Update. . . . .FINALLY!

Well, it's been a while. We've been really busy with callings and kids and callings and school! But I feel that I have much updating to do=) I should be outside enjoying the beautiful weather here in between conference sessions, but it's as hot as sin outside. We had feet of snow on the ground 4 weeks ago and it is in the 90's today!!! I should have knocked on wood when I wished for warm weather.

Derrel is almost done with his 3rd year of medical school. We apply to residencies by September, which is just C-R-A-Z-Y and exciting! We have no idea where we will end up. We feel differently every other day. But we are crazy excited for the next phase, not that residency is exciting but it just the next step closer to being done with school forever!! Lydia asked Derrel one day what grade he was in. After figuring it out, he is (brace yourselves) in 21st grade! Holy cow, that's a smart guy if you ask me! He is doing well and LOVES being able to work with patients. He is SO good at it, too! He was just called to be the Ward Mission Leader and is so excited to work on missionary work here. There is so much to be done!

I am in my 3rd year of medical school, too. Maybe not going to school, but supporting it nonetheless! I am still Young Women President in our little growing ward. It's challenging but so incredibly rewarding. I LOVE my YW! I am getting geared up (physically and emotionally) for a 2 month hiatus to Utah/Idaho. I am a home body and I like my bed and my house and my kitchen. I don't deal with long trips very well so I'll apologize to anyone beforehand that I am a little basket case when traveling. At least I don't have to worry about pregnancy hormones on a trip like this=) All in all, I am doing well, running as much as I can. I have finished 3 half marathons in the last 6 months and have plans for two more in the next 4 months. I just can't kick this 8 lb holiday weight gain. Urgh. At least I can run a half marathon right?

Lydia has some big news! She won first place in a writers contest in the 1st and 2nd grade level for our county. They have submitted her story on the state level and she has been invited to go to the West Virginia Young Writer's Day in May for her accomplishments. She is extremely excited and is so bright and loves to read and write. I'll have to post her adorable story she wrote. She's really been into drawing, too. She is taking piano lessons and catches on SO quickly! She amazes us everyday! When she gets her mind set on something, she will do it until it is accomplished. I wish I had a little bit of that in me. She must have taken it FROM me and that's why I don't have the drive she does=). She'll be 7 in June and has had her birthday party planned out since January.


Kate is the heart of our family. She'll be 5 in September and much to her chagrin will have to forgo kindergarten for one more year. She will do preschool at Lydia's elementary school and is SO excited. She follows Lydia and wants to do everything exactly like her. She is the kindest little girl and has become so spunky. Everyone in her preschool class loves her-little miss popular. It cracks me up! Kate is so imaginative and can play by herself contently for hours! It's really helpful when I have a lot to get done. She is so excited for our trip out west and to see all of her cousins and friends.


Grant is our little man, or should I say BIG man. He'll be two in June (where has the time gone?!?) and he is a mover. You have to keep your eye on this one. He's not a big talker, just too busy looking for cars and trucks and sisters to tackle. He's almost 32 lbs and growing. I LOVE LOVE LOVE having a boy. Boys are so different than girls. Grant is such a goofball. He loves to make the girls giggle and they are so patient with his crazy boyishness. He gets a little upset everyday about the same time and sometimes the only thing that calms him down is putting on the movie Cars. He stops whatever he is doing and watches, mesmerized. It's amazing!

(watching Cars)

Well, we are still alive and well. Life is busy but we are so happy and all healthy and loving every minute of being here in West Virginia (just not the snow). But we do look forward to the day that we might be back closer to family! But for now, we'll just enjoy where we are.

HAPPY EASTER!

Something worthy of a post. . . . finally!

Well, it's pretty obvious I haven't blogged in 3 months or so. I guess I didn't think I had much to blog about. But now, I do!!!
About 8 months ago, a good friend asked me to run a half marathon with her. For those of you who know me, I HATE HATE HATE running, with a passion far more than those who actually have a passion for running. That is, I used to. In March, I started to run. I was overweight and it was hard! A week or two into it, I decided that I was going to run a whole mile without stopping (I know, pathetic, right). It was one of the hardest things I've ever done. But that mile changed my life, that and getting new shoes. I decided that I would start training for a half marathon, one that I never verbally committed to, for I am a non-committal kind of person (in unimportant matters). The half marathon came and went. I couldn't run it because I was on a trip to Idaho/Utah. I found another race to train for. 15 miles. To some, it seems impossible. I was one of those back in January. To others, 15 miles is just another long run on Saturday. But to me, it was a milestone that told me that I actually CAN commit and ACHIEVE! It was hard and time consuming, but I did it! I finished! And I actually want to keep running. The race was difficult, the uphills about killed me. Any race with a sign at the bottom of an endless hill that says "Capital Punishment Hill begins" should be seriously considered before running! But I ran my "half-marathon + 2 miles" (and I've lost 32 pounds in the process-extra bonus!!)
So for any of you out there thinking you can't do the unimaginable, unthinkable, impossible. . . . . . . . YOU CAN, because I did!
I can't go ANY further without thanking my personal cheering squad. Derrel has been extremely supportive of my crazy aspirations. He is my rock (well one of them=). And I couldn't have done it without Lydia and Kate, for showering me with flowers 11 miles into the race. And Grant learned how to clap at the race. I've been trying to get him to clap for MONTHS. Never would until the day I ran the race.

