Running in Circles

Yesterday I walked to school pushing Hazel in the stroller. I pushed with only one hand as I tried to hold a bottle in her mouth with the other hand. If it fell out she cried hard- but I couldn't stop to feed her or I'd be late for my class. I finally got her dropped off to Brice, who is watching her while he is supposed to be "working" on campus. 

During my class, (ironically Stress Management) the teacher started the class with these scriptures:

After class as I started walking home. I only made it halfway across campus when Hazel started crying. I picked her up out of the stroller, held her against me and tried to get her to calm down. An older gentlemen, probably a religion professor stopped next to me and put his hand on my shoulder. He said "We don't see as many mothers on campus as we wish we did. You're doing a great job- I know its not easy." Instantly I was tearing up again. 

This week has been hard. 

Tuition costs, car problems, a new year of insurance costs, car registration, no babysitter, pushing a stroller in the snow...I could go on and on. I have cried hard everyday. I wonder if all the effort I'm giving to try and be a student is worth it- when we can't even afford the costs of the certifications I need. But these two experiences yesterday reminded me as much as BYU is an accredited college- I am not there only to take classes and graduate. We are there to learn to be guided by the Spirit, to serve others, and to be progressing towards perfection. 

I have a feeling this semester is going to be hard, through and through, but I write this post to remind myself this time in my life is more than studying and passing exams, it is to grow closer to our savior and loving Heavenly Father.

So to anyone else that has had a rotten day, hard week, or can't see the light at the end of the tunnel- come unto Christ for rest and a lighter burden.

   

Hazel is 3 months old now! 

Time is flying by and we're trying hard to balance a new semester at school, work, teaching Pilates, and our sweet sweet Hazel Rae.

Three Month Memories:

- Loves kicking her feet around

-Is always smiling, but I can never catch her with the camera

-Knows our voices and follows us around the room

- Holds her head up all on her own

-LOVES loves LOVES talking and cooing

-Can sit in the Bumbo just fine

-Has officially met both sets of grandparents

-Great at blowing out of her diapers :)

- Her sleep habits have been all over the place since Christmas vacation

- Takes a long morning nap usually from 10 a.m or 11 a.m until 1:00 pm

-Sleeps through church...just like her daddy ;) 

Here's a salad recipe I always fall for. It screams summer to me but tastes good anytime and it's what I've eaten for lunch everyday this week. I even crave it. Make it a healthy dinner and grill some chicken to put on it! 

Sherman Salad:

Romaine lettuce, green leaf lettuce

shredded mozzarella cheese

cucumbers

grape tomatoes

bacon 

Dressing

Dressing:

1/2 cup vegetable oil (Do Not use olive oil)

1 tsp salt

1 tsp pepper

1 1/2 tsp garlic

Juice from 1 lemon

grated parm. cheese

Mix oil, pepper, salt, garlic, and lemon juice together. I usually make it in a small tupperware container. Then sprinkle parmesean cheese over the top until all liquid is covered. Shake before serving. 

Finally, just spoon a few tablespoons of dressing until lettuce is covered

Enjoy!

2013 

For me this year i hope to have less whine and more cheese.

let me explain...

Less Whining

Less whining about schoolwork, being tired, not running enough, and missing my family. Less whining about the money we don't have, the bills we do. Less whining about the furniture I wish we could afford and the tightness of our budget. Less whining about how our car barely has room for a carseat and how uncomfortable it is to sit in the backseat.

More Cheese

I want to enjoy more cheese. Not the orange cheese or the type with holes- my resolve for this new year is to enjoy the details of our lives more fully. Cheese is yummy and so are cookies and my sweet baby. I have a wonderful husband that provides for our needs, a job teaching pilates which I love. I have a body capable of running and movement and I am so thankful for that. I have a sweet, healthy babe- who  smiles and coos with us now. We have a cozy apartment where are needs and some wants are met. I have a handyman husband who has saved us a lot of money by not being afraid to get his hands dirty. We have family close by that are always inviting us over.

Most importantly- we have the gospel in our lives and feel the love of our Savior each day. This year I am going to find joy in the journey, enjoy the little things every day, slow down, be less judgmental and more kind.

Well, at least for January!

(This post makes me it sound like I complain about everything- and I don't, but for how blessed we are I need to be a lot more grateful!)

January

  Started my wellness internship at ScenicView Academy, ran the St. George half marathon with Martin Wright and PR'd, went to the Jazz game, felt different, took a pregnancy test..or two or three.

   Went to basketball games, worked on the Jetta, kept running to ease morning sickness, had to wait and see if insurance would cover my pregnancy, and survived morning classes (barely).

March

 Told our families we were pregnant, baby had her first picture taken, celebrated my 22nd birthday

April

 Finished a semester of classes, found out our baby was a GIRL, Melanie and kris got hitched, Brice started his internship in Iowa, we missed each other, started Spring classes, and taught Pilates four hours a week

May

  Lots of Skyping and missing one another, my stomach grew bigger, obviously forgot to take any pictures

June

  Reunited and it felt so good, had a lot of free time while Brice worked, enjoyed the days with family, watched Brice play on a softball team

July

 John Deere party of all parties, baby kicked a lot, sweaty in Midwest humidity, still running 40+ miles a week

August

 Road trip back home, 18 hours in the car, celebrated our 2nd wedding anniversary in Bear Lake with our friends Matt, Emily, and Eli, spent three long days welcoming freshmen to BYU via New Student Orientation

September

  Started Fall semester, wondering if we would both survive with a newborn, kept running along, cut my hair..couldn't decide if I liked it, belly grew even bigger!

October

   Due date comes and goes, spent hours bouncing on stability ball, got induced, had a baby, welcomed Hazel Rae Johnson into the world and into our family. The best day ever!

November

 Learning how to be a parent, fell so in love with our sweet babe, enjoyed Thanksgiving, started running again after taking 3 weeks off, Hazel is mostly sleeping through the night.

December

  Survived finals, made lots of chocolate chex mix, visited Temple Square, spent a week in California, got spoiled rotten from Santa, enjoyed a few days with Doug & Lucinda and Hannah & Andrew

2012 
... a year of ups and downs, learning and growing, small trials and incredible blessings. 

Tonight we say Adios 2012 and hola to 2013!

On Wednesday night Hazel got to join us at her first BYU Basketball game. She slept through most of it, except when we started scoring a lot- she would wake up looking very concerned. It was really fun to get out and do something fun together.

Thursday morning we woke up and hiked the Y. 

For the first half I carried Hazel in the baby Bijou. It felt like I was pregnant all over again and traded Brice for the backpack. Hazel was wonderful and fell asleep for most of the hike. I couldn't believe how exhausting the hike was for me...and I was quick to tell Brice..probably too often too! I've been running more and more each week but oh boy!! It felt really good to be sore the next few days!

I didn't get any pictures but we really enjoyed spending our Saturday night with Hannah and Andrew and the Wright Family. They made our favorites for dinner and spent the evening playing games with us. We played a few fun paper games and then played a few rounds of Murder in the Dark in the basement. Playing that game brought back a lot of fun memories for Brice and I. 

(Thanks Davo and Whitney for the weekend at the cabin.)

We were really grateful for the few days off from school. Two more weeks and then its Christmas Break!