So far, I've been doing a lot better about keeping my blog updated. I don't know if anyone reads my blogs, but it's a good way for me to journal and every few months it's fun to look back and see what I've posted about.
Kyle's b-day party is this Saturday, June 19 and I haven't gotten many RSVP's regardless of how many emails I've sent out. It's a bit discouraging. I know my sister-in-laws from SLC are coming. A few families have family reunions, my family is coming up later on the 22nd and staying for a few days, and the rest well, I haven't heard from. But if it's only us and my sister-in-laws then we'll make the most of it. And I won't have to make as much food! Instead I'll put more money toward presents. I suppose later this week I will resort to making phone calls because I do need an idea of how much food to have prepared.
Other than that, the party plans are coming along nicely! I have great party favor ideas, the two swimming pools will be set up, and I have some awesome recipes! I've changed the menu again from sloppy joes to tater tot caserole and spaghetti bake, with homemade french bread and a green salad. The only other change is I ommited the pinwheels. I made some last week as a test and Jason and I weren't fond of it. I could try a different recipe, but at this point I think I have enough food that I don't really need to worry or add any more to my baking list. I hope Kyle has a great day! And we are going to get Lily just as involved because she's too young to understand it's her brother's day and vice versa on her b-day.
On Tuesday or Wednesday when my family arrives, we've decided to hold a b-day celebration for Kyle, Lily and my niece Gracie. Because we live so far away from eachother that we don't see eachother often. I think that will be fun. We'll do a mini party with a small cake with just us. It'll be so much fun to have my kids meet Gracie again. We've only met her one other time and that was at the most for only an hour. Kyle and Gracie are only 3 months apart; Gracie will be one in August. I'm excited to have them visit!
In other news... Jason has another paper route! We've been blessed that he was able to switch his part time job with Herald Journal to Preston from Logan, but in doing so we lost $150 income a month. But he was asked to start a new route last Friday and with this route we've closed the $150 gap, and increased by $140! It's not much, but it's something to be happy about! Every little bit counts and the best part is that we're not short the $150 and having to budget for less, instead we are out on top, and are in a house! The Lord has really been good to us. I'm a little afraid that we've been blessed so well, that right around the corner may be turmoil! Knock on wood!! I'm blessed that Jason is so hard working. I wish he didn't have to work so hard. And someday soon, I believe things will ease up once he finishes school.
Today has been a lazy day. I've been feeling off today and so I haven't done much. I did clean the living room and kitchen, but I didn't get to organizing and putting away toys or putting my room back in order (the kids LOVE to bring toys and books to my room-- it's like their unofficial play room) And I did make two loaves of french bread following my friend Launi's recipe on her food blog. It turned out fabulous and sooo yummy! I made it because we have spaghetti bake leftover from last night and I thought french bread would go great with it. It was my first time making french bread, but it was so easy!! And I used half wheat half white flour ratio. i've been trying to do little changes to help my family be more healthy and this little switch is easy to do and wheat adds a nice nutty flavor in my baking. I actually like it better in my bananna bread and frybread. I guess I haven't been too lazy today, but compared to being on the go and having the house spotless, and at least going outside to play with the kids or go for a walk, I wasn't close to accomplishing my norm for a regular day. I hope I feel better tomorrow. I feel quite unaccomplished today.
It's funny how things change when you are single to being married with two kids. I use to sleep in until at least 10- 12 noon, and then spend the day doing nothing at all... Now I'm up at the crack of dawn, and try to be in bed by 9:30pm. And all day is pretty much on the go. At first it was hard. I'm glad that I was able to adjust with one child at a time. I think it would of been so much harder if Lily and Kyle were twins and I was dropped right into it. It has still been an adjustment, and to be honest getting into the swing of things has just recently happened. I think a few months before we moved here I was finally able to keep the apartment clean and things put away. And now, I'm starting to have time to bake. A big difference is Lily is older and Kyle has someone to play with. When Lily was Kyle's age she relied on me a lot to entertain her. These days, I find I'm kid free for an hour or so a few times a day. I just check on the kids in another room and take care of their diaper, feeding needs and they go off and play. It's not like this all the time, but it's becoming more and more frequent. Now I have no excuse about not having time to exercise. That is my next thing to add back into my life, along with really styling my hair and putting make-up on.
Monday, June 14, 2010
Tuesday, June 8, 2010
Ray of Sunshine
The yard is looking great! I need to post a current picture of the backyard. along the fence on the left-hand side there was a row of overgrown small trees and bushes that was pushing the neighbors fence down. One weekend Jason and I decided to tackle it and prepare to put a newer fence in in a few months. A lot of the trees were dead so they were easy to pull out. So we started and worked out there for a few hours and then stopped for the day to get dinner ready and served. Anyways, our next door neighbors on the other side of the fence came over the next day and he was sooo happy to see the trees go. He's lived next door for twenty years and hated the trees. He's able to get his truck into his backyard, unlike us (not really happy that we can't get a car in the back) and with his truck, tied rope on the remaining trees an bushes and pulled it out in a jiffy. And then within a week, he had a beautiful fence put up. I'm glad he had the moolah handy to do so, because we weren't planning on knocking down the fence yet. So, it looks fabulous! It's so nice. I love our backyard. And every Saturday Jason, the kids and I are out there pulling weeds and trying to improve the yard. It looks so much nicer now than it did when we first moved in.
Sunday we went to Crystal and Clay's baby blessing for their son Christopher William Woods. Cute little guy! We went over to Grandma Barbara's after for a luncheon. Crystal and Clay live with her and help her out. I've already forgotten how small babies are and it's only been a half a year since Kyle has really grown. Oh, how I love babies!!!
Kyle's party is coming along nicely. I was having a hard time planning it, but I finally have the menu finalized! It will be great! Here's what I'm serving and I'm so excited!
Refreshments:
2-3 variety of party pinwheels
chips and salsa
homemade banana bread
watermelon
cookie tray variety
jello tower
birthday cake
pop and water
Dinner:
sloppy joes
potato salad
green salad
chips
& whatever is left from refreshments.
I have to say it is easier to plan parties now that I had the calling of being Enrichment Leader in the Logan 23rd Ward. I learned a lot from my calling and loved it! I absolutely love it! I learned how to serve a large group of people good food for a reasonable price! And I learned how to decorate for a party!
The kids are enjoying nicer weather finally! It's still stormy at times but nothing like it was in early and mid May. And it's not too hot yet, so they can enjoy being outside.
Kyle has learned how to push himself backwards and forwards on his little push car-- hand me down from Lily. He loves it! And he has had the pleasure of tasting Popsicles and ice-cream and loves it. He tackles me whenever i head to the freezer! He'll sit on his little car, put his feet up, and kick back and relax eating his Popsicle. He's not walking yet, but he's very close to standing up, and I think once he does that, it'll be official... My baby will have truly grown. ;) It's a bitter sweet feeling.
Lily has learned how to ride her tricycle! And she loves it! She also loves the frozen goods, and enjoys playing outside. I love that the back is fully fenced in, it gives me comfort to know that and be able to send her out to play safely. She also no longer uses a stroller when we go for walks. So we only use a single stroller now for Kyle and Lily walks next to me. It's great to give her good exercise and teach her about how to navigate herself on the sidewalk and streets. I've started talking to her about crossing, and checking both ways to look for cars. When we get to an intersection to cross, she'll grab my hand before we cross and really does take mind to looking for cars. She really is getting to be a big girl.
