The best Christmas present I got this year was having my sister from Boston come and spend the week with us. I adore her and love having her in our home. Kendrick learned how to pronounce Aunt Tine and it melts my heart as much as the word mommy. He adores his auntie and we both were sad to see her leave. It was hard not to feel bummed when he woke up asking for her this morning. She headed back to Boston last night and I am already trying to figure out how we can live closer. We are thinking of possibly moving again and Tine is factored into our plans because we just love being around her. We are big big dreamers and this is what our future looks like...
We buy a duplex with my brother David and each live on one side of it. My best friend and Tine will be our neighbors in which we will have a underground tunnel that will connect the houses. This underground tunnel will include a theater/ game room. It will have a secret entrance so that our kids will not know about it. There will be a recreational center in our backyard that will have everything from a zip line to a gymnastic tramp and anything dreamable and amazing in it.
It is pretty much the best dream ever and luckily Nate has a job that is flexible on locations so it really will happen. So excited for this dream to come true! It makes living apart from them now seem doable because when we live close together our world will be heaven!
Sunday, December 29, 2013
Say what you want to say
A few weeks ago I posted about this song, Brave. I decided that it deserved another post because I truly think it is that amazing. This time around though it has to do with being brave while communicating. If you listen to the song again and think about the lyrics telling you to be brave enough to have difficult conversations (this can be anything that would be difficult for you to talk about) with people it has a whole new meaning.
I did my bachelor's in communication because I think it is so important in the family unit. I have always struggled with communicating and being brave about my true feelings and opinions. I had a boyfriend call me out on it in high school and I will be forever grateful for him telling me that. I have been trying to change since because of him bringing that weakness to my attention. I never had a strong opinion of my own. I would just agree with whomever to make peace and move on but not actually fix a relationship or deepen a relationship by stating my true feelings on a subject.
Speaking up has absolutely backfired many times when I choose to be brave and put my feelings out there. However, I have yet to truly regret ever choosing to be open. There have been too many good things that have come out from speaking up about something that I'm convinced that talking too much is still better than not talking at all. Being open is a very vulnerable thing and yet it is what can allow others in and heal relationships.
Example: I was (I've been trying to change :) ) the type of person would shut down completely when I was sad, mad, or irritated in some way. I would go in my room and attempt to lock out the world until I felt better. I would not say a word for hours no matter the questions I got asked. I just had to get over my bad mood and then I would come back out acting like nothing even happened.
This has been the most damaging attribute of mine to our marriage. Why? Because when I don't talk I am ultimately telling Nathan that my feelings are more important than his. I am ignoring his need to talk about whatever happened and shutting him out of my life for awhile. Don't get me wrong, it is important to calm down before communicating, but the difference is that I wouldn't even communicate after I felt better. I would just move on with life and ignore whatever issue was going on.... NOT COOL!
I have had to learn to communicate time frames when talking about sensitive subjects. For example I'll tell Nate I'm too upset to talk now but lets talk (insert time). Sometimes we won't resolve an issue for days or weeks but we will still remind each other to think about it. This way we can try to understand our own feelings toward the subject and then try to think of a way to help the other person understand our point of view. It has taken me years to get to this point in communicating but I feel like I have a deeper relationship with Nate and other people because of it.
There is another song that goes along perfectly with this topic called Walls. Check it out! It was another gem introduced to me by my high school boyfriend and while the singers are not outstanding the message certainly is. I probably have even shared it on here before but I don't even care because I love it. :)
I did my bachelor's in communication because I think it is so important in the family unit. I have always struggled with communicating and being brave about my true feelings and opinions. I had a boyfriend call me out on it in high school and I will be forever grateful for him telling me that. I have been trying to change since because of him bringing that weakness to my attention. I never had a strong opinion of my own. I would just agree with whomever to make peace and move on but not actually fix a relationship or deepen a relationship by stating my true feelings on a subject.
Speaking up has absolutely backfired many times when I choose to be brave and put my feelings out there. However, I have yet to truly regret ever choosing to be open. There have been too many good things that have come out from speaking up about something that I'm convinced that talking too much is still better than not talking at all. Being open is a very vulnerable thing and yet it is what can allow others in and heal relationships.
Example: I was (I've been trying to change :) ) the type of person would shut down completely when I was sad, mad, or irritated in some way. I would go in my room and attempt to lock out the world until I felt better. I would not say a word for hours no matter the questions I got asked. I just had to get over my bad mood and then I would come back out acting like nothing even happened.
This has been the most damaging attribute of mine to our marriage. Why? Because when I don't talk I am ultimately telling Nathan that my feelings are more important than his. I am ignoring his need to talk about whatever happened and shutting him out of my life for awhile. Don't get me wrong, it is important to calm down before communicating, but the difference is that I wouldn't even communicate after I felt better. I would just move on with life and ignore whatever issue was going on.... NOT COOL!
I have had to learn to communicate time frames when talking about sensitive subjects. For example I'll tell Nate I'm too upset to talk now but lets talk (insert time). Sometimes we won't resolve an issue for days or weeks but we will still remind each other to think about it. This way we can try to understand our own feelings toward the subject and then try to think of a way to help the other person understand our point of view. It has taken me years to get to this point in communicating but I feel like I have a deeper relationship with Nate and other people because of it.
There is another song that goes along perfectly with this topic called Walls. Check it out! It was another gem introduced to me by my high school boyfriend and while the singers are not outstanding the message certainly is. I probably have even shared it on here before but I don't even care because I love it. :)
Monday, December 23, 2013
B is for Boston
A few weeks back I pulled out some of Kendrick's hats. He has always had a small head so even the infant size hat drowned him until now. It is still a tad big but I was happy to learn that Kendrick LOVES hats. He loves them so much that he will occasionally scream at the hat to stay on his head upon it falling off. It is frustrating trying to teach him not to scream but I also love his passion for trying to make it stay on.
All the pictures are blurry because Kendrick only has one speed... lighting fast! Our camera just can't keep up.
All the pictures are blurry because Kendrick only has one speed... lighting fast! Our camera just can't keep up.
Aloha!
This post will never be the way I want it so I'm posting it anyway. I don't feel like I can do it justice. It is so hard to explain because I feel like it was the best thing for our marriage but possibly the worst thing for Kendrick. I'm a huge fan of taking kids on vacation but I also think it is so important to have time to reconnect with your spouse. Clearly the best option is to pay for a babysitter to spend vacation with you so that you can have some time alone but still time together as a family. Next time we will probably make sure we can afford a babysitter. Kendrick was WELL watched over and we didn't have to worry a bit. It was just hard to be away from him and help him build confidence in us that we would not leave him again.
Leaving AZ!
Nate's activity
Can see our condo from the sky
Jurassic Park waterfall? One of the waterfalls was...
Begging Nate to make the helicopter land. I hope to never get on a helicopter again unless I'm dying. Violently numb and dizzy.
Sunrise.
Mel's activity. 8 mile hike (round trip) along the coast to a waterfall.
Bamboo
We made it to the waterfall.
Hawaii was magical. It was like hitting a reset button on our marriage. We were able to work through areas that we put on the back burner for awhile. It honestly felt like we were newly married and madly in love (because we are). I am so looking forward to what 2014 has to offer us because Nate and I are ready. We are strong and we are ready to fight whatever life wants to throw our way. Our 3rd year of marriage was possibly the hardest simply because each day it felt like there was no time for us. It has only been a few months but I'm thinking our 4th year is going to be the best. I don't care what life hands us this year we are going to make our lemonade out of it and enjoy sipping it together.
Monday, December 16, 2013
Brave (Intense post!)
There are many many posts that I am so excited to share. I’m skipping Hawaii at the moment and moving onto my trip to Utah because Hawaii is mainly pictures and if you know me I prefer to blab instead of load pictures.
Utah was a trip to see family. It was incredibly hard because Nate and I had spend so much time together and had created a positive reset on our marriage that time away was almost unbearable. To top it off I had one of the most awful experiences of my life during my stay.
Backing up a bit my BFF came and visited Nate and I the week before we left for HA. It was during Halloween and to get into the Holiday spirit one night we decided to watch a scary movie. Worst decision ever made. In the first few minutes of watching the show I had my eyes tight shut and my ears plugged while screaming “turn it off!!” My spirit felt damaged and I felt like throwing up. What I had seen was far too evil for my spirit. We changed movies but I continued to talk to Nate about my fear of what I had seen. I did not sleep well that night but a few days later it was soon forgotten.
