In My Head

  1. 57702438945628988_qRGBBT6l_cDo you ever have days where you just feel empty inside? I’m blaming it on PMS. 
  2. Monday night, I had friends over to watch The Bachelor premiere. Uhm, hello. It was awful… I mean, awesome. I hate that show so much sometimes, but I also just love it. The awkwardness of Sean meeting all the girls made me cringe so much that I had to cover my eyes! It will be a fun season. See all you girls at my house next week, same time!
  3. I’m still feeling leftovers of my flu. I can’t get rid of this sore in my throat. Whenever I swallow, my ear hurts a bit too. Last night I woke up in the night from coughing so much. Should I go back to the doctor?
  4. For the past couple days, Eva and I have shared a green smoothie. She loves it so much that sometimes she cries when it’s gone! It feels incredible getting a couple of servings of green veggies and fruits in before 9 am!
  5. I miss my parents and Kentucky. I love it here, I really do, but coming back is always hard.
  6. I’m starting to get really anxious about our future. The condo we live in is in the process of going on the market, so we could be out really soon if it sells right away. But it may take a while. You just never know with these types of things. So, fellow wardies, pray that we get to stay here until May-as planned.
  7. I wish we could go to Vegas for MLK weekend. This cold weather is crazy! But Vegas and a 1-year old doesn’t sound like a complete joy.
  8. I did Insanity for the first tie in a while this week. Holy cow. I. am. sore.
  9. T.J. randomly brought me home roses on Tuesday. It made me cry.
  10. I’m in the mood to be crafty but don’t have any crafts to be crafted. Ideas?

 

Thoughts of the Week

  1. This holiday season, T.J. and I have decided we’re going to keep it simple. Well, as simple as I can keep it. Mostly we just don’t want to go overboard with gifts. We think that will really help us to keep the Spirit of Christ in our home and reduce a lot of financial stress. It already feels so good to have less pressure with gift buying!
  2. I’m right on track with my goal of cleaning out the house before setting up the Christmas decorations. Seriously guys, it has been the BEST motivation! I have cleaned out so many closets this month and gotten rid of a LOT of stuff (and killed a lot of spiders). This weekend it should be finished and the Christmas decorations can come OUT!
  3. Hot oatmeal sometimes really hits the spot. Delish.
  4. Eva prefers walking to crawling now. We call her our little zombie.
  5. Talking about zombies, I finished the first two seasons of Walking Dead. Obsessssed! 
  6. After the stomach flu last week, I’m finally starting to feel like myself again. 
  7. I was going to make a pie for Thanksgiving, but I think I’m going to make candies instead. Including these Nutella truffles.
  8. I’ve been washing my hair only a couple times a week and then have used dry shampoo the other days. It’s awesome and I highly recommend doing it.
  9. We’ve been talking about post-graduation plans for T.J. often because I’m so excited for a change. The more we talk about the possibility of moving to Portland, the more it makes me want to move there! But Salt Lake, Chicago, and NY are all still in the running. And who knows, it could be somewhere we hadn’t even thought about! 
  10. A year ago, I was 38 weeks pregnant! I can’t believe how fast this year has gone.
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Weekly Thought List

  1. I’m really getting excited for the fall. I put up some of my decorations, but held back on the Halloween ones (although I wish I could put them up already!).
  2. I’ve been saving up my baby jars to do this craft: 
  3. Two days in a row I have made dinner for our family! The first night I made some garlic chicken with sweet potatoes and asparagus, and then last night I made crock pot chicken tacos. Both were delicious and easy! Yay to saving money and not eating out!
  4. Last Friday I went out with my girlfriends to the Women’s Expo. I got a lot of free SWAG and hoped I would win a drawing… but I haven’t won anything yet 🙁 
  5. I go to Kentucky for two weeks next Tuesday. I can’t wait to see my parents!
  6. I wish I could wear leggings and an oversized Tshirt everyday. So comfy.
  7. Last night I had so many scary dreams and I “thought” I heard someone in our house sneeze. I’m guessing I had the scary dreams because I read an article about preventing burglaries right before bed.
  8. We watched What to Expect when Expecting yesterday. I love that movie. I love how it highlights so many different people in different situations: people who didn’t plan on getting pregnant, people who can’t get pregnant, people who try for a long time, and a couple who have a really easy pregnancy. It’s just so cute/funny/tender.
  9. Remember how my bestie Hannah is visiting Provo when I get back in town? YES!
  10. All of my favorite TV shows start back up soon! Can’t wait to see what happens in Parks & Rec!
  11. Last week I was having a hard day and so I treated myself to a French dessert at my favorite French bakery in Orem. Everyday I try to convince myself to go back because it tasted so good. Then I have to repeat in my head over and over again… ICANNOTGOBACKICANNOTGOBACK!
  12. It’s hard getting used to sharing a bed. Can we upgrade to a California King please??
  13. I’ve been thinking about our future a lot recently since T.J. graduates next Spring. I am getting so excited for a new adventure! It’s so fun to think we really could go anywhere! I’m really pushing for New York, Chicago, or Cincinnati. I don’t want to live in those cities permanently (I hope to actually come back to Utah if things work out). But I’d love to get away for a couple of years while we still can with a small, young family.
  14. Someone asked me where my accent is from. That pretty much made my day! I was pretty sure my (very slight) Kentucky accent had faded!
  15. This week I have been focusing on faith in my prayers and scripture studies.

