Santa Claus

Baby girl has been blessed with many opprotunities to see Santa Claus this year, and thankful she has not cried with any of them. We first took her to Bass Pro Shops to see the santa there. She did a great job and even smiled at the end. (Sorry for the poor picture quality, I was taking a picture of a picture).
The next opprotunity she had was to sit on her own dad's lap as he played Santa for a work party we had. It was really funny to see her try to figure out what was going on. She would look at him as he spoke, like that is my dad's voice, but that is definitely not my dad. It was so funny. I unfortunately only have a picture of this on my phone and cannot figure out how to get it on the blog. So you just have to imagine Kenny in a Santa suit with Kenzi on his lap. :)
Tonight she had another opprotunity to sit on Santa's lap. There is a cute old couple in our ward, that sets up a Santa station in front of their house, and allots 2 hours for anyone to stop on by and take pictures with Santa. The man dresses up as Santa and the wife as Mrs. Claus and the put up a backdrop on their garage and sit and talk to the kids and give out Candy Canes. It is so adorable. We even got some pictures with Kenzi's friend Aftynn (they are 3 weeks apart).

I can't wait for many more Christmas's on Santa's lap! So fun!

6 years, a husband, and a baby later....

That's right folks, 6 years, a husband and a baby later and I finally graduated from Arizona State University!

It is hard to put into words the overwhelming feeling of accomplishment I felt as I stood in Wells Fargo Arena and as I walked across the stage and recieved my "diploma." As I went through this process sometimes it felt like I would never make it. It was a long challenging road but I finally made it. I am so grateful for all of those who supported me, helped me with homework, and watched baby girl. I could not have done it without the support of family and friends.

The actual ceremony was super fast and really enjoyable. The speaker was short and sweet. I really enjoyed what he had to say. It seemed like he only spoke for five minutes and then they were reading off names. They read names quickly but efficiently, you can tell that they must do this every once in a while haha or like a million times a year! What a great experience my college career has been, now I am not sure what to do with myself. I may take classes here and there just to keep up the learning. What a fun day!

I am thankful!

At the beginning of November I saw a friend doing the 30 day challenge. I thought it was a good idea so I decided to jump on the band wagon and play along. Each day I have posted one thing I am grateful for. This experience has been amazing. It is so interesting to think that even though I am very blessed and have a thousand things to be thankful for, it is hard to make sure I am not repeating the same things. Some days I have honestly had to sit down and think for a few minutes, about what I am thankful for that day. For journaling purposes I am going to recap what I am thankful for here. You can scan through this part if you want.





Day 1: I am thankful for my wonderful family. A supportive husband who helps me more than ever, a beautiful daughter who is the sunshine in my life and a wonderful family who loves and supports me. Family is amazing! :)


Day 2: I am thankful for the roof over my head, the clothes on my back, the food I enjoy and the bed I am laying in right now. So blessed!


Day 3: I am thankful for my best friend Carissa Townsend, who is always there for me! We have shared deployments, laughs and tears and there is nobody I would rather share those things with. She builds me up when I need it, but is completely honest as well! Here's to many more years and many more Taylor Swift concerts! I love you Riss Bliss!


Day 4: I'm thankful for beautiful weather and rain! The Lord definitely made a beautiful world for us to enjoy! I don't, however, enjoy being rained out of a football game :).


Day 5: I am thankful for my senses. I am thankful I can hear my daughter's beautiful laugh, and see her gorgeous smile. I am thankful I have 2 hands to hold her, and working legs to chase her around. I am thankful!


Day 6: I am thankful for my father in heaven. I am thankful for the gospel of Jesus Christ and his church that was restored on this earth. I am thankful for Sundays and the spirit I feel when I attend church. I am thankful I am a mormon and how even though I am imperfect, Heavenly Father still loves me. If you wanna know more about me, visit this link:http://mormon.org/me/677J/


Day 7: I'm thankful for technology! Oh what advances we have mad. Makes life much simpler.


