Beware, toddler tummy issues to follow.

I need to post. My goodness I have been a slacker. I blame how crazy work has been (I only have like 200 webpages to update in the next 2 weeks, but who's counting), and the fact that Jordan has been sick.

Sick, can I just take a minute and write a small dissertation on this? I feel as though I was very well prepared to be a parent. Not COMPLETELY prepared..no one is, but maybe more so than some of my friends have been. The facts that lead me to believe this are as follows: I was pretty much the last one of my friends/sisters-in-law to actually have a baby. I saw many live births, took care of many infants (even overnight), etc. But I contend that you are not ready to be a parent fully until you deal with the wrath that is a toddler with stomach flu. Now, I'm not talking about a baby that spits up as a small infant. While that is gross (and I am not downplaying the smell that is formula or breast milk puke) I have to say that what we encountered the other night in our house was revolting!!!!

Jordan had been sick for a couple of days with really bad "poops"...code for diarrhea that you wouldn't believe. I won't elaborate on that. That would just be going too far. He had also had limited appetite, so on Wed I was happy when he said he was hungry. Like a fool I let him pick out and eat what he wanted. The answer...one of his favorite foods, pickles. So I let him munch on some baby dills while I fixed dinner. Wed is my day off, so I had made a lovely turkey breast, mashed potatoes, gravy, etc. After Duane got home we all dined happily together. It was shaping up to be a wonderful evening. Christmas tree lights glistening in the background, carolers in the neighborhood, it was like a greeting card really...until we got Jordan out of his high chair.

Duane was holding him in the kitchen when suddenly Jordan made a noise. A noise that I won't soon forget. It was like a burp, but more involved. A noise that moms cringe at. I was sitting in the rocking chair watching TV, and immediately froze, waiting to see what would happen next. As I suspected, here came dinner...and the preceding pickles. All over Duane, the floor, the fridge, the counter, the cupboards. Duane took Jordan to the tub, while I was left speechless in the kitchen. Long story short (this is lengthy enough) I got it all cleaned up. But I think I deserve a medal since I have the world's worst reaction to throw up. (Anyone seen 4 Christmases yet? I am worse than Vince Vaughn). I powered through it, and took care of business. I am very proud though. As my first serious throw up experience, I think I have crossed some kind of threshold, into a club or elite group of mothers. But alas, I bet every mom is already there, and I am the last one to know!

Anyway, I just had to rant tonight and get it out of my system. I am as we speak building some slide shows to post tomorrow, so stay tuned. And I promise, no more throw up talk.

I know, I know, I promise I'll write and never do!

Wow, you can definitely tell a difference in my blogging patterns lately (or lack thereof). Things have just not settled down like I thought they would. The Holidays are busy for everyone I know, and most of you still find the time to blog, but I guess I just haven't gotten it figured out yet.

It s now Dec 9th, and my tree is still in the middle of being decorated (a shocker for me). I did manage to get my garlands and lights up around my door and front stairs, but that's about it. Hopefully on my day off tomorrow I will make a little more headway on getting everything set.

But on the brighter side, I did finish going through all of Jodan's room and putting everything he has outgrown as of right now into storage. I have tried to do this every 6 months, and boy am I glad that I have. Otherwise he would have mountains of clothes each time, instead of large hills. I don't know why I am such a buyer of clothes for him. It's probably a combination of not wanting to have to do his laundry every couple of days, and the fact that I just plain love to buy them. I have fallen down on the purchasing lately though, trying to gear up for Christmas.

I have to admit I was pretty sad to pack away the last of the "baby" stuff though. There were a few things I just wasn't ready to pack away 6 months ago, but I knew deep down he was already done with. I guess if we have another little boy I will be all set, he had so much stuff he hardly ever even used or wore it all. (Right, like I won't buy more :-)

I will try to post tomorrow during nap time and add some pics. I have some great ones from Thanksgiving, and just life in general lately.

I've been tagged!!! I love it!

Thanks Becky!! I love these!

Rules:
1) Post rules on your blog
2)Answer the six "8" items
3)Let each person know they've been tagged by leaving them a comment

8 Favorite TV Shows:
(These are not constant, so this is my current list)

• Biggest Loser
  
• The Office
  
• How I met your Mother
  
• Don't forget the Lyrics
  
• Any Real Housewives show on Bravo
  
• Mythbusters
  
• ER (the last season!)
  
• Kath & Kim (just getting into it but like it so far)

8 Things I did yesterday:

• Worked all day
  
• Talked to my brother online for a little bit
  
• Picked up Jordan from my parents house and got to watch him using the leaf blower with my dad. It was so cute!
  
• Went out to dinner to Robintino's in Bntfl with Duane and Jordan
  
• Watched The Office
  
• Had a relaxing night of no cooking, dishes or bath (Jordan fell asleep early...ok so we can skip a night right?)
  
• Updated my facebook page for a minute...no computer time lately!
  
• Went to bed early, like by 10 which is wierd for me!

8 Things I look forward too:

• When Duane, Jordan and I are home at night
  
• Vacations - big trips or small ones, or even if it's just a day off together
  
• Hearing Jordan say "Mom"...I just love it and never get sick of it!
  
