Thankful for Jeff

Today I taught (more like facilitated!) a class on Dating in Marriage. When I was given the assignment over a month ago, I felt a little inadequate. The focus was cheap, creative dates. I definitely can do the "cheap" part, but I don't think that Jeff and I are super creative or anything. But, when I thought about it, I realized that we have been pretty good about still having fun in our marriage. We have made sure to find ways to do things we love doing together or choosing something that the other person would really love to do. I am grateful that Jeff has made this a priority and I definitely think it has helped us grow stronger through the years. I loved the chance I have had over this month to think about some of my favorite dates with him. It made me appreciate and love him even more. Our marriage hasn't been perfect, but I know that we both are 100% committed and we still really enjoy being together!

Some of our favorite "dates"
1. Running on Saturday mornings while training for a race.
2. Jeff surprised me with chinese takeout and a romantic boat ride.
3. Kelly Clarkson concert
4. So you think you can dance
5. Cruises (my favorite kind of dates)
6. Laser Tag with other couples
7. Boating with other couples
8. Dance lessons
9. Jeff surprising me with tickets to Wicked for my 30th.
10. 49ers Rams football game
11. Wendy's and Johnny B's comedy club (1st date!)
12. Concerts for Jeff
13. Out to dinner by ourselves or with friends
14. Parasailing
15. Boogie boarding
16. Late Night with David Letterman
17. Broadway Plays
18. First art museum- the Met
19. BYU football games
20. BYU basketball games
21. Shakes at the malt shop
22. Temple
23. Out for lunch
24. Red Sox game
25. Magic Mountain

(Thanks to Oscarson Photography for the great pic of us! I love it!)

Thankful for our veterans who protect our freedom

Thankful for nice strangers

I love when my theory that people in general are kind hearted is proved true. Some examples: 1. I was taking Emily to a play and realized I needed cash. I had the baby with me, so I picked walgreens because the cashier is so close. As I bought a card and asked for cash back, he said the pin pad was broken. I kind of wear my emotions on my sleeves and blurted,"that is the reason I came here and now I need to take the baby somewhere else." he could see my frustration(along with the rest of the store" and realized he had a solution. He voided everything out and rook me to a different cashier spot. I was very grateful. Smallthing, but huge difference for me. 2. A new friend came over today to hold the baby so I could get some catch up time. It was great conversation getting to know her, and I got my floors clean. There are more but I am tired and need to go to bed!

Grateful for my Kids

As we are back in the fun world of infertility, I am reminded how grateful I am for the 3 beautiful children I have. They are cute, smart, fun, funny and bring me so much joy. They are each so different and I love seeing their little personalities come out. They also bring frustration, disappointment (mostly with myself) and sadness, but I will gladly take all that to be their mom.

Each and every child is a true miracle. That much I know.

Grateful for all of my family

This is a picture of my aunt Marlynn, my sister Crystal, and me at the Angels game last summer. I grew up loving the Angels because my dad was such a huge fan. Being at the game last year with my aunt(who is my dad's beautiful baby sister!) and my sisters and their families is one of my favorite memories of that trip. (And the fireworks show was awesome!)

It is my Aunt Marlynn's birthday today. I have always felt very close to her and my cousins. I loved growing up with all of them. One of the hardest things of living far away is not getting to see them as often as I would like. This summer we rented a cabin in the mountains and got to all be together to play games and just hang out. I loved it!

Here are some things I love about Marlynn:

1. She is a fabulous mom! She has 5 great kids who are all amazing! Seriously!

2. She is an awesome beautician. I always have her cut my hair when I go home.

3. She is always doing something for others. She is one of the most generous people I know.

4. She is real and genuine.

5. She has always been there for me.

6. She is gorgeous!!

7. I want to be like her when I grow up!!

I am so grateful for the wonderful family that I grew up in, and the ones I gained through marrying Jeff. I feel so very blessed.

