Bryan - Molly - Brooklyn

Thanksgiving

2011-12-31T21:50:00.000-08:00

By far my (Bryan’s at least) favorite time of the year is Thanksgiving. It must be a combination of being with family, playing games, football, lots of good food, and a time to reflect upon all that we have that lands Thanksgiving at the top of my list. This year was the 2nd year of what seems to be our family tradition, hosted by us at our house. My parents drove down from Michigan for 3 days and they enjoyed being with Brooklyn as much as she enjoyed all the attention.

The day before Thanksgiving was Brooklyn’s “Almost 1 year” birthday. Because Grandpa and Grandma Kunz wouldn’t be around for the actual Dec. 22nd birthday a special one was planned with them. They brought down presents and a little cake for Brooklyn, and as you can see, Brooklyn was thoroughly impressed with both the cake and her first birthday present. She knew exactly what to do with the cake and probably would have eaten the entire thing if we would have let her.

Thanksgiving morning I arose early to go play football for almost 3 hours. The weather was perfect Thanksgiving football weather (cloudy, wet, slightly chilly) and I was in pain for only a week after. J Around noon is when the preparations started for the dinner. Grandpa babysat while the rest were busy getting the food ready. After last year’s turkey success, I was put in charge of the turkey again this year. My second turkey ever (and first brining experience) was successful yet again. With 2 winning turkeys under my belt, I am now the official turkey chef in the Kunz family. I enjoy doing it but still have fond memories of years past being able to lounge on the couch watching football while others did the cooking. Those days appear to be gone for a while.

A Thanksgiving post would be incomplete without thanking Jeff and Mary for driving down and participating in our family Thanksgiving. We love seeing you guys, and we know Brooklyn does too!

Mall of America

2011-12-31T21:05:00.000-08:00

On November 1st and 2nd, we flew to Minneapolis, MN to visit the famous Mall of America. I had picked up 5 restaurant audits in the Minneapolis airport and Molly figured I could use help eating all that food. Also, the money I received paid for the hotel while we were there so it was almost a free vacation. Of course, going on a vacation to a mall, especially the Mall of America, will quickly turn any “free” vacation into a maxed out credit card :)

As soon as we got to the airport we ate lunch (audited) two of the restaurants and then a Ben & Jerry’s Ice Cream shop for dessert. From there we took the free train from the airport to the Mall. We walked around for a couple of hours (basically one floor of the 3 floor mall). The place is HUGE and has rides and a games in the middle. It is a great place to do a lot of walking and get some exercise. From there we headed back to the airport to get our luggage and get picked up by the hotel. We checked in and relaxed for about an hour before heading back to the Mall for a few more hours. Molly liked all the children’s clothes stores and we were able to find some cute clothes. That evening one of my pilot friends met us for dinner in the main food court.

The next day we had breakfast and went swimming in the hotel pool. We had forgotten Brooklyn’s swimsuit (she only has like 40 pairs at home!!!!) so we found one on sale at Old Navy in the Mall for $2.00. It was a great deal and she looked great in it. We headed back to the airport at noon to eat lunch (2 more audits of course) before catching our flight home. It was a really fun trip and was nice for all of us to spend a little time together on our own little family vacation.

Halloween

2011-12-26T19:55:00.000-08:00

On Brooklyn's first Halloween she was a strawberry. She was pretty stinkin cute! We hit the ward's Trunk or Treat on Friday but didn't attempt neighborhood trick or treating this year. Definitely looking forward to it in the years to come :)

Photo Fun

2011-12-25T22:48:00.000-08:00

We finally cashed in a Groupon my dad got for us and had Brooklyn's pictures taken up in Ellis Park in Avon. We didn't time the session quite right, so Brooklyn was not in a real smiley mood, but she didn't cry once so we cant complain about that! Here are some of the shots the photographers were able to catch.

A New Career

2011-12-17T20:59:00.000-08:00

There is a saying in life that if you choose a job you love then you will never work a day in your life. Bryan thought he had that job being a pilot and flying and traveling around the country. However there are many days when he would rather not be on the job at all - weather delays, maintenance delays, medical emergencies, know-it-all passengers, long days away from home, and the list could go on. He has always thought that something better was out there, that maybe he was meant to do a different line of work.

Well today he is happy to announce that he has landed his dream job!!!! He is now officially a Restaurant Auditor (that is the fancy name for Mystery Shopper). Thats right, my Bryan gets paid to eat! Bryan LOVES to eat! And I LOVE that he gets paid to do it! There are several mystery shopping companies out there, but the company he works for the most does a lot of audits of restaurants in airports nationwide - which is pretty much PERFECT for a pilot. He is required to go to these places and eat a meal. While there he evaluates customer service, cleanliness, food quality, and more. The company pays for the meal and on top of that pays him a modest amount for his time.

It is a dream come true! When his schedule comes out each month he looks at all the cities he is traveling to and picks up any available audits. Lately he has averaged 1 meal/day while he is traveling (although some days he has done as many as 8!). He saves money by getting a free meal (cause it isn't cheap eating in the airport) and he also earns some extra savings (or just some more spending money). There are also some restaurants around town that we enjoy going to together for a free date - but we won’t be revealing those for obvious reasons :)

treinta y dos

2011-12-17T15:38:00.000-08:00

Another year has passed and Bryan is that much older. The celebration this year was particularly special with Brooklyn being able to celebrate with us this year. On Saturday, September 10th (the day before his actual birthday), we went to BD’s Mongolian BBQ in Carmel, IN for lunch. He received a free meal from them as a gift and it was also near Costco where we picked up his delicious red velvet cake from the bakery. That evening we went to dinner in Brownsburg, IN at The Pit Stop BBQ. It was fabulous and was our first time there. I got a yummy BBQ quesadilla that I think made Bryan a little jealous! We will definitely make that Bryan’s new special birthday dinner out to eat place.

For his birthday breakfast the next morning, I made my signature omelette dish topped with avocado. It is by far Bryan’s favorite omelette anywhere!!! Later on he received some fun presents, including a BYU t-shirt to wear to an upcoming BYU game he is going to in Hawaii, a HD handheld video camera, and money (presumably to go out to eat with). He can’t thank every body enough for making his birthday as good as it was.

Laughlin Trip

2011-12-11T09:38:00.000-08:00

Summer just wouldn't be complete without our annual trip to the river! We had two rookies with us this year - 86 year old grandpa and 8 month old Brooklyn - but you wouldn't have known they were newbies because they both did great! They brought a few new twists to the mix, but luckily the Kellys have gotten pretty good at the whole river trip experience and everything went fairly smoothly. We had a blast boating on the river, lounging in the water, and enjoying quality family time together. It was a perfect end to the summer!

summer oh eleven

2011-12-11T09:27:00.000-08:00

Because I am tragically behind in my blogging, I will take Shawna's approach to the summer post and make mine equally as brief!

Summer was great! We spent a good month in California hanging with the family. Shawna was on summer break, as were the kids, so we had lots of bonding time. Perhaps even a little too much, if that is at all possible :)

Bryan was a champ and commuted to San Diego whenever he could. It was a lot of extra traveling for him, but Brooklyn and I appreciated his willingness to give us this summer with the family. I do realize that all summers cant be as lazy and careless as this one was, but we definitely enjoyed it while it lasted.