• Making breakfast on the weekends with Duane
  
• The Holidays (not to copy Becky, but it's the Family, Friends, Food and Music)
  
• Going on a "date" with Duane
  
• Hanging out with Friends
  
• Seeing friends and family that have moved away

8 Favorite Restaurants:

• Outback
  
• Cafe Rio
  
• Chili's
  
• Sego Lily Cafe (in Bountiful)
  
• Elmo's (in Sweeny, TX)
  
• Any restaurant at The Ritz-Carlton, Kapalua
  
• Randy's Bistro, St. Thomas USVI
  
• Yandianxiu, Shanghai Brand Mall, Shanghai

8 Things on my Wish List:

• New tile or hardwood floor in kitchen/dining area/living room
  
• New Couch!!!
  
• New Television for my living room
  
• For someone to paint my house (inside)
  
• My family to all be healthy and happy
  
• I guess a couple million $ wouldn't hurt...I'd share too!
  
• To get married again on a beach and have a second honeymoon
  
• To work from home or be able to stay home with Jordan (see #6 hehehe)

(gee, can you tell I have home improvement on my mind lately?)

8 People to Tag:
If you don't have a blog, just email me your answers, I still want to see them!

• Kara
  
• Chris
  
• Teresa
  
• Beth
  
• Jo
  
• Lorie
  
• Jeff
  
• Duane (hehe)
  
  

Let's play catch-up

Wow I can't believe it's been over 3 weeks since I updated the blog. It has been a crazy time at the Koford house. In addition to Duane coming home from China, Nate and Jo having a baby, and Jordan and I being sick (pneumonia is so fun), we saw the Petty's, celebrated Halloween, and have a new President elect of the USA. Here's some pics since the last update.

The pics of Jordan with the olives crack me up! We took them to put on our Thanksgiving cards this year and I just had to share them! I will have more pictures soon, I am still trying to catch up after being so sick! Jordan recouped alot faster than I did, but my pneumonia was way worse and I was completely unable to move for days! So glad Duane got home before I got sick...don't know what I would have done otherwise. I barely pulled it together enough to go trick or treating with Jordan (to like 4 houses) on Halloween!

It is so good to have him home, not only because of the help he gives me, but because Jordan and I both miss him soooo much! That was his last trip to China for work though, because since being home he has found a new job which he starts next week! (Talk about me really falling behind on the blog!) He will be changing jobs after more than 7 years, which is always scary, but his new job is more in line with his degree/career path and will allow him to be in Utah which are 2 things we both have been hoping for. He has really enjoyed his current job and the people there, as well as the adventures to China, so it will be a little sad but exciting at the same time. Congrats Honey!!!

As life settles down now I will be posting more often. Luckily (and I am very proud of this) we are almost completely done with our Christmas shopping!!! I have never had it done in advance, and I am usually scrambling the week of Christmas to get it all finished. Duane was a huge help in getting this done, as we planned ahead and he was quite the shopper during his China trips.

The Petty's made a quick trip to Utah, and we were able to see them for a very short visit (at the Little America in Wyoming) as they were headed back to Texas. It was really great to see them. We even got a sneak peek at their finalized house plan which looks awesome.

More updates to come soon I promise!

Today in 1996...

...Duane and I had our first date! It didn't start off as a first date, but it definitely ended as one. Originally I was going bowling with Duane's sisters (I worked with Lorie, which is how I met Duane) and some of our friends from work. I showed up to pick up Lorie and Jo, and it ended up that Duane was going to the same bowling alley to meet up with some of his friends. Lorie and Jo weren't ready yet, so I gave Duane a ride to the bowling alley.

There had been some"chemistry" between the two of us for a while, some bad and some good. We'd known each other for almost a year by this time. Let's just say our first impressions of each other were not good at all. Over that year, we got to know each other, and had really started to "flirt" by the time this magical bowling night occured. By the time we got to the bowling alley, we weren't interested in hanging out with anyone but each other. Over the next several hours we were inseperable, and the evening had definitely turned into a date!

Fast forward to the end of the evening when I took Duane home. I came in the house, talked with his sisters for a bit, and he walked me to my car. We had our very first kiss in his parents driveway, with his sisters and mom watching us from inside the house. (Hey, I know it was our first date, but we'd known each other for a year) I knew right then that what I was feeling for him was more than I had ever felt before. That was it, we started dating "officially" and have been together ever since that night. Now, 12 years later, I couldn't love him any more than I do. I Love you Honey! Happy 1st date Anniversary.

Countdown

Well it's finally here, Duane will be home in about 28 hours and we are so excited! The only bad thing is that he has to spend most of that time on an airplane. The time change is hard, but it is much easier to get used to when you get to China than it is when you come home. He has been 14 hours ahead of us for 5 weeks. When he gets home on Saturday night, he only really has Sunday to recover, then it's back to work on Monday. Crazy!!

