come and geddes

this is how i feel.

2012-01-29T22:28:00.005-07:00

it's official. mrs. joni and mr. paul are hitched.

and i can honestly say i am happy.

i haven't been a complete peach about the situation the entire time though.

let me start from the beginning.

since october there had been talk of the possibility of my mom marrying paul. i was ok with the idea of paul, i just wasnt ok with the idea of marriage. at least not before taigen graduated high school and jace got home from his mission.

can you blame me? there were many talks about what should and would happen in the coming months. a possible november or december of 2012 wedding sounded good to us girls. we thought it would be nice for jace to come home and adjust to the new world that surrounded him before another bomb was dropped on his life.

as time creeped on, my opinion became stronger and stronger. i said my peace multiple times and i was firm in what i thought. paul was a good guy, but the happiness of my little brother and sister mattered most to me.

at the time i wasnt thinking of my mom. i wasnt thinking of the loneliness she has been feeling for the past year and a half. and i know she was feeling so lonely.

i was thinking of me. what about my dad being replaced? what about you moving to a new town? what about how i feel?

then christmas time came. i had been praying to know how to handle the situation and how to treat my incredible mother with the love she not only needed, but deserved. i had been having a hard time doing that.

so i went to the temple. wow. the temple can do some amazing things for a person's soul. while i was there i had an understanding that i hadn't had yet...

my mom had been praying, fasting, and pleading with the Lord for answers. she was doing this the right way. and my stubborn attitude was making it impossible for her to listen to the spirit.

each of us had strong opinions in the matter, but i realized i didn't want to be the reason she couldn't listen to the answers she was looking for.

so i gave her my 'permission' i guess. each of us did. jace

included. and on christmas day my mom and paul got engaged. i cried. a lot.

i couldn't believe it was really happening. my mom was going to marry someone else. someone who wasn't my dad.

a march wedding was now on the agenda. march? ok, i can get myself together by march. we can make it a beautiful wedding and we can be happy to be there.

so off i went on vacation. i left on january 3rd. after a week in disney world it was time to board the carnival glory for a week long cruise. the day i was boarding the ship my mom called me. she said she was thinking about moving the wedding up a

bit but wasn't quite sure.

she and paul had a trip planned with some family in hawaii at the end of january and they thought it might be nice to use it as their honeymoon.

honestly, i didn't think it was really going to happen. i just enjoyed my vacation and let the thought leave my mind.. for the most part.

sunday the 15th i stepped onto US soil and turned on my cell phone. i had a text from my little sister saying 'january 22nd? what the!' and thats how i found out my mom would be getting married a week later.

this is getting long isnt it?...

i called my mom. i cried. i realized i was actually really angry about a few things involved in the situation and i said some hurtful things. now, thinking about the way i reacted i cry even more because i feel so terrible. hurting my mom's feelings has ALWAYS been something i have tried not to do. i see her as the most amazing woman and i would never want to hurt her in anyway. but i did. because i was angry. angry that my mom was getting married. angry that i wasn't there to know everything going on. angry that i didnt make her wedding announcement. angry that jace wouldn't be there. angry that my family would be completely different. and angry that the wedding would be in a week.

the week wore on. i talked with my mom. i talked with my husband- a lot. i talked with my aunt jodi. i talked to people i barely knew. and i talked to my Heavenly Father. i cried some more. i said more mean things. an then i apologized to my mom. i tried to start thinking of her and how we could make the day special for her.

heck, she was getting married and i NEEDED to be happy for her. the wedding was coming and i could make things miserable for myself and everyone around me or i could embrace what was happening and do what i could to make the day special.

my sisters, my aunt jodi and i planned a little shower for my mom on saturday. i ordered a necklace for her on etsy that has significant meaning for her and paul and i made her a family print to hang in their home.

while doing all of this i realized i was focusing on the good instead of the {scary} i guess. i realized that there really were soooo many good things about the situation.

paul is amazing. his girls are incredible and his grandkids are to die for. i love them all so much already.

he is also a widower. his family knows the sorrow we feel and we know the sorrow they feel of loosing a parent.

they are NORMAL and they have all of the same family values that we have.

WE ARE LUCKY.

the day of the wedding was hard. we all cried together. but it really was a good day. i am happy that my mom is happy. i am so glad that she has found a best friend to spend the rest of her life on earth with. how lucky that we had the most amazing father and now we have a wonderful step-dad that will continue to teach us and love us.

these are my sisters. there are 6 of us. but dont forget about jace.

this woman is one of my very best friends. im so lucky to have her.

the happy couple

and all of us. its a big family isnt it?

life is about moving forward. we have each lost someone very special to us, but we have also gained so many people to love.

the wedding.

2012-01-26T15:10:00.004-07:00

my sister wrote a beautiful post about my mom getting married. until i can write anything that perfect take a look at her post!

randtpalmer.blogspot.com

mama j

2012-01-22T12:59:00.003-07:00

yes its true. my mom is getting married today.

a little crazy... but im happy for her.

paul is a wonderful man with beautiful daughters.

i know the craziness of this will all settle down soon and in a few months we are all going to be grateful for this new family of ours.

but today, its hard. its hard for me to understand that our lives will be forever changed.

not that they aren't quite different from what they used to be already. but now we add more people to that change instead of take them away.

i do prefer to add, so we are lucky.

its sad to think my mom will have a different last name. she will move away. we will have different traditions and it won't just be our small family of 6.

instead it will be a big family. 6 sisters 1 brother. poor jace. good thing he is such a boy.

im grateful for this new family of mine. i just miss my old one too.

heaven.

2012-01-15T17:43:00.004-07:00

we just finished a 13 day vacation of pure heaven.

we missed our first week of school and i don't even feel bad.

i guess reality is going to hit me like a ton of bricks.

lots of pictures and lots of updates are sure to come.... if i actually start blogging again.

xoxo

Jamberry Nail Party Tonight

2011-12-08T12:45:00.002-07:00

Hey guys!

Tonight at my moms house I am hosting a Jamberry Nail party!

Come have a blast! Anytime between 5-7 pm!

Text me if you need her address. 380.1000

peace and love!

happy thanksgiving.

2011-11-24T17:02:00.004-07:00

they really are happy to be with me :)

i sure am thankful to be spending the week with my babies.

a real. full update to come.

i hope your all having a fabulously thankful day.

homeshield pest control

2011-11-16T15:32:00.004-07:00

most of you know that my darling husband is a pest control salesman.

well tomorrow he and his business partner are having a gym night at a local gymnastics gym.

if you, your husband, your boyfriend, your brother, your dad, your grandpa or your dog are interested in not only having a good time but talking about the possibility of selling next summer come by!

anyone is welcome!

just text me or email me at kyrsten35{at}hotmail{dot}com

let me encourage you by saying... THE BEACH IS AMAZING!!! trust me, i know.

peace and love.

its about time.

2011-10-20T16:03:00.001-06:00

i just applied for graduation and this is how i feel!!!

yipeeeeeee!!!!!

Yard Sale!

2011-10-14T18:56:00.002-06:00

We are having a

HUGE yard sale

tomorrow, Saturday, October 15th from 8 am to 4 pm

383 Arabian

Pocatello, ID 83201

COME! IT WILL BE SWEEEEEET!

a week of giveaways

2011-09-28T12:00:00.000-06:00

ok so im just updating my blog for ONCE in my life to tell you about a week of giveaways we are doing at sissyprint! we are on day 3 now and have some awesome things to giveaway all week!

come join the fun! you won't be sorry.

oh and i promise i'll update here soon. we have had A LOT going on.

peace and love

sissyprint.blogspot.com

baby ruby.

2011-08-11T23:40:00.002-06:00

sams sweet cousins matt and ani have an adorable baby girl named ruby.

ruby is really sick and needs all the prayers she can get.

please join us on her behalf!

http://aniandmatttaylor.blogspot.com/

prayers work. i know they will appreciate it.

a summer full of:

2011-08-10T09:41:00.007-06:00

beach days.

prison break.

late night dinners.

ice cream, frozen yogurt, custard, otter pops, skinny cows, italian ice.

running.

missing family time.

the hills.

jillian michaels 30 day shred.

freeway driving.

barbeque.

relaxing.

addie and brit.

pool time.

sunshine.

making new friends.

missing old ones.

inspiration finding.

list making.

rainstorms.

designing.

and long days of work for the husband.

all in all i would say it has been a pretty amazing summer. i cant believe its over in t-minus 3 days. pocatello here we come!

good ol' virginia beach.

2011-07-16T16:19:00.007-06:00

yes, my blog really needs updated. but i'll be honest it has kind of lost it's zeal for me! although i feel that way here are a few pictures of our virginia beach happenings:

pie in the face at work.

minor league baseball game on the 3rd! lots of fireworks and hotdogs! and the home team won!

sweet adeline! she makes me so happy!

add and brit

we had a grand ol' time

for the 4th we enjoyed a lovely {ok terrible weather} day at the beach with some of our newest friends! our bishop is building this MASSIVE/AMAZING home on the beach front and invited us to come and party! besides the ridiculous amount of rain that happened it was a splendid day! no fireworks though!

yes thats the house behind us!

and i cant recall if i promised i wouldnt post these pictures on here, but i think everyone looks pretty good... minus decker who looks like a creeper! he does that in every picture i take of him! we were so sad that derek and breanne left us! we miss you guys!

we celebrated addies birthday on the 5th. she is amazing. so kind and soooo beautiful. im so lucky that i get to be around her all day everyday! :) i love you!

last weekend we spent the evening enjoying the beach and jelly fish and dolphins again! i love the beach sooo much! and these new friends of ours!

and for a few days addies mom jonas came to visit. she is beautiful and it was lovely having her here. even if it was just for a day!

life is good. my family is coming on wednesday!!!! EEEEEK! i cant wait to show them all of the amazing places around virginia beach that i have grown to love so much!

xoxo

the diary of a 'working on it' dieter.

2011-07-02T09:50:00.003-06:00

well its been a month since i posted about my new commitment to a healthier lifestyle.

although it has been a TOUGH journey for me, i really feel like i am doing good!

the rules that i said seemed so 'simple' to follow may not be as simple as i'd hoped, but for the most part i feel like i truly am feeling and looking better.

lets start with rule number one:

-you get one free day a week where you can break all the rules! :)-YES IVE DONE VERY WELL at making this happen every week! i definitely enjoy my free day!

-eat 1800 (or less) calories a day- this hasnt been a problem for me. its been pretty easy eating less than 1800 calories. my cousin addie however taught me that calories arent the only thing i should be looking at. if you are trying to loose weight the sugar intake in certain foods can really stunt your progress.

ive been eating a lot of raw foods. fruits veggies nuts etc. i eat lots of cottage cheese and yogurt too. i was drinking some 'weight loss shakes' but have discovered they are more unhealthy for you than anything else i was eating. i think those will be substituted with whole wheat english muffins from now on.

- no sugar. no white sugar or honey- OH MY HECK! this is my biggest weakness! especially when everyone around me wants ICE CREAM or FROZEN YOGURT EVERY. SINGLE. NIGHT!!! and its soo hard because i love me a good treat after i have finished dinner. blah.

-exercise at least an hour a day- although some days it isnt a full hour, i can honestly say i have WORKED OUT EVERY SINGLE DAY {besides sundays} since I started this challenge! it feels so great!!!

-get at least 7 hours of sleep a night- this isnt a problem for me! i could sleep all day long if i wanted!

-drink at least 3 liters of water a day- this can be a problem... our tap water is DISGUSTING here so we go through water bottles like you wouldnt believe! but i am still drinking lots and lots of water!

-for the 8 weeks, take one bad habit and drop it for a good habit.- this one is yes and no! i am trying to read my scriptures and an ensign article or conference talk every morning before i do anything else. sometimes it waits all day long but its happening.

-list 100 things you are grateful for each day- keep a gratitude journal- this has also been kind of hard for me. i am grateful for lots of things, but writing 100 things everyday gets hard. i always think, 'didnt i just write that?'

all in all i think i am doing pretty well. i am down 5 pounds, feel better, am eating better and exercising more than i ever have in my life! i cant be mad about that!

i havent had mountain dew in over 7 weeks! and seriously that is an accomplishment for me. in fact i havent had ANY soda except for a sip of root beer in that time either!

i hope everyone else out there who is trying to create a healthier lifestyle will help me with some tips! i find its really easy to get discouraged, but i just keep thinking how i dont want to get back into the habits that i was so far in! its so much harder to loose weight than it is to gain it thats for sure!

bieber fever.

