I get the hint...nice try!

It's pretty bad when you get for Christmas from a friend a bag with a big book of "What to Expect When You're Expecting", a baby giraffe, and a gift card to Lowe's for the baby's nursery....

...and you're not expecting.

Lately, we have been getting so many comments about needing to have kids. Everyone is SO ready for us to have children it's not even funny.

The funny thing is that the only ones that are not ready for us to have kids are the ones that are being asked to produce the kid (a girl to be precise).

So just for the record...no kids until graduation in May...sorry! Talk to someone else...possibly Erin or Andy?

So to all those hopefuls...keep dreaming...the day will come...and no sooner even if you give us a bag full of baby goodies. Thanks anyways! Merry Christmas to you too! :)

Here's some of the interesting comments we have gotten:

Annonymous: Katy, why aren't you pregnant?

Katy: I still need to finish school.

Annonymous: Who cares about school! You need to be pregnant!

Annonymous person (while holding a 6 mth old and directed to Lyle): Doesn't this look so right? Wouldn't your wife look so good with this?

Katy: Guess what (excited about finishing the semester)!

Annonymous: You're pregnant?!

Annonymous(different conversation): We're tired of making scrapbooks for boys. You need to have a girl!

Yep...everyday, everyday! :)

'Tis the Season and More

Norma, Dave and Wes drove to Phoenix for this Thanksgiving. It was so nice to NOT have to pack and drive...just relax. It was fun! We all pitched in on Saturday and put up the Christmas lights outside (thanks guys!) and then that night (I couldn't sleep) I decorated inside so here's the pics... I love having a house! It's so much fun!

Instead of buying a $15 wreath that didn't look all that great, Norma and I made this one for cheaper!

Our tree-I wanted it in front of the window, but it was too crowded so I settled for here. It looks good there still! See all the gifts already? Yes, Keri and Erin, there's one already under there for you guys! And Cole of course!

I love decorating the top of this! (No, Mom, you still can't have it!) :)

Our beautiful house!! I love it!!!

Of course there is a price to pay for such a beautiful house...I kicked the brick with my bare big toe and cut the top and the nail past the quick. OUCH! Thanks mom for that talent! :)

On another note, my wonderful husband put MANY hours into refurbishing a table and chair set that we found a while back at a garage sale...now it's GORGEOUS!!

Old table

New beautiful, good as new table and chairs.

Staying Busy

My classes are starting to wind down and since I am no longer in that stress filled class INT, AND I am done with my internship, I have tons of time on my hands. So yesterday I decided to tackle the ugly Boganvillas in my front yard. At first I was going to trim them but changed my mind and tore two out.

It took a ton of time and labor and they ripped my arms to pieces (for those that don't know, Boganvillas have LONG thorns worse than roses), but they are finally gone! YAY!

Dumb Dog!

I came home from school in a very bad mood because of the day and I was thinking that I was going to go to a movie on my own and cool down so that Lyle didn't have to deal with my aweful mood...
Well, I came home to two extra ankle biters playing with Jaz. So I went out to find out where they came from and turns out, they squeezed through part of the wooden fence. No problem.
So I was going to send them back through when the STUPID dog bit me!! On the calf!! Thankfully I had jeans on and so it didn't break the skin, but I sure do have a ring of teeth AND a nice bruise. Stupid dog!
The one time I wasn't afraid of getting bitten (thanks ERIN!) I get bitten. Go figure! AND of course the neighbor is out of town. GRRR!

Changes in the hAir

Jill went blonde

I went Brunette With an 'A' cut...thanks to the suggestion of Jake.

AND...

Mom got blonde highlights...OH! How cute are you!

Dead Duck

Lyle 'n I found this toy duck that makes the duck sound when squeezed. We decided that this was Jaz's new toy.

She thinks so too.

It's still dead!

Jaz relaxing.

Whirlwind of STRESS!..and a brief break.

So life has been keeping me on my toes.

First of all, my good news is that I have been on a no sugar, no cards diet for two weeks now and have lost 17lbs. It's about time! It's been hard and I've been tested with Pizza for fight night, Halloween, and Mom and Jill visiting and eating what I can't wat right in front of me. Yea! HARD! But I made it and am still going strong.

