Keeping it Fresh!

I have been super bored with my blog lately- and I'm running out of things to post about! Well, at least I feel like I am. So, I'm gonna try to do something new to inspire me! I'm gonna try to write about something specific each day. I think I'll post Monday- Friday and take the weekends off (I act like it's my job or something, but really blogging can feel like work when you're uninspired!). The schedule will be as follows:

Monday= Monday Meals ( I will post a recipe of a meal I am making that week in hopes that some of you other mommas can use some new ones). And feel free to do the same on your blog! I'm always looking for new recipes.


Tuesday= Toddler Tuesday. This one will consist of all things Ellie & Claire :) Training, discipline, fun, activities, struggles, joys, etc. I realize Claire isn't a toddler yet, but the name for the day was so fitting!- And I do have 1 toddler.


Wednesday= Wordless Wednesday. Okay okay, so I'm bad at being wordless, so there may be the occasional sentence of explanation, but I promise that's all I'll do!


Thursday= Thoughtful Thursday. This day is for me. I will post things that have been on my mind that week. This may be a super random post day just to warn you!

Friday= Frugal Friday. Adam and I are back on track with tackling our debt and sticking with the Dave Ramsey plan! Yaahooooo! This day will be dedicated to tips and things we are doing to trying to live as budget-friendly as possible.


Sound Good?! I hope so. I'm excited about it, and if you have been following my blog long enough, you'll notice that I brought a few things back :) Hopefully I can actually stick with it this time! I will start tomorrow since I don't like putting 2 post up in one day. Until then.......

Keeping it Simple

I came to a realization the other day. I realized that I have changed in the last few months. I use to really like being busy- just going going goin- and I called it "being flexible". But come to find out, flexibility doesn't mean leading a life of craziness and chaos. It means being willing to adjust your schedule when need be- not every day for any reason. So, I have decided to tone things down a bit. Not drag my daughter out in the middle of what should be naptime to meet up with someone, to then make her miserable and overtired, and pay for it all when I come home. I have been trying this out lately, and wow does it make life SO much more simple. I have felt so calm.

On another related note, Adam and I have decided to do the same thing with our date nights- or outings depending on the night. Instead of choosing multiple things to do and trying to cram in so much "fun", I thought that we should pick just 1 thing we'd like to do for the night or evening, and let that be it. That way, we're not out and about going to the mall, then trying to decide if anything else sounds fun, and hey while were at it, lets go spend $30 on a dinner that I could've made at home for $6! For example, last night Adam wanted to spend his Sears gift card from Christmas, so that was the plan. Go to the mall, he shops for his stuff at his leisure (all alone! Hallelujah when you don't have your child speeding up the process), while Ellie and I hang out in the play area. We DID contemplate eating out after that, but decided to stick with the plan and just go home...and it was great!

I'm totally on the train of looking for any budget friendly cut-backs too. By avoiding eating out, we probably saved about $25 last night. Call me weird, but I was really excited about that! And now, we can go use that $25 a different time, when what we want to do is go out for a simple dinner together and have a nice time chatting it up since we won't have other plans to go along with it- ya know, keeping it simple!

Wow, I feel like I just rambled & rambled about something that none of you may find the least bit interesting! Hahaha! That's okay. But just to sum up in case you feel lost as to where I was going:

• Trying to make life simpler
• Not going out in the name of "flexibility" and making my day harder than it needs to be
• 1 track mind date nights & outings
• Saving money when I can to make it stretch longer

There you have it! We're having a nice relaxing weekend...hope you are too!

Love, K

Sleepover!

We are having a sleepover with Ellie tonight :) We have ripped out the old musky smelling carpet in our room, and are in the beginning stages of installing the wood flooring! Yippee!!! Thankfully we have some friends coming out tomorrow to give us a huge helping hand, and we are still crossing our fingers that we will be 95% done by the time Monday comes around. I'm actually really excited to bunk up with both my babies tonight (well actually all 3 of my babies including Claire!) :) Ellie will be SO excited to wake up and see us in her room...plus it was a lot of fun laying in her room on our bed reading her bedtime stories...makes me kinda wish we could do this more often!

