Counting My Many Blessings

I can be a snob. Maybe many of you all ready knew this. Maybe I did too. But as I sat in my apartment crying and as I complained about where I lived, I realized I was being a snob. I was told by a good friend, "At least you have a place to live." Well, Keri Beth was right. There are people all over losing their homes and not having enough money to live. So I have to live in an apartment for a little bit longer. So Kevin and I couldn't go house or apartment shopping. At least he was offered a job! I decided to have a better attitude about where I live. It will make the year go by faster. So here are 10 blessings of living in our apartment.

1. It has a nice view. When I look out the windows, I see trees and grass and sometimes even squirrels. There is not a parking lot to be seen.
2. It is close to the swimming pool. In fact there are two swimming pools here.
3. It has brand new carpet. When I try to find Brynnlee's pacifiers under her crib, I can smell the newness of it.
4. There is a pantry. I can fit all of my food plus pans that I wouldn't ordinarily have a place for.
5. I can vacuum it quickly.
6. Toby can live here with us. Colorado Springs is a very pet friendly place.
7. It is close to everything I need.
8. I can easily afford it.
9. There are two bathrooms.
10. Kevin and Brynnlee are here. What else do I really need?

I know I make it sound like I am living in a dump--I'm not. It is just small. And you know what? It's okay!

Sick Babies

Why do babies have to get sick? It is so unfair because they can't even tell you what is wrong. A baby can't say, "Hey Mom my tummy hurts." or "Daddy my gums are killing me." Yes, a baby can give you a sign with crying. But how many reasons are there for a baby to cry?

Last night Brynnlee woke up a couple of times crying. We thought she just wanted her pacifier and couldn't find it. Kevin went into her room a third time and found a disaster. Brynnlee had thrown up. It was everywhere--in her eyes, up her nose, in her hair. We went into action bathing her, changing her sheets, and giving her some Tylenol because she had a fever. We felt horrible, but we had no idea.

It's hard enough being a parent, but when the baby is sick, it's heartbreaking.

A Day at the Park

Now that I am staying home with Brynnlee, I have discovered the joy of spending time at the park. I can go there in the middle of the day if I want. I love it. Kevin and I took Brynnlee to a park in the evening to put her in a swing for the first time. She loved it so much that I took her the next day. This time I brought the camera. We also spent some time on the grass in the shade. We had a great time together.

Brynnlee Update

I just wanted to take a minute and brag about my adorable little girl. Brynnlee is now almost 10 months old. It is so hard to believe how fast time goes by. She started crawling about two months ago and loves to get into everything. Lately she has been taking one of her toys and pushing it along the floor with her. It looks like we better get her a car. She loves to make a mess in the living room. She takes her box of blocks and throws the blocks everywhere. Then she takes the handle of the box and puts her arm through it like it is a purse. It looks like we better get her a purse. Brynnlee is always waving. I don't know if she knows what it means because she waves at everything--her toys, her food, Toby.

She also stands up next to objects. She loves to stand next to the t.v. and touch all of the buttons. Brynnlee also loves to play the piano her cousins Hallie and Hannah gave her. She will stand next to it and wiggle her little bottom and sing with the music.

I think that one of her favorite activities is taking a bath in the evening. She will start to get fussy about 6:00, and the moment we put her in the tub, she laughs and splashes and has a great time. Then when she gets out, she is ready to play again.

Brynnlee has tons of energy and is so fun to be with. She is trying new foods and new sounds. But she is also trying to get away with things. Sometimes I think we may have a little troublemaker on our hands. She is almost throwing fits. She will lie back and start to cry, but usually it doesn't go to far. Brynnlee has a great and adorable personality all ready. She will give everyone a huge smile or crinkle up her nose. Kevin can make her laugh all of the time. The girl loves her dad!

We waited a long time for Brynnlee to come into our life. She was worth the wait!

Colorado Springs or Bust

The day we had been waiting for finally arrived! Kevin was offered an exercise physiologist job at Schriever Air Force Base in Colorado Springs. We had an idea that it would happen, but he was given the firm offer on June 3. Because I had school until June 4, and Kevin was starting June 8, we didn't have time to go apartment hunting. We found one on the Internet and hoped for the best.

Moving of course is always a pain in the rear, but moving out of state it the worst! We had a lot of help from guys in our ward, Kevin's family, and my sisters. Kevin and his brother Justin left with the U-haul on June 5 while Lisa, Jackie, Rylie, and I cleaned the apartment. Let me rephrase that. I didn't clean much of the apartment in the end. Brynnlee was so tired and suddenly needed me to hold her every minute. I owe my sisters a lot.

