Best Buddies

I love watching our children grow up together.  They teach each other, snuggle each other, scold each other, laugh, play, imagine, work, are silly with each other.  I love catching these moments (don't mind Spencer's outfits - that's another thing they do together:)).

Conference Weekend

Besides listening to the prophet and leaders of the Church, the best thing about General Conference weekend is just being together as a family.  I really have to hand it to my parents for getting us all ready and watching it at the church building growing up.  We are super spoiled to be able to watch it in our home via the internet or cable.  We soak up all the time we can be together.

(Well, Spencer soaks up all the snacks we make for conference weekend.)

 

Conversations with Ashlyn

Kylie:  "Mom, when I turn eight, can I be baptized?"
Me:  "Of course, you can.  Your cousin, Spencer is getting baptized this Sunday."
Spencer: "I not getting baptized."
Ashlyn:  "When I get bigger, can I drive a car?"
Me:  "Yes, do you want to get baptized or just drive a car?"
Ashlyn:  "Just drive.  Friday (everyday is Friday to her) I could touch the pedal, so now I can drive."

That about sums it up.  Ashlyn, a driving force - strong-willed, independent and not afraid to do her own thing no matter what the group is doing.  It is easy to let her be because she is that way, but I have to remind myself that because of that she also needs individual attention.  She is that quiet, smart girl.  Until you spend time with her, you don't know how much she really does pick-up.  We do reading and writing every day and it has been a blast to see her confidence sky-rocket.  Love her!

A Few Lessons Learned From Our First Week in Raleigh

1.  The Urgent Care is less than 2 miles from our house.  Ashlyn smashed her finger in the double doors that lead to the Master Bath so bad that I was certain either it was broken or the fingernail had been ripped off.  Thankfully, it was neither.  But we made our entrance into Raleigh official.  The photo below was taken 2 days after.

 2.  I only have to press the gas one (1) time to get from the front of our neighborhood to our house 3/4 mile away.  Hills can be a good thing.  Okay, so maybe the people at the top of the 2nd hill wonder why I only go 15 mph in front of their house, but after I pass that, I am home free!

3.  Doing "track" workouts in my neighborhood with hills=not a good idea and a bum on FIRE!

4.  There are way TOO many grocery stores here with so many different coupon rules.  I miss Publix!

5.  We love having a porch and a backyard.  Yes, we had a backyard in Jacksonville, but no patio or porch and this has made all the difference in the world!  The kids play outside all the time now.  (The shed is our 'psuedo-garage'.  Garages are far and few between here - it's crazy.)

Don't be...

jealous and don't judge.  This is what we've been up to (literally) lately.

Two things that have made me a better person

1.  I am terrible at eating meals.  Period.  Especially breakfast and lunch.  The above flatbreads have changed that.  Well, the lunch part - I am still working on breakfast.  They are the best!  I especially enjoy the Rosemary & Olive Oil ones.  They are not "bready" like bread, they don't break and they are super soft.  I stuff them with spinach and then use whatever meat and veggies I have on hand.  I have used tiliapia, grilled chicken, turkey, ham, avocado, tomato, cucumber, cheese - of course, not all at once.  The best part is they go BOGO at Publix!  I bought a bunch when they were.  (The sad news - they are no longer BOGO and I ran out, so I'm stuck with no lunches until I make it to the store and bite the bullet to buy when they are not BOGO.)  You should SO try them - you won't be disappointed!

2.  I'm an avid exerciser.  No surprise, right?  I especially love running.  My favorite is to run with a group that's my same pace and style.  I always go by their Garmin to know our distance and pace.  But, when I am alone, I (previously) do not have one of these handy GPS systems.  So, how would I know how far I ran and how fast, you ask?  Here is the OCD side of being an avid exerciser....After my solo runs, I would jump on the internet to a site where you can map your runs (which I already mapped before I left on my run), double check to make sure I ran the route planned, check my stopwatch for my time and then calculate my pace based on my mileage and time.  Crazy, insane.  I know.  But, now I don't have to do that anymore!  David got me one for my birthday!  Lucky me!  It calculates heart rate, calories, distnace, pace, routes, you name it.  I flippin' LOVE my Garmin! 

FYI

I have not died, just my computer.  So, I have no photos to share.  And, let's face it, who really wants to read a blog with no pictures? 

I hope to be up and running soon.  Of course it crashed the day David left for North Carolina.  I suppose its heart was crushed just as mine.  (And just to clarify, no, he didn't leave us, we eventually will move up there with him...someday when we figure out what to do with our house.)