Sunday, December 29, 2013
Baby #2

If you haven't heard yet, we are expecting Baby Lowry #2 in July!!!!
My exact due date is July 8, 2014....but since Ben was 4 weeks early...I assume this baby will more likely be born in June.

And to answer the popular question....YES, we actually planned for this baby haha. A LOT of planning actually went into this baby. We only had 8 weeks to get pregnant. The reason why is because there was a chance that Maikal was going to need to take an extra 7 weeks to complete his degree after april, so that eliminated May and June, so we only had July and August because we are hopefully planning on being at Dental School in the fall. So as you can see, we were a little stressed that we weren't going to be able to get pregnant in that time. But, it turns out we actually got pregnant our first week of trying haha. I guess this baby was just meant to come! ANd what's even more exciting is that I have like 4 really good friends having babies within 2 months of each other!! I didn't miss the loop this time!

So here is the announcement we sent out on facebook :)




Since my parents knew that we were trying, I didn't tell them in any special way, I just said, "oh hey, Im pregnant" lol. Nice eh? But for Maikals parents, we wanted to do something a little more creative. Maikal's mom came out to Hawaii in the beginning of Dec so it was the perfect time to tell her. We came up with this card idea and she was so surprised!! It was so fun to see her expression.


So now onto my pregnancy.
This one is COMPLETELY different!! I'm nauseous, throwing up, Im starving ALL the time, and I am soooo tired. I didn't have any of that with Ben. I didn't even know I was prego until about 5 weeks with him, so this one is seeming so much longer. Plus, I swear my belly has been starting to show since week 8. It might be in my head...but I just feel huge already! I would just like to be over the "oh maybe shes gained a little weight" stage to "oh theres a baby in there!" stage. Hurry up baby belly!! But on the plus side, I haven't gained any weight yet! yay!! But...i feel like that will change very quickly haha.

We are planning to find out the sex again, but I would like to not keep it a secret this time haha. It was too hard with Ben. We already have names picked out, but we won't share those until it comes, cuz who knows, we might just change our mind!

I'm freaking out a little to know that I am going to have TWO kids!!! WHAT! It's still so crazy to me. But one of the big reasons why we chose to have a baby at this time is for Ben. I just look at him and want nothing more than to have him play with a sibling. This baby will bring a lot of blessings to our life. It took me a long time to be ready for a 2nd, but I know in my heart that this is the right time for everyone. I'm glad I didn't just rush into another pregnancy to just have them close in age or to get done having kids sooner....I received some great council from family and friends and I took that extra 6 months and just really focused on what was best for me, Maikal, and Ben. 

Ben LOVES babies, so I know he will just fall in love as soon as he see's him/her. All I worry about how rough he is going to be. He already squeezes the life out of random babies at church! I am going to need to keep an eye on him at all times until he learns to be gentle.

Right now I am 12 1/2 weeks and going strong! 2 more days and Im out of the first trimester! YAY! I will keep everyone updated on our life and hopefully kick my butt into gear and blog more!

Saturday, November 16, 2013
Lowry Update

This semester has been full of ups and downs. So I thought I would write a post on what's been going on in our lives as of late.

1. Dental School Applications- Maikal finished his applications about 6 weeks ago and now we're in the waiting game for knowing if we got in somewhere. It is so nerve wracking! Acceptances can take until march to find out, so we've got a long way to go. I hate not knowing what's going to happen next year. Are we going to have to stay in Lethbridge for a year and just work? Or are we going to go to Dental School to who's knows where! We would love to go to Utah simply because we have family on both sides there. We also would love California! I've always wanted to go there :) But really, we would be grateful to be accepted anywhere! Prayers please!

2. Halloween- This year we actually got to dress up and go trick or treating! Maikal wasn't able to join us for the actual house to house stuff, but we did go to the party. I've been waiting to do this costume idea since i saw it on pinterest about 1.5 years ago. Maikal and I were robbers, and Ben was a bag of money! It was so fun!



