I love traditions, and holiday traditions are perhaps the best kind. This is technically mine and James's first Christmas as husband and wife, though last year felt like it, because we were 9 days from our wedding. So far, James and I have meshed and partaken in our families' traditions. I wonder how much will change once we add our children to the mix!
What are the traditions that I hold most dear?
1. The Mechling Family Christmas Party
Every year, my extended family gather for a family party. The Mechling extended family is quite large, and growing larger all the time. We used to gather at my grandparents house, but it's been many years since we could all fit inside. (We still go there for Grandma's birthday, but that's in July, so we just spill out over the lawn.) The routine has remained the same for those same number of years: we have dinner (always with sandwiches provided by Grandma, and usually a large variety of funeral potatoes), then the young children put on a Nativity (we're thinking our Baby J will probably be Baby Jesus next year, unless somebody else has a baby in between), we play "the game" (we each bring an inexpensive, gift-wrapped food item and play some variant of a white elephant game, except the gifts do not get unwrapped until the end), and then Grandma gives out presents to everyone. The party itself is fun, but mostly I enjoy seeing my favorite aunts, uncles and cousins, who I see, on average, twice at year--at the Christmas party, and at Grandma's birthday.
2. Christmas cards
For as long as I can remember, my mother has taped Christmas cards to the inside of the front door at my parents' house. Every Christmas card she received went up on the door. I actually hadn't realized how great of an impression this particular habit had made upon me until this year. Our house is a split-entry, with the front door down a flight of steps from the main part of the house. As I received the first couple of Christmas cards, I was completely torn about where to put them. Tradition told me to tape them to the door--but that was so far away, and I wouldn't get to enjoy them as much! I tried taping them to a wall at the top of the stairs, but they kept falling down. I ended up putting them all on the fridge (I had to reorganize to make room for them!) While I wasn't completely satisfied, it was the best I could do.
3. Christmas Eve with my birth family
I reunited with my birth parents when I was 18 years old, which has become an incredible blessing in my life. That first year after reuniting, my birthdad ("Pops") invited me to spend Christmas Eve with him and his family at his parents' house--my birth-grandparents. I'll admit, it was a little awkward at first, meeting all these people whom I was technically related to, but had no relationship with whatsoever. But Grandma & Grandpa Walles have always been very gracious, and over the years I have become very fond of them. Last year, Christmas Eve was a bit of a sticky point between me and James, because his family also has a celebration on Christmas Eve, which he was sorry to miss. I am so grateful that he agreed to go with me to my birthgrandparents' house, because he totally got sold! He didn't even question, this year, that we would be going there for Christmas Eve. I guess the big thing for me is that this is the one time of year that I can count on seeing my extended-birth-family, and I enjoy maintaining that connection, however limited.
4. Stockings
James and I have not made stockings for ourselves, something I really debated this year. I am determined to institute stockings next year with Baby J. I loved my stocking as a kid. The rule in our house growing up was that my brother Kyle and I could get up as early as we wanted to open our stockings, as long as we didn't open any other presents until Mom and Dad got up. It was brilliant! Kyle and I often got up together around 3 or 4am to open our stockings. We would sit up and play and eat treats, then go back to bed until our parents were ready to get up. These are some of my fondest memories of spending time with my brother.
These are the most important traditions that have been on my mind. I actually feel that my immediate family doesn't have many traditions--something that I hope to change with mine and James's family. I hope to create customs of service, music, and family time with our children in the years to come. I feel that traditions such as these are part of what make Christmas such a special time of year.
Tuesday, December 24, 2013
Monday, December 9, 2013
Pregnancy Overload
I've debated a lot about posting pregnancy-stuff. I have watched some of my friends as they have gone through their pregnancies posting constantly on Facebook about being pregnant. And frankly, I find that annoying. I want to ask, "Did the rest of your life cease to exist for nine months?" Of course, many of these are the same mothers who proceed to post incessantly about their baby/toddler/preschooler/etc. "Did the entire Facebook community really need to know about your potty-training mishap today?" I think not.
This said, I have to concur that pregnancy is very consuming. I think about pregnancy/childbirth-related things a lot. A great deal of my brainpower is consumed with the process of becoming a mother.
And so I seek a middle ground. On Facebook, I allow myself an occasional pregnancy post. Most of them are related to large baby announcements, like discovering his gender. Every once in a while, if something really wacky happens (like experiencing heartburn for the first time in my life) I allow myself to comment upon it. However, it is important to me to intersperse these posts with those concerning other things. Because my life did not in fact cease to exist the moment I found out I was pregnant.
So, dear reader, I hope you'll forgive me, because I'm about to inundate you with a blog post -- an enormous post about my life being pregnant. I've been having a lot of thoughts that I've considered sharing, but have kept to myself (see above). I figure if I get them all out at once, perhaps they'll stop tickling the back of my brain!
Here goes.
Physical
Being pregnant is one of the weirdest experiences ever. On the one hand, it seems to go so slowly, that the changes are hardly noticeable at times. On the other hand, my body is literally changing every day, and then I have random moments where something is different and I can't figure out when that happened, except that I very suddenly have to adjust.
Dare I go into detail?
The first big thing was my breasts got bigger. Not that they needed it. I didn't actually notice the size difference at first--no, the first thing I noticed were some brand-new stretch marks. What the...? Fortunately they haven't grown again since the first couple of months. (Knock on wood.) But they also have been consistently, incredible tender, pretty much since week 6. These days, being cold makes them hurt even worse. With the winter chill, it has made for some fairly unpleasant moments.
My belly is growing, of course, but that part I actually kind of enjoy. It helps that I have a husband who makes a point to reassure me daily of his affection and attraction. :) I'm kind of in that questionable phase--James said the other day, "If I didn't already know, I would probably guess that you're pregnant, but I wouldn't say anything." I know it's a little weird, but I actually like looking pregnant, and I want to appear unquestionably so.
Morning sickness was definitely present. I kept banking on what everybody said about it going away after the first trimester, but I hit 15 weeks and it got worse. A lot worse. At that point, I caved and asked for some anti-nausea medication, which was a lifesaver. Fortunately the morning sickness (*biggest misnomer ever* by the way) has died down somewhat, but I still get random spikes of nausea. Like on Saturday, when I threw up my lunch with about 5 seconds of warning. (It was enough warning to dash to the nearest toilet, thank goodness.) My brother- and sister-in-law were here. It was awesome. :-/
I haven't had a ton of food cravings. My most consistent craving has been potatoes. It started about the time that we went on our cruise, and still strikes at random. Basically any form of potatoes, though depending on my mood: baked potatoes, french fries, funeral potatoes, potato chips, mashed potatoes, etc. I also desire chocolate on a regular basis, but that may or may not be pregnancy related...
Of course I've had the run of aches and pains. Days of headaches. A pain in my lower back that strikes only once I lay down for the night...every night. Round ligament stretching pain. Oh, and a very scary Thanksgiving night of contractions brought on by dehydration. Not the most awesome way to spend the holiday, I can tell you!
Right now I'm struggling with balance. You know, I teach and practice martial arts, so this is kind of a big deal at work. I hadn't really had any issues at the studio until last week. I was practicing my forms and could not stop falling over. Slow motion kicks the next day? What a joke! I don't know if my balance will be coming back or not. I hope so.
The aforementioned heartburn has only occurred twice so far, for which I am grateful. The funny thing was, I didn't actually know what it was (having never experienced heartburn before). After describing it to my husband, James identified it, and recommended getting some Tums. Hours later, I succumbed. Heartburn is so uncomfortable! Thankfully, the Tums did the trick. If it became a consistent issue, I might consider other options, but we're going with it for now.
Also? I sleep so much. I resisted at first, because it seemed pretty unnatural (and lazy) to spend 10 hours in bed at a time. But if I make myself get up earlier, I seriously struggle all day long. So I finally decided, "Hey, you know what? This pregnancy will probably be the only one where I'll actually be able to sleep this much. I'm taking advantage of it!"
The very best moments of my day are when Baby J kicks. If you ever catch me with a random, sappy little grin on my face, that's probably what's happening. Even more awesome are when James feels the kicks too. I think James likes to feel the baby kick mainly because it's an assurance that Baby J is well. For me, it's that, but it's also like a little voice is quietly saying, "Hi Mama! I love you!"
Emotional
I've been pretty fortunate, I think, on the emotional front. You hear the craziest stories about pregnant women! I've had a couple of weird moments, which mostly consist of periods of uncontrollable weeping. Like, right after we got Shadow, and he peed in the house. I totally lost it. In these moments, I'm mostly grateful for having an amazing husband, who just goes with it, holds me, and loves me despite my crazy hormones.