Day 8: I am thankful to have a fairly nice car, to get me to where I need to go, and one that's reliable.


Day 9: I am thankful for music, it is my outlet when I am mad, sad, stressed out, whatever it may be. I love music!


Day 10: I am thankful for my puppies! As annoying as they can be sometimes, I do love them! They show such unconditional love and are always excited to see me.


Day 11: I am thankful for veterans! The military does so much for us. Thank you to all those who have fought before, who are fighting currently, and who will fight for our country! Especially thanks to the vets in my life: Kenny Lindholm, Nathan Townsend, Kelvin Baldwin and Danielle Hollahan! You guys are amazing!


Day 12: I am thankful for photography. I am thankful for the ability to capture moments in time, to save them for future generations. We had a great photoshoot today and I can't wait to see them! Thanks to Cortney Talbott Photography!


Day 13: Today I am grateful for my ongoing education. As much as I complain about it, I really do love school. I enjoy learning and growing as an individual. Luckily I will never be perfect, in this life anyway, and I will always have things to learn. I am so blessed to live in a country where education is so prevelant and opportunities are endless!


Day 14: I am thankful for friends! They are wonderful, I have no idea what I would do without them!
Day 15 & 16: I am thankful for modern medicine. Medicine that eases the pain of my poor teething little girl, and helps her gets some rest, which in turn helps her parents get some rest!

Day 17: I am thankful for KEZ who is already playing Christmas music and helping me get into the holiday spirit! I LOVE christmas music!


Day 18: I am thankful for modern convienence stores where I can buy my meat instead of having to raise and kill it myself. I am thankful for the farmers who do this for me.


Day 19: I am thankful for strollers! What a great invention they are! Seriously one of the most useful baby gifts I got!


Day 20: I am thankful for my job! I love being able to play with kids all day!


Day 21: I am thankful for great coworkers who make my job so much better.

Day 22: Today I am thankful for restaurants and fast food. Sometimes I am just too tired to cook, I am thankful there is someone else willing to do it for me!

Day 23: I am thankful for the family that was able to travel to AZ for thanksgiving tomorrow. So thankful. We have such a wonderful family!

I will be finishing up the rest of the month and blogging about it later, but I want to challenge you all to do the same thing. Every day, sit down and write down one thing you are thankful for! You will be amazed at all that you have, and all the little things you do not think about and even take for granted.

I have had a hard time getting in the holiday spirit this year. I am not sure why, maybe because it is unusually warm for this time of year, maybe because I have been too caught up in other things, but I pledge right now, to slow down a little. To think about the holidays and what they really mean! I have so much to be thankful for and so much to appreciate. Here comes the holidays in full swing and I want to celebrate it to it's fullest. I always look forward to this time of year, so why not bask in it while it's here!

CHRISTMAS!!!

Yes, I have already started listening to Christmas music. I decided it's not too early. I love KEZ.

Don't.Judge.Me. :)

Daddy's girl

Remember how I told you baby girl is absolutely a daddy's girl? She definitely has him wrapped around her finger. Well lately my wonderful husband has been watching baby girl when we get home from work so that I can finish my homework without any disturbance. This babysitting usually consists of taking Kenzi outside to work in the garage with him. Let me tell you, she absolutely loves it! She is so content to sit out there with him and watch him do whatever he is doing. Well today I went out to check on them when I was done with my homework and here is what I found:

She is so content outside with her dad. She is definitely gonna be an outside girl! We love our Kenzi girl!

Sparks Definitely Flew

Guess who got to see this amazing, talented, lovely person in concert last Saturday?

Yep, you guess right! ME!!! (and my best friend Carissa Townsend, my two brothers Skyler and Chris, my soon to be sis-in-law Jordan Ottley, and my lovely husband!)

This is my second time seeing T-Swift in concert and let me tell you, she never disappoints! She is simply amazing! I think she puts on the best performance. Her concert is always moving, even when she is not on stage (because of outfit changes, etc.) there is always someone on the stage performing and keeping you entertained! Sparks definitely flew that night!

