Out With The Old and In With The New

I know that most of us make New Year's resolutions almost every year. I don't know about anybody else, but I can never seem to keep mine longer than a week or two. I thought that maybe if I posted my resolutions here, then y'all can hold me accountable. So, without further ado, here they are.

1. be sealed to Bryce and the kids
2. daily family prayer
3. daily family scripture
4. write in a journal at least 3x a week

These goals don't seem like they are too hard to achieve (except maybe for the sealing part, but we are just waiting on word from the First Presidency). I know it is just going to have be getting into the habit of doing those things. So, may you all have a very happy and safe new year! May 2010 be all that you wish for and more!

As the year comes to an end...

So, with 2009 coming to an end, I have been doing a lot of reflecting over the past year and all the changes and the accomplishments that have been made thus far. We were finally able to go visit my family in Florida this summer. This was the first time that they had met Sara and the first time for many of them to meet Cooper.Bryce and the kids also went to Disney World for their first time. We were also able to meet my brother's newest son, Justin. Bryce and I went to our very first NFL game with some of Bryce's brothers. In October, my mom was able to come up and visit us. It was nice for someone in my family to finally see where we live and get to spend some quality time with the kids. So, here is a run down of what the family has been up to over the past year.

Cooper-The biggest change is Cooper's life this year, has been that he started pre school. He is such a smart kid and loves to learn and ask questions. Lots of questions! He can count to 10 (and a little further sometimes), spell his name, recognize his name, and he knows some of his ABC's. Cooper loves to draw and has become quite a car drawer. He loves to help no matter what it is. He is also one of the most stubbornest children I know. (I have no clue where he gets it from. :-))Cooper is also a very sweet child, at times. He always gives hugs and kisses and tells me how much he loves me. There are times when he will just come up to me and give me a hug and tells me that he loves me. He has just recently started telling me sweet dreams when I go take a nap. When, I got home from the hospital, he took such great care of me. He "tucked" me in when I went to go lay down. Cooper also loves to "kiss" your boo boo's to make them better. He is such a blessing to have in our lives. Now, if only I could get him potty trained!!

Sara-What a year Ms. Sara has had! She has had tons of first this year. Sara went on her first plane ride this summer. Sara was very lucky to be able to celebrate her 1st birthday with my family, as well as at Disney World. When we got home from Disney, Sara had another party with Bryce's family. She began walking shortly after her birthday. Sara also went swimming for the 1st time, which she didn't really like. She has started talking (finally!). Her vocabulary is at about 10-15 words. She is learning new words every day. As Sara has grown, we have noticed how much she is looking like Cara. I do believe that Cara is one of Sara's favorites. Sara is one of the happiest little girls, but when she gets mad, boy she lets you know it! She is such a daddy's girl! Sara is also a bit of a monkey. She loves to climb on EVERYTHING!! I am so thankful that Heavenly Father has blessed me with such a beautiful, blue eyed little girl.

Bryce-Well, in comparison to the kids, he hasn't had such an interesting year. Bryce is still working at Samaritan in the Special Care Unit. Unfortunately, Samaritan laid off about 45 people before Christmas. In order for Bryce to keep his job, he had to go back to working nights. He has done a wonderful job of providing for our family. I am so glad that he did marry Francis. Because if had never married her, then I never would have had the chance to meet him and fall in love. Bryce is such a wonderful husband! I couldn't ask for anything more!

Me-Once again, my life has not been all that interesting. I have just been trying to learn how to be a better mother and wife. The biggest change in my life has been me having a hysterectomy. After months and months of dealing with the wonderful issues of being a woman, the problem was fixed. This has been one of the hardest things that I have had to do in my life. It has been 2 1/2 weeks since my surgery and I am doing good. I have my good days and my bad days. It is kind of hard to take care of 2 little ones, while doing the things my doctor would want me to do. Luckily, Bryce was able to take 2 weeks off to help me out around the house and be the mom. I would be lying if I said that I am completely fine with everything. It is still hard to see a woman pregnant or find out that someone you know is pregnant. It is hard knowing that I will never be pregnant again. I will never have the opportunity to bring another child into this world. As hard as this has been, I have to say that I have learned so much about myself this past year. I have never been this happy in my life. (OK, maybe when I was in high school.) I am the luckiest woman in the world! I have a wonderful, loving husband, and 2 beautiful children. I don't think there is anything more in this world that I want. Well, except to be sealed to Bryce, Cooper, and Sara for all eternity and world peace. Happy New Year!

Merry Christmas!

I found this on lds.org/topic/christmas. I'm not sure who said this, but it really puts things into perspective.

The gift of Christmas isn't wrapped up in presents or parties. The gift of Christmas is Jesus Christ, the Only Begotten of the Father, the Son of God. As you follow Him, you put people first. You may spend less time in lines and more time serving others. You may spend less money on - and more time with - the people you love. You may lose yourself and you may find everything else that matters.

Christmas Spirit

With Christmas just 2 days away, I wanted to share this video.

