The Daugherty Tribe

Newport Beach Day

2009-07-27T23:52:00.001-07:00

Family Camp 2009 Photos

2009-06-22T23:06:00.000-07:00

Family Camp 2009

2009-06-22T23:01:00.000-07:00

Erin and I took the kids to Calvin Crest for Family Camp again this year. The kids had a great time, and every year we get closer and closer to being able to enjoy an almost kid free week. The CCA's (read, "slaves") watch the kids for 3 hours in the morning and 3 in the evening. Zoë pretty much went everywhere on her own. Erin and I went to Bass Lake on Wednesday by ourselves and we snuck up to Yosemite again on Thursday. We know which cabins we want to stay at Housekeeping camp. It really was a great week.

VIEW THE CALVIN CREST FAMILY CAMP 2009 PHOTO ALBUM

Zoë's and Zachary's Birthdays

2009-03-14T00:21:00.000-07:00

Finally, I got around to making a photo album of Zoë's birthday from February 16 and Zach's birthday on March 2. Zoë turned 5 and we had about a million friends and family at Jump N Jammin. This is where her birthday was 2 years ago. Zoë and her friend Emily took some of the photos.

This year, Zachary had a low key birthday with Gran and Pop Pop. We went to Baja Fresh and played in the fountain. He has been loving Cars and Lightning McQueen recently, so that was the theme.

Some of the pictures are some hand prints that we do for Zoë and Zachary every year on their birthday.

ZOE AND ZACHARY BIRTHDAY PHOTO ALBUM

Zachary's Birthday Cake

2009-03-13T23:47:00.000-07:00

The Daugherty Tribe on the Ruby Princess

2009-02-10T23:07:00.000-08:00

First Daugherty Cruise

2009-02-10T22:41:00.000-08:00

In January, Erin and I took the kids to Florida for a cruise on the Ruby Princess. Erin's friends, Stephanie & Brandon, chose to get married on the cruise. Erin was the Matron of Honor and Zoë was one of the fan girls. We were gone January 2-10. the only way we survived was because Beth and Ralph came along for the ride.

We left from Fort Lauderdale/Port Everglades on Saturday, January 2. We spent all day Sunday at sea, on our way to Jamaica.

RUBY PRINCESS FIRST DAY PHOTO ALBUM

In Jamaica, some of use went to Mystic Mountain to climb Dunn's River Falls and ride Jamaican Bobsleds. The bobsleds were really fun. Later that night, I watched Ohio State lose in the Fiesta Bowl with a bunch of drunk Ohioans.

JAMAICA EXCURSION PHOTO ALBUM

The next day we woke up on Grand Cayman. Stephanie and Brandon wanted to get married on the beach. This is where the two girls were fan girls.

STEPHANIE AND BRANDON'S WEDDING ON GRAND CAYMAN PHOTO ALBUM

After the wedding, we went to the Boatswain's Beach Turtle Farm and walked around town. Grand Cayman is much nicer than Jamaica, and it was our favorite stop. The next day, we arrived in Cozumel, Mexico. The Daugherty's decided to spend the day at an all-inclusive beach resort, and it was relaxing.

GRAND CAYMAN AFTER THE WEDDING PHOTO ALBUM

The next day (Thursday) was the "real" wedding on the ship. The Captain of the Ruby Princess performed the wedding ceremony in the ship's chapel. The wedding reception was that evening. Erin asked the Captain "So, who's driving the boat?" "Someone else. It's OK"

Stephanie asked: "So what kind of gas mileage do you get on this thing?" "I have no idea"

SHIP WEDDING AND RECEPTION PHOTO ALBUM

The last day was on Friday and we went to the Princess Cays, a private beach resort owned by Princess in the Bahamas.

PRINCESS CAYS BAHAMAS PHOTO ALBUM

You can relive our experiences by viewing these six photo albums.

First Day of Junior Kindergarten

2008-09-03T23:21:00.000-07:00

Today was the first day of Junior Kindergarten for Zoë at Mission Hills Christian School. Here are a few pictures of Zoë walking to her class and meeting her teacher, Mrs. Quickle.

climbing pictures

2008-08-27T22:35:00.000-07:00

here are a couple of pictures of Zach climbing. I think that he really wanted the can of Raid that was up on top of the bookshelf

We can add this to his resume, along with toilet swimming and climbing in the dryer.

Zachary climbs up a bookcase

2008-08-27T19:34:00.000-07:00

Erin shot this video. She left the room to go to the bathroom, and when she came back she found Zachary sitting on top of our bookshelf.

Wild Animal Park

2008-07-17T23:10:00.000-07:00

We decided to take the kids down to the Wild Animal Park on the July 4th holiday. We got there in the middle of the afternoon, and stayed until the park closed. It was hot when we got there, but it cooled off nicely by the evening when the animals came out. The kids seemed to have a lot of fun, but not as much fun as Erin did making mentos explode!

Click on this link to the WILD ANIMAL PARK PHOTO ALBUM.

Operation Haircut

2008-07-09T22:25:00.000-07:00

The McArdle Family bonds together to give strength to their cousin, Lee Ann, who is fighting breast cancer.

What is the best caption for this picture?

2008-07-09T22:17:00.001-07:00

A. "Honey, did you remember to close the bathroom door?"
B. Zachary goes in the potty for the first time.
C. Zachary goes in the potty for the first time.
D. The Daughertys conserve bath water during California's drought.

At least it is better than this kid!

Family Camp Pictures

2008-06-22T22:33:00.001-07:00

Erin and I took the kids up to Calvin Crest for Family Camp again last week. I created a FAMILY CAMP 2008 PHOTO GALLERY with some of our pictures.

