The DK Crew

At the dinner table

2012-01-31T21:37:00.000-08:00

The Following story is based on a true DK story.

The scene opens during a typical Dinner conversation in the DK Household,

Katey: Everyone on "Bookface" is going crazy over this singer named Adele.

I've heard her music and I don't get the fuss.

Daniel: Never heard of her.

Minutes later...

Daniel starts humming between bites.

Katey stares.

Kylee begins dancing.

K (to Daniel): Are you singing?

D: Maybe... It's this song that I keep hearing. I think you'd like it.

K: Ok. Sing it for me.

(Sidenote: It's awesome that I have a rockstar hubby that loves music and singing)

Daniel then sings this song....

K: Um... that's Adele. You know the person whose music I don't get.

D: Well, it's pretty catchy.

It's only fair...

2012-01-27T14:59:00.000-08:00

After yesterday's frustration,

I felt a strong responsibility that I should give GOOD examples of great online health resources.

I actually spend a lot of time researching different practices, diets and drills that I can use in class and outside for my own personal training.

My reasoning: if Health is one of my top priorities, then I should spend a quality amount of time learning about it from several types of sources.

You may not agree with some of them and you may even dislike them.

But these happen to be some of my favorite websites/blogs:

Hungry Runner Girl

This girl is hilarious!

Super funny in her blogs and

doesn't mind admitting to her love of Frozen Yogurt!

She also happens to be in the same town where Daniel and I went to college!

(Oh how I miss Cafe Rio)

Team Winter

Amazing and inspiring story of a young girl that races triathlons in honor and memory of her late father.

Run Mom Run

This lady is awesome!

Super fast runner and

she's a mom!

I hope to run fast one day too!

Athleta Blog

Athleta has AMAZING workout clothes but

did you know that they sponsor wonderful women each year?

Among this year is a Cancer survivor, a Paralympic athlete and several other inspiring women!

Runner's World

I like the magazine and I like the website.

There are all sorts of tips for the average (and not-so-average) runner.

I've found it to be quite informative while maintaining a motivating tone.

So here you go.

Yes it's true.

I read a lot of blogs.

I try to make most of them help me THINK about health and fitness.

What are some of your favorites?

Does your mother know that you are doing this?

2012-01-26T13:15:00.000-08:00

Hi.

I'm a Fitness Instructor.

If you didn't know by now, then we should talk more often.

I've been doing for the past two years and it is amazing.

I love exercising and I love teaching.

One thing that I don't love is the social pressure that women feel to

look like something

eat certain things

and even create exercise habits.

I'm not talking about the kind invitation to go out on bike rides

or come to the gym to try a new class.

I'm talking about the extremes.

Let me describe one for you.

Stumbled upon a "health and fitness" blog today.

I used the quotation marks because the bulk of the content consists of fad dieting,

downloading home exercise videos (can we say Copyright Infringement?)

and quotes about how people who more than 120 lbs are abusing their bodies.

I was pretty disgusted by two things:

the lack of compassion (or was is maturity) in the posts and

her misuse of punctuation.

That's not even the worst part.

It's written by a barely 16 year-old girl.

16.
That explains the lack of maturity. Sadly, some people don't have that excuse.
barely 16.
That explains the punctuation....kinda.

But let's go back to my title.

Does you mother know that you are doing this?

Does she have poor self body image too?

Holy Cow, people!
Did you know that there is more to people that what they look like?
And even if you are "thin and slim" that doesn't make you a well-rounded person.
No pun intended.

Now I'm not saying that you should give up any healthy endeavors and camp out at your favorite fast food restaurant.
Eating well and exercising IS important.

But that doesn't mean that you can't have a cupcake once in a while!

And Scene.

P.S. I refuse to put a link to this blog because I won't advertise such garbage... I'll just complain about it.

Difference in taste

2012-01-09T20:51:00.000-08:00

If you must know one thing about our family,

know this:

We love our music!

Now, I don't wanna hear any

"Wow that is so cliché" business

Let me explain...

No, that would take too long.

Let me sum-up:

Daniel likes this:

I like this:

but we both like stuff like this

But we can't exactly go on a long road trip listening to just one band...

Anyone else have a difference of opinion with their significant other?

2012?

2012-01-07T13:00:00.000-08:00

Last year I had a theme.

"I can do Hard Things"

Boy, was that stupid or what?!

There were several hard things that came our way.
And each time something happened,
I kept thinking
"You had to pick that theme, didn't you?"

But

We got through them

Because we can do hard things.

The point of the theme was to stop underestimating myself.

Can't say that I've stopped completely but it's better.

I accomplished things that sounded crazy beforehand

and have set even crazier goals.

But the question I've had is:

"Should I have a theme for 2012?"

"Should I just keep the 2011 theme because it worked out so well?"

So this is what I came up with

L.I.V.E

Learn

Improve

Venture

Endure

Learn

I have so much stuff that I want to learn.

Like how to do a cartwheel

But there's a difference between the things that I want to learn and the things that I need to learn.

Discerning between each is the first step toward becoming more productive.

Improve

Goes along with learning.

Ever heard "Jack-of-all-trades, Master-of-none"?

That's me

Why?

I dunno!

It's in my New Year's Resolution Theme for me to find out!!

Venture

Now's the time for a new adventure.

New skills

New opportunities

New places.

And 2012 is shaping up to fit right in!

Endure

Life can be tough

But I'm tougher.

And it's the attitude that makes the experiences good or bad.

Positive attitudes can make an awful experience seem doable

while the simplest tasks can be difficult because you gripe and complain.

So blog world,

(AKA the 3 people who read this)

come LIVE with me in 2012

(but not literally because Daniel would not like that)

because, like I said,

Life can be tough

But you are tougher

Because you can do hard things too!

P.S. Sorry for the pictureless post.
I will get some more next time.

Look Back...

2012-01-05T06:30:00.000-08:00

In November, we had some pretty fun things happen.

I rode my first Metric Century (62 miles on a bike)

We went to Atlanta

And we had Thanksgiving at home.

December was filled with

Parties

Santa (x2)

Chocolates

and

lights

You may be wondering "Hey! Where's the pictures?"

I didn't put any up because they are all in our Christmas "Card"

Hope everyone else had a wonderful Holiday Season!

Sweet Like Candy!

2011-11-02T11:14:00.001-07:00

This past weekend was pretty amazing!

First we went to the Pumpkin patch!

Why?

Where else would get a pumpkin...

other than Wal-Mart.

Besides, we knew that Kylee would go crazy over the slide!

Daniel took her down twice but I think she would have liked us to buy the slide instead of the big, orange squash.

On Saturday we went to the BooLVD in Lancaster.

Two Words:

Over. Whelming.

In a good way, she still had fun but needed some serious cuddling to recover.

We stayed for 30 minutes and then went to our Ward Halloween Party!

That's when Kylee learned the awesome-ness of Halloween.

On the actual day of Halloween

she even practiced putting things in her bucket.

We went Trick-Or-Treating with a bunch of friends and it was amazing!

Some of the older kids helped her learn the ropes.

But she just liked running around with her friends!

Holidays are WAY more fun with Kylee.

Don't believe me?

You can always come visit!!

Busy, Busy, Bla, Bla, Bla!

