Who knew being sick could be so nice?

It's mid July and I have a cold. Completely bites. I'm achy, dizzy, and can't swallow anything for the life of me. Yeah, sounds wonderful, huh? I even managed to get Nate sick. Can't say I'm terribly surprised, being how we don't exactly stay away from each other. I feel HORRIBLE about getting Nate sick as well. But there is a silver lining to this all. Nate calls me up this morning and tells me he doesn't think he's going to work because of how sick he feels. So, I told him if he didn't go to work, to come on over so we could spend the day together, even though we're sicker than dogs and can hardly move. So, Nate called in and came over. We pretty much spent the entire day just holding each other and trying to do little things to make the other feel better. We watched movies, took a nap together, watched Katelyn run around like crazy, and just held each other. If you look at it in a productive sense, we did absolutely NOTHING. But it was a GREAT day! I didn't know doing nothing could feel so great! When you're sick, there's nothing better than being held in someone's arms, as if to say "It's all going to be okay." Who knew being miserably sick could feel so nice? :)

Alas...Success!

It's official! Katelyn is virtually potty trained! I say virtually because she is still waking up wet in the morning, but while she's awake she's using the toilet with no accidents! Once I decided I had my last straw with diapers and Katelyn not being potty trained anymore, it went rather fast and she caught on right away.

Monday night I went to the store to pick up a package of diapars because I only had a couple left. While there, I decided that I was going to buy a package of underwear for her for motivation. The second I put them in her hand, she was fascinated! I told her that if she used the potty, that she could wear the "big girl panties". The next morning we started up with that process! Two accidents the first day (which I actually kind of wanted to happen, so she would know what it was like to be a mess lol), one the second day, and none yesterday! Wednesday (day #2) she was already taking the initiative to go on her own. She'd start sprinting to the bathroom and say "Mommy, I'll be right back. I have to go potty!" I was utterly surprised, but very pleased none the less! Because she took to potty training a lot quicker than I expected, I went back to the store and returned the diapers, so that I could get more underwear for her. Again, she was SOOOOOO excited to have panties, she was showing everyone who would look her new fashion accessories. "Look! I got new panties", she'd tell everyone. All the people in the store thought she was so cute. Here she is modeling off her new, diaper-less look:


Proud of her big girl panties


I think she's about to bust into song! Haha!

I'm so thrilled we have FINALLY reached this milestone in her life! I've been so concerned about it for the past, well, year really. My concerns were even much more magnified when I went to a parenting class where they stated that divorces can hinder a child's potty training, to what my initial thought was "oh, GREAT!" Anyway, my worries have now been relieved! YEA!

Speaking of potty training, though, I stumbled upon this beauty. I don't know whose idea it was to call this a potty training aide. I think it looks more like a torture device. I mean, really, are the arm and leg straps all that necessary?!?! LOL ;)



"Okay, dear! Your father and I are going out tonight. You all strapped into your chair? Okay, we'll be back later! Have fun, honey!"

BWAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!

Chillin, grillin, and fireworks!

First of all, I want to thank all of you who have offered up your help and connections in regards to the upcoming (well, we sure hope so!) wedding! Your help has made things much easier in planning. Even if it's just been your encouragement, it's been a great help and booster to me :)

This is my belated 4th of July post. A lot of fun things occurred over the past week and now it's time to let you all know!

Last Thursday was the start of the holiday weekend for Nate and I. He had the day off and I was sucking all his attention because he's currently gone this week in Oregon. Can't say that I'm jealous or anything......well that's a lie! Anyway, we goofed around for the day and then Nate and I went with my family up to the fireworks at Eaglewood, usually a tradition for people around these parts. For the most part we sat around and did a whole lot of nothing while we staked out our spot (the best part lol). Of course we did talk and what not, which is always great when you're with the fam. About an hour or so before the fireworks started, some friends of Nate and I from high school, Joseph and Maren, met up with us and we had a re-bonding session LOL. It was SO good to see them after so long! Hope to see you guys a lot more in the future! We can be totally cheezy and do double dates....just like in high school! Sweet.

