Oh hey there...

So it's been over a year since my last blog post and I have come to the conclusion that blogging is not the easiest thing for me to keep up. I am going to try my hardest to be better at posting so that those who are far from us can keep tabs on our "adventures".  Here is my list of top ten things that have happened to us over the past year and a half:

1.  I have performed in several productions at The Rose Theatre here in Omaha...most recently I was the Narrator in Joseph and His Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat.




2. Bill was promoted to Senior Airmen Below the Zone.

3. Bill has since been selected for promotion to Staff Sargent and will sew on the stripes next summer.

4. Zoey is learning her letters and able to identify words she sees in front of her (she's so smart!).

5. Zoey turned 2.



6. We went to London and Paris for two weeks without the kiddo.



7. We have upped our cooking game thanks to the blog cookingclassy.com

8. We have spent some great time with both of our families.

9. Bill and I both turned 29. Yikes!

10. WE ARE EXPECTING! Our baby boy is due Jan. 13, 2014.




There you have it folks...our last year and a half compressed into a top ten list.  I am going to be making an honest effort to post as much as possible so that I can keep you all filled in on our exciting lives. :)

Time to catch up...

Well hello! It has been too long since I last blogged and I sincerely apologize for that. We got very wrapped up in our lives that blogging got pushed to the side. We have had lots happen since October so I will just get right to it.

Let's start with Bill. He is still working down in ops, but he may be back up in the programming shop soon.  He passed his PT test last month with a 96 I think it was and he was quite happy about it. Nothing too new or exciting has happened to him, but he is very happy in the Air Force and he is fitting in nicely.

As for Zoey, she has bee VERY busy these last few months.  Her vocabulary has increased quite a bit and she now says tons of things (ie. ball, sock, cracker, coco, fishy, dog, ball, shoe, juice, cheese, dada, mama, baby, and much more). She has decided that "Despicable Me" is her favorite movie and watches it far more that Bill and I would like. We all could recite the movie by memory if we had too...no joke. Zoey has also become quite the little climber. She goes up and down the stairs, up onto the bookshelves, up he highchair and onto the washing machine, and anything else that seems like it would be dangerous.  She has also developed a love of music and dance (videos to follow).  He favorite bands artists include Justin Bieber and the Fresh Beat Band (ugh). As soon as she hears the music she can't help but shake that adorable booty. One last fun thing that Zoey has discovered it the Bellevue Public Schools Welcome Center. This place is awesome! We go there as often as we can an she goes nuts playing with the several rooms of toys and dress up clothes (videos to follow).  On top of everything I have mentioned, Zoey has also discovered a love for slides. She climbs up to the top of play set at the park and goes down the slides all be herself! I can't believe my little 18 month old is doing so much. She is growing up way too fast!

Now for my updates!  Not too much has been going on with me other than the fact that I have been cast as Gertrude in The Rose Theatre's production of Seussical the Musical. It's very exciting to play such a fun role and actually get paid to do it. We just started rehearsals last week and open on June 1st.  So far it looks and sounds great and I can't wait to see the set and costumes.  If you are in the Omaha area next month you should come see the show. Other than the show I have just been a busy mom who squeezes in exercise as much as I can. I have still been watching what I eat and I exercise nearly every day. I have lost so much weight so far that it is exciting to be towards the end of the weight loss part of my journey and on to the toning and maintaining part of it all.  

Zoey is up from her nap so I guess I  should go and I'll update you more soon. I am back in the blogging mode so I promise to be more committed this time.  I'll leave you with some pictures for the road. Until next time!

 Zoey and coco cuddling on the pillows Erica and I made.

 Our new bedroom furniture!

 Those curls!

I couldn't leave coco out of the photo madness. 

Hi!

"Hi! Hi! Hi! Hi!" That is what I get to hear over and over and over again. Zoey has learned this new word and says it to anyone and anything she can. We went for a walk yesterday and I think she said "hi" to every tree, leaf, fence, and car that we passed by. I must say, it's pretty cute. In the morning we go to wake up Billy and she starts patting his shoulder saying "Hi daddy!" and I swear his face lights up. Do I ever get a "Hi mommy!"? No. Am I hurt? A little. I know I just need to be patient but...come on already!!

In other news, I am a mere 9 lbs away from my goal weight! I have been working crazy hard and I am so excited to finally see the light at the end of the tunnel. I may try losing a few extra pounds once I hit my goal, but that is in the future. Most of my pants are too big and I must say, it feels great. I am running out of cute clothes to wear, but I think I'll survive. In a couple of months I will be able to say that I have lost well over 50 lbs since having my sweet little Zoey and I will be 25 lbs under my pre-pregnancy weight. Woot!