Here's Grant learning how to clap from seeing people clap for HOURS on end!

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Notice Lydia was ready with her shower of flowers for me. What a great support group I have!! Love it!

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OK, so my running form is kinda weird and I look a bit silly, but hey-I just ran 15 miles!

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Who am I?

I thought this was pretty cute. Try it out!

1. Your rock star name: Jim Vanny
(first pet, current car) I didn't have a pet...

2. Your gangsta name: Napoleon Thong
(favorite ice cream flavor, favorite type of shoe) I've always call Neopolitan Napoleon (it's much easier to say)

3. Your Detective name: Orange Kitten
(favorite color, favorite animal)

4. Your soap opera name: Susan Kansas City
(middle name, city where you were born)

5. Your Star Wars name: Walki
(the first 3 letters of your last name, first 2 of your first name)

6. Superhero name: Blue Lemon Water
(2nd favorite color, favorite drink)

7. NASCAR name: Alvin Harold
(the first names of your grandfathers)

8. TV weather anchor name: Reynolds Raleigh
(your 5th grade teacher’s last name, a major city that starts with the same letter)

9. Spy name: Autumn Tulip
(your favorite season/holiday, flower)

10. Cartoon name: Melon Tee
(favorite fruit, article of clothing you’re wearing right now)

11. Hippie name: Cheerio Dogwood
(what you ate for breakfast, your favorite tree)

12. Witness Protection Name: Louise Warren
(mother’s & father’s middle names )

13. Your Rockstar Tour Name: The Painting Thunder Tour
(”The” + Your fave hobby/craft, fave weather element + “Tour”)

I've been tagged

The Rules: Each player answers the questions about themselves, at the end of the post the player tags 4 people and posts their names, then goes to their blog and leaves them a comment, letting them know they are tagged! Good times!

Where I was 10 years ago:
Ten years ago, I was 2 months from graduating from High School (yes, I'm not STILL in HS like most strangers think).

5 things on my "to do list" today:
1. Clean the "craft room" for the new "baby room."
2. Make pizza for dinner (a new Friday tradition).
3. Go to Derrel's White Coat Ceremony.
4. Shower (and that definitely makes the TO DO list!)
5. Well, I guess I already accomplished one thing on my to do list: do the dishes!

Things I would do if I were a billionaire:
Finish remodeling my house and sell it.
Go on a cruise to Hawaii.
Uhhmm. . . .
Get out of debt! =)
Buy a new car. . .
I could go on and on and on.

3 of my bad habits:
1. Throwing all of my clothes all over the floor before I go to bed because I'm lazy.
2. Not making dinner ;) (I am getting a little better since I don't have morning sickness anymore)
3. Definitely the way I eat, especially the last 4 weeks of pregnancy since I haven't been sick.

5 places I have lived:
Kansas City, MO
Houston, TX
Provo and Orem, UT
Voronezh, Russia
Visalia, CA
Morgantown, WV
(I guess that's 6)

5 jobs that I have had: OK, this is the place I really SHINE=) and it's more than 5!!

Cake decorator/cookie giver awayer (at a grocery store bakery)
Waitress (The Original Pasta Co.)
Janitor (BYU) twice, one early morning
Door-to-door sales (selling books in Wisconsin)
Pizza delivery girl (and boy did I get better tips than the men that delivered!)
Receptionist (Cubco Doors Co.)
Nanny (for two ridiculously ornery and spoiled girls)
Nanny again for a little boy named Sam
Secretary (Center for HS studies)
Dental Assistant
Pampered Chef consultant
Wife
Mother

Something most people don't know about me:
My life is an open book. Is there anything people really don't know about me? Hmmm. I played the violin for 4 years until HS when I was "too cool" to play anymore. I went to a regional track meet in HS for shotput. I had to compete against some BIG MOMMA girls, too. I lived in Russia for 4 months.

OK, I am tagging: Jami, Mary, Amy (my sister) and Annie (my sister). GO FOR IT!

Hair

My sister-in-law has been begging me to put a picture of my growing hair. I really don't want to so I might just delete this post after she sees it. This is how long my hair is getting. And for any of you who don't know me very well, this is the longest my hair has EVER been in my entire life! So enjoy, Kira.

Summer Fun!