We enjoyed the week. Zoë seemed to enjoy it more this year, especially the crafts, Zip Line and Rock Wall. We drove up to Yosemite one day, but we also hiked around the camp (Shadow of the Giants and Nelder Grove/Bull Buck Tree). Zachary was easier to handle this year compared to last year, although he was cranky because he hurt his leg and he is getting new molars.

California Adventure

2008-04-13T21:25:00.000-07:00

Kevin, Zoë and Zachary met Ethan, Michele, Rob and Aunt Karen at California Adventure on Sunday. here are a few of the better pictures that I took, plus a couple of videos of the kids

Coloring Easter Eggs

2008-03-22T22:06:00.000-07:00

Here is a short video of the family coloring Easter Eggs the other night.

First Haircut

2008-03-12T22:43:00.000-07:00

Here are some pictures of Zachary's first haircut, yet another milestone to let us know that he's no longer a baby.

Videos from Zachary's First Birthday

2008-03-06T16:16:00.000-08:00

Here are a couple of videos from Zachary's party on Saturday. One is Zoë riding the BIG horse. I love how her pig tails bounce around. The other video show Zachary enjoying his cupcakes

Zachary's First Birthday

2008-03-05T22:11:00.000-08:00

We celebrated Zachary's first birthday last Saturday. We rented a pavilion at Irvine Regional Park because they have a train and ponies for the kids to ride. We chose a sports theme for his first party (finally! nothing pink!). We were a little disappointed that it was cool and overcast (especially since Sunday was very sunny). My co-worker, Stan, brought Walter the beagle, and he was a hit with the kids. The cupcakes were also a big hit.

We managed to take a lot of pictures, and here is ZACHARY'S FIRST BIRTHDAY ALBUM at Kodak Gallery.

The next day, on his actually birthday, we took the kids to Disneyland. the last couple pictures in this album are of Zoe and Zachary playing at Disney.

Aunt Karen also posted an album at Shutterfly. VIEW AUNT KAREN'S PICTURES.

Legoland

2008-02-21T22:12:00.000-08:00

We decided to take Zoë to Legoland the day after her birthday. It was her second time to the Carlsbad amusement park, but the first time when she could ride most of the rides. It was Kevin and Zachary's first time.

You can look at some of the pictures at this LEGOLAND PHOTO ALBUM.

Rose Petal Cottage Tea Party

2008-02-20T22:42:00.000-08:00

It is hard to believe that Zoë is a big four year old already, but she lets us know every day . Erin personally catered a Rose Petal Cottage Tea Party. Zoë has known since Christmas that she is going get a Rose Petal Cottage, when she pretended to be asleep when we bought it. ("When do I get to play with my new doll house, Momma?"). Erin (and Beth) made all sorts of sandwiches and scones, and I think we had every kind of tea possible. I think that even the guys had fun. Zoë spent the night at Gran and Pop Pop's the night before, and she was told that she wouldn't be 4 until she went home. Zoë took matters into her own hands by waiting in the car until they decided to come over! Zoë (and Zach and Ethan) loved the Cottage so much that she slept in it.

Here is a photo album from the ROSE PETAL TEA PARTY (Zoë's 4th Birthday).

Two Pictures and a Video

2008-01-24T22:11:00.000-08:00

I was talking to my brother Steve today, who commented that he liked the last video that I posted last time of Zach walking on New Year's Day. That was the first time that I posted a video, so it was an experiment. Here is another one from that day.

It is kinda silly, because he is can walk across the living room now. Just tonight, with the help of the Pop-Onz Pop 'n Twirl Building Table, he climbed onto our coffee table!

here are a couple of bonus pictures that I took of the kids this week.

Zachary's first steps

2008-01-07T21:21:00.000-08:00

After Ohio State's debacle for the second year in a row, I needed to turn to something that would cheer me up. Here is a video of some of Zachary's first steps. He has been close to walking for the past few weeks, and we really wanted him to walk in Ohio because that's where Zoë took her first steps. He strung 5 or 6 steps together on New Year's Eve, but since Erin wasn't there, we waited a few days until she saw it. This video is from Saturday when we had the coffee table moved out of the way.

Christmas Eve and Christmas Day

2008-01-05T21:49:00.001-08:00

Here is Christmas Gallery #2. it includes family opening presents on Christmas Eve. Erin and I flew back to California on Christmas Day, and Zoë was surprised to find that Santa came to RSM.

2008-01-05T14:46:00.000-08:00

We went back to Ohio the week before Christmas. We spent most of the time with family. It was nice (for us) to have snow when we landed, although it melted that week. Fortunately, it snowed again later in the week and we had a mostly white Christmas. One of the things that we got to do was get family photos taken. We found that it is difficult to find studios that can accommodate 13 people. Uncle Rod and Aunt Linda came up to visit one of the days.

We created a photo gallery of Ohio Christmas Photo Gallery #1. This album includes pictures with family, the kids playing in the snow, and Zoë and Gracie building gingerbread houses (Great idea, Aunt Linda). We will try to post Christmas and Christmas Eve pictures when they are ready.

2008 Rose Bowl

2008-01-02T22:56:00.001-08:00

Erin and I decided to go to the Rose Bowl Game. We actually bought the tickets hoping that Ohio State would have made it in. But thanks to losses by the top teams (sorry Uncle Rod), Ohio State was promoted to the BCS title game. We decided to go anyways since we have never been to the Rose Bowl game. Unfortunately, Illinois did not decide to show up. We were hoping to see a good game. You can view some of our photos at our 2008 ROSE BOWL PHOTO ALBUM.