2011-10-07T12:34:00.000-07:00

I know you've been thinking,

"Hey! I wonder what Katey and Daniel are up to!"

"I think I need to see another Picture of Kylee, let me check the blog!"

Well before you despair and lose hope, here's a picture that we took yesterday.

Kylee's been sick :(

But one thing about this little bear, she never lets her circumstances effect her attitude.

She's always happy....

unless she's tired or hungry.

But in sickness? Happy!

Also, if you really are wondering what we are up to... I will tell you!

In August, we were busy with this!

Jamie got married!

Then Daniel went here

That's Disneyworld for those of you who don't "Hablar de Mickey Mouse"

And I've been spending a lot of time with this!

Her name is Horizonte!

We're getting ready for this

Halloween, Thanksgiving, Christmas!

But sad we won't be able to go here

We are still hopeful to see them

Before the year is done.

But in the meantime, we'll be running this

and I may ride this

and run this again (maybe)

And that's what we're up to!

Her Favorite Movie

2011-09-02T10:33:00.000-07:00

BOLT!

I think it's the animals

Found her today like this

Anybody have any other kid movies/shows

with lots of animals and music?

Daddy's Gone...

2011-08-09T20:59:00.000-07:00

He's away for work.

And we miss him.

P.S. Kylee picked out her clothes.

Run!

2011-08-02T15:57:00.000-07:00

On July 4th, we were in Atlanta

Running this...

Can I just say that it was my favorite race that I have ever run?!?!

60,000 Registrants, Over 100K spectators!

This T-Shirt

It's true.

In fact, we may have to make it an annual tradition!

But there's a sweeter story to this event.

When we signed up, I told myself...

"It's time that I beat Daniel. I train harder, faster and more than he does.

It's my time!"

Then I made these intentions somewhat public

when I was interviewed by Atlanta's Newspaper

Atlanta Journal Constitution (AJC).

Don't believe me?

Here's the link to the article.

In it I specifically state that I would like to run faster than Daniel.

At first I kept the article a secret.

But about a week before the race, I told him.

He didn't believe me.

So I showed him the article.

Then we ran.

And I won...by 6 minutes!

And I'm pretty sure that he won't let me off so easily next time!

The Rest...

2011-07-01T03:53:00.000-07:00

Here is the rest of our trip recap.

Why just one post, you ask?

Because it's my blog and I said so... also I’m behind and there are plenty of other things to blog about

Like this:

So here goes:

We went to PCC AKA Polynesian Cultural Center

Daniel learned how to Dance (wooh baby!)

and we ate a lot of food while being entertained by people who dance really well.

Later we wandered the North Shore and hung out at beaches like Pipeline, Sunset and Waimea Bay. The lack of pictures is due to high amounts of sand and my preference to keep my camera Nice.

After that we found ourselves at the Dole Plantation where we learned how to cut pineapple and found really big snails!

We ate at really good restaurants and it was amazing.

On our way down to Waikiki we took these pictures…because Daniel wanted to.

Anyway, We spent the last few days in Waikiki. Took a tour of Iolani Palace where we got to wear awesome booties.

Got rained out of Pearl Harbor but still managed a picture before we found the Duke statue and put leis on him.

We hung out, ate a lot of food and can’t wait to go back one day.

And that was the rest of our trip

Whew! I need a nap!

Hope you enjoyed the pics!

Stay tuned for our upcoming adventures.

Wanted...

2011-06-30T14:58:00.000-07:00

I'm gonna finish our vacation in the next post but first I have a somewhat pressing matter...

Anybody want to send me a recorded Pep talk for my race on Monday?

We're running this race

Requirements:

First,

Experience with sports, preferably coaching a sport.

Second,

Must not be related to me.

I won't take you seriously.

Unless it's my mom's cousin Eddie.

He's a great coach and motivates me like none other!

Well, and maybe my brother Kyle.

Exceptions will be considered, but not necessarily accepted.

Third,

you gotta be motivating.

None of this "I will give you a gold star" crap.

More like

"You get out there and show them what you are made of.

Does it hurt? IT's supposed to hurt! It's a race."

Fourth,

Mp3 format please.

Basically,

I wanna go from this...

to this...

Ready, Set, Go!

A Word about La'ie

2011-06-17T12:06:00.000-07:00

*Disclaimer*

I apologize for the lack of background to this trip.

We went to Hawai'i.

Just me and Daniel.

Kylee stayed with my parents.

We've planned it for about a year.

It was fun and blogworthy.

Hence the blogs.

End of Disclaimer.

If you've been to Hawai'i but never spent time away from the cities and resorts,

I highly recommend spending some quality time around La'ie.

There isn't much shopping.

There aren't many fancy restaurants.

But I've always felt that it's a lot more of what Hawai'i REALLY is.

My dad went to school at this place.

I wanted to go to school here!

But went to the snow instead.

Daniel and I both said "What were we thinking??"

It's peaceful, beautiful and there are plenty of beaches for everyone.

While here

we surfed (or tried) with my cousins.

We were terrible, but I was a very good paddler.

we went to the temple

I introduced Daniel to one of my favorite things in Hawai'i.

Sleeping Grass!

The video didn't upload. Sorry. But know that this little weed is awesome.

It closes up when you touch it!

Shave Ice...

2011-06-14T11:48:00.000-07:00

Yes, we went to Hale'iwa to get something to eat.

But

We also needed to have our first Shave Ice of the trip.

We didn't go to Matsumoto's.

We went another day

Just so Daniel could say he went.

Instead we went to MY favorite shave ice place...

AOKI'S!

Can't say why I like it (other than the shorter line)

But it was pretty awesome.

If you've never had Hawaiian Shave Ice, you might be thinking,

"Hey! What's the big deal? It's just a Snow Cone!"

And that's where you'd be wrong my friend.

If you really want to know the specifics...

Read On.

Shave Ice is made with a different Machine than Snow Cones.

The Machine SHAVES the ice instead of just turning it into little pellets.

With that in mind, you have to shape the Shave Ice more than a snow cone.

Also, when you add syrup to Shave Ice, it SHOULD stay up in the ice instead of going straight to the bottom of the cup.

For even more goodness you can get ice cream at the bottom, cream on top or sweet beans!

Any choice is amazing!!

Moral of the story:

Don't be dissin' my Shave Ice.

It's WAY better than any Snow Cone!

Update at Chinaman's Hat

2011-06-13T18:44:00.000-07:00

I took this picture of Katey wearing Chinaman's hat, but she must have forgotten to put it in the last post. I can't imagine how she forgot. Fortunately I remembered, so here it is!

Katey here... Let it be known that I think this picture is heeedious!

Over-Excitement!

2011-06-13T11:25:00.000-07:00

Contrary to how he's acting in the video, Daniel really was excited to get to the wonderful island of Oahu.

Once out of the airport, we headed for La'ie. It didn't take too long for me to go crazy and tell Daniel to pull over so I could get in my bathing suit.

So we chose this little spot!

Chinaman's Hat!

The water was so beautiful and clean and blue and warm...basically everything that it SHOULD be down in Waikiki but we'll just leave that alone for now.

We got settled into our condo in La'ie and set out for Hale'iwa.

"Why?" you ask. We were hungry.

Get Ready...

2011-06-09T11:39:00.000-07:00

It's coming...

Our Trip to Hawai'i Nei!

Looking back...