Fast forward to my trip to Utah and I couldn’t get the image of what I had seen out of my mind. Each time I closed my eyes I saw the same movie clip. I was terrified to sleep and so I read my scriptures, sang songs, and tried to think happy happy thoughts. If/When I finally did fall asleep I’d have the worst nightmare I have ever experienced.
The first time I had this nightmare was about 7-8 months after Kendrick was born. In the nightmare I am trapped in my dream paralyzed knowing I am dreaming but unable to wake up. Most often I can control my dreams. I can change them in the middle or wake up the second I realize I’m dreaming. The first time the nightmare happened I could hear Kendrick crying but I didn't know how to wake up in order to go get him. I would tell myself to just move my arm, leg, toe, etc and when I tried I’d realize I couldn't. When I finally was able to snap out of it I knew Kendrick had been crying for a minimum of a half hour. I sobbed to my dad (Nate was in school) about how terrifying this dream was to me.
While in Utah I was having my paralyzing dream once more only I knew that I was not alone in it. I could feel the presence of evil in the dream but being paralyzed I could not run from it. I knew exactly where in my room a negative presence was standing. It spoke my name and it was so clear it was as if someone right next to me was saying Melanie. It was then that I realized I could still control one thing… my breath. I instantly held it and woke up immediately. (If anyone is ever unfortunate enough to ever experience this dream I have done it a few times sense and it seems to be a foolproof way to wake up)
I was so scared I just shook sobbing unable to move for fear that the evil presence had not only been a dream. I finally was able to reach my phone and call my sister who luckily was in a time zone 3 hrs ahead of mine (It was 4am in Utah). To my delight she answered and I know that this was the first of many miracles that were about to happen. She calmed me down and gave me the confidence to go upstairs to try to get a blessing from Nate’s dad, Cecil. She sang Brave by Sara Bareilles while I climbed the stairs. It is now one of my favorite songs.
Nate’s dad was not awake and so I turned on Finding Nemo instead and decided to wait until he was awake. When he did come out I was too bashful to ask for a blessing. However, the spirit that Cecil was following allowed him to ask questions that opened the door for me to be brave and ask for one. I will never forget the blessing that was given. There were so many phrases and words in it that were right out of my patriarchal blessing. The sprit was strong. I felt so much love and respect for Nate’s family for not judging or criticizing my raw feelings. Cindy (Nate’s step-ma) even stayed home from work for a few hours to comfort me. I will never forget the kindness and love that she gave.
Once again we are going to fast forward to just a few days before leaving for Washington. I would be leaving my hubby for 12 days to watch my cute nieces so my brother and SIL could take a much needed vacation. I was having panic attacks about the upcoming trip and the possibility of experiencing my nightmare while alone with 3 kids. I was again seeing the image of the movie being replayed in my mind when I would close my eyes. Less than 48 hours before my flight was to leave I was bawling to Nate about my fears. I even embarrassingly asked my SIL in Oregon if I could possibly stay with her and her family for the 12 days if I had to. I was a mess and feeling completely defeated.
I tell you these details because I am so proud of how far I have come and how quickly the spirit of fear can be filled with peace. I asked Nathan if he would give me a blessing before I left but I never ended up feeling the need for it. It was Nate’s turn to pray the night I was sobbing to him and I have felt completely brave, confident, peaceful, clear minded sense that prayer was said. He only said 3 sentences regarding my fear and the second they were said I felt the fear leave and the peace fill my heart.
I am currently writing this while still in Washington with only 2 more nights to go. I wrote this entire post without having a panic attack. I am alone with 3 kids sleeping and my fear is defeated. The evil presence did not win because when there is light and goodness in the world it never will.
I believe that when we look for evil it will come. I allowed that evil to come into my heart and home by giving it power to frighten me. I believe that there is a devil who knows our fears and weaknesses and wants us to be miserable like himself. I also believe in a Savior who fought for the sins of the world so that we could have joy and live with him again. Fear and Peace cannot coexist. We must pick a side (I recommend peace) and be brave enough to fight for it. Good will always win.
While fears and temptations do exists they are meant to help strengthen us not bring us down to the gulfs of misery. If there is a fear that is too difficult to overcome then make Jesus Christ your best friend because he will carry you through. He will help your heart heal and your fears quiet. He will not only love you endlessly but teach you how to love endlessly and make this life a happy one. When Christ is our companion we can accomplish any goal or dream that we think up. He will be our biggest cheerleader to accomplishing this life if we just let him in. Remember Him this Christmas because ultimately He is the greatest gift that was ever given to mankind.
Friday, December 6, 2013
Crow #2
Nope not preggo! However, this post is about baby number 2! It has been on my mind a lot which is why I might as well blog about it. I love babies! If I didn't want to be a stay at home mom so badly I would probably be a Obstetrician or something as close to that as possible. I always have this constant pull to have a newborn in my arms. Newborns have a spirit about them that no other person posses. They are a taste of heaven and the closest thing to it.
Mainly I just wanted to talk about #2 because everyone (meaning people who are not family or friends) keeps asking us about it. I'm a fairly open person so if people are going to keep asking I guess I can post our response on here and refer the question to my blog. I think I'm amazed by everyone being so bold because I only had one person ask us when we were going to get pregnant the 1st time. Also I rarely had anyone comment too much on my pregnancy. Somehow we are now getting questions at least once a week about #2. I'm blown out of the water each time and usually just laugh because it is so awkward. I don't understand why they try so hard to tell me that Kendrick needs a brother when do not even know Kendrick's first name.
I will always want a baby. I wanted to be pregnant again almost the moment I had Kendrick because I missed having him in my belly. I love pregnancy and I love babies. That part is simple for me. The complicated part is that I'm a logical person. I don't let my love for a newborn baby overpower my thoughts of what is right for our family. I love my time with Kendrick. He keeps me so busy during the day that my confidence as a mom to more than one is pretty low. I know my Heavenly Father will help me with that but I also believe that I know my own limits and being aware of that is what help me be a better mom when we choose to expand our family.
When we choose to have another baby it will be between God, Nathan and I. I do know that I will be overjoyed no matter the moment but I'm also overjoyed with my life now. I feel complete with what blessings I have been given to me now. While babies are always a blessing Kenny has filled my heart to the rim. When the time comes for another it will be the best time in our lives I am sure. Right now though I'm still so so so happy that God allowed me to be a mother to Kendrick. He is my world and I feel so complete with him in it. He allowed me to have my dream job and I have much I can still do to be better at it.
So to answer the question on when will we have #2? No idea! I'm happy waiting and I also wish that I could have a baby tomorrow. I have no doubts that Kendrick would love having a playmate now. I also don't doubt that he will be a great big brother even if his sibling is not super close to his age. I will be the one teaching my children how to love and respect each other so there is no magical age that will make that happen.
OFF TOPIC PARAGRAPH: Nathan is the most supportive husband ever! He supports my ideas and helps me move past my fears. I look forward to our adventures that we still have ahead of us and enjoy the ones we are currently living. We don't have a perfect marriage but we are continually learning and growing in order to try to better it. We have had some big decisions to make the past few weeks and I am so proud of his ability to make them with confidence. He amazes me on a daily basis. He is the love of my life and I feel so lucky that I met him at a young age so I could make all of life's big decisions with him.
Mainly I just wanted to talk about #2 because everyone (meaning people who are not family or friends) keeps asking us about it. I'm a fairly open person so if people are going to keep asking I guess I can post our response on here and refer the question to my blog. I think I'm amazed by everyone being so bold because I only had one person ask us when we were going to get pregnant the 1st time. Also I rarely had anyone comment too much on my pregnancy. Somehow we are now getting questions at least once a week about #2. I'm blown out of the water each time and usually just laugh because it is so awkward. I don't understand why they try so hard to tell me that Kendrick needs a brother when do not even know Kendrick's first name.
I will always want a baby. I wanted to be pregnant again almost the moment I had Kendrick because I missed having him in my belly. I love pregnancy and I love babies. That part is simple for me. The complicated part is that I'm a logical person. I don't let my love for a newborn baby overpower my thoughts of what is right for our family. I love my time with Kendrick. He keeps me so busy during the day that my confidence as a mom to more than one is pretty low. I know my Heavenly Father will help me with that but I also believe that I know my own limits and being aware of that is what help me be a better mom when we choose to expand our family.
