Some Random Thoughts

I just needed to have this down on paper before I forgot. I loved my house for the fall season and apparently so did Kelsey. There were about 30 of these pumpkins and now 26 of them look like this. She knows they are not food, but it became some ridiculous game that she loved so much!

Kelsey has started "helping" around the house and her favorite is when she gets to vacuum

She just looked adorable!

Ethan went to Oregon and Western Washington to meet with some of the big companies over there. It was a long and sad week for us here, but he had a great time and met with a lot of people. His favorite was obviously Nike so he took some pictures to capture his manhood while he was there. 

There is a ping pong table in the club house and we like to play as much as we can, which is not a lot, but its still fun. We play and Kelsey runs around like this:

Its actually pretty disgusting but Ethan made me take one picture before I took the ball out! 

If you are going to eat, why not eat with a giant spoon! 

Mom, you are ruining my life. Just let me mix the bowl

My favorite church memories

I was going through my blue box and found a crumpled note that I had written to my self and I wanted to get it down in the journal before it got too crumpled or I completely forgot.

There are a few times when church is just awesome. Here are three that I don't want to forget:

I vaguely remember when we lived in the Park Place ward in 2010, the bishops 5 year old son sat with Ethan and I. We didn't have kids and he asked,
"Are you parents?"
"Not yet."
"But you're married right?"
"Right"
"But you have no kids?"
"Not yet"
"Oh so you are not adults yet? You are still too young"
"Well I guess not."

Another funny moment was in the Holladay third ward also involving our bishops son. Before I recall, I wish you could all meet Thomas Doxey. He is the ultimate 9 year old boy. He has 3 older sisters who all want to mother him and find him annoying. He has bright orange hair, loves Legos, loves Harry Potter, and is just that awesome awkward Napolean Dynamite 10 year old boy. We babysat him for a week once and he watched this Harry Potter video over and over again so now we always sing it too "There once was a boy named Harry.." I just can't do Thomas justice. We love Thomas and miss him and his whole family.
One Sunday, I was meeting early and so Ethan was going to bring Kelsey over. Its 8:50 and no Ethan, 8:55 and no Ethan, 8:59 and no Ethan. I started to freak a little bit because I HATE being late to church. PLUS he was going to walk with Kelsey and the car seat. I think she was about 3 months old. (we always walked to church in Holladay). Finally at like 9:02 he came running through the back of the chapel, carrying Kelsey with the car seat still attached. Luckily the meeting was running late and so he was able to explain. Because I drove over he was going to walk. He got Kelsey ready in the car seat to attach to the big stroller, locked the front door, and headed to the car to get the stroller. He then remembered that I had the car with the big stroller inside and so he was going to have to switch strollers. He went to open the front door, but it was locked, so he went for his keys, only to realize that he had left them on the piano. He now was locked out, with Kelsey in the car seat, and no stroller. Ethan never lets anything stop him and so he set out for church, carrying that 20lb baby in a car seat the whole 8 min to church! He got there sweating but laughing, so I thought all was done. When I went to pick up Kelsey out of the chair, I noticed that her dress was not on her, but placed on her. As I was taking the dress off Kelsey, Ethan ran back to our seat and said "Oh yeah. I was running late and didn't have time to dress her. Hope that's cool." I lost it. I was laughing so hard (as were the people behind us) that it took me a while to get Kelsey dressed for church right there in the pew. Good thing our ward is awesome and totally loved Ethan so no worries.
The meeting finally started, I was still laughing, but Kelsey was dressed, Ethan had wiped off the sweat, and we were all sitting together. The sacrament came around and Ethan was trying to help me juggle the water and Kelsey and in the process went to put his arm behind my back. While he was doing that he NAILED me with his elbow hard in the eye. Like way hard. Luckily I was in a great mood and started laughing. I started laughing so hard that I couldn't drink all my water and went to dump it in the tray, but as I was doing so my hand was shakey and all my remaining water dumped in about 4 cups in the tray. I tried to grab them before our neighbor took the cups, but it was too late (which makes me never want to think about what goes into my sacrament water cup!). With Ethan's help I was able to regain control of my emotions but that is when we noticed Thomas Doxey. He was sitting in front of us in cargo shorts, socks to his knees, slouching, with his feet resting on the bench in front of him, reading the Hymns upside down and backwards. I lost it. I had to bend so far over to not be disrespectful. Ethan also had to take Kelsey because I was losing all strength in my arms.
I don't remember anything about that Sunday's lessons or talks, but I will always remember Ethan running to church and Thomas Doxey.
As a side note Sister Dalton spoke as the closing speaker in that sacrament meeting and she hadn't been released yet so was still the President. She looked much older in real life than on tv.