3. Budget- And this is going to sound bad, but, I've never actually had to live on a tight budget before. Not even for the first semester of college. I've honestly always been so blessed with money and jobs that it's never been an issue for us. But this semester has been a challenge. The Canadian Government is being absolutely ridiculous and refusing to send us the amount we need to live on. Last year we got a very handsome amount, but this year we got less than half of what we had. We've literally been SCRAPING by and it really concerns me if we'll even make it to April! But I know that If we keep praying and trust in God that we will make it.

4. Since I know that our time in Beautiful Hawaii is limited, I've been trying to take advantage of the beautiful beaches and the nice weather. I've been given such an amazing opportunity to live here and I just need to soak it all in before it's all gone!

5. Family- In a few weeks a whole bunch of Maikal's family is coming out to Hawaii! I love it when they come and I know we're just gunna have a blast! Our main goal over the Christmas Holiday is to finally swim with dolphins!! It's literally at the top of my list and I hope it happens :)


6. Swimmers- About a month ago I bought Ben some little swimmers and it was the best $16 I've ever spent! He can go anywhere all by himself and it's just so cute to see him so independent in the water!

Monday, October 28, 2013
Death Cookies

I have a funny story to tell....well it wasn't funny at the time...but now I can shake my head at the whole thing.

The other day, my sister-in-law brought a friend over for cookies. We've never met before so I knew nothing about him. We were just going to have an innocent night full of delicious cookies and good conversation. As I was plating the cookies, something whispered into my ear, "ask him if he's allergic."
I ignored it like I usually do. I have a serious problem with not listening to the spirit when I need to. So I start handing out the cookies and I hear it again, except this time it was louder, "ASK HIM IF HE'S ALLERGIC". Once again, I did not listen.

So each of us have a few cookies and we're having a good laugh and so on. Then I look over to him and he directly ask's me, "are there Peanuts in these cookies?" My heart dropped. "Yes there are!" Everyone stops and looks at him. "I am allergic". I knew the second he asked that he was allergic. Why didn't I listen!! I asked if he had an Epi Pen, he said it's at his house. People who are allergic to peanuts, are usually DEATHLY allergic to Peanuts. I literally SHUV him out the door to go get that pen! I was worried about him all night. I could have prevented this whole thing! Later that morning I learned that he had been throwing up all night.....Im the worst cookie host of all time.

Because of my lack of listening skills, I could have killed someone! But, it's kind of a funny story to tell no? If we end up being friends for a long time, it will be funny to bring it up. "Remember that first night we met and I almost killed you?" ya....

Anyway...it's nice to know that I can receive personal revelation....it's just too bad Im too stubborn to listen!
Wednesday, October 9, 2013
Some Videos

Here are a few video's of what we've been up to recently. Enjoy!


Ben kissing himself in the Mirror
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uvqabxsAUi4&feature=youtu.be

Hawaii Go Pro Adventures
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aWLrQNSjP4Y

Cody's Visit
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=POQNUq6m9ck
Sunday, September 29, 2013
 It's not about the Nail

I don't know if any of you have seen this video clip.
If not, watch it right now because it will make this
post make a lot more sense haha.
(click on the 'this' to see clip)


Today was kind of a rough day.
I felt angry all day and my temper would just flare at any given moment.
I was sitting down, just ranting to Maikal. 
I wanted to rant to someone just for the sake of ranting. 
It feels good in a lot of ways. 
And Im sure most women can relate to that. 


If you get a bunch of Women in a room together
all talking about something they have trouble with 
or just talking about something or someone they dislike
then it all just turns into a big ball of emotion 
passing from one to person to another
We understand each other, 
we feel each others pain, 
we can relate in one way or another 
and we LOVE to just talk about it. 