Friday we did more bumming around (holidays are wonderful, aren't they?) and then went to a BBQ in my dad's neighborhood. We did your traditional chillin and grillin mingled with some fireworks. Good times.

Saturday (after Nate left to Oregon and 4 in the freakin AM) Keegan, Sami, and I headed up to Park City. Friday I had discovered that Lance, Verlin, and ALL (minus Mr. Jeffrey) were in Park City, so we decided to meet up! We headed over to their condo just in time for breakfast. After a delicious breakfast (thanks Verlin!!!) we went over to the Alpine Slide and played around. After playing around the mountain for a couple hours, we went back to the condo to take in some swimming. Needless to say, after Saturday I became lobster lady! First good sunburn of the year, it was bound to happen! This was the only time this weekend I managed to bust out the camera and take some pics, but enjoy!



















All and all, I would most definitely rate this 4th of July weekend a success! I managed to drag Nate to the fireworks, spent time with the family, and had some good times! Score.

Wedding update

So I had almost an emotional breakdown in conjunction with planning this wedding today. I'm trying so hard to get everything ready that I can possibly do without having a date set. Because when it's set, it's going to go quick! Anyway, this blog is kind of a kill two birds with one stone thing. Many of you have been asking how the wedding plans are going and I also need to see it physically before my eyes to show myself that I actually am accomplising something!

Well, the invite list is coming along. I'm trying frantically to get a hold of everyone to get their addresses and I only pray that I can get in touch with everyone before they need to go out. So here's your hint people: get them to me! LOL. But it's starting to look more like a list rather than a list of people with a bunch of blank spaces.

I went to the alteration place yesterday to drop off my dress. I'm using Melissa's dress from when she got married to my dad. The dress fits me just great until you get to the busom area. Melissa and I are like night and day when it comes to our boobs (thank you genetics! ha!), so I need a corset put into the dress so that my boobs can get in. I'd probably have to do that with any dress that I got, because, well yeah, the aforementioned reasons. Anyway, it's going to be done August 14th, which I'm slightly dissapointed at. I would love to have it done sooner, so that it opened up August for wedding days and also getting my bridals done, but the way it's looking, we're probably not going to get married before then because we still are awaiting for that infamous letter.

As a lot of you know, engagement pictures are done and ready to go! I've been working with Summer (from MoMoz) on getting the annoucement put together. She is my hero right now with these announcements! I was wondering how on earth we were going to pay for announcements for a bizillion people and her sweet offer to put it together for free and then the option I have for getting them printed, it's going to save me a fortune AND it's the kind of announcement I was wanting to get in the first place so yea! I still have to hold off on the wording, having no date and all. Currently what I've got written up looks like a Mad Lib. LOL.

I'm also working on finding someone to do my hair. The gal who used to do my hair has fallen off the face of the planet since I had my move to Idaho and back, so I have begun a new search! Rachel has a friend who did her hair for her wedding, so I'm crossing my fingers that she will be able to do mine, because I REALLY would like to have someone do it that at least knows people that I know. I really don't want to walk into a salon and have some stranger try to understand what I want.

Nate and I are frantically looking for locations for our reception. UGH. I think the reason it's proven to be so difficult is because I want it to be outside so BAD! We thought we found the perfect location at a nearby park, but now we're got to go back and check to see if there is power to the pavillion!!! Kinda need that for the music and wedding video. Go figure.

Speaking of music, yea for Graydon to agreeing to help me out in that department! Another hero! Just need to sift through his MASSIVE list of music to get all the selections made! That and of course finding a place with POWER to actually play the stuff. ;)

Decorations and linens. Oh boy. That's been fun. I had it all planned out what I wanted to do for centerpieces and of course after doing some math and browsing on the internet, I can rent them a heck of a lot cheaper than buying the stuff on my own. Go figure! So now I've got to track down wedding rental companies, meet with them, and see what I like. Hopefully I can find a company that will have the linens AND centerpieces I want. Any suggestions on where to go would be greatly appreciated!

