The Nhep Family

It's been a while... yet again...

2012-01-30T12:34:00.003-07:00

My excuse for not blogging lately...
3 is the number of pregnancies I am going on
10 is the number of weeks I haven't been feeling well.... I am so tired of morning sickness or in my case all day sickness/ hyperemesis gravidarum
15 is the weeks I am pregnant currently
7/26/12 is the date I'm due
No is the answer do I know what we're having, as well as the answer to find out what we are having (as we already have our boy and girl...so we're keeping this one a surprise).
Alaska is the place we may end up having the baby as Ken's sister is getting married just prior to my due date.

I should start feeling better soon... I HOPE! And I will then update more Christmas and other updates then. Stay tuned!

Kitchen Cabinet Makeover...

2011-10-05T19:24:00.003-07:00

I forgot to add these to my last post and don't want to fuss with reformatting my last post again ... so here are the before and after pics... And the total cost: $45!

Before:

After:

Now... to add hardware or not? That is the question.

Here is a pic of the hardware we would potentially add. Tell me what you think.

How about a 4 month update... wow!

2011-10-03T20:27:00.008-07:00

So, life with 2 little ones keeps me busier than I thought :o). We have done quite a few things in the past 4 months, so I will update them in some type of order...

We were looking for an investment property and found a super cute 3 story 2 bd, 2 ba condo in Gilbert, AZ (about 5 minutes from our place) and it has 3 community pools and tons of great playgrounds, so felt it was just the right fit for us. With costs so low and interest rates also excellent we went for it. Here are a few pics of the condo. My sister is currently renting from us and she has really decorated it nicely. It's just perfect for her and it's a win win situation, as we are giving her a good deal, but she is paying our mortgage on the place... thanks Renee!

We have been on a few trips. A while back we went up to Sedona for a night with my sister. We started with shopping at a great outlet mall in Anthem, AZ then drove the next hour to Sedona to get away for a night. I love going to the Talqueria (a little artsy shopping village in Sedona), and enjoying the awesome views of nature that surround every direction. Here are a few pics of that.

We went up to Spokane in early August to catch up with some of my high school friends and their kids. We went to a park called Riverfront where they have a bunch of kiddie rides and Kyson LOVED the roller coaster and train ride. We also spent one full day at Liberty Lake where my friend Gen lives and had a blast swimming, paddle-boating, catching up with each other and munching. I was also able to see my friend Aimee and we went to our typical Spokane meet up place- the bowl and pitcher on the Spokane river and had some yummy breakfast at Franks diner. I was craving huckleberries like no other and even tried to find some to pick for a half a day when we were there with no luck. But I did have huckleberry french toast, frozen yogurt, milkshake and even bought some huckleberry jam at Greenbluff. We did pick some yummy cherries at one of the farms there and that was fun as well. We stayed part of the time with my sister Rachel and enjoyed some time with her as well. She is in excellent shape and has been doing several marathons lately, in fact she has a chance to qualify for the Olympic trials this weekend at the Chicago marathon.
Over labor day we painted our kitchen cabinets. I was so tired of our ugly oak- so voila... our newly painted kitchen. We are still debating on if we want to add hardware to the doors, but we will likely start swapping out our black appliances for stainless (to match our fridge and look better with the black). It looks worlds better to me, and it only took us about 14 hours from start to finish (including stripping, cleaning, sanding, painting and putting them back together and on).

All in all... life is great, we are still enjoying Arizona (esp now that we have a pool to swim in anytime we want) and staying busy (as usual).

I will try to be better about updating my blog (I have probably lost all of my readers anyway)... if you're still reading feel free to leave a comment, so I know if anyone is still reading this :o)

No title needed... just an update already!

2011-04-25T13:12:00.007-07:00

It's once again been way too long since I last blogged on here. There's not too much new, other than the kids are a little older, I'm working a little more, and things seem to keep us busy. Kenley is now 9 months and standing all of the time. She will get in this squatting stance with her legs and just stand up without holding onto anything. She'll stand for 1 minute looking around then go back to the floor to crawl around to get whatever toy appeals to her. I am certain she is going to start walking any day now. Kyson is getting smarter by the minute I think. He amazes me in how quick he learns things. His favorite words the past 2 months are "okay, mama," and it melts me! "lets read a book," "okay mama." "Go find daddy," "okay, mama." "Let's brush your teeth," "okay, mama." I am loving this... instead of the typical 2 1/2 year old "NO!" He really hasn't picked that up thankfully.

Kyson in his 2 seconds of trying to pretend to like Kenley. He does like her but still has his "moments" of wanting to be an only child :o)"What?"
Kyson deciding that paper wouldn't cut it today...
Occasionally we have taught Kyson funny faces and this is one that he does often when we say smile! It's a half smile... maybe he's only partially happy?
This pic needs no caption... but I'll give it one anyways: Kyson: "I didn't do it." Kenley: "Excuse me?!!!"

Work is going well... it's hard to believe how busy that has seemed to keep me lately, but I love being a home health nurse. It doesn't feel like work- I just feel like I am going to peoples houses and helping them with whatever it is (their wound care, diabetes teaching, injection training, or just sit and talk with them about how life is going). It's nice to have a career like that!

We are currently house-hunting for a second property to rent out to my sister for now, then other renters when she decides she is tired of renting from us. We have found some super cute places and have put a few offers in, but so far no word back- a few of them are short-sales... so we don't expect an answer too soon.

For Easter we had an Easter egg hunt at our church and a potluck breakfast. Kyson loved it... as well as his Easter basket. We gave Kenley a little one with a few decorative eggs and she really liked it too... here are a few pics. We also had our 2nd year (quite possibly going to be a family tradition) attending the Mesa Easter Pageant. It's the largest in the world and done very well. You cannot help but feel the spirit of what Christ did for us. We then had a family get together with family and the food was excellent! Thanks Ashley!Lastly, Ken is free to help any of you blog readers with any computer help, web design, logos, or business cards/print needs you may have. Feel free to find him on www.kcndesign.com He hasn't been staying quite as busy lately with work... but that's okay... cause I sure have :o)

Hope all of you had a Happy Easter!

My niece Capri at the park one day... we had a little picnic...

My nephew Emerson... he is getting so tall!!!

My nephew Cade... loved this slide! I think he went down it 100 times!

Kenley's sitting

2011-02-15T16:03:00.004-07:00

All by herself... and can hold her own bottle too. I love seeing her learn and grow! Here are a few pics since I have been so horrible lately about updating!

Half of the pictures I take are of Kenley looking at/ watching her brother. She loves him!

Here are a few pics I forgot to post over 2 months ago when Kenley was given her baby blessing at our home just before Christmas. It was simple and quiet... and a wonderful blessing!

My brother, his son Cade, Brother Van Wagenen, Ken, Kenley, and my dad.

Kenley's 6 Months!

2011-02-02T16:30:00.003-07:00

It's hard to believe Kenley's already 6 months old. She had her check-up yesterday and wanted to put her stats on here... so I can keep track. She weighs 14 lbs, 10 ounces, and she was 25 1/2 inches. She is 25th percent for her weight and 50th percentile for her height. I compared her stats to Kyson's and he was 16 lbs 10 ounces and 27 inches... so she is smaller than Kyson was.

Her latest is that she almost sitting by herself. She can sit for about 3 seconds before she goes flat forward or backward. She can roll from front to back and back to front, is scooting backwards, and getting up on her knees to try to crawl but so far just rocking back and forth on her knees. She is very verbal, still smiles and laughs all of the time, and is still a super sweet baby. She also tries to grab anything and everything... she is very interested in the world around her. We have tried introducing rice cereal a few times, but so far no food for her... we'll keep trying some other cereals, then veggies, then fruits.

Kyson isn't too keen on her trying to play with "his" toys... but every once in a while is good about sharing or bringing her a toy to play with. When he does share we have been over-praising him to try to reinforce the good... He has still been growing like a weed and getting smarter everyday. He is talking a lot more, asking questions, eating better, and getting smarter all around. We bought him a puzzle that at first he could barely do, now he will do it in about 5 minutes (which is probably 5 minutes faster than I could do it.) He is getting into humming and singing more. He can sing about half of the alphabet and can count to ten. It really is an exciting thing to witness your child learn so much so fast... and want to learn more. He also cannot get enough books read to him. He probably has 30-40 books and could sit through us reading all of them to him if we would. Ken has read some 20 books in a row to him. For me... I'm done after about 5.

Work has been very busy lately but is finally slowing down some... which is nice to have more time with the kids. Overall life has been good... just busier... thus not as many posts lately... but just as everyone says and tries... I will try to be better about posting.

Christmas with Family

2010-12-28T16:03:00.020-07:00

Ken's parents and family were able to come visit us from Alaska for the holidays. We had a great time and enjoyable Christmas. It always comes and goes so fast. I had to work a ton, but they did a lot of shopping, went to the zoo, we checked out the temple lights, and did plenty of cooking, baking, and of course eating. I have really missed his mom's cooking... so that was a nice treat!

On Christmas morning Kyson unwrapped a train set with a train table and we all had fun setting it up and watching his eyes light up with excitement. He ate 5 olives in 6 hours as we could not pull him away to even eat! My mom said "well at least you don't have to wonder if he likes his present." He most certainly does. Very cute.

Here are a few pics of this past week... hope you all had an enjoyable Christmas! We miss you Nheps!!!

Fun times

2010-11-27T22:39:00.006-07:00

So this past week our good friend Kara came to visit for Thanksgiving and we did a few fun things. One we went to see Montezumas Castle and Sedona, AZ. We also went to the zoo, did some sight seeing, and shopping, eating out, went to the LDS temple lights last night, and even had a little bonfire in our back yard with our new fire pit. We even decorated for Christmas... put our Christmas tree up, a fresh pine wreath, and lights outside our home. It's beginning to really feel like Christmas. Here are some pics of our fun times...

Montezuma's Castle, AZ

Sedona, AZ

Campfire in our back yard

Temple Lights, Mesa LDS Temple grounds

Phoenix Zoo

Hole in the Rock (Papago Park)

Back to Blogging

2010-11-21T18:17:00.005-07:00

I haven't been blogging as much lately. I just published a blog I wrote almost 2 weeks ago. Goes to show how busy I've become. Work has been busier the last few weeks as I've been covering for a few other nurses who have been out for various reasons. Normally I work about 15-20 hours a week, and this week was closer to 40. It's made me more tired, but this next week shouldn't be quite so crazy.

My sister Rachel asked me where some recent pics of Kenley were... I realized I haven't been taking as many, which is not good... she is changing and growing so much... so hopefully I will be better about blogging so I can update her pics more frequently. Here are the last 2 posts worth of pics.

Family updates

2010-11-09T09:03:00.003-07:00

I have to start with Kyson... he is amazing us daily with his language development! He said his first sentence last week when he said, "mama, ach choo choo," to mean "Mom, I want to watch Thomas." Lately when Ken and are conversing Kyson will repeat some word in each sentence. So if we say lets make dinner, he would say "dinner." So he's definitely listening and very interested in learning language right now. Last night Kyson and Ken were in the office and Kyson takes Ken's hand and points down the stairs to go down, so they go down and he then points to the fridge and says, "cook." So Ken asks him what he wants to eat- he points to the hot dogs so Ken made him a hot dog. He then wanted a banana. After that he decides he's still hungry so he points to the fridge again and sees the eggs and says "egg." I thought that was the cutest story ever... he was one hungry boy!

He is still getting used to Kenley, but the other day he surprised me. I took them on a run in our double jogging stroller and he didn't know I could see him but he was watching her the entire time. It was so cute. I think he will love having a playmate once she gets a little older. He is still very helpful with her too. If I need a diaper, he will bring me one. He loves helping load and unload the dishwasher and washer/dryer. He's good about picking up his toys if you ask him nicely too.

