Swimming Gear

Today we had an enrichment activity for the moms, and had sort of a little playgroup with the kids at a neighborhood pool. Kasen was SO excited to go. He loves swimming and loves the water. He wore his shrek floaties and jumped to me in the water, even went under a couple times and only mildly panicked. I bought him a couple bathing suits and matching tanks at Carters a couple months ago when they were on sale. He looked so cute in it I had to share. Also, the deal with the hat. I love hats on Kasen. I have tried for over a year now to get him to wear it and he always took it off. A couple weeks ago Jeremy took him on a walk and he wore it, the WHOLE time. So we tried it again today, and he wore it the whole time. Such a cutie. I am so grateful to be his mom. I am so incredibly luck to have him in my life. Even though he is my only child, which I wish there were more, I feel like the most privileged mom. I feel like a real mom even with only one kid. I am sure it's harder with more, but I don't feel like I could be anymore of a mom to Kasen. I love him to death!!

25 Loves and Hates

25 things I love:

1. scrapbooking
2. homemade popcorn with butter and salt
3. when Kasen says “I love you mommy”
4. beating Jeremy at tennis
5. when Kasen is laying next to me and rolls over and hold my hand, or strokes my hand
6. watching Bailey push her ball around with her face in the backyard
7. laying on the couch in Jeremy’s arms watching TV
8. getting pedicures
9. having lotion rubbed on my feet
10. tortellini with pancetta (or proscuitto) with peas in a creamy alfredo sauce, divine!
11. when my prayers are answered (especially the way that I want them to be)
12. chick fil a…best chikin ever!
13. the smell of clean sheets
14. red and white tulips in my silver vase that my wedding bouquet was in
15. reading a good book
16. the gospel
17. that my family is forever
18. when people watch their language around me because they know I am LDS
19. walking outside my house and smelling the flowers, it makes me happy
20. Cherry Sprite Lemonade from Ruby’s Diner (don’t dog it til you’ve tried it!)
21. knowing that you can trust someone with ANYTHING, very rare
22. when Kasen wakes up dry in the morning
23. taking pictures, if only I were good at it and had a better camera
24. when Bailey cuddles with me without having to ask
25. sincere compliments

25 things I Hate:

1. when people can’t admit they are wrong
2. math tests
3. people who don’t listen
4. repeating myself because people don’t listen
5. being interrupted to have someone tell me I am wrong when they never listened to all I had 6. to say in the first place
7. seafood- even tuna
8. when people say “you’re a baby still” “oh you’re so young” “you’ve got plenty of time, you are young”
9. when people talking through movies, or when they have seen the movie before they say “I love this part” “this part is funny, watch” I’M TRYING TO!
10. when people try to boss me or Kasen around
11. when someone can’t stand the spotlight being on you for more than 30 seconds and have to interrupt with their 2 cents of bragging about themselves
12. miracle whip-totally shouldn’t be consumed by humans
13. when people tell you how you feel and can’t accept that your opinion is different than theirs
14. when people try and talk to me first thing in the morning
15. people who think that television is beneath them
16. when people ask you to HELP, but then you end up doing all the work
17. when people things ONLY at their convenience, but try and act like they are doing you a favor
18. when people pick their nose in public for all to see. Do it in the privacy of your own home!
19. when people make excuses over and over again
20. when people lie- it’s so much easier to tell the truth
21. when Kasen has an “accident” in his pants
22. that I can’t say no to people so I just end up getting walked on
that I am never happy with what I look like, EVER
23. sweating- blah
24. when people can’t commit one way or the other about something
25. that I didn’t complete college

That was pretty tough! I would love to see what you guys would write.

Geez Grandma!

Kasen built a lovely tower tonight. He loves to play with these legos. LOVES to! He has really gotten into them the past month or so and will sit there for like an hour at a time and just build stuff. He also has tinkertoys that he builds things with. TONS of things. Planes, boats, lollipops, cookies. You name it, he builds it. Well tonight he was building a tower. He was so proud of himself and went over to show grandma. She took it from his hands to look at it and as she moved it around, it broke right in half. I laughed and said "geez mom!" in a blaming voice. Kasen IMMEDIATELY, looked at Grandma and said "geez grandma" in the same blaming voice that I gave. It was so hilarious. My mom dad and I all broke out laughing at him. He looked at Grandma, gave her this stare and said "HA HA!" not a laugh, but literally said "HA HA!" Totally funny!

Watch Out!

Doing Laps

Photo Montage

Dawson's 5th Birthday!

My sweet little nephew had his 5th birthday this past week. I remember holding him in my arms when he was just a few weeks old. Now he is 5. I cannot believe how time flies. He is such a sweet boy, and had such a sweet innocent disposition. He has such great manners, and is so dang smart. I love him a lot. My mom and Kasen and I took Brielle down to their house to celebrate on his actual birthday. Here are some pictures from the party:

HAPPY BIRTHDAY! HAPPY BIRTHDAY! HAPPY BIRTHDAY!
Happy Birthday Dawson Riley!

Only 31 more to go!

