Kyle's Fight Song

We had a great time at the game this weekend. Couldn't ask for a more beautiful night for football, and even if it is only because Hawaii is terrible, it was nice to see our offense get something done. It was also fun to watch how much fun Kyle had. He behaves better at a four hour football game than ten minutes shopping. Boys. We also love how he dances to the fight song...the end of the video is my favorite. Great night!

*thanks dad- for the vintage sweatshirt straight from your 70's wardrobe

Dream On

I have mentioned publicly before things about my battle between choosing a bachelor's degree and a cosmetology license. I have said before how I grew up torn between choosing what my parents wanted, and what I wanted. But it isn't that simple. 

It wasn't just my parents who wanted a bachelor's degree for me. I wanted it. I wanted it bad enough to work hard to put myself in a position to go out and get it after high school. I wanted it bad enough to spend two and a half years of my life, thousands of my own hard earned dollars, endless hours studying, and so many sleepless nights trying to get to that finish line. But there was another dream that I couldn't get out of my head.

I wanted to do hair. I wanted it so bad. I knew I had a talent for it. I knew I would be great at it. I felt like I was meant to do hair. Like the higher power in the world wanted that of me. It might sound dramatic...but this is how I felt. But it tore me so badly until it didn't anymore. One day I just knew I was supposed to go do it. It was a dream. I was lucky enough to fulfill that dream.

But what about the other one? BYU was my dream too. As much as I claimed it was just my parents' dream...it was mine. It was all mine. When I announced to my Dad I was temporarily stopping BYU to go to hair school he said, "you can't have everything Julie. You need to choose. Hair school, or BYU." I didn't want to believe him at the time. I had a plan. Turns out my plan didn't quite work out. I loved every minute of hair school. LOVED IT. I don't regret for one second EVER the choice I made. I knew I did the right thing. But I have spent every second of the last three ish years talking myself into being ok with giving up on my other dream.

At times I have found total peace with not finishing. I have felt that is hasn't been right for me to finish. I was needed elsewhere and my dad's comment of not being able to have it all has stuck with me. I saw not finishing BYU as my sacrifice for what I wanted more. I made my choice. I get to live my dream by doing hair. But fighting this battle with myself for years has been exhausting. I always come back to it. I always, always, always come back to it. 

A few months ago I changed. I decided the time had come. With Ryan deciding to go for the PhD that gave me three extra years of living next to BYU. Three years to finish three semesters worth of credit. The time had come. It was different now. Why? Because for the first time in this whole process, I am going back for me. Not because I want other people to be proud of me, not because my parents will be so proud, not because when people ask I can say I am in school, not because I feel like a failure otherwise, not because I feel like I need this to be a worthwhile person...because I am tired of arguing myself. I am tired of talking myself out of my dream. I am ready to finish what I started.

I had to apply as a new student since it has been so long since I left. I just found out I was accepted. I am scared. I know it will be hard. I know my family is going to have to make sacrifices for me to be able to do this and for that I am feeling guilty, but I know it is right. There are times this hasn't been right, and I am not saying finishing school, or even going at all is for everyone. But for me, right now, this is right. When I think it isn't right I realize it is only because I know it will be so hard and that scares me. But I can do this. I'll get by with a little help from my friends. Three semesters to go. Let's do it!

The weekend

We had an eventful weekend! It was a lot of fun, and left me feeling like I needed a few days to recover. I didn't take many pictures, but here are the highlights.