A king size bed, a crib, and a bunch of toys shoved in the closet and corners make this arrangement in a 10 X 10 room possible!

And this is the current state of our bedroom! There are so many secrets to be unlocked in our little condo...it all began with tearing away a goudy (spelling?!) mirror in our living room to discover walls upon walls of mold...remember that?! Well, maybe you don't since I was such a terrible blog slacker at the time, but it happened, and I'm sure I at least wrote about it once :) And today, when Adam was tearing out the old carpet in our closet, he discovered this yucky, cafeteria looking laminate flooring! We would soon find out that it covered the entire room! Haha! It is SO stuck on the floor that we are just gonna give it an immaculate clean, then lay the wood right over it...what were these people thinking?!?! So ugly.

Anywho, I will be back to report of our progress soon! Stay tuned...

Love, Krystle

Trying to Stay Calm

It seems like life has been so busy for me these past few months. Between being pregnant, a mom, a wife, a full time-babysitter, maintaining a (semi) suitable home, and anything else that randomly comes my way- it has JUST.BEEN.BUSY.

Last night Adam and I were talking, which led into arguing, but we'll stick with the talking part for this post :) We talked about being a parent, and how crazy it was for us to think about having 2 kids. My question to him was," When will I have time to rest?". His response was "You won't." True, very true babe.

Which made me think, life doesn't really "slow down" does it? It seems to just get more chaotic. Lovely! But in all seriousness, that really challenged me. There are days when I feel like Adam can't come home fast enough, or I am so overwhelmed and totally feel like throwing in the towel. I think it's in those times, I need to remember the constant rollercoaster of life. It doesn't really stop, it just keeps going- winding around, turning upside down, and occasionally it goes on a straight path that's pretty low key- but not for long.

Keeping that in perspective, it has challenged me to ask myself- "How do I stay calm?". I don't want to be a person that flies off the handle, or cries too often, or gets overwhelmed by silly things. I heard something on a christian radio show that said:

Expectation- Reality= Disappointment

So along with "How do I stay calm?", another thing to ask, is "What is my reality?".

My reality is that I'm a mom, I'm a wife, I'm a home-maker, I'm a worker, I'm a friend, I'm a daughter, I'm a sister...and the list goes on. THIS is my reality. When one thing ends another begins. When Ellie goes down to bed at night, my mothering stops (well, kind of) and I focus on being a wife and friend to Adam. When I close the door and the last kid I babysit is in their parent's arms, I focus on home-making and try to put dinner on the table.

So when do I rest? Now, hardly ever. The more I think about when I will have the chance to rest, the more anxious I become about resting. Does that make sense?

My resolve- Soaking in precious moments. Letting Ellie help me load the dishwasher even though it seems to take a million years. Cleaning in the moments when I know I can handle it and it won't stress me out. Smiling more. Laying on the floor playing more. Taking lots & lots of deep breaths. Sneaking in a 15 minute bath here and there. Reading a few pages of a book before falling asleep. Painting my toenails while the kids are playing contently. Waking up and reading a scripture to motivate me for the day. Throwing some bobbypins in my hair when it looks greasy instead of constantly being disappointed when I look in the mirror. Sneaking in a little nap when the kids are napping......these are the things that will keep me calm. THIS is my reality. It's not about figuring out a specific "time" in which I will rest- it's about finding times in the moments of chaos to breathe and pull yourself together.

To end, Adam came home last night and turned off my christmas music as I left the room. I came back in and asked why he had turned it off- I explained to him that it was helping me relax while I made dinner. He asked" That really relaxes you?", and I said yes. He was fine with that. But it made me think- it's really those small things that keep us going, keep us calm, keep us SANE.

What are your small things that keep you going?

Vaccine Awareness Week: Nov 1st-6th

DISCLAIMER DISCLAIMER DISCLAIMER (PLEASE READ BEFORE YOU READ ON!):
I am in NO way judging other people who decide to vaccinate their children. I am simply going off of the research that I have found, and I have SO many friends of mine who do vaccinate and feel 100% peace about that decision. This is an extremely personal thing, and since this is my PERSONAL blog, and it's awareness week, I thought I'd put in my 2 cents. So please, no hateful comments. Know that this is where I stand, and I respect where YOU stand. Heck, if you decided to write a post on being PRO-vaccine, I would give you a high five! I like when people say what's on their mind.


