playing Catch up

WARNING!!! TONS AND TONS OF PICS ON THIS ONE

Okay So I am finally ready to play catch up!! I have a lot to tell.  Lets start with the first set of pictures! Kody finally had her first hair cut!! My next door neighbor, Heidi was so kind to cut Kody's hair. THANKS HEIDI!!! She did such a good job! Both girls actually. Kody did really well and Heidi did a cute cut that I'm happy with. My friend Laurie and her lil girl Victoria were there with us to keep Kody looking in the right direction and help her smile.

This is the before shot. She's holding her hair because she knows its getting cut. We talked about it for days so she wouldn't bee scared of it. 

And now it begins. She wouldn't sit on the chair by herself, but that's okay. I don't mind making it easier for Kody. 

She did a good job looking down when she needed to or looking straight ahead. Thanks Victoria for being a big help!

She's almost done! Come to think of it, I didn't take an "after" picture. Hmmm... how odd of me.

BOWLING: It's a little older, but on the night of our final, my school family and I all went bowling! It was so much fun. We had a good turn out too which I was happy with. Even though I didn't pass I still wanted to hang out with my friends. They sure can make me smile and it was an awesome night. I love getting together with friends from school. Usually in college you don't get too close with any of your classmates, but since we are going to be together for a while, you make really good friends. The support we all have for one another is amazing!! School is so hard and if didn't have that support, i don't know what we would do. 

In this pic: Mike, Jessica, Kym, and Kym's fiance... Jason (?). Oops... I don't remember. I think it is Jason... let's go with that.

My good friend Amber and her husband Jimmy.  I love her!!

Part of my school family!! I love them all

Next: My brother-in-law's girlfriend Erica graduated with her Masters!! Whoo hoo!!! congrats Erica. This is at her graduation party at her parent's house. 

Me and Erica. She's so cute!!

My brother-in-law, Seth and Erica.  Anyone think he looks a little like Kole? Yes No?? I think so to a degree. We arrived before they did and when we were meeting some of Erica's family members I think it was her dad that said "oh you must be Seth's brother!"

I think she is so sweet! I love her lil dress too

Big smiles for the camera! Oh so get this! I made her hair curly because i made Reece's hair curly too and within an hour or so... Kody's hair totally went flat in the back. I can't keep her hair to stay no matter what! it is so fine and it is so hot outside that it's just sad. Oh well. She still looks super adorable in this picture.

My niece Reece loves, loves, LOVES Kody to death!! She is always picking her up and trying to carry her around. Reece definitely puts on a "motherly" role when she is around Kody.  After a while Kody started to stand up for herself and yell " no I don't want to be picked up! Leave me alone!"  Kinda sad, but that's what she said.  Kody loves reece too, but Kody isn't a baby anymore.

They were playing around so much on the floor rolling around and laughing!! It was so much fun to watch!

This would have been a super cute picture if kody was looking up with that smile!! Oh well. Kids don't comply all the time. 

I love my lil family! I can't wait til we can add another little bug to our family. The time will come soon enough. I need to get done with school first. I would go crazy otherwise.

They're both making cheesy smiles I love it!! Kody is getting pretty good at making silly faces just like the rest of us! I'm sure I have some pictures on this blog that shows that. heck scroll down near the end and you'll see a lovely one of Kole. Ha ha

CAMELBACK MTN: The other day I took Kody up to camelback mountain to play around with the camera to make sure that whatever we wore would look good with the desert landscape. We were planning on having some family pictures taken there and I wanted to make sure that place worked out and it did! Plus Kody had so much fun climbing around. We didn't go up the mountain. To the right of the trail is another little trail with stone steps and Kody had the best time going up and down those steps. When we left she was soooooo upset. Cried for a good 7 minutes about it. She finally calmed down when I convinced her that we would be coming back with daddy. 

I love my little girl. she is my life

Girls just wanna have fun! Ooooh girls just wanna... have  fuunnn.

Hee hee! I love this

This picture couldn't be more perfect! I didn't even tell her to pose like that. I was just taking pictures playing around and this is what happened!! I love it

My sweet little happy girl! She was such a good sport.  There are times when she loves getting her picture taken and other times where she will not look at the camera to save my life! I love her smile in the top picture! The true happiness of a child is the best thing to see!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO ME!!!! I turned 24 yesterday and I had such a great day!! I went to the gym that morning- treat for me!  After that my friend Laurie came over to give me a little gift- Cold Stone GC! Thanks Laurie! I love ice cream. Laurie's girl Hannah and Victoria were with kody is Kody's room and I don't know what they were doing the whole time, but all 3 girls were laughing so hard it was so funny to listen to! I love hearing my girl have fun with other kids. It takes her a while to warm up to people sometimes.  Then my mom came over and brought me flowers and a zucchini/carrot cake. It's pretty dang good. Then My mom and I drove down to Gammage and my sweet momma bought me WICKED tickets for my birthday!! I am so super excited to go! I've always wanted to see that musical. Kole doesn't like going to musicals. I already dragged him to Les Miserables and Phantom of the Opera and that was almost torture for him. I told him he only had to go with me once and that was all. I am looking forward to going to WICKED with my mom. Then after that I had to drive down to school for register for my summer session. I am just happy to get back into school. Again I feel bad that I don't get to spend my summer with Kody.  When I got home my friend Kathleen brought me a Sonic Cherry limeade! My favorite! Thanks Kathleen. I love birthdays!  That night we went to Texas Road house with a few of my friends for dinner and then to Mesa Frozen Yogurt afterwards. I had so much fun!! It was nice birthday. busy, but nice.