Independence Day

2011-07-09T20:13:00.000-07:00

Holiday’s are always a good excuse to go out of town. We originally thought we would go spend the 4^th of July in Michigan with Bryan’s parents so they could see Brooklyn, but they were headed to Florida to visit with Kevin and family so they invited us to join them down south. We arrived at 11am Monday and the first thing we did was hit a really nice beach at Hurlbert Field (Air Force Base) that was on a nice bay. There were hardly any waves and being on the Air Force base means the average tourist isn’t allowed so we were pretty much the only ones there. The water was as warm your bathtub and the sand was nice to walk around and lounge on. That evening Kevin and Amanda had some of their friends over for the all-American hamburgers cooked on his grill, salad, watermelon, and corn on the cob, along with root beer floats for dessert. All the food was fabulous, especially after a long but enjoyable day at the beach.

Jeff and Mary (Bryan’s parents) were supposed to arrive at 10pm that same evening; however, their flight from Atlanta to Fort Walton Beach cancelled so at 2am they started their 7hr. drive in a rental car. We still aren’t sure if they would have taken such drastic measures if Brooklyn wasn’t with us but it is nice to assume they wanted to see us too. As soon as they arrived and Jeff took a short nap we headed to the same beach and swam for another couple of hours.Brooklyn enjoys being in the water but as the sand got on her she started to make it known that it was time to leave. For dinner we went to an excellent Mexican restaurant that Bryan and Mary had been to before and had promised to go back. It did not disappoint. The evening was spent together playing a round of Phase 10 (Molly somehow won that one) and letting the grandparents enjoy Brooklyn and her two cousins.

Traveling standby hasn't been easy lately and this trip was no different. Instead of two quick one hour flights home on Wednesday - we took a 6-hour road trip to Atlanta - jumped a quick flight to Dayton, Ohio - then drove another 2 hours to Indy. We arrived some time after 11 - yuck!

With such a long trip home, we definitely wish we could have stayed longer but take comfort in the fact that the next time we visit Kevin and Amanda it will be in Hawaii!

Living the good life!

2011-07-07T19:46:00.000-07:00

With the ‘no baby in first class’ policy for standby passengers currently in effect, our status in the flying world majorly dropped with the birth of our baby girl. It was definitely a sad reality to face!! Even though the number of times we were upgraded was very few and far in between - just the possibility of that upgrade made flying standby just a little bit sweeter!

The fourth of July found us once again on an airplane, this time headed for Florida. Brooklyn did great on the first leg down to Atlanta – and the layover was a quick one – about an hour. There were lots of open seats on our next flight from Atlanta to Fort Walton Beach, so we knew we would make it to our destination and didn’t bother to check the screen for our seat assignment. As the standby passengers were called to board, imagine our surprise when two first-class tickets popped out of the machine! We didn’t object –just took those tickets and headed down the jet bridge!

Brooklyn must have known she was flying in luxury – she slept the entire time and looked good doing it!

- bigger seats -

- Cokes in real glasses instead of plastic cups -

- Sun Chips to snack on -

My mom always says I am too easy to please, and I guess she is right – because this is what I call living :)

Hendricks County Rib Fest - Round 3

2011-07-07T18:47:00.000-07:00

Anyone who knows Bryan knows that the way to his heart is through food, especially good BBQ, which explains why our county’s rib fest has become a favorite family tradition. This year we had a new member of the family to enjoy it with which made it all the more special. It is a very well organized event. You purchase meal tickets for $1 each and then go to any tent of your choice operated by different BBQ restaurants around the county and pick up the food you want. The average pulled pork sandwich is $5 and those seem to be our favorite things to try from the different places. You get to experience the different ways these BBQ masters cook their pork and we also enjoy savoring their various sauces. The local Kiwanis club always sells elephant ears and each year we have to share one of those loaded with cinnamon. If you haven’t had one yet you need to try one.

The festival starts at 5pm and ends with fireworks at 10pm. With more experience under our belt after each passing year, our Rib Fest experience gets better and better! We like to get there right at 5pm so we can set up our blanket in a nice shady area under some trees, and we are sure to bring along a cooler of drinks and snacks so none of our Rib Fest bucks are wasted on these necessities! By arriving early, we beat the long lines that Bryan has little patience for when he is trying to get something to eat. This year we stayed for about 2 hours eating, playing with Brooklyn, and enjoying the live bands that were on stage. As always - it was a great time.

Father's Day 2011

2011-07-07T15:35:00.000-07:00

Father's Day was extra special this year because for the first time I was able to receive gifts instead of just give them - and because I have a new beautiful daughter of course :) I have the best wife (and sister-in-law, who was visiting) in the world and they made me feel like a king for the day. Saturday evening we went to Squealers BBQ restaurant in Mooresville, IN where I got a sampling of my favorite dishes. It hit the spot and as you can see in the picture - Brooklyn was a little jealous while I was eating and not sharing. That evening we played games. The next morning, Molly and Shawna woke up early and made me the BEST omlette I have ever had. It was loaded with everything and was topped with a delicious avocado. I am still craving another one. I didn't have much time in the morning before heading off to my church meetings but later in the evening I opened a couple of presents with Brooklyn and then we sat down to a fabulous chinese dinner. It was AWESOME!! And then - just when I thought that the night couldn't get any better, Molly surprised me with my favorite homemade Tres Leches cake for dessert! That really made my day and destroyed my diet with the very first bite. I have to say I am so lucky to have such a wonderful wife and daughter!

aunt shawna comes to play

2011-07-02T17:26:00.000-07:00

Since Shawna is officially off for summer break - she came out to Indiana for almost two weeks to play with us! We sure do love having her here! We did lots of bonding as Bryan was gone much of the time. We shopped, walked, hiked, and did a lot (maybe too much) of a whole lot of nothing! Hey - she is on summer break - she deserves to relax! But our teacher sister/aunt couldn't leave without buying Brooklyn a whole lot of books to get her reading early! Thanks Shawna!! We are already looking forward to your next visit!

take a SEAT!

2011-07-01T05:01:00.000-07:00

Just a day after miss Brooklyn turned 6 months - she started sitting all by herself! She was actually at her 6 month check up when the doc asked if she could sit yet. nope. Well, he took Brooklyn - sat her up on the bed - let go - and there she stayed! It was pretty cute. We took that girl home from her appt and kept on practicing, and I must say - I think she is a natural!!

Happy Half Birthday Brooklyn!

2011-06-30T06:18:00.000-07:00

- CrAzY cRaZy -

Our Brooklyn turned 1/2 a year on the 22nd of June! I just cant believe how much she has changed and grown these last few months. She is weighing in at 16.5 lbs and yesterday I busted into the 6-9 month clothes - partly for need - partly because I am just too excited to get out all of the new summer clothes :)

Brooklyn is such a sweetheart! She LOVES watching tv - she LOVES taking baths -she LOVES going for walks - and she LOVES to cry (but thats okay because we still LOVE her!). Happy 6 months little girl!!

Nauvoo

2011-06-28T15:52:00.000-07:00

After getting home so late from Asheville we just wanted some time at home. However, we had a previously planned trip to Nauvoo, IL. Nauvoo is a historic city where the early members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (Mormons) lived for a time before persecutions became too much and they made their way across the plains to the Salt Lake Valley in Utah. We were just glad the trip didn’t involve an airport and we had the ability to stop along the way. We drove about 5 hours to Keokuk, IA where we met Bryan’s friend Jared and his wife Arin who drove from Kansas City, MO. They have a baby boy, Mason, who is one month older than Brooklyn.

