Stay Stay Stay

Lately (as in the last 15 months) I have started thinking about songs that would describe Kelsey's and my life together, like what songs would I use as a soundtrack for our life sorta thing. I really like Taylor Swifts Red album and it is one of the only albums on my ipod so I have listened to it a lot the past year or so. One song that I just love so much, because it reminds me of Kelsey, is Stay Stay Stay. The whole song is not pertinent to our relationship but the first half is completely fitting!

 "Stay Stay Stay"

I'm pretty sure we almost broke up last night.
I threw my phone across the room at you.
I was expecting some dramatic turn-away,
but you stayed.

This morning I said we should talk about it.
'Cause I read you should never leave a fight unresolved.
That's when you came in wearing a football helmet and said "okay, let's talk."

And I said,
Stay, stay, stay.
I've been lovin' you for quite some time, time, time.
You think that it's funny when I'm mad, mad, mad.
But I think that it's best if we both stay.

Kelsey literally laughs when I am made. When I get frustrated I make grunting noises (something that I am not proud of). Because Kelsey is getting older, when I make these noises she copies me and then laughs!  I have tried to say "NO!" at the dinner table when she is throwing food, she stops, stares, and then laughs! She literally thinks its funny when I'm mad.Not gonna lie, if always makes me laugh. There have been so many nights when all I want to do is "break up" with Kelsey, throw my phone across the room (NOT at her), and have some dramatic turn away where I show her how mad I am. I know she feels the same way. And then I wake up in the morning. I am greeted by a big hug and kiss, a huge smile, and the cutest baby in the whole wide world! I just want her around all the time.  I love you Smooch! Some moments are hard, but I think its best if we both stay!

Provo

 We now live in Provo! It has been a weird transition back to school but it is going okay. Kelsey had a hard time adjusting to our new place and I have already had a hard time adjusting to Ethan being busy every minute that he is awake. School has only been in a week and its not even real school. Its orientation! We have now been here a full week, all the boxes are out, and the decorations are almost all up, so things are going much better. I am getting used to it (except I still wear flip flops because the carpet grosses me out) and each day is better. It is only hard because this time I am not a student and the whole city is built around students. MBASA stuff starts this week which will help and the ward is already starting to know our faces. I am starting to find other moms and so that is just helpful. Kelsey is becoming less whinny and luckily we live close to the duck pond and we can walk to look at the ducks about 3 times a day. It also is a huge blessing to have so many siblings close by.

Every move is hard. Period. Its hard to leave your comfort zone, its hard to leave your running routes, its hard to leave your routine, its hard to leave your friends. BUT BUT BUT I also am aware that we only moved to Provo, the easiest place in the world to get a routine, a comfortable ward, and many friends our age. I know all this and am very grateful that a real move has not happened yet. On top of that we still live super close to tons of family! We are very excited to live in Provo and Ethan is SO SO SO excited to be at school. He is already very busy but he is very happy. Kelsey and I will adjust and I know that when we leave Provo, we will cry just the same as when we left Holladay.

All that being said, we are very happy, feel extremely blessed, and know that this is the place for us to be right now. Now it is time to do everything in our power to make it the best that it can possibly be. Maybe I will start making cookies for the singles across from us and they will come to love us. Okay I won't but that kinda would be awesome!

Ethan's first day as an MBA student! (its 7 am ps)

Our little table but look at the awesome booster that Kelsey now rocks!

 

 We went on a walk and about 2 blocks from our apartment is the house where Ethan purposed. We had a great time in Provo the first time and know that the second time will be just as meaningful and memorable. We do love Provo, its just gonna be an adjustment for me and Kelsey this time. We just feel like there is no place for non student mommies so we have to make one and make one we will!! Its gonna be great!

We just learned today, August 26th, that the apartments above us are SINGLE WOMEN!!! Its safe to say that we are a little ticked as are they. I also did our laundry and it cost 2 bucks a wash, which is 6 bucks a week, which is about 30 dollars a month. Also safe to safe that I miss our washer and dryer tremendously. On a positive note, we went to our first MBASA orientation tonight and it was GREAT! All the people we talked to were fantastic. Its interesting going to MBASA events (MBA Spouses Association) because I have the mentality that I want to meet a few people and get to know them really well. That helps me not feel so over whelmed when I see 150 women and kids. We were able to meet Ethan's work group and I really liked their spouses so that was fun. The food was also great and Kelsey loved climbing up the slide even while kids slide down. Its exhausting, but I love how fearless, independent, adventurous, and curious she is.

