Christmas...this and that

Having Kylee in school is so much fun during the holidays! She gets to experience the holidays in a whole new light with wonderful teachers who have such fun crafts and activities for her and her new "school" friends to do. This was the cutest letter to Santa.....

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Next week Kylee's class gets to take a pretend trip to the Polar Express....or the "Polar Bear Express" as Kylee calls it. They get to wear pajamas, slippers and robes. She is so excited! I'm volunteering at her Christmas party the following day and I can't wait to be a part of that. I'm absolutely loving having Kylee in school. I'm positive she loves it more than I love her being there, which makes it all the more perfect!

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Kylee has reached a new chapter in her life. She is no longer afraid of Santa!!! She finally sat on his knee without freaking out and crying. When she first saw him, she was hesitant as usual and started to cry but as she saw other kids laughing and smiling on his knee she started to warm up as we got closer to him. Then she let go of my hand and walked right up to him. Such a proud Momma moment!!!

*On a side note....this has got to be the WORST Santa EVER!!! Can his mask, I mean "beard", be any more HIDEOUS?!!! You can't even see his eyes or nose! Come on now!!! Haha!

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So I was pretty sure, after getting 3 comments total with my last 10 posts, that no one read my blog anymore...but lately I've been getting people coming up to me and commenting in person about my blog. So I know people are reading it! I still blog regardless because this is my journal that I eventually turn into a book every 2 years. It's just fun to read comments every now and then. So if you do read my blog, don't be afraid to comment every once and a while! :)

Thankgiving...

The holidays go by WAY too fast! Can't believe Thanksgiving has come and gone already. We were lucky enough that Thanksgiving fell on one of David's days off...infact, the 3 days he has off was right in the middle of Thanksgiving! So we took advantage of this and drove to California for 3 1/2 days to spend it with all of David's family. Everyone was able to go so we were so excited for a fun Thanksgiving!!

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While we were there, my camera got "hi-jacked" by 9 adorable nieces of mine. These next few pictures are the result of this crime...

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ADORABLE Andersen Kate...

The lovely Meg, Paige and Emily...

Crazy girls...Hannah and Andersen...

We were so glad that Meg flew over from Utah to be with us for a couple days. Wish she could have stayed longer!

The dangerous duo...Cole and Kylee (Kylee striking a pose of course)...

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And the reason why I gained 5 lbs this weekend...2 yummy turkeys!!!! This one was roasted...

And this one was grilled to perfection with an amazing homemade glaze by Brian and Becky...

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We are so blessed to have such amazing families on both sides. We are excited to spend Christmas here with my family next month. I live for the holidays! They make me so unbelievably happy!!! I will always be a kid at heart when it comes to these months. I can't get enough of them!!

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Before we left, David was able to visit Kylee's Kindergarten class for "citizenship week". He talked to the kids about how they can be good citizens in their neighborhood. It was hilarious!!! Kids say the craziest things...and are so open about their home life! I won't even mention some of the things that were said. Some of these kids have been exposed to WAY too many things at such a young age. Sad!!! Kylee was so excited and proud of her Daddy!

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If you haven't noticed...I have made my blog open again. Since my adoption blog and this blog have basically the same posts, I have decided to just combine the two and only post my pictures and comments one time. Plus, my mother in law was having issues getting into my private blog. So this just works better for multiple reasons.

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Thanksgiving was amazing and we can't wait for Christmas to come! Black Friday shopping was a HUGE success!!! I love going with my mother in law and all of my sister in laws. It's a fun tradition that will never die. I always save my shopping for that one day and I usually get 90 to 100% of all my Christmas shopping done in that one day. I love it! Hope you all had a great Thanksgiving!! Life is good!

The end...and the beginning

My 6th season as a high school coach has officially ended. We had our banquet on Tuesday and I was sad to say my final goodbye's to these girls until next year.

But when one thing ends....another begins!!! Or in this case...a couple "new" things are beginning. Club season officially started. Tryouts are over with and all 5 teams are complete and ready to go. I'm coaching the 15's team and can't wait to start working with my team! Should be a great season.

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Another "new beginning" is the most wonderful news EVER!! Natalie and Deron are pregnant!!! They got married 2 months ago and are so excited to start their new family together and to add to the one they already have. I'm so incredibly happy for them both. In less than 8 months, I'll have a sweet new baby to love and hold and kiss whenever I want!!! Can't wait!

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As for our adoption journey.....it's still going. We've had a few contacts from birth mothers since we've been certified but nothing promising and no commitments. It's hard just waiting to hear from someone and not being able to go out and find someone. This is a tough process, but we know that this is what we are supposed to be doing and that our baby is somewhere out there waiting for us to find them. We feel so blessed and have so much to be thankful for. Life is good!

As of lately...

Halloween has come and gone! Kylee and her best friend Mallika helped me carve our pumpkin this year....

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Kylee of course wanted another cat this year. I think it turned out pretty darn cute!

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This is Kylee before we left for the Fall Festival at her school. She was so excited!

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She was a cute little witch this year. She has been wanting to be a witch for a couple years now but I refuse. I don't know why but I hate the "usual and normal" costumes that EVERY kids wear each year. I always try to make hers unique. She was a little indian girl 3 years ago, a pirate girl 2 years ago, Rainbow Brite last year, and this year I finally gave in and let her be a witch. There is one thing that I refuse to let her be for Halloween.......a princess! She already has every Disney princess dress in her closet for dress up so why would I let her dress up as a princess for Halloween when she dresses up as one all throughout the year? Ya.....that ain't happenin!!! Hahaha! But she sure did make a pretty witch!