Thanksgiving 2007

2007-11-23T23:20:00.000-08:00

We went over to Matt and Liz's house (Erin's cousins) for Thanksgiving this year. We had to fight traffic for nearly 2 miles to get there. Most of Erin's family were there, plus Liz's family. Zachary got to eat his first meat, vegetable turkey, but he preferred pumpkin pie.

We created a THANKSGIVING 2007 PHOTO ALBUM at the Kodak Gallery.

Aunt Karen has even better pictures at Shutterfly. AUNT KAREN'S THANKSGIVING ALBUM

SeaWorld

2007-11-18T22:02:00.000-08:00

Erin and I took the kids to SeaWorld this weekend. We wanted to go sometime before the end of the year, and it was a reward for Zoë for good behavior. This was Zoë's second visit to Sea World, and Kevin's second time. Unless you count his trips to SeaWorld in Ohio. (Yes, for all you naysayers, there was a SeaWorld in Ohio). Zachary enjoyed his first trip.

The weather was great, and we had an excellent tour guide. Zoë studied the map carefully, and planned our route through the park. "Penguins...CHECK!....Dolphins....CHECK!....Sharks..." But the highlight of the day was when Zoe exclaimed to a slow moving patron, "Move it, Grandma". Erin and I almost died laughing!

We created a Kodak Gallery photo album SEAWORLD 2007.

Keeping the kids clean

2007-11-14T21:06:00.000-08:00

One of the things that I have learned about kids is they are messy and need to be cleaned frequently (constantly?). Erin and I have figured out the how to save some time by combining ordinary tasks like baths and laundry. The picture of Zoe was taken in January 2005 at 11 months, and of course, Zachary is 8 months old now.

Fall Pictures

2007-11-11T22:30:00.000-08:00

It has been a long time since we have blogged. We had a lot of nice events this fall for Halloween and our goal is to post some of the pictures before Halloween. Here are some pictures of Zoë (aka. Violet Incredible) and Zachary (Zach-Zach) dressed up as The Incredibles.

Calvin Crest Videos

2007-07-07T21:12:00.001-07:00

We took a few movies while we were at Calvin Crest and I uploaded them to Google Video.

ROCK CLIMBING

Zoë climbed up the rock climbing wall one day, but Erin didn't see it and I didn't have the camera. The next day we went back, and we managed to record it. The first day, she at least tried to climb up. If you listen carefully, you will hear Zoë keep saying "Higher! Higher!"

ZIP LINE

Another highlight for the kids at Calvin Crest is Zip Line, in which your child is strapped to a T Bar and then released down a pulley towards a giant tree. Zoë got on without even seeing it. She must have rode it 10 times in a row.

SHERWOOD DANCE

The final video is Zoë dancing to a song. She tried to keep up with the big kids, but she was always a couple of seconds behind them.

Wedding in Key West

2007-07-05T15:54:00.001-07:00

The primary reason that we went to Florida in May was to go to the wedding in Key West for Erin's cousin Eric and Stacey. We spent most of our week doing wedding/family stuff, but Kevin got to go fishing (although we didn't catch much) and drive across the Seven Mile Bridge. Most of the pictures from the wedding and reception did not turn out very well because of the lighting.

We are sharing two different albums

Our ERIC AND STACEY WEDDING photos. Not many good pictures, I'm afraid.
Other KEY WEST 2007 photos

Disney World 2007

2007-07-05T15:42:00.000-07:00

I finally got around to uploading pictures of our trip to Disney World and in May. We spent a week in Orlando after spending a week in Key West. Kevin's parents, sister/brother-in-law and brother/sister-in-law and neice met us down there. Because we went there with a 2 month old and a 3 year old, we didn't get as many pictures that we would have liked. I realized afterwards that I took too many pictures of Disney Characters and not enough of the Daugherty Characters and the theme parks. Oh well. Take a look at the pictures at DISNEY WORLD 2007 KODAK GALLERY.

Calvin Crest 2007

2007-07-02T21:25:00.000-07:00

A lot has happened since the last post, including most of our Summer travel. We went to Florida in May for Erin's cousin's wedding and to Disney World with my family. Last week, we went to Oakhurst, CA, for family camp. We went to a campground called Calvin Crest that Erin went to as a camper, counselor-in-training, and eventually as staff nurse.

I know that I haven't gotten around to creating a Kodak Gallery of our Florida trip, but at least I got our CALVIN CREST 2007 GALLERY finished. We went with two families from Saddleback Church. John, Jenn and Alison Blanck and Mike, Krystal, Aimee and Amanda Bedard. The above picture was taken on a hike to Lower Yosemite Falls, in Yosemite National Park.

Zoë's new bike

2007-04-17T21:14:00.000-07:00

Here are so pictures from Sunday of Zoë riding her "new" bike. One of Kevin's co-workers, Becki, gave Zoë the bike a couple of months ago. Her daughter, Danica, outgrew it and we just needed to put training wheels on it. Zoë was a bit wobbly on Sunday, but she pretty much can pedal on her own. The next lesson that she needs to learn: HOW TO BRAKE.

Easter 2007

2007-04-16T23:04:00.000-07:00

Here is our favorite Easter Photo of Z and Z with the Easter Bunny. A local realtor sponsors an Easter Egg Hunt at a nearby park. We got there too late to get any eggs. Luckily, Zoë didn't notice and she enjoyed her Cheetos and popcorn.

On Easter morning, the local Methodist church invited people to come to a "Butterfly Release". The intent was to release butterflies to symbolize new life. It ended up being too cold, and most of the butterflies took a long time to fly. We call it a "butterfly drop".