Kenley is growing fast and cooing like crazy. She is the best baby anyone could ever ask for. She rarely cries, and even when she does she is so quiet. She loves smiling, laughing at Ken, and looking around and is focusing on objects further away better. If I knew future babies would be as happy as her, I would have 12 more! Not really, but that's how good of a baby she is!

Our family recently got to have Rachel visit Mesa. She is the only sibling that doesn't live here- so it was good to have her join us for her early holiday visit. We got to go on a run and went canoeing down the Salt River. She also was here on Halloween so she got to enjoy taking the kids trick-or-treating.

Speaking of which... we had a ward trunk or treat that was super fun. They had a mini haunted house they called a "spook house," a chili and hot dog feed, a cake walk, throw wet sponges and the bishop, and of course the trunk or treating. Kyson got a ton of candy and we had a lot of fun. Because Rachel was in town we decided to let him trick or treat again and so he got even more candy... which we have been munching on.

We are excited for the upcoming holidays and this time of year... always one of my favorite... the family, food, and time to reflect on all we are thankful for, especially our Savior!

Running again...

2010-10-12T09:19:00.002-07:00

I must say I never knew what completely out of shape felt like... until I started running again. I'm going on 4 weeks now of running a few times per week and I am still dragging through a 2 mile run. That is so sad for me. I used to be able to go a few months without running and then run a 5 miler without problems. Now- every step I have to force myself to keep going. My sister Renee asked if I wanted to train for a half marathon with her. At first I said sure! Now... I'm not so sure I will ever be able to get that far. I've had my half marathon moment (in Seattle). I've had my marathon moment (in Portland). But... I'm not giving up. Although Renee will be ready before me... I will keep going and we will see what happens.

Trip to San Diego

2010-09-17T11:08:00.007-07:00

This past week we decided to take a little road trip to San Diego as it was my last week of maternity leave before I head back to work. We stayed in Encinitas, which I picked randomly out of several beach cities and absolutely loved it. When we first arrived we headed right to the beach after checking in and met a local who gave us some good places to check out. She told us about this hole in the wall pizza place that was seriously the best pizza I've ever had. She also told us her favorite place in Encinitas was a meditation garden overlooking the ocean. We were so glad she told us about it-- very gorgeous views and garden! We also spent some time with my parents who were vacationing in a time share closer to LA, but also on the beach, and visited my aunt Sandy. No Seaworld, Disneyland, or Legoland... we decided Kyson's still too little to enjoy those quite yet. But we did also visit some great outlets in Carlsbad and some sea life in La Jolla. Because my parents were in town we asked them to watch the kids so Ken and I could go to the San Diego temple and we really enjoyed it. Very beautiful inside and out!!! Here are some pics of our trip... La Jolla

Meditation Garden, Encinitas

San Diego Temple

Capistrano Beach

Moonlight Beach, Encinitas

Nhep Birthday's x 2 and Kyson turns 2

2010-08-24T13:04:00.007-07:00

Ken just had his birthday and we celebrated by going to Benihana. For anyone who likes Benihana- they have a free birthday dinner worth $30 by just signing up via email. He's finally on the closer to 30 than 20 side, so I am sure to remind him, since he loves to remind me how old I am. :o)Five days later, Kyson turned 2 and we decided instead of a bunch of little gifts to buy him one nice big one of a John Deere tractor and he loves it. When we first showed him, he was beaming with a huge smile and we couldn't get him to step off of it. He didn't learn to drive it until the next day when he stood up on the gas peddle to finally give it enough "gas" to go. He still stands to drive it and it is absolutely cute and entertaining to watch. Here are some pics...

He is also getting into trains quite a bit lately and his aunt and uncle (Isaac and Ashley) got him the cutest block train that he pulls around with him all over. They gave it to him early since they were going out of town. His new favorite words are "Choo choo." The other day he was cracking himself up by saying "chooooo choooo" about a hundred times. Very cute boy!

Kenley is still doing well and has been the best baby ever- rarely cries, sleeps excellent, and is changing everyday. Here are a few more pics of her.

Here's a video of Kyson's first driving of his tractor!

Baby Kenley Pics

2010-08-03T17:30:00.004-07:00

Kenley is 5 days old today and just the best baby ever. She is eating and sleeping well, rarely cries, and is the cutest, sweetest thing ever! Kyson is adjusting well, despite a few jealous moments. Ken and I make sure to spend a good amount of quality time with him each day. He has already been helpful with throwing diapers away for us, and he will kiss Kenley's head, which is super cute. Anyway... here are some pics of newborn Kenley.

Right after a sponge bath and getting her hair washed- her hair is super soft and very spiky!

Our attempt to get Kyson to give Kenley a kiss on demand... a no go.

Baby Kenley Talia Nhep arrives

2010-07-30T11:03:00.004-07:00

Welcome baby Kenley Talia Nhep.

Born 7/29/10 at 12:26pm.

8 lbs, 0 ounces.

20.5 inches.

Full head of hair.

Adorable.

Loveable.

All Ours!

A few life updates...

2010-07-20T08:56:00.006-07:00

So I am down to 18 days until my due date. I was seen yesterday and I am dilated to 3cm and about 80% effaced- so I don't think I will make it to my actual due date. Last night I had about 10 contractions that were lasting up to a minute and slowly getting more intense, but after laying down and relaxing they eased up, so false alarm. I realized I still haven't taken many preggo pics, so here are a few at 37 wks.

37 Weeks and counting... please excuse the fake smile!

We are still getting the house in order and putting pictures up, so here are a few pics of our house, without pics on walls. We area absolutely loving our new place and after having the house professionally sprayed haven't had to deal with beetles, crickets, cockroaches etc... which has been wonderful!

The Formal Living/Dining Room

Our Master

The Family Room

It has been extremely hot here- up to 118, but we have been spending time near water or inside. Ken had his friend Spencer visiting from Alaska and they tubed the Salt River twice and we went to Canyon lake to lounge on the water as well. Here are a few pics of them tubing the salt. It has since cooled about 10 degrees, but it doesn't feel much different, especially being pregnant.

Kyson has been growing fast and talking more and more. He loves to help load and unload the dishwasher, loves playing with his cousins and grandma. He is adjusting well to the new house and sleeping well in his own room. I am refinishing a bed frame for him that I picked up off of craigslist for $50. When it's done I will post some pics of that too. We have been trying to get lots of Kyson time in before the baby arrives, and trying to explain his baby sister is in mommy's tummy. He is so sweet- he will lay his head on my belly and even kiss my tummy. We think he is going to be a helpful and fun big brother to his little sister. Here are a few pics of him lately...
My sister Renee moved here from Boise and we are enjoying living in the same city for the first time in 10 years. We have both always tried to get the other to move to our city, but it finally happened. It's been fun... so thanks Renee for moving here so we can hang out more!

Will post pics after delivery... so excited and ready to have my baby girl!

Packing, moving, unpacking, and.... spiders!!!

2010-06-30T06:43:00.002-07:00

So we finally closed on our house last Thursday. We had signed our closing docs on Tuesday, but it took two days to record. We have been packing up our stuff and unpacking our stuff at our new place two miles from my parents where we have been staying the last 8 months. It feels so good to finally be in our own place and to not be living in our small two bedroom condo anymore! Once we get more unpacked and settled, we will take more pics...

The day we moved in we noticed we had a few crickets in our garage. Harmless, but annoying. So out came the bug spray. Ken sprayed an entire bottle around the edges of the garage and out came about 100 more crickets, hopping to their death. Last night Ken went out to get the recycle bin and he comes in asking "hey hun, what does a black widow look like?" I thought, "oh no," then went out to see it hanging upside down in the middle of its web with the red hour glass shape and knew we had our first black widow. So, out came the bug spray and down went the spider. Two minutes later, I hear Ken in our garage chasing a 2 inch cockroach with the spray. Time to spray the whole house/garage. I miss seeing only two spiders in 5 years of living in Alaska. Alaska is all about mosquitos and other little flying bugs... not spiders- which I hate!!!

My newest niece!

2010-06-09T19:21:00.003-07:00

So my SIL Ashley had her 4th baby and 2nd daughter this morning around 2am. Eleri Jaten(sorry if I mispelled her name). They are still picking a middle name. She was 7.8 lbs, has a ton of hair and is so adorable. I cannot wait to have my daughter in 8 or less weeks! I haven't got to hold her yet, but am hoping to go visit again soon. Anyway... thought I would post some pics so family can see her who don't live close. Sorry some of the pics are dark- I didn't use the flash for some of them to spare her eyes.

Tubing the Lower Salt River

2010-05-28T12:47:00.004-07:00

So Ken's sisters were visiting this past week and we decided to get outside into some water. It has been cooler than usual this week (under 100), but yesterday it was the hottest day they were here, so we ventured out with our tubes and inflatable kayak to float the lower salt river (about 20 minutes from our house). It was really pretty down there. I have missed AK beauty, but this was very beautiful for AZ desert! We weren't planning on taking Kyson, but my mom was out of town for a funeral. He actually did really well, and luckily the water was not too fast or rough. Here are some pics of that... and my preggie belly...

We are FINALLY getting a house!

2010-05-23T12:52:00.004-07:00

It has been a much longer process than we ever imagined, but we are finally getting a house. We have looked at over 100 houses. Fell in love with and put offers in on about 7 of them. Waited almost 7 months on one short sale home that the value already dropped and we were tired of waiting so withdrew our offer. Didn't get an accepted on 3 houses we put full or over asking prices. And finally got an accepted offer last night! We couldn't be happier, more excited, or more ready to move into our own place and out of my parents. I'm sure my parents will breath a nice sigh of relief as well to our moving out.

Here are some pics of the house staged (ie: not with our furniture)... we hope to keep our closing date of June 15th so we can get moved in before I get much bigger. (I'm in week 29 with the pregnancy). The house is a 4 bedroom, 2 1/2 bath house with all new paint and flooring so it looks and smells brand new. It has a 2 1/2 car garage with storage cabinets and a built in work bench. And the backyard is nice a grassy with no neighbors behind as the house backs up to a common grassy area. We are so excited!!!

Will post some fun pics later this week as Ken's sisters are visiting and I'm sure we'll get out and do some fun outings... as well as of my prego belly... and Kyson who is growing tall and thin.

Easter fun!

2010-04-04T21:38:00.006-07:00

Since moving to Mesa, we have definitely been enjoying the wonderful weather. This past week we were able to attend the Easter pageant they hold at the Mesa, AZ LDS temple. It was fabulous- we were very impressed and Kyson even got to pet a 2 week old lamb that was going to be in the pageant. It was tiny and adorable! It was very spiritual and just an overall very good hour run down of the Saviors life and all that He lived, taught, and stood for. Most of all, especially in celebration of Easter- that He still lives.

We then went to my parents neighborhood easter egg hunt/ fun day at the neighborhood park. They had magic shows, music, bouncy toys, face painting, hot dogs, and best of all the total-of-two-minute-lasting-mad-dash-egg-hunt. They at least separated the kids by age 0-5 years and 5 years and up. Kyson caught on quicker than I thought he would and got about 10 eggs. Since it was so quick on our walk home, Ken and I decided to hide eggs along the way for Kyson to find, so he re-found about 25 eggs. He never caught on that he was refinding his 10 eggs- and would light up everytime he saw an egg on a rock or hiding in a bush. He was so proud to fill his basket. Then today, after listening to general conference, we had my brother Isaac, his wife Ashley and their kids over to my parents, where we just grilled burgers and had some yummy food. We had another easter egg hunt for all the cousins and they all enjoyed that too. Here are some pictures from that...

All the cute clothes!

