Paul's Birthday Happenings

Happy Birthday Paul!

James Pollock Morris was born on May 20th, 1981! What a truly amazing day that was! Today he is ___ years old (you do the math). Thatcher and I are both so very blessed to have him in our lives!! He really is the greatest husband and dad anyone could ever dream of! We are really lucky. Paul, we are so proud of all you've accomplished and know there's many more great things to come! Here's wishing you another amazing year! Happy Birthday Baby and Daddy! We love you soooo stinkin' much!!

Love, Cassie & Thatcher


22 years ago today

Meeting Cousin Kempton!

Cousin Kempton and his mom Mandi came to meet me. They were lots of fun. Kempton kept trying to kiss my face, however, and I'm not sure about that - kind of forward don't ya think? Overall he was a pretty cool dude and I am proud to say we ARE related. It was fun to spend a few hours with someone my age who actually spoke my same language - finally! (No offense to the parents!)We had to pose for several photo opps and then we went to lunch at Zupas and thanks again to aunt Cari for buying! Mom said it was "mmmmmm delicious"! Thanks for stopping by. I hope we can hang out again this summer! -Thatcher

Weekend Trip to the Burg'!

We spent this weekend in the Burg'. It was great to go home and spend time with family and friends! I really enjoyed every minute! We got some great pics of Thatcher and his grandparents - sooo cute! My parents are building a new house so Paul got to help out with that while my mom and I spent the day taking a walk around town and doing a little shopping. We went to dinner at the Olive Garden with Tom, Kricket, Annie, & my parents. Mmmm - it was really delicious! Sunday we attended church in the good ol' 8th ward. It really is the best! I love it there! Then we enjoyed a delicious Sunday dinner at Stephen and Cari's. MMmmmmm, Stephen's special fried turkey, mashed potatoes, pasta salad, spinach salad, watermelon, rolls, chips, salsa, and goooey brownines! Soooo stinkin' good!! Thanks for everything!! The time always goes by soo fast! I hate that. But it's great to go home even if it is fast. Grandma Z is having surgery today - keep her in your prayers! I love her so much! She continues to be so positive no matter what life brings her! She really is a great example and I am so proud to call her my grandmother! I love you grandma!

Hogle Zoo with The Johnsons & The Zollingers

Last Monday Thatcher and I spent the day at Hogle Zoo with Peach, Larkin, Porter, Oliver, Sawyer, Katie, Ally, & Vaughn!! It was lots of fun and we got to see all kinds of animals. My favorite are always the monkeys! I think Thatcher liked the elephants best?! Honestly I don't think he had any idea what was going on. But it was lots of fun just the same! The weather was beautiful and we even got a little sun. I can't wait until the weather starts staying nice and I can get outside and work in my yard!!

Fun in Phoenix

Paul had to make a trip to Phoenix for his work a couple weeks ago and Thatcher and I got to tag along, expenses paid! They had a spouses dinner so they let me come along. Great company huh?! It was a lot of fun!! Paul's job is based in Phoenix so he travels there a lot. It is really nice because he gets to visit with his parents each time he goes, not to mention it's free. Thatcher was such a good baby. He liked the plane ride and was happy both flights. The weather in Phoenix was amazing, 84 and 86 degrees. Thatcher and I hung out at the Hilton, enjoying our room and splashing in the pool, while Paul attended his meetings. It was soooo nice! And then the last night we stayed at Nani and Papa's house. It was a lot of fun and Thatcher got to meet his great grandpa "Papa", Aunt Kiana, and Uncle Scott. He really loved spending time with his family and the sunny warm weather! We also celebrated my birthday while we were there. Papa, Nani, Scott, & Kiana made me a Birthday cake, gave me new shoes and lots birthday money! It was very generous and nice! Thanks so much to them for the gifts, fun, and hospitality!! I also have to mention Scott & Kiana's birthday song! It was the best! :)

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Thatcher's Special Day!

Thatcher James Morris was blessed by his dad on March 2nd, this past Sunday. It was a very special day. Paul did a great job and is an amazing dad. Arthur Vaughn Zollinger was also blessed by his dad, who also did a great job! We were able to share in his special day too. It was lots of fun to have our family there to support us in this special event. We had a delicious luncheon afterwards and enjoyed great food. Mmmmmmm! We are very thankful for our family!

Tagged Reply

I have been tagged several times but have never responded. I feel sort of guilty but mostly I'm bored so I thought I should answer. I made up my own tag - a combination of tags I have been challenged to complete. SO here it is...

1. Where Did You Meet Your Husband?
I met Paul at a BYU-Idaho opening social dance. His sister, Kiana was my best friend and roommate and she introduced us. I went to the dance with Kiana and Paul came too. He seemed nice and cute. I know I liked how tall he was!

