Daddy's little birdies

Ryan came downstairs yesterday with a milkshake.  He was immediately greeted by 2 hungry birdies! :)

I love the sequencing of the first 3 pictures, don't you?!

My cute Boys!

I was looking through pictures today (obviously with all the blog posts!) :) and I found 2 really cute pictures of my boys!  Aren't they just the best?! :) 

I love my boys!


(PS don't miss out on the other 6 posts from today! I'm on a roll!)

It's beginning to feel alot like Christmas

Merry Christmas Everyone!  I hope you are all having a fabulous holiday season---we sure are.  

Kamryn has been so fun this year!  She just can't get enough of decorating and lights and Christmas!  And the greatest part is that she has no idea what will happen Christmas morning.  She isn't expecting a thing!  Don't we wish we all could have that attitude for Christmas?

 Kamryn loved helping decorate our tree.  We did our ornaments the first day--She was VERY into the princesses! :) (of course!) :)

 Cute Kyler!  Getting so big.  Ready for his first Christmas.

 --Candy Canes for the second day--

 We love Christmas!

Kamryn just can't get enough of it!  (I love this picture!) :)

Then we set up everything of my parents' upstairs a few days later--

 Grammy showed Kamryn all her Nativity sets and told Kamryn not to touch.

 Kamryn adores them.  She loves looking at all the "Baby Jesus's"...

 It's just so hard not to touch--but she is EXCELLENT at not touching and just looking!

 Time to help Grandad with lights on the tree

 Kamryn found an extra star in my parents things--so we went downstairs and put it on our tree.  Kamryn called it "candles---tree".  Of course, she wanted to help do it.

There--all set up for Christmas! 

These next two weeks are going to be busy busy busy for us.  (Hence, I'm trying to catch up on my blog now!  I know I'll get behind again!) :)

This week we get to go help Grandma and Grandpa set up their tree and Christmas stuff on Monday, 

then we get to celebrate Daddy's (Ryan's) birthday on Wednesday, 

Then Ryan's aunt flies in to visit for the weekend on Thursday, 

Then Elder Eric Moe gets home from his mission from Brazil on Friday!  

Then the BYU game is on Saturday and we get to spend time with Ryan's aunt.  

Then Sunday through Wednesday Ryan and I are sneaking away for our own little (and much needed) vacation to warm and sunny CALIFORNIA!

Then Wednesday when we get back, Kylie is home too! :) yay!

(And then the rest of the week is even just as busy!  Christmas is right around the corner!) :)  

We wish we could get you all a Christmas card this year--but the blog will have to do!  :)  I have put the card I designed for this year in my header. :) 

We hope all our friends and family will have a wonderful Christmas and Holiday. 

 Best wishes for you and your families.

Love,

Katrina, Ryan, Kamryn and Kyler  

Our Crazy Life

So, how many of you have noticed that my blog has been severely suffering from lack of posts recently?  Well, the only excuse I have is that life is crazy!  Especially this past week--  but also that I don't really feel like I have much to blog about.  I feel like every day is pretty much the same and not very exciting.  In fact, I have sat down at the computer a few times to blog, and I look at my camera for recent pictures---and there isn't much there!  I don't know if that's because I'm just too busy to think to take pictures anymore...of if there really isn't much to take pictures of.  Ha!  This will probably be a long a rambling post...with a few pictures! :) But here's an overview of life for us right now:

Ryan is still working at BYU and loving it.  For a while there we were thinking about going to get an MBA outside of Utah, and therefore find another job outside of Utah, and move soon.  But, recently Ryan and I have felt very strongly that we should stay around here and Ryan should get his MBA at BYU.  So...we're staying put for now!  HOWEVER, we don't really want to stay put in our apartment we are in for the next 5 years or so (too small, no room to grow, NO STORAGE...No garage, etc.) ...so we are starting the house search.  It is very fun to think about...but very very tiring at the same time and somewhat frustrating.  I have always struggled at being patient about big decisions...but I know that when the time is right, we'll find where we need to be and we'll be able to afford it.  So, we're just looking and talking about it as much as we can, without it becoming a huge stress on our shoulders.  Ryan has been very excited about BYU's football season this year.  Kyler is enjoying his first season with Daddy.  I keep thinking I need to get him a BYU shirt.  Kamryn had one, but I think if I dig it up it will already be too small for Kyler, :( (they just grow too fast!)