The National Vaccine Information Center is dedicating the first week in November to Vaccine Awareness. This is something that is SO close to my heart. I have stayed up very LATE many many times, reading books, looking up articles, reading ingredient lists for vaccines & their effects, in order to figure what to do with this important decision.


My oh my is this a controversial thing! I'm a little nervous to even write it on my blog and make it a public thing, but the truth is, I really am passionate about it. You know how you just have to share a good thing when you know about it?- Kinda like sharing the Gospel to unbelievers?


Well, sadly I think that the effects that vaccines can cause to our children is an issue that gets swept under the rug, and that people think you are a TOTAL weirdo for not just doing it. For me though, I just haven't seen anything out there that has convinced me that I SHOULD vaccinate. As I read ingredients lists, and what each of those things can do to our children's bodies, and the MINIMAL, I mean MINIMAL research done to prove that these things are not harmful or cannot forever damage our children, it scares me to death. There is WAY more money going towards the promotion of vaccines, rather than the RESEARCH to make sure that they are safe. And in most cases, symptoms and side effects that children DO have from the vaccines, go unreported- doctors attribute these symptoms to other possible illnesses rather than a side effect. SCARY again. For now, we have decided to not vaccinate our kids. A few people have told me before, that chances are Ellie won't get anything anyways because she will just be "piggy-backing" off other kids who are vaccinated. Well, this isn't true either, because if you look at REAL medical reports, in some cases up to 75% of children WHO HAVE BEEN VACCINATED get the disease. So no, I don't think that I'm "protected by the herd" or "piggy-backing", I think I'm going off of my principles that I wouldn't let Ellie drink toxic chemicals right out of a cup, and likewise, I won't allow that to enter into her body in the form of a shot.


But don't take my word on all of this- I'm not a medical researcher, nor am I a doctor. But I have read lots of things from people who are, credible people, that have opened my mind up. If you want to know anymore about this, here are a few resources:


Go to Mercola.com- He is a naturopathic doctor that has an incredible website with SO many resources for finding out the real 411 on vaccines.


Also, "Shots in the Dark"- this is a documentary and you can find it on You Tube for FREE just by typing that into the title line. It's over an hour and FULL of information to help you see what is in the vaccines that is so harmful, and REAL life stories of people who have been harmed or had their lives taken by vaccines.


If you are reader, I would suggest, "Childhood Vaccinations" by Lauren Feder. A really good FACTUAL book including each and every vaccine, each ingredient in the vaccines, and the side effects of each. She is a nationally recognized physician who specializes in wholistic health.


One quote from her book that I will leave you with, that I think is so right on, is this:


" In light of the current vaccine controversy, the goal of this guide was to provide you with a well-rounded view on vaccinations. Because most of us were raised with the mainstream pro-vaccine point of view, I feel it is important to become knowledgable about both sides of the story."

2010 Camping Trip! FINALLY!!

This was our campsite! Beautiful, eh?! We went to the same exact spot last year & loved it, so we thought it fitting to give it another go around :) We even had the tarp to keep us dry in case it rained- it didn't, but it's always a lot of fun to watch the guys struggle to put it up- he he!

We had a bit of a smaller group this year- just 4 couples. But it was nice :) This is the guys before going on their traiditional Man Hike- guns, walking sticks & all! They had a good time as usual and even got to shoot their guns a few times.

Ellie hanging out by our inflatable boat we took out on the lake. Adam and I went on a little "date" for about 5-10 minutes trying to explore the lake on this thing- unfortunately, we had to come back after those 10 minutes because little ol' me wasn't feeling too hot- pregnancy woes! But we tried!

