GOOD TIMES

Party at the Petersons...

2011-11-04T22:58:00.000-07:00

Here are some Halloween highlights. We pretty much ate, drank, carved pumpkins and decorated cupcakes. Sounds simple...but much fun was had! Good Times!

Costume Roll Call

2011-11-02T15:25:00.000-07:00

It has become tradition in the Peterson household that we gather the weekend before Halloween to celebrate. I always encourage dressing up... but this year is no exception! Almost everyone dressed up and the costumes were amazing.

They are as follows:

Tibbs:

Colbey- Skeleton

Shylo- Evil Clown

Zane- Frankenstein

Ison's:

Shelby- I am not sure...but I love it!

Jentry- Pink Lady

Bubba- Sleeping Beauty

Austin- Nerd...and a cute one I might add

Seely's:

Jennifer- Witch

Cole- Creepy Skeleton

Brooke- Another Creepy Skeleton

Yelli- Another cute Nerd

Peterson's:

Zack-Fred

Kai- Pebbles

Me- Wilma

Ledger- Bam Bam

Moe- Dino

Sissy- Saber Tooth Tiger

Mandy- Witch

Trey- Elvis

Another reason why I love this Holiday!! Still more to come....

The Best Day EVER!!!

2011-11-01T14:35:00.000-07:00

I don't even know where to begin. Yesterday was truly the best! I started off the day by helping the Zone girls dress up like evil clowns. I did not partake in the fun because Zack took the day off and I wanted to dress up in the family theme. Plus, I learned the hard way that 2 costumes are a little more stressful then one would think. But they turned out sooooo great! I love it. Then off to the elementary parade. Our little paraders are shrinking in numbers. It's kind of sad because we used to have a kid in every grade..now most of them have grown up and moved on to middle/high school. But it was fun to see the younger kids dressed up in the Halloween spirit. I think it is my favorite part of Halloween. There are so many cute and clever costumes.... awesome!! Kai had fun running around while the puppies sat in the stroller and I am pretty sure that every kid gave them a pat on the head. They were, as always, a hit! Then we strolled around the town looking at all the decorations in the town. I am so glad that the weather was so cooperative. I am not exaggerating when I say that we probably walked 10 miles plus. My feet hurt, but it was totally worth it. And this is just the beginning, there is so much more to come. So don't change that dial....

two is better than one...

2011-10-03T15:55:00.000-07:00

I love everything about these pictures! Nevermind the fact that these were taken at noon and I have yet to change both my kids out of their pajamas....and forget about even putting a comb through Kai's hair. I know... they are a little blurry. BUT, I for one, think that all those said imperfections might add to the cuteness. Come on...what is cuter than a big baby talking "baby talk" to a little baby?? Kai loves giving him kisses and always tries to snuggle with him. Almost to the point that he might get injured one of these days. I just hope this continues and that they grow up to be best buddies. Yet, I can't help but think of the day when I am breaking up a food fight or what have you. So for now, I will just soak it up and enjoy this while I can. Good times.

The Big Guy...

2011-09-21T14:57:00.000-07:00

I call him "big guy" because of the sweet irony that he is not.
He no longer has thrush.
So he is happy like a baby should be.
He makes the goofiest faces.
I love him, he is my little buddy.

I'm determined this time around!

2011-09-09T15:11:00.000-07:00

If you haven't figured out by now..... I am a HUGE fan of Halloween. HUGE. Even though it is a few months away, I get so excited when I see Halloween decorations for sale. Not to mention that it totally gets you in the mood with all this gloomy weather we have been having lately. We even saw 2 owls a couple nights ago when we went on our nightly walk. I am pretty sure they are the coolest birds ever. It was pretty amazing. With that be said, I truly think that the main reason I love it so much is because I have awesome people to share it with. First of all it is Zack's birthday.... so that goes without saying. Second of all I work with some pretty cool people that actually play along with my silly ideas. So you would think that having a kid would make it that much more fun. That should be the case, however last year was a little more stressful than fun. Why? Because I came up with the not-so-original idea of Zack being a chef, me being and oven and Kai being our little cupcake. We even make Moe a hot dog and Elfee a banana split. Adorable right? It was a recipe for disaster. I stayed up until 3 in the morning making Kai's costume. I found a tutorial on the internet that looked super easy... and it was, except I got the proportions all wrong. Nobody could see the bottom half of the costume so everyone thought she was a doughnut. However at that point I was just happy that people were confusing her with a pastry. Also, have you ever tried to handle a 4 month old with a huge pillow wrapped around her, not to mention while your in a box. Say good-bye to getting in and out of the car, which means not trick-or-treating. Rookie mistake, I didn't think that one through. Yeah, I even had a breakdown.... I cried because everything just went wrong. I just wanted everything to be perfect for Kai. Then to make things worse, I came across blogs of "Martha Stewart Mothers" who could make it work with the same idea I had. Good news is your memory doesn't work when you are 4 months old.... so I took a few pictures that looked like we had fun and Kai will never know the difference. HA! I was so mad last year that I didn't post any of them...but now that I am over it, here are a few.

So this year I am determined to make it perfect. I know my limits and (hopefully) I won't be doing anything last minute! I have already bought our costumes for Zack, Moe, Elfee and myself. I will have to make Kai and Ledgers. But because of last year I will just be piecing together already made garments and adding a few thing here and there. We have had this idea for over 6 months now and already bought our decorations for this year. If anything should go wrong it will not be because of me! Now, I just have to come up with an idea for work...but we got our Pirates of the Carabean csotumes put together in a week, so I am not too worried. And yes, I love Halloween so much I dress up twice sometimes. Once for work and another with my family. Totally worth it! If you would like to see all the fun I have had in the past click here. (Make sure you view all the pages because I have a lot of posts) Happy Haunting everyone.... GOOD TIMES INDEAD!!

Just Because...

2011-09-02T16:56:00.000-07:00

A sob story from both Baby and Mom

2011-08-24T16:23:00.000-07:00

This is Ledger, he is a victim of Thrush. Here is his story...

At first I just thought that he was just a fussy baby. Then his tongue turned solid white. So, I thought it was just because of the formula he was on. Then my sister-in-law said it was thrush. So, I took him to the Doctor. Turns out it is. If this little guy is not eating or sleeping.... he is crying. It is not a fussy cry it is a deathly scream kind of cry... you know the one. Well he cried so much he lost his voice and now he just squeaks. Even though it is kind of cute...it really does break this mama's heart! Hopefully the antibiotics will kick in and give back the sweet little boy that I know and love!! Good Times.

The new man in my life...

2011-07-31T23:02:00.000-07:00

Ledger Kent was born on 7/11/2011 at 7:11 PM. He was 6 pounds 13 ounces and 19 inches long. This day was such a blur...but all in all a good one. I had another c-section. Mostly by choice. That, and the fact that I wanted to guarantee that my son will be able to get a free shlushy on his his birthday. So I was already off to a good start to being an awesome mother! I also felt bad for my Doctor and wanted to make sure that he could go home and have dinner with his wife, instead of waiting around for the little fella. There is really nothing else to elaborate on. Other than it took them 8 times to get my I.V. in. They said that I have small veins and that they kept exploding.... I however, blame the resident that didn't know what he was doing. Also, I had the worst epidural ever. But I guess a bad epidural is better than no epidural at all. But then the next thing you know..he is here! His blood sugar was a little low so that was kind of scary. Zack watched as they stuck a tube down his throat to try and fix it. Poor little guy. I did have an awesome nursing staff. It consisted of non other than the talented Jamie Earl and Melanie Dyches. It was funny how small the world really is and how phenomenal they were are there job. I truly adore them and am glad that they were assigned to me. Other than that we are home and working on getting back in full swing. Even though it was not that long ago, having a new born in the house again is surreal. Our house is once again smitten and our puppies are over the moon for this little guy. I don't care much for the sleepless nights... but we are working on it. Big sis is getting used to the idea of a little brother. She has only hit him once, but she is fascinated with his hands and feet so some reason or another. In due time, I know his charm will eventually win her over. He is the best surprise I have ever had.

Baby K's B-Day...

2011-07-08T12:06:00.000-07:00

If you couldn't tell from these pictures.... Baby Kai had the best day ever! Thanks to family and friends who spoiled her to death.... probably even more than she deserves!! Can you tell that she works hard to keep that girlish figure of hers? Muffin tops have never looked better. Crazy to think that next year we will be doing the same thing...just for a different baby. Ahhhh..... GOOD TIMES!!!

UNO

2011-06-30T12:19:00.000-07:00

Here are just a few of the many of Kai's first birthday photo shoot. As I was editing them I couldn't help but notice how much she really looks like her Dad! I know this is no secret, but I am positive that there is no Russell gene in that girls DNA to be found. I guess my only contribution was the 9 months I carried her...but I am perfectly fine with that. In fact, I hope her baby brother follows her example. Anyhoo... in the last post I did for her birthday I go way too emotional and forgot to tell about all the cute little one year old things that she does. So here is a list of what we have been up to in the past year...

She is a Banana eating fool!
She has 6 teeth and counting.
She is awesome at throwing temper tantrums.
If she sees or hears a phone she yells out an adorable "Herro?"
She is very techy, she fights for our cell phones and remotes all the time.
She is a very good helper when it comes to cleaning out drawers.
She loves Phenious and Ferb on Saturday morning.
She loves trying to eat the soap bubbles in the tub.
She LOVES LOVE LOVES books.
She can say "Puppy, Baby, Daddy and Luv you." and other jibber jabber mixed in there.
Sometimes you can catch her singing little songs to herself while she plays.
If there is a group of people and they start to laugh, she will fake laugh with them just to fit in.
She is also very dramatic... she can fake cough and everything. We might have a drama queen on our hands.
She loves her puppies and also getting into their water bowl.
She loves going on walks with her Dad in the morning.
If Zacks says "Kai bear" she will say "Daddddy"
She will only say "Mom or Mama" when she needs something or is hurt.

Those are just some to name a few. Her party will be this weekend so fingers crossed all will go well!

Excuse me... who gave you permission to grow up? Because it wasn't me!

