My New Blessing...and some fun Stuff

This Saturday my dad arrived in Red Deer with this beautiful piano. It is my Christmas present and I can't think of anything better! It is wonderful to have a piano in our home...it makes it a home. The boys love it already and I cannot express in words the gratitude I feel to my parents for this wonderful gift. I have started teaching 2 pupils so far and hope to add more. I've also decided to start on the journey to completing my RCM accreditation. Which is basically completing my two grades of piano exams and theory exams. It's going to be a long journey...my fingers and my memory are rusty but it's something that I want to do for myself and for my family.

If you don't already know it I'll let you in on a little secret...I love fall. And I love to take pictures of my kids with leaves. I took these the other day at a local Red Deer Park where we had a picnic with Leslie and her kids. I love them all...

Kinsey graduated from college on Sunday...we went to Calgary for the ceremony and we are so proud of her! It was awesome to see her cross that stage as a college graduate. We also got a few family pics that are fun!

Life is good...

Life As I Know It...

I have been writing and re-writing this post in my head for the past 3 weeks. And every time I think I am going to be able to write it down and get it all out and reconnect with everyone...something comes up - boxes to unpack, babies to settle, Thanksgiving dinner, etc.

Let me start off with thanking everyone who helped us in any and every way over the past 6 weeks as we finished the mortgage papers, packed, renovated, packed, cleaned and moved. So many of our friends and family went above and beyond the call of service and it has been so humbling to be on the receiving end of service instead of the giving end. We have had our testimonies strengthened and I can stand and testify without a doubt in my mind that our Heavenly Father knows each one of us and has a plan specific and tailored to us.

I could go on and on but I know that there are those of you who are dying to see pictures. I'm going to try and do the whole extreme makeover thing and do the before and after pics in order...we'll see how it goes. Just let me give you a quick rundown of things in case you have forgotten what we did: We got possession of the house on the 17th (Monday) and started demo. Most of that was done by Wednesday and Thursday we started doing some drywall. Friday, Saturday, and Sunday the drywall was hung, taped, mudded, and sanded. The laminate floors went in as well...I have to thank Dad J and Jamie so much here - they worked so hard that weekend and if it wasn't for them we wouldn't have been able to finish! Monday am Kizzy and mom cleaned the house and started priming in the living room. Then mom took the kids back to Red Deer and Kizzy and I started the marathon paint job...We started at 1pm Monday and finished 8am Tuesday. Yes, we painted all night. We took a 2 hour break very very very early Tuesday am because we had to wait for the paint to dry but other than that we painted steadily. I never thought I would be able to move my hands properly again. I didn't realize how many muscles I had in my hands until then - and I'm a piano player! We had a few hiccoughs...like the first paint color I picked for our bedroom - pale avocado - not good at all. It looked like baby poop. Seriously. If you don't believe me ask Kizzy. Wednesday mom and I spent the day cleaning so we could move in and we moved our storage stuff into one of our sheds. Thursday I spent mostly trying to finish packing and cleaning in Red Deer and then Friday we started moving. Wow. Oh wait - you're wondering where the pictures are. I know you're thinking that I type too much and should just get on with it already...so here you go!

So these are some pictures of our living room before the big demo...

And here is a shot of some of the demo...

And almost done...I say almost because some of the trim is primed and some is not and the window isn't done being cased....but I love it anyway.

Onto the kitchen. I think I'm just going to put the pics in order...trying to get the typing and pics is taking too much time and I still have a big list to get done tonight.

We're really happy with how everything has turned out so far. We have a lot planned still...painting trim, staining transition pieces, tiling the bathroom, kitchen counter tops, painting trim outside, staining the deck, painting the fence...the list goes on and on. But we are happy with the decisions we have made and for the blessings our Father in Heaven has given us.

So what else have we been doing besides moving and stuff? Let's see...Cliff turned 29 the day after we moved and Mom J and Kristie had come up to help us unpack so they took us out to dinner and then I stunned everyone with my fine culinary skills by whipping out my debit card and buying an ice cream cake. Hey, a girl has to improvise when times call for it! Zane was disappointed that we didn't get to hang balloons and have a proper party but I told him we could do that at the next party because the paint was too new on the walls to handle tape.