Maikal and I have watched that clip over and over again because it's soooo funny! 
And the reason it's funny is because it is SO TRUE! 
Women don't want to hear about how they need to fix what's bothering us, 
we just want to be heard sometimes! 
(And Im not trying to generalize women in this way, this is just what Ive noticed in many)

So the reason for this post is to share the moment today that left both of us in tears from laughing so hard. Again, I was just ranting to Maikal about stupid things, and he just sits there and nods and says, "that sounds so hard hunny". While saying this he has the biggest smirk on his face. I turn to him and say " YA! It IS har......wait...hang on....!" Then we both start bursting into laughter! We JUST became those two people in that clip. Like the EXACT conversation. I didn't even notice at first just because it was what I wanted to hear from him. No fixing of any sort. But that's just not like him to say that so the fact that he tried so incredibly hard not to say anything but those few words is just hilarious to me. We were seriously rolling on the floor laughing at each other and at ourselves.




Saturday, September 7, 2013
Home

"Home is where the Heart is"

Those words have never felt so true.

I cannot explain to you how good it feels to be reunited with Maikal. 7 weeks away from each other was absolute torture! Even though I was staying in a place where there was family, where I went to school, where I once lived...it still never felt like home. So I truly believe that 'Home' is where your family is.

I am so grateful that I was able to stay with my parents for a whole month. It was fun to be able to spend time with them and my other family up there. And my parents had so much fun spending time with their only grandbaby! It was also great for me.....Free baby sitters!! ;) I never got up before 9:30 because they would take care of him for me. I was able to leave for work and had no worries about who would watch him. Thats what I love about family! They are there for you whenever you need it. I was worried that I was going to have a hard time with it just me taking care of Ben. But I had more than enough help and I am so grateful! And seeing my cousins and having little play dates at the beach were just a cherry on top! I was actually able to keep myself pretty busy so the thought of missing Maikal wasn't so painful. Minus Maikal being away, I had a great summer full of plenty of great memories.

When the time came to purchase tickets back to Hawaii, I was a little worried. Who wants to travel for 10 hours with a baby.... by yourself??? NO ONE! So I asked the sisters (Ylanna and Mysha) If they wouldn't mind going back with me and of course they said yes! YAY! PLUSSSSS....my brother Cody decided that Hawaii sounded like alot of fun and that he would come as well! (ps he bought a 'one way ' ticket so he is still deciding when he wants to leave. Which is fine with us!) The flight back was good. But I will say that we will probably never do a day flight with a baby ever again. He barely slept at all and was pretty cranky when he couldn't sleep. Night flights are so much easier. He just sleeps the whole time!

This week Maikals two Aunts and their families came out to Hawaii and it was SUCH a blast!! We had activities planed for every day! SO im pretty pooped haha.

Day 1:
Waimea Beach. Swam with turtles, Jumped the cliff, Went to Teds Bakery, Toilet Bowl (a small cave where water flushes you out), and snorkelling.

Day 2:
China Man's Hat. To get there you have to walk/swim there. It takes about 20 min to get there on foot. 10 min if you're on a Kayak or surf board.

Day 3:
Swap Meet, Costco, Walmart. Just a good shopping day. We found these sweet shirts for everyone and had a cool fam pic!

Day 4:
Sharks Cove. Lots of Snorkelling, climbing on rocks and caving. There is this place called the blue room. Its a small underwater cave that has the most beautiful colour of blue at the end where the sun comes in. It took me and cody a long time to get up the courage to go, but we eventually did it and it was a blast!! LOVE CAVING!

Day 5:
Monawilies Hike. This hike takes you to a beautiful (but small) waterfall. The hike was nice and easy (just the way I like 'em!).

Day 6:
Waimea and Castles. We spent the morning at Waimea Bay and ended the day at Castles Beach. At Waimea we body surfed and it was so fun. Castles is a beginner place to surf. But the waves were so crappy today so we just played in the water. Also, forgot to sunscreen today....so we are all a little burnt :(...