Just to give you an idea of how weird that flight back to Utah is, just check this out: He is leaving China at 11:20 am Saturday morning (China time). He flies for nearly 16 hours and lands in San Francisco at 12:40 pm (SF time...only an hour and 20 mins later!), then has 3 hour layover and gets to Salt Lake at 6:30 pm local time. So after traveling for 20 hours, he gets here only "7 hours" after he left China. The other strange thing, is that 6:30 pm here will be feeling like 8:30 am in China, so he will be at the beginning of his day (as far as his body knows).

We are getting all ready for him to get home, and even made him a fresh batch of salsa last night. Now, he just needs to hurry and get here before it's all gone!

Haircut Day!

Well we had a very busy and fun filled day today! It started off with Grandma and I taking Jordan to get his first "big boy" haricut in a salon. (Ok, I guess for a boy it's a barber shop, but work with me). We went to Cookie Cutters in Bountiful which is an awesome place tailored to kids. They get to sit in a fun "vehicle" and pick out a DVD to watch, then they also get a balloon and a sucker. The stylists are awesome with kids, and keep them really distracted. I think it's amazing that they can cut the hair of these little squirmers. Jordan chose to sit in the airplane (of course), and watch Cars (ok more my pic than his, but I know he likes it). Even with those distractions he still didn't like the "clippers" at all. All in all he ended up leaving happy (and sticky, what's up with giving toddlers getting haircuts suckers? Talk about a hair magnet). It went much better than his "first" haircut which was mommy and grandma with the clippers. I know we will definitely be back to Cookie Cutters.

Then we took a trip out to Gardner Village and had lunch at Archibalds. Such a fun place, especially around Halloween. The whole village is decorated. I couldn't believe how packed it was at noon on a Wednesday! We had a really great lunch, and Jordan was so good. He was waving at everyone and thoroughly enjoyed his food.

After lunch we dropped off Grandma at a Dr. appointment and did a little shopping at Jordan Landing. After her appointment, we picked up Grandma and headed to the fabric store. I had to get a few things for some halloween projects.

Then it was off to visit Susan, Laurie and Sandra. They were in Disneyland last week and brought us all back some gifts. Of course Jordan made out like a bandit with several shirts, a hat, and an awesome bowling set. Since their construction is almost done, we were able to play in the new kitchen/dining area. Jordan loved running around, checking out the new cupboards, and yelling into the empty room (the echo was awesome). We set up the bowling set, and Jordan had a great time. Check out the pics below to see our fun day together!

Big Cats Ad

So, in case you haven't seen this ad...it is the funniest thing!

http://www.truveo.com/Big-Cats-Fatherhood-promo/id/2354344139

While I don't know anything about Snoop's show, I do know that I agree wholeheartedly with the campaign style put down of cats!

Planes and Helicopters

So this past Saturday we were invited to attend a lunch out at Airport #2, and go see where "Boppa" (Grandpa) works. Jordan had a blast sitting in the machinery, and checking out the little planes and helicopters up close. It was so fun! It was catered by Joe Morley's BBQ (yum!) and there was even a little band there to perform. Jordan couldn't help but do a little dancing and "snapping" of his fingers. All of the sudden the music would just hit him and he would have to stop whatever he was doing to dance. It was so cute!

Then Saturday afternoon we did a little "painting" I have definitely learned to only give him as much water as I want to clean up.

Saturday night we went to a BBQ at the Overton's house. Jordan loves to play with their kids, and had an especially great time performing in a little "3 man band" with Kylie and Calie. He took turns on the harmonica, recorder, and guitar. It was so fun. Their dog Harley also recently had puppies, and 3 of the 4 of them now have their eyes open. They are darling! Jordan didn't quite know how to react to such small little puppies.

Here are some pictures from our weekend. Enjoy!

Thank goodness for Mr. Clean Magic Erasers!

I've been a fan of the Magic Erasers for quite some time, but never more than I was this weekend. In the few minutes it took me to switch loads of laundry, Jordan was able to get his hands on a pen and add some artwork to my plain hallway walls. I didn't notice it at first. I returned upstairs and he came walking right up to me with the pen, and just handed it to me. I didn't know where he had found the pen, but thought it was nice that he was just surrendering it so easily. Little did I know that he had already done the deed, and had no further use for it. As I went to put some food away in the pantry I noticed the first of several original Jordan masterpieces. As this is the first for artwork on our walls (probably not the last) I immediately grabbed the camera. In the back of my mind I was already taking a mental invetory of my cleaning supplies and hoping that I had a Magic Eraser.

Luckily I did, and the ink came right off. Man, what did we do before these little sponges from heaven? Then later in the day, we were talking to Duane on the web cam and I watched Jordan walk over to his highchair, grab the tray, bring it over to me and set it on the ground. Then without missing a beat, walked over to the kitchen "junk drawer" (which is the only drawer without a child lock on it go figure) grab a screwdriver, and proceed to try and take apart his tray. It was hilarious. So I repositioned the web cam and we both watched in awe. He knew what he was doing, lining up the screwdriver with each screw and then using both hands to twist. What is funny is that neither of us have really "shown" him how to do this. The only thing he has seen us do is replace batteries in various toys, which I had just done the day before. He never ceases to amaze me with how smart he is! He had a plan in mind for that tray and was on a mission.