Later, Erin's entire family went over to her Mom and Dad's house for Easter Lunch and then over to Aunt Karen and Uncle Joe's for dessert. We also celebrated Tim's (Erin's brother) 40th birthday.

You can see our Easter 2007 photos at the Kodak Gallery.

Bath and Disneyland

2007-04-01T22:57:00.000-07:00

Here is a great picture of Zachary getting a bath. At least he is starting to look like a little boy. Erin doesn't think that this picture looks like him, so I guess that we will keep taking pictures until we find one that does. The other pic is Zoe at Disneyland, on Main Street, waiting for the parade. Kevin and Zoe went up one day last week.

Recent Pictures

2007-03-20T22:17:00.000-07:00

Here are some pictures of Zachary doing 2 out of the 3 things that he is good at: eating and sleeping. Zoë has been a big help, at times, with Zachary. She enjoys holding him and giving him a baba.

Video of Zoë and Zachary's first meeting

2007-03-15T12:20:00.000-07:00

It took a while to post, but here is a link to a very cute (I'm biased) video of when Zoë came home and met Zachary for the first time. I posted it at Google Video. Special thanks to Aunt Karen, the family videographer.

When Zoe met Zachary for the first time.

Happy Birthday to Zachwy

2007-03-09T13:15:00.000-08:00

We bought a birthday cake to celebrate Zachary's birth. Zoë sang "Happy Birthday to Zachwy" to him, and you can watch the video at Google Video. I feel like I am posting this to America's Funniest Videos because at the end she touched the candle after she blew it out. Her finger hurt, hence the glass of ice water while she eats the cake. You may also want to watch our Christmas videos.

"Lost Pictures" of Sue

2007-03-08T12:33:00.000-08:00

Erin and I were very disappointed when the midwife we planned to use, Sue Gill (Blessed Beginnings, aka "Baby Catcher") was busy at another birth on Friday. We used an on-call midwife, and the birth continued as planned. However, I was browsing the 200+ pictures we took and I noticed that I overlooked a couple of pictures. I guess in all of the chaos, we didn't notice that Sue was there afterall.

Sue: Thanks for being the calm one.

Zachary's Family Photos

2007-03-06T19:11:00.000-08:00

For those of you less inclined to visit the Gray's Anatomy slideshow, here is album #3 that includes pictures after the birth and includes Erin's family. The album contains 49 photos, which include Pop Pop, Gran, and the first time that Zoë sees Zachary.

Zachary's Family Photos

Zachary's Birth Photos (Gray's Anatomy version)

2007-03-06T17:29:00.000-08:00

Here is the link to the second Kodak Gallery album of Zachary's birth. This album is the "Gray's Anatomy" version, which means that some of the pictures are too graphic for general audiences. It contains 47 pictures, and is especially for Erin's Birkenstock-wearin', granola-eatin' midwives, natural birth mommas and lactation gurus who appreciate beautiful birth photos.

Ladies and Gentlemen, may I suggest that those of you with weak constitutions,
leave the arena. -- PT Flea (A Bug's Life)

Zachary's Birth (Gray's Anatomy version)

First visit to Doctor

2007-03-05T23:05:00.000-08:00

We took Zachary out of the house for the first time today, other than for walks around our parking lot outside. Zachary went to see Dr. Daizy. She said that he was a healthy baby boy, and that he was big (like Erin didn't already know that!). She confirmed that he is 22 inches long and weighs 9 lbs 2 oz.

Birth Photos

2007-03-04T19:58:00.000-08:00

We finally got around to posting the first photos of the birth. This is the "Disney" version, and all of the photos are safe for general viewing. I had to crop some of the pictures.

To answer the most common question, (after name, weight, Erin's status, etc.) we included pictures of the pool. It really was an inflatable kids pool (R.I.P.)

This first album of Zachary's birth contains 25 photos from the early morning until the moment the Guest of Honor appeared.

Tale of the Tape

2007-03-04T19:41:00.000-08:00

Here are the vital statistics:
Name: Zachary Charles Daugherty
Born: March 2, 2007 at 12:35 pm
Location: at home water birth in Rancho Santa Margarita
Weight: 9 lbs, 6 oz.
Length: 22.25 inches
Head: 14.25 inches
Chest: 13:75 inches
Greeted by: Erin and Kevin, Zoë, Gran, Pop, Pop, Aunt Karen and Uncle Joe
Birth Attendents: Karen Baker, Sue Coffman, and Sue Gill

Introducing Zachary Charles Daugherty!

2007-03-02T17:52:00.000-08:00

Zachary was born at 12:35 pm on March 2. He is 22 1/4 inches long and he weighs 9 pounds, 6 ounces. We originally thought he weighed 8 lbs. 7 oz. but we re-weighed him because we thought he was much bigger than that. He was born at home during a water birth. We used a giant, inflatable pool that was big enough for both Erin and me. Erin started going into labor this morning at 3 am. The on-call midwife, Karen, whom we have never met, walked in the door at 10 am, and she did a fabulous job. We were also helped out by Doula Sue and Erin's mom, Beth. This birth was exactly the birth that we wanted and there were no serious complications, despite the fact that Zachary had a knot in his umbilical cord. Pop Pop took Zoë on a walk and shopping, and she absolutely adores him.

Results with 99% of the precincts reporting

2007-02-28T22:57:00.000-08:00

With one hour to go, it looks like Zachary is going to be an aquamarine baby in March. It's official, and I am going to call it over for February.

We went down to San Clemente Pier (surfcam) this afternoon for a picnic lunch and down to a retirement party for Erin's mom (Beth) down near San Diego. Zoë looks out at the huge surf on the very windy beach, and she plays Whack-A-Mole at Beth's party.

