Projects & much more!

Hello again! Sorry I've been MIA for a while....Here are lots of updates. Don't get bored... This is basically a small novel. (if you don't want to read it all, at least skip to the end...)

PROJECTS:
So about 3 weeks ago, (~2 weeks before Christmas) my Mom asked me if Tyler & I could host Christmas breakfast at our house this year. I was a little hesitant about it because our house was in shambles. There was a piano in the middle of the kitchen, and no carpet in the room attaching to it. And the carpet in the front room was still covered in dog pee- despite my best efforts cleaning it up. When I asked Tyler if he thought it would be ok to have the breakfast at our house- he came up with this crazy plan to remodel our whole upstairs before Christmas! WHAT?! As crazy as the idea was, I agreed. We started the next day. We tore out carpet, tile, a large archway, a built in entertainment center, etc. Then started painting. We chose red for the kitchen & family room (the kitchen was already red, but we chose a slightly different color of red), and a light brown for the living room. The red took 5 coats of paint- with doing 1 coat per night- it took almost a week! That was a little discouraging. But, when it was finally painted we started flooring that Friday night (1 week & 1 day before Christmas). By the end of that Saturday, we had the 2 connected rooms completely floored. The next day we moved all furniture from the living room back into the kitchen & family room, and started prepping the living room for paint. Luckily, that room only took 2 coats of color. We started the flooring in the hallway on Wednesday (only 3 days before Christmas!) and were lucky enough to finish the flooring including the main room by Thursday night. Friday, we spent all day rearranging furniture, and doing some of the finishing touches. It was a huge project, but we completely the majority of it before Christmas! We are AMAZING! The only parts that were unfinished by Christmas were 1. appliances, and 2. moldings & door frames (which we are completing this week, after a much needed break!), and 3. the fireplace. So, here are some "before" and after pictures. We always forget real before pictures, so I got some as we were working on it.

These are the "before" for the family room & kitchen:




Here are the "after" pics for the family room & kitchen:





Here is the "before" pic for the living room:



And the "After" (still needs pictures hung, etc):




CHRISTMAS:
On Christmas Eve we went to my family's Christmas party- with dinner, a pinata, and the Hokey Pokey. Yeah, I know- strange tradition, but we had fun anyway. Kenzie had fun dancing to the Hokey Pokey, and also liked hitting the pinata. She ALMOST broke it. Ok, that's a lie, but she did hit it!

On Christmas morning, we got up at about 7:30 or 8:00 and got Kenzie up to open presents. She got a barbie doll, a drawing station for crayons that sings when she draws on it, some toy horse figurines, a plush baseball, a recorder and a stocking with a chocolate orange and some "em ems" (as Kenzie says). We also bought her a whole new wardrobe but didn't put any of that haul under the tree because she had grown out of most everything else.
At around 9:30, everyone started showing up, we had a very nice breakfast that consisted of: Cinnamon rolls, french toast, bacon, sausage, orange juice, pumpkin eggnog, hashbrowns, etc. It was delicious- and the company was great! :) After breakfast we opened gifts from everyone. We all got a bunch of nice stuff. Kenzie's favorite being her brand new doll with bottles from Grandma.
After that- all of us "kids"(except Mikey, since he had to work), our spouses, and our kids went over to my Dad's house. We all visited for a while, again, opened presents. More great stuff. Kenzie got a BIKE! :) She loves it! She kept making us push her around his house. When we would stop she'd yell, "AGAIN!". She wore Grandpa out!
From there, Tyler, Kenzie & I went to my mother-in-law's house for a nice dinner with her and Tyler's brother's family. It was a lot of fun, and we were able to get a few pictures with all of us. Though, I'm not sure how well they turned out because Tyler's camera has been difficult, and we've been lazy.
After dinner at Janet's, Tyler's brother's family came over to our house to see the progress that we had made. We hung out for a half hour or so. When they left, we relaxed for the rest of the night. Tyler was still checking out his new Playstation 3- his Christmas present from me.

NEW YEARS EVE:
Tyler & I decided not to go out on New Years Eve. We were planning to go to a friends party, but decided at the last second that we didn't feel like going. Instead, we had my brother, Mikey, and sister-in-law, Alanna over. We just hung out for a while, and when Kenzie went to bed we decided to play some Super Mario Brothers on the Wii. It was very entertaining! We laughed because we didn't look at the clock until 12:01 AM, then just said "happy new year" and went on playing.