No nesting instincts quite yet. It was funny, I was talking to a friend of mine the other day who is also pregnant, about 6 weeks behind me. She was saying how she wasn't going to be one of "those people" who starts decorating the nursery the moment she finds out she's pregnant. No, she's going to be sensible, and wait until she's at least 5 months pregnant. Then she'll start. I had to laugh, and told her so--because I'm 5 months pregnant right now, and I don't think we'll start decorating our nursery until February!
I'll admit to you that I'm really sensitive to babies and pregnant ladies right now. Like, when watching movies or reading books. I was reading yesterday about a woman who experienced multiple miscarriages, and right after I finished I went down to the office to sit with James (read: get an enormous hug from James because I was so emotional). His response? "Why do you read stories like that while you're pregnant??" Valid question.
Spiritual
I am in such a good place spiritually. I feel the immensity of the task before me -- being a mother! bringing a child of God into this crazy, horrifying world! -- and yet, I feel no fear. I guess in this sense I differentiate worry from fear. I worry about our children. I worry about providing for them. I worry about the things they will have to face in this life. But I am confident in my knowledge that together, as a family united with God, we will be able to handle whatever comes.
I am simply so excited to become a mother. I know to some of you, 27 doesn't seem like very old to become a parent. But I have been waiting for years for this time. Understand, most of my close friends married fairly young, and began having their families soon afterward. I was one of the last of my close friends to marry, and one of the last to start having children. I have watched their babies grow, with a deep longing in my heart. The longing is different now that I am pregnant, particularly because it is only a few months (interminable though they may seem) until I will hold my baby in my arms.
I feel a great deal of peace. I feel God's love for myself and my little family. I feel His blessings being poured upon us right now. I know, of course, that trials will strike, probably when least expected. But at this time, I am grateful to be enjoying this period of tranquility.
Other
James and I are in the midst of some significant decision-making: we are considering changing care providers for my delivery. I will probably post more about that once we actually make some decisions.
Can I just say that I find it bizarre how much women like to give advice to other women about pregnancy? I really hope I don't become one of these people. Even the women who preface their advice with, "I know you'll get a lot of pregnancy advice, but..." First of all, we have a little helpful tool called the internet. When bizarre prego things happen, that is my first resource. Secondly, if I really have a concern, I will turn to my midwife! For some strange reason, though, women seemingly can't help but share their experience, despite the fact that every pregnancy is different, even different pregnancies for the same individual. But I'm learning that all you can do is graciously thank people for their advice, because you will never, ever, stop receiving it.
It's also kind of odd to me how many people I know who are pregnant right now. It's seriously nuts. I could certainly list over a dozen just off the top of my head. Maybe two dozen. At first I got a little grumpy every time someone else I knew announced they were expecting. James gently rebuked me for this: "Are you the only one allowed to be pregnant right now?" I'll admit it was a selfish thing: I like being the center of attention sometimes, and I wanted the focus to be on ME! :-P Fortunately I've gotten over that batch of pique, so I can experience genuine happiness for my friends and family who share their news.
***
Whew. There it is. All my current thoughts on pregnancy. If you actually read all of that, I think you probably have too much time on your hands! But it is relieving to me to spill it all out here. So, look forward to non-pregnancy related posts in the future, and thanks for stopping by!
This said, I have to concur that pregnancy is very consuming. I think about pregnancy/childbirth-related things a lot. A great deal of my brainpower is consumed with the process of becoming a mother.
And so I seek a middle ground. On Facebook, I allow myself an occasional pregnancy post. Most of them are related to large baby announcements, like discovering his gender. Every once in a while, if something really wacky happens (like experiencing heartburn for the first time in my life) I allow myself to comment upon it. However, it is important to me to intersperse these posts with those concerning other things. Because my life did not in fact cease to exist the moment I found out I was pregnant.
So, dear reader, I hope you'll forgive me, because I'm about to inundate you with a blog post -- an enormous post about my life being pregnant. I've been having a lot of thoughts that I've considered sharing, but have kept to myself (see above). I figure if I get them all out at once, perhaps they'll stop tickling the back of my brain!
Here goes.
Physical
Being pregnant is one of the weirdest experiences ever. On the one hand, it seems to go so slowly, that the changes are hardly noticeable at times. On the other hand, my body is literally changing every day, and then I have random moments where something is different and I can't figure out when that happened, except that I very suddenly have to adjust.
Dare I go into detail?
The first big thing was my breasts got bigger. Not that they needed it. I didn't actually notice the size difference at first--no, the first thing I noticed were some brand-new stretch marks. What the...? Fortunately they haven't grown again since the first couple of months. (Knock on wood.) But they also have been consistently, incredible tender, pretty much since week 6. These days, being cold makes them hurt even worse. With the winter chill, it has made for some fairly unpleasant moments.
My belly is growing, of course, but that part I actually kind of enjoy. It helps that I have a husband who makes a point to reassure me daily of his affection and attraction. :) I'm kind of in that questionable phase--James said the other day, "If I didn't already know, I would probably guess that you're pregnant, but I wouldn't say anything." I know it's a little weird, but I actually like looking pregnant, and I want to appear unquestionably so.
Morning sickness was definitely present. I kept banking on what everybody said about it going away after the first trimester, but I hit 15 weeks and it got worse. A lot worse. At that point, I caved and asked for some anti-nausea medication, which was a lifesaver. Fortunately the morning sickness (*biggest misnomer ever* by the way) has died down somewhat, but I still get random spikes of nausea. Like on Saturday, when I threw up my lunch with about 5 seconds of warning. (It was enough warning to dash to the nearest toilet, thank goodness.) My brother- and sister-in-law were here. It was awesome. :-/
I haven't had a ton of food cravings. My most consistent craving has been potatoes. It started about the time that we went on our cruise, and still strikes at random. Basically any form of potatoes, though depending on my mood: baked potatoes, french fries, funeral potatoes, potato chips, mashed potatoes, etc. I also desire chocolate on a regular basis, but that may or may not be pregnancy related...
Of course I've had the run of aches and pains. Days of headaches. A pain in my lower back that strikes only once I lay down for the night...every night. Round ligament stretching pain. Oh, and a very scary Thanksgiving night of contractions brought on by dehydration. Not the most awesome way to spend the holiday, I can tell you!
Right now I'm struggling with balance. You know, I teach and practice martial arts, so this is kind of a big deal at work. I hadn't really had any issues at the studio until last week. I was practicing my forms and could not stop falling over. Slow motion kicks the next day? What a joke! I don't know if my balance will be coming back or not. I hope so.
The aforementioned heartburn has only occurred twice so far, for which I am grateful. The funny thing was, I didn't actually know what it was (having never experienced heartburn before). After describing it to my husband, James identified it, and recommended getting some Tums. Hours later, I succumbed. Heartburn is so uncomfortable! Thankfully, the Tums did the trick. If it became a consistent issue, I might consider other options, but we're going with it for now.
Also? I sleep so much. I resisted at first, because it seemed pretty unnatural (and lazy) to spend 10 hours in bed at a time. But if I make myself get up earlier, I seriously struggle all day long. So I finally decided, "Hey, you know what? This pregnancy will probably be the only one where I'll actually be able to sleep this much. I'm taking advantage of it!"
The very best moments of my day are when Baby J kicks. If you ever catch me with a random, sappy little grin on my face, that's probably what's happening. Even more awesome are when James feels the kicks too. I think James likes to feel the baby kick mainly because it's an assurance that Baby J is well. For me, it's that, but it's also like a little voice is quietly saying, "Hi Mama! I love you!"
Emotional
I've been pretty fortunate, I think, on the emotional front. You hear the craziest stories about pregnant women! I've had a couple of weird moments, which mostly consist of periods of uncontrollable weeping. Like, right after we got Shadow, and he peed in the house. I totally lost it. In these moments, I'm mostly grateful for having an amazing husband, who just goes with it, holds me, and loves me despite my crazy hormones.
No nesting instincts quite yet. It was funny, I was talking to a friend of mine the other day who is also pregnant, about 6 weeks behind me. She was saying how she wasn't going to be one of "those people" who starts decorating the nursery the moment she finds out she's pregnant. No, she's going to be sensible, and wait until she's at least 5 months pregnant. Then she'll start. I had to laugh, and told her so--because I'm 5 months pregnant right now, and I don't think we'll start decorating our nursery until February!
I'll admit to you that I'm really sensitive to babies and pregnant ladies right now. Like, when watching movies or reading books. I was reading yesterday about a woman who experienced multiple miscarriages, and right after I finished I went down to the office to sit with James (read: get an enormous hug from James because I was so emotional). His response? "Why do you read stories like that while you're pregnant??" Valid question.
Spiritual
I am in such a good place spiritually. I feel the immensity of the task before me -- being a mother! bringing a child of God into this crazy, horrifying world! -- and yet, I feel no fear. I guess in this sense I differentiate worry from fear. I worry about our children. I worry about providing for them. I worry about the things they will have to face in this life. But I am confident in my knowledge that together, as a family united with God, we will be able to handle whatever comes.
