-01-01T14:11:00.000-08:00

What a FUN trip!!! We just rolled back into town and while Trav is unpacking :) I thought I would catch up on blogging. j/k We had a gr*8 time. Chad and Leslie were SUPER Fun and chill. We hung out, playered poker (more on that later), surfed, ate a ton of yummy food and enjoyed the tranquillo lifestyle. It was a true vacation! :)

Travis got attacked by a baby and I think the baby won!

Look at Leslie tearing it up and her biggest fan cheering her on! They are such a loving couple, it was gr*8 to spend time with them and a little on their romance inspired us to be sweeter to each other.

This is for Kai's Grandmas :)

And of course I had to snap a few pictures of the local culture and architecture!

For more pictures from the trip visit
http://www.katwillcoxphotography.blogspot.com

What's next.....

2007-12-28T14:51:00.000-08:00

Well, Christmas has come and gone and so has my company, my Mom. I have been pouting all day, ever since she boarded that mean plane that took her away.So it is time for me to get ready for what is next and that is Baja, Mexico. Ok--let me say that again with a little more excitement, BAJA MEXICO!!!
We have been packing and planning every moment of the day, and trying to take down Christmas decorations, and take care of the baby, and go to urgent care so I can hopefully get better and .... and .... and. The list goes on and on.
We are taking off tomorrow, so I thought that I should post my New Years Resolutions before I go. Maybe that way I will actually feel required to accomplish them!

Actually loose some weight in 2008. I said that I was going to loose the weight right after Kai was born. As of today he is 14 months old and I am still bigger than i would like to be. We are headed to Hawaii in Feburary, so I am going to try to push myself to push of the pounds.
Live in the Moments more-- not thinking of to-do lists, or people I need to call. I want to live in the moment! Drink it in, be staurated by it and then when it is time to get to my To-Do list, I will put my whole self into it getting done.
Less stress. Same life but I want to learn a way to handle the stress differently. For example, when I lay down at night it takes me at least 10 minutes to un-tense myself. I walk around all day all coiled up--but I realize that it is not going to get done, I am not going to meet everyone's expectations all the time and in 10 years the stress of the day is probably going to be forgotten.
I want to dress more like a woman and less like a Mommy. Don't get me wrong, I am proud to be a Mommy, I just don't ALWAYS want to look like one. Plus if I loose some weight it is a gr8 excuse to buy new fun clothes.
Talk less -- more action! That one should speak for itself!

I think that is enough for me to work on for now, maybe I will add more to the list when we get to the half way point in June. Alright, I have put it out there, I am hoping that people will encourage me to get it done and maybe even do some of it with me. Everything is more fun when you get to do it with someone else....even laundry! :)
Here is a picture of what the scene was like at my house on Christmas day. Kai was so cute opening presents, he was a trip. I can't imagine what we are in for next year.

!!!Happy New Year!!!

We went to Disneyland!!!

2007-12-26T23:02:00.000-08:00

Christmas lights, fun parades and my Mom there to share it with us. We went to Disneyland and Kai had a ball. Here we are at the entrance to California Adventure.

Here is a picture of Mom and I by the GIANT Christmas tree.

This is Kai and Grandma watching the parade.

Kai snuggling with his Daddy during the parade. It was getting close to bedtime.

A Family picture, don't you love Kai with his ears on. :)

It was a good time and a good night. It is just hard to believe that Christmas has come and gone already...man, time flies!

Christmas Day!!! Yipppeeeee

2007-12-26T12:48:00.000-08:00

What a special Christmas we had this year. Kai was sooooo fun and having Mom here made it even more special. We had a sweet morning of spending time together and opening presents. Well, Kai opened most of the presents..he was thrilled to be able to tear at the paper.

Godfather Sean and Auntie Rena gave Kai his first rock climbing harness! I don't know who was more excited, Kai or his Daddy!

She's Here!!! She's Here!!