Another thing I love about Taylor Swift is she is so personable. I feel like she could be everyone's best friend and get along great with anyone. She never fails to thank her fans and always makes an effort to move around so that no matter where you are sitting, you get a good glimpse of her. This was a time during the show where she moved from the end of the stage she was performing on, to the opposite side, so that the fans on the opposite end could see her a little bit closer. As you can see in the picture above (sorry it's blurry) she also makes a point to go in the crowd and meet fans during the concert! One of these days I WILL be on the floor, so I can simply shake her hand!

If you ever get a chance to see Taylor Swift in concert I would highly suggest you do it!

*Thanks to Carissa Townsend for all the fabulous pictures!

Transitions

For those of you that know me well, you know that I am a creature of habit. I HATE change, and think if somethings working why change it. Obviously I can't live by this theory all the time, although I would like to. Sometimes things change because they have to, and sometimes by choice. But change is inevitable. One famous philosopher once said, "The only thing constant is change itself." Well Sunday night was a big night in our house. Yes, baby girl slept in her own room, for the first time in her life. I know she is 7 months old, don't judge me. :) I told you I don't like change.

While she slept like a champ, and I knew she would, I did not sleep at all. I have this irrational fear of not being able to hear her breathe when she is in another room, which is silly because I can't hear her breathing when she is in my room either. And I have watched too many news stories, TV shows (Criminal Minds, CSI, Law and Order etc.) and have this fear of someone breaking in her window and stealing her while I sleep through the whole thing. While I know the chances of these things happening are slim, I cannot seem to shake the images from my mind. Anyways I will get over my irrational fears and accept the change that is inevitable.

Here is baby girl sleeping in her own bed for the first night in her life. :)

Fall

Since everyone is else doing a "what I love about fall" post I decided I would do one too. Here are things I love about fall, in no particular order.

High School Football

More specifically, Chandler High School football, where my brother is on the varsity team. (You can pick your jaws up off the floor now.) I know, who would have thought I would enjoy football. Well, the only football I enjoy is high school, maybe because I know the people playing, maybe because it's on a smaller scale, I don't know, but I enjoy going to his weekly games. I love the atmosphere of high school games, there is just something about them that puts a smile on my face.

Hot Chocolate

More specifically, QT hot chocolate. They have perfected the art of making hot chocolate. I have

yet to find one that is as good as theirs. Trust me, I am the expert of hot chocolate, I have tried every hot chocolate around. I love QT hot chocolate, and fall gives me a reason to drink it every day. (well almost)

Cooler Weather

More specifically, being able to open the doors and windows. Hang out outside without sweating. Driving with my windows down and my music up loud. Cooler weather. Since Arizona really only has two seasons, I feel the need to soak up the "sweatshirt" weather.

Halloween and Christmas

(I know the pictures are out of order but I couldn't get them to cooperate)

More specifically, watching children enjoy these holidays. I love to sit out on the front porch, or at a trunk or treat and watch all the cute kids dressed up in their costumes. I love seeing the excitement on their faces when they are given candy. I love watching children open up presents and seeing the joy that comes from it. I love the spirit of Christmas and everything is stands for. I love rereading the birth of Christ in His humble circumstances, and I love seeing the Christmas lights at the Mesa Temple, it is something I recommend for everyone, whether you are LDS or not.

and last but not least...

Grandma

More specifically, I love that this wonderful lady is a little bit closer for a few months. My grandma lives in Utah, but is a snowbird. So in the winter months her and her husband come down to Yuma, to avoid the cold winters in Utah. This makes her only 3 hours away instead of 12. I enjoy that. I love that she is here for Christmas and Thanksgiving, because I feel like I don't get the chance to see her much. And I want Kenzi to know my grandma, she is such a sweet and kind lady. We have lots to learn from her and I want to soak it all in. I love having Grandma close for a while.

It is the simple things in life that I love about Fall. Nothing elaborate, but all these things bring a smile to my face, and that is why I can't wait for fall every year.

I'm so glad when daddy comes home...