I am simply so excited to become a mother. I know to some of you, 27 doesn't seem like very old to become a parent. But I have been waiting for years for this time. Understand, most of my close friends married fairly young, and began having their families soon afterward. I was one of the last of my close friends to marry, and one of the last to start having children. I have watched their babies grow, with a deep longing in my heart. The longing is different now that I am pregnant, particularly because it is only a few months (interminable though they may seem) until I will hold my baby in my arms.
I feel a great deal of peace. I feel God's love for myself and my little family. I feel His blessings being poured upon us right now. I know, of course, that trials will strike, probably when least expected. But at this time, I am grateful to be enjoying this period of tranquility.
Other
James and I are in the midst of some significant decision-making: we are considering changing care providers for my delivery. I will probably post more about that once we actually make some decisions.
Can I just say that I find it bizarre how much women like to give advice to other women about pregnancy? I really hope I don't become one of these people. Even the women who preface their advice with, "I know you'll get a lot of pregnancy advice, but..." First of all, we have a little helpful tool called the internet. When bizarre prego things happen, that is my first resource. Secondly, if I really have a concern, I will turn to my midwife! For some strange reason, though, women seemingly can't help but share their experience, despite the fact that every pregnancy is different, even different pregnancies for the same individual. But I'm learning that all you can do is graciously thank people for their advice, because you will never, ever, stop receiving it.
It's also kind of odd to me how many people I know who are pregnant right now. It's seriously nuts. I could certainly list over a dozen just off the top of my head. Maybe two dozen. At first I got a little grumpy every time someone else I knew announced they were expecting. James gently rebuked me for this: "Are you the only one allowed to be pregnant right now?" I'll admit it was a selfish thing: I like being the center of attention sometimes, and I wanted the focus to be on ME! :-P Fortunately I've gotten over that batch of pique, so I can experience genuine happiness for my friends and family who share their news.
***
Whew. There it is. All my current thoughts on pregnancy. If you actually read all of that, I think you probably have too much time on your hands! But it is relieving to me to spill it all out here. So, look forward to non-pregnancy related posts in the future, and thanks for stopping by!
Wednesday, November 27, 2013
"Obligatory Thanksgiving Gratitude Post" - or something like that
I can't help feeling a little stereotypical, a little cliche, while writing a gratitude post at Thanksgiving time. However, I would also feel rather sad and calloused if I did not jump on the Thanksgiving train and express the sincere gratitude that I feel--Thanksgiving time or not.
At this time, I am feeling particularly sensitive to the fragility of life. My cousin Matt Mechling died in a tragic car accident last week, and I attended his funeral Monday. On the one hand, it was nice to see so many members of my extended Mechling family. If only it hadn't been such a terrible reason to get together.
My cousin was 38 years old. He left behind a vibrant and beautiful wife, and their two teenage sons, the younger of whom has severe autism. All three of them spoke at the funeral (the younger son with his mother's assistance) along with a handful of others. The funeral was beautiful, in a way. It was truly a tribute to Matt's life. It is obvious that he was a truly remarkable husband, father, brother, and friend.
The funeral affected me in several ways. I would be lying if I said it hadn't struck a chord of fear within me. What would I do if I lost my James too early? Now, or ten years from now, still too soon to lose my best friend, my companion.
It also sharpened my sense of gratitude. I have so many blessings. So many things for which I feel immeasurably grateful. I suppose it is the excuse of Thanksgiving that I use at this time, but I would now like to take the opportunity to express just a few of the things for which I am feeling thankful at this time.
My husband
"How did I get so lucky?" is a pretty common expression in our house. And I feel it: I feel incredibly lucky. Before I got married, I had no idea just how wonderful marriage could be. James and I truly enjoy one another. We love spending time together: at the studio, at church, with friends, and at our home, cooking, reading, listening to or playing music, watching movies, playing with Shadow, just talking. Even when we are doing separate things, we most often will still be found in the same room.
I am grateful for his love, for his affection, and for his willingness to express both to me. I am grateful for his drive and his dedication, to his schoolwork and all that he sets his mind to. I am grateful for his spirituality, his willingness to share his testimony, and his determination to live the gospel. I am grateful for his work ethic. I am grateful for his compassion and his kindness. I am grateful for the respect that he shows me every day.
James is the very best part of my life. Words cannot fully express my gratitude for him!
Baby
I haven't even met Baby J yet, and I'm already grateful for him. His little kicks and nudges make me immeasurably happy. Motherhood is something that I have craved for many years, and I am so grateful to finally be in this stage of my life.
Parents
I am so grateful for my parents. They are such a blessing in my life. Both of my parents care very deeply about me, and they show it to me day after day. I am grateful to them for caring, for taking care of me (even now that I'm married and starting my own family) and for being such a phenomenal example of what love, fidelity, and dedication look like in marriage.
Shadow
My puppy makes me ridiculously happy. And he's such a good dog. We win.
Home
We love our house. I am so grateful that we had the opportunity to buy our home. It truly has become a haven. I'm especially grateful at the moment, as we have begun contemplating what we want to do with Baby J's nursery--and we can do whatever we want, because it's our house! I feel more at home in this place than I ever have in the many apartments I've rented over the years.
Music
Maybe I'm sensitive to this at the moment (currently listening to "Come Thou Fount of Every Blessing" sung by the Mormon Tabernacle Choir. Check it out) but I really find myself distraught at the thought of my life sans music. I love listening to music, and I love playing music. The piano is one of my greatest comforts and outlets. Also? James brought out his violin on Sunday and played it for me for the first time ever. Wow.
Taekwondo
I am so grateful to have the opportunity to teach at our Taekwondo school. I work with some pretty amazing kids, and I find immense satisfaction in seeing them learn and grow and become more confident. I am also grateful for the other opportunities that it has afforded me: becoming more athletic and confident myself, but also things like the referee experience I have gained and so thoroughly enjoyed. I can no longer imagine my life without Taekwondo in it, particularly because the martial arts are such an integral part of mine and James's life together, and what we intend for our family.
The Gospel
It is unfathomable to me to imagine my life without the light of Christ. Each and every day I am blessed. I am grateful to have insta-friends via our ward. I am grateful to have the scriptures. I am grateful to have knowledge of my Savior and His Atonement. I am grateful to have the Spirit to guide and direct me, and comfort me. And I am especially grateful for the temple, and all the blessings received there. Particularly in times of trouble, the temple brings me great comfort.
And so, so, so much more...
If I were to sit and truly "list" my blessings, it would be an endless task. There are multitudes of people, events, things, and realizations in my life for which I am grateful. I would rather not wax even more verbosely than I already have. Instead, please know that I am a very fortunate person, for whom the world holds much good.
Happy Thanksgiving!
At this time, I am feeling particularly sensitive to the fragility of life. My cousin Matt Mechling died in a tragic car accident last week, and I attended his funeral Monday. On the one hand, it was nice to see so many members of my extended Mechling family. If only it hadn't been such a terrible reason to get together.
My cousin was 38 years old. He left behind a vibrant and beautiful wife, and their two teenage sons, the younger of whom has severe autism. All three of them spoke at the funeral (the younger son with his mother's assistance) along with a handful of others. The funeral was beautiful, in a way. It was truly a tribute to Matt's life. It is obvious that he was a truly remarkable husband, father, brother, and friend.
The funeral affected me in several ways. I would be lying if I said it hadn't struck a chord of fear within me. What would I do if I lost my James too early? Now, or ten years from now, still too soon to lose my best friend, my companion.
It also sharpened my sense of gratitude. I have so many blessings. So many things for which I feel immeasurably grateful. I suppose it is the excuse of Thanksgiving that I use at this time, but I would now like to take the opportunity to express just a few of the things for which I am feeling thankful at this time.
My husband
"How did I get so lucky?" is a pretty common expression in our house. And I feel it: I feel incredibly lucky. Before I got married, I had no idea just how wonderful marriage could be. James and I truly enjoy one another. We love spending time together: at the studio, at church, with friends, and at our home, cooking, reading, listening to or playing music, watching movies, playing with Shadow, just talking. Even when we are doing separate things, we most often will still be found in the same room.
I am grateful for his love, for his affection, and for his willingness to express both to me. I am grateful for his drive and his dedication, to his schoolwork and all that he sets his mind to. I am grateful for his spirituality, his willingness to share his testimony, and his determination to live the gospel. I am grateful for his work ethic. I am grateful for his compassion and his kindness. I am grateful for the respect that he shows me every day.
James is the very best part of my life. Words cannot fully express my gratitude for him!
