I have a beautiful baby

Last year I was sleeping, in a hospital bed, waiting for my water to break so I could see my baby! Modern medicine is amazing. They put a freaking huge needle into my back and for the next twelve hours I couldn't feel a thing. And in case you're wondering, I really do not like feeling numb. But it's better than the alternative.




I can't believe she's been here a whole year! She is the light of my life. And the reason I get up every morning...literally. I don't set an alarm anymore because she'll get me up before I need to be up. I can't believe Skyler and I are lucky enough to raise such a beautiful daughter of God. She has Skyler's temperament, very laid back, go with the flow, and happy.

Here's a picture of her eating her cupcake at her party. Needless to say, she loved it!

Happy Birthday my dearest Mckenna!

If only...

...I had a camera with me everywhere I go! Mckenna and I traveled to the park today to play with some friends and she LOVED it! She crawled back and forth on the bridge (that wobbles quite a lot) and thought it was the best thing ever. She was SO dirty afterwards though. We are now entering the "dirty" phase. Mckenna gets into everything and wants to eat everything by herself so she gets super dirty. It's so fun to see her become more independent.

Here's the picture I promised. : ) We're going to send this to the Doc Babies Calendar and maybe she'll be a "Calendar Girl" : )




Today was my official last day of classes! I have one final next week but I only need a 50% on the test to pass the class! I get four days this week to do everything that usually gets done on Friday, aka laundry, dishes, more dishes, cleaning, more laundry, grocery shopping, etc. I'm excited to be able to play "mom" for the next month before I become "full-time working mom". I miss spending time with my baby girl. But thank goodness Heavenly Father knows what's best. He has a plan for me. I just need to rely on Him and all will be fine.

I didn't have a chance to write a thankful post...so here's a tidbit of what I am thankful for.

• My family. Including, but not limited to, Skyler, Mckenna, Mom, Dad, Colleen, David, Momma Hathcock, Big Papa Hathcock, Ashley, Cody, and Hillary.
• Institute. This semester I had a very difficult math class. I typically left that class feeling depressed and confused. But I got to go to institute right after and my fears left by the opening prayer. I must confess, the main reason I take institute is for parking privileges, but I get so much more out if it than free parking. So much more.
• Gilbert Public Schools. They have treated my husband well by not only giving him a job during a recession, but also a second job when things were looking very bleak for us financially.
• Gospel. Someone was talking recently about their "most favorite aspect of our church". My immediate thought was eternal families. I love my family, and I know I will love them forever, and I am overjoyed that I will be with them forever.

Well I think that is enough topics for one post...Happy PB&J Day tomorrow!

Finally a minute to post...

Working on a new post...finally!

Happenings the past few months...

• Mckenna got her Helmet off!!! Her head looks so much better. We're sending in a picture of Mckenna for next years "Doc Babies" Calendar. I'll post it later...as in after I finish writing my last paper that I'm avoiding right now...
• I signed up for student teaching! No idea where I'll be placed though...
• Skyler got a new job at GPS as a "lunch lady" (his words, not mine) He gets 40 hours a week now!
• something that I'm not allowed to announce yet...no I'm not pregnant. It's better than that. : )
• Cody came to visit for Thanksgiving! Christmas will be more fun though because Mckenna will know who he is this time.
• Nate and Megan and Owen moved into their house! We have married friends again!
• Mckenna has 3 teeth now! The first top one came in the week of Thanksgiving. : ( Very, Very sad baby.
• Bee's have inhabited our tree next to the house.
• I decorated for Christmas BEFORE Thanksgiving...I'm such a rebel. ;-)
• I bought argyle tights. (I think that's how it's spelled)
• Mckenna likes to use Daddy's pull up bar every time we walk by it.

Well thats a small update...but an update nonetheless. Next on the to do list, chop up the Toffee to take to my last presentation of the year for tonight!

Cityslips

Just found this site! Foldable ballet flats for when your feet need a break from those 3 inch heels! They even come with a pouch for travel convienence which converts into a bag to carry your uncomfortable heels! I just might have to add this to my "teacher wardrobe list".

Wallies

We were thinkng of decorating my little brothers room with these. Wallies! How cute are they!

Some aren't my favorite, but some are uber cute!

Chalkboard! This is a frilly one, but there are kid friendly ones too! I really want one. : ) They also come in dry-erase.

Cute patterns, cute colors, love it!

Girly flowers : )

Medevil Castles! Perfect for a playroom.

ABC's! Perfect for a early childhood playroom or a preschool.

Some are easy removal so you can use them in an apartment or a rental and not have to worry about taking them down. Another plus : )

Thank you Mr. Government

My financial aid posted yesterday! It is one of those moments that reminds me to keep paying my tithing. Speaking of tithing, if you ever saw Ken Jennings on Jeopardy, this spoof is pretty funny. Silly in the extreme, but aren't most You Tube videos?

