Stanley's first Christmas

A typical Morris Christmas consists of lots of pressies, lots of food and lots of beer and wine!!

This year was no different... they were celebrating Stanley's first Christmas!

It was a strange Christmas because it was the first Christmas without Nanny... Mum and dad had a quiet Christmas day but then had the whole 'Morris' family over on Boxing day for fun fun fun!

I'm sure that Mum and Dad spoiled Stanley rotten!

Christmas is here again

Another Christmas has arrived and bitten us in the bot and left!

I cannot believe that Christmas has been here and gone again already! It seems like yesterday that Jason and I were packing up all our stuff, celebrating Christmas and then moving back to the States.

Jason, Jesi, Ryan, Jonah and I drove up to Jason's parents house for Christmas this year. We headed up there for about 5 days to chill, eat, snowboard and celebrate Christmas. Everyone was looking forward to Christmas this year because it was Jonah's first!

We decided to go snowboarding, but wanted to head somewhere new. So, were got up and drove to Squaw Valley, which is a very popular and big ski resort. We boarded all day and then decided to stay the night in Reno, Nevada and then go to another new resort the following day. We woke up Christmas day in a Reno hotel room and drove to Heavenly, which is where Jason and I met!

We had Christmas before we went bu took our stockings with us so we all had a little something to open on Christmas day.

We had a great time even though the snow was a little icy! We didn't board on Christmas day in the end because the wind was too strong which meant that most of the chair lifts were closed, but we did have a nice easy drive home which included stopping for a great dinner!

30 30 30 30 30 30 30 30

Jason turns 30 30 30 30 30 30 30!

On Jason's 30th we organised a surprise party for him. It was hilarious because all he knew was that Jesi and Ryan would come down in the evening to see him on his birthday... he did not know that we were planning on surprising him! I took him to Costco thinking that he would want to spend him normal hour and a half in there... but he was tired and so just wanted to go home! Nightmare! What could I do to keep him out of the house for another 45 minutes except run away and hide from him! I hid in Costco for about 15 minutes... he called me saying 'where are you because I am leaving and if you don't meet me at the car I'm leaving without you!

I had no choice but to call in the reinforcements... I called Jesi and told her to call me with the excuse that she needed something from the super market! So, it worked... she called, and we went to Albertsons. Thank goodness we walked down the Coffee Aisle... Jason being a coffee addict, we were looking at all the coffee accessories and that distracted Jason for half an hour! It was perfect!

So, we got home and I walked up the stairs to our apartment talking as loud as I possibly could and stomping as loudly as I could so that everyone in the apartment would know that we were coming...

We walked in and BOOOOOMMMMM... SURPISSSEEEEE!!

Jason was completely surprised and shocked and he was so happy! It was perfect!

Jonah enjoying the sunset

We sat Jonah on the table on our balcony as the sun was setting. He loved looking at the sun and of course at his dad!

He's such as character!

More Stanley!

And he continues to grow into a handsome young boy!

I love getting new photos of Stanley. Its great to see how he is getting big!

I miss not being able to see him in person though!

Our first Christmas Tree

I know that this is probably completely boring to you, the reader, but this is something I am very proud of! I love our first Christmas Tree. We bought it 2 weeks early because I was so desperate to get it up and in our window.

It was great to decorate it and have it up for everyone to see!

My first Thanksgiving

Well, my first proper Thanksgiving was certainly not the 'normal' thing I thought it would be... from sushi, to beach outings to chilling in the sun!

A normal thanksgiving involves a lot of cooked food, turkey, veggies, potatoes, desserts... we decided to have sushi because neither Jason's mum nor I wanted to slave for hours cooking a great big Christmas-like-dinner!

Then once we were done with our food we met up with Jesi and
Ryan at the beach! How spends Thanksgiving on the beach...
only in Southern California! We hung out at the beach for a
while with Ryan's dad and sisters, ate some good snacks and
played 'football'. It was fun.

A trip to the snow

Last weekend Jason and I went to a big ski resort called Mammouth with some of our church group. We were lucky enough to stay at a friends family lodge while we were there. we arrived late Friday night and enjoyed a weekend which included a walk in the snow, lots of games, and good food and company.

Stanley at his grandad's house

Stanley gets to play with his Grandad!

I love seeing Stanley!

Mum says he loved playing with the reindeer!

Halloween Party

On Saturday 28th October Jason and I had a gathering of fellow
fancy dress lovers to celebrate Halloween. We weren't really
celebrating halloween, it was just an excuse to get all dressed up for fun!

We ate good BBQ and cup cakes and chatted all night long... or until about 10.00pm when we all started getting tired!

Jason and I were dressed as Coffee
and a donut! I made the outfits we were
dressed in and everyone loved them.

Everyone had fun and even little Jonah and Annie
were dressed up!

Stanley continues to grow

Here are some new photos of Stanley... he is getting big now but is still gorgeous!