Operation Amethyst countdown

2007-02-27T20:01:00.000-08:00

Erin has been warned that she needs to have Zachary in February. My mom was given a bracelet that has all of the birthstones for each of the grandkids. We have been warned that we need to have Zachary tomorrow or else they have to change out the stone to aquamarine. I imagine it is not the first time that someone has to return jewelry.

On a serious note. No news yet. We are still in a holding pattern. The 28 hour Operation Amethyst countdown has begun.

Baby Zachary is being stubborn

2007-02-26T14:33:00.000-08:00

Well, it is Monday and we really did not think that we would make it through the weekend without Zachary. but, he is being stubborn and we are still waiting. Erin has a series of contractions every night, but they stop. Well, not completely stop. She has enough contractions to keep her up at night.

no baby yet

2007-02-22T13:36:00.000-08:00

Hello Everyone! No baby yet :( But we have had a lot of early labor for the last two days. I went to the Dr today and everything is good to go! Baby still is moving a ton and heart rate is great!! I am starting to dilate a little more too... The problem is: I keep having 4-6 hours of good contractions then it fizzes out. If I were doing a medical birth they would give me pitocin, but I just don't want that. But, who know, if I go another week like this I may be begging to be induced!!

Anyways, Thanks for all the phone calls. It's been a lot this week so I am sorry not to call you all back. Zoe is acting up, she knows something is going on. Seeing this list of meals makes us feel like the luckiest people in the world. We REALLY appreciate your willingness to help us out after the baby comes. We loved getting meals with Zoe, but it's like DOUBLE, no TRIPLE the blessing with number two!

We will keep in touch!! Thanks for all your prayers for a healthy and safe delivery!

Zoe's birthday party at school

2007-02-18T17:33:00.000-08:00

Zoë goes to a preschool on Tuesdays and Thursdays, and she celebrated her actual birthday party last week. Her actual birthday was Friday. Zoë held a globe and walked around in a circle as the class sang "The Earth goes around the Sun". Zoë shared poster that had pictures of her and described her favorite things. Erin was able to get these pictures, and Zoë brought mini cupcakes for the other students in the class.

Erin is still determined to walk Zachary out. We went to Disneyland on Friday for Zoë's birthday with Michele, Rob and Ethan. We met them after work for dinner. Erin experiences contractions and tightness, especially at night, but so far there are no signs that Zachary is coming soon.

Happy Valentine's Day

2007-02-13T23:23:00.000-08:00

Erin is ready to be done with this pregnancy thing. She is hoping that Zachary comes sooner than later. She experiences a lot of contractions, especially in the evening. She is determined to "walk him out" at Disneyland or walking around the RSM Lake.

Zoë's official birthday is on Friday. Even though we celebrated it a couple of weeks ago, we will try to do something special. She has her first Valentine's Day party at school tomorrow.

Zoë's 3rd Birthday Party

2007-01-28T23:23:00.000-08:00

We celebrated Zoë's birthday on Saturday. We pretended like it was Saturday, but her actual birthday is in 3 weeks (February 16 for those who are counting). Since Erin is busy being pregnant with baby Zachary, we decided to take the easy road and have our birthday party catered at Jump 'n Jammin, a huge, indoor, interactive playground.

Lots of Zoë's friends and family came. The kids, and adults, played in the ball pit, slides and bounce house for the first hour. Then we had pizza and cake in a private room in the back

You can see a few of the photos that we took in the Zoë's 3rd Birthday at Jump N Jammin album at the Kodak Gallery. Aunt Karen helped to take a lot of these pictures.

Christmas 2006 in RSM

2006-12-25T21:53:00.000-08:00

This year we decided to keep Christmas low key and simple by staying home. Erin's parents came over on Christmas Eve to spend the night. Erin and Beth cooked a great Christmas Eve dinner for the guys after we came back from church.

We used some of our Christmas money from my parents to buy a GeoTrax train for Zoë. Erin and I were putting the train together on Saturday, and we realized that we bought a ton of accessories but we forgot the train! This forced us to run out to Toys R Us on Saturday night to buy a train, something that you couldn't pay me to do again.

I created a new Kodak Gallery called Christmas 2006 to show off some pictures of our family, Beth and Ralph, and some of the presents. I think that Erin and I like the train more than Zoë, although she likes playing "Godzilla" after we work hard to set it up.

I am trying something new. I am trying to upload videos to Google Video so that we can share them. I uploaded three videos, and you should be able to click on the link to download.

Zoë's First Christmas Recital. Zoë's pre-school class sang "Jingle Bells". Minutes before she was to perform, Zoë was crying and didn't want to sing. If you watch the video, some of the other kids don't want to be there either. We had to bribe Zoë with a chocolate chip cookie and a green balloon.
Happy Birthday Jesus! We put a candle in a pumpkin pie and sang "Happy Birthday" on Christmas Eve.
Zoë playing with her GeoTrax Train. This is a video that we shot of Zoë playing with her new train. She didn't have as much fun as Erin and I did.

Let me know if you can't see the videos or if you want me to sent it to you another way.

Snow in RSM

2006-12-10T22:01:00.000-08:00

Just so that we can let everyone back East know that we feel your pain, Zoë got to play in the snow at a shopping center near our house. The shopping center sponsored a fenced in area with snow, sleigh rides with Santa, and face painting with Mrs. Clause. Zoë was excited at first to play in the snow, but it was cold and she fell down. She left before our five minutes were up, after waiting in line for 15 minutes. But the reindeer face paint was a big hit!