Watching BYU football with Daddy

Kamryn is getting bigger and older by the day.  She weighs over 30 lbs. now, but still likes to be carried here and there.  I can barely do it...but luckily daddy is strong!  She still loves her binkie and her two favorite blankets.  She loves to play outside, watch movies, play with water in her teaset, take baths, talk with Kyler (although, she wishes he would do more to interact back with her), sing songs (or at least do actions), dance, play with Disney characters, play with friends, cook, and Talk!  She picks up like 10 new words a day now.  I wish I could post a video of her talking these days...but it's hard to capture AND keep it short enough to post on blogger.  She knows everyone's names, she can count to 10 (skipping 3 and 4), she knows 4 shapes, and 5 colors.  She can recognize a few letters of the alphabet.  It is so fun to see her learning things so quickly all of a sudden because I feel like I've been waiting for it to catch on for quite a while! :)  My only challenge with her talking so much now is to not let her talk with the binkie in her mouth.  I know MANY kids who talked lots with the binkie in, and then had to do speech therapy for a little bit because of a lisp.  I'm afraid we may already be heading down that road--but I try hard to avoid it.  

Kamryn has also been more and more interested in going potty.  This past weekend I tried to really help her figure out what it feels like to go to the bathroom in the potty and we had ONE success that was barely a success...but I think she is understanding it more and more.  Hopefully soon she will start to figure it out and be ready for it because 2 kids in diapers is very hard on our budget! :) ha!  But I'm not so desperate to start pushing her...then I'll just be more frustrated and I definitely don't need that! :) 

Kyler is sleeping 10-11 hours at night these days! I am SO grateful for it!  Not even 5 months and he is so good at it usually! :)  He wakes up between 7 and 7:30 every morning (no matter how late he got to sleep, though, unfortunately) and eats a bottle.  Then he plays happily for a couple of hours and then around 9:30 he is ready for a nap.  He takes a 30 minute or so cat-nap and then he is up again and ready to start all over!  I sometimes find myself being bored with his routine and feel like I'm always doing the same thing over and over and over again every day.  Although, he's happy and I can know what to expect, so I can't complain too much.  

Kyler can now sit up on his own and he is working on rolling over still.  Sometimes he will be on his tummy playing happily, but then suddenly start screaming because he doesn't want to be there anymore but won't push up on his arms to roll over.  Silly boy!  We're working on it!

He loves his exersaucer. 

 Loves his play gym.  

Loves his bumbo.  Loves to watch everything Kamryn is doing.  Loves to take baths with Kamryn.  She loves it in return.  They are so fun to watch interact with eachother! I love it.

 I think you're a little too big for that, Kamryn!

We have started giving Kyler solids here and there...he LOVES it!  One thing I will say about my kids is they are big and good eaters! :)  Kyler has had rice cereal, bread, bananas, and carrots(mushed of course).  He makes such a mess!  I remember being able to control KJamryn's messes when eating, but Kyler is everywhere!  :) 

This weekend was Stake/Regional Conference for us.  It was a wonderful and much needed experience for me and Ryan.  It is amazing how difficult it is to keep up on my own spirituality with young children.  I think I have often thought that being a Mother and being spiritual/in tune with God always went hand in hand.  But I have realized this week that it is important for me to take the time to worry about my  personal spirituality as a separate thing from my kids and their testimonies.  I haven't been great at personal scripture study for a long time...kids just take up so much time and energy and I'm sorry to say I'm just not good at remembering!  But I was reminded this weekend that if I even take 5 minutes a day to give back to God, then I am being humble.  I am being submissive.  I am working on other Christlike attributes that aren't always focussed on with young kids (though many other Christlike attributes ARE focussed on with kids!) :)  And humility and faith are what we need to be happy in this life.  I heard a quote at our adult stake meeting Saturday night that 

"Humility determines how we live our lives"

And I believe it. I don't always think about every choice as whether I'm being humble or not...but it really does come down to humility.  For example: 

Am I humble enough to live within my means and not get into debt?