2011-06-28T18:19:00.003-06:00

i just watched never say never. and i think i caught bieber fever.

hes just too cute.

dont judge me.

x0x0

freebie friday at sissyprint

2011-06-17T14:41:00.002-06:00

its freebie friday over at sissyprint!

check out the monthly budget printout i made!

its way cuter than all the generic ones! :)

let me know what you think!

twenty six.

2011-06-13T12:01:00.004-06:00

it was my lovers birthday yesterday. hes 26. thats right closer to 30 than to 20. when did we grow up? oh wait... we havent. when did we get old. oh wait... we didnt. just sam!! :)

we were joking that {our friend's little girl} brielle looked like she was a part of our family... when we are 70 we will look back and wonder which of our kids this one is!

we had a small sunday celebration and just enjoyed being together.

sam got a backpacking sleeping bag! he just happened to get two of them for some reason {oh yeah, because i needed one too!}

and a boogie board. its so fun to be by the ocean.

happy birthday sam. i know it was low key, but i hope you still had a good day! I LOVE YOU!

in other news i posted my first print for quotable monday on sissyprint!! go check it out!

x0x0

amazing new blog!!! Sissyprint.

2011-06-04T09:55:00.004-06:00

*This post taken from Sissyprint

We are so excited to announce the launch of Sissyprint,
founded by a family of sisterly designers.

Here you can expect to find free printables, designs for purchase, or print media for hire.

We have an affinity for color, typography, and all things graphic.

Kick off each Monday with a free quotable graphic to help push you along through the week.
Celebrate the weekend with us by enjoying Freebie Friday and a variety of free printables.

Check back often for sewing patterns, gift tags, organization labels, party pack printables,
and just about anything else we're designing for fun or for purchase.

The first item up for grabs? Here's a sneak peak...
photos and more info to come next week!

Happy Summer and welcome to Sissyprint!

**I am so excited about this AMAZING new blog. My cousin Emily is the genius and founder behind it. and she has asked ME to be a regular contributor. I am so excited to have a place to release all the creativity vented up inside of me.

check Sissyprint REGULARLY and become a FOLLOWER! Trust me... YOU WONT BE SORRY!

let the game begin.

2011-06-01T21:08:00.002-06:00

over the past few years i have slowly let my life and my body get out of control.

there have been a few times that i have made the effort to try and loose weight, but i never truly gave it my all.

being in a swimsuit everyday sure changes the way you feel about how you look.

i have been looking at pictures and at my lifestyle wondering how i allowed it to get so unhealthy.

im not obese. but im bigger than ive ever been and its uncomfortable. im not happy with the way i look or the way i feel, so i have made the decision to CHANGE.

over the past few months my mom took part in an 8 week challenge. it not only focused on how she ate, but her exercise, her sleep habits, and an overall healthy lifestyle. she did it. and she succeeded. in 8 weeks my mom lost 25 pounds and she looks like a BOMBSHELL! seriously she is a hottie! in fact for a girls camp activity she and the other stake young women leaders have to wear prom dresses- i just got a picture via my cell phone of my mom in a prom dress taryn wore in high school! WHAT??? that is skinny!

anyways... tomorrow is the day i start this journey. want to know the rules? they seem simple enough.

i have altered some of the rules according to myself and my timeframe.

-you get one free day a week where you can break all the rules! :)

-eat 1800 (or less) calories a day

- no sugar. no white sugar or honey

-exercise at least an hour a day

-get at least 7 hours of sleep a night

-drink at least 3 liters of water a day

-for the 8 weeks, take one bad habit and drop it for a good habit.

-list 100 things you are grateful for each day- keep a gratitude journal

the rules seem pretty simple, and i think they will help refresh all aspects of my life.

im excited! wish me luck!

this memorial day.

2011-05-30T14:39:00.002-06:00

i know that memorial day is a day set aside to remember those heroic men and women who have fallen while defending our beautiful nation.

i know that many, many families have sacrificed by allowing their loved ones to be gone for months on end while they still have to deal with daily life without them.

i know that many, many families have had to say goodbye to their loved ones when they least expect it and when it is least convenient.

i know many families have had to bury loved ones prematurely.

for those who are, were or will be in the armed forces or who have family members serving i say thank you.

i am so grateful to live in such a miraculous nation. it is only through the many miracles wrought by our Heavenly Father that we are allowed to have so many freedoms.

and it is only because of those men and women willing to fight for those freedoms that we are able to have them now.

although this is a day to remember those who have fallen from war, i cant help but give the majority of my attention to my dad.

he did not fight for our country, but he was a good man. he did so many good things and helped to make others better. he was a husband, a father, a brother, a friend. a teacher, a coach, a leader.

like those families who have lost loved ones to the despair of war, i mourn for a man who lost his own war- cancer.
my dad has been gone for 10 months now. and i cant help but wish that i was sitting with my mom at his gravesite today.

i know she is sad. i know she misses him and i do too. more than i can properly convey. but i know that now he is fighting for a greater good on the other side. i truly believe that.

the past few weeks have given me the opportunity for a lot of reflection on my life and the way i have handled the trials i have been given. and although i dont feel like i have dealt with things the best way most of the time, i am beginning to appreciate that this is where my life is right now. and i cant always be sad about it. i can be sad that my dad isnt here experiencing the things that i want him to, but i cant be sad that he isnt in pain anymore.

i listened to a talk given by Brent L Top called "What is this thing that men call death" it was given at byu education week and is amazing. i feel like it has really helped me appreciate what a beautiful thing death really is. especially for those people who have lived a good, righteous life. which i believe my dad did.

and for that today i rejoice. instead of feeling sorry that my dad isnt here, i find joy that he lived a good life and is now in a place that he can give all of himself to the efforts that Heavenly Father wants him to do.

CallaghanArtGallery's shop

2011-05-27T13:41:00.004-06:00

OH MY HECK!!

i am dying.

i am sooo in love with this!

i will have one.

i'll just probably make my own though!

x0x0

baby bell shower.

2011-05-24T09:24:00.005-06:00

carlis baby shower turned out really fun and really cute.

mindy and i had a blast planning all of the little details!

mindy had a REALLY busy week that week and did so much to make the shower a success! i was super impressed!

we all had a great time.

i kept teasing carli that i chose the wrong person to throw this shower for, because she is SO healthy... and lets be honest this shower was FAR from healthy!

i mean come on it was a "circus-y" theme!!!

the invite

me carck and kaylee

the cute thank you favors were popcorn from the popcorn shop.

just another one. with my freaky eyes

tia and mindy

i had this wild idea for a banner... took cork board from ikea and painted on the letters... i didnt end up having time to finish the banner so made this funky makeshift thing... whatever.

these cute hanging circles were so easy to make and way cute. probably would have been cuter if i would have used two sided paper. and holy food and junk. we had everything you can think of.

mindy made the cute advice cards and we played a little baby bell trivia game.

we ate hot dogs, popcorn, carmel corn, chips, candy, slushies, cookies... yeah it was awesome.

annie linda shag and mattea

carli kaylee and lindsey

kirsten. lindsey. mindy. carli. mattea. kaylee. tia. me. annie

we had a great time! and are so excited for baby bell to come! ANY DAY NOW!

lifes a beach.

2011-05-23T12:02:00.005-06:00

we have been having a wonderful time in vb.

the past few afternoons have been spent in the sun, sand and water.

summer has finally arrived.

we have mixed emotions in our home about that. glad its warm and we arent in school. sad we arent with family. sam works so dang hard in the summers. this summer is even more intense than usual.

he rocks. seriously.

{i used picnik for the first time... interesting}

i love that little dimple

sam and brit

alan. melissa. sam. me

brit... haha

brit. me. sam. alan. melissa

ive kind of been like the mother hen around here. melissa is the only other wife that has been out here up to this point, a few more wives will be arriving shortly!!! yipee! but until then i have been the cooker. we keep saying it feels like sister wives.. ha

summer is bueno. we are doing great.

come and visit this beautiful place!

what the??

2011-05-13T11:03:00.003-06:00

my previous post has suddenly vanished?

what the? does anyone know where to find it?

ok and when i click on any other blog it doesnt show the most current post, but the previous one?

is this happening to anyone else?

meet virginia.

2011-05-11T17:04:00.000-06:00

{via}

i arrived in virginia beach last night.

no baggage in hand.

two bags lost somewhere between salt lake and norfolk.

i guess thats the price of 3 layovers and 2 airlines.

hopefully they will be found and arrive on my doorstep soon.

being reunited with sam never felt so good.

im so thankful to be back with my sweetheart.

school is over.

work is over.

stress is over.

hello beach.

care to join me?

monsters vs. aliens

2011-05-03T19:37:00.002-06:00

awhile back our friend breanne pointed out how a character at the beginning of the movie monsters vs. aliens looked exactly like sam.

yes i must agree. i think the creators of the movie found a picture of my husband and used it in creating this guy. hahaha its quite hilarious.

x0x0

carli bell and baby boy

2011-05-01T18:36:00.004-06:00

my darling cousin carli (gunter) bell is having a baby boy soon! i am sooo excited for her. she is going to be the best mom. any kid would be lucky to have her creativity and love in their life.

me and her good friend mindy decided to throw her a shower.

a circus/carnival theme with all the fixings.

i may not have invited everyone that would like to come, so if you would like to PLEASE come and celebrate with us! i made it so that people couldn't see the address and phone numbers on this, so if you want more information email me! kyrsten35@hotmail.com

or if you know where my parents live, just show up! :)

x0x0

procrastination

2011-04-30T18:35:00.003-06:00

ive always been terrible at procrastinating. and when i say that im not kidding.

i think its become a really serious problem in my life. maybe after 5 years of college im just ready to be done.

you know its bad when you have a 10 page paper due at 5 pm and you start it the same day.

wow. im an idiot.

but 10 pages EXACTLY later and 4:50 pm it was submitted. yes. sometimes i surprise myself.

but i DO NOT recommend these incredibly irresponsible habits of mine. i become a crazy person when i feel the stress and pressure of my stupidity.

let that be a lesson to you.

really, im not quite sure what the lesson is...

mothers day.

2011-04-27T13:39:00.002-06:00

mothers day is coming up.

im planning some great things to make this mothers day really special for my sweet j-own.
she recently re-decorated her room. i made this print especially for her and her new sanctuary.

cant wait to show you everything i have planned.
i wish i could give her and do for her everything she deserves.

a sister named shag.

2011-04-19T21:32:00.003-06:00

ok so shag isnt technically her name, but it should be. taigen just doesnt do it for me :).

anyways it was this lovely ladies 17th birthday today. HOLY SMOKES... 17!!! what the? i was 17 when i graduated. tooooooo crazy.

shag? is that what you are wondering? well it goes a little something like this:

taigen=taggen=shaggin wagon=shag. simple!

shag is one of the most beautiful girls in the world. everything about her is radiant.

her eyes, her pearly whites, her blonde hair, and her tiny little figure. - i want to look just like her.

when we were little she didnt really like me... i dont blame her. i was kind of a monster to her. jealous that she got all of the attention ya know being the youngest... and the cutest. (jace was pretty cute too)
ahhhh look at that picture. i just want to gobble her up.

she has turned into such a lovely person. i am so grateful that i am her sister.
when taigen was young she had a friend named kylee... they both had red(ish) hair. they would fight, and then call each other and say "i'll meet you at the sawtooth sign"... haha it was a sign on the corner of our street right in front of our house.

she would sit on this little play kitchen thing a look out the window and talk to her imaginary friends. i make fun of her for it, but i really do think its sooo cute.

she always saved wedding announcements and documents of all kinds... she could play with them for hours pretending like she was a wedding planner or some other type of professional.

she is good at everything she does. one minute she can be a cheerleader then decide to be a volleyball player then get asked to plleeeeaaase be a cheerleader again. she is also in student government and on the seminary council (committee whatever it is...)

she has a REALLY adorable little boyfriend named grady. he isnt really little but he is adorable. and he treats her sooo well. im glad she has him.

she and i can have fun doing just about anything together. we can also drive each other just about crazy. im really good at getting on her nerves... no way?!?!

she is beautiful and strong and has sooo much faith. i am so grateful that i can call her my sister and see how she progresses and makes good decisions.

i know she will be successful in anything that she does (like hair... come on please!!) and i know that she will make a wonderful wife and mom some day.

thats another thing... she is AMAZING with kids. AMAZING. they all LOVE her... especially stella and it kinda makes me mad!! :)

i love you SHAGGO! HAPPY HAPPY BIRTHDAY!

love notes.