Friday, August 30, 2013
Nail Polish

In this day and age, it feels like everywhere I go there is sex, drugs, violence, drama, depression, chaos, and war. It just makes me sad to think about all the crap that's happening. I feel like whenever I turn on the TV there is either Miley Cyrus grinding up on some man, and Vice Versa ( Robyn Thicke should be getting way more flak than Her, he's a married man with children! A 40 year old guy dry humping a little girl??? ya that's sick) sry anyways, or turning on the news to some terrible event thats happened to something, somewhere, or someone. I feel like I can't even go to a movie without there being nudity in it. It's almost like people think it NEEDS to be in there in order to make a movie good. I actually refuse to watch the news or read articles about the bad stuff that's happening because it just makes me sick inside!

But, yesterday was one of those days that left me hopeful. I was in line at the store to buy a single thing of nail polish. I was just about to pay when the man behind me puts down a few things and says to the clerk 'put her stuff on my tab please'. I was actually in shock for a second. This kind of thing has never happened to me so I've never felt this kind of kindness from some random stranger. I was SO happy that this gentle kind heart man was willing to pay for my little $4.00 nail polish just to be nice. I wasn't happy that he paid for it so I could save a couples bucks haha I was just so joyful to know that people like this do exist and it's happening everywhere.

I think it's important for people to know about the hard times that world is going through right now, so we are able to learn from other mistakes, to show compassion to the wounded and needy, and to take action when needed. But I do also believe that a lot of people nowadays are dwelling on the bad too much. I am the kind of person who see's a lot of bad stuff. Whether it's happening to me or the world, and sometimes it's really hard to focus on the good stuff. I've recently been trying to find the good things and focus more on what makes me happy instead of sad and I've really noticed a huge difference in my attitude.

There IS plenty of good in the world, sometimes it may be harder to see with all this nasty stuff surrounding it, but it's there. Just like when the flood hit Southern Alberta. Although my heart was hurting for everyone and everything that was affected, it also brought my heart great joy when I saw the responses to what was happening. It felt like all of Alberta was pitching in the help with this tragedy. I was seriously impressed.

So Im just going to encourage everyone who reads my blog to just try and think of all the amazing and good things that have happened to you. They don't have to be huge like going on a trip or making lots of many or stuff like that. Sometimes the little things are what matter most.
Like Buying someone's Nail Poish :)
Wednesday, July 24, 2013
FYI

It has recently been brought to my attention that some of my own family and friends have had negative things to say about me about what I've been posting. This of course hurts me in some ways, but I by no means have hard feelings towards these people nor do I hold a grudge of any sorts.

Some people are saying that the things I say on my blog should not have been posted and they should've been kept to myself. Apparently I am pouring out my feelings too much and I should deal with them privately. And you know what....yes I knew some people would say these things, yes I knew that there would be people who would judge, and yes I knew that some people would be vocal about it. And I even bet some of you even think I post some things I say for attention or sympathy. Well.....let me just say that that is NOT true at all. I just write how I feel, good or bad. I am not looking for attention just so people feel sorry for me. I am not like that. But you don't know me and what I've had to go through in my life.

I mean, yes I do maybe think the previous 'stress relieving' post that I did should not have been posted; about Ben not being a good sleeper and how stressed and frustrated I was. But I seriously wrote that at 1:30am in the morning with a crying baby next door to me. I was a little out of it. Literally not sleeping for 5 days straight. I don't think I should be writing anything when I'm exhausted like that and take all my anger out on my blog for everyone to see haha.