A Song For Mormons

A Little Silly

Twas the night before my uterus comes out and all through the house, the kids are snuggled in their bed, while visions of furniture to climb dance through their heads. Bryce laying on the couch and me eating jello and broth. When arose such a growling stomach. Bryce jumped from the couch to see what was the matter. Away to the fridge he flew like a flash. Threw open the door stood aback. When, what to my hungry eyes did I see, but a cup of orange jello!just for me! With a husband so kind and dear, I knew that Heavenly Father sent him here to be my one and only. As I get ready to head to bed, I remind myself of all the things to be thankful for in my head. As a new day approaches, my life will be forever changed. So, thank you to those who have thought about me in my time of need.

Just Some Random Thoughts

The past couple of weeks have been some very long and hard ones for us. So, forgive me if my thoughts are kind of jumbled up. I just needed to be able to put it down and see if that helps clear my mind some.

With the way the economy is, everyone that has a job should feel very lucky, as well as, blessed. Bryce learned a month or two ago that the hospital was going to be making some cuts. We were a little nervous that Bryce might be one of the ones to lose his job, since he has only been at the hospital a little over 2 years. Well, Bryce kept his job, but unfortunately 45 others did not. The only setback for us (which I guess it depends on how you look at it), is that Bryce will no longer be on day shift. He will be working nights again. Even though, I am very grateful that he still has a job, I am nervous about what I am going to do with the kids during the day while he is trying to sleep. I know that everything work out the way it needs to, I just have to keep reminding myself.

I have also been having some health issues. Actually, I have been having them for over a year now and finally will get some closure from it all this week. I have had lots of female issues for years, but since I had Sara, my body decided to become even more crazy. I went to my family doctor to try and figure out what was going. After 9 months, I decided to go to my OBGYN. The first thing she asked me and Bryce was, were we done having children. Boy, was that a bit of a shock to me. We of course said that we had no idea. So, we made a game plan and then we went home and talked and talked and talked. I couldn't really make a decision one way or another. I finally asked Bryce what he thought we should do and he said that we needed to be done having kids. I guess, there was a part of me that knew that the decision was the right one. It is just a very hard decision to make when you are only 29, with 2 young children. I researched the procedure that the doctor wanted to do and I just wasn't sure if that was the right thing to do for me. So, once again Bryce and I had a lengthy discussion and finally came to the decision for me to have a partial hysterectomy. Basically, I will keep my ovaries and then have everything else taken out. So, as of Friday, I will no longer be able to have children.

I keep trying to tell myself that I am so lucky to have 2 healthy, beautiful, and happy children. I know that there are so many families out there that can't have any biological children of their own. But, in all honesty, I am so very sad. I am sad that I will never get to experience being pregnant again. I am sad that I will never get to hold my own newborn again. I am sad that I am not able to give Cooper and Sara a little brother or sister. I am sad that I will not be able to give Bryce another child. I am sad that I feel like a failure as a woman. So, on Friday my life will change drastically once again. I just pray that everything goes smoothly and that my recovery is fast.

It's been a while

So, I took a very long break from the blogging world and I am going to try to get back into it. I have a very hard time being able to express myself when I have to censor what I say or how I say things so that some people don't get offended. When I found out that someone was reading my blog and then controling our lives because of the things that I said on here, I was just turned off by blogging. We moved thousands of miles away so that we could have our own lives and not be controlled anymore. So, I will say this here and now. If I say something on this blog that you (and you know who you are) do not like, please don't take it out on my husband, who has nothing to do with what I write, take it up with me. I started this blog to be a record of our lives. So, that one day my children can look back and read about some of the crazy things they did. Anyways, I am sorry that I have been gone for so long. I hope that some of my regulars will come back and continue to read and give support where needed. Thanks so much to everyone who has been an inspiration to me through my blog, as well as their own.

Send your own ElfYourself eCards

Some Family Firsts

Last Wednesday, Cooper went on his very first field trip. His preschool went to an apple orchard in Royal City. It was also my very first time going to Royal and an apple orchard. The kids had so much fun! They were able to pick a ton of apples. I was amazed to see everyone of the children eating an apple. I guess I just assume that most kids don't like fruit. I will tell you this though, apples just picked off the tree are delicious!



Today was yet another first for our family. We have been so blessed to have healthy children who have not been majorly hurt or injured or even really that sick. I guess our luck was bound to change eventually. This morning while I was getting ready for a doctor's appt, Sara got her thumb slammed in a door. I'm not quite sure what happened, but when I heard her screaming bloody murder, I knew it was bad. I guess she was trying to go into Cooper's room and he didn't want her in there. So, being a 2 1/2 yr old her slammed his door shut. Well, Sara's thumb was in the door jam (where the hinges are). When Bryce brought her into the kitchen, I thought I was about to die. Her thumb was so dented in, that it was crooked. It was also bleeding around her nail.

So, we ended up taking Sara to the doctor. We just wanted to make sure that everything was OK. If Bryce had his way, we probably wouldn't have taken her in. But, I was freaking out a little. Anyways, when we saw the PA, she said that kids this age usually don't break their bones because they are still a little soft. She went ahead and ordered an x-ray just to make sure everything was fine. Well, lo and behold, Sara had a small fracture in her thumb. Since it was bleeding and had a little cut, it is considered an open fracture. So, Sara is now on antibiotics for the first time. She seems to be doing OK, compensating with her other hand and still playing and wanting to be around her brother.