Am I humble enough to give a compliment when a compliment is needed or deserved?

Am I humble enough to admit I don't know everything?

Am I humble enough to have faith that God does know everything?

Am I humble enough to step back and see the big picture on a situation?

Am I humble enough to ask for forgiveness?

It was a wonderful weekend to end an ever crazy stressful beyond stressful week.  But now we have a new week to look forward to and use to our advantage!  I'm so glad! :) 

Too young

Ryan's parents were over here yesterday.  His mom told me that they had some company for dinner the other night, and the dad commented on mine and Ryan's family picture (the family picture in my header) and commented: "She looks too young to have two kids!"

Glad I still LOOK too young--and I'm not just too young! :)

This made me think==Ryan and I have often found ourselves in situations where we are younger, if not the youngest, of the crowd we are with.  Ryan, at work, has found people who are astonished when he tells them he is only 24.  I have run into it when I'm doing things with our ward.  And we realize that most people our ages aren't even married yet, let alone have 2 kids!


But I feel so blessed to be able to have 2 kids.  To be graduated already. And to be "successful" at this point--even if it isn't at everyone else's "normal" standards for ages.  We are doing what is right for our family.  And I love it!  wouldn't trade it for anything!

The results are in!

Thank you everyone for your prayers and support with the GMAT yesterday.  Ryan did well and scored a 710 out of 800.  Here are some stats so you kinda know what that means (and don't quote me exactly on these numbers because I am just remembering what Ryan told me...but you get the jist!):

BYU average this year is about 680.

Harvard has 50% of their class this year has between 680 and 740

Stanford average this year is 730.

Wharton (Philadelphia) has 80% of their class between 680 and 750

And the difference between a 710 and a 740 is really only like 2 questions...so it probably wouldn't be very beneficial to try to test again.  This is an EXCELLENT score! :)  

So, Ryan fits in with all those schools he would like to apply to!  :)  We're excited--probably will be applying to schools next fall!  We'll keep everyone posted! :)

You know you have...

You know you have a 2 year old when:

-EVERYTHING is a big deal.

-She'll talk about EVERYTHING (even when I don't understand exactly what she is saying)

-She has opinions of her own.

-Every little thing is a "discussion"

-She waves to everyone

-she loves to be the center of attention

-she learns something new every day

-she reacts in order to get a reaction

-she recognizes when you are upset and helps to comfort you

-she recognizes what will push your buttons and make you give in

-she can start saying prayers herself

-she will often need a playmate (mom) but sometimes is content to play on her own.

And all these things have already happened this morning in the hour and a half that we have been awake!  

Yep! I have a 2 year old! :) 

(side note: my almost 3 month old will cry and cry and cry until he sees my face and then he will stop.  Interesting how fast they learn.  :)  The downside, however, is that it makes it difficult for him to go to sleep even when he is exhausted!)

Oh!  AND Wish Ryan luck!  He's taking the GMAT as we speak!  He got a good score on the practice tests so he should be fine--but it's still stressful!  Our future decisions rest on this score!  (Kinda weird ... we're growing up so fast ... sniff! jk) :)

Our 3rd Anniversary

Ryan and I were married June 30, 2007 in the Mount Timpanogos Temple at 1:00 in the afternoon.  Now...3 years later...we:

-have lived in 5 different apartments.

-have both graduated with our Bachelor's degrees.

