Where has this month gone?!

I can't believe January is over in a day! I don't know where the time is going! We haven't been up to too much lately, but I thought I'd write a little about January just for the sake of keeping up my journal (which is what this is.) This last week I finally started my INSANITY program (one of my presents from Christmas.) I had to put it off a couple weeks into the New Year because of sickness and what not. Better late than never! Its a pretty extreme fitness program that you do an eating plan with. There's really only one word to describe the workouts and thats INSANE! But I actually really enjoy it! I love a good hard workout where your lungs are burning, your muscles are burning and you feel like you can't go on any longer, but you just keep pushing and prove to yourself that you CAN! If you haven't ever heard of INSANITY you should google or youtube it. It comes with an eating plan that I've been doing also. I have loved all of the recipes so far (minus one) and its not complicated at all. Its just real everyday food, but proportioned. So thats what I've been consumed with lately. Other than that Tyrel has been gone to Blackfoot everyday working for his Dad while we await hearing back from jobs we've applied for. He's already turned down a couple that we just haven't felt right about, but we're looking forward to hearing back from some other specific ones. Me and my little buddy are still just hanging out everyday together. He's my best pal! We got him some fun things to do for Christmas that we've finally broken out of the boxes. We got him some play doh and fingerpaints. He's not 2 quite yet, but I know my little guy and thought he'd enjoy that stuff. He has! Tyrel and I also started taking a college class together called Farm Business Management...something along those lines. Its actually really interesting and we enjoy being together for 3 hours every Thursday. Thanks to my MIL, Kindra and my friend Breanne for helping out with watching Tytyn. We had ward conference yesterday and for the 3rd hour everyone that is in a presidency met together to listen to the Stake President speak. It was the first time I think of our whole marriage that Tyrel and I got to sit together in a meeting (besides Sacrament.) We have always had callings that have permitted us otherwise. I serve as first counseler in the Primary and Tyrel is 2nd counseler in the Young Mens. We both LOVE our callings! Anyways, we were discussing how to be an example to those around us that we are responsible to teach, such as our children. He said that we could give the BEST lesson ever about how important it is to attend the temple and that no matter how strong the Spirit is while we teach that lesson our kids will only learn by watching us get in the car and GO. Whether it is once a month or however often it is that you can attend the temple, they will learn the most by your example of GOING and DOING the work. We also discussed how Jesus was the perfect example in all things. He said that many people he knows including himself at times have come up with an excuse not to attend your church meetings. Whether your traveling or otherwise occupied there can always be an excuse. Then he said don't you thing that Christ traveled ALOT! And I'm sure he never missed his church meetings and other obligations just because he traveled. I just have to give a shout out to my parents in this area because this is where they led by example. It didn't matter what foreign country or state we traveled to, if we were gone on a Sunday we found a church and we went to our church meetings. Sometimes the services were in a different language, but it didn't matter the spirit can still be felt in those situations and you are still able to take the sacrament and renew your covenants with your Heavenly Father. I will be forever grateful for the example my parents set for me by attending the temple and their church meetings and fulfilling their callings to the best of their ability. I hope that I can be as good of an example to my kids as they were and still are to me!

This is right after his 3rd haircut (given to him by Tyrel). He did SO good! Which is a complete turnaround from last time when he screamed and cried the whole time. He just sat still and smiled and jabbered, I was so impressed! We promised him a treat and had to go to Fred Meyer afterwards. And if any of you mothers don't know they give out free cookies at the bakery for little ones there:) 

This is his very first finger painting masterpiece. We had alot of fun making this together, but I think he had more fun cleaning off in the sink afterwards:)

A New Year!