• Ryan's family coming down for a party Friday.
• Rich and Erica and their adorable girls sleeping over Friday night.
• Cutting Evie's hair to her chin. So cute.
• Crepes from Ryan Saturday morning.
• A wonderfully fall feeling long run Saturday morning.
• Attending a little carnival and watching Kyle get his first face painting. (except it was on his arm because he would not let the lady near his face...but he LOVED the spider on his arm. Loved.)
• Winning the bean game....well I tied for first with Ryan...a Lundgreen victory all the same.
• Kyle getting stuck in the Chick Fil A play place and bribing a three year old to talk him into coming down.
• Ryan getting to go to the BYU v Utah game Saturday night (thanks Kevin!!) despite the outcome...they still had a good time they said.
• Finding some great deals FAST with Erin plus our children (though I think I would choose shopping with all three of hers over just Kyle) at H&M.
• Eating Leatherby's with Erin. I could drink that hot fudge by the gallon.
• Watching the game...and riding the emotional roller coaster that came with it. I think Erin and I were both on the floor at one point...
• Watching Kyle have so much fun with his cousins.
• Driving the Alpine Loop Sunday, taking a wrong turn and ending up in Heber...then deciding we might as well visit my inlaws while we were there! Gorgeous drive.
• Going to the very sweet baby Knox's baby blessing Sunday.
• Arriving home to find my brother's family playing outside our house...and Kyle getting even more fun time with cousins.
• The best Philly cheesesteak sandwiches ever made by the easiest recipe ever.
• NFL is back.

I love watching Kyle play on the farm. The dirtier he gets the happier he is...when I went to give him a bath after this night his diaper was stuffed full of rocks...he had been stashing them there all night!

21

I am less than three months away from having a two year old. Make. It. Stop. I seriously can't handle it. He is so big. So grown up. And also really funny. I wish I could find a way to fully capture each stage to look back on. I love them all. Lately?

• He finds himself hilarious. Cracks his own jokes then laughs and laughs....and says "oh I funny..I funny"
• He is obsessed with Finding Nemo...or "meemo" as he calls it. He especially likes Bruce...he laughs so hard at that part.
• He loves his grown up bed, and I love how he come walking out all groggy at the end of his nap time. (I am not usually home in the morning when he wakes up...but I hear it is great too)
• He like to help cook a lot. He always pulls a chair right over when I make dinner or bake.
• He loves to play in the sink. 
• He always says bless you, thank you (doo doo with correct inflection), please, you're welcome, and beep beep instead of excuse me.
• He always says I love you...which is magical.
• He sometimes snuggles now. Which is a treat.
• He loves to jump and climb.
• He is starting to use phrases and longer sentences.
• We usually crack his door open after he falls asleep so he can come out in the morning, but I forgot the other day and we heard knocking from inside his room and then he called "daddy? daddy, its me!"
• He thinks all three of my brother's kids are named Rhett. 
• He loves his cousins more than other kids, family matters I guess.
• He likes to dance. Always.
• He loves animals, dogs are his favorite.
• He is so shy. Smiles and hides around new people yet totally wants their attention.
• He loves to read books, the same five every day, a million times a day.
• He loves playing downstairs by himself and calls up to me to bring him food. So demanding...
• When he gets mad he throws things, pinches, and collapses on the floor. Its great.
• He loves chicken, fries, fruit snacks, suckers, cups with straws, grapes, peaches, mcdonalds (oops), water chesnuts, and most of all, cake. 
• He always gives me a kiss when I ask.
• He loves to scare people, rawr, and then say I got you..tickle tickle tickle. 
• He continues to be obessed with iphones...he remembers which people in his life have them and as soon as he sees them starts saying, phone...phone....phone.
• He loves to chat with people on the phone.
• He actually enjoyed BYU football, and can join in part of the fight song.
• He is soooooooooooooo cute. And funny. And wonderful. He completes our family perfectly. I am so grateful for him in our home. He makes all the difference. 

If I don't throw a party, will he never turn two? 

Kyle goes to a football game.

 We took him to the game today! It was SO hot, and Weber State made a sort of boring opponent (no offense at all)...but there were some high points! From Kyle's perspective..they go in this order.

1. Cosmo sighting. Every time he entered the field Kyle got SO excited. 
2. Sno Cone. That boy seriously knows his way around a sno cone.
3. The fight song.
4. Playing with Emery and Jane
5. Getting to go home.