2010-03-20T09:07:00.002-07:00

I have been SO excited about having a girl that I have started going crazy finding super cute clothes for her. This has got to be one of the most adorable outfits I have ever seen... and it's for a 3-6 month old! Ah... love it! The best part is I outbid someone on ebay for it in the last 25 seconds and won it by 50 cents. I'm sure she was mad... but I was sure happy. :o)

Out and about

2010-03-06T16:02:00.004-07:00

I am finally feeling better with my diminishing morning sickness and with 70 degree weather couldn't stand not getting outside more. One day this week we drove to Canyon lake that is only about 20 minutes from my parents place. I was impressed with the scenic drive through tonto national forest on the way to the also impressive man-made lake. It has a marina, campground, several pull off picnic areas, and restaurant/resort on it. There was also a super small but cute town called "Tortilla Flat" that had live music even on a weekday in the afternoon just past the lake. We were going to head to the next lake which was another 15 miles down the road, but decided to save that for a later time.Next, we went to the Phx zoo where we have a yearly pass. It was Ken and Kyson's second time there, but my first time. I was very impressed. They had quite a selection of animals, it was huge, they have camel rides, a train ride, and you can even feed stringrays. Kyson loved the petting zoo and was not afraid at all of even two goats about to butt heads as he approached them from the back right in between. He couldn't stop smiling and laughing around the monkeys. He definitely loves animals... and we will be back.

We're having a GIRL!!!

2010-02-25T18:21:00.003-07:00

So it's a girl... found out about 1 hour ago at the ultrasound. She is developing well, which is a miracle without morning sickness, but even more of a miracle when I've lived on around 800-1000 calories a day. We are very excited, and I'm sure Kyson is going to be an excellent big brother.

In other news, my job at Banner didn't end up working out, between not feeling well at all and still trying to adjust to the night shift. It is true that the night shift is only for some people. It was good experience for me still the same, but I must say it's been nice to be home with Kyson more and be able to get to feeling better again. We have still not heard a thing back about either house we have put offers on... so we'll have to see what happens on that end. That's about all the news for now.

14 weeks and counting!

2010-02-05T07:53:00.002-07:00

22 pounds lighter
lots of morning sickness... again
hopeful the morning sickness leaves in a few weeks like it did with Kyson
still excited to be a mom again!!!

Holiday Festivities

2010-01-01T20:29:00.005-07:00

Hope you all had an enjoyable Christmas and Happy New Years. We sure did. It always starts with homeade sugar cookies and ends with a nap. What could be better than that? Ken's mom and sister were able to come spend 10 days down in Arizona with us and they were able to do quite a bit. On Christmas morning Ken and Kyson slept in probably until almost 10:30, until I finally woke them up. It was time to open Christmas presents! Kyson had so much fun opening presents this year. He got some building blocks, a remote control car, a little counting turtle, a grandma Nhep afgan, gator golf, a few transformers (that were really for Ken), and some pjs, and games. He's been building with his blocks ever since and once he builds a big enough tower he is so excited to knock it over.

After opening presents we prepared dinner and ate a nice big meal, all took about a 2 hour nap and then watched Christmas movies... it's always been tradition to watch Christmas movies. In the evening we went to the Mesa temple to watch live Christmas music, look at all the Christmas lights and nativities, and watch a film on the birth of Christ. It was really neat. I really enjoyed seeing the Christus statue, esp on Christmas, as it was a large scale reminder of why we even celebrate His birth.Overall, it made for a great holiday spent with family. We missed seeing more family, as some of Ken's family couldn't make it, and my brother and his family went to Utah for the holidays. But we still enjoyed our time with each other and all of the festivities.

Some of my favorite Jaten Family photos

2009-12-11T19:10:00.012-07:00

We had some family pics taken when we had a little reunion last month and we got them back last week... so here are a few I liked from the bunch.

Long time, no blog!

2009-12-01T10:13:00.003-07:00

It's been a while since I last blogged. It's not that I haven't had anything to blog about, just that things have been busy. I started my new job over 2 weeks ago and am enjoying it. It is much busier to work in the hospital than the VA (being an outpatient clinic). I have been so homesick for the VA. I miss the people, the job, the veterans, and the schedule. I knew I would before we left Alaska, but never knew it would be this hard. I sent an email to my boss and a co-worker at the VA and they said I just got a promotion (as I am still technically working there as an intermittent RN). They next told me there is a full time position they just opened up in their surgery dept (something I was hoping would happen, so we could have justified staying in AK) . I could have cried. Seriously. After swallowing some sadness I decided I just needed to adjust my attitude and be grateful for the job I do have here in Arizona. It is a great job, it's just hard when you love everyone you used to work with. I have been working days, but it will be changing to nights in a month. And so will my pay by 20%. Got to love shift differential!

Kyson is growing like a weed. He is eating so much more now and you can feel it when you pick him up. I'm sure his weight stats have caught up now. He is a happy boy and is loving the christmas decorations. We have been taking him to the park by my parents house and he has been loving being outside (as are we) to putt around with his plastic golf putter. He still amazes us with how fast he learns and how smart he seems. People often ask how old he is and state he is very mature and smart for his age. I agree. We are still waiting on our offer for a short sale home. It should be coming back sometime soon and we are hopeful they will accept our offer. It really has stood out above all homes we have looked at and although it was one of few we looked at without a pool, we will be putting a pool in.
All in all, we are still absolutely loving the weather and things to do in Arizona. It's been fun to be closer to my side of the family. Although, Ken is pretty homesick for his family (as are they for us). His mom and sister are going to come visit in 20 days for 10 days, so we are excited to have them down and "sell them on AZ!"

In the spirit of Thanksgiving, I also wanted to say that I am so thankful to have wonderful friends, family, a home, my health, my work, my husband, my baby, and weather! I couldn't be more blessed in my life.

Jaten Family Reunion

2009-11-11T19:55:00.005-07:00

Our family all work different schedules and with the holidays always being a busy season, we decided to beat the holidays with a "pre-thanksgiving" reunion with all of the Jatens. We had a full house at my parents, where Ken, Kyson and myself are staying as well until we close on a home down here. It made for a fun week. Some fun things we did were hike Camelback mountain, eat out, watch some videos, make an early thanksgiving meal, take some new professional family photos, and just hang out like old times. It's been a while since we all have been together and able to just relax and talk in person. Here are a few photos of our week together. I really miss my sisters! Feel free to join the rest of the fam in Arizona!

A nice steep climb... thus the grab bar.

We made it to the top! It was not so easy for me... I am so out of shape!The view from what they were looking at in above pic.Cute pose Renee and Jonathan!Some pics I took while we were taking turns getting our professional photos taken.

This pose is at least a little better!

Ken and my brother, Isaac.
Rachel teaching Kyson to do something he shouldn't be.

My mom with her newest grandson- Cade.

When our professional pics come in- I will try to remember to load more on here.

Halloween Festivities and other randomness

2009-11-02T08:32:00.006-07:00

A little late... but when we were in Spokane we went to Greenbluff and I thought I had loaded a few of these pics but apparently not--

For Halloween we took Kyson trick or treating to about 20 houses in my parents neighborhood. He was a Dinosaur (thanks to my sister-in-law Ashley). Everyone loved his costume! I have never in my life seen such a community of neighbors come together. It was really neat. Several people were sitting on their driveways- several got together with other neighbors and were watching a game and those houses we would have 5 bowls of candy to get treats from. Other neighbors had portable fire pits in their driveway. Ken and I both were commenting on how we have never seen such a community, especially nowadays!

These pics say it all...

Got Rice? He cannot get enough!

And, as much as an extra hour of sleep would have been nice- I love that Arizona doesn't do the daylight savings thing!

Our move to Arizona

2009-10-24T08:41:00.007-07:00

So we are settling in comfortably to Arizona life. Last night went to Olive Garden for the first time in 3 years. Went to Trader Joes after that. It's amazing to know how much stuff we were missing out on in Alaska. We are easing into the heat. So far it's been wonderful- never getting more than 90- which is perfect for me!

Our drive down went well. No flat tires. We did almost run out of gas once- but luckily had a 5 gallon gas can to refill enough to get us to the next town. We saw 12 Caribou, 2 goats, 8 Dall Sheep, 9 Bison, about 150 Deer, a Red Fox, and a Coyote. It was really neat. We did about 650 miles each day (averaging 11-13 drives each day). Stayed in Haines Junction, Fort Nelson, Edmonton (and went to Edmonton Mall), Spokane, Boise, and lastly Las Vegas. Got to see lots of family and a few friends along the way- which was great as it had been too long since I had been through Spokane!

Overall... I am happy the drive is over. I don't know how much more Baby Einstein I could take, although I must say if you have a little one- it's a life saver for long drives- as it takes their attention off of being stuck in their car seat. We are loving time with my family and I am preparing for my first in-person job interview for a local hospital in their surgery dept Tuesday.

Life is wonderful!

Saying goodbye to Nhep family with dinner at Benihana's

"How many miles did you say I was going to be in this seat?"

Banff, Alberta

One of my Spokane favorites... Greenbluff. They had a hay maze, sand box full of dried peas, a tractor ride taking you through the apple orchards, pumkin patches, a petting zoo, and as many apples as anyone could ever want to buy or eat! Kyson did not want to ever leave the pea box!Visiting some family on my mom's side- two aunts, and uncle, sister, cousin, and my grandmother.My friend Gen's son Wyatt and Kyson- only 4 months apart! A really pretty lobby in some hotel in Vegas.
The Venetian Hotel in Vegas.The Belagio Hotel in Vegas... Kyson (as well and Ken and I) loved the light/water show!
More of the Venetian with one sleepy baby.

We made it to AZ

2009-10-20T20:34:00.000-07:00

I will post pics and more happenings soon... but just wanted to let people know we made it the 3800 mile journey safely! Thank Goodness!!!

Fall colors...

2009-09-27T20:46:00.004-07:00

Although I typically dread fall (only because it represents the end of summer and the start of winter), I do love the colors of fall. We recently took a walk down to Taku lake (it's a 3 minute walk from our front door) and enjoyed the changing colors! We saw 4 moose- two of which were literally charging people (which I have only seen one other time (when one was charging a few of us hiking). So we couldn't do our full lap around the lake- rather just an out and back. Kind of hard to see in this pic- but there are two moose getting ready charge...

This is just a funny pic showing how badly Kyson needs a haircut. We are getting things packed up and bought a 5x8 foot enclosed trailer yesterday. Our motto is- if it doesn't fit, we are getting rid of it. It will be nice to de-clutter even more.. although a lot of work as well. We have also booked hotels for our ride down. We are planning to leave Oct 12th and hope to arrive to Mesa by the 20th. We are planning to stay 2 nights near West Edmonton Mall (Ken loves malls for some reason- maybe because the gym he worked at for 10 years was in a mall). We are going to drive through and stay in Spokane, Boise, and Vegas as well-- so for friends and family in the area... we would love to see you!

I guess that is all for now... more to come...

We are moving to Arizona!

2009-09-15T20:01:00.002-07:00

So... we sold our condo tonight and we will be moving to Arizona next month! We are so excited! No more open houses, no more cleaning like a mad woman with 5 minute notice of a person wanting to check it out, no more soliciting calls from realtors trying to get their hand in making a commision off my condo, no more begging Ken to do the dishes, take out the trash, straighten the towels, or pickup Kyson's toys, no more "I am very interested" only to leave us hanging... oh what joy! Seriously!

I have yet to tell my work, and am very sad to leave the VA, as I have really grown to love all of my co-workers and it feels like family. We are also sad to leave behind Ken's family, but we are equally excited to be near mine, as well as for new adventures and esp to escape the cold dark winter of Alaska. We are ready to "defrost" in Arizona... which at 100 degrees this week... I'm sure won't take too long.

We will be trying to see family and friends along our drive down-- we need something to break up a 5000 mile drive... so we will be in touch! I'm very excited for Ken to meet some of my friends and family he never has (as well as Kyson).

Ahhhh... the relief.... and now... on to packing!

A trip to the zoo

2009-09-09T11:39:00.003-07:00

This past weekend we decided to head to the Anchorage Zoo. It was fun to see all of the animals and get some fun shots of the bears. Kyson enjoyed it too as his eyes would light up everytime he spotted an animal. Very cute!

Finally... some pics!

