Sweet Ava...

Hello everyone... I know its been awhile, but we've been busy with the end of the summer nearing. Well, this week has been an eventful one. Ava gave herself her very first "Ava" haircut. Needless to say, it's 6 inches shorter today then it was on Sunday. I've finally quit freaking and getting used to the shorter hair and "bangs". The last time that Ava's hair was this short, she was 2 years old and technically, it really isn't that short and the "Ava" cut could have been so much worse then it really was. Thank you Shanan for saving the day!

No big updates at this time. Kyle is liking his job with the city and mine is plugging right along as well. We're get excited for our Vegas trip in October. All I can say about that is look out U2 here we come. My sister and I are so excited to go and see them. We were supposed to go when they were in SLC in December 2005 but I had just had Ava like 2 days before the concert and Misty's daughter had influenza type A so we didn't get to go. I was home bound and she was home bound. So we are so looking forward to this one. Hope all is well with everyone. I hope to post again soon. Loves....

Remembering September 11th....

We all knew where we were and what we were doing on this day and will never forget.

I flew for work on September 11th... in 2002, 2003 & 2004 and you know what, the eery feeling of flying on that day never went away!

NEVER FORGET!

Lil miss Ava....

I love her piggy's!!!!

Lake Powell

For our anniversary this year we went to Lake Powell. It was a FABULOUS trip!

A few new pics.....

Here is my sweet Ava. Isn't she a doll!!!!

SUMMERTIME.....

and the livings easy NOT! It's so freaking busy! We have a bunch of stuff coming up over the next several weekends and I honestly don't think we have a free weekend till after Labor Day. However, we do have some fun plans so it's all good.

Kyle started his city job on July 27th and I think he likes it. I know he liked the other a little more but this is a lot more stable and NO travel so that will be so nice. My job is plugging right along. I get to take a few days off this month and I'm so excited about that. My anniversary is also fast approaching. I can't believe that we've been married for a year already. This past year has really gone by fast. We're doing something next weekend so I'll post pictures when we get home. Ava starts dance and gymnastics classes on the 17th and is so excited she wants to wear her dance clothes and swimsuit everyday. I think I might have to hide them.

So other then just being super busy, we are all doing well. I'll try to get some pics posted this week before we leave next weekend. Hope all is well. Loves....

Quick update....

since its been almost a month since my last post. WOW time goes by really fast these days. We've been REALLY busy over the last several weeks and don't have an open weekend to just "relax" until sometime next month. However, we love to play in the summer! I have TONS of pictures to post but don't have the time right now. I'll get them up soon though I PROMISE!

So... I have some good news. Kyle has excepted a full time permanent job back with the city where we live. When he left a couple of months ago I was a little torn although we needed the money and the other job well it paid more. However, you never know when a seasonal job could become permanent. Well an employee past away and they offered his position to Kyle. He starts on the 27th. We couldn't be more thrilled... no more travel, no more worry about construction jobs. Kyle loved his other job but needed to do what was best for our family and this is such a great thing for us. We finally finally caught a break. You can't get a better job in a rural area! Anyhow, that's my good news. I really hope that all is well with everyone. Will post again soon. Loves...

Weekend Update...

Well... we didn't do much this weekend other then watch it rain. Does the sun shine in Utah anymore??? I'm starting to have my doubts. Ava said this weekend "mom, I don't think there's a sun anymore" LOL. I'm hoping that it's nice next weekend so we can go outside and play! My sister had a great big tree in her front yard that they had to get removed. We made the best of the "twigs" and the kids made some smores and roasted hot dogs so that was fun. Oh... and I got my haircut so that's always fun!

Kyle started his new job back on the 1st and LOVES it. This is such a good thing because he's getting easy to live with again. My job is also just plugging right along other then I've lost my mojo and really have no motivation whatsoever to be there. I think once we're able to do somethings outside, that will change. It seems like the only time we really get any decent weather is during the work week.

So, we're trying to get our house refinanced and I'm find that harder then I thought it would be. I think they want everything including my first and only born in the paperwork. I'm hoping to have this done by the end of the month... and then guess what? I get to buy a new car YIPPY!!!! I'll keep you all posted.

Anyhow, not much new at the abode other then I'm excited to do laundry. Hope all is well with everyone. Loves...

As promised....

here are a few new pics.

My poor puppy....

Here are a couple pictures of Jazz and her latest "accessory". She has stitches in her rear ride leg and a "fun" headpiece that she can't wait to get rid of. She had surgery last Wed and is starting the heal nicely. She's very happy to be home!

Update....

I had my surgery and all went well, feeling much better. I don't really want to talk about the details on the blog because it's a little personal. If you're curious to what it was, jot me and email and I'll tell ya. You all know good ole Utah weather. We get like a week full of a little sunshine and then on the weekends it just pours. Well with all of the standing water, the Mosquito's are HORRIBLE and they love me and little Ava. I try to get bug spray on her before we go out but sometimes she escapes before I get it on her. Needless to say, she has a few bites. It wouldn't be such a big deal if they didn't swell. I do love the rain and the smell but I'd really like to go swimming at the pool sometime this summer. Who knows by next week we'll probably be back up to 90.