But, the post about my depression was really different. It was literally a cry for help...not attention. I felt confused, alone, frustrated, and in a darker place in my life. I didn't even initially write that post for the purpose of seeking help, I was simply prompted to write it. I knew a lot of people were curious about how I was doing being a parent and how my post-partum was affecting my life.  And that's what I want my blog to be about. I want people to know about my life and vice versa with theirs. I feel like blogs and facebook keep our families and friends in the loop of how everyone is doing and I LOVE it. Immediately after posting it, I felt like that was the right thing to do. And holy cow did I ever get the help that I needed. I have never felt so much love and support in my life. People that I have never even met came and told me their stories and shared their advice and support. I've also had many people tell me that I was very brave to share my situation to the world and how inspired they were to do the same and not be ashamed of the same things they were going through. And I STILL have my friends and family checking up on me to see how Im doing. I didn't know that THAT was the help I truly needed. My inbox's and comments were overflowing with kind words and fantastic advice and nothing but love. For days I would read these words from everyone and just cry. Not tears of sadness, but tears of joy. I felt Happy. I felt Alive. I felt Uplifted. And for about 2 straight months after posting it, my dark days decreased dramatically. Before I was feeling awful about 4 days out of the week. And after it went down to about 1, maybe 2. And there were some weeks where I didn't have a single bad day. I still have yet to see a doctor, which I know I said I was going to do. But I've just been feeling so good about life!! {Minus these past 2 weeks of Ben not sleeping haha. Which by the way he is sleeping like a champ again!!! And again, thank you for all the great advice about how to handle it! I kept him on a more consistent schedule and pushed through it. It feels good!} So I haven't REALLY felt the need to go see anyone like before. But, I think I will still go see my family doctor because I do still have some feelings that are still lingering that I thought would just leave.

I know that people aren't always going to agree with me about the things I post. Whether they think Im sharing too much, whether Im dealing with my situation properly, whether Im a good parent, or whether my intentions are true about why I post some things. But it's my blog and Im going to keep writing about my life the way I want. It's not like I don't post about the awesome things too. I have TONS of posts about how awesome life is! There's just been a few bumps in the road that I needed some help with. And I really do need to be better about blogging about my awesome summer and all the fun things I've done. But that will come soon ;)

I would also like to take this time to give a huge shout out to the people who have been right there helping me along with being a new mom and all the things that come with it:

Maikal, Mom, Dad, Hailey, Radelle, Laura, Krystal, Kari, Cherisa, Kristen, Kelliane, Melissa, Melinda, Stacey, Sydney, Nicole, Brittnee, Meg, Cari, Vanessa, Mel, Keshia, Tara, Mary-Ann, Carla, Tia, Lori, Paula, Christy, Crystal, Jesse, Caitlin, my siblings as well as Maikals whole family. And I know I am forgetting so many people....But I am having a brain fart right now! SO Im so sorry! You all have no idea how much of an impact you have had on my life. I love you all so much!

As for right now. I am great! I am having lots of fun with everyone down south and Im excited to go back up to Drayton Valley to see my family and friends and new cousins!!! And Yes Maikal is gone and I miss him like CRAZY!!! But we're pushing through. Krystal Alston you're going to have to tell me how you made it so long without your 2 awesome men! This is brutal! Thank goodness for skype am I right :)

Sunday, July 21, 2013
Love You

Maikal, it is your birthday today. We are a million miles away from each other and it hurts to know that I won't see your handsome face for 5 more weeks. But I am dedicating this post to you. The most wonderful man I have ever met. The most caring and sharing. The most loving. The most intelligent. The most logical. The most spiritual.

Maikal, I love you because:

you put God above all else

your family is extremely important to you

you work incredibly hard to be successful in your schooling

you make sure we are being taken care of physically, emotionally, spiritually, and financially

you still hold my hand every night when we go to sleep and every morning when we wake up

you are an equal partner in raising our child

you still want to be close and cuddle with me (even tho sometimes i dont haha)

you let me buy whatever I want no matter what the cost ;)

you know how to have fun

you love to travel and be spontaneous

you love to dance with me when a sweet song comes on

you like to challenge yourself and learn as much as you can

you have great ambition and determination

you have so many different skills

you are the friend everyone wants to be with

you make me the happiest I have ever been

Happy 28th Birthday Old Man

I love you!


Wednesday, July 17, 2013
Exhausted

It's 1:30am.
Ben will not sleep.
He's been fussing and crying for over 1 hour.
I hate everything right now.