Zane started preschool in the midst of all this chaos and is loving it. His teachers' name is Teacher Chandra and there are days that she is all I hear about. He goes Tuesday and Thursday mornings from 9 - 11:15. He's so excited on those days and can't wait to get there. I don't even get a hug when I drop him off. It's all about getting his inside shoes on and then he's gone! So, I'm really glad that we made the decision to put him in preschool. It seems to really be helping his confidence level and hopefully will make kindergarten easier on him. Rhett is not so sure he likes just hanging with mom - because we're out of town now I usually seize the opportunity to get as many errands done as possible with only one kid in tow...and Rhett can get bored without Zane to entertain him. But I think he's slowly getting used to the idea of no Zane for short periods of time. Thursday mornings we go to my weight watchers meeting (sill on the band wagon and making life changes...down 45 lbs if anyone wants to know!)

Let's see...what else...we've gone to 2 birthday parties, watched General Conference, decorated for Halloween (as you may have noticed the big spider hanging from my kitchen ceiling in one of the pictures) and really I don't know where all the time has gone!

I love my new laundry set! The only thing that is driving me nuts is that Rhett loves all the buttons as much as I do and the child lock locks all the keys except the turn on/off button...one day it took me over 3 hours to get one load of wash done because he kept turning it off and it would restart the whole cycle when I turned it back on. Frustration...thy name is toddler hood! And he is a toddler to a tee. He loves to climb on everything...especially my kitchen table. Only problem is that he can't get down. I got out of the shower the other day and he was screaming for me. I quickly threw a robe on and went running out to find him sitting in the middle of the table - stranded. And you would think that he would have learned his lesson...nope...he still climbs up there every chance he gets. He's so mischievous and yet he can make me laugh with just a look!

I also am loving my new fridge. It has a bottom freezer...something I was sure that I would hate when Cliff first pitched the idea (long before we knew we were buying this house) but it is fabulous to go to the fridge, open it up, and have everything that I want at standing height instead of constantly reaching or crouching down. It's an added bonus as well that Rhett can't open the door!

Oh, and my glass top stove. I actually don't mind when Cliff cooks bacon now...the mess is so much easier to clean up - and yes we have already tested it out.

Oh, we had Thanksgiving here. For most people that wouldn't be a big deal but this is the first Thanksgiving that we haven't gone home....yep, actually the first major holiday that we haven't been with our families since we've been married. A little weird...didn't really feel like Thanksgiving for awhile...but our wonderful friends the Robison's came over and spent the day with us. The guys built something, watched football and hockey on our massive TV, the kids mostly played well together, and I got to try out the convection cook option on my oven for the ham I bought. Everything was yummy yummy yummy and after the kids were all settled into bed (Robison kids slept in the playroom) we got to play Rook together. Something that we enjoy doing and haven't been able to do for a very long time.

This is probably where I should list a really long list of things that I am thankful for...but I've been at this for almost 2 hours now and am starting to get fidgety.

We do have to say thank you, thank you, thank you, to Kinsey. And congratulations as well. Kinsey has graduated in Dental Assisting and has been very blessed to obtain a fantastic job in Lethbridge with a great dentist! We're so proud and excited for her. As part of this new job (did I mention the part about making great money?) she has purchased a new to her jeep liberty and has decided to gift us with her little dodge neon so that we will now have a second vehicle for Cliff to run back and forth to work. Much better on gas and much easier on our family for the days that I need the van. Really there are no words to express how grateful we are for this new blessing. Thanks Kin!

Gee, as I type it all down it sure doesn't seem like we have been doing much but I promise you that my mornings are very early and my nights are very late. I always seem to have something to do or somewhere to go, but I wouldn't trade it. I am loving my life, learning to change my bad habits and addictions with food, and learning to relax and live my life. I am happy.

(sorry...can't figure out how to get rid of the big ugly white spot here...too much moving around of pictures and too late at night for me!)