I cannot say how much we love this house! How much we've grown to love Preston. I feel safer here, more accepted?-- strange as that sounds to me, or perhaps just happily settled is a better way to put it. I feel safer going for long walks here verses when I lived in Logan, and people are the nicest I've ever come across in my life. We meet new people every time we go for a walk. People will just stop us to chat and introduce themselves. They have a real interest in knowing who their neighbors are and as Jason said, "They look you in the eye's when they talk to you here." It's nice. On our walks, we've been invited into homes, invited over to dinner and family night, and even walked right into a play date on our walk home. We've had friends invite us to the park and life is just quiet. I feel like this place is just ideal for us. True, it's a small town. And I thought I disliked small towns, but I think that dislike came from living in the small town I grew up in. Preston is filled with kind people, hard working people, and honest people. And we're really not to far from Logan, and one of these weekends we'll venture to Pocatello, because Jason and I have never been there.
We love our God; we love each other; we love our lives; we love our home. It's a season of blessings for us. We've had our fair share of storms and they are still there, concerning extended family, but here's a ray of sunshine.
Sunday we went to Crystal and Clay's baby blessing for their son Christopher William Woods. Cute little guy! We went over to Grandma Barbara's after for a luncheon. Crystal and Clay live with her and help her out. I've already forgotten how small babies are and it's only been a half a year since Kyle has really grown. Oh, how I love babies!!!
Kyle's party is coming along nicely. I was having a hard time planning it, but I finally have the menu finalized! It will be great! Here's what I'm serving and I'm so excited!
Refreshments:
2-3 variety of party pinwheels
chips and salsa
homemade banana bread
watermelon
cookie tray variety
jello tower
birthday cake
pop and water
Dinner:
sloppy joes
potato salad
green salad
chips
& whatever is left from refreshments.
I have to say it is easier to plan parties now that I had the calling of being Enrichment Leader in the Logan 23rd Ward. I learned a lot from my calling and loved it! I absolutely love it! I learned how to serve a large group of people good food for a reasonable price! And I learned how to decorate for a party!
The kids are enjoying nicer weather finally! It's still stormy at times but nothing like it was in early and mid May. And it's not too hot yet, so they can enjoy being outside.
Kyle has learned how to push himself backwards and forwards on his little push car-- hand me down from Lily. He loves it! And he has had the pleasure of tasting Popsicles and ice-cream and loves it. He tackles me whenever i head to the freezer! He'll sit on his little car, put his feet up, and kick back and relax eating his Popsicle. He's not walking yet, but he's very close to standing up, and I think once he does that, it'll be official... My baby will have truly grown. ;) It's a bitter sweet feeling.
Lily has learned how to ride her tricycle! And she loves it! She also loves the frozen goods, and enjoys playing outside. I love that the back is fully fenced in, it gives me comfort to know that and be able to send her out to play safely. She also no longer uses a stroller when we go for walks. So we only use a single stroller now for Kyle and Lily walks next to me. It's great to give her good exercise and teach her about how to navigate herself on the sidewalk and streets. I've started talking to her about crossing, and checking both ways to look for cars. When we get to an intersection to cross, she'll grab my hand before we cross and really does take mind to looking for cars. She really is getting to be a big girl.
I cannot say how much we love this house! How much we've grown to love Preston. I feel safer here, more accepted?-- strange as that sounds to me, or perhaps just happily settled is a better way to put it. I feel safer going for long walks here verses when I lived in Logan, and people are the nicest I've ever come across in my life. We meet new people every time we go for a walk. People will just stop us to chat and introduce themselves. They have a real interest in knowing who their neighbors are and as Jason said, "They look you in the eye's when they talk to you here." It's nice. On our walks, we've been invited into homes, invited over to dinner and family night, and even walked right into a play date on our walk home. We've had friends invite us to the park and life is just quiet. I feel like this place is just ideal for us. True, it's a small town. And I thought I disliked small towns, but I think that dislike came from living in the small town I grew up in. Preston is filled with kind people, hard working people, and honest people. And we're really not to far from Logan, and one of these weekends we'll venture to Pocatello, because Jason and I have never been there.
We love our God; we love each other; we love our lives; we love our home. It's a season of blessings for us. We've had our fair share of storms and they are still there, concerning extended family, but here's a ray of sunshine.
Thursday, June 3, 2010
I Don't Quite Know What Title To Put Here
I am one of those people who can't stand to hear stories about abused children, yet I can't turn away from hearing it. It just breaks my heart and I cry and cry. In my little world my kids and I have a loving relationship and I adore them. I guess I forget sometimes that not all children have this. I just watched a video and then did a few searches on a 5 month old baby girl named Brianna Lopez in New Mexico. This took place in 2002 and she was only 5 months old when she died. It makes me sick... She was bitten numerous times, pinched, thrown up to the cieling but never caught, and she was raped by a full grown man. I can't even begin to accept that these things actually happened to a 5 MONTH OLD BABY! I am sick to my stomach that this took place. And how could a mother do this? Her mother was the one who mostly bit her? I pray to God that she didn't suffer, that maybe the pain was taken away when these things happened. Or maybe since she was still so young and innocent that she had thoughts of her Heavely Father and Savior and the heaven that she just left to comfort her and get her through the pain she suffered in her short life. I hope she saw angels around her to cofort her; maybe she saw the Savior. I know that we know what we'll face on this earth before we came here, and so she perhaps was prepared. But a baby? A small baby? How can anyone be so cruel? How can there be so many cruel people in her family to all do this to her? Her mother, her father, her uncle and a grandmother and another uncle who knew about the abuse but did nothing.
I just don't know. A part of me hoped that this story wasn't true and that it didn't take place and so that's why I googled it, but it is true. It did happen. Baby Brianna had broken new and old broken bones and new and old bleeding in her brain in addition to bite marks and bruises from being thrown and being raped. And somewhere out there, it's probably happening again. This is just one story I'm writing about but I know that I've read and heard other stories in the past. It's so hard to hear, but I can't ignore it either.
There will come a judgement day and people who do these evil things to innocent children will have to answer. I wish that gave me peace right now. But I still feel sad just having read this story. I think I'll finish this post then go hold my sleeping children. At least, these small children and babies that suffer and are dead, are now in the arms of a loving heavenly family, Father, Mother and Brother.
I just don't know. A part of me hoped that this story wasn't true and that it didn't take place and so that's why I googled it, but it is true. It did happen. Baby Brianna had broken new and old broken bones and new and old bleeding in her brain in addition to bite marks and bruises from being thrown and being raped. And somewhere out there, it's probably happening again. This is just one story I'm writing about but I know that I've read and heard other stories in the past. It's so hard to hear, but I can't ignore it either.
There will come a judgement day and people who do these evil things to innocent children will have to answer. I wish that gave me peace right now. But I still feel sad just having read this story. I think I'll finish this post then go hold my sleeping children. At least, these small children and babies that suffer and are dead, are now in the arms of a loving heavenly family, Father, Mother and Brother.
Monday, May 24, 2010
A Random Post
I decided that it's been a long time since I posted any recent pictures, so here are a few I like. They are in no particular order. These pics were taken between Dec. 09- present.
Monday, May 17, 2010
Kyle Is One!!
Kyle turned one on Wednesday, May 12. However, due to bad weather we've been having, Jason just finishing up finals, and us still not completely unpacked and settled in our home, we've moved his birthday celebration to June 19. It was going to be June 12, but moving it another week worked out better. In celebration of my son's birthday, I wanted to make something a little special for him based on his favorite book, 'That's Not My Teddy.' Enjoy!
That's Not My Baby
That's not my baby, it's ears are too long.
That's not my baby, it's way, way too small.
That's not my baby, it's skin is too prickly.