Well... when it rains, it pours at my house LITERALLY! DIRECT TV decided it wanted to take a few extra months worth of payments out of my account in one month. This has not been so much fun... still working with them to figure things out! My dog is hurt and has to go to the vet tomorrow; cross your fingers that her leg isn't broken. Last but not least, my washing machine developed a small leak ok it wasn't so small but I still used it until the big gush of water came out. Anyhow, I had to have the washer repair man come over on Sat and he tells me that it needs a new tub, transmission and barrings. The cost of the parts plus his labor was close to $400.00 + $35.00 more for him to tell me what needed to be fixed so obviously we aren't going to pay that much to fix it. After all, I only paid $125.00 for it on KSL.com almost 2 years ago. I think I got my monies worth. I'm now in the pity party depression stage trying to figure out what to do as I really didn't want to buy another used one. So I talked with my mom ok, bawled while talking to my mom. So after I get off the phone with my mom, Kyle calls and said that he just talked with my step-dad (papa) and that I needed to go up to Beck's (this is our local appliance store) and he had already talked with them and they had a new set for me. I am now the proud owner of my VERY first brand new front load Washer and Dryer... yes, this is my very first NEW set. The other two I've had were both used sets. These are the coolest things since sliced bread. I can't believe how efficient they are and the minimal water that is used. I've never been so excited to do laundry in all my life. Thank you so much mom and papa for the help xoxoxoxo!!!!!

I know I've been promising pictures but haven't done it yet. I promise this week sometime or next weekend I will get them on. Hope all is well with everyone. Loves....

Has it really been a month.....

since my last post? When I started this blog I promised myself I would update at least 2xs per month. However, I've just not had the time to do it. Anyhow, a lot has happened over the past month. I had a birthday and it was a rough one. I really thought I was a year younger then I really am. Thanks sister for breaking the news to me! It was like that episode of friends where Phoebe thought she was a certain age and then found out she was a year older. It was like I'd gained a whole new year in a matter of minutes. I really kinda sucked! However, I did new a new camera from my mom and have been taking pictures. I need to get them downloaded off of the camera and get them posted. I have a goal to do that sometime this weekend!

Kyle started a new job back on April 20th for the city where we live. He's so funny. He told me the other night "you know when you drive by a city worker and there's 4 leaning on a shovel and one working" that's really how it is working for the city. Needless to say, he's the one that's working. My dad always told me when I was younger that it's easier to find a job when you already have a job. Well, I think he was right. Kyle put in his resume with a local company a few months back and we never heard back from them. Well, they called yesterday and offered him a job. The hourly pay is $6.00 more per hour then what he's making for the city and it was only a part-time job that went until Oct. This is like almost a $1000 per month pay increase WOO HOO (maybe we can get me that new car now)! He couldn't really turn it down. He starts on June 1st. He really feels bad that he's leaving the city job but he needs to do what's best for our family. He said that the city was very good with him and even told him that if the have a permanent job come available, they give him a call to see if he's interested in working for them full-time.

Little Ava has been better. She was so sick this past weekend. I don't think she's ever been that sick. She's still not 100%. I hope she peps back up soon. It makes me so sad to see her when she's sick. We did her testing for preschool a couple of weeks ago and the average score is 85-115, Ava scored a 127. I knew she was a smart cookie!

The summer months are fast approaching and I'm so excited. I can't wait to get out in the sun, BBQ, boating, camping, riding 4-wheelers and hanging out with good friends. The last few days here have been so nice... but, we do live in Utah so it could technically be 90 degrees today and snow tomorrow. I'm so totally not kidding!

I have to have a minor... well not so minor surgery on the 29th for some female problems that I'm having. I'll let everyone know how it goes. I promise I will post some pictures soon! Loves....

Easter....

Yes, I've been neglecting my blog AGAIN... just haven't felt up to blogging very much lately. The weather is still very gloomy and cold and I feel like I'm still in a winter slump. I'm also cameraless again. The one my dad sent me finally broke. It gave him several good years and me a good month but its now gone off to camera heaven. I'll get a new one someday, I just don't know when. Oh well! Anyhow, a few good things have happened over the last few weeks though. Kyle finally found a job and starts on the 20th with the city. It's only a 6 month position but could work into something more permanent and full time at a later date. It scares me that it's only temporary but temporary is better then nothing right now.