Worth a Thousand Words

They say a picture is worth a thousand words....this post is going to be worth several thousand. I'm going to post as many as I can and let you scroll your way through the past couple of weeks of our life...at least the moments I remembered to grab the camera! If you have any questions....use your imagination! Just kidding...I think most are self-explanatory. Enjoy!

Temper Tantrums, Jogs, and Prayers

I know...it's only been a couple of days and here I am writing again. Now that you've closed your open jaws I can go on with my story.

This morning while out jogging I had this fabulous blog all composed in my head and of course because it was so fabulous I had oodles of comments on it. It's now been over 14 hours since I composed that draft in my head...we'll see how much of it comes back to me.

For those of you who talk to me on a regular basis you know that my youngest son Rhett is 16 months old and does not sleep through the night. Most nights he's up an average of 3 times...bad nights it's 5 + times. Last night was a bad night. And then he decided that 5:30 am was a the time that he should be wide awake ready to start his day. I start my day at 6:20 and am out the door on the pavement by 6:35...I do not appreciate the 5:30 wake up call because usually I'm up for 15-20 minutes at this time of the morning trying to convince him to go back to sleep. And to those of you who would tell me to just leave him to cry...I would if he couldn't get out of his bed! Then he's wondering around the house, finding things and turning on stuff. This morning it was a no-go for getting him to go back to sleep. By the time I was supposed to be leaving I was stomping around the house, getting him a bottle and telling him loudly(not yelling because Zane was still sleeping) that he was too little to be up by himself. However, because I am selfish about my hour in the morning I left him with cartoons and a daddy pretending to be asleep and headed out. In case you're wondering....this is where the tantrum came in, and no it was not on Rhett's part. It was all me. Yes, I, Kelly Johnson, 26 years old, mom of 2, still throw tantrums.

I headed out into the cold morning just fuming...trying to concentrate on my music and raging in my head at my Father in Heaven for not answering all my prayers pleading for sleep to come to my son and myself. To give you a feel for how long this foul, black mood followed me, let me explain how my morning exercise routine works. As soon as I hit the hallway my ipod is on and I'm getting shoes on, coat on, stretching etc. By the end of the first song I'm in the parking lot headed for the sidewalk. I walk for 1 1/2 to 2 songs...I start jogging at a specific house and jog to a certain spot...usually 2 or 2 and a bit songs. I walk for 2 songs or so and then I start the jog up the hill. When I first started I could only make it up the hill. Now this part of my jog is pushing 20 minutes long. Then I walk for a song, jog another small stretch and walk about 2 blocks home for cool down and stretches. Are you tired yet? I promise I have a point...as I started out this morning I wasn't able to get past my sour mood until I was almost through my long run. But here's what I learned. As I jogged and prayed, and jogged and prayed, and told my Father in Heaven how unfair it was that my toddler still does not sleep through the night - I realized that I have been praying for the wrong thing. I have been praying for my sweet toddler to be changed and I need to be praying for me to be changed. So, I will now be praying that my body will be able to do what it needs to do on much less sleep - that I will be able to be the happy mommy on 5 hours of sleep that I am on much more sleep.

I returned a much happier mommy...hopefully my new strategy will work.
And sorry, no pics yet. I've been busy packing and keeping Rhett from climbing and pushing every button he can reach!

Time Out

Well this title has a few meanings for me lately....
I know it's been quite a while since I posted...I've kinda been on a blog time out while I've been packing, cleaning, and generally trying to contain the chaos that our lives have been over the past couple of weeks. Sorry for those who have missed me. I ahve missed being here and have thought about you often...sometimes I compose wonderful blog posts in my mind while I am running...and then by the time I get to the computer late at night all my good thoughts have slowly leaked out of my head until the only thing I can think about is how tired I really am.

The best meaning of time out for me was this past weekend. Leslie and I went to Calgary for the 5th anniversary of Time Out for Women. For those of you who don't know what that is - it's a women's conference put on by Desert Books. They bring in wonderful speakers and musicians whose whole purpose is to renew, refresh and rejuvanate your soul and mind. It was such a wonderful time and experience...I got to listen to some of my favorite people as well as finding new favorites and came home refreshed in spirit. I'd like to say that we got lots of sleep too...but we stayed up until midnight talking and laughing and just being girls. Katie slept so much that it really was like being there without any kids and it was so great to have entire conversations without pausing to answer little people questions, discipline, or calm the screams of our children. Did I mention that we stayed in the Marriot hotel as well? It was well worth the money since we were connected to the convention center and they treated us awesomely. Valet parking is one of my new favorite things! If you have never been to one I would strongly recommend going the next time they come. And of course we did some shopping at the bookstore there and came home with some great music I'm itching to get at on my new piano...

