on motherhood

if it's true that good intentions pave the road to hell i'm in trouble because i have myself a pretty well paved road.  i have been meaning to update this blog since, well, the last time i updated it but it just hasn't happened.  i don't know how these 'mommy bloggers' do it; being a full time stay at home mom and keeping an updated blog is a lot of work. 

for a while i didn't update because i felt i needed some time to find my voice as a new 'mommy blogger'.  i mean really, who cares, besides me, that hazel rolled over for the first time or is in the 99th percentile for her height?  nobody really wants to read that.  then i thought i would write about these things for the sake of record keeping, then remembered that is what a journal is for.  mostly i didn't update for two reasons: one being that hazel keeps me pretty darn busy and two that half the time i feel i don't have anything exciting to write about.  my days are all pretty much the same: feed hazel (a LOT), change diapers (a LOT), read stories and if the weather permits go for a walk.  i usually try to throw getting dressed and cooking dinner into the mix.  not that i don't enjoy my life because i do, i love it.  i just find it hard to write about my everyday routine and make it exciting enough for somebody to want to read about. 

so why am i writing now?  quite simply because i love to write.

In the last five months i have continued to grow as a mother almost as much as hazel has continued to grow.  and boy has she grown.  it seems she will wear a new outfit once or twice and then it gets boxed up with the rest of her outgrown clothes.   and every time i buy diapers it seems i am buying the next size up.  you would think all this growing would make her tired but it doesn't; naps are a rare thing around here.  eating isn't though.  i can't take a drink of water or eat a bowl of cereal without having her crawling up my leg.  the girl likes to eat.  the bad thing is she likes to eat more than just food.  she will eat dirt, carpet, toilet paper....anything she can find really.  i have learned to keep the doors shut and the floors vacuumed. 

being a mom really is great though.  it amazes me watching this little person grow and develop.  i know she teaches me far more than i could ever teach her.  i have learned what unconditional love is and know that my love for her and her need for me resemble, if only in part, the love my father in heaven has for me and my constant need for Him.  this lesson, i know, is all part of His plan. 

children's books

this book was by far my favorite book as a child.  it is silly, clever and fun to read.  when i read it to hazel i am very dramatic with my voices and she always looks up at me and laughs.  what was your favorite book as a child?  what are you children's favorite books? 

19 weeks.

first trimester: check

i wish i had a lot of exciting updates to share but truthfully the past couple of months have been pretty miserable. i never guessed that "morning sickness" (very misleading name) would be so intense. i am just starting my second trimester now so i am really hoping the" all day sickness" (more accurate name) lets up soon.

we did get to hear/see the baby's heart beating. that was pretty amazing.

here's to hoping i start feeling well enough to blog again,

kira

tadpole

no explanation needed.

enjoy your weekend,

k

red lipstick

last night david had to work late so i did what any girl would do. i cooked dinner for one and watched an old musical: state fair. every time i watch an old movie i admire the classic look of red lipstick. i love the look when worn right. i think it looks very sophisticated but every time i try to wear it myself i chicken out. this morning i put on some red lipstick but felt like i had a big sign on my face and ended up quickly wiping it off before i ran out the door. maybe someday.
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happy february!
k

engagement

this is my sister.

this is my brother in law.

this was at my wedding reception.

my sister is now going to be my sister in law.

my brother in law is now going to be my brother in law,

again.

they're engaged.

as crazy as it may seem,

{congrats}

to reconnect

i have mixed feelings about new years resolutions. what usually happens (okay, what always happens) is this: i get really excited about setting new years resolutions so i set two or three or seven or eight goals. one year i even set twelve goals, one for every month. i do really really well on these goals for about a week, probably less. then i get burnt out. then i get mad at myself for not accomplishing all of my goals. then i quit them altogether. this year i did not want that to happen so instead of making specific goals i just made this one: to reconnect.
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on new years eve my phone stopped working. apparently cell phone providers do occasional updates and the only way for your phone to receive those updates is to turn it off and back on. i never turn my phone off. because i never do this my phone misses out on updates and got to the point where it stopped working. because it was a holiday weekend every time i tried to get a hold of my cell phone provider to figure out what was going on i was unable to because they were closed. finally on monday they opened back up and i spoke to them only to find out i could have simply turned my phone off and back on in order for it to work again.
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i likened this to life. sometimes in order for us to work properly we need to turn things off temporarily. when we run ourselves too thin our bodies and minds don't function to full capacity. this year i want to focus on finding time to reconnect. this can be done in several ways by taking time to unplug and do something productive that brings me joy. remember president uchtdorf's talk about this? for me there are many things i want to reconnect with in order to completely reconnect. i want to reconnect with my kitchen, reconnect with my scriptures, reconnect with the gym, reconnect with friends and family, reconnect with my camera, reconnect with my blog. i didn't set any specific goals about number of days i have to work out or number new recipes i must learn. instead i just want to take time to reconnect and do something each day that makes life more meaningful.
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it's amazing what taking the time to put together a fresh salad can do for your body, mind and spirit.