This last Sunday, in our Provo Peaks 9th ward,  I was helping Kelsey with her Cheerioes for like the 4th time and Ethan kept taking them away because he didn't want Kelsey to make a mess. Every time he took them away she would scream and so I asked for them back. Right when I opened them, Kelsey kicked the bottom of the container and the Cheerieos went flying! I started laughing, Kelsey went Ah-Oh, and Ethan gave me that look of "Oh my gosh Cami. I knew that was going to happen and that's why i was putting them away." It was another hilarious church moment. I can't wait for more to come.

Dad's Christmas Eve Story

Every year on Christmas Eve, my family would read the Christmas story from the Book of Mormon and the Bible. We would sing almost every Christmas song from the Hymn book in conjunction with the verses. I have the story written down, but I wanted to type it just in case I lose the paper.

Isaiah 9: 2, 6-7

Isaiah 11: 2-4

Mosiah 3: 5-8

Helaman 14: 3-6

     Joy to the World

Luke 1: 26-33

Luke 2: 1-5

     O Little Town of Bethlehem

Luke 2: 6-7

     Away in a Manger

     Once in Royal David's City

Luke 2: 8-14

     Hark the Herald Angels Sing

     It Came Upon a Midnight Clear

     Angels We Have Heard on High

Luke 2: 15-20

     The First Noel

     Far Far Away on Judea's Plain

     While Shepherds watched Their Flocks

Matthew 2: 1-6

    With Wandering Awe

Matthew 2: 7-12

     Silent Night

3 Nephi 1: 4-6,8,13-21

     Jesus, Once of Humble Birth

     O Come all ye Faithful

     I heard the bells on Christmas Day

BYU Run

October 12th, the Kidds and I participated in the BYU homecoming cougar races. Whitley and Hailey ran a half mile, and the rest of us ran a 5k. All the girls got second, and I actually won my age division in the 5k. I am really excited about my race and time (20:59) BUT can I just say that this race was a wake up call of three things for me.
1) I am out of that kind of racing shape
2) I am NOT a teenager
3) I have had a baby
I don't know why I was so delusional to all these things before but I had a huge slap in the face this race. The race never felt comfortable. The whole time I felt like I was sprinting for my life! I also would gear people coming up behind me and watch some 15 year old FLY past me. I type all this not to complain because I am very VERY happy with my time and place, it was just a good realization that I am not in high school any more. I mean the winner got 17:36 and the whole Provo High team and BYU team flew past me at mile 2, all of which averaged the age of 18! Just a weird experience that's all.
Kelsey had more fun at the race than she has had in ages! She kept playing in the jumpers pit and so she was covered in sand, but because she kept moving she stayed warm and happy. She also loved running on the jumpers lane and playing with Uncle Jed. She loves Jed! She started getting a little bored but then she found a swivel chair and stairs so we were good until the end of the event. 

Despite on the crazy emotions, what started as a very cold morning turned into a day of fun. The kids races were hands down the best part of the whole thing. They had a 2-4 year old race (which I GUARANTEE that Kelsey will participate in next year) and every single little kid either cried halfway through or they stop to pout. It was hilarious to watch all the parents trying to get their child to keep running. I cant WAIT to be that parent. Whitley and Hailey were awesome to watch too! They both started out at a full out sprint! I mean a sprint. They were so excited and so don't know anything really about running strategy and so they just took off. Luckily they are quick and young so they were able to hold on long enough to both get second, but it was super fun to watch them run. 

