I Am ... (by J) -

i am: Competing with my wife on the I am thing.

i know: Only what I know, I do not know anything other than that.

i want: Happiness and peace in life for my wife and family.

i wish: I was perfect, able to do everything that needed to get done in each and every day and then have time to relax.

i hate: feeling bloated

i miss: many things, feeling the spirit strongly when I want it, school (I love to learn), drawing when I wish I could have the time, and my family when I am not home.

i fear: the dark, it’s true, I hate dark and silence. I have to have some kind of noise at night when I sleep such as a fan, or a repetitive sound so that I feel safe. I think this fear comes because the veil was thin for me as a child and I could see many things scary and non scary things sometimes.

i feel: like I am deep with thought trying to figure out answers to all these questions.

i hear: K watching the news

i smell: nothing, my sense of smell has always been weak.

i crave: to exercise, I love exercising, but have been too busy to do it for quite some time.

i search: for answers to question of life daily. I truthfully have a curious mind and do not have a single day that I do not question something. ( How does this work, why does this happen, why does this thing get noticed my me and nobody else? Why do people complain at work when they would be happier not complain at all?)

i wonder: How will P become a good person by me being a good parent.

i regret: Not much, because I learn from every thing I made an err in, except, …… maybe I could have treated this person a little better, our I could had phrased my wording a little more smarter.

i love: Life, and the beauty around me and everything that Heavenly Father has given me.

i ache: to teach P properly enough to give him a fighting chance in this world.

i always: Talk to myself when I am bored and think of projects to do and make.

i am not: the best communicator of words. My thoughts go faster than my speech.

i believe: Everyone can elevate themselves to higher potential and better plateaus of learning.

i dance: only when I am alone and try to psyche myself up to do something better

i sing: At work to help pass the time and get startled when I have found that someone walked in without me noticing.

i cry: often. Yes, I really do if I have a bad day and talk to my Heavenly Father for help.

i don’t always: live up to my own expectations.

i fight: only if I have to, but then joke with the person in the end and we end up becoming friends.

i write: My thoughts in my journal now end then and write precious moments that I hope I never forget.

i win: only in spirit, I look for the positive in all things even if I lose. To me, if you lose you won knowledge that you would not have gotten if I would have won.

i lose: Only if I give up and let depressed feeling over come me.

i never: feel comfortable keeping a secret. Even if I did something I did bad that I think my wife would be ashamed of me that day, I always come to her and apologizes for what I have done and then explain would I did so that I don’t let guilt bother me and so I can do better the next day.

i confuse: Many people when I get deep into conversation with them. Therefore I always keep conversations light with people I don’t really know.

i listen: with my heart and try look for the real message people are trying to say that few people seem to see; everybody wants to be loved for who they are in some way or another.

i can usually be found: Meditating deep in thought or doing some sort of artistic project. I am truly a deep thinker. I keep these thought to myself and only share it with a select few. Life has taught me to be this way. I am dyslexic and have always had to learn things the hard way to learn anything at all. Keeping thoughts to myself has become habit for me so that I can make life easier for myself.

i am scared: of the dark and of losing my wife and loved ones because without them it would be a lonely place.

i need: loving people and honesty from others

i am happy about: completing something that brings smiles on faces and happiness in other people’s lives because that makes me happy too.

My First Pregnancy ... -

This picture is probably within a week of when P came. I was SO swollen and uncomfortable!

Me and my precious boy!

1. WAS YOUR FIRST PREGNANCY PLANNED? Yes. It took over a year to get there so yes is was planned.

2. WERE YOU MARRIED AT THE TIME? Of course, we had been married for 3 years.

3. WHAT WERE YOUR REACTIONS? Absolute excitement and shock. J read the test wrong and thought we weren’t pregnant but I looked at the test and it said we were pregnant. (I had seen enough negative tests in the past that I didn’t want to look at it. I made Josh look first.)

4. WAS ABORTION AN OPTION FOR YOU? Absolutely NOT!

5. HOW OLD WERE YOU? I was 24 when I got pregnant and turned 25 a month before he came.

6. HOW DID YOU FIND OUT YOU WERE PREGNANT? I took a pregnancy test at home and then went immediately to my OB/GYN office and had them do a test to verify.