2009-08-28T19:16:00.006-07:00

So we have been having fun doing more family activities since Ken has been home more with his work.. it's been very nice! For Kyson's actual birthday we took him to Chuck e Cheese's- just because Ken had signed him up for the birthday club and they give him a bunch of free tokens-so although we used some of them- he went on his first "rides" and got to watch mom and dad play a few games. We saved the tickets for him to cash in someday when the prizes actually mean something to him.Also.... I said I would load a video of him walking... so here you go...

Then yesterday we went to the Alaska state fair and Kyson LOVED the animals. He laughed hysterically when we showed him these chickens and their little barns. We then went into a petting zoo where they kept piglets, goats, a lama, the cutest, softest baby cow- that had quite the loud moo- and again Kyson LOVED all of the animals and was not afraid at all to approach them and touch them. One sheep actually tried to lick his entire hand- it was too cute. He just kept smiling and was in awe... I think part of it was the fact that we read him several books with farm animals and he has a puzzle with farm animals... so it was putting it to life for him.

These are some of the gorgeous flowers they have every year at the zoo. Love those for sure! Very pretty and unique!

Kyson, condo, and other life updates

2009-08-25T22:35:00.002-07:00

Kyson is officially 1 as of Aug 15th and started walking the night before he turned 1. We do have some video footage, but until my laptop wants to start cooperating again- I can't load pics or videos. Kyson is getting so big, although his 1 year check up they were concerned as his growth is right on pattern, but his weight has fallen below the growth chart. He was 19lbs 7ounces. I was a little shocked, as I don't see him as "underweight" and it's not like he doesn't like to eat- but apparently he does need to eat more- so we will be working on more.

Our condo has still had lots of interest and we have had 3 sort-of offers so far- two couldn't qualify at the last minute and one is pending, so in the meantime we have still been showing it and answering an average of 2-3 calls a day about it. At this point, we are leaving this to HF as he knows best what our family should do as far as staying or moving. I do admit if it were solely my choice I would be on my way to AZ tomorrow, but it's also a matter of jobs, timing, etc etc. And I LOVE my job at the VA- so it does make the decision that much harder, but things will work out how they should.

In other news... no, I'm not pregnant. Despite at least 6 people asking me when we're going to have another... I just tell them... when it's meant to be... it's meant to be. We are about ready to at least think that way, and I think Kyson would be happy to have a sibling at some point in the near future. Ken has officially become a work-at-home dad getting his business going with web and graphic design and has also been starting a new company that will do mini laptops and other electronics, so that has been keeping him plenty busy.

All in all, we can't complain and only time will tell with the whole move decision. I will make sure to post some fun pics and videos once my laptop decides to cooperate-- maybe even tomorrow!

Status on our condo...

2009-08-13T14:23:00.002-07:00

We have been getting record calls and interested people in the condo. It's been crazy! The first few weeks was a few phone calls here and there with one that seemed fairly interested. The past two days alone, we have had 12 calls and 5 viewings! YEAH! It's only a matter of time... and patience... but I do feel like it's going to sell, and that we can move to AZ this fall! We shall see. Things all work out in the end how they should. If it sells- we are moving to AZ for sure, if it doesn't end up selling, we will be staying here another year, but heading to AZ for 1-2 months to see how well we like it and if we for sure want to buy a house there. Either way, we are greatly looking forward to more sun and heat! Alaska summers are great... just too short!

Ken & Kyson's Birthday Celebrations

2009-08-10T23:43:00.005-07:00

So Ken's birthday is today... Happy Birthday Hunny! Kyson turns one on Saturday, but with my parents up here last week we celebrated a little early so they could enjoy the fun. We had it at my in-laws and we all helped out with some part of the meal. We had steak, fresh-caught halibut, corn fritters, potato salad and the menu continues- but who wants to hear all of those details...? So anyway it turned out super good and fun. My sister in law Salen helped me finish off Kyson's monkey cake and I think she did a great job! I cannot believe he is turning 1. This year has flown by super fast. He is walking more. 11 steps unassisted to be exact. He laughs so much and is such a funny and happy toddler. He got a little tool set that also sings for his birthday and he LOVES it- he carries his little screwdriver and hammer around with him everywhere and literally tries to go around "fixing" things. It is super adorable. Anyway on to some pics of his birthday celebrations. We will probably do something fun this Saturday as well for his actual birthday... we will see.

We sure miss my parents visiting! Wish you could just stay up for a month... or two!
Salen & Joseph treated Ken for his Birthday at Benihana- it was excellent... as usual!

The parents visit Alaska..

2009-08-03T23:17:00.004-07:00

So my parents are up from Arizona and so far, we have already been up to a few gorgeous and fun adventures. We have been having excellent weather- so we are soaking up the sun while it's here. I think my parents brought it up from Arizona. I don't mind. So here is what we've been up to so far... and it's only day 3 of them arriving! More to come...

Saturday we went on the Portage Glacier Cruise (about 1 hour south of Anchorage)

Kyson's already famous for not looking at the camera!

Today we ventured out to Eagle River and hiked almost 7 miles in some decent Alaskan heat!

This is where we hiked to (Echo Bend)... it was a long, but well-worth-it hike.

This was at the end where there is a lookout of the valley where we hiked into, the smiles were barely there as we were hot, tired, and our legs were ready to give out. I am very out of shape for one, and two- did I mention it was almost 7 miles? Yeah... I am out of shape!
The end... for now.

Smiley Kyson

2009-07-23T15:01:00.003-07:00

It's not uncommon to see Kyson smile, although it is rare to catch it on camera... so today I caught a few and thought family would appreciate a few pics! Kyson has been getting into everything lately- we have to run after him all over the house. He loves unrolling toilet paper off it's roll, climbing into our kayak, chasing the cat, playing hide and seek, opening up cupboards, drawers etc to take everything out. He is trying to say more and making more sounds, including clicking his tongue- which is too cute. He can walk about 6 steps unassisted now- but still prefers crawling as he is a "pro-crawler." We try to take his hand to help him walk more- but he is stubborn and wants to do everything by himself and just wants to crawl still. He laughs all of the time and is such a happy kid. People still stop us all of the time to "oo and aw" over him... it's cute, but get's old at times. We are getting ready for his first birthday party... coming soon. My parents are coming in one week to visit... so we will likely celebrate his birthday a week early while they are here! I just cannot believe how fast this year has flown by... it's amazing.

Today he was standing outside Ken's office and peeking around the corner, saying "da... da," then he would turn to me as I asked him "where's dad" and he kept repeating this and turning to me smiling. It was too cute.

When he first stood up- his slighty too-big-for-him pj pants caught the bottom of his feet thus the diaper shot...

Our Condo is officially on the market...

2009-07-18T23:00:00.002-07:00

One piece of advise for trying to sell a home... stop buying stuff... NOW! You never realize how much you accumulate until it's too late! My in-laws have already had one garage sale with a ton of our stuff, we have thrown out about 10-15 large black garbage bags worth of junk/old papers etc and freecycled and/or donated the rest to local thrift stores. It is so liberating and we are ready to move into a bigger place. We just don't know when or where for sure that will be... quite yet. We have played with the idea of staying in Anchorage, but prices are twice what they are for much nicer places in Arizona. I love sun and green grass-- so the appeal of Arizona is most definitely there as we could enjoy that year-round. Time will tell... at least I hope so. If anyone wants a condo in Anchorage- let me know- I will give you a good deal!

http://foxwoodcondoforsalebyowner.blogspot.com/

Camping on the Kenai Peninsula

2009-07-05T23:41:00.011-07:00

This weekend was the long-awaited and anticipated Nhep family camp trip. We went down the Kenai Peninsula to Ninilchik where we camped at Heavenly Sights and clammed on Ninilchik beach. We all had a great time and a few tried fishing in Homer, only to catch only one. But, we went home with I believe 14 fish... how? Well- some kids fishing next to us didn't care to take theirs home- so kept offering them to us. Of course, we were happy to take them off their hands. The following tell enough of the story. I will say that some of the better photos I was very excited about... as I just invested in a pretty decent Canon lens for my slr. All I can say is that it is amazing and it's only the start of ownership. It will get plenty of use! Hope you all had a happy 4th of July!

The first night we camped in tents

The well loved Reef's

Grandpa Nhep did all the "digging"-- it's hard work!

Grandma Nhep and her proud find

An Alaskan Razor Clam

Clams anyone? (aren't they gross looking?!)A few of us stayed in a cabin the second night (same campground)
The inside view of the cabin.

One of Kyson's few half-smiling pics

Ninilchik Village... a true Alaskan picture

The view from our campground... not too shabby!

"Kyson, look over this way!"

A few pics from Kyson and I's beach photo shoot

Kyson took 4 steps!

2009-06-22T23:21:00.003-07:00

Our little boy took 3 steps, then turned around and took 4 steps. Ken and I were sitting on the floor passing the ball between the 3 of us and he was up and walking with the ball to hand it to the other. We went to grab the digital- but the battery wasn't charged. So- when it's charged and he decides he wants to try this walking business again- hopefully we can capture it on film. YAY!! Our baby's walking... sort of!

Just time for some updates

2009-06-17T19:13:00.005-07:00

So it's been a little while since I last posted... We are pretty sure we are moving to AZ this fall. We will know for sure after we: 1. Go to the temple 2. Apply for a few jobs to test the waters of job prospects, and 3. Sell our condo (which went on the market today just as a FSBO). We found a house we love and it's only 2 miles from my parents in Mesa, has 5 bd,3 baths, a pool, a lime tree, 3 palm trees... and did I mention a pool. Ah yes, I did. If we are going to live in a HOT desert... we better have a pool! :o) My mom went and looked at it and told me it looked like it was in great shape. It is priced EXTREMELY well... which makes me very nervous that it will sell very quickly. We shall see. If we are meant to live in that house- things will work out.

We are still getting out and about. We went hiking again, kayaking at nearby lake, and still enjoying dinner with Ken's family once a week. So far, it's been a great summer (well, spring). It's hard to think it's still spring when it's light out for almost 20 hours!
Kyson is 10 months old now and growing, crawling, getting into anything and everything and even took 2 steps walking without hanging on to anything a few days ago. It won't be long before he's walking and really getting into everything. He is eating so many new foods and seems to enjoy that. He loves brushing his teeth (and only by himself) with water. Whenever I go to take the toothbrush away he cries. He still only has 4 teeth, but two more on the top are coming in slowly. He is more easy going with new faces now, but always prefers his mom when he's tired or hungry. I still take him swimming about once per week to get him more comfortable in the water. The gym Ken works at has a smaller, warmer pool than your average gym, so it makes it perfect for Kyson.

He got his first ever haircut (by me) last week after we decided the almost-mullet was time to go.

My calling as a Sunday school teacher is going well. I am really enjoying it actually. More than I thought I would. I am learning more than my students are probably, but they are great youth.

Work is also going well- both at the VA in surgery and Avante. I haven't told either workplace about the possibility of us moving, as I want to make sure we are moving before I say anything. Because I am an intermittent staff nurse at the VA, I may actually try to stay on and work there when we come back to Alaska once or twice a year to visit. We will see if that's a possibilty or not. We are playing with the idea of coming back every other summer (as that is the best time to be in Alaska)... so if the VA is okay with that- we would sure be happy!

Enjoying summer!

2009-06-07T17:40:00.004-07:00

We are still enjoying fairly nice weather. Yesterday was Anchorage's 7th annual Oceans Festival so we took Kyson and enjoyed music, good food, and fun. They had several educational booths about sea life and preserving wildlife/land/sea. Although Kyson was too small, we enjoyed watching and thinking about Kyson in a few years enjoying the huge jump castle, inflatable slide, and kayak demo pool- where they put as little as 3-4 year olds in a kayak in a pool to learn how to paddle... it was super cute. We bought our typical Kettle corn... can't seem to go to any outdoor events that sell the stuff and pass by that booth! It's too good. We sat in the grass to enjoy some live music while Kyson crawled all over the place, trying to pet people's dogs and see other little kiddos. It was very cute.

After loading the jeep and about to shut the door- Kyson was cracking up. Too cute.

