check it...

www.myflutterbyes.blogspot.com

This is still a work in progress, but it is where you will find all of my new blog posts from here on out.  

Eventually I will merge the 2 accounts... so be sure to add my new blog to your list!

Loves!

-Haylie

2 and a new blog

I am so incredibly far behind on blogging... 
it didn't help that our internet was out of commission for almost 2 weeks!  
Sheesh!

Can you believe this little munchkin is 2?  (she has been for a while... like I said... behind on blogging) 


I love her so much
Her personality is blooming like crazy
She is smart.funny.kind.crazy.timid.
She is a wonderful BIG sister
She's a big time daddy's girl
She loves butterflies.coloring.bugs.grass.collecting rocks.coke (don't judge).books.abc's.counting.singing.dancing.rain.
Every color is her favorite
She knows what she wants and how to get it
I could go on and on...

It breaks my heart to watch her grow up.  
Is that crazy?
It feels like she was born yesterday.
I am most certain I have cried at every major mile stone or event in her life
That trend will most likely continue : )
I am such a sucker ... LOL

Well...
She is my little Larkyn.
My baby girl.

On another note...
I want to change the name of our blog
Something fun and creative
Ideas?

July 24th: daughter of the pioneers...

Today is a special day

It's a day for me to remember my heritage.  A day to remember where I came from and to look forward to where I am going.  Not every member of the LDS faith are decedents of the "Mormon" pioneers, but they are pioneers today.

I have loved learning about my ancestors over the last few years...

I have learned about how my family on one side was introduced to the Gospel by Parley P. Pratt, converted, and relocated our family to America so that they could "come to Zion"

I have learned that my family on the other side is directly linked to the restoration of Christ's Church.

I think about my ancestors and I wonder how it felt to live in that time.  I think of their faith and testimonies they had, the miracles that were witnessed, the trials they had to endure.  They were beaten, mocked, hated and martyred ... They never denied Christ... They never lost their faith... They always stood their ground... They knew truths.  They walked across the Plains because they had to.  Feet frozen.  Families buried along the way. But they moved forward diligently, faithfully.

I think of my family... My heritage.  They trusted in God, our Heavenly Father.  They testified of Christ.  They testified of the restoration of Christ's Church through Joseph Smith.  Could I ever doubt the things I read in their journals? Doubt their testimonies?

Never.

I am a pioneer today.  It is MY duty to build upon what they sacrificed so much for...  God's Kingdom. 

Timpanogos Temple ...

I am taking photography to the next level for me.  

I am going to start selling canvas prints of temples.

This photograph is available in any size, thickness of board, stretched canvas onto frames and even framed. Feel free to customize it to whatever your little heart desires :)

Featured here is a 12"x36" canvas print that would be mounted onto a 1/2" thick gator board.  Ready to be hung.  Obviously my name would not be where it is, but in the lower right corner and it would be tiny I promise!! 

If you are interested or have questions on pricing please email me at haylielynphoto@hotmail.com 

 

Warning:  Do not copy, steal, or print this image without my permission.  This would be an infringement of copy right law.  I took this particular photograph... it is mine.  

If you do... I will hunt you down and gut you like a fish... (ok maybe not that extreme... but there would be consequences people... muahahaha!) 

pics...

Here are some pics from the birth... 

I am SOOOO glad that these 2 little girls look completely different!

DO you know who is who??  

Top Pic: left is Logan (I know its hard to tell!), top is Oaklee, bottom is Carea and right is Oaklee again.

Bottom Pic: left is Oaklee, top and bottom are Carea and right is Oaklee.  

Carea was a bit swollen when she was born and Oaklee was super wrinkley!  :)  

They have since changed 

I am just extremely behind on blogging!

Stay tuned for: Larkyn's 2nd bday party, 4th of July, newborn pics, 1 month pics, and some super duper other great posts! 

birth ...

A very small part of me feels like such a slacker for not blogging sooner

Oaklee Jane and Carea McKinley arrived June 9, 2011 

Oaklee was born at 8:09 am weighed 5 lbs 4 oz and was 18 inches long

Carea was born at 8:11 am weighed 5 lbs 14 oz and was also 18 inches long

My experience with the C-Section was amazing!  I was sooo very terrified to have one and I wish my stubborn self would have just listened to what everyone told me... THAT it was GOING TO BE FINE!  I was having such anxiety that I called Labor and Delivery at the Riverton Hospital the night before asking if they could drug me before actually having the procedure.  The nurse literally laughed at me... I thought it was rude at the moment, but after the surgery I now know why she laughed.  