Thank you Mr. Government!

My Life

...is so wonderful. I just logged onto facebook a moment ago and saw a heart wrenching status. A good friend of my husbands has been having marital problems for....well since before he got married. So I think of my marriage and it not perfect, but it is so wonderful. I have an amazing husband who loves me, even after being married to me for 2 years. (Poor thing...wink wink) And we have a beautiful....no, the most beautiful and happy daughter. I am so grateful for both loves of my life. I do not know where I would be without them. This puts me in a "I'm so grateful for..." mood, so I might as well post about more things that make my life so wonderful.

1. The Gospel...need I say more? It's the best part of my life.

2. My extended family. My mom is my best friend. I love her to pieces.

3. My house. Okay so it's not really mine, we're still in the renting stage of our lives, but I love it! It's big and has so much space!

4. Cheerios. I personally hate the smell of Cheerios, but Mckenna has just started to eat them. If you need a laugh please stop by, or we'll come to you if you have Cheerios. She makes the best faces. : )

5. Hot showers. I take hot showers when it's 115 degrees outside. But they are one of my (sometimes) daily joys.

6. The xbox. No, I do not play video games on it. But it plays my NCIS DVDs and Mckenna loves to play with the controllers.

7. Christmas music. It's just happy. : )

8. Jeans. My favoritest piece of clothing, period.

9. Face Palms. You know that moment when you just smack your face into your palm, for whatever reason, yeah I love those. I think I had about 6 last night alone. They put a little color into my life. (and occasionally add color to my face.) : )

10. Motorcycles. Why? They make my husband happy. I fear for his life every time he rides one, but I know it makes him happy. And it's easiest to be happy when others are happy, too.

Beezus and Ramona

Did you ever read this series as a kid? I loved them! My mom would read them to me mostly. I can't wait for Mckenna to be old enough so I can read them to her. (Mostly so I can read them again!)

My mom and I had the rare opportunity to go see a movie together, just the two of us. Dad was watching David and Skyler watched Mckenna. (He even fed her dinner and put her to bed! It was a great getaway!) So we went to see Ramona and Beezus. SO CUTE! Rated G - I didn't know they made those anymore. It's been 15 years since I read the books but I still remember some of the stories. The cast is perfect! Joey King was a perfect Ramona. I loved it all! A fabulous choice for a movie if you're looking for something cute and clean. : )

Side note: Today at church Mckenna sang during every song. The sisters in RS kept laughing because she was so loud. And what's even funnier is she didn't babble/sing unless there was music. She was quiet the rest of the block. It was too cute!

Half-baked

I feel like most things in my life are half done right now. For example,

• half ready - I either get my hair done or make-up each day but I usually don't have time for both
• half decorated - my house is coming together little by little. Mckenna's room is half done, and so is my living room. (I have barely even thought about the bedroom.)
• half paid bills - self explanatory
• half done laundry - currently in progress
• half done schooling - I'm not fond of summer because I feel like I need something else to be doing. I actually want to go back to school (mostly so I can finish). Next summer will be worse though, job searching : (
• half cleaned - my house never seems clean, only somewhat cleaned.

Needless to say today is going to be a catch up day. Maybe I'll be able to get a few projects finished and my house clean for Sunday. I just might have to go to Wal-mart tonight and grab some 'title inspired ice cream' and spend a little quality time with Ben, Jerry, & Skyler. : )

Happy weekend!

This Old House

First things first, this is what we did tonight : ) Mckenna went swinging for the first time.


Another precursor to what this post was originally about,

This is what I get to do every night before bed (and every time this baby gets too dirty). Jealous? You should be : )

Just hanging, waiting for some company I guess : )

Happy baby!

We have officially put all the boxes and furniture in the house, but most of it is still not unpacked and not in its right place. I got to see our new place the day before we moved everything in. I was so excited when I saw this,


and this is why : ) Thanks Jenn for the inspiration!

Another project I like by Eddie Ross. Mine will probably look more like his. I like the ease of the kitchen towels.

Another thing I LOVE, our doors. We have some of the original doors to the house, which was built around 1940 or 1950...we're not sure which. I want to take them with me when we leave. : ) (Pictures to come.)

Goodwill half off Saturday tomorrow! Hopefully I'll find some great items to blog about.

It's almost here!

We're moving...tomorrow!!! :-)

Good thing it's summer

Last Saturday was eventful, to say the least. First the good news, my dear friend Kara and Mckenna and myself went to Goodwill for half off Saturday. Big find of the day, a great little dresser for Mckenna's room, $7.50. It is in need of a paint job, but that will be easy, especially since I recently found out my father-in-law has a paint sprayer! I'm excited! It'll be about 5 times faster than painting with a brush.