We have also been trying to get out on a hike each week. Last week we lugged our heavy Canon camera with us only to find out that we left the memory card at home. Fun times. We still got a good workout out of it, as well as enjoying the beauties of Alaska. We just found and bought a baby backpack to carry Kyson in. Certain hikes we have survived with his 3 wheel baby stroller, but it will be nice to get out on steeper, more mountainous hikes. We are trying to see all we can, especially if we move to Arizona in the fall. We are still not 100% sure if/when we are moving... but things are still looking that way. It's a matter of selling our condo (which will go on the market in the next 2 weeks, and finding jobs in AZ). Time will tell.

Incredible weather and weekend in Denali!

2009-05-26T20:38:00.010-07:00

So we are still having excellent sunny weather, despite having a rainy forcast. Today it got up to 75- which is record-breaking for springtime. No complaints here! This past weekend we decided to venture up to Denali. Although I have been there twice before, Ken and his sister and her boyfriend had never been. We found an absolute sweet cabin on a lake just a few miles past Denali and I highly recommend it if anyone plans to visit Denali. It was through the Denali Outdoor Center. They also have bike, kayak, and canoe rentals and do raft trips. Ken and Joseph (my sister-in-law's boyfriend) rented some kayaks and paddled across the lake (it's only an hour) and very scenic. Salen (my sister-in-law) and I thought about going out after them but after seeing how wet they got, we decided not to. We made some tin-foil dinners while they were paddling. There is nothing better than throwing some ingredients in tin foil, folding it up and throwing it in the fire. There are no dishes, the food is good, and it's so easy! We did potatoes, carrots, onions, and sausage with a lil seasoning and water to help the potatoes boil. Day two we went into Denali and did a nice hike. I don't know quite how far it was but would guess somewhere close to 4-5 miles. We initially took our 3 wheel stroller but with the terrain, that lasted about 1 mile and then we ditched it for the way back, hoping it wouldn't get stolen. We proceeded to carry Kyson and hike into a canyon and up a rocky hill to see some dall sheep. We saw 5 dall sheep, some moose (including a mom and baby), several ground moles, some caribou, several bunnies and some great views of McKinley. We turned around and luckily the stroller was still waiting by the time we got back to it. After our hike in the park, we went out to lunch and ice cream at Denali's little shops and then we checked into Lakeview Inn B&B- which was WONDERFUL with ALL CAPS! It had 2 king beds and an excellent view from every window. Joseph, after using the bathroom said, "that is one loo with a view!" He was right. The B&B was just so relaxing. I think we were all pretty pooped from our hike so when we checked in we took 2-3 hour naps and woke up around 8pm. We were still full from our late lunch so we didn't even start dinner until 10 I think. It's hard to tell what time it is this time of year in Alaska. We are already up to 18 hours- so the sun comes up at 5 something and goes down at 11 something. I love it. After dinner we played some apples to apples and then drove down to the other side of Otto lake (where we stayed the first night) and built a fire for some smores. We took tons of pics, and I will have to post some more pics when I get some from Salen- but here are several...

On our drive up to Denali... a pull out to see McKinley

Our cute litte cabin on Otto Lake

Campfire, tin foil dinners, and smores, what could be better?

Ken's sister/Kyson's aunt Salen

Ken and Joseph paddling

Ken and Ky on Otto Lake

Our little outdoorsman.. or so we hope!
The view from our cabin. Our hike along the river in Denali.Where we hiked to in Denali (there were 5-6 Dall sheep)-- got no close up shots though.

Even Kyson was pooped after our hike!The view from our B&B... quite nice! Kyson half waving... the other shots of him waving were too blurry!

North America's tallest mountain!

Monday we headed back and Ken and I took Kyson back into the park briefly to check out the visitors center and get some lunch. We then went back to some of the touristy shops and found some super cute Alaskan souvenirs including some fun moose onesies for Kyson. We then stopped at Talkeetna to get some ice cream and check out the town as we had never seen it before. It's about 2 hours from Anchorage and half way to Denali. I surprisingly loved the cuteness, small town feel of Talkeetna. It has great views of Denali and some great streams and lakes. Ken and I are even thinking if we do have a cabin up here, that may be a place to consider.

All in all it was a wonderful, relaxing, fun filled weekend and we couldn't have asked for better weather, sights, or company! I didn't even get one mosquito bite, despite having several swarms of them around the lake the first night, until I got home and was unloading our Jeep. Right when I was unlocking the door, I look down and see a mosquito on my wrist only to catch it too late.

The end.

Pics, pics, and more pics

2009-05-17T21:37:00.006-07:00

It's been incredibly sunny lately. We have only had one day of rain in almost 3 weeks now... so we have been really enjoying time outside. Today we had yet another bbq and my sister-in-laws boyfriends place. We then took a walk to one of Anchorage's dog parks. When I thought of dog park before I never picture this... but this is what one of our better dog parks looks like! Spectacular views. That's why I love Alaska.

"Doggie evidence" neatly bagged by their loving owners!

Kyson had his 9 month check up and is in the 10% for weight at 18.4 lbs and 75% for height. He is doing better this week compared to the last few. We are now starting to work on transitioning him to his crib. His first nap alone today took almost an hour of crying. It was NO fun for him, or mom! I do believe things will get easier- as long as we are consistent. good luck to us eh?!!

Some of Kyson's latest faces... he's getting two more teeth (uppers)
Mom to Kyson: "Show me your teeth"
"Oh, come on, give me a big smile!"
Can you see why I love my cutie bug?

Spring is FINALLY here!

2009-05-11T21:23:00.004-07:00

So Alaska winters are not my favorite season. They are long, cold, and dark. I don't mind the snow and the beauty, but they tend to get long at times. So when spring starts arriving we all get out of hibernation mode and outside. It has been very nice weather too- already getting into the 70's, so we've taken a few walks to our little Taku lake (a 5 minute walk from our place) and had 3 bbq's at my in-laws- with great food! Here are some pics of our latest fun...

Before the ice melted off the lake... 2 weeks ago.

Trying to stand alone for the camera... "okay, maybe not quite yet mom!"

Aunt Lisa at one of the bbq's

My Cutie Bug

2009-04-29T21:02:00.003-07:00

So people have asked me if I have any nicknames for Kyson. I most always find myself calling him my "cutie bug." The other day I told Ken that I think I will call him "CB" for short. Cutie bug fits him pretty well... I think, at least!!! These are some of his classic cute faces I get to see everyday. LOVE it!!!I will try to post a pic of him standing on his own soon... I never seem to have my camera in hand when he's standing.

This week in a nutshell

2009-04-25T10:11:00.002-07:00

It has been crazy to say the least. Wednesday was the busiest day of all. I woke up and went to work at 7. Ken calls me around 10:30 to tell me Kyson was getting ready to put something in his mouth so he runs over to see what it was. One of Seiko's (our cat) canine teeth. The entire tooth fell out on it's own. Ken said he was in a lot of pain- as he was meowing and he normally doesn't and was walking around like he was in pain. So I get home from work at 12:30, take him to the vet for 2 hours with the baby. I was telling my mom how challenging that felt to carry a cat in his carrier and the baby who is probably close to 20 lbs now. She said "well it's probably given you some idea what it would be like to have two kids." I can certainly agree with that. It was not easy! Anyway, the vet tells us he may need to pull a few more of his teeth. So we scheduled him for surgery for Friday. After the vet, I went home to clean the condo and cook dinner for the sister missionaries in our ward. It made for a long long day!

Friday rolls around and I take Seiko in and there is another woman standing there with her cat in it's carrier and she is complaining about having to fill out paperwork as "the cat is just getting euthanized, why do I have to fill this out." I look over at her cat and he's meowing and I think, don't cry- maybe the cat is just sick and she is doing the cat a favor, only to hear her say "it was dropped off on me, and I don't know the cat's history." At this point, part of me wanted to say, I will take the cat, but knew that really wasn't feasible, so kept my mouth shut, got Seiko checked in, and left for work. I worked until 4 then went and picked him up and he was very groggy.

I then get home to the phone ringing and it was a call from a member of our bishopric asking if he could stop by. I agree and he comes over to give me a calling. I will be teaching Sunday school to the 14-15 year old's. I think it will be a little challenging... but I hope it will go okay... time will tell.

On top of that, we have been fighting colds this week. It's been quite the eventful-not-in-a-good-way-week!

Kyson is standing all by himself!

2009-04-16T20:11:00.003-07:00

Kyson is 8 months old, as of yesterday, and is already standing by himself. Ken mentioned it to me a few days ago- but I didn't believe it until I saw it for myself. Ken was laying on the ground and he pulled himself up by hanging on to Ken, then let go. He stood up not hanging onto anything for almost 15 seconds, then sat down, then back up, then sat back down, and up again. I do believe he will be an early walker. We shall see. It's fun and sad all at the same time... he's growing up so fast!!!

Happy Easter!!!

2009-04-12T16:16:00.005-07:00

Happy Easter Everyone!

So for our Easter, Ken and I decided it was "spring-enough" to go on a little road trip down to Seward, AK. So we took off after work yesterday and stayed one night at the Holiday Inn. It turned out to be perfect, despite getting 2 fresh inches of snow overnight. I even packed some easter goodies and we had a mini easter egg hunt for Kyson in our hotel room.

It was funny because even though I put them in very obvious places- Ken even seemed to have a hard time finding a few of them... it was cute.

We also took Kyson swimming for his second time and I took pictures this time, as I forgot the camera the first time. He loves his little boat and enjoys the water.

The views from our hotel were excellent over the marina. So here are some pics of that.
We also spotted two sea otters... and here is a picture of one of them entertaining us.

This is just one of my cute boy sleeping!

We then went to Sacrament meeting at the small Seward branch- which is held in a log cabin style building- so that was fun as well. Overall, it was great to get away for a quick trip and to see some great beauty and have some fun! Hope you all had an enjoyable easter as well!

General Conference

2009-04-05T09:32:00.002-07:00

I love General Conference. It has become one of my favorite times- to hear the words of a living prophet and the 12 apostles. I recieve so many insights into so many of my current questions and problems and love it! It's so fitting around easter to hear their refreshing and uplifting messages. Ken and I got cable almost 2 weeks ago for the first time ever. Neither of us had it growing up... so it has been interesting to go from having 1 clear channel to 164 clear channels! My whole point... we have the BYU channel... so we get to watch General Conference at home in our pajamas... it's wonderful! After it's over maybe I will add a few of my favorite quotes on this post... okay... it's on, so time to start watching!

Play time

2009-03-23T23:02:00.004-07:00

Lately, Kyson's crawling has turned into very fast crawling and getting into everything... so Ken and I have been getting our workout at home. He loves playing with his toys, the cat, and just about anything else he can get his little hands on. I just uploaded these photos tonight and was comparing pictures from about a month ago- and cannot believe how much he really does change in such a short period of time. Here are some of my most recent favorites...

"Okay mom, are you done taking my picture, I wanna play now!"

Volcano time and my new favorite sandwich

2009-03-23T14:59:00.004-07:00

It's been almost 2 months now that we have been warned Mt. Redoubt could blow. Mt. Redoubt is situated about 120 miles from Anchorage on the Kenai Penninsula. There was one weekend in particular (probably 6 weeks ago now) that they were worried could be it- so everyone turned off all electronics, placed bags over them, and had plenty of face masks and car air filters ready. Nothing happened. So the status was dropped down to a lower concern level (maybe yellow instead of red) and the masks went back into the closet and we went on our way. Last night at 10:30 Mt. Redoubt decided to blow. Luckily Ken's sister sent him a text and alerted us to turn on the news, so we did. Apparently there had been about 30-40 small earthquakes leading up to explosion. It has so far spurted 4 times and there were ash fumes as high as 50,000 feet! So airplanes are not flying today around Alaska. Anchorage has been lucky to not see much (or any for that matter) ash yet as the wind in being nice to carry it another direction! We didn't have to break out the masks afterall (yet, atleast). It also means we didn't get to sleep in with the excuse not to go to work today. Bummer!

