LDSSA BBQ--Stake Conference--BVC Coaches Banquet---Bike Ride Adventure

Sorry for missing last week! It’s been like pulling teeth to sit at the computer and write a family letter! Here’s some highlights from these last 2 weeks:

Kason is still rocking the 10-month old stage! He is interested in walking…sometimes! He loves emptying the kitchen cupboards. He is a jabber mouth and has learned lots of new sounds. He even did the sign for all done and actually said it out loud when he was finished. He absolutely loves riding the lawn mower and the 4-wheeler.  He sits and doesn’t make a peep and sometimes falls asleep.  He has learned how to go down the stairs finally! He is really good at turning around and backing up, but sometimes doesn’t line up with the stairs and scoots down the hall before he realizes he is off.  It is pretty cute.  He loves being outside and playing with dirt or rocks.  He loves Grandpa Lindley’s new swing set and could swing all day.  He still eats a ton! We took some time last week to pass through a flu bug.  Kason and I each took our turn being sick. He is a binky kid—which his mom and dad are trying to fix.  He also got his 3^rd tooth and is working on his 4^th.  Kason got his 1^st hair cut last week as well.  He was a great sport during it and looks so grown up with his trimmed nice! He is very cute!

Last Monday we had the Annual LDSSA End of Year BBQ.  I made a Strawberry Shortcake for dessert.  They are always looking for more to attend, so we invited my parents to come get some food. It is nice to visit with Brother Seedall and some of the other few that I know.  Kolt is excited to keep being the Vice President next year. 

I have been working a lot more hours at work and doing lots of training. It seems like most of my days are pretty monotonous.  I’m excited for when my mom can start working.  She is going to help me with the office hours and collections side of my job.  Hopefully that will help me have some time to be a mom as well.  For now, Kolt has been watching him most days, since he hasn’t started his job yet, but we are grateful for Aunt Shauna and Uncle Landon who are always anxious to help when we get in a bind.

Last Wednesday Kolt went out to help Mike Barbo with some electrical work.  He spent another day this past week helping him.  Mike is a P.A. at Upper Valley Family Medicine in Rigby.  He has been great to let Kolt shadow him and is writing him a letter of recommendation.  Kolt is learning lots of different things at his office and is glad to have the experience.  Kolt is getting really close to being ready to submit his PA application on the CASPA website.  He needs lots more patient exposure hours before he submits it at the end of June.

Kason has had Grandma’s Day with Grandma Piquet the last few Thursdays.e likes riding the 4-wheeler with her and being outside. Grandma is always great to give him a bath and put him in bed before we come pick him up!

Saturday Kolt and I went to pick up my new camera.  It has been fun learning to take pictures with it.  I’m trying to get pretty good before Kason turns one, so I can take his pictures.  I am learning how much memory these new camera photos use.  They are nice pictures, but they are making my computer work hard!

Last weekend we had a Regional Stake Conference Broadcast.  For the adult session, we had Tatelyn Hill come watch Kason.  She did great with him, and we enjoyed not fighting him during the meeting.  We had a great meeting on Saturday evening and on Sunday morning, learning about Hastening the Work.  We have lots of room to grow in that area.

This Monday we had the Bonneville Coaches Banquet at Pizza Pie Café.  Definitely a day we look forward to—marking the end of club! It is fun to eat and visit with everyone. 

This Friday Kolt and I decided to attempt to ride our bikes the 8.5 miles out to Piquet’s house.  Somehow I was sure we could make it there and back with the bike trailer on Kolt’s bike.  Sadly, we only made it out there, played a couple volleyball games in the grass, and then borrowed a vehicle to drive home.  It was sure fun to visit with Kolt though and Kason enjoyed the ride.

Saturday morning we got up early to help Shauna and Landon move.  Kolt took the truck and trailer out to help haul boxes. Kason and I got there in time to help unload into the new kitchen.  Kason fevered most of Saturday, but finally felt better Sunday morning.  He took 5 naps on Saturday and slept 7 ½ hours that night.  Hopefully he fought off whatever it was! Saturday evening we went to Kaitlyn Parker and Devin Bean’s reception.  It is fun to see 2 people I grew up with, one in Sugar and one in Idaho Falls, meet each other and get married.

We had a nice meeting on Sunday.  Kason found Grandpa up on the stand and thought that was pretty cool.  The High family was visiting, so Brooke came to sit with us too.  Kason looked like he was finally seeing an old friend again! We sure love that family.  Sunday evening we had a big dinner with the Lindley’s.  The kids had a blast playing on the new swing set and jumping in the bouncy house.  Kolt even got out Kate and gave all the kids rides.  They were so excited!