2011-05-25T18:08:00.000-07:00

So, I started looking at Newborn pictures of Kylee.

I've been teary-eyed ever since.

Here's Kylee less than 2 weeks old.

Here's Kylee today.

Time marches on. Thank goodness for pictures.

Family Night!

2011-05-05T18:48:00.000-07:00

Lately we've made an extra effort to have a Family Night each Monday.

We usually have a 30-second lesson and then we play.

We've had all sorts of fun.

Kylee has learned all sorts of stuff like:

how to turn on an iPod.

how to properly play with water

And all about Bullfighting

Recently,

Kylee learned how to finger-paint

So today's lesson is to spend time with the people that you love!

We're not perfect but we're trying.

A Story About a Bear...

2011-04-19T14:57:00.000-07:00

This story really is about a bear.

It's not a story about a philosophical bear nor a metaphor.

It's about a real bear.

Well.

As long as we are counting this as a real bear.

Rewind to the Summer of 2006.

Daniel and I were dating and were quite content to stay that way.

However,

I had made a previous commitment to work all of the California EFY sessions.

That meant that we would spend the majority of the summer apart.

(oh, the Longing!)

The night before I left, Daniel gifted me this bear.

He named him Clarke.

Daniel then told me that I should hug Clarke each time I missed him.

That way I would have something to hug.

The bear stayed on my bed until we were married.

Now before you all run away from the nauseating cuteness emanating from the screen,

Just know

The bear was kicked out.

That's right.

Kicked Out.

In fact, Daniel hid Clarke.

But that's another story.

Fast forward to last week.

Daniel had to be in Texas all week for training.

So I woke up Monday morning to this.

The note says that I'm supposed to restore Clarke to his original charge:

When I missed Daniel, I should hug Clarke.

So I did.

Hard things...

2011-04-10T18:57:00.000-07:00

"The things most worth doing in life are hard."

For the over past year, I've decided that I can do hard things.

Most were goals that I set.

Like running a Half-Marathon or becoming a Fitness Instructor.

A few were chalked up to Life Experience.

Like moving to a different state and starting over.

Some were just sad.

Like when we lost a baby earlier this year.

And yet others came as a result of very Real prompting.

Like today, when I interpreted part of Church to some of our Deaf.

Still, I've learned a lot.

First,

I should never put limits to my abilities.

If I have a desire that is in line with my Life Priorities, then I can do it.

Second,

Accomplishment comes as a result of work.

And Third,

God will support His children.

If I'm living right, Heavenly Father will bless me.

It may come in the form of comfort, ability, or even energy.

But God supports His children.

And here's one of best "Hard" things I've ever done.

Sad Face :(

2011-03-28T19:54:00.000-07:00

The emoticon does not adequately express my feelings right now.

It is with a heavy heart that I announce.

Daniel won our Annual DK Crew Bracket Challenge.

I guess the guy was due for a win.

I mean, it's been 4 years for cryin' out loud!

But that doesn't mean that I have to like it.

Not. One. Bit.

I guess I just have to take this as a Conciliation Prize.

We Love JIMMER! (FYI: That is a link)

10 Things I miss About TV...

2011-03-21T19:33:00.000-07:00

Background:

We don't have cable, satellite or any other form of TV.

That's about all you need to know.

Over the past several months I have compiled the list of the

Top Ten Things I Miss About Having TV...

#10

Mindless Entertainment

Nowadays, if we want to find something to do with our extra time, we actually have to THINK about it... how annoying.

Witty commercials.

For example, I love this one!

#2-8

ESPN

I love me some sports!

And that brings us to the Number one thing that we miss about have TV.

Our BYU Cougars.

Football

Basketball

Cougarettes

Anything!

You wanna know the real meaning behind "March Madness"??

Try being a Sports Fan without TV!

And to add salt to the wound, have your favorite team do well in the NCAA Tournament.

So... in Conclusion.

We don't miss much except our Sports.

*sigh*

Sorry, I've been busy...

2011-02-19T20:44:00.000-08:00

Don't call it a lame excuse.

We've been super busy.

Like, for real.

So you can run and tell that...

Homeboy!

No, seriously.

First of all, we bought a house!

I know, we feel all grown up and everything!!

I'm going to post pictures of the inside but not until it's at least kinda decorated.

I'm weird like that.

Next,

Kylee turned one.

Wait, what??

Yes, one.

We've been told that it happens to even the cutest of babies.

It was great, we had a party, all of her grandparents spoiled her.

She loved it!

Then,

I ran my first Half-Marathon.

13.1 miles, in case you're wondering.

It may not be a big deal to you, but it is to me.

So right now's the part when you send me an electronic pat-on-the back

or even a virtual thumbs up.

I'm waiting.

Anytime now.

And finally,

Not to sound redundant...

but we moved into the new house.

Don't make that face.

It was a big deal.

We were without internet for days.

So there is our big update.

If you really DID miss our ramblings...

you gotta show us some comment love!

AKA

Write a comment!

You and Me

2011-02-14T16:38:00.000-08:00

You and me together

We could do anything, Baby

Yes, it's true.

I love him to pieces.

And I couldn't be happier to share my life with this guy!!

Happy Valentine's Day!!

P.S. Stay tuned for a real update! We've been busy.

Directions for having a "Blast" on New Year's Eve

2011-01-06T13:46:00.001-08:00

[cue infomercial jingle]

Do you love having a real Christmas tree each year

but don't know how to get rid of it afterwards?

Do you have a hard time deciding what to do on New Year's Eve?

Do you secretly feel like you throw better parties than other people?

*For the record, I don't. But this is an infomercial, People!*

Well, have we got a solution for you!

Follow these Simple Directions and

BRING THE NEW YEAR'S PARTY TO YOU!

First,

Stop watering your tree about a week before Christmas.

And while you're at it, buy some fireworks.

A LOT of fireworks.

Second,

Decorate your bare, dry tree...

with said Fireworks.

Like this...

*For this demonstration, we were able to obtain 5 Christmas trees.

Third,

Invite your friends over.

Fourth,

Set off some of the extra fireworks to get everyone warmed up!

Fifth,

Set the trees on fire.

You heard me.

Set them on fire.

*WARNING* Do not attempt the following without a Fire Extinguisher...or two.

But wait! There's more!

If you're feeling confident in you Tree Burning Skills,

Why not try two trees at once??

For all intents and purposes of this blog (uh, I mean, infomercial) we only put up two videos. Just know, that the other two are equally as awesome.

As an added bonus,

if you follow this formula then you,

YES! YOU!

will be able to ring in the New Year with some

Bling! Bling!

So don't just sit around after Christmas this next year!

Blow Up That Tree!

And Party For the New Year!

Adventures in Georgia

2011-01-06T02:11:00.000-08:00

WARNING: LONG POST

But never fear! I included pictures!

Jamie had never been to Georgia.

Neither had Kylee... but she's only 11months old!

Anywho,

We wanted to show them some of the more awesome parts...

Like the World of Coca-Cola!

And the Georgia Aquarium!

Kylee made friends with a Grouper.

Well...at least she tried.

Then we went to the Varsity and met some of Jamie's friends.

(because the Frosted Orange is AMAZING!)

Later we visited Papa and took some pictures with the Family.

Including an ever-necessary 4 Generation Picture!

