Thanksgiving and random updates

So i am way behind about posting Thanksgiving but oh well. We went up to salt lake the day before and stayed with some of our good friends. On Thanksgiving wew had two houses to go to. First we went to Adams Grandmothers house. We ate with his grandma, sisters, neices, father and his girlfriend. I con honestestly say its in the top 3 worst Thanksgivings ever. Next we went to my moms and had not your typical Thanksgiving which is good when you have 3 turkey dinners you have to eat. She made the normal sides but had ribs and brisket as the main dish. Adam and I were so tired from the chaos we had experienced at the first houae we could narely keep our eyes open. The day after Thankagiving Adam participated in a Christmas Parade he has been in for years as a Shriner. We then went up to my dads where we had turkey day left overs and just relaxed. To finish off the day and the trip some friends had a little get together for us so we could see a lot of our friends in one stop. We headed out on Saturday back to Cortez. It was good to see our family and friends especially since we wont be seeing them at Christmas because we are going to Arkansas to see my biological mom.
Adams job is going well. We should be finding out in the next week or so if we will be moving to Denver or Killeen, Texas. we are really hoping and praying for the TX job because its a 2 year project and we would really like to be able to call somewhere home for more then just the summer which would be the case if we went to Denver. The other upside to TX is that Adam would be home every night instead of for maybe a day on the weekend.
CJ ia working on standing without any support so I think he will be walking soon. Katie is still working on potty training but the holidays are throwing her off a bit.
Sorry no pictures. I am doing this post from my new phone, my early Christmas gift from Adam, and I dont know how to get pictures on yet. So hopefully next post I can figure it out and hopefully we will have an exciting announcement, as to where we will be moving.

4 Years

Wednesday 4 years ago Adam and I were sealed in the Salt Lake Temple. We were not able to do anything special since Adam is working over 2 hours away but we still were able to remember the day.





Today also marks 5 years since our first date.

I love you Adam!

9 months

On Wednesday CJ turned 9 months. Even though he drives me completely nuts some days by how mischievous he is (as you can tell from the picture below) I still love him to death.

He climbs on this desk so many times a day I lose track.

How could I ever get upset at this ADORABLE face

He stole Katie's sucker and as you can tell is really enjoying it

Halloween

I didn't get very many pictures on Halloween and the kids didn't even get to go trick-or-treating cause we went down to visit Adam on the reservation because he only had one day off work. So I felt bad Katie didn't get to go but I wasn't planning on missing all the kids in the neighborhood coming by, which I was told was around 500, so I guess she will have plenty of candy till next Halloween.

As you can tell Katie was completely against pictures this day but she still looked cute!

CJ who was having one of his typical happy days didn't mind his costume at all.
(Katie wore this last year but hated it)

Hopefully I will do better next year with the pictures. No promises

Not much happenin'

There really isn't much going on here with us in Cortez. Adam comes home some obscure hour on Friday night and leaves Sunday morning then its just the kids and I the rest of the week. Katie has always missed Adam when he goes to work but the last few weeks she has realized that she wont see him for days so she cries when he leaves and a few times during the week and is always saying she misses him and that she wants to talk or play with dad. Its completely heartbreaking but its just what has to happen. Cyrus seems to be just growing and moving by leaps and bounds. He is crawling every where, pulling himself up on all the furniture and trying to do stairs. All of that happened in about a week.

So here are some recent pictures of the kids. Enjoy!

She always wears her sunglasses upside down

Trying out the stairs

First time taking a bath together. They had lots of fun.

Kids update

Last week I went up to Salt Lake to do a few quick visits and to take the kids for their a few checkups. Overall it was a fun trip but really tiring doing the 6 hour drive on my own with the kids and then having a week of them being off their normal schedule, plus Katie was sick with a runny nose when we left and CJ got sick with a major cough and sore throat with a high fever.
So I know CJ is a big kid and is gonna be a big man but its still always fun to hear the percentages on where they are at. Just for a reference Katies stats first. She is 32.4 lbs and 36" tall. CJ who is 18 months younger then her is 28.5 lbs and 30" tall. This just at times seems crazy to me knowing that they are 18 months apart but so close in size. Katie's vocabulary is growing so fast every day and she is one little girl so full of life and personality. We have slowly been working on potty training but she is not someone who will be forced into anything she doesn't wanna do. CJ is rolling/army crawling everywhere. He is getting into everything he can reach and pull himself up on. I am still trying to figure out how to baby proof what a toddler does.
Here are just a few recent pictures of them. I love the one of Katie, it really shows just how full of it she is.