2. What was the first thing you said to your husband?
Ummmm, not positive but probably "Hey, nice to meet you too."

3. Where was your first date?
Our first date was a big group date to Jackson Hole, Wyoming. I remember when Paul came to pick me up at my house (I was living at home) and my mom came inside to get me and said, "Your date is here and he’s very cute and real tall." (I think my family is a little obsessed with height) We went on a hike around Jenny's Lake, had a picnic, played in the waterfall, and then spent time downtown Jackson where we ate dinner at Billy's Burgers. Mmmmmmmm! It was super good.

4. Where was your first kiss?
Well, sort of funny story. I hope Paul isn't embarrassed but.... our first kiss was just after Thanksgiving. Paul had gone home to Texas for break. Somehow I rode home with him from Salt Lake to Rexburg. I guess I was visiting family in Salt Lake? I can't remember exactly. So we were riding along in Paul's white Bronco when he decided to bust a move. He leaned over, way over (bucket seats) for a kiss.

5. How long did you date?
We started dating in September 2003. Paul asked me to marry him on my birthday April 8th, 2004. We were engaged 5 months. During those five months Paul lived in San Jose California. He came back about a week before we got married. That was kind of crazy. We were married in the Idaho Falls Temple on August 14th, 2004, the best and happiest day of my life.

6. What were we doing 10 years ago?
Paul was living in San Antonio Texas and was a junior at Cole High School. He was playing baseball, basketball, and football. He was the captain of all three sports. Super impressive huh?! I was living in Rexburg, Idaho attending Madison Jr. High and was in the 9th grade. I was hanging out with girlfriends and thinking what my peers thought was important when it really wasn’t. I was playing the cello in the orchestra and was our school’s mascot, a bobcat. Crazy. I was also very concerned about getting strait As on my report card.

7. Things on our To-Do List Today?
Paul’s was to get up, go to work, come home, exercise, and just spend time with Thatcher & I. My list was to get out of bed, feed Thatcher, change diapers, play with Thatcher, laundry, clean house, go to WalMart, update blog, exercise, cook dinner, and hang out with my favorite boys, Paul & Thatch. Thatcher and I also went to the “Mom & Me” movie at the Jordan Commons with Ann Marie and her kids. The theatre is full of moms and little kids. We saw Penelope with Christina Ricci & Reese Witherspoon. It was a little wild but fun to get out and see a movie.

8. What would we do if we suddenly became billionaires?
The first thing I would do is head to the Ford dealership and buy myself a huge, loaded, four-door, charcoal colored, King Ranch pick-up. The very next thing would be to buy my dad a similar pick-up and the rest of my family members a car of their choosing! An automobile would definitely be my first purchase! Then I would buy a cabin in the mountains! I’m not sure what Paul has planned when we become billionaires … hmmm?

9. Places we have lived:
Paul has lived in Germany, Japan, Maryland, Hawaii, Colorado, Texas, El Salvador, Arizona, Idaho, and now Utah. I have lived in Idaho and Utah. Maybe you could count that I lived in Merida Mexico for 2 months?

10. Jobs we have had:
I worked at the Sno Shack on Main Street in Rexburg for I think 3 summers and then I worked as a nurse at Madison Memorial for four years. Now I work at the University of Utah as a Nurse Practitioner. Paul worked at PX Fish Market, Bill Miller’s Barbecue as a line chef, BYU-Idaho Hart Gym, Ivory Homes, and now for Kiewit Engineering.

11. Things people don’t know about us:
Our latest favorite movie is Dan in Real Life. We both want to go snowboarding this winter but are unsure how to get Thatcher down the mountain safely. Paul sometimes has conversations with me while he’s sleeping and I’m awake. Paul is the most amazing father and husband in the entire world.

First Time In The Burg'

We spent the week at Gram & Bomp's house! It was really fun, well that is until I got sick - not fun. I had fever, chills, body aches, etc. I had great plans to visit friends and family, hang out with my mom, and enjoy what little time I had in the Burg'. Instead I spent my week on the couch unable to do anything else. My poor mom spent her week taking care of me and Thatcher. Thanks again mom! Sad story huh? Hopefully next time will be more fun and productive. At least Thatcher enjoyed it and here's proof below...

ALL THE COUSINS



POSING WITH GRAM



PIXIE PIN UP



WAVING HELLO....BRILLIANT ISN'T HE?!



HAPPY FAMILY

He's Here!!!

Thatcher James Morris arrived Friday, January 18th at 11:41 pm. He weighed 7 lbs 13 oz and was 20 in long. He is sooo beautiful! It's amazing. We love him sooo much! I was so excited he came on his own and I didn't have to be induced. It felt like forever, but now that he's here it was all soo worth it!

I started having real regular contractions while at the mall with Ann Marie, Larkin, Porter, Oliver, & Sawyer (go figure, I dunno why). We went for lunch and a ride on the carousel. I didn't know what to expect, but Peach said crying and not being able to breath every five minutes was NOT it. I am very thankful for her convincing me and taking me into the hospital. It was definitely the right thing to do and I had an epidural within about an hour. WOW! Thank goodness for modern medicine. It was such a relief!