Like I said, there were high points. He even had fun for a lot of it. He did great. But he was so tired and hot by the end, he was glad to lay down and cool off when we got home. I guess he needs a few more years before he actually catches the Cougar Spirit. The rest of the games are pretty late at night, so he might spend the rest of the season in bed....goooooooooooooooooo cougars!

P.S.- we tried Cubby's before the game. So. Yum.

OH! And speaking of Cosmo? Check out vintage cosmo from nineteen seventy something. And yes, my mom is the hot little Cougarette on the left.

Lately

We have been trying to soak in our last summer days as much as possible (although I am loving the fall chill early in the morning). Even though Ryan is back in school, we try to pack in the fun on the weekends. Here is what we have been up to lately...

 playing croquet and eating blt's..I WON CROQUET! A year of playing and this is a first. 

 Exploring my dad's new ten foot high fort he built by the lake. The view is amazing.

 BYU FOOTBALL!!! So happy it is back. Kyle stayed home...so Emery and Jane played with me :)

Going to watch my mom at the Timpanogos Storytelling Festival. She is amazing!

Camping with friends, but decided to come home in the middle of the night...still a fabulous time though~

I guess summer can be over now. It was a great one! 

Ryan's Birthday

Ryan had a birthday! I am obsessed with birthdays and I swear to spend the rest of my life making Ryan more fond of his. Anyways. We started celebrating Saturday with a delicious trip to La Jolla Groves (you seriously need to try that place if you haven't yet) and then went to Comedy Sportz, where I believe we laughed until we cried. That place never disappoints.

Then Sunday we kept the celebrations alive with Ryan's favorite dinner. Tacos al pastor, and chocolate cheesecake. I still have some kinks to work out with the tacos (if you love an al pastor recipe send it my way!) but I hope to be an expert by his 50th birthday. We went with a BYU theme (duh) and my parents were able to join us! After dinner we put on our comfies and went for a walk, where we happened upon an adorable cow.

Then on his REAL birthday we had some fun too. We started (really early...back to school!) with some eggs and a smoothie before heading out the door. Then after work we headed north a bit. You might not know how much Ryan loves our cactus garden, but wow does he love it. Well, we recently lost a cactus to disease and Ryan was pretty sad about it. SO we headed up to Ikea for him to pick some new plants. I found it hilarious that a home made ham and cheese and a trip to Ikea were Ryan's birthday requests. Oh, and a night of watching the US Open of course, along with some brownies and Haagen Dazs.

I think it was a good one. He also has a few more family celebrations coming up, so this is really the birthday that keeps on giving. That's a wrap! See ya at 28!

Llama Llama

If you have never seen where we live this might seem a little weird, but having new llamas move in across the street is fairly normal around here. We live in a farmhouse in Orem, and that brings with it a lot of interesting things. For example, the time a police barricade was set up in our driveway looking for a missing miniature pony, or the time I was eating my lunch and another pony was randomly standing right outside my window, or how about the pig family we visit regularly, or complete strangers coming to our door a million times a week asking to rent your barn for events or take family pictures in your yard...or sometimes asking to rent a room in your house? We love all the weirdness of being here, as well as how BEAUTIFUL it is year round, and feeling "away from it all" when all conveniences are really within about a two mile drive.

Anyways, back to the llamas. The farmer that leases some of the land we live on recently took on a group of llamas. When we heard the news we new we had to visit asap, so last night we went down with my parents. Oh the joy on Kyle's face when he saw a heard of llamas to befriend. We had a fabulous time, until a skunk leaped out of the bushes, tail up and aiming right at us...we decided to run away...quickly. It was a beautiful evening!

We rode down in the back of the truck...next time I need to induce labor I know what I will do:)

Texas

We just got back from spending almost two weeks with my sister and her fabulous family in Texas. We had SO much fun. Ryan has never been able to join me on my trips to visit Michelle, so this was a treat. He was able to go to Chris's office everyday and work from there while Michelle and I partied with SIX kids at home, then in the evenings we could all hang out together, or take turns living it up with fewer kids along. I was bummed Ryan had to work so much on the trip, but since that made it possible for him to come along at all, I was grateful.