Ok im going to vent again. Sorry guys. I must seem like a miserable person hahaha. Ever since the second week of being in Canada, Ben has been a sleeping nightmare. That very first week, he was sleeping 13 hours straight every night!! Best baby ever!! And then we went up to my parents house where it all fell apart. And I just don't see why! He had his own room, he had lots to do during the day, he had lots of people loving him, it wasn't super cold.....SO WHAT WAS IT!! It seems i will never know for sure.

There has been talk of regression, he's out of his routine, there are too many new things in his life, he is over tired.......but I seriously just don't know what to do anymore. I live in a full house. Every room is taken, so where does Ben get to sleep? Right next to me in my room. So I can't even just go shut a door and let him scream it out for a while. He's RIGHT next to me screaming. And Ive tested this over and over and over....he WILL NOT sleep through the night if he is in the same room as us. He just doesn't. And even if he has his own room in this house (the boys leave on vaca sometimes), he still won't sleep. FRICK! WHAT DO YOU WANT CHILD!?? He's super happy during the day and takes good naps. Tonight, I even put him to bed at 8pm with a full tummy and a bottle, put lavender on his neck, and made the room very comfortable. But what happened at 12:30am????? HE WOKE UP. Not even just a little cry...he was sitting up and whining. So it's 1:40am right....and I don't hear anything anymore....I hope hes out until at least 7am. If not...I am going to scream. There have only been a handful of nights where he actually slept his normal 12 hours. The rest have been 5am wake-ups for 2 hours then he goes back to sleep. I guess I just need to give it more time with his normal schedule. 7-7:30 wake up, 12 or 1pm naptime, and 7-7:30 bedtimes. With it being summer and all, hes been staying up really late sometimes and taking later naps. But shouldnt he just sleep the same?? just go to bed later and wake up later?? Whatever...babies are weird like that.

AND it is SOOOO much harder now that Maikal is gone. I no longer get that little break when he goes and takes him so I don't freak out and take it out on my child. I am alone now.
......oh.....hang on......there he is crying again....I knew it was a trick.

So, Im sorry to be a downer and basically repeating this post for like...the 4th time. But sometimes writing it down does make me feel better. A friend mentioned this sleep agent for babies that im going to try, Quietude i think. It's suppose to help children calmed down and have better sleeps. So that and keeping him on a more consistent schedule. Thats my plan. And I hope it works. Thanks for listening.

ok...I think he is asleep now. So I am finally going to try and sleep before he wakes up in like 4 hours. awesome. feels like i have a newborn. hate it.



"Dear Ben, If you keep going on like this, you won't get a sibling for a VERY long time!! So sleep better PLEASE!!"

Saturday, July 13, 2013
5 Week Overload

So I've kinda been slacking on the whole blogging thing.....my bad. But we have just been so busy!!
We LOVE being back here in Canada and we can't believe it's already over!....for Maikal anyways. He's leaving TOMORROW to go back to Hawaii for Summer B classes. I can't believe we will be apart for 6 weeks! The longest we've gone is 4 days....this is gunna suck.
It was a busy 5 weeks. And although Maikal feels like we didn't get enough relaxing time, I still feel like we've had so much fun. Let me take you through our break so far:
Week 1-1.5: We came to Lethbridge where Maikal spent 3 days in Med Hat to shadow a Dentist. We hung out with family and a nice time.
Week 2-3: We spent at my parents house up in Drayton Valley. It is SO beautiful up there. We went quadding, hung out at the beach, played with my cousins, helped Adam make a patio pad, and played alot of Settlers and Rook. Also, my sister Rebecca Graduated!! So proud of her :)
Week 4: Canada Day was AWESOME. We went bridge jumping, went to the parade, ate yummy food, hung out with friends....it was amazing. The rest of the week was spent hanging out with friends, going to movies, and doing a few errands before Maikal heads back to Hawaii.
Week 5: Was spent just hanging with friends and a few last minute things that needed to be done. We went strawberry and Pea picking at his parents, had a bonfire, went to the pool, and spent alot of time in backyards just talking. Its been very nice.