We actually went twice so there are a few.

Whew. I'm tired just thinking about all of the fun we had.

But wait! There's More!

Tomorrow I'll tell you about how we ended the year with some Bling! Bling!

Seriously. Like, For Real.

Christmas: Georgia Style!

2011-01-05T07:33:00.000-08:00

On Christmas Eve, we went to Atlanta.

Right away we started having fun and didn't stop until we came home.

Christmas morning started off with some awesome breakfast

Then the presents

Kylee made out like a bandit!

It was so exciting that she needed a nap right after her presents were opened.

Later that day, it snowed.

In Georgia.

A lot.

So we went and took pictures in it!

It was so fun to spend some time with our family!

Stay Tuned... Up next "Adventures in Atlanta"

Why do parents do this?

2010-12-12T12:59:00.000-08:00

Because it's hilarious!

Here is Kylee's Obligatory "Baby Cries with Santa" Picture!

A Case of Mistaken Identity...

2010-12-08T14:09:00.000-08:00

So...

I'm pretty sure that this mug

is not one of those forgettable faces.

Am I wrong?

Don't answer that.

A few days ago,

someone got me confused with someone else.

I was a bit surprised

Don't get me wrong.

I've been mistaken for all sorts of people.

Why?

Because there are plenty of women that are

pretty,

elegant,

sophisticated....

WAIT, are we still talking about me? (Right)

Well I may not have all of those qualities but there are some people that I resemble

Like...

This lovely lady,

This sassy girl

And even...

(ok, maybe not the last one)

But definitely NOT

**Just so you know,

this is not a real picture of the girl.

But let's just say there's a likeness**

So, in conclusion,

if you're going to mistake me for someone

Please make sure it is someone I look like.

What?

2010-12-06T14:27:00.000-08:00

***WARNING***

*Shameless Plug Alert*

You may have noticed underneath the "Followers" Box is a New Box.

Go Ahead.

Look.

While you're at it.

Click the "Like" Button.

That's right, folks.

I'm a Team Beachbody coach.

So now you're gonna hear a bunch of Health and Fitness tips from me.

Isn't that great??

(say 'yes')

Anywho,

Go ahead and follow my Coach Page

You'll be able to learn great things like:

-how to get a free membership to Team Beachbody

-how you can purchase cool things like Shakeology and P90x

-And occasionally we'll even have a few contests and drawings for fun things!

So.

Support me!

It's free!

Give in to the Purple!

2010-12-04T13:45:00.000-08:00

This is currently our favorite outfit on Kylee.

I guess they're technically pajamas.

But I've named it her "Purple Ninja Outfit"

(for obvious reasons)

Kylee transforms when she wears this!

She get's more aggressive

Hyah!

And she's more elusive

Ninja Vanish!

Maybe next time we can find PJs that make her more calm

NAH!

P.S. Did you notice that she can stand now?

Veteran's Day and Land Sailing!

2010-11-14T16:00:00.000-08:00

We love having Federal Holidays off of work!

We got to go on a hike with a bunch of Daniel's coworkers. It was so fun.

Kylee was such a trooper and she even fell asleep during the first half of the hike.

Then a few days later, with the same group of people, we went Land sailing.

We were fortunate enough to find a nice (last-minute) sitter.

If you haven't tried Land sailing, I recommend that you TRY IT!

Daniel was an expert from the start.

Even when everyone else was stopped due to lack of wind, Daniel still found a way to keep going.

Hypocrite.

2010-11-13T16:11:00.000-08:00

Don't you hate it when people just complain about others on their blog?

I hate those people.

;)

Just Because...

2010-10-19T08:11:00.001-07:00

This is one of my new favorite pictures of Kylee.

Don't ask me why.

Running, Running As Fast As I Can...

2010-10-18T15:57:00.000-07:00

I've been running more lately.

Outside.

Why Outside, you ask?

Because treadmills are a fate worse than lactose intolerance.

I like it.

It helps me clear my mind, think through my day and remember important things.

For example, while we were in St. George I made sure to do my runs like a good girl.

While running around the neighborhood my thoughts turned to my Grandma Nedra and Grandpa Art.

Something about the area smelled like them.

I'm not talking about prunes and ointment.

I'm talking about freshly cut grass, patches of sand and small little ponds.

In other words, I'm talking about a Golf Course.

My grandparents loved Golf and they were GREAT at it!

It was interesting how a smell can generate all sorts of memories and feelings.

I really miss my grandma.

(And my grandpa but that's a whole 'nother can of worms)

My Grandma Nedra was a beautiful woman.

She passed away a few months before I turned 12.

My mom still visits her grave twice a year.

I'm grateful that I still have memories of her.

I can't wait to see her again.

Families are Forever.

And that's one of the reasons why I like running.

St George!

2010-10-17T15:14:00.000-07:00

This past weekend we went up to St. George to watch our friends participate in a Century Ride*

*Note: A Century Ride is a Cycling race that is 100 miles.

For the sake of reference,

we'll just say it's the Cycling equivalent of a marathon.*

Whilst there, (am I allowed to use that word, "whilst?") I had several epiphanies.

First,

Kylee has been teething.

How did I discover that? Well, the tooth in her mouth. Duh!

Also, it may also explain the runny nose and slight (emphasis on slight) fussiness.

Second,

Playsets and swings are WAY more fun with kids.

Why didn't I think of this before? I dunno.

Third,

I really miss my friends that are in Utah.

I know that they are busy and probably don't miss me as much but I sure do miss ALL of them.

Fourth,

I really want a bike. Like...REALLY want a bike.

That way, I could do cool stuff like races!

And lastly,

Children are a blessing!

I had the special opportunity of hanging out with Jack again!

He's a cool little dude and Kylee is definitely a big fan.

Here are just a few pictures from the weekend. It was a blast.

Happiest Place on Earth...

2010-10-12T11:41:00.000-07:00

We took Kylee to Disneyland for the first time.

One of those days that I hope to remember forever.

She was excited.

Her first ride was Pirates of the Caribbean.

She liked the Tiki Room and Jungle Cruise (that's my girl!)

She didn't really like the Nightmare Before Christmas version of Haunted Mansion

Is this my kid or WHAT?

And best of all, she loved Mickey Mouse.

I can't wait to go back so we can make more fun memories!

Where's the Baby?

2010-09-29T15:06:00.000-07:00

I came out to the living room and Kylee had found herself in quite the predicament.

See her?

How 'bout now?

Don't worry. Like any good mom, I got her out of there...after I took pictures.

And She's Mobile, Folks!

2010-09-25T14:46:00.000-07:00

Kylee started trying to crawl a few weeks ago.

She picked it up fast...

too fast.

Her biggest motivation is crawling to her parents.

For now.

P.S. Sorry about the lighting. I know it's dark.

Chicago

2010-09-14T17:02:00.001-07:00

A few weeks ago we went to Chicago!

It was fun and filled with all sorts of adventures.

If you remember THIS post, then you may have guessed that we missed our flight from LA because we only showed up an hour before boarding....

I know, dumb.

Either dumb of us or dumb of the airport...

You decide.

No worries though. We were lucky enough to get seats together on the next flight to O'Hare.

Once we got there, Kylee had a bit of a surreal moment.

She saw Nana and Grandpa but they were

3-Dimensional!