How it all went down...

A few weeks before I actually had the babes my blood pressure started to rise.  My fabulous Dr (Dr. England) of course was concerned because I was also swelling more which I had no idea was possible :), getting headaches... blah blah blah ... these are signs of preeclampsia.  So I had to go to the Dr 2-3 times a week to have NST's (Non-Stress Test) done and ultrasounds to make sure the girls were doing ok.  My Dr. gave the order for me to stay home and my last day of work was May 31st.  On June 7th I went into IMC in Murray to have the babies measured again.  Neither of the girls had gained a full pound since the month before when they were last measured.  The Dr. there decided that it would be best to have the babies asap because they would pretty much be better off here in the real world than in my womb.  The call was made to Dr. England and they scheduled my C-Section for Thursday at 5 pm.  (crazy I know).  Well that night and the next day I was freaking out... I was sick with the worlds worst cold... could barely breath, and had no voice.
Wednesday I made the call to labor and delivery for drugs... was laughed at... tried to be brave and not cry every second.  
Well at about 4 pm Wednesday L&D called to see if I would be interested in going in Thursday morning for a 7:30 procedure.  I said "HELL YES" as loud as I could with my manly-ish voice on the phone... but once I hung up the stress, nerves, anxiousness were all maxed out.  LITERALLY!  I am surprised I didn't kill over or at least put myself in labor.

Everyone kept asking me why I was so nervous to have a C-Section and honestly the unknown freaks me out.  I have a very hard time doing things that I have never done before, I was stressed that something was going to go wrong and I was so worried about the health of my 2 baby girls, I was nervous about how Larkyn would react... was she going to feel left out or neglected...Would I be able to be a mom of a 2 year old and 2 newborns...  A million thoughts and worries.   

Did I sleep Wednesday night... YEAH RIGHT!  I watched "Baby Mama", painted my toes and filed my finger nails, took a nice warm bath, cried some more, curled my hair and did my makeup.  Finally 5 am rolled around and it was time to leave.  While we were driving to the hospital Logan looked at me and said "I can't believe we are leaving as a family of 3 and in a few days we will be a family of 5"  Yeah I started to cry again.  

Once we were settled in our room at the hospital I relaxed a little, but not much.  The poor nurse that was trying to hook up my IV hit the bone in my hand and missed my vein 3 times... I almost killed her!  She was soo sweet too.  It just hurt like HELL!  I was prepped and Logan got dressed.  Then it hit me again.  I had a melt down.  My nurse Kristina (different than the miss my vein nurse) was so sweet and encouraging.  She walked me through everything one more time, walked me into the OR Room, once I was on the table she looked at me and promised I was going to be OK.  (I am sure they all thought I was a basket case).  

The SPINAL... 

I just want to say that the anesthesiologist (?) rocked it up!  He was hilarious.  AND he drugged me good.  Ha!  Once I started to get numb and it was creeping up my abdomen then to my chest... I FELT GOOD!  I was so relaxed that stress wasn't even apart of me!  It was the weirdest feeling ever.  I told Logan that they were the best drugs!  I may have been a little sleep deprived so I tend to get a little loopy as it is.  But thank heaven for modern medicine and the awesome spinal I got!  Holla!  

The OR Staff, DR, Logan, and Anesthesiologist...

We had about 15 staff in with us.  Double since there were 2 babies.  Each baby had their own set of Dr's and Nurses to take care of them.  Again all of these ladies and men were AMAZING!  They were having a good time joking around with Logan (of course) and telling him which pictures to take during the procedure and once the babies started to come out. (I think Logan will crack jokes at my funeral one day... that's just who he is and I love him for it!)  One of the nurses was from South Africa... of course Logan had her teach him bad phrases so he could harass one of his friends who is also from South Africa.  HAHA!  She was a riot!  The little pager / phone things they had clipped to them were so neat.  Logan had a good time with those as well.  These little devices (not sure what they are called) they would make funny noices when they would page "beam me up scotty" and other funky things.  Apparently the IT staff at the hospital have a good time at work :).    Dr. England made this experience very fun for me.  He is pretty goofy.  He popped his head over the curtain a few times to check on me and would make funny comments.  I asked him to give me a tummy tuck while he had me open and they pulled out this tiny piece of fat and said "here's your tummy tuck!"  LOL.  The anesthesiologist was pretty territorial, but that didn't stop Logan from giving him a hard time and asking him a million questions.  He warmed up to Logan and they became the best of friends (ok not really haha).  