2007-12-24T12:23:00.000-08:00

The countdown has ended...My Mom is FINALLY HERE!!! I am thrilled and it has been so nice having her close. She had a long trip that was complicated by Chicago's weather but it wasn't able to stop her and she still made it in to LAX. Yippeeee

Since she got her we have went to the park,

enjoyed Chrismas Eve service which my little boy got dressed up for :)

and enjoyed time at the beach! (and all this has been possible because of dream dinners! Because I haven't had to slave in the kitchen making everything from scratch and they are still REALLY YUMMY!:)

Gr*8phul this Christmas

2007-12-22T21:05:00.000-08:00

Man, this time of year can be busy...busy...busy, but no matter how fast paced things get I constantly find myself with reasons to be gr8phul. When I look at my precious 14 month old or snuggle in at night to my sweet hearted husband, or any other number of heart warming moments each day--I am reminded of how much I have to be gr8phul for. And it's not a grattitude that is fleeting, I am talking about a grattitude that rocks me to the core of who I am.

Today I learned about a little 14 month old boy named Hunter and his fight with cancer. I can't imagine what he must be thinking of or all that is going on in his little world, and my heart breaks for his parents and what they are facing. At our house we have chosen to take Hunter's story personally, to not just let it be forgotten like all the other stories that are constantly coming in and out of view. We are praying for Hunter and all things related to his care, personally.

There is a line in the movie Hotel Rwanda that still haunts me. When a reporter says that people will respond and something will be done once the story of the genocide gets out, the other reporter says that people will hear the story and then go on with their lives... forgetting. Uggggggg!!! Why is it until something is personal we don't move to action? That challenges me and pushes me to want to be a person of action and prayer.

The picture below is little Hunter. Also here is a link to the site Healing Hunter where you can learn more about his story and make a donation if you would like. Even just leave an encouraging word for his parents.

http://healinghunter.blogspot.com/

Dennae's Quick Trip

2007-12-22T12:18:00.000-08:00

She was only out of the airport for a few hours before she had to return and complete her travels to New Zealand. My 15 year old cousin Dennae spent a fun few hours with us in Manhattan Beach and it was great to see her. Here are a few pictures from my P&S

By the way--she made it to New Zealand safe and sound and is enjoying her visit.

Power of Love

2007-12-19T23:13:00.000-08:00

I am singing the songs, making the yummy foods, and wrapping my fair share of presents and getting so excited that I can barely handle it! Christmas will officially start on Sunday when my ****MOM*** arrives!! After that plane touches down it is time to party. I thought that I could never match the anticipation I had for Christmas as a kid, but God has magically made the inner most parts of my heart absolutely twitterpatted at the thought of what is to come.

My Mom is coming in from North Carolina and I couldn't be more thrilled! It will be good to see her but it is also going to be so special having her here with us for Christmas. We are going to be doing some fun stuff, so I am sure that I will have plenty to blog about. (When did I become such a "blogger"?)

I am in awe this Christmas. He is God, he could have done world domaination easily but instead he came in the form of a little baby. That is just one more thing about God that leaves my jaw hanging down. He is forever loving and humble, what an amazing example of the POWER of Love!

Fireworks and an ER trip

2007-12-17T23:20:00.000-08:00

We finished up an AWESOME weekend with friends watching the Manhattan Beach Christmas fireworks. I have to admit, I live here and knew nothing about it, but Matt and Brooke Rillos in town from Colorado told me about it. I guess I am still not a local (but I do shop at Trader Joes :)

Then Sunday was followed by a Monday........
We had a great day, Kai and I had fun playing and going to the park, with no incidents. But while I was making dinner he took a header into the stone fireplace and got a bad cut above his eye. I can't even type that without pouting. I am so sad that it happened, that there aren't words. Trav rushed home and we headed to the Emergency Room. We just wanted to play it safe.

Well... (I am going to try to restrain myself) The Doctor said that either way it was going to leave a scar but if we had him go thru the trama of stitches it might be less noticeable. He then went onto to say that we were vain if we decided to put him through the trama. Hmmmm--- I don't know that makes us vain. If he were a girl would we even question it? We were trying to make the best possible decision for Kai...and the Doctor pretty much shamed us away from making a cosmetic choice. I don't know what to make of that. (Maybe that is why I am blogging about it at 11:30pm) It kinda bugged me, what do you think?

A Run-in with the Rillos'

2007-12-16T14:19:00.001-08:00

I was blessed to be able to spend time with Matt and Brooke yesterday, I was tremendously personally blessed. This couple has been together for 8 years and they still have a flame that runs high and a passion that runs hot. They are best friends and so connected that it is electric but they don't make it about them, they make it about those around them. They have three gorgeous little boys and together they have made a beautiful family. Yesterday was however was not family time it was about the 2people that started their family. Watching through the lense was a pleasure and a joy! They truly are two amazing individuals that make an amazing couple.