When we choose to have another baby it will be between God, Nathan and I. I do know that I will be overjoyed no matter the moment but I'm also overjoyed with my life now. I feel complete with what blessings I have been given to me now. While babies are always a blessing Kenny has filled my heart to the rim. When the time comes for another it will be the best time in our lives I am sure. Right now though I'm still so so so happy that God allowed me to be a mother to Kendrick. He is my world and I feel so complete with him in it. He allowed me to have my dream job and I have much I can still do to be better at it.
So to answer the question on when will we have #2? No idea! I'm happy waiting and I also wish that I could have a baby tomorrow. I have no doubts that Kendrick would love having a playmate now. I also don't doubt that he will be a great big brother even if his sibling is not super close to his age. I will be the one teaching my children how to love and respect each other so there is no magical age that will make that happen.
OFF TOPIC PARAGRAPH: Nathan is the most supportive husband ever! He supports my ideas and helps me move past my fears. I look forward to our adventures that we still have ahead of us and enjoy the ones we are currently living. We don't have a perfect marriage but we are continually learning and growing in order to try to better it. We have had some big decisions to make the past few weeks and I am so proud of his ability to make them with confidence. He amazes me on a daily basis. He is the love of my life and I feel so lucky that I met him at a young age so I could make all of life's big decisions with him.
Wednesday, November 27, 2013
Black Friday
Nate and I have always been black Friday fans. We think it is neat to go shopping at weird hours in the night and get a good deal. We also like the excitement of being surrounded by tons of people and then having the chance to chat while we wait in line. It is low key for us but I think my excitement came from my Uncle Brian. He would always just go for the door busters (which used to be little nik naks like a snow globe for free). A lot of the fun also comes from the planning of which stores to hit and when.
This year I'm not so fond of the idea. While I don't mind sitting on the couch and looking through ads with my fam I most certainly do mind actually shopping on Thanksgiving. Arg you stores on cutting in on time with my family. It just shows that the world is trying harder and harder to cut in on family time. Nate and I were still considering going just because we are away most of our family but then we decided we just didn't want to support that. We haven't had time to even get excited about anything that is on sale so it was a easy decision. I secretly hope that everyone chooses not to go so that stores will get the idea that Christmas comes AFTER Thanksgiving!! Plus Christmas has a much deeper meaning and pushing and shoving for material items certainly takes away from that.
Car Update: We did buy car on Monday but returned it Tuesday. We researched it more and decided that it still wasn't the one for us. We are probably the only people that have ever returned a car to a dealership without there being anything major wrong with the car. We are slow decision makers lol. We were able to rent a car so hopefully we will find a car before we have to return the rental. Wish us luck!
This year I'm not so fond of the idea. While I don't mind sitting on the couch and looking through ads with my fam I most certainly do mind actually shopping on Thanksgiving. Arg you stores on cutting in on time with my family. It just shows that the world is trying harder and harder to cut in on family time. Nate and I were still considering going just because we are away most of our family but then we decided we just didn't want to support that. We haven't had time to even get excited about anything that is on sale so it was a easy decision. I secretly hope that everyone chooses not to go so that stores will get the idea that Christmas comes AFTER Thanksgiving!! Plus Christmas has a much deeper meaning and pushing and shoving for material items certainly takes away from that.
Car Update: We did buy car on Monday but returned it Tuesday. We researched it more and decided that it still wasn't the one for us. We are probably the only people that have ever returned a car to a dealership without there being anything major wrong with the car. We are slow decision makers lol. We were able to rent a car so hopefully we will find a car before we have to return the rental. Wish us luck!
Saturday, November 23, 2013
Bondo Buggy no more
This week has been a roller coaster of events. I think it has been evenly balanced with good and bad. I'll list the bad first and end with the good. Our Bondo buggy car died on Tuesday, our dryer will sometimes work for 10 min, and our brand new fridge needs maintenance.
While we were driving back from running errands we were talking about our car possibly dying in the future and what we would do. Well it must have felt the negative vibe we were giving off and decided to just quit on us. It was a sad day. It has been a nightmare trying to figure out how to get around without a car. We have have spent a lot of time on the internet without being able to come up with any immediate solutions... and not be able to rent a car due to me being too young with no credit card (without paying ridiculous amounts).
The dryer has been having issues sense August but we just put up a line outside and put off worrying about it. It had been drying our clothes enough that they weren't crispy until this week. Stiff towels to exfoliate the skin after showing are not ideal. We will probably keep delaying buying a new one so if our clothes look extra stiff and wrinkled please no judgments.
The fridge is special. It must have been calibrated wrong. The freezer is too cold and the buttons are flipped (warmer = colder). The fridge doesn't get cold enough. Our milk never seems to have that refreshing taste to it and things tend to mold before their expiration dates. On the bright side we have no car to get food with so I guess this one isn't that big of a deal.
Now for the good news. I was wrong about the news being balanced. I have WAY more good news than bad.
*I ran into my friend from Snow College on Sunday at my MIL's ward. Still feeling pretty excited about that.
*My amazing hubby let me sleep all day Monday to make up for all the sleepless/ nightmare nights in Utah. Woot Woot!
*We have incredibly nice neighbors and friends that have helped us with all our car issues. We owe them big time.
*My friend and old roommate had her baby on Tuesday. Couldn't be happier for her and her hubby!
*Kendrick hit a new record of sleeping 18.5 hours last night and Nate and I were able to do some serious car research.
*Kendrick is mimicking all words I say. The only word that he says often and is still a mystery on the meaning sounds like California.
*Kendrick and I leave for Washington in 2 weeks and Kendrick has been a gem flyer thanks to his love for airplanes.
*Nate and I have been having so much fun planning out our future. While car hunting is not ideal without a car it still is fun to have all options open and experience a new step in life. We have so many decisions to make in the next few months and it is so fun to dream and try to make them
together.
I have many things that I am excited to blog about but lets be realistic. Until we have a car I will only be on the internet to look at cars. If anyone reads this and has some helpful hints for us on our adventure feel free to share! Thanks!
While we were driving back from running errands we were talking about our car possibly dying in the future and what we would do. Well it must have felt the negative vibe we were giving off and decided to just quit on us. It was a sad day. It has been a nightmare trying to figure out how to get around without a car. We have have spent a lot of time on the internet without being able to come up with any immediate solutions... and not be able to rent a car due to me being too young with no credit card (without paying ridiculous amounts).
The dryer has been having issues sense August but we just put up a line outside and put off worrying about it. It had been drying our clothes enough that they weren't crispy until this week. Stiff towels to exfoliate the skin after showing are not ideal. We will probably keep delaying buying a new one so if our clothes look extra stiff and wrinkled please no judgments.
The fridge is special. It must have been calibrated wrong. The freezer is too cold and the buttons are flipped (warmer = colder). The fridge doesn't get cold enough. Our milk never seems to have that refreshing taste to it and things tend to mold before their expiration dates. On the bright side we have no car to get food with so I guess this one isn't that big of a deal.
Now for the good news. I was wrong about the news being balanced. I have WAY more good news than bad.
*I ran into my friend from Snow College on Sunday at my MIL's ward. Still feeling pretty excited about that.
*My amazing hubby let me sleep all day Monday to make up for all the sleepless/ nightmare nights in Utah. Woot Woot!
*We have incredibly nice neighbors and friends that have helped us with all our car issues. We owe them big time.
*My friend and old roommate had her baby on Tuesday. Couldn't be happier for her and her hubby!
*Kendrick hit a new record of sleeping 18.5 hours last night and Nate and I were able to do some serious car research.
*Kendrick is mimicking all words I say. The only word that he says often and is still a mystery on the meaning sounds like California.
*Kendrick and I leave for Washington in 2 weeks and Kendrick has been a gem flyer thanks to his love for airplanes.
*Nate and I have been having so much fun planning out our future. While car hunting is not ideal without a car it still is fun to have all options open and experience a new step in life. We have so many decisions to make in the next few months and it is so fun to dream and try to make them
together.
I have many things that I am excited to blog about but lets be realistic. Until we have a car I will only be on the internet to look at cars. If anyone reads this and has some helpful hints for us on our adventure feel free to share! Thanks!