Hey There Delilah

So Much To Catch Up On

So, I have been very neglectful of my blog the past couple of weeks. I wish I had a good excuse for it, but I really don't. Sorry.

Hmmm....where should I start? Well, the biggest change has been that Cooper has started pre school. He has now been going for about 2 weeks. I was really worried that he would have some seperation issues. However, the first day that I took Cooper, he told me, "Okay mommy, you can leave." It was so hard for me to leave him, especially since I felt like he didn't need his mommy anymore. As soon as I walked ou the front door, I started crying. That has got to be one of the hardest things that I have ever done so far as being a mom. I was so nervous. When I went to pick him up 4hrs later, he was having so much fun! His teacher said that he did great and that he was definitely ready for school. So far, Cooper has gotten to paint, play with clay, and make corn tortillas! So far he is loving every minute of it! Cooper will also be going on his first field trip at the end of the month. His school will be going to an apple orchard. Hopefully, I will be able to go with him since I have never been to an apple orchard.

Wordless Wednesday

Quote of The Day

Motherhood is not for wimps.

The Woman on p. 194

When it comes to fashion and beauty magazines, most of the women featured in them look like models rather than a "regular" woman. As I got onto the internet the other day, this article caught my attention: http://www.glamour.com/health-fitness/blogs/vitamin-g/2009/08/on-the-cl-the-picture-you-cant.html
The article is about feeling comfortable in your own skin. Sure wish I felt that way. Anyways, the photo that went along with the story was of a woman named Lizzi Miller. She is, in fact, a model. A plus size model. (She wears a size 12-14.) The reason why and so many other women loved this photo was because it is a picture of a beautiful woman, sitting in nothing but "her underwear with a smile on her face and a belly that looks...wait for it...normal." It was so refreshing to see a "real" woman in a fashion and beauty magazine. A real woman who has a belly and stretch marks. A real woman who loves herself no matter what others think of her. So, here is to you, the woman on p. 194!! Thanks for being such a great role model for girls everywhere! And me. Hopefully, I will be just as confident you are one day.

The "New" New Moon Trailer

Thankful Thursday

1. living in the USA
2. Bryce
3. for my brother who is in the Marines

Wordless Wednesday

Friends

“True friendship is like sound health; the value of it is seldom known until it is lost.”
Charles Caleb Colton

Larry the Cable Guy-Words of Wisdom

1. A day without sunshine is like night.
2. On the other hand, you have different fingers.
3. 42.7 percent of all statistics are made up on the spot.
4. He who laughs last, thinks slowest.
5. Support bacteria. They're the only culture most people have.
6. A clear conscience is usually the sign of a bad memory.
7. Change is inevitable, except from vending machines.
8. If you think nobody cares, try missing a couple of payments.
9. When everything is coming your way, you're in the wrong lane.
10. How much deeper would the ocean be without sponges?
11. Eagles may soar, but weasels don't get sucked into jet engines.
12. What happens if you get scared half to death, twice?
13. Why do psychics have to ask you your name?
14. Inside every older person is a younger person wondering, 'What the heck happened?'
15. Light travels faster than sound. That's why some people appear bright until you hear them speak.
16. Life isn't like a box of chocolates. It's more like a jar of jalapenos. What you do today, might burn your butt tomorrow.

Just thought we should end the week with some funny thoughts. Hope everyone has a great weekend!

Thankful Thursday

It is going to be very hard for me to think of things that I am thankful for today since I woke up on the wrong side of the bed. But, I am going to try.

1. the cooler weather
2. nap time/bed time (too bad it's not nap time right now.)
3. Courtney- she has been such a help to me lately

Wordless Wednesday

Disclaimer: I just had to post these pictures. They are too funny! I just hope I don't get killed or disowned for doing so. Hopefully, everyone will find just as funny as me.

The Transformation

On Saturday, the first steps were taken for us to finally have a yard. We have lived in our house now for about a year and we have not had a yard. Well, I guess we did it was just full of weeds and holes. So, anyways, the elders quorom came over bright and early Saturday morning and went to work scraping the top layer of the grass off, cutting down the apple tree, and moving LOTS of dirt around the yard to try and make it more even. The yard looks amazing and all it is right now is a bunch of dirt. But, it is a beginning! Cooper had so much fun getting to play in the dirt. I don't think I have ever seen him this dirty before. He had mud caked on his pants and his shoes. I still haven't gotten his shoes clean yet! Cooper was also in love with the tractors that they had brought in. Even Sara loved them! I just want to say thank you so much to everyone that came over and helped us! We really appreciate it!

Just Had to Share

So, a couple of weeks ago I posted a video of a wedding party dancing into their ceremony. Well, I found this video yesterday of the same couple and just wanted to share it. Bryce and I laughed so hard when we saw it. When you watch it, you will know why we laughed so hard. (hint: something in Bryce's previous life!)

Thankful Thursday

1. chocolate
2. the little bit of rain we got yesterday
3. my new friend Vicki

Wordless Wednesday