I worry that we didn't get everything done that we needed to before Maikal leaves tomorrow. But I hope I can do the rest by myself. And Im sure Im missing alot of activities that we've done, but I just can't remember right now....

All I can think about is how much I am going to miss Maikal! Gahhhhh
I am basically going to be a single parent for 6 weeks. But thank goodness for family and friends!! I feel so lucky to have so many all around me :) Seriously blessed.

And Im not gunna lie, I really want to go back to Hawaii now. I miss the ocean, the scenery, the humidity, all of it!!! But, I've already booked a bunch of Photo Shoots so i have to stay.....oh well. But it's going to be nice to see more of my family :)

But here are alot of pictures of how our summer has been!




Thursday, June 13, 2013
Blessings

Oh my goodness where do I even begin! Ok so there are these brand new student apartments at BYUH and they are 2 bedrooms. We have been waiting and waiting and waiting to get into a 2 bedroom for about 10 months!! We prayed and prayed that something somewhere would open so we could move into a larger apartment, but nothing was happening. Then we see these new apartments being built and everyone was googly eyed over them. They are SO nice!! There are alot of people trying to get into these so we new our chances were slim. But after going to the open house for these apartments, we fell in love and were determined to get in!! We prayed harder, read our scriptures, went to the temple, etc.

So the other day, we got an email saying that we have been approved to move into a 2 bedroom! YAY!!!....kinda....they had assigned us to an older 2 bedroom. And we would have had to move June15th! So we would have had to fly there, move our stuff, then come back if we wanted. It would have been awful. Which don't get me wrong I am so grateful to have the opportunity!! But I just mentioned that we really wanted to get into the new building and they said they will see what they can do. After begging and grovelling and begging again, they found a spot for us in the New Building!!! GAHHHHHHHHHH

I was through the roof excited!! We felt so lucky and so blessed! We REALLY wanted this. Seriously the place we have now is very small and is infested with cockroaches....sick! I can't wait to show everyone pictures!! And poor Maikal, he is going back to Hawaii sooner than me so he has to do the move himself...but thank goodness for friends who are willing to help!!

SO SO BLESSED!!
Monday, June 10, 2013
Canada

We made it!! We are finally back in the homeland and are super excited!! We are staying in our same place that we lived in before we left, plus 3 Lowry's who are also living here lol. It's a fun house. The travel over here was alright. We had a night flight. Which was nice for Ben because he just slept the whole 5 hours, but for us it was horrible!! The plane was very uncomfortable. And can I just say that Old People on this ride were worse than the children! I don't know why, but it's like ALL of them NEEDED to have their over head lights on, even went they slept! They are very bright so it made it really hard to sleep. It was frustrating. But we were able to get about 2 hours of sleep. We then had a 2 hour layover in Vancouver then headed straight to Calgary! By the time we got home we were all EXHAUSTED. The jet lag really took a toll on all of us. Ben is still adjusting to the time change and so are we. He ended up staying awake until 2 am last night....so brutal. But I think he may be fine tonight...im still waiting to see if he wakes up....Crossed Fingers!

We've come to realized that Canada is flippin COLD!! The air is crispy and dry and it's just chilly! We are constantly wearing sweaters and socks. Poor Ben had nothing to wear so we went out and bought him warmer clothes today. He seems to have appreciated that lol.

In other news, I know i gave my promise about keeping that diet a few weeks ago. But I didn't realize at the time that we needed to eat all our food before we left so it wasn't wasted, and I HATE wasting food. So I put it on hold until today. Its day 1 of my body transformation. This summer I have dedicated myself to that diet and as well as doing P90X! I just finished my first workout and Im already dying! but I know I will have great results if I keep to it :)

So many plans for this summer and I can't wait!


 
Sunday, May 26, 2013
Sunday BBQ

I love sundays. It's just a day to relax and worry about nothing. There was a BBQ and it was very nice! Everyone was having a good time and getting to know new people in the ward. I was able to catch some great shots of mostly everyone, and seriously, the kids in my ward are ADORABLE! I couldn't stop snapping pictures of babies!