Friday, November 1, 2013
No pictures
Yup once again I'm not adding pictures to this post. I've never been a picture kind of gal so I guess I'm not too surprised that I still hate taking them and adding them to my writing. I will probably just dump some on here when I feel in the mood :)
Backtracking a little, my BFF #2 (Nate is/will always be my #1) came and visited me this past week. It was pretty much the best week sense I moved in and that is saying a lot because I feel like moving to AZ has been a positive change for us. We mostly talked and ate lots of yummy food. When we are next door neighbors we have plans to have a recreational center in our backyard so that we can still be friends without it affecting our health. I can hardly wait for that day! It keeps me wanting to grow older verses younger (because childhood is amazing but we can't go back).
My baby is in Utah. I miss him. I have only been home and away from him for a few hours and I do not feel relieved. I am not the slightest bit worried about him but I miss his company. Nate will be working until we leave and I miss my buddy. It was so hard to leave him when I was getting dropped off at the airport the only word he kept saying was "go". I just flipped the meaning of the word and said "mommy has to go get on the plane". I knew that he was not saying it because I was going. He was only saying it because he wanted to go.
I have only 10 more days and nights before I get to see my little mister. I also have flown 2 out of the 10 times (including plane changes) that will happen before the end of the year. I still feel like I am just watching someone else experience this exciting life but then I remember how hard Nathan worked and the toll it took on our marriage in order to get to this point and I know it is still me. We dreamed about it for 2 years and now it is time to experience it. Hello Kauai!!
Backtracking a little, my BFF #2 (Nate is/will always be my #1) came and visited me this past week. It was pretty much the best week sense I moved in and that is saying a lot because I feel like moving to AZ has been a positive change for us. We mostly talked and ate lots of yummy food. When we are next door neighbors we have plans to have a recreational center in our backyard so that we can still be friends without it affecting our health. I can hardly wait for that day! It keeps me wanting to grow older verses younger (because childhood is amazing but we can't go back).
My baby is in Utah. I miss him. I have only been home and away from him for a few hours and I do not feel relieved. I am not the slightest bit worried about him but I miss his company. Nate will be working until we leave and I miss my buddy. It was so hard to leave him when I was getting dropped off at the airport the only word he kept saying was "go". I just flipped the meaning of the word and said "mommy has to go get on the plane". I knew that he was not saying it because I was going. He was only saying it because he wanted to go.
I have only 10 more days and nights before I get to see my little mister. I also have flown 2 out of the 10 times (including plane changes) that will happen before the end of the year. I still feel like I am just watching someone else experience this exciting life but then I remember how hard Nathan worked and the toll it took on our marriage in order to get to this point and I know it is still me. We dreamed about it for 2 years and now it is time to experience it. Hello Kauai!!
Thursday, October 24, 2013
Peponi
My lovely sister shared this song (original) and this song (adorable version) with me. It made me smile on so many levels. It is so simple which is why I love it so. Paradise should be simple. There shouldn't be a million things pulling our attention or time away from the simple things in life.
I want to blog. I love to blog. I find it so fun to just sit any type whatever my fingers feel like writing. The internet however, is not so simple. There are so many things that are accessible to us that it is easy to get distracted. For this reason I don't blog often. I try to just post when I want and if it isn't something that can be quickly simplified in a post then I won't blog about it.
I've been making a lot of changes in my life and I must say that I kinda feel like I'm living in Paradise. I am sacrificing a lot in order to get it but at the same time it is worth ever single sacrifice. I may not be informed of what is going on in the social media but I know that my little boy learned how to control his his emotions today because he was able to calm down, stop crying and look me directly in the eyes to ask for some chips. It was a powerful mommy moment and a moment of accomplishment for both him and I.
Arizona winter months really are paradise. Mostly though I'm grateful that I have a hubby and little man who make any moment a paradise moment just by being a part of it. Check out the song and let me know if you have moments of paradise in your home!
I want to blog. I love to blog. I find it so fun to just sit any type whatever my fingers feel like writing. The internet however, is not so simple. There are so many things that are accessible to us that it is easy to get distracted. For this reason I don't blog often. I try to just post when I want and if it isn't something that can be quickly simplified in a post then I won't blog about it.
I've been making a lot of changes in my life and I must say that I kinda feel like I'm living in Paradise. I am sacrificing a lot in order to get it but at the same time it is worth ever single sacrifice. I may not be informed of what is going on in the social media but I know that my little boy learned how to control his his emotions today because he was able to calm down, stop crying and look me directly in the eyes to ask for some chips. It was a powerful mommy moment and a moment of accomplishment for both him and I.
Arizona winter months really are paradise. Mostly though I'm grateful that I have a hubby and little man who make any moment a paradise moment just by being a part of it. Check out the song and let me know if you have moments of paradise in your home!
Saturday, October 19, 2013
Ma-eeee
Pretty sure my little man is attempting to say Melanie verses Mommy but not entirely sure how to change that. We have had the most fun days lately. The weather here is totally worth bragging about and so we have been enjoying much of our time outdoors. My all time favorite thing is to hold Kendrick's hand and walk around the block. He points things out and attempts to have a conversation. I love how tiny his hand is in mine but how vocal he becomes when outside that reminds me of how big he is getting.
I have many blog posts to write but I can't decide exactly how to get them across so mostly I just avoid it. Things here in AZ are going well. While I am happy where we are at I am also pondering on where to move next. I loved having the opportunity to start all fresh and I am getting anxious to do it again. It may not be for a few years but I'm a dreamer so I'm already trying to plan it all out.
Nate has been Busy! The snowbirds (people that only live in AZ during the winter) are slowing migrating back. His work is short staffed and not ready for that transition. He has had to go in early and stay late a few times which make for extremely long days. I feel blessed that we live close enough for him to come home for lunch. Sometimes that is the only 20 min that Kendrick gets to see his Daddy and on unlucky days Kendrick is still napping during that time.
I love being a mom. I've found that there are so many talents and projects to work on that it isn't very hard to stay busy. In fact it is easy to get overwhelmed if I don't plan out my day. I love it though. I'm glad that I get to play house for real now rather than just pretend. It just seems so much better than what I imagined as a little girl. Life is wonderful!
I have many blog posts to write but I can't decide exactly how to get them across so mostly I just avoid it. Things here in AZ are going well. While I am happy where we are at I am also pondering on where to move next. I loved having the opportunity to start all fresh and I am getting anxious to do it again. It may not be for a few years but I'm a dreamer so I'm already trying to plan it all out.
Nate has been Busy! The snowbirds (people that only live in AZ during the winter) are slowing migrating back. His work is short staffed and not ready for that transition. He has had to go in early and stay late a few times which make for extremely long days. I feel blessed that we live close enough for him to come home for lunch. Sometimes that is the only 20 min that Kendrick gets to see his Daddy and on unlucky days Kendrick is still napping during that time.
I love being a mom. I've found that there are so many talents and projects to work on that it isn't very hard to stay busy. In fact it is easy to get overwhelmed if I don't plan out my day. I love it though. I'm glad that I get to play house for real now rather than just pretend. It just seems so much better than what I imagined as a little girl. Life is wonderful!
Tuesday, October 8, 2013
October!
So so excited for October this year. It is by far my favorite month. I love Halloween and the colorful decorations in orange. There is a farm close to our house that I can't wait to take Kendrick to. There will be tons of activities for him to enjoy and it will help persuade him to love October too.
Kendrick and I are anxiously awaiting our Utah trip. We will be flying there the 31st to drop Kenny off and I will return a week later to spend some time with family before coming back to AZ. It is such a relief to have all our tickets all figured out. Kendrick will get to spend some fun days with family while Nate and I take off to Hawaii and enjoy our first flight as a married couple. We are super sad not to be bringing Kendrick along and I have to force myself not to think about it. He will love being in Utah so much I doubt he will even miss us.
We have some busy times coming up for November and December. I will end up flying more in 2 months than my entire life combined. I am pretty excited about it. I also love that Kendrick is so interested in airplanes. He hears at least 15+ a day and will stop whatever he is doing to watch and listen. His excitement gets me so anxious for him to experience a plane ride a couple more times before he is 2.
Overall we are doing great. Kendrick has recovered 100% and is back to his happy self. I have had people comment on his beautiful blue eyes on a daily occurrence and it has pulled at my mamma heart in ways I cannot describe. So glad he was fortunate enough to be given back his eye sight to see all the beauties of the world.