Christine, Alison, and I had so much fun warming up for the 5k. We kept laughing about how intense everyone was and had to fight for our spot at the start. We ended up with the elite runners because we wanted to get good start positions but needless to say got smoked at the beginning! It was hilarious. Everyone kept asking me if I was Andrea's sister so I guess we do look alike. Maybe someday I will see it. I didn't get to see Chrissy and Al run, but Alison was less than a min behind me so I better watch out before that soccer player gets me! It was just fun to get to cheer everyone into the finish line. After the race we watched the homecoming parade and enjoyed blue pancakes.

The womens team manned the finish line and so Andrea scanned our numbers at the end

Everyone getting their medals. Christine got 4th and so she JUST missed the podium

Our names on the big screen! I could get used to this!!!!

The whole running crew!

My number 1 fan kept making me feel really good and kept taking pictures once we got home. I was a little embarrassed but it was nice to know that he cares about what I care about. Thanks for your cute support Ethan.

Just Kelsey

I have always known that my generation can't name their children. Like everything in life, naming your baby has become a contest. Heaven forbid our children have normal names. Heaven forbid mom and dad DONT make up their babies name. Heaven forbid your child shares their name with someone in the world. And heaven forbid teachers can read your child's name first try in all their 19 years of education. I don't get it and I don't think I ever will.

This all came up because when I went to playgroup for the first time in my new ward everyone was introducing themselves and asked me what my daughter's name was. I told them it was Kelsey, and someone goes, JUST Kelsey? Huh?
YUP! JUST Kelsey and even better than that it is spelled EXACTLY like you would spell Kelsey. I hope that Kelsey has the confidence in life to have a name that teachers can pronounce and friends can spell. Sorry Kelsey for giving you such a boring, average name, normal name.

To prove I am not just crazy, I decided to make a list of all the names that I have met while being in Provo.

Can't tell the gender until you meet them:
Evan
Stevie
 (both girls, but lets be honest, girls are taking over ALL boys names. Taylor, Jamie, Michale, Elliot, Charlie, etc. Boys just don't have names anymore. That being said, I still think that a girl can't have a boy name just because. Evan is a little too boy still for me.)

Made up spellings:
Alicen
Sorriah (pronounced Sariah)
 Keltsie (now this is sorta cool, because a lot of people I know throw a T into my Kelsey's name like it is already there and so maybe this family was helping everyone out with crazy pronunciations.)

Made up names:
Jaydee (cute but not really a name)

 Not crazy weird, but really:
Cache
Locke
Brogen
Gunner

I'm sorry your parents weren't thinking:
Silver
Ransom
Thor (not a nickname)
Boo (a girl and this is not a nickname)
Lear
Bitsy (not a nick name)
Silas

This is absolutely none of my business and someone out there might be making fun of the name Kelsey, but I just had to share with those of you who have named your children with the knowledge that someday they will be adults in society. 

http://www.gq.com/entertainment/humor/201307/nine-baby-naming-rules-2013?printable=true

MBASA Raspberry Picking

MBASA is a fantastic program that puts together really fun outings while our husbands are away, either at school or at conferences. September 9th, the activity was raspberry picking at McBride berry patch. The weather was cloudy and cool so perfect for picking. I normally hated picking raspberries growing up but when there are like 20 to a branch, they are easy to find, and you have an awesome bucket tied around your waste, and you grow up and realize the raspberries are CRAZY expensive, it turns out it is a lot more fun. Kelsey obviously went with me which was a good time except this girl INHALED the raspberries. I could not keep up with her adorable demands. The farmer gave her a little bucket so that she could sit and eat berries while I picked. I would pick maybe 5, dump them in her bucket and by the time I turned to pick more she was screaming for more. She was hit among the other moms and farmers because she got a tad messy. I was a little sad about the ruined jacket, but as one mom said, what are clothes compared to an adorable picture? Well said older mom with 3 kids! Anyway it was a very fun event. Not only did the farmer have a million raspberries but they also had a herd of goats that Kelsey just sat and watched for like 20 mins. She had so much fun eating berries, watching goats, watching a loud train go by, and laughing at the other little kids. It ended up being really fun once I got more berries than she could eat. 

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