Moving with a Toddler

Firstly, I don't recommend moving with a toddler.

About 2 months ago, our apartment management informed us that they'd be raising our rent $500. Needless to say, we did not renew our lease.

Our kitchen, all packed up.

It couldn't have been worse timing. Reed was leaving in a few days for India (business trip), and I slowly started realizing that I'd have to move us into our new apartment by myself.

Well, not exactly by myself...

This little guy was with me every step of the way

I don't think there are words to describe how glad I am that the move is over. I'm so grateful to my mom for flying in to save me, and for the friends we've made here in the ward, who came over to help. I couldn't have done it without the people who came and helped me.

Here is a quick shot of the new place, just the furniture:

When I have things a little neater, I'll post better pictures. But for the most part, everything is cleaned up and unpacked and put away now. Yay for moms!

It's less expensive here, and the kitchen is bigger and nicer. It feels like we have more space, higher ceilings, better air conditioner, nicer bedrooms...the list goes on. I'm not excited about coin-op laundry (even if it is on-site), but for $500 a month? I'll drag my stuff down once a week and do it!

And my little helper seems to like it here, too:

Goals: How am I doing?

I decided to look at some of the goals I've made this year, and check my progress...which isn't very good...

1. Play the Hymns: I've been working on "Jesus, Savior, Pilot Me" and "We Thank Thee, O God, For a Prophet" -- neither are perfected, though. This is hard without a piano, but I do have a little midi keyboard that I am perfectly capable of setting up any time I like.

2. Read/Study Preach my Gospel: This has fizzled, but I don't want it to.

3. Train for Races: Just finished the Giant Half Marathon in August, and I'm proud of myself! More so because I actually trained. I'm still running about every other day, and I have my Ragnar race coming up in a week!

4. Write in my Journal: It's still not great, but I feel like I am journaling more often than I was. It's such a positive form of self-reflection, I really don't know why I don't make more time for it!

So I guess my grades for the above would be, respectively: B-, F, A, B. C'mon, self! You can do better than that!

Inspiration vs Competition

I've recently reconnected with a friend from high school. It's funny when that happens, because inevitably, you're forced to have the awkward "hey, how have the last ten years been treating you?" conversation. As I've had more and more re-connections with her, I've realized that the things that made me want to be her friend in high school are still there, and I want to be her friend again! :) I don't know why it would surprise me so much, but it does. I know that friendships go through different stages, and that they enter and leave your life for different reasons -- many of which are not malicious at all -- but it is unexpected. It's like up here in SJ, when I'm driving, I run into the 85 all over the place. It kind of snakes around, so you can run into it twice on the same road. That's what I feel like has happened with this friend. I got off the 85, drove around for a bit, and then got on at another cross street.

I've been reading a lot about her life, and it has inspired me to do some things. She recently tried out for a play, and obviously made it bc she's super talented. I thought about that for a long time, not out of jealousy, but pure admiration. That another stay-at-home-mom could just go out and grab the things she wanted in such a simple way was very validating and justifying to me. So I did a google search for a choir, found one, and auditioned. Not because I want to compete with this friend, but because her actions made me believe I could do something cool. Imitation is the sincerest form of flattery, right? ....right???

But I can't shake the feeling that sometimes, my form of "flattery" is just obnoxious. I'm surrounded by a lot of awesome, capable friends who know how to reach for the things they want. I feel like I am constantly thinking, "WOW. I should try to do that!" But, is that stealing someone's thunder? I consider it being inspired, but is it actually just annoying?

Friends: Kirstin

Kirstin and I met our sophomore year in college. There are so many things I love about Kirstin, that she probably doesn't know. This one's for you, Kirst! Haha!

I think a lot of people probably misunderstand Kirstin: maybe they see someone shy, or unapproachably fashionable. This is what I saw when I first met her our freshman year. She always looks like a million bucks, and did so even back then, and I remember being in awe of that. I remember thinking that she was quiet, and then wishing I were more like that, and less obnoxious. I think Kirstin has probably NEVER been obnoxious in her whole life.

But any initial shyness I thought I detected was quickly overcome when I saw how fun Kirst was (and IS!). She is always doing something creative and cultural, but it's more than that. When Kirst does something, she turns it into an event, and I LOVE that. Something as simple as a trip to the gas station to get slurpees, or a trip to the mall becomes an "outing". It isn't just a dollar movie, it's a dollar movie with a group of friends wearing matching argyle sweaters.

Then I learned that somehow she was able to have a crazy awesome social life, AND get straights A's and maintain a scholarship. (How are some people so good at life?) Not only that, but she's always checking out a foreign film, reading a classic novel, attending the symphony--she's not faking intelligence. She really is a well-rounded academic who loves the finer things!

One way her intelligence affected my life was in pure, constant, genius HUMOR. I can honestly say Kirstin is one of the funniest people I've ever met. Her observations about life, and about herself, can make me split my sides. I don't know how I would have gotten through college (particularly our junior year!) without her fantastic sense of humor.

I've already spoken about Kirstin's commitment to God and how that has deeply affected me, but I'll say it again. She has been a huge example of strength and sacrifice in my life. I don't know who I'd be if I hadn't had her in my life. I hope you all are as lucky as to have a friend like Kirstin.

Friends: Courtney Lee

I met Courtney while working as a camp counselor for Provo City, during the summer of 2007.

Courtney makes me laugh! She always has a funny story to tell, either about something crazy that happened to her, or about something embarrassing or awkward that someone did, or jokes about herself... and I'm usually crying with laughter by the end. I don't know if it's her facial expressions while telling the stories, or if it's simply the mental image of her (in my mind's eye, she's always tiny and panicked!) overcoming the obstacles of awkward people that life has thrown up in front of her, but she is the perfect comedic storm.

She is fiercely loyal to Derek (her hubby), and it reminds me to be better to Reed. No excuses. Derek and Courtney have such a great relationship, and I know Courtney's constant faithfulness to him contributes to that relationship. I find it all the more impressive because she didn't have that example from her father (no disrespect intended). Courtney is a person who has looked at her life, decided what she wants to become, made he commitments, and seen those decisions through to the end. I admire those qualities beyond words, and I like to think that maybe some of it will rub off on me.

Father's Day

There is a lot I could say about what a wonderful dad Reed is, but I thought I'd post a picture that seems to say it better:

Last night, Cal grabbed Reed by his hands and took him over to the guitar and actually placed Reed's hands on the strings. When Reed picked up the guitar, Cal let out this crazy little squeal of joy and started stomping his legs as fast as he could. Reed started playing, and Cal climbed up onto the couch next to him and danced in his diaper!

Man, that kid loves his daddy! And so do I!

Friends (Part I)

I'm not a very easy person to be friends with.

That is not false modesty. I have good intentions, but I am flaky and very forgetful. I don't have an agenda with my friendships, but I am also thoughtless and oblivious. And since Cal is now part of the package, half the time, when I leave somewhere, I feel like I've just laid waste to a person's entire sense of inner piece. In short, I demand a large amount of forgiveness, patience, accommodation, and charity from my friends. And I feel constant gratitude toward each of them.

I think I'd like to initiate a "Friends" series on my blog. I've seen others do it, and was very impressed by the various posts I've seen. It'll take me awhile, I know, because I'd like to document several different kinds of friends: old and new, distant, family, brief relationships and very lasting... all of them. And in no particular order. Everyone is important.

I think about people more than they would expect. Without realizing it, I find my thoughts have wandered to someone from college, or a joke someone told me who I haven't spoken with in years (literally). And I smile and think of that person. It's an interesting phenomenon, at least to me.

So yes, I think this post will begin my "Friends" series.