So I have been struggling in one of my classes (I got my first EVER F on a quiz) so it's like Mon, Wed, Fri, Sat and Sun I am happy and then Tues and Thur is my afternoon from HELL! My class is Interior Decorating History...BORING! Plus, I have never been a good test taker and that's all that our grade consists of...grrr! Thankfully, I will still graduate next semester, but I ALMOST didn't since I found out that one of the classes I need was not going to be offered anymore. So it wasn't offered this semester and never again. AHH! (this is where the anxiety kicks in)So after MANY anxiety attacks and many hours, I was able to figure out a way to still make it. YAY!

So I have been VERY stressed with my class and with registration. The nice part was that Mom and Jill came to play for the weekend.
Us girls went shoe shopping (I've never enjoyed this activity, but I REALLY had a great time) all day, Jill changed her hair to be a blond, we enjoyed Trick-or-Treaters, went to the corn maze (lasted 20 min-constantly hitting dead ends-apparently there's only ONe way through-and then got hot (96 degrees and then add corn all around you!) and left), and then played games all of Sunday. It was such a breath of fresh air!
Then they left me to deal with my forgotten but none-the-less-back stress and anxiety. Now at this point, I am registered and have voted, and now needs to dive into my VERY messy house.
Oh joy!
I just keep thinking that I have four weeks left of school and then one more semester. I'm ALMOST done!!

Okay..I'm done.Thanks for listening.

Sunbeams...survival of the fittest!

Lyle 'n I have been called to be Sunbeam teachers in our ward.

Now, this is a first for me and Lyle (he's taught other ages of primary-not me), and we show up to find out that we are practicing for the program and we are thrown in it. So we have one girl and three boys (others, but weren't there). All VERY energetic and two twins (boy and girl that pick on each other). So after they ran the program (with MUCH trouble), they wanted to run it again...not a good idea for our Sunbeams. At that point, cute Abigail is jumping all around, Rockwell is taking off his shoes and the rest are following suit.
Needless to say, the presidency excused us to go for a walk.
They're all cute kids. We went for a walk and then went to the classroom and played a few games. Lyle 'n I really enjoyed ourselves even though we were VERY tired afterwards.

So take all that and add........

An Autistic boy in the class that wasn't there today. That's why Lyle 'n I were both called because then I can work with him and Lyle can watch the others...and both of us can teach. Wish us luck and if you have ANY ideas, let us know.

Lyle Won!!

We went this weekend to Safford, AZ for Tracy's farewell. We had a very relaxing time with family and visiting.
We were BBQing and Lyle n Wes disappeared for an hour and when they reappeared Lyle was carrying a cute chocolate lab puppy. I saw her and was like "what a cute puppy! Whose is it?" That's when Lyle introduced me to my Jasmine. I was SO thrilled and SO surprised!
It was funny because he put her on my lap and Gayle's little poodle growled at Jaz and she shook and peed on my only pants. It was funny...I just washed it off.
The ride home was easy becuase she just passed out the whole time. The only problem, she was VERY relaxed and started letting off some NASTY farts. We pretty much drove with the window open the whole way.
We love her!!!

Alice Cooper's Haunt of the Living Dead

Lyle 'n I went last night with his cousins to the Mesa Haunted House. We got to go through twice. The first time was the best way to go through a haunted house...Doug in front while I'm holding his shirt, Lyle in back holding his hand. I felt safe.

It was fun to go through. It had different rooms where people would hide and jump out and others would follow you down the halls to creep you out. Lyle's favorite was the room with a black wall that had neon green faces hanging and there was a guy with a green mask on that blended into the wall and scared you.

I got my scares of course in most rooms...the second time through though was the worst because Lyle wanted to scare me and when one guy jumped out, Lyle pointed to me for him to scare and so the guy started coming after me even though I was throwing Lyle in front of me. It creeped me out. Then we headed down the hall and that same guy was following us close and he went to turn back and Brenda was following behind him and when he turned around, she went "BOO!" and scared HIM. It made things better...he got what he deserved. :)

Visiting Family

Richard and Becca came for a surprise/planned visit Thursday til Sunday. They were in town for Richard's brother's wedding. They decided to stay with us and we had such a great time staying up late talking and playing games. It was also fun playing with Bryce...he's getting SO big. Here's two pictures of him dressed for the wedding and looking like a mofia child.