That's not my baby, it's neck is too long.
That's not my baby, it climbs in the trees.
That's not my baby, it's fur is too thick.
That's not my baby, it lives in the ocean.
That's not my baby, it's skin is too striped.
That's My Baby! He has a big, big smile.
Happy, Happy First Birthday to my beautiful son!
That's Not My Baby
That's not my baby, it's ears are too long.
That's not my baby, it's way, way too small.
That's not my baby, it's skin is too prickly.
That's not my baby, it's neck is too long.
That's not my baby, it climbs in the trees.
That's not my baby, it's fur is too thick.
That's not my baby, it lives in the ocean.
That's not my baby, it's skin is too striped.
That's My Baby! He has a big, big smile.
Happy, Happy First Birthday to my beautiful son!
Wednesday, May 12, 2010
Journey to Me
I have a distant friend on facebook who has a website called, 'Professional Motherhood.' I've looked at her site several times and have always admired her knowledge on being a mother, where I on the other hand feel lacking at times. I won't lie, I look at her site often to get encouragement for myself and remind myself that I can do this.... I know that sounds funny. But being a mother of two isn't as easy as it would appear. Before having children I pictured smiling faces, a clean home, white picket fence... you know, things you see in family movies. Reality, children cry for an hour or so sometimes when they're in a tantrum or time out. The house is clean, but only after I've made time to clean it. And let's not forget about meals-- that also needs to put on the table. And I admit, not all the time am I really particular about what I feed my kids but I think about balance meals, what they've eaten already and what they still need to eat to have a healthy balance for their day. And kids are expensive!! I am blessed to have a hard working husband who allows me stay home, wants me to stay home and provides for us.
Now I'd like to share my journey to motherhood. I won't say much on the first part of this subject, but merely that I had many, many doubts on my ability to be a good mother. I feared I had never been taught those qualities because I came from a home that felt torn in so many ways. But even from that, I have reasons to be grateful, and as torn as it was, my mom still loved me, so from her I did learn to love. As a youth, I watched my friends' parents. I had a great group of friends and from each family I took note of qualities that I admired. And one of the biggest influences of my life, a lady named Sandra Christensen. Sandy passed away 4 years ago, and I felt I lost a mother. I felt empty and lost without her but felt happy for her because she was reuniting with her husband Andy.
Sandy and I met when I was attending Snow College; we were both in Handel's Messiah that year, and first-soprano's. She took kids into her home for free-- that I did not know because I was prepared to pay for one semester. I couldn't find a place that would only let me pay for half a year and when driving by her home one day remembered that she did that. She was amazing to me. She cried with me, was happy with me, taught me a lot. She honestly treated me as her own. When I was headed to Utah county to check out some apartments for when I was planning to move, she gently asked, "Can I come with you? I have nothing else to do today and we could go see Margo (her sister)." So we made a day of it! Just like a parent she told me concerns of each apartment and advised me not to get in on particular contracts that would lock me in. Other times, I watched her stay up for the other girls who lived there and you know, we're in college, so we stay out late sometimes. I remember her asking me to call one roommate when she hadn't come home yet and we couldn't get a hold of her, so Sandy stayed up, well into the morning waiting. I knew she was worried. She was at her computer playing spider solitaire until my roommate came home. And that happened to me once or twice as well, and I started to call to keep her at ease, but even then, she was still at the computer playing spider solitaire. That's when another roommate and I, Adrienne, decided we'd just not stay out late at night. Sandy always said, "Oh no, I'm not tired, I just couldn't sleep so I've been on the computer. Oh, but look at the time! I'm tired now!" LOL She just couldn't sleep until everyone was safely home. There are many more experiences I had with Sandy. I lived with her for one semester, moved away, then came back and lived with her for a summer. And weekend I would visit because I missed her. I don't know why the Lord blessed me with Sandy. I don't think I was deserving of such an earthly Angel, but she saved me in so many ways. If anyone only knew of the heartaches I felt at that time, and all the trials whirling around in my head. I wished there were more Sandy's out there now to help some of the loved one's I have. All I know is, I owe a great deal to this lady, who loved me and didn't need to. She took in orphans, one way or another, that I came to know. We somehow ended up in her home, in her care.... We were brought there by a loving Father in Heaven who knew and trusted this woman to take on more responsibilities that were not hers. How great must be her reward, for she saved so many young people and me from making terrible mistakes at the time and gave me view of what could be, and now I'm living that what could be that I never imagined I could. In her lifetime, her and husband adopted five children for she wasn't able to bear her own, but in addition to that, she had housed boys and girls for years for as long as her children could remember I believe. There were always young people in her home. And no charge, we didn't even pay for food. Tried as we may, if you bought something yourself, and Sandy saw it, the next day she'd come home from the store with five times the amount so you wouldn't buy anymore. Funny Sandy!
Back to my journey.... so because I didn't plan on marriage or family. I had big plans. I was a smart girl, Business Sterling Scholar for my high school, runner-up at Region, 33.5 college credits upon graduating high school, and I had landed an amazing job at Snow College where I ran an entire department and business for 3 years. It was time for me to move on, Utah County. I had no idea what I was going to do there. I thought of this time in my life as a pivoting point. I had no idea where I was supposed to be. While there, the only thing that happened, was I suddenly felt a great pull to go to Logan, and attend Utah State. So that Summer, I worked again for Snow, moved back in with Sandy, and that Fall planned on moving to Logan. My Bishop that summer called me into his office a few weeks before my move. I thought, 'Is he giving me a calling? I thought everyone knew I was moving.' Instead, he had a great impression to talk to me about Logan and felt prompted to give me a blessing. I cannot recall all the words, but I remember the important things that were said, paraphrasing: need to put my education and work on the back burner... focus on finding my husband and starting a family... watch for red flags when looking for my companion.... education was important, but not at the moment... Imagine for a minute what I was feeling. Me? Marriage? Children? In all of this, I had my heart broken twice since leaving high school. And in a few weeks, I was leaving yet another guy I met that summer, who asked me to stay and see if we had anything between us. I was fond of him, but I saw him nothing more than a summer fling. He was the second person to ask me to stay, and for the second time I was leaving and moving on. Moving on to what? I thought school, another great job, a new adventure, etc. "Search the mountains of Logan high and low to find my soul mate." That had also been part of the instruction from my Father in Heaven. I was shocked? Scared. And suddenly felt some sort of rebellion inside of me because I did not want to do that! Anything else but that!!! So what did I do, I made big mistakes. I buried myself in school and I landed an amazing job as a secretary at a charter school but was extremely overwhelmed with school and work and starting to doubt why I had put so many demands on myself. I skipped lunch, just to get a half hour nap in during my day. And as hard as I tried, school was not happening for me. I experienced personal failure in school for the first time and that hurt. I asked so many times, 'Why?' But I already knew why. Because I was not following direction. Because I was rebelling. To add to all this, I started dating a guy with many, many, many red flags. It was almost like I didn't want to full fill the future I was suppose to have, so I went against all the divine instruction given to me. Sandy passed away that May, in the final stages of all my failures. Grades were in, relationship over, and school year at a close at the charter school. It was time to get to know me. I felt humbled, I can say that now, even though at the time, I was constantly trying to humble myself. I dated, but for the most part, mentally, I was taking a break. Then one day, I made the decision to stop dating for a year, so I could just focus on me. I was dating pointlessly, and just to get out and have fun, but I really didn't need that. Not after the year I'd had. But then and there I already had a few dates lined up and I was going to finish those out at least. I prayed to my Father, pleaded with him to help me not become distracted with anyone I met. And I felt good about the feeling I received. Peace. I took that as, 'Good. I have nothing to worry about.'
