We moved and Kyla is 7 months old!

It's time for us to pick up and go once again. We left Texas separately, but Kristie and I came back to Texas married with a beautiful child and all of our debt paid off (Thanks Arnold!). Aside from the obvious personal milestones within our family, other accomplishments reached in CA...

1) Kristie and I maintained Texas registration, insurance, and driver's licenses for our vehicles (including one vehicle bought IN California.
2) Many of you don't know this, but my extensive knowledge of the intricate SoCal freeway system paid off as I held a part time job as an OnStar telephone agent. (Ask Kristie)

3) Kyla gets to live her life bragging about sharing a birth city with reputable American icons such as Nate Dogg, Snoop Dogg, and Daz Dillinger. Many other rappers can only dream of actually being from the "LBC".
4) ...and NO, we did not see any celebrities, we did not go on any game shows and we only felt a couple of earthquakes.

Anyhow, we are glad to be back...

Here is Kyla saying good bye to her good friend Claire

Kyla and her good friend Kiera had many laughs together (this is where you say, "Damn Kyla has a BIG head")

How ironic that I moved to California to work for a company based in Texas only to move back to Texas to work for a company based in California. Icing on the cake was that our movers were associated with Atlas Van Lines (far left)

Hanging out in Fredericksburg with Daddy and Opa, Kyla enjoyed swinging from a tree in front of Opa's peach orchard. I dont take, nor do I post these pictures, but this weekend trip to the Hill country had a lot more blogworthiness with scorpion encounters, chicken coops, etc.

Kyla felt the Lord as she was baptized in Fredericksburg. Despite the water, the congregation, and the denouncement of the devil, she maintained a very calm and collected demeanor during the ceremony.

Godparents Nate and Kate. I think Marlon Brando jokes are pretty played out by now when talking to godparents. (and no, Kate did not allow Nathan to attend the ceremony in sandals)

Kyla is 6 months old

Kyla is six months old and time sure does fly! She is rolling over now (both ways) although it does still take her awhile. She prefers to just whine and hope that someone will move her or bring her whatever she wants :) She is also sitting independently now.


She also has a new jumperoo that she loves. For those of you who don't know, it's like a cross between a mechanical bull and bungee jumping.


When Mommy brought the jumperoo home, Kyla exclaimed, "Yay!! Another brightly colored apparatus which doesn't effectively conserve space whatsoever! When are we going to install a ball pit in the living room"?


She hasn't quite figured out how to jump yet so it looks like she is galloping if you watch her feet! It is adorable!



Now this was an interesting episode. She learned that she can slightly pull herself up on the built in mobile that this chair has. The problem is that when she lifts herself, she administers a death grip on it as she is afraid to fall back down by letting go.




It's good to always have a toy to stimulate mental development and reduce fussiness within arms reach at all times.




"Um, yeah Daddy, don't bother asking if I would like the blanket....must be nice you jerk. I'll just sit in my new leather chair and ottoman combo and enjoy the basketball game in the cold".





Q: If you want to buy Kyla a toy for bathtime, she would most appreciate ___ ?
a) An overpriced plastic toy that floats and changes colors with temperature fluctuations.
b) Some sort of battery operated toy made in China that propels itself around the water.
c) A 24 cent washcloth that she can suck on.




The first and last time Kyla ever sat on a motorcyle (courtesy of Grandpa Jack)




"Daddy lays on the couch after eating. I usually just fall asleep with the bottle in my mouth".




"Oh, the humanity"!




This was at a mall in Las Vegas. We took Kyla there with her cousins to meet a man in a Easter Bunny suit. We were able to snap this photo of Kyla and Mr. Bunny as he was escorted out for a smoke break.




Authentic Easter Bunnies are easy to spot. They always keep cheaply manufactured fans handy to shove into their neck area to stay cool.



HAPPY EASTER EVERYBODY! I'M STILL CUTE!

Kyla's five months old! ...and she went to the zoo.

"I just got a round of vaccines, I'm crabby, and I'm giving you the finger because I'm not happy with life at the moment - and no, Daddy did not pose my finger like this."


