Dang dog....but thanks!

Back in April we got a little 8 week old Yorkie-Poo and we named him Charlie. David and I didn't really want to have a dog but Kylee REALLY did. So we decided that since she was turning 5 in a couple months, we felt she was responsible enough and ready to have a puppy. And considering that she is currently an only child, she needed someone to love and have. So a puppy was very fitting at the time and we were all excited to have him join our family.

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Well....with puppies comes consequences!!! Within the first 2 months of having him, he chewed up about 10 pairs of sandals, a variety of toys, damaged dresses and various articles of clothing, and left many pee and poo surprises around the house. Oh man......we were ready to give him back or accidently leave the back yard gate open!!!!! The carpet was by far the most frustrating...as you can see here....

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He chewed the entire border of our carpet along the tile. Everywhere carpet met tile, he clawed and chewed at and left the nails exposed for our lovely toes and feet to puncture.

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We debated replacing the entire carpeted area with new carpet or all tile....but found that it was REALLY expensive. But then one day, my good friend Jamie Williams came over and saw it and suggested we get a tile border done. I didn't realize these even existed! But lo and behold...they do and they are WONDERFUL! We had our good friend Colton Grant (who owns his own tile and carpet business called Majestic Carpet Care) and he came out right away and did some "majic"!

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I absolutely LOVE the finished product. So to you Charlie.....I curse you for making us spend money that we don't necessarily have....but thanks for making us bring this beautiful change to our house! I'm in love with it!

Fun Weekend!!

David worked 11 days straight, starting Christmas night, so it has been nice having him home and doing fun things together. We are currently in the middle of his 7 day break from work and I'm so glad we have this time together, and as a family.

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Last night we went to an 80's murder mystery and dinner game with friends. It was so much fun and we are already looking forward to attending another one! David and I were detectives. I was more of an "under cover" detective, and David....well....it was pretty obvious what he was! He rocks the stache!

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This morning I ran a 5K with my girls! It was FREEZING and I was so nervous that the cold was going to slow me down....but within the first mile, my blood was flowing and I started to warm up. We had a blast and I just love my girls!!! Brunch at the US Egg afterwards was delicious and a perfect way to top off our morning.

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My next run coming up......a half marathon on my birthday! I have 3 weeks to prepare myself for those 13 miles. Hope I can do it! Wish my girls were joining me for that one. Maybe I can still convince them to do it with me! Perfect birthday present right??!!! Heck....I invite all of you to join me! Londyn's Run....January 29th! Sign up!!!! Join me will ya?! :)

Oh the holidays!

Well, a lot has happened but shockingly I have no pictures to post. But I need to post this for journaling purposes.

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A lot has been going on this past month. It all started at the end of November when I had surgery on my nose. I had 3 things done internally (don't ask me what it's all called), but I do know that one of the things that got fixed was my deviated septum. It was out-patient surgery and the recovery wasn't nearly as bad as I thought it was going to be. I had to wear a hideous white cast for a week and I had some bruising for about 2 weeks, but I was up and at it after 2 days. I felt good and I'm breathing better already!

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David also had surgery...on his eyes! He had a form of lasik done....it was implantable contact lenses. He is officially glasses free after wearing them for 25 years! Crazy to see the change in him. HOWEVER, his eyes are really bad and these contacts didn't fix his stigmatisms....so he still has minor blurry vision, especially at night. We don't want for him to have to have lasik because his cornea's are too thin and the risks aren't worth it. So he decided to get glasses to wear at work so he feels more confident. He doesn't wear them day to day, but he does wear them at night when he works. So all in all, it was worth it because he can see so much better and he gets to be glasses free 90% of the time. We should be getting new family pictures done soon and once we do, I'll be posting them and you can see what he looks like without glasses!

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Christmas was really good this year. We had a fun Christmas Eve brunch with David's family, then Christmas morning with just the 3 of us at our home, then a big lunch/dinner with my family at my parent's house with all my siblings. I am shocked that I didn't take any pictures of any of these events! I had my camera at all of them, but for some reason never took it out of my purse. I blame it on my "scrooge-like" feelings towards Christmas this year. I don't know why, but I was totally not in the Christmas mood this year. I only put up my tree (but no other decorations around the house), and I took it down right after Christmas instead of leaving it up until after New Year's like I usually do. I don't know what is wrong with me, but I just wasn't feeling the Christmas "cheer" this year. I think I just wanted 2010 to go away and be done with already. There are so many changes coming up in 2011 for our family and I'm ready for those changes to happen. The changes are still "TBD" so I don't want to say anything just yet.

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Anyhow, New Year's was interesting! David had to work so I went out to Natalie's house because her hubby Deron was working too. So we hung out and babysat all 12 of our neices and nephews! It was a crazy house, but we had lots of fun. Simple and fun.

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David is currently finishing up his 11-day working streak. He picked up a few days of overtime and has been a work-a-holic. He is still on his grave yard shift and will be working that again for the next 6 months. We have gotten used to it and have organized our life around his working schedule. So it all works out.

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A new club season has started for me and I have a sweet little group of 14/15 year olds. They are almost all new to club volleyball so this is a growing year for them. They are so eager and willing to learn so it makes my job that much more fun! I'm still the primary president in my ward and loving that. I'm excited for the new year and the new theme we have for primary. Things are good with that and I'm so lucky to be serving the sweet children in my ward.

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Kylee is loving Kindergarten!!! I can't believe she is half way done and is that much closer to being in the 1st grade. Time is flying!!! She loves her dance class and will be performing in February at a Suns pre-game show. So excited for that!!

I am babysitting a little baby girl now. She is a blessing for Kylee and I. We love her so much and love spending our days with her. She fills a void that has been missing in our lives for so long. We love every minute of having her in our home.

Which leads me to my next subject of adoption. Nothing is happening for us with that just yet. It's now been 4 months with ZERO contact from a birth mother. We had a "hot spot" of contacts for about 3 months when we first got certified....but now....nothing. Not sure why, but we are still hopeful and have faith that we are supposed to be doing this. It has taught us a lot and has definitely been a growing experience for us. Not sure what Heavenly Father has in store for our family, but whatever it is, we are willing to accept it and can't wait for it to happen.

As always......LIFE IS GOOD!

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!