There is a song often sung in our primary (children's classes) at church that goes like this, "I'm so glad when daddy comes home, glad as I can be. Clap my hands and shout for joy and climb up on his knee, put my arms around his neck, hug him tight like this. Pat his cheeks and give him what...a great big kiss!" When my aunt was living with me it was a song she used to sing to Kenzi to get her to sleep. Of course she didn't understand the song or what it means, but man does it ring true today. This little girl LOVES her dad!

When he walks in the room after not seeing her for the day, she lights up. If he walks by without picking her up, she cries. He even takes her outside with him, as he cleans the garage, messes with the car, whatever it may be and she is completely content. Many nights they fall asleep together, in fact I can't put her to sleep, her dad has too.

Many nights and afternoons you will find them like this:

They definitely have a bond that is unbreakable. I know that they will be best friends throughout their lives. She is a daddy's girl and there is no doubt about it. I am glad that he only missed the first 3 months of her life. She will never remember him being gone and they still bonded greatly.

At 4 months old they had their first dance...

And I am sure that this is just the first of many.

I cannot wait to see this relationship grow. It is so sweet to see your tough guy husband (kinda) melt at the sight of his beautiful little girl. He is not so tough anymore. He is a great father to her, and I know she is blessed by his love.

Pay Your Tithing!

Let me start this out by saying, we are not rich, by any means. If I budget well enough, we have enough money to live comfortably. I have always had a testimony of tithing. At a young age. You always hear those people in church say..."one month I only had enough money to either eat or pay my tithing, it was a hard decision but I decided to pay my tithing, and then they go on to state something happened in which they had just enough money to eat, or pay the bill that was due, etc." Well I have one of those stories too. There have been months that I have been short and I get a check in the mail for the exact amount I was needing. Or I find money hidden somewhere that I forgot I have. These past couple weeks, money has been extra tight for us, and I could not figure out why. Neither of us was bringing in less money, we didn't have tons of added expenses that I didn't know about. I was racking my brain and just could not figure out why I felt our money was so tight. Well today while we are sitting in church Kenny pulled out our tithing envelope (with the check from 2 weeks ago still in it) that he had yet to turn in to the bishop. And at that very moment, I realized, no wonder we have been so tight on money. We were behind on our tithing, not by choice, just because my sweet husband forgot. But it still made a difference in our monthly budget. Paying my tithing regularly has definitely blessed my life. I know that if I did not follow that commandment, my life would be very hard.

*For those of you who don't know what I mean by tithing. We have been commanded by the Lord to give 10% of our earnings to the church in order to be used for many things in the church. Our money is used to build churches, temples, provide landscaping, supporting missionaries, helping those in need and so much more. In Malachi 3:10 we learn " Bring ye all the ^atithes into the storehouse, that there may be^bmeat in mine house, and ^cprove me now herewith, saith the Lordof hosts, if I will not ^dopen you the ^ewindows of heaven, and pour you out a ^fblessing, that there shall not be room enough to receive it. "

You may find out more about tithing and other blessings of our church at www.mormon.org

6 months

Can you believe baby girl went from being this big:

To this big, in just 6 short months????

I cannot believe how fast time is flying and how big by little girl is. Here are a few things I want to remember for journaling purposes:

*She can sit up really well and can even balance on her hands and knees.

*She LOVES the water, splashing in the pool or bath whatever it may be.

*She is eating some baby food and rice cereal and for the most part loves it.

*She definitely knows her mom and is beginning to cry when I leave.

*She loves her dad, he makes her laugh and she loves spending time with him.

*She is super strong and will be crawling in no time!

*She can grab anything and everything with her hands.

*She even grabs her pacifier and puts it in her mouth.

6 month stats:

*Head circumference: 16.5--42nd percentile

*Weight: 16.5 lbs--55th percentile

*Length: 27 inches --90th percentile

And some more pics of our beautiful baby girl.

Helping Dad in the Kitchen
She has enough hair for a mohawk, can you tell Dad got bored?

First time with baby food.