I think I may prefer a smaller ward over a large one sometimes. There are no cliques in a small ward, everyone just knows everyone and you don't feel left out! Well at least we don't :)


 
Saturday, May 25, 2013
Anxious

There are no words to explain the excitement that we have to come home to Canada! 
School is really bringing Maikal down.
He's been in school for almost 10 straight months and he literally feels his brain turning into Moosh!
I feel so bad for him. He comes home and just collapses on the couch and looks like he's about to pass out and die.
I try to help him as much as I can, but theres only so much I can do.

So we are so ready to just come home and play!!
Although we live in one of the most beautiful places in the world, 
it really does get old after a while.
We really need a change of scenery.
I have taken Alberta for granted.
It really is one of the most dynamic and beautiful places ever!
Especially the skies...nothing compares to Alberta Skies.

uhhhh and I can't even tell you how much we miss everyone!!
Im use to having alot of family around, whether it's mine or Maikal's family.
So im so excited to be surrounded by ppl we love!

Im excited for play dates, girls night out, going to Moxies, Boating, Quadding, Jet skiing, Magrath Days, Canada Day, My sisters Grad, Fireworks, Photoshoots, Beach Days, Tubing, Splash Parks, Weddings, Family Reunions, and so much more!!

Here was the original plan, Maikal was able to take all his Summer B courses online so that we were able to stay in Canada for the rest of the summer...but...we just found out that Maikal NEEDS this ONE class in summer B semester which is not offered online. So, Maikal has to come back, but that doesn't mean I have to!! I plan to stay a while longer so I will probably just go and stay with my parents for a while. So excited!! I mean, im not excited to be away from Maikal...but...to be able to spend alot more time with my family is going to be amazing.

* 14 DAYS *
Wednesday, May 15, 2013
Happy Happy Anniversary!

And it was a HAPPY Anniversary!
It was a great day. It was a Perfect day.
I had a smile on my face all day long!
I couldn't help but think of all the great things
that have happened since we've been married.

It was a day full of laughter.
A day full of good memories.
A day of gratefulness and gratitude.
A day of LOVE.


We have this friend Meg, and she is just simply fabulous!
She offers to babysit Ben whenever we like!
She is a great person inside and out! She offered to take Ben for the morning
So that I would have some time to relax and do whatever I wanted!
But for me, what I wanted was a clean house :) And  I was happy to do it!
I actually don't mind cleaning at all. It just feels so good.
I usually can't get the whole house done because Ben is pulling on me for attention.
But this time I was able to do it no time!
Thank you Meg for be so freaking awesome!

Plus the love from everyone and all the kind and helpful words
have really given me a jump start to a new and happy day.
Thank you everyone for the LOVE!



Meg and Ben


I made Banana Bread because Maikal LOVES it!


We had Josh come over and babysit while we 
headed into Honolulu for a night out on the town!


It was such a beautiful sunset leading up to the Waikiki Strip!


We decided to go to the Cheesecake Factory for dinner.


The wait was about 50 minutes.
But we ended up finding these sweet comfy chairs!
Best wait ever!


Maikal ordered Steak and I had Pasta!


We of course ended the meal with Cheesecake!
Strawberry and Chocolate Bar.


We didn't get a picture of it, but this guy on the street was allowing
everyone to look through his GINORMOUS telescope to see SATURN!
I have NEVER seen a planet before and it was SOOOOOO COOL!!
It was only out for 2 hours and we were so lucky to have seen it!
It was absolutely breathtaking.
It looked white because it was so bright.
It made the night so special for us.
But this is what it looked like :)
But ours was more clear looking




It was a great day.
I couldn't imagine my life without Maikal.
He is so good to me.
He treats me like a Queen!

We got home pretty late (like 12). We were so exhausted!
And here's the awesome part, Ben decided to let us sleep in
because we were out so late!
he went to Bed at 6:30 and woke up 8:30!
Best present he could ever give us :)
I love my family!

 
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