Thanks guys for spending such a special day with me. It meant a lot and had a big impact on my heart!

If you are interested in seeing more pictures, please visit my other blog. http://www.katwillcoxphotography.blogspot.com/

The Miller Family

2007-12-12T20:22:00.000-08:00

The other day I went with the Millers and did some Christmas pictures. They are such a fun family. I enjoyed my time with them and I love playing with there kids. They are my kinda people and it really was fun hanging out with them.

Down and Out

2007-12-11T21:26:00.000-08:00

We have been sleeping on floors, doing LOTS of laundry and trying to get the little dude to drink Pedialyte. It has been a rough couple of days at our house. We thought that we had rounded the corner and were back on our way to health, but we have had a set back and Kai is not feeling good. :( It is so sad when he is sick and doesn't understand what is going on and why. Hopefully we will be back in the land of the healthy, but till then we are on house arrest. Boo hiss.I got this picture last Thursday night. After throwing up every hour on the hour, all Kai wanted was his Daddy. And he wasn't going to sleep away from him, so Trav and I pulled up pillows and slept on the floor. I couldn't resist taking this picture. It is true unconditional love :) I love my husband and he is a SUPER SWEET DADDY!

Adventure Anyone?

2007-12-02T07:58:00.000-08:00

Trav spend most of his Saturday working on homework for his Masters, so when he was FINALLY done...we headed to Adventure Plex to burn off a little energy. I have to say that we had a lot of Fun! Kai was cracking us up and Trav was teaching Kai how to be a monkey and (surprise, surprise) I took pictures. :) We really do Thank God for our little boy!

He's a Pier Walker

2007-12-01T21:46:00.000-08:00

I miss Bailey so much, that I find myself looking at the pictures when she was here. How has a week gone by already? And it dawned on me that I hadn't posted anything from our fun night on the Pier. Our little dude is a new member to the walking club and we thought that we would celebrate with a stroll on the Pier (Cali style). So we grabbed his little walker and hit it.

He is just like his Daddy. He is into extreme sports (for babies) and it seems pier walking it is. :) He made lots of friends and totally loved being part of the action. And, of course his Lola Bailey and Mom took pictures the whole time.

2007-11-28T13:36:00.000-08:00

I am trying to figure out how to customize my blog. To change background colors and make the pictures bigger. I am happy to say that I am figuring it out. Yippeeee

She's gone...but not forgotten

2007-11-26T12:12:00.000-08:00

This Thanksgiving I had a lot to be thankful for: I have a happy and healthy family life, an amazing little man named Kai who is starting to walk, and my adorable hubby. Also my best friend and sister (in-law) was in town to share it all. Bailey just makes my world more fun. Everything seems easier when she is around and every moment that we share I cherish.

She is an incredible woman who is talented in so many areas. And her heart is the most brillant diamond that I have ever seen. She is a one in a million, and I am gr8phul to have a sister that challenges me is such healthy ways. I just hope she could see herself the way that I see her, if she could she might then get just how special she truly is.

She got on a plane this morning and I have been pouting like crazy, ever since. Well I am going to go pout some more, but here are some fun pictures of the talented Bailey Willcox.

Kai's 1st Haircut

2007-11-20T17:50:00.000-08:00

Kai and I went to Nora's Tropical Water's Salon and got him his first official haircut. It was sooo much FUN! He was a total champ about the whole thing and I think that he managed to some new friends.

*Pictures were taken by the kind Bruce Tran. He works for the salon.

I'm pouting because I miss Chris

2007-11-20T14:12:00.000-08:00

Chris was here and left and I already miss him a ton. I feel like writing an Ode to Chris :) He is one of the greatest guys EVER!! He has so many amazing qualities and he is a BLAST to be around. But now that he is gone I feel like pouting and eating chocolate.

Having Chris here just felt right and I am sad that he can't be here all the time but he is a pilot in the US Air Force and I am pretty pround of him.We will be praying for all our troops who can not be with their families this Holiday season. We are so proud of our men and women andwe pray for the quick and safe return. Let God's will be done.