A week later, I answered the door to be met by a grossly built (football player-- biggest one on the team), cut, tall, scruffy, unshaven man, with a cocky look, wearing army pants, and driving a Mustang-- it didn't matter that he was sickly handsome. Can I just walk back into my apartment now?... I thought to myself, followed by, I hope this is a 30 minute date at the most, and so much for red flags....! Then this guy has the nerve to ask me how serious I am about being in a committed relationship. Lie... 'Not at all. I like to date a lot, just for fun. I don't really want to settle down right now.' I had my mind made up about this guy, and felt like I was only entertaining his conversations, biding my time. We were standing in front of a fire and he put his arms around me. Oh great! Putting the moves on already. I knew his type. So I moved. And he moved with me. Hmmm. All of a sudden, I felt that burning within my breast (no, not the romantic kind), it was more of an 'Uh Oh, Please Lord, Please Lord No! I beg you not this Man!!! Anyone but him!' I felt that confirmation that I found my future companion in marriage! My head was spinning (again not romantically; I was in a panic). What kind of life could I possibly have with this piece of work? But lessons learned of not being an obedient daughter, and humbling myself again, I said a little prayer, 'Okay, if this be your will. Mine also.' I felt a little disappointed, sure he looked good, but I wanted more than that. But now I listened to what he had to say. I wanted to know more, I had to know more at this point. Then he peaked my interest.... He brought a subject up about the gospel. He was knowledgeable. I found out he served an LDS mission. He was hard working. As the night went on I found out I was wrong about this young man. He had qualities. Desirable qualities. I also found out he was nervous and he liked me. It was our first date and we kissed, in the forest, by a fire, under the stars. I didn't really know much about him, but he felt right. I felt excited. I was done dating. I met Jason Thomas Viator.
Fast forward... Marriage, birth of Lily, birth of Kyle. We are a happy family. I am a stay at home mom, Jason works a full time and part time job, and goes to school part time. We own a modest, but nice home, and we are active members of the LDS church and were sealed in the temple, September 2008.
I couldn't sleep last night, thinking about all this. I haven't written like this in years since I put down my journal. I had nothing happy to write about, and then things took off and I didn't make time. I am a happy person. I love my husband, I love my children. Life is not without challenges, but it's also not without God. the Lord in all his tender mercies has remembered me all this time. Even through my stubbornness and pushing Him away. I know that the LDS church is true, our Saviour lives and he atoned for our sins. He lives. That is my testimony and what I've lived so far in my life is part of that testimony. Amen.
Now I'd like to share my journey to motherhood. I won't say much on the first part of this subject, but merely that I had many, many doubts on my ability to be a good mother. I feared I had never been taught those qualities because I came from a home that felt torn in so many ways. But even from that, I have reasons to be grateful, and as torn as it was, my mom still loved me, so from her I did learn to love. As a youth, I watched my friends' parents. I had a great group of friends and from each family I took note of qualities that I admired. And one of the biggest influences of my life, a lady named Sandra Christensen. Sandy passed away 4 years ago, and I felt I lost a mother. I felt empty and lost without her but felt happy for her because she was reuniting with her husband Andy.
Sandy and I met when I was attending Snow College; we were both in Handel's Messiah that year, and first-soprano's. She took kids into her home for free-- that I did not know because I was prepared to pay for one semester. I couldn't find a place that would only let me pay for half a year and when driving by her home one day remembered that she did that. She was amazing to me. She cried with me, was happy with me, taught me a lot. She honestly treated me as her own. When I was headed to Utah county to check out some apartments for when I was planning to move, she gently asked, "Can I come with you? I have nothing else to do today and we could go see Margo (her sister)." So we made a day of it! Just like a parent she told me concerns of each apartment and advised me not to get in on particular contracts that would lock me in. Other times, I watched her stay up for the other girls who lived there and you know, we're in college, so we stay out late sometimes. I remember her asking me to call one roommate when she hadn't come home yet and we couldn't get a hold of her, so Sandy stayed up, well into the morning waiting. I knew she was worried. She was at her computer playing spider solitaire until my roommate came home. And that happened to me once or twice as well, and I started to call to keep her at ease, but even then, she was still at the computer playing spider solitaire. That's when another roommate and I, Adrienne, decided we'd just not stay out late at night. Sandy always said, "Oh no, I'm not tired, I just couldn't sleep so I've been on the computer. Oh, but look at the time! I'm tired now!" LOL She just couldn't sleep until everyone was safely home. There are many more experiences I had with Sandy. I lived with her for one semester, moved away, then came back and lived with her for a summer. And weekend I would visit because I missed her. I don't know why the Lord blessed me with Sandy. I don't think I was deserving of such an earthly Angel, but she saved me in so many ways. If anyone only knew of the heartaches I felt at that time, and all the trials whirling around in my head. I wished there were more Sandy's out there now to help some of the loved one's I have. All I know is, I owe a great deal to this lady, who loved me and didn't need to. She took in orphans, one way or another, that I came to know. We somehow ended up in her home, in her care.... We were brought there by a loving Father in Heaven who knew and trusted this woman to take on more responsibilities that were not hers. How great must be her reward, for she saved so many young people and me from making terrible mistakes at the time and gave me view of what could be, and now I'm living that what could be that I never imagined I could. In her lifetime, her and husband adopted five children for she wasn't able to bear her own, but in addition to that, she had housed boys and girls for years for as long as her children could remember I believe. There were always young people in her home. And no charge, we didn't even pay for food. Tried as we may, if you bought something yourself, and Sandy saw it, the next day she'd come home from the store with five times the amount so you wouldn't buy anymore. Funny Sandy!
Back to my journey.... so because I didn't plan on marriage or family. I had big plans. I was a smart girl, Business Sterling Scholar for my high school, runner-up at Region, 33.5 college credits upon graduating high school, and I had landed an amazing job at Snow College where I ran an entire department and business for 3 years. It was time for me to move on, Utah County. I had no idea what I was going to do there. I thought of this time in my life as a pivoting point. I had no idea where I was supposed to be. While there, the only thing that happened, was I suddenly felt a great pull to go to Logan, and attend Utah State. So that Summer, I worked again for Snow, moved back in with Sandy, and that Fall planned on moving to Logan. My Bishop that summer called me into his office a few weeks before my move. I thought, 'Is he giving me a calling? I thought everyone knew I was moving.' Instead, he had a great impression to talk to me about Logan and felt prompted to give me a blessing. I cannot recall all the words, but I remember the important things that were said, paraphrasing: need to put my education and work on the back burner... focus on finding my husband and starting a family... watch for red flags when looking for my companion.... education was important, but not at the moment... Imagine for a minute what I was feeling. Me? Marriage? Children? In all of this, I had my heart broken twice since leaving high school. And in a few weeks, I was leaving yet another guy I met that summer, who asked me to stay and see if we had anything between us. I was fond of him, but I saw him nothing more than a summer fling. He was the second person to ask me to stay, and for the second time I was leaving and moving on. Moving on to what? I thought school, another great job, a new adventure, etc. "Search the mountains of Logan high and low to find my soul mate." That had also been part of the instruction from my Father in Heaven. I was shocked? Scared. And suddenly felt some sort of rebellion inside of me because I did not want to do that! Anything else but that!!! So what did I do, I made big mistakes. I buried myself in school and I landed an amazing job as a secretary at a charter school but was extremely overwhelmed with school and work and starting to doubt why I had put so many demands on myself. I skipped lunch, just to get a half hour nap in during my day. And as hard as I tried, school was not happening for me. I experienced personal failure in school for the first time and that hurt. I asked so many times, 'Why?' But I already knew why. Because I was not following direction. Because I was rebelling. To add to all this, I started dating a guy with many, many, many red flags. It was almost like I didn't want to full fill the future I was suppose to have, so I went against all the divine instruction given to me. Sandy passed away that May, in the final stages of all my failures. Grades were in, relationship over, and school year at a close at the charter school. It was time to get to know me. I felt humbled, I can say that now, even though at the time, I was constantly trying to humble myself. I dated, but for the most part, mentally, I was taking a break. Then one day, I made the decision to stop dating for a year, so I could just focus on me. I was dating pointlessly, and just to get out and have fun, but I really didn't need that. Not after the year I'd had. But then and there I already had a few dates lined up and I was going to finish those out at least. I prayed to my Father, pleaded with him to help me not become distracted with anyone I met. And I felt good about the feeling I received. Peace. I took that as, 'Good. I have nothing to worry about.'
