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! :)