We were supposed to have been staying with them in the Holiday INN Express hotel. It has a nice breakfast, pool, etc. The price for those days was $75.00 night (not at all bad). Well, I had never heard of Keokuk, IA and assumed it was a very small town and honestly, how many hotels are going to be there? My Priceline.com lightbulb came on in my head one night. I decided that I would bid $40.00 for a hotel in Keokuk, IA for those days. Being the only hotel in town I would get to stay at the Holiday Inn Express for half the price of my friend. I placed my bid, pressed enter, and after a couple of seconds the screen said something to the effect of: “Congratulations, your bid of $40.00 has been accepted!!!” I was so excited to tell everyone. Of course, not more than a couple seconds later the itinerary popped up on the screen. You can imagine my despair when I realized we would be staying at the SUPER 8 hotel in Keokuk, IA!!!! Really?!?!?! There are actually other hotels in this town!?!!? I called Molly and showed her the nice pictures on the Super 8 website and tried to sell the hotel to her. She said: “Lets just stay with them at the Holiday Inn Express.” I must have had some look on my face because she immediately said: “You pricelined it didn’t you!!!???” Actually the hotel wasn’t too bad for what little time we spent there.

That first night we went to dinner and planned the next couple of days with the friends. The next morning we left at 7am to head to Nauvoo. We went to the Welcome Center next to the temple. Jared and Arin went to the temple while we babysat Brooklyn and Mason and then we switched and Molly and I were able to go to the temple. What an amazing place. To think of the history and sacrifice. I can’t wait to go back. After getting lunch we went to many of the sites including the Browning Gun shop (who would have guessed a Mormon would found such a famous gun company), the blacksmith shop (they made wedding rings out of horseshoe nails back in the day so Bryan got one of them being that he left his wedding ring at home!!!), walked the Trail of Hope to the Mississippi River, and more. The plan was to stay and see a couple shows that night but the kids were acting up. We went back to the hotel for dinner and games.

The next morning we went to Carthage Jail (where Joseph Smith was killed by a mob) then drove back to Nauvoo to see more of the sites including the brick making shop, pharmacy (the pharmacist was also the dentist and doctor and had some scary tools for pulling teeth), the visitor center, the bakery (had a really good gingerbread cookie) and walked around. That last evening we went to a decent Mexican restaurant in Keokuk before playing games again and saying goodbye.

On the drive home we again stopped in Springfield, IL to see the Abraham Lincoln Tomb and to eat lunch in a park nearby so Brooklyn could get out of the car for a little bit. The trip was a lot of fun. If you are a member of the church or not, Nauvoo is a really special place to visit and learn about life in the mid 1800s. You really learn to appreciate how much we have now in the way of technology and freedom.

Adventures in Asheville

2011-06-28T06:20:00.000-07:00

Asheville, NC is one of those places Bryan has always wanted to visit but never got around to it. A couple weeks ago Molly’s parents called to see if we would be willing to attend a business meeting for them in Asheville. They would cover the rental car, hotel, and would even pay us for our time. They said you don’t have to know anything about electricity, wiring, etc. so even Bryan could attend it. We decided we could fit it into our schedule. We flew into Greenville/Spartanburg, SC and drove 1.5 hours to our hotel in Asheville, NC.

Eaton is the name of the company that was putting this training session on. The next day from 8am – 5pm was the meeting and Bryan volunteered to go while Molly watched Brooklyn. The meeting was at the Eaton factory not far from the hotel. At this particular factory, Eaton makes charging stations for electric vehicles (EV’s) like the Chevy Volt, Nissan Leaf, etc. Molly’s parents want to start selling them around southern California to cities (to put downtown at parking spaces), malls (so people can charge their car while they shop), and even individuals (gotta have one at your house). As EV’s become more and more common, there are going to have to be places to charge them around town or people won’t buy the cars.

The meeting was actually very fascinating. There were about 25 other professionals from all over the country who owned their own electrical contracting business. I had to introduce myself as being an employee of Skelly Electric all the way from San Diego, CA. The hard part was acting like I knew what I was talking about with all these electricians during the breaks as they asked what kind of work we did and all. I think I did pretty well and nobody had a clue how clueless I actually was. Anyways, during the day we talked about everything from marketing, troubleshooting, customer service, and we took a tour of the plant itself. I really enjoyed it.

My stress level shot up at the end however when they announced that because this is a certification course, there is a 25 question test that we had to take before we left if we wanted to get certified. My heart stopped as I thought of the trust and money my in-laws were investing in me and now I have to take a test!!!! I was sure this was the end of my short marriage to their daughter. Fourtunately it was open book and after several days they haven’t called asking for the patch back that shows I am a Certified Eaton Installer of EV Chargers.

That evening we drove around town. We went past the Biltmore Estate (the largest home in America built by the Vanderbuilts), walked around downtown Asheville where we ate at a phenomenal crepe shop for dinner, and drove along the famous Blue Ridge Parkway (very scenic).

The next day we woke up and drove back to the airport. Little did we know the adventure awaiting us there. Our flight to Atlanta was delayed for 3 hours (surprise, surprise). When we finally got to Atlanta, all flights to IND were overbooked. We tried to fly to Washington DC, Raleigh-Durham, Detroit to connect to IND but we couldn’t get on any of those flights. We wanted to fly to Fort Wayne or Dayton but they were all full as well. Finally we got the last two seats on the flight to Evansville, IN and rented a car for the 3.5 hour drive to Indianapolis. So we left our hotel in Asheville at 6:40am and arrived to our house in IND at 11:30pm - flight benefits are nice but things can go downhill fast. Brooklyn actually was great and enjoyed all the people who came to see her around the airport.

Memorial Day 2011

2011-06-28T06:13:00.000-07:00

It sure doesn't feel like we go to San Diego that often, but as I sit here trying to write about yet another visit I am starting to realize that we may go there more than it seems! When we are there - we always have a great time and it really does feel like we are home - not just visiting - and this last trip for Memorial Day was no different!

We planned to fly out the Thursday before Memorial Day, but as luck would have it - all of the flights were overbooked and we decided that maybe we would stay put for the holiday and find some fun in Indy. But after a very relaxing yet productive Thursday - we decided to see if we could make it out on Friday - and sure enough, we did!

Shawna was able to make the trip as well, and we spent the weekend playing around in the beautiful sunshine! It was a fun, yet short visit - as we had to return home on Tuesday. But saying goodbye isn't nearly as hard when we have an entire summer to look forward to so soon!

Niagra Falls/Palmyra Trip

2011-06-26T05:23:00.000-07:00

The week of May 15^th Bryan was scheduled to go through two days of classroom based training in Detroit followed by a short two days of flying. We decided to fly to Detroit and stay with Bryan’s parents for the week. Brooklyn loves visiting the grandparents so it was a good opportunity to see them. We had been talking about visiting Niagara Falls and Palmyra, NY for a while and this seemed to be the perfect time. On Friday morning we left Brooklyn with the grandparents and caught the first flight to Buffalo, NY. It was actually delayed 2 hrs, a seemingly common occurrence when we travel, but we eventually made it to Buffalo. Being almost lunch time we headed to a restaurant called the Anchor Bar. It is the home of the original chicken wing and a very popular place in the downtown area. The wings were amazing and for dessert we had the best ice cream sundae New York Cheesecake. With our cravings filled we headed to Niagara Falls for the long anticipated adventure.

Upon arrival in the area we decided to go on the boat to the falls first. It was a very foggy morning and from the dock we could hear the roar of the water but due to the low visibility we couldn’t see them at all. Fortunately the boat got us close enough to see them (and get plenty wet). As the day progressed the fog lifted and the views were closer (but still not perfect) to what we had hoped for. We hiked around the area then drove to the Canadian side where there seems to be more to do and the views are far better of the falls themselves. After spending most of the day there we headed to dinner at Duffs (another Buffalo Wings place of course). We heard about the two restaurants on the travel channel where there is an ongoing debate between them as to which was the best - so we decided to put them to the test ourselves!