We rounded out the weekend enjoying one of Jordan's favorite things...blueberries. As he is getting some new molars I had the bright idea of buying frozen ones instead of fresh (plus they last longer). He loved this idea! He happily ate his frozen berries and grinned the whole time. (Sidenote, the frozen ones aren't as messy as the fresh ones so it was a bonus for me too!)

Well, it's less than 3 weeks until Duane gets home, and we are counting down the days! We've almost hit the halfway point of this trip. Hooray!!!

Memory Lane

So this week has been crazy. Between Jordan not feeling well and both of us having a much harder time with Duane being gone, let's just say there hasn't been much sleep at the Koford's. It's times like these that I really appreciate (and should more often) our close friends and family. In my circle of friends there are many married couples, but very few with kids. I know that before I had Jordan I couldn't really identify with what it takes to be a parent (especially of a toddler).

One thing that really helped me prepare to be a mom was the birth of my half-brother Tyler. I was almost 16 when he was born and I was his babysitter when Shauna went back to work. It was a great summer, and it definitely helped me understand what a newborn needs. I grew up a lot that summer, and I will always remember it. I am thankful that I had that opportunity, and even though I know Tyler doesn't remember it, I do.

Along the same topic, but a litle different, I think it is interesting to compare "major" events that my generation remembers with that of our parents. I remember rocking Tyler to sleep in my Dad's living room while watching MTV (yes Real World had just come out and I was addicted to reality TV even then) and seeing the breaking MTV news report about Kurt Cobain's death. I was a big Nirvana fan, and had recorded their Unplugged concert just a few days before. (Talk about dating yourself).

Our parents saw the first man walk on the moon, maybe Vietnam, etc. I wonder if the events that we have seen will be as legendary to our kids. Are they going to have a History book that talks about 9/11, the war in Iraq? Probably, but we also waste a lot of time paying attention to stupid "news" items like what celebrity is in rehab or who got kicked off of a reality show. Our parents watched TV, but was it as important to them as it is to us? As much as I love my DVR, I also have to wonder how much time I waste watching dumb TV shows.

Here are some new pictures

So I have been a little slow on getting pictures on the blog. Here's a few recent ones. They're mostly of Jordan or Duane and Jordan. I've tried to put captions on most of them to tell you what they are.

Some Jordan pics...oh wait, nope not yet

Well, today was interesting. Couldn't go to work because Jordan hasn't been doing to well. We slept for about 2 hours last night, and luckily I have a great boss who was willing to help me stay home. In the last 36 hours I figure Jordan has slept for about 7 and I have had almost 5. Not too bad (for him) but I have only been getting about 4 hours a night anyway, so I am way behind. Not complaining, but I am so tired. I have always been a huge night person, and before Jordan I really could get by on 4 or 5 hours a night. Since being pregnant, I need a full night's sleep. (Yet another way being pregnant messed up my body...but it's worth it right?)


Now that I am a little more savvy on my new camera I will have some cute pictures to share hopefully tomorrow. I have to get some sleep tonight or I would try it out. Let's just say I have been working (slowly) on Halloween decorations and Jordan and I have been doing some craft projects. Yes, there are several stories involved so stay tuned. It turns out that toddlers and a bag of rice don't mix well, no matter what the magazines say. I do have high hopes for a few Halloween card projects that involve handprints and paint, so I'm sure those stories will be funny!

So I am still a somewhat child of the 80's and still make "mixed tapes" for different reasons, although nowdays it is mixed cd's. Tonight I made one with all of the songs that make me think of Duane (yes, I am sappy). My favorite song that reminds me of Duane right now is Jason Mraz called Lucky...listen to it here it is exactly how I feel right now. I can honestly say that 11..almost 12 years later (wow, I'm old) I still love him so much! Love and miss you honey!!

Quick update...sorry no pictures

Just thought I would write a quick update on what's going on at the Koford house.

Duane's in China, obviously since I talk about it all of the time. What is completely different this time is that Jordan realizes he is gone. He really does! We have the best picture of him napping with Daddy and it is framed by our bed. Jordan has to kiss the picture every night (his idea actually) and he pats Duane's side of the bed and makes a little sad face. Then I say "Daddy will be home in a few days (ok so I lie..) and you can play with him then."

We were finally able to talk to Duane on the web cam this morning. On the previous trips we have been able to do this almost every day, but this time it took longer to connect the internet in his apartment. Also, Duane has been working crazy long hours and the only time that he is awake is while we are sleeping. It was so good for Jordan and Daddy to see each other. Jordan was brushing his teeth at the time of the phone call, and tried to brush Daddy's teeth on the web cam. I had to clean a little bit of toothpaste off of the screen but it was so worth it. Jordan was so much more into talking to Duane this time. It is amazing what a month will do in the life of a toddler! He is changing so much every day! We can't wait for Duane to get home (for a minute) and be with him.

As far as Jordan and I go, we are doing well. We had a little scare with the Petty's this week. They were evacuated from Sweeny due to the hurricane, and I was able to find them a room in the Dallas area to stay at. They returned home tonight, and I just got the report that there was no major damage. They were without power for a while, so everything in their fridge and freezer is a loss, but they are so grateful that it was not worse. It really could have been a total loss of everything. We love them so much and were so worried... I am so relieved to hear that everything is ok. There will be some clean up of branches, etc. but at least the house is intact.