7. WHO DID YOU TELL FIRST? J was there with me so I guess it was my mom and J’s mom.

8. DID YOU WANT TO FIND OUT THE SEX? Yes.

9. DUE DATE? The doctor said July 21st and the 20 week ultrasound said July 17th.

10. DID YOU HAVE MORNING SICKNESS? I did not have morning sickness. I am really grateful for that!!!

11. WHAT DID YOU CRAVE? I craved Cherry Popsicles, Raspberry snow cones, and granola bars with chocolate chips.

12. WHO/WHAT IRRITATED YOU THE MOST? I don’t think anyone really irritated me. I was mostly irritated at the end of my pregnancy because I couldn’t get comfortable and none of my maternity clothes fit. My legs and face got really swollen towards the last couple of months and that really irritated me!

13. WHAT WAS YOUR FIRST CHILD'S SEX? Boy.

14. DID YOU WISH YOU HAD THE OPPOSITE SEX OF WHAT YOU WERE GETTING? No. I had always known (or thought) that I would have a boy first. I don’t know why but I always just figured my first would be a boy.

15. HOW MANY POUNDS DID YOU GAIN THROUGHOUT THE PREGNANCY? 30-35 pounds.

16. DID YOU HAVE A BABY SHOWER? I ended up having three. 1- My aunt and cousins threw me one for my relatives. 2- My mom threw one for friends from church. 3- My friends Carli & Jalynn threw one for me, Evelyn (Riley) Perkins, Janna (Woodland) Herron, Melissa (Lystrup) Strickland, and Kim (England) Cureton. We were all due within a couple months so we had a combined baby shower for all of us! It was fun!

17. WAS IT A SURPRISE OR DID YOU KNOW? I knew about all of them.

18. DID YOU HAVE ANY COMPLICATIONS DURING YOUR PREGNANCY? I was blessed to have a good pregnancy. The only complication (for me) was that P was a week late.

19. WHERE DID YOU GIVE BIRTH? Portneuf Medical Center in Pocatello, Idaho.

20. HOW MANY HOURS WERE YOU IN LABOR? I woke up in the morning and was having some little contractions. We went to the mall and walked like crazy. They didn’t progress but they didn’t stop either. We decided to go to the hospital just in case. I was scheduled to be started 2 days later but they had room for me and decided to just start me then.

21. WHO DROVE YOU TO THE HOSPITAL? J. My mom came up later when they had decided to keep me.

22. WAS IT NATURAL OR C-SECTION? I wasn’t progressing like the doctor wanted and Preston’s heart rate was kind of going weird so we decided to do a C-section.

23. WHO WATCHED YOU GIVE BIRTH? The doctors and nurses. J sat next to my head and held my hand. The doctor told him to stand up and watch when it was time to pull P out.

24. DID YOU TAKE MEDICINE TO EASE THE PAIN? Oh yes. I had an epidural while we were still trying for a vaginal birth.

25. HOW MUCH DID YOUR CHILD WEIGH? 7 lbs 8 oz

26. WHEN WAS YOUR CHILD ACTUALLY BORN? Wednesday, July 26, 2006 at 10:09 PM. My doctor wasn’t even on call that night but he stayed with me anyway. I was so grateful.

27. WHAT DID YOU NAME HIM/HER? P.

28. HOW OLD IS YOUR FIRST BORN TODAY? P just turned 22 months. He will be 2 at the end of July.

I Thought I Had Seen It All!!!!

You know . . . I've seen quite a bit in my 11 years in the appraisal business. For those of you who don't know, I work with my dad who is a residential real estate appraiser. I've been working for him since my junior year in high school. I go with him on inspections and help in the office with data input and research. In my 11 years of inspections, I've seen some pretty interesting things. I've seen absolutely beautiful homes and immaculate yards. I've also seen some pretty nasty stuff too. Lets see . . . toilets full of poop. (Yeah . . . gross! The water had been shut off to the house but the tenants/squatters (no pun intended!) still used the toilet anyway.) I've seen dead mice everywhere and have smelled everything from poop to pee to mold. Pretty nasty. I won't even go into the story about the cat urine soaked house in Soda Springs. I still shudder and shiver at the thought of it. We went into a home in Preston, ID that had mold growing on the basement walls. It seriously looked like carpet on the walls! I swear I am not exaggerating! I won't even mention the mirrored ceiling above the master bedroom bed . . . oh wait, I just did!

I've encountered all sorts of animals including snakes, which I have a terrible phobia of. I've had loose ferrets run across my feet, a loose iguana scare the crap out of me in a kitchen, and a wild cat jump on my back as I walked past it!