Graduation, New Jobs, Elder Lindley's Skype Call, First Few Steps

There are so many things to mention about this week, I can’t decide where to start! The most exciting news of the week is that I officially graduated from Idaho State with my B.B.A. of Accounting. On Friday, we had the College of Business graduation ceremony.  It was really neat. It was a more personal graduation where I got to be with the kids I had class with and be congratulated by the professors I had class with. Kason played with Kylen & Kamrie during the ceremony and then came for the reception part and met my professors and classmates.  On Saturday morning, I had my ISU formal graduation ceremony.  It was held in the Holt Arena.  My parents and Kolt and Kason were there.  It was great to walk and receive my diploma, although it was quite long! After graduation, Kason went home with Grandma & Grandpa, so Kolt and I could go on a date. We went to Winger’s and then went to a movie. I’m not sure I can remember the last time we went on a date by ourselves. It was so nice! Thank you!! We are a pretty happy family right now! I have a big list of all the things I’ve wanted to do once school was over.  At the top of the list is being with my baby of course! Second to that is to learn photography! Kolt and Kason are getting me a new camera for my graduation gift! I’m so excited to learn how to take pictures of Kason.

The next best news of the week is that Kolt and I both got new jobs! Kolt got a job at Eastern Idaho Regional Medical Center in the Behavioral Health Department as a Psychiatric Technician.  He has been spending a lot of time this week getting ready to start. He is anxious to get a lot of hours in the next month, so we can turn in PA applications. I am starting a new position at the Post Register as the Credit Manager.  I will also do the Accounts Payable position as well, so it will be an increase in hours.  The great news is that my mom is going to help share the office hours part with me, so I can still be home with Kason for most of the day.  The rest of the work I will do from home.  I’m so grateful that she offered to help me do this.  Kolt and I are feeling pretty lucky to have good jobs that allow us to be good parents. 

The next most exciting news is that we got to talk to Elder Lindley on Mother’s Day.  He called at 7:15 in the morning! Kason still needs to work on his skyping skills, but it was great to see Tyler and have Kason hear his uncle.  We miss him a lot, but know he is where he should be! I’m so grateful he is serving the Italian people. 

The rest of this week was spent taking our last finals and turning in our last projects.  Thank you Grandma Lindley for helping with Kason during all of this.  On Tuesday evening, Kason and I went out to watch Kolt, Rope & Brand play basketball at the church.  Kason is definitely getting a regular night schedule and gets tired around 8 every night, so we had to bring Dad home early.  On Tuesday evening, I also went over to volleyball to watch the freshman girls practice and get to know the players I am getting next year.

On Monday Kason got his 10-month pictures done and also took some Spring pictures with Paisley.  Kason had about a good 30 minutes of smiles and was totally out by the time Paisley got there.  They still turned out pretty darn cute though!

On Saturday evening, Grandma & Grandpa Piquet took us out for a graduation dinner party at Sandpiper! It was super yummy! We had a great time visiting! We even got to see one of Kason’s nurses from the NICU that we loved!

On Sunday, we had a nice block of meetings.  I played the organ, and Kolt taught a good Sunday school lesson about reverence. We have a really good class who engages in discussion and wants to learn.  Kason was a good boy in Relief Society and loves playing all over the front of the room.  After our ward, we went to Bart Steltzer’s Homecoming Report in the singles ward in Ucon.  It was a good meeting, and Bart did a good job.  It was fun to see lots of people I had been in the singles ward with a few years ago.  Sunday afternoon we had a yummy Mother’s Day dinner with the Lindley’s.  We gave Grandma Lindley a sparkly shirt for Mother’s Day.  Then we went out to Grandma Piquet’s to wish her Happy Mother’s Day.  Paisley and Kason made footprint Sunshine Canvases for her.  We had lasagna for dinner that hit the spot.  We are so grateful for our mothers.  Each and every day I’m more grateful for my own mother and the countless things she has done for me and still does for me.

Kason’s Updates: Kason is an active little 10-month old.He is learning more every day.  Kason took his first few steps this week.  He gets tired easy—no doubt from carrying all the weight! His record is 6 steps! He gets pretty excited when we start clapping and definitely knows he’s doing something cool! He loves to say “Ah-Ho” over and over. I’m sure it means something! He says it very carefully! He has learned how to undo the cabinet locks.  He is making us work hard to keep the cabinets stocked.  He loves food: anything and everything anyone is eating.  He is quite intrigued by Grandpa Lindley taking off his glasses.  He doesn’t really care for him taking them off, but acts like he recognizes him again as soon as he puts them on! Kason likes to give head butts.  I’m pretty sure it is him telling me he wants to go somewhere as he likes to do it when I am sitting down and holding him.  He also has thrown his first fits this week.  He will lay his head in the carpet and kick his legs, just crying and crying.  It is quite entertaining! He is getting such a growing personality!