jumping back into the swing of things

now that all wedding festivities are over, we are back from our honeymoon, decorated our humble home and received callings in our ward i feel like we are jumping back into the swing of things. i am grateful for my husband and all that he does for me, i am grateful for our amazing new ward and our new callings, i am grateful for my job and the people i work with, i am grateful

that i am able to listen to general conference this weekend and i am grateful for all of my family and friends.

engaged!

dave and i are engaged! details coming soon!!!

happy weekend,
k

bohnanza

this is my absolute favorite game ever. i was first introduced to this game about 5 years ago and have been searching for it ever since. yesterday i found it at a little game shop in the az mills mall! if you get a chance, i highly recommend playing!

yo gabba gabba

have you heard of yo gabba gabba? if you haven't you should check it out here. i discovered this show while i was a nanny and at first thought it was the craziest things i'd ever seen. it is pretty crazy. after a while though the show really grew on me. it really is very entertaining and very funny.
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when i first told dave i was a fan of the show he thought i was crazy but i finally got him to sit down and watch it with me. now he is hooked. and his nephew is hooked. and his brothers are hooked. i must warn you, as bizarre as it may seem, you might get hooked too.
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the highlight of my week was this little finger puppet you see above. dave saw that they were the kids meal toy somewhere and went in just to get one for me. isn't that the sweetest thing ever? he really is the best boyfriend ever.
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hope you make this the best week ever,
kir

new moon

i bought my tickets for the midnight showing. yikes. i really wasn't the hugest fan of the twilight movie, but i figured since i already invested so much time reading the books i might as well spend a couple hours watching the movie. plus, i'll admit, i'm a little curious. are you going?
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happy friday the 13th,
k

roses and bangs

this week dave surprised me with a beautiful bouquet of red roses. he is the best.
oh yeah, and i got bangs. i've been wanting them for a while but decided they were too high maintenance for summer. i decided i could probably handle them now that fall has arrived. i'm still trying to decide if i like them or not.
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hope you're having a lovely week,
k

september list + an announcement

i just love september. i really think it is my favorite month. the perfect mix of fall and summer fun. i have a whole list of things i want to do this month:
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thursday night farmers market
hyde park street fair
art in the park
alive after 5

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have i told you yet this is my last month in boise? yep, i am moving to arizona on october 2nd. it will be a big change, but a good change. i am just happy that my last month here is my favorite month. there are a few other things i want to do this month before i leave:
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eat here
and see this movie here

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hope you have a lovely weekend,
kir

chapstick

if there is one thing i absolutely cannot stand it is chapped lips. chapped lips are worse to me than headaches, cramps, a runny nose...anything. i just cannot function when my lips are chapped. because of this little tick of mine, i have a tube of chapstick on me at all times. it is a must. when i worked at melaleuca i fell in love with their sunshades lip balm. before i quit i stocked up so i would have at least a years supply (i'm not joking here). this week, a year and four months later thank you very much, i finished my final tube of melaleuca chapstick. although throwing that final empty tube away was a very sad moment for me, i'm not willing to become a "melaleuca preferred customer" just to buy chapstick. (it's great, but not $80/month great). now i am in need of suggestions. what are your chapstick favs?

gypsy feet

happy hump day everyone! i just wanted to drop in to let you all know that me and my feet are now regular posters on the ever so lovely blog, gypsy feet. AND, today is my very first post. do drop in and check it out.
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lovely day to you,
kira

sixty guilty pleasures

01. taking a bath

02. shopping on amazon for cheap books, movies and cd's

03. getting a pedicure

04. making jewelery

05. and buying stuff to make jewelery

06. kiwis

07. going treasure hunting in used bookstores

08. sunday drives

09. watching the o.c.

10. corndogs

11. especially pronto pups from the fair

12. camping

13. late night chats

14. lipgloss and chapstick

15. shopping at anthropologie

16. even if it is just window shopping

17. singing in the car

18. live music

19. falling asleep during movies

20. playing games

21. homemade salsa

22. reading emerson and thoreau

23. highlighting and writing in books

24. road trips

25. waiting until my gas tank is bone dry to fuel up

26. hitting snooze

27. oatmeal cream pies

28. musicals

29. people watching

30. sitting next to the heat vent with a blanket

31. floating the river

32. writing in my journal

33. long phone conversations with good friends

34. new perfume for a new season or special occasions

35. saturday morning farmers market downtown

36. mexican food

37. rearranging furniture

38. opening my window at night so fresh air can fill my bedroom

39. eating a bowl of cereal for a bedtime snack

40. netflix

41. blogging

42. facebook

43. trying new hair and skin products

44. saving movie and concert ticket stubs

45. showering at night so i can sleep in longer in the morning

46. smallville
47. the office
48. and lost
49. homemade smoothies
50. drinking water directly from the bathroom faucet
51. telling stories to claire
52. chocolate covered cinnamon bears
53. taking notes and doodling
54. harmonizing to songs on the radio, or trying to
55. popping bubble wrap
56. taking pictures
57. soduko
58. eating breakfast in bed
59. power naps
60. making lists