Baby
I haven't even met Baby J yet, and I'm already grateful for him. His little kicks and nudges make me immeasurably happy. Motherhood is something that I have craved for many years, and I am so grateful to finally be in this stage of my life.
Parents
I am so grateful for my parents. They are such a blessing in my life. Both of my parents care very deeply about me, and they show it to me day after day. I am grateful to them for caring, for taking care of me (even now that I'm married and starting my own family) and for being such a phenomenal example of what love, fidelity, and dedication look like in marriage.
Shadow
My puppy makes me ridiculously happy. And he's such a good dog. We win.
Home
We love our house. I am so grateful that we had the opportunity to buy our home. It truly has become a haven. I'm especially grateful at the moment, as we have begun contemplating what we want to do with Baby J's nursery--and we can do whatever we want, because it's our house! I feel more at home in this place than I ever have in the many apartments I've rented over the years.
Music
Maybe I'm sensitive to this at the moment (currently listening to "Come Thou Fount of Every Blessing" sung by the Mormon Tabernacle Choir. Check it out) but I really find myself distraught at the thought of my life sans music. I love listening to music, and I love playing music. The piano is one of my greatest comforts and outlets. Also? James brought out his violin on Sunday and played it for me for the first time ever. Wow.
Taekwondo
I am so grateful to have the opportunity to teach at our Taekwondo school. I work with some pretty amazing kids, and I find immense satisfaction in seeing them learn and grow and become more confident. I am also grateful for the other opportunities that it has afforded me: becoming more athletic and confident myself, but also things like the referee experience I have gained and so thoroughly enjoyed. I can no longer imagine my life without Taekwondo in it, particularly because the martial arts are such an integral part of mine and James's life together, and what we intend for our family.
The Gospel
It is unfathomable to me to imagine my life without the light of Christ. Each and every day I am blessed. I am grateful to have insta-friends via our ward. I am grateful to have the scriptures. I am grateful to have knowledge of my Savior and His Atonement. I am grateful to have the Spirit to guide and direct me, and comfort me. And I am especially grateful for the temple, and all the blessings received there. Particularly in times of trouble, the temple brings me great comfort.
And so, so, so much more...
If I were to sit and truly "list" my blessings, it would be an endless task. There are multitudes of people, events, things, and realizations in my life for which I am grateful. I would rather not wax even more verbosely than I already have. Instead, please know that I am a very fortunate person, for whom the world holds much good.
Happy Thanksgiving!
Thursday, November 21, 2013
It's a boy!!!
We had our 20-week ultrasound this afternoon. I can think of a few things that I have anticipated more than this (our wedding, for instance) but not very many. We were so excited to see the baby and find out if we are having a boy or a girl.
What I enjoyed most during the ultrasound...was James. "Giddy" is probably the best description for him this afternoon. He loved looking at the pictures, even though they are so hard for us laypeople to make out. He just was thrilled the entire time, and that made me immensely happy.
When the ultrasound tech announced that it was a boy ("100%" was her comment) we were very happy, though not very surprised. We have to remember, James comes from a family of 10 children, 9 of which are boys. His sole sister, who is the only one with children so far, has 3 boys of her own. We would have been very surprised to be having a girl. Still, we are delighted to have the news!
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| Baby J's skeleton-looking face! |
Thursday, October 31, 2013
Happy Halloween from the Holley House!
At the Holley House, we love Halloween.
It started over a month ago with the pumpkins. The original plan had been to wait until it was actually October to make our announcement, but even when that changed to the day of our 12-week checkup, I wasn't willing to change my plan for announcing our imminent arrival via baby pumpkin.
Only a couple of weeks later, Halloween decorations followed, first in the yard, then more appeared indoors.
This was followed by the creation of this year's Halloween playlist, to which I have listened incessantly for the last three weeks:
James spent an evening with some of his siblings visiting the Haunted Hospital in Tooele. I hate haunted houses. Last year while we were engaged, James tried in earnest to get me to go to a haunted house with him, and I basically told him that if he made me go, I wouldn't marry him. :P So this year he knew better, and went with several of his brothers. He had a blast!
We have also spent some time watching Halloween movies, starting off with Hocus Pocus (a Halloween must!), the Addams Family Values, and finishing up this weekend with James's first ever viewing of The Nightmare Before Christmas.
The highlight of our Halloween this year, I'd say, was the party we held last Saturday. We invited a number of our friends, and spent most of Saturday preparing for it. We played Twister, Pin the Tail on the Werewolf, Just Dance, and Rock Band, as well as visiting and devouring snackage. It was a great time!
We also attended our ward Halloween party last night, though we showed up after we got off work, about an hour after the party started. Still, we had the chance to visit with a few people, enjoy some food and treats and the ambiance.
This evening, we are taking off from the studio as soon as we finish teaching, in the hopes that we'll be able to catch at least some of the trick-or-treaters. Having lived in various apartments most of our adult lives, we haven't had many trick-or-treaters, a lack I have felt keenly! Now that we live in a house, we are very hopeful to get some trick-or-treaters! If not, we will have an awful lot of candy left to ourselves....
It started over a month ago with the pumpkins. The original plan had been to wait until it was actually October to make our announcement, but even when that changed to the day of our 12-week checkup, I wasn't willing to change my plan for announcing our imminent arrival via baby pumpkin.
Only a couple of weeks later, Halloween decorations followed, first in the yard, then more appeared indoors.
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| Originally we had five tombstones...one got lost in the crazy wind storm! |
We have also spent some time watching Halloween movies, starting off with Hocus Pocus (a Halloween must!), the Addams Family Values, and finishing up this weekend with James's first ever viewing of The Nightmare Before Christmas.
The highlight of our Halloween this year, I'd say, was the party we held last Saturday. We invited a number of our friends, and spent most of Saturday preparing for it. We played Twister, Pin the Tail on the Werewolf, Just Dance, and Rock Band, as well as visiting and devouring snackage. It was a great time!
This evening, we are taking off from the studio as soon as we finish teaching, in the hopes that we'll be able to catch at least some of the trick-or-treaters. Having lived in various apartments most of our adult lives, we haven't had many trick-or-treaters, a lack I have felt keenly! Now that we live in a house, we are very hopeful to get some trick-or-treaters! If not, we will have an awful lot of candy left to ourselves....
Sunday, October 6, 2013
General Conference moments
A friend of mine posted the other day that she loves October General Conference because it feels like the first holiday of the season, and I couldn't agree more. Part of it is the break from routine (including the regular church routine), part of it is eating yummy food (though I kind of slacked on that part this time around), and part of it is the family time.
Conference this weekend was pretty mellow for James and I. We watched the four main sessions at home. I think James would have watched the priesthood session at home too, now that it's an option, except that his family invited us over for priesthood session/girls night, and we obliged.
But you know, there was something kind of special about watching conference this way, this time. In the past, I have often watched with friends and family, at various locations. But this time, I really treasured watching conference in my home, with my family--all four of us, as we like to say. :)
I found several talks of great meaning to me. I would like to highlight a few.
First, President Uchtdorf's talk yesterday. I have had several friend in recent years decide to leave the Church, for various reasons. On the one hand, it breaks my heart that they make this choice. But on the other hand, I have hated watch them bear judgment and be ostracized because of that choice. So when President Uchtdorf cautioned us that the reasons for leaving the church are many and complex, and that we should not pass judgment, a part of me rejoiced. But then I felt even more strongly when he cautioned all of us concerning our own questions and doubts.
This morning, I really enjoyed President Eyring's talk. To be honest with you, I'm not even sure what he was actually talking about, but I had a really profound moment in the midst of him speaking. He was talking about his parents' marriage at the time, when suddenly, in the moment of clarity, I felt so strongly the truth of eternal marriage. I looked over at James, and I knew that we are going to be together forever. I know that's like, "duh, Valerie, you knew that already" and you're right, I did. It's hard to express realizations like this, so I'll just reiterate that in that moment, it was exceptionally profound.
And of course, I always enjoy listening to President Monson. James and I wept while listening to him talk about his departed wife, and his testimony that they would be together again. What I have always enjoyed most about President Monson is his love for the members and his sense of humor. I cannot get over hearing about people who call him 'Tommy Monson.' I swear it makes me smile every time, because I just can't imagine referring to the Prophet that way. But that is why I love him, this dear Prophet of ours who can make me cry and smile and laugh and make my heart burn with the Spirit all in the same 10 minutes.
It's also poignant to realize that at the next General Conference, we will be preparing for (or maybe already have) a new baby. The talks about family all seemed to be just for me this time around!
Conference this weekend was pretty mellow for James and I. We watched the four main sessions at home. I think James would have watched the priesthood session at home too, now that it's an option, except that his family invited us over for priesthood session/girls night, and we obliged.