Yoga

So I got myself a new video to go along with my other video so I can alternate and get the max out of my workouts and to not get bored. Plus I feel having a yoga video to focus on toning and balance will be great to go along with my cardio video to really get my heart rate up, work on my endurance and help build muscle strength. I used to do yoga when I was a life guard at a rec center because it was free to me and some of my fellow life guards would join in. It was a GREAT work out and I always felt better physically but also mentally and emotionally because I was able to really focus on my body and on my breathing. I did my first yoga workout this morning and like years ago I feel great both body and mind.

Next on my things to get is an actual yoga mat cause carpet makes it a little difficult then I will get a scale to help me track my progress more.

On a side note, Katie had almost outgrown her car seat and CJ was extremely to big for an infant carrier, and way to heavy to carry in one also. So today CJ got Katies old seat while she got a newer bigger one. The only issue is she has been in her old seat since she was 6 months old and is having issues giving it up. Lets see how long it takes for a 2 yr old to adjust to something new.

My Kiddo's

These two are my life! They make me smile, laugh, wonder what in the world they are thinking, entertain me and drive me absolutely crazy and frustrate me to no end at times too but I couldn't imagine a happier life.

Here are a few new pictures

He looks so much like Adam. Don't you think?

She is such a total DIVA!!!

Work out #2

Today was my second time doing my exercise routine this week. I decided it would be better to start off every other day then to dive right in to it. Plus, yesterday I could barely walk up the stares or stand back up from the floor my legs were so sore. I am trying to figure out the best time of the day to work out at. I am at a lack of sleep already so I am not going to wake up before the kids to wake up and do it, nap time is usually my time to clean up the house and actaully sit for a few minutes and with a 2 yr old and a 6 month old there isn't much time to take 30 min and not give them my full attention.

One thing I like about this video is how much it focuses on the legs. My legs were always one of my favorite things about myself no matter what I thought the rest of my body looked like. They were strong and powerful. I used to be able to squat more weight in high school then half the football team. I have no idea how much weight I could do now but I am sure its not near as much. This video is really going to get my legs back in great ton with all the squats and lunges which is one thing that really keeps me going.

I think I want to get another video that focuses more on toning then cardio so I can alternate days and really keep myself pumped up about doing this.

2 kids later...

So I have decided I am SOOO not one of those women who can have a kid and within a week or less look perfect again. I have never been skinny but according to some research by someone the average woman in the us is like a 14. So for quite a few years I was average, I can deal with that but after 2 kids it has put a toll on my body. Seeing pictures of myself now and looking in the mirror is so utterly depressing. After being in the hospital and having my gallbladder removed it was a major wake up call. I have had to change my diet to low fat or deal with the consequences. I have enjoyed eating healthier and have felt a lot better. The next step to eating healthier is exercising. So I bought myself a video because trying to get to a gym is near impossible not just because of 2 kids but also cause the only one here in Cortez is Curves and I don't have a double jogging stroller so I cant really go on walks or runs that easily with the kids. I am not going to admit how much I weigh but I am wanting to lose 40lbs. So I am going to help keep myself on track by admitting my progress on here. One of my friends has set his goal 10 lbs at a time which I think is a lot better of an idea. 40 seem huge compared to 10 so 4 sets of 10 will be a whole lot easier, I hope. The only problem right now is I need to get a scale so until then I will go by how my clothes fit. If I can get myself back into clothes I wore when Adam and I were dating I will be ecstatic and again I will be back to the "average" woman. If I have to go buy new smaller pants that would be like the greatest!!! But the most important thing is for me to be healthy so I can be with my kids as long as possible.

Day 1: the video was a lot harder then I thought it was going to be. I thought I would be able to do all 3 levels and be tired but not struggle to much. It was very disapointing to get through level 1 and be exhausted.

I will get there. It is NOT an option.

Seriously, so blessed

I came upon one of the funniest blogs I have seen. You should know that it's a satirical blog and that the woman writing it is making fun of all the 'Mormon Mommy,' bloggers out there. You know..the moms who complain incessantly about pregnancy, husbands, teething, homemade baby food they insist on making but complaining about, etc. And the mom's who use a lot of creativity going into their blog posts. Yes, sometimes I am in that category too. I am always up for a good laugh about those way to up tight Mormons who believe more in the keeping up with the "Jones's" and looking the like most perfect, guaranteed celestial kingdom people in their ward instead of being focused on their own spirituality. For any of you that know me really welll I am so far from the typical Molly Mormon. Its bad to say that I do swear on occasion, watch movies that do go along with the normal standard, have definitely had my 'experimental stage' away from the church and so many other things that I really don't need to go on about. So if any of you feel that you can laugh at the so called so 'perfect mormon moms' out there go to her blog.