Getting Ready for Christmas

2006-12-06T21:50:00.000-08:00

After a rough and pregnant summer, we are looking forward to the relative calm of the Christmas Season!

Update on Erin

2006-09-21T14:29:00.000-07:00

Yesterday, Erin and I went to the OB for our monthly checkup. We got to hear the heartbeat again, and everything seems to be doing well. After two months of nausea and nervousness, Erin gained back 6 pounds. She is pretty much eating whatever she wants and she able to resume many of her daily activities.

Last week, we were able to visit my family in Ohio, and sometime I will get a chance to post a few pictures.

Ohio

2006-09-08T18:41:00.000-07:00

Erin and I finally were able to go to Ohio to visit my family. We planned to go last month, but we had to scrub it at the last minute because Erin wasn't feeling well. We left on Wednesday morning while it was still dark and traveling with both Erin and Zoë was better than expected. Erin had an usually good day, and Zoë was didn't melt until the last 30 minutes of the second flight.

When we arrived in Canton, Zoë was able to see her cousin Grace . Aunt Jenny bought the girls matching Princess outfits. We are looking forward to watching the big Ohio State game on Saturday, and visiting with Aunt Linda & Uncle Rod. Erin has been feeling well, with a little bit of nausea on Friday, but for the most part energetic and relaxed.

Camping...Daugherty Style

2006-09-03T20:12:00.000-07:00

Since Erin hasn't been feeling well the last few months, we haven't had an opportunity to go camping. So we decided to go "camping" on our back patio. We stole the hide-a-bed from the couch and grabbed the sleeping bags. Zoë thought it was fun, so fun that she didn't fall asleep for 90 minutes. She was more excited about watching the planes go overhead than counting the stars.

There's a baby in the Mommy!

2006-08-14T22:19:00.000-07:00

I had the opportunity to go to a professional conference in Atlanta in June, and I left Erin to fend with Zoë for a week. It was the first time that either of us have been away from her for 6 days.

I was surprised that Erin wanted to meet me at baggage claim when I arrived. I soon realized why when I read Zoë's shirt, "I'm the BIG sister". My first thought was, "Zoë, you don't have a sister!" Then, jetlagged, I understood.

Erin, somehow, kept it a secret all week. Zoë, on the other hand, did not. She was playing with one of her "Little People," the one that she calls the "Mommy". Gran was over to visit, and Zoë said, "There's a baby in the Mommy"

After that, the secret was out. Erin has had a rough time of it, with hyperemesis , four trips to the ER, and home health nursing care in the past month. Erin has a good day when she gets to take the good drug, and average/poor days when she has to take the cheap drugs. We hope that we are turning the corner soon.

Chocolate Chip Cookies

2006-06-04T10:31:00.000-07:00

Erin and Zoë decided to bake cookies on Saturday. This was Zoë's first baking attempt. It was hard work, and I think that she ate some of the profits.

Mother's Day

2006-05-14T16:17:00.000-07:00

Erin had a great Mother's Day. Zoë fixed her breakfast in bed, and she remembered to get a card and present for her. She let Erin sleep in this morning, and then brought the presents in when she thought it was time to wake up. We had our annual Mother's Day picnic with at the park near Matt and Liz's house. Here are a few photos from today.

The Birth Connection Milk Depot

2006-05-07T22:28:00.000-07:00

Erin has been working diligently the past six months to try to get a breastmilk depot set up at The Birth Connection, and her hard work has paid off. She was featured in the OC Register this week in a story about the opening of two milk depots in Orange County. The Market for Mothers' Milk Erin wasn't quoted, but she is did get her photo in the paper. You can read more about donating at Prolacta Bioscience or at Erin's web site, The Mother's Touch.

There will be no living with her after this.

Easter 2006

2006-04-24T09:52:00.000-07:00

Easter this year was again at Uncle Joe's and Aunt Karen's house. Like an idiot, I left my camera at home, so I wasn't able to take any good Easter pictures. It was just as well, because we couldn't get Zoë and Ethan to sit still long enough to pose. Most of Erin's family was there, and it turned out to be a warm (and dry) day.

Here are a couple of pictures taken by Aunt Karen.

The Emperess' New Clothes

2006-03-21T23:29:00.000-08:00

One of the most exciting things around the Daugherty Tribe is that Zoë seems to be getting interested in potty training. Like other proud parents of 2 years olds with clothe diapers, we are looking forward to not having to wash them. She lets us know sometimes that she has to go by saying "New Diaper".

So imagine our surprise when we hear Zoë saying "NewDiaper" from her crib, and we walk in to find her completely naked! My first reaction was to call Erin to come look. Erin's first reaction was to grab the camera.

Scarecrow gotta gun

2006-02-27T22:56:00.000-08:00

One of the joys of parenting is watching Zoë videos over and over and over again. One of her recent favorites is The Wizard of Oz, which is ironic because that is one of cousin Gracie's favorites. Most of the time, we don't pay attention to it. However, the other day Erin exclaimed, "Why does the Scarecrow have a gun?!"

Of course, Google didn't fail me. I came across a rather enlightening explanation at Everyone Run, the Scarecrow of Oz has a gun!!! It seems that he has very plausable arguments for how he got the gun, why the Wizard became the Wizard of Oz and the apparent munitions industry in Oz.

And of all the guys to give a gun to: the scarecrow was the most jittery of the bunch. He was the one who admitted he didn't have a brain in his head! Sure, give the jumpy unstable guy the power to control flying leaden death!

We have learned a lot about the Wizard of Oz after this repeated viewings, including information about the Darkside of the Rainbow and Where the Red Brick Road goes.