This was me at Christmas. After seeing these pictures, I realized...I need to lose weight. I have realized that over and over again, but this time I decided, I need to lose weight and I am going to do something about it this time. I started cutting back on my sugar, I stopped eating dessert. Everytime I wanted to snack at night, instead of having ice cream, I would eat popcorn. I stopped eating as much for each meal. I am a lady, I didn't need to eat that much. I was just in the habit of it. I do need to exercise more than I do, but I gon on walks sometimes and Jeremy and I have started to play tennis again. Tennis is something I have a total passion for and gave up for a couple years. I started missing it QUITE a bit, so Jeremy and I started playing again. We just need to do it more often.



I am so happy at how far I have come. I have lost 29 lbs now. I only have 31 more to go to be where I want to be. I know that still sounds like A LOT. But if I actually start exercising and keeping with my diet, then it shouldn't be a problem. I am already half way there, right?



Here are some pictures I took this week. Maybe it's hard for some of you to tell, but obviously I notice the difference. And I am sure if you saw me in person you would notice. I am really proud of myself. This is a very hard thing for me to do because I am such an emotional eater. I go to food for EVERYTHING. Doesn't mean I can't or don't splurge sometimes, but the important thing is that I get RIGHT back to my diet. Now that I am having to cut back on carbs too, I am hoping to lose some more weight soon. So I will keep everyone updated on my ever lasting weight loss program!






Brielle wasn't too excited to take a picture with me, if you can't tell!

This is my nephew Everett and I at the park. He didn't mind me hovering to take a pic.

I shall overcome...

I will just state the fact, then go back to the beginning.

I have diabetes.

When I was pregnant with Kasen I had gestational diabetes. I learned then that since I had that, there was a very high chance that I would get it with every pregnancy thereafter. I also learned that there was a high chance of getting Type 2 Diabetes later on in life. Little did I know that I would be diagnosed 3 years later.

After I had Kasen my diabetes went away as they should since gestational diabetes are pregnancy induced. I have been checked every 6 months since I had Kasen. There has never been a sign. Until 4 weeks ago.

For the past few months I had been getting sick every time I eat. EVERY time. I would just a significant amount of pain in my stomach. The pain would vary in degrees, but was NEVER comfortable. I learned to hide it and move on. About a month about the pain was getting so bad that I avoided eating. When I did eat, I would be balled up on the couch in so much pain that I couldn't help but cry. For some time I though maybe it was lactose problems, since I am lactose intolerant as well. I am physically a mess. But even when I would go without dairy, the pain was still there going strong. We don't have any health insurance right now so I avoided going to the Dr. I finally gave in when one day it was so bad that I couldnt even move. I layed on the couch for 2 hours, crying and decided enough was enough. I called the local clinic who was able to see me the next day for a small fee. When I was there the Dr told me that I had gastritis. Which is a stomach infection. He wasn't sure what it was from, but gave me medicine to treat it. He ran some blood tests while I was there just to make sure it was nothing more serious. I was unaware of the tests that he was running. He had only mentioned liver tests, thyroid, and kidney. Nothing about my sugar.

Later that week, the clinic called me and told me they couldnt give me the results of my blood tests over the phone. They set my appt up for 3 weeks out. I knew something was wrong because the Dr told me while I was there that they would either tell me everything was ok, or set up an appt for me to come in and get the results.

I went in this morning with Jeremy and Kasen. They were my support. Jeremy was my rock. They weighed me when I got in there, the good news was, I had lost another 2 lbs. I am at a total weight loss of ****28 pounds**** GO ME! That was a nice thing to hear considering all that was to come.

The Dr and his NP student came in and gave me the news that my sugar was really high, but all the other blood tests that they ran came back normal. They tested my blood while I was there with the glucometer. It was still high. I didn't ask the number. I didn't want to know. I knew what was going on, I knew what I had to do, and I wasn't going to ask. They continued to tell me that I will be put on medication. Metformin. That's what I was on while trying to get pregnant with Kasen. I stayed on that until 3 months into my pregnancy. Then when I found out that I had gestational diabetes, they put me on a safer form.

This is something that I was aware might happen, but never thought it would. My dad has type 2 and I know that it is genetic. Hereditary, whatever. My dad has handled his very well, and I did the same while I was pregnant. My dad was told that 98% of having diabetes is hereditary and 2% is diet control and exercise. I know I can manage this, and I know that this is something I can get through. Jeremy was so sweet to me. He came up and held me and told me we were going to get through this...TOGETHER. That meant so much coming from him since he doesn't always express his feelings verbally. I know that our family can get through this and I pray that I will be able to manage and control as well as I did when I was pregnant.

A few scriptures come to mind....

D&C 63:47 He that is faithful and endureth shall overcome the world.

D&C 24:8 Be Be patient in afflictions, for thou shalt have many; but endure them, for, lo, I am with thee, even unto the end of thy days.

This is a life altering disease. It's something that is going to affect my life forever. Something I will always struggle with, something I will always have hanging over me. Something very serious if I don't take care of it. I am upset, and depressed about this. BUT...I know that this IS something I can overcome, and that this is something not only my family will help me through, but most importantly, The Lord. I know that through him I can be made whole. That I will be able to manage this on my own, that I won't need insulin, and that I will live a full and happy life.

So yeah, I know I can do this, and thank you everyone in advance for your support. I have done this before, I can do this again!