2011-06-24T15:05:00.000-07:00

For a while I was convinced that this wouldn't happen to me. I was under the impression that the milestone of babies turning into one year olds happened to other mothers...just not this one! I thought Kai loved me enough to stay little forever but I guess there is no avoiding it, June 22nd was sneaky and caught me totally off guard. The inevitable happened, Kai is ONE. To be clear that is 8,765 hours; 525,948 minutes and 31,566,926 seconds. ONE YEAR OLD! When Dr. Dewey broke the news to us about Isabella, I remember sitting on that cold metal table sobbing uncontrollably. Zack quickly wrapped me in his arms and assured me that it was going to be OK and that we will get other chances to have kids. As sweet as that was... I truly did not believe him. In an instant, I hopped on an emotional roller coaster of how I'm being punished and that I didn't deserve to be a mother. And to be honest, I have a pretty good idea as to why that would be the case. What I really can't figure out is what I did to deserve a second chance. Plus, on top of that, I got her. Who knew that years later time would eventually heal itself, and Heavenly Father would bless me with this sweet little devil? Simply put, life is so much better now that she is in it. This past year has been the best of my life. Just when I think she can't get cuter... she proves me wrong in one way or another. She has us all wrapped around her finger...even the puppies have caved into her charm now that she is so generous to share her Cheerios's with them. Yes, the fact that she keeps growing is a touchy subject... and I am well aware that I might get a little emotional when I have to pack away the clothes that she has grown out of, especially when she only wore them twice. Be that as it may, I have truly enjoyed watching her grow into the little sassy pants that she is. I never knew that patty cake and peek-a-boo could be so rewarding. It was like Christmas morning when her hair finally got long enough for pig tails. In short, she has made me a huge fan of the small stuff. So as much as I wish time would stand still for a while... I am also excited to see what this next year will bring. Be it walking, talking and fighting with your brother...bring it on... I think I am ready. HAPPY BIRTHDAY LITTLE FATTY!!! We love you more than you will ever know!

Hello Spring, Please..take off your coat and stay a while!

2011-05-31T14:41:00.000-07:00

Lately Zack has been super busy taming this jungle we call a yard. He could use all the help he can get... and Kai is more than happy to oblige. Even the puppies are getting there paws dirty/green! Who knew that yard work could be so fun and entertaining?

Mommy Monday Moment: Bathtime Edition.

2011-05-23T10:18:00.000-07:00

So, Kai had a near death experience last night. I was giving her a bath that she loves. She loves them so much that she splashes and bounces up and down. This particular night she was so hyper that she was just going crazy and her little bum came out from under her and she fell backward! I was right there and pulled her up…but it was too late, it scared her to death. Once she caught her breath she started to cry hysterically. So, as any mother would I got her out, wrapped her up and started to calm her down. It didn’t take long for her to stop crying, but she had to keep telling me about it. We had a conversation that consisted of “Nanana’s” and “MAAMAMAA’s” in the most dramatic voice a 10 month old can muster. Normally, on any other day I would just give her a toy to distract her and we would move on with life. But this time she was cuddling… and she NEVER cuddles. So, I just held her and let her talk it out while I secretly laughed on the inside because it was one of the cutest things I had ever witnessed. My only hope is that in the up and coming years, when she skins her knee or if a boy breaks her heart or when things are going her way, she can crawl on my lap and we can talk it out and hopefully laugh it off.

Monday Mommy Moment...

2011-05-02T11:08:00.000-07:00

Soooo.... we as mothers all know that, once we do in fact become mothers, we experience/say things that we wouldn't normally experience otherwise. I was lucky to experience a moment such as this. The other day Baby Kai had a diaper rash and as many mothers would in this situation I applied some butt-cream. Later that day I went to apply some lip balm and it's that kind that you apply with your finger.... well along with the lip balm I noticed a hint of butt-cream that was left over in my fingernail.... and I might add that even though it tasted nasty, I put a smile on my face because I know that only this would happen to a Mom!

Peek-a-Boo...

2011-04-28T10:06:00.000-07:00

Here is our girlies new little trick. I seriously can't get enough. She even uses it to distract me to get out of things she hates...like doing her hair, getting dressed and eating vegitables. (She is taking after her mother already!) Anyhoo...Enjoy!

Editers note: You only need to watch the first 10 seconds. She only does "Peek-a-boo" once. The rest of the clip is just her getting excited over nothing and my annoying high pitched voice.

Here's to Easter Traditions...

2011-04-26T16:01:00.000-07:00

My Mom was the best at Easter Sunday’s. Even though I am sure we didn’t have the money, she always made sure that her girls were well equipped with a new fluffy dress, shoes, hat, gloves and a purse. Her boys even got new slacks and a sweater vest. Not to mention, candy and everything else that comes along with this holiday. With 5 girls and 2 boys that is no small feat. I hope I did her proud with my little girl. I made her this pillow case dress with the matching flower and everything. However, it about did me in. I must say that it was nice to have my hands working with fabric…or anything else other than a mouse for that matter. I found a ton of tutorials on how to make fabric flowers and I am addicted. So here are a few pics for proof. I hope you had a great Easter!

Dear Blog...

2011-04-19T10:56:00.000-07:00

Hello there old friend. I hate to apologize for being a crappy blogger because... lets face it, who am I to think that I am sooooooo special that there are people who are actually put out because I have neglected to tell them about what is going on in my little life, which to be fair, there is not a whole lot going on at the moment. Be that as it may... the other day I found myself going through my archives and I realized that my blog is the only source of journaling I have. Sad. However, I am glad to even have that. It was refreshing to see the highlights of being pregnant with Kai and that just made me love her even more. Even the dorky day-to-day stuff put a smile on my face. Then the harsh reality hit when I realized that I have done NOTHING like that for Ledger. I have not taken one picture of my belly, I have not bought one article of clothing, and even worse I sometimes even forget I am pregnant all together. Mind you I am 25 weeks along... more than half way! Yes, Kai does keep me busy and my battery in my computer crapped out on me and we don't have internet at our house... and the list of excuses could really go on. With that being said I really need to get out of my hibernation mode and JUST START. So here I am. Operation: get it together, is in full swing. Blog, I have missed you an it is good to be back.... you have been so good to me, please don't give up on me now.

Love,
Niesha

Here's to life's little surprises...

2011-02-22T15:53:00.000-08:00

The ifs...ands.... or bums!

2011-02-16T10:37:00.000-08:00

No matter how much money I spend on cute shoes or adorable cartigans... I cannot get enough of my naked little girl. If it weren't so cold I would let her roam free all the time. Anyhoo, I took these for Zack and gave him the the card as seend below. I hope you enjoy these as much as he did! Good Times!

She Might Be a Little Hard Core...

2011-01-31T15:02:00.000-08:00

Well Hi There! I am just stopping by to update you on where we are at right now. Of course, Kai is the main attraction. This not so little girl will not stop growing. She is in the 95% for height and 85% for weight. Huge! With this, I can't leave her on her beloved changing table because she tries to roll off and she is now in a big girl car seat. I am not coping with this well... but thanks for asking. She does still love her jumper. However, jumping up and down is not enough for her anymore. As seen in the sideways video (sorry, I recorded this on my phone and have no clue how to fix it) she now swings while jumping at the same time. I haven't caught her on film yet but she will even pivit her little foot and spin in circles. In fact she does this so much that she wore individual toe holes in her onsey. At first I got mad because it was one of my favorites... but when I was changing her out of it I couldn't help but get sentimental. Now that I think of it I will probably save it and put it in her future hope chest or if I can't part with it..then I will keep it in mine. And there you have it!

Changing Table Tuesdays {Bouncer Addition}

2010-11-23T13:00:00.000-08:00

Even though she still gets a kick out of her changing table the new thrill of the day is when she gets to bounce in the bouncer. For both of us! It normally hangs in the master bathroom doorway. This is awesome for me because she can bounce and talk to me while I attempt to to put on make-up and do my hair. I swear she might break her foot someday because she gets a little out of control. She has already smashed a finger or two... but that didn't hold her back for long. If only they made bigger doorways....

Halloween: PART ONE!

2010-11-08T11:19:00.000-08:00

I do, in fact, realize that Halloween was a week ago. I also, in fact, realize that I am a little late in posting my Halloween endeavours....so bear with me! With that being said I can't even begin to describe what a crazy, chaotic, overwhelmingly fun day it was. And...AND I only had one mental breakdown! Because this was such a huge event I am going to break it down for you instead of having one huge post. So here goes nothing.

I truly work with the coolest people ever. I consider them family because I spend more time with them than any one else... and most of the time I am OK with that! This year we had to out do last years THRILLER. Which is no small feat. We had many a good idea but it seems like everything just fell through or we just weren't that in to it. We even gave up! Then on a whim some one suggest Pirates of the Caribbean. So we ran with it. It came together quite nicely. You would have never known that we threw this together in a few short days...and that is no exaggeration! The Flix folks even let us use their ship as a prop. Even though we almost killed ourselves on it... here is the final result!

PIRATES OF THE CARIBBEAN
STARING:
SHANNON NELSON as Jack Sparrow
SHANE OSMOND as Davey Jones
JULENE CURTIS as Elizabeth Swan
SUE JUSTESEN as Will Turner
SHYLO TIBBS as BootStrap Bill
ME as Colypso

Chatty Kathy...

2010-11-01T15:53:00.000-07:00

I hope this makes up for that past couple of Tuesdays that I have missed. Our little peanut has discovered her voice and she doesn't care who knows it. Her sweet little coo's and squawks are sweeter than any song I have ever heard. She is talking our ears off and I still can 't get enough! Make sure your volume is turned up because that is the best part. I hope you enjoy her story!!

A sneek peek...

2010-10-28T15:55:00.000-07:00

Here is a little taste of the awesomeness that is halloween. We DID include the pups this year and I am overflowing with exciment. Each year it just gets better and better. Now that we have our little peanut... this year is no exception. YEA!

Changing Table Tuesday

2010-10-12T07:53:00.000-07:00

She looks a little like a boy with the blue behind her... but at least she is all smiles! Here she is fist pumping again...what a goofy girl!

Just thought I would share...