Birth...
Yes before and during all of that (above: memories I need) the girls were finally born.  Oaklee came first... butt first too!   Logan looked at me and said "she has lots of brown hair."  I honestly thought he was kidding.  I heard her cry.  Tears streamed down my face ... she was here.  They put her on the warming bed and she just layed there, content.  Carea came next and she came head first :).  They were both finally here!  I had sooo many tears coming down my face!  My sweet baby Carea had a lot of fluid in her lungs and was having breathing issues.  They hooked her up to oxygen and monitors but she had to go to the nursery for about an hour to be watched over.  Finally they returned me to my labor and delivery room and about 30 minutes later I had both girls in my arms.  


Its such an overwhelming feeling to have more than one baby.  I never thought I could love another child as much as I love Larkyn and sure enough I thought wrong.  To hold 2 babies and have them stare back at you is amazing.  I feel so lucky to have been able to carry 2 healthy babies.  I am grateful for this adventure that has been handed to me.  


ps... I want to give a shout out to the Riverton Hospital!  They were hands down some of the most caring and awesome medical staff that I have ever been around!  EVERY single one of them were genuine and touched our family's life.  

a new skill... poetry? :)

Dear Running

Oh how I miss you…

Early mornings with the sunrise

Late evenings with the sunset

Feet pounding into the asphalt

Sweat… Hills…. Heart Racing

As I watch the runners go by

Jealousy creeps into me

One day we will be reunited…

Hopefully sooner than later

positive perspective = hoot

Its amazing how simple words and actions can have a huge impact on our personal feelings.

When I first found out I was expecting I dreaded the thought of letting certain family and friends know because they struggle with either infertility or have had losses of precious life. ..

A part of me didn’t want to even tell them….

I wanted to go into hiding …

As I sat and thought this through.. trying to think of ways to make it easier for them I remembered what one of my closest friends told me…

That it is so hard for her to hear expecting mothers complain about how miserable they are the entire time they are pregnant when she longs to have those discomforts, aches, pains, sickness, feet in the ribs… you know… the whole package.

As I thought about her and others in their situations...  I decided that I was going to try my hardest not to complain about my pregnancy and my pains… and everything else.

OK so I haven’t been perfect , I have complained and I have had my emotional breakdowns and trust me Logan can tell you about what he has had to listen to for the last 9 months of our lives together, but I have noticed a huge difference in me.

Positive. Happy. Grateful.

Its actually been kind of fun to watch reactions of people. Some have asked how I am doing and most days I tried to reply with “Great!” When I would tell complete strangers that I was expecting 2… I did get a lot of negative feedback, but again I would put a positive twist on it and like I said before its been a hoot to see their reactions. Again I am not perfect and yes there were a few times that I did get sick of all the comments that I would get, but maybe 50% of the time I was determined to smile and say I am great.

Up until the last couple of weeks I have had a very easy and enjoyable pregnancy (for the most part)

A part of me thinks its because of this positive twist I put into my life.

I want to give a shout out to my friend who has opened my eyes to the world and has helped me realize how lucky I really am to be able to not only carry children, but has helped me see all my other blessings as well. This friend of mine in an amazing woman…

And I hope that next time before I go to complain about something I will be able to think of others first.

I am so excited to be a mom of 3 under 2. I look forward to the adventure I am about go on. Its going to be beautiful!

faith

So I'm sitting down... Feet elevated... Blogging from my phone


why... Well because our computer is being stubborn and my hubalub is playing basketball at the church.  But I'm desperate to blog... Maybe a little more worried that I might forget if I don't do it now :)


Question: why do so many of us (I'm guilty as well) focus on the negative and instead of trying to lift eachother up... We tear eachother down??


Does anyone know the answer to this?


Can I just say I am very sensitive to words... Hopefully I'm not reading too far into things.


I have just noticed that more and more people love to tell me how much I'm going to hate life after the babies come, that I'm never going to get out, never going to sleep, that I'm going to go crazy taking care of sooo many little ones, they don't know how in the world I'm going to manage... Yada yada yada.