Lastly, we put him in Lyle's work boots...it was such a cute picture! We always LOVe having Richard and Becca here. It's such a stress reliever and a guaranteed fun time.

Walk for the Cure

I had the great opportunity last Sunday morning to be apart of the Walk for the Cure 5K Event.

It was such an amazing experience to be with all the inspiring survivors and even to see all those that have been lost to Breast Cancer.

Carol (in the pink shirt) is the one we walked for/with.

What a great opportunity!

I Want my MOMMY!!!

I'm not kidding! Day five of a sore throat, no energy to do anything, massive ear aches, sleepless nights, and so much more!
I went to the doctor and he gave me amoxicillen and took a strep culture...so now, I have to wait to see if I have strep even though I and the doctor are positive that's the case.
And of course I choose the WORST week to be sick as a dog! One class we had a project due Mon, study guide on Wed, and test on Fri. Another we were working on our presentations on Mon and giving our presentations on Wed (even though I have NO energy to stand AND I can hardly talk because of my throat). AND at my internship, I had to be there Tues and on Thurs because they threw into my lap on Tues a presentation they want me to do on Friday for them...So yeah! It's been pretty miserable walking a mile to school from parking, walking to class, holding my head up, and then going to my next class. Can't I just stay home. I'm probably passing the strep to every victim I pass...but I can't help it!
So it's day five and my hubby has been so sweet and helpful, but after a few days of him not being able to actually fix it and make me better, he gets frustrated...plus he has been not feeling so hot! So now I really mean...I WANT MY MOMMY (give my hubby a much needed break)!!-and bring the rocking chair!

Can I?

Isn't she ADORABLE?!!!

THIS

VS

THIS

Lyle'n I have been wanting to add a cute puppy chocolate lab to our family for the last six months. We talked about it in July and then realized we didn't have the time to train a puppy so we let the idea go for a while.

Well the other day I drove by a great deal...$400 for a certified, with shots puppy and other added bonuses...this got Lyle hooked and he called but they didn't have a chocolate one...only yellow and black...so here's the delema:

He's now asking "Can I have a puppy?"

Of course I really also want a puppy, but for all those that have been around me in the last year know what I want...

"Can I have a baby?"

So I FINALLY got to babysit sweet Chloe and I LOVED it!! Now I know that this is where the moms kick in and say it's not always happy and sweet like that day...well just to stop you, I had my fair share of crying and whinny and she doesn't want anything...not to be on the floor, not in your lap...exactly on my knee with me bouncing slowly...no other way...so it was not the perfect day, but it really added to my desire for a baby...so now my question is "Can I have a baby?"

We'll see who wins (probably Lyle since I am in the no go zone until at least April-dang!!!)

Can you feel it?

I'm sure can't feel it...well somewhat. Fall is coming...even though it's still 100 degrees. At night, it's not so hot that's it's smothering you...just nice.
I LOVE Fall-especially in ABQ! It's this time that I miss good ole' ABQ because of the State Fair and the Rodeos that come with it AND the Balloon Fiesta! Oh! Keri, I envy you!

On another note, I thought I'd not subject you to a long detailed post like last time, but I would let you know...

School is coming along. For this semester to be planned "easy", it sure isn't. It's taking a toll on my body. With the 100 degree heat and class at the peak of the day, it drains you...plus I want to wear flip flops, but with all the walking, by the end of the day I have many blisters.

My internship is good. We had meetings all week and I was finally able to meet with Dena and go over all the elements of the guide manual. So now, I can start to put it all together. The interesting part is that they gave me MORE info to put in and so it is going to take me longer than normal. On top of that, we had a meeting to get the info for emergency info for the book and they have a plan in the system that's only 6% done so they asked me to take on another project and finish that. It makes me happy that they trust me to do this, but it'll take me a while and then do the manual so sadly these two projects will probably take me all of my internship time and not get to designing the FamilyZone...sad!

My other classes are good (BIS 402 with my crazy teacher is fun) and boring for others (IND and INT). Nothing more to report.

Lastly, I went to two of my three training classes for my new job. so I am half way there. I will be starting to watch Alex on Friday. I am nervous because of all the rules from Article 9 (the rules made to protect them)...I can't really treat him like a "normal" child because of the rules, but they want me to treat him "normal". Nice challenge there. I look forward to getting in it all.

