Milestones

Throughout our lives, we hit certain milestones that shape who we have become up to that point.  Yesterday, I hit a milestone.  As I have ventured on this journey of trying to become more healthy, I have reached a point where I can honestly say, I feel better now than I EVER have!  Yesterday, for Memorial Day, we went up to Los Angeles to hang out with our friends, the Taggarts.  We went up to UCLA to explore the campus.  While we were looking for a sculpture garden, we can to a hill that needed to be climbed.  Most people would think, not a big deal.  It was to the side of a parking structure and all paved.  But in my mind I just thought, oh no, not a hill!  But of course I am not going to say anything and be the whimp.  So we started on the hill....and finished the hill, without one huff or puff or one break!  I did it with ease.  It was so satisfying, knowing that I can really accomplish anything I want.  I had to record this moment.  I have been walking or tracting (as a missionary) and had to stop to take breaks or drinks of water or thought I couldn't go on; but this proved that I can go on.  I love where my life has headed.  I love working out and eating healthy.  Why haven't I started this earlier???  AND I am happy to say...down another pound!!   

 

Perfect Day

Today I started out with my routine workout and then we all got ready and headed to Laguna Beach for our 9:30 reservation at Las Brisas.  Since we really didn't get to celebrate my birthday, this was to fulfill that!  Las Brisas is one of my favorite places to eat.  I go like every other year, so it's special each time.  Today we were seated right next to a window with the PERFECT view.  We were thrilled!  It was my cheat meal, so I went all out.  We decided we would eat a huge breakfast and then not eat til dinner (and that's exactly what we did).  

  After breakfast, we walked around the beach and found some hidden spots that we want to try as it starts to warm up.  The weather was so nice (too chilly to put on swimsuits), perfect to walk around.  After, we headed up to South Coast Plaza for a little home shopping.  And the rest of the day we've been hanging out at home.  A relaxing way to start our long weekend!!

Charlotte loves her daddy!

Have to take a family pic everywhere since they are outdated the next day because of how fast Charlotte is growing these days!!!

Charlotte started giving kisses, like, yesterday!  She just kind of falls in your face, but I love it!!

I just love that she is smiling at me after some loves!

 

Ready for the Weekend

This has been a LONG week!  Between trying to get back on West Coast time, Charlotte teething, getting back to work, and finalizing my Summit plans; I am very much ready for the weekend.    We will be attending Disneyland's all-night event (we'll see how "all-night" really pans out) and then finally celebrating my birthday at Las Brisas!!  One of my favorite places to have breakfast.  After breakfast, we will have a family beach day at Laguna.  It's going to be so relaxing!!    

  "Haven't celebrated your birthday yet," you ask?  Nope.  We were too in a rush to pack and get to the airport for our Red Eye, that there was not much celebrating.  Except with my free scoop from Baskin Robbins.    

Maxi Skirts: The Hottest Trend

Many of you know my obsession with Maxi Skirts...so I've decided to throw a party!  A MAXI SKIRT PARTY!  It will be in Utah at my parents house in July.  Send the link below to your friends.  It's going to be fun!!  I'd love to throw one in CA, the week of June 10.  If anyone would want to open their home, please let me know. I would do it at my place, but parking at night is impossible!    

    http://paperless.ly/16a5bTK  

Week in Paradise

Some of you know we had the opportunity to travel to the Dominican Republic with Josh's family this past week, so I thought I would do a quick blog post recapping our time there.  We stayed at the Majestic Resort in Punta Cana.  We had a great time being together and catching some rays.  I was thinking about editing these photos, but then it takes away from how gorgeous it really was.  It only rained one day...the day we decided to go to the spa!  It was an extremely relaxing week.  Now...we are home, Josh and Charlotte are under the weather and it's back to reality tomorrow.  We all say, "we need a vacation from our vacation," and it's SO true!   

Pool Time

"Our spot" the entire week

Beach Time

Dinner Time

Family Pictures

More pictures!