Do they really think that these thoughts haven't crossed my mind?


Really?


I can tell which individuals really care about me and want me to succeed and feel great about life.  These are the ones who continually tell me... Haylie you are going to be great, think of how much fun it's going to be for Larkyn, everything will be fine... You get the point right?  Christ like individuals who love and have charity ... These are the things they say.  It is so hard for me not to stress and it's so hard for me to not dwell on the negative... especially when at almost every corner someone brings up the bad.  I know it seems silly to be so concerned over something that maybe be minimal to some, but again its hard not to be concerned when the bad lingers.    

I really appreciate my confidence boosters... The ones who genuinely care.  These are my angels.  It's because of their kind words that I can get through everday. 


Then there is Christ.  Tonight we had an amazing relief society activity/ musical focused on the birth, life, death, and resurrection of Christ.  It is amazing to know that when I am loaded with my burdens, doubts, fears to the point of wanting to give up... I can turn to him.  He will and does help me everytime... Even when I don't feel worthy of his love, he is there willing to help lift my burdens.  It is because of him and the angels in my life that allow me to look in the mirror every morning and say... I can do this.  I always have to remind myself that Heavenly Father will never give us a challenge or trial that we can't handle.  What a comfort. 

I have enough faith in him that I trust him and after all... in the premortal life He probably sat me down and said "Haylie, these are your children, these are the challenges you will face, Do you accept this challenge" :) 

And because I stood by His side and trusted him then... I am here today still trusting and enduring.   



  

hallelujah...

It has been a long journey...

BUT THEY ARE FINALLY DONE!  YES... I am talking about our blessed cabinets!!

A little about this project: 

So we actually started this project I believe in November {sad I know} BUT when we initially started we had big plans on staining our cabinets.  

NOW... I don't know who all has done that before but its a pain in the neck!  When you stain you MUST sand down to the raw wood... YUCK.  I never ever thought that doing that would be such a big deal... BUT it is!  

We started in sections and did the piece above the fridge first.  All went well.  Then we started the piece up top by the window... and when I started to stain the doors I noticed that parts of the wood were absorbing the stain differently.  

YES I panicked!  Logan was in Arizona at the time and I was so stressed that I had done something wrong.  

Who did I resort too?  My lovely computer.  

I started looking up how much it was going to cost to have someone either come fix it for us or to just take the plunge and get a whole new kitchen... 

Man oh Man that was discouraging.  

So then I had an epiphany... Look at HGTV.com and thank goodness for divine intervention because that was when I learned about this....

There is a primer that you can buy for cabinets that you don't have to sand the wood... this stuff sticks to anything... its even hard to get off of skin!!! 

 

WHAT --- I was again freaking out.  So while Logan was in his business meeting I started emailing him pictures of lovely cabinets that had been painted.... When he got home a few days later... it took a lot of convincing and persuasion to change the way we were going to finish this project.  Then Logan remembered that he has a friend who works for Sherwin Williams {ding ding ding}... they chatted and FINALLY Logan decided to take another plunge with me.  We headed to Sherwin Williams... got the primer... ordered our paint...

AND GUESS WHAT ELSE WE LEARNED...

the type of paint we ordered had the sealer or final coat already in it... So yet another step eliminated!

Hooray!!! 

So the above pictures show what our cabinets look like now...

this is what they looked like before...

YOWZA!  

Ok.. So apparently when I took these pictures we just got home from Costco... See the pizza plate on the counter with the huge box of diapers?  And I honestly have NO clue why Logan's old camo shirt is out... How scary!  Please note... my kitchen doesn't always look like this :)  

Anyway... so to say the least our cabinets are fabulous now!  BUT the kitchen is not done.  YOU see the dark back splash... well I want to change this to either a cream or very light gray ish color... I saw a basket weave tile backsplash in a magazine that I am trying to hunt down.  Then one day we will also update the floors.  

But before either of those projects get done I must:

1. Get Larkyn's new room finished... Hopefully this week or beginning of next.. Two of my besties came by last week and we painted all her walls... this week we are going to be stenciling and finishing her bed... I'm sooooo very excited!  It's gonna be cute!!

2. Get the twins room all set up and possibly a partial repaint in there.  I am still trying to decide what I want to do... So while I am finishing Larkyn's room I'll be trying to plan how I want their room to function for 2 :)

3. Change that horrible green paint that is on my gigantic wall... PEOPLE if you are ever going to try to paint green in your house please take my advice and get a professional to help you... I don't know why but greens are sooo hard to get right! 

