Our First Home

We are getting so close to closing the chapter of our lives in this apartment.

We've lived here our entire marriage!

6 years!

That's kinda crazy.

Most of our friends who got married around the same time as us.....or even most that have been married less time than us,  have moved at least once, if not several times already.

It's kind of amazing we've lasted here this long.

It makes me really emotional thinking about leaving here,  actually.

Even though we have definitely outgrown it and are ready to leave,  it still makes me sad.

Everything has happened here!

Every part of our lives together so far has happened in this tiny 2 bedroom apartment.

In this apartment we have:

-brought home 2 babies from the hospital

 August 2016

June 2014

-celebrated 5 anniversaries of marriage

2014 Anniversary

-had 6 jobs (Jeff 2, Me 4....I usually worked seasonal or year round jobs to fit with school)

From driving this...

To working with kids...

Pictures the kids I worked with took of me, haha.

I still have dozens of pictures of kids I worked with, but I think sharing those would be frowned upon, even 3+ years later!

'

Buletin board goodness!

Grace at Jeff's work :) (Goldenwest)

Trick or treating at Dad's work

-graduated with 2 Bachelor's degrees (1 each)

-graduated with a Master's degree

-have had 2 near death hospital stays (1 each)

-celebrated 13 birthdays

-loved our backyard

 

-had 1 NICU stay for our baby

-watched our cousin/nephew Zach for 2 school years

-taught Grace everything she knows......
   Crawling,  walking,  running,  jumping,  talking,  singing, dancing,  playing,  eating,  drinking, climbing stairs, manners, how to pray....

 

-watched our favorite shows (Psych, The Office) in a marathon over the summers

-had numerous barbecues in the backyard with people we love
-taught my first harp lessons
-learned how to cook (and sometimes burn) many different things
-learned how to live with a newly diagnosed auto immune disease

-went on soooo many walks around the neighborhood

-laughed the most we've ever laughed
-celebrated numerous holidays, including 6 Christmases

Christmas 2011

Christmas 2012

Christmas 2013

4th of July 2014

Halloween 2014

Christmas 2014

Thanksgiving 2015

Christmas 2015

Halloween 2016

Christmas 2016

-went on vacations to California, Washington D.C., and other places closer to home

Virginia 2012

California 2013

Jackson Hole 2014

Lots of trips to the cabin

Camping 2016

-cried over our trials

-had 11 other families come and go in our 4-plex.

 This was a time we went canoeing with our neighbors! 

Before we had Grace we would do apartment dinners quite a bit. Then I guess we got boring after having a baby, ha ha ha.

Seriously,  we've had sooooo many people move in and out around us.  Some would stay a couple years,  others only a year,  and a few for 3+ years.  We've made a lot of good friends living here.

Our entire life together happened in this apartment. The pictures I'm sharing are just tiny snippets of our life here. It's so crazy to think of where we've been and how far we've come while being here.

Sometimes I remember that Grace truly doesn't know any different than living here and that blows my mind.

She doesn't know any other home.

As we've gone and looked at houses over the past year she's gotten really good at walking around and repeating things she's heard us say in houses like "oooo, nice closets!" Hahahaha.

And most recently when we've told her we are moving into a new house she's gotten REALLY excited and wants to go see it everyday.  :)

Grace in her room in our new house :)

She's been asking us for a pink room,  because in the dozens of houses we've gone and looked at there is generally a little girls room that is painted pink and she's always LOVED them.

She's a little pink obsessed.

So we're going to paint one wall in her room pink.

Today she asked me out of the blue if we can go to her new pink house,  hahaha.

Oh man.....so many bitter sweet emotions. I think I'm going to cry many tears when we leave here for good.

Our landlord here has been the best.

She's an older lady, probably in her 80's, and she just adores all the people she rents to.

She always calls us her family and makes us all feel so loved.

She calls Jeff her captain,  because we've always found everyone new to live here in the other 3 apartments (like I said, 11 other families have lived here with us),  plus Jeff has helped around all the apartments a lot. When he called to tell her we were moving she said "Oh,  I'm so happy for you! But what am I going to do without my captain over there!?"

Hahahaha, we love her.

In the 6 years we've lived here,  I think we've only seen our landlord 7 or 8 times. She's so nice,  cause she makes sure we're taken care of,  but she leaves us alone too.