2011-04-18T02:20:00.005-06:00

sam left this morning for virginia.

he is amazing.

truly, i dont know how i got so lucky.

when i got home tonight i found this sweet note folded under one of the chairs i re-did.

and another one above the bathroom mirror.

it turns out these notes are hidden all over our apartment for me to find in the coming weeks.

lucky indeed.

i love you sam. thank you for being my best friend and biggest support.

{++++++++}

in case you were wondering-

our plan for the future= cut my internship a bit short and join my husband for a summer in the sun.

crazy? perhaps. but we feel like this is whats best for our family.

there are soooo many other elements to this decision. its nuts. if you care to know: lets do lunch!

seriously, if you want to come to salt lake i have an open house and would love the company! {feeling sorry for me? good! now come stay with me. and bring all your friends. it will be a party}

love.

negom:)

2011-04-16T15:02:00.004-06:00

once my brother had a crush on this girl.

he texted her in his sleep.

the text read- NEGOM:)

the next morning she texted him back... WHAT?

nobody knows.

our family now says NEGOM:) for most everything. especially when we want to express our love for each other.

sooner or later i will start a graphic design business called NEGOM:).

hopefully sooner.

2 weeks?

2011-04-16T02:53:00.002-06:00

WOW. its been 2 whole weeks since i have updated this little thing. that must be a record for me?

not that i havent been scouring over everyone else's blogs every free minute i have though.

life at the geddes home has been pretty normal.

actually we took a fabulous trip to the red rocks of moab, utah last week with some of sams family. it was so beautiful. if i had the pictures downloaded on the computer im using at this moment i would share. fear not... i will post them shortly.

ok normal wasnt the right word. its becoming very un-normal.

life as we know it is about to change. sam leaves tomorrow for virginia beach for the summer.

i am sad. no, very sad to say the least.

i just keep saying/thinking/pretending that time will go by quickly. i hope it does.

until then, i wont be cooking or cleaning. hey, if im by myself who needs it!

like ive said before... i love panda express.

****

on a completely unrelated note-

one of my biggest {if not my biggest} pet peeves is when someone smokes in their car with children in the back seat.

hello!?!?! are you trying to kill your kids? its disgusting really.

love.

a sister named taryn.

2011-04-01T18:30:00.006-06:00

i have an older sister named taryn.

today is her birthday.

she is old {25} but i feel like she should be older.

maybe because she was always like a second mom to me.

sometimes i liked that. most times i didnt...

especially when we were in high school.

she was responsible. i was a brat.

i never wanted to listen to her.

even though i didnt like to listen to her, i loved being around her, i always wanted her approval, and i always wanted to be doing exactly what she was doing.

i still do.

we always had a lot of fun together. even when her and lacy shepis wouldn't let me play barbies with them in the sewing room of the basement.

we played on the swings and the tramp all the time. {my mom really liked to dress us alike}

taryn liked to tan on the tramp. i pretended like i did too because i wanted to be doing what she was... truth is it was BRUTAL for me.
tt {thats what i always called her} and i {kk} creative i know... are so different from each other. she is much more reserved and classy and well... im often too loud and eccentric! but i know that she loves me even still. and i love her.

"A sister can be seen as someone who is both ourselves and very much not ourselves - a special kind of double." ~Toni Morrison

i love to talk to taryn whenever i have a chance. anytime anything exciting or not so exciting happens she is one of the very first people to know.

"What's the good of news if you haven't a sister to share it?" ~Jenny DeVries

we would fight like animals sometimes. especially when it came to clothes. we had a rule in our house that if you had something new the other sister couldn't wear it until you had... sometimes we would break that rule. that was the basis of most of our fights.

"If your sister is in a tearing hurry to go out and cannot catch your eye, she's wearing your best sweater."~Pam Brown

there is a funny story from my high school days... i went through this weird stage in life where i liked to sit on the floor of my bedroom {in the dark} listening to loud music. quite strange i know. one day while doing said activity my mom throws open the door, flips on the light and sternly asks, "Kyrsten! Are you doing DRUGS???"hahhaha i about laughed my tooshie off... i yelled at taryn to come and hear what my mom just asked me! we couldnt stop laughing. {and NO i wasnt doing drugs!}

"When mom and dad don't understand, a sister always will." ~Author Unknown

i am forever grateful for the treasure i call my sister. she has always been one of my very best friends and im so lucky to have that relationship grow and strengthen as we get older!

"A sister is a forever friend." ~Author Unknown

i love you tt! HAPPY BIRTHDAY!

im watching you.

2011-03-31T12:48:00.003-06:00

not really though. unless you are interesting or beautiful or outrageous.

one of my favorite things to do it people watch.
i dont care where i am- even if its at a really exciting football game- its not the players im watching, its the fans.
at the airport. really that is one of my favorite places to watch people.

another of my favorite things to do is eavesdrop. yes i am so guilty.
hey if you dont want me to know your business, stop talking so loud!

photo {via}
and yes i agree... this photo is terribly cheesy.

love.

couch potato.

2011-03-30T21:35:00.004-06:00

{sigh} i think my home {and my tooshie} would look really good accessorized by any of these loungers.

all photos {via}

welcome to our home.

2011-03-25T13:16:00.003-06:00

when sam and i moved into this apartment we decided it would be best not to bring everything we own. not only because we wont be here for very long, but once it is time to move sam will be in virginia and lets face it we are slacking in the men department for a big move.

Even without everything we own, it can be hard to make your home look like its out of a pottery barn magazine without paying a lot of money.

my house is NOTHING like a pottery barn magazine, but i can say i feel comfortable here. and im happy with it. for now... thank you di, ikea, my mom and my grandparents for supplying us with basically our entire house :)

this is our fridge. :) do you like our weed smokin' mon? every place we visit we buy a magnet, this one is from the bahamas. the pirate was drawn by my awesome nephew, the photo taken by my brother in law, and the rose from valentines day.... except you cant see it.

welcome to our kitchen. yes the counter top is dirty and on the other side of that microwave stands a massive pile of dishes.

enter living room. above is the heart poster i made for sam for valentines day. he was thrilled.

we have a lovely fireplace. but it doesnt work and it blows freezing air throughout our house, therefore we have dishtowels and plastic trying to stop it. also in this photo is the lovely entertainment center sam built us.

the angle from the stairs.

our bedroom.

it has a long way to go. just like the rest of the house.

the office.

and that is a small tour of our little abode. thanks for stopping by.

{sorry the pictures stink}

the beautiful faces of victor.

2011-03-23T14:53:00.004-06:00

my awesome aunt and uncle bought a cabin in victor recently. we were invited for a lovely weekend of hansen fun!

one of the days was spent basking in the lovely town of jackson. oh jackson. you hold a special place in my heart.

my cousin nick taught us a new game called "the ninja game" ninjaness seemed to engulf the entire weekend.

haha... shag. she really was hurt {she got in a car accident} and she purposefully took this picture with my camera... of course that means i will share it. :)
the rest of us made some pretty lovely faces too.

the end.

i love my crazy family.

happy list

2011-03-22T12:39:00.003-06:00

i realize that the past few months the majority of my posts have been quite... well... heavy. i know that after reading something like that over and over again you might begin to think im a negative nancy. but i want you to know that i am grateful. i am blessed and i am happy.

loosing my dad has been a terrible trial. but it has also been a trial that has allowed me to trust in my Savior more than I have ever done in my life. and for that i am thankful.

i was thinking recently of all of the things that make me so happy right now, and i thought i would share.

1. my sweet husband. he is soo patient, loving and kind.

2. my dear family. they are amazing in every way.

3. my mom. she is seriously the most incredible example of grace and love.

4. when sam cooks. yes i love that.

5. when my house is clean. its so rare that when it happens it feels magical! :)

6. LOUD and i mean really LOUD music while i am driving and the base is bumpin! did you know that about me?

7. the letters i get every monday from elder jasper!

8.panda express. yummm.

9. photography.

10. all the little babies that are being born or are cookin. there are so many!

11. notes. thank you notes, notes to say hi, any kind of note.

12. mail. i love getting mail.

13. planning future trips.

14. sams westfalia. i love that little van!

15. the blanket my mom made me out of all of my dads old shirts.

life is good.

happy birthday old man.

2011-03-17T22:11:00.006-06:00

These are excerpts from some of the letters written to my sweet dad. Some of them were written before he passed away, some of them were written after. Non-the-less they are an absolute testament to the kind of man he was. strong, faithful, loving.

just so you know, this will be a rather long post.

{apologies to those whose letters aren't on here. for some reason i can't find all of them}

-I still do not understand god’s plan for all of us, but one thing I do know about my Uncle Scott is the faith that he had God. He has helped change who I am today because of that. I think that to me was what I have learned the most from him.Another thing that I believe is so awesome about my Uncle Scott is the children that he has raised. They are the greatest kids/cousins in the whole entire world. Ask anyone. I believe that they developed a lot of those attributes from a great father and husband. One child in particular who has always been a great example to me is my man Jace. He has shown me so much courage, and love. He has always been there for me and shown me the right path. I know without a doubt that was because he had a father and mother who taught him to love the gospel. To always love other s and help wherever help is needed. He is doing what Scott would always have wanted him to do right now, and that is serve an honorable full time mission. {landon}

-Another one of those moments in which I was reminded that Father knows best was the day I went to American Falls Reservoir with my friends and came home with a cracked open head, two wrecked jet skis, and lots of tears. I wanted to go with my friends so bad that day and I could not understand why you didn’t want me to go. I remember you gave me a plethora of excuses: I had a cold sore coming on and you threatened it would get worse (you know me and my loathing of cold sores well, but even that didn’t work); you reminded me that you and mom would be out of town, but nothing was going to stop me from going and eventually you gave in. I realize now that the Spirit was telling you to keep me home. But instead your stubborn teenage daughter prevailed and although nothing life threatening occurred I learned that maybe listening to your dad who knows (and feels) a lot more than you do is a good thing. I will never forget that lesson. It taught me to trust you more as well as to trust the Spirit more. I hope I can teach my children those things too. {taryn}

-Just like in every family, there are multiple different personalities that make up the rowdy bunch we call the Hansen family. You were always the first to be very polite and honest, and then throw in a quick flatulence or joke that would catch everyone off guard and laugh uncontrollably. A few of my favorites would be when we would sing Christmas songs in front of the cameras and you would throw a quick fart in the middle of "Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer" causing everyone to laugh so hard it was almost impossible to finish singing.Your attitude in life was always positive and would make sure you put your family first. No matter what the situation, you always spoke in a calm and cool manner, especially around us kids. I cant remember a time you ever yelled in front of me, which I respect alot. Thank you for being a great example to me spiritually and in life as well.{dusty}

-I can’t even begin to describe how much I love and appreciate you. It means a lot to me that you confirmed me after I was baptized and have always been a great example for me. I’ve never met a person with so much faith that you have. It’s incredible to me! Even as you go through such a difficult trial in your life I’ve never heard you complain about anything and you always have your head held high. Even if you are feeling down you never showed it. {Brittany}

-Memories from the blue "Torino" are quite vivid. I always felt like a low rider in that car. Like I was leaning back looking up. You always had a tape playing in the tape deck that had the special cover that you dad made so it wouldn't get stolen. You played the music for me "Wishing on A Star" and "If you Leave Me Now". We argue now that I said you made the tapes just for me but you said you already had them. For some reason I loved your arms. Don't know why but they attracted me. I liked your hands. But what really won me over was that you would take my hand and kiss it. What a melt the heart tactic. You were an amazing husband. You always supported me in all of my adventures. I kept you guessing and hopping. But you always seemed to be ok with it. For the most part. Sometimes I had to talk you into things or make you think it was your idea before you would agree. I always, always knew that you loved me. You would tell me often and you treated me with kindness and respect. You supported me in my hobbies and would let me visit Jodi anytime i felt a need. Even if it was going to make you come and get me after traveling to Oregon without any way home. You agreed to it and that would just confirm that you loved me and wanted me to be happy. I hope you know that I always was happy. Happy with our homes, our children, our lives, our love. You got sick four years ago and our lives turned upside down. They only gave you 6 months but the fighter and determined person you were, you told them not to give you any limits and times and you would decide your time. We had our good days and our bad days but we always took advantage of the good days. We would fill them with activities, social events, sports events and Island Park and Bear Lake. You were a real trooper through all of the chemo and medications. You just could never get your energy back. But even with no energy, you never missed a basketball game and only 1 or 2 practices in all of the four years. It kept you going. I am so glad that I was able to be with you for all of your treatments, surgeries, etc. You were my partner in love, crime and sickness. Thanks for your humor even during the last of your sickness. The last thing you wanted all of us and especially me to know is that you loved us. We never doubted it. We felt it around us and through us always. I could go on forever. I guess this is why we are supposed to keep a journal. Not try to write our life history in one night. I know that you are where you are supposed to be and I know that you are happy and well. I will forever be grateful for the worthy priesthood holder you were and are. Thank you for being worthy to bless me and our children and to take me to the temple and marry me for time and all eternity. We will be together again, I know. I just have to be patient and endure and be worthy to enter into you arms again. I love you forever and miss you more with each passing day. I am blessed to have so much love by our family and friends. You started a great legacy for our children and our grandchildren. We promise to continue it and be of good cheer. {mom}