We figured that when Kyla is older and wants to go to the San Diego zoo we can show her this picture and tell her that this was her only shot. (DisneyLand to follow before we move to Texas)


It was chilly in San Diego that day.


4 hours at the zoo and not a single poopy!


We posed with a polar bear.


Look! Kyla can drink from a straw!

We bought a new house!

After a few Texas visits to find a place to plant our roots, we stumbled upon a large man named Joe who sells Perry Homes on the west part of Katy. We had endured many houses we liked, many we despised, one that we made an unsuccessful offer on, and a few days with our lovely daughter who wanted no part of our 10 hour home searches. Our search finally ended and we couldn't be happier.

The front elevation....including the front lawn that Kristie will be mowing.

Michael's kitchen


Tile all over the place in a spacious living room and kitchen


Michael's other kitchen

Kyla is 4 months old!

"Look at me!!! I eat with a spoon now! My food really blows though. Once I taste Daddy's fajitas or steaks I will never eat this garbage again".

Kyla likes to sit down for dinner with us. Of the three beverages seen on the table here, none of them contain alcohol...such a wholesome family.


"um....yeah, I have teeth. So do you. Remove hand from mouth now".


Kyla's limited TV viewing time is a ruse to get her to exercise her back and neck muscles.

If Daddy has to dress Kyla without the assistance of Mommy, he:

A) Wraps her in a half-assed swaddle and makes himself a drink

B) Leaves her half naked once he gets frustrated

C) Makes a critical error in the order of clothing her and resigns to buttoning her onesie over her pants


"Listen to me laugh....I'm cute dammit"!

Christmas in Texas 2007

Kyla went on a tour of Texas for the holidays. She met more relatives, cut two teeth, and saw chickens for the first time.

Kyla met her Omie Bruns in Fredericksburg.



She also met her PaPa Cangelosi in Houston. He made her smile every time he looked at her.


This is where Kyla met her new friend Jackson. Jackson was born one day before Kyla. Jackson wanted to keep her up past nap time but Daddy intervened.


Um....yeah. This is Kyla's room at her Grandma Mimi's house. I don't ever remember having a Christmas tree in my room when I was a child.


"This bathtub at my Oma and Opa's house is sized perfectly for me"!


Kyla and her Mimi before leaving for Kyla's first wedding experience.


Christmas Eve in Houston.


Like mother like daughter.


Kyla's presence commanded about 80% of the gifts during Christmas.


Kyla LOVES reading books. In fact, she has probably already read more books in her life than Daddy has.

Kyla is 3 months old

Kyla had her three month birthday! She celebrated by laying on a white burp cloth and giving a pouty face.



Gone is the sling for her baby bathtub.

Kyla and her friend getting their ears pierced. It was a humbling experience for both.

I don't know why mommy put this picture in here...

Kyla and her friend Kiera crying, so cute!


Kyla met Santa for the first time. We told Kyla afterwards that Santa usually is more jovial and he usually doesn't smell of booze and stale beer nuts.

Kyla had a hand and foot pressed into clay. The clay will then be glazed and fired in a kiln so that we can keep it in a box forever. Seriously, it was cool to see her tiny little imprints....she didn't even mind having it done.

Thanksgiving in Kentucky

This was Kyla's inaugural vacation/flight, Thanksgiving in Kentucky. A flight to KY from LA......perfect for KYLA....hardy har. Now, I am not sure why the picture of the Harlem Globetrotters that we took at LAX isn't in here....I only caption these things. Enjoy!


Memaw finally got to meet Kyla, her 7th great-grandchild.

This is a view of Memaw's house in Eastern Kentucky from the nearby cemetery. Kyla got to visit Grandpa Larry here. The fall leaves are always great to see.

I learned that anti-trust laws can't keep Pepsi from monopolizing the soft drink market in E. Kentucky....so much so that I found a Pepsi machine literally in the middle of a desolate residential area.

Kyla with her cousins Danielle, Stephen, and Colby in Western Kentucky.

"I spent my first Thanksgiving at Grandma Linda's. Grandpa George bought approximately 120 lbs. of smoked ham for the big feast".

"Timeout! You're strapping me into this chair of torture for hours on end as you drive across the bluegrass state and then you have the audacity to dress me like a bunny in November".