A week later, I answered the door to be met by a grossly built (football player-- biggest one on the team), cut, tall, scruffy, unshaven man, with a cocky look, wearing army pants, and driving a Mustang-- it didn't matter that he was sickly handsome. Can I just walk back into my apartment now?... I thought to myself, followed by, I hope this is a 30 minute date at the most, and so much for red flags....! Then this guy has the nerve to ask me how serious I am about being in a committed relationship. Lie... 'Not at all. I like to date a lot, just for fun. I don't really want to settle down right now.' I had my mind made up about this guy, and felt like I was only entertaining his conversations, biding my time. We were standing in front of a fire and he put his arms around me. Oh great! Putting the moves on already. I knew his type. So I moved. And he moved with me. Hmmm. All of a sudden, I felt that burning within my breast (no, not the romantic kind), it was more of an 'Uh Oh, Please Lord, Please Lord No! I beg you not this Man!!! Anyone but him!' I felt that confirmation that I found my future companion in marriage! My head was spinning (again not romantically; I was in a panic). What kind of life could I possibly have with this piece of work? But lessons learned of not being an obedient daughter, and humbling myself again, I said a little prayer, 'Okay, if this be your will. Mine also.' I felt a little disappointed, sure he looked good, but I wanted more than that. But now I listened to what he had to say. I wanted to know more, I had to know more at this point. Then he peaked my interest.... He brought a subject up about the gospel. He was knowledgeable. I found out he served an LDS mission. He was hard working. As the night went on I found out I was wrong about this young man. He had qualities. Desirable qualities. I also found out he was nervous and he liked me. It was our first date and we kissed, in the forest, by a fire, under the stars. I didn't really know much about him, but he felt right. I felt excited. I was done dating. I met Jason Thomas Viator.
Fast forward... Marriage, birth of Lily, birth of Kyle. We are a happy family. I am a stay at home mom, Jason works a full time and part time job, and goes to school part time. We own a modest, but nice home, and we are active members of the LDS church and were sealed in the temple, September 2008.
I couldn't sleep last night, thinking about all this. I haven't written like this in years since I put down my journal. I had nothing happy to write about, and then things took off and I didn't make time. I am a happy person. I love my husband, I love my children. Life is not without challenges, but it's also not without God. the Lord in all his tender mercies has remembered me all this time. Even through my stubbornness and pushing Him away. I know that the LDS church is true, our Saviour lives and he atoned for our sins. He lives. That is my testimony and what I've lived so far in my life is part of that testimony. Amen.
Monday, April 26, 2010
Lots To Blog About
I am a slacker when it comes to blogging. You'd think this would be easier than scrap booking and journaling since I no longer do either and it combines the two.... Oh well.... Anyways, a lot has happened since my last entry. Lily is talking a lot!!! She is a little conversationalist and says just about everything. It oftentimes takes Jason and I by surprise by the things that she says. She knows all her body parts, is starting to count things, identifies her ABC's, and knows all her animals. And so much more! She's so smart!! It's so much fun! Kyle is growing like a weed and will be turning 1 next month! I can't believe how this last year has flown by! I look at his newborn pictures and I can't hardly imagine him being as small as he was. He is a big strong boy and very happy! He's not walking yet but he will be there soon!
Probably the biggest news since my blog soooo long ago is that we bought a house!! It wasn't in the plan for another 2-3 years, but by our old apartment was a cute little house that was for sale and every time Jason and I drove past it we wondered how much it was-- just out of curiosity. Well, one phone call led to another and then another. Next thing we know, we've been approved for 5% fixed rate with Metlife (AMAZING) and with the first time home buyers tax credit of $8,000, Jason and I went ahead with pursuing the idea of buying a house. All the while nervous and a little scared at the idea of whether it was the right timing for us. We had paid off our van in less than two years which was over $11,000 and also paid off all of two of my credit cards I had, and with those bills paid off we had freed up over $400 a month. We were also looking at renting, but as we researched things, we found out that renting would be more expensive than owning. We were also getting the itch to live in a house rather than apartment. And renting houses is a lot more than apartments. We've been very blessed! Our search for a house was less than two weeks and everything fell into place so easily and there was no doubt in our minds that the Lord was opening doors for us, the only question was where we were going to buy a house. We looked all over Cache Valley and little by little kept moving north until we ended up in Preston, Idaho. I was really off the idea of moving to Preston. First of all it would add quite a commute for Jason, but a half hour is normal commute for most people, even just from one end of SLC to the other, also, it's a small town. I had sworn to myself I'd never live in a small town again. And lastly, Idaho?! I think of potatoes and rednecks..... Surprise, surprise... Preston is actually quite charming, the people are very kind and that's refreshing. It's a safe neighborhood, that seems to be untouched by today's world, or at least has managed to keep it's innocence longer. And everything is in walking distance from where we live. The best part is, our kids have a house to call home. :) The only downer has been that commute, especially since Jason does a paper route in Logan and leaves for work at 4am in the morning. But even that the Lord has watched out for us, and within three weeks of living here, Jason received a phone call asking if he was interested in taking routes in Preston and giving up the ones in Logan. Everything has fallen into place. I can't stress enough the miracle of how things have played out for us. We are sooooo blessed!
We love our new house! 3 bedroom, 1 bath, 0.24 acres, fully fenced in backyard, french doors, garage, covered patio, four mature trees, roll out pantry cupboards, lots of storage, and a shed in the back. It's really cute looking! The front part of the house is almost a hundred years old but is fully renovated. The back part of the house is 4 years old. And the kitchen was renovated two years ago and is very modern, styling granite counter tops, and I have a dishwasher!!!! In the future we plan on knocking down the garage and rebuilding it more towards the front of the house and adding a large great room, master bath and possibly one more bedroom. We really love it here. There's a lot of work that goes with owning a home but we're so excited to do it. And it's really different from renting. We're still adapting to this change, but it's positive!
Summer is almost here and finals is coming up for Jason and when it's all said and done I am so excited to have him home more! This year has been insane and I've missed him!!! I love him so much! He's a wonderful man! I'm doing great. Just enjoying my family and hanging out with the kiddos! Life is sweet!