-i wish i could write every time you influence my life for good. but it would be an exhausting read, and i feel one experience in particular highlights perfectly the divine influence you have had on my life. did you know you were absolutely instrumental in the most important decision in my life? it is quite the responsibility to pretty much single-handedly determine another's fate. i think about it all the time, you know. it was one comment that changed the course of my life and completely altered my goals. among the pine trees in island park, kyrsten and i were playing and talking about how fabulous our future lives were going to be. i had it all figured out by my tender eleven or so years on this earth. i was going to have an important career; like a very elite surgeon, or a fearless lawyer, or a business-driven broker in new york. i had no desire to be married. but yes, of course i wanted a child. but i wanted to be philanthropic and adopt a little asian girl or a malnourished child in africa. i remember feeling excited about my plans for my life and anxiously explaining all the places i would travel and all the things i would accomplish to kyrsten. that is when you taught me a lesson i would really never forget. you said, 'maddie, did you know that you need to be married in the temple to live with Jesus and our family in the celestial kingdom?' i knew about the plan of salvation from primary, and despite all your clever tricks and teases (pulling the finger really only has one result), i loved, respected, and trusted you with all my eleven-year-old heart. and i knew you were telling the truth. years later, i still thought about that simple comment that changed everything. i saw everything as steps to bring me to the ultimate goal of living worthily to be married to the one i love forever in the Holy House of the Lord.{addie}

-All of the teasing and toe popping was probably good for me, we all need a little of that from time to time, and luckily you were more than willing to do it for us. I have always been grateful that I have such loving and caring uncles, even if that love comes as teasing. And thankfully, no permanent damage was done to my feet since I am still able to wear shoes. I admire the good life you have lived and the good lives each member of your family has lived because of how you and Joni raised your kids, and the type of home you established early on. I admire all of the commendable qualities you have exemplified during this trial in your life, and I hope that not only can I learn from you, but that I can be blessed enough to develop and emulate those qualities in my life. I love you Uncle Scott. We all do. {carli}

-As I returned home from my mission, I wanted to set a bar for my future family like you had done. I wanted to be that kind of example to those around me like you were to me. Your church callings and service showed me that your selflessness was because you loved your Heavenly Father. The spirit bore witness to me many times that you are a man called by God to lead. There is absolutely no doubt in my mind that you are with our Father in Heaven right now doing his work. He had so many things for you to do to prepare the way for all of us to return to live with Him again. THAT is where your next calling is. Uncle Scott, I miss you and am so proud of you. As the scripture says in Mathew 25:21, “His lord said unto him, well done, thou good and faithful servant: thou hast been faithful over a few things, I will make thee ruler over many things: enter thou into the joy of thy Lord.” Thank you for being you and for your unconditional love. You are a warrior and a great uncle. I know you are in a good place and we will have a grand reunion when that time comes. Until that day, I will try my best to walk in your shoes of service, humility, love and kindness. I love you! {andy}

-You always provided us with a safe, comfortable home. I understand more now then ever that living on a teacher’s salary, with 4 kids couldn’t have been easy, but you always made it work. You made it work with all your summer jobs and coaching I think. I remember you mostly working at the INEEL in the summer times. And then of course mowing lawns. What were we thinking doing that HUGE lawn in Inkom by the way? I also remember you always coaching. We would go to softball games, football games, boys basketball and finally girls basketball games. I was always (and still am) so proud to say that my dad was a coach at Highland High School. You inspired a lot of kids dad. I know that there are lots of people that look up to you because of how you treated them in sports! {me}

-I want to say that it was really wonderful to be in the temple with your family as Jace went for the first time last Wednesday. I felt like I was able to understand the plan of Heavenly Father better by thinking of your family. The endowment is such a great sketch of that plan and brings things into perspective. With the right perspective, the events of our lives make a lot of sense. It’s surprising sometimes what God’s will/plan has in store for us. I know he knows what He’s doing and I know that his plan is based upon his love for us.You’re family is wonderful. You have great children. I’m sure that they will be the best reflection of the good man that you are for a very long time. I love you and thank you for your example. {cody}

-One of my favorite memories of you and I is when I was a little girl and we would always listen to Butterfly Kisses in the truck and then we would lean in and give them to each other with our eyelashes. Something so small that made me so happy! Daddy, I want you to know how much I love and respect you. You will always be the best dad in the whole world no matter what anyone else says. You always knew exactly what to say when I was down. I want you to know that I knew how much you loved mom and that you will continue to show her that love. {taigen}

-Then his decision came to go on a mission for the church. It was his own decision and he stuck with it. There was a young gal that he kind of liked, but that was put on hold. He was called to the Philippines for two years. and when he came home Dad made sure that that little gal knew when he would be coming in on the plane. They dated and time went by and they got engaged and then he married that little gal, named Joni Gunter. He went on to graduate from I.S.U. and became a teacher and a great coach. for Girl’s Softball, defensive back coach for football and the best darn Girl’s basketball coach. He always treated everyone fairly and treated the girls like ladies. And then I got kidney disease and needed a kidney transplant.. Each one of the kids could have donated a kidney, but Scott was the one that was chosen. It’s a terrible decision for a Mother to have one of her children donate an organ, but I will be forever grateful to you Scott for giving me the chance to be with Dad and our family and to enjoy our posterity and remember the memories and share in the good and the sad times that we have shared. Our lives are made up of many things but a family brings us so many good things and so many wonderful memories that we remember as we grow old. Scott, we pray that there will be many more memories to put into our little memory notebook. We love you and are sure glad you were sent to us to help make our family special. {your mom & dad}

-I would just like to thank you for being a big effect on my life. Here some things I will always remember you for. you have always kept me in line with a tactic called the nork.You have helped many times with my basketball and told me its not how you look its how you play. That is something that has helped me in all of my sporting events. I will always remember all those basketballs you gave to me that you had left over from camps I still use them today. You have made your son into a role model that I will always respect and look up to. The biggest thing that you have taught me is to never ever give up neither it be in sports or the biggest one our time here on earth. You have always had an awesome attitude towards things even after you were diagnosed with cancer. You never give up and you always give 100%{hayden}

-It was never about you, you made it about us. I can tell that your joy came from your families joy. I can only hope that I can take your example and try to be a father like you are. I wonder if before you came to this world you agreed to the trial of your illness because you wanted to experience it all while you were here. Maybe because it would teach your family vital life lesions that we needed to know so that we could be together forever. I do know that your example gives me something that I will spend my life reflecting on and striving to emulate because every step that I follow will also lead me to the Savior. I love you so much and I am more than honored to be apart of your family. {sam}

-Right now I am on my mission in Trinidad, Bolivia! It really is great, but every day is extremely hard. But who am I to say this is hard? You, Scott Hansen, my hero, but most of all my DAD know what hard is! As I reflect back on the four years that you were sick, not once, not once, not even once do I remember you complaining or quitting, not once! You are what makes me get up every morning wanting to be on my mission! Its the people like you dad who go through so much but remain strong no matter what the circumstance, you are going to bow down at Jesus feet and give thanks for all that you have and have been given, and because of this you will reign with God and Jesus Christ in Heaven! Dad! I know with all my heart that right now that is the case; you are with our Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ smiling brighter than the sun! Everyday was the greatest moment I had with you, yeah I had tons of great memories with you, but Honestly dad just seeing you each and everyday made me happy!One thing in particular that I want to thank you for, is how much you loved MOM, you treated her with so much love and respect just like she was the Queen of the world, might I say she is!{jace}

-We remember that he was a great counselor in the bishopric at the student ward and a great high council member and speaker after that. He knew whether someone needed a “Come to Jesus” talk or maybe just a “nork”. It seems now that he will just be out of town for a while; it seems like he will be coming home any day and we will all go to the cabin and have more fun.{lance & linda}

-There is not one single thing that I didn't love and cherish about you. You were one of my biggest role models growing up and I always loved being around you. You are contagious uncle Scott because people desire and thrive to be around you because of the amazing individual that you are. Every memory that I have of you being in my life was not only putting a smile on my face, but on the faces of all those who surrounded us. Your desire to follow the example of our Savior Jesus Christ was an example to us all. Your testimony is so strong in the Gospel of Jesus Christ that there is no question why you have been blessed with such an unbelievable spouse that you will live with for the eternities but you also have been blessed with children who each have a personal testimony in the Gospel. There are no words to even try to explain how influential you have been in so many lives of so many of God's children. You are simply ONE of a kind and I love you. {nick}

-Scott encouraged me towards baptism and then later on serving a mission. Jodi and I finally married and another adventure began. Scott, Joni, Jodi and I have had a great relationship since. When you marry twins it’s something special and Scott and I knew it. No doubt Scott is doing good things and has a nickname for everyone he meets. Take care Norm. {paul}

-Though at times it can be difficult to express words of praise or admiration; it is always appropriate to do so, that we may show those for whom we care how we feel. That being said, I cannot think of a more appropriate time than now to share such words, and I cannot think of a more deserving person to share them with. For I have yet to see anyone show the amount of character in the face of struggle and adversity as you do. Truly, you have a profound impact on my life in ways that I could never express adequately in a simple letter. But, that is not my wish, rather it is only my wish to recall a few of the many instances that your character and example have, and continue to, help me to be a better person. I can remember the day the news came very vividly. I was heart-broken to hear that you were diagnosed with such a life-altering disease. This news came at a time of such great difficulty for me in the mission field. There were moments where frustration and grief would overtake me completely, and I would find myself in deep reflection. I could not understand why our Heavenly Father would let such a thing affect such a good person. Luckily, It was then that I was humbled enough to realize, what I really needed was a, as you would say, “come to Jesus”. Shortly thereafter, I came upon the scripture in 2^nd Timothy 3:16 which says, “For whom the Lord loveth, he chasteneth.” At first I thought that the word, “chasten,” meant only to discipline or punish. But, upon further review, I realized that the scripture is talking about the trails that the Lord gives us out of love. Now up to this point, never in my life had I ever been so moved by a passage of scripture. I finally began to understand once again that the Lord truly does love us. He allows us to be tried that we may learn; as well as those around us, from our experiences, and grow closer to him. Little did I know that this simple personal revelation, coupled with your example, would help me at a later stage in my life.I have always believed that:

“The character of a man is not best measured in his time of triumph, rather, in his time of struggle.” {tanner}

-I’m so thankful for my wonderful wife and the amazing parents that she had that have made her the women she is today. It is because of you and your wonderful wife that my honey has become an amazing mother and wife. I know that you are so proud of her but if you truly saw the strength and faith that I see in her every day you would be amazed.. I know that the moments and memories will never stop and I am so grateful for that. Thanks for all that you have done for me and my small family. You will never know how much my life has been influenced by your example. I consider it one of the greatest blessings of my life the day that I became a part of your family. {ryan}

Happy Birthday Dad! We all really miss you.

stubborn as they come.