Thankful for the chance to slow down

Sitting on my couch with a sweet baby in my arms-the world stops spinning for a little while, and all is right and good. I love new babies. I am grateful for a friend who trusted me with her baby for a little while. He is precious and I am getting used to sleep deprivation, and just enjoying seeing my children enamored with him.

Thankful for a Loving Father in Heaven

Today at church, I was reminded how grateful I am to know that I have a Father in Heaven who loves me and knows even the smallest details of my life and of ME. He created me and loves me for who I am, regardless of what the rest of the world thinks I should be. His love envelops me when I turn to Him. I am not perfect, but I am His daughter!

I am thankful for my health

I posted this picture because of what it represents. Emily snapped this picture of me while we were jumping at an all-trampoline place. I had a blast with my kids!! I am heavier than I have been in a couple of years and it is really frustrating. When I saw this picture, at first I hated it because of how my body looks. Then I looked at it again, and saw the pure joy on my face, and how excited Emily was about taking the picture. She didn't notice that my body isn't as thin as I have been in the past. Health isn't just about your weight. It is about how you feel and what you can do with your body. I know that my heart is in good shape. I went out and ran 11 miles last Saturday and was reminded that my body is still strong. I can still do a back flip on the trampoline and can keep up with my kids. That is what health is all about-that is the kind of example I want to be. I hope my kids (especially my daughter) never hear me talk about my weight, but about my health. Diabetes runs in my family, so that is my main reason for healthy eating and exercise. I want to be there for a LONG time for my kids. I know there are people who can't run and jump who want to, and I want to recognize my blessing of good health!

Thankful for Oregon

Ya got time for a story? Well, here's a long one. :-)

When Jeff was interviewing for jobs after BYU, our choices were in Silicon Valley, CA, Austin, TX, Ft. Collins, CO, Salt Lake City, UT, and Portland, OR. We were pretty sure we didn't want to live in Silicon Valley, so that one was crossed off pretty quickly. SLC sounded great to be near his family, but he worried about there being a small market for hardware engineers. (There is a huge market if you are a software engineer, but not quite the same thing!) We had lived in Austin, TX the summer of 1999 and Ft. Collins, CO in the summer of 2000, so we would have been happy with either of those, so that is where we were leaning. When Jeff went to OR for his first interview, he called me after(we didn't have cell phones yet!) and told me about the most beautiful bridge he had been across. He fell in love with Portland, and said, "Kelly, you have got to come here!" So, he had an interview with another company in Portland and asked if I could come with him for the trip. They agreed and I fell in love also! I went out with a realtor (yes, I went out with a realtor in each city- I was ready to buy a house after moving 7 times in the first 2 1/2 years of marriage!) and as we drove around, we came down this street and I knew if we moved there, it was the neighborhood I would live in.

It was a tougher decision for Jeff to make than he thought it would be. We finally narrowed it down to Austin or Portland. We made a list on paper with all the pros and cons and Austin seemed to win out. We even knew the house we would live in on Lake Travis. The cost of living was much lower in Texas than in Portland, and we really wanted to be able to buy a boat quickly. We went to bed and both were excited about the decision. We had lived in Austin and loved it and had friends there. It seemed like the right fit. Well, neither of us slept well that night. We woke up the next morning and realized we had made the wrong decision. We decided to move to Portland. It was scary. We did not have any friends or family living there, although Jeff had a cousin who would be going to law school there for another year or two, about 40 minutes south. We rented an apartment really close to Jeff's work, but I immediately went out to that neighborhood I had found 2 months earlier. I called the missionaries (since I didn't know anyone!) and asked them if they could give me the number of a family in the area who would tell me about the builders and schools, etc. Well, they told me about a street that had 15 LDS families living on it. The woman we called said they still had 2 houses for sale on their street and took us through them an hour later! Within a few days we had an offer on the house and we moved in 6 weeks later. It was perfect. We had a built-in family and we loved that house! We ended up living there almost 10 years.