Kendrick and I are anxiously awaiting our Utah trip. We will be flying there the 31st to drop Kenny off and I will return a week later to spend some time with family before coming back to AZ. It is such a relief to have all our tickets all figured out. Kendrick will get to spend some fun days with family while Nate and I take off to Hawaii and enjoy our first flight as a married couple. We are super sad not to be bringing Kendrick along and I have to force myself not to think about it. He will love being in Utah so much I doubt he will even miss us.
We have some busy times coming up for November and December. I will end up flying more in 2 months than my entire life combined. I am pretty excited about it. I also love that Kendrick is so interested in airplanes. He hears at least 15+ a day and will stop whatever he is doing to watch and listen. His excitement gets me so anxious for him to experience a plane ride a couple more times before he is 2.
Overall we are doing great. Kendrick has recovered 100% and is back to his happy self. I have had people comment on his beautiful blue eyes on a daily occurrence and it has pulled at my mamma heart in ways I cannot describe. So glad he was fortunate enough to be given back his eye sight to see all the beauties of the world.
Wednesday, October 2, 2013
54 hours of torture!
I'd rather not write this post. By writing it I have to relive it and the last few days have been the most emotionally draining and heart wrenching days Nathan and I have ever experienced. Our sweet baby Kendrick got Tide laundry spray boost in his eyes Sunday morning. Typing it out makes me want to cry yet again. Because of miscommunication and failure to follow the promptings of the spirit our son was in pain for days.
54 hours of this!
When he started to cry for us I though it was because he was still tired and woke up to a sound. His cry never sounded like he was in pain or that he was hurting. My biggest regret is that I did not know this. That I did not immediately know to go into his room. Instead Nate and I both stood by his door telling him to quiet down and go night night (and he would get quiet).
I was going to take a shower and then check on him afterwards and I am so thankful I decided against that. Nate went to some meetings and I decided Kendrick could just be awake and hang out with me. When I walked into his room I was immediately confused. His eyes were so red and he wasn't crying in a way that would make them that way.
I saw the bottle on the floor and immediately knew why he had only been quiet for a short "nap". I read the bottle and we both stripped down and headed for a shower to flush his eyes. When we got out of the shower he was running around like himself and the poison control center assured me that he would be fine.
He was not fine. Only 10 minutes after the shower he was walking around like he was blind and trying to rub his eyes (which we were not to let him do according to poison control). We flushed his eyes 2 more times before finally deciding that we needed to take him to the ER.
The ER basically drugged him enough to allow us to flush his eyes without him fighting us. They gave us a antibiotic to put in his eyes so that if he scratched his cornea bacteria could not grow. We were on our way feeling confident that our son would be fine and would eventually open his eyes the next day.
Monday came and went and we still had not seen Kenny's beautiful blue eyes. We decided that an urgent care probably couldn't do much so Nathan gave him a remarkable blessing and we waited until Tuesday to take him in to see a Pediatric Ophthalmologist. It was so frightening to not know why he was not opening his eyes and to experience life with a blind toddler. The Ophthalmologist was able to reassure us that he could not go blind from the Tide spray and that neither one of his corneas had been damaged. He gave us a prescription for anti-inflammatory eye drops. It was a relief to have answers but still so sad to watch our son running into walls and not knowing when we would see his eyes open.
We did many things in order to prompt Kendrick to open his eyes. We even attempted a park we had not been to before in hopes that he would want to see where to explore. I must say Kendrick must not be afraid of anything because he confidently went down slides and roamed the play toy with his eyes tightly shut. I was so proud of him and yet would constantly cry about him not showing interest in opening them. We even went to Fry's grocery store and he happily put a blanket over his head and rode in the cart (It was hard to see other kids pointing and asking questions about his odd behavior).
After a long walk Tuesday evening we came inside and I let him lead the way. He instantly went to the cottage cheese container that was on the floor and started playing with it. I have never felt so joyous in watching him see what it felt like was for the first time. It felt better than watching him take his first step or roll over. My son could see! He could play. He could explore. I instantly took pictures and called Nate at work.
Kendrick's eyes are still pretty sensitive. He is hesitant to open them after sleeping and especially when we put in his eye drops. In fact this morning it took him at least an hour before he was willing. We have another eye doctor appointment tomorrow but I am thrilled that we will not have to force his eyes open in order for the doctor to get a look.
I feel like Kendrick was extremely lucky and we could not feel more blessed to have him spared his eye sight. Tide spray is not something that should have even caused him to be blind for a few days but with flushing his eyes with AZ water (pure chlorine it seems) and forcing them open for medicine he was very traumatized. Overall he could not have handled it better. I am confident that if the Lord did not allow him to see he would have figured out how to get around in a matter of weeks.
I have learned many things over the past few day. Most importantly life really can change in a instant. We must always bring our A game and live every moment to the fullest. Also the ER blanket and stuffed animal they gave Kendrick were as much a comfort to me as they were to him. I hope I can somehow find a way to give back and help someone else that has to go through something so difficult.
Thursday, September 26, 2013
Videographer
Kendrick will often find my phone and somehow take pictures. Just last week he took a picture of something on the floor that looks so much like a ghost face that it gets me excited for Halloween (except I have no clue what it really is and that is spooky).
A few days ago he happened to find our camera and being the curious boy that he is discovered how to take lots and lots of videos. Below is my favorite because you can hear him say "cheese" when he kinda gets the camera aimed at him.
A few days ago he happened to find our camera and being the curious boy that he is discovered how to take lots and lots of videos. Below is my favorite because you can hear him say "cheese" when he kinda gets the camera aimed at him.
Crow's Place
I cannot believe that I have not posted sense our Plasma car came. Then again it is probably the reason that I neglected this blog. It is the best toy ever! We returned Kendrick's trike that he got from his birthday (felt like bad parents for a day) and traded it for the Plasma Car from http://www.zulily.com/. Kendrick was so stinking excited when it came. He is the cutest driving it all around while I cook or clean. It was so worth the switch.
Features of the Plasma Car:
It propels by turning the handle left and right getting up to 6 mph
Can hold up to 220 lbs
Doesn't tip over easily
Is the best toy ever!
The joy of being a parent
Free rides
Taking the drivers seat
Kendrick has rediscovered the joy of a toilet paper roll.
Bowl hat anyone?
Loan payoff goal sheet. Belize in 2 years here we come!
Bringing back the Rollerblades
In August it cooled off enough that I wanted to exercise outside but still felt too hot to enjoy running. Being the problem solver that I am I whipped out my rollerblades and I am one happy Momma. I can enjoy the great outdoors while still getting enough of a breeze to not end up overheating. I forgot how much I love rollerblading. I am currently eyeing these wheels http://landroller.com/. I am thinking that I might pinch my pennies and save until I can afford them. I'm slightly skeptical though because I don't like buying things that I can't try on and scope out first. To be honest I will probably just go on wanting them for a few more months until I talk myself out of wanting them. I can't say I'm not happy with my current rollerblades though because just typing this post makes me want to head outside and roll.
Itching to Write
I have wanted to write so much but feel like there is no point unless I add pictures (that is the best part of any post). I decided to make a promise with myself where I could write as many times as I wanted but I only have to post pictures once a week. I am almost certain I will like blogging so much more when I don't feel the pressure of having to add a picture to each post. I might be the only one reading my posts but I'm excited for being able to write about whatever topic I want without trying to take pictures to match my topics. Two thumbs up for me on my awesome thinking. :)
Friday, September 6, 2013
Kendrick Quirks
So there are a few items that I may have mentioned already but I really don't want to forget them about my Mister.
1. He can whisper some words perfectly. The words are crystal clear but he has never ever once said them louder than a whisper. The most common words are yogurt, cracker, and cookie. I don't understand his need for whispering but it cracks me up each time.
2. He pushes his limit while in time out and hangs off his chair the whole minute. He will get inches away from the ground without actually getting off his chair. He knows that if he gets down more time will be added so he gets as close to the floor as possible without touching. If he happens to touch and we see it he will pull himself back up immediately and act like he was there the whole time. Just look at these pictures to get a better idea of what I mean.
3. He has a certain cry for water. He typically goes into panic mode when he gets thirsty and will not function until water is consumed. It is hard to be annoyed because at least I know that his most basic need is being met.
4. His binky and blanket are a combo deal. If he can't have them both than he will not take the other. I am hopeful that we can somehow teach him that his blanket can be snuggled without a binky.