2011-03-15T20:36:00.003-06:00

dad.

something that i love/hate is how stubborn you were.

i got that VERY trait from you.

there were many times in my older years that you and i would have our 'arguments' aka me screaming at the top of my lungs.

i would stomp my feet in protest when you didnt want me to go to that boy-girl party or the many times my friends were heading to a concert without me, but i know that your 'stubbornness' was actually just a dad who unconditionally loved his daughter.

you were so black and white. oh boy were you black and white. most the time it drove me crazy (because we both know im as gray as they come) but im so happy you stood your ground.

i always always knew what you thought was right. and lets be honest... most of the time it was.

i may have hated how right you were then, but now, i couldnt be more thankful.

you were a righteous man, who stood up for what you believed in.

i never questioned your faith.

i never questioned your love.

i am forever thankful for the man who taught me to make good decisions by thinking through them- not just flying by the edge of my pants.... maybe someday ill actually catch on to that one.

i love you dad. i hope your teachin' and preachin' just like you were always doing here.

happy birthday.

the reason i flip that commercial off.

2011-03-14T20:09:00.005-06:00

thursday is my dads 50th birthday.

wow. that is so young.

i would have loved to throw him a party all about how "old" he was.

my dad had the best sense of humor. oh man.

he could always make me laugh. either by something that was actually funny or something that wasnt at all, but he thought it was.

once he made you laugh, he would keep going. on and on.

most of everything he said made no sense at all. which was hilarious.

he had the best chris farley impression.

he had a great nacho impression too.

he would always move his mouth like hardy har har if he thought what you were saying was stupid. (probably makes no sense)

he loved to pop your toes. and toot.

he really had a good voice but every time he sang it would be terrible.

he would do anything for a good laugh.

what a cutie. this week i will post something that i absolutely love about my dad everyday.

i love you dad.

happy birthday. i hope you're having a wild party.

i have a blue house with a blue window.

2011-03-04T20:19:00.003-07:00

its a blue day in the geddes household. except im the only geddes around. sam is in arizona for work. but you can wear blue in arizona too. so he is. and he went paint balling so i will just imagine that his paintballs were blue. and so then he made everyone else blue by shooting them. wow people are supporting us and they dont even know it!

really though, thank you for dressing in blue today. it not only means a lot to me, but im sure to every.single.person. who has dealt with colon cancer. email me a picture of you in your blue garb! kyrsten35@hotmail.com

i love you.

ps. can i admit something i dont love though? those stupid american cancer society birthday commercials. i flip them off every time they come on. maybe i shouldnt admit that... :)

im blue.

2011-03-01T16:41:00.003-07:00

My sister Taryn has something really important to tell you.

Please wear blue on Friday, March 4th to support those who have been afflicted by this deadly disease.

If you do... we would love to know.. send a picture of yourself to me at kyrsten35@hotmail.com

love to you all... it means a lot!

the arts.

2011-02-28T15:37:00.003-07:00

"We must recognize that excellence and quality are a reflection of how we feel about ourselves and about life and about God. If we don’t care much about these basic things, then such not caring carries over into the work we do, and our work becomes shabby and shoddy.

Real craftsmanship, regardless of the skill involved, reflects real caring, and real caring reflects our attitude about ourselves, about our fellowmen, and about life."

-Spencer W. Kimball, "The Gospel Vision of the Arts"

-------------------------------------------------------

"The more you trust and rely upon the Spirit, the greater your capacity to create."

-Dieter F. Uchtdorf

and then she was blonde.

2011-02-25T18:21:00.002-07:00

i missed my blonde hair too much. brown was fun while it lasted. and im sure it will be fun again soon.

x0x0

Fear Not

2011-02-21T20:25:00.004-07:00

The past few months have been some of the most uncertain and scary months of my life. I have been introduced to new and strange experiences that I never thought I would encounter.

No one ever expects to loose someone they care for. Even if he has been fighting a monstrous disease for a very long time

No one expects to have their plans change so quickly and before they know it finding themselves in a new state doing something that they feel completely inadequate to do.

We may understand that changes will be thrown at us, but who really expects them to actually happen?

I have felt an extensive amount of discomfort in not knowing what the future holds. I have been overwhelmed with the vast scope of my weaknesses.

I’ve been afraid, not because there isn’t a solution to my seemingly gigantic challenges, but because I haven’t been looking for the right solution to those problems.

The solution I haven’t been looking for is the Savior’s atonement. I was sent an email from a co-worker the other day entitled ‘Fear Not’ by Elder Tad R Callister. This email wasn’t intended for only me or for the problems that I am facing, but really it was for ME and for MY problems. It was exactly what I needed to hear. Read it- you will LOVE it.

Heavenly Father truthfully knows us. He IS listening to everything we say. He can feel our sorrow and knows our weakness and has promised that if we trust him our seemingly unsolvable problems will always have a solution.

The challenges I am facing are not earth shattering, they are not unconquerable, and truthfully they are miniscule compared to what others are facing.

They may feel gigantic to me, but it isn’t because they really are, it’s because I’m not looking at them with an eternal perspective.

“Fear not… For with God nothing shall be impossible.”(Luke 1:30, 37)

The challenges I face with life don’t have to be scary, because I know that no matter what a solution that will be for my benefit will come out of each situation I am placed in.

In relief society on Sunday our closing song what hymn # 270 “I’ll Go Where You Want Me to Go”. Holy smokes it hit me like a ton of bricks.

“It may not be on the mountain height or over the stormy sea, it may not be at the battle’s front my Lord will have need of me. But if by a still, small voice he calls to path that I do not know, I’ll answer dear Lord, with my hand in thine: I’ll go where you want me to go….. So trusting my all to thy tender care, and knowing thou lovest me, I’ll do thy will with a heart sincere: I’ll be what you want me to be.”

Sam and I have been faced with quite a few decisions as of late in determining where our future will lead us. Our bishop said something pretty neat that has also made me realize that Heavenly Father is on our side and that he will make things go the way they need to go. He said, “As long as you are doing what you are supposed to, those things that should happen will fall into place and the rest will fall out of your life.” So great to be reminded yet again that I’m not in charge, but if I put my faith in the atonement it is all going to work out.

Life is good. I love my internship. I still have SOOO much to learn, but I’m here for a reason and I’m excited to find out what it is.

im on fire.

2011-02-15T10:00:00.002-07:00

ok not really. but i made this one for sam for valentines day too.
our office is "decorated" in yellow, red, black and white thus the colors i chose.
all of the yellow states are places we have lived+louisiana where sam served his mission.

idaho. wyoming. utah. illinois. virginia. louisiana.

looove

2011-02-14T14:20:00.002-07:00

im ok with having valentines on a monday. it means you get to spend an entire weekend celebrating love and then its like monday is a bonus day or something. (except you have to work) the work part stinks but the loove part rocks.

i have a slight problem.

2011-02-10T22:45:00.009-07:00

everything i do is slooooooww

like seriously slow.

for some reason the mind of kyrsten doesnt understand expediency.

i probably take twice the amount of time to do anything compared to the average person. even the dishes. sam can whip out a sink full in 10 minutes it takes me close to 45! sheesh!

my mom- who knows how she accomplishes practically every possible thing in a day?!?

it seems as though every person i know accomplishes a lot. at least a lot more than me.

but today i did accomplish something.

my cousin emily introduced me to the most fabulous blog last night. while searching her blog i found this. I was seriously in L.O.V.E. with this idea.

with valentines day just around the corner I thought it would be a lovely gift for my sweetheart.

i think its safe to say that sam rarely reads this blog, so posting it before he actually gets it shouldnt be an issue.

one thing that this girl loves is a little bit of personal art. it adds such a sweet flare to any space. especially when its all about you and your lover!

pretty sure pink wont d0 in our home, but hey its valentines day so i thought i'd add it.

so what do all of these things mean? your probably dying to know so let me tell you.

{palm trees} i love anywhere tropical and warm. take me to a beach and i will be one very happy woman.
{airplane} we love to travel. we have been so blessed to visit some amazing places in our short time together. hopefully we will get to see much much more!
{music note} i caught sam's attention after him hearing me sing a song by one of his favorite bands. we quickly found out that we have the exact same taste in music. music has been a big part of our marriage. (although i am in no way musically talented- i love it!)
{fleur-de-lis} sam served his mission in louisiana. this symbol is a major part of the new orleans style. one of our very first trips as a married couple was to louisiana. i love it there. so does he.
{our initials} duh.
{mustache} once while shopping my entire family bought fake mustaches. we even put one on baby stellas pacifier. we ended up putting one in my dads casket too. kind of strange but a wonderfully fun memory.
{idaho} theres no place like home.
{westfalia} you saw the before pictures of our beautiful new van, we (sam) is in the process of fixing her up. and boy oh boy is she going to be pretty! i cant wait for all of the fun memories we will make with her!
{unicycle} while we were dating sam taught me how to unicycle. we went through a rough patch around christmas the first year we were dating, but he loved me enough to customize my own unicycle even after i had broke his heart. good thing he can forgive and forget. and now we are a unicycling family! :)
{temple} this isnt the temple we were married in, but it is now the temple we live 3 blocks away from. i love having a place that constantly reminds me of how important my marriage and my family is.
{sunshine} i think we both have seasonal depression! we need all the sunshine we can get!
{ice cream} lets be honest... who doesnt love ice cream. yum!

happy valentines day everyone. i have a lot to post about but its almost 2 am. so peace and love!

...

2011-01-27T22:34:00.001-07:00

im feeling a little blue tonight. guess ill go eat some ice cream.

lets start from the top.

2011-01-23T17:26:00.008-07:00

like i said in a previous post, life got crazy after christmas, so without further ado i will start from the top.

christmas.

yes- it has been a month since we celebrated our Savior's birth. but i still want to tell you about it. this year was a bit of a different and special circumstance. we were down two of our most valuable players.

the hansen family has a special way of celebrating christmas. it doesnt just last for one day, it lasts almost an entire week.

the weekend before christmas we headed up to bear lake to celebrate in the snow. we ate lots of good food, watched our favorite movies, played games and had our annual white elephant gift exchange.

stella is as beautiful as always. this month she will be ONE! ahh. time goes by too fast!

the bickleys brought some ugly sweaters to kick off the festive celebration

landon. oh landon. he took charge and kept us all on course as we bickered and deceived to get exactly what we wanted.

hermana bickley and grandpa. alice just got reassigned to the san diego california mission. she is one amazing lady.

we always have so much fun together. i am so thankful that my grandma and grandpa have had a cabin for us all to gather and enjoy. it is the best.

my mom is seriously such a babe.

sam was just as deceitful as the rest of us in this game. he brought a gift that he wanted and made sure he was the one that ended up with it in the end.

taigen wondering why she got stuff to work out...(her thought bubble) 'who works out? does cheerleading count?'

my deceiving wasnt very victorious... i got a cape. and these awesome shoes. except i didnt get them i just borrowed them for the picture. along with my ugly sweater. the funny thing is that if it were 2001 this sweater would be totally cool.

ah the lovely.

grandpa did a little jig in the shoes too.

when we got home from partying at the cabin we decided to start a new tradition.

let me preface.

every year on christmas eve my entire hansen family stays at my aunt and uncles house (grandma and grandpa, aunts and uncles, cousins, grandkids, EVERYONE). because we have done this all of my life we started a tradition when we were young that the eve before christmas eve we as an immediate family would have a sleepover and then exchange presents with each other on christmas eve morning...

ok now that you understand.

this year the eve before christmas eve started with a chat from elder jace. what a rockstar! his mission president told them to call before christmas because he worried the phone lines would block up (this really happened- a few of jaces friends couldnt call their parents at all because they couldnt get through).

anyways we spent a good hour on the eve of eve's talking with jace and learning all about bolivia. the dirt, the mosquitos, the rice and beans, and the beautiful people. jace has struggled a little bit because he is the only english speaker in his entire district. he is in a rural area with a bolivian companion. (at this time) he felt like he didnt know spanish or english.. so he was stuck. but he was so excited because on christmas day it was his first baptism. what a wonderful christmas gift!

he is doing wonderful and working hard to learn the language. he loves the people and the culture and his companion! im so proud of him. i know how hard it has been loosing my dad, even while having the support on a daily basis of everyone around me. jace has made a huge sacrifice leaving and trying to deal with the sadness that comes from loosing your dad.

as the day went on taryn and i went to gather some groceries. we decided to start a NEW tradition. i love traditions.

we decided to start the annual 'DADS DINNER'!!!

this dinner is dedicated to him and everything he loves.

i wanted to do something special for each of my siblings, so i printed off my very favorite picture of my dad and gave one to each of them and my mom.

lots of sundays my dad would cook us london broil... so the boys took on the grill and made us delicious steaks.

my dad drake lots of coke (way to much coke) so of course we had to serve coke to everyone.