Zoe's Second Birthday

2006-02-20T20:46:00.000-08:00

For the few "fans" that we have out there, we want to apologize for not posting the past 2 months. The following things have been keeping us busy:

Buying a new house, affectionately called "The Treehouse"
Moving the week before Christmas
Selling our old place (for a month we owned TWO homes)
Celebrating Zoë's 2nd Birthday
Zoë got a Big Girl bed
Field trips to the Aquarium of the Pacific and Zoomars petting zoo.

I uploaded a new photo album at the Kodak Gallery called Zoë 2nd BIRTHDAY, and I will warn you that it is a little large with 43 photos.

An explanation about some of the pictures. The pictures on the new house were on moving day (the Saturday before Christmas) and it shows the general chaos of the house after we moved. The house is mostly settled now, and we hope to get some better pictures up soon.

We took Zoë to Disneyland with Gran on the Saturday before her birthday. She had lunch at Ariel's Grotto, but the previous pictures turned out better. Inexplicably, Zoë was scared when they sang Happy Birthday to her, and she dove into Erin's lap. We decided to keep the birthday low key this year.

Zoë got a Winnie the Pooh chair (futon that folds out to a bed) and she preferred sleeping on it to her crib. We thought that she was ready for a Big Girl bed so we got a Winnie the Pooh bed off eBay. Some nights she sleeps in it, and other nights she wanders around the house aimlessly (at least until we put her in the pack n play). She is probably a little too young for it.

We spent the afternoon at Zoomars on President's day. This was my first time going, but Erin and Zoë have been there many times.

Every year on Zoë's birthday we want to take a picture of her wearing Erin's wedding dress and next to her My Baby Forever Keepsake Doll. In case you were wondering.

Erin is recovering well from viral meningitis, she still gets tired, but is feeling much better. She is busy with her class one a month at UCSD and trying to complete all of the clinical hours.

Christmas 2005

2005-12-28T22:10:00.000-08:00

This will probably be the last time that we can get away with not wrapping all of Zoë's Christmas gifts. At first she was unexcited about getting a box wrapped in red paper. After helping her get started by tearing the paper, she still wasn't excited...until she saw the new baby doll and all of her accessories!!! After that, she started diving into each new package.

Erin's mom and dad, and Matt and Liz came over for a Christmas Eve dinner party, and the entire family went out to Michele and Rob's house for Christmas dinner and exchanging gifts. It was good to see everyone, because we haven't been able to get everyone together as a family in a while.

I added a new CHRISTMAS 2005 photo album to the Kodak Gallery.

We can't decide "witch" costume is best

2005-10-31T21:28:00.000-08:00

We were planning on dressing Zoë up and taking her outfor Trick or Treating, but we weren't going to let her get any candy. It took her TWO seconds after watching the big kids to figure out how the system works. "TEET TEET". Most of the time she signed "thank you" and occasionally grunted appreciation. The trick was actually on Zoë, when Daddy ate most of her candy. Zoë decided to go as Snow White.

Will the real Snow White stand up?

2005-10-29T21:33:00.000-07:00

My niece Gracie went to a Halloween Party on Friday night dressed as Snow White. My brother, Steve, is a member of the local Eagles Lodge and they sponsored a Halloween party for the kids.

Not to be outdone, Zoë wanted to dress up as Snow White.

Zoë at the park

2005-10-11T22:06:00.000-07:00

I noticed that I haven't posted a picture of our beautiful girl in a while. here are some recent pictures of Zoë at a playground during a picnic this week.

Beach Day

2005-09-24T21:41:00.000-07:00

Erin and I heard that there were supposed to be large swells at the beach last weekend, so we packed a picnic and headed for Newport Beach.

According to the Orange County Register:

A major south swell is en route to Orange County and will begin slamming many beaches Friday with waves up to 10 feet, Surfline.com of Huntington Beach reported today.

It seems that everyone else wanted to be at the ocean too. We were there an hour or so until Kevin and Zoë fell in the ocean. The waves were definitely higher, but we missed the best waves. We were there closer to low tide. It is always fun to go to the beach though.

Jenny and Greg's California Trip

2005-08-21T21:34:00.000-07:00

My sister and brother-in-law came out to visit California last week from Ohio. Zoë warmed up quickly to Aunt Jenny and Uncle Greg, and everyone had a good time. We threw a beach party at Aliso Beach for them on Sunday, which was a success even though we didn't get a fire ring. We drove up to LA twice: once for Olivera Street and the Universal City Walk via the Red Line; and again for the Petersen Automotive Museum. Of course, we had to go to Disneyland too. We spent most of the day at California Adventure, had lunch with FIVE Disney Princesses (Ariel's Grotto), but made it over to the 'Land for Fantasmic and Fireworks.

If you are interested, I posted more pictures of JENNY & GREG at the KodakGallery.com

First Ear of Corn

2005-08-03T22:41:00.000-07:00

Zoë was so inspired by her Grandpa Daugherty's garden that she had to try corn on her own. We were surprised that she liked eating it on the cob. However, we need to teach her to eat it like a typewriter instead of 'round and 'round. How do you eat corn?

Emily's Birthday Party

2005-08-01T22:27:00.000-07:00

Here are some pictures from my niece, Emily's birthday party on Sunday. She just turned 7 years old. The party was at Tim & Sue's new house (Erin's brother's house). We had a really good time. Zoë loved the bounce house and the rocking horse.

I posted more pictures of EMILY'S BIRTHDAY PARTY at the KodakGallery.com.

More San Francisco Pictures

2005-07-24T22:56:00.000-07:00

There are more pictures from our San Francisco trip in the SAN FRANCISCO & SAN JOSE JUNE 2005 album. You can view pictures from the museums in San Jose, the SF bay cruise and the cable cars.