Now to the bad news, our neighbor, lovely man that he is, left another threating message directed toward my husband and me. After talking with our parents we decided to move into my parent's home again for a little over two weeks. Our lease is almost up, and we were already planning on moving. We got ASU to change our move in date, just two weeks early, but we'll take it. We've done the "living at parent's house" thing before and it has many pros and cons. More help, way less space. And right now I want space. I'm just thinking of it as a vacation, living out of a suitcase, not having to cook dinner every night and clean up...this could be nice. And it's summer, I can spend my days in the pool if I want. (Well maybe only 30 minutes a day so I don't fry.) : )

More good news, this unexpected move out means I get to move in to our new house 2 weeks early! Two more weeks to organize and decorate before school starts. Two more weeks to find a couple of babysitters in our new ward. Yes, I am slightly excited. : )

Piano Tribute

I starting taking piano lesson when I was 5 years old. It is safe to say that the piano has been one of my first loves. Like most kids I complained about taking piano lessons, but I secretly loved it. I wish I had been more diligent in high school and continued lessons, but alas it was not to be. (I studied voice instead, another one of my first loves.) Since I was so in love with the piano I always wanted one when I "grew up". But pianos are expensive. As I got older I realized I would need to make a special trip to my parent's house if I wanted to play my beloved instrument.

(This is the part in movies where the scene fades and we skip to married life.)

My in-laws have a gorgeous player piano. Like the kind you see in old western movies at the saloon.

To make a long story short, just after we were married this piano ended up living in our 400 sq foot apartment. It was a tight fit, but I was still so excited to have a piano. In a few weeks time this piano will have a new home!!! (I'm so excited to have some extra space!!!) A place where it can breathe and shine like the incredible piece that it is.

Now this piano is not perfect. E flat doesn't work, it needs to be tuned, and the pedals are broken. (The damper pedal is stuck.) But someday we will get it all fixed up and working so our kids can complain about having to take piano lessons. : )

Currently on my piano, Ben Folds and a large print Hymn Book. When we move the display on top will be revamped also...I'm thinking a collection of mis-matched picture frames from the dollar store (though they might need some TLC via Michaels) and my storage boxes...or maybe a large picture hanging above...so many ideas

The Best Two Years

No, I'm not talking about a mission, last week was my two year wedding anniversary. And it has been the best two years : ) Marriage certainly has it's challenges, ups and downs, but it's all worth it. In the past two years we've...

• gone to Disneyland : )
• completed 6 semesters of schooling
• been all over the west coast; Utah, California, Nevada, Oregon, Idaho, and Washington
• had one infected root canal
• eaten about a dump truck full of ice cream : )
• suffered 3 stomach flus
• gone to 8 temple weddings
• eaten at the Space Needle and A Different Point of View
• made cinnamon rolls twice
• gone to girls camp
• moved 3 times, soon to be 4
• collected 17 "I was fed by Ned" cups
• bought 3 motorcycles and one suburban
• gone to 2 midnight showings
• sung 2 duets in church
• found one cockroach (new development from this morning)
• bought 3 pieces of furniture (the rest were hand-me-downs)
• had 4 Thanksgiving dinners
• been on 2 dates with the Percivals
• watched all the movies on our "Movies we need to watch" list
• had one beautiful baby girl

And many more things. I love being married to my best friend. We stay up late talking almost every night. I can't imagine life without him; I've tried, it doesn't work. : )

Lonny

So, I've been recently obsessed with design. All the design blogs on my reading list have been featuring the new Lonny magazine. And I must say, it is to DIE for! I didn't get very far yet and don't have time to figure out photos right now because we are heading to Snowflake shortly. You should check it out! When we get back I will be doing a couple posts about this amazing-ness! Have a great weekend!

Bittersweet

Passing on is bittersweet.

My Grandma Russell passed away today. Even though I will miss her dearly, she gets to be with Grandpa again. My grandparents were two of the most amazing people I ever met. They had one of the most amazing marriages. I remember Grandpa telling me about their first fight. They went to bed without resolving the fight and Grandpa felt so bad that he promised to not ever have that happen again. I do not think they ever had another 'fight'. Disagreements for sure, but they always worked everything out. Even after more than 50 years of marriage they would hold hands when a prayer was said. They were a very happy couple. I hope to someday be as great of an example as they were.

Birthdays

Today is my 21st birthday! Today I was reflecting on how birthdays change from when we are kids, teens, and then adults. Here is what I came up with.

As kids we want cakes made out of our favorite TV characters, parties with bright streamers and balloons, and lots of presents. A barbie or hot wheels car will do nicely. : )

As teenagers, sometimes birthdays aren't even 'cool' but if they are we want a huge party with tons of friends and food and of course cake!