I also forgot to mention last week that Kolt and I have officially been together for 6 years this spring.  Seems like just yesterday that we talked about getting married and having kids someday.  Since we started dating, we have graduated high school, Kolt served a mission, I played college volleyball, Kolt got home, we got married, we had Kason, and now I have graduated college.

Grandma P's Birthday!!

Kason is officially 10 months old! It is hard to believe he will be a year in a few short months.  Kason is getting quite a personality.  He loves to play with any sports ball. He learned how to pass back and forth this week.  Kolt is pretty good about teaching him.  He really loves his Primary songs.  He sleeps with them playing in his room every night.  He is guaranteed to wake up if I don’t put it on repeat through the night.  He loves both his grandmas a whole lot.  He is quite intrigued by animals. He sits by the window and talks to the cat all day. He is sure fun to be around.  He found a cute new smile this week that scrunches up his nose and shows his 2 teeth. It is sure cute.

Monday we ran errands all day long.  I made Chicken Stir Fry for dinner with Raman Noodles. It is one of my favorites now. Thank you, Natalie! In the evening, Kason and I went swimming in the hot tub. He loves sitting in the water.

Tuesday I watched Nathan and Brooke for a few hours.  Kason could play with those 2 all day and not need anything, unless they are eating of course.  We ran into work really quick for a few hours.  Kason and I played outside for a bit in the afternoon, and Kolt went to play basketball at the Milo church in the evening.

Wednesday was Grandma Piquet’s birthday! I ran into work in the morning and Kolt stayed with Kason.  We all met Kolt at lunch to have Finals Relief Lunch before his class.  After class, Kason and I walked around Freeman Park. Wow! That’s a long walk, but we made it and Kason loved every minute of it! We dropped off a gift to Cade High who got baptized this weekend on the way to Grandma Piquet’s birthday dinner. Grandpa P made delicious Fried Chicken and mashed potatoes for dinner. I made macaroni salad to go with it that turned out great! We had lemon meringue pie for dessert!  We got Grandma a gift card to Edwards for her birthday! I think she liked it! We also played volleyball on the grass after dinner! It was a blast! Kason sat in the stroller and watched us for a good long time. He got hit in the head pretty good and didn’t think it was too fun after that! 

Thursday Kason and I went into work. He would not take a morning nap, so it was a long day! Kason went out for Grandma’s day with Grandma Piquet in the evening. I took a practice test, wrote an internship report, and started my capstone presentation. It was very productive night! Kason had a great time with Grandma P!

Friday I went into work for a few hours while Kolt packed for Utah.  At noon, we left to fill in for another coach and coach her team in Utah.  It was a great weekend of volleyball. The girls were so cute. They were a 12U team and did awesome. We finished 2^nd in the silver bracket. I was so impressed. The girls were coachable and got lots better over the weekend I thought.  On Friday evening, we went swimming with Kylen and Kamrie at the hotel. Bryant and Kristi helped teach Kason to swim a little! Kason didn’t love sleeping at the hotel, so we woke up pretty worn out! On Saturday, Candace & Justin came to visit us. It was so great to see them! I was also really grateful for all the moms that helped with Kason. Kolt was trying to study for finals, so it was a big help! We got home at a pretty good time on Saturday night which was nice too!  We even stopped for dinner at Winger’s in Blackfoot, so we could hit the end of the OKC and Memphis game.

On Sunday, I played the organ and Kolt taught Sunday school. I also filled in Primary as the pianist.  Kason had a great time with Grandma & Grandpa L during Sunday school and took a nap on Grandpa.  We had dinner in the afternoon—I made cheesecake for dessert.  We spent the evening preparing for finals the next week.

10 MONTHS...yesterday! :)

-Around 23 pounds

-Still 2 teeth

-Loves to clap all the time

-Likes his big boy sippy cup with juice or water

-Size 4 diapers
-Passes a ball back and forth with you on the floor

-Still loves his binky....can't go anywhere without it!

-Cruises around everything and just started walking while holding on to a hand!

-Waves with both hands and a big smile!

-Favorite toys: Any sports ball 

-Total GOER--wants to see everything and rarely sits still!

-Loves going for walks in the stroller

-Totally prefers sleeping in his crib, but still wakes up often for a little love at nights!

-LOVES being outside....could be outside all day!

-Eats anything and everything---no one can eat in a room without Kason coming to get a bite of it first

-Loves his Grandmas

-Great boy in the car still!

-Thinning into a tall boy

-Jabbers all day long--trying out new syllables

-Says Mama, Dada, and Ball over and over all day long

 -Always falls asleep to Primary songs at night

-Shy boy...loves to snuggle with Mommy and play with her hair