4. Work on our freak of a yard

5. Finish the loft... for those of you who don't know... my sister is moving in with us in June sometime.  She is coming to help me {thankfully} and live with us until she gets residency so she can attend college here in Utah.  Woot!!

Finally I want to enjoy my summer home with my 3 girls... Spend lots of time outside... walking, running, swimming... Oh I love summer.  

So maybe in the fall or winter we will work on those other kitchen projects :)  

Tootles!

pretty tastey

Logan and I have been on this finding new recipes kick... I am so sick of the same old recipes that we have been making for what fees like eternity!!  We made both of these last week... and I must say they were pretty tastey!  You can modify both of them to be slightly healthier by using whole grain pasta.  Logan isn't a huge fan of the whole grain pasta, but a trick you can try is mixing them with regular white noodles... if you do this, be sure to cook the whole grain pasta for a few minutes before adding the white {they do take longer to cook} 

Grilled Chicken Fettuccine Alfredo

Ingredients:
3 chicken breasts
1/8 tsp salt
1/8 tsp pepper
½ tsp garlic powder
8 oz fettuccine noodles
Fresh parsley chopped
½ cup unsalted butter
½ cup heavy cream
¾ cup parmesan cheese, grated
1/8 tsp salt
1/8 tsp pepper
garlic to taste


Prep:

-Oil grate on grill and then preheat
-Season chicken breasts with 1st salt and pepper then garlic powder, set aside. When grill is hot, cook chicken for 5-7 minutes per side or until juices run clear. Set aside for 10 minutes before slicing, then slice.
-Cook noodles.
-While noodles are cooking prepare sauce by melting butter into cream in a small pot. Once butter is melted, add parmesan cheese, garlic and 2nd salt and pepper. Stir together and put on low heat.
-Drain noodles and add chicken and sauce with parsley on top. Serve with garlic bread and a salad
I honestly think the grilled chicken and then the parmesan cheese w/ garlic is what makes this probably some of the best home made Grilled Chicken Fettuccine Alfredo. 

Skewered Honey Balsamic Chicken

Ingredients:

5 boneless chicken thighs

2 tbs balsamic vinegar

2 tbs Worcestershire sauce
2 tsp onion powder
2 tbs honey
1 tsp pepper
2 cloves garlic crushed
1 tsp grated ginger
1 tbs oil
Sesame seeds to sprinkle
Extra honey (optional)

Prep:

Cut chicken thighs into ½ inch pieces. In a separate bowl, mix the marinade and pour over the chicken. Add salt to taste. Mix completely so that all the chicken pieces are covered. Let marinade for 1-2 hours at least... we let ours marinade for 24 hrs = YUM. Drain and skewer the chicken on a bamboo skewer. Heat a non stick pan on med high until hot. Lower the heat to med low and add some skewers to the pan. Cook on one side for 3-5 minutes or until caramel brown. You will notice that as the chicken cooks it first releases liquid and then the liquid starts to caramelize. It will then coat the chicken. Make sure the heat is not too high when cooking the chicken.


Baste with extra honey if you’d like and cook for an additional min or so. Sprinkle the sesame seeds and serve.

Ok... so Logan and I didn't follow this recipe to a "T" because I forgot to buy skewers at the store... So I just cooked the chicken in a pan on the stove.  We served this with our family favorite pasta. 


On another side note... we did double each recipe for YUMMY leftovers! 


Let me know if you try either of these out..
Up Next - Teriyaki Chicken

update: our family

So I am on my 29th week of pregnancy.  I guess it's a good time to give an update on how we are all doing.  

Last week I had 2 Dr appointments... one with my regular Dr and the other with MFM at IMC.  Everything went great for both appointments.  I passed my glucose test... and that was a big hurdle for me!  I made sure not to have too many sweets the coming days before that appointment... that was so hard!!  :)  For me the test isn't bad... I just didn't want to have to take a 3 hour test!  Tuesday we learned that baby A weighed approximately 2 lbs 7 oz and baby B weighed approximately 2 lbs 4 oz.   So not a huge difference between them.  Monday at my appointment they were both laying transverse... which scared me big time.  Tuesday Baby A was head down and baby B was breach.  Dr England (my reg. ob) he told me that they will move a lot... for some reason I guess I didn't think that twins would be able to since space is limited... but these girls are out to prove me wrong.  This past week I did a lot of reading on C-sections mostly to prepare myself just in case.  Honestly, it terrifies me to think of having one of those!   We all have our fears... for me being sliced open is a fear!  I have family, friends, and neighbors that have these procedures without thinking twice about them...  and then there is me.  Sometimes I way over think and over analyze things... this can be a good thing or a bad thing.  BUT I am trying to stay positive!  Maybe it would help if I meditated on a daily basis "no c-sections... " hmmm.   Honestly, I am willing to do whatever as long as these girls get here healthy and happy.  But I am still scared... OK??  