*If I was really cool and talented, I would've made those words pop out of the screen. Sorry, the "bold" is the best I got! *

To explain, we regularly talk to Nana and Grandpa on Skype.

So until Chicago, we suspected that Kylee thought that they were just moving pictures.

Yes, just like the ones in Harry Potter.

Anyway, once Kylee realized that they were real people, she had a ball!

She even got to see Aunt D and met Karma and Stefan VanSant!

We were in good company to say the least.

Moving on,

We ate SOOO much amazing food.

(I love you Al's Deli!)

I'll just leave it at that.

But the pinnacle of the trip was going to the Temple as a family!

Diana was going through for the first time and it was a wonderful experience.

Here are some cute pictures of Kylee at the temple.

Isn't she pretty?

Few things compare to the sweet feelings of being together as a family.

Chicago was awesome!

How could it not have been?

The Laughing Baby...

2010-09-12T20:57:00.000-07:00

Yes, Kylee laughs. Here's proof....with a dramatic finish!

Happy Birthday Daniel!

2010-09-09T17:08:00.001-07:00

Look! I even wrapped his presents this year!

Here are some of my favorite pictures with Daniel in them.

Ok. So that last one is mostly of Kylee but it's still cute, right?

Planes

2010-08-31T10:42:00.000-07:00

So we went to Chicago this past weekend(more on that later!) It was Kylee's first plane adventure.

We learned a few things. We'll share them with you for obvious reasons of logic and enlightenment. (And because this is a BLOG. That's what you do on blogs!)

First,

Avoid flying in/out of LAX. The place is worse than being turned into a marsupial.

Second,

If forced to fly through LAX, show up 2 hours earlier than you want to. We showed up 1 hour early and had to get bumped to a later flight for "being too late to check-in". Ridiculous!

And Third,

If you don't want to get Kylee her own seat, then sit on the aisle. This facilitates easy exits so Kylee can be walked around and changed at her leisure. It also avoids being trapped in our seats because the kid sitting on the aisle is hungover and passed out. True Story.

We tried to get pictures on our phones but the little one was too wiggly whenever we tried.

Oh well!

Next post: Chicago!

Come again?

2010-07-28T07:24:00.000-07:00

So last night while we were putting Kylee to sleep, Daniel was showing her some Church pictures.

We came across this one.

Daniel says:

"Kylee, this is Jonah.

He was eaten by a whale because he was disobedient.

Let that be a lesson to you."

I must've been making a weird face

because he looked up at me at said,

"What? You don't like my teaching methods?"

Obligatory Picture!

2010-07-20T21:15:00.000-07:00

This little beauty is 6 months today!

And sometimes she thinks her mom is weird.

Sticking Out! Pt 2

2010-07-20T12:14:00.000-07:00

Remember this post about sticking out?

I may have to turn it into a series of posts.

Yesterday I went to get a smog inspection so we can register our car CA.

(Yeah for CA license plates!)

While sitting there, Kylee caught the attention of the two other people in the shop.

We talked about how little babies are wonderful and great.

Soon one person left and I found myself talking to a middle-aged lady about raising kids.

She said that even though girls were "easier", she preferred boys.

Here was her reasoning,

"Boys won't come home pregnant or with a baby!

I think there's something inside girls that just want children."

She went on to say

"Of course the best option is for people to just wait to have sex until they're married but no one does that anymore."

This is where I came in

"Actually, I did that. My husband and I waited until we were married.

It was a wonderful decision and we will teach our children to do the same."

Well the lady looked at me like she'd never seen anyone like me before

and then started asking questions.

We talked for another 30 minutes about

the benefits of keeping intimacy within the relationship of husband and wife.

I'll spare you the details but it was a good conversation

She complimented me for my life decisions

and eventually we went our way.

Maybe I talk to strangers too much.

And for the record, the smog check took WAY longer than the guy had originally told me.

But for once I'm glad!

Did you ever imagine?

2010-07-19T12:38:00.000-07:00

The other day, Kylee was being super cute (like always).

A person stopped me and asked,

"Isn't she beautiful? Did you ever imagine how wonderful motherhood would be?"

I've been asked this question before.

Did I ever imagine I would love her so much?

Did I ever think that being a mom would be so great?

And to answer those questions, I simply say

"Yes, I did imagine it"

Please know that I don't say this out of pride or arrogance.

But Daniel and I went through a lot to get our little Kylee.

Our imaginations were all that we had

Often I would say,

"Is this worth it?"

"I can't do this anymore."

"What are we getting ourselves into?"

But then I remember watching my friends with their children.

I knew that this is what I wanted.

I knew that we would love her this much

Because we already loved her this much.

That love carried us through different treatments, doctors and failures.

So again

Yes. I knew that I would love Kylee this much.

Sometimes it's hard...

2010-07-14T12:29:00.000-07:00

Kylee got some shots the other day.

She was kinda grumpy for the rest of the day.

But we still love her!

Blessings!

2010-07-08T20:21:00.000-07:00

We love our Kylee Bear.

This is when she was 10 days old.

I got that layette from an Etsy store called the R House Couture.

They are amazing!

You can read more about them here (with a little shout out to our little girl).

Sticking out!

2010-07-08T19:58:00.000-07:00

So we're looking for a house to buy. It's arduous, a bit frustrating and NOT what this story is about. This is what happened today while looking for said house. Our agent, who is fabulous, was showing me a nice house.

We talked about nice neighborhoods with nice people and such.

After a moment of hesitation she asked,

"Do you and Daniel go to Church?"

"Yes we do! Every Sunday!"

"Which church do you go to?"

"We're Mormon"

(Now, I understand that the correct term is the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints but I just wanted her to know which church it was)

"I could tell."

"Really?"

"Yeah, there's something different about you guys. I'm around a lot of different people and there's a big difference between saying what you believe and living like you believe."

"Oh well, Thank you! We just try to be the best people that we can."

"Well, I appreciate that."

I love living in California.

I love sticking out!

5 months?

2010-06-24T13:00:00.001-07:00

Kylee's 5 months already

Can you believe it?

Father's Day

2010-06-20T12:32:00.000-07:00

Kylee's a lucky girl!

She has the best dad and grandpas a little baby could ask for! Let's give a little shout-out to each, shall we?

First of all, I just need to mention that I tried to get super smiley pictures of these gentlemen. They just don't take pictures like that which is weird since they are actually a jolly bunch of fellows.

Let's start off with Grandpa Harold!

He is talented, kind, and giving! Plus, he (like us) is a pretty big BYU fan. Go Cougars!

I'm so grateful for my Father-in-law. There are so many good qualities that Daniel has because of his dad. I know that he is the man he is today because of parents and I can't express my thanks enough. I'm getting teary-eyed just thinking about it.

Next is Grandpa Tutu!

This picture is the closest I could find to my dad smiling. I don't even think he's even smiling, he's singing. My dad is also one of the most creative people I know. He gets excited for the things that we are doing and pursuing. He'll watch most sports but his real love is the ocean.

And Grandpa Cordell "Fanfa"

Cordell lights up whenever he sees his grandkids and they light up whenever they see him. He's patient, funny and looks for the best in people. I can't say anything bad about him because I don't know anything negative to say. Unfortunately, I don't think that he can say the same about me. Cordell has always been a great example to me and continues to be so.