In other news... my new favorite sandwich is so delectably simple that I thought I would share it with you. You take 2 pieces of bread- put any kind of cheese you like (I use Havarti) on one side and toast the bread lightly. You then put some sliced avocado, then some light garlic salt, then some sliced tomato, put it all together and mmmmm mmmm mmm is it tasty! I have had about 4 in the last week and am still not sick of them. It doesn't taste as good if you do that in a different order- I know that sounds funny- but the garlic salt has to be in between the avocado and the tomato!

I will post some new pics of Kyson soon.

Monster Cookies...for the Cookie Monster in all of us!

2009-03-15T18:36:00.003-07:00

So today I called my sister Renee and she brought up Monster cookies by saying, "remember how we always used to LOVE monster cookies?" Of course I do! I had forgotten about these yummy cookies though as it has been a few years since I have had one. As a youth we had girls camp every summer from ages 14-18 through church and at night, of course after I had already brushed my teeth they would bring us a giant cookie of our choice. They offered giant rice krispie treats, and monster cookies the size of your hand! I sometimes wondered if they brought them to us right before bed, and after we brushed our teeth as a "temptation challenge" of some sort, but I didn't care! If someone offers me (or any Jaten for that matter) a cookie we are going to gladly accept! Anyways I googled "monster cookie" recipe and was surprised that none of them included the use of flour. They turned out pretty good. I really LOVE slightly frozen cookies- so as soon as these were done, I bagged them up and put them in the freezer (where they will stay until I pull them out to enjoy one, or two, or three at a time!)

Monster Cookie Recipe

Ingredients:
1 1/2 cup peanut butter
1 stick butter-softened
1 cup sugar
1 cup brown sugar
--cream these ingredients together and add
3 eggs
---one at a time mix thoroughly after each, then add-
2 tsp baking soda
1 tsp corn syrup
2 tsp vanilla
--mix to combine and add
3/4 c chocolate chips
3/4 c m&m's
4 1/2 cup instant oatmeal (don't add too much or they will be dry)

Directions:
Scoop onto sheet pan and bake at 350 degrees for approximately 10-12 minutes. Can bake longer for a crisper cookie but they are better chewy in my opinion. Hope you enjoy them! Makes 6 dozen... so no need to double the recipe.... believe me!

Kyson's first official day of Crawling!!!

2009-03-10T17:56:00.003-07:00

I was taking ACLS (Advanced Cardiovascular Life Support) today and I thought I would call home at lunch to see how the baby was doing and Ken tells me that "he's good, he started crawling today." He had accidently turned over his toy train that has a ball circulate through a loop inside and out pops the ball. As the ball is rolling on the carpet, Ken sees it roll past the kitchen and shortly afterward sees Kyson crawling right behind it. Ken said he did a double take to make sure he was seeing correctly. With all of Ken's excitement, as soon as I walk in the door he says, "you have to see him crawl." So I got the camera out and here is what I saw. Sure enough... he's officially crawling! Our little boy is growing up so fast!!!

Winter fun!

2009-03-08T15:06:00.005-07:00

In celebration of Alaska's Iditarod (a 1000 mile dog driven race), they have a two to three week festival called "Fur Rondy" otherwise known as Fur Rendevous. In Anchorage they had the ceremonial start of the Iditarod as well as a carnival, pony rides, helicopter rides, music, food, ice bowling, and snow/ice sculptures. Ken and I were both working during the ceremonial start- so we didn't get to see the mushers with their sled dog teams, but we were able to go see the snow/ice sculptures... so here are a few of those. Every year I am so amazed at people's talented abilities with carving! I think these pictures will also help my mom cool off in her Arizona heat (not that it's super hot right now)... but still.

This one's for you Aimes...

Ice Age...

This one was my favorite by far!

Growing baby boy!

2009-03-02T13:40:00.007-07:00

Growth: Kyson's 6 month check up told us he was 16 lbs, 10 ounces and 27 inches (or as I like to call is 2' 3") tall. His weight is slowing down some but his height is up there for his age. Food: He has slowly started enjoying rice cereal- but still doesn't eat a ton of it. Each week we are adding a new food- so this week's menu for Kyson will be rice cereal, green beans, and milk. Pretty exciting huh?! He makes the funniest faces with these new tastes and textures!

Teeth: He has two that emerged this past week... he was very cooperative to get a good shot!

"Open Wide"... he can't wait to see the dentist!

Mobility: He is not officially crawling yet- but he will scoot and pull himself about one knee's length. He can roll over from tummy to back and back to tummy, and maneuver/scoot 90 degrees (side to side) when he's on his belly. He seems to be fairly entertained to play with his toys and manuever around, so we are now at the "scramble to baby-proof" stage of parenthood.

Sitting all by himself

Fun: He loves to be tickled and is quite ticklish (his feet, legs, tummy, and under his arms)... it is so much fun hearing him laugh. Just the other night when I was just about to fall asleep I was thinking about his laugh and I could picture the sound of it- which totally made me smile. They say you can hear your baby's cry and recognize it after only hearing it once. Which I would say is true, especially if Ken takes him out of a meeting during church and is walking around with him. However, his laugh has taken a few dozen times to hear it before I began to recognize it... but it's just one of those neat motherhood things, you don't think about beforehand, that has been very fun to discover!

Pay it Foward...

2009-02-23T20:49:00.006-07:00

Some of my favorite Alaska places...

2009-02-19T16:07:00.005-07:00

When Ken and I mentioned to my brother that we wanted to move to Arizona, the first thing he said was "why would you want to leave Alaska?" My answer is not that we necessarily want to leave Alaska, we just want to be closer to family, and we are ready for a change. We do have his family here, but it has been 5 long years away from my family and we will still visit Alaska to see our family here. Anyway, with the long winter still here I was looking through some old summer Alaska pics and thought I would post a few of my favorites...

Homer, AK

Kenai PenninsulaHathcher's Pass

Exit Glacier

Katmai National Park

Land of 10,000 Smokes (Katmai)

Winter Creek, Girdwood

Anchorage's Chugach Mtns

A commonly seen moose!

A hike out of Eagle River, AK

Kayaking in Eklutna Lake

Hike in the Chugach mtns... a favorite "playground"

Kenai Penninsula (taken while driving= blurry ground)

Favorite flyfishing spot- Russian River

New toys for Kyson's 6 month mark!

2009-02-12T19:15:00.003-07:00

Kyson was born on August 15th- but if you count weeks it was exactly 6 months ago. It's really amazing how fast time has flown. He is certainly getting stronger everyday. He will take one small scoot when he's on all four's, so crawling is right around the corner. He has still not had solid food yet, but after his check up with the dr, he will likely be starting some rice cereal and then some veggies to follow. Working at a Naturopathic clinic has played some influence in when he will start foods, just as allergies already run in the family and the longer you wait, the better the likelihood against issues there. I am working a little more than I'd like, but Ken and I have still been able to balance our schedules so we work when the other doesn't. The VA has been very flexible with me setting my own hours. So I do 2-3 days a week of 5 hour shifts (7-12 noon). Then I do 1 full day and one half day on Friday/Saturday at Avante (the naturopathic clinic). I do enjoy working at both places and am glad I feel right in my element as a nurse!

Here's some new toys for Kyson's 6 month mark... he is already into anything and everything... and he's not even crawling (let alone walking) yet... OH BOY!
In other news... my sister-in-law Ashley just had her third child (my second nephew)... they named him Cade Michael Jaten- I cannot wait to see some pics of him. He was born 5 weeks early so he was small (for a Jaten :o) at 6 lbs, 3oz! Congratulations Ashley & Isaac! I will post pics when I see some!

Here are some pics I took a few weeks ago before church (and before the drool hit the shirt!)

Kyson's latest

2009-01-28T00:25:00.003-07:00

Kyson is now 5 1/2 months old! He is growing and changing so much everyday. I haven't taken a ton of pics of him lately so we took a bunch over the last few days to catch up some. We definitely think he gets cuter and cuter everyday! He is sleeping about the same as he always has- which is mostly all the way through the night. We will be introducing food in 2 weeks and will see if that will help or hinder that routine. For some, it helps them stay fuller and thus stay more content without night feedings, for others it makes their sensitive digestive tracks not too happy and can make him more colicky-- so we shall see what happens. He loves playing with his feet, discovers so much everyday, wants mommy whenever he gets tired or hungry in any degree, loves to make noises (discovering his vocal abilities), drooling- although still no teeth popping through, loves clasping his hands together, LOVES peek-a-boo- he can really get laughing hard! Lastly one thing I never wrote about, was one of the sweetest things he ever did was make the "I love you" symbol with his hands when I was feeding him one day. He's actually done it a couple of times- but this was probably when he was only 2 months old. It melted me and I haven't forgot it, but still wanted to share it.In other news, Ken bought a Jeep yesterday. He sold his truck to get something a little more practical for the family and easier to get Kyson in/out of his car seat. We absolutely love it. I will have to take a few pics and post them on here sometime.

It's that time for another blogging entry

2009-01-19T11:14:00.006-07:00

It's been a little while since my last post, so I thought I could find something to blog about. Since we have gotten back to Anchorage we have not stopped talking about moving to Arizona, so it is looking like it will likely happen! Ken was testing "job-market waters" to see if he would have potential leads when we move. He emailed/called two different gyms in the area (as that is what work he does here and enjoys it) and both were very interested and called him the same day he sent an email. We were pretty happy to have a response that quickly and both gyms said to contact them as our move gets closer. I was browsing through nursing jobs and found the perfect job at a brand new hospital right by my parents house in Mesa- at Mountain Vista Medical Center. It would be working (3) 12 hour shifts per week in pre and post-op (which is my passion)! I decided I better not apply yet, as it may be too tempting to move earlier if they were interested. We still need to do some major de-cluttering, put the condo on the market, and save up some more mulah before we move... but are aiming for early fall. We are both getting super excited!

Here are a few pics of the model house we really loved when we were down there...And what does Kyson think of all of this?? (oh... dear!)

Arizona sunshine!

2009-01-05T16:59:00.007-07:00

So Ken and I have been loving the sunshine in Arizona for our late Christmas celebration with family. On our flight here Ken said "it feels like we are flying home," and I feel mostly the same. From having family here, to the sun, palm trees, green grass, good food, VERY affordable housing, etc etc we have really been enjoying our time here. We have looked at houses and fell quickly in love with the idea of having one built in a very great neighborhood with two community pools, 26 miles of trails, two clubhouses, and it's close to great shopping, eating etc. The prices are dramatically better than Anchorage. If we do move it will likely be in the fall, after we try to sell our condo and save up a little more. Plus that would give us one more full summer in AK- where I love my summers!

Anyway... here are some current pics of family fun. My nephew (Emerson) and niece (Capri) are growing so fast! They are adorable! Here are some pics of the Mesa temple lights.... also very impressive!

Merry Christmas!!!

2008-12-25T10:42:00.004-07:00

I just wanted to post a few pics of Kyson's first Christmas on here, especially to share with my family who we were supposed to see today! I am still sad, but happy we can still come down in 5 days. Hopefully the weather will work out this time.

Over the last few days I was reminiscing over my Christmas childhood memories and remembering when my dad took us to Fairchild airforce base to see Santa fly in and we got to sit on his lap and I just remember Mrs. Clause too- her glasses and outfit. It was so much fun. I also remember one Christmas all 4 of us kids decided to sleep in one big bed in anticipation of Christmas morning. We didn't get much sleep that Christmas eve because we were talking and laughing all night. I remember going to family gatherings, especially on my mom's side of the family, where there were literally 40-50 relatives for the potluck dinner. The smell/taste of black olives always brings me back to those holiday dinners! I remember how good the food was, how full I got, and how much fun I had playing games and watching Christmas movies!

I hope everyone can enjoy their Christmas where ever they are and truly remember all the important things of Christmas- family, Christ, giving, love, and of course, good memories!