And the last picture is what happens when you leave to men with a baby :)

2007-11-18T20:47:00.000-08:00

Man--having a good friend can really make a bad day good and a good day, Great! I have recently been blessed with a friend that has been nothing but a blast. She is one of the many things that I am gr8phul for this Thanksgiving.

Miss Kristin and her little guy Luke.

2007-11-15T14:00:00.000-08:00

Looking at these pictures makes the deepest parts of me flutter. I am so incredibly Blessed! To say that I am gr8phul is an understatement. I wish that I could find a quote or a song that could summarize how much I love my family. A no words can do it. It surpasses all understanding.

We are not perfect and we certainly have our tempers and troubles, but God constantly gives us reasons to be gr8phul and that we are. And is anybody perfect anyway? Nope, I didn't think so :)

Time with Tom & Erika

2007-11-11T13:36:00.000-08:00

We are enjoying a Super Fun weekend and part of that fun was going and doing engagement pictures with Tom and Erica yesterday. They had only been engaged for a little over 48 hours at the time of the shoot and the passion was definitely in the air.

Erika just got back from being in Africa for 2 years with the Peace Corps and Tom is an amazing climber, skier and overall adventurer. Sparks have flow between these two and obviously a fire has been lit.

While we were at the beach taking pictures they was definitely an audience of onlookers. One guy, on the pier, went so far as to cheer them on. It was a ton of fun and I was giggling the whole time.

Thank you Tom and Erika for allowing me such a intimate look at your special romance. I am thrilled for you both! I will be looking forward to your wedding next summer.

Le Deux (now referred to as La Do Do)

2007-11-07T12:12:00.000-08:00

How funny this life is! Travis and I "got into" one of the hottest (most talked about) clubs this past Saturday. I was so excited to go and see it for myself. To be able to say that I had experienced it first hand.

Well, it was exciting but it wasn't ALL THAT! It was sad actually, a lot of the people in there were so caught up in the LA scene that I think that they had let go of what really matters. Sure a lot of them looked fabulous, but that was about it. From what I could tell and they way that they were acting (Sodom and Gomorrah type behavior), the had put their trust and heart into something that really isn't going to amount to much.

What God offers can not be bought in a store. It is way more special than anything this world has to offer. I should be excited about "getting in" to the coolest club EVER Christianity. I am in Jesus Christ's club and it is way more exciting than any Hollywood scene. I am in the club with a bunch of people who want to know their creator personally and they want to challenge there hearts and minds. That is such much cooler than some silly handbag or shirt.

I am not judging these people. I have and do struggle with wanting to "fit in", but in LA I think it comes at way to high of a price. Part of the reason that I think I was hit so hard by this experience, is because I am still tempted by the world. I am a new Mom and I am trying to figure out my new identity. My new body. My new life. And at times what I read in the magazines makes the Hollywood life sound fabulous. Now I know that it isn't fabulous, at least not in my opinion. The life that I have been gifted by God is Fabulous. Not perfect but pretty GREAT!

Brian, Travis, me and Matt Hepp. I seriously think that I was with the coolest people in the whole place. I respect heart way more than I respect what someone is wearing. It was a fun night out and I learned a lot. About Hollywood, about myself and about what I really think matters. God! He is the most ultimate celebrity in my book.

He was a Moo Cow

2007-11-06T13:47:00.000-08:00

Halloween has come and gone, and I am kinda in shock that we are in November. Where does the time go? Next thing you know it will be Christmas!

So the story behind is costume selection. I had no intention of him being a cow, but when I went to pick out his costume he went crazy for the cow. I told him he could be a cow for Halloween if he could tell me what it said, and he answered back mooooo with the funniest look on his face. That is how my child "talked me into" being a cow for Halloween.

So I have been busy trying to get ready for Christmas early, so that I can avoid the stress. But somehow I have just become stressed about doing it now. I have to laugh at myself, because I never thought that I would become this woman. But I am who I am, so I have to run so I can try to get more Christmas stuff done. Hahaha

He's 1!

2007-10-28T11:27:00.000-07:00

It has been a whole year!! What an amazing year it has been.

Here is what Kai is up too at the ripe old age of 1!

He knows that a kitty says meow

He loves to play ball. He thinks it is the greatest thing ever.

He still likes to be spoon fed. If we try to get him to feed himself, it ends up all over the carpet.