Sadly, I haven't been smart enough to document some of the atrocities that I have seen . . . . . UNTIL NOW!!! Well, I guess this isn't necessarily an atrocity as it is just plain weird and funny! My dad and I went into a house today. It is extremely old and has been added on to several times. This is the "master bathroom." Lovely, isn't it?


I don't know what in the heck they were thinking! My dad and I laughed so hard! We've seen a lot of things but seeing this toilet sitting the way it was is totally a first! I hope you get a kick out of it as much as we did!

I Am ... (By K) -

i am: a wife and mother
i know: that I am a child of God
i want: to be a better mother and wife
i have: hardly anything worldly but I have SO MUCH spiritually and emotionally!
i wish: I could afford to travel and see the beautiful places on this earth.
i hate: when me or my family is sick.
i miss: Carli Kristen Seals Wright A LOT!
i fear: snakes, tight spaces, and mostly losing anyone from my family.
i feel: happy to be blessed with what I do have
i hear: J watching Star Trek.
i smell: nothing. I am waiting for my Scentsy to arrive.
i crave: sugar, anything with sugar!
i search: for good, clean entertainment. It is so hard to find anymore.
i wonder: why the world is the way that it is. People can be so terrible to each other.
i regret: when I get frustrated and raise my voice at P.
i love: my family SO MUCH!
i ache: for another Harry Potter book. Darn it!
i always: thank my Heavenly Father for everything I am blessed with, especially my family.
i am not: a patient person. I need to work on that
i believe: in The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints.
i dance: terribly. It embarrasses J
i sing: alto
i cry: often. It can be the news, a TV show, or anything.
i don’t always: make the best choices.
i fight: very seldom.
i write: on my blog
i win: whenever I get the chance. I have terrible sportsmanship.
i lose: and pout. See above.
i never: get to see my friends. Darn it. We grow up and they move away.
i confuse: my Young Women sometimes. They don’t get my humor sometimes.
i listen: to all sorts of music.
i can usually be found: at home or at work.
i am scared: of losing my family.
i need: hugs and kisses.
i am happy about: my life. I have a wonderful husband and son!

Balls Anyone? -

It was such a beautiful day today. P was still feeling a little bad so we didn't take him to church. J was a good guy and let me go to church. It was nice to be able to pay attention and not be chasing after our little man. After church, we headed over to my moms house for dinner. Afterward, we went outside to let P play. As you can see, Grammy and her friend, Becky, had some fun. My mom has this toy with several balls. They just started stuffing them down his shirt and jammy pants! It was pretty funny because he just let them do it and he just walked around. We were laughing hysterically!
My kid has a hunch back!

Bubble butt!

Hilarious!

Stuffed!

Gross Start To The Weekend -

Well, we had a pretty gross start to our Memorial Day weekend. Everything seemed normal on Friday evening. P ate good and went to bed at his normal 8:00. J and I were getting ready for bed around 10:00 and I heard P crying. Usually, I just have to lay him back down and sing him a song and he is good to go. So, I started to lay him down and found my hand covered in vomit. Our poor little man puked all over his bedding and his favorite stuffed kitty. I got him out of bed and cleaned him up the best I could while J ran a bath. While J bathed P, I gathered the bedding and went downstairs to do some laundry. I turned the washer on and there was a gush of water at my feet. Of all days for our washer to give up the ghost, it picked right then to do it!!! ARRGH! I turned off the water and ran upstairs to tell J. By then he had P dressed in new jammies and I took P while J went downstairs to clean up the water. I was standing in the kitchen, holding P, and the next thing I knew I was covered in more vomit and the floor was covered too. I couldn't help but scream and cry. It was SO gross! I can handle vomit when it is on bedding and stuff, but when it gets on me I get squeamish. Anyway, J took P so that I could clean myself up. Then I took my laundry over to my mom's house to do. I am blessed to have her within 5 minutes of my house. I ran back home to check on my boys and they were snuggled up on the recliner. We were about to put P back to bed when he started throwing up again. J tried to catch it in his hand but it ended up getting deflected right on to my leg and shoe. SIGH! By then it wasn't bothering me any more. We were getting worried because he couldn't hold down water or anything. (He had gotten dehydrated through a similar experience a few months before and he had to go to the emergency room and get an IV.) We decided to be safe rather than sorry and head for the emergency room. Our poor boy was completely empty but was still dry heaving like crazy. While we were in the ER waiting room, they gave us a vomit bag in case he started up again. Lets just say that P did not like the bag and refused to have it anywhere near him! He kept freaking out and would bury his head into J's chest. J wasn't having that because he didn't want to be thrown up on so it was quite a struggle. Anyway, we finally got taken back and the doctor checked him out. P wasn't dehydrated and they gave him a dissolvable tablet in his mouth that would calm his stomach and ease the nausea. After a while, he finally stopped throwing up and we got to take him home. Poor little kid. I feel so bad for him. When he gets sick and starts throwing up, he can't stop. He seems to be doing better today. He did throw up again this evening but (knock on wood) he seems to be doing okay now.