Larkyn... where do I start on her?  She is my baby girl.  I love her more than words could describe, but gosh dang it... why must she test her mother!?!?  It's been especially bad lately.  She can either make my day by running up and giving me a kiss and telling me I am pretty... or she can ruin a perfect day by doing the smallest thing like not listening and being destructive.  Maybe I am oversensitive these days :).   She is such a smart little girl though.  She will be 2 May 31... Where did the time go?  She sings her ABC's all by her self now, she knows all of the letters individually, she even tries to write them... its soo cute when her A's are upside down and her N's only have the first half.  She knows her colors... but only when she wants to.  HA!  She can count to 20, but 13-19 all kind of sound the same... she definitely has the "teen" part down.  She is definitely girly but at the same time loves to play in the dirt and collect bugs.  Last Wednesday she got her first official hair cut.  I was so worried she was going to be a pill, and she did fabulous!  Thanks to Kariann and the ring pop!  Isn't is amazing what a little sugar can do for a kid!!  :)  She was so excited to put on the purple princess cape {as we called it because she loves princesses} and she loved that Kariann told her that she was pretty.  Now every day when we do her hair she tells me that she is so pretty!  Kariann cut a few layers into her hair and gave her some swoop bangs!   She definitely loves all this girly stuff!!  I can't wait until she is old enough to go get pedicures with me!  :)

And my wonderful husband... I don't blog enough about him!  I seriously don't know how I would get through everyday if it wasn't for him!  He is so excited to welcome 2 more baby girls into our home.  He is great at reminding me of all the positives!  I always ask him if he is ever scared of how much things around the house and in our lives are going to change... and he always says No.  I am so glad that one of us is atleast being strong... because if he was here there and every where like me... what a disaster!  He is very busy these days between work, calling, finishing the kitchen {i need to post some pics... so far the cabinets are beautiful!}, getting ready to finish the loft, playing with Larkyn, helping around the house... the list could go on and on!  He is seriously my knight in shining armor! 

Life is a roller coaster full of ups and downs... for me lately these ups and downs seem to come on within a blink of an eye.  For those of you who are in my ward you witnessed this yesterday!  All of the sudden in Relief Society I just lost it... and once my tears start... there is no stopping them!  AND I am a VERY UGLY CRYER!  I honestly don't know what triggered these tears yesterday.  I get so overwhelmed thinking about everything {the horrifying c-section, nursing 2 babies, playing with Larkyn, all our home projects, work, diapers, $... and this is just to name a few of the things I think about daily}  I am so lucky to have such wonderful friends in my neighborhood who have helped, offered to help, or have lifted me back up in some small way.  I got so many messages on my email or facebook concerned about my well being yesterday.  It is great to be loved!  Thanks Ladies... You know who you are!  Other than my emotional instability... I feel great for the most part.  I have a few minor aches and pains in my back, hips, and feet... but it's nothing too concerning.  I think also as the Big Day is getting closer and closer... I am getting more and more nervous.  I am actually terrified!  I won't go on and on about all of my fears... I just hope and pray that I will be able to be the best darn mother to all 3 of my girls!  I am so worried I am going to fail.  Don't worry...  I am very aware that I am not going to be a perfect mom.  I know everyday will bring a new challenge. 

That's our life at the moment.  Happy.Love.Stress.Work.Life

Photo Friday: a few days late

Photo: Courtesy of Des and her phone

Isn't it so nice to finally have some warmer weather? 

Last Friday, Des and I went for a walk with the kiddos... I think Larkyn was enjoying herself as well!  Feet up, sun glasses on, apple juice... all she needed next was a pool boy to fan her off!!  HA! 

I am so excited for summer to be here!!

photo friday: my girls

  

Thanks to my lovely sister in law I am now apart of Photo Friday!