Probably the biggest news since my blog soooo long ago is that we bought a house!! It wasn't in the plan for another 2-3 years, but by our old apartment was a cute little house that was for sale and every time Jason and I drove past it we wondered how much it was-- just out of curiosity. Well, one phone call led to another and then another. Next thing we know, we've been approved for 5% fixed rate with Metlife (AMAZING) and with the first time home buyers tax credit of $8,000, Jason and I went ahead with pursuing the idea of buying a house. All the while nervous and a little scared at the idea of whether it was the right timing for us. We had paid off our van in less than two years which was over $11,000 and also paid off all of two of my credit cards I had, and with those bills paid off we had freed up over $400 a month. We were also looking at renting, but as we researched things, we found out that renting would be more expensive than owning. We were also getting the itch to live in a house rather than apartment. And renting houses is a lot more than apartments. We've been very blessed! Our search for a house was less than two weeks and everything fell into place so easily and there was no doubt in our minds that the Lord was opening doors for us, the only question was where we were going to buy a house. We looked all over Cache Valley and little by little kept moving north until we ended up in Preston, Idaho. I was really off the idea of moving to Preston. First of all it would add quite a commute for Jason, but a half hour is normal commute for most people, even just from one end of SLC to the other, also, it's a small town. I had sworn to myself I'd never live in a small town again. And lastly, Idaho?! I think of potatoes and rednecks..... Surprise, surprise... Preston is actually quite charming, the people are very kind and that's refreshing. It's a safe neighborhood, that seems to be untouched by today's world, or at least has managed to keep it's innocence longer. And everything is in walking distance from where we live. The best part is, our kids have a house to call home. :) The only downer has been that commute, especially since Jason does a paper route in Logan and leaves for work at 4am in the morning. But even that the Lord has watched out for us, and within three weeks of living here, Jason received a phone call asking if he was interested in taking routes in Preston and giving up the ones in Logan. Everything has fallen into place. I can't stress enough the miracle of how things have played out for us. We are sooooo blessed!
We love our new house! 3 bedroom, 1 bath, 0.24 acres, fully fenced in backyard, french doors, garage, covered patio, four mature trees, roll out pantry cupboards, lots of storage, and a shed in the back. It's really cute looking! The front part of the house is almost a hundred years old but is fully renovated. The back part of the house is 4 years old. And the kitchen was renovated two years ago and is very modern, styling granite counter tops, and I have a dishwasher!!!! In the future we plan on knocking down the garage and rebuilding it more towards the front of the house and adding a large great room, master bath and possibly one more bedroom. We really love it here. There's a lot of work that goes with owning a home but we're so excited to do it. And it's really different from renting. We're still adapting to this change, but it's positive!
Summer is almost here and finals is coming up for Jason and when it's all said and done I am so excited to have him home more! This year has been insane and I've missed him!!! I love him so much! He's a wonderful man! I'm doing great. Just enjoying my family and hanging out with the kiddos! Life is sweet!
Tuesday, December 29, 2009
Little Talker
Pointing up at the cupboard, Lily said, "Please, help me! Help me! Caaaaannndddyyyyy! Please!" And she says it in such a way that it would seem like she is really in dire need of help! She's still too young for me to explain the concept of the boy that cried wolf!
Also, when she is put into time out in the chair or the bedroom, it's followed by, "Help me! Help me!"
When she finishes her meal she likes to exclaim, "DONE!" or "All gone!"
She also says PLEASE and THANK YOU! Yay for manners! She's caught on!
She's also a big eater lately, and it seems like she eats and snacks all day. I've been making sure she eats mostly healthy foods (not candy, though she has had some this holiday season). Wherever she may be, she'll just come running into the kitchen yelling, "EAT! EAT! EAT!" Also, "More!!" And she'll sit herself down at the table to wait for me. Lately, I can't keep up with her with eating! And it's good! Because I like this phase better than the not eating one she'll sometimes do. Lucky for me, I can get her eat just about anything, avocados, cheerios plain, tomatoes... etc. So, it's not junk, it's pretty healthy mix.
She also says, "No brother!" When she gets mad at Kyle! She also tattles, "Owwie! Owwie!" And points to Kyle.
And one of the funniest things ever, Lily calls Jason, "Daddy Jason," or "Jason." When I say Jason's name, she'll start running around and saying his name. As for me, I'm still Mommy or Momma. :)
We are having fun with our little chatter box. She says a lot more, but these are her most common exclamations. We sure love her and love watching her grow!
Also, when she is put into time out in the chair or the bedroom, it's followed by, "Help me! Help me!"
When she finishes her meal she likes to exclaim, "DONE!" or "All gone!"
She also says PLEASE and THANK YOU! Yay for manners! She's caught on!
She's also a big eater lately, and it seems like she eats and snacks all day. I've been making sure she eats mostly healthy foods (not candy, though she has had some this holiday season). Wherever she may be, she'll just come running into the kitchen yelling, "EAT! EAT! EAT!" Also, "More!!" And she'll sit herself down at the table to wait for me. Lately, I can't keep up with her with eating! And it's good! Because I like this phase better than the not eating one she'll sometimes do. Lucky for me, I can get her eat just about anything, avocados, cheerios plain, tomatoes... etc. So, it's not junk, it's pretty healthy mix.
She also says, "No brother!" When she gets mad at Kyle! She also tattles, "Owwie! Owwie!" And points to Kyle.
And one of the funniest things ever, Lily calls Jason, "Daddy Jason," or "Jason." When I say Jason's name, she'll start running around and saying his name. As for me, I'm still Mommy or Momma. :)
We are having fun with our little chatter box. She says a lot more, but these are her most common exclamations. We sure love her and love watching her grow!
Monday, December 28, 2009
July/October '09
For the next few posts I'll attempt to play catch-up and summarize the the celebrations and holidays that we have had. First, July 9! My birthday! It was a great day! As strange as this sounds, I can't really recall what we did!? At least not tonight? This is probably a good reason as to why I should journal and blog!! I'm almost certain that we probably stayed home since Kyle would have only been about two months old. I do remember what I got though! Jason bought me the Twilight Saga Special Edition Collection that came with a case and 4 photos and also the movie! Yay! I was so excited! And I love Twilight! I'll add more details later if I recall them!
October! What a fun and busy month! First we'll start with Lily's 2nd Birthday! We went to SLC and met up with family to go to Hogle Zoo! Christine and little Eric, Bobbie, David, Brandi, KJ, James, and James' friend joined us! What fun! We loved seeing baby Suri, the baby elephant at the zoo! We had cupcakes there and sang to Lily! It was a last minute celebration and we had decided to not throw a party this year, but it was nice that everyone still wanted to do a little something for her, although we hadn't planned on it. Afterwards, we took Lily to The Gateway Mall to go to Build-A-Bear. What a fun store! She was floored from the moment she walked in there! She picked out a rabbit doll, and insisted that the doll get two hearts instead of one. It's kinda weird to me, a doll with two hearts in it! But Lily is a girl with lots of love, so, why not!? I did help her pick out the clothes and barrettes. And as a special touch, we added a recording to the bear, so when you press her right hand, she says, "Happy 2nd Birthday Lily! Love Mom and Dad! (Sigh by Kyle at the end). It was funny how Kyle was also able to add to the recording! We named her dolly Ruby and she turned out to be really cute! Lily loves her!! While at The Gateway, we also got stuck in the elevator!! Eeeks! How scary! What was only a few seconds felt like a few hours.