After dinner we drove to our hotel in downtown Rochester, NY. The next morning was church historical site day. We started out with the Joseph Smith Farm and the Sacred Grove where the restoration of the Church of Jesus Christ in these days all began. We took a tour of the property and houses the Smith family lived in and spent time walking in the Sacred Grove and feeling the Spirit that is there. The Palmyra, NY temple can be seen from the property and is a must see as well.

Our next stop was lunch at Marks Pizzeria. Bryan was trying to figure out how to get to the E.G. Grandin Museum and as we got out of the car for lunch Molly looked across the street and said: “Hey I think that is it isn’t it.” Sure enough it was and so we had a really good pizza for lunch and walked across to the museum.

The E.G. Grandin Printing Press is where the first edition of the Book of Mormon was printed. We found if fascinating to see how things were done back then. It took an incredible amount of work and time to print a book back in those days. As we took the tour we couldn’t help but think of how Joseph Smith must have felt as the first Book of Mormon came off the press. All the persecution and attacks he had endured and all the care he had taken in protecting the book culminated into this day.

From the printing press we drove a few minutes to the Hill Cumorah. By now we were running very short on time before we had to catch our flight back to Detroit but we walked to the top of the hill and went inside the visitor’s center. I really wish we had more time to enjoy the sites. 2 days was not nearly enough for all there is to see and do. We were also starting to miss Brooklyn. Bryan is used to being gone for a few days at a time but Molly was ready to hold her again. It took Brooklyn a minute to remember how she knew us but she figured it out.

So grateful to be this little girl's mom!

2011-06-26T04:59:00.000-07:00

Bryan did a wonderful job this first Mother's Day! He ordered one of my very favorite cakes - got me some very pretty flowers - and made a very yummy dinner - - everything was great! Brooklyn is the perfect little addition to our family. I love her to pieces and am so excited to continue to love her and watch her grow!

California Girl

2011-06-26T04:31:00.000-07:00

Brooklyn definitely enjoys her visits to San Diego! She really loves being outside and cold weather is just not a concern there too often! While the weather in Indy was just warming up at the end of April - here in California the weather was seriously perfect! While we were busy a lot this visit - we still found time to just relax and hang out with our family. We were definitely sad to go at the end of our fun trip but knowing we will be back soon made it a bit easier!

"The Easter Bunny came by today and left surprises along the way. Colorful eggs are all around with baskets in hand we search the ground."

2011-06-25T15:05:00.000-07:00

We were so lucky that Spring Break aligned with Easter this year - as it should every year - and Brooklyn got to spend her very first Easter with her grandparents, aunts, and cousins! We had a great day as we enjoyed all of the traditional Easter festivities.

having a ball

2011-06-25T11:46:00.000-07:00

Legoland was next on the agenda but when we got there it was pretty obvious that it was BUSY! Busier than any of us have ever seen! It was quite the pickle we had on our hands . . . do we stay or do we go? After most of our group spent the previous 2 days at Disneyland - spending a day waiting in even more lines did not sound too appealing - so after snapping a quick picture we were off. But where to go?? There were not a lot of options so we decided to head to the bowling alley (after stopping at Target for some socks). It ended up being the perfect way to end our week . . . no lines, no crowds, and the weather outside was of no concern :)

"Hang on to them hats 'n' glasses, 'cause this here's the wildest ride in the wilderness!"

2011-06-25T11:34:00.000-07:00

After Belmont Park, our fun-filled week continued at Disneyland. We were sure we would be fighting the crowds being that it was Spring Break but for the first half of the day the longest line was maybe 20 minutes. It was amazing!!! We walked right onto the Haunted Mansion ride (that one is a classic). The second half of the day the lines were longer and with the exception of the “Fast Pass” tickets we had, the waits were more like 35-40 minutes. Though I really enjoyed Disneyland, I am realizing that the fun of that place is more nostalgic than anything else. The rides don’t really give me the adrenaline rush like they used to as a kid but it is just a fun place to be. But we had lots of fun and definitely got our fill of rides for a while. We also enjoyed some yummy hand-dipped corndogs and frozen bananas. Yum! After watching the fireworks that night, Molly and I drove back to the Kelly’s so I could fly back home to work the next day. The others stayed behind and went to California Adventures right next door the following day.

Le Park de Belmont

2011-06-16T11:20:00.000-07:00

Since the kids Spring Break aligned with Shawna's Spring Break this year - we found ourselves in sunny California once again to join in on the Kelly fun. On our first day there we took Aubrey and Cayden to Belmont Park. It is your typical carnival atmosphere on the beach with various rides, games, and other things to blow your money on. Fortunately Molly’s dad had purchased a couple of Groupons on-line that allowed us to do a few of the things. We played mini-golf (Bryan won of course), went through a mirror maze (those are much harder than you think), played arcade games, and my favorite was the rope course. As you can see in the pictures, it is this course that is suspended about 50 feet in the air. You walk over and around all these obstacles holding onto just the ropes. Good thing I am not afraid of heights! It was an awesome day to start off our week of Spring Break fun. Thanks Jim!

Kodak Moments

2011-06-16T11:02:00.000-07:00

Brooklyn is getting so big so quickly! It is amazing how much she is changing!

We love our baby girl!

Happy St. Patty's Day!

2011-06-13T10:39:00.000-07:00

Brooklyn - 12 weeks old

We are obviously still in catch-up mode :)

fLoRiDa!

2011-06-13T10:24:00.000-07:00

As we make these posts you may have noticed a common theme – Kunz Family Travels. This one is no different. Kevin and Amanda (Bryan’s brother and sister in law) had their second baby in January and we were able to go visit them in Florida the first weekend in March for the blessing of Andrew. We were supposed to have arrived around 10:30am but due to a maintenance delay with the airplane here in Indianapolis we missed our connecting flight in Memphis. We had to spend about 3 hours in the airport, which is a great airport to be stranded in if you like BBQ food. Bryan highly recommends the BBQ pasta from Jim Neeley’s. Anyways, we made the next flight and arrived around 4pm that Saturday.

This was the first time Bryan’s Grandpa Abbott and Suzun were able to meet Brooklyn. They flew to Florida from St. George, UT so it was a mini family reunion and we all had an enjoyable time being together and visiting with each other. On the Air Force Base (where Kevin is a Dentist) there is a really neat armory museum. It has all kinds of missiles and airplanes on display. Bryan never gets tired of that. Of course a visit to the gulf coast wouldn’t be complete without a trip to the beach so we hung out on the white sandy beaches of Fort Walton and ate lunch at a restaurant overlooking the water. Kevin and Amanda are always wonderful hosts when we visit and we look forward to seeing them (more often) when they move to Hawaii in August.

frosting

2011-05-23T11:13:00.000-07:00

brooklyn got her ears pierced

may 17, 2011

so pretty!

Staycation

2011-05-19T09:08:00.000-07:00

Priceline . . . ever heard of it? Of course you have! Everyone knows what Priceline is - but it appears that my husband just discovered it . . . and as it turns out - he LOVES it! His first purchase through Priceline (and definitely not his last) was for a hotel right here in Indy. He thought it would be fun for my birthday to spend the night in a hotel and play in the pool and such. A very sweet thought - however - with Brooklyn now in tow things like that are definitely not as easy as they once were. Live and learn :) But because Priceline is a nonrefundable type of deal - we packed up the contents of our home and headed to Indy for our first family staycation! We ate a yummy dinner at Cheesecake Factory first and took our dessert to go. We checked in and headed straight for the pool. Brooklyn tried on her cute new swimsuit but fell asleep before she got into the water. We had a fun night swimming, followed by the delicious cheesecake. Brooklyn was an angel baby. We snuck another swim in the next morning - then packed up and headed home.