Ellie taking a bath in the wilderness! This was her, happy...before she experienced the cold water and hated it! Poor thing! She also ended up getting an ear infection while we were there- and we were pretty camped out- so we packed up early and went home :) So did everyone else though, so we didn't have to be the party poopers! P.S. It was definitely quite as challenging to have a toddler camping as I anticipated! Naps were non-existent, it was warm, and she was EVERYWHERE! I'm sure next year will be a little better- I hope!

The only picture we took of all of us! I love my family :) I have so so so so much life to catch you up on! This trip was the first weekend in September, and tons has happened since then. One of the MOST EXCITING things is happening tomorrow since we are finding out if our little baby is a boy or girl! To say "I can't wait!" is simply an understatement!!! It's 23 hours away!!!!!!!!

Love,

Happy Friday!

The most recent picture of all of us- I haven't been good at taking pics lately :(

So, what's been going on here ? .....

Nothing too exciting. In the picture I posted, we were all headed to Adam's basketball game. He joined a league for the summer, and I'm sad to report that they didn't win 1 measly game! It was a lot of fun going to watch him play though :) Ellie loved cheering on #7 and was really sad when she saw him play and couldn't go out to the court to see him.

This past week Ellie got a double ear infection! Poor baby! She had a high fever one night and I called my pediatrician, and he said that if she still had a fever that lasted for 3 days then to come in....well it just kept getting worse(104-106 temps!!) and low and behold, it was in both ears! I felt so bad for her. She is such a tough little girl though. Still SO happy even though she was SO sick. Gotta love that :) She is on the mend though, thank goodness!

I am still plagued with pregnancy sickness and might I say that it has been INTENSE this time around! Some days it lasts from the time I wake up to the time I go to bed at night :( I'm 8 weeks on Monday, so I just keep telling myself that I need to last 4 more weeks....Seems like forever!

A lot of my anxiety is gone about this pregnancy. I just feel really good about it. And I feel God constantly telling me to trust Him. So trust I shall! I feel like I have been seeing a ton of babies lately and it's getting me REALLY excited :) I love the newborn stage of checking out their environment, eating, then sleeping. Such a simple life. And one of the easiest times (in my opinion so far) of having a baby. I'm glad that part comes first!

Have a great weekend!

Adam says....

that HE is going to stop following my blog if I don't post something new....HA! So here I am. Back again. Nothing too exciting, and definitely nothing to report that's noteworthy. This is what I've been up to in the weeks I've been MIA:

Going on a date with the hubbs

Watched Ellie play and LOVE the beach :)

Before we had breakfast on the Pier at Ruby's...so fun!

Babysat kiddos and watched my own sweet girl

Made my mom mother's day magnets w/all our names on them :)

Cheap but effective!

Then there were 4.....

I am sooooo happy to say that Ellie is going to be a big sister!!! I just found out a couple days ago that I'm pregnant! I think I'm about 5-6 weeks along, and my due date is probably around November 27th :) I have an ultrasound this week to give me an real due date though. Adam and I are SO happy and feel so blessed that the Lord has given us another life to love on! It is truly a gift. Nausea has totally set in, and I'm feeling a bit sick at the moment, but here is our life lately in pictures!

Adam and Ellie in her purple room
Isn't this the goofiest face??? She's so funny!

Ellie at the play area in the mall...she loves it!

Ok, I'm not a bad parent...Ellie loves doing stuff like this! She even gets our dogs leashes and puts them around her neck!....it sounds worse than it is! Ha ha!

Adam and I on Easter....we didn't snap any good family photos! Bummer.

New bookshelves...I love the way they fill up the corner.

My sis-in-law Amanda and I...she is past her due date and we are soo excited to meet baby Cole!

Adam, Ellie, my brother Jay, and niece Hana

Ellie & Hana....not sure why Ellie looks cross-eyed ;)

Ellie and daddy outside on the swing

Our new rug & Ellie watching her little show :)

I just LOVE this picture. This is so Ellie. Climbing on EVERYTHING all the time. She has superb balance. Not bad for a little girl!

Love, K

A Day in the Life of ME!

