Stay at Home Mommy , at least for a week!

My last day of work was last Friday. So I get the honor and joy of being a stay at home for the week. I love it! I love getting to spend so much time with my little doodle. Now, don't get me wrong, when Aaron gets home I like to have at least 20 minutes to myself. To pee, shower, and gather my thoughts for a minute. But I could definitely do this all the time. Kennedy is at such a fun age. She is playing and exploring so much. If her little allergies weren't so bad right now we would be spending lots of time outside. But the wind and her sickness are stopping us, so we are making our own fun indoors. As we speak she is taking her morning, and sometimes only, nap. She has been out for about an hour and a half! That gives me time to read, do dishes and laundry and blog. I love my baby girl and I envy mothers who get to stay home with their kiddos. Cherish your time and know that its a gift.

Viva Las Vegas

Wow, it feels like ages since I have posted. A lot has changed in the last two months and even more change is coming our way in the month of May. Aaron and I have been trying to get closer to home ever since Kennedy was born. We want her to grow up around aunts and uncles and grandparents and great grandparents. So about two months ago Aaron accepted a ministry position in Oklahoma City. This job is perfect for him. He will be great at it and will be such a huge asset to this church. He fits in ministry so well. So once he accepted the job at the church we had to hit the ground running. We had to figure out what to do with our house, still working on that one. Tell my job that I was leaving, and I had to find a new job back home, thank goodness the Lord provides because we both have new jobs to go back to. We had to figure out where we were going to live in Oklahoma, done and done! And then we had to face the challenge of packing up our house, our lives for the past two years and our precious baby girl and head east. 1000 miles east to be exact. Lets just say Kennedy is strong willed, and already very opinionated (wonder where she got that from?) so it should be very interesting to drive across the country with her for two days! Luckily my mom and brother-in-law Bryce are flying out to help us get back! Speaking of brother-in-laws I just a new one. Matt and Val got married in Mexico on the 24th of April. I will not try to hide my excitement about moving home but there is a list of things I will miss about Las Vegas...

1. My friends, I have made some lifelong friendships while living here and there will be many tears shed when its time to say goodbye.


2. My job, I have loved working for the American Cancer Society for the past two years. Volunteers are incredible beings and I have learned so much from them. They will be dearly missed as well.


3. Our home, I love where we live. Its so peaceful and beautiful and away from the city. And this was the home that we brought Kennedy home to for the first time. This is where she had all of her firsts. It will always hold a special place in my heart.


4. The beauty, yes you heard me right! If you have ever been to Vegas you know the surrounding landscape has it own beauty. We are surrounded my mountains and we can even see snow on one of the peaks.


5. The heat, yes you heard me correctly again! I would take the Vegas heat of the Oklahoma humidity any day!!!


6. In and Out Burger. Enough said!


We are staring a new chapter of our lives and I know it will hold a lot of good memories and we are very excited about the future. But I will be leaving a part of my heart here in Las Vegas. For all of the good friends and memories that will stay behind when we pull out of the driveway with our 26 foot Uhaul, our Honda being towed and me driving the truck with our little lady navigating!





Look out Oklahoma, here we come!

O-K-L-A-H-O-M-A

We are headed to Oklahoma at the end of the month for a fun filled, busy bee, week. There will be showers for toasting, marshmallows for roasting, and carolers out in the snow. Well, minus the toasty marshmallows and snow! But seriously there will showers, retirement parties, luncheons, and lots and lots of cuddles and kisses for miss Kennedy. I cant wait. I always look forward to going home. And Lord willing we will get to move back sooner than later!

Its hard to tell from this photo but she is smiling! She cracks herself up every time she sees herself in the mirror. Good trait to have, the ability to laugh at yourself!!!

Whew!

I have been putting off posting for a while because I wasn't sure if I could do it without crying! This past month, really ever since December, has been really rough. We have been through 2 rounds of RSV, luckily neither one severe. But nonetheless hard to go through with a 7 month old. We have had our first and second ear infections. I was hoping she would miss these because she is still nursing. She has gotten her two bottom teeth and has started to realize when Mommy and Daddy are not around, or when we leave the room. And on top of all that Aaron and I have realized that Oklahoma is where we belong.

We have had a lot of good experiences in Vegas and have made some great friends. But we are Okies at heart and we are trying to get home as soon as possible. Aaron has been looking but as everyone knows the job market is really tough right now. But we need, want, desire for family to be close by. Last week when we were taking Kennedy to the doctor for the 5th time this month (maybe due to me over reatcing, but also 2 ear infections and RSV) I called my mom and just broke down. I wanted my mommy! I don't want to move home so we have free babysitters, even though it would be nice to share a date with my hubby every now and again. I want to move home so Kennedy, and any future kids can experience what I never had. Being close to grandparents and uncles and aunts and cousins (come on Lacy and Bryce, wink wink)!!! Some people may say we are quitters or weak for not being able to be happy out here without family close by. But those people don't matter. So for the time being we are praying and searching for the right opportunities to get us home.

Kennedy Grace

I love her. That's all!

Time Flies

My baby girl, my boo boo bear, my snuggle muffin, my poodle doodle turns 6 months old today! I really find that hard to believe. I remember going to the hospital, and waiting for Kennedy to be born. It was all in slow motion. But it seems like the moment she entered the world the fast forward button was hit. Its amazing how much she has changed. She loves to smile and laugh and loves to be tickled! She loves to grab things, especially my face if its in range. She loves to cuddle with her daddy and I love to see their bond grow every day. She has so much personality and spunk. She has attitude (I wonder where she got that from) and she knows she is the queen of the household. She has realized that Baxter and Rudy can be grabbed! She follows them (with her eyes for now) around the room. I love her so much and thinking about her makes me miss her little cheeky face so much. I cant believe that in 6 short months my baby girl will be one. That is WAY to much for me to handle today!

She

Yes this post title was borrowed from a Pioneer Woman post she did last week about her daughter. But its so fitting so I am borrowing it!She is the light of my life and my joy every morning. She makes me laugh every day. She wakes up with a smile on her face (most mornings) happy to see myself and Aaron. She is growing WAY TO FAST. She will be 6 months in 6 days and I cant handle it. I am already planning her fist birthday and that scared the daylights out of me! She is so cute it makes me giddy when I am around her. I love to kiss her sweet little face. She already has a big personality and I know there is going to be drama when the hormones start kicking in during the teen years (heck probably well before that)! She is my heart walking outside of my body. I love her!