Everyone should try a staycation vacation atleast once - it is such a fun idea. The drive is short and if you forget anything - you can always go back home to retrieve it! While we had a great time - another staycation is not planned for the immediate future - there is just too much stuff to take along - - or perhaps next time we will consider a sitter :)

Future Mr. and Mrs.?

2011-05-18T21:40:00.000-07:00

Colter + Brooklyn

Match Made In Heaven

CaLiFoRnIa

2011-05-18T21:12:00.000-07:00

On January 22 - we headed to San Diego so Miss Brooklyn could meet some more family. As I mentioned already - the flight was fabulous. Brooklyn was a dream child and most people didnt even realize an infant was on board. We went from Indy to Salt Lake City and extended our layover there a bit so we could visit with Bryan's brother Scott and his wife, Rachele. We ate at Bryans favorite Peruvian restaurant and met up with my friend Brittney and her baby girl Macey. Sadly - we didnt take a single picture! It was a fun little layover but super quick! We then hopped back on board and flew down to San Diego. Brooklyn was perfect - again!

Because this trip was a while back - I cant remember most of the details! But it was fabulous :) Using the above collage to refresh my memory just a bit -I can tell you that we went on a few hikes - Brooklyn had her first visit to the beach - Cayd competed in the Pinewood Derby - we had lunch with Aubs at school - we did some shopping - and we just hung out a lot! We stayed for just about 2 weeks and enjoyed every minute!

Frequent Flyer

2011-05-18T20:06:00.000-07:00

On Brooklyn's 1-month birthday she got the best gift of all - - the doc gave her the go-ahead to fly! We decided to celebrate this momentous milestone with - what else - but a ticket to sunny San Diego! The flight went great - she slept the entire time and the trip home 2 weeks later went just as smoothly as the first! Now, just a few days shy of turning 5 months old, Brooklyn has been on 7 trips, (20 'legs') and I can admit that sadly, we dont have the exceptional flier that once we had naively thought! We definitely have had some great flights, a few okay flights, and some (okay, one in particular) horrid flight that without question has made us think twice about ever using our flight benefits again! Thankfully those memories faded with time and we have once again resumed our busy traveling schedule. But I am still longing for the day that I dont get a bit queasy inside thinking about an upcoming flight and the havoc that one little girl can cause on it! It will get better as she gets older . . . . hopefully . . . . because we are not done traveling yet!

A few pics of Miss Brooklyn at 1-month on her first airplane trip

Sleeping Beauty

2011-03-27T21:31:00.000-07:00

All of these pictures were taken during Brooklyn's first month. I haven't been too good about labeling the dates on pictures, and obviously I have not been very good at posting them. Oh well. Must catch up . . . 2 months more months!

Love her!

Blessing Day

2011-03-27T21:12:00.001-07:00

Brooklyn Noel was blessed in church on Sunday January 9, 2011 by her dad. Both sets of grandparents were there, as well as our friends Jessica and Sean. She wore the same beautiful dress her cousin Aubrey wore when she was blessed almost 12 years ago! Bryan gave her a wonderful blessing. It was a great day!

Be Our Guest

2011-03-27T18:11:00.000-07:00

From the day our brooklyn was born, we were ready to hop on a flight to visit with our families and show her off! Unfortunately, something stood in the way between us and the airport - and that was brooklyn's pediatrician. As it turns out, her doctor was not too comfortable with the idea of taking miss brooklyn across the country at such a young age, and suggested we waited at least a month - drats! We were stuck in Indy! Luckily, we have a great family and some were able to come visit us during that month that we were grounded :)

Bryan's parent were actually in town the night brooklyn arrived. They were driving through on their way to Florida and stayed a few days because of her pending arrival. They were able to visit for a bit, and left the next day, but stopped again on their return drive back to their home in Michigan. They then came back a few weeks later when we blessed brooklyn at church. Now that is a lot of traveling!

Aunt Shawna showed up next. Since she teaches school - she had two weeks off for Christmas vacation but really had no intention of flying out to visit. Who was she kidding!?! We were home for just a day when she changed her plans and flew out here for a quick visit. Of course we were happy to have her! She came back a few weeks later during a long weekend she had because of Martin Luther King Day (I think)

My parents were also able to come out for Brooklyn's blessing. This was a big feat for my pops - who is not too keen on flying, to say the least! We had some fun times, despite the crazy, snowy weather we had.

We just LOVE our family and are so grateful they were able to make it out here! We sure do wish we lived a little closer - okay - MUCH MUCH closer!

The Most Wonderful Time of the Year

2011-02-23T18:45:00.000-08:00

Our Christmas this year was definitely a little bitter sweet. We were so happy and blessed to have our Brooklyn join the family - but it was tough being here in Indiana away from all of our family. iChat made it possible to join in on some of our families' festivities but it just wasn't the same as being there with them! However - Bryan, Brooklyn, and I had a fun day celebrating together. It was definitely different though. We woke up late and made a yummy breakfast and talked with our families before we headed over to the tree to open up our presents. It was very relaxing and went better than I had imagined it would.

Brooklyn slept most of the day. She left the hospital a little jaundiced and had to sleep with a lighted blanket thing that day. We had to make a quick run to the hospital for a blood test and then we headed home for our Christmas dinner.

Brooklyn with her new Cabbage Patch doll, Madelyn Letty.

We tried to snap a family Christmas photo. The first one turned out horrid - Brooklyn is crying - I clearly have a little excess weight on me and could probably use a change of clothes - and Bryan looks a little, well . . . uncomfortable maybe? We decided to try again a little later . . .

Unfortunately - we never got a chance to retake the photo! The hospital called soon after we got home to tell us that Brooklyn's numbers had gotten worse and we were being readmitted to the hospital. I was seriously so bummed! We had just gotten out and it was so nice to be home. But back to the hospital was a must! Along with our overnight bag - we packed up our Christmas dinner that was just being pulled from the oven and headed back. Overall Brooklyn did well that night under the lights. Doesn't she look like a little sun-bather? I think secretly she wanted to be in California for Christmas too :) Luckily - her numbers went up like they were supposed to and we were once again released. Yay! So, our first Christmas together may not have been the best - but it was worth it to be home - healthy and happy!

If you haven't already heard . . .

2011-02-22T13:15:00.000-08:00

Brooklyn Noel was born December 22nd, 2010. She weighed in at a whopping 8 lbs 9-oz and was 21 inches long. She is a cutie and we love her!

Just minutes old

Proud Poppy with Baby Brooklyn

First family picture. It had to wait until after I showered :)

Brooklyn makes it home! YAY!

It was a long week. We were admitted to the hospital Monday night - Brooklyn was born on Wednesday afternoon - and we were discharged from the hospital Friday evening, on Christmas Eve. She was the perfect Christmas present!

Planning ahead. . .

2011-01-16T15:30:00.000-08:00

I know I have a lot of posts to catch up on - but Bryan and I had a funny little conversation the other day that I just couldn't resist documenting - so here it is. I will catch up on other posts super soon :)

So as many of you may know - we live in a little subdivision full of old people. It is not a retirement community - however it is pretty much geared toward the retired, and therefore we are the youngest couple by at least 25 years, I would guess. It is nice and quiet - and we love it - but I am pretty sure some of the old-people neighbors aren't too keen on us intruding into their neighborhood. Our HOA has funny little rules - as most do - but along with all the normal HOA regulations - we have lots of other rules it seems are geared towards keeping the young out of the subdivision. No kids play yards, no basketball hoops, swimming pools etc.

Anyways - the other day Bryan (in all seriousness) asked - Would brooklyn go live with Bon or Shawn if the HOA decided that kids couldn't live in our community?