Moving

So moving from Holladay to Provo was not the most significant move that we will make in our lives, but it was a big shift to go from a working lifestyle to a student lifestyle. It was also a big shift to go from a family Salt Lake ward to a nursery crazy Provo ward. Both places are great, but it was a big shift. As we were getting ready to go I started feeling really nostalgic about Salt Lake and so I started taking pictures of everything. I just wanted to make a moivng post to have all those pictures in one journal entry. We lived in a beautiful place and I just didn't want to forget it.

Ethan's last day of work at Overstock

 Ethan's room threw him a going away party. They got pizza and treats and decorated the room with a bunch of BYU stuff. It was super cute. Because Ethan is one of two men in the room, they always had potlucks and super cute parties. They LOVED Ethan and treated him like their little kid. They were all sad to see him leave. 

Last time playing on the piano before storage

 I bought some play necklaces for Kelsey to play with and they actually distracted her enough that I could get some packing on. Kelsey would put on all these necklaces by herself and walk around going Awe, Awe. It was so cute.

 Ethan also got a new phone during this move (HALLELUJAH!!!! No more speaker phone conversations) and so we just started taking selfies of everything

 Last mutual with my young women. A pool party and Cafe Rio. I love my laurels and will miss them terribly

 Ethan and I went on a Salt Lake scooter ride one of our last weekends in Salt Lake up the beautiful Canyon of Cottonwood.

 Ethan is still getting used to looking at the camera and not the screen :)

 We stopped at Woodys which is my second favorite ice cream place next to Iceburg. What can I say, I love hole in the wall shops with really cheap and big shakes

 Tired baby who is just so cute

Kelsey likes to "dress" herself and most times she can't get the clothes on her head, but my running tanks are much easier and so she put these ones on a lot

I wanted to remember our storage unit 

The view from our front window

The view from our back window

The view when we get our mail

The other way when we get our mail

The view from the street looking at our complex

I loved Holladay. It was a beautiful place. Good thing we moved to Provo where the mountains are just as big and glorious

Hokulia

Andrea has been working at Hokaulia shaved ice shack all summer and every time we see her she tells us to make the trip down to Provo and get a free shaved ice. Of course we ignored her because we lived in Salt Lake and also I don't love shaved ice. Every time I have had a snow cone or a shaved ice cup it is just not very good. The ice is always too thick and the syrup separates from it so quickly. 

Well we moved to Provo and first night there we promised Andrea that we would come visit her at work. Can I just say OH! MY! GOODNESS!!! This was THE Best shaved ice that I have ever had. The ice was so perfectly small that it held the syrup for the whole treat. It also has this macadamia ice cream in the middle that is so die for. It was seriously amazing. It was so good that I am completely upset that we did not make the drive to get a free one sooner. It was a great treat (and HUGE) that the whole family enjoyed. Kelsey enjoyed it more than we thought she would and so the treat went even faster than we anticipated. It was just so good. Thanks Andrea!

I hate that I am not looking in this picture because Kelsey's enjoyment is just so cute

3 Lakes Hike

We finally were able to go on a family hike. We borrowed Katie Robertson's backpack and headed up to the 3 lakes hike that my family did over the 4th.

The weather was perfect, except for a tiny rain storm at "lake" 2. It came out of no where and came hard. The wind really picked up which made the rain cold. We contemplated turning back, but instead decided to wait a little while under a groove of tress. While we were waiting, we let Kelsey out and explore. Luckily the storm passed within 15 minutes and we were able to make it up to the 3rd and final lake.

Kelsey did FANTASTIC!!! The type of backpack you use, really makes a difference. This time she was able to see where we were going and move her arms and legs. She was so so happy!

 

                                           First hike                                        Second hike

She did get a little frustrated because she wanted to get out and walk, but luckily that was right before our stop at the final lake and so we were able to bear her whining until then. She just loves to walk now, especially when we are outside. She LOVES to be outside.

 At the third lake, we stopped put our feet in the freezing water (no one complained except me), ate lunch, and let Kelsey roam free.

I guess she had a lot of fun because on the way down, she put her head on Ethan's shoulders and fell asleep. Overall it was a great hike.

As a side note, we ran into the Tour de Utah on the way down the canyon. That was kinda fun to see too.