5. I have taught him the word eyes and have been using it to help him understand that he needs to look at my eyes when I am talking. He is so stubborn that sometime even when I force his head to look at me he will not make eye contact. It drives me nuts but also reminds me that he is his own little person making his own choices it is his way of not wanting to communicate at that moment.
Tuesday, September 3, 2013
Kendrick is Growing
In my attempt to enjoy
and document every stage of Kendrick's growth I feel like I'm always in a
losing battle. I truly wish to pause time and enjoy everything my little boy
has to dish out. It seems like anytime I get comfortable with a stage he
develops new skills that advances him and leaves me having to learn new mommy
skills to keep up. I love the learning but am continually amazed at the fast
pace that it comes.
It has been awhile sense
posting about my little man and he is maturing so quickly that if I don't keep
up with his developments now I will have too much to write. (Already feel like
I do).
Let’s start with speech.
Kenny can talk (when he wants). He is turning into quite the conversationalist.
He will mimic just about any word we throw at him, if he is in the mood. Most of
them still sound like Car with a Boston accent (cah) but as his mother I can
hear the difference in the words as he tries his best make all different sounds.
My favorite is when he is overly tired in the car he will typically
start to babble with giggles in-between each word. I also love it when he says
a word perfectly clear… and then never says it again. He has done this with
awesome, love, Tine, and a few other words (pretty funny).
We have moved on from
baby games to kid games. He can go down slides at the park, play peek-a-boo,
tag, hide and seek, cars, bounce balls back and forth, etc. My baby is no
longer a baby and it is bitter sweet for me. I love the newborn stage but I’m
finding that this stage is pretty great too (possibly better?).
The newest development
is that he listens. If he gets put in time out he knows he can’t get off the
chair. He will pick up toys and throw things away (still working on teaching
him acceptable things to toss in the trash). He will hold my hand and look for
a ball that is lost because I told him I’d look for it and he makes sure I hold
to that promise. If I tell him to get Daddy he happily runs out of the room
saying DaDeeee DaDeeee DaDeeee.
Basically Kendrick is
growing and it is amazing. Has cut 8 teeth in less than 2 months and has
developed so much that I feel like I left Utah with a baby and arrived in AZ
with a kid. I’m still adjusting to this whole mommyhood thing but love that I
have the most active, happy, bubbly boy to teach me how it works.
"Faster Mommy!"
"Thumbs up this awesome ride but stink face for stopping to take a picture."
"Ma this box car needs a comfortable seat right here."
Tuesday, August 27, 2013
Kendrick's 1st friend
Handsome Boys!
Kason: "Your ma is crazy"
Kenny: "I know (pondering how he is stuck with me forever)"
We get to spend 2 days a week with Kason and it is so fun. He is about to turn 2 and Kendrick has lots that he can learn from him. Basically he is a mellow, easy going, smart little guy that helps balance Kendrick's hyper, screaming, jumping off the wall side. So happy that Kenny has a friend!
Sunday, August 18, 2013
Spending Fast
I feel like I keep bringing up the subject of mula. While I don't mean to keep bringing it up in all posts I thought it was still worth mentioning in its own post.
Nate and I had very little money to save in order to come to AZ. We were both working part time in order for him to finish school and his tests. As of May he was studying about 40+ hours a week and typically only working one day a week. We knew that we would be moving shortly so we stuck with cold cereal and gift cards until the move.
While we knew the move would be pricey we were not expecting paperwork to take as long as it did. We thought we would move and then Nate could immediately start working. It took over 2 weeks for him to get all of his licensing completed. They lost papers in the mail a couple of times and if we had to do it all over again we would wait to forward mail. We didn't know that they hold your mail for 10 days when you forward it. :(
We were determined to make our money stretch so we cut up our credit cards and budgeted often. We only used our credit cards for gas in order to get a few reward points and keep our credit score high. After reading Dave Ramsey we decided we could do with out a credit score. However our number one reason for cutting them up was because it was going to be the first time we would be tempted to use them when we did not have the money.
It was high anxiety for a few weeks figuring out how to get into a rental house when we barely had any money to our name. We had to budget for me to go to AZ to find a rental, food, moving expenses, and the first month rent. Honestly I have to mention that without the Lord it would have not been possible because every need was taken care and somehow we kept on having money left over.
How we did it:
*We happened to pick a rental where if you signed a 13 month lease than the first month rent was half off.
*Nate's amazing stepmother let me barrow her car to travel to AZ and look at house rentals.
*Nate's amazing stepmother helped us move so we could pull our own stuff in a trailer rather than pay for a moving truck.
*We ate the most random meals in order to not go shopping at all. We went weeks without walking into a grocery store.
*We only did free activities.
*We budgeted a couple times a week and knew if we didn't stick to the budget we would go into debt.
Okay so the reason I tell you this is to explain just how amazing it was to go without spending. Now that I have the opportunity to spend money I DON'T WANT TO. I can walk into any store and only buy what I went there for... and most of the time talk myself out of that. I feel like I have this new power where I can say no to any product that is thrown my way. I WANT NOTHING (I did want a vacuum for a long time but only because the previous owners had pets and there was pet hair everywhere.. so I feel like that one was justified)!
I am convinced that because we had to go over a month buying only absolute NEEDS helped me realize just how little we can live on and still be happy. We don't need all the products that we think we do. We can drive a bondo buggy and deal with one cell phone because we already have been doing it. We can want nothing and save for things that we can spend a long time thinking about before getting. Basically I think the spending fast helped me reset my spending habits. We never had the money for them to be out of control but it just helped to refocus my wants and keep my eye on our biggest goal... Nate's Student Loans.
This was much longer than I intended so bravo if you read it all. I promise to put some pictures on the next post!
Nate and I had very little money to save in order to come to AZ. We were both working part time in order for him to finish school and his tests. As of May he was studying about 40+ hours a week and typically only working one day a week. We knew that we would be moving shortly so we stuck with cold cereal and gift cards until the move.
While we knew the move would be pricey we were not expecting paperwork to take as long as it did. We thought we would move and then Nate could immediately start working. It took over 2 weeks for him to get all of his licensing completed. They lost papers in the mail a couple of times and if we had to do it all over again we would wait to forward mail. We didn't know that they hold your mail for 10 days when you forward it. :(
We were determined to make our money stretch so we cut up our credit cards and budgeted often. We only used our credit cards for gas in order to get a few reward points and keep our credit score high. After reading Dave Ramsey we decided we could do with out a credit score. However our number one reason for cutting them up was because it was going to be the first time we would be tempted to use them when we did not have the money.
It was high anxiety for a few weeks figuring out how to get into a rental house when we barely had any money to our name. We had to budget for me to go to AZ to find a rental, food, moving expenses, and the first month rent. Honestly I have to mention that without the Lord it would have not been possible because every need was taken care and somehow we kept on having money left over.
How we did it:
*We happened to pick a rental where if you signed a 13 month lease than the first month rent was half off.
*Nate's amazing stepmother let me barrow her car to travel to AZ and look at house rentals.
*Nate's amazing stepmother helped us move so we could pull our own stuff in a trailer rather than pay for a moving truck.
*We ate the most random meals in order to not go shopping at all. We went weeks without walking into a grocery store.
*We only did free activities.
*We budgeted a couple times a week and knew if we didn't stick to the budget we would go into debt.
Okay so the reason I tell you this is to explain just how amazing it was to go without spending. Now that I have the opportunity to spend money I DON'T WANT TO. I can walk into any store and only buy what I went there for... and most of the time talk myself out of that. I feel like I have this new power where I can say no to any product that is thrown my way. I WANT NOTHING (I did want a vacuum for a long time but only because the previous owners had pets and there was pet hair everywhere.. so I feel like that one was justified)!
I am convinced that because we had to go over a month buying only absolute NEEDS helped me realize just how little we can live on and still be happy. We don't need all the products that we think we do. We can drive a bondo buggy and deal with one cell phone because we already have been doing it. We can want nothing and save for things that we can spend a long time thinking about before getting. Basically I think the spending fast helped me reset my spending habits. We never had the money for them to be out of control but it just helped to refocus my wants and keep my eye on our biggest goal... Nate's Student Loans.
This was much longer than I intended so bravo if you read it all. I promise to put some pictures on the next post!
Friday, August 16, 2013
A weekend worth remembering
It was so fun to have my sister, Tine here. I am convinced my life would be complete if she decided to move to AZ permanently. :) We had a great time just chilling for the week but the weekend was our party time. On Friday we decided to do our once a year movie trip. This is where we plan for months what movie we want to see and then go see it. We usually plan it around Nate's B-day so we know what movies will be out during that time but this year we were a little late getting to it.