Really Bryan? Really? We would MOVE!

A Room Of Her Own

2010-12-11T14:39:00.000-08:00

A before picture . . . the messy office

The inspiration . . . adorable bedding I found at Pottery Barn. I ordered this months ago and it is still back-ordered until mid January . . . blah!

The new room . . . LOVE IT!

Not completely finished but good enough for now. There are still a few things I would like to add but frankly - we are pretty short on time! Some shelves and a few other little decorations are planned and hopefully will be put up soon! I already foresee some storage issues since this room used to be an office and therefore has no closet - but we will make it work! All it really needs now to feel complete is a little baby Brooklyn . . . well, and that long lost bedding!

growing old is mandatory; growing up is optional

2010-12-06T18:36:00.000-08:00

Only a few short weeks after the family trip - my Bryan turned 31 years old. Because his birthday also fell on the day Cayden was to be baptized - we headed out to California once again to visit with my family. We planned to fly out on the morning of his birthday - so we went out to eat a few days before to celebrate just the two of us. Every year Bryan chooses Red Lobster but this year decided he would rather go to a bbq place he had been wanting to try. Sadly - it was closed so he settled on mexican - yummy!

No worries though - a few days later we were able to hit that bbq restaurant - it was good too and we ate tons!!

We made it to San Diego on Saturday morning and Cayd was baptized later that evening by my pops. Lots of friends and family were able to come for the occasion and it was a great evening.

That night - we had some friends over for a bbq? Honestly - I dont remember what we had - I think it may have been a bbq - and I am too lazy to go back to another's blog to figure it out - but I am sure food was involved! Then both Bryan and Cayd got to open some gifts. I didnt get any pics on my own camera - so here is one I stole from someone else. Cayd made it for Bryan. He loved it :)

We did cake a few days later. Then Bryan ran off to Florida for a few days to visit with his family and I stayed in California for the remainder of the week. As always - we had a most excellent time! Happy (very belated) birthday, Bryan!!

according to the dictionary of molly

2010-12-05T17:37:00.000-08:00

depressing

[dih-pres-ing] –adjective

Writing about a summer trip to the river when it is a chilly 21˚ outside and tomorrows forecast calls for even worse - a high of 19˚ - yuck!

Back in August was our annual Kelly Family River Run Vacation. It was a delightful trip that included but was not limited to:

- playing in the water

- eating lots of food

hmmm . . . there must be more but lets be honest - it was over three months ago - so I really forget all of the details. But it was lots of fun, I can tell you that much :)

My mom and pops! The best parents anyone could ask for! SERIOUS! We definitely are a lucky bunch of kids!

The men in my life (well, most of them!) - aren't they just so stunning in the pink hats??

Bon Bon and the kids - an awesome kodak moment - yes?

Picture posing on the last day! Goodbye until next year, Colorado River! Oh how we LOVE our family trips to Laughlin!

why I hate blogging . . .

2010-12-05T17:13:00.000-08:00

i ALWAYS fall behind! For some reason I feel that these posts must be in chronological order - so when something new and exciting and totally blog-worthy happens - I can not post it because I have yet to write about a particular family vacation that occurred some 3 months ago! So in an effort to remember all these exciting (or not so exciting) details of our life - I have accumulated a 'to-blog-about' list and it hangs on my computer, getting longer and longer.

So here goes nothing - let the blogging catch-up begin!!

What - Oh - What Will The Little Pea Be?

2010-08-15T10:23:00.000-07:00

Bryan and I have anxiously been awaiting the date that we could find out if we were going to have a little baby girl or boy. Finally - the 18th week rolled around - an appointment was scheduled - and somehow a certain sister convinced me that it would be fun to wait a few weeks longer and reveal the gender when Bryan and I would be visiting my family in California. A card was created and at our appointment it was given to the tech who was to circle the gender and seal it up. That appointment was the hardest thing we had to sit through - we constantly debated whether or not we would just find out and pretend we hadn't - but when the time finally came we turned our heads away and we left the appointment anxious for our upcoming trip home. The sealed envelope was immediately mailed to my mom - who took it to a bakery with the instructions to bake a cake and color the filling blue if the baby was a boy or pink if the baby was a girl.

At 20 weeks, after a quick family vacation to the river (more to come on that) - it was time to eat! The cake was adorable! I had no idea my family had such an awesome cake planned!

Oh what will it be? Bryan was hoping for a boy - and it seemed like everyone else was hoping for a girl.

Although the cake was adorable - and delicious - I was a little disappointed in the colored filling. I was hoping for an bright, intense color, and this was more pastel. But honestly - that didn't really matter that much - the most important part really was that the filling was PINK!!!!

Yay for a little girl!!!

Can Money Buy Happiness??

2010-07-19T07:33:00.000-07:00

This past Saturday, Bryan and I took a day trip out to Chicago for an informational meeting about a job he has been trying to convince me to let him apply for. While everything about the job truly does look like a dream come true - there is just one (rather large) reason that continues to make me hesitate a bit - it would require a move to Dubai (no Bonnie - it is not in Illinois) While moving to the middle east doesn't necessarily concern me - it is that long flight home that raises a few red flags! Ever since we moved out here to Indiana I have wanted nothing more than to find a way to get us back out west and closer to my family. The 5 hour flight already seems like quite the inconvenience - so I honestly cant imagine spending 16 hours on a plane every time I wanted to travel home - and lets just kiss those quick weekend trips goodbye.

But as previously mentioned - the job has so many perks I honestly dont know how we could pass up the opportunity if it presented itself! Bryan keeps comparing it to winning the lottery. While I may not necessarily go that far - I cant deny that it would truly be a life-changer! Bryan would be flying a huge Boeing 777 - his dream job - and have I mentioned that the pay could not be beat? Which leads us to that infamous question - could money really buy happiness? Someday soon we may just find that out!

Tradition!

2010-07-15T18:06:00.000-07:00

Bryan's anniversary for his job falls on June 27th - but more importantly - it falls right at the same time as our counties annual RibFest. You may recall - last year Bryan chose to celebrate his Happy Raise Day here - and ever since he has been looking forward to his next yearly anniversary so we could once again attend Hendrick's County RibFest. It is here that lots of different restaurants come together to sell pulled pork sandwiches, ribs, and all kinds of other deliciousness! Since last year was our first year, we didn't quite know the set up - but this year we knew exactly what to do! We brought some chairs and a blanket, a cooler full of drinks, and some chips and munchies to snack on - - that way we could spend all our hard earned money on bbq. I dont think most other people go there with the intention of purchasing something from everyone like we do - but it is most fun to try lots of food from all different places so we could pick our favorite.

Pictured below is Bryan with round one of sandwiches.

Round two!
I stopped taking pictures after this because he was getting a little embarrassed - plus I think you get the point - but by the end of the evening we were stuffed up to our armpits! I think we ate 4 pulled pork sandwiches - 1 pulled chicken sandwich - some ribtips - a huge elephant ear - and 2 icecreams - and it was worth every penny! Bryan is already counting down to next years anniversary - I think he enjoys Ribfest more than the actual raise itself!

Room Redecorating Project

2010-06-17T08:01:00.000-07:00

Come next month, Bryan and I have will have been living in our new house for two years - crazy how time has flown! We have slowly but surely decorated the house to our liking - with one exception - the office. Its a cute little room but is in serious need of some paint on the walls and some brand new furniture. It has not been a priority room for us thus far, but we finally got the guest room taken care of so this is the next room lined up for a change. We have been searching the internet diligently for some design inspiration - and let me tell you - the possibilities are endless. Pictured below are two of the many many designs we found.