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David had his awards ceremony for work tonight and I couldn't be more proud of all that he has accomplished during his year and a half of being a police officer. He won "rookie of the year"! It's no surprise to me that he has made such an impact on his police department and with the people fo the Salt River community. He is such an amazing man and I'm so lucky to have him in my life!

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So....Halloween has come and gone and now I get to look forward to Thanksgiving and Christmas. I just LOVE the "ber" months.....October, November, and December! They make me so happy! I can't wait to start playing the Christmas music around the house and in my car. I can't wait to spend the holidays with family and friends. It truly is the most wonderful time of the year!!! Life is good!

Miss Stephanie Rhees.....my hero!

My dear friend Stephanie was diagnosed with lymphoma cancer last month.....she is 28 years old. It was a shock to everyone who knew her. She is one of the most healthiest people I know! It always seems to happen to these types of people right?! Maybe I should just eat junk food and not take care of my body. I just don't get it!!!!

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Stephanie just finished her 2nd round of chemo and her hair was falling out at a rapid pace! So she decided it was time to shave it all off. But we couldn't let her shave it off without a PARTY!!! Last night we had a fun "head shaving" party at her house. Good food, good friends, and good hair ALL OVER THE FLOOR! Haha! Here is Stephanie before all the head shaving.......

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A friend from the ward, Brent, who is a 2 time cancer survivor. I love this shirt!!!

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A freshly shaved Stephanie with David....who is about to shave his head!

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I got to shave David's head! This was the first time I've used clippers.......I think he was a little bit nervous! Haha

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If he didn't have to go to work later that night, I would've left this awesome man patch on!

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All done! He has a good shaped head! Nice to know for future references in case he does go bald!

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Jeff, Steph's husband, giving his beautiful wife a hug!

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Priceless!

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Tom's turn! He looks so natural with a shaved head!

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Brigham and Dennen......studs with shaved heads!

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Jose's turn! Traci said that it looks like he belongs in the projects with a weapon strapped to his belt! Hahaha! Gangsta!

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Brent and Brigham (Father and Son).....so sweet!

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Travis' turn! Hilarious! He didn't want to lose his "precious" hairs! Haha

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Words can't express how much I love and look up to this girl. She is so strong and amazes me with her determination and strength. She didn't shed a tear while getting her head shaved. I, on the other hand, can't say the same thing. I love this girl and I have no doubt that this cancer is going to be kicked to the curb REAL soon!

Recent Happenings...

Well, considering it's been over a month since I last updated, this is going to be a recap of what has been going on lately. A lot has happened since I last posted so this is going to be fun!

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On Labor Day, I organized a fun get together at a place called the Bounz House with a bunch of ladies in my ward. We rounded up the kids and took them there. It was really fun!

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Kylee's new friend....Skyler! She loved her!

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Okay.....so this slide pictured above was HUGE! Kylee decided she wanted me to go down it with her, so I of course said yes because I never pass up an opportunity to have fun! Well, you are supposed to wear socks while playing on the slides and stuff because it helps you slide easier. I didn't have socks and I didn't think twice. So I kicked off my sandals and went down the giant slide with Kylee. Well, when we got to the bottom of the slide, my foot decided to get stuck in the crevice and my body decided to keep on going. My foot in turn, twisted and pulled in slow motion. And this was the result of that "fun"...

YEP!!!! I got the boot! I pulled 2 tendons and pinched a nerve by my achilles. It's been a month since this happened and I'm just now getting back into working out again. It still hurts but I'm desperate and can't NOT workout anymore! I HAVE TO! It feels pretty good though and I'm doing some physical therapy on it so it's getting stronger everyday.
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The most important event that happened last month was my sister's wedding! Yes.....Natalie got married! Woo hoo! I hurt my ankle 5 days before Natalie's wedding too........WONDERFUL! I was supposed to be on my crutches for a week but I had to cut that short of 2 days because I wasn't about to be on crutches all day at her wedding. But I blinged out my boot and made it work!!!!

Silly boys....haha

Awwwwww.....

HOT!!!! Haha!

The happy couple!

They are gorgeous and so amazing together. A true example of what love and sacrifice is all about. Love them!!!

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My high school teams are doing awesome. I'm the head coach for the JV team and the assistant for varsity. Both teams are currently 13-1 and going strong! We took team photos recently of both teams. Here are some varsity pics....

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And here are some JV pics....

I love these girls!!!!!! So much! They make me so proud!
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Then there's my pride and joy.......my sunshine!!! Kylee is doing so well in school. We had our first parent teacher conference yesterday and her teacher said wonderful things about her. She is in the top percentage of her class and is ready to start reading! After fall break, her teacher is going to start her in the reading program. Apparently this is something that they usually don't start kids in until the end of the year and when they get closer to 1st grade, but Kylee is apparently ready and they want to get her started. I'm so excited for her to start reading! She is such a smart girl and is loving every minute of Kindergarten. Here is her first ever "official" school picture....

I was pleased that she didn't smile too "cheesy" in this picture. Kylee just started her second year of dance and loves her new teacher Miss Melanie. She is excelling in all that she does and makes us smile everyday. Life has been so busy lately but it is SO GOOD! We are still in the process of trying to adopt and we are actually in communication with a birth mother in Colorado right now. Things are going great and we can't wait to add to our family soon!