Craft Night with Hailey

This Friday night we had another craft night with Hailey

We started off the night with pizza and diet coke

Andrew headed out to his friends house to go play

We had so much fun!

Kennedy and I were laughing so hard at bouncing on the exercise ball

Kennedy colored

She threw ribbon all over the room

She made a countdown chain for Christmas

She played with Haileys old toys from when she was little

She cut pages and pages of paper with the paper cutter

Hailey helped us trash her craft room again!

Its messy mom!

Kennedy and Hailey making chains

I sewed 2 pillows

Made 2 bows

and 1 headband

Then Hailey and Kennedy started playing

Kennedy wouldnt let Hailey get up and she couldnt with Kennedy sitting on her

They both were laughing so hard

Which then turned into a piggy back ride up and down the stairs

Then made some peppermint cookies!

After cookies Kennedy played with Haileys nativity set and we watched Rudolph the Red Nose Reindeer.. ya know the 1964 version. Kennedy loves it.

We wore Hailey out

She was curled up on the floor watching the movie as Kennedy still ran around!

9 months of learning

Its been 9 months since I showed up at Haileys house with Kennedy looking like this

Its been 9 months to the day since these pictures were taken

9 months since I started my life over

9 months since I began to heal and learn

In these 9 months my life has changed immensely

I have grown

I have learned who I really am and what I really want out of life.

I have had so many changes

I have lost 45 lbs

I started exercising and going to the gym

I have realized how completely blessed I am and what an amazing support system I have

I have learned where my limits are in life and that I have no limits!

Every day has been such an experience

I take nothing for granted anymore

I have learned a lot about family

My family is amazing and I have really learned to appreciate them and make sure they stay in my life regardless of what someone else thinks

They have been there for me no matter what

They make me laugh

They love me

I have learned family is something in life you will always have and always need to keep

I have learned what incredible friends I have

A true friend loves you when you are at your worst

I have learned that I have a lot of true friends!!!

They have emotionally supported me in ways I could never imagine

I have learned that I am a pretty open person

Most people wouldnt share these pictures

Most people would be ashamed

Im not

I have learned I am an open book and that's just who I am

Thats who I like to be

That is what feels right to me

You never know who your life experiences will help

I have learned to express my love and feelings to everyone so much more

I dont hide what I feel

I have learned a lot about people

 I have learned to surround myself with those who accept me for who I am

I am not perfect

I have learned to embrace my imperfections

I have learned to start to love myself

I have learned not to compromise myself, my feelings or my thoughts for anyone else ever again

To stay true to me

and to my heart

I appreciate Kennedy so much more

I see what an example I need to set for her in life

I have learned how blessed I am to have such a sweet loving daughter who is too old for her own age

The last 9 months have came with a lot of ups and downs

Love, fear, hurt, anger, laughs, comfort, insecurities

But I wouldnt trade it for the world

I wouldnt be where I am today or who I am today with out them

I wouldnt realize how absolutely blessed I am

I wouldnt appreciate the incredible people in my life like I do

I wouldnt have made the new friends I have

I wouldnt have the outlook I do

I wouldnt realize the love in life there is from those you surround yourself with

So to everyone who has loved me

Thank you

Thank you for blessing my life and showing me whats really out there in this world and in myself

SaNtA!!!!!!

Hailey, Kennedy and I went to Weber State again this year to go see Santa

Kennedy was so stinkin excited

She was singing Christmas songs to me while we were getting dressed

We just got to the reindeer and we ran into my trainee at work

Kennedy said to him and his wife

"I love Santa and Jesus!!"

We were waiting for Sarita to get there and went inside for some hot chocolate

Kennedy told the girl she didnt want hot chocolate

She doesn't like hot chocolate

She likes WARM chocolate

Cheesin it up while we were waiting

Kennedy was a little full of energy so we went outside and her and Hailey ran up and down the hill

Sarita, Alex and Braxton showed up! 

After they were able to see the reindeer we went in to see Santa

Kennedy was so impatient!!

Finally when it was almost her turn she stood patiently in line with her arms folded

She told Alex and Braxton I get to go first in line

The kids in front of us moved and Santa told Kennedy it was her turn

She screamed SANTA!!!! and ran into his arms

She was so happy!

She said Ive been a good girl and I didnt pout or cry!

She wants a Cinderella barbie with a pink dress

It completely made her whole day to be able to go see Santa and sit on his lap

Next it was Alex's turn

And then Braxton

When we finished with Santa we went upstairs to make crafts

Kennedy and Alex made Santa ornaments that hold a list for them to write to him on

We headed down the stairs to go home

Sarita was talking to Kennedy and said

Oh Kennedy you are too cute! Where did you come from?

With out skipping a beat Kennedy replied

Tokyo

No clue where that came from..

We stopped to get some BK before Kennedy went to her Dad and I went to work

Hailey and Kennedy both got kids meals

What a great day!

We saw Santa

It was free

Free parking

Got to hang out with friends

and the smile on Kennedys face was priceless

20 years

On Dec 3rd 20 years ago my parents picked me up from school and we stopped at our house before heading into town.