Clearly - our first major change is the room itself. While we could very well use a room addition - we will settle for getting rid of the office period. Who needs an office when you have wireless internet anyways??
While it will be a few more weeks until we can officially decide on a color pallet - we are very excited to get started on our room redecorating project :) We have about 27 weeks to finish this up (until Christmas day to be exact) so time is of no essence! So for now, we will continue in our internet hunt for fun, cute ideas!!

All Smiles :)

2010-03-22T17:14:00.000-07:00

I am constantly trying to capture these cute little boys on camera - but it seems I really have only a select few pictures that I actually like. It is so frustrating! I am definitely considering taking a photography class - there are just too many adorable moments being passed by each day that I would love to preserve forever! Anyways - here are a few of my favorite recent shots. The boys are getting old enough to comprehend a lot more and I am pretty sure I had to bribe them with something for each and every one of these shots - ha ha - oh well! I love that they will give me a smile in return for a marshmallow or a set of car keys! Enjoy :)

Cooper

Cale

Colter

Graphic Photo - Viewer Discretion is Advised . . .

2010-03-07T14:05:00.000-08:00

Okay - perhaps I am being a tad dramatic when it comes to this post - but at the time of this incident I took these photos and honestly didn't know if I would ever really display them. However, a few weeks post event - when all hair has successfully grown back and no evidence remains of the traumatic event - I received the go-ahead from Bryan and here we are . . . If you haven't figured it out by now - I attempted giving my Bryan a haircut - and lets just say it did not go quite as anticipated!

Here he is ready to go. Isn't he a cutie? We were both a bit nervous but we thought of all the money we could save in the long run if I learned to cut his hair instead of him going to the barber every few weeks! I got the trimmer for Christmas and my awesome sister-in-law hooked me up with the professional hair cutting cape (if that is what it is even called!) The haircut actually went very smoothly until I attempted the cool little attachment made specifically for around the ears. Lets just say I failed to read all the instructions - which resulted in a nice bald spot above Bryan's ear.

Unfortunately, it was too low on his head to be covered with a hat - so for a week or two he had to just grin and bear it. What a trooper! Honestly - I think the picture makes it look worse than it really was - maybe something to do with the flash? Ha ha I dont know :) but I seemed to be more upset by the whole event than he was. After announcing that I officially quit as his personal hair stylist - and sulked in my room while he cleaned up the mess - he told me that I should not give up - next time would be perfect if I steer clear of the ear trimmer attachment. Wow, what a guy, huh? Anyways - like I already mentioned - the hair has indeed grown back and the venture has almost been completely forgotten . . . until the next time he is in need of a haircut - yikes!

a little bit rusty . . .

2010-02-27T12:30:00.001-08:00

It has been nearly a year and a half since I quit my last job as a florist. I dont think about it too much except around holidays - particularly Valentine's Day and Mother's Day - the two busiest times of the year for flower shops - then it makes me a little sad. I loved each of those jobs I held in that particular field - especially during the busy holiday seasons. First I worked at a place that specialized in flowers for weddings and big corporate events. We worked one event at a time - slowly - every flower had to be arranged exactly - each arrangement had to be perfect. Then I went to the complete opposite end of the spectrum - and was a designer at 1-800flowers.com - - where I created set arrangements in mass quantities. We had to be quick. Each design was named and had a "recipe" with the quantities of each flower to be used. Hundreds of arrangements left our warehouse daily - with only about 6 of us designers. It was busy and fun. Next I went to a mom and pop flower shop. I loved this shop - and when it went up for sale - I wanted to buy it! I loved this job because I got to be more creative. Instead of getting an order for an exact arrangement - we got orders that read - - spring mix for $50 - or something similar. Then I got to go into the big cooler and pick out the flowers/colors of my liking and design. Lastly I worked in a grocery store florist department - where I did a little bit of everything. I got to be creative with designs - but we also had set arrangements that always had to be available in the cooler. Believe it or not - we did weddings too. Plus I had to run a register, process the flowers, and put in orders too. Probably the least favorite of all the jobs - but I learned a lot and enjoyed what I did. When I left that job in October of 08 - I had every intention of finding another job at a shop closer to home - but when it came down to it - holiday and weekend work was a big part of the job and as I live so far from home and prefer to travel during holidays - I went another route - - for now. Someday - I would love to do it again - but not until I live out west. For now I must settle on designing for fun. I love flowers! I love picking them out and making an arrangement - but I dont do it nearly enough! If I could afford fresh flowers every week - I would do it - but unfortunately - I cant! Well - the other day I went to the store and picked up some flowers. I was so excited to make a beautiful arrangement. People always ask what the key is to making an arrangement look pretty - and here it is . . . it is the greens. While the greens are definitely pretty - they serve a major part of the arrangement and hold all the flowers in place. When I went to the store the other night to pick up my flowers - no greens were for sale - drats - and it was too late so there was not a florist on duty to get some greens from the back! Double drats! So this is what I had to make . . .

Tulips are always a great flower to pick if no greens are available. They are sturdy and beautiful on their own! I would have gone all tulips except they had some lisianthus and delphinium available - which I love - they tend to make an arrangement look more like a bouquet of wild flowers! Anyways - sad to say that after a year and a half - I am a bit rusty! After fidgeting with the arrangement for practically forever I just let it be. It is definitely not the arrangement I envisioned in my head - but will have to do for now - just wish I had some greens :)

"You Long To See The Ancient Pyramids in Egypt"

2010-02-24T18:49:00.000-08:00

Have you ever struggled with a decision in which your head says one thing but your heart says something else? Well, for the past few weeks I have spent many sleepless nights with this very dilemma. Sometimes I think I have made up my mind, but no sooner do I wake up to find that I still am really not completely comfortable with choice I made. I am confused and a bit frusteratated and really just ready to settle for whatever happens.

So tonight - as a special birthday treatie to myself - I picked up Panda Express for dinner - my very favorite! Bryan was of course traveling so I took my plate of deliciousness to go and headed home. But for some reason or another - Bryan and I keep moving to places with major road construction taking place and I found myself stuck in Plainfield traffic for what seemed like forever - with my yummy dinner filling my car with all kinds of lovely smells - and with my mind wandering, of course! I couldn't take this much longer so reached for the only item in my bag that was edible without a fork - my fortune cookie. And you would never guess what I found - - the answer to a prayer. Yes, it is true. Prayers can be answered in lots of ways - they can even be answered in the form of a fortune cookie. And let me tell you - fortune cookies by far can be the easiest to interpret. Dont get me wrong - my fortunes are not always great - I have had some real doozies in the past (case in point - the title of this very post) but tonight it was the exact fortune I was looking for . . .

"Follow the advice of your heart"

In love . . .

2010-02-15T17:48:00.000-08:00

When I packed up to go to college many, many moons ago, it really wasn't too difficult because I was driving and so could fit almost everything I would need into the car! When I got married - it was a whole different story. Bryan and I got married in San Diego and immedietly moved to Florida after the honeymoon. And - we flew! Most objects didn't make the cut. Clothes basically took priority and then whatever else I could squeeze into those two suitcases, I did, but it wasn't much. Because I knew the situation far before the wedding date, Bryan and I registered with the intent of returning almost everything we received and re-buying it once we were settled in Florida. We returned anything and everything we could- easy as pie! Well - fast forward 4 years to present day life in Indiana, and sadly, I can tell you we haven't even come close to re-purchasing all of those wonderful gifts! Although it makes me sad at times- I really cant complain - we ended up with so much money on Target credit that we were able to purchase our groceries for several monthes from the Super Target down the road - and I dont think we went there once without getting a hotdog or popcorn or an icee from the snack bar there - it was a pretty sweet set up! I am sure the cash ended up towards rent a few times - but when it is all said and done - I am still in need of lots of things for my kitchen - although over the past couple of years I have boughten things when I found the need!

