Bucket List for 2012

Things We Plan to Accomplish this upcoming year:

We will continue to edit this post as we think of more things.

1. Run a half marathon together
2. Take a summer trip to either D.C., Florida, or....Nauvoo
3. Visit Colby's mission
4. Teach Kinley to swim or slam dunk
5. Visit a National Park
6. Plant a garden. or a plant. Or at least one vegetable. Or maybe just prune our trees.
7. Tile our kitchen and bathroom floors
8. Read the D&C and both general conference Ensigns as a family
9. Attend 3 sibling's weddings
10. Take Kinley to her first RSL game
11. GO CAMPING!!!
12. Eat at least 10 bags of PB M&Ms
13. Go to a rodeo and convince the family to come with us
14. Start a food storage
15. Teach Kinley how to say "true dat"
16. Go horseback riding
17. Have plenty of dance parties
18. Kiss under 5 major landmarks in the city of Price (Wingers doesn't count)
19. Take family pics next fall and have one to hang on our wall
20. pid ynniks

Kinley's First Photo Shoot

We will forever be thankful to have a photographer in the family.....Thanks to Jon, we got some snapshots of Kinley at 2 weeks. She cried most of the time so it wasn't the most successful photo session, but we got a few good ones that we like and will appreciate that they were taken


.

Halloween!

Ok...so there doesn't seem to be many options for Halloween costumes when you are full-term pregnant....so our costumes don't correlate this year...but I had a lot of fun making Colby's for him. We were warned ahead of time that the entire city of Price comes to our neighborhood, parks on the street, and that is where they do their trick-or-treating. We were told to plan on about 800. CRAZY! I guess our area of Price has some of the wealthier houses, so maybe the kids expect to get the very best candy....either that....or the drug problems are so prevalent in Price, that our area is considered one of the safest for trick-or-treating. I'm guessing that both are probably true. Either way...we had fun greeting all of the trick-or-treaters. We decided to just stand outside the whole time so we weren't going up and down the stairs every 2 seconds that the doorbell rang...it was fun, and all the kids seemed to love Colby's costume. Let's see if you can guess what he is.

Adventure # 30

Another Testament of Christ

Ok...so we haven't been the best at taking pictures of our adventures, the camera seems to never be with us at the right moments...but we have been enjoying our first little bit in Price and spending a lot of time with home improvement projects. (Especially Colby with all the painting he has been doing! He works so hard and I can't wait until I'm not pregnant anymore and can paint the basement with him. I've always looked forward to painting our first house together!) Colby has been loving seminary, and they have been putting him to work at church as well. He will be speaking at Young Women Night of Excellence for another ward tomorrow, and at stake conference on Saturday. I asked him what he would do if I went into labor on the day he is supposed to speak and he said "probably speak and then come. Most first time babies take awhile to get here, right?" (Someone talk some sense into the boy!)

Anyway...one of the most meaningful of adventures has been recently. We had an awesome lesson last Sunday on the Book of Mormon and I decided that I wanted to read the whole book before baby girl comes. Since I don't know when that will be, I gave myself a week. It took me an extra day, but I just finished it and it was a great experience for me. Colby and I already have a goal to finish together by the end of the year, but I have never read the Book of Mormon in such a short period of time before, and have always wanted to. It was cool to have a better understanding of the stories and how they fit together; something that I don't get from reading over a longer period of time. Here are some other things I learned this time around:

1. The Book of Mormon truly testifies of Christ. This is a no-brainer....but in reading all of it's pages in a short amount of time I realized HOW MUCH the book truly testifies of Christ. The pages are filled with Him! Constantly page by page, we are being told of his mercy, his atonement, his ressurection, and of his coming. It was also cool to notice the principle of Heavenly Father going through his Son to accomplish everything. Anytime that there is an answer to prayer, a heavenly visitation, a chastisement, or a relief from weakness and trial, it is always through the Savior. That was just cool for me in discerning how my relationship works with both Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ.