But you know, there was something kind of special about watching conference this way, this time. In the past, I have often watched with friends and family, at various locations. But this time, I really treasured watching conference in my home, with my family--all four of us, as we like to say. :)
I found several talks of great meaning to me. I would like to highlight a few.
First, President Uchtdorf's talk yesterday. I have had several friend in recent years decide to leave the Church, for various reasons. On the one hand, it breaks my heart that they make this choice. But on the other hand, I have hated watch them bear judgment and be ostracized because of that choice. So when President Uchtdorf cautioned us that the reasons for leaving the church are many and complex, and that we should not pass judgment, a part of me rejoiced. But then I felt even more strongly when he cautioned all of us concerning our own questions and doubts.
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| This graphic popped up on Facebook practically before the session was over. I'm not normally one for reposting stuff like this, but I loved the quote so much, I couldn't help myself. |
This morning, I really enjoyed President Eyring's talk. To be honest with you, I'm not even sure what he was actually talking about, but I had a really profound moment in the midst of him speaking. He was talking about his parents' marriage at the time, when suddenly, in the moment of clarity, I felt so strongly the truth of eternal marriage. I looked over at James, and I knew that we are going to be together forever. I know that's like, "duh, Valerie, you knew that already" and you're right, I did. It's hard to express realizations like this, so I'll just reiterate that in that moment, it was exceptionally profound.
And of course, I always enjoy listening to President Monson. James and I wept while listening to him talk about his departed wife, and his testimony that they would be together again. What I have always enjoyed most about President Monson is his love for the members and his sense of humor. I cannot get over hearing about people who call him 'Tommy Monson.' I swear it makes me smile every time, because I just can't imagine referring to the Prophet that way. But that is why I love him, this dear Prophet of ours who can make me cry and smile and laugh and make my heart burn with the Spirit all in the same 10 minutes.
It's also poignant to realize that at the next General Conference, we will be preparing for (or maybe already have) a new baby. The talks about family all seemed to be just for me this time around!
Friday, October 4, 2013
God truly cares about me!
I have just had one of the most spiritual moments in my life. As Valerie could tell you, I've been stressing over school work recently, particularly a program assignment for one of my Computer Science classes. I've been struggling with this assignment all week, and it came to a head today, the day the assignment was due.
I started working on this program this morning, and made slow but steady progress throughout the morning. However, around 1:30, I hit a brick wall. I have never been so utterly stymied in anything I've worked on in school, but this one did it. I worked all the way through my 2:00 class and through my leadership class at Taekwondo, fortunate that I have a loving wife to take care of my Leadership responsibilities for today.
The clock kept ticking, and I grew more and more frantic. I had combed my code multiple times, and just couldn't figure out what the matter was. It got to a point where I was *this* close to a nervous breakdown, and I finally turned to the Lord in full. I had uttered some small prayers throughout the day to help me out, and had felt His presence guiding me, but the time for small prayers was over. I gave myself over completely to the Lord, begging him for guidance and direction, admitting that I couldn't do this alone.
I finished my prayer, and waited for an answer. Eventually, I felt I should check a particular section of code I thought I had already combed thoroughly. However, I did look again, and lo and behold, the missing code was staring me in the face! I was able to complete the program for full marks and pass it off on time.
Now, I know that there are some who would read this and say it's merely a coincidence. I assure you, dear readers, that I was certain of that part of my code being acceptable, all the errors pointed to a completely different section of my program, and I almost certainly would not have thought to look at the faulty section. It is my testimony and firm belief this was no coincidence, that God helped me through this struggle, and that He did so because he loves me. It is my prayer that my faith will continue to grow, and that my experience will be an example for others who wonder if God listens and loves us. I know that He does!
James R. Holley
I started working on this program this morning, and made slow but steady progress throughout the morning. However, around 1:30, I hit a brick wall. I have never been so utterly stymied in anything I've worked on in school, but this one did it. I worked all the way through my 2:00 class and through my leadership class at Taekwondo, fortunate that I have a loving wife to take care of my Leadership responsibilities for today.
The clock kept ticking, and I grew more and more frantic. I had combed my code multiple times, and just couldn't figure out what the matter was. It got to a point where I was *this* close to a nervous breakdown, and I finally turned to the Lord in full. I had uttered some small prayers throughout the day to help me out, and had felt His presence guiding me, but the time for small prayers was over. I gave myself over completely to the Lord, begging him for guidance and direction, admitting that I couldn't do this alone.
I finished my prayer, and waited for an answer. Eventually, I felt I should check a particular section of code I thought I had already combed thoroughly. However, I did look again, and lo and behold, the missing code was staring me in the face! I was able to complete the program for full marks and pass it off on time.
Now, I know that there are some who would read this and say it's merely a coincidence. I assure you, dear readers, that I was certain of that part of my code being acceptable, all the errors pointed to a completely different section of my program, and I almost certainly would not have thought to look at the faulty section. It is my testimony and firm belief this was no coincidence, that God helped me through this struggle, and that He did so because he loves me. It is my prayer that my faith will continue to grow, and that my experience will be an example for others who wonder if God listens and loves us. I know that He does!
James R. Holley
Thursday, September 26, 2013
Our little family is growing again!
My 12-week appointment was this morning, which was our predetermined "announcement day" so long as everything was well. Baby Holley is growing and has a healthy heartbeat, which was fun to hear. Actually, at my 8-week appointment, the midwife used a handheld ultrasound machine, so we got to see the baby--or rather, the bean-shaped thing with a heartbeat that they told us was our baby. But we weren't complaining!
The baby is due on April 8th, which seems like a lovely time of year to have a baby. I suppose any time of year is nice to have a baby. Or maybe it's just nice to have a baby, regardless of what time of year?
And to answer your question, dear reader, yes I have been sick, though I have tried to keep up my normal routine as much as possible. I have also been reeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeally tired. Imagine me, who has always been a complete night owl, going to bed at 10:30 every night, because I literally can't function any more. I try to snag naps when I can. The nausea has certainly been the worst part. I haven't actually been throwing up a whole lot (except for that time on our cruise when I lost it on a street corner in Puerto Rico...) but feeling so sick really takes it out of me. But I'm very, very, very hopeful that here moving into the second trimester, that part will fade. Cross your fingers for me!
Anyway, James and I are both incredibly excited. You should see his face light up when he talks about becoming a daddy. It just melts my heart. And I, of course, am overjoyed to become a mommy (at last!) We're excited for what the future has in store for our family!
PS: To our Taekwondo friends--
A few have already expressed concern over whether I will continue teaching after the baby is born. And I'm here to assure you that yes, I intend to continue teaching. That said, I can't plan for the future indefinitely. James and I are committed to Black Belt Testing in January 2015. I will for sure continue teaching until that time. After that is more of a grey area. I love Taekwondo, and I love teaching at the studio with all my heart. It's a little hard for me to imagine life without it. However, my family will always be my first priority. So for now, I'm leaving our post-Black Belt Testing plans undetermined.
Friday, September 20, 2013
Life of Late
Some of the things that have been occupying the time of the Holley family lately:
-I attended the inaugural Salt Lake Comic Con with my co-author Sam Stubbs, where we occupied a booth for three days promoting our books. It was awesome!
-James is back in school at BYU, enjoying some of his classes (being bored by others). While the transition was difficult (I was soooooooo spoiled having him to myself for two months this summer) its been good because....
-I've started actively writing my third book again. Seeing as how Book Two is being released in November (two years, four months after the release of the first book) I am eager to complete the trilogy in a timely manner.
-James and I are both facing a slight change in our schedules at the studio. This past week, I took on a new class: coaching the school demo team. I'm eager for the new challenge. Starting in a week and a half, James will also be taking on a new class, his first "curriculum" class (he's been teaching Weapons for some time, and working as an assistant instructor in several other classes). Even though I will be there as his assistant, it's exciting, for me at least, to see James really growing into his own as an instructor.
-We've started preparing for Halloween. More on this once we actually start decorating and whatnot--which cannot come soon enough, as far as I'm concerned.
-Oh yeah, it was my birthday a few weeks ago. It was lovely. My birthday was on Sunday, so on Saturday, we went on a double-date with our friends the Pages, on Sunday my mother made birthday dinner, on Monday we went out to dinner and I got my first present from James, a printer, and on Tuesday, I got my second present, a couples massage, which was heaven. I felt very spoiled.
-We have been thoroughly enjoying our Shadow puppy. He is darling. We've had a few mishaps, but pretty minor stuff, considering that he's 6 months old and new to our family. He and I go on walks when James is at school, and he is the most curious creature I think I have ever encountered.
That's the bulk of it. We stay busy teaching and learning at the studio, plus school for James and writing for me. That and enjoying one anothers company. And Shadow's company. :)
-I attended the inaugural Salt Lake Comic Con with my co-author Sam Stubbs, where we occupied a booth for three days promoting our books. It was awesome!