Making the most of the holidays...

2008-12-23T23:19:00.004-07:00

So although we couldn't fly out, I miraculously got the phone to ring through to an actual agent after about 45 attempts and waiting on hold for 30+ minutes. We changed it to the soonest possible time to make it to AZ- which is Dec 30th. We will be staying for 8 days, and I am still looking forward to going- even more so now that the thought of not going at all was what we thought might end up happening. I am still super bummed because I won't get to see my sisters Renee and Rachel. But I will get to see my parents, my brother, my sister-in-law Ashley and my adorable nephew and niece! I am getting so excited to see them and wish I was there now.

I did a little more Christmas shopping today and found some great deals. Ken loves Banana Republic and it was an extra 20% off everything (even sale items)- so I got a few things for him.

We have been watching lots of Christmas movies... that's always been a family tradition for the Jaten's- esp with my brother. So far... How the Grinch Stole Christmas, Christmas Vacation, The Santa Clause 2, Surviving Christmas, and Home Alone. Since I won't see my family until after Christmas, we'll have to watch more then!

We are going to try to see if the giant snowman is still up in Anchorage- it's something like 20' high- but the man who builds it every year is facing jail time for building it as it is a public nuisance to neighbors.... if it is still up, I will be sure to put a pic on here. Here is a pic from last year that I found on google of "Snowzilla."
Click here for story about Snowzilla.

Sad day for us

2008-12-22T21:30:00.004-07:00

So we were scheduled to fly to Phoenix today to go visit my family for Christmas and we got our bags all packed (which was NOT an easy feat (especially with the baby). We had Ken's sister agree to cat-sit, took Ken's truck to his parents for them to start it everyday, etc etc. Then we get online to check the status of our flight and attempt to check in- only it said our flight was restricted to web-check in. Seeing that our flight was delayed by at least 2 hours already, we decided to head to the airport only 30 minutes prior to our original departure time. We arrive to long lines (of course, it is the holidays afterall) and even see the news camera there (that can't be a good sign). We did find the first class line as we luckily were flying first class and it was much shorter than the regular line (which is one big bonus that comes along with the bigger bill). There was one woman ahead of us, already being helped, but for some reason it took her 20+ minutes, or so it felt. When she was finally done we proceed to the counter to check in. The counter person cannot seem to locate our information. I tell her that we were supposed to check in an hour ago and our original flight is supposed to leave right now (as it had taken that long). She takes our ID and then asks for our confirmation code. I tell her. She then says your new flight time is 3:20 to arrive in Seattle at 7:35, but your connecting flight leaves Seattle at 6:35. She then pauses. I say, so what are we supposed to do. She says nothing for another minute (or so it feels), then responds with "we are told not to send anyone else to Seattle, as they are cancelling most flights out of Seattle." She went on to say, "all of the hotels are full, and because it's weather related, we could not provide you with a hotel. The next available flight to Phoenix is Dec 29th." In other words, we would be stranded in the Seatac airport for 7 days. That didn't really appeal to me (spending Christmas with our 4 month old and thousands of other dirty, scary-angry stranded people), aside from the fact that she really would not allow us to check in. She then said, you can stand in that line over there or call the 800 number to change your reservation. The line "over there" she pointed to didn't appeal to us either, as that was the featured line of the local news station. We came home and saw the news report of the other sad people that are stranded here in Alaska for the holidays. Darn the snowfall in Seattle!!!

BUMMER! So I called my parents and siblings to tell them the news... we wouldn't be able to make it to AZ for Christmas. Then I just wanted to cry- I was SO sad! We were so excited to get out of Alaska, sit in some sun, and spend the holidays with family! As I know they too were dissapointed. But, we will still try to come visit soon. My mothers birthday is in mid Feb, and we have a nephew due soon, so maybe we can make plans to visit around that time.

The other bummer is that we already had Christmas and opened all of our presents with Ken's family on Saturday... but I'm sure we will still try to think of something fun to do together for Christmas. Maybe sledding, snowshoeing, games, a movie, eating more good food or???

Anyway... Wishing all of you Happy Holidays! I hope you can enjoy time with your family! (I know there are many stranded in Seattle and other airports)... so enjoy that time... you don't know how lucky you are!!!

Christmas events and other ramblings...

2008-12-13T22:06:00.006-07:00

We have been busy the past few weeks with work Christmas parties, decorating, baking cookies, visiting Santa and just relaxing (well me and the baby atleast)... not so much Ken as he has been really getting his businesses rolling the past few weeks. It has been really nice. We will be heading to Arizona for 10 days next Monday and are getting excited to be with family and sit in some heat. Today it was especially cold (getting down to 10 below tonight)...goodie! It hasn't been this cold all week- in fact earlier this week it felt warm at mid 30's- so I can't wait to feel like mid to high 60's is going to feel like! Kyson is getting bigger, stronger, and laughing more and more everyday. He is also rolling over when he's on his tummy. He is outgrowing clothes fast- and already fits in some of his 6-9 month clothes and he is just shy of being 4 months old. Sleep is getting better, although it never has been bad with him... thanks to co-sleeping! That is the key to sleep as a new mom. All in all no complaints. I am giving a talk tomorow in church, so I should get on that soon- it's almost done, but I am famous for procrastinating. Just ask my old college roomie Aimes- remember how much guitar I would play, and our little drum fests that our other roomates loved?! Anyway, I'm rambling on and on... so here are a few pics of what we've been up to.

3 1/2 months and trying to walk!!!

2008-12-01T21:56:00.003-07:00

Wow... that's all I have to say about this!

Family pics from t-day

2008-11-28T22:39:00.005-07:00

We took a ton of family photos so here are a few for my family out of Alaska to see! I can't wait to see you guys in three weeks... and to enjoy some Arizona heat!

This pic cracks me up!

Baby drool... the teeth are gonna be coming The end!

Turkey Day...

2008-11-26T19:36:00.003-07:00

Happy Thanksgiving!!!!

Watch this to help celebrate....

Turkey in the Straw - animated Flash ecard by Jacquie Lawson

Kyson sitting by himself!

2008-11-20T16:44:00.003-07:00

So Kyson has been surpassing our expectations with how strong he is. I think a lot of it comes from his previous only-sleeping-on-tummy (he is outgrown this thank goodness) as that helped to strengthen his neck and abs! He is already sitting up all by himself (although this is in the crease of the couch- so that helps some!) He is trying to stand up already too. I think he will be an early walker- which is sure to keep both mom and dad in good shape keeping up with him... something to look forward to! :o)

Yeah, he's smiling for the camera!

Gratitude...

2008-11-19T11:35:00.002-07:00

With thanksgiving time coming next week, it's a good time of year to stop and think about what we are most grateful for. I could list more than this... but these are some of the things I am most grateful for...

my husband
our baby Kyson
owning a home (well, condo)
our family (parents, siblings, niece and nephew)
our friends
the gospel!... (our Savior, prayer, the scriptures, the prophet, missionaries etc)
our incredibly flexible jobs (we can both work whenever we want/don't want)
living in such a beautiful state of Alaska
our freedom
our health
motivation
energy
sleep
food
relaxation
vacations
hiking
photography
sleeping in
the internet
miracles
sunshine
a heater in the winter of Alaska!
down coats
soft socks
hot chocolate
good clean movies
nature
music
the ability to see, hear, taste, feel, touch
being a nurse
Christmas time!

And the list goes on...

Take time to give thanks for all that we are so blessed with. One my favorite quotes "we often lose sight of what we do have when we focus on what we don't."

Growing too fast...

2008-11-09T23:59:00.004-07:00

So Kyson will be 3 months old this week already! He is growing way too fast- and I know it's only going to get worse! I was talking with a co-worker the other day about how we can both now relate (or at least understand why it's so hard) to the mom's who cry when they drop their kids off to kindergarten, or the moms sending their children on missions or off to college. I really don't want to think that far ahead- but everyone tells me that it goes by so fast. I just want to freeze time already. Too bad we can't invent a way to do that (other than photographing pieces of time)... so thus why I take so many pics and post them for you (family and friends)! He is so much fun!

Here's his first talking on the phone pic (at 2 weeks old)... ....to his first laptop the dell mini He's even looking to sign on with a baseball team soon...

What are we going to do???

Photo Tagged by Ashley

2008-11-06T11:49:00.004-07:00

My 4th pic of my 4th file was in the delivery room (prior to delivery). That smile on my face represents how comfy I was... I HIGHLY recommend the "epidural juice!" I tag Skye, Kara, and Aimee.

Daddy teaching baby...

2008-11-03T18:20:00.004-07:00

So Ken decided since Kyson is following objects and people so well to teach him how to steer a remote control dodge viper. It was super cute- as Kyson was really watching the car move!

Here is a few cute pics of a hat grandma Nhep made for him... so cute and fun!
And here's just one of mom and baby posing for a pic!

halloween laughs...

2008-10-29T10:36:00.006-07:00

And lastly, my favorite... Cutie Pie...

Halloween Time...

2008-10-22T21:19:00.004-07:00

It's almost Halloween time and with this being Kyson's first- we have had fun finding him some outfits. We have a little bear costume too that I will be sure to take a picture of (probably on Halloween)... but here are a few cute onesies to celebrate! I think he is making the perfect faces to go along with the outfits too. Maybe we can find a little green hat for this first pic :o)

More pics a comin'

2008-10-11T22:44:00.007-07:00

So I cannot seem to take enough pictures of Kyson lately... even though I can't see his changes as well as others who aren't around him everyday can- I do see that he is definitely growing! He is almost 13 pounds already and only 8 weeks old! He is no longer grunting- which I have missed- because we enjoyed calling him our little "sumo," as he would grunt like he was working out or something- it was very cute! He is trying to talk much more, is already scooting, holding his head up, and still loves sleeping on his tummy. He has even rolled over twice (yes, at less than 8 weeks) from his back just so he could sleep on his tummy. It's a little scary esp with SIDS more common with kids on their tummy's but we are careful to keep blankets away from his face so that helps. Lastly, he is smiling so much and today I think he was trying to laugh- but then it kind of turned into a cry... it was still super cute.

I am planning to head back to work this week. It may end up being 3 days/week right off the bat- 1 day at the VA in day surgery, and 2 days a week at Avante (a naturopathic medical clinic). We will see how well Kyson (and mom) can handle being apart. It won't be more than 22 hours in those 3 days though- so that is good! Both jobs are super flexible with me- so that is really helpful!

Here are a few more cute shots lately... playing, bath time, and diaper time! I am LOVING mommyhood!!! Can you tell? I think the bath shot you can see more Jaten resemblance...anyone else see that?

My favorite thing in the whole world!

2008-10-07T21:42:00.004-07:00

My little Ky....

The big 3-0!

2008-10-04T11:13:00.005-07:00

I am sad to say that I left my 20's behind as of Wednesday! Although I don't feel any different- it will take some getting used to saying that I am 30! Ken likes to remind me though... especially since we are 5 (and a few months) years apart. Here are a few pics from a birthday party my family and friends had for me at our place... I look a little tired cause I had taken a nap just prior to people showing up! It was fun to hang out with the old gang-- it had been awhile!

Today I was trying to get some pics of Kyson... he just wanted to sleep...

Kyson's baby blessing

2008-09-29T13:42:00.002-07:00

So we decided to do his blessing at home with family and a few friends from church. We were very fortunate to have my parents up here for the blessing. Ken did really well for his first child's baby blessing! I was very impressed! Here are a few pictures from yesterday...

Anniversary and more baby pics...

2008-09-23T23:08:00.004-07:00

Ken and I celebrated our one year anniversary yesterday... hard to believe that we have already been married one year- but the fact we already have a little baby gets us back to reality! We went out to a great steak place here in Anchorage while my mom watched Kyson. It was nice to have a date with my hubby again as it has been a little while. Here are a few more baby pics... I think he is so cute (but I am his mother). I have taken him to my workplaces (the VA and Avante) and showed him off- they all adore him... so that's good! It also helps them understand why I'm taking so long to get back to work! I will probably head back just one day a week for a month, then 2 days a week until he's about 6 months old... then 3 days a week... if I must.