2. It only takes about a page before the righeous become wicked again. It was shocking how many times (over and over and over) the church became wicked again so quickly...often times after incredible spiritual experiences, and sometimes only taking 1-5 years before they forgot the Lord. This was a reminder to me that I get to be working and strengthening myself every day to avoid becoming numb to the spirit. It's so easy sometimes to get caught up in everything that goes on in my life, that sometimes my spirituality becomes second priority. If I have to think back a year or two to remember my most recent "spiritual high," then it is probably time to shape up. Reminds me of the phrase, "We are not earthly beings here having spiritual experiences, we are spiritual beings here to have an earthly experience" I should be feeling the spirit multiple times, every day of my life.

3. I have had an increased desire to live my life in such a way, that my children have no doubt as to what I believe. I can't wait to meet his little girl of ours, but I also can't wait to teach her how much she is loved of her Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ. I know that Colby and I will probably need her for our spiritual growth just as much as she needs us, and I hope to be humble enough to learn from her.

This post was mostly for myself, but for anyone stumbling across it, I want you to know that I know the Book of Mormon truly testifies of Christ, and contains eternal truth of our very existence and purpose here on the Earth. I know that through it's teachings and promises we can come closer to God, receive answers to all of our problems and concerns, and have the formula for a true "Happily Ever After."

CONTEST TIME!

Ok....so it's time for a little contest......

















It's time to guess when baby girl is coming. Don't worry, there is an awesome prize for the winner! There will be 2 contests.... date of her arrival, and measurements. However, two people can't guess the same due date, so hurry and cast your vote! Measurements don't have to be exact, the winner will be the person that guesses the closest on both! (Height and weight)

Happy Birthday, Colby!

Adventure # 8: Happy Birthday Colby!

Happy Birthday Colby!!!

I made the mistake of volunteering to make Colby's students cupcakes for his birthday. Maybe it wouldn't have been so bad if I had stuck with one kind, but kids like options, right? SO ... I made 3 different kinds.....not realizing that I would end up in the kitchen ALL DAY LONG. Literally. From like 10 am to almost 10 pm with a couple hours break for dinner. End result? A Hundred-and-twenty-something cupcakes. I'm never, ever, ever doing that again as a pregnant girl in her 3rd trimester unless I have TWO ovens, or TWO muffin pans. Or both. My left foot was so swollen I couldn't see my ankles (which thankfully is the first signs of swelling I've had thus far) and my back felt broken...but it was worth the sacrafice because I'm married to the best man in the world. In fact....he's so amazing that some hick pregnant cowgirl made this dorky music video for him! Check it out!

Home Sweet Home

This is for you Jake! :) Some people have been begging to see pics of the new house....so for those of you that haven't seen it....here it is!

Downstairs Bedroom

Downstairs bedroom #2

Unfinished Family Room/Laundry Room

Downstairs Bath

Upstairs bath

Upstairs NurseryMaster bedroom closets

Master BedroomHallway

backyard

deck

Kitchen

Adventures, Adventures, Adventures.

Due to not having internet, our blog has been a little neglected. Poor blog.
Here's some highlights on adventures 3-7
3. This one was a long time ago...but Colby went maternity shopping with me (let's face it, he is a much better dresser than me....I need his opinion before I buy these days!) Colby tried on the "maternity belly" while in the dressing room, and I had to take a pic. Thank goodness he's not the one pregnant, he looks kind of funny with a baby belly.

4. Mona rope swing! We made this one of our last adventures before we moved. I was surprised how hard it was to tuck my legs up high as I took off. Belly weighs me down more than I realized :( Good thing I didn't try the high up one first or I probably would have just landed on the ground. Colby just laughed as I dragged into the water. (video of Colby to follow...)