There is nothing too special about me lately other than mastering the art of being extremely busy. For example, tonight I didn't even get home until about 10:00, didn't put the baby in bed til 10:45, and my mind is so wound (spelling?!) up that I can't even go to sleep. Anatomy & Physiology ON THE BRAIN. Would anyone like to know about Intramembranous Ossification?? I'll tell you all about it :) Just to mark it in history, I'd like to recap my days this past week:

7:30- Wake up, feed baby
8:00- Get ready for school (Mon, Wed, & Fri)
8:30- Do some last minute studying or homework
9:00- Take Ellie to Heather's to be babysat
9:30- 10:20- Math Class
10:30- Pick up Ellie & other baby I watch & come home
11:00- they take naps, I do more homework & studying
1:00- Babies awake, I feed them, change diapers, etc
1:00-2:00- Get some good play time in
2:00- 3:00- Give them some independent time & review some flash cards
3:00- Naps again and I do MORE homework
4:00- Wake up, feed, change diapers, etc
4:30- Scarlett is picked up, Adam gets home
4:50- Last minute dinner prep or take a shower!
6:00- Go to school
7:45- Come home & try to hang out with fam for a bit & eat dinner
8:30- Put Ellie in bed
9:00- Study again
Pass out at some point after that...
Whew! My hand hurts from just typing all of this...seriously....I wrote out around 500 notecards this weekend alone and it gave me tendonitis! Ha ha! Embarassing to admit!

Can't wait til things start slowing down and I get some free time!

Goodnight,
Krystle

Picture Overload!

It has been a while since I did a post with lots of pictures! Today is your lucky day :)

Ellie & Mommy at the Suns game...dressed in our purple! Go Steve Nash!!
Ellie & Grandpa at the Zoo w/the Giraffes :)

Adam spray painting our kitchen cabinet hinges...they were a nasty old rust color!

Ellie on Valentines Day <3> Just has to throw this one in there....she looks too cute :)

A trip to the park

Ellie & Mom checking the mail at our new condo

All of us on a family hike for Jacob's 9th birthday

Adam ripping out drywall covered in mold! Ewwww! Thanks babe!

Another really cute on of Ellie!

love, Krystle

Time flies when you're BUSY BUSY BUSY!

Whew! Seems like all I'm doing on here lately is long updates....well, here's another one just to keep the cycle going!

Ellie

* Turned 9 months on Feb. 17!

* Only likes pears & sweet potatoes....her favorite "food" is still breastmilk!

* She is crawling, standing up on her own, and is SO close to walking.

* Dada can make her laugh the most....it's sooo precious :) Makes my heart melt!

* Totally a mommy's girl. It's the best. Simply the best.

* She loves to spit.

* She is finally sleeping in her own bed at night...tear :( I miss her, but it's the BEST thing for her....or at least that's what I'm telling myself! Ha!

* She is super independent and loves to crawl around and explore. It's so fun to watch her.

* She is a total night owl! Her bedtime is anywhere between 9:30-11:00....at least she sleeps in to make up for that!

* She is currently asking for a baby brother or sister.....well, that's what she would ask for if she could talk :) I'm sure of it!

Me

* Currently in school taking my last 2 classes to finish up my prerequisites for nursing school.

* Proud to say that I made 100% on my first Anatomy & Physiology test!

* Love Love Love staying home with my baby. Most rewarding job on the planet. Pure bliss on even the hardest of days :)

* Trying to have baby #2! Well I put this under my category, but really, I suppose Adam is involved as well ;)

* I can't wait to move into our new place! Such a work in progress, but Adam is being quite the handyman and getting stuff done...so proud of him!

Adam

* Got a promotion at work about a month ago, and is busier than ever!

* Spends ALL of his free time working at the condo and doing a mighty fine job, I must add!

* Is such a great dad to Ellie. Like I said earlier, it just melts my heart when they play and laugh together. One of the best sounds a mommy can hear :)

* He has also been having to pick up the slack around the house with all that I have going on, and I'm sooo thankful for it!

That's us in a nutshell! Til' next time.....

Love,

Krystle

Hello Out There!