The reason I am reminiscing is we had dinner with our good friends tonight and they were our very first friends in Oregon. So, we have been friends now for almost 11 years. We were set up on a "couples" date with them and one other Newlywed couple. None of us had kids yet and we hit it off really well. She ended up being in the hospital with me when I had Dallin and we have remained very close through the years. They even moved to CA for 3 years and we visited them there. (See Sarah, I promise we will keep in touch!! ) I love Oregon, and I love that I have a history with people. I think of all that has happened since we have been here- infertility, the passing of my father, job changes, life changes, 3 children, ADD diagnosis, disappointments, heartaches, accomplishments, my running group, playdates, beach trips, park days, good talks with friends, boating, and it all comes down to living in Portland and our little town. I am so grateful for all the wonderful people who live here and who have touched my life over the years. I will never forget the way I felt as I drove down the tree-lined street with the beautiful changing colors. I knew this was where I was supposed to be.

Anyone still here?! :-)

Thankful for Infertility and C-sections

When my visiting teachers came by this week, it ended up turning into a huge crying session. I was a complete mess. One of my new visiting teachers, who I am meeting for the first time, lost her father this past year. So, obviously she understands better than anyone else why November is so difficult for me. They gave me a great message of love and the love of God and my other visiting teacher challenged me to see my blessings as well. I decided to look at some of my trials and what blessings came from them.

I always knew that I would have a hard time getting pregnant. I just didn't realize how emotional that process would be. We tried on our own for a year with Dallin and then went to clomid. Thankfully, it only took 2 months of clomid. After 20 hours of labor, the doctor informed me that I would need to have a C-section because Dallin's heart rate kept dropping and he was obviously in distress. I was devastated and disappointed. All I had heard was how awful recoveries from C-sections are. And with no family around, I was terrified of making it work on my own.

When I got home from the hospital, I took the doctor's advice of not doing anything for 2 weeks and just snuggled my baby. I was so in love with Dallin. I loved watching every little movement. I didn't think I could slow down like that for 2 weeks, but I was wrong! Jeff really stepped it up and did all the diaper changes and took Dallin whenever he could. I am convinced that the C-section is what allowed Jeff to bond with the baby even more than he would have otherwise. I know that the babies taking extra work to get down here have helped me appreciate them more and the C-section allows me to truly take time off of life to enjoy them. The really good news is that after 2 weeks, my recovery is pretty complete. With Bryce, I was even able to run a marathon 4 1/2 months later. :-) So, while both of these things were disappointing to me, they have led to these blessings.

Thankful for our "new to us" house

It has been a crazy year, but I wouldn't trade one bit! I loved living out on acreage, but we feel at home right where we are. I have always loved this home (we bought it from a friend of mine) and I never would have guessed it would one day be ours. We back up to acreage, which I love! It makes me feel like we are in the country. We even have horses at the end of our dead end street. My kids have seemed to make the transition very well. I have had a lot of good friends help with the decorating and I am truly loving the place we call "home."

Thankful for the temple

I decided to start November off the right way for me. I went to the temple this morning. It was a great way to gain perspective and peace and think about my dad. I am so grateful to know families are forever and I WILL see him again. It still stinks that he is not here and I get sad that my kids don't get to hang out with him here, but I am grateful for the knowledge that this life isn't the end.

Happy Halloween!

From my munchkins to yours!

November is a rough month for me, so this year I am determined to fill it with gratitude. I had a hard time getting motivated today and I realized it is just due to the time of year this is. Thanks to this inspired blog, I made a simple paper version of the Thanksgiving Advent Calendar with sticky notes with activities for us to do as a family, and then I am going to count my blessings each day in November on the blog. Hope you stick around! (I will also be watching a cute newborn for the first 12 days of November, so you might see a pic or 2 of him thrown in!)

Happy 7th Birthday, Emily!