Then Halloween! It was a blast! Lily was a witch and Kyle was a Spider! What a perfect pair! They were both so cute! I found Lily's costume at a new Thrift Store, kinda like Kid-to-Kid, in Smithfield. I was so excited because I hadn't found anything really cute for Lily and everything online that I liked cost an arm and a leg! I got it for $5! That's it and she got so many compliments from people everywhere! Early Halloween morning, we took the kids to Old Historic Logan (main street) to go trick or treating. Lily thought it was so much fun to go inside stores and get a treat! She loved seeing all the costumes that other kids and adults had on. Afterwards, we went to both Lee's Marketplace locations here in Cache Valley. One in Logan and the other in Smithfield. They always have a great little trail in their store for the holidays and kids can pick up treats at every station: baery, meat, deli, etc, to name a few. The store in Logan had a haunted house in the back; we opted out of it, since we had the kids. Truth be told, I was relieved !! That sort of thing really freaks me out! And the store in Smithfield gave out balloons!! What fun! We'll go back again for Easter! We then went home for lunch, got the kids down for a little nap, then we were off again to the Trunck-Or-Treat at church! Kyle sat in the back of the can with me handing out candy and playing with the bowl of candy. He thought it was great fun! People loved that a little spider was chilling in the back of the van handing out candy! Then of course, we took Lily Trick-Or-Treating down one block. It was cold, but great!
Jason celebrated is birthday on Oct. 29. For his birthday, he got a new Xbox 360 game.... Dragon Age. He now officially has over 100 games between Xbox and Xbox 360-- so I had to ask him which game it wasw he got. I also made him a cake, one of his favorites! It has caramel, heath candy toffee bits, and fresh whipped topping.... It has a particular name that I'm not fond of. I also made Jason dinner and we played Mario Cart on the Wii at home, while the kids spent time over at our friends the Smith's house.
And that pretty much wraps up October! :)
October! What a fun and busy month! First we'll start with Lily's 2nd Birthday! We went to SLC and met up with family to go to Hogle Zoo! Christine and little Eric, Bobbie, David, Brandi, KJ, James, and James' friend joined us! What fun! We loved seeing baby Suri, the baby elephant at the zoo! We had cupcakes there and sang to Lily! It was a last minute celebration and we had decided to not throw a party this year, but it was nice that everyone still wanted to do a little something for her, although we hadn't planned on it. Afterwards, we took Lily to The Gateway Mall to go to Build-A-Bear. What a fun store! She was floored from the moment she walked in there! She picked out a rabbit doll, and insisted that the doll get two hearts instead of one. It's kinda weird to me, a doll with two hearts in it! But Lily is a girl with lots of love, so, why not!? I did help her pick out the clothes and barrettes. And as a special touch, we added a recording to the bear, so when you press her right hand, she says, "Happy 2nd Birthday Lily! Love Mom and Dad! (Sigh by Kyle at the end). It was funny how Kyle was also able to add to the recording! We named her dolly Ruby and she turned out to be really cute! Lily loves her!! While at The Gateway, we also got stuck in the elevator!! Eeeks! How scary! What was only a few seconds felt like a few hours.
Then Halloween! It was a blast! Lily was a witch and Kyle was a Spider! What a perfect pair! They were both so cute! I found Lily's costume at a new Thrift Store, kinda like Kid-to-Kid, in Smithfield. I was so excited because I hadn't found anything really cute for Lily and everything online that I liked cost an arm and a leg! I got it for $5! That's it and she got so many compliments from people everywhere! Early Halloween morning, we took the kids to Old Historic Logan (main street) to go trick or treating. Lily thought it was so much fun to go inside stores and get a treat! She loved seeing all the costumes that other kids and adults had on. Afterwards, we went to both Lee's Marketplace locations here in Cache Valley. One in Logan and the other in Smithfield. They always have a great little trail in their store for the holidays and kids can pick up treats at every station: baery, meat, deli, etc, to name a few. The store in Logan had a haunted house in the back; we opted out of it, since we had the kids. Truth be told, I was relieved !! That sort of thing really freaks me out! And the store in Smithfield gave out balloons!! What fun! We'll go back again for Easter! We then went home for lunch, got the kids down for a little nap, then we were off again to the Trunck-Or-Treat at church! Kyle sat in the back of the can with me handing out candy and playing with the bowl of candy. He thought it was great fun! People loved that a little spider was chilling in the back of the van handing out candy! Then of course, we took Lily Trick-Or-Treating down one block. It was cold, but great!
Jason celebrated is birthday on Oct. 29. For his birthday, he got a new Xbox 360 game.... Dragon Age. He now officially has over 100 games between Xbox and Xbox 360-- so I had to ask him which game it wasw he got. I also made him a cake, one of his favorites! It has caramel, heath candy toffee bits, and fresh whipped topping.... It has a particular name that I'm not fond of. I also made Jason dinner and we played Mario Cart on the Wii at home, while the kids spent time over at our friends the Smith's house.
And that pretty much wraps up October! :)
Christmas Letter 2009
Christmas 2009
Happy Holidays from the Viator Family! We have had a wonderful year and would like to share with you some of the highlights and wonderful events from this last year, as well as give everyone an update as to what we are up here in cold Logan!
Happy Holidays from the Viator Family! We have had a wonderful year and would like to share with you some of the highlights and wonderful events from this last year, as well as give everyone an update as to what we are up here in cold Logan!
Kyle Ronnie Viator was born on May 12, 2009 at 7:59 pm. My original due date was June 6, and so this was quite a surprise! It started out as any other day and I didn’t really feel like anything was wrong, but in the back of my mind I kept feeling like I needed to go to the hospital. I tried to shake the feeling off but I couldn’t. Finally I went to the hospital after placing Lily in my sister and brother-in-laws care. Jason was at work and we really didn’t think the baby would come so I told him to stay at work. As it turns out, I was in labor. Whatever medication they gave me didn’t stop my dilating and Kyle was breach! So, after 3 short hours I was dilated at a 5 and rushed into an emergency C-section and Kyle was born, weighing 5lbs. 8 oz, and 17.5 inches long. (Jason was home from work at this time) What a beautiful experience! I do admit that I am disappointed that I had a C-section-- it just didn’t feel natural and I feel like I missed out on a critical part of childbirth. The first thing I remember seeing was a little rainbow of water as Kyle peed when he was being cleaned and weighed. I thought to myself, “I have a son!” Though it would take a little while longer for reality to hit that I had a son!!
For those of you who don’t know, Jason switched his major from Bio. Engineer Pre-Med to Math Stat and double majoring in Secondary Education. We made that decision last summer. We felt that after some circumstances and now having a family, his previous major was no longer right for him and his heart was no longer in it. Math Stat is going great for Jason. He is happy with this major and can really see himself teaching Math. He’ll have a lot of different options having the two majors, and Math Stat is very broad, but we think he’ll be happiest with a job that keeps him involved with our kids and has a predictable schedule. We’ve also talked about him getting his Doctorate in the future and teaching at the university someday. That would mean free tuition for our kids and so we’ll just have to see what the future holds! Overall, Jason is doing well. He is very busy with school, work and his church responsibilities, but he has done well to balance it all out. Plus, I can see him coaching the football or wrestling team!
Lily is very much a two-year-old! She is learning and growing everyday and loving life! At the moment she is into toys with cars and ramps. She also loves the Little People Collection from Fisher Price and can spend hours playing with that. She is starting to talk really well. Lately she is calling Jason, “Daddy Jason!” instead of just daddy. She is funny! She loves her brother, though in the beginning I wondered if she’d ever warm up to him. They still have their moments, but for the most part they play well together. The other day, Lily had a cracker and Kyle kept taking it from her. They went back and forth taking it from each other until I gave Kyle his own. But I’ve also seen Lily give her brother a cracker or cheerios without me asking her. We watch her like a hawk with snacks because she doesn’t realize that he can only have certain one’s for now. She is also very outdoorsy… That is not from me! I’m a homebody, I hate extreme weather conditions and would much rather go somewhere that is indoors, say the mall! But, with a child like Lily I am conditioning my ways and taking her outside to play in the sun or snow. She is really a sweet child and very feminine. She loves to dress up, get her hair done, and wear her princess shoes or dress shoes. To top it all off, she’ll also put on her bracelets and then go stand in front of the mirror. Then I’ll say to her, “You look so pretty!” She’ll usually start to sway from side to side and get a little bashful. She is so cute! She is also my little helper. She’ll put her dishes in the sink, throw things away without me asking (I have to try and keep an eye on what she throws away), and put Kyle’s clothes in the laundry after I’ve changed him. She’ll also hand him his bottle or pacifier if he drops it and cover him up with his blanket. What a great big sister! They are only 19 months apart so I think they’ll be close and she really keeps an eye out for him.