Flowers. That's kinda been started. Hopefully Wendy (Melissa's cousin) will still be able to do those. Pray, pray, pray!

Okay, wow. I suppose I'm getting stuff done, but it just feels like I'm trying to crawl out of a hole and getting nowhere. I suppose it's getting done, slowly but surely!

Day in Malad

Last Saturday I went to Malad with my dad, Melissa, and the kids....minus Keegan and Katelyn (who is still with he-who-shall-not-be-named LOL). On our way up we stopped at Smith and Edwards, which is the best store in the world! I picked up a bandana and some candy. You can't leave that store and not hit the candy aisle! They have all the candy that you had as a kid and you never see in the store anymore. Speaking of, Caryn, they have Cry Babies!!! You can get like 20 for a buck!

Anyway, we headed on up to Malad where we went to the Welsh festival. For a small town festival, it was pretty cool. We got to try some real Welsh food, watch some dancing, and look at a bunch of fun Welsh items. Everyone was so friendily....I think they could tell that we weren't locals haha.

After we spent a bit of time at the festival, we headed up to my dad's and Dan and Rae's property, which is just outside of town. Dan had been spending all day working on the property, so he was up there too. The kids went and darted around on the dirtbikes and 4-wheelers, which was funny to watch Oriahna and Sami be all timid with the mini 4-wheeler going up and down the mountain. I eventually joined my dad, Dan, and Rae working on the property. I became assistant girl while helping getting some of the sprinklers in for the trees. It was a hot day that day, even for Malad! Later on Jaylan encountered a rattlesnake and he wouldn't leave it be, so Dan had to go kill it (by chopping its head off with a shovel) so the kids wouldn't get hurt. Not to mention, Rae has a standing kill order for any rattlesnakes that won't leave the property. Here's the snake!



Here are some other pictures from the day too.....


Welsh dancing


The property


Jefferson after buzzing around on the dirtbike


Me inside the motor home trying to beat the heat!


Watching the guys work lol


Sunset!

All and all, it was a fun day. Ended up with a little bit of sun after playing and working hard! Being in Malad reminded me how much I miss living in Idaho, but hopefully someday I'll get back there!

A few of my favorite things

I'm taking a page from the book of Miss Rachel and have decided to dedicate a blog to just some of my favorite things in life. I've been stressing out so much with watching and waiting for a letter from the First Presidency, planning a wedding, and then having Katelyn gone for the next 1-1/2 weeks with the sperm donor...I just need to think about the things in life that make me happy!

• Fireworks. I'm such a kid at heart. I love fireworks! I think this also includes all that leads up to the actual shooting off of fireworks. The barbeques, running into old friends, hanging with the family, and then of course the firework show itself. The nostalgia of it all just brings a great feeling. I dig it. ;)

• Pedicures. Before I ever got my first pedicure, I always found them a bit creepy. I didn't want a stranger manhandling my feet! That's just wrong! I can't even remember the first time I actually got a pedicure, but I finally did and fell in love. They are fantastic! Pedicurists make my toes look much prettier than I could ever do so! I even got a pedicure the day I came home from the hospital with Katelyn. Well, you would too if you had been on bed rest for almost 6 weeks.

• A Healthy Relationship! I never knew what being treated like a princess was, until I started dating Nate. When I was married prior, I maybe had one romantic gesture come my way once a year and even at that it was a pretty dismal attempt. Nate loves me and all of me. It's unconditional and never-ending. Even though it took coming from a dark place with the saddest of relationships to have the amount of appreciation I do for my relationship with Nate, I am insanely happy. I think I am more grateful for it than I would have been without my past experiences.