I will hopefully be able to put some pictures on here tomorrow. I have had some technical difficulties figuring out my new camera (which is so awesome, thank you Duane) but I think I know what I am doing now. Some pics, like the zoo, will have to wait, but I have some great ones of Jordan since then.

More updates to come (I promise) on a more regular basis. Thanks to Jeff, our yard looks absolutely amazing!!! It's great to have best friends who are there for you no matter what. It is really hard to be a "single" mom of a toddler, and I even have a ton of help from friends and family. I don't know how my mom did it when we were little. I appreciate her more and more every day. In the grand scheme of things I think all of this is making our family stronger, and I know I am learning a lot.

He was home for a couple of weeks...right?

At least I think so. It went by so fast! Duane is off to China again already. This trip is longer than the last one, but it should be the final trip this year. I will be so excited when he gets home and life can return to normal (well, at least our version of normal). Actually, I don't even think I know what that is lately. Between Duane being gone, Jordan walking, and summer trips I am all out of whack. We have sure had a lot of fun though. We tried to fit in a lot of fun things while Duane was home, like going to the Zoo, and most recently our weekend trip to Denver to visit Nate, Jo, and Riley. We had such a great time! I'll get some pictures posted this weekend I promise. Riley is so funny with Jordan and he thinks she is great.

Unfortunately Duane is going to miss a few things while he's gone this time, like the State Fair, the RV Show, and the season premier of his favorite TV show Heroes. (Thank goodness for DVR's) But unless Jo goes into early labor and I head back to Denver he won't miss any trips so that's good. I'll still be looking for things to do to make the time go by faster, so if you have any ideas, let me know. Maybe I will actually get around to some of those home projects I had planned.

As for Jordan news - he had his 18 month Dr. appt last week and he is getting so big! He is now 33 1/2 inches tall, which is 2 1/2 inches taller than at his last appt. I new he had been through a growth spurt in the last couple of months, but wow! No wonder nothing is safe in the house anymore - he can reach everything! He is also getting to be more and more of a daredevil. He can do pretty good sommersaults and is climbing on everthing. I am thinking of taking him to the toddler class at Flips gymnastics to see if he likes it. If so, it might just be a good way he can perfect his "stunts" while being supervised and having a padded "landing" area.

Well I think that's it for now, check back for pictures this weekend. Who knows, I may even have something exciting to blog about too. You never can tell what kind of trouble Jordan and I might get into!

I've been tagged!

I am a little late, but it's better than nothing...here you go Teresa:

6 Things People Don't Know About Me

1. I have always wished that I had an accent. No, a Utah accent doesn't count. I mean like a Texas or Australian or even a "wicked awesome" Boston one. Don't know why, I just always have.

2. One of my favorite movies of all time is Zorro the Gay Blade, starring George Hamilton. I grew up with it and still love it today. ("A-HA...2 fruits, 1 vegetable, and 1 flower") need I say more? Watch a clip

3. When I'm driving in my car alone, or with Jordan, I sing...really sing. I am in full concert. It turns out that the acoustics of a Jeep Grand Cherokee allow me to sound EXACTLY like Mariah, Celine, Whitney or any other amazing vocalist I choose. The only reason this can't be duplicated when others are in the car is that I don't want to make others feel bad about themselves :-)

4. You may know that I have a tattoo on my right ankle, which I got for my 19th birthday. What you may not know is that when my Mom saw it I told her it was one of those temporary henna type tattoos, and would gradually fade. Yeah, didn't exactly think that excuse through very well did I? 12 years later it's still here..go figure.

5. When I was a teenager I wanted to become a Marine Biologist. Since then my educational and career path has gone: Secondary Education/Criminal Justice/Financial Planning/Business-Travel & Tourism/Web Development. Maybe I can still save the oceans one web page at a time? Hmmmm....

6. Unlike Teresa and Eric we are not currently pregnant...but Jordan is 18 months now so you just never know....

I tag Chris and Kara and Duane.

The Family is all Home....for a minute!

Duane is home from China, albeit for a very short time, and Jordan and I are back from Michigan. Wow it has been a really crazy month!

Michigan was awesome. It was really green and pretty, and the weather was great. We must have been there at a perfect time of year, because it wasn't even that hot. We got to hang out with Chris and Kara, and Chris even cooked dinner for us! While we were in Lansing we stayed at the Residence Inn that is just a couple of streets away from their apartment, so we were very close. We all took a weekend trip together to Frankenmuth and Mackinaw, which was so much fun! I loved going to Bronners, and seeing what a cute town Frankenmuth is. Mackinaw was beautiful, and looked like something out of a movie. There are no motorized vehicles on the island, just horse drawn carriages. It was really neat! I learned a lot of Michigan history, and also learned about Pasties (pronounced Pass-tees) which are kind of like meat pies. Here is a slideshow from the trip.

Thanks to Chris and Kara for everything. It was so good to spend time with both of you. I can't wait to see you when you come home in December. I hope the move to the new apartment went well, and you are settling in ok.