Well, we're on to new adventures and happy times! We'll always look back at our first apartment very fondly. So much growing happened here.  It'll always have a piece of my heart.

Right Now

Sometimes it's hard to stop and enjoy all the tiny little fun things that happen when you have two little people whose needs must be attended to all day.  I thought I'd write a little about each of them and their current everything's....

Grace:

Nicknames - Gracie, Eden, Edey Ede,  Miss Eden, Gracie Goo, Miss Kin, Kinny, Kinna.  (I may or may not be a nickname variation queen)

Favorites -
      Food - Pizza
      Drink - Milk......forever and ever it will be milk.
      Movie - Trolls and Moana    
      Song - You're Welcome (Moana) and Get Back Up Again (Trolls)
      Toy - Princess Poppy from the Lucky Charms box. It goes EVERYWHERE with us.  "My Poppy go? My Princess Poppy go,  Mommy?" (Don't lose the Poppy....)
      Color - "Pink ANNNNN (And) Purple!!"
      Animal - Dog
      Item she owns - Her pink and gray minky. She's more than massively obsessed.      Place to go - Grandma's house
     Place to eat out - Chicfila
     Meal that Mommy makes - any kind of pasta, but she also loves Mexican dishes with corn and black beans
     Game - Hide N Seek

Grace LOVES to be tickled! But only by people she's really comfortable with.  She'll ask us to tickle her over and over again.  She'll even say "Ouch!!!" But then immediately ask for more,  haha, silly girl.

She says the funniest things all the time.  I'll tell her "five more minutes" and she'll say "no,  Mom,  TWO MINUTES!!"

She's very much like me,  because she's absolutely crazy at home and shy in public.  One of her nursery teachers told me she thought she was so quiet and was shocked when I told her she was not quiet at all at home.  She's constantly running,  SCREAMING,  stomping, and dancing at home.  She's a lot like Jeff too, because when she's out in public she just observes what other people are doing.

She cries over electronics a lot. She's recently in the past couple of weeks decided that she can have our phones whenever she wants.  Or that she can watch a movie whenever too. There has been a lot of crying when she doesn't get her way.  Typical 2 year old,  haha.

She's so nice to her brother all the time. He's almost 4 months old and his novelty hasn't worn off yet.  She absolutely adores him.  She always wants to know where he is and she has to hug and kiss him countless times a day.  Lots of times she'll just look at him and softly say "he's sooo tute (cute)" or "awwww, buddy".

Hunter:

Nicknames - Hunter Boy,  Buddy, Bud, Baby.
Favorites -
       Food and drink - Milk and milk!
       Movie - pretty much anything with flashing lights,  haha jk, he doesn't watch anything yet obviously.
       Song - Can't Stop the Feeling/Sunshine in my Pocket by Justin Timberlake (you think I'm joking that he has a favorite song, come hang out with us!)
       Toy - His hanging froggy toy
       The rest is probably TBD....haha.

He turns 4 months old soon! I can't believe it. He's so little still. I just need to be patient and not wish for him to catch up too fast.

He recently started laughing which is SO sweet! He mostly laughs at Daddy.

He smiles the most at Grace.  He LOVES watching her and loves when she comes up right by him.  It's very sweet watching their relationship form.

He generally sleeps 9-10 hours at night. Last night was bad,  cause he has a cold,  but most nights he usually does really well.

I love my precious little babies!

#LIGHTtheWORLD

As we are nearing the end of our time in Ogden (cough, vague reference to us probably moving in the near future,  cough) I am reflecting so much on our time here!

We've lived here our whole marriage! 6 years!

6 years of school,  jobs,  experiences all around this wonderful city.

I remember when I got married my grandma was so excited I was going to live in Ogden.  I remember her saying "you're the first of all my children and grandchildren to live in this town that we love so much!" My mom and her siblings grew up in Ogden, but none of them lived there after getting married,  and the same for my cousins and siblings.

I was and still am the one and only.  :)

One of my most favorite things I've done in Ogden was working for the YMCA.

We live in a nice neighborhood in South Ogden,  but really only a 3 or 4 minute drive and you're in the heart of downtown where the elementary school that I worked for the YMCA is at.