london broil

we had a great night remembering dad and all of our wonderful memories of him.

take a look at this cheeser. she makes life so much better!

we made everyone else do the cheeser picture too. not as cute...

after dinner we had mango ice cream (mangos are another of his favorite things) and we were going to watch his favorite christmas movie (a christmas story) but decided to play games instead. lots of fun. and an awesome new tradition!!!

christmas eve morning was different. we could tell we were physically missing some large pieces to our family, but i know they were both with us. both in mind and spirit. we are so lucky to have the knowledge of eternal families. i cant say that enough.

my mom and dad have created such a beautiful sanctuary of a home. (no my dad never helped with the decorating) he did however help to teach us to do what was right. look at how beautiful their home is though.

my good friend courtney made this hat for me to give to stella. ah so cute

this is pretty much the only picture we got of the two of us. ( i love salt and vinegar chips)

ah. next is the book. oh the book.... back in june i emailed everyone in my family- both on my moms side and my dads side. i asked everyone- grandmas, grandpas, aunts, uncles, cousins and siblings to write my dad a letter. i asked them to write things they love about him and their favorite memories about him.

i worked really hard on it... but didnt finish it before he passed away.

i have been terribly upset about not finishing it for him to see before he died, but i have realized that it wasnt just about him seeing it.

amazingly enough because of this book, when he was close to death and we were all gathered around him, i was able to read some of the letters written to him. i know he could hear me. not only that but it brought a beautiful addition to the already consuming spirit that was with us.

after he passed away we realized it would be our responsibility to gather pictures for a slideshow and gather stories and information for his life sketch.

pictures had all been scanned into my computer previously and stories upon stories were written in letters also found on my computer.

it was because of this that made everything so. much. easier. we didnt have to do much. just choose from the hundreds of scanned in pictures and the hundreds of stories written by his mom, brothers, sister, wife and kids.

i believe it was a miracle. it was. after my dad died, i had no desire to finish the book. each letter i read was heartbreaking for me. and each picture i looked at honestly made me frustrated. but i knew that it needed to be done. and i knew it would be a treasure each of us would cherish forever. so i worked on it... for a long time. and christmas eve morning it arrived on our doorstep just as we started breakfast.

( really it deserves its own post, so that will come later)

after breakfast we started another new tradition. ill be honest its not one of my favorite ones.

but again we sang christmas songs, talked about dad, and shed a few tears.

(im sure my mom would love me to say that the difference in color from the headstone to the connecting piece saying 'eternity' was not her doing. the headstone company will be fixing this to match the rest of the headstone shortly :))

isnt taryn beautiful. no wonder stella is so stinkin cute!!!

after we left the arimo cemetery we went to the annual hansen sleepover. i cant believe i didnt take anymore pictures after this, but christmas continued and we enjoyed talking about our saviors life, opening presents and again talking about dad.

christmas afternoon we drove to preston to spend time with sams family. we were missing a lot of people there too. but we still enjoyed the fire, swedish bread and hot chocolate.

i guess life is about learning and learning to deal with change in the best way possible.

change isnt always what we want or are expecting, but its ok. and life continues and is still good.

x0x0

a bicycle built for two.

2011-01-14T16:50:00.003-07:00

this is what riding around a bahaman island on a moped looks like.

{i have about a hundred more pictures just like these}

holy.

2011-01-12T22:14:00.003-07:00

blogging is the absolute last thing i should be doing right now.

since christmas life has been a whirlwind.

a really really good whirlwind.

*a few days before christmas we got to talk to elder hansen {jasper}

*christmas was really special. really really hard. but special.

*new years was a little hard for me too for some reason, but lots of fun with good friends

*we are moved.... not even close to unpacked. but officially utahans. dont tell sam i said that. he likes to refer to this as our 'temporary place of residence'.

*we went on the annual homeshield cruise. so wonderful. bahamas? yes i think i will.

*i started my internship. wow. wow. wow. it will be incredible. but i have a lot and i mean A LOT to learn. the church is such an amazing organization- i had no idea how much it takes to run such a huge ship- and its done so well. it has to be the Lord's church.

*oh and school started somewhere in there too. online classes for both of us. im auditing a class through the U... so tuesdays and thursdays i get to enjoy the color red. red is much better than orange.

pictures? maybe later. i have a meeting tomorrow and i have to study up on what they are going to be talking about...

check it out baby.

2010-12-30T11:33:00.004-07:00

when my nephew was little and thought something was worthy of our attention he would say...

"check it out baby!"

one day after he had said that phrase i said, "gabe, where did you learn that?"

he answered... "from your dad kyrsten!"

he had never met my dad.

i couldnt stop laughing at his response. this phrase is regularly used in the geddes household now.

now i want you to look at something that is worthy of your attention!

CHECK IT OUT BABY!

before.

after.

arent you so in love with these beauties? i am. and the best part. the grand total of both chairs completely refinished was 12 dollars!!!

chairs- free... sold at the di for 5 dollars each... neighbor bought them and gave them to my mom who in turn gave them to me!

fabric- pretty much free at this point... i bought it before sam and i got married to make a bedspread but it never happened... a lot like many of the projects i plan to do.

primer and paint- 2 cans of each. total 12 dollars!

im in love. and they are going in our new apartment which we just so happen to move into on saturday.

happy.

sad.

terrified.

excited.

all words to describe how im feeling at this point.

x0x0

{sorry the pictures are no bueno... someday i will get better ones. like when they are in their proper place}

christmas came early this year.

2010-12-12T17:24:00.004-07:00

and for next year.

and for the year 2012.

ok. probably for the next 10 years.

but we are oh so happy about it. {especially sammy}

meet auntie j.

she is our new {old} vw vanwagon westfalia camper.

she is a beauty.

i guess we took the whole living in our car thing really seriously.

except we wont be living in her. just road tripping... a lot! there is plenty of room. join us for some fun?!

she needs a little work. it will come. what do you expect with a 27 year old car?

im excited about new upholstery and curtains. it will be something psychedelic for sure!

sams just plain excited!

she rides like a ferrari. smooooth.

she comes fully loaded. sink, stove, fridge, hanging closet, 2 beds, 2 tables, a fan, an am radio and a nice smell.

now we just need to decide where to take her first.

we are now taking applications for friends :)

x0x0

la biblioteca.

2010-12-09T13:16:00.004-07:00

i will be at the library ALL day.

good thing Hitler is interesting.

because i am writing 20 pages about him.

i hope your having as much fun as i am.

x0x0

grief.

2010-12-05T21:28:00.003-07:00

grief is a strange and funny thing.

every person deals with it in a different way.

some cry. some get angry. some sulk. some move forward quickly. some laugh.

for me, its the latter.

dont get me wrong i do all of the above. but for the most part i laugh.

laughing and making fun of something that for most people would be impossible if not irreverent to do is how i deal with "things".

always have. and really i hope i always will.

i guess i like to make things awkward for all parties. im becoming pretty good at it.

my mom is redoing my little brothers room right now. the theme is cowboys.

she has pictures of both of my grandpas and my great grandpa in their cowboy garb.

she searched for one of my dad, but couldnt find one anywhere.

thats where i come in.

she is hanging large canvases above the bed and wanted a picture of each of these men.

so i used the limited photoshop skills i have to make this...

alright lets be honest its just way to weird. we both decided hanging this picture wasnt a good idea.

but we couldnt let the awesome photoshop skills go to waste.

so i made these little "Howdy from Heaven" pictures to give to our family.

we went to Texas Roadhouse last night to celebrate my dad's parents 60th wedding anniversary. {WAY TO GO GRANDMA AND GRANDPA! love you!}

it was the perfect time for their howdy surprise!

everyone laughed. a few cried. but really its just strange.

my dads face in this picture is from a photo taken about 3 years ago. but the hair and that awesome necklace make him look soo young.

hilarious to me.

probably awkward for everyone else.

just the way i like it.

x0x0

christmas gift spruce up.

2010-12-01T14:40:00.007-07:00

alright these are cheater tags. done so very simply and quickly. but print them on a cute scrapbook paper and they can spruce up any christmas present! just save this file, cut some christmas-y scrapbook paper to printing paper size and print. then just cut them out. thats all. simple and makes a christmas present that much cuter.

sorry im not ready to actually wrap any gifts yet... so unwrapped is all you get. doesnt really show the sprucing does it? but its still pretty cute!

hopefully you can find a little use for these. im all about cheap and cute and i dont think it can get any cheaper. plus you have endless possibilities with paper choice, ink color and ribbon. just use whatever you have lying around your house.

enjoy

x0x0

the GRAND reveal!

2010-11-30T10:34:00.005-07:00

remember how i showed you a little sneak peak of something MAGNIFICENT that my husband built?

well he is pretty much amazing!

let me show you just how talented he is!

sams cousins husband helped him build it and i am sooo happy about it! its our tv stand, but it wont really be used for another month until we move to utah.

i love everything about it! especially the metal! and i love my awesome husband!

it will look great in our future living room!

x0x0

the angels have landed.

2010-11-28T01:02:00.012-07:00

post edit. i just whipped this little precious up. i just thought anyone who feels like using it can. i have never posted anything on here to be downloaded- so i dont know how but if you like this and want to use it you can. you can leave your email and i can send it to you through your email if you cant save it like this... and if you really cant get it to work send me a picture at kyrsten35@hotmail.com and i will place a picture for you. ITS FREE! i dont know if im making any sense but happy holidays!

(this card is meant to be used with a vertical photo)

its celebration time!

Sam, Brit, Addie and I had our weight loss contest. everyone did amazing! and between the 4 of us... 80 lbs were lost! oh yeah baby!

ok maybe I did loose the least amount of weight... but some is better than none right?

sam on the other hand is amazing.

in accordance with our bet, we celebrated our victory over obesity in VEGAS! :)

but our first stop was a dream destination for sam..

ANGELS LANDING... ZIONS NATIONAL PARK.

it was pretty amazing. and scary. and amazing.

these two are just a few of the drive into the park. we bought a national park pass this spring when we drove up the coast. it has been so worth having. if you go to a lot of parks get one! so great!
here are sam addie and brit getting ready for the big hike.
so hott right now. we are hansens of course.
the large cliff above us is where we are headed!

along the beaten path.
ook so funny. the hole brit is in... he tried to crawl through... he pretended like he was being birthed... who really knows, but i dont think i have laughed so hard in quite sometime!

oh man. funny. some hikers walked by right as he was hanging over like this. hilarious.

the leaves were beautiful. it looked like fall had just begun!
getting to the look out point before we hiked the summit.
angels landing is above addie and brit
ok maybe not so funny because supposedly a week before we came a girl did fall off.
ok again not so funny! actually quite freaky that brit was leaning over the edge so far!
its amazing all that is in between you and a 1000 ft cliff is a little chain to hold on to.
this is a little itty bitty place that you have to walk over. i wont lie i was the most freaked out at this point. on either side of you is a 1000 ft drop and again there is only a small chain to CLING to! those of you that have been on this hike can probably guess where im talking about.
he was in heaven! he seriously loved this hike! he loves the outdoors and everything in them and was like a kid at christmas! i think he would have hiked this with a broken foot if he had to!
we are getting closer to the top.... are you getting sick of my commentary yet?
addster and britton!
here we are at the very top! and sam just wasnt quite high enough he had to climb even higher. i couldnt even watch this because i was freaking out just a little inside. we were really high!

success. and we didnt even fall off.
it started to rain while we were up there so the hike down was a little more intense. the rock was slick and so was the chain. but we all ended up alive so its all good.

(have you been noticing our matching outfits? no it wasnt planned we are just awesome like that)

we had to celebrate with a little in n out and nielsens frozen custard. a perfect end to a perfect hike.

we ended the night at the korean bath house.

i will save you the embarrassment of pictures. ok ok no pictures were ever taken... thank heavens. but it was an insanely fun day! addie and brit are the best people to travel with. so much fun.

i will post the remaining activities in days to come. for now, just enjoy a few angels!

x0x0

deLIGHTed

2010-11-11T11:20:00.003-07:00

my mom and i went searching for old suitcases on tuesday.

i love vain and vintage. really i do. but sometimes their prices are a little bit, well, pricey.

sometimes though, you can find real treasures for a great price.

like the lamps i showed a few posts ago- you know those cute milk glass ones- i got those at vain and vintage for $6. lovely.

on tuesday though i think i scored an even better deal.