I guess I just need to accept that things won't always go as planned. This year definitely has not started out as I thought it would. Between sicknesses/health concerns, Tyrel still looking for a job, and yet another month of not being pregnant it is easy to get discouraged. I need to keep reminding myself of all that I am blessed with though. I have a wonderful husband who loves and cares for me so much he truly is the BEST ever! I just have to brag and tell you what he did for me this past weekend. I was SO sick and in bed not able to do anything. Saturday he did 2 loads of laundry, a load of dishes (by hand b/c we don't have a dishwasher), picked up the house and then took Tytyn with him to his parents for the day. I was able to just rest and relax all day by myself. He made sure I was getting plenty of liquids, practically shoved food down my throat and changed multiple poopy diapers:) He is such an awesome guy! We have so much fun together, he truly is my best friend and I'm glad we get to be together for eternity! I am also blessed to have THE sweetest baby boy ever! Although he is proving to be more difficult to handle lately, I still love him to pieces! There was one day last weekend that Tyrel was working at his parents and I was home with Tytyn and I just felt AWFUL! I started to cry and Tytyn came over to me, wiped the tears from my face and gave me the longest hug ever. Then he looked at me, gave me a couple kisses then continued to hug me until I stopped crying. It was one of the sweetest and most spiritual moments I've ever felt. I have 2 pretty amazing boys in my life! I've come to realize I just need to look forward and do my best! Things will happen when they are supposed to and all I can do is my best to prepare for whenever that happens. I need to keep in mind the positive side of things! I feel almost back to normal today, Tyrel has a job interview tomorrow and I know eventually we will be blessed enough to add another member to our family (I'm just being impatient about it.) Good luck to everyone in this upcoming year, may it be a HAPPY and prosperous one! Love and miss you all!

Merry Christmas!

We had an awesome Christmas this year! We were especially excited because Tytyn is older and we knew he'd get more excited about things. We stayed in Idaho for Christmas this year, it was the first year in many that Tyrel's parents would have all their boys home before another one left on a mission. I think the past 5-6, maybe more, they have had 1 or more boys gone on a mission so this year they were all excited to be together! I missed my family alot, but was grateful I got to see them over Thanksgiving break. We wanted to do our own little Christmas as well, so Christmas eve morning we woke up and opened presents with Tytyn. We had them all laid out in front of the tree as well as the stockings and Tyrel had the video camera ready for when Tytyn walked in. It was so fun to watch his face light up! He learned to say the words cool and neat that morning and so every present he opened he would say, "cool" or "neat." It was SO cute! Then later that afternoon we drove up to Tyrel's parents house so that we could stay with them for a few days. We got totally spoiled by everyone! Thank you to my parents as well as Tyrels and some of our extended fam who were so generous and thoughtful to us this Christmas season! Tyrel surprised me and got me a Kindle Fire, I love it! But more importantly we got to be together with each other and with family and dwell on how blessed we are. One of my little Christmas decorations says "Jesus is the Reason for the Season." I did my best to keep that in mind and am so grateful for the Savior's constant presence in my life. It is so comforting to feel his spirit within our home and our family each day. I hope I was able to reflect his example to others this past year and am grateful for the chance I get to improve upon that this upcoming year. Here are a bunch of random pics from the past month or so. I didn't get a whole lot of pics on Christmas because I was mostly doing video. Enjoy!

This was just a rare day that we were so tired that we fell back to sleep by 9am in our lovesack. I was reading him books and next thing I know I woke up an hour later. I love snuggle naps with my little one!

These caramel apple cheesecake bars are to die for! I made them for our ward Christmas party and was so glad I kept a few at home for us to enjoy, they were gone within seconds.

This day I taught him to say "cheese" for the camera. So he had fun running back and forth between the tree and the camera to see the pics I took and then to hurry back in front of the tree and say "Cheese!"

My big boy! I can't believe he will be 2 in less than 4 months!

Watching a Christmas cartoon on my Kindle Fire, he thought that was pretty cool!

His cute little reaction to a tractor he opened up from his Grandpa and Nani Bingham.

The lighting is horrible in this pic, but I love his adorable expression, he was seriously SO excited about this tractor!

Popping some bubble wrap with Uncle Logan. Poor Logan has had a hard time getting Tytyn to warm up to him. Tytyn had his other uncles to get to know for a full year before Logan got home from his mission, but I think Tytyn is finally coming around. He LOVES all of his uncles!