Of course, we should also mention Kylee's favorite person in the world!

Daniel's a great dad! Each time I see him with Kylee, my heart takes a picture. He's a wonderful husband and leader in our home. We love him!

Smells like...

2010-06-02T13:40:00.000-07:00

*WARNING* This post is about poop.

Background story: Back when I used to work here I developed an acute sense of smell. Not really, but I could smell poop from across the classroom. Seriously. It was a gift and a curse. While I could find the poopy culprit easily, occasionally I found the smell "stuck" in my nose for the rest of the day. That's the best way I can describe it. Since then my "senses" have dulled but haven't completely lost their power.

Fast forward to today when this was my Facebook status..

When looking for clothes this morning, I felt like everything had either been stained from or smelled like spit up. As soon as I posted it, I went to pick up Kylee since she was fussing. Once I'd picked her up I felt something strange and smelled something worse. Looking in a nearby mirror, I noticed there was poop....everywhere. I quickly looked back where she had been before and notice that Kylee had, indeed, left her mark on the carpet.

I couldn't help but start laughing and thinking about what I should write on the blog while I cleaned up everything. Kylee took a bath. I took a shower. And now we're clean and in new outfits. Go us! The only bad thing is that the poop smell is stuck! At least I have Scentsy.

By the way, here's a cute picture of Kylee getting all clean. She must have felt better since all of that nastiness is off of her.

An Overflow

2010-05-24T20:39:00.000-07:00

This post is late. I'm sorry. But I feel like I should express my thoughts. These two lovely people are my Aunt Sondee and Uncle Ron. My dear Uncle Ronald Keau Kalama passed away on May 7, 2010.

To be frank, I've been having a hard time with this.

Ron was my dad's younger cousin. So in Polynesian families, they were like brothers and Ron was my uncle.

Uncle Ron had the most beautiful, big, FULL voice that I'd ever heard and I've listened to a lot of voices in my lifetime. If you never heard it, consider yourself unlucky.

Not only was he this wonderful, loving man but he (and Sond) rescued me from a painfully boring family reunion in Hawaii. Ron, Sondee, Nolan, Jamie Kuulei and I escaped and had one of the best vacations I've ever been on!

Instead of classes and workshops on food storage and family history (no offense to anyone out there) we spent our days snorkeling, eating shaved ice, surfing and other typical things that you could imagine in a Hawaiian Vacation.

I'm so grateful that families can be together forever.

I miss him.

It sounds so trite but I don't know how else to describe it on a blog.

His funeral service was beautiful. It was a day filled with music which seemed so fitting and I was so grateful for that.

How you ever felt so full of emotion that the words escape you?

That's how I felt.

The words escaped me but the music didn't.

While we sang "Aloha Oe", I found myself expressing everything I wanted to say.

After we'd finished, the air was thick with grief.

That grief overflowed into "Hawai'i Aloha"

More songs followed, each as heartfelt as the next.

It was a beautiful tribute to my Uncle Ron.

I'm grateful to have known him.

I know that he and Sondee will be together forever.

And I will be able to hear his wonderful voice sing again!

Moved!

2010-05-12T08:55:00.000-07:00

We're here in California all safe and sound! It's been pretty good to us so far. The past few weeks have been a bit busy for us but we're grateful for all that we've done.

Among the most interesting:

Daniel graduated!
Kylee's Blessing
We moved into our new apartment
Katey had her first Mother's Day as a Mom
Kylee rolled over!

I thought that I had pictures of all of these blessed events but it turns out that I can't find them. Sorry. So everyone will just have to settle with a picture of Kylee! (courtesy of Linnea)

Let the Record Show...

2010-04-06T08:49:00.001-07:00

That for the third year in a row, Katey's bracket beat Daniel's bracket. (How does she do it?) We both did terribly but let's not talk about that.

Life Lately...

2010-02-25T11:37:00.000-08:00

Diapers, snuggles, spit up, binkies, playing, naps, more snuggles, dress up, no sleep but pure happiness!

I can't find my camera so this picture from my phone will have to do for now!

Maybe that wasn't enough...

2010-02-11T11:59:00.000-08:00

So here are some more pictures.

2010-02-11T11:57:00.000-08:00

Here are some more pictures of Kylee!

Real Happiness is this...

2010-01-21T12:05:00.000-08:00

Meet Kylee Lehuanani Carlson

Jan 20, 2010

6 lbs. 14 oz.

19 inches

Life Lessons

2010-01-13T09:42:00.000-08:00

With Christmas gone and the end of our pregnancy looming, I feel like I've been learning a lot about myself. Some of it is worth sharing; some of it is not. Nevertheless, I'm going to tell you some of the gems that I've come to realize.

I don't like maternity pants. Sad for me. Moving on.
Bowl Games are not as fun to watch when neither team is ranked.
I love Jamba Juice.
Exercise helps keep my crazy pregnant hormones at bay.
Did I mention that I love Jamba Juice?
My superhuman sense of smell has returned making large crowds a rather interesting experience.

And last but certainly not least:

Nothing can replace good friends.

The End.

Belated...

2009-12-31T07:16:00.001-08:00

Two days ago we celebrated our 3 year anniversary! Hooray! I feel really blessed to have married Daniel. He's pretty much amazing!

Daniel planned a day in Park City full of shopping, a movie and a nice Thai Restaurant. It was a lot of fun!

Okay, okay...

2009-12-02T10:00:00.000-08:00

Don't think that I'm giving in to peer pressure (because I am). But here are two belly shots.

This one is from today (30 weeks 6 days)

This one is from the first BYU home football game (20 weeks)

Sorry if I haven't been blogging much about the pregnancy. It has been pretty good. We're really grateful for this experience and trying our best to enjoy every moment.

2009-12-01T08:59:00.000-08:00

I love Christmas.

Saying Goodbye to an Old Friend

2009-11-03T21:19:00.000-08:00

Tonight I said goodbye to an old friend. We met when I was 16, and we've been together for ten years. We went to high school together every day in Atlanta. We went to Utah for college together. We even went to California together to meet my wife's family. And now, 100,000 miles later we are saying goodbye. Thats right, I sold my Toyota Camry.

I got her when she was only 6 years old. 50,000 miles under her belt. She had a manual transmission, and a roaring 4 cylinder engine. She was a good car, but now she has a new home up in West Jordan. I'm sure her new owners will treat her well.

So it is with a tear that I say goodbye to my first car.

Oh Canada!

2009-11-02T10:54:00.001-08:00

So today I just feel like I need to give props to Canada! I've never been to Canada but some of my favorite things come from Canada.

The mini-quiche that they sell in Costco. I've loved these things since I was 10! Today I just saw on the box that they are, in fact, made in Canada!
Wunderbars!! Serious Awesomeness in a candy bar! A lot of the candy up North is pretty awesome but this is my favorite!
Most importantly, some of my favorite people hail from Canada. I'm talking about my good friend Wendy! She's pretty awesome and her kids are hilarious!

So there you go, Canada! Thanks for being North of us!

Halloween Candy

2009-10-27T11:21:00.001-07:00

What's your favorite Halloween Candy? My favorite is Reese's Peanut Butter Cups. They're just great!

These on the other hand....

VILE! No one likes them. I don't even think they have a name!! There was a house in my neighborhood that gave them away every year. I think that we only returned each year in hopes that they had come to their senses. Eventually, we didn't go back.