Easter, oh how I love the holiday's.... NOT!!!! I have no cute pictures to post. I'm hoping either my mom or Stanton got a few good ones and if so, I'll post them. Well, I got to have Easter at my house this year. The weather cooperated so we could be outside which was good since my house is a little small. We planned an Easter Egg hunt for the kids and had a great lunch. The hunt was a little disappointing but oh well, I won't go into that. I'd like to though!!!! I was a little on the peeved side and still am but nothing I can do about it and if I say anything, I'll just get in trouble **SIGH**! Other then that, it turned out to be a great day! Ava and my niece had to dress up in the same dresses and it was so cute. Kyden is such a girlie girl and Ava isn't too far behind. However, Kyden likes her dress shoes and Ava likes her flip flops. When it's time for flip flop season, she's just like her mommy and that's all she likes to wear. However, I don't think the dresses will ever come clean from them rolling around on the grass... if grass is what you could call it. It was really wet and semi muddy.

My work is plugging along. I work for an agency of the state that took some pretty hefty budget cuts but nothing like our sister agencies have taken. We lost a few people but I'm worried about some of the programs that they want to cut. They're so vital to our vulnerable citizen's. It's a waiting game now to see what is going to happen. I'm just hoping for the best. Well... better get back to regular life. I hope to post again soon. Loves....

Dearest Blog....

how I have neglected thee... and so many other things these past few months including, myself! However, I hope that's all changing. I'm even posting some new pictures. We've done a few things this past weekend. We took a trip to Capitol Reef and went hiking for Kyle's birthday. We came home and had a couple of beautiful warms days so we took our first Jeep ride of the year with friends. Needless to say, it's dang cold today. That's how Utah is... warm one minute, cold the next! I've also starting walking every night with my friend Ann. I do a lot better at going when I have someone to go with me. It's hard to get to the gym because I have to be to work so early that I don't have time to go in the mornings. I try to go a lunch but that doesn't work and then if I go at night, I feel guilty for leaving Ava because I'm gone all day as it is. It feels like this is such a catch 22, no right answer. So needless to say, I've been trying to do some different things at home and then just walk at night. It must be starting to work because I've lost 10 pounds already YIPPY!!!!!

Things at work are much better. We won't be doing any furloughs our benefits are supposed to go up a little but that's the least of my worries. I've worked in the private sector before and I'll tell you what, I listen to some of the older people that I work with complain about the benefits going up a few dollars and all I think to myself is they have no idea how good they really have it. I'm just glad and so thankful that we have health insurance. Kyle also finally has a job offer. It doesn't start until sometime in April. We don't have all of the details yet so I'll let you know once I know more. I still have some leery feelings about him going to work with an old business associate. He's going to talk with the company this week and see if he could get on a different shift then him. If he can, I think it will be all good. If not, I'd almost rather have him unemployed... how sad is that! I wish I could go into details about the previous business associate but it just makes me a bitch when I think about what happened so I won't do that tonight.

Anyhow... here's some new pictures. The first couple of pictures are from my dad. I love the big trees in the Redwood's.

Jeep Ride

Urs & Franki

Shanan

So tired

Shanan & Franki

Capitol Reef

Blooming Trees

Petroglyphs

Well....

I am battling some new challenges this week. I just feel like I keep getting kicked harder when I'm already down. It doesn't feel like it is ever going to end or we're ever going to catch a little break. I know that there are a lot of other people out there who are in the same boat that we're in right now and I empathize with them. So, I'm thinking of getting another job. It hurts so bad to think that I might have to do this. I'm already away from Ava more then I should be. There are a lot of adolescent group homes where I live and since I already work with troubled youth, I pretty much have the job if I want it. I just need to get back to them and let them know. I'm really really struggling with this right now. If I do take the job, it will put me back a year or so on my graduate degree as well as a lot more time away from the home... and at my job with the state, it's possible that I might have to take a mandatory furlough of 8 hours per month for a year and that my insurance premiums will go up as well. If that is the case, I really have no other choice but to take a second job. I've also went back on my birth control pills... so no baby right now either! I'm also really struggling with that one. There are just so many things I'd like to post right now but it would be from emotions and not logically thinking so I'm not going to post some of those things. So.. how's that for a pity party???

There are some positives though. Ava can sing her ABC's, count to 20 in both English and Spanish and she's only 3 years old! I'm so proud of her. She's such a smart little cookie. She loves to sing songs, dance and play. She's my little sunshine and the light of my life. She's has such a cute personality and a very creative imagination. She drew me a picture on her closet doors. So instead of being the big bad mommy and getting mad, I joined her and we drew a picture together. I told her that tomorrow we were going to paint and once painted, she couldn't draw anymore and she said "okay mommy". I just think with all of the stressors in my house right now, she can feel the stress as well and I think it relieved a lot of stress for both of us. I really don't think she'll ever do it again. If she does, I'll probably have to get mad next time. She's just growing up so fast. Mommy loves you sweet Ava!

So... there's my life in a nutshell right now. I'm hoping for some good weather in the next few days so we can go outside to play and take some pictures. I'll post pictures once I get some. Hope all is well. I'm going to bed! Loves...