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I broke a promise to myself…

Once upon a time, I made a goal to never go to Idaho. Never drive through, never visit. Ridiculous. Ignorant. I know. But kind of funny, right? (I know, I’m really lame.) Everyone makes goals of places they want to visit, and from what I had heard from a couple people (and seen on Napoleon Dynamite) I just decided I wanted to never go there.

Then my sister-in-law and her family moved there last month and everything changed. I had to go visit her! My in-laws were driving up there, so I hitched a ride with them last weekend and we headed up to Boise.

Well, jokes’ on you, self… because it was not too shabby of a place. Sure, the drive wasn’t exactly exciting. But I’ve driven through Nebraska and Kansas. After those two states, nothing seems boring anymore. The area my sister-in-law is in is really nice and in a new development. The mall is awesome (so that boosts any city’s rating), and the downtown area of Boise is really beautiful.

I’m not kidding you, on my way up to Boise, I texted T.J. to tell him I never want to move to Idaho. On the way home, I texted him I was in the wrong and I actually wouldn’t mind because it turned out to be really nice!

Anyway, that’s my little spiel. Looking back on it, I am so ignorant. And although it was a funny goal, the moral behind the story is to never be closed minded about new places or go off of what you’ve heard from others or seen in the media. I hate when people do that about Utah… so I will no longer do that to other places! FORGIVE ME!

Thought List

I haven’t done one of these for a while. Here’s what’s on my mind today:

  1. I just caught myself singing along to the Disney Junior TV show, Chuggington. “Chugginton chuggingchugginchugginchugginchugginton…”
  2. Eva is supposed to drink watered down apple juice because she’s, how do I put this nicely… a bit plugged. But she hates it! I trick her into thinking it’s milk, but she realizes immediately, spits it out, then presses her lips together so I can’t get the bottle back in. Any other ideas on how to help her little problem? The doctor said juice and fruits, but it hasn’t done much for her set.
  3. I’ve been watching House from the first season this week. Love it. But I can’t believe I have friends and family who are doctors/in med school… I have to close my eyes when they do any procedure whatsoever. Blair Murphy and Ashley Howarth, you two are amazing.
  4. I’m going to Boise tomorrow morning with my in-laws to visit my sister-in-law and her family. I’ve never been to Idaho and have never taken Eva on a road trip longer than one hour. Wish us luck.
  5. Justin Bieber comes to Salt Lake January 5!!! I reallllllly want to go! But the tickets are $100 at the cheapest. So by the time I save up for that, I’m sure they’ll be sold out! Maybe I could win some tickets? Oh, and I’m probably going to have to go by myself because most people don’t want to see JB in concert, let alone pay big bucks to go.
  6. I get to see Carrie O’Dell today!!! My good friend from college is in town visiting!
  7. I have lost 4.5 pounds since T.J. left! I have two girlfriends who are kind of in the same situation as me so we go to the track together and encourage each other to stick to our health goals! I call it the Widow’s Club. On the other hand, I have cheated a little too much this week because it was my anniversary and there was some chocolate around. #stuffyourself2012 am I right, Hannah Judd?
  8. I weeded my back yard this week. I’ve been dreading doing it, but once it was done, I felt so accomplished and proud of myself! But every time I picked up old leaves, I got scared a snake would slither its way out. Snakes are my ultimate fear. “Snakes… snakes… I don’t know no snakes…” (Name that movie quote! Okay, I’ll just tell you. It’s Home Alone.)
  9. I cannot WAIT to leave for New York and then Kentucky! Oh my goshhhhh!  I think I’ll write a whole on this later.
  10. Is it Friday already? At this pace, T.J. will be home before I know it!