2010-10-04T16:02:00.000-07:00

It is really crazy to think that my family is sending out ANOTHER nephew into the world to serve a mission. Not to mention he was called to Columbia!!! Scary much? Just kidding... I know that he will be looked after by the Big Guy upstairs. Plus, this kid has a good head on his shoulders so I am not to worried at all. He might seem shy at first...but put him in front of a crowd and he will blow you away with the knowledge he has in that cranium of his. I experienced this first hand at his so called "farewell" (if the church still did that...that is.) Anyhoo, all I can say is that the country of Columbia better watch out because he is ready to do some spiritual damage to that place!! So, to make a short story long my sister asked me to whip up some quotes that he can carry with him for the next couple of years or so. Because I am the worst letter writer I thought it might be fun to come up with some more and send them to him while he is out there. Not to fear, I will definitely share as I go.For now, this is what I came up with. I tired to make them as manly as possible... only to find that they look a little multi-gendered...if that is a word...but you get the point. I down loaded them in huge files so feel free to rip them off my blog if you feel the urge. Just thought I would share!

The adventures of Changing Table Tuesday...(the late addition)

2010-09-29T16:10:00.000-07:00

Yes, I know I am posting this on Wednesday. And even though I am trying to not make this blog all about Kai... it is kind of hard because she is my world right now. Be that as it may, I am now featuring a weekly post dedicated to her. How did this come about you ask? Well, when we moved into our house (yes, we bought a new house, but that is a whole other post in itself) her nursery has somewhat of a bay window and to my excitement I found that her changing table fits perfectly inside of it. As time went on while I utilized the changing table I noticed that she would stare out the window and instantaneously her mood would change from fussy to fabulous! At first I thought this was a coincidence, but that was not the case at all. Seriously, as soon as I lay her down she will start kicking and start squaking to who ever will listen. I have even started to use it as an option when she won't stop crying. Of course, I whipped out my camera to take a few shots and thus, the creation of Changing Table Tuesdays was born!!! ***As a discalimer, I can't promise that it will be every Tuesday...but I can promise that I will try my best! So her is the start to a beautiful begining!!!

She might look like her Dad...but she acts like her Mama!!

Fist pumping it Jersey style!!

I hope you enjoyed the first edition of Changing Table Tuesdays!

Dear World Wide Web, I do apologize...

2010-09-22T21:12:00.000-07:00

I have been so selfish. I can't believe that I have been keeping her from you for so long! Alas, no more... I give you our little missy miss in her blessing dress. I may have gotten a little prop crazy... but very happy with the results. Now I need to get around to actually blessing her.

Sometimes being a Mom is not so fun...

2010-08-30T12:53:00.000-07:00

Before shots:

After shots:

Enough said!!!

Her Dramatic Entrance...

2010-08-19T11:16:00.000-07:00

Where to begin? I think the hardest part of not updating your blog is catching up... and I have a lot of that to do! So let me bring you up to speed. As mentioned in the post below I went to the doctor on June 15th to get my cerclage taken out. It was a pretty simple procedure and he did right there in his office. When he took it out, I automatically dilated to a 3. In fear that I would go into labor he had me checked into the hospital to make sure that everything was OK. We waited there for 2 hours rearing and ready to go...but she was not! So they sent us home. For a week I felt nothing... not contractions...nothing! I had my mind made up that she was going to go full term and that I should just except that. On June 22 I went to my scheduled appointment. When the doctor was checking to see if I dilated anymore he said "Well you are definitely not at a 3... your are at an 8 and I am feeling the babies head!" Zack and I were both shocked... I had no clue! He told me to go check into the hospital again to see and if nothing happens then he would induce me. I have heard all the horror stories of being induced and I didn't want to find out for myself how it feels so I asked if we could wait a while before I go. He said that would be fine, but I couldn't go home. So Zack and I went to Home Depot, RC Willy and then ate at the Olive Garden. I guess the doctor woke Kai up because I started to feel contractions. But I thought that it was all in my head so we kept on killing time. We were on the way to the mall and about an hour later I told Zack that we had better go to the hospital just to be safe. On the way there my contractions grew to about 7 minutes apart. When we arrived and the hospital and got settled in the nurse came in to see where I was in the delivery. I told her what the doctor had said... but after she checked everything she said "I am not feeling a head... I think it is her butt." So in that short time the little stinker flipped on me! When the doctor arrived and heard the story we did an ultra sound to see where she was. She was actually side ways so they thought that they could force her back into position. In order to do this they give you an epidural and tilt your body upside down on the bed. Then another doctor came in and they tried to push her body around, but as soon as they got her to where she needed to be as soon as they let go I could feel her sling right back to where she was. They tried this twice and her little heart couldn't take it. By this time the epidural had rushed to my head... so I couldn't feel anything in my arms and I could barley move my head. Plus, on top of that I was so sleepy... I could have taken a nap right then and there! So the only other option was a c-section... and that is what happened. It was a good thing because I don't think I could have pushed her out if I wanted too. I was so out of it I cold hardly remember the details..but the next thing you knew I heard crying in the distance and then they came and took Zack to go and wash her off. I was so tired that I fell asleep while they sewed me up. I woke up in the recovery room and that is when I met me little girl for the first time! That feeling I will never forget! So here she is...

Our little bambino is finally here!

2010-07-01T15:25:00.000-07:00

This little girl made her debut a little earlier than we thought! But that is just fine, I will take her anytime! I am well aware that I have been slacking with everything right now. I have so many thank you cards to send out and e-mails to return it is crazy! The birthing thing was a little harder than I thought... but I feel my second wind coming and I will fill you in with all the details soon! For now... these will have to do! Stay tuned!

Hi Friends!!

2010-06-09T14:23:00.000-07:00

Sorry I have been M.I.A latelty. I always get annoyed when people don't update their blogs so I feel extra sad when I have to put mine on the back burner. But never fret! I have a lot of exciting things in the mix and I can't wait to share. First of all, I have not had a baby yet. However, the doctor is taking my cerclage out on June 15th. I have a 50% chance of going into labor, but the Doc doesn't think that I will. I guess my cervex isn't thinning and so he says that I will just have to wait it out like any other pregnant lady. A huge part of me wishes that she would make her debut that soon... but then a huger part of me gets freaked out and realizes that I am nowhere near ready for motherhood and I need to invest in more daipers and headbands! Either way I am on her clock now... so time will tell!!

Also while I was away I took these...

I had someone take these...

And I made these...

I still have more more to exciting news to come...but I didn't want to overwelm you with too much excitment!! So stay tuned.

Kai's Big Shower!!

2010-05-21T15:31:00.000-07:00

Do I even need to tell you how much fun I had! Zack's sisters threw Kai a shower and they did such a great job. She got so many cute clothes it was ridiculous. She is going to be the sassiest thing ever! I am so grateful for everyone who came. Not only did they shower me with too many gifts, but they are constantly offering their motherly advice. I don't think I could do any of this without them.

Hey Soul Sista...

2010-05-17T12:20:00.000-07:00

This past weekend all my sisters and I went to St. George for Chalyece's birthday and had a blast!! We went and watched Brian Regan preform and it was so funny! By the end of the night my tummy hurt so bad from laughing I am pretty sure I freaked out Kai a little!! Thanks Ladies!

A bitter sweet day...

2010-05-13T15:45:00.000-07:00

A couple of weekends ago Zack and I headed up to Idaho for the burial of his Grandma Parks. Tears were shed, memeories were shared and hugs were swapped. Most think that funerals are sad, but I find them to be a little inspiring. Of course she will be missed but as Zack's Mom read Grandma's life story, I learned that this amazing woman lived a full and meaningful life. So much in fact, that I am happy to see that she is with her husband and daughter again...that is what she has been living for! Which left me thinking of what my life story would entail. It was a little bit of a wake up call for me. My story is not even close to being done and I hope that as I add on the chapters that they might somewhat resemble her example that she has set for all of us to follow. We love and miss you Grandma!!

Are you smarter than a 2nd grader?

2010-05-04T15:57:00.000-07:00

Zone Telecom (the place that pays me to work for them) was asked to participate in a special program called Junior Achievement. If you are not familiar with this program you are missing out. Basically, they ask people around the community to teach 5 lessons at the elementary school about things like, balancing a check book, what interest is on a loan, how and why we pay taxes, why it is important to vote...ect. ect. You know, pretty much just daily things that you deal with other than algebra. (I hope you could translate the sarcasim in that sentence.) But I digress. Strictly out of peer pressure, I decided to volunteer. I was assigned to the 2nd graders and to be honest I was terrified! I had this nightmare made up in my head that they were all going to hate me and that they wouldn't understand what I was trying to teach them. So I had my first lesson last Tuesday and.... it was was not that bad at all!!! They really are a cute bunch of kids. The lesson was on "What makes a community." One of the questions was "Who contributes to our community?" A bright (and loud) girl yelled out "Doctor!!" so I asked, "How would a doctor contribute to our community?" That is when I saw the cutest little girl, who looked like the real life version of Dora the Explorer (hair cut and everything!) with huge glass bottle bottom glasses on (the kind that make your eyes look huge becasue they are behind a magnifying glass.) She had her hand up so I called on her. She looked right at my belly and pointed at it while saying "Doctors deliver babies." Bless her little heart!! The teacher and I couldn't help but laugh. It makes me excited to have a gawky little second grader someday!

Pity Party for one.... your table is ready!!

2010-04-23T11:56:00.000-07:00

I usually pride myself on handling stress well... or at least in my on world I do. But lately it seems like I just can't catch a break. I think we all feel that way at one time or another in our life. So I guess I'm due for an emotional breakdown...with the help of my raging, out-of-control and suppressed hormones of course. Ironically enough, I came across this quote that was in one of my good friends facebook status (of all places!!) Then and there my life changed forever... or thus far. I could complain that I am sick of trying to fix everything and then years later they still aren't fixed and it is all my fault. BUT NO MORE!!! Everything is going to work itself out. I need to stay away from self inflicted drama and will start today. So if you find yourself in the same place that I am in... then hopefully this quote will help you as much as it has with me. Click on the image to enlarge. Good Night and Good Luck!!