If you wanna see something funny on her blog scroll all the way down to her tickers at the bottom of her page.

Family

So a few years ago I more then doubled the size of my family when I met my biological family. Both of my parents were very young when I was born and decided it would be best to let me go for a few years. Almost a year after Adam and I got married we found my parents. It was crazy to think that for more then half my life they were no more then a few hundred miles away from me in Grand Junction, CO. I have really enjoyed getting to know all of them.

A few weeks ago it was my great grandmothers on my moms side 100th birthday/family reunion. So we headed on up to go to that and see all of the family.

This is all my family on my biological mothers side

My great grandmother, grandma, grandpa, mom, step dad, brothers (Greg, Devon, Trent, Brandon) Adam, kids and me

Mom, step dad, brothers (Brandon, Devon, Greg and Trent)
Adam, kids and me

CJ and his Grandpa Steve (my moms husband)
(they share the same birthday)

CJ and his Grandma (my mom)

I didn't get any pictures with my dad, his wife and my brother this time. They are also in Grand Junction and we got to hang out with them too.

I always wondered where I came from, what my family was like, if I had any siblings. I am so lucky I was able to find my family and that we have been able to get to know eachother and talk about what happened all the years we were seperated.

2!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY
KATIE!!!!!

My little girl is 2 today. Katie is such a fun girl. Bringing her into this world was not an easy task but she has made every day since then full of joy. She is so smart and is constantly learning new things. Katie is always saying "hi" to anyone and brings a smile to their face. She is full of attitude and will tell you off if you aren't doing something she wants. She is a great big sister to CJ and I know she will be to any other siblings she has. She is totally obsessed with Adam. "Daddy" is the first thing out of her mouth in the morning and is repeated to many times to count throughout the rest of the day. Some of her favorite things to do are: swinging, sliding, going on walks, coloring, helping me cook, playing with CJ, jumping on the trampoline and those are just a few. Some of her nicknames are: bird, pig, babe and sissy.

Here are a few of my favorite pictures of Katie over the past 2 years









We love you Katie. Happy Birthday Babe!!!

6 months!!

CJ is 6 months old today. He has gone from just being my little boy (8.5 lbs) to my BIG boy (25 lbs) He brings so much joy to our lives. Katie is completely obsessed with him and loves being a big sister. He gets so happy to see Adam when he comes home every weekend. He is always smiling and laughing. He rolls around the whole room any time I lay him down on the ground, is so close to crawling and he is sitting up really well on his own now.

From this

To this

and this

and this

Cyrus is so full of life and love. He brings an amazing spirit into our home. We are so happy to have our "little" boy in our life.

What a week

So last week was a really long week. On Monday morning I got really sick right before Adam had to go to work. As the morning hours went by I got even sicker. My neighbor came and grabbed Katie and took her over to her house so I could take a nap to see if it made me feel better. After 2 hours I was feeling even worse so I decided I needed to drive myself to the hospital, not a smart idea. I got CJ in the car and drove the short drive but what seemed like forever to the hospital. Once I got to the hospital I just sat in my car and yelled for help, again I shouldn't of drove myself. Thankfully a man was walking thru the parking lot and went and got a nurse in the ER for me. She came out and brought CJ and I in. After a few minutes they got my pain and nausea under control and started to determine what was wrong. My neighbor who had originally grabbed Katie had no idea what was going on and had passed her on to another woman in the ward to watch.
*Side note
My Aunt from Monticello, 60 miles from Cortez, had been coordinating the people to get Katie and CJ to help me until she got there. I had only met my neighbor once and had never met the woman who my neighbor passed them on to until my aunt got to town. Also CJ had only breastfed up until this all happened so he had to learn how to take a bottle and formula and had no choice in the matter.
While I was in the hospital the woman from my ward who had Katie came and got CJ. Heavenly Father blessed me with CJ while I was at the hospital. He hadn't eaten for over 4 hrs, normal he eats ever 2-3, but while I was there yelling and as sick as could be he just sat there smiling and cooing. They took me to get an ultrasound and determined I had gallstone pancreatitis. After only 3 hrs in the ER which I think is extremely fast they admitted me to the ICU. So I was stuck in the ICU with my kids with my aunt and uncle who they only met once, Adam out of town till the end of the week, no insurance and in a town where I really knew 1 person fairly well. On Tuesday the woman who I am in a play group with and really the only person I know in Cortez took the kids, she has a 2 1/2 yr old and a 6 month old, and kept them till Wednesday when my biological mother who the kids also didn't know that well came in to town from Arkansas. Tuesday they moved me out of the ICU and put me in MED SURG and I waited till Saturday to have my gallbladder removed. Adam arrived into town on Thursday night to help my mom with the kids and to help me feel a lot more at peace about everything that was going on. So Saturday morning I went into surgery and with Heavenly Fathers healing was able to come home that night and have been trying my best to get back into my normal routine with the kids and to start feeling back to normal. It is definitely going to take me some time but I am so happy to be home with my kids. So that was my week last week. I am so happy to be home and I look forward to never having to do that again. I am so grateful to have been blessed with such an amazing ward here in Cortez. I have only been here a month have never met some of the people who have been helping me since last week but would not have made it with out their help. The Lord definitely doesn't send us through our trials alone and will pave the way for everything to be taken care of.

