To Do List

A lot of these things have been on my TO DO list for almost a year. (*)

• Put the smoke detectors on the ceilings, where they belong. (*)
• Repaint diningroom and hallway walls.
• Fix cupboards next to stove. (*)
• Finish cleaning computer room.
• Get rid of stuff. (*)
• Finish Master Bedroom and Bath.(*)
• Hang up coat hanger.
• Put a ceiling fan up in the diningroom.
• Put a pantry in the kitchen.
• Restore old dressor. (*)
• Get screen doors. (*)
• Clean my room.
• Clean the livingroom/tv room (haven't settled on what we are calling it).
• Clean the bathtub.
• Baby proof cupboards and drawers.

Yeah, some of these are things I would like to have done today, some are things I would just like done before the week is over. What's the chances of that? Oh and then there are some things that are just "someday, I would like to have time to do this (like restoring the old dressor and finishing our bedroom and master bath). A girl can dream, right?

I wish we were rich!

It would be really awesome if we could win a lottery or something. Be anonymously given a cash donation to help us get out of some debt. Our house and car payments are necessary debts, and ones I'm ok with making payments on. But there are a few other things that I just want to get paid and be done with. But we just don't have the money right now. If I was still working, it would be easier, but I don't want to leave my little boy with someone else while I work, because we learned the hard way that Brett can't get up and watch him while I work. It's just too hard. So we would have to find some sort of day care, and I don't like that idea, because Hunter would probably get sick a whole lot more often, and what little money I bring in would just go to pay for the child care. Kind of pointless. I just don't know what to do. Brett wants me to sell Avon or do Pampered Chef, but I just am not interested in doing that. I'm not a sales person, and I don't want to host parties in my home. I want something I could easily just do from home, with little human interaction. But there is nothing out there, and it makes me feel bad that I can't help contribute and help pay for things. *sigh* I hate this feeling. The only thing I can think to maybe, possibly, do is sell my crocheted blankets on ebay or something, but I doubt anyone would buy them. This is an absolutely AWFUL dilema.

Reflection

It's amazing how you look back on your life and think, "wow, I never thought I'd be where I am today". Well, I guess that's not completely true for me. At one point, I did imagine myself exactly where I am. Then I started high school, then moved to Texas. And my path for myself changed. I WAS going to move back to San Diego, and I thought I knew who I was going to marry. I had my life planned out. Boy am I glad it didn't go that way!!! I would never have met my amazing husband or had any of the life experiences I have had. And I would not have my little Monkey. Life would not be complete without him. I'll admit that there are things that are going on right now that I would gladly trade, but looking at the big picture, I couldn't ask for a better life!!! Thank you Heavenly Father!

Looking Back

2010...what can I say about 2010? It stared out kinda crappy. Had a lot of 2009 run over into, mostly things that were out of my control. And some days, life seemed to be careening into a figurative bottomless ravine of hate, distrust, dishonesty, unsurety, and the like. But, there were some amazingly gleeming events too.

For instance:





We were redoing the roof.


• We bought our house. 4 Bedrooms, 3 stories (sort of), 2 side yards (it's a corner lot-LOVE IT), original hardwood floors (in need of restoration, but it will happen). Still have to finish the master bedroom and bath down in the basement, but there's already an amazing jetted tub! We are in love with this place and are already making and following through with plans to make it our own.
• My Momma and Daddy flew out! Most especially, my Daddy got some leave to time fly out from JAPAN! It was so good to see them! And VERY reassuring because......



Very first picture EVER!

• 3 days later, on May 11, 2010 at 8:17pm, Hunter William Austin made his appearance into the world and our family. I had a relatively easy labor, considering he was my first baby and I was induced. 10 hours of labor, but more than worth it for the angelic, albeit sometimes trouble-making, little boy.



Just a few days ago. He loves taking Daddy's hats!

• While I was discharged 2 days later, Hunter had to stay in the hospital a whole week on IV antibiotics because his white count was HIGH. Normal is like 2.0 or something and his test results were 5.8! Dr. Madsen (Hunter's Pediatrician and our family friend) assured us that Hunter was not really sick, though. He certainly didn't act it! What he and a specialist up at Primary Children's Hospital think is that we caught a bacteria or something REALLY early, before it had the chance to make him sick. We are SO grateful, and thank our Heavenly Father every day, that Dr. Ted listened to the promptings he received and ran that test! Even though it made me sad that my poor baby had to have that dumb IV. But that's ok, because on May 18th, my original due date, we got to bring him HOME!



Getting ready to leave the hospital.



Very first nap in his crib.


• My Momma and Daddy had to leave 3 days after we brought Hunter home, and Brett went back to work that following Monday, so I had a REALLY hard time being home alone with my little newborn but thankfully, 5 or 6 weeks after they left, Momma and my baby brother, Toby, along with my Grandpa Jewkes, drove back here from Texas and spent 6 weeks here with us. I LOVED having my Momma here to help. And help she did! I think that if it weren't for her coming and helping me out, I would not be as confident as a mom as I am now.