Billy is on swing shift now so I have been spending my afternoons and nights alone. It's been nice to have some me time, but it does get a little quiet around the house. I have been exercising and cleaning to keep busy and also prepping for work the next day.

Which brings me to my next topic: My new job. I just got a job working from home and so far it has been great. I am adjusting to being a working mom, but at least I get to be home with Zoey while I am earning a paycheck. It's nice to be able to feel like I am helping out financially while still be there for my husband and child whenever they need me. Plus, now I can go shopping for some clothes that fit and maybe get some new shoes just for kicks. :)

Life in Omaha has been great for our family. We definitely miss all of our wonderful Utah friends and family, but the people here have been so kind and welcoming to us. We have been blessed so much and I am grateful that we have such an amazing life.

What else? I am crazy excited to go to Seattle next month and see Billy's family! It will be great to spend some time with the family and get to know our new niece and nephew. We can't wait to see you Owen and Maren! Zoey is going to have a blast getting to know her aunts, uncles, and cousins.

Speaking of Zoey...did you know she turns 1 year next month? 1 year!!! My baby won't be a baby anymore, she'll be a toddler. Time really has flown by.

Time to finish for the night. I haven't taken too many pics, but here are the ones that I managed to get. There is a picture of me during my show and some fun videos of Zoey. Enjoy!

September adventures...

Things have been a bit crazy this month because my show finally opened and I have been at the theatre a ton. Now that I finally have a little time to myself I thought I'd give you all a little update on our adventures this month...

It has been getting colder out here but that hasn't stopped us from going to the park at least two times a day. Just like Katalyn talked about in her last blog post, rain or shine we end up going on walks and playing outside. The cooler weather has been nice because I finally get to put Zoey in her cute winter hats and sweaters. She loves to play on the slide down at the park while coco goes searching for bunnies in the field. There is one thing Zoey does not love at the park...swings! If I even take her near the swings she holds onto me for dear life and starts whimpering. Here are a few pictures from our two hour park excursion yesterday.

As you can see, they weren't happy I made them wait.

Another fun perk that comes from the cooler weather is cute winter jammies! Zoey has some super cute sleepwear I have been dying to put on her, but it was too warm until now. I love this set because it has the face of a bear on the tush. So Cute! I'm lucky she is small for her age and I can put her in the cute six month winter jammies I thought she'd be too big for.

Zoey is walking now! She prefers crawling, but she will walk all the way across the room if you can convince her to do it. I tried to take some videos of her standing and walking, but they didn't turn out so good. I'll post them because she is cute...just don't expect too much action.

Well, other than the 40ish lbs I have lost since December...yes I said 40...not much else has been going on. I'll try to post more often now that the show is wrapping up. Here are just a few random pics for the road!

This is the before picture of our house. Once I finish my fall decorating I will post and after pic.

My top 10

I have been thinking about all of the things in my life that I am lucky to have and I thought I'd share it with the world...or at least the few of you who read our blog. :)

10. Aside from a couple of minor problems (aka my bad eye) I have my health.

9. Having several members of my family who live eight hours away or less

8. I am lucky to have the world's best in laws (sisters and brothers and their children included in that). I have been lucky enough to have these great people in my life.

7. Having wonderful friends who live just a day trip away...that includes you Brad and Erica!

6. I am lucky enough to have the chance to do what I love the most...perform. I am so happy that we live in a place where I can use the talents that God has given me.

5. We are lucky to have a place to live, food to eat, and a steady paycheck. There are so many people right now who aren't so lucky and so I consider our family blessed.

4. Support. I have wonderful sisters who have been hugely supportive during my weight loss journey and I can't thank them enough for helping me have the strength to continue.

3. Coco! She is the best dog we could have ever wished for and she takes such good care of us...especially her pal Zoey.

2. The Gospel. I feel so blessed to be a part of our church and feel the peace and comfort that it brings into my life. Nothing compares to the unconditional love of my Heavenly Father. (Lumped into this one are the scriptures and the temple and all other "churchy" things)

1. My family! I have such a wonderful husband and daughter and each and every day they bring so much joy into my life. I cant imagine life without them and I am looking forward to the many memories we will make with each other.

So there you have it! These are a few of the many things I am happy to have in my life. I'll post tomorrow about what is going on around here and how the show is going. Love to you all!

P.S. I was able to find the pics that I thought were lost forever so here are some of the baby food photos I mentioned in the last post.