2 lamps for $12 each. and trust me they are so cute. in fact, they will look really magnificent in that future room of mine...

now i need to find some great shades for them.

... im listening to christmas music right now... dont tell sam. he is one of those [no celebrating christmas until after thanksgiving] types. :)

x0x0

Brianne Hall Imagery.

2010-11-10T17:33:00.002-07:00

ok folks. i have a super beautiful and talented friend who just so happens to be a photographer here in pocatello.

her name is brianne hall.

she knows how to take some smokin' photos.

last night she took sam and i out on the town for about an hour and a half and got some great shots! and she already has them posted to her blog. now you know that is PURE talent if she has them posted the day after.

check out her blog! you wont be sorry.

dont be shy, tell us how beautiful we are! phfff...

i heart all of them though. for reals.

x0x0

brrrrrr.own

2010-11-09T22:23:00.003-07:00

holy crap its cold outside.

so cold that we just HAD to go to lava tonight to warm up.

nice.

oh yeah i have brown hair now too.

change can be so refreshing.

x0x0

a place of love and beauty.

2010-11-05T19:49:00.004-06:00

sometimes i just dream. dream up what a beautiful place my home will be someday. today has been one of those days. i have been dreaming of our bedroom.

yes, watching hgtv for the past 4 hours has probably contributed to this bursting desire.

the past oh i dont know 5 houses we have lived in, our bedroom has been completely disregarded. but im determined not to let that happen again.

i found these little sweeties at the di the other day. $1 each.

a nice coat of paint and removing those lovely silhouettes helped a little bit.

this blue looks really turquoise, but its not. its called bahama sea. and it is the best blue. dont believe what the pictures say, because the color is totally different.

a little more burlap art and a G for geddes- duh!
sorta cute.

im going to use this blue. a light baby blueish grey. white. black. red and burlap in our future room. at least for today thats my idea.
remember these? probably not. i got them like a million years ago for $7. yes they will be used. with lots of milk glass all over the place.
ok this is the bahama sea blue. but it still looks different.
and that baby blue. ah love it.

these are from google but my cutie grandparents just gave me two end tables that look similar. i think they will look fabulous in that baby blue color.
and hopefully a bed looking a little something like this too.

i want to make a burlap bed skirt. looking something like this. ah. whats with my burlap love these days?

(all images via google) minus the first 4

this is from one of my favorite new blogs called vintage revivals. i think without realizing it this was an inspiration for the colors im digging on for our upcoming sanctuary!

now i have to stop dreaming and start painting.

ps. do any of you know how to lead music? i just got a new calling and need to learn...

x0x0

broskie. aka elder hansen

2010-11-02T00:29:00.003-06:00

before jace left for his mission he asked me to create a blog for him so that friends and family would be able to see all of the exciting things he is doing as a missionary.

i finally did it. i will be catching up on his letters, pictures, mission call and pictures from the night he received his endowment.

check back often to see all of the awesome things this amazing kid is doing!

Elder Jace Hansen

He leaves for Bolivia in the morning. That means i get to hear his little squeal of a voice! :) holy smokes i cant wait.

NEGOM :)

x0x0

a crafty peak.

2010-10-29T13:16:00.005-06:00

ive been crafting a bit. via some ideas i acquired while in o-hi-o.

my sisters friend had some lovely {seasonal} burlap art in a frame.

she has one for each season. winter, spring, summer and fall.

very cute indeed.

i figured HEY! i could do that.

and so i started.

i was going to copy the season idea, but as i started i just kept finding more and more designs that i liked. here is a peak at a few i have done.

easy.

went to the di. found a lovely little frame. ok not really my favorite ever, but oh well. took out the nice quote inside and painted the frame black.

then i printed out {or you could draw} a picture that you would like and then cut out the shape.
get your cute self some burlap.
wrap it around some cardboard {the size that will fit inside your frame}

and paint on.
they are kinda fun. you can do lots of different designs! these are just a few little cuties. i have LOTs more ideas of fabulous things to do.

so far i like these little sweeties.

{too bad my photos are LOW quality}

and for the grand finale! holy smokes i have the most talented husband in the world!

her is a little SNEAK PEAK of something i couldnt have dreamed up to be better!

it is almost done and then i will share it in all of its glory for everyone to see!
peace and love.

x0x0

do not fear.

2010-10-27T09:56:00.003-06:00

i read this quote last night and find it to be incredibly applicable to the time that i find myself and many others {whom i love} in.

"[Today's children] will see many events transpire in the course of their lifetime. Some of these shall tax their courage and extend their faith. But if they seek prayerfully for help and guidance, they shall be given power over adverse things. Such trials shall not be permitted to stand in the way of their progress, but instead shall act as stepping-stones to greater knowledge."

this talk is called "Do Not Fear" and is by President Boyd K. Packer.

amazing.

o-hi-o

2010-10-21T10:07:00.003-06:00

the girls of the family couldnt resist seeing queen stella any longer, so we made a quick trip out to ohio over the weekend!

it was oh.so.fabulous as always.

stella is the cutest thing in this world!

she is now crawling! and she is so proud of it. she will crawl for a second then look to see if you were watching, smile and clap! oh she is the stinkin cutest thing. and she has 6 teeth look at those little chompers. i learned- do not put your fingers in her mouth!

while we were there we went to an apple orchard and picked lots of delicious apples. lovely.
we also went hiking to a place called hocking hills. this time of year is so beautiful in ohio! the leaves and the weather were to die for!
my mom is the most amazing person in the world. i do believe she is an angel! thanks for everything mom! we had the best time!
it was so fun to have all of us girls together. ryan was at school a lot of the time and sam couldnt come because of work and school. and well... my dad and jace are just on vacations all of their own :)

i wont lie it was a little strange with just us, realizing that this is how it will be for awhile, but non the less it was a blast hanging out with my best friends!
i just like myself and thought you would too :) we had lots of these leaf pictures!
ohio is seriously beautiful.

we spent lots of time shopping and lounging. the best two things 4 girls can do! it was so fun to spend a few days in taryns stomping grounds. i love ohio.

its funny, never in my life would i have thought i would be visiting and spending so much time in ohio, but its somewhere ive been multiple times now and will go a bunch more im sure. and its so wonderful there. i cant wait to go again... taryn comes home for a month during christmas, so maybe february? yeah that sounds good.

x0x0

beautiful things.

2010-10-19T09:04:00.002-06:00

yes. im back again sharing more love. and more beautiful things.

another artist i love is minerva teichert.
her paintings of Christ are amazing.

i was in deseret book last week, where there were minerva prints on canvas of the following two paintings.
they were pretty expensive. too expensive for my college student budget.

however! while i was in SLC this summer i remembered something wonderful. The Pioneer Museum (or whatever its official name is) has these prints along with a few others for only $15! and they are so lovely! they also have prints on canvas for significantly cheaper! so if you love minerva as much as i do... there are cheaper prints than deseret book!

i also LOVE these little cubby organizers from pottery barn. I WANT THAT>>

and an iron bed frame. oh i want one SOOOoOOO bad. i wish that some of the older ones were queen size instead of just made for a full. i do like this one too.. but not as much. i wouldnt be too sad if it were to reside in my home though :)

and these lights. holy smokers. they are beautiful. when i have a home i want these lights. i guess ill just have to wait a little while.

i love beautiful things. i cant help it.

and i covet them. i cant help it.

oops.

x0x0

an illustrated life.

2010-10-18T15:44:00.002-06:00

i heart charley harper.
he is my absolute favorite artist.
my brother-in-law nicholas introduced me to this genious of a man.
and finally for my birthday i got a book all about him along with many of his illustrations.
oooh how i love this book. and his art.

he calls it minimal realism and its fabulous.

here are a few of my favorites. i cant just share one.

if i had $15,000 i would by this one. its called musk oxen.

i wont lie, i have been a little hesitant to share my love of charley harper... because im selfish. but i cant resist any longer.

isnt he fabulous?

i want one of every print.

x0x0

we are given this life to learn.

2010-10-08T09:50:00.005-06:00

I feel very humble today. Very reflective on my life over the past few months. My dad has been gone for over two months now. Time seems to be racing by, yet standing still. I feel like I have not shared my testimony enough. I feel like I have not allowed myself to learn as much from this experience as my Heavenly Father wishes for me to learn. I guess that is why we have time on this earth, so that we can learn. So that we can make those changes necessary to better our lives and the lives of those around us.

For the first time on wednesday, I met a girl who lost her father almost a month ago. I had heard much about her and had spent time with her husband, but it was the first time I had met her. I felt an instant connection with this girl. She knows exactly how I feel. Loosing one of the most important people in your life is a very hard thing, but as we talked I recognized that although I can dwell on those hard things, I can also recognize the blessings that come from them.

Trials will come. They come to all of us.

I was asked to give a spiritual thought in institute last week. As I pondered what I wanted to talk about I thought about all of the unbelievable things people have done for my family. I thought about Charity. I shared with my class Moroni 7:47. The scripture says:

"But charity is the pure love of Christ, and it endureth forever; and whoso is found possessed of it at the last day, it shall be well with him."

As I shared this scripture, I shared my true belief in its principles. Charity is the pure love of Christ. Charity is different than service. Service can and should be done by everyone, but if we posses charity we posses Christ's love. Charity is wanting to help, wanting to serve, wanting to make someone’s life better. For them, not for us. I cannot express enough thanks to those people who have shared their Pure Love of Christ with my family.

As I talked about my dads death and the amazing people that have prayed for us, loved us, and felt compassion for us, I realized that Charity is one of the purest attributes we can have. I also realized that although my trial at this time is difficult, there are so many others out there dealing with much worse circumstances and situations.

After I shared my testimony, 4 different people came up to me to share the trials that they have each been faced with. The boy sitting directly next to me lost his father 6 months ago, my teacher lost his father at a young age, and another woman recently lost her husband to cancer. I had no idea that there were so many other people so close to me dealing with so many devastating trials of their own.

I have been so selfish in thinking only about myself and how I am feeling. I have been dwelling on my own feelings, not willing to put forth my own Charity to help others. Especially when there are so many others around me suffering pain and sadness. When something hard hits your life, it is so easy to dwell on that thing and only think of yourself and how you are feeling. But I am learning that as we help others and strive to share Christ's love, we are truly helping ourselves heal.

I have a lot to say today I guess.

Conference was amazing wasn’t it? I was able to understand so much more about where my life is and what I need to improve on.

My favorite talk was by Elder Uchtdorf, his talk about slowing down. I feel bad because I don’t have any direct quotes from him, but I loved the attitude he had about taking the time for the things that are most important in life and letting the others go. After this talk I was studying for a psychology test when I read about something called off reservation American Indian boarding schools for children. The segment was talking about how brainwashing tactics were used to convince these kids that their traditions and way of life were degrading and that they should be ashamed of them. As I continued reading about the things they did to trick them into thinking that their families and their traditions were bad, it stated,

"Their days were filled with so many tasks that they had little time to think."

I was hit hard with this statement and I interpreted it in correlation with Elder Uchtdorf's talk. Sometimes I fill my day with so much that I don’t even think about reading my scriptures, I don’t think about how I should be improving my relationships, and when I get into bed I am too tired to pray.

As I thought about this I thought about it in the sense that the teachers of the boarding schools are a lot like Satan. He gives us so much to do that we see as good, that we rarely give ourselves time to think about the better. We don’t allow ourselves the time that we need to reflect on how to be better, how to buoy up others, and how to draw closer to Christ.

Most of the things that I am doing with my days are good, but Satan wants me to think that they are more important than those things that are BETTER. He is using the brainwashing tactic to "fill our days with so many tasks that we have little time to think"!

That is why I love Elder Uchtdorf's talk so much. It has reminded me to slow down. To allow myself that proper reflection time that my spirit and my soul needs. Life gets busy, but I think I am beginning to realize that many of the things that we rate as important in our lives really aren’t so important.

It is such a wonderful blessing to have a modern day Prophet and leaders to teach us the things that we need. Life and the world is changing rapidly, and not all for good. It is so important to listen to the things that they say and take action. Conference time is so wonderful, because it gives me a renewed commitment to do those things I am prompted to do. We are given this life to learn, and I am so thankful we have so many opportunities to do so.

Life is good. All is well.

preachy enough for you?? :)

xoxo

l.a.v.a.