Hello and Welcome to the First Edition of Barefoot and Pregnant: Part One

2010-04-14T15:00:00.000-07:00

One morning I woke up and out of nowhere I grew this belly! I always knew it was there and that it was getting bigger, but now it is to the point that it is effecting my day. Before I had to remind myself that I was pregnant... but now reminders come on there own. I have a hard time bending, sitting and sleeping. Not to mention the constant charlie horses!! Zack is kind enough so tell me that Kai is the growing one... not me. Shamefully, I haven't been the best at documenting my journey into motherhood. So I called up my sister-in-law Shylo and she helped me get these beauties. I hope to take them every month or so to compare big Kai is getting. So here we are at 7 months!

No, in fact, we don't beat our dogs...

2010-04-12T12:00:00.000-07:00

even though it may look like I took a hose to her, this is what our little pill looks like after a warm soak in the tub. It popped up on our screen saver and it made me laugh really hard.... you know that awkwardness when you almost feel stupid because you are all alone and just frantically laughing. Yep, that is the one! This picture fits her character a little too perfectly. How can something this dorky be this cute?!

AKA Carlos!

2010-04-08T15:55:00.000-07:00

We named her after her Dad. It's Zack's middle name. Originally, we were going to name our first son this, but seeing how Zack is the only boy of 7 girls and I am 1 of 5.... I figure that there will be a lot of estrogen in our future. Plus, I fell in love with another boy name... to that factored in too. It is pronounced like Ky and it is hawaiian for "keeper of the sea." Her middle name will be Karen... after my Mom. Her name means "one that is pure." (I got this information from the reading books they leave in the doctors waiting room.) Hopefully it will fit her and her personality. But I guess we all take that chance when we name our kids. I don't know why I bother because she has already earned the nick-name Carlos, from The Hangover. It is to the point where my niece, Shelby, was drawing a picture for me and asked "Niesha, do you spell Carlos with a K or a C?" We all busted up laughing... it made my day!

Is there a better way to spend Easter?

2010-04-05T10:15:00.000-07:00

Slept in. Cuddled with puppies. Then Zack surprised me with this. He said that he made it for the baby. It about brought me to tears because my Dad used to do that when I was little. The funny thing is that Zack didn’t know that…. I just think good Dads have an instinct for this sort of thing. My baby is so lucky! Then we watched General Conference (the first session anyway.) Followed up by taking the puppies for a walk in mediocre weather. Topped off with a delicious Easter dinner made by Shylo. I bet there is many other and maybe better ways to celebrate Easter… but this one was simple and low key. Just the way I like it!

Just because I am a little obsessed...

2010-03-30T15:34:00.000-07:00

Zack thought it would be funny to make me watch the old Clash of the Titans.... it was not funny at all...it was hilarious!! I think I sat there and laughed for the whole 80 minutes at the cheesy graphics. Plus, their scorpions didn't even attack people to the beat of a kick-A soundtrack... what a let down! Just to give you a taste I found the trailer for it... and this doesn't even scratch the surface as to how painful it was to watch! ENJOY!

...and this is just his stuff!!

2010-03-25T16:14:00.000-07:00

So, Zack and I thought that there's no better way to start out our adventure of parenthood but homeless! Yeah, we sold our house! I will spare everyone the reasons why we decided to choose this path. Just know that the bank didn't take it or that we had to sell... we just sold it. As for now we will be roughing it in a good ol' appartment but Zack already has some future plans in the works that makes me super excited. It might be a little stressful with the baby on the way, but I am sure she doesn't care where we live. We sold it to an adorable newly-wed-elderly-couple that will have that place filled with grandchildren 24/7 and that makes me happy knowing that all that space will finally be put to use. Now we just have to deal with the moving part.... i feel like I am forgetting something. Oh right... my girl dog!

Am I the only one that is excited for this???

2010-03-18T15:59:00.000-07:00

It might be that my inner nerd is shinning through in full force or that Sam Worthington is just really doing it for me right now... be that at it may, this looks so good! I think I have watched the trailer about 15 times today and forcing everyone around me to do the same. April 2nd can't come soon enough!!

A Sneak Peek...

2010-03-11T20:11:00.000-08:00

I promise that I will stop making this blog all about the baby... but for now humor me! Zack and I celebrated our 5th anniversery this month and even though it was pretty low key, it was probably the best one we ever had. First we went to the eye doctor... yea! But shortly after we got to go see Dr. Anderson so Zack could meet the baby for the first time. It was everything I hoped it would be... Zack just stood there in awe as he saw his little girl. I could tell that he was a little freaked out but still excited all the same. We caught this footage of her sucking her thumb! I know this is very common with babies but because it is mine just makes it that much cuter. So here she is for her sneak preview!!

The full movie was about 15 minutes... but you saw the best part. My doctor gave me fair warning by saying that if I wanted to scare away the neighbors to just pop this movie in, because they are just as as good as vacation pictures and nobody really cares but you. Even still, I couldn't help myself. I watch it everyday and I find something I love more and more about her every time. Anyhoo, I will spare you now before I get too mushy on you. It is the pregnant hormones I swear! Oh yeah, then we topped the night off with Olive Garden and a movie... what did I tell you? Best anniversery ever!

Missing my Mother...

2010-03-08T16:47:00.000-08:00

Normally anniversaries are something to celebrate. With exceptions of course, in this case, March 3rd was the day that my Mom lost her fight to breast cancer. Which is nothing to celebrate... and this year marks 20. Every time this date sneaks up on me I feel the same sadness and hurt that anyone does or should. The funny thing is, you would think that after 20 years this day would pass by with more ease... but it didn't. This time was different, it was harder to swallow than all the other years. It sunk in more this time. I am not sure if it is because of what has happened to me in the past little while (mainly Isabella) or if it is just that 20 years without a mother sucks this bad. Maybe it's because this should be the time where I am getting over my "knowing it all" stage and we would become best friends. Maybe it is because I am well on my way to being a mother myself and I want her here now more than ever. But is there really a time that a Mother is not needed? I always find myself wishing she were here now more than ever! On more than one occasion I get lost in the day dreams of "what ifs" and "until we meet agains." I don't think that you can really put an expiration date on these kinds of feelings... and to be honest, I wouldn't if I could. With that being said and this being the 20th year, I wanted to pay tribute to her. Not just any kind of tribute, but a big 20 year kind of tribute. For days I thought of things I should write and how I should say them. Wording it so perfectly that you would understand how cheated we all are in her absence. Stressing on "why life's not fair" and "why her?" Then I came across this, a letter she wrote while on her death bed. It is not the whole thing, but this alone will tell you what kind of person we are all missing and why March 3rd is so hard.

Well, I guess the blow of a lifetime came when I found out I had breast cancer. I have done everything not to get it, had my children before 30, nursed most of them. We really don't have a history of this cancer in our family, but I was the lucky one. The first day was the worse I guess, knowing I could die with cancer if I choose or I could do as doctors ask and take chemotherapy. This would bring my chances for living from 10% to 50% rate. After having my right breast removed (and believe me this was no problem... I handled this fine) people brought food, cards were sent, money was given to us, flowers were brought in, phone calls were made, but the main thing was the fasting and prayers that were given on my behalf. My room was so full of flowers, one lady said "It looks like a funeral home." I said "I think it looks like a flower shop." I don't want to go 6 feet under yet. People were so good to us. In fact, 2 days in a row the nurses couldn't clean my room because there were so many visitors (Bruce helped though) I guess I could be bitter about this, knowing a part of my body is gone until I die. But so much good has come out of an operation like this to wake up and know you have people who care, a husband that loves me, brothers to stand by my side, and of course my loving mother that worries so very much and my children that take care of their aging and balding mother. Ha Ha.
A feeling of warmth has come over me knowing that I do have a Heavenly Father that really loves me, his son Jesus Christ to stand by his side and my very own father that has stood by me through every treatment and a husband that gives me blessings to help me along the way as painful as they might be. He has his arm around me and tells me I can succeed and finish treatment so I can raise my family. I have a love for my Heavenly Father that I have never had before and maybe this is why I have to go through this experience, to make my testimony grow. Our family has grown so much closer, knowing now the important things in life. Life rules over money. Human life no matter whose it is, is more important than anything money can buy, along with love from our Heavenly Fathers embrace even through pain, fear, loss and possible death. This has been a foundation for me to prepare to enter the other side and be with my Heavenly Father.
I just want to thank you for everything you have done for me. Your faith, prayers, cards, money, flowers and devoted love. I LOVE YOU ALL and thank you for your love and support.
My ending thought: I guess the good Lord wants me fat, with a messy house, and to quit attending church.... but he will be surprised.
All my love, your one and only lopsided, bald headed sister.
Karen Russell

I am sure she had her faults, as we all do. Her death proves that she was, in fact, human.... as we all are. She was tried many times in the life she lived and did the best she could. Be that as it may, with me never really knowing her...in my eyes she will always be perfect. When people find out that I am her daughter, they always follow with a sweet story and tell me how great of a woman she was. The fact that she was thinking of others while she is the one dieing just goes to show her true character. If there is anything we can learn from this experience and loss... is to follow her example, live a life like hers and leave a legacy like she did. I feel so guilty moving on without her. She has misssed out on so much while her family continues to grow. Sometimes I think that time should stand still and we should just wait until she comes back. But then again, I don't think she wants it that way at all. I know she wants us to live our hopes and dreams...beacause, after all, they were hers too. Easier said than done!!

My Elfee...

2010-03-01T12:52:00.000-08:00

True:
She started out as the runt but forgot to stop growing. She likes you best when you have food. She barks at anything furry that is moving on the TV. She licks off my chapstick when I am asleep. Her hair is so soft you could braid it. She uses her tongue as a lethal weapon. She uses her brothers ear as a chew toy. She loves annoying her Dad. She chews my heals. She sprained her ankle because she fell down the stairs. Her tongue is too big for her mouth. She is the best cuddler in the world. Her name is Elfee but she answers to "Sissy" and she turned 2 today!!! Even though we are "those" type of dog people, we are not "those" type who actually celebrate dog birthdays. But I do like to keep track. So here is a scrapbook page I made in honor of our problem puppy... click to enlarge. Happy Birthday Sweet Girl!!!

Guess What?