I spent yesterday creating a book for Emily for her birthday, so my feelings toward her are especially tender. She was my most difficult baby to get here, but I would not change a thing we went through. She has brought so much joy and laughter to our family. I love having a daughter. Some of my favorite times are my one on one dates with her. She goes with me to plays and musicals and we see Nutcracker every Christmas since she was 3! She is a feisty little one, with a mind all her own. She is very creative, intuitive, sweet and kind. If she wants to do something, she will come up with a way to do it, with or without me! This can be frustrating, but I hope in the long run we can direct that determination for good and it will help her stay strong no matter what others are doing. I love her so much! It has been fun to watch her grow and learn.

The only birthday present I really wanted to give her was a new baby brother or sister. Maybe next year. :-)

Biggest Loser Update

Alright, here goes!

1. Running- I got in 4 days last week- woo hoo! First time since Sarah moved that I have actually run 4 days. :-( I was very happy. I still don't feel great when I run, but I know it will get better. I missed my run this Monday though, so I need to get back on track. Had a fantastic run this morning!

2. Basic Weight lifting- stinky! I did this on Wednesday while watching Biggest Loser with Jeff, but then not the rest of the week.

3. Sugar- I did well for the most part with this one. On Sunday made treats with my family and ate too many, but got right back on track Monday.

4. Veggies- Had more salads, but can do even better!

Weight Loss Update- Drum roll.... down 2.7 pounds!!!

How did everyone else do this week?

Biggest Loser Challenge

Taking a break from normal family coverage to give you this challenge! I have been very frustrated with my eating and exercise habits lately. I am a person who requires exercise and strict eating just to maintain weight, let alone lose weight. When I don't pay attention, my weight will steadily climb. I have not been able to get back in gear since around April. Jeff and I were doing P90X and started seeing some results, but my cardio suffered. So, I am back to running and trying to focus on healthy eating. I usually need a race to train for to keep me motivated. It has been hard for me to pick a race because...


we are trying to have a baby! Some of you already know that, but for those of you that don't I guess I am putting it out there. Quick recap of my "infertility"-
Dallin- tried for a year on our own and then it took 2 months of clomid.
Emily- went straight to clomid and after 6 months of no luck, switched to injectible drugs and it took 3 months after that.
Bryce- Came without any medical intervention!! :-)

So, we have been "trying" since last November. Mentally, I can't pick a race to train for because I am not able to run through pregnancy (if I were to get pregnant.) So, I have just been watching my weight steadily climb. I have still been running, but I just feel heavy when I run. I am about 15 lbs over my comfortable weight. (not my skinniest weight!) So, I need a new goal.

Here it is!! The Biggest Loser season just started! I am going to focus on eating healthy and exercising right along with them! :-) So, on December 13th (the season finale) I will either be announcing my pregnancy or my healthy weight loss success!!! (So, no asking before then. I promise I am not pregnant right now. I actually took a pregnancy test this morning. :-(


Who is with me?!!!

My goals:

1. Run at least 3 days a week for enjoyment.
2. Basic weight lifting 3 days a week. (at least my 4 faves- pushup, plank, squats, lunges)
3. Cut out sugar.
4. Lots of Veggies!!

I will report on a different blog. Let me know if anyone is interested in doing this with me!!

Ch-ch-ch-Changes

I am not really sure where to start! This summer has been crazy and fast, but very enjoyable! Sarah's brother took this picture of our family on the property, and little did we know it would be the last picture we took. When we moved into our country home, I knew it was an experiment. I wanted to see what it was like to live on acreage. I fell in love with the property when my good friend Ranell lived there and spent many summer days enjoying the view from her deck and the company! When the chance came to live there, it was a no brainer for me. I credit that house and the quiet with the accomplishment of my personal trainer certification. I loved the time away from the city and time to hang out with Sarah before she moved. My kids enjoyed the property, as did I, but we noticed that we did not get many visitors! In the winter and fall, it is pretty muddy. I was eagerly waiting for the summer, when we would have people over to enjoy the beautiful deck and peacefulness of the country life. What I found was, we were gone during most of that time! Between visiting family in California and Utah and going to Girls Camp, there were not many weeks left to just enjoy the property. My garden didn't even really grow because I wasn't there to take care of it. The last straw was that we lost 6 of our 7 chickens and realized maybe we aren't meant to be chicken farmers. So, when we found out a house was a available that had a good sized yard, with a fantastic floor plan and on a dead end street that backs to acerage, we decided it would be a better fit for our family. So, we said goodbye to the country life for now. I hope the new renters will still let me come visit with them on their beautiful deck! We were grateful for the chance to meet new friends in a different ward. Meanwhile, my kids are thrilled to be able to ride their bikes in the neighborhood. School has started and we are finding our new normal.