Stay tuned for more updates. We are trying to fit in a lot of activities while Duane is home. We took Jordan to the zoo yesterday and those pics will be here soon, along with pics from China.

So I went to take Jordan's 18 month pictures today, and Jordan was in a pretty onery mood. He is getting 3 more teeth, which is funny because he has gotten like 5 since Duane has been gone, but he did really good. We went to the Kiddie Kandids in Layton, and I hadn't been to that one before with him. Immediately he made friends with the other kids there and the photographers. He was so happy and smiley in front of the camera. The first 6 pictures they took were the ones we used. He was singing, and talking and trying to get into everything. By the end of the appointment all of the girls there were oohing and aahhing over him. He is such a ham!!! So I had to include one of the outfits that we got him on our last trip to China. It turns out the photographers loved this picture the most and entered it into their photo contest. Maybe I have a little model on my hands? You decide...



So that's the China photo, here are the rest, which I think are just as cute!




Yeah, so that's my onery baby being a ham in front of the camera. Not so onery looking right? I can't believe how good he was. Granted, afterward he wasn't happy about being carted around the mall, but the pictures were good. He is really excited about seeing Daddy again. We talk about it every day, and I think Dad is going to get smothered, but I'm ok with that! He is too cute and too smart...I'm not biased, but he might be the next Einstein... :-)

Bathtub Notes...

...a new form of communication in our house! Since Duane and I often take turns being on "bath duty" with Jordan, we frequently write notes to each other on the tub or tile with Jordan's bath crayons. We also draw pictures for him, and he does too, but the notes back and forth are my favorite. The last notes we wrote were just before Duane left for China, and since it's been a few weeks now I know I need to clean them off. (I mean the whole tub and shower need to be cleaned, not just clean around the notes) Jeff had the great idea that I should take pictures of the notes before they are gone. So, here's a sampling. Yes they're sappy, but it's been really nice to read those everyday while Duane's gone (I guess I am more sappy than I thought).

So those will come down this weekend, and we'll write Duane some new ones to see when he gets home. (After all, he'll be on 4 weeks of bath duty right? ;-)

So that's it for tonight, but I'll have more to talk about regarding the Olympics opening ceremonies and of course Jordan in his never ending quest to keep me busy. I should almost be a reality show. I'm sure someone would think it is funny to watch me chase Jordan around the house and reprimand him from doing things. It could potentially be called something like "The Real Suburban Housewives of Davis County". Hey, anything that would document my struggles with the Davis County traffic and the trials of having a toddler to youself... I would watch! (although I might be the only one). More Later...

Even in a house that is over-run by toys...

...Jordan will still want to play with whatever it is I am doing/he is not supposed to have/he just learned he can reach and Mom doesn't know it yet. In trying to snap some pictures of him the other night, he grabbed the camera case and put it right on. As you can tell by the lack of toys around him, he had no choice...I mean what else was there for him to play with?

His latest and greatest discovery? Daddy's plants. Not only can he now reach them, he can reach them well enough to inflict serious destruction. If we only had 1 or 2 plants I'm sure I could relocate them to higher ground. But what happens when even the higher ground at your house is covered with plants? Duane has quite the green thumb, and I can honestly say that every available inch of display space in my house is home to a very beautiful and unique plant. I love it and it's wonderful, but as Jordan gets taller and his reach is getting longer I am at a loss as to what my options are. Obviously he is aware he is not supposed to touch the plants (or hit them, pull on them, knock them over and dump a pot full of soil into the carpet) but he has some of his dad's mischievious streak in him. The second I am on the phone or trying to cook, etc. he heads right for the plants. Ideally I should be treating this as some sort of ethereal parenting opportunity, but that might have to wait until Duane gets home. Until then if you come to my house and I have plants sitting in odd places you'll know why. And if you haven't read this and ask "Why do you have a pineapple plant sitting on top of a box sitting on top of a ....." I will just politely refer you to this blog post ;-)

Like I said, he only goes for what he knows he shouldn't have when I am otherwise occupied, which isn't often these days. I have been lucky enough to be able to spend almost all of my evening time just playing with him. The house may not be as clean right now, but oh well. It can always get cleaned, and Jordan won't be 18 months old forever.

So....yeah, um we're not getting much done

So needless to say, updating the blog obviously isn't happening on an everyday basis as I thought it might. Partly because we've been keeping in touch with Duane via web-cam a lot, and partly because Jordan started walking (like really walking) the day that Duane left for China.

Yep, the DAY he left. I couldn't be more excited, but sad that Duane wasn't here at the same time. Jordan had been standing and taking a few steps for quite a while, even walking around the perimeter of furniture etc. But the night that Duane left he just started walking on his own! The story goes like this: Jordan loves vacuums. Why? I don't know. I'd say it's because I'm such an amazing housekeeper that I vacuum everyday, but that would be a huge lie. I agree that my purple Dyson is an amazing machine and quite good looking, but I don't think it's that either. Anyway, he had been pretending to "vacuum" with a stick or spatula, etc. for a few days when all of the sudden he was so preoccupied with "vacuuming" that he just kept on going. All the way down the hall and into our bedroom. I raced to grab the video camera before he realized he was walking. To my suprise even though he would fall down, he kept getting right back up and doing it again. I had to get this on video, so I kept him going. "Oh Jordan, the floor is really dirty over here, come vacuum this." "Jordan can you help mommy vacuum?" The best part was the noise he was making while doing it. Trying to imitate the vacuum noise, it was awesome! So at least I have the walking recorded (and quite a bit since then) so that Duane can see it.