 

Charlotte Turns 8 Months Old

My big baby girl is EIGHT months old today!  Serioiusly, every month I ask myself, "where did the time go?"  Well she has led quite the charmed life in the little eight months she has been here on Earth.  Some of her journey includes: 4 Round-trip flights 3 Road trips 43 Disneyland visits 2 official beach days 1 Passport 1 trip out of the country (at the end of this week)   Yes, one would say she is spoiled.  I would say, she is my BFF, and why wouldn't you do all those things with your best friend?   Since she doesn't have another appointment until nine months, I weighed her today and she is 18 pounds.  Everywhere we go, people tell me she's so big for an 8 month old, but I think she's just right :)  She is clapping now and scooting everywhere.  She is such a little stinker and won't crawl, but I think that's a good thing for right now.  Being mobile would just make things a little difficult.  She is wearing 6- and 9-month clothes.  She can sit up from laying down.  She eats solids once a day.  Loves to be home and play on the rug in the family room.  She enjoys taking little bites (more like specks) of all of our food.  She has found her voice and uses it...A LOT!  She is smiling at strangers more (yipee!).   Charlotte Lyn is still a perfect little girl.  I love her so much and love watching her change constantly.  She has brought so much joy into our lives.  I really believe she has brought Josh and I closer and our relationship stronger as well.  We fight over who gets to hold her at church and who gets to change her diaper ;)  jk  I can't even imagine my life without her.  She is everything and more I could have wished for in a child.      

        I love you Charlotte Lyn!    

Life Changes

I have been receiving a lot of questions of what I am doing to lose weight.  Well...I feel like now is a great time to let you all in on a little secret called SHAKEOLOGY!  I have started this drink as well as Les Mills Combat workout for the last month now.  I have lost ten pounds, but more importantly, I am feeling so much better.  I gave up my daily Diet Coke, and feel like that has made a huge difference as well.  Since I have been on Shakeology, I have had more energy, I am able to stay up later with Josh at night, get in a healthy meal, and am having great results.  At first I was a little skeptical to purchase this drink, but I am so glad that I have!!  I will be on it for the rest of my life.  My husband has even seen the results that he has now signed up as a coach and is starting Shakeology as well.  In order to really receive the full results, it is recommended that all unhealthy substances are cleared from your diet.  Shakeology has really helped replace daily sodas, coffee, tea, and other substances.  It has also helped with some medical conditions.  It works differently for everyone, but at the same time, works the same, meaning it is giving everyone all the daily vitamins you need.  It is not just like another protein drink, which are usually pretty bad in taste.  I drink the chocolate Shakeology and love the taste.  You can also add other things to it to make the flavor even better!  I originally signed up as a coach to receive the discount on Shakeology, and that's what you can do as well!  If you are looking for a change, whether it is to lose weight or just get healthier, you can sign up as a coach, receive discounts, help others change, all while receiving a little extra income on the side.  If you receive the drinks (in the form of powder) and don't like them and are not seeing results, there is a 30-day money-back guarantee.  It equals to $4/day, which many of you spend more than that on a meal anyway.  Drink for breakfast, take a scoop to work for lunch...it's convenient and HEALTHY!  Another reason that this lifestyle works, is that there is a whole support system.  I am apart of a top 10 team in the whole company!  Our team, Team Symbiotic, has several coaches that encourage each other, cheer each other on, and can answer any questions you may have!  
Please click on the logo below to become a coach and/or order some Shakeology today.  Let's get these results going NOW!

Pictures to come!    

Cinco de Mayo

Cinco de Mayo is a constant reminder of the start of a whirlwind my life went on for an entire year.  I say it every year on Facebook, but six years ago today, I entered the hospital in Tennessee on my mission. While I was serving a mission for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, I went into Congestive Heart Failure with a condition called Endocarditis.  I became extremely fatigued and my lungs starting filling up with fluids not allowing me to breathe (especially when I laid down).  When I would wake up in the morning, I would take a shower and then have to go right back to bed.  The doctors described it as my heart was working as hard as if I were running a race, but really, I was just sitting still.  It was really scary, since not a whole lot had really happened since I was born.  I would just go in for my annual check-ups and received a pacemaker at 10, with occasional battery changes.  When this happened, I didn't know if my body was telling me it was tired from missionary work or if I was really sick!  I finally went to the Urgent Care in town.  After some tests and x-rays at the hospital, they admitted me, seeing that I had fluid in my lungs.  I just couldn't believe this was happening.  I kept thinking that this could not be happening.  I still had six more months to serve!  I wanted to complete my mission, but Heavenly Father had other plans.  All along, I had a wonderful companion, Sister Ashley Hathcock, who helped me every step of the way and took great care of me!    