AN ANNOUNCEMENT!!!
I'm PREGNANT! Kenzie is going to be a big sister! So, last night, when we got home from my nephew's first birthday party, I decided to take a test. I didn't really think I was pregnant, but because I had one- I decided to test just for fun. It was POSITIVE! I couldn't believe it! I took a minute or so, then went into the kitchen where Tyler was and said "We have a new project to start". He had a funny look on his face for a second, so I showed him the test, and said- "the new baby's room". We were both so excited- so of course, we called our families within a few minutes of finding out. That's just our way. I don't know how people can keep it a secret for so long! Kudos to you! it just doesn't work for me. Anyway, I couldn't be more excited for this new baby! From my calculations, I should be due around September 6th (my Mom says the 4th, because that's her birthday).

The line on the left is very light, but I SWEAR, it's there!!


I think that's enough of a novel for you for now. Maybe I'll update again soon. Then again, maybe not. Pictures of Christmas, etc to come still. Trying to figure out Tyler's camera.

Kenzie is already 18 months old!

I took Kenzie in for her 18 month well check yesterday. Aside from being 15 minutes late, everything went well. At her last appointment, the doctor was a little worried that she hadn't gained much weight, and that she hadn't grown much. This time was a different. She has gained 2 pounds in the last 3 months. She has also grown a bit (not sure exactly how much.). Her stats as of yesterday are:

33" tall (85th percentile)
23 pounds 4.5 oz (~40th percentile)
47 cm head diameter (~95th percentile)

So the percentiles conclude that she is tall & skinny with a big head? haha. Well luckily, you can't tell by looking at her that she's got a large noggin. :) She's adorable to me so WHO CARES?!

Oh also- in the last month- my baby girl went from having 6 teeth- to having 11, and another one ready to break through.

I can't believe how fast my baby girl is growing up! She's grown & matured in so many different ways. I'm so proud to be her mom. :) She's doing really well with her sign language. She does quite a few, granted they aren't perfect, but we still understand them. She can say "hat", food", "water" (which looks exactly the same as "food" when she does it.), "please", "thank you", "more", "all done", "sleep", "ball", and probably some more that I'm missing. She is also trying to say real words too. She says "mommy", "daddy", "book" (boop), "bath" (also boop), "hi", "uh oh","toys" (tis), "kiss" (also tis),"down" (da), "doggie" (sounds pretty close, but not exact yet), "blueberries", (bluebs), "butterfly" (butterbly), "this" (dis), "that" (dat), "cheese" (teas), "yeah", etc. Aside from those words- she tries to say just about anything you say. I love this stage. It's so much fun! :)

Kenzie also loves to shake her head for no, and nod for yes. When she shakes her head- she always either giggles or smiles. I think she likes that one. lol. She does a million other cute things too. She'll sit if she hears me telling our dogs to sit. The she smiles very proudly that she understood. :) If I tell her she needs to get her diaper changed- she will run to her changing table and try to climb on it if we're upstairs, and if we're downstairs she'll find me the wipes- then lay down (usually too close to me, facing the other direction- but it's still super cute!). If I put her down on her bed, she'll roll to her belly and lay in "stinkbug" position (as me & her daddy call it).

I'm so sad that she's growing up so fast, but at the same time I'm so excited with how smart she's becoming. And how sweet she is. Sometimes she'll run from across the room just to give me a kiss. Or to climb in my lap for a story. Or just to sit by me. I love my little girl more than I would have though possible. I always miss her when I put her to bed.

Kenzie will also be such a good big sister when the time comes. When we were up at Bear Lake last month (yeah, I was too lazy to post about that...sorry), her cousin Gabriel was sick, and crying. Kenzie was trying EVERYTHING she could think of to make that kid happy! She brought him his binky, which she tried to force him to take. When that didn't help- she brought him his blanket, and a toy. She kept giving him his toy, but he didn't want it. So, she'd take it- shake the rattle to get him interested and give it back to him. She did the same thing over and over. It was the cutest thing to see her interact with a baby! Ok, so Gabriel is not a TINY baby anymore, but he still counts. On a side note- Tyler & I are hoping to give Kenzie a little brother or sister soon! No, I am not pregnant yet, but once I am, I'll make sure to post the announcement, here and on facebook.