He just took his first 2 steps 3 days ago. So only time will tell how long it will be till he is upwardly mobile.

He has an obsession with cellphones. It blows our minds that he is coming into such a technology driven culture.

Whenever he goes to the park with his Dad, he always comes home with ripped pants.

Changing his diaper is not like pig wrestling!

He is a trip! He has such a fun little personality. He loves to play and explore his world and we love him more than we could have ever imagined.

Flashback Friday

2007-10-26T11:16:00.000-07:00

Last year at this time I/we were 8 days overdue and not exactly comfortable. I was pretty scared of labor and anxious to meet the little person who had taken up residence in my belly. I had no idea how the rest of our lives was going to change when we met Kai.

He's Gone Buzzy

2007-10-25T11:54:00.000-07:00

Ok--so this is a scene that I thought that never in a million years would I witness and certainly not be allowed to photograph.

I got some fun masks at IKEA the other day and we have been playing with them ever since. I just didn't expect for Travis to get in on the action. But to my surprise--He Did!! I am putting my marriage in jeopardy posting these pictures but I think that this is something that should be shared. It is just one more piece of evidence that parents will do whatever it takes to get their kids to eat a healthy dinner. (I was smiling the whole time that I was typing this!!)

Kai had fun trying on the mask. We are starting to get really excited about Halloween!

Dining Out 2007

2007-10-24T21:26:00.000-07:00

Last Saturday night was the LA Air Force Base Dining Out 2007. It is a once a year event where the entire Base gets dressed up and has a night out. Look at Trav in his uniform!

Michelle Idol was cracking me up. She kept me smiling.

Kristin and John look quite smashing, if I do say so myself.

It is always fun to hang out with Amber and Nat.

The pick of the Patch

2007-10-20T10:52:00.000-07:00

Ok! I know that it is kinda cheesy but I have always looked forward to the moment when I could take my kid to the pumpkin patch and turn them loose. Last night I was priviledged to see fullfillment of that dream and I LOVED it!

We took Kai to the punkin patch and for the next hour and a half we were cracking up. He hit, rolled, threw, crawled over and tried to consume the pumkins. It was greater than my heart ever imagined that it could have been. This year Halloween time has a whole new meaning. It is a time of celebrating Kai's birth and starting new family traditions that I hope we can enjoy for the years to come.

Look at that face! He could have had every pumpkin he wanted with those puppy dog eyes and pouty lip. :) I know I am a sucker!

I don't know who had more fun...him or me!

2007-10-06T13:01:00.000-07:00

We hurried back to Jackson, not due to happy circumstances, but we are learning that life has many seasons. We lost a good man and friend Al Forbes, and we came back to pay our respects and condolences to the family. While we have been in Jackson, we have been sad but also seen how amazing this life is and how it can be cut short. Al's funeral really made an impact on Travis and I. We walked out of the service wanting to live with more purpose and love with our whole hearts.

The Magic Kingdom

2007-09-27T20:46:00.000-07:00

We did it! We went to Disneyland!!

Tomorrow is September 28th (my "celebrate my life day") and so we headed to Disneyland as a family. Travis surprised us by being able to go and it was great to have him there. Trav had never gone to Disneyland, so he had a good time checking it out and getting acquainted with the Magical Kingdom.
I am surprised that as active as Kai is, he didn't really enjoy the rides. He might still be to little, but it was cute what he did enjoy...his Daddy! This child LOVES his Daddy! It was Fun and I am wore out and I need to get some sleep :) to get ready for the 28th. God has given me a lot to celebrate!

Like a Fish out of Water--and then back

2007-09-21T17:10:00.000-07:00

I have a whole new respect and appreciation for single Mom's, Mom's who husbands are deployed and women whose husbands travel a lot. After being on my own for 2 weeks (I know I am a wimp), I was thrilled to have Trav back last night. Kai was so excited that he wouldn't let Trav out of his sight, he was attached to his hip all day long. It was pretty cute!

Trav thought it would be fun to spend a family day at the aquarium and I was thrilled! So we headed out to Long Beach for a day of family fun :) Kai loved watching all the fish and we got a huge kick out of watching Kai.

2007-09-12T21:04:00.000-07:00

Did You Know?