5. WE MOVED! yay. We are homeowners now, and it is so fun to have a place of our own. We are learning some of the trials though, as we work through different repairs. Colby did some touch-up painting throughout the house, and it didn't end up matching, so now we get to paint the whole house :) We just hope to get it done long before baby comes so she doesn't have to breath paint fumes during her first earthly experience. Our move went pretty good though, and Jami, Jon, Mom, and kids came and helped us unpack some things which was a HUGE blessing for us. Thanks guys!

6. Colby is a big kid. Yup, that's right....he's finally a full-time seminary teacher. We had fun nights together setting up his classroom and getting ready for school to start.

7. Home improvement. This has been fun, though it seems there is still lots to do. Colby has done lots, and lots, and lots of weeding to try and minimize our forest, and I have worked at getting things clean on the inside. Colby also did touchups on the walls (as was mentioned) and I re-caulked our shower. Most recently....we are re-finishing our cabinets. I worked on getting all the cabinet doors unscrewed while Colby was at work, and he's set up a workplace in the basement to do the hard part. We will post pics of the finished project .... but until then ... cross your fingers we do it right :) Later down the road, my brother's wife is going to come help us put down tile in our kitchen to replace the linoleum. Next on our budget will probably be blinds... or paint :)

Adventure #2

Why use words when you can see it for yourself!! Adventure #2 in video form:)


If you were like me I could not stop drooling until the light show extravaganza was done!
But the real question that you all might have is, "where were we?" And the answer is... The Days of 47 Rodeo! That might be hard to believe that was at a Rodeo but I would not put anything past the Days of 47, they have known how to party since July 24, 1847.

Yup, We held those faces for the whole rodeo.

Here are two more Videos...



And that is adventure #2, stay posted for more adventures to come.

Goodbye Zofran, Hello Life!

Well....so I started feeling sick again even on the zofran and phenergen, so Colby and I decided to start weening me off of it gradually and see what happens. Despite some funny withdrawal moments, I'm happy to say that I'm completely off it now, and although I still feel nauseous, no throwing up! And that is definitely manageable! So hello life! I'm happy not feeling like I need to depend on a pill or two to get through my day. And since Colby and I have realized we haven't documented the first part of our marriage very well.....we are happy to announce.....(drum roll please)....The beginning :"30 Adventures Before Baby." Now these adventures can be anything as simple as a walk in the park...or as exciting as maybe a road trip somewhere. So pretty much life will continue as it has, but we're dedicated to start using our camera and document our adventures!

Adventure #1 was FHE tonight. We kicked off the evening with a summer dinner favorite (Southwestern Chicken Salad), and then re-created our first date with a tandem bike ride around Provo. Colby told me not to put too much effort into the uphill part, as he used his very manly leg muscles to peddle us up to a fun lookout. Of course we kissed when we got to the top, but no one wants to hear about that! :)










Keep a lookout for more adventures, the best is yet to come!

"No.....Colby is MY boyfriend!"

So every time we get together with my family, my nieces always flock to Colby! They just can't get enough of him. They are always climbing on him, swinging off him, doing back flips with him....and when we were at the Summerfest waiting for the fireworks, they all just gathered around him to chat. I couldn't help but get a picture, it was just so dang cute. Saturday, after a little father's day celebration, we went to leave and I overheard the following arguments back and forth: "Colby is my boyfriend!" "no....Colby is MY boyfriend!" Sorry girls, he's taken. But I'm happy to share when it come to these girls! I guess it's fitting that he is having a daughter first.

Watch and see The Magic of Soccer....

LOVE this GUY!