I took fewer pictures on this trip than I normally do, and it was kind of nice. I just didn't worry about it most of the time. For the sake of avoiding a too forever long post, I think I will list my favorites....bullet style.

• Meeting baby Miles! He is so delicious and loved to snuggle with me. I couldn't get enough. And hello...perfect baby! He is a dream.
• Michelle had a three week old baby when we arrived, but was still out and about like nothing had happened! What a champ.
• Spending time with all the kids.
• Getting to do the girls hair every morning.
• Watching Kyle have so much fun with his cousins.
• Watching how sweet Kyle was with baby Miles (except for the marker mural he drew on his face...oops)
• Being with my sister around the clock
• Eating Blue Bell Ice Cream...I hope all Texans appreciate that delicious stuff being in their stores.
• Ryan getting to play tennis at least once a day with Chris.
• Getting our teeth cleaned....shocked I enjoyed that one...
• Going to a sold out MLB Rangers game with Ryan...SO magical.
• SHOPPING.
• Outings with Michelle
• Crafting and adding some love to their walls
• The thunderstorms
• Michelle's mashed potatoes.
• Leaving all the kids with a sitter for an adult night out.
• Best shrimp platter with grilled veggies ever. Seriously. You have to go to Logan's Roadhouse.
• Sonic happy hour when the kids were going a little too crazy for us:)
• Buffy's Cupcakes on Main...Kyle's favorite part of the trip for sure.
• Chuck E Cheese with everyone. Again...I have never seen such joy on Kyle's face.
• Swimming at the Lake. SO pretty.
• The magical mall in downtown Dallas...and the American Girl Doll Store...I so need a daughter someday.
• Loved the beautiful green landscape there, not so much the humidity.
• Cruising around town in a minivan...those things are seriously convenient.
• Laughing with Michelle.
• Being introduced to some fabulous Disney Channel shows
• Honey Boo Boo
• The runway show
• Everyone getting to know Kyle
• Kyle's attachment to Myah
• Ryan teaching Kam to play video games
• Hailey's outfits each day
• Introducing the girls to What Not to Wear
• Sam Moon wonderland
• Being with my sister
• Exploring a new city with Ryan
• Baking with Kam
• Climbing the Eisenhower head
• Amazing outlets...and Ryan finding a Lacoste prize.
• Steak n' Shake
• Doing some hair
• Taking a break from home for a bit. My phone didn't work most of the trip either...and I rarely got online. So peaceful.

We already want to go back. We love these people, and we love Texas too! Thanks so much for having us guys!

(they have actually lived all of those places)

20 Months

Only a few more months before it sounds way too weird to count months. I can't BELIEVE how grown up he is these days. Love each month more than the one before, though I miss my baby boy sometimes.

• He repeats the last word of any sentence you say. 
• He loves cake more than any other treat. Mention a cupcake and you will have an insanely enthusiastic little man on your hands,
• He likes to dance, particularly this little stomping number and a little shoulder shimmy.
• He gives the best kisses. Ever.
• He can count to ten unassisted.
• He loves to sing songs with us, especially ones with actions.
• He has gotten a bit aggressive with pinching, swatting, and biting...but only when provoked (usually).
• He is always talking. I need to a whole post on the things he says. 
• He announces when he wants to sleep and promptly falls asleep.
• He loves water, but mostly only in nature. Lakes and oceans are way more his thing.
• He loves mirrors more each day.
• He loves attention.
• He likes to wave and say hi to everyone he sees out in public.
• He likes to have a bracelet on always.
• He flashes his teethy little smile when he wants to be charming.
• He loves to say his own prayers. He repeats the last word of what you tell him then aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaamen.
• He flirts with everyone possible.

The older Kyle gets the harder it is to really capture him through writing. I wish I could just bottle him up and save him how he is right now. Creepy? But seriously he is just so funny, sweet, adorable, and amazing. Yes, I am his mother. He is so full of personality I can't even stand it. He is such a treat to spend my days with.