How many district photos are in the hospital?

Me and Sister Hathcock

 Once I arrived to the hospital, the first few days the doctors kept telling me a different thing each day.  Finally, they pinpointed it and said I had Endocarditis.  One thing that happens with Endocarditis, is that a vegetation will form on the valves damaging them.  These vegetations eventually will fall off, either going to the brain or somewhere else in the body.  They had to watch this vegetation closely.  If it went to my brain, it would have caused a stroke.     On May 10, my birthday, my dad flew into TN and was by my bedside the next two weeks.  We joke that it was the longest daddy-daughter date ever!  I was so glad that he came and while he was there, was able to meet so many of the people I grew to love.  One couple in the ward I had currently been serving in, let him borrow a truck the whole time he was there.  That made it fun for him to explore the surroundings a bit.  Another member took him all over the Appalachian mountains and through the local cities and towns.  One Sunday, he drove up to Marion (where I served twice) and went to church and then dinner at the Wassum's home.  It was such a neat experience for him!  While he stayed with me, my room was the tiniest hospital room I've ever seen (still to this day) and he slept in a little chair next to my bed every night.  What an awesome dad!!  I will never forget the sacrifice he made to come be by my bedside for two weeks in Tennessee.  I will cherish those weeks forever!  

I needed to write some thank you cards, so I had my dad buy some from the gift shop.  They were probably the ugliest cards I'd ever seen.  We had a good laugh...and I still sent them out!! And that's the chair my dad slept in for two weeks!

  During the remaining two weeks in the hospital, they ran constant tests and cultures, and were watching the vegetation.  When Endocarditis happens, the valves are damaged.  My tricuspid valve started leaking.  Everything had to be monitored very closely.  Once everything was stable, I was put on a leer jet, hooked up to several machines and had two nurses fly home with us.  It was such an overwhelming feeling as I flew over Tennessee and left my mission.  I knew it was the right thing to do, since they don't really like dying missionaries in the field, but it was really hard.  I shed tears and then I just hoped for the best...hoped that I would get healthy.   Once I arrived in Orange County, I got right into an ambulance that took me to Mission Hospital.  There I stayed for a few days.  Once I left, I received home healthcare for about 6-8 weeks.  Eventually on December 10 of that year, I had open heart surgery to replace my tricuspid valve.  After recovering and several other series of events (including vocal paralysis), I decided to make the move to Provo, on May 9.  So for one year, my life was a roller coaster of emotions and events.    

After my open heart surgery.

   I am so glad that I had such a strong family support during that time.  Like I said, this time every year, I am reminded of all the challenges I faced.  In the moment, I hated my life.  There were moments I hoped I never woke up; there were moments I was too afraid to fall asleep thinking I would never wake up; wondering what guy is going to want to marry me and take all this responsibility.  Well I am here to tell you today that those obstacles were overcome and I am happier than I have EVER been!  I am loving life.  I did find a wonderful husband who didn't even bat an eye when finding out about my health problems, who has been a wonderful husband and father, I was able to get an education, make friends, live on my own, have jobs, and the biggest worry of all...I was able to have a BABY!!  Yes at times I thought, how could Heavenly Father put me through all that?  I was serving a mission, doing everything right.  Yes I will admit, my testimony was tested, but in the end, I have come to understand the Atonement even more, for all that it encompasses.  Not just our sins, but EVERYTHING we go through in our life.  I am grateful for this time of year, to look back and see that I'm alive, I beat the odds more than once, and that when we have hard things happen to us, we aren't alone and we can get through anything with the help of the Savior.