I hope they still aren't around by the time our children go trick-or-treating. Bleh!

3 Years ago...

2009-09-24T07:56:00.000-07:00

If you want to watch the whole episode, you can see it here.

Pardon the Interruption...

2009-09-17T18:19:00.000-07:00

Sorry for the bright pink. Didn't you know that it's my favorite color? It's true. Since I was a little girl, I've loved pink. Speaking of little girls, did you know that we're having one? It's true. I just found out today! We had our 20 week ultrasound today and she is beautiful and healthy. Can't wait to see her!

Seven Peaks...

2009-09-10T19:50:00.000-07:00

Summer officially ended for me on Monday. Seven Peaks closed for the season. As I reflected on the past few months, I couldn't help but feel the need to share these bits of wisdom.

Itty Bitty bikinis NEVER look good on a woman who is eight months pregnant!
A slide that leaves a mark on your back, shouldn't be ridden.
White girls should not wear White bathing suits. Or butter yellow bathing suits for that matter.
A tan will look better and stay longer if you use sunblock!
"Why does love always feel like a Battlefield?" (Better go and get your armor)

I hope everyone's summer was just as enlightening.

Goodreads

2009-08-26T10:35:00.000-07:00

I was recently introduced to a new webpage: goodreads. Essentially it lets you track books you have read and want to read. Plus it adds facebook-esque features like a news feed, friends, quotes, and other such things. Its a great way to find new books that are interesting to you. Below are some of my favorite books in widget form courtesy of goodreads.

Atlanta

2009-08-03T12:54:00.000-07:00

We recently traveled to Atlanta. Some of the highlits include:

Homeade salsa

Blueberry pie from homegrown blueberries

Eating at the Sundial

Eating at Willies

Eating at The Varsity

Visiting the farmers market

Can you see the pattern? Our vacations always seem to center around food. But Im totally ok with that. In fact, that is as it should be.

I need a Basilisk!

2009-07-22T09:31:00.000-07:00

Remember this post? Well I think that this summer, the bugs are fighting back! On their front line...spiders. Ew. I try to buck up and squash them but end up running away screaming. Lately I've taken to avoiding my apartment as much as I can while Daniel's at work. So if anyone needs a visit, call me!! Seriously, please call me.

Happy Independence Day!

2009-07-04T08:09:00.000-07:00

I'm grateful for all of the freedoms that I enjoy in this country.

To MJ,

2009-06-26T06:36:00.001-07:00

We'll miss you!

-DK

Remembering

2009-06-02T19:42:00.000-07:00

I sometimes have a hard time remembering that I am blessed. I hope that I can have a stronger resolve to be better about that.

Sunblock!

2009-05-29T10:27:00.000-07:00

I love that sunblock works! Here's the sunblock I use. I love the way it smells...

Why SPF 30, you ask? Well, I want to have a good base tan before I go to my normal SPF 15 or else people will start calling me names like Red-Katey-Peels-A-Lot. DUH! My dear sunblock only has one fault: it only works where you put it on!!! What? Who? Ugh!

Luckily for me, I have this.

It works wonders. I L-O-V-E it... and so does my skin. The End.

Memorial day!

2009-05-26T07:00:00.000-07:00

So yesterday was Memorial day. We hike the Y, went to Seven Peaks, and went to Dairy Queen for dessert. It was awesome!! Hooray for starting the summer right.

P.S. Sorry for no pictures. Sometimes when I'm having the most fun, I forget the camera.

Story Time.... Food and Places Where you Eat Food.

2009-05-05T10:00:00.000-07:00

As always, our most interesting stories are about food. I'll tell the other stories later but these ones were the first that came to my mind.

The DK had experienced a first: Chicago-style pizza! If you're thinking, "I've ordered that from Pizza Hut. It's the same as any old deep dish pizza", you are SORELY mistaken. Imagine on top of a crust, more than a inch of solid cheese, equal amount of sauce and TONS of toppings on top of that! The pizza pans were three inches deep, people! The place that we went to was called... Pizzeria UNO. My theory is that they named that place because there is NO WAY that a normal person should eat more that one piece. We ordered a medium pizza and finished half of it.

Diana later took us to this well-known restaurant in Chicago. The pictures seriously don't do justice. Can you guess what it's name is? Feel free to comment with your honest guesses. I'll give you a few more clues before I tell you.

Will this help?

How about this picture?

That's right folks! It's a McDonald's. Since when is a McD's decorated so nicely with nice chairs, tables and a cute little Gelato bar on the second floor? The rest of the world has been robbed! ROBBED!!

Chicago!!

2009-04-30T12:45:00.000-07:00

So we went to Chicago and it was AMAZING! We had a blast with Daniel's sister, Diana. Here are the pictures. We also have plenty of stories so if you wanna hear them... COMMENT!!

Rest in Peace...

2009-04-09T08:34:00.000-07:00

It is with great regret that we inform you that Bilbo our basil plant has died. It was so sudden! One day he was looking great, the next day we found bugs and it wasn't long after that he [sniff, sniff] died. SO... we got a new one and named it BUSTER!

Drumroll please...

2009-04-07T15:26:00.000-07:00

Every year, Daniel and I have a Bracket Competition for March Madness. Well, last night was the NCAA Men's Basketball Finals. Let's see how each of our brackets turned out...

There are a few things that I wanted to point out:

We both picked UNC to win the whole tournament! (Yeah!)
We both picked BYU to go past the first round...disappointment AGAIN!
I won! I picked the most teams correctly! BOO-YA!

So there you go! I won. The End...I love you, Daniel!

Dear David Archuleta,

2009-03-30T19:42:00.000-07:00

My friends and I have decided that you should come out with a Christmas album. I know at least five people that would buy it. Whatta ya think?

Musically,

Katey

Let the Madness Begin (March that is)

2009-03-12T16:19:00.001-07:00

Apparently I am long overdue to make a blog post, and it seems to me that we are overdue for a BYU sports post as well. So here is an update on us and BYU basketball:

It took Katey and I a while to get into basketball season this year (We were still getting over a tough end of the football season I think). But this second half of the year we have attended several home games, and its been a rather exciting second half of the season.

Today we watched our first round game in the MWC tournament, and we barely squeaked by with the win. Although Air Force is 0-16 in conference play, they definitely put up a fight. Tomorrow we play SDSU (assuming they can win. They are currently up by 13 with 1:30 left).

This is certainly the most exciting time in the college basketball season, with March Madness aboiut to begin. Katey and I have made brackets the past several seasons, so we'll see who wins our little family pool this year. May the best bracket-filler-outer-person win!

Mommy to the Rescue!!

2009-03-03T07:38:00.000-08:00

Do you ever have those moments when you think, "I need my mom"? I was going through one of those last week. I called my mom and expressed my feelings. All she could say was, "I think you need a hug from your mom!" I realized that was what I needed and wanted.

The next day I met with Daniel for lunch. He was acting kinda weird but I just thought that he was losing his mind. But then...

MOM?! That's when I started crying. Not cute crying but UGLY crying (as you can see from the pitcures).

She had decided to drive up here to Utah to give me the hug that I needed!! She also got Daniel in on the surprise! It was exactly what I needed! Mom, you're the best!!