Well, I hope I didn't gross you out. I just had to tell the story. Oh, we did go and buy a new washer. I hope you all have a great holiday weekend. Be safe!

Bath Time -

P loves bath time! I thought J was very brave to get this close with the camera when P was splashing around. The camera only managed to get splashed on once. Luckily, it is fine. P is such a ham! I hope you enjoy these pictures as much as me!

Mr. Fix-It -

J is Mr. Fix-It! We had a vent fan in our bathroom that kind of looked like this but without the light. Pretty boring and not very attractive. Anyway, the fan gave up the ghost and we have been living without one for a while. One day we went to Home Depot to price fencing and ended up coming home with a new fan. ISN'T IT CUTE! It looks like just a regular pretty light fixture but there really is a fan in it too! We love it.

Poor J spent about an hour in the attic, kneeling on those hard rafters, trying to install it. While he was up there we realized we didn't have a couple electrical doodads, don't ask me to tell you what they are. He handed me one through the hole in the ceiling and I was about to make a mad dash to Home Depot when I saw my nice neighbor across the street pulling weeds. He has always seemed like a Mr. Fix-It himself so I decided to take a shot in the dark and see if he had any, AND HE DID! It was so awesome.

Anyway, an hour later (plus a cut finger, tons of insulation in our clothes & hair, and a quick run across the street) we had this lovely light up.

Playing In The Sprinklers -

J went outside to set up the sprinkler and, of course, P wanted to help. P was still pretty small last summer so he never had the opportunity to go and play in the sprinklers. So, this was his first time. He was hesitant at first but it didn't take long and he was having a ton of fun! I guess I better go shopping for a swimming suit! ;o)

I Love My J! -

I love J! I always have and always will. Yesterday, I was feeling so sick with a headache and the flu. He was such a wonderful man and just let me sleep and rest. P was kind of being a stinker all day so I was especially grateful. I felt bad about leaving him alone with P all day but I know that it helped.

I am also extremely grateful to have the Priesthood in our home. I have seen the Priesthood work in our home and it makes me so proud to have a wonderful husband who honors it.

During the time that I was sick, I also found a great appreciation for those single parents. I can’t imagine how hard it must be. I know I probably sound like a nerd but I just was trying to imagine what it would have been like if I had been alone with P while being sick. Thankfully, I have my wonderful J and I hope that I never take him for granted.

Maybe all who read this can take a moment to appreciate those in their lives that they love. Go give them a hug, a kiss, and/or a phone call and have a great day!

We're Having A Contest . . .

Okay, I've been surfing around on different people's blogs and have seen some very creative titles and I am way jealous! I want to have something fun and witty but I'm not very witty. So, I've decided to have a contest. I want you to give me your ideas and suggestions for a new title that incorporates the name Lind. After a while, I will pick one and use it. So, get your creative juices flowing, have some fun, and help me out! :o)

Mother's Day with J's Family

We decided to spend Mother's Day in Soda with J's parents. We went up this morning and went to church with them. Then we hung out at their house and played around. It was kind of chilly outside, hence P's hoodie. We had a lot of fun and enjoyed spending time with family. Oh, J got me some shoes for Mother's Day, I'll have to post a picture of those later.

J's Latest Story -

J was having some fun playing with the slide show and created this short story. When J is tired, he can have warped humor. For your information, no animals were harmed in the creation of this story. I stole the last photo from a friends blog. (Hope you don't mind, Katie!) The Lind Family, as a whole, love animals and would never harm them. We hope you enjoy our attempt at humor.

Cool New Site

Hello one and all!!! I wanted to let you know that some friends of mine have started a vinyl lettering business. Check out their site at: http://nothing2fancy.blogspot.com/

I know that many of you are very crafty and would love to check out this site! I hope that you will send them your business!