Til next time...

Time for a new home...

Over the last few months, we have been struggling over a tough decision. Rocky (our Black Lab) has been acting out for who knows how many reasons. I think the main reason is because of Kenzie. Rocky has been peeing on the carpet, AT LEAST 3 times a day. A couple of nights ago, we let him out- then had him upstairs for about 2 hours while we were downstairs. During that time, he peed on the carpet 4 times. That was the last straw. I put an ad up on KSL to see if we could find him a good home.

It breaks my heart to do this. We have had Rocky since he was 5 weeks old. He has become part of our family, and it will be really hard to let him go. We just do not have the time or energy to spend with him, and he deserves a lot more than we can give him. He needs to be walked almost daily, but we walk him MAYBE once a month. His life with us isn't fair to him. He deserves a family that will greet him happily when they get home. A family that will take him on walks, and maybe to the dog park. A family that will enjoy having him by their side doing whatever it is that they are doing. Right now at our house- he is confined to a room for the night (that part is fine), but also during the day when we are gone, and when we are there- he is typically locked upstairs, or out of the room we are in. This isn't really his fault- he is very good with Kenzie, but because Abby isn't always- we typically punish both. Again, not fair- I know. He deserves a much better life. He is a VERY sweet dog, and all he wants is to be loved, and to spend time with his family. That isn't too much to ask, is it? Well, for us, right now, it is. We have the love part down. We just don't have the time for him.

I sure hope we're doing the right thing, because once it's done, we can't take it back. I pray that Rocky will find a good home, with the good family that he deserves!

It is going to be VERY hard to say goodbye to my sweet dog, but I really do think it's for the best.

Rocky- We love you!

Lots of summer fun!

Sorry I haven't updated in what seems like forever. What can I say? I've been busy (or lazy. Call it whatever you'd like...)

Back in April, Tyler & I went to the Muse concert at the E Center. It was so much fun! They put on an amazing show! We had a blast!


Tyler & I at the Muse Concert

Awesome Laser Show





On April 17th, Tyler ran the SLC Marathon! Something that I can't even imagine doing...Kenzie, Anthony & I were there to cheer him on. Tyler wasn't very happy about his finishing time, but I'm proud of him nonetheless.
Tyler right after finishing the marathon.


This summer has been great so far! Tyler walked at graduation on May 7th. He is still finishing his last semester- but still, he's graduating! :) I'm so proud of him! He has put a lot of hard work into school over the last few years, and I'm sure he's happy to have his bachelor's degree to show for it. Now we need to work on finding him a job that he will like. Wish him luck!

The proud graduate

Tyler & I after his graduation


Kenzie & Grandma


Tyler right before the ceremony


Also in May, we flew out to North Carolina to see our good friends get married. We were worried about how Kenzie would do on the plane. We thought she would scream, and cry, and basically make everyone around us miserable- but that wasn't the case at all. She was happy go lucky the entire time. She was pretty tired, but didn't fall asleep until we got to the end of the first flight, and to the lay-over in Texas.

Kenzie's very first plane ride



While we were there- we did a lot of stuff. The first day we basically just hung out, catching up on what's been going on in the last year since we've seen them. We also went grocery shopping, etc. The next day we went to the mall in Asheville, got the boys fitted for their tuxes, etc. That night, I went with Heather's family to Heather's bridal shower. It was pretty fun!

On Wednesday, we all took a tour of the Biltmore Estate, in Asheville, NC. Heather & Jason both work at the Winery there- so we were able to do a wine tasting (not a fan of wine, but I tried a couple of them.) Then we all went to the Biltmore Farm where Kenzie was able to pet a chick, and a goat. She loves animals so much! I think we went to Heather's mom's house for dinner that night. ( I can't remember which night we went...)
Kenzie and I at one of the many statues at Biltmore. I was being mauled. haha

Kenzie & another statue on the Biltmore grounds

Tyler & I on one of the balconies at Biltmore. What an amazing view there was!

Heather & Jason

The Biltmore House- It's beautiful!

Heather, Bonnie, Tyler & Jason doing the wine tasting.