As adults, things seem to change. (at least being a mom) Instead of getting a cake made for us, we have to make the cake if we want one. We get excited for presents like being able to pay bills and getting the a/c in the car fixed! (I was super excited for this one!) Birthday dinner is the extent of partying, and going to bed early sounds like the best thing in the world.

My favorite part of my birthday is that it is the day after my husbands. (I only have to make one cake for the two of us : ) ) The last two days have been wonderful...except for the little episode where our neighbor blew up and swore at Skyler for about ten minutes...but I'll save that story for another day. I hope everyone had a wonderful week! I know I did : )

Swap Til You Drop!

I saw this ridiculously awesome idea in a blog, (I wish I knew how to hyperlink or whatever you use to get from my page to hers...so technology impaired here!), about a swap party. It featured in Better Homes and Gardens Magazine, January 2010. http://windhula.blogspot.com/2010/02/swap-till-you-drop.html
(Well I think I figured out how to do that...not exactly what I had in mind but not bad... : ))

I would love to host one, but it'll be about 3 months before I can. Our current abode can only fit about 6 people in the living room at one time, and that's a tight squeeze. But as soon as we move, and I have a chance to spruce up the lonely commercial tile and once stark white walls (oh the joys of renting) I will be sending out facebook invites. (the joys of technology)

Food, friends, getting rid of old things and finding something new? sounds like an excellent party to me! (Sounds like a good place to put some duplicate wedding presents without receipts to use!)

Be the Best You Challenge

Be the best you summer challenge! May 17 - August 17, 2010

Today is the first day, and well, lets say I'm not off to a very good start. Here is the list of things I'm trying to do each day.

• Drink 48 oz of water - DONE!
• Floss teeth - Will be done in the next 20 minutes : )
• 45 minutes of exercise - I had such good intentions for this one : ( Maybe tomorrow (I also added go to church to this one for Sundays)
• 2 servings of fruits and 2 of veggies - I need to get to the store for this one to get done : ) I did eat lettuce on my sub, and my concrete had berries in it...just not enough for two servings
• No soda - Check! I'm not a huge fan of soda anyway and I can't have caffine which is the only reason I ever buy a soda, for a burst of energy to get me through a class
• no sweets or fast food - I'm thinking of changing this one...some days I just need some ice cream, and thats one of the only ways I get enough calcium for my baby
• No eating after 8 - Crap I forgot about this one! Maybe tomorrow
• Pray Twice a day - Check!
• Read Scriptures 15 minutes a day - DONE!
• Write in journal - I'm using blogging for this too because I always blog when I feed Mckenna, I have a hard time writing in a journal while doing this. (Maybe a word document journal....)
• Express specific appreciation, love, or praise - DONE!
• No grungy wife! (This is translating to "Can I leave the house looking like this?") - Check!
• Making sure the dishes are done before I go to bed - Give me 5 minutes! (This is one thing that never seems to get done around here.)

9 out of 13...not bad...but I can do better.

If anyone else wants to jump in, do it! It's easier to do things together : )

Disneyland!

Or as my husband says, di-nee-land! The happiest place on earth, so naturally I need to create a top ten for this magical avenue : ) ( These are not in any specific order.)



1. Splash Mountain

For some reason, Splash Mountain was always closed when I went. We usually went during spring break and they closed it every year right before California's spring break which was during our trip : ( It's one of my favorite rides. Seeing who can get wet in the the most awkward places...priceless : )

2. Matterhorn

Classic! One of the earliest rides to open in Disneyland that is still operating.

3. Churros

One word, Yum!!!

4. Pirates of the Caribbean

Again, Classic! They redid the entire ride to include characters from the movie. Disneyland is one of the few places in the world that can redo something and have it still be amazing! : )


5. Thunder Mountain Railroad

Colleen and I rode this ride about 6 times in a row, in 30 minutes. We got in early one morning and that's all Colleen wanted to do.

6. Space Mountain

I didn't ride this one until I was 17 because it was always closed for repairs! Always!

7. Tram ride from the parking lot

This is in here because of the story behind it. When Colleen was four years old we were riding on the tram when she turned to my mom and said, "This is the best ride ever!"

8. Autopia

David's favorite ride! ...and my mom's least favorite...It would be yours too if David was driving. He drives like any kid thinks a car drives, moving the steering wheel right and left and right and left every few seconds. But it's so fun to see the look on his face, pure joy : )

9. Shopping

Yes most of the stuff you buy at Disneyland will sit on a self and you wont use it again, and everything is extremely expensive : ( but it's still so amazing!

10. Magic

Disneyland is magical! The shops, the lands, the characters, everything! Disneyland is a place where you can forget about all worries and become a kid again. (That is until you realize how old you are because you need a nap at one in the afternoon.) I can't wait until the day that we can take Mckenna and she'll be able to experience the magic : )