We were debating between Planes, Monsters University, and Despicable Me. This year we wanted our movie trip to include Kendrick's first time to the theater so we were trying to choose a movie he'd like. We ultimately decided on MU because of the G rating and time of show. Lucky enough for us we were able to make it to the Matinee lol :)
Kendrick loved it overall. He sat so still on Daddy's lap and was so excited to see thing moving. It was only the last 10 min that he started to get restless. It was so fun to see his curiosity and excitement for the big screen. I am already getting excited to take him again sometime.
On Saturday we went boating with my Auntie and Uncle. It was a blast. I felt like we were just hanging out with our bf's. The water was perfect because it had cold spots but it wasn't like Utah where you can't swim without freezing. We found a secluded place and tied the boat down and went swimming for a few hours.
In addition to boating they had a floating couch (don't know the real name) that they pulled behind the boat. It was a blast. Kendrick was a perfect little guy. He was the most mellow I have ever seen him for so long. He was in his zone (outside). He even took a nap on Daddy. I did get sea sick but other than that I'd say it was the most perfect day anyone could ask for. It was a first for us as a couple and Kendrick's first time on a boat and lake. I don't ever want to forget the perfect day.
P.s. It isn't that we only go to movies once a year but we only pay full price once a year. They are too pricey for our liking so we wait to watch them until they are cheap cheap cheap. We used to do the dollar theater and Redbox but we kind of went on a Redbox strike when they went up .20 cents and just haven't watched any new movies.
2nd p.s. So I promised pictures but after spending over a week trying to figure out how to get on here I finally decided it wasn't worth it. Sorry guys. I miss them too :(
We were debating between Planes, Monsters University, and Despicable Me. This year we wanted our movie trip to include Kendrick's first time to the theater so we were trying to choose a movie he'd like. We ultimately decided on MU because of the G rating and time of show. Lucky enough for us we were able to make it to the Matinee lol :)
Kendrick loved it overall. He sat so still on Daddy's lap and was so excited to see thing moving. It was only the last 10 min that he started to get restless. It was so fun to see his curiosity and excitement for the big screen. I am already getting excited to take him again sometime.
On Saturday we went boating with my Auntie and Uncle. It was a blast. I felt like we were just hanging out with our bf's. The water was perfect because it had cold spots but it wasn't like Utah where you can't swim without freezing. We found a secluded place and tied the boat down and went swimming for a few hours.
In addition to boating they had a floating couch (don't know the real name) that they pulled behind the boat. It was a blast. Kendrick was a perfect little guy. He was the most mellow I have ever seen him for so long. He was in his zone (outside). He even took a nap on Daddy. I did get sea sick but other than that I'd say it was the most perfect day anyone could ask for. It was a first for us as a couple and Kendrick's first time on a boat and lake. I don't ever want to forget the perfect day.
P.s. It isn't that we only go to movies once a year but we only pay full price once a year. They are too pricey for our liking so we wait to watch them until they are cheap cheap cheap. We used to do the dollar theater and Redbox but we kind of went on a Redbox strike when they went up .20 cents and just haven't watched any new movies.
2nd p.s. So I promised pictures but after spending over a week trying to figure out how to get on here I finally decided it wasn't worth it. Sorry guys. I miss them too :(
Monday, August 12, 2013
4 years and a Utah trip
I did not take pictures of my amazing weekend but I wanted to write a post about it for my own memory.
My sister called me on Thursday and talked me into visiting Utah so that we could surprise my mom and she could drive back with me to visit AZ. It was not hard to convince me to want to come but hard to have the faith that our Bondo Buggy (car nickname) would make it. After praying lots and lots and lots I knew that I just couldn't let fear keep me from going.
It was a short and sweet weekend seeing as much family as possible in the short amount of time. I am sure that there were feelings hurt for all the people that we couldn't see but new memories were made with the ones we could. Kendrick was a gem once again. He has cut 7 teeth in the past month and is still in the process of cutting a few more. I guess his teeth are trying to play catch up for all the months he didn't cut teeth.
Our car held up like a champ. On the way to Utah it hit the 200,000 mark. I seem to love it more and more. Even with getting more ghetto it just keeps on proving itself to be amazing. I get kind of sad knowing that it will not last forever and we will probably have to replace it sometime soon. For now we will just run it into the ground and be amazed at its ability to not die on us.
While I was gone we had our 4 year anniversary. Luckily we were able to celebrate it before with dinner and rollerblading. It was hard to be away on such a special day but nice to drive through Utah and remember where those 4 years of memories were made. The best part about hitting the 4 year mark is that it gets me excited about the 5 year anniversary without feeling like we really are that old. I look forward to forever and it is hard to imagine when Nathan did not exist in my world.
Monday, August 5, 2013
Missing and Enjoying Daddy
With Nathan's new schedule he is either working or home for 4 days during the weekend. It will change soon but for now we switch off from never seeing Daddy to seeing him 24/7. It has been hard for me to adjust to him gone. In fact I'm trying to work on my attitude about it because I just down right hate it. When he is home it is wonderful and I love seeing the relationship that he and Kendrick have.
I have been teaching Kendrick to say Mommy when he wants to get out of his crib. It only took me about a day of standing outside his door and saying "say Mama" before he caught on quick. If he wakes up crying I usually know that he is still too sleepy to get up for good. It is only when he says my name that I know he is serious about getting up (Kendrick wakes up and then snoozes about 90% of the time).
I had Nate try to teach him to say Dada in hopes that Kendrick would learn that he could pick which one of us to come get him. It only took one time of saying "say Dada" before Kendrick was repeating it. It melts my heart seeing the relationship that they have together. Nathan has exceeded the Dad that I dreamed about having for my kids. He is wonderful.
Kendrick still defaults to Mama but I know that when he figures out that whomever he says will come, I just might be replaced. I love that he is in such a teachable stage. I love that Nathan is so willing to teach him the world and show him that happiness can be found everywhere. With Nathan as his role model I know Kendrick will grow up to be outstanding.
I have been teaching Kendrick to say Mommy when he wants to get out of his crib. It only took me about a day of standing outside his door and saying "say Mama" before he caught on quick. If he wakes up crying I usually know that he is still too sleepy to get up for good. It is only when he says my name that I know he is serious about getting up (Kendrick wakes up and then snoozes about 90% of the time).
I had Nate try to teach him to say Dada in hopes that Kendrick would learn that he could pick which one of us to come get him. It only took one time of saying "say Dada" before Kendrick was repeating it. It melts my heart seeing the relationship that they have together. Nathan has exceeded the Dad that I dreamed about having for my kids. He is wonderful.
Kendrick still defaults to Mama but I know that when he figures out that whomever he says will come, I just might be replaced. I love that he is in such a teachable stage. I love that Nathan is so willing to teach him the world and show him that happiness can be found everywhere. With Nathan as his role model I know Kendrick will grow up to be outstanding.
Wednesday, July 31, 2013
Spaving
I have to publicly thank my friend for teaching me this word. It has altered the way I shop. The definition of spaving is to spend money in order to save money. It applies to all of those amazing deals we see in the store that tell us we are saving x amount of money when we buy a product, yet we still have to buy the product in order to save. So we spave.
It has really made me re-think each time I go shopping. Am I only buying this because it is on sale? I have known about the word for about a year now and my spending habits have already changed. It is hard to justify spending when I know that in the end I am only spaving.
One of the stores that always can get me to spave is Smith's (called Fry's in AZ). I don't often shop there but when I do I always tend to leave with more that what I went in for. They have deals right when you walk in the door that just always seem to be killer deals. I love getting all the snacks, cake mixes, drinks, etc from there. If you buy 10 you get a great deal. I spave! I'm slowly getting better about not being so tempted but I still have my moments.
Is there anything that you readers spave on? I'd love to hear and know that I'm not the only one. :)
It has really made me re-think each time I go shopping. Am I only buying this because it is on sale? I have known about the word for about a year now and my spending habits have already changed. It is hard to justify spending when I know that in the end I am only spaving.
One of the stores that always can get me to spave is Smith's (called Fry's in AZ). I don't often shop there but when I do I always tend to leave with more that what I went in for. They have deals right when you walk in the door that just always seem to be killer deals. I love getting all the snacks, cake mixes, drinks, etc from there. If you buy 10 you get a great deal. I spave! I'm slowly getting better about not being so tempted but I still have my moments.