2010-10-01T18:21:00.002-06:00

last weekend was a lovely one. it was a weekend spent celebrating our three years of marriage.

what a wonderful accomplishment. marriage itself is something to celebrate. but three years? even better. im sure the longer it goes (eternity... it better be!) the more i will think that.

before we enjoyed a nice weekend away, i took sam up the mountains to celebrate on our actual anniversary.

sam LOVES camping and the outdoors. so do i. so we spent the evening around a fire roasting hot dogs and eating our favorite candy bars.

we love to sleep in our car... REMEMBER?

so we made a night of it and enjoyed a nice movie in the back of the car and a good nights sleep.

it was a really simple night. but i think those are the best.

the weekend was a surprise... except the surprise didnt quite make it to the weekend. my family is bad with needles and blood, but they are worse at keeping secrets! :)

the shag gave it away. but i cant blame her. she really didnt know it was a surprise!

ive done it to my sister taryn too when she was going on a surprise get-a-way for her anniversary one year! oops.

sam took me to lava. oh i love lava. even the little town is so fun to me.

i loved all of the colors everywhere. oh i love fall. i could live in fall forever.

we enjoyed the great thai food of course, lots of movies, ice cream everyday, the hot pools, some frisbee golf, some beautiful drives (we love taking drives...)walking around town, and all that jazz.

it was so nice. and so relaxing. i think couples should get a weekend a month to just go somewhere and do nothing. it makes you so much more patient with each other!

i love you sam. thanks for celebrating a great life together!

an exception to the rule.

2010-09-30T18:50:00.002-06:00

my family is really bad with needles. and by bad, i mean BAAD. blood, needles all that jazz. we just dont do well with it.

i didnt think this pertained to me though. i have never really had a problem with any of that.

i thought i was the exception to the rule

i guess that has changed.

i was asked to give blood at the institute on tuesday. i thought sure... lots of people's blood helped my dad, i should really give back.

so in i pranced like it was no thing! heck i have given blood before its no big deal.

turns out it is a big deal. for me.

i give blood no problem.

i am told to raise my arm so that the blood can clot?

now theres a problem.

the next thing i know i am feeling really weird, quite dizzy and feeling like ive never felt before.

i feel myself sinking- like levels in my mind- and i know i have passed out but im not really sure what is happening.

again, the next thing i hear is "KYRSTEN!" i open my eyes and there are 6 people standing above me. i have ice in both of my hands, wet rags on my head and on my chest, and my back is SOAKING in sweat!

some lady then says your chest is going to be really sore later today… i had to rub it to try and wake you up.

she wasn’t kidding. it still hurts.

45 seconds down.

oh man. im feeling so weird still. a little nauseous now.

crap. there are at least 50 people in the gym looking at me now.

yes im really feeling nauseated. please hand me a big green garbage bag!

and it starts. its not quiet either. i dont do quiet puke!

hurling, shaking, cold sweats.

why did i decide to give blood?

after about 20 minutes in the blood chair i decided it was time to move upstairs.

theres a nice little couch in a dark corner of the institute and that was where i was going to rest until sam was done with class.

still feeling nauseous so i decide to take another green bag with me.

sam picks me up. still feeling bad.

we start driving. doesnt help.

more vomitting.

i cant move. i stay in bed all day. seriously all day.

looks like my grand idea to make a few extra dollars a month wont be happening. my guess is giving plasma will be just as deadly!

be nice to me. i gave blood on tuesday… J

happiness and success.

2010-09-23T10:43:00.006-06:00

3 years. holy smokes.

i am really trying to figure out where the time has gone.

life is so wonderful with you sam.

i love you more than anything.

thanks for putting up with the crazy person you call your wife!

our wedding day.

(i just had to put this one in there)

engagements.

bridals.

do you know the story of our wedding night?

well let me just tell you about it...

the wedding went perfectly. wonderful people and a beautiful spirit.

the luncheon went on without a hitch.

the reception. it started and continued wonderfully.

then the time came to leave.

the reception was supposed to end at 9 pm. of course it went much later.

by the time we finally managed to get out the door it was 10:30. we still had to drive to salt lake city that night.

sam went to fetch the car. we had hid the car in an alley quite a few blocks away from the church hoping that my 'sweet' cousins wouldnt put their mischievous minds to use. no such luck. throughout the night we were asked over and over again where the car was and if we would give up our keys. yeah right.

trust me. if you have cousins like mine you wouldnt give up the keys either (love you guys for reals)

with all of that being said, my dear husband comes back with a car PACKED FULL of those foam elephant peanuts, rice, plastic wrap and all sorts of other things on the outside of the car.

turns out that because they couldnt get into our car, they called a locksmith. yes they paid $75 to break into our car.

and because they spent the money, they were going to make sure they got us good. and yes they got us really good.

sam was really happy about it (enter sarcasm)

Well we decide to go to my parents and just throw everything that was in the car into their garage and they would clean it up. so we did.

but we were hungry, so we decided we should stop at subway.

the worker saw that we were in our wedding garb, so decided to be a sweetie and give us the BIGGEST cup of lemonade i think i have ever seen.

so sweet.

as we are driving away sam notices something is missing.

whats that?

oh yes his wedding ring is missing.

awesome.

we decide its probably in our car somewhere, so with that we decide to stop in mccamon where sams parents were to look for it.

we look and look and look.

and while looking my big ole' booty hits that HUGE cup of lemonade.

splash... it is EVERYWHERE.

awesome.

while sam is looking for his ring, im cleaning up lemonade, and in the process of it all the rice is expanding everywhere.

it was sick.

well no luck finding the ring so we called my mom and told her to look around the garage and everything.

turns out my grandpa was getting ready to take all the garbage bags full of crap to the dumpster but sweet little shag decided she wanted all of it to put in some cute boys room.

thank you shag.

after a few days we found out that the ring was at the bottom of one of those garbage bags.

lucky.

anyways... back to the wedding night.

we cant find the ring and still need to get to salt lake so we decide to just keep going.

right off the on- ramp. boom. we hit a skunk.

now we have a lost ring, wet- rice expanding and a car that smells like POOP!

awesome.

at this point there is nothing we can do but laugh because we are both so annoyed.

a few hours later we get to our hotel.

well. this is where is gets even funner.

nobody is at the front desk that late, so they have little safes with your name and key inside.

we look at each safe. not a single one has our name on it.

awesome.

sam comes back to the car to get his cell phone.

in the midst of all the shoveling around and such his cell phone goes missing.

after about a half hour we finally find it.

call the hotel.

no answer.

call again.

finally a security guard comes down.

we figure everything out.

its almost 2 am.

we finally get into our hotel room and realize we have to be at the airport by 4:30 to leave on our honeymoon.

SWEET.

at the time we were both a little frustrated to say the least. now i laugh my toosh off thinking about what a crazy night it was.

my wedding night is a hilarious memory!

happy anniversary sweetie. i love you

x0x0

these are a few of my favorite things...

2010-09-18T14:09:00.006-06:00

{When the dog bites

When the bee stings

When I'm feeling sad

I simply remember my favorite things

And then I don't feel so bad}

i guess if you cant tell by my last -oh i dont know- 10 posts, ive been feeling a little down lately.

i know i shouldnt complain, but sometimes you just arent feeling like you want to skip up and down the streets while shouting for joy.

instead you feel like laying in bed. all day.

life really is good. sometimes crappy things happen, but i know its important to look for the good in things.

im realizing that more now than ever. sure, i have a good reason to mope around feeling sorry for myself, but i cant tell you how many times before my dad died how much he stressed to us as a family how important it is for us not to have a pity party.

so really, ive been trying not to.

thus, although vain, i figured it wouldnt hurt today to look around our little 'suite' to find a few of my current favorite things.

make things lighter.

and make me sing like i am in the sound of music all day long.

this song really sticks in your head doesnt it?

in no particular order some of the stuff that rocks my socks right now.

i love these storage boxes. they will look darling in my living room... someday. i have a killer green couch. its actually almost my favorite item we own.

my uncle lance built these beautiful frames for my cousin andreas wedding. lucky me, my birthday was right after so i got one for a birthday gift. i love it. the piece of art going in it is just a beautiful and fits perfectly!

we went to park city a few weekends ago for one last hoorah with jacer. they had lots of awesome stuff at the farmers market. this was one of my purchases. its painted on papyrus.

this is the absolute, most special thing to me. this necklace is of my dads thumb print. i love it. i wear it everyday. next to my wedding ring its the most priceless thing i own.

my dear friend katie had this necklace made for me. it is so lovely. for those of you who werent at my dads funeral, 'because nice matters' has been our family theme for the past few years. the theme of my dads funeral was pretty much based on this phrase. it is very special to me and i am so blessed to have such amazing friends.

i absolutely love milk glass. i dont know what it is, but i have been having a frenzy with it the past few months. anything i see that is milk glass i want. so awhile back i bought me this pair of candle sticks at pocatellos wildhare flea market frenzy!

man o man do i love these shoes. sam bought me them for my birthday. dont worry i wear them with everything... including dresses. its pretty bad. ok really bad and unacceptable. but i love them.

i have had this for a long time. its something we didnt actually have in storage, so its hanging in our bedroom. The Family Proclamation is such a beautiful explanation of truly how important the family unit is.

a dishwasher. oh i love this beauty. it is so nice to not hand wash every dish used.

and a panini maker. yes i think we use it at least 5 times a week for lunch.

muy bueno!

ps. im trying to loose a substantial amount of weight.

sam and i have a bet with my cousin and her husband.

THEY ARE GOING DOWN!

but...please help me. ive learned self control isnt my strongest suit!

i havent had a mountain dew- or any soda for that matter in 3 weeks... thats good right?

x0x0

tiger woods spoke at general conference.

2010-09-15T00:34:00.003-06:00

i really want to blog tonight.

but i have nothing profound to say.

no fun pictures to post.

nothing exciting going on.

our anniversary is coming up. thats exciting. its been a full 3 years on the 22nd.

what a wonderful day.

i married superman. did you know. his real name is clark kent... couldnt you tell by his glasses?

spanish is hard. who knew?

finding a job might be harder... ok finding the motivation to find a job is the hardest.

i wish i had all the money in the world so that i could go to ohio and south korea any day i wanted. there are 3 little punks im missing a lot right now.

ok a butt load of little punks im missing. stells, gabe, vicca, jasper, scottie, taranch, ryan, katy, cardo, jenny, nicholas, decker, abigail. too many people living too far away.

i wish we could have an extra large inverted culdesac so that all of our backyards were a big center park type thing.

i feel bored. why?

i want to do more. but for some reason im finding a hard time figuring out what i want to do.

maybe because i need to find a job.

im worried about moving to salt lake.

im worried about doing something so scary.

im worried about leaving my mom and taigen.

its been so wondeful to live here.

privacy is rare. but im not sad about it. i love it.

i love that our door has windows all the way down it, so we have a carnival cruise towel hung over our door for a little more privacy.

ok i dont really love that.

we have a snowman blanket covering our window.

i guess we are excited for christmas?

no? im not sure im excited for christmas. it will be too different.

im trying to loose weight.

ugh.

i hate it. but i need too.

sam is amazing.

ive never seen somone with so much self control. how does he do it.

life is weird.

life is good.

i saw a picture of my dad last night and i cried. i cried a lot. i do everyday.

its hard.

but its life.

and its good.

i need to do homework.

i need to go to sleep.

ah.

everything i own is in a storage unit or in the garage.

it was really annoying digging through the storage unit today to find the 3 things i needed.

i only found 2.

i want to make curry for dinner tomorrow night.

ok i have wanted to for the past 3 nights but havent.

motivation where are you?

at least i cooked the chicken tonight. i got that far.

this is a weirdy post.

i wish i was more organized.

i need a coach or something.

a life coach really.

help me with cleaning, studying, organizing, working out, eating healthy.. i could go on and on.

i will quit boring you though.

there are too many things, yet nothing running through my mind.

its a strange feeling really.

does that happen to you ever?

its a bit like a dream.

i had a dream the other night that tiger woods spoke at general conference.

it was sooo wacky.

i think he did good though.. im not quite sure.

i think i dreamt about him because my psychology teacher talks about him so much.

my schedule this semester is good. lots of general and component classes.

philosophy {ive been avoiding it}

social psychology {interesting}

rhetoric of churchill and hitler {very interesting}

spanish {ugh. but i want to learn so bad}

photo communication {think ill drop it}... to late... how about a withdrawal

kayak touring {its over. we went to jackson lake for a weekend. it was really fun}

just thought i would bore you some more .

peace.

x0x0