Summer Pictures

2005-07-24T22:45:00.000-07:00

I finally had a chance to upload more pictures from the past few weeks. The SUMMER PICTURES album at KodakGallery.com includes more pictures from Dana Point on July 4th, an afternoon at Lake Mission Viejo with friends, and a family BBQ.

Las Vegas Wedding

2005-07-18T23:24:00.000-07:00

Erin and I went to Lost Wages to see two of our friends get married. The wedding was on Saturday night, and Elvis did a good job officiating the ceremony. Actually, it was a very nice, traditional wedding.

We barely took pictures from The Strip, but here is a LAS VEGAS PHOTO ALBUM that at least proves that we went to M&M World and the Stratosphere. There are some great pictures of Zoë doing the "Macarena" and dancing with the flower girls and ring bearer.

While walking through Ceasar's Palace, I saw my childhood baseball idol, Pete Rose. He was signing autographs outside a sports memorabilia store. Erin and I think it is ironic that Pete Rose, who is not in the Baseball Hall of Fame because he bet on baseball, was signing autographs in Sin City.

4th of July pictures

2005-07-08T22:07:00.000-07:00

Hello everyone!! We had a great 4th of july at Dana Point Harbor. Here's some pics of Kevin and Mark Iversen defending our boat!!! Do you remember last year when we sent the pic of Zoe, Caden (8 days old) and Jessica?? We'll here's those babies one year later! I'll copy last years pic too. Hope you are having a great summer! Erin

Monopoly

2005-07-01T22:29:00.000-07:00

In San Jose, Zoe and I got to play Monopoly. They have Monopoly in the Park near the Children's Discovery Museum. Zoe and I took the light rail from our hotel down to the Museum, and we found this life sized board game. Zoë didn't play fair, and she had to go to jail.

Gill Hogan

2005-06-30T23:04:00.000-07:00

Daugherty Connection: Friend of Kevin's from Saddleback Church

David, Lisa and Jake Voyen

2005-06-30T23:01:00.000-07:00

Daugherty Connection: Friends of Kevin and Erin from Saddleback Church.

Lisa holding Zoë at Voyen Fest 2005 (Lisa's Birthday)

Jake Voyen

Jason and Stacey Schlueter

2005-06-30T22:58:00.000-07:00

Daugherty Connection: Friends of Kevin and Erin.

We all met in a small group Bible Study at Saddleback Church.

Stacey and Jason holding Zoë. All of our best pictures of our friends are when they are holding our baby.

Jeff and Laura Schlabach

2005-06-30T22:56:00.000-07:00

Daugherty Connection: Friends of Kevin and Erin.

Jeff used to be Kevin's roommate when they first came to California.

Joe and Karen Rogers

2005-06-30T22:54:00.000-07:00

Daugherty Connection: Erin's Aunt and Uncle

Karen Rogers holding her grandson, Ethan Gaddis

Matt and Liz Rogers

2005-06-30T22:53:00.000-07:00

Daugherty Connection: Matt is Erin's cousin.

Jeff, Penne, and Jake Rieger

2005-06-30T22:50:00.000-07:00

Daugherty Connection: Penne (holding Zoë) works with Kevin.

Jake is much more handsome in person!

Phil, Jen and Caden Moffett

2005-06-30T22:49:00.000-07:00

Daugherty Connection: Friends of Kevin and Erin's from Saddleback Church

Jen, Phil and Caden

July 4, 2005 on Sunkissed in Dana Point
Jessica, Caden (in middle), and Zoë

Becki, Scott, Danica, and Dawson Grier

2005-06-30T22:47:00.000-07:00

Daugherty Connection: Becki works with Kevin.

John, Kim and Brittany Grainger

2005-06-30T22:46:00.000-07:00

Daugherty Connection: Friends of Kevin and Erin's from Saddleback Church

Brittany Grainger holding Zoë and John & Kim Grainger's wedding reception.

Mark and Daretta Goddard

2005-06-30T22:42:00.000-07:00

Daugherty Connection: Friends of Kevin and Erin from Saddleback Church

Rob, Michele and Ethan Gaddis

2005-06-30T22:39:00.000-07:00

Daugherty Connection: Michele is Erin's cousin.

Michele was a bridesmaid in Erin's wedding.

Ethan Gaddis

John and Jenn Blanck

2005-06-30T22:34:00.000-07:00

John and Kevin were groomsmen in each their weddings.

San Francisco

2005-06-30T22:03:00.001-07:00

Erin and I made it to San Francisco on Sunday and Monday. We drove up from San Jose after eating breakfast, but we ran into a disappointment. We were looking forward to a tour of Alcatraz Island but we were not expecting it run into traffic. We ran into the San Francisco Pride 2005 parade and we missed our tour reservation.

Erin and I were disappointed, but we took a Bay Cruise instead. We went around Alcatraz, under the Golden Gate Bridge, and an excellent view of the SF skyline.

We stayed about two blocks from the Fishermen's Wharf and we were within walking distance to Pier 39. It was an experience to ride the Cable Cars, and we got a chance to eat in Chinatown.

2005-06-30T22:03:00.000-07:00

San Francisco skyline. Transamerica Pyramid and the Bank of America building

2005-06-30T22:00:00.000-07:00

Another view of the Golden Gate

2005-06-30T21:59:00.000-07:00

The view underneath the Golden Gate

The Daugherty Tribe on the Bay Harbor Cruise. The Golden Gate is in the background

Rod & Linda Campbell

2005-06-30T14:54:00.000-07:00

Daugherty Connection: Kevin's Uncle and Aunt