I meant to make this post last month as I celebrated Colby's half birthday, but never got around to it. I've been feeling lately (and always) that I definitely married upwards. Colby is such a rock! He has had such a busy, busy semester....and yet he still finds time to be amazing. The poor guy has been working so hard, yet he never complains. between lesson planning and homework, and classes, and teaching, and his calling....and of course soccer.......he averages about 3-4 hours a night of sleep--if that. Some days I wish he would just mumble and grumble about SOMETHING so that I can be assured he is normal. To make matters worse, he has to deal with a pregnant wife who almost completely avoids cooking at all costs. It's all I can do to keep everything in my stomach (most of the time). It broke my heart when I came home the other day, opened my computer, and saw the latest google search: "how to cook rice in a rice cooker" The poor guy googled how to cook rice and then ate it plain with soy sauce. I can't help but feel that I am the lamest wife around. I'm hoping (for real) you all will slip me some amazingly delicious recipes to make it up to him in a few weeks. I am patiently waiting for his two years of "year-round" school to end, because he really deserves to go on a vacation of his own choosing and just be treated like a KING! I am so glad that he has already witnessed some of his hard work pay off and am so proud of him for accomplishing his dreams in being hired as a FULL TIME SEMINARY TEACHER! Wahoo! Good Job Colby! I don't know that I can say it was all just his hard work, as many of us know he has a natural talent for teaching. That is what first attracted me to him in our ward. He was the mission prep teacher and I was in awe with his enthusiasm for the gospel, and his talent for teaching. No doubt he will change many lives throughout his lifetime. I have already witnessed it in our own ward as he has fulfilled his calling as the ward missionary.

So Colby, thanks for being such an incredible husband. You will never admit that you are tired, but I see your head nodding off anytime you allow your body to be still for more than 30 seconds (which doesn't happen often in a day), and you may say you are not frustrated, but I can tell by your eyes how heavy the school load is on you. What baffles me, is how you still find time to scratch my back, do random housework, come to my first doctor's appointment, or stop in to the store to buy me some flowers. I just hope that before our hairs turn gray, I have found ways to be just as good of a spouse to you! I've got a lot to live up to.

And to mom and dad, thanks for raising such a great son!

Help Us Solve A Mystery!

So last night we spent a deal of time doing laundry at mom and dad's (Thank you so much!). We got home around 2 a.m. and sleepily climbed into bed. In the middle of the night I noticed my head felt a little off. I lifted my head and realized that instead of my pillow, I was laying on these three shoes!!! My thoughts were very confused. I looked around for my pillow (I sleep with 3) and noticed them on the floor! "What the....how in the world did these shoes get here?!" "Is Colby turning into a weird sleeper and collecting shoes in our bed?" "Maybe he put them here on purpose as a funny joke?" "Did I have a funny dream about something which somehow inspired me to sleep walk, find my shoes, and bring them back to sleep with me?" "Were we so tired when we got home that we didn't notice the intruders in our bed?" Even if we were THAT tired, there is no reason why my shoes would ever be hidden under the covers, and I really think I would have noticed going to sleep with them if they were. I keep wondering and I really wish I knew how they got there. Talk about weird.

What do YOU think?

Addicted.

Addicted: being abnormally tolerant to and dependent on something that is psychologically or physically habit-forming
*an abnormally strong craving *
*The state of being addicted; devotion; inclination *

According to these definitions, we have a diagnosis. I'm addicted to cross-country skiing. I'm no good, but I love it! It's exercise and bliss combined into one package! Unlike running, I have something I'm looking forward to other than a drink of water at the end of my workout: The downhill. And the surroundings are perfect! Nothing like being in the mountains away from our chaotic and fast-paced world. My only wish is that I could start my mornings out everyday like this.

My whole life I've rarely looked forward to winter. By the time February comes around, I am almost ("almost") willing to fast for the cause of that little groundhog, that he most definitely will NOT see his shadow! I never once took summer school because I knew I would have never survived it. I knew this because starting in March once the spring air started developing, so did my truancy in class. It was way too hard to attend my classes when I knew I could do some homework/studying outside in the sun or under a tree and reap better benefits! I have always longed for Summer; I am an Arizona girl. I love the sun, and I love the water. But this week, I started loving the snow. And for the first time, I feel it's leaving us a little too early.