Words to Live By

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10 Things

  1. My mom couldn’t recognize Eva in some of the new pictures I just posted. Good thing I’m going home in a week and a half!
  2. I made delicious breakfast casseroles for a Relief Society Activity this morning. An egg and canadian bacon strata and a french toast casserole. Recipes to come… they were so easy and super delicious!
  3. I need to stop caring what people think of me. As long as I’m striving to be my best self, why does it matter?
  4. Can I admit that I actually get annoyed with March Madness because it throws off my TV schedule?
  5. “Goodness knows they’re squinters.” T.J. said this quote today and it made me realize it’s time to rewatch Arrested Development again for the… thousandth time?
  6. I was going to reread the Hunger Games this week but I’ve decided it’s good that it’s been a while since I’ve read it so I don’t get disappointed or annoyed if something is different than the book.
  7. This week I popped plain popcorn ($1.00 dollar for three bags) and sprinkled a little cinnamon and sugar on it. Delish!
  8. I will never remember how to spell “cinnamon.” I always have to spellcheck it.
  9. I fly with Eva out of Provo in about a week without T.J. Any tips on how to travel with a little baby? I need to take my stroller and car seat with me…
  10. Today I got really upset about having another birthday. Full out tears. I don’t know why it bothers me so much, it’s not that I’m even that old. But time just goes so fast and so thinking of another one passing by, I can barely stand it. I wish we could just skip the day!
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Ya Gotta Be Kidding Me

… I cannot believe it’s March. MARCH! I swear T.J. and I were just shopping last week on Black Friday. But no, that was over three months ago! And March is my birthday month, which I also swear I just had my Justin Bieber surprise birthday party last month. But THAT was almost one WHOLE year ago. Where does time go?! SLOW DOWN!

Well, as usual, here is a list of random stuff going on in my head/life:

  1. I need to get in shape. And lose weight. At this rate, I’m going to have to wear a baggy wetsuit to Seven Peaks this summer. I’m considering logging everything I do/eat like I did last time I wanted (and was successful) to lose weight. Hmmmm…
  2. T.J. got two interviews for (paying!) internships in NYC this summer. Please pray that things work out! It also would be wonderful if he got the one at Johnson & Johnson because it would mean I’d be able to stay out there longer!
  3. This week had its ups and downs being alone with Eva, but I think I’ve finally gotten into a routine without T.J. which gives me hope that this summer I’ll be able to do it. The best days were when T.J. and I would say a prayer and read the scriptures together over the phone. Thanks for the suggestion, Mark and Kelly (T.J.’s parents).
  4. I have the greatest friends and family. I had so many friends text me, ask me to go out with them, and visit this week while T.J. was gone. And T.J.’s family checked up on me and had me over to give me a little break with Eva. My family back at home called often, as well, just to make sure I was doing okay! Thanks everyone! I made it!
  5. In less than three weeks, I’ll be home! I cannot wait to visit and have all of my siblings and nieces meet little Eva!
  6. T.J. comes home in just a couple of hours. I’ve got butterflies!!!
  7. I went to this little French Bakery (See number 1) on State Street last Saturday and I cannot stop thinking about it. Everything was delicious and it was so fun to try new food!
  8. I finally gave the TV show The Big Bang Theory a chance and it turns out that I actually really like it.
  9. I haven’t been to the movies for three months. Depressing.
  10. My friends shared this video on YouTube. I’m obsessed with it. And her. It’s hilarious.
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Motto for the Year: Treat Yo’ Self