Last of summer fun...

2008-09-07T12:02:00.004-07:00

This past week my sister Renee was up visiting from Idaho so we took advantage of our better weather days to go to the fair and to go on a short glacier cruise... Kyson sure is getting out for only being 3 weeks old! He has been such a great baby- sleeping 2-4 hours throughout the day and night in between feedings. He is growing too fast already though! He is a little grunter- it's so cute the sounds that come out of him! I am loving motherhood and Ken is enjoying fatherhood.

Baby shower and other pics...

2008-08-31T13:06:00.004-07:00

This is a new park just finished that we took a walk around the other night.

Yesterday we had the first of two baby showers for Kyson. It was fun to play cute baby shower games and pass the baby around. Here are a few pics of friends with little Ky...

and finally a decent one with his eyes open...

and one of my favorites of him sleeping with dad.

His first night with aunt Renee and grandma Jaten

One week old...

2008-08-22T20:26:00.003-07:00

Here are more pics... as promised. I can't believe he is already one week old. He is sleeping well- between 2-4 hours at a time. It sure makes mom happy! I am feeling well and slowly getting things organized (since I had procrastinated finishing the nursery until now!). My mom has been a tremendous help in getting things organized and clean- thanks mom!

More baby pics...

2008-08-18T21:00:00.004-07:00

I thought I would put more baby pics on here especially as my family is wanting more!

Sleepy baby...................

Cute feet!

4 Days old already!

Kyson's first sponge bath at home (once his umbilical cord has fallen off he can have a regular bath.)

BABY NHEP ARRIVES.....

2008-08-16T20:35:00.004-07:00

So the quick version of how baby Nhep arrived... Labor started on 8/14/08 after I got off work at 5:30ish.... I had 8 contractions in 1 hour so as soon as Ken got home said, "get your stuff we're heading in." We drove to Providence hospital and got checked out in their triage area of the maternity ward (where they see if you are truly in labor- or if you get to go back home and ride it out until you are in true labor)- I was already 4 1/2 centimeters and 80% effaced, so they said "yep you're in labor- you get a free ride into labor and delivery." As I arrived onto the unit I told them I was ready for the epidural and got that started within 1 hour... those are SOOO heavenly I thought about naming the baby "epi." Don't worry.... I wouldn't really do that. At 9:30 they articially ruptured my membranes (broke my water) to get things progressing and then I tried to get some rest until I was fully ready to go (start pushing that is). At 2:45AM I was fully effaced and dilated and ready to start pushing. After almost three long hours of pushing I was getting so sleepy and ready to be done so I could go to sleep but they don't let you do that when you're getting that close to delivering a baby. So instead I asked to see if they would do an episiotomy to get things done and they agreed especially as my efforts in pushing were probably getting less and less rather than more. Soon after the slit was cut I felt super nauseated and within 1 minute I threw up 5 times and that's how Kyson came into this life!

Kimlang Kyson Nhep (the third)
Born 8/15/08 at 5:40AM
8 lbs, 8 ounces
20.5 inches

Here he is...

He looks a lot like his father!!!

About to bust at the seams...

2008-08-10T11:07:00.003-07:00

So... down to 2 weeks left. It's hard to believe it's been 38 weeks already- but in many ways it feels like longer too. I'm hoping to deliver one week early (so just waiting for my mom to arrive on the 19th)... My official due date is Aug 26th- so we will see what happens. Look what you did to me!!!
I love baby Nhep!!!
Today is Ken's Birthday-- so HAPPY BIRTHDAY HUNNY!! Poor guy had to get his wisdom teeth out on Friday- so his face is quite swollen- so I will hold off on posting pics of him on here today.

Pioneer day and Hike

2008-07-19T20:51:00.005-07:00

So today was "pioneer day" and our church had a bbq/potluck/dutch oven cook off. It was really good. It was held at a new park in Anchorage that is really nice and is connected to several miles of trails. After we ate and Ken played some "pioneer games" we went for a little hike and took some pictures. We found this hilarious "wanted" poster for a manbearpig. Luckily we never did run into this strange creature... or I may have gone right into labor a mile from our car!

Time for another post...

2008-07-09T19:47:00.005-07:00

These are my sister-in-law's pups- the one that looks like a baby fox is named Fox and is so cute!!! ... We dog sat for a few days over last weekend. Our cat is twice their size but was still intimidated :o)

This is just a squirrel off of our deck that my cat was obsessed with for a moment. My hubby took this picture and I thought it turned out really good.

So I did get and take the part time job with Avante Medical. I love it. Everyone is laid back and friendly. There are 8 naturopathic doctors and 4 nurse practitioners. I work hands on with patients- doing lab draws, iv's, patient education, triage, and other misc officey stuff. I work just 3 days a week and was surprised they hired me on knowing I was due in 10 weeks (now 6 1/2!), but I do plan to return there after my "maternity leave" a few days a week. Luckily my hubby's work is so flexible so we can manage both of us working without having to find outside childcare. Here is a link to my new job... http://www.avantemedical.com/ . It's pretty interesting to work in such a different environment than surgery at Veteran's Affairs- which as of right now I still work there as a nurse intermittently (on-call).

In pregnant life... Ken and I have started our 4 night child birth class. It's a total of 12 hours and covers everything about labor,delivery, and a few things after. It should be pretty good. Last night we watched two birth videos and I was crying- not out of fear- just out of the fact that pregnancy and delivery involve so many miracles! I am actually really looking forward to the day I get to meet our little guy! Healthwise things are going well. I am a tad anemic- so am now taking more iron with my prenatals to get my levels back up before delivery. Anyway... here is a pic taken today of me and baby-in-belly. I am getting pretty big (and certainly feeling the stretch and burn of skin, esp as the baby loves to sit so high). Sorry my face is so cheesy- Ken snapped the pics before I was ready :o)

I'm officially an RN!

2008-06-18T08:49:00.002-07:00

So it's been a LONG process at me taking my nursing boards and becoming a Registered Nurse. I was planning to take my NCLEX (National licensing exam for nurses) in December, but that is just the time we found out we were expecting, and the same time my horrific morning sickness started... so I ended up waiting until I felt better (which was going to be in April or May)- until I found out the Alaska state nursing board had misfiled my information under my maiden name and thus didn't "flag" me as eligible to take the exam until I called and got them looking for my paperwork. Anyways- after several months of waiting, studying, and preparing I finally took my test last Monday and passed! YEAH!! It feels so good to be done with that- as the exam can be very difficult and is the only way to start practicing as a nurse. As soon as my license arrived I got a burst of energy to start looking for a part-time nursing position, that can be flexible with my soon-to-be mommyhood and I think I may have found just the right fit. It's for Avante Medical Center and has 12 providers in all areas of health, including naturopathic- which I think could be very interesting. We will see how things pan out, but I am so excited to be done with the licensing process and onto living life!

One of my favorite wedding pic's

2008-06-09T18:53:00.004-07:00

So, last Wednesday Ken and I went to a friends wedding- in fact the friend that we accidently met through- so it brought back lots of memories from our big day that I was reminiscing some and looking through our pics... this is one of my favorites...

It makes me hungry for cake though :o)

Camping tales and fun...

2008-05-31T12:03:00.006-07:00

Last night Ken and I decided we better go camping before my belly gets too big (as I am already 28 weeks pregnant), so we packed up and took off to a campground only about 20 minutes south of Anchorage. It's not the most remote or quiet of campgrounds since it's right off the seward hwy- but it was still nice to get outdoors! So we set up our tent, got a nice fire going and made our tin-foil dinners. My preggie belly
Not a forest fire- just a big fire in our fire pit :o) Ken playing with the coals

After a few hours of relaxing by our campfire we decided it was time to hit the hay. So we head to bed and Ken could not sleep. Since I'm pregnant I was out within 10 minutes, but around 3AM Ken wakes me up to tell me he really thinks something is outside of our tent and that he hasn't yet fallen to sleep once. Initially I thought there's nothing out there and said "it's probably just the wind making the leaves move, if there was something out there- we would hear branches breaking (the ones on the ground)," well within one minute I started hearing branches breaking- so at this point I am starting to get a little nervous. I asked Ken if he had said a prayer and he said yeah- and I am still more scared than I have ever been- so we packed up our tent and went home at 3AM! It made for a fun adventure still. I have had similar camping experiences and have learned to always follow that "gut" (the spirit) instinct... who knows what it was- but I'm glad we could end up sleeping soundly at home :o).

My dream Alaskan cabin :o)

2008-05-15T23:13:00.003-07:00

Ken and I have started looking at property and playing with the idea of buying or building a small cabin about 45 minutes from Anchorage... we will see... and no, it won't be quite like this one.

Baby quilts

2008-05-12T22:55:00.003-07:00

You can't see the detail very well- but the design on the fabric is little surfboards.

I just finished the second top of the second quilt tonight, so thought I would post the pics on here as I wanted to show a few of you what I was up to. Also the little surfboard wall hanging thing is going to be probably for his coats- but we will see. I just thought the surf theme was SO cute! We have some really cute surf pictures too. It will be so much fun! Anyway... for those of you who didn't know I quilt... I do... so let me know when babies are on the way and I will get a-sewing! I am so mad at myself, cause I never made my niece Capri a quilt... I have made everyone else in my family one, except her, my husband, and myself :o).

Updates...

2008-05-12T18:04:00.003-07:00

Well, I am still feeling wonderful in this stage of my pregnancy. Today I got rid of some preggie pops to another pregnant woman going through the morning sickness phase. It was nice to get rid of them... to not have the physical reminder of being nauseated! My belly is growing everyday. I think my baby weighs just about 2 pounds now. I gained 8 pounds in 1 month though! That is a record for me... but I am where I need to be- just need to keep a slower weight gain pace, and things will be fine. I am definitely fitting well into maternity clothes now- before they would just fall off me and the shirts were a bit baggy (even in size small)- but now they fit just right, with some room to grow a bit.

I had to have my glucose tolerance test to check for diabetes and if you've ever had to drink that stuff... it's straight glucose- with some orange flavoring. It seriously almost felt like it was burning my throat as I drank it- because it is so strong. Exactly after one hour of downing a 10 ounce drink, you get your blood drawn to see how well your body reacts to the glucose and luckily I have no gestational diabetes! I have been craving sugar like no other though lately- but am trying to just eat a bowl of cereal or piece of fruit when that happens. Other than that, I am working more and enjoying working on a couple baby quilts for the baby. The room theme is surfboards... so when things are put up and the quilts are done, I will post some pics. I am getting really into it (nesting)!

Here are some pics of Alaska last year that Ken & I took on a camping trip... I am CRAVING camping so bad lately... I want to get out before too long.

My friend Kara took this picture of us- while we were trying to get a good "engagement" photo.

Baby schtuf and Alaska life

2008-04-26T17:44:00.007-07:00

So I am officially in my 23rd week- it's crazy how fast it's going in some ways, but in others, I am ready for the baby now. I am enjoying sleeping for the time being! I keep telling Ken to sleep in while he can. I am starting to show a little more- but I think people still look at me and wonder why I don't start doing an ab workout to get rid of my belly. I don't know how to convey to people that "no, I don't have a beer-belly-- I just have a little baby in there" but I guess it really doesn't matter. I thought it would be cute to add a few pics of my hubby when he was a baby so people can have a better idea of what our baby may look like.. I think he is SOO cute! Now if I can just get baby to stop doing jumping jacks on the bladder. Actually it really has been an amazing thing to feel him moving everyday!

Alaska had been so nice this week (up to 60, which is like 90 to everyone else! :o) and they said "there is a chance of rain and possible light snow showers on Friday through Saturday," well that was quite the understatement... we got 15 inches yesterday and in some places another 8-10 inches through the night. That is Alaska for ya. I love the quote "Alaskan's for global warming!"