That's it for now. I will post more pictures from the summer soon.

Happy Anniversary!

Just a quick post to celebrate my little family! Jeff and I celebrated our 13th anniversary this weekend. I love the chance to reflect on our lives together. I feel very lucky and loved! Thanks Jeff for all you do. (Especially for your support of my little event the weekend of our anniversary!)

Happy Birthday Dad!

I always spend my dad's birthday doing some of my favorite things that remind me of him. We decided that we celebrated his birthday yesterday by spending a beautiful day at the beach with some of our best friends. My kids know that my love of the beach comes from my dad. I feel more at peace there than any other place. Pure happiness.

Here is the slideshow my awesome friend Sarah made!

http://suziepetunia.blogspot.com/2011/08/day-at-beach.html

Happy Birthday, Dad. I love and miss you every day! I am glad to spend the day with my sister Crystal today.

New York, New York

Back in November, we watched our good friend Ranell's kids for a week, so in May it was her turn to return the favor! I am so glad I have friends willing to do this kind of trade. We chose to go to New York because neither of us had ever been there and my Uncle George has a place in Manhattan and LOVES being the tour guide. We were told not to plan a thing, but of course I found a couple of things before we got there. The first thing we did was run a race through Central Park.

Running is my favorite way to see a new city, and what better way to do it, then to run it with 8,000 other New Yorkers! It was a beautiful race and the only bummer was that Jeff was running on a broken tibia (didn't know it at the time) and had to stop after 2 miles.

I had never been to an art museum, so I was very excited that our "tour" would include the Metropolitan Museum of Art. I could have stayed there for days. It is amazing!

The one plan I made was to go to a taping of David Letterman. I had emailed them months before and got the call 2 days before we left. All I had to do was answer a trivia question. I was reminded why I should never be in a situation where you have to think on your feet! Luckily they still gave us the tickets and we had a fantastic time. I even got emotional as I remembered all the nights I spent watching the show with my dad. Great memories.

Broadway was on the list and the first one we saw was Mary Poppins. We had great seats and I thought it was phenomenal! It was so much fun and even Jeff enjoyed it.

The only bummer about the week was the weather. I apparently took the rain from Oregon and brought it to New York. I left my little town with a week of sunshine (you're welcome Oregon) and we had pretty wet weather. We decided to take off for 2 days to my uncle's getaway in Pennsylvania and it was beautiful and peaceful. Some of my favorite parts of the trip happened there including having our own private chef who made us amazing meals! (and then wouldn't let us clean up!) It was heavenly. We had great conversation and I enjoyed spending time with my Uncle. He is intelligent and an artist and from Cuba and has had many amazing life experiences. He also had fun stories to share about when my dad was little.

The rest of the time in New York was spent enjoying the city sights. We rode on the Staten Island Ferry, took the subway, and walked everywhere you could think of. We ate great food every night and just enjoyed being together. One of the most emotional sites was the Ground Zero Memorial. I was awestruck and subdued thinking of all the lives that were lost on that tragic day.

Our last day we did a "crazy Kelly" trip and took a rental car to Boston. We walked around Boston, which was so cool , including seeing MIT and part of the Freedom trail. We then watched the Red Sox kill the Cubs 15-5 and drove straight back to New York to catch our flight home at 6am the next morning. Crazy end to an awesome week with my sweetheart! I love any time I get with him.

Thanks Ranell for making that week possible! We got back on Bryce's birthday and celebrated at Red Robin and then with our friends the Jensens. Bryce and Melissa share a birthday so it is always fun to see them.