So another week down...it was VERY stressful and many emotions came out of it, but I made it. Now on to week 14. Sorry, I guess this was a bit long. Not on purpose!

Christmas in September...

Doug and Brenda had an entertainment center that they needed "stored". They offered it to us and we jumped on the offer. In order to fit it into Lyle's "gameroom" we had to do some arranging so here's how it all turned out. Those that have been in the room know it's long so we decided to put the center against the wall by the door, the fouton is coming out from the wall from the closet doors and the computer is against that-so Lyle has his own little corner now.

This is the entertainment center and the center from the view of Lyle's computer desk.

This is the fouton with the walk way on the right side, and the desk in the corner.

It's a nice set up and makes the room look shorter, but we both like the set up.

Aside from enjoying the fact that the center holds our tv and the videos and makes the room look much more organized, the top of the center has a place to displace collectables.

For those that don't know, I have been wanting a curiocase (sp?) so that my collectibles from childhood (I collected horses, disney characters and other glass figurines) could see the light of day (it's been at least six years).

So having the entertainment center with the display on top allowed me to get out my collectables and now display them!! YAY!

It really was like Christmas morning. I had not seen my collectables in six years (they've all been in boxes tightly packed) and so with each piece I picked up to unwrap brought so much anticipation and exitement and then opening them and seeing them again brought back to many memories that I could FINALLY share with Lyle (he's never seen them-just heard me talk of them). I missed seeing them SO much.

Some memories to point out...

The wood man that dad brought me back from Massachusets...

The sand castle Lyle n I bought on our honeymoon...

My beautiful glass rose Lyle gave for our engaged Valentines-he drove to Cruces just to give it to me...

So many others...each horse I opened reminded me of my family...the love vase from Jill (for our marriage), the unicorn with the water ball from Andy, grandma's beaded doll of me, oh! I just love them ALL!

Lastly...two other things I ran across that I forgot I had...

My "Prince-in-Training" packet that Jen made for me I think it was the year before I met Lyle...he really was in training! :)

And my Eeyore hanging that Karin made for me for Christmas.

I can't even explain to you the joy this all brought to me after such a hard week!

Week One...fifteen to go!

I'm ALIVE!! That's important!

Going into my second to last semester, I was expecting it to be easy (maybe one hard class) with spare time in the morning (I get to sleep in) and in the afternoon...WRONG!

Monday-Class is at 11:50...sleep in, take it easy...at least that worked out as planned. Then I headed off to class (IND 316-Industrial Design History), sat through a VERY long lecture from the teacher I've had before...he's long winded and BORING, but easy. Then I had an hour break to check my email and stay indoors as much as possible. Then my second class, (BIS 402-Interdisciplinary Study Core Class) my teacher is kinda weird...doesn't suprise me too much since 301 and 302 I was stuck with the psychoEST teacher...maybe BIS attracts them...

the difference, I like her craziness because she makes sense and picks a topic that's interesting-the desert.

After class on Monday, I should have tonz of time but I don't get home til 5:30.

Tuesday-I go to the dentist at 7:00AM in the morning!!! Then to my internship where they started me on creating a manual for their guides so for 6 hours straight I read TONZ of info. Then I went directly to my class at 4:30 til 5:45 and listened to very interesting but also boring lecture (INT 310-Interior Decorating History)....tues and thurs are LONG days!

Wednesday-I had an interview with Guthrie for the Respite job working with an autistic child. I got it and had to plan into my schedule when I will attend four four hour classes...let's just say next week will be the week from hell, but the training will be good for three years and I can pick up more clients and make this my full time job for next semester AND after I graduate. YAY! This is what I wanted to get into!

Thursday- a little better because I wasn't reading quite as much at the internship and I was a little more comfortable around those people. Then I went to class and thankfully found a more comfortable chair so it wasn't quite so painful.

FRIDAY!!! I only had one class...the weird part was the night before, there was lightning FILLING the sky and they recorded about 100mph winds....so friday on campus, all the large trees were ripped out and across the parking lot and others were broken and on the walk way. It looked like a war zone. Apparently they are still cleaning up the area.

So that's week one! Stay tuned for next week!