We take possession of our house a week from today. Every hour it is getting closer and closer and feels more and more real. The control freak in me is starting to panic a little bit but i think I'm doing a pretty good job of keeping her tamped down and under control. I'm pretty much packed as much as I can until we get a little closer to actually moving...so I'm going to start spot washing walls and stuff to make cleaning easier when we move out. We are counting sleeps for many things....Grammie S coming to help us, taking possession of the house, Zane starting preschool, carpets getting cleaned, new appliances (yeah!!!) being delivered, and actually moving. Phew. September is busy busy busy.

And I have been taking some pictures...I promise...they just aren't on my computer yet. I'll try to get some up soon. In the meantime just picture me spending the majority of my day cleaning up after destructo...aka...Rhett. Sigh. If that child survies to see his 2nd birthday...I'm just kidding, I love him to bits - just tired of the current phase!

Before and Mid-way

Just a quick post...I weighed in today and discovered that I am 35lbs down...that means that I am halfway to my goal!!! It also means that I am now only 25 lbs overweight and not 60 lbs overweight like I was. To really show how much this has changed things I have pictures!

This is me on my last birthday. I was 220 lbs. I hate that number. I never want to see it associated with my weight again...that is why I have made the changes that I have and continue to make. I am determined to be healthy and skinny. Yes, I am vain.

And here is my mid-way picture. 35 lbs down and still counting. It makes it a lot easier to get up in the morning. I decide every night to get up in the morning - no questions asked. I get everything ready and then I have no excuses. Even if I'm up 5 times in the night I still go. It's just something that I have to do. I've started on this road and I refuse to go back. Thanks to everyone for all the love and support!

My 101...

I've read two posts in the past week that have these lists...and it's something that I've always thought of doing...so we'll see how far I get. If you get bored I won't judge you if you skip to the end. (these are in no particular order...just facts as I think of them!)