The only downside to this development is that since I'm the only one home and Jordan is now EXTREMELY mobile, I haven't had any time to do all the little projects I had high hopes for. So I think I have hung a few pictures, but that sums it up. To think being the only one home with a toddler was going to give me any "time" to rearrange the pantry, or furniture, or do some filing in the office, is laughable to me at this point. But I can say that I am having the best time chasing Jordan around the house and yard!

Only a few more days till we get to visit Uncle Chris. I am so excited. I'm sure our first airplane ride since walking will be far from relaxing but we'll see how it goes. I'm actually more worried about Jordan and Grandpa being together on a plane. Those two are trouble when they are together ;-) Maybe Grandma and I will sit elsewhere and then complain to the flight attendant about the noisy baby in the other row. (I wouldn't really do that, but I have a friend that did...and you know who you are.)

Anyway, here are a few pics in the meantime. This one would be really cool if it was in 3-D. That olive would be coming right at you!

Here's one from the Animal Planet Expo we went to at Liberty Park. Boy was it hot that day! Luckily we had these "Meerkat Fans" that they gave us.

Here are a few of Jordan, and Jordan and Riley at Steven's Birthday party on Saturday.

Just the two of us

Well Duane is on his way to China, and so it's just Jordan and me...the gruesome twosome! I have quite a few things planned for the next little while to help get our minds off missing Duane. I also have some "home" projects that I am going to try and do while D is gone. (You know the kind that wives love to think up, but husbands go nuts over...rearranging furniture, etc.) Anyway, enough about our plans. I'll be updating the blog a lot so that D can see what we are up to, so stay tuned. You'll probably get to hear more than you want to for the next little while.

In the meantime, here are a few more pics. I couldn't resist snapping these of Jordan last weekend. He was sooo tired, but didn't want to nap. So I set him up in the high chair to have a snack, and before he could even eat anything, he was asleep!

This one is great because you can see the drool on his chin!

I tried to wake him up, but he just moved a little and went back to sleep. Then it was off to the crib for a real nap!

After the nap, he was sure feeling happy. Here he is "helping" Duane on the computer. Those two are pretty much inseparable, so it's going to be interesting.

I sent Duane off with a little "care package" of EZ Mac and Ramen noodles (that one's a little ironic) so that I can know he will at least have something to eat in the apartment when he gets there. I know there's water and a microwave, so it had to be something that would work with those limited ingredients. Unfortunately for him, there is no Dr. Pepper in China, so he is gong to have to find another way of staying hydrated. Hey honey, it's called bottled water, just a hint! (**See my rant below about Chinese soft drinks). I also put together a little photo album of me and Jordan, and a voice recorded "message" of Jordan talking/laughing (Thanks Mom for helping me get that recorded!) We'll be looking forward to seeing him on the web cam once he gets to Xiamen. Love you and miss you already!

**I don't think I've ever talked about the fact that MY favorite soft drink is actually found in China, but I can't get it here. I'm speaking of...wait for it...... Coca-Cola Light. It's the "equivalent" of Diet Coke in China, but for some reason tastes even better. According to wikipedia: "In other countries, where cyclamates are not banned (as they were in the U.S. and the United Kingdom in 1970), Diet Coke or Coca-Cola Light may be sweetened with a blend containing cyclamates, aspartame, and acesulfame potassium, which may account for the noticeably different taste of Coca-Cola Light, compared to Diet Coke." So basically it's probably way worse for me than Diet Coke, which is why of course it tastes even better. Well, since I highly doubt it will be Diet Coke that kills me, I'm going to have Duane try to get some shipped home. If that happens, I'll alert you all through the blog and we'll set up a taste test so you can see for yourself.

Food Fun

As promised, here are a few pics of Jordan and the great time he always has when eating messy foods. The watermelon wasn't too bad, but the black beans were not my brightest idea! (In more ways than one). But what can I say, he loves them.

We're getting ready for Duane to head back to China. It's been quite a whirlwind at our house lately. My work schedule has changed, but it is good because I am able to spend more time with Jordan. It will be hard while Duane is gone, but thank goodness for Skype and web cams. We'll have to see what Jordan thinks of talking to his dad on the computer. I am really excited about our trip to Michigan next month to see Chris and Kara. It's always fun to travel with Jordan, he is such a good baby. It probably helps that we have actually flown quite a few times with him since he's been born. It continues to be an adventure as he gets more and more independent though...we'll see if he's as great of a passenger as he was a couple of months ago.