Me & My Baby Girl :)

Kenzie was worn out after a long tour of the Biltmore Estate. She caught up on her Z's during our picnic.

There was a gorgeous garden area with this fun walkway.Unfortunately, you can't see the garden in these pictures.



Petting one of the goats



Petting the chicks



Thursday was the big day! We basically hung out at the house for most of that morning because the wedding wasn't til the afternoon. The wedding was quick- but nice. I missed part of it because Kenzie was being loud- but luckily she calmed down and I was able to go back in for the last little part. Heather & Jason both looked great! And definitely looked happy. :) Then there was the reception. Heather was getting pretty upset because she couldn't get the music to work. We were all still having fun though. Once most of the people had gone home- we got the music working so the girls went nuts and danced for quite a while. We were all crazy, and probably looked insane- but it was a ton of fun- so who cares?!

Jason & Heather trying to figure out the sound system

Cutting the cake


One of the days after the wedding- we went to a mexican restaurant that was pretty good. Then went bowling afterwards. I'm not very good at bowling, but it had been a while since we'd gone so of course- we had fun anyway. Kenzie kept trying to follow us up to bowl though.

Jason bowling, and Heather trying to keep Kenzie from getting in his way.


Back in June, Tyler's brother, Tyler & I went camping at Jordanelle. We chose the WRONG weekend to go though. When we got there- we were able to set up the tent, and the boys went fishing for about 30 minutes before it started raining. Once it started- it didn't stop! It was pouring so hard that it took us FOREVER to get the fire started. We were all frozen! So, after we finally gave up on trying to stay warm, we got in the tent and realized that everything in there was soaked too. Luckily the inside of the sleeping bags were dry. We made it through the night and packed up and left first thing in the morning.

Tyler & Zach getting ready for fishing

The boys fishing


On June 19th, my new nephew, Emmett John Pearce was born. He was 9 pounds 14 ounces, and 22" long. A big boy. But, he's adorable! He looks just like his older brother, Britton.

New brothers. Aren't they cute?

Sleepy Emmett :)




On the 4th of July, Janet(Tyler's mom), Tyler, Kenzie, & I went up to Heber for a family BBQ. We let Kenzie play in the little pool up there for a while which was really fun to watch. She LOVED it! I played volleyball with Tyler, and a lot of the rest of the family the rest of the time we were up there. My feet hurt so bad the next day, but it was worth it!
Generational picture of my Grandma, my Mom, Kenzie & me. 4 Generations.

The whole bunch (except Janet, she chose not to be in the picture.)

In between swimming

Total cheese. :)

Kenzie enjoying the pool

A couple a family friends, my Uncle Goff, & me playing volleyball. I look so worried that the ball will come to me. haha.

I actually hit it that time!

More volleyball

Hailey, Brooklyn & Kenzie playing in the pool. Look at little Brookie's face! She likes the water! So cute! :)

My little goofball trying to drink the pool water


I've had so much fun so far this summer, and there's a lot more to look forward to. Can't wait for more swimming and volleyball up at Bear Lake in a month! :)

Awkward Bathroom Conversation

Haha...

So, I was in the bathroom at work, washing my hands. No big deal. When I was drying them- an older (Korean?) lady that works in another department at my job started talking to me. I had never really talked to her (I actually avoid talking to her. Not because I don't like her, but because I can't understand half of what she says!). Here is how the conversation went:

Korean lady: “I like your hair. You cut?”

Me: “Yeah I did.”

Korean lady: “Oh, well I like it."

Me: “Thanks”

Korean lady:“How your baby? Must be so big now! How old?”

Me: “She’s almost 14 months old now. She's walking now!”

Korean lady: “You pregnant again? Having baby?”

Me: “Nope, I'm not”

Korean lady: "You lose weight? How much? 10 pound?"

Me: “Yeah, I lost about 10 pounds.”

Korean lady: "How you do it? Eat Vegetable?"

Me: “I’m a picky eater so I don’t eat vegetables. I have just been eating less sugar.“

Korean lady: "You don’t drink soda, huh? Soda make you fat!"

And that was our entire conversation. It just made me laugh that she asked if I was pregnant- then asked immediately after whether I had lost 10 pounds. Lol.

I seem to have awkward conversations with this lady every time I see her- but this was the funniest of them so far.

That was my laugh for the day so I thought I'd share...