  • Shout out to Miss Hannah Judd who turned 23 today! Hope you have a great birthday!
  • Turns out doing your nails when you have a baby is a very drawn out process. I no longer have time to sit down and do them from start to finish. But I finally was able to get started last night and today I plan out painting them! Take that!
  • I’m listening to Mistletoe by Justin Bieber. I don’t care that Christmas is over. I love the song.
  • I had to take Eva to the doctor yesterday because she has a bad diaper rash. The doctor told me to use bag balm, which is what they rub on cow’s utters. So, that’s cool/really weird. If it doesn’t work, he gave me a prescription too. But apparently this cow utter ointment works like a charm.
  • Turns out our stupid insurance made a mistake and didn’t pay for any of our bills, and so all the huge hospital bills we had received will now be drastically reduced. Which means… we now have enough money to send me and Eva out to New York this summer with T.J.! I am thrilled and think about it every day! What up, 212?
  • Have you ever played the game Perpetual Commotion? Me and my in-laws are addicted. It is so fun! It’s kind of like Snarr, if you’ve ever played that.
  • Eva is back on her normal routine and just gets up once through the night. It is amazing how much my life improves when I get sleep.
  • Did you watch The Bachelor last night? I loved it. Two hours is simply not long enough. I’m so sad when it’s over and we all have to go home after our watching party. I want the trainer to get kicked off next. Or Kaycee S. Also, I want to be Kaycee B. so bad. She is adorable!
  • I am loving this snow! I want more more more!
  • The first week of April, I am going home to visit my family! I cannot wait. Plus, my sister and her two kids will be visiting at the same time so Eva will get to meet her cousins!
  • Our taxes are in. Turns out, I love doing them and it made me think I should have gone into accounting. I loved math in high school and did great in family finance. I should have taken an accounting class in college. That probably would have been a better career move than advertising. But let’s admit it, advertising is 10,000 times more fun.
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Can’t Believe it’s January

  • You know how the winter seems to drag on usually and in January you are just so ready for it to be summer already? I don’t feel that way at all this year. Perhaps it’s because we haven’t had any snow yet. But I think mostly it’s because time seriously goes so fast. I feel like it was just two weeks ago when T.J. and I were sitting in tubes on the lazy river at Seven Peaks.
  • There’s this Christmas song my mother-in-law had us listen to on Christmas called “A Baby Changes Everything.” It’s about how Mary’s ordinary life as a young teenager changed completely when she found out she would be bringing the Savior into the world. But of course, it is so applicable to all of us (my mother-in-law’s children and their spouses) since we just had babies  or are expecting. I think about the song almost daily. A baby really does change everything. There are the obvious changes such as the lack of sleep I now receive, the fact that just going to the grocery store now takes tons of planning… going anywhere or doing anything takes tons of planning, and I have to watch what I eat so much just because it affects Eva. But then there are all these other things that have changed or are starting to change, one of which is my patience. It turns out having a baby is the biggest test of patience I’ve ever gone through. There are times where I just want to throw in the towel give up, cry, and call my mom to say it’s too hard. And I’ve done that, several times. But the reward of having her in my life is so much greater than all the trials, and my life has so much more meaning now with Eva. It’s remarkable.
  • I didn’t get to watch The Bachelor premiere last night… how was it?!? I’ve never watched any of the seasons, I just watched the season finale of The Bachelorette with a bunch of girls last summer and now I’m kind of hooked.
  • I made Peanut Chicken and BBQ Chicken in the crock pot this past week. The slow cooker is seriously one of the best inventions in the world. You just throw your frozen chicken in there, put in a little bit of sauce, and then have a delicious meal 5 hours later waiting for you. Obsessed.
  • Now that Christmas is over, what am I supposed to listen to? I’ve been listening to Christmas music for so long, it’s going to be hard to go back.
  • Whoever says that you’ll be sick of Christmas decorations if you put them up too early is crazy because we put ours up about a week before Thanksgiving and I was so sad to take down everything yesterday. Now my home feels boring. Maybe I need to make some new decorations for our house? Must be time for a crevening.
  • We have church at 9 am now. I’ve never yawned so much in my life.
  • School starts back up for T.J. tomorrow. He has a little lighter load this semester so hopefully I’ll get to see him a little more than I did last semester.
  • Eva is almost a month old. Holy cow! Also, T.J.’s cousin and sister both took pictures of her and I can’t wait to share them with you all!
  • I can’t tell you how many boxes of gingerbread men cookies that I went through in the past five days because my mom would freak out if she knew. But I’m now having a withdrawal because we are all out! Oh, Smith’s please tell me you still have some boxes left!!!
  • Eva makes so many sounds. Sometimes she sounds like a little kitten. Who knew we were getting a pet along with a baby?