Another Fellow Brit arrives for some fun in the sun!

I am over the moon because my cousin Sarah has been to see me! This is the second time she has been to see me, but last time Jason and I were staying with his parents up north so her trip was a snowy one, this time it is a sunny one!


We had a great time visiting all the fun bits and pieces around here. we went to Laguna Beach and tried a number of times to take our own photo!


I took her to San Diego to see the sights. I have never walked
so much! The best bit was walking around the San Diego harbor and then getting lost trying to get back to the car park by taking a 'short cut' through the convention centre!


We also headed to La Jolla to see the waves... and the sights... and to see the seals. We walked out in the jetty by where the seals
live and the waves soaked us... it was hilarious!


Jason and I also took Sarah into nice and sunny Hollywood to see the freaks at the Chinese theatre!

Jonah continues to grow

And so he continues to amaze... he is such a smiler! He loves lying on his back and kicking and kicking and swinging his arms all over the place!

He is hilarious when he really gets started kicking... he looks like a duracell bunny on over drive!

Jonah holds his head up

Jonah never ceases to amaze... he is holding up his head and looking around already! He is so active and alert already!

We can't wait to see what he does when he is a few months older!

Girls beach day

A day at the beach with the girls from
my church lifegroup was fun, fun, fun
in the sun!

We all met at my house and then headed down to Salt Creek for some quality sunbathing time!

Lake Arrowhead & the 3 bears

Jason and I headed to Lake Arrowhead and Big Bear for a long weekend to relax and chill out.

We stayed in a cute little cottage bed and breakfast called 'The Storybook Inn'. We were lucky enough to get the 3 Bears Room. The Night photo is from the restaurant where we stayed. We had the best dinner there... even though it was a little expensive!

We also went to see Big Bear Lake. I'd never been there before and it was fun to see where all the rich people in LA go to ski
and snowboard! Not really that much there except some really expensive shops! (Can I complain about the price of everything anymore!)

Jason and I drove up into the forest to have a look around. I felt like we were off roading because the truck was bouncing about everywhere... It was hilarious! We looked and looked and looked for a quiet little spot to chill out and so Jason could have a nap and I could read my book... as soon as we found a wicked little
place... it started raining!! Just our luck!

Never the less, we had a great weekend just chilling out with each other and doing nothing more than spending money at the really expensive places!

Meeting my English nephew

While I was back in the UK I got to meet my new nephew for the first time.

I have been sent photos all the time, but to meet him in person was unbelievable. He is just adorable and a bundle of pure cuteness.

Another new addition but this time to the Haack family!

While I was in the UK for my friends wedding, my sister-in-law Jesi gave birth to her little bundle of boy joy and named him Jonah Liv Haack.

He is a wonderful little bundle of happiness... and the rest of the family is over the moon!

Jason's parents are more than over the moon, they are over the Milkyway! They are loving being Grandparents and are spoiling mother and child rotten!

Old Friends get together

A few months before I went back to the UK for Kate and Andrew's wedding I got an email from another old friend of mine, Caroline. Caroline and I lived together for 3 years while we were at University and became very good friends. We were inseparable during our 1st year. We got down and boogied almost every night in our first year. We were known as the girls who loved Garage music! We made great friends with another garage lover called Ann. Once we left University we all lost contact but we managed to fine each other through Friends Reunited!

While I was back in the UK, on 5th August I met up with Caroline and Ann in Richmond and caught up with each other on the last 5 years of our lives!

We hot up some of the most happening spots in Richmond and talked, talked, talked till the last train home!

It was great to see the girls after so long and they haven't changed a bit. I was still the one who went out in 'casual' wear and Caroline and Ann were still the girlie girls!!!

The biggest family in the world!

A family BBQ was organised for while I was in the UK in August... and on 6th August 2006 all of my Dad's side of the family came to my Mum and Dad's... and there were tons of them!!!

There was Mum, Dad, Steven, Sophie, Carol, Rick, Louise, Philip, Elizabeth, Bethany, Leah, Big Mo, Jamie, Richard, Sarah, David, Barbara, Jim, Jackie, Gianni, Karen, Jack, Maisie, Luca and Nanny... in a plastic tub!



The kids had a great time playing in the garden and causing havoc at the food table. The kids are, Bethany, in green, Leah, playing with the bubbles, Maisie in pink and Luca in the cool blue shirt!

This is me with my two cousins, Sarah and Louise and my auntie Gill... or should I say Big Mo! We always have a giggle when we get together.




This is Big Mo with her two boys, Jamie and Richard.











Leah is adorable and she loves bubbles.

She was running around all day with the teeny boppers on her head! If she wasn't wearing them then my Mum was!!
















As you can tell from my dad, the food was flowing as was the beer!

It was really good spending time with all the family. Now that we are so far away we don't get to spend much time with them anymore... and the last time I saw everyone was at Nanny's funeral.

It was good to see everyone on a happier note!