• Dr. Pepper. Delicious. Anybody who knows me knows that if you want to cheer me up, bring me a Dr. Pepper! In fact, the other day Nate knew I was having a bad day (I don't even remember what it was about). I was frustrated and stressed. He came over after he got off work and what was in hand? Of course, a Dr. Pepper! I had a smile plastered on my face before he could even put it in my own hands.

• Cruises. The best kind of vacation on the planet! Why? You don't have to hunt down a hotel, plan every meal, and you have plenty of time to.......RELAX! Oh, riiiiiggghhht! What you're SUPPOSED to do on a vacation! I've only been on one, but it was fantastic! Just thinking about Nate and I going on ours in October is enough to cheer me up out of any funk. If that's enough, just imagine what I'll be feeling like when I'm actually there!

• Rain. This can't be a terrible surprise, since I am an Oregon native. What you all call "rain" in Utah, are mere sprinkles opposed to real rain. I would love to just sit inside on a rainy day, curl up, and just watch it rain all day long. Throw in some hot chocolate and someone to cuddle with, and it's the best :)

• Katelyn. She does some of the funniest things that make me laugh. I love it when I want to sleep in a little bit and she'll crawl into bed to "snug" (snuggle) me. I also love hearing to her talk up a storm. She'll have a 10-minute conversation and I'll only be able to understand about half, but it's hilarious to hear her go on and on, even if it is just jabbering. She also likes to help me cook in the kitchen. She's getting so big!

• Scrapbooking. Because I've always wanted and artistic outlet and pretty much sucked at all forms of art, scrapbooking is it for me. I love doing it. I can't wait for the day that I can dedicate an entire room to this passion of mine.

• Steak. I've always loved steak, but I've noticed as of late that is has fallen into my list of comfort food. If I'm having a bad day, what do I want? A steak! In fact, the other day Nate and I both had typical Mondays. We were deciding what to eat for dinner and I couldn't have been more excited with my idea...a light night BBQ with steak and potatoes! It was fantastic, and quite comforting I might add!

• Random drives. It's a shame that gas is so expensive right now, because there is nothing better than jumping in the car and just taking a drive to nowhere. Growing up my family used to do it all the time. It's so fun just to watch everything go by and not actually be rushing to an actual location.

Painful tales of the IRS

Okay, so none of us are ever happy with the IRS, but filing my taxes this year takes the cake! Here's a little backstory.....

I claimed the EIC (Earned Income Credit) on my taxes. I had every right to because Katelyn lived with me last year and my income allowed me to do so. I went over this a million times to make sure that I qualified. Anyway, I filed my taxes and expected quite a hefty return, $3000 to be exact, of which I fully plan on using all of it to pay for my wedding and honeymoon in the coming months. So I waited, waited, and waited for my refund to hit my bank account. I was also waiting for my rebate too! So the day comes that I expect my rebate to hit my bank account, so I expected my return to hit too! What do I come to see? A measly $155 sitting in there! WTF?!?!?!?!?!?! So I get rather confused, but decide to wait a day or two before I blow to see what the IRS had to say when the mailed the letter explaining that dismal amount. I get the letter and it says I didn't qualify for the EIC because I wasn't old enough. WRONG IRS! Right on their own stupid website it states that the age requirement doesn't apply if you have a qualifying child, which I did. So I call the IRS today. I tell them what happened and they're baffled that they would make such a mistake! Yeah, because I see the halos sitting over your heads. HA! So the lady on the phone tells me that I didn't file the form needed to get the credit. WRONG AGAIN! I went over that a billion times too in my taxes. It said I didn't HAVE TO! BAH! So, to make the peace, I say fine. I'll file the stupid form. I just want my damn money!

One day, I'll go and stand outside the IRS and just flip the entire building off all day (brilliant idea courtesy of Jeff Dunham and Walter). I mean, seriously. What are they good for? Oh yes. ABSOLUTELY NOTHING! Argh.