A - Z Tag -

A: Attached or Single- Attached . . . 5 years the end of July!
B: Best Friend- J and my mommy
C: Cake or Pie- Either . . . As long as they have raspberries on it!
D: Day of Choice- Saturday . . . J’s day off!
E: Essential Items- Family, cell phone, chocolate, and Diet Coke
F: Favorite Color- Any shade of blue.
G: Gummy Bears or Worms- Gummy Bears, I don’t like anything snakelike
H: Hometown- Chubbuck, ID
I: Favorite Indulgence- Sweets and Johnny Carinos
J: January or July- July
K: Kids- P, the cutest kid in the whole world!!!
L: Life is not complete without- Family and the gospel
M: Marriage Date- July 25, 2003
N: Number of Brothers and Sisters- None that are biological. I consider J’s 2 brothers & 2 sisters plus their spouses my own. I also consider my cousins as brothers & sisters too.
O: Oranges or apples- Apples . . . Dipped in caramel
P: Phobia or Fears- Snakes, the dark, tight spaces, large crowds, etc. etc. etc. I’m afraid of a lot.
Q: Quote- "Pain hurts.” Grandma Lind (Josh’s mom. She still gets teased for that one!)
R: Reasons to smile- Whenever P is nice (which is a good portion of the time), when J gets home from work, and when my mom calls.
S: Superman or wonder woman- I should go with the women but Superman is HOT!! FYI J, I love you!!!
T: Tag 4 people- I’d like to tag Jessie Gray, Brandy Anderson, Katie Hulse, & Lindsay Walker.
U: Unknown Fact about me- I like to watch Ultimate Fighting on TV. (There is an ultimate fighter in my ward and I can’t wait until he has a fight because I want to go and watch!! J thinks I‘m a nerd.)
V: Vegetable- Gotta be broccoli - hands down.
W: Worst Habit- Chewing my fingernails
X: X-ray or ultrasound- X-ray. I had a not so comfortable “internal” ultrasound when I was pregnant early on.
Y: Your favorite food- That is too hard. I do love shrimp, Chicken Fettuccine Alfredo, and my mom’s Chicken & Dumplings . . .YUM!! Now I’m hungry!
Z: Zodiac Sign- Gemini

Check out my Slide Show! -

These are pictures from Sunday at my parent's house. P was having a blast sitting on Great Grandpa Gower's lap. There are also some pictures of us enjoying the beautiful weather outside. I hope you all enjoy. By the way, J made the captions in the slide show. ;o)

Ten Picture Tag -

Okay . . . I'm doing this backwards because I don't want to take the time and rearrange my pictures. So here it is . . .

#10 Picture of Myself - J and I were being silly and decided to do a "photo shoot." The color photo is in honor of Teresa who is an America's Next Top Model fan, such as myself. I had to do some posing! ;o) The black & white is just me trying to be pretty.

#9 My Dream Vacation - I have two. I would love to go see the beautiful landscapes of New Zealand and Alaska. I have family in Alaska and would absolutely love to visit them. J has an old mission companion who lives in New Zealand who would show us around, I would hope!

#8 My Toilet - Okay . . . this is weird but I will show it to you anyway.

#7 My Favorite Room - It would have to be my living room because it is the only one that is somewhat decorated. It is also interspersed with P's toys and stuff.

#6 What Kid(s) are doing right now - P is getting done with his bath. He is getting so big! He is almost as tall as me . . . well not really!

#5 My Laundry Pile - Okay, so I cropped it . . . I'm embarrassed of my laundry pile!

#5 My Closet - Notice I don't show the huge mess at the bottom! You'd think it was tidy! ;o)

#3 Favorite Shoes - You have probably seen a picture of these before but I don't care . . . I think they are cute!

#2 Inside of My Fridge - Okay, pretty messy. But I do know where everything is . . . kind of! ;o)

#1 My Kitchen Sink - My mom would be in shock to see that there isn't a huge pile of dishes. I'm not the cleanest person in the world but I do try.

So there it is, my lovely photos. I hope you enjoyed it.

Now we come to the part where I get to tag a few people . . . so I tag Teresa, Kira, Jamie, & Brandy and anyone else who would like to! HAVE FUN LADIES!

Good Grief -

I guess I got too excited for some nice weather and this is what I woke up to this morning. RUDE!!! I am so tired of snow and I know that you all are probably sick of it too!

Now . . . I don't want this posting to just be me complaining about snow so here are some pictures of P. The other day he was getting into everything and driving me nuts so I stuck him in his high chair and gave him some Oreos. I guess you could say that he likes Oreos.

It was time for bed and he was not in the mood for pictures. Still, he is such a cutie.