1.1 billion people (18% of the world's population) lack access to safe drinking water
In a world of unprecedented wealth, almost 2 million children die each year due to a lack of clean water and inadequate sanitation
Access to clean water and sanitation can reduce the risk of a child dying by as much as 50%.

Wow, I can honestly say that I didn't know that. I know that their are a lot of people that don't have access to clean water but I didn't know how vast the problem is. It is pretty embarassing admitting how ignorant I am on critical world issues. But I can tell you how Britney Spears did at the VMA's. Man--I want to do something different. I want to be different. Talk is cheap-I know, so I am going to try to be more about action.

A friend of mine sent me a link to a website that has really made me think today. Think about how little I am doing to contribute and how many issues that are out there that need people of action. The website is http://beta.razoo.com/welcome and it is SO cool! You should check it out for yourself, because if I try to explain it, I am sure to mess it up somehow.

So, what made me laugh about this website is I got the link from my friend. He is involved in a contest that if he can get 100 people to join his community on Razoo by Sept. 15th--then they will be entered into a drawing for $10K that will go to the issue that he supports. So I rushed over to help him out, joined his group and once I was done, I went to check out the rest of the site. When I looked at my profile I saw that it tracks your action, goals, issues etc. and it totally convicted me. Haha I love it!

So, Trav and I have talked and we are going to be more active. In our community and our world. Even the smallest effort is better than no effort.
The picture below is a link to a website called Play Pumps. They are doing something AWESOME and I hope and pray for their sucess and that I can help in some way. Thanks for reading this far :) I really appreciate it!

Time in Maine

2007-09-06T11:12:00.000-07:00

Travis and I were fortunate enough to be able to go to Maine for Zach and Liv's wedding. It was just the two of us. Kai stayed in NC with his Grandma (and had a blast!) It was a fun time, and we did get to go out and see some friends from Jackson and Trav got to play a few games of pool.

Here is Sean making quite an entrance to the Quarterdeck bar--after hours! :)

And Carl wowed us all with his mad break dancing skills.

On Friday Trav took me out for a day of romance! :) It was really sweet of him and I enjoyed it a ton. We went and checked out lighthouses and saw the coast, and even found some wild orchids! Of course, I brought my camera along, and Trav even agreed to a few pictures, in between skipping rocks and playing.

Zach and Liv had a beautiful day and their ceremony was so heart felt. They are a great couple and we are gr8phul that we got to be there, to share in their celebration. It is so excited to see them start out on the rest of their lives--together!

If you are interested to see more pictures from Zach and Liv's wedding, I am working on my first real slideshow and I am going to put it on my Willcox photography blog. Hopefully soon, I am trying to learn how to do it and where to upload it. :) Always learning!

2007-08-31T22:42:00.000-07:00

Maine has been good to us and the wedding is tomorrow. It has been a great trip and I know that the wedding is going to be fantastic!

Tagged...

2007-08-27T21:44:00.000-07:00

I was tagged by my friend Stacy to list 8 random things that people don't know about me. I am pretty much an open book so I will be surprised if people don't know all of these......Hmmmm 8 things that people don't know about me.

1. I have a thing about paper. There is something about an empty journal or a fresh piece of loose leaf. It makes me feel hopeful. I guess that is why I have so many journals with only a few pages completed.

2. I'm addicted to chocolate.

3. I still like to do the steam roller. I still think it is the funniest thing. Poor Travis, I like to do it to him right before he falls asleep.

4. I am a bad sleeper. Not only do I steal the covers, but I also have a hard time falling to sleep. So ask my husband about the (recent) time that he drugged me.

5. I am addicted to cheese. I am a cheese head. I think in terms of what times of day I can eat cheese. Some days I can't wait til Trav gets home because it gives me an excuse to eat more cheese because he is a cheese head too.

6. I like to buy expensive make-up. I am high maintenance to some degree, but I never take the time to do anything about it. I guess that is what separates the kinda high maintenance from the real deal.