We are now home and enjoying our little baby boy!

Our House Updates

Paul and I have done a lot of work to make our house feel like our own. It has taken soooo much longer than we anticipated. Wow -it's crazy!! But we are feeling so blessed and happy with how it's turned out. I have to give Paul most of the credit. He is very talented and has done all of our updates himself. If he doesn't know how to do something, he figures it out. (and he doesn't admit to not knowing how before tackling the task) I have been the pregnant sidekick, not too much help. All that's left are a few finishing touches and actually hanging something on the wall. I need to also thank Nick (Paul's cousin) and my family - thanks a bunch to everyone!

We are now awaiting Thatcher's arrival, and very impatiently I might add!! I thought for sure he would be here by now. My grandma, mom, & sister have all had their babies early, so I naturally assumed I would too. Then Mandi delivered Kempton 17 days early along with Katie's early delivery of Vaughn. "Okay, me too. I'm next, right?" Not happening! Thatcher has his own agenda I guess. He thinks he's staying in the Hilton or something! We will let you all know when he finally makes his long awaited debut!

Halloween with the Johnson Family

We had fun trick-or-treating, dressing up, and eating yummy soup in pumpkin bread bowls! Oh and not to forget the candy!

28 Weeks Today!!

I thought I would post a picture of my new look...pregnant! We are getting more and more excited to have Thatcher here. We can hardly wait, except for the fact I still need to paint his room and crib. Time is running out for sure. The house is coming along though, and I will post the "before and after" pictures soon.

Baby Thatcher Morris

http://www.youtube.com/v/UCRfjH9Ruig

Our First Home

Our First Home

We finally got the keys to our house on August 17th! We were very relieved to be over that huge headache. What a mess trying to find the right house and working with a realtor - we won't go into that! We are very happy with our house - it just needs some tender loving care. We haven't moved in yet because we are still trying to clean it up and make it liveable. Our first project was removing asbestos popcorn ceiling. Wow it was a mess and Paul worked very hard but we were very glad to see it go! We also ripped up carpet (orange shag in some rooms) and refinished beautiful oak wood floors underneath, which ran throughout the entire upstairs. We are thankful for Thomas for helping us with them and giving us direction. We are very happy with them. It's a lot of hard work but it is going to be amazing when we're done! We have never had our own place and we feel very blessed to have a house as nice as this!! I will post a second slide show of the inside remodel when it's done.

We Graduated!

I realize it's a little late for this but I wanted to post some proof of my biggest accomplishment yet!! I finally finished school and I am finally taking a break from homework and exams. I thought this day would never come. I graduated with my Master's degree and it was lots of work but all worth it when I saw this cool gown with the all the doo dads and the funny hood! Ha ha ha. I know it's crazy, but now that school is really over and I don't have homework I badly miss it and I would love to be going to class. I especially envy those going to BYU-Idaho. That was my most favorite place and time! After all I met, dated, and married Paul there- hellooo!! Besides that, it is the best place in the world to go to school! Paul also graduated from school in April!! Wahoo! Although we don't have any picture proof of it - it did happen! He now has the job to prove it. We were both in a hurry to get done with school -why I am not sure.?It's a whole lot of responsibility and working now! I think we both wish we were still in school! However, Paul loves his job and really enjoys going to work which is worth so much! I am still looking for the right job and it's stressful, especially being pregnant and trying to hide my belly during interviews. It's tricky!

Crazy as usual at the Johnson's

As some of you already know, Paul accepted a job with Kiewit Engineering company here in Salt Lake City. We are currently staying at the Johnson home while we look for a house. It is pretty stressful...but not to worry because Porter and Oliver are sure to cheer you up!! You can count on that. So we are all playing in the backyard when Gram discovers Oli and Porter have disappeared - easy to do. We go running around the side of the house and the gate is open! Not good. We run up onto the driveway and find Porter and Oliver looking over the side of the driveway, or cliff. Oliver is crying and saying "Porter go tell Gram!" What are they looking at?

Just my car rolled over the cliff into the neighbor's yard. No big deal. It's just high centered on a large 1 ton boulder, that came along with it as it rolled off the cliff. What happened? Well, every time we asked the boys what happened, a new story developed. So we will never be sure. But one thing we know, the Tracker was in the garage and then next thing we knew crashed into the neighbor's yard. Never a dull moment here at the Johnson home!!

"Annie Girl"

Sedona, Arizona

Gorgeous isn't it?!

We went cross country skiing to Mesa Falls. It was beautiful. We really had a lot of fun.

This is my newest nephew Sawyer Craig Johnson! He is so cute!

"Beans"

Annie Kaye Mounts

This is my super cute neice!

Las Vegas 2005

Las Vegas 2005
Originally uploaded by cassparelli.