I learned SOOOO much from that job.  I learned about all different kinds of families.  All different kinds of circumstances and how hard life can really be for people. My eyes were open to the poverty that exists not very far away from my own home. I learned a lot from those sweet kids,  where in most cases they didn't have hardly anything to call their own.

While working there I became acquainted with the YCC which is a center for women in crisis in the downtown Ogden area.  I went to some workshops there and also helped with their after hours childcare,  which was mostly kids that had no where to go after school and needed somewhere to be.

I think most members of my church have heard of the month long #LIGHTtheWORLD movement that has come out....

It's a thing where the LDS church is challenging everyone to do service like the Savior did during the month of December.  They are also saying especially today, December 1st, for everyone to get out and do an act of service for someone.

I really wanted to do some service today,  but being at home with two tiny kids isn't really the easiest situation to get out and help people.

I thought really hard about it for a week or so and for some reason the YCC came to my mind.

I had the feeling that I needed to donate something to help someone in need there.

As I've been packing (cough,  vague reference to moving soon ish, cough) I found my old breast pump from when Grace was a baby.

I got a new one when Hunter was born,  so I haven't been using the one I used with Grace. I also found 2-3 bags full of unused pump supplies and bottles that I got while Hunter was in the NICU.

That was it! That was the thing I could donate.

So today we set out and went to the YCC. It's not the happiest,  safest place, but I went in with my two babies in tow and gave my donation.

The ladies I gave the donation to were so appreciative and nice.  They made me feel like what I gave was going to be really helpful.

The one lady was talking to Grace and said "that's a nice,  big,  warm coat you have!" It made me think that a lot of the kids they see don't have as nice of things as we did walking in there. Going somewhere like that really puts everything in perspective.

On the drive there Grace was asking where we were going and I said we were going to give a donation.  I told her a donation is something you give to someone who doesn't have money to get things for them self. I told her we were going to take a pump like the one mommy has to get milk for the baby.  She chimed in and said "Like Hunter Boy!?" And I said,  yeah, but this is for another mom so she can get milk for HER baby!

Grace kinda paused and then later on was talking just out loud to herself and me saying that we were taking the thing for the baby's milk and that mom didn't have money for the store.

I know Grace is so small still,  but it warmed my heart to be able to take her on that experience with me.

I know taking a donation like that across town isn't the most extravagant way to serve,  but I've just been thinking about Christ and His example of service.

He performed miracles and did so many great things for those He served...

....but He also served in the smallest of ways.

He did countless little things for those around Him.

I know my effort counts!

I'm looking forward to finding  special ways to serve this month leading up to Christmas.

I think no matter what our circumstance is,  we can all find ways to make others days brighter.

I had a strong feeling that my service of taking that donation where I did will be appreciated and it won't be a wasted effort.

I am so fortunate to live where I do,  how I do,  with my wonderful family.  I have more than I could ever want.  I have everything I could ever need.

Savior, may I love my brother

As I know thou lovest me,

Find in thee my strength, my beacon,

For thy servant I would be.

Savior, may I love my brother--

Lord I would follow Thee. 

https://www.mormon.org/christmas/light-the-world

What I'm Thankful For

I have so many things I'm thankful for! I figured I'd write them out in list form,  because that's easier.

What I'm Thankful For:

-Jeff,  Grace,  and Hunter
-Our families.  Our families really are our friends.  Whenever we want to hang out with people or go do something it's always with our parents or siblings.
-All of our parents! All three sets of them bring something we need in our lives and they are all so supportive. They also are the best grandparents and Grace LOVES all of them.  No matter whose house we say we're going to she gets excited.
-My Father in Heaven and His plan for me!
-The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints
-Our apartment of almost 6 years! Oh my goodness,  we've been here forever,  but it's been the biggest blessing. Our landlord treats us like we're her grandchildren.
-The fact that we'll probably be in a new home by Christmas! New to us,  I guess! Hopefully it all works out...finally!
-Jeff's job.  Seriously, he's the hardest worker I know.  His job allows me to be a stay at home mom! And the money he makes provides us with literally everything we have!
-My education! Getting a Bachelor's degree before having kids was one of the best decisions I've made.  It has helped me be a better mom and has given me a lot of practical knowledge for life.
-The changing seasons
-My health! The fact that I'm still standing. :)
-Being able to give my kids fun experiences.  This stems back to Jeff's job again.
-Ice cream
-The holiday season
:)