a quick week in idaho

About a two weeks ago, we jumped on a plane and headed back to Idaho Falls for a quick visit.

And boy was it great.

We needed a little vacation.

You know, to rest some bones and tired souls?

While Tyrel and I planned for it to just be our family {thanks to Southwest and their sweet 40% off tickets deal}, two of his siblings and their families were able to make the trip out as well.

It was fun to get together and play games, cuddle babies, talk about babies, wish it could be easier to have babies, and let our manly men go shoot guns {because that is fun, I guess?}.

We had big plans on dropping in on old friends to say hi, but then when you realize you have no car because you came in on an airplane, we didn't get to see hardly a person.

Next time, guys!
I promise!!

It was also insanely cold {which temperatures we apparently brought back to Minnesota with us, golly gee}, so we stayed inside as much as possible.

We caught a few movies, ate lots of food, and laughed like crazy.

It just makes us that much more excited for February/March when we head to Arizona {helllllooooo warm weather!} for Tyrel's brother's wedding.

He was the only one who couldn't make it, and, since he is getting married and all, we have plenty of things to do to him so he feels loved  ;)

 With toddlers throwing up, toddlers having fevers, babies crying, and babies fussing, these are the only pictures I got.

But at least the kids are cute?

Now that we are home and and settled {almost} back into our normal routine, we will hopefully have lots more posts coming your way!!

2012: our year in review

I think that this post was one of my very favorites on my blog.
I was exceptionally horrible at blogging this year {with HALF the posts written compared to 2011}.
But you all forgive me, right?

I felt like I needed to make it a tradition and look back on the past year.

It does the soul some good, right?

This year was the hardest we have endured yet, but it also brought some of the best blessings along with it.

January

Our sweet Kembug turned one, I jotted down some advice for new moms, battled K's first ear infection {which was a terrifying experience when a 104 degree fever is involved}, and hid inside from the cold as long as we could.

February

February was a quiet month. Basically, you got to see Kemry's buttcrack.
And I made Tyrel watch the Puppy Bowl.

March

March brought the biggest change of the year: GRAD SCHOOL ACCEPTANCE! Oh boy, did I cryyyyy that day! Kemry also got to experience bubbles for the first time, I endured another year of March Maddness, and Kemry smashed her face against the baby gate, thus producing my favorite picture ever.

April

We got pregnant with number two in April, and we were over the moon! We decided to keep it hush hush until 12 or 13 weeks.
Kemry also had some more firsts: her first zoo trip and her first bubble bath {which she still hates}.

Ty turned 27, and we experienced ear infection number two.
Also, I got an ulcer in my eye {WHY DID I NOT BLOG ABOUT THIS?!? It was the most random thing...} and had to file for workman's comp. If it would have happened a single micro-nano-tinykilometer to the right, it would have scarred my pupil and affected my vision.
It was seriously stupid.
Here is my documentation:

That was fun.

May

We move away from Idaho. Ty gets a job in Minnesota that pulls us out that direction early than we thought.
And traveling 1,000 miles with morning sickness is the bomb.
You should all try it {don't try it!!!!!}.
We take a week vacation together and then he treks up to training every week while I hang with the K-dawg at my parents house for the month.
We also learned that Kemry's loathing for the feeling of grass has not grown out of her.

June

June brought more zoo fun, but this time with Tyrel's sister and her husband.
We also found a house we loved and worked really hard to get all of those ducks in a row {which, for anyone who has purchased a home in the last few years knows that it is TOUGH stuff}.
We also, unfortunately, lost the little baby we were carrying, even though the odds were tremendously in our favor {95% successful pregnancy, 5% miscarriage}.
And then all of you came in.
We were so overwhelmed with love and support, and we are still so appreciative of all you have done for us.

July

Fireworks and fooooooood! We were still somewhat reeling from the events the previous month, but we did enjoy a quiet 4th of July at my parent's house.
We also officially became homeowners and started to make this little nest our own.
{And I knooooow. I still need to post pictures. We are going to be doing some painting, so maybe once that is done?}
We also celebrated our 3rd Wedding Anniversary and Kermy turning one and a half.

August

We finally settled into our home, visited a few lakes {because that is what you do in Minnesota}, bought a cute manly moped for Tyrel to make is drive to work more fun affordable, and lost our rhubarb plant to a super sneaky thief {which still makes me chuckle}.

September

September brought the State Fair, which we hated. Except the cheese curds.
Kemry and I hit up the Renaissance Festival with my parents, continue explore the Twin Cities {and find our new favorite pizza place with the best ice cream across the street}, and Kemry REALLY starts talking {and still uses words like "beige" in normal conversation to our embarrassment}.

October

October brought the last of the super nice weather. We tried to play outside as much as possible.
My computer freaked out {which was fixed for free}, and our furnace died {which was not fixed for free...coughcough$3,500coughcough}.
To get past all that crap, we took a day trip to Duluth to see Lake Superior.
We also broke in our DIYed fire pit with some s'mores and Starbursts, played at the cutest apple farm, swapped family pictures with some friends, dressed up like the Mary Poppins crew for Halloween, and discovered that we will be paying someone every year to remove our leaves for us from our yard.

November

November flew by for us.
Kemry added about 1 billion hits of the "Gangnam Style" Youtube video {Yeah. It was OUR fault that thing broke records}.
We also survived our "first" "tornado", and had a lovely Thanksgiving.

December

December brought my 25th birthday {along with the flu. Best present ever}.
Tyrel grew some nasty impressive facial hair to compete with his family {and then they all shaved it off in chunks. Yuck.}.
Christmas was also super sweet this year, even though New Years was celebrated by early bedtimes for all of us.

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

We are very much looking forward to 2013.
A new year.
A fresh start.
New highs and hopefully fewer lows.

We hit the ground running today.
We leave in 8 days for a week-long vacation in Idaho, come back to celebrate Kemry's birthday, and then have Ty's brother getting married shortly after that.

We are busy busy busy but are already loving 2013.
We are in high hopes that we will be able to succeed in the pregnancy business this year.
 And that no major appliances will break.
{Although we already have a good chunk of money to put toward new gutters since POUNDS of ice ripped them off of one side of our house a few weeks ago...but that was in 2012 when we couldn't catch a break if it were the size of a barn}.

We are going to spend 2013 being more appreciative of what we have,
more patient with each other,
and more optimistic for what might come.
Because if we aren't, it might be a long year ;)

 Happy 2013 to all of you!
I hope your year is filled with blessings and all things good in this world!!

***and PS: I didn't proofread this like I do most other posts. My head is throbbing {not from a hangover like some of you ;) } from a sinus infection {keeping my fingers crossed that it really ISN'T one}, so thanks for your forgiveness ahead of time!***