Pictures with Lily.

Thanks to the lovely Cindy Price who took pictures of Lily, Trevor, Brianne, I and a few with my dad. Take a look at the preview of them at the link below. It happens that she took pictures on National Adoption Day, which also happened to be the day I placed Lily with her family. Hope you enjoy the pictures, I sure do. And the lovely two ladies from group.. your pictures look amazing!

http://lilypstudio.typepad.com/

Apple Pies..

So last night my dad and I went to the store to buy yet another turkey. Yes this is turkey number 2! Thanks to our ward doing deep pit bbq the night before thanksgiving, we always have two turkeys. One roasted and one bar-be-qued. None the less I think we are having 3 turkey's this year! How insane.. But anyways..

I told my dad how I wanted to make apple pies again this year. He looked at me like I was crazy! But what came out of his mouth was "With real apples?".. Yes Yes of coarse! So this afternoon we went back to the store and I got my apples, and crust stuff. I started peeling apples, and then my dad started helping. But I am super slow I guess so my papi ended up peeling like all of them in record time. Go dad! I decided I was going to put a apple cut out on each one. Turns out I only could make one semi good apple looking thing, one has a heart, and one has nothing. As I was attempting to make a second apple thing, my sister walks in and starts eating all the apple pieces out of the crust. And her comment was "Looks like this is going to the "little" pie!".. so thanks Katelyn for my "little pie"

But she decided since I was getting frustrated she was going to make me my apple cut out thing. Since we have no actual cookie cutter and I was doing it free hand, it was actual pretty difficult. But we just ended up laughing because her apple cut out made by her hands, and a flower cookie cutter.. Yes flower cookie cutter! Here's a picture of my apple cut out on my pie and her apple cut out just laying around. Hope you get some laughs out her silly apple cut out! Which by the way I did NOT use.. I am sure you don't wonder why!

Thanksgiving.

As Thanksgiving is only two days away, my mind comes across what I probably should be eating so my body gets back into shape for my loving two piece cheer uniform.. and that would be this yummy thing.. sure salad is yummy!.. This one even looks extra yummy.. but seriously salad or this..?
Which would you pick?... EXACTLY! Yummy apple pie, turkey, stuffing.. and pickles..

I seriously need to be on a diet, I mean I just had a baby. Two weeks ago! And I just went back to cheer.. half time.. well not really just not completely back.. since I can't really do much.. A few of the girls joked and said I'll be wearing an oxygen tank if I compete on the 6th. They even said that they would make it Dynamax our mascot. How silly! But it did make us crack up a lot for awhile. Thanks to my lovely two bases.

Thanksgiving is a time to recognize everything you are grateful for..

I am grateful for my dad, who loves me unconditionally. Although sometimes I upset him, make him angry, or even make decisions that aren't the greatest; he is always here for me. He supports me in my decisions, whether it's what he really wants or not. He is my biggest support in cheer, he's the dad who goes to my competitions, and even watches my practices from time to time. He takes the time to let me know he is proud of me, and he loves me. I love my daddy very much.

I am grateful for my siblings..
My sisters who love me, and always here for me. My sisters who take care of me, as I take care of them. We stick together through everything. I am so glad they live so close, that I can call them and in a few minutes they'll be with me. I love my sisters!
My brothers who keep me going, who make me smile, and who I always enjoy seeing. We do fun things like go around Toys R Us for hours playing with, and looking at all the toys, and games. Bowling, as I try and beat them, and just when I am about to they say "Don't choke".. and sure enough there goes my gutter ball. They tease me, and we laugh. I love my brothers!

I am thankful for my experiences in the last year in which I am grown, and become closer to my family again. The experiences that have taught me greatly about many different things, mostly just about life in general, and about myself. My weaknesses, my strengths, and helped me develop strength I never knew I could have.

I am grateful for Trevor and Brianne, for their family as well. They have become my great friends. And those kids keep smiles on my face, thanks Brennan, Bella, and Claire! When I was in the hospital and they were coming to visit, my sisters told me that I couldn't be sad with the kids around, they make you laugh and smile easily. I am grateful to continue contact with them as Lily has gone to her family, I am sure my life would be at a loss because it would be like loosing contact with my family. In a lot of ways that's what they are to me.

I am grateful for little miss Lily. She keeps me going and big smiles on my face. She came into this world through me for a reason. Thank you for being my little angel. You have affected my life more than you will ever know.

I am grateful for my cute little nieces as well as my adorable nephew, who also tend to make my days. They are so full of life. How can you not smile when you are around kids?

I am grateful for cheer as it is my greatest hobby. If I could I would spend most of my time at cheer, with my team and coaches, I probably would. We have the greatest time at practices and competitions. Some many inside jokes, and things that make us laugh. "You need to spit out that gum, or you are going to choke and die!".... Funny facials at the coaches. =)

I am grateful for my trials, if not for them I would not be who I am today.

I am grateful for church, and the knowledge I know that I will be with my mom again one day.

I could go on and on, because there is so much to be grateful for.. but then this would be super long, and I wouldn't get anything done, because I would be naming things all my life. I am blessed to have so much.

Sleep.

Wish I was sleeping, but yet still can't sleep.
My sleeping pattern has been so off lately.
I am going to be exhausted in the morning..

Cheer

On Saturday I joined my team, with my first practice of the season. It's nice to be back. Cheering with Dynamics is where I belong. It brings me great joy. I can't wait to be fully back with the team, and competing.

My Favorite part of cheer is stunting. I base, and back spot. It just depends on where my coach puts me for a specific section. I enjoy basing, but I also enjoy the change of base spotting, on a regular basis as well.

All Star Cheerleaders are much different than high school cheerleaders. Check out the video below of my team the season before I joined.

The Road of Life

Does your road ahead ever look something like this? Are you not sure if you are able to handle it? The road ahead is never quite clear.. Some days it can be a up, down, sharp turn, a tremendous hill to climb, or so on. You have to be willing to take the next step, and deal with whatever it may throw at you. Sometimes the first step is the hardest one, but it'll get easier along the way. In a lot of ways I try to live by accepting whatever comes next, for I do not always control it. There are reasons for things that occur, maybe we just can't see them now, or do not acknowledge them. There is good out of every thing that occurs, we just have to look for it. When we focus on the good outcomes, rather than the things we see as not so good, everything that occurs becomes a blessing. We should be grateful for every trial that comes at us. I am sure grateful for many of them.

Stop and think of the last trial that came your way, don't reflect on the bad of the trial, reflect on everything good that has happened because of it. Maybe it was lessons that needed to be learned, or new found strength, or a friendship that has occured because of it. There are many amazing things that occur, just take the time to acknowledge them.

Stinky

This is my baby Stinky. You may think it's pretty funny I call him "My Baby", but in many ways that's what he is. He's the pet that is my constant companion. His bed is my bed, as his room is my room. Most mornings I wake up to him sleeping at my feet; between them all cuddled up if my blanket isn't covering them. If he is not at my feet it's most likely because I kicked him in the middle of the night and he got frustrated. When that happens, I find him on my couch next to my bed; cuddled up on anything that I left there. He cries at my door when I close it and he's locked out. He goes wondering through my house searching for me, crying and wining. He's my little buddy, who puts smiles on my face.