7. I bought a new camera lense today and I want to sleep with it but Travis won't let me. He's just jealuos. It is the 18-200 VR for anyone who cares

8. When I am sad I like Trav to pet my nose, for some reason it makes all right in the world again.

***I am pretty new to blogging, so I don't have a full 8 people to tag. So these indiviuals consider yourself tagged (the newly engaged) Amy Fairholm, Aaron Willcox, Wittnie, Minks, Binky Bear (Bailey), and B-rad Corrigan. That was as close to 8 as I could get :)

2007-08-27T10:21:00.000-07:00

I am happy to say that we made it all the way to North Carolina. It took 2 adults to manage 1 baby, but we were able to do it. Kai was up, he was down, he wiggled, and squirmed and played with everything possible, but through it all Travis and I were able to laugh. The days of sleeping or reading a magazine on a flight--are over! :) It was a long day but a good day. And now we are enjoying being home for a bit before heading to Zack and Liv's wedding in Maine.

The ball pits of life

2007-08-22T10:53:00.000-07:00

Am I the only one that sees the irony? At kiddie play areas they have ball pits. Areas filled with tons of brightly colored balls. This is suppose to be a fun place...or is it training? They are up to their necks in these balls, not so much that they can't breathe but enough to be a real challenge.

I put Kai in his first ball pit the other day and I was so excited to watch and see how he reacted. At first there was a struggle and then frustration and then he settled in, embraced it and decided to enjoy it. From that point on he had a blast! He was rolling, crawling, lots of squealing and exploration. Well, we are in the ball pit of our lives. It can be frustrating and full of trials, but if we settle in and embrace it, and decide to enjoy it then we can have a totally different experience. Man--this little guy is teaching me so much! He makes me want to dive on in. :)

One of those weeks!

2007-08-16T10:56:00.000-07:00

Monday- I got pooped on and then dinner caught fire
Tuesday- Kai fell and cut his mouth and bled like crazy
Wednesday- I can't even remember because of Monday and Tuesday
Thursday- I am writing this and hoping that the rest of the day goes well

Ugggg! Entertwined with all the crazy times there have been some REALLY sweet and fun times, but I know that I am being tested this week. :)

Last night I was getting bummed out and fed up and then Trav reminded me (in a really loving way) that this too shall pass. It made me think of the elderly people that go to the park everyday and watch the little kids play. I suspect that they are wishing that they could have those days back, and looking back on their memories fondly. So I am reminded to enjoy these days while we are living them. After Travis reminded me of that we got up and danced. (I love my husband) I turned on the radio and the song playing was, "I want to leave a legacy." I got a serious case of the chills.

So, today would have been my Grandma and Grandpa's 66th wedding anniversary. She always maintains that they never went to bed angry with one another and always worked through any misunderstanding with love. Talk about leaving a legacy. So I will keep dancing in the kitchen with my husband after a challenging day and hope that we too will leave a legacy.

2007-08-08T16:35:00.001-07:00

Wow!! What a fantastic trip. The location was breath taking, the people were FANTASIC, the wedding was inspirational and the couple were so full of love that it spilled over to everyone. I have a new love for Canada and I have a little laugh every time that I go to say, "Hun?" because now I notice where an "Eh" would fit.

Matt and Amie were so fantastic. Even though it was their wedding they made me feel so special. Amie is such a beautiful soul and a radiant bride. She was a classic beauty. There was something about them so extraordinary that it truly inspred me.

2007-07-24T13:18:00.000-07:00

He was just being sweet and looking out the window. I thought it was precious and deserving of a picture.

Sunday at the Beach

2007-07-23T11:08:00.000-07:00

Yesterday we went to the beach and had a blast. Trav and I took turns surfing while the other tried to keep up with Kai, he was all over the place playing in the sand, checking out the water and squealing with delight. A Man walked by and said, "I remeber those days and they are some of the sweetest." I asked him how old his kids were and he said that he had one son and that he was 21 years old. First of all, I can't imagine Kai at 21 and secondly--I agree. These are some amazing times! Life with Kai is a daily gift and we are gr8phul to God for every smile and moment.

Getting Started

2007-07-22T16:13:00.000-07:00

In the mountains of truth, you never climb in vain. Either you already reach a higher point today, or you exercise your strength in order to be able to climb higher tomorrow. (Nietzsche)

We have considered ourselves tech savvy for sometime but have recently realized that we were behind the curve without a blog. So, we, the "adults" of the household, are starting this project together, mainly to keep up with the Jones's (and the Arnold's, and the Rillos's, and the Svendsen's, and everyone else we know).

So...what do we have going on in our lives that is worth blogging. Hmmm-Kai just woke up from a nap and we are going to head to the beach to go surfing in a few - pictures to come. I guess that is worth blogging :)