The next day my mom, Brynnlee, and I headed out to Colorado Springs. I finally got to use the GPS Kevin had purchased in anticipation of the move. Brynnlee was great on the drive, but man does Wyoming take a long time to get through. We finally arrived in Colorado Springs, and I got to see my new home. Yeah, I cried. It is tiny and old and not anything like what I was living in before. I guess my hoping for the best didn't really work out. Kevin and Justin worked hard bringing in all of our stuff--all the stuff that would not fit in this place. My mom and I did our best to stay out of the way. Brynnlee hung on to me for dear life. Every time I would leave the room, she would cry. It was a frustrating few days.

I cried for a week straight. But now that we have all of our furniture in and pictures up, it looks like home in this little apartment. I just have to remind myself that once we get settled and see how Kevin's salary will stretch, we can purchase a house. Who knows--maybe it will be sooner than later. We have to do what we have to do.

I am getting used to being away from Logan, but I still miss it and my family. It is weird to not be able to drive up the road or over the mountain to see our parents. I guess I took them all for granted.

I love all of you and miss you. I can't wait until we get to come and visit.

Let's Party

Kevin's 30th birthday was a great reason to have a party. We invited friends and family to celebrate the big day. Kevin wanted a luau theme. I made pulled pork sandwiches, fruit, and salad for the buffet. It was a fun time. It is always fun to spend time with the people you care about.

Showing Our Aggie Pride

As Kevin was getting ready to graduate from Utah State, he thought it would be a great idea to get pictures of us wearing our Aggie t-shirts. Kevin's mom, Cathy, took us up on campus and took these adorable pictures. Can't you see our Aggie Pride?

Kevin's Big Day

On May 1, 2009, I walked to the Spectrum with Brynnlee. I hadn't been there for a long time-probably years. I was so excited for the event. No, it wasn't a USU basketball game. It was the day that had been six years in the making. Kevin was graduating with his Master's degree in Corporate Wellness.

I think back to when Kevin started school. We were about to get married, and he was going to major in something to do with outdoors. I always teased him that he was going to be a Forest Ranger. Then his schooling was interrupted by war. He got through only one semester of school before he was called to active duty with the Marines. He spent the next year and a half serving our country.

Finally he was able to go back to school. And boy did he go back to school! He took as many classes as he could each semester, and I couldn't even get him to "sluff" any. He worked at school even when he had to work hard at his job and church callings. He also decided to major in Exercise Science. What a great decision for him!

The ceremony was great. There wasn't a long, boring speech that made me dread being there. I watched in amazement as Kevin was hooded and as he walked across the stage. I was so proud of him, and I know Brynnlee was too. It is interesting how they call it a commencement. It certainly is the beginning. The beginning of something big. Kevin has been doing all he can to support our family, and this was a big step for all of us.

Easter Time

Every year since little Hallie Potter has been alive, we have gone to Baby Animal Days. Our little group has grown to include Hannah and sometimes Jackie. Hallie and I have always had so much fun. So this year I was even more excited because I have Brynnlee to also share this experience with.

We had a lot of fun looking at the baby animals. Brynnlee loved them and showed this by squeezing them a little too hard! When I showed her the duckling, she grabbed his bill and wouldn't let go. She tried to grab the fur off the rabbit. I really had to protect these little guys. But she wasn't afraid. I was very glad to see that.

The next Sunday was Easter. Kevin and Brynnlee were very excited to see what the Easter Bunny had left in their basket. Brynnlee found bubbles, and boy did she love them!

Brynnlee also enjoyed being all dressed up in her adorable Easter dress. She loved posing for pictures. Isn't she a doll?

Our Tiny Vacation

Early in March Kevin, Brynnlee, and I went on our first family vacation to St. George. We packed up the car and drove down. Things were great until the blizzard! I tried to stay calm as Kevin gripped the stearing wheel and squinted to see past the snow. We drove 35 mph down I15. Finally after hours longer than we had planned, we made it to St. George. Of course, the weather was perfect there!

We spent a couple of days hanging out together and visiting Tesha and her family. I went to their sealing. They adopted a little boy six months earlier, and now it was time to include him n their eternal family. It was beautiful. It was such an experience to see this sweet family add another eternal member.

After Kale's baby blessing on Sunday we headed down to Las Vegas to visit Grandma Boggio and Aunt Vickie. They were going to meet Brynnlee for the first time. It was so fun to see them hold her, and it was cute to see Brynnlee sitting in her great-grandma's lap. We only spend a day in Las Vegas--I think that is plenty.