2010-02-23T16:05:00.000-08:00

Did you know that pregnant ladies can take tums? Well I do now! Too bad I went through 5 months of hell in my throat before I read the "Can and Cannot Take" sheet my doctor gave me. So then I get excited and tell everyone the next day and they were like "Yeah, I took those all the time when I was pregnant!" What? I guess I am not complaining enough... because I am still wondering how this bit of information has not been mentioned! Never again!

The boys are out numbered 3 to 2!

2010-02-17T11:17:00.000-08:00

Huzzah! Our little peanut is a girl! I found out a little sooner than normal because I get an ultra sound each visit... and while the doctor was checking everything out he asked if I wanted to know. However, don't think that I am a horrible wife just yet! Zack sent me with specific instructions that if I had a chance to find out, to do so and tell him later. You see, he gets VERY excited about these kinds of things and can't wait. (Which is why I get all my Christmas presents on December 9th instead of the 25th) So to make it fun... I bought a unisex bag wrote "boy or girl" on it and put a pretty little dress inside. Hence the pictures above. He was very excited and gave me a great big hug! I thought for sure it was a boy because I wasn't as sick as I was with Isabella and it had a boys heartbeat. Even though I truly just want a healthy and happy baby, 51% of me wished it was a girl... but I was not about to say that out loud and jinx it. A long time ago all I wanted were boys, even when I was pregnant with Isabella. But when the doctor told me that Isabella was a girl, there was something that sunk in, and I loved the thought of having a girl. I was so shocked and excited I could barley drive home because my eyes were filled with tears... and for once good tears! Next month Zack and I get to have the "official" ultra sound where he records it for us and we get to have that special moment... I am sure by then she will turn into a boy... That would be just my luck! (But I would be just as happy!)

Let's be real...

2010-02-09T10:51:00.000-08:00

24 is a pretty lame age to turn. There is really nothing that I can do now that I couldn't do when I was 23. I still don't feel like a grown up...but everyone seems really young or really old. My birthday gifts were things I needed instead of things I wanted. Instead of taking a day off, I went to work. It was really just another day come and gone. But then again, this will be the age that I become a Mom and celebrate my 5th annaversery. So, I am sure that 24 has a lot more in store for me... I just have to be patient. The highlights were the flowers I got from my Dad, the Tee - Cee's Cheeseburger Shylo bought me and ironically fat pants that Zack got me later that night. Oh, and who can overlook all the facebook wishes I got. All in all the 24 life might be lame, but still getting off to a good start.

Right here and now...

2010-02-04T05:28:00.000-08:00

There is no hope of me fitting into me favorite pants until I am post-pregnant.

I have become addicted to anything "motherhood" related... like Teen Mom on MTV, this podcast and numerous baby blogs.

I find myself crying over a simple episode of Scrubs and those sad puppy commercials.

Find it harder and harder to get out of bed...even though I get no hours of sleep.

Ironically, I am having some pretty weird dreams... they might even be a little naughty.

I have felt the little guy kick... a lot.

Actually, I have seen where the little guy was kicking... only a couple times.

I am one week further along than I was with Isabella... and still copping.

I find my husband telling me to undo my pants because it looks like I am smashing the baby.

I can't eat enough.

I'm convinced it's a boy.

The hormones have officially taken over!

Good times...right?

One more reason we call her our problem puppy!!

2010-01-28T16:44:00.000-08:00

When I came home from work I was only greeted by one puppy... which scared me to death! I searched my house frantically and that is when I came across my problem puppy in the garbage! The crazy thing is that my garbage is about 3 feet tall! Apparently she has no trouble jumping in... but can't figure out how to get out. It broke my heart... I am not sure how long she was in there. I left my house at about 1:30 from lunch and got home at 5... so she could have been in there for hours! I am guessing that was the case because she was so tired for the rest of the night, but Moe was so excited that she was saved he wouldn't leave her alone. Hopefully she has learned her lesson...but knowing her, I am sure this will happen again.

someone PLEASE buy me this for my up and coming b-day!!!

2010-01-25T15:43:00.000-08:00

Awesome... NO?
You can find it here.
Thanks in advace!
Niesha

The Father of My Future Child, Ladies and Gentlemen...

2010-01-18T20:03:00.000-08:00

I think it is both funny and cute that Zack is so invested in my pregnancy. But then I find myself having conversations like this...

Zack calling me on his way home from work:

Z: Hey babe, what are you doing?

N: Nothing, just fighting this blasted head cold!

Z: Well we have some percocet left from your surgery, maybe that will help.

N: Yeah, or maybe just some Tylenol?

Long Pause...

Z: Ummm, I am not comfortable with you taking that!

N: But, the Doctor said it is OK... just not Ibuprofen.

Cut to him coming in to my office with a bottle of Tylenol and using my computer to google it. Then he opens the bottle and cuts a Tylenol capsule in half, you know, just to be safe. But in his defence, the Doctor did proscribe me percocet just in case I have any unexpected discomfort from the cerclage. I just thought it was cute that he would actually question the Tylenol and trust google over the Doctor.

To be honest I love that he cares so much. I always fight with him on purpose about what I eat because it is a weird way to show that he is thinking about the baby and not my growing boobs.

My Jersey Conffession...

2010-01-11T15:43:00.000-08:00

So, I will be the first one to admit that I am a little bit lame! I have been known to find myself watching the Jersy Shore on MTV a time or two. Plus, I about died when they made fun of Snookie getting punched on The Soup! With that being said, I heard on the radio that there is a website that you can go to and it will translate your name to your Jersey Shore nickname! So naturally Kevyn and I had to find ours.

Kevyn = K-Gel
Zack = The Operation
Niesha = The Position

I don't know why, but I am in a super giggily mood and found this so entertaining. So if you aspire to be so lame as me... then play along!!! I am tagging to ALL my blog reading friends!! Go to The Jersey Shore Site, find your nickname and post it on your blog. I will be checking to see if you do it... and if not... I see how you are hater!! So start your fist pumping and hurry right now!!

Oh, sorry I forgot...

2010-01-08T12:51:00.000-08:00

I am officaially 14 Weeks today.
I am due on July 10, 2010.
However, The cerclage comes out at 37 weeks and most women just go straight into labor... so the due date (like any other pregnacy) is still up in the air!

Also, Thank you everyone for the kind words of encouragement. It makes me more excited, when other are excited for me. So Thank You!

Ahh Yes... the minor details...

2010-01-07T17:03:00.000-08:00

What better way to ring in the new year then having a good 'ol fashion cerclage!

My NEW doctor (whom I just love and adore... is that weird??) knew from the get go that my incompetent cervix would have to be sewn shut. They normally wait until 15 weeks for the procedure, but I begged and begged for him to do it sooner. So we settled at 13 weeks. Which fell on New Year's Eve, but I didn't mind. The actual cerclage wasn't the hard part, it was that blasted spinal they give you to numb your lower half. This in itself was a very humbling experience.

First, they give you the option to go under or just have the spinal. They recommend the spinal because the less drugs in your system the better it is for the baby. Not leaving anything to chance I agreed to do that. However, I had a hard time with being awake... so he gave me the "Michel Jackson" sleeping drug. Isn't that just comforting when he puts it like that?

Second, not only is is weird to hunch over in front a total stranger with nothing covering your lower regions. But it is even weirder if that stranger is a total zoobie!! I swear he looked like he was 14 and talked like he was fresh off the mission. I kinda felt like a scanky showing him my goods.... but I had no choice. Good Times!

Third, my nurse was large... especially in her the chest area. So when she helped me hunch over for him to give me the shot, my face had no choice but to land in the twins. I about drowned!

Forth, at this point in time, the needle that caused my back to start on fire and cramp up was the least of my worries.

Fifth, when they tell you that in a minute you won't be able to feel your feet and you start to think that the embarrassing part is over... that's when they throw your feet up in the slings. To be clear, they are not like the ones you see on t.v. when a woman is giving birth. I was laying on my back, my feet were literally higher than my head and my legs were spread eagle. Apparently your cervix is hard to get to... harder than I thought. Which wouldn't be that bad, but there were 2 nurses and the zoobie sitting around waiting for the doctor with my rear in the air for everyones viewing pleasure.

Sixth, that "Michel Jackson" couldn't have kicked in sooner!

But just like that, about a half an hour later I was done. I woke up fully clothed... well for the most part. It only took me 3 hours to move my toes and about 4 to finally walk. There was a little bit of cramping but nothing too bad. Like I said, I can't even feel the actual cerclage. It is kind of weird to think that this will hold my baby in the whole time... but I will do what ever I can.

Because the words cerclage and crasage are so similar and you hear the word crasage more... that is what we all refernced my sergery to. So naturally, the girls and Kevyn at work got me this little beauty. Kevyn even asked me to prom with it. It was the highlight of the day, I love my little ZONE family. They said that they wanted pictures of me wearing it...so without further a due...

*Please Note*
I am well aware my docotor, the nurses and the zoobie are professionals and I am the imature one! I know that to them this is just another sergery that has come and gone... and the whole staff was great! Hopefully they have forgotten about me and I am not "that patient" that they refference to when comparing stories with friends. Still, I am really glad that I have made the move and am having my baby in the Provo Valley Hospital.

Yep, we're giving this another go...

2010-01-06T11:56:00.000-08:00

To be frank, I am a complete basket case. Everyday presents itself with new emotional and physical challenge to over come. But I guess that is what motherhood is all about, right? Plus, I am pretty sure that this is just the beginning. It is as if I have just strapped myself in to the scariest roller coster and as I am slowing climbing my way to the peak, I just realized that there is no turning back now. Yet, I am finding that the further I go the funner it gets. When I call my doctor in a panic, he always says "You just wait until the baby actually comes... then you'll be a total mess." Either way, I am just so thankful that Heavenly Father is giving Zack and I another chance at this whole parenting thing and pray that this one will some how work itself out.

P.S. If you click on the picture to blow it up, you can see the little nugget in all it's glory. I might be a bit bias, but I am pretty sure that is the cutest fetus I have ever laid eyes on.

What can I say about the holiday...

2009-12-28T16:33:00.000-08:00

Now that I am finally getting around to posting about the holidays, I find myself getting sad that they are over. This Christmas season is now a memory that will blend in the rest of them....but there were definitely some highlights...

Friends. Family. Gifts. Dodge Ball. Hezzah!

Looks like someone couldn't wait until Christmas!!