Kyle is doing wonderful! At 7 ½ months, he is starting to scoot front-wards and back-wards. We’ve also started him on a few table foods and he thinks that is the best! He loves food! No exaggeration! Right before I give him food, he’ll clasp his hands together just under his chin and start to hum, with his bottom lip tucked in!? It’s hard to explain, but it is so cute and funny!! He also loves his sister! However, I have to say, he’s already has the little brother role figured out. Wherever Lily may be, he’ll roll over in her direction, scoot over-- what ever it takes to get by her and then pull her hair and kick her! Lily will move away but he just follows! I’ve had to separate them a few times, because he is really quite strong and hurts her at times. But he really looks up to her and wants to do everything she does. It doesn’t matter what she has, he wants it!!! If she gives it to him and starts playing with another toy, then he wants her new toy! It’s just so funny! He’s very much a momma’s boy and wants me to be by him all the time. He’ll play by himself or sit with Jason and he’s happy or content but the moment I walk by or he hears me, he’ll cry until I come and hold him. He has been a wonderful addition to our family and we love him dearly!
As for me, I am busy, busy, busy! Two kids is not a walk in the park! But we have fun! It’s been an enlightening experience for me to watch them learn and grow. I wonder who they’ll be someday and hope to do all I can-- along with Jason, to teach them the things that are right. In my free time, I’ve been reading, though it’s been a while and started making bracelets and watches for fun-- mostly little girl bracelets. I go on spurts of making them, then taking a long break and then making them again. Lily is loving it! She has a bracelet in almost every color, and every holiday I make her one to match. I’ve also been enjoying making new dishes for our family. I look up recipes regularly. For Christmas I’m getting everything to start making decorative cakes-- from the decorative cake platter to my new cute little apron (it came with a matching one for Lily too-- excited)! It sounds kind of funny I know, but I’m a homemaker at heart and I really love being at home!!! For a while now I’ve really been wanting to sew. Anything really! Pillow covers for example! I just want to sew! But I think that sewing would be a little too much of an activity with the kids around. Perhaps one of these days soon. For now the sewing machine is still packed up in the closet.
Happy holidays everyone!!! We hope this season finds you well and happy! Our family is doing well and looking forward to 2010!
Sincerely,
Jason, Marie, Lily & Kyle Viator
For those of you who don’t know, Jason switched his major from Bio. Engineer Pre-Med to Math Stat and double majoring in Secondary Education. We made that decision last summer. We felt that after some circumstances and now having a family, his previous major was no longer right for him and his heart was no longer in it. Math Stat is going great for Jason. He is happy with this major and can really see himself teaching Math. He’ll have a lot of different options having the two majors, and Math Stat is very broad, but we think he’ll be happiest with a job that keeps him involved with our kids and has a predictable schedule. We’ve also talked about him getting his Doctorate in the future and teaching at the university someday. That would mean free tuition for our kids and so we’ll just have to see what the future holds! Overall, Jason is doing well. He is very busy with school, work and his church responsibilities, but he has done well to balance it all out. Plus, I can see him coaching the football or wrestling team!
Lily is very much a two-year-old! She is learning and growing everyday and loving life! At the moment she is into toys with cars and ramps. She also loves the Little People Collection from Fisher Price and can spend hours playing with that. She is starting to talk really well. Lately she is calling Jason, “Daddy Jason!” instead of just daddy. She is funny! She loves her brother, though in the beginning I wondered if she’d ever warm up to him. They still have their moments, but for the most part they play well together. The other day, Lily had a cracker and Kyle kept taking it from her. They went back and forth taking it from each other until I gave Kyle his own. But I’ve also seen Lily give her brother a cracker or cheerios without me asking her. We watch her like a hawk with snacks because she doesn’t realize that he can only have certain one’s for now. She is also very outdoorsy… That is not from me! I’m a homebody, I hate extreme weather conditions and would much rather go somewhere that is indoors, say the mall! But, with a child like Lily I am conditioning my ways and taking her outside to play in the sun or snow. She is really a sweet child and very feminine. She loves to dress up, get her hair done, and wear her princess shoes or dress shoes. To top it all off, she’ll also put on her bracelets and then go stand in front of the mirror. Then I’ll say to her, “You look so pretty!” She’ll usually start to sway from side to side and get a little bashful. She is so cute! She is also my little helper. She’ll put her dishes in the sink, throw things away without me asking (I have to try and keep an eye on what she throws away), and put Kyle’s clothes in the laundry after I’ve changed him. She’ll also hand him his bottle or pacifier if he drops it and cover him up with his blanket. What a great big sister! They are only 19 months apart so I think they’ll be close and she really keeps an eye out for him.
Kyle is doing wonderful! At 7 ½ months, he is starting to scoot front-wards and back-wards. We’ve also started him on a few table foods and he thinks that is the best! He loves food! No exaggeration! Right before I give him food, he’ll clasp his hands together just under his chin and start to hum, with his bottom lip tucked in!? It’s hard to explain, but it is so cute and funny!! He also loves his sister! However, I have to say, he’s already has the little brother role figured out. Wherever Lily may be, he’ll roll over in her direction, scoot over-- what ever it takes to get by her and then pull her hair and kick her! Lily will move away but he just follows! I’ve had to separate them a few times, because he is really quite strong and hurts her at times. But he really looks up to her and wants to do everything she does. It doesn’t matter what she has, he wants it!!! If she gives it to him and starts playing with another toy, then he wants her new toy! It’s just so funny! He’s very much a momma’s boy and wants me to be by him all the time. He’ll play by himself or sit with Jason and he’s happy or content but the moment I walk by or he hears me, he’ll cry until I come and hold him. He has been a wonderful addition to our family and we love him dearly!
As for me, I am busy, busy, busy! Two kids is not a walk in the park! But we have fun! It’s been an enlightening experience for me to watch them learn and grow. I wonder who they’ll be someday and hope to do all I can-- along with Jason, to teach them the things that are right. In my free time, I’ve been reading, though it’s been a while and started making bracelets and watches for fun-- mostly little girl bracelets. I go on spurts of making them, then taking a long break and then making them again. Lily is loving it! She has a bracelet in almost every color, and every holiday I make her one to match. I’ve also been enjoying making new dishes for our family. I look up recipes regularly. For Christmas I’m getting everything to start making decorative cakes-- from the decorative cake platter to my new cute little apron (it came with a matching one for Lily too-- excited)! It sounds kind of funny I know, but I’m a homemaker at heart and I really love being at home!!! For a while now I’ve really been wanting to sew. Anything really! Pillow covers for example! I just want to sew! But I think that sewing would be a little too much of an activity with the kids around. Perhaps one of these days soon. For now the sewing machine is still packed up in the closet.
Happy holidays everyone!!! We hope this season finds you well and happy! Our family is doing well and looking forward to 2010!
Sincerely,
Jason, Marie, Lily & Kyle Viator
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