-James is back in school at BYU, enjoying some of his classes (being bored by others). While the transition was difficult (I was soooooooo spoiled having him to myself for two months this summer) its been good because....
-I've started actively writing my third book again. Seeing as how Book Two is being released in November (two years, four months after the release of the first book) I am eager to complete the trilogy in a timely manner.
-James and I are both facing a slight change in our schedules at the studio. This past week, I took on a new class: coaching the school demo team. I'm eager for the new challenge. Starting in a week and a half, James will also be taking on a new class, his first "curriculum" class (he's been teaching Weapons for some time, and working as an assistant instructor in several other classes). Even though I will be there as his assistant, it's exciting, for me at least, to see James really growing into his own as an instructor.
-We've started preparing for Halloween. More on this once we actually start decorating and whatnot--which cannot come soon enough, as far as I'm concerned.
-Oh yeah, it was my birthday a few weeks ago. It was lovely. My birthday was on Sunday, so on Saturday, we went on a double-date with our friends the Pages, on Sunday my mother made birthday dinner, on Monday we went out to dinner and I got my first present from James, a printer, and on Tuesday, I got my second present, a couples massage, which was heaven. I felt very spoiled.
-We have been thoroughly enjoying our Shadow puppy. He is darling. We've had a few mishaps, but pretty minor stuff, considering that he's 6 months old and new to our family. He and I go on walks when James is at school, and he is the most curious creature I think I have ever encountered.
That's the bulk of it. We stay busy teaching and learning at the studio, plus school for James and writing for me. That and enjoying one anothers company. And Shadow's company. :)
Tuesday, September 3, 2013
Shadow McSneezsters Holley
When we bought our house, James and I decided that we wanted to adopt a dog. We determined that we would wait until after our cruise, so as not to abandon a new pet for a week. And so, Monday after returning from our cruise, we visited the Humane Society of Utah. :)
We wanted to adopt a dog from a shelter. This made it difficult to know exactly what we would end up with. James wanted a big dog. I was nervous about getting a big dog. Especially where we're planning to have children in the near future, I was hesitant to get a dog that could knock over my toddlers. We figured that we would get a "medium" dog.
When we arrived at the Humane Society, we walked through the Small Dogs room first. There was this little black dog in the first kennel that caught my eye. (Besides him, there was a little terrier, and then the rest of the room was full of chihuahuas. Oy.) But we moved over to the Big Dogs room. We walked a pit bull named Alaska. She was a pretty dog, and VERY enthusiastic. A little too enthusiastic for me, actually. She about knocked me over. James really liked her, but I again expressed my worry about having a big dog while we have small children. We looked around some more, but there were really any "medium" dogs there. They were all big, or small. That's about when I asked James if we could go look at the little black dog again. :)
I fell in love immediately. So immediately that the worker told me we had to spent at least twenty more minutes with him before we'd be allowed to adopt him. I was happy to spend more time with this little pup. Soon enough he was on the way home with us!
Shadow turned out to be an apt name for our baby, not only because of his coloring. Shadow follows us around everywhere. It is amazing how fast he has bonded! And he is one smart cookie. He's only had one accident (at James' parent's house--he was mortified!) and has been very good about going potty. He is darling with kids--he likes to lick their faces--and hasn't nipped or growled once. He has nipped and growled at other dogs, mostly when they come near me. He's a little possessive of his mommy!
Shadow has little quirks, of course. At the moment he has kennel cough. The coughing itself is so sad, his whole little body shakes. The worst part is actually his sneezing--he sneezes constantly and often violently. Ergo his nickname "McSneezsters."
He loves laying on soft things. It's not often that he will simply lay on the floor. He prefers laying in our laps, but he'll settle for anything comfy. His favorite spot has become a rocking chair in our front room. Most afternoons, he claims the chair for a nap. I find it incredibly cute.
Yesterday we went to the Holley's for dinner. Upon arriving, we learned that James's youngest brother Daniel had just gotten a new puppy, a little cocker spaniel he named Birdy. We were worried about how Shadow would get along with the other dogs there. We had the little accident, which might have been the result of Shadow's first interaction with a male dog since we've had him--their Corgi named Pooka. But Shadow did just fine with little Birdy--she followed him around all over the place, barking at him half the time, and he basically ignored her. I actually really enjoyed watching them together.
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| Birdy & Shadow Photo courtesy of Shaylee Holley. |
At any rate, our little Shadow is a delight. He makes me very happy, and I love his company. He's just a complete sweetheart!
Tuesday, August 27, 2013
Honeymoon Caribbean Cruise
Arriving in Miami was a relief. Arriving at the Port of Miami and seeing our enormous cruise ship was even better.
Let me make first mention here of the food. If you know me and James, you know that we like to eat. I've always said that one of the reasons I do Taekwondo is so that I can eat whatever I want. :) The food was one of the top things both of us were looking forward to on the cruise. And we were not disappointed!
There's pretty much food whenever you want it. Breakfast options include a breakfast buffet or room service delivered to your stateroom. Lunch is the buffet, which has everything from Chinese to burgers to Mexican to fish & chips to carved meats, plus a dessert buffet and an endless ice cream machine that's open 24/7. Dinner we had every night in the formal dining room, and frankly, it was one of the highlights of every day.
Day 1, after settling in (and the mandatory awful safety briefing) we went topside to bid farewell to Miami. It was pretty cool, watching the ocean open up in front of us. Of course, we then took a nap in a comfy deck lounge.
That evening, we enjoyed a couple of shows onboard, including a really fun magician/comedian. Ask me sometime about the Grapefruit Guy. Hilarious.
Day 2 was one of my favorites. We visited our first island: Half Moon Cay, Bahamas. It was seriously the most paradisaical place I have ever been. When you see a movie with those white sand beaches, palm trees, and turquoise water, they could've been at Half Moon Cay.
We boarded a sailboat with about 15 other people, and set sail for a private island called Buck Island, which was about an hour's sail from St. Thomas. There, we snorkeled in the bay with sea turtles. It was so amazing! I wish we could've gotten pictures of the turtles, they were so close to us! We also swam through a coral reef, and the fish were incredible, I loved seeing all the different varieties. But the sea turtles were absolutely the best part.
We loved our cruise. It was fantastic, a truly unforgettable experience. I'm so glad we were able to have this vacation at this point in our life together!
Tuesday, August 13, 2013
This Mad Month of August
James and I realized during the first week in August that we would not be going to our ward again until my birthday. Our weekends in August look like this:
Weekend 1: Baby blessing for friends Ellen and Justin's new little baby Reed (who is adorable).
Weekend 2: Mission farewell for friend Kristen, who leaves tomorrow.
Weekends 3 & 4: Honeymoon cruise.
Weekend 5: Camping with birthdad & fam.
Hopefully our ward doesn't forget who we are. It would be ironic to come back on the eighth of September and have to be introduced all over again. Ironic, but entirely possible.
In addition to our full weekends, there's just been a lot going on! Some of them include:
-Coaching at our studio's Black Belt Overnighter (also over the first weekend in August).
-Purchasing and planting a peach tree in our backyard (after first ripping out a dead tree).
-Having various family members over for dinner during several evenings.
-Getting our piano tuned.
-Sealings at the temple. (We were going to do an endowment session, but we decided to let the fervor over the new video die down a little first, instead of waiting 2+ hours to make it into a session.)
-Regular date nights. (So far this month: seeing The Wolverine, which was decent, having lunch at The Pizza Factory--mm!, and seeing The Scarlet Pimpernel at the Scera Shell with my parents).
-Camping at Payson Lakes with my family last weekend.
-Installing new blinds on our front room window after the old ones collapsed in spectacular fashion.
-And of course all the regular stuff like teaching and attending taekwondo classes, grocery shopping, and making goo-goo eyes at each other on a regular basis.
Of course, the big exciting things are yet to come! The greatest of which is our HONEYMOON CRUISE coming in just a few short days! We leave late Friday night, and our cruise begins on Saturday. I couldn't be more excited. This is my first time leaving North America, my first time on a cruise, and probably my last for a long time to come! We have stops in the Bahamas, the Virgin Islands, Puerto Rico, and Grand Turk Island. Not to mention all the fun things to do ON the boat. We'll be gone for a week, and I'm sure it won't be nearly long enough. Can't. Wait.
When we get back, I will 1) be changing my name legally at last. We waited so as to avoid the purchase of a new passport, but with the cruise behind us, I will be officially becoming a Holley. And 2) we will be getting a dog. We're planning to rescue a dog from the pound, so we have no idea what we will end up with. We're agreed on size and temperament, but other than that, it will be interesting to see what we end up with! Regardless, we are both very excited to be adding to our little family. Doggie will be going through trial by fire, as he/she will probably be going camping with us and my birth family that weekend. It will be an adventure, right?