-have worked at a full time job for over a year now.

-have had 2 children.

-have had a few disagreements but even more laughs together!

-have gained greater perspective of life.

-have grown in our love and are excited for the future!

So, to celebrate this anniversary, Ryan and I decided that with two kids, it is just a little too difficult to get away for a night (like we have in the past!) mostly because I am nursing Kyler still.  So, Ryan decided  to "relive the past" a little for me.

Ryan and I liked eachother since 9th grade, and he and I always planned on him taking me out for my first date! (after I turned 16 of course). I turned 16 at the beginning of our Junior year--one week before the Homecoming dance.  So--Ryan went all out to ask me to this dance.  and I mean ALL OUT! 
He gave me the 12 days of homecoming -- 12 gifts on 12 different days:

1-lawn of forks

2-Dozen hugs

3-fried chickens

4-yummy nerds

5-a five-lettered hat (Said "flirt" on it)

6-geese a shedding (feathered my entire room!)

7-phishes swimming (phish food icecream)

8-chocolate Milk-balls (Milk duds)

9-Bears a bearing (gummy bears)

10-Dum-dums a dumming

11-bags of paper (papered my entire room!)

12-Bright Red Roses

Very creative!  Of course, after all that, I had to say yes! :)

Since then, however, I have often teased him about how he won't ever be able to live up to that level of creativity in surprising me! (I'm a sucker for surprises!) :)  But I think he is trying this week:

I got home from my vacation last night and got this envelope:

Inside was a letter telling me about our upcoming "Anniversary Week"!  I was to expect 12 gifts this week to celebrate our anniversary! :)

Gift 1: Ryan gave me his schedule for the week.  We always tell ourselves we are going to be consistent with his work schedule every week, but then other things come up and then every day I have to ask him when he is going to go to work and when he is going to be home--instead of just knowing in advance. So this week he told me his schedule IN ADVANCE! :)

Gift 2: A clean house with a promise to help unpack!   What a cutie.  I walked in and it really was spotless. Dishes done. Laundry done. Floors vacuumed. Bathrooms cleaned. Etc.  It was wonderful!  (I'm only sorry that it is already a bit cluttered from the kids just a few short hours later!) :)

Gift 3: Movie week!  A basket full of chick-flicks was waiting- just for me.  What better way to celebrate our anniversary than a bunch of sappy romances (that I LOVE) :)  and movie theater popcorn and candy.  So, last night we started our movie-thon with Runaway bride.  Love it! :)

He also found a new nightshirt for me!  What do you think?  Is it "me" or what?! :)

AND I found my lotions nicely set out.  I have a problem with my back tightening too often--so Ryan is an excellent masseur.  He was prepared after my weekend away without a good massage! :)

I also found the rest of the gifts sitting out---taunting me with their instructions on when to open! ahhhh! :)

Gift 4 envelope: Open Tuesday when you wake up -- it was an invitation to go out to dinner tomorrow night without the kids! :)  wonder where we will go! :)

Gift 5 and 6 box: Open Tuesday at naptime -- almost time! :)

Gift 7: (hiding under the box?!) 5:00pm on Tuesday

Gift 8: Open when you wake up on Wednesday

Gift 9, 10 and 11: 9-After a package arrives, 10-naptime on Wednesday, 11-5:00pm

Gift 12: open on Thursday!

I wanted to blog to not only have others to be excited in anticipation with me ( haha ) but also to show the world what a wonderful guy I have married! (and not just because of this cute setup!) To let him know that I love him and appreciate him. I really don't expect this elaborate of a surprise! But every once in a while it is nice to get a little something! :)  I'm so grateful we have been friends for so long and I'm grateful I never have to live a day without him! :)  I love you, Ryan!

What will gift 5 and 6 and 7 be?!  stay tuned for later tonight! :)   (Looks like you may be able to pass up the 12 days of homecoming creativity after all!!) ;)