Spontaneous Overnight Trip

We had a fun spontaneous overnight trip with some friends for family day and it was really so fun to get away, even if I spent most of it running after Afton and trying (unsuccessfully) to nurse my foot. I was on it way too much but what's done is done and it was still a great time!

This is why I rarely get pictures of Jesse!

Hotel pools are the best!!

Watching TV first thing in the morning, I thought this was cute!

Some great father-son bonding time!

Thinking I'd get out of the lodge I took Afton outside. Bit of a mistake with this foot of mine as she is way faster than me! This happened in a matter of seconds, but luckily this time Brad was there to save the day:

When Brad finally caught up with her. Can you spot them? :)

After they got sick of snowboarding they went sledding (and my camera was on some weird setting)

We ate out quite a bit, rare for us, this was our final dinner! The kids got along great with our friends' kids and that made it so enjoyable.

Now what would have made this perfect-a spa night and a nice dinner alone. Haha yah right! And I need a new camera, my iPhone just doesn't cut it!

Some unexpected benefits of reconstructive foot surgery

(Aside from the obvious of having other people wait on you for a couple weeks)

Wearing sweats every day. Also, an excuse not to go out, which I love. 

Laying around allows for things like reading lots of books to your kids, colouring with them, doing homework with them and watching movies with them. Also, playing plants vs. zombies (the live version-we'll keep the details within the circle of trust)

Your kids find lots of cool ways to entertain themselves. They also discovered using the exercise mat to slide down the stairs. Hours of (loud) fun.

Getting to ride around Costco with one of these.

Afton walking around with one boot on all the time-trying to be like me! 

Yep that's right, I got me one of these. You're jealous.

Valentines

Today I made my kids bacon, scrambled eggs and fresh cut strawberries for breakfast, even with my bum foot. I also sent them to school with super cute homemade valentines and we watched Charlie Brown Valentine's twice. I sure love Brad, but since Brad doesn't believe in Valentine's Day, and I for one think it's a very worthy day to celebrate, this post is for the other loves in my life.

My friends. Since having this surgery, all of my friends have been there for me in a big way. I admire them. It's a challenge for me to serve selflessly and so I appreciate them all the more. I really think I have the best, funnest and most beautiful friends in the world. I don't feel like I deserve them. I always think Heavenly Father is making up for my friendless childhood and answering all of my desperate pleas for friends when I was little. They represent true womanhood to me.

My brothers and sisters. We grew up together, we're still growing up together. They are the people who I'm learning to be a goddess on. They are the ones who help me recognize my weaknesses, who forgive me and who I forgive, who make me look closer at myself. These relationships are the hardest for me to have, but the ones rooted deepest in my soul. I've never cried because I missed someone until my sister Rachel moved away. And nothing melts my heart like the moment I hug my brothers after not seeing them for a long time. I never feel more fulfilled than sitting in the living room talking after dinner at my Mom's, while my little brother Dallas plays for hours with my kids, and I feel proud to see how totally awesome we've all become! He he. Take that, mortality!

My In-Laws, they are my other family,and all I have to say is that I really, really, really LIKE them! Of course I love them, but I also like them! This is a huge treasure to me! We have so much fun together!!!

My Mom. After having her clean my house tirelessly and watch my kids for me for three whole heavenly, perfect days, while I was forced to sit and elevate my foot while having PMS no less, I think my Mom and I tend towards some of the same weaknesses. The only difference is that she has overcome pretty much all of them,  through her faith in Jesus Christ. Her faith in Jesus is also a lot of the reason for the (hehe) awesomeness of my brothers and sisters. It is for that reason I want to be exactly like my Mom someday. Truly, one cannot say enough good things about her, but it's her faith in God and her faith in the Savior that I truly cherish. When I picture my Mom, I picture her on her knees.  

My Kids. The other day I got up to go to bed and suddenly it hit me: I'm a Mom. I suddenly felt like the last 6 years were one big blur and now here I was. I looked at them sleeping in their bed and thought, who in their right mind trusted me and Brad to take care of these three little people? I think I gush enough about them on here, but I would say one of the best things about having kids is the funny moments. For example, the other day Breanna said "I'm cold, I'm going to go put on some pajamas." And Brad said "put on your warmest ones" she ran out of the room, and then quickly ran back as she asked:

"What does bestwans mean?"

We laughed all night, and from now on, pajamas will be known in our house as "bestwans"

Happy Valentine's Day!!

XO

It was so great to have my MIL here for a few days. Isn't this the best picture of Afton? I seriously love this girl. She made cookies with the kids and did my laundry and we even made it out to the zoo when the doctor finally agreed that I don't have to lay in bed anymore.

This is how we got around, except with my MIL pushing. Seriously, do I have no pride at all? Funny enough, nobody cared or even blinked an eye. Just goes to show.

Uncensored today

Why I don't like pinterest: It just makes me want things I can't have, don't have time for-will never ever have time for, and aren't really important anyway. The pictures of the food always look so good. But do they taste good? Hm. Plus so many of the photos of women are so photoshopped, I guaruntee there are girls in the world right now staring at those pictures of girls in bikinis/work-out clothes going wow, what's wrong with me? (I'm not one of them, because they are so obviously photoshopped, but some girls might not know that, or know how much of an effect it can have.)

Speaking of self image.


I'm really mad because I gain weight first in my thighs, and of course by sitting around this last while I've gained weight. In my thighs. This means I get these disproportionately big thighs while the rest of me stays the same. I wish I could get like a cute little belly and chubby arms and be one of those gain weight all over people. And I don't care if that sounds ungrateful, I'm not censoring today.

While I"m not censoring, I love the new mormonad youth video, "Deep Beauty". I think it's inspiring. But, it made me feel kind of bad about myself. Plus it completely overlooks the atonement in the equation. I've been reading a lot of the Book of Mormon lately, especially Alma. And everything I read talks about relying on the Savior, repentance and the Atonement. The ones who spiritually glow, glow because of repentance, not because of anything you can do of yourself. Any young woman or old woman for that matter who ever doubts her worthiness, who has weaknesses and makes mistakes, whose husband doesn't look at her like that, who feels insecure and is maybe even straying from the path would watch that video and think "I'm not a queen. That is not me." Plus I can't stand the typical molly mormon-looking girls in the video. Very few Mormon girls look like that, and they just don't make those clothes, sheesh!

So now it's clear, sometimes I am insecure and especially around that time of the month.

Reading the hobbit to the kids, after watching Dolphin Tale. Loving the bright flowers i got from Fern but otherwise pretty sick of this room. Still wearing the same clothes I was wearing Monday. My bum is numb (ha!) and I'm sick of reading the book of Mormon (gasp! Is that bad?) and writing my story, Facebook is a drag and I DO NOT see the value in pinterest at all...am I missing something?Tomorrow is my first post op appointment, I still can't walk on my foot and it's still SO swollen. But boy my kids are sweet and good. They have been so helpful and so loving to me. They are good little people, (not to mention beautiful) makes me proud. Thank goodness for my mother in law. Now I'm going to attempt to go downstairs, brads going to carry me, or something.




- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone

Day 2

Well Brad has taken excellent care of me and everyone. He is such a good person. Yes, he may have even shown me up a little-which I think was also his goal. ;)

It felt so good to lay here and let someone else do all the work and cater to me hand and foot. All moms should have surgery at some point for this reason alone. If it wasn't for the swollen and sore foot and if I could get up and move around sometimes it would be heaven!