We had an interesting 4th of July weekend this year. Our A/C went out on the night of the 3rd, and we spent 2 nights in a very hot house. (Turns out it is VERY expensive to have a repairman come to you on the 4th, so we opted to tough it out until the 5th). With Duane's quick thinking and the purchase of some large fans we actually got the temperature down to 76 at night...but the day was a different story. Luckily the repairman was there early on the 5th and after a short time (but many $'s later) it was fixed. Then we had my parents over for a BBQ and to do a few fireworks. Jordan loved them! He didn't like the loud ones (like the illegals that the next door neighbor had) but he liked the fountains and loved the big ones that Centerville was doing. We could actually see them really well from home.

Oh, speaking of that weekend let me just say that I was the very lucky recipient of an extra ticket to the Poison concert!!! I went with Jill and Terrie. It was so cool! I've only loved Bret Michaels for like 20 years, so it was amazing to see him in person. The show was awesome, and he still sounds as great as ever. The opening band was...wait for it.....Dokken. Yes, that's right, they are still around. I only even knew 1 of their songs, but the man sitting in front of us knew every word to every song. He even pulled out the "air guitar" and a little "air drums". The people watching was definitely at an all time high that night, and it didn't disappoint. I'd already seen more feathered hair and tight jeans outside of the ESA than I had in the last 10 years. It was a truly memorable night. Thanks so much for the ticket Jill!!!

Summertime

So, it has been such a busy summer that I haven't even posted any pictures since May. Well, I won't be posting any tonight (since I don't have the camera with me), but I did want to write a quick note.

First of all, have you tried Pandora? That is to say, have you experienced pandora.com? It is without a doubt the best thing that has ever happend to music, in my humble opinion. The idea is that all of the music is already kept online (no need for an ipod, etc.). You simply type in the name of a band or song that you like and Pandora will play music that is similar to it. (basically music you already like). You then vote on each song played and tell Pandora if you like it or not. If not, Pandora will change the music it "matches" you up with. It is called the "Music Genome" project.

Really the only drawback that I can see is that since you don't "own" the music, you can't listen to a certain song whenever you want/change the order/burn it to a disc, etc. But, if you are at a computer all day long like I am (yes, I am a full fledged geek programmer these days...typing away lines of code like you wouldn't believe) and need something to listen to without having to do any work, it is the best thing ever!

Also on my mind tonight is a quick movie review/note. I recently went to Brewvies for a work outing and saw Iron Man. Now, to be honest, I have never been much of a "Marvel Comic" movie fan. I was excited to go to a movie since I haven't been in forever, but wasn't sure I was going to like it. Not only did I like it...I LOVED IT! Robert Downey Jr. did an amazing job. I was "riveted" the whole time. Plus, what's better than watching a movie while eating delicious food? I hadn't been to Brewvies in about 7 years, and it was better than I remembered. The menu is amazing, the fact that you get to eat real food on real tables (better than those "trays" at Jordan Commons) in the theatres is great. I highly recommend seeing Iron Man. I hope to see more movies soon, before I miss out entirely on all of the summer flicks. Maybe even a quick trip back to Brewvies.

Also, gas prices. I know they're expensive everywhere, but really! With all of the camping we've been trying to cram into the last few weeks, we spent $300 on just gas alone last week. I'm sure it's affecting everyone, I just had to get that off my chest. The new gas guzzling truck doesn't help I'm sure, but it's much nicer pulling the trailer now. Anyone else feeling it? The best gas price I have found here is $3.95/gallon. Since I know some of you are in Texas, Michigan and even as far away as London, let me know what the prices are in your neck of the woods. I'm just curious!

I found the camera, so I will have some new pics on in the next few days. I have some great ones of Jordan with watermelon (he really loves it, a little too much?) and our latest Lagoon trip.

Camping...

Well so far the Koford Family Summer has been busy, and it has been a blast! Only 1 month since graduation, and we have been to Texas and we've gone camping twice! Duane is finally getting a chance to enjoy his 4 wheeler, and Jordan and I are having fun visiting with friends and playing in the dirt. Jordan especially loves the Mini's dogs Jersey and Dakota.

We have a lot of camping trips coming up too! We have the Higley reunion in Idaho, Duane's family campout at Lagoon, and the Eggett reunion in Logan. Plus, we are still hoping to go camping with the Overton's and more with the Mini's, Jeff, Jill and Brandon. Brandon brought a Razr on our last campout and Jordan loved it! (Don't worry Grandma, Duane is actually crouched down behind the tire right next to Jordan just for the picture).

Then this past weekend, at the Knolls, we had quite a group and a lot of machines. There were 2 Rangers compliments of Ryan/Brandon/Rusty, 2 four wheelers, and Ryan's motorcycle. It was a lot of fun. Jordan went riding in the Ranger again, and liked to go fast! He also loved watching the motocycle guys doing tricks. Duane's muscles are a little sore today from all the riding, but he had a great time! Other than Rusty's injury involving his 4 wheeler and a bush that came up and grabbed him, the only other injury was Duane trying to load his Raptor onto the truck. Let's just say the ramps were a little on the steep side, and Duane ended up on the ground. A few minor scratches but nothing serious! Thank goodnes!! I'm sure I'll have more pictures on here soon, so check back for the next installment. More later!