Sorry to leave you with the last post and then NEVER update! Things included/not-included in this post:

1) Jacob
2) Ellie
3) Breastfeeding
4) Lack of new pictures! Ugh...I haven't been home too much and my mom doesn't have any good ones! Dangit!

Jacob

Since we found out a little over a month ago, Jacob has been doing fairly well. Adam's parents decided to do a naturopathic treatment on Jacob and it seems to be taking. Most of his days are spent in bed since he isn't up to running around, so most days Adam and I are over there just hanging out, playing games, and watching re-runs of Gilligans Island! I forgot how funny that show was :) We are hoping to get another MRI done sometime in the near future to see if the tumor has shrunk any. Supposidly (spelling?) the stuff that he is on should be able to reduce the tumor after 6 weeks of using it...so please pray that his body will respond to this treatment! We have people asking all the time about ways that they can help. Adam and I have decided to be very frank about that. It feels weird to do, but right now it seems totally necessary. Adam and I have opened an account for his family to recieve anonymous donations. We are basically trying to raise enough money so that his parents can get by for a few months and solely focus on getting Jacob in a better state and develop and solid routine. If anyone is interested, feel free to send me an email :) Other than that, we feel encouraged. The Lord is definitely among us, guiding us through, keeping us sane (to the best of our abilities anyways) and has been so gracious by showing us small signs of healing already. Praise God. But WAY MORE than money, we would be so thankful for your prayers. We know we have the great Healer on our side, and that he can make miracles. And since He can do that, we are asking for it.

Ellie

Oh my sweet precious girl. Words can't even describe the joy she brings to my life. I am glad to report that little miss is sleeping through the night! Well, she has been for a while now...about 4 weeks! People always come up to me and say "You must be SO tired" ( do I look it or something?!) and it's so cool to say that I'm actually really well rested! She isn't a crier...only if she is hungry or tired, and those things are easy to fix. All in all, we have a awesome little girl! And as soon as I possibly can I will upload some pictures!

P.S. Since Ellie is such a good baby, Adam and I are ready for our next one...I mean REALLY ready...as in we are not preventing it from happening......Whoo-hoo!!!!!

Breastfeeding

Bloody breastfeeding. You were NOT my friend- in fact my enemy for a long while. You cost me 2 ENTIRE months of 7 breast infections...but I was determined and SO glad to say that I won the war!!! About a month ago Ellie started breastfeeding like she'd been doing it her whole life. Little stinker. But boy is life a million times easier now! No feeding , then pumping, then feeding, then pumping....half of my day has been given back to me. It's awesome. Now I'm just hoping that my milk stays in...

So there you have it friends, my life, in a TINY nutshell. I haven't been able to even touch on emotion...you know I like to that...but it will come. Thank you for your prayers and hopefully I will be blogging MUCH MORE frequently in days to come!

By the way, did anyone see Julie & Julia and think it was as AMAZING as I did?! I was inspired to go through a cookbook myself after that!

Love, Krystle

WHEW!!------1 Month Already?!

I have been a total blog-slacker. I give myself all the grace in the world though :) This past month has been FULL of ups & downs. More ups than downs, so that's good news! It's been a rough but awesome transition into mommy-hood. Ellie is nothing short of AMAZING. So cute, so fun, & already developing a little personality. Breastfeeding is nowhere to be found...I am pumping and doing the bottle...she will have NOTHING to do with my twins unfortunately. But that's ok...she's getting the good stuff, and that's all that counts :)

Right now I'm having a much needed break. Listening to some John Mayer, catching up on other blogs, and I may, I repeat, I MAY even be able to take a shower! Cross your fingers...my poor husband has to deal with stinky me all the time! Ha ha! Crazy how priorities change.

Here is our past month in pictures...ENJOY!

Our first day out...sorry for the blurry picture!
Week 2

Mommy, Daddy, & Ellie out for dinner & shopping!

Mom & Dad still feeling the LOVE....Lots of it!!

Daddy & Ellie sharing some smooches :)

1 Month Old! Family Pic

Ellie-1 Month Old- Rockin' her Birthday Suit!!

How cute is that face?! Seriously...she kills me.

Little Sleeper...

All washed and relaxed...

Love, Krystle