Hooray!!

 

Can you tell Larkyn is super excited??  She is such an outdoors kid and this was the face she got when she saw ALL the kiddos out playing today!  

I love this girl SO much!

 

Ok... so the sickest funniest thing just happend... 

Freaking Larkyn has been in the room playing on my bed while I have been working on this post.  {don't worry our computer is in our room now}  She comes over to me and tells me she needs to go potty.  So we stripped her down {for some reason she has to be completely naked to go potty!}, then she was just running around naked and free, she finally went into the bathroom and I heard her sitting on the potty and didn't think much about it.  Well within about 15 seconds I hear... "mommy poo poo".  So naturally I go to investigate and there she was standing in the bathroom {thank goodness} by a pile of poo!  She peed on the potty, but for some strange reason decided to poo on the floor.  What in the world!!!  

 

Below are some ultrasound pictures from 2 weeks ago when I was 23 weeks.  

I am still in shock that in about 12 weeks I am going to have 3 little girls!  

I have had some of my friends asking me if I am ok because I seem off lately... 

I honestly just think that it's because I have so much on my mind ALL the time.  Emotionally it's been a lot to take on.  Obviously I am SO excited that we were chosen to have twin girls but I often worry about how Larkyn will handle the shock, how I will have so much love for so many girls {I know I will, it's just hard to imagine, ya know?}, I worry if I will be able to be the best mom for so many girls to look up to.  Plus I think that I want everything to be so perfect when they get here and so my thoughts have also been on preparing everything in the home.  Anyway... Here they are.  

 

OH! For those of you who don't know yet...

We have chosen 2 names...

1 - Oaklee Jane

2 - Carea McKinley {its pronounced Cuh-Ray-Uh}

:) 

 

Logan has been worried about someone stealing one of the names... but I just don't care anymore.  I figure... No one in our families are expecting, and we aren't planning on living in our current ward forever lol.   

kitchen makeover

Some of you may remember like back in November when I announced to the world that we were getting ready to take on some DIY projects in our kitchen ... like staining the cabinets...

WELL this has been a process and we have barely made a dent. 

I have been frazzled because I have soo many other projects that need to get done and my poor husband has had is time spread very thin the last 2 months and as a result is usually exhausted by the time the weekend rolls around. 

This week I have been staring at the cabinets just wishing that maybe a whole army of men would come finish them for us... {sigh} yeah right!  WHO in their right mind wants to sand and stain  what feels like a zillion cabinets!!  

So I started to think ... "Maybe we should just pay to have all new cabinets put in... "

As a result I ended up on HGTV's website lusting over my dream kitchen

There are sooo many things I would LOVE to have in my kitchen, but with our current floor plan... it would never work in this house.  

I think I got slightly depressed for a moment... 

THEN I found these...

You can find these pictures on www.hgtv.com & www.theletteredcottage.net

 

These pictures are both of the same kitchen from www.theletteredcottage.net and it was featured on HGTV's website.  The first makeover was when they went to black cabinets and they recently painted them again to white.  

YES I said painted!!  This couple didn't even have to sand ALL of their cabinets!  They lightly sanded the faces of the doors and drawers.  OK... I freaked out when I learned from her sight that Home Depot actually sells a primer specifically for painting cabinets!  

I AM SOLD!  Sanding has been the biggest pain in my neck and I'm not even the one doing IT!  

Notice the cute-sy wood pieces under the top cabinets... OH you better bet I am FINDING those.... and DID You notice the extension at the TOP??  I am DOING that AS WELL!!  {sorry I am overly excited here}  

You have to check out the whole makeover project at www.theletteredcottage.net and go to kitchen  YOU WILL DIE when you see what this couple started with!  

It amazes me what paint and a few details can really do to a room! 

is it time to update your hair style....

I believe it is!!  

Highlights... cut... a whole new do... SHE IS FOR YOU!

Let me just say that Kariann is AWESOME and totally rocks at cutting and coloring hair!

I don't think I have ever been happier... she actually listens to what I tell her!! : )

My hair style is kind of blah right now... but I am in the process of growing it out and making it even.  A few years ago my hair was pretty much slaughtered and I am not kidding when I say it is STILL recovering!! 

Anyway... like I said... Kariann is awesome, she will listen to you, and she will give her EXPERT advice on what she thinks will look good! 