2009-12-18T13:31:00.000-08:00

I came home to this last night. I have two ideas of who it could be. But that is ok... i get excited too!

Christmas came a little early this year...

2009-12-15T15:15:00.000-08:00

Ever since Zack and I became "official" he has made a tradition to do the 12 days of Christmas for me. He does it every year...and it keeps getting better and better. This year the little punk surprised me with a weekend stay at the Zermatt. It was amazing! We did nothing but relax. There was a heated pool that was outside and a hot tub as well which was awesome because it was snowing the whole time. Then Zack hit the sauna while I enjoyed my massage. It was heaven and now I am addicted! Followed by a nap in the hot room. Then we topped off the night off by going to a cute little local BBQ shack called Tommy's Texas grill. It was sooooo yummy and artery clogging at the same time. The snow was insane! When we woke up there was 4 feet of snow on our car. It took us 3 and a half hours to get home, when it should have been 1 and a half! But the puppies were still just as excited to see us!

See! Now you know why I put up with this guy... he really is the sweetest!

Oh Chritmas Tree...

2009-12-03T16:35:00.000-08:00

While growing up with a bachelor Dad, Christmas was never a big deal. We had a few Christmas' without a tree and one where we had a tree that was never decorated. Don't get me wrong... my Dad always made sure that we got presents and had a fun day. We just never got around to the setting up the scenery for the occasion. Zack on the other hand, never lets a season go by with out decorating for it...but I think that is one of the qualities that I love about him the most. Because if it wasn't for him I would probably stay with my old ways and not worry about it. This years Christmas tree was quite the project. At first Zack wanted to go and cut one down ourselves ...but we never found one "worthy" enough to display in our home. But we lucked out and bought Kristie's old tree from her. It is a 10 footer and Zack and I have never bought any Christmas Tree decorations since we have been married, because we just inherited mine. It was a bigger task then one may think. We just went to the local Wal-Mart to get supplies... but it was the colors that we had to make just right. We went with red, lime green, brown and gold. I think it came together pretty well! Now we are on the hunt for a star for the top...or something that goes with the theme. Plus, we also found some garland for the banister that I love! My house literally glows, making it (dare I say) magical! I could care less if I get one present this year...it has already become the best Christmas ever!

I guess I better add to the millions of New Moon postes out there....

2009-11-24T15:13:00.000-08:00

Once again ZONE Telecom, Inc. came through and got us a private screening at the local town theater. The best part was that we got to go during work hours! Yeah...it is pretty much the coolest feeling to get paid to watch your favorite vampire on the big screen...sigh! But the day started off even better because mega Jacob lover Kevyn, totally trashed super mega Edward lover, Shylo's office! It was great, there was Jacob paraphernalia everywhere. Looks like team Jacob is winning right now...but not for long!! You better watch your back Kevyn! Anyway...the pictures tell the rest of the story. I will spare on my movie critique...but I will tell you that I loved it for the most part!
Enjoy!

Halloween Highlights!

2009-11-02T11:30:00.000-08:00

Here are just a few more favorites of Halloween...this is the last batch I promise!

Our Monster Mash!

2009-11-01T12:00:00.000-08:00

One might think that having your birthday on Halloween would pretty cool...and it is most of the time. However sometimes it gets lost in the shuffle of daily life. So a week before we got together for the Annual Pumpkin Carving Party at the Petersons...
which is code for Zack's Birthday Party. We had a fun filled night of ...you guessed it...pumpkin carving but also apple bobbing and the traditional watching of Icabod Crane and the Headless Hourseman. The pictures say the rest.... ENJOY!

Now you know why I was so excited!!!

2009-10-30T10:56:00.000-07:00

I just might have to brag... this was totally all my idea. Nobody thought it would turn out as good as it did. But I am thankful that there is a big building I go to everyday...that contains my best friends...that gives me a pay check....and that they actaully put up with me!

Oh...so much more to come!!!!
Did I mention this is my favorite day of the year? Santa Clause has got some serious competition!

I am so pissed off at Mother Nature right now!!!

2009-10-27T09:19:00.001-07:00

For some reason or another she couldn't hold off of the snow for another 4 days? WTF! My costume is amazing and I have coordinated it with my co-workers and my neices and nephews.... the last thing I need is to wear a coat and covor it! Not cool, Mother Nature, not cool!

Continued....

2009-10-26T17:25:00.000-07:00

After my fun filled adventure to Green Bay, on the way home I took advantage of being in the area and went to lunch with my dear friend Holli. I worked at the Hampton Inn with her and I don't know how I would have done it with out her. She, in fact, introduced me to The Office so for that I am forever in her debt....it changed my life forever! We also went punk together and yarned on a couple of occasions. But more importantly, I am so grateful for her listening ear. I am sure there are countless hours of her hearing me vent about all the ra-tards that used to/still work at the Hampton when she came in to cover my shift. It was so refreshing to catch up and reminisce about the good old days. However, I think the moment that stood out the most about that evening is when she sincerely apologized for everything that happened with Isabella and the smile on her face when I told her that Zack and I are trying to have kids again. What you don't realize is that Holli has had many a trials in her day... and I am afraid she will probably have more in her future. She suffers from Fibro and Renal Failure. She fights this battle each morning she wakes up and has to deal with the pain everyday. The icing on the cake is that her health care won't approve her surgery. This surgery would fix all of her problems, and she is stuck at the Hampton until she gets approved. I think she has had over 30 surgeries and she is only 22! The fact that she has all of the above happening to her and she apologized to me just goes to show how sweet her heart really is. When I asked for donations for Amy's cause, I was not suprized to find a message in my inbox from her stating that she is working on blankets to donate. She has her ups and downs...but who wouldn't? At the end of the day she still has her smile on. She is the type of person that would do anything for you and she is so close to her family. I envy her for that. Even though I don't see her as much as I would like to, I am so glad that she has been apart of my life. She is such a great example and with out a doubt one of the strongest girls I know. If you would like to help her through this struggle you can do so here. Or click on the pretty flower in the side of my blog. I know I will! I punk you Holli!

This week was busier than I would have like it to be...

2009-10-17T19:13:00.000-07:00

It started last Sunday night I slept over at Nola's and got bangs...I will post a picture when I come across a decent one.

Then off to catch my brutal 5:40 AM flight to Green Bay! But that is OK because Wisconsin will always have a special place in my heart. I love the people and area is beautiful. Shaner and I got to kill some time so we went to the stadium for dinner. They had some pretty fun games there that we couldn't pass up.

The next night we had a banquet with entertainment. Lucky me, I got called on stage to stand on the magician while he laid on a bed of nails. Surprisingly enough they didn't stab him and he is still alive!!! This made me a believer, seeing how my fat butt alone could have killed him...not to mention the bed of 10 inch nails he was laying on! Crazy! Then we wrapped up the night by playing shuffle board till the wee hours of the morning at the bar. Shane and I gave everyone a run for their money and only lost once! Then off to another 5:00 AM flight home. Let me give you a run down of the time line I had to catch that flight... you have to be to the airport an hour early and it takes half an hour to get to the airport and you have to wake up at least 15 minutes to get ready causing you to wake up no later than 3:15 Wisconsin time, making that 2:15 Utah time. Yep, I guess that is why I get paid the big bucks! I don't think that sarcasm can translate when I type it.

Anyhoo...this post is to be continued. Stay tuned!

We went away together...

2009-10-05T11:10:00.000-07:00

to California over the weekend. Zack surprised me with a last minute trip to the west coast. We started off with an intense visit to 6 flags followed up by a romantic walk on the beach. Moe dug tons of holes and Elfee chased the waves back and forth. Then we headed north to Lake Tahoe. That was beautiful! We got some good hiking in and relaxing time in the hot tub. It started to snow... and that was awesome when we were in the hot tub... but then it didn't stop! So that cut our trip a little short. The weird thing is that my favorite part of the whole thing was the ride. Even though it was over 19 hours long, I have found that there is no other person I would rather spend that time with. It was so nice to catch up on each other. With everything that has happened in the past few months we have been so caught up with life that we haven't talked for a while. I mean, we talked...but in the car we actually had stimulating conversations about work, sex, religion, our past, our future and everything else in between. It made me realize how much I love my husband and how glad I am that he is mine. Oh, and I took not one picture! I guess I will have to file this memory in the ol' noggin'.

As promised..

2009-10-01T23:00:00.000-07:00

Here are the pictures that Jen took. I was quite surprised at how well they turned out, being that we were working with 2 uncooperative puppies, loosing the light, 1 annoyed husband and a bossy backseat photographer (me.) But here are a few of my favorites...

Falling for Fall

2009-09-28T23:11:00.001-07:00

I am loving this fall more than ever! I am not sure if it is just that I haven't paid as much attention to it before of what... but I am smitten! Jacket weather is my favorite... and I need to invest in some more scarves and boots for this occasion. Anyhoo... Zack and I took advantage of the scenery and took some pictures. Here are just a few... I will post more once I get them from Jennifer {Zack's Sister}.

Make My Monday

2009-09-28T13:55:00.000-07:00

Being that I am a dog lover... this link made my day!

Click on it...it might make yours too!

Every Mormon Girls Dream!

2009-09-24T15:00:00.000-07:00

So, our basement is finally finished! YEA! But the best part is that it has a scrapbook room! Believe me, I have been putting it to good use! I have been meaning to post pictures...but until then here is a taste of what has been going on in there.

EEEEEEEKKKKK!!!!!

2009-09-22T08:43:00.000-07:00

I am so excited!! On Sunday Zack bought me my Halloween costume!!!! I am not going to tell you what it is... I will just say that it is in New Jersey finding its way home to me. I feel like a little girl counting down the days until Christmas, instead Santa is the UPS guy and I have a tracking number. The best part is that I have a few girlfriends at work that are getting coordinating costumes so we can pal around together. Can't wait!!! I am so overwhemed with joy that I had to shout it out to the world wide web and use a rediculous amount of exclamation points while doing so!!!!!!!!! Yea!!!!!!!!!!

Move aside Mr. Cullen...