1. I was born in Raymond, AB
2. I lived in Raymond until the fall of '99 (summer I graduated)
3. Attended college in Med Hat for 2 semesters and loved it!
4. Attended U of L for 2 years
5. After 1 year of college and 2 years of university all I have to show is student loans and half a degree in psych
6. Met the love of my life (Cliff) fall of 2000
7. His cousin told me to date him- glad I took his advice!
8. I was not nervous on my wedding day
9. Being in the temple is one of my favorite things to do
10. I've only been in the Cardston temple...even though I live 1.5 hours from the Edmonton one
11. I am a mom to 2 boys
12. Constantly wowed by how different they are in personality
13. I didn't know how to drive a standard until we had been married for a year
14. Had to get a girlfriend to teach me because it was not pretty when Cliff tried to teach me
15. Have moved 7 times since being married and am preparing for number 8
16. Worked at KFC for a couple of months when I was 19....still don't really care for their food
17. I love music
18. I miss having my own piano
19. Might be getting my own piano in the next few days!
20. This is harder than I thought
21. I have always been blessed with the best of friends...they helped make me who I am today
22. My mom is the greatest woman I know. Hands down - no competition.
23. I am a self-confessed daddy's girl.
24. Most devastating thing to date was our miscarriage fall of 2004.
25. I am not a hockey fan
26. I do enjoy going to a live hockey game...mostly for the night out
27. I have had a calling in the church since I was 16
28. Only two of those haven't involved music
29. One of the scariest moments in my life was rolling my car summer of 2000
30. Another scariest moment was going into pre term labor at 34 weeks (thanks for hanging on till 36 Rhett!)
31. I was gestational diabetic with my second son, Rhett
32. This involved testing my blood 5 times a day and eventually insulin shots in my belly
33. After 3 pregnancies I am in the process of losing 70 lbs
34. I have lost 32 so far
35. I actually enjoy listening to my kids music - I'm sure that will change in another 10 years
36. I hate gardening
37. I enjoy crocheting
38. I am a house-flipping show junkie
39. I am excited to flip our own house...if we ever hear from the mortgage people!
40. I really loved highschool
41. I wasn't terribly popular but I think I fit in pretty well
42. I never wore girl jeans until after I had Zane (my oldest) - not enough hips
43. I am not a girly girl in most things
44. I am a girly girl when it comes to dirt, bugs, and anything slimy, slithery...well you get the picture
45. I am a really good cook/baker
46. I love beef!
47. I'm hoping to get my eyes lasered....Cliff got his done and I'm jealous
48. Without my glasses or contacts I am so blind
49. I have read and own all of the Harry Potter books
50. I have seen every BackYardigans episode there is
51. Going from one to two kids was mind-numbing for the first 6 weeks.
52. I love having 3 years between my boys
53. Most days I think I want to have more kids
54. I live in Red Deer AB
55. I hope to live in Lethbridge before me kids are too big (I'm campaigning for Raymond but Cliff says there's not a chance until they get a highschool guy volleyball team)
56. I am a much better spectator than participant in sports
57. I discovered that I actually like to play softball - even though I'm not very good!
58. I am the oldest of 3 girls
59. We grew up with one bathroom...and yes, we all survived with minimal blood spillage
60. I hope I can teach my boys to love the Lord the way we as their parents do
61. I want my boys to respect women and be one of the guys that parents are happy to have their daughters go out with
62. We plan on having a basement worthy of all teenage hangouts when our kids are older
63. And yes, that is so we will know where and who they are with
64. I one day hope to own a baby grand piano
65. I think that I would like to finish off my RCM degree (music)
66. I lost 3 times in a row to my 4 year old on the xbox 360 cars game...sad, I know
67. I am a control freak
68. My inner control freak is not always well behaved
69. I can't wait to have a fenced back yard
70. I wouldn't trade my life for anything
71. I like to fly...as long as I have anti-nausea pills in my system
72. I learned that the hard way on the way to California for our second honeymoon
73. I could live in California if our families came with us
74. I lived across the backyard from my in-laws for almost two years and loved it
75. My mother in law is the best mother in law ever!
76. Miss Vicky's Salt and Vinegar chips are my favorite chips....they make my mouth peel!
77. I didn't think I would like an ipod...I don't know how I lived without it before
78. My ipod is the only thing that gets me up the hill I run up every morning
79. I am loving the fact that I can feel my body getting stronger every week as I persist in exercising
80. I can eat the same thing for breakfast every day and not get tired of it...mmm toast
81. I don't like green peas and beans. They taste like dirt to me
82. I am reaping the rewards of being a picky eater as a child - I now have 2 of my own
83. I swore I would never drive a mini-van
84. I love my mini-van and wouldn't trade it at the moment
85. When the kids get older I want to drive an extended Denali
86. The last traffic ticket I got was for not wearing my seat belt....just had a baby and was totally engorged. So not fair
87. I hate the traffic sheriffs - they're nasty when it comes to car seats
88. I love my double jogging stroller
89. I hate it when Zane mixes his play dough colors or his paint colors together. Inner control freak coming out
90. I dye my hair blond...
91. I am such a klutz!
92. I am horrible at remembering names
93. I love to sing
94. One of the best parts of high school was Show Choir
95. I love having a cranial sacral massage
96. I love diet pop
97. Steak, lasagna, stroodles, pizza and scones are my top 5 favorite foods
98. I have a testimony of my Savior, Jesus Christ
99. I belong to The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints
100. I am so thankful that Cliff and I were sealed in the Cardston Temple for Time and Eternity
101. I can't believe I thought of all these things!

Well...I hope you enjoyed it....

Also, some recent pics of the kids!