Here is that picture I was talking about Kole making an awesome face!! It makes me laugh so hard

Finally him being serious! I love him so much

My dinner group!!

Don't be jealous of me being on the saddle!! You can ride one too if you go to Texas on your Birthday!! And they give you the best ice cream ever. It doesn't taste like freezer burn or anything (do you sense the sarcasm)

Jessica and me! thanks jess for coming out to celebrate

 

My BFF Lauren and I bought BFF shirts. They go together without making us look like we're in Jr High wearing the same exact shirt. Peace and Love go together like peas in a pod!! I love our shirts!! and I love my BFF. She is such a good friend and I am so blessed to have her in my life and that she is in Kody's life. Thanks Lauren for being such a great friend to me and Kole and Kody.  

phew

Okay, so good news. I was able to get into Gateway CC's summer session of block 2, which means!! when I kick butt and get a good grade, i can continue on in block 3 with my friends at Chandler-Gilbert. It starts June 1, ends August 3, then i'll have a couple weeks off before I start block 3, then after block 3, I'll have a couple weeks off before Block 4 starts. It is going to be a lot of school, but I pray that i can get through it all.  I am so grateful that Gateway opened up this summer session, because all the regular fall semester sessions were "filled up." Meaning MCC, Gateway fall, and SCC didn't have room. One thing that I am excited for is that my friend, Jen from my class will be there with me. I couldn't believe that she didn't pass! She was doing awesome in class and did well on all of her quizzes. She is going to make a great nurse. I am happy that I'll have someone I know in class with me and we'll study together and kick butt.

 

The schedule is going to be crazy and my heart already breaks thinking of leaving Kody with someone for a long time again. She's been so happy with me home that I hate to do this to her again, even though it is for her benefit in the long run... I am going to have my lil sister come nanny for me for most of the summer. In july she has some band stuff she has to do, so if anyone knows of anyone else who wants a summer job, please let me know.  

Here is the schedule: mon, tue, wed 8:30am-3:30 PM for about 4 weeks. Then only mon and tue same time frame, wed and thur off, then clinicals 8 hours on friday and saturday. I'm still not clear if i have to go to clinicals on both days or not. We'll see. anyway, I am happy that I don't have to reapply for the whole program and I am happy that I have an opportunity to gain a better understanding on what to do for people. 

Life is like a River

So yesterday I found out some very bad news for me and my family.  Unfortunately I did not pass my second semester of nursing school. I did my best, I studied hard and it didn't work out. I missed it by 1.3%. That is worth about 3 questions. 3!! that's it. If I earned 3 more points somewhere along the way, I would have made it. I am so frustrated because it was so close. I cried for a long time... multiple times.  Reasons to cry over:

1- I will miss my friends dearly. I have made some good friends and we went through some rough times together in school.

2- I was so close!!!! I kick myself. I don't know if I really could have done anything different. I studied for hours and it didn't benefit me really

3- Now I don't know what my future holds. 

I can apply for a readmission to any school of my choice. I am trying for MCC, GWCC, and SCC and my fate is in their hands now. My school will fax over my readmission paper and it depends on how many slots are available after the block one ends, and how many people are also applying for that slot. So basically I'm not guaranteed a spot to redo my block 2. and If I don't get in this semester, I have to re-apply for the WHOLE DANG PROGRAM!!!!  I just spent a year doing something that I may have to do over again. I do not want that!! If only I got what I want every single time. And i'll have to wait for another year and a half or more to get back into it!! I am very upset with myself and disappointed in myself. I should have tried harder. It's hard knowing everything I worked for has almost gone to waste. The only thing is that i did gain some education and If I do get into block 2 again in the fall, I hope that I would be able to use everything I learned to my benefit. Who knows.  We'll see what the Lord has in store for me. 

I heard the song today "The River" by Garth Brooks and it's so true. 

You know a dream is like a river 

Ever changin' as it flows 
And a dreamer's just a vessel 
That must follow where it goes 
Trying to learn from what's behind you 
And never knowing what's in store 
Makes each day a constant battle 
Just to stay between the shores 

Greatest blessing on Earth

I feel there is no greater blessing than being a mom.  I have the best mom in the world and I am very grateful every single day that I was blessed with her as my mother. She sacrificed so much for me and my siblings as we were growing up, and she still does. She sacrifices her time for me  frequently esp while I am in school. She taught me well and I knew she always had/has a testimony of the gospel.  She is such a wonderful being. 

I love being a mom now. I did not enjoy it so much for the first 6 months of Kody's life. (don't judge). I wasn't ready in a way. I loved my little girl with all my heart, but I didn't love my role as a mom. I was tired, cranky- I couldn't do what I wanted to do; my baby was tired all the time and extra cranky, and I had a hard time making the adjustment. Now that i've made the adjustment I can't imagine life without my little girl. She is so beautiful, sweet, smart, and so funny. She can carry on a full conversation with us now and the things she talks about is hilarious. I keep a journal for her about her life and the milestones she's accomplished and whatnot. I also have one for all the funny things she says and does. That second one is for those days when I am about to explode and I need to read the things that make me laugh.  One day she said to me "I have beautiful panties. they're yellow." And then she'll say to me quite often "I love you so much momma." and give me a big hug and kiss on my leg or cheek or where ever she's close to at that point. It melts my heart and shows me what motherhood is all about. 

Never mind my sick bulging face. I just got done pushing for an hour and I had loads of IV fluid running through my veins. This is the day Kody was born. She was so small and sweet. 

Here is my lil girl now. Or should I say big girl. She's almost 3. I love her so much my heart just swells with love and joy as I look into her sweet blue eyes and see that beautiful smile. (and I don't look so full in the face now )