I love my crazy life. I would much rather be busy than bored. Of course, one needs balance, and I do try to find it. James and I make lots of time for R&R, and just for one another's company, which is most important. He is seriously the best husband in the world--for me. Blessings abound, and I am incredibly grateful!!!
Weekend 1: Baby blessing for friends Ellen and Justin's new little baby Reed (who is adorable).
Weekend 2: Mission farewell for friend Kristen, who leaves tomorrow.
Weekends 3 & 4: Honeymoon cruise.
Weekend 5: Camping with birthdad & fam.
Hopefully our ward doesn't forget who we are. It would be ironic to come back on the eighth of September and have to be introduced all over again. Ironic, but entirely possible.
In addition to our full weekends, there's just been a lot going on! Some of them include:
-Coaching at our studio's Black Belt Overnighter (also over the first weekend in August).
-Purchasing and planting a peach tree in our backyard (after first ripping out a dead tree).
-Having various family members over for dinner during several evenings.
-Getting our piano tuned.
-Sealings at the temple. (We were going to do an endowment session, but we decided to let the fervor over the new video die down a little first, instead of waiting 2+ hours to make it into a session.)
-Regular date nights. (So far this month: seeing The Wolverine, which was decent, having lunch at The Pizza Factory--mm!, and seeing The Scarlet Pimpernel at the Scera Shell with my parents).
-Camping at Payson Lakes with my family last weekend.
-Installing new blinds on our front room window after the old ones collapsed in spectacular fashion.
-And of course all the regular stuff like teaching and attending taekwondo classes, grocery shopping, and making goo-goo eyes at each other on a regular basis.
Of course, the big exciting things are yet to come! The greatest of which is our HONEYMOON CRUISE coming in just a few short days! We leave late Friday night, and our cruise begins on Saturday. I couldn't be more excited. This is my first time leaving North America, my first time on a cruise, and probably my last for a long time to come! We have stops in the Bahamas, the Virgin Islands, Puerto Rico, and Grand Turk Island. Not to mention all the fun things to do ON the boat. We'll be gone for a week, and I'm sure it won't be nearly long enough. Can't. Wait.
When we get back, I will 1) be changing my name legally at last. We waited so as to avoid the purchase of a new passport, but with the cruise behind us, I will be officially becoming a Holley. And 2) we will be getting a dog. We're planning to rescue a dog from the pound, so we have no idea what we will end up with. We're agreed on size and temperament, but other than that, it will be interesting to see what we end up with! Regardless, we are both very excited to be adding to our little family. Doggie will be going through trial by fire, as he/she will probably be going camping with us and my birth family that weekend. It will be an adventure, right?
I love my crazy life. I would much rather be busy than bored. Of course, one needs balance, and I do try to find it. James and I make lots of time for R&R, and just for one another's company, which is most important. He is seriously the best husband in the world--for me. Blessings abound, and I am incredibly grateful!!!
Saturday, August 3, 2013
Love & Family photos
We received these picture frames as wedding gifts--funny enough, from two separate people. We had already decorated our apartment at the time we received them, but I liked them, so I hung onto them in the hopes that I would be able to use them at some point in the future.
Of course, moving into our house meant that we had a lot more wall space. (A LOT more wall space.) After sorting out where all our current wall hangings would be placed, I determined that I wanted to use these frames at last, and place them on the walls of our office. I actually hung them last week, in time for a housewarming party (and our video tour) even though the frames were still empty. Or rather, the frames were still full of generic shots of strangers.
I spent an afternoon earlier this week carefully selecting the photos I wanted to go in each frame. I followed the "Love" and "Family" themes, and filled one frame with pictures of our families, and the other frame with pictures of us. (I'm just vain, I guess. And really in love with my husband.) The photos came today, and I am completely in love with the results! This is our "Family" frame:
Top (L to R): my brother Kyle and his wife Kristi, my parents Don & Kathryn, my Grandma Mechling, James' parents Gene & Charmaine, James' brother Patrick and his wife Shaylee.
Bottom (L to R): my family (James & I, my parents, Kyle & Kristi), James & his best friend Damian, us, and then the entire Holley clan (Timothy, Daniel, Shaylee, Valerie, Charmaine, Gene, Brendan, Victoria, Matthew, Thomas, Nicholas, Tristan, Sean, Patrick, James, Caidin, Tyler).
I am just in love with this collection of photos. It displays the people who are most precious to me and to my husband. Family is so incredibly important to us both, and I love having their pictures hanging on my wall. Then I guess I'll show you the "Love" frame, even though it's entirely pictures of us:
Top (L to R): Our NYC trip in April, riding the Screamer at Lagoon in May, from my sister's wedding in October, James' 2nd degree Black Belt test in January, one of my favorite engagement photos.
Bottom (L to R): random photo I love from a lunch at Applebee's one Saturday afternoon, Halloween at a masquerade ball, our mutual favorite wedding-day photo, and my favorite photo of us from Mechling family photos in May.
I wanted pictures that represented the span of our relationship, and the variety of things we've done together. Travel, Taekwondo, our wedding, and just time spent enjoying one another's company. Photographs are very important to me, and a very tangible way that I keep memories. So, this frame may be a little egocentric, but it also makes me very, very happy every time I look up at it. :)
I spent an afternoon earlier this week carefully selecting the photos I wanted to go in each frame. I followed the "Love" and "Family" themes, and filled one frame with pictures of our families, and the other frame with pictures of us. (I'm just vain, I guess. And really in love with my husband.) The photos came today, and I am completely in love with the results! This is our "Family" frame:
Bottom (L to R): my family (James & I, my parents, Kyle & Kristi), James & his best friend Damian, us, and then the entire Holley clan (Timothy, Daniel, Shaylee, Valerie, Charmaine, Gene, Brendan, Victoria, Matthew, Thomas, Nicholas, Tristan, Sean, Patrick, James, Caidin, Tyler).
I am just in love with this collection of photos. It displays the people who are most precious to me and to my husband. Family is so incredibly important to us both, and I love having their pictures hanging on my wall. Then I guess I'll show you the "Love" frame, even though it's entirely pictures of us:
Bottom (L to R): random photo I love from a lunch at Applebee's one Saturday afternoon, Halloween at a masquerade ball, our mutual favorite wedding-day photo, and my favorite photo of us from Mechling family photos in May.
I wanted pictures that represented the span of our relationship, and the variety of things we've done together. Travel, Taekwondo, our wedding, and just time spent enjoying one another's company. Photographs are very important to me, and a very tangible way that I keep memories. So, this frame may be a little egocentric, but it also makes me very, very happy every time I look up at it. :)
Saturday, July 27, 2013
House: Finale!
The long-awaited (for some) post about all things HOUSE!
(Beware: excessive length.) Last Thursday was closing day, and we couldn't have been more excited. We met at the title company that afternoon, with their representative, our loan officer Brother Sly, and our real estate agent Cole. (Now that I think about it, we should have gotten a picture of everyone. Alas.) The paperwork wasn't quite as bad as I had been told to expect, though it was certainly extensive, and often redundant. Still, our companions made it a good time, and it was sure a happy moment when we were done!
Friday morning we finished packing up our kitchen, and went to the RC Willey Outlet to buy our fridge, which we had scoped out earlier in the week. Then we waited eagerly for our keys. We got word from Brother Sly that our loan was in the clear, and soon thereafter, heard from Cole that we could get into the house. We buzzed right on over, and officially took possession of our house.What a happy day!
That evening we took over a few boxes, mostly books and kitchen things. Moving Day was officially set for Saturday. But of course we couldn't pass up the opportunity to spend the first night in our house! So we borrowed my parents van to haul over our mattress, and, as Shaylee would say, we slept at the house in all its empty glory. :)
Saturday morning we were up bright and early to prepare for the move. We were fortunate to have many excellent helpers. We had Cole and Michael, friends, for the first hour (more on that in a moment), our home teacher Mike, James's brothers Daniel and Patrick, and his wife Shaylee, and my awesome parents. We are SO grateful to each of them!
My dad came over at 9am to help James remove a railing from our back deck. Our house is a split entry, which makes moving in large items difficult. So we had determined to take our larger items in through the back--either the back door into our basement, or up the stairs onto our deck and in through the patio door. We also decided to remove the aforementioned railing to facilitate the larger items--especially the piano.
A few months ago, my mother informed me that at whatever point James and I bought a house and settled down for an extended period of time, we could have "my" piano--their upright grand, which my mother had apparently always considered to be mine. (I am the only member of my immediate family who plays.) Though initially reluctant to deprive my parents of their piano, James and I ultimately could not resist, and took them up on their kind and generous offering.