I didnt want to go tire shopping with them

I begged my mom to stay home

She was going to let me but then changed her mind

We left a few minutes later and went into Ogden.

My dad and I were walking through the store when he got a page on the old school pagers that just showed the telephone number

I walked over with him to the payphone where he made a call

I saw him go completely white

He said something to the effect of are you kidding me!?

And no shes here with me shes not in the house

Next thing I know we are running across the store

I wasn't sure what was going on

We got to my mom and sisters and ran into the tire bay

My dad yelled at the guy to get out of the car and he didn't listen so my dad took him out of the car and we all jumped in.

By the time we got on the road I could see a big black thick column of smoke

Our house was on fire

I remember driving home sitting next to my sisters just starring at all the smoke.

I was only 6 and thought it was pretty cool

My mom was crying

The closer we got the thicker the smoke became.

We weren't able to get up our driveway because of all the fire trucks and hose lines across the road

We had to park at the bottom of the road and watch

At the time my dad was the Willard City Fire Chief

He ran up the hill, packed up and went into fight the fire

It had been reported that I was inside the home

Several firefighters risked their lives and ran into the house searching for me while it was fully engulfed

It took hours to get the fire even under control

We sat in the car and watched for a while

My mom took us down to Bert and Wally's house (where I live now) and we played and spent the night in their living room

The home was a total loss

Everything burned

There was a old glass jar full of change in the living room and the coins melted into one large ball it was that hot

Family, friends, neighbors and strangers stepped up and helped us out immensely

Whether it was a place to stay or food or clothes

Being only a few weeks away from Christmas my parents had finished up all their shopping and everything was lost

That year was the best Christmas we had ever had

The basement apartment we found in Willard just a few days later was over flowing with presents

On Christmas eve the door bell wouldn't stop ringing and every time the door was opened more presents were anonymously left on the stairs

I was so young but I was in awe of the love and appreciate the kindness and generosity of those who helped us

If there ever was an example of a community stepping up to help someone that was it

On the 20th year anniversary my dad who at work had months of a dry spell of structure fires had to respond on one

One where the family had lost everything

Kind of an interesting way to remember the day the same thing happened to us

I heard from him!

I have been worried about missing CW's call when he was finally able to call

I didnt have any idea when it would be at all or what number it was coming from

He said it might be a few weeks before I hear from him

Well he called today!

I was so excited

I got to talk to him for an entire 38 seconds!!

They only get 15 min a week if their whole squadron does good and there are about 50 people in his group

They had 15 minutes this week and he called his mom and then called me

38 seconds was all we had left but its better than none!

Our conversation was pretty much

"Hi!!!! Hows it going? Are you having fun?"
He said its ok. It depends on the day and that he had to go

I called his mom after and she filled me in on all the details I missed.

He seems to be doing good. Has a bad cold. Its been raining most the time in Texas

They went and had their pictures taken with Santa the other day and posted them on their training website

He's not a big fan of Christmas or Christmas music

You can see how thrilled he is in this picture

It made me laugh

He already looks like hes lost weight and toned up!

Amazing what 2 weeks away will do!

Only 6 more to go!

This week!

This week sure has been a busy one!!

I had a Drs Appointment so my friend Kim watched Kennedy for an hour or so.

They went over to her brothers house and played with her nieces in the leaves

Kennedy had so much fun!

Hailey and I had a craft night on Thursday night

Im pretty sure we completely trashed her craft room and it will take weeks to clean up

I wanted to make a bunch  headbands and bows for Kennedy for Christmas

These were the ones that I made

Hailey made this awesome elephant pillow FREEHAND and sewed it all together

The other side of it is soft brown fuzzy material for her niece Brooklynn

She also made some headbands too!

It was a pretty productive night full of hot glue, fabric, cookies and dip!

And Im pretty sure we laughed the entire night!!

Kennedy makes me laugh when she sleeps.

She had to have her Christmas lights on but I guess they were too bright

The covers were just perfect placed on her face with her hands behind her head

She was out cold

It was Kennedys weekend to be with her dad so some friends and I went out on Friday night to play pool

We had so much fun!

Zack and I

Saturday night my friend Kerri talked me into going out dancing with her and a few other friends

I normally dont dance

Not at all

But I had a freakin blast!!!

We had so much fun and I worked my little butt off!

It was a great night and we made some new friends!

Afterwards we went over to meet up with some other friends

Misspelled signs and banners just make me laugh every single time!!

Tera, Me, Kerri and Kandace

Such fun girls!

They sure know how to make me laugh!

It was a good weekend!

I got all my laundry caught up, apartment cleaned and

I was able to get a bunch of Christmas shopping done for Kennedy

Im so excited I cant wait!

Firemen

Parker was a fireman for Halloween

He went to visit my dad at the station and they had their pictures taken together in their turnouts

I just barely got the pictures!
They are the cutest firemen I've ever seen!

Muscle men!