Grandma has the magic touch...and still does!





Uncle Toby put him to sleep.

• Brett and I celebrated 3 years together as a couple, and 2 years of wedded bliss on July 1st and July 12th, respectively. I am SO thankful that he didn't give up on and me and kept pursuing me, even though I was a little hesitant in the beginning.



We were either dating or engaged...



June 2010 at the Manti Pagent.



The Cousins!

• My Best Friend and Sister and her Husband (also our best friend and Brother) gave birth to my little Nephew, Taylor Matheson Bohman Jr. on August 16th. He and Hunter have to be the cutest little cousins ever! Lindsey and Matheson came for a visit for the month of October and we loved having her and Little Bear here! I miss them every day! Thank heaven for facebook and texting, or I would miss them more!
• On November 28th we celebrated 2 years of being sealed for time and all eternity in the San Antonio Temple. I am so glad that I know that he and I will have each other and all the children born to us, with us in the next life. That death is not the end for us. Because I do not think I could go on, thinking that someday, he wouldn't be mine and I wouldn't be his, and our kids would no longer be ours!
• We went to Texas for Hunter's first Thanksgiving. We only stayed for 5 days, and wish we could have stayed longer, but we still had so much fun. Hunter LOVED all the attention from Grandma, and Grandma LOVED having her Grandbaby there with her! She got to show him off at church that Sunday, which of course she loved doing. She is such an amazing Grandma and my little boy sure lucked out!

On the plane in Houston, 30 minutes from Grandma's!



Nap time with Grandma in Grandpa's chair.

• Our first Christmas in our house and Hunter's first Christmas!!!! It was so fun to open presents with our little boy! And boy did he get spoiled!

In his Jeep. And yes, most of those presents behind him are his.

Books from Grandma.

And those were the highlights of 2010. While it was great (obviously), hopefully 2011 will be even better and leave alot of the nasty stuff of 2010 in 2010. Can't wait for Hunter's First Easter, his first birthday, the first time he meets my Daddy, since the last time he saw him he was only a week and a half old. Oh, and his first trip to the zoo! The plans are in the works!

Many Christmas Firsts!

Today was our first Christmas in our new house and Hunter's first Christmas! And what a day it was! First, we woke up before Hunter, and found him all curled up in the corner of his crib, still asleep, at 9:00 am, so of course we got him up! Hunter made out like a thief. His pile of stuff was easily 10 times bigger than mine and Brett's combined! But that's ok. We had fun spoiling him, and my parents sure did too. Santa brought Hunter a walker, and he LOVES the thing. Just wish we had more room for him to get around in it. But he still had fun. I think he was in awe that he was moving forward and back without Momma or Daddy holding him up. After we opened presents we cleaned, cooked, and had Brett's dad, 2 of his brothers, his sister-in-law and her little boy, and his aunt, uncle and cousin over for dinner, and as usual when Uncle Paul is around, it was a blast! Tomorrow we are headed to Orangeville to see Grandma and Grandpa-Great and the rest of my side of the family. Pretty excited for that. Brett loves getting together with my uncles and ganging up on me! But I will suffer if it makes him happy. I'm so grateful that he loves my fmaily and that they all love him!

Before I end this, I just want to reflect on the true reason for Christmas. One night in Bethlehem, a child was born. But not just any child. A King and a Savior. My Redeemer, Jesus Christ. On Christmas Day we celebrate His birth and His life. I am so grateful to Him and to my Heavenly Father for all that has been done for me and my family. I am thankful for His sacrifice and His love for me. I see that love everyday in everything he blesses me with, especially in my little boy. I don't know what I did to be so luck as to have one of His special children bless my home with his presence.

Hello All

This is the first installment in our Family Blog. I guess a good start would be a little family history?

Brett was born and raised in Price, Utah and has 3 younger brothers. I (Kortnee) was born in Price and raised in Illionis, Calinfornia, and Texas and moved back to Price in 2006. Brett and I met at the Taco Time in Price in April of 2007, started dating in July, became engaged in December and married July 12, 2008. We have lived in Helper, Utah ever since and we love it. Our son, Hunter (who is squirming around in my lap and making it difficult to type) was born May 11, 2010 and is now almost 4 months old and is such a happy baby. He making such leaps and bounds in his growth and we love him very much.

Brett works for a company called Energy Solutions on a project down by Moab, Utah. He really enjoys what he does (drives haul trucks, among other things). He works nights and has for a year now. It's hard, especially with Hunter sometimes, and there are definitely days when I wish he could go day shift so we could spend our evenings together as a family, but I try my best not to complain and just stay busy. Not sure how well I am doing at that...

I just quit work after only having been back from Maternity leave for maybe a month. But we decided that even though things will be tight, we can make it work and it is more important for me to be home with Hunter. Sometimes I miss the adult interaction but I wouldn't trade my time with my son for the world.

Hunter is almost 4 months old and can already push himself across the floor on his belly and just tried cereal the other day. He is getting so big! And now I think I smell a stinky diaper so I had better go take care of that.