GO SEE HER and GET IN ON March's offer! 

why i love relief society ...

I am finally going to admit that ...

 

OK OK I know it sounds a bit lamo to say "I admit" here... BUT I can remember when I felt like I didn't belong in Relief Society... that I didn't have anything in common with the sisters... that I didn't feel like hearing what all those women have to say.  Obviously... these feelings were a long time ago... BUT days like today I feel like I need to give a shout out to Relief Society!! 

So why do I love Relief Society? 

Whoaday Haylie... back up the train! 

What is Relief Society?  

Well... {eh hem} In the Church of Jesus Christ as Latter Day Saints the women are a part of this organization called Relief Society.   It was divinely inspired to be organized by some of the first leaders of the restoration of Christ's gospel in the 1800's.  It is a place for women to increase faith and righteousness, strengthen families and homes, and seek out and help those in need.  

I absolutely love being able to participate in this wonderful organization.

Together as women we really do increase our faith in Jesus Christ and His Gospel.  We have so many opportunities to serve each other and to serve those who are around us.  I know I have personally looked to soo many of the women in this organization as they inspire me in so many ways.  I can't even count the many things that I have learned just by attending my Relief Society Meetings on a regular basis.  I am constantly moved by the sweet spirit that is felt during our Sunday lesson's.  Most of the time I am moved to tears.  

Anyone who really knows me as a person knows that there are 2 things that make me choke up ALL the time 

1 - When I feel the spirit 

2 - My family 

We have lived in our ward now for almost 5 years.  Out of that 5 years I have served as a Relief Society Secretary for almost 3 years {not consecutive tho} 

I am currently serving as Secretary to the Relief Society and I absolutely love it!  I am busy, but I prefer to live life that way.  Every Sunday I have the opportunity to welcome new sisters into our ward, comfort friends, and listen to some of the most inspired lessons that I have ever heard.  I get to sit among the sweet presidency as they sincerely go before Heavenly Father for sisters who may be struggling.  I get to witness so many miracles!  

I don't just get this privilege because of my calling... any sister in our ward or around the world could witness the same things that I do.  Its a matter of perception... opening our eyes to more than just OUR OWN worlds, being in tune with promptings that are divinely inspired, and practicing our own faith.  

Sometimes I wonder how many sisters might feel how I felt several years ago.   

I do know that as we put our selves out there and really open our hearts and minds we WILL feel the love that Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ have for us as we attend our relief society meetings every week.   I can personally say that whenever I miss a Sunday because of sickness or vacations... I feel so empty.  I love the rejuvenating powers that Relief Society has.  If any sister or woman is feeling like maybe they don't belong... You should call me and we should talk.  OR you should get down on your knees and sincerely pray that you might have the spirit with you as you attend your next Relief Society Meeting... 

I know that this organization was divinely inspired for many reasons and that the words that are taught or shared during these meetings come from the Spirit of the Lord.   

 

Larkyn... spring... and the belly

 I thought for sure today was the day that I would be able to capture my little girl on camera... Think again!  

I don't know why kids this age have to be so darn difficult when it comes to taking their pictures... I mean... Can't they get it together for a few minutes so we as parents can capture their cute lil' faces??  HA!  She was every where!  I thought if I got her favorite seat out {the stool above} I might be lucky.  
NOPE.  
I had about 20 pictures that looked almost exactly like this - mouth open, eyes closed, weird faces... lol.  Oh well.  She sure is cute... even if she won't pose like a model! 

 Me like everyone else is over winter!  I refuse to wear winter sweaters with colors like gray, black, dark green... anything dark and wintery looking.  I have been making good use of our colorful shoes... even if they don't match our outfits! For some reason bright colors just seem to make the days a little better!   
{don't mind our dirty shoes}

And here is the belly!  I have had so many family members and friends from out of state asking to see pics... if you didn't see them on facebook here they are.  

22 weeks prego!

Everyone has been so nice and encouraging... I REALLY do appreciate it!  It is so hard for me to feel like a beautiful woman.  I know I really shouldn't complain because I feel very fortunate to have received these 2 girls all on our own... plus Larkyn.  I have family and close friends who are struggling with getting pregnant and my heart breaks for them.

It is just hard... Pregnancy is not fun for my body so in turn I get really self conscious.  BUT I am very grateful that so far both babies are very healthy... I guess I would rather me go thru some difficulties to have them healthy and thriving.