2009-09-10T07:52:00.000-07:00

and make room for this Edward. When Zack found out that I haven't seen this show he immediately rented it. Apparently this is on of those classics that everyone NEEDS to see. At first I thought that is was just another 80's flick like the Breakfast Club and 16 candles that were good... but only in that time. Then I watch it and fell in love! It was so good I felt compelled to blog about it for some reason or another. The whole pastel neighborhood, stay at home gossipy wives, perfect leave it to beaver concept was brilliant. I think that the sweet Mom that took him in was my favorite... I died laughing when she went door to door saying "Avon calling." And then there was Edward. He may have only said about 2 sentences the whole time, but that was enough to steel my heart. I think he might have replaced that one Vampires place! So in sum, the 80's aren't that bad... I am a little excited to see what else they have to offer. It has also made me want to see Tim Burtons Alice in Wonderland. Weird huh!

Things that make me terribly happy...

2009-09-08T14:00:00.000-07:00

If you haven't already seen this girls blog... you should go right now...it's OK I will wait for you.

Welcome back. Don't you love all of their "Things that make me terribly happy lists"? So I thought while trying to get out of my slum... I would make my own. Here goes nothing...

1. When Zack sings a song and makes up his own lyrics... he gets pretty creative.

2. The sound of little paws running across the tile to greet me when I get home.
3. When I get in my car and my favorite song is playing on the radio.
4. New makeup and a haircut.
5. Lazy Sundays.
6. A good podcast of Loveline.
7. Being on the inside of an inside joke.
8. A bowl of Peanut Butter Capin' Crunch.
9. When I make it to work on time.
10. My never ending list of my favorite TV shows/movies.
11. Pretty Vintage frames.
12. Old pictures of my Mom.
13. Old 80's pictures of Zack and Shylo.
14. Playing Rockband with my Cool Nephew Cole.
15. When Zack says "I Love You" first on the phone as we say goodbye.

Wow, I am feeling better already. Hopefully this list will keep on growing and I am sure that it will. I highly recommend that you do it too!

Pic Cred... www.afieldjournal.blogspot.com

All because of Amy...

2009-08-29T09:34:00.000-07:00

OK... so I will try to keep this short. Earlier, I tried to spare you the details of Isabella's passing... but I think you will appreciate this story a little more if I go ahead and share some of them.

On August 4th, exactly one week from when my water broke, I felt the same feeling as I had before. I was laying down (seeing how I was on bed rest) and I felt something fall out of me... come to find out it was the umbilical cord this time. Once again... no cramping or bleeding... just that weird feeling. So, not knowing what was next, Zack and I packed up our things for another hospital visit. As we were rounding up our stuff Zack asked "Do you want to bring your camera?" Without even thinking I snapped back "Why would I want to take a picture of this?" I will have you know that I never snap at my husband... and I was just being a complete brat about the whole situation!!

Cut to us in Dr. Dewey's office 4 hours later. When he saw the umbilical cord, he knew without question that there was no hope for Isabella and that I had to deliver her. He gave me some pills to induce me. When I found this out I asked "Can you just perform a D and C?" He reassured me that delivery is better for my body and with me being so far along the baby would be too big to get out in one piece. At this point in time I didn't care. As Zack drove me back to the hospital I just sat there and complained about how the doctor wouldn't do the D and C... and how I just wanted this nightmare to be over!!

Cut to me in the delivery room with Zack at my side. I had finally delivered Isabella... but did not look down to see what the final result was. My placenta however decided that it was in no hurry to be delivered. So there I sat with a constant contraction as I waited for the doctor to come and retrieve it. As I was waiting, I noticed that the nurse had grabbed the baby and wrapped it in a blanket.... which at the time I thought was strange... but didn't give it too much thought because of the pain. About 45 minutes later the doctor came in and pulled everything out. Which oddly enough was the most painful part of the delivery.

After all was said and done, Dr. Dewey told me that my baby was a girl! My heart sank. He picked her up and asked if I wanted to hold her... I was very hesitant. I never really answered, but he brought her over to me anyway. There I saw that I had delivered a baby... not a tadpole... but an actual baby girl. It took a little longer to sync in than I thought. Dr. Dewey suggest that we name her to make her more real and to help with the coping process. I immediately blurted out "Isabella" The story behind this is that Zack wanted to name our daughter that... but I didn't. It is not that I don't love the name, I do... along with every other mother in america right now. I didn't want Isabella to be mixed in the shuffle of all the others her age. But then I thought that no matter how hard you try to avoid it... I am sure there are billions in heaven... so Isabella it is.

While I sat in my bed throwing a pity party for one, Isabella laying on the table across from me, my assigned nurse for the night approached me. She informed me that Amy, another nurse that worked there, will be coming in to help with the grieving process. "No thanks." I said before she could even finish explaining everything. She followed up with "Even though you feel that way I am going to let you turn her away."

Amy entered the room, she is a small little red head with mousey but sweet features. She came by my side and started to explain that she too has lost a baby and wanted to help any way she could by taking pictures, talking about it or anything I could think of to make this experience any easier. My response was "How much extra does this cost?" Can you believe that? I seriously look back on my attitude that day and I can't believe what a total brat I was. She shyly told me that she is the only nurse that I will be seeing that does require dollar signs. Even still, for some reason I said no and thanked her anyway. She replied by saying that if I didn't mind she was going to do it anyway. She said that I can look at the pictures tomorrow or in 10 years from now... but this is something that I would want and at least I would have them. Zack piped up and replied "It wouldn't hurt." And with that she went to work. She dressed her up and started to take her pictures. She asked me several times if I would like to hold her and I bitterly declined.

It wasn't until Zack left to go buy dinner and I was all alone in the room that I asked to hold Isabella. I am not sure if it was seeing her dressed in clothes or what... but I have never experienced a change of heart so quickly before. It had finally sunk in that I wasn't holding just a baby girl... I was holding my daughter. I am now a mother. Even though I was cheated out of raising her in this lifetime... she is mine and I am hers. Suddenly my bitterness turned in to sadness... which was a step up from the dark hole that I was living in. But I was, at least, moving in the right direction. The point is that I started to look at her like a child... I stared at her for hours. I held her little hand and stroked her little face. It was then that she lost her title of "it" or "the baby" she became Isabella... and I will always refer to her as that.

I am convinced that non of these feelings would have surfaced so quickly if it wasn't for Amy. Sure, I haven't made peace with any of this yet... but at the very least I have these little pieces of her tucked perfectly in her little box. I look at them daily as the constant reminder that my mom now has a little sidekick with her in heaven... and that I can hold her little hand again someday. Feeling these feelings and thinking these thoughts are what keeps me going. In sum, without her I would have nothing to show for this experience except huge hospital bills and a hemorrhoid the size of Houston! We have named him Reginald and he has made himself quite at home.

Cut to us meeting a week or so later, she greeted me with a big hug and handed me an envelope full of Isabella's pictures. I asked Amy for her address so I could send her a thank you gift. She quickly replied "Please don't send anything for me, send something for the babies and mothers who will go through the same thing you did." I stood there in awe as I processed what she just said. I don't think I have met a more thoughtful or sincere person in my life. Not only has this complete stranger just helped me with one of the worst experiences I have ever faced... but then decides to top it off with setting this overwhelming Christ like example for me. This woman is hiding wings under her shirt and a halo in her hair.

So if I can help just one more mother feel the same comfort I did... then sign me up. I haven't decided what I am going to donate yet... but in the mean time the least I could do is spread the word. If there is anyone would like to donate to Amy's great cause then please let me know. I am sure that there are other hospitals that offer this great service... but because I have experienced this first hand, I would personally make sure that they reached Amy myself. This would be a great service project for YW or Activity Days. So for all the mothers and women with callings please consider this. We would make sure that you get the credit so the mother knows who donated the goods. Anything from blankets to bracelets would be appreciated. She also makes the clothes and hats, so fabric {preferably flannel} would be great too. And that is just some things to name a few. The possibilities are endless and I am sure she would love anything she can get. I have posted some pictures of Isabella's box to give out any ideas. My e-mail addy is philangie10@yahoo.com. Please let me know if you have any questions, concerns or even tips. Any donations I do receive will be featured on my blog and the small audience I have... so why wouldn't you want to donate!!

Thanks All Around

2009-08-22T18:01:00.000-07:00

Zack and I wanted to thank everyone for all of the kind words of encouragement during this hard time. In addition to all of the phone calls, dinners, e-mails, flowers and visits. Just when I thought I did a pretty good job of distancing myself form a lot of people with my flakiness... everyone came out of the woodwork and offered so much love and support. I can't even make it out of the new slush shop without a few hugs and tears. People I didn't even know have offered their shoulder for me to smear my mascara on. From this, I can tell you that it is an overwhelming feeling. Even though this whole situation just plane sucks... it has made me realize that I am so blessed I was born and married into the family that I did. I am so blessed to have made the friends that I have, to live in this small and sweet community, and to work with my second family every weekday. If anything good has come out of the past few weeks... it is the realization of this. So thank you again to everyone for everything. I am very undeserving... but so thankful. Thank You!

My Baby Angel...

2009-08-16T21:25:00.000-07:00

My sweet Isabella was born on August 4, 2009 at 5:55 p.m. She was 6.3 oz and 8 3/4" long. She had my nose, lips and Zack's finger toe. Even though she was a little to perfect for this world... I at least get comfort in knowing that she is in good hands with her Grandma in heaven. My only hope is that she is patient with me while I work my way back to her.... so we can be together again.

Sad Day...