Is there anything that you readers spave on? I'd love to hear and know that I'm not the only one. :)
Friday, July 26, 2013
Little Nate
Kendrick is no longer my baby but instead my little man. He is so much like his Daddy that sometimes I wonder if I will ever see any of me in him. Today while walking to the park we were holding hands and he kept rubbing his thumb on my wedding ring. Nathan does the exact same thing. In fact sometimes he will use my finger nails to tickle his hands. My little boy is growing up to be just like Daddy and what a magnificent man he will be!!
Thursday, July 25, 2013
New Birthday tradition
We have yet to have a paycheck with Nate's new job. It has been doable but it has also meant that Birthdays needed creativity this year with zero money. I was hesitant to promise Nathan cinnamon rolls because if made wrong than they are not worth all the effort. I decided that a Birthday was a good enough excuse to take on the challenge and I was quite pleased I did.
They held up on the next day softness test. I was so pleased that I will be making it a tradition for all Birthdays in our house. However because of the time they take to make I will probably only make them the Birthday week and not the exact day.
Monday, July 22, 2013
Blessings
Moving to Arizona has been more of a blessing than I could have imagined. It has been everything I needed without even knowing I did. I have been so blessed with the people we have already met. I have felt the Saviors love and have been able to prioritize my life a little better.
Before moving here I had prayed about making friends. It was just something I was really worried about because I tend to be shy and a home body. I am happy to say that my prayers have been exceeded. They were answered above and beyond what I imagined.
I am so glad that the Lord knows more about what I need than we know ourselves. I love that through others I can feel his love and know that this life is supposed to be enjoyed. I look forward to the many months ahead knowing that whatever comes I have the Savior to rely on.
Thursday, July 18, 2013
Words
Nathan was fortunate enough to finally start training this week and get his schedule. He has been working 10-12 hour shifts and it is quite an adjustment after having him around for the past 2+ weeks. I have to mentally prepare myself to have him start working again. He is pretty excited about it but I am still slightly sad to not have my bf around all the time.
This week I have kept myself busy by cleaning, swimming, and meeting new people in the ward. It is quite an adjustment from our other ward. While I loved Utah, Arizona (any state for that matter) just seems to be much friendlier. We are almost guaranteed to be waved at if we step out our front door. Neighbors will actually introduce themselves, and we are feeling quite welcomed.
We are not social people and we mentally have to try really hard to schedule in getting to know other people. It has been a easier thing to do than I imagined. I already have more numbers in my phone than I thought I'd get in months. It is fun to feel so welcomed. I just hope we can develop the skills to do the same with others that move in around us.
Have a sparkly afternoon!
This week I have kept myself busy by cleaning, swimming, and meeting new people in the ward. It is quite an adjustment from our other ward. While I loved Utah, Arizona (any state for that matter) just seems to be much friendlier. We are almost guaranteed to be waved at if we step out our front door. Neighbors will actually introduce themselves, and we are feeling quite welcomed.
We are not social people and we mentally have to try really hard to schedule in getting to know other people. It has been a easier thing to do than I imagined. I already have more numbers in my phone than I thought I'd get in months. It is fun to feel so welcomed. I just hope we can develop the skills to do the same with others that move in around us.
Have a sparkly afternoon!
Sunday, July 14, 2013
Temple Sealing
The happy couple sealed for time and all eternity!
My 2 loves in front of my favorite Temple :)
Kendrick was a angel baby. His love for outdoors helps him riding in the car and being able to look outside the entire time. We didn't have a single problem. Our car held up and our little boy let us travel back and forth quickly. He exceeded my expectations. He would either sleep, eat, or snuggle his blanket. Our car gets fantastic gas mileage so we really didn't have to stop more than once and Kendrick didn't seem to mind. My mommy heart is still in shock over his traveling.
The sealing was beautiful. I am so glad that I did not let the fear of traveling keep me from going. Cecil was extremely sick but he was a good sport and was luckily able to make it through the sealing. It was their 12th year wedding anniversary so it was neat seeing them make another commitment on the day they were married.
I was a little surprised to return to Utah and feel like my home is in AZ. I did not expect that feeling to happen so quickly. It felt great traveling back to Arizona. I know that even without a lot of family close by that this is where we need to be. This is where our story needs to happen for a time. I hope to visit Utah often but Arizona is now my home.
Tuesday, July 9, 2013
Some thoughts from AZ
I feel like it has been a month sense writing last. We are
still without internet but it should be plugged in tonight and I can post this.
It has been a slight adjustment not having internet but I have loved every
minute. We are been so busy that the only time I really notice we don’t have it
is when Nathan needs to check his e-mail and has to get in the car and drive
somewhere to do it.
We just about have our house d-grimed. It was pretty nasty
and took so much longer than I expected but I think we are coming to an end.
There are still some walls and baseboards that need scrubbing; we didn't get to
them before we sprayed for bugs and now I’m worried the bug killer will come
off if I scrub them. Our vacuum is no longer working other than the hose so if
anyone has a recommendation on what we should get I’d love to hear. So far I’m
not too impressed with any that I’ve looked at.
Kendrick is adjusting well. After talking to a friend I’m
pretty sure that he was not only teething during our traveling but also had
roseola. Basically they have a really high fever for a few days and then
it breaks out into a rash. I am amazed at how well he handled it all.
We checked out one of our community pools today. It was so
much fun. It feels like we are just vacationing here. I really do love the heat
when I am in any air conditioned building for too long. As long as it stays
below 110 degrees I don’t think I will mind living here.
2 things that are very new to me are lightning and dust
storms. We had a lightning storm on Saturday and I was blown away by how much
lightning there was compared to Utah. There was so much lightning
that it was like being at a party with strobe lights. It lasted for over an
hour and I was awe struck. It was beautiful but kind of scary to drive in. The dust storms are almost as scary. We keep receiving text messages warning us about dust storms in the area and to stay inside until a certain time. I didn't even know our phone could do that. I have also seen warning signs on the freeway that say dust storm area.
Even though it gets windy with the dust storms and
occasionally rains it is still pretty warm outside. It doesn't cool everything
off like I’m used to. It just kind of pushes the heat around and stays as hot
as it would without the rain. It will probably take my brain a little while to
register that rain does not equal coldness.
I am loving life right now and all the new areas that there
are to explore. I am very fortunate to have my best friend with me. I am so
proud of his efforts in getting licensed and taking on the adventure of a new
state. Even with the stress of waiting for paperwork to get completed I love that he has been nothing but positive and supportive. I am one
lucky gal!
Talk to y’all soon!
Wednesday, July 3, 2013
Make me smiles
Cleaning bleach mask (My tile floors are now glowing thanks to this man and his mask)
Daddy made the BEST fort in the entire world using almost all of our boxes.
Saturday, June 29, 2013
Traveling
We are without internet for another week but I have too much
to write so I thought I’d dump my thoughts in a word sheet and post it later.
The move went better than expected. We were able to do it extremely cheap
thanks to the amazing Cindy. She drove with us down so we could take Nate’s
Pop’s truck and my brother’s trailer and then she drove it back to Utah for us.
Kendrick was a gem compared to what he could have been. He
was running a fever of 103 pretty much the entire way and was not sleeping like
he usually does in the car. He was cutting 2 molars and even with ibuprofen it
was hard to keep his temp under control. We only had to pull over 3 times to
either give him more medicine or to cool him down. Somehow he would magically
be happier by the time we had to put him back in the car. He even learned how
to say car while on the road.
The good news about him cutting teeth is that we were able
to pack and unpack with him pretty much sleeping all day both days. When Kenny
cuts teeth he sleeps. He possibly sleeps more than a newborn and yet somehow I
have lucked out that every single time we move (even just for 6 weeks on Nate’s
rotations) he cuts teeth and I am able to pack everything up without having to
have anyone else watch him.
We are now cleaning scrubbing our house and
unpacking. Apparently the people before us had a dog because I keep finding dog
hair everywhere and it is really grossing me out. I love animals but having dog hair in places where it does not belong is not something I love. I don’t like what they leave behind in my living space. I especially don’t like anything
near or in my bed and after having a jumping spider try to be our friend we
called to have our house debugged. As a whole I think we will love AZ…we just
have to not panic and keep telling ourselves that until winter. J
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