The first hour of our move was therefore consumed with moving the piano and a few other items from my parents house. For this purpose, I had enlisted some extra aid (aka Cole and Michael, who could only be there for that first hour). James and I rented a moving truck from Timp Rentals, which was a great decision. (Loading ramp for the win!) Upon arriving at the house, we got the other things inside, and then the guys tackled the piano.
After that, we went to our apartment to load up our (immense amount of) stuff, then back to the house to unload, which was easier by far. I hate packing, but rather enjoy unpacking. We fed everybody pizza in thanks for their help. After everything was unloaded, everyone but my parents departed with our thanks, while we stayed to unpack, organize, clean, etc, starting with picking up and installing our new refrigerator!
This was one of only a few major purchases we had to make for our new home. I have been lucky enough to collect a lot of furniture and things over the years of my apartment living, without ever having purchased much. For example, our couch and our dryer (I think? or was it the washer?) I inherited from an apartment I lived in over in Lindon. The washer (or dryer?) was a hand-me-down from my cousin Hollie, as was our little entertainment center and rocking chair. The kitchen table was from my parents, although the kitchen chairs were inherited from an old roommate who got married and didn't need them anymore. Our bed was a wedding gift from my parents. We have been very lucky! Besides the fridge, our "major" purchases have included a second couch for downstairs (purchased inexpensively off KSL.com), a new kitchen sink, and a new headboard for our bed. We do still need to purchase a lawn mower. And that will be about it!
Honorable mention goes to my parents, who stayed all day long to help us get settled into the house. (Although they claim it was partially to avoid a bachelor party my brother was hosting at their house. They have been an incredible aid to us throughout the move.
Sunday was low key, but on Monday was when we got our new headboard. The headboard that we'd been using actually belongs to my old bed, which we stored at my parents' house when they bought us the new bed for our wedding present. But when we announced we were buying the house, my mother informed me that she would appreciate us taking the bed, so she didn't have to store it anymore. But in order to put together the bed, it required the headboard. So we needed a new headboard.
We'd been looking for a headboard for a few weeks, but finally found one we liked on Monday morning, via Craigslist. We borrowed my parents van again and drove up to West Valley to get it, only to discover that there was no way in Hades that this thing was going to fit in the van. (It's as tall as I am, with no detachable parts.) So we shoved it in as far as it would go, strapped down the back door, and proceeded cautiously on our way.
We stopped at IKEA on our way home (how I love IKEA!) to pick up a little side table for our family room. I'd been looking on KSL and Craigslist for this as well, but hadn't really seen anything. But when we decided to go up to West Valley for the headboard, James suggested stopping at IKEA. So we looked at their website before we left, and found the perfect little table--for 10 bucks. Can't beat that!
At home that evening we arranged our new headboard to our liking. We'd been looking for something that had shelves/storage space, and this turned out perfectly. We love it!
This week we have kept busy organizing and decorating our house. The last big project came Thursday and Friday, with the advent of our new kitchen sink.
The original sink was white porcelain, which looked old and outdated, not to mention having several chips in it. The garbage disposal was corroded and leaking, and part of our home inspection had been a recommendation to remove it posthaste. The sprayer was dysfunctional, and the biggest thing was that it was shallow (only 6.5" deep). I convinced James that we needed a new sink.
Thursday night, James and I (mostly James) ripped out the old sink. I was actually pretty impressed with him. Granted, the internet makes home jobs like this a lot easier than they used to be. Without mishap, James removed the garbage disposal, disengaged all the plumbing, and together we removed the sink. Not gonna lie, I found my husband to be pretty legit.
Friday was the big finish--we spent the morning hanging the rest of our decor, setting up the guest bedroom, and later in the afternoon, my father came over to help with the installation of the new sink.
The new sink is fantastic. We bought the faucet at Costco, and everything else at Home Depot. It is such an improvement over the old sink.
And with that, we were moved in! HUZZAH!!!!!
Now, I suppose, we shall have the part you all were waiting for: the tour of the house! I thought I'd do this in a video, since that will give you a better impression of what our house is actually like. :)
Friday, July 12, 2013
Nationals Recap
Last week James and I went to Chicago for the USA Taekwondo National Championships. The two of us left Monday afternoon and drove straight through--a trip which ended up lasting about 26 hours, due to the awesome traffic in downtown Chicago. Of course, upon arriving we had time for a quick shower before jumping right back into the car to get me to a referee meeting that night at McCormick Place. Needless to say, we were pretty sick of being in the car by the time we finally got to bed that night!
Thursday, July 3rd was the first day of competition. Of our team of 8 (not counting coaches and parents), only Lexi competed that day, in board breaking. I spent the day refereeing, one of my most favorite pursuits. Although I did not get to spend much time in the center, I still learned a lot and met some great people.
On the Fourth of July, I got to be solely an athlete. We had a couple of competitors that day - Cade competed in board breaking and weapons, and Lexi in sparring. We had planned to go out to the Navy Pier that night for fireworks, but never had the chance. The Demonstration Team competition was that night, and despite a 5pm call time, we did not end up competing until about 10:30pm. We watched the tiny bit of fireworks we could see out the window of McCormick Place before setting up for our demo.
Demo Team was, in a word, disappointing. Don't get me wrong, we had a great performance, one of our best. Our energy was great, and though we had a few flubs, we felt great about what we accomplished. But we took last place. Fifth out of five.
We still don't know why. Watching the other teams, it frankly doesn't make sense. We should have placed, at least. We had strong technique, great energy, good team unity. The only thing we can figure is that perhaps we got docked for something. We learned later that we weren't supposed to use a chair in our demonstration--even though I had asked one of the Vice Chairs this question specifically earlier that day, and he said we were fine. It's possible we were deducted for it. We don't know for sure. Maybe the judges just really didn't like our demo. Who knows. It was a huge disappointment for all of us. Still, we feel proud of our performance. We all worked very hard to achieve what we did, and if I do say so myself, we looked great out there.
Friday and Saturday I was back as a referee. I have to say, it was a lot harder this year, with my team there. In the past, I have gone alone, and have been able to focus entirely upon refereeing. But this year, I kept checking my phone, to see who was fighting or how somebody scored. My five-minute breaks were usually spent dashing over to wherever my team was, to spend those few minutes with my husband and the group. The hardest part was when they all went out without me--to the aquarium, to the Navy Pier. Alas. But I enjoyed refereeing, as I always do, and it was still more enjoyable to have my team to go home to in the evenings.
All in all, our little team of 8 took home 3 medals: Brennon, my student, won the bronze medal in a large sparring division of 28 red belts, which made me very proud. Renee, one of our adult students, took home a bronze in board breaking (it was super fun to watch her with her baby bump--Renee is due in October!). And our friend Kristen won the silver medal in her weapons division, which was very exciting.
And after a loooong drive back to Utah (only 24 hours, but it seemed like much longer!), it feels so good to be home.
Thursday, July 3rd was the first day of competition. Of our team of 8 (not counting coaches and parents), only Lexi competed that day, in board breaking. I spent the day refereeing, one of my most favorite pursuits. Although I did not get to spend much time in the center, I still learned a lot and met some great people.
Demo Team was, in a word, disappointing. Don't get me wrong, we had a great performance, one of our best. Our energy was great, and though we had a few flubs, we felt great about what we accomplished. But we took last place. Fifth out of five.
We still don't know why. Watching the other teams, it frankly doesn't make sense. We should have placed, at least. We had strong technique, great energy, good team unity. The only thing we can figure is that perhaps we got docked for something. We learned later that we weren't supposed to use a chair in our demonstration--even though I had asked one of the Vice Chairs this question specifically earlier that day, and he said we were fine. It's possible we were deducted for it. We don't know for sure. Maybe the judges just really didn't like our demo. Who knows. It was a huge disappointment for all of us. Still, we feel proud of our performance. We all worked very hard to achieve what we did, and if I do say so myself, we looked great out there.
Friday and Saturday I was back as a referee. I have to say, it was a lot harder this year, with my team there. In the past, I have gone alone, and have been able to focus entirely upon refereeing. But this year, I kept checking my phone, to see who was fighting or how somebody scored. My five-minute breaks were usually spent dashing over to wherever my team was, to spend those few minutes with my husband and the group. The hardest part was when they all went out without me--to the aquarium, to the Navy Pier. Alas. But I enjoyed refereeing, as I always do, and it was still more enjoyable to have my team to go home to in the evenings.
All in all, our little team of 8 took home 3 medals: Brennon, my student, won the bronze medal in a large sparring division of 28 red belts, which made me very proud. Renee, one of our adult students, took home a bronze in board breaking (it was super fun to watch her with her baby bump--Renee is due in October!). And our friend Kristen won the silver medal in her weapons division, which was very exciting.
And after a loooong drive back to Utah (only 24 hours, but it seemed like much longer!), it feels so good to be home.
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