2009-08-01T16:15:00.000-07:00

I guess sometimes your life can become a little too perfect.... so that is when life decides to punch you in the gut with out warning... literally! Last Tuesday started out pretty normal, I woke up, feeling fine and began my day with my morning ritual of going to the bathroom and that is when it happened... something didn't feel right. I thought that maybe I was just feeling weird because of the baby... and then I looked down and (sorry if this is gross... and just as a warning it doesn't get any better from here) I looked down as my embryonic sack was coming out of me. I called Zack in desperation because I had no clue what to do. When Zack saw what was going on... he went to call Shylo, because he had no clue what to do. I just sat there... terrified! Sure enough the sack broke and I lost tons of fluid. Bless Shylo's heart she came and helped me collect myself as I was frantically crying. When I had it all together, we rushed to the hospital. When we got there, they told me that I would most likely pass the baby but the only way to tell is an ultra sound... however the lady that runs the ultra sound won't be in until 9 or 10... lucky for us we were there at 7. So, we decided that if we had to wait either way, it would be better to go to my doctor in Payson. We called the hospital and asked to talk to our doctor but he was out until 2. The nurses told him what was going on and he reassured me I would be fine and to be in his office at 2. So we waited for the longest 6 hours of my life and headed up there. Cut to me in the doctors office with him giving me a pelvic exam... and finding that my cervix was still shut! So, can someone please tell me how the sack protruded out of my body with a closed cervix??? Nobody could. Then cut to me getting the ultra-sound and finding that my baby is still alive! Which is good and bad. Turns out that the umbilical cord is what is keeping the baby alive. But without all the fluid that I lost the lungs won't properly develop. And because the baby doesn't technically need lungs until it is born... the future is uncertain. A number of things could happen...
1. I could pass the baby in a week or so.
2. If the baby lives, I could go full term and give birth to a baby with no lungs.
3. Or if everything goes well... the baby will live and have lungs but will most likely be on life support for the rest of its life. And because there is no room in the womb for him to grow, his limbs won't full develop as well.

And that is just to name a few.

As for now I am on bed rest and the only thing that we can do is wait. I was checked into the hospital for 2 days and was pumped full of anti-biotics to avoid infection... and that is a whole other story. I am home now and have one amazing husband and 2 adorable little helpers that are taking care of me. I have another doctors appointment this Wednesday so hopefully they will have good news.

I feel a little weird posting for everyone to see. But I feel even weirder calling and updating everyone. And besides... everyone would find out eventually... so might as well find out from me. This way everyone that wants to check in can. I will try to post as much as I can... but to be honest it is emotionally draining. So I guess time will tell.

This is why I would consider myself a nerd...

2009-07-26T21:23:00.000-07:00

I graduated my online class... and this is my final project. It was really fun and I have a brain full of projects that I can't wait to start.... the conundrum is getting around to it! Anyhoo, Enoy!

So I might be...

2009-07-13T20:50:00.000-07:00

taking an online photoshop class and it is pretty amazing. Anyhoo... one of the assignments is to share a creation. So here goes nothing.

Fun on the Fourth... well kinda...

2009-07-09T15:12:00.000-07:00

In breif...
Went to the mountain as seen below...

Then found out the hard way that my child does not care for BBQ food... at all! I spent the rest of the week with my faithful friend we know as the toilet. Yep, missed out on the parade and missed 2 Family events. Then got feeling better just in time to go back to work. How thoughtful he is... I am loving this kid so much already!

Well... if you must know...

2009-06-30T10:20:00.000-07:00

I am just barely 13 weeks!
My due date is January 5th, 2010.

Kind of a let down... huh! I know in the picture below I look further along... but let me explain. I have been really sick and the only thing that feels like a quick fix is cereal. So for the past 2 months I have been eating nothing but Trix, Fruity Pebbles and Capt'n Crunch. I tried the Special K route and that got old real quick! With that being said, I have gained 15 pounds all in the gut. Baby or no baby the mid section has always been a problem area anyway. So yeah... I am already out growing pants and my wardrobe has been cut in half. But what is there to do but enjoy the excuse of the baby that is causing it all???

Yep... this means exactly what you think it does!

2009-06-25T15:36:00.000-07:00

*editers note*
I thought I was clever enough to think of this play on words with the word "pooch." The intent was more along the lines that my tummy has grown into a "pooch." However, if you were mistaken and thought "Wow! Niesha is so obessed with her puppies that she is actaully calling the baby that is growing inside her a pooch!" You are not far off... but that is not what I was meaning. I just wanted to be clear.

Freakin' Brilliant!

2009-06-03T12:08:00.000-07:00

About two weeks ago I was able to go to Wisconsin for a convention for work. They house you at a resort called The Grand Geneva. This place not only kicks A because it use to be the Playboy Mansion House... but because of this...

Yes it is a TV inside the mirror! As the title states Freakin' Brilliant! I don't know what I have to do to get one....but I am!!! With my father-in-law being an electrition I don't see it being hard... except I need to find out how to get some mirrors from the police station. You know, like the ones that you can see through when they watch people make comffesions. At least I think that is how they do it. Anyway... it really makes any bathroom experiance more enjoyable that is why I want one so bad!

Drum Roll Please...

2009-05-23T16:33:00.000-07:00

So do you remember this post?

Or maybe this one?

and who could forget this one?

Well, Shari with Spearmint Baby {dot} com seemed to like them. So she featured some select photo's on her website. You can check them out here.... while you are at it you should stay a while and check out the whole site. There are so many good ideas your head will explode with tons of inspiration! I can't wait to use it someday....

So there is your big announcement... I hope I didn't let you down!

Hi Friends!

2009-05-19T18:58:00.001-07:00

Just a quick HI from Wisconsin! My second favorite state in the US.

Anyway... I thought that the Mothers Day post was kinda old... so I posted masterpiece. I have some fun news to share...and it might have to do with a baby!!! So stayed tuned!

*but keep in mind that it has nothing to do with a baby growing inside me! Just to be clear :)

In honor of her...

2009-05-11T12:26:00.001-07:00

Happy Mothers Day to all the Mom's out there!

Lazy Sunday...

2009-05-07T21:29:00.000-07:00

Last Sunday was Heavenly!

Well... it started out kind rough because Tucker, my {not so} best kid in Nursery, decided to throw his huge toy truck on my foot! Causing a huge lump to form on the top, making it rather difficult to wear heels... and that is all I really wear!

But from there on out it was great! I took a nap in the sun on the freshly cut grass... as my husband cut the grass. My puppies wrestled with each other at my feet. And of course, I snuck a few pictures in of our blooming trees. I never really understood the obsession that Zack had with our trees...until now. We planted them before we even built our house and it seemed like they were getting more attention than me! But I am now thankful! They are so pretty and add so much color to our yard.

Then we wrapped up the evening with smors' with the fam. Perfect!

I hope that I have more of these to come!

Spring! So glad you can join us...take of your coat and stay awhile.

2009-05-04T19:24:00.000-07:00

I totally mourn the WICKED!

2009-04-28T15:41:00.000-07:00

There are no words....

Excitement during "the wizard and i"
Giggling during "popular"
Goosebumps during "defy gravity"
Pissed off During "couldn't be happier"
Turned on during "because you mine"
Pumped up during "no good deed goes unpunished"
Choked up during "changed for good"

I felt all those feelings mixed into one.
And now I feel so sad that it is over.
It truly gets better every time I watch it.
Can't wait to see it again.
Elphaba is my hero!
And the company wasn't that bad either!

**As for the retarded picture of me and Zack... it was raining and Zack let me stay under the roof while he stood in the rain...What a gentlemen...and I was so smitten that my smile became so huge that I started to look a little in the oriental side!

She really is the coolest...

2009-04-16T20:53:00.000-07:00

The other day I had to run to work after hours because I forgot my {Nikon} camera!! So I thought that I would take sissy along for the ride. I left her in car while I went in to get it and when I returned... there she was just chillin' in the back seat like it was nothing. Luckily, I had my camera in hand and took this one picture. That is why she is the coolest {girl} dog ever!

It's Almost Therapeutic...

2009-04-13T20:45:00.000-07:00

My Grandma Christensen always said that the one thing that will save a marriage is to pillow talk. No, this is not a dirty term for the thing you are thinking of right now. It is just when you lay down to go to bed you simply talk about your day and catch up on each other. However, Zack would be so lucky if I was even the slightest bit coherent when my head touches my pillow! So we revised her advice and it is now known as a puppy walk. No matter if it is a good or a bad day, around 7 pm Zack will ask "do you want to go on a puppy walk?" And even our puppies have figured out what that means and will run straight toward the door. It really is a good release to vent and get some fresh air. And even though it has been 4 years we are still learning new things about each other. The scenic view isn't so bad either... and sometimes we stop to get a treat. My Grandma is a wise woman!

Boo...

2009-04-10T15:01:00.000-07:00

So we have this awesome Coke machine that also sells Pepsi... and today has just been one of those day were a Pepsi could just solve all my problems right now. So I scrounge up 50 cents and run down to our Coke machine and come to find out they jacked the price up to 65 cents. At this point I am in tears and I asked why me? Turns out that there has been a tax on caffeine and that is why my day sucks! Thanks Obama....not my idea of change!

Can you blame me...

2009-04-03T11:05:00.001-07:00

for wanting one of these for my own! This pretty girl, however, belongs to my little sister Lilly. She did well...right? She truly looks like a porcelain doll! I might want to warn you in advance that you will be seeing more of her on this blog of mine. But here is a little tease for now....Enjoy!

Prom-a-nod...

2009-04-01T08:35:00.000-07:00

A little while ago my, not so little, niece's and nephew had their JR. PROM!!!! Because a majority of my blog readers are friends from high school, you already know just how big of a deal this really is!! And for those who don't.... this...is...HUGE!

*FLASHBACK*

I remember like it was yesterday.... the butterfly's in my stomach as I waited for Travis Anderson to pick me up! He was 45 minutes late, and to this day I have no clue why. Then when he finally showed up we spend another 20 minutes figuring out how we were going to fit my huge dress in his little truck!! It was everything I dreamed!!! Sadly, the rest is history...literally... HISTORY!

Anyhoo! The night was filled with pretty dresses, tacky decorations, half assed choreography to the Goo Goo Dolls and bleacher butts all around! It was still pretty fun. I ran into old friends and take pictures with family.... totally worth it!

What a Debbie Downer...

2009-03-26T11:34:00.000-07:00

.... I said to myself as I read this last post. I'm really sorry for the negative attitude and the somewhat rude words I typed below. But THANK YOU World Wide Web for being my sounding board. And Thanks to my friends who chimed in with the kind words!! It is a comforting feeling knowing that I am not alone, and yet, a sad thought as well. I know the good Lord has a plan for all of us... and a baby just isn't in it right now. All we can really do is hope and help each other.... Like so many have done for me!

Until then a remidy of books on tape, mini eggs and a tanning bed are going to have help me move this mountain. And you know what? I sure I will make it.

Thanks again!
Niesha