CH-CH-CH-CHANGIN!

2009-02-22T18:22:00.000-08:00

The only guaranteed thing in life is change. Take my water bottle for example.

This is PINK THUNDER!!

or rather, a picture that I found on the internet that depicts my water bottle which I have affectionately dubbed "Pink Thunder"

Lately, Pink and I haven't been getting along at the gym very well. While working out, I will pause for a short water break because I must unscrew the lid, then carefully pour water into my mouth. More often than not, I end up with water all over myself! So I went on a quest of Epic Proportions: to find a SUITABLE water bottle.

After visiting over seven sports stores, a few well-guiding conversations, a 45-minute wait, and a trip to the ATM, I became the owner of this gem!

I dub thee..... Squirt!

This water bottle will squirt into your mouth! It has reduced the embarassing spillage that Pink induced and Daniel doesn't get embarassed when he has no other option but to use it. Needless to say, I'm stoked!

Among other changes in our life, Daniel was called as the Second Counselor in the Bishopric of a SINGLE'S WARD!! [record scratches to akward silence] Huh?!

Today was our first day and it was great! Daniel even told the ward that "they must need more cowbell" during his testimony. Needless to say, we believe in STRONG first impressions!

This is Kai Kalama!

2009-02-12T09:45:00.000-08:00

And yes, he's on American Idol. And yes, we're related. He's my cousin! So...VOTE FOR HIM! Love you, Kai!

Dear Gold's Gym...

2009-01-30T12:52:00.001-08:00

Please make sure that you change the name of the movie that is playing on the whiteboard behind the desk. I usually don't mind but today I got caught up watching this...

...instead of this!

Seeing as I began to be frightened, I cut my workout short and did an extra long one on WiiFit today. But next time...just change the dumb sign!

Your concerned customer,

Katey

A New Chapter

2009-01-27T09:18:00.000-08:00

So life has changed for us. I quit my job...that's about the only change. But nonetheless it has changed life. In all honesty, it's been wonderful and I couldn't be happier. Let's hope THAT doesn't change.

One of the only other changes that we've had is that we aquired WiiFit! It's amazing! You should get it...YES! You!

2008 is OVER! (AKA: Stuff I forgot to blog about)

2009-01-03T13:21:00.000-08:00

So here are some of the important things that I forgot to blog about last year! I'm sure there are more but I didn't take pictures of those things to remind me of them.

April: Daniel finished his undergraduate schooling! Not only that but he graduated Magna Cum Laude! Wow! That's amazing! Great Job Sweetie!

June: We moved to a new place in Provo. It's great! It has a dishwasher, washer/dryer and A/C! I still haven't taken pictures of it so you're just gonna have to visit us if you want to see it.
August: We bought a new car. I'm a wimp when it comes to driving in the snow, so we felt it best to invest in a suitable car for snow.

September: For Daniel's birthday, he got a Nintendo Wii from Yours Truly. It's been great!

Also in September: We Love BYU Football! The End!

October: We got an amazing pumpkin! It weighed 35 pounds, had a circumference of 3 feet 11 inches, a diameter of 1 foot 4 inches and it's skin was 2 1/4 inches thick. Oh and it had several hundred seeds! We also did a Murder Mystery with our friends. It was fun!

We're excited for all the fun and surprises that await us in 2009. Hopefully I'll remember to blog about them.

Christmas Break in Review!

2009-01-03T06:42:00.000-08:00

We had a great time in California for the Holidays. Here are some main points that stuck out to me during our visit. Also, we are lame and forgot our camera. So the pictures below are courtesy of one, Stefani!

I miss my family! It kinda stinks living far away.
My niece is the smartest, cutest little girl I know!
My nephew is also smart and cute!
Though Guitar Hero can be fun for a little bit... the boys played it a bit much!
We celebrated our 2 year Anniversary by taking a few days to go to San Diego.
We ran a 5k on our Anniversary and I got my personal best!
I got to hang out with my brother's girlfriend, Stefani, and I like her a lot.
My siblings are the best!
We were able to introduce my dad and step-mom to Wii Sports and they rocked the house!
We played James Bond Scene-It. My Step-Dad and Kyle worked us!!

Overall, we had a blast. We love being with our families.

2 YEARS!!

2008-12-31T13:21:00.000-08:00

Two days ago, we celebrated our 2 year Anniversary. Time flies!

It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas...

2008-12-06T20:06:00.001-08:00

Katey and I recently invested in a christmas tree, so last night we decided to put it up and decorate it. This is our tree in all its glory:

Hooray for the holidays!

Thanksgiving Recap!

2008-11-30T11:01:00.001-08:00

Just got back from Atlanta, GA and had a blast! Here are some of the highlights of the trip!

1. The Varsity. I hate to admit it, but I'm starting to like the food...in small quantities. The Frosted Oranges are AMAZING!!

2. The Aquarium. Two words: WHALE SHARKS!

3. Willy's. It's better than Chipotle, that's all I have to say.

4. Run 5k. It was my first one and I'm looking forward to my next one.

5. Thanksgiving Feast! Duh!

Honorable Mention: We got to teach Seminary one of the days that we were in Atlanta for Daniel's mom. It was fun!

Dear Grandma Jackson

2008-11-17T19:31:00.000-08:00

My Grandma died today. I'm really sad. She was one of the coolest people that I know. I remember when she was at our wedding reception. Everytime I see clips of it, there is Grandma dancing with all she's got! She also had a license plate holder that said, "She who dies with the most shoes WINS!!" As sad as I am, I'm reminded that our families can be forever if we are true and faithful to our covenants. I'm so grateful for the association that I have had with Grandma Jackson and can't wait to see her and my Grandpa Jackson again someday.

Wisdom

2008-11-09T14:55:00.000-08:00

My sister-in-law, Diana introduced me to this video about wisdom. You can watch it at

http://www.wisdombook.org/ . I loved it and felt that it was thought provoking. Check it out!

Football is not good for my health!

2008-11-01T18:59:00.001-07:00

Katey and I watched the BYU - Colorado St football game today. I nearly had a heart attack about 17 times during the game. The entire 3+ hours my heart was racing. Even during the 20 minute halftime break I couldn't calm my troubled nerves. Alas, such is the relationship I have with football. I get super excited when Saturday comes, but once the game starts its an emotional roller coaster.

As far as the game goes, Pitta get my vote for mvp (at least in the second half). He caught 2 touchdowns in the 4th quarter. The first he caught while getting smashed on both sides by Colorado State. I cant believe he hung onto the ball. The second came with less than a minute to go. He is a great tight end.

So another Saturday came and went. Go BYU! ... because I'm not sure my heart can take any more close games!

Tender Mercies...

2008-10-26T18:39:00.000-07:00

Some of you may know that I've been going through a bit of a personal trial of sorts. At the times that I've felt worst, I usually turn to a new found hobby of mine: blog stalking! Through these my friends have truly supported me through some difficult times lately. I love reading about plays that you have seen, songs your kids love, High School Musical 3, Popsicle adventures, funny stories from work ("Damn You!"), trips to Idaho, and pregnancy pictures/updates! I want to thank all of those people that have shared part of their lives via blogs! You have really been a tender mercy to me when you share those things which are funny and edifying. Unknowingly, you helped me. One can't have better friends than that! Thanks!