Some Weeks Feel Like Months

Have you ever had one of those weeks when you look back on everything that has happened in it and you think "has it really only been seven days?" We have had one of those weeks. Some things in our week have been wonderful, some scary, and others very faith promoting and confirming of the love our Heavenly Father has for us. But let me start at the beginning. I apologize to those of you who know the whole story and now are reading it in print....however this is my journal, and these things need to be recorded.
I week ago tomorrow we left for Barnwell. We were planning on spending the weekend with Cliff's family and then he would drop me and the boys off for the week and continue home to Red Deer. Our friends who managed for the same company as us called us Friday morning to let us know that they had been fired and that we were next in line. We knew that they had a meeting set up with the head office people and Cliff was supposed to be meeting with them on Monday morning.....we didn't think that they were going to fire both of us. We had very mixed emotions over the whole thing - much relief as we really were very tired of the building responsibilities, but also much panic as we realized that we had 6 weeks to find a new home for our family. We couldn't do much over the weekend except look at some real estate websites and hope... Monday came and went much as we expected. Their reason they gave for firing us was that we weren't keeping the building to their standard. There is plenty more I could say on that subject but I am trying to let go of it. Cliff found out some of the properties that we had been looking at on the Internet had offers on them and was feeling discouraged but I encouraged him to go and look at one on Tuesday in Sylvan Lake with our realtor. He liked it and I liked it from the pictures so we put an offer in Tuesday night and by early this afternoon we had a counter offer. I had a wonderful experience in the Temple (did a session with my mom and her ward's RS) and passed on the things that the Spirit told me to Cliff. We decided to accept the counter offer and Cliff has been working with our mortgage broker tonight to get all the paper work done to see if we are approved.
There have been a lot of changes in the last few days and not a lot of things are terribly concrete yet. But there are some things that I know for sure: I know that our Heavenly Father loves us and has a plan for us. I know that His Spirit is able to whisper to our hearts and minds and help us to make decisions that will benefit our family. I also know that we will be prepared to move as of Sept 30 even if the house we are working on now falls through. I know that we are supposed to move and that it will happen as the Lord has planned.
Thank you all for your love and support and prayers. We will keep you updated as the next 6 weeks unfold.

Figured Out

I have been thinking that I should add a picture to my post for quite awhile now...and finally sat down to do it today. I had a hard time choosing one because I really have changed quite a bit in the past 10 weeks but settled on this one because it makes me smile every time I see it. I loved the pictures that Rhonda took of me and Cliff because I could see the love that we have for eachother in a tangible, printable image. It's nice to think that maybe others see that between us and maybe want to know more. I am so blessed to have the husband that I do. He is so kind, thoughtful, supportive, helping, loving, enduring and so much more. I am so lucky that he is my eternal companion. Every morning when I am out walking/jogging, I thank my Heavenly Father for the wonderful man I have at home who is giving up some of his sleep to take care of the kids so that I can be healthy. I am sure that many of you would argue, and probably would have fabulous evidence to back you up, that your husbands are the best. I am afraid that on this point we will have to agree to disagree. I often wonder what I did to be so blessed.... Thank you Cliff for being the man, father, friend and companion that I want to spend the eternities with. Love Kell

Where We Have Been...

I know it has been a few weeks since I have posted....and I really don't have a good excuse. Mostly our days have been consumed with normal every day mundane stuff. The things that make me happy to be a stay at home mom with my two kids, wonderful hubby and fabulous friends.

We have contacted a mortgage broker and know where we stand....it's not quite what we were hoping for but it let us know where we are and now we have a more definite goal in mind to work towards.

The kids have been busy busy busy. Rhett now knows how to open my fridge, get his milk out and generally pursue whatever else is in there. He also knows how to open our apartment door as well - these two things are driving me crazy!!! But at the same time he is really starting to do things to make us laugh so hard that we almost fall over. He loves to run around the house and show up and 'boo' us! Zane is enthralled with BackYardigans lately and even named his hobby horse after one of them. He's been running around the house lately with "Pablo" and enjoys galloping back and forth with Rhett in hot pursuit. For the most part they still play good together but that can change in a split second.

I've been getting up every morning to go for my hour walk and have even started jogging a bit. It seems to be working well...I'm almost to my halfway point for those of you who are keeping track...I'll post some pictures after our trip home next week. I want mom to be surprised!

Sorry this is short....will post more next week with some pictures.