Adjustments

There have been a lot of adjustments in the last few months. We have added a boy to our family, moved to a different state which that in its self bring a ton of new things and have been trying to adjust to Adam being gone (a lot). All but the last one has been really easy to adjust to. We went to being together for almost all the time for 5 months since we were both without a job and now its only on the weekend we see him and soon that will become rare. I am not here to complain about him being gone providing for our family its just a big adjustment. Its so adorable but also so heart wrenching seeing Katie walk around the house saying everything is daddy's and listening and watching her talk on the phone to him or even when she is pretending to talk to him. CJ doesn't know whats going on yet and wont for a while, probably for the best. As for me, I hate going to bed alone every night, I hate not being able to cuddle up with him on the couch and bed or even just play footsie cause we are so hot that we cant sit next to each other, and it sounds really weird but I hate not having him here to cook for and to take care of every night. I have to remember I am lucky that even though he is gone a lot I still get to talk to him on the phone and see him more then some wives get to see or talk to their husbands. This will benefit us so much in the long run but as for right now the only word that comes close to describing it is sucks, it sucks. So as for now I just have to learn how to adjust and remember the good things about all of this.

Fathers Day

Fathers Day was far from what Adam deserved. He had been in Phoenix all week working and got home late Friday night. The weekend was filled with errands, continuing to put the house together and taking care of me and the kids. I woke Saturday morning with the flu and its still making life tough right now. His Fathers Day gift to himself was a new grill, which is really nice. I felt so bad that I was so sick I wasn't even able to cook him a proper Fathers Day meal.

Adam is such a great dad. I have never seen a man work so hard and so long for his family and not have one word of complaint. Now that his job requires him to be away from his kids for periods at a time it has become difficult for all 3 of them. Katie walks around the house pointing out what stuff is daddy's and will go to the door and say daddy over and over again hoping he will walk through the door. When he does get home she grins from ear to ear and will run out to the car to get him. When he calls during the day or at bedtime to say hello she grabs the phone and just talk, making no sense, but still just talking away like she is carrying on a full conversation with him.

Even though CJ is still very young I see him just starring up at Adam admiring him, studying him, and learning from him. I hope CJ grows up having the amazing work ethic Adam has that he can learn to provide for and love his family as much as his father.

Father and son napping

Christmas Morning
(he was so excited for her to open her gifts he woke her up over an hour before she usually gets up)

Out working hard for his kids

I do plan on making up this last weekend for him

Pictures... Finally

We have been in Cortez for 2 weeks now and not much has been going on. I still have some unpacking to do, mainly the bedrooms. I have really been more focused on playing with the kids and enjoying them then getting my house looking like our home, oh well. I joined a play group for the kids, there are 3 boys and 1 girl Katie's age and one girl CJ's age. The kids and I have been going on a walk every day, playing in the sprinklers, jumping on the tramp an enjoying all the space in the house. Adams job is going great, he loves being back to work and has been getting along great with his coworkers. He will be going to the new job site in a week or so which is 2 hrs away in the NE corner of Arizona. It will be tough having him gone since he will be living down there but at least 2 hrs isn't to far away to take the kids down to him.

Here are some pics of the kids from the past few weeks.