Now, take a look at my newest addition - - my new knife set! I am in love! Sounds silly, I know, but Bryan and I have been living the past four years with - count them - TWO knives (note the two pictured on the countertop in front of the new ones)! Although those two knives treated us kindly the past few years - frankly, I am surprised we haven't lost a finger or limb in the process of using them for everything! Bryan and I had just spent the morning trying to cut up this huge chunk of meat with our teenie tiny knife when my mom called asking for this years birthday request. It was like a sign! Although it is always tempting to ask for something fun rather than practical - this year I went with practical - and these beautiful knives landed on my front porch a few days later - and a few weeks early! Thanks Mom and Dad! They are WONDERFUL!
When I first got them, my mom asked me if they were good?

"Good?" I asked. Mom - if they have a blade I am pretty much one happy camper! As I was putting all of these knives into their appropriate slots I didn't know what many of them were used for. I still dont really - but let me tell you I have been chopping and cutting to my hearts content with so many of these knives! I just love not having to clean them immedietly after to use on something else - I can just grab a new knife! I probably am not using them right - but I dont care! Doesn't my kitchen look so adult-like now that I have these puppies! I totally think so too!!!

Sorry about such a lengthy post about knives - but i just couldnt resist! I love them! And Im sorry if you were expecting some lovey-Valentines post because of the title - - I am not really a Valentines girl - so dont hold your breath for that one :)

A year has past since we first met . . . .

2010-02-10T06:18:00.000-08:00

Nope - not Bryan and I - but the other guys in my life - - Colter, Cooper, and Cale! I have officially passed my one-year anniversary at my job! Can you believe it because I sure cant! When I started working for these little guys a year ago - I honestly didn't know what I was getting myself into. Triplet one-year old boys - - five days a week - - all by myself. Could I really handle this?!? Well as it turns out - I can - and it has not been nearly as bad as some might imagine it being! In fact - I consider myself pretty lucky to get paid to hang out with these three little cuties all day long!

Look how much we have changed!

Above: March, 2009 Below: December, 2009

Colter, Cooper, and Cale are now two years old! They walk and talk and get into all kinds of mischief! They are cuddly and sweet and have developed 3 very different personalities. They are learning lots of new things daily and it is so fun to see! Winter time has been a little rough for them - as they love to be outside - and though we have been able to sneak out a time or two - spring and summer will definitely be a treat! I am looking forward to it as much as they are (if not more!)

While I have already mentioned in previous posts some of the reasons I love my job (Set schedule, no weekends, work in my pjs, visitors welcome) these are really but a few very minor perks. Truth be told - this random job I stumbled across last year turned out to be exactly what I needed in my life at this time - - Funny how life turns out like that sometimes :)

Yay for anniversaries!

Time sure flies when you are having fun!

There's No Place Like Home For The Holidays

2010-01-15T13:01:00.001-08:00

Being home sick today may not have many perks - but being able to post on my blog (that so desperately needs to be updated) from the comfort of my bed can surely be considered a silver lining - I suppose :)

I am seriously one lucky girl!! We got to spend Christmas and New Year's with my family at home in California this year, even though we had a Kelly family Thanksgiving too! It couldn't have been better! While we love visiting Bryan's family in Michigan - I still get very homesick during the holidays (okay, okay - more than just the holidays). It is something I know I need to grow out of - but for some reason cant - so while I realize this year was an exception - I can't help but hope it will be like this every year - it was perfect! No worries - we were not being unfair to Bryan's side - it just so happened that this year was the Kelly's year for Thanksgiving (I hadnt been in the last 2 years!) and the Kunz family went to Utah this year for Christmas - so we got to visit once again with the Kelly's YAY! With the excitement of a new baby and a new soon-to-be daughter-in-law on the Kunz side - I am sure we weren't missed too much :) Besides - Bryan has never experienced a Kelly family Christmas! Have I made my case yet? Ha ha :)

There really aren't words to describe how I felt during the holidays this year - and no paragraph in my blog will ever do it justice. I will just say that I have truly been blessed with the most amazing family - and as I get older it just becomes that much more evident to me. We are definitely a tight knit family and while some people may find that strange - I wouldn't want it any other way!

Christmas was fun - we woke up early and found that Santa was way too generous - as always! My parent always makes our requests realities - but they still throw in those surprises too! They are awesome!

Bryan and I got matching Pjs this year. It was harder finding a matching set than I originally thought it would be - so we had to get them from the mens dept so mine are a tad too big! Very comfy though!
Shawna's present to herself this year was Doogle. He is so cute - I love him!
Believe it or not - but in all the years that I have known, dated, been engaged to, and married to Bryan - we have never spent a New Years Eve together! So this year was a special treat! We spent the first part of New Years Eve at Lego Land - and after the big lego dropped at midnight (okay - 6 pm - - after all, it is a celebration for little kids!) we hit Pat and Oscars for dinner then headed home for video games until the real midnight occurred! Great company - lots of fun - yummy food - perfect!

"Another fresh new year is here . . . another year to live!

To banish worry, doubt, and fear, to love and laugh and give!

This bright new year is given me to live each day with zest . . .

To daily grow and try to be my highest and my best!

I have the Opportunity once more to right some wrongs,

To pray for peace, to plant some trees, and sing more joyful songs!"

Happy Belated 2010!

"If you feel bad at 10 miles, you're in trouble. If you feel bad at 20 miles, you're normal. If you don't feel bad at 26 miles, you're abnormal."

2009-12-14T15:21:00.000-08:00

A few weeks back I was on the internet looking for some fun marathon quotes to put on the back of a

shirt and I came across a page of one-liners from

some notable people of the running world. Not

only were they funny - but post-marathon - I have

found them to be pretty darn accurate too!

Case in point: "The difference between the mile and the marathon is the difference between burning your fingers with a match and being slowly roasted over hot coals." Or my personal favorite - "Marathoning is just another form of insanity." While I laughed about these then - what I realize now is that these funny quotes should have been causing some major red flags to my brain - Molly, what the heck are you thinking?? Especially when I came across this goody - - "The trouble with running a marathon is that by the time you realize you are not in shape to finish, it is too late to turn around." Scary - especially when I knew before I took one single step that I was not prepared to run that far!

It feels like ions ago when my sisters and I decided to sign up for the Las Vegas Marathon. I even had intentions of training for it. But life and laziness distracted me and before I knew it - the race was upon us and I hadn't trained a lick! You can pretty much imagine how the rest of this story goes. The run started out fine - but by mile 13 I knew I was toast. I hurt everywhere and the finish line felt like forever away. Bonnie was our fearless leader - and dragged me and Shawna along for the ride. We probably couldn't have finished without her. My mom and the kiddos cheered us on from mile markers 13, 16, and 23 (I think. Honestly - those hours are just a blur!)And somehow - with all that support - we finished. I still dont know how! ha ha! Our time was not great - but since our only goal was to finish - the time didn't matter all that much. We didnt come in last - there was actually still several hundred behind us - which was a relief.

So what quote did we put on those marathon shirts (that unfortunately were never even seen because of the freezing cold weather)?!? LAS VEGAS LUCK NEEDED! Because honestly - we knew the only way we were going to finish was with our little bit of training - and a whole lot of luck!!

The Kiddos the morning of their run. They trained for a month running 25.2 miles. Then in Vegas - there was a kids race to run the last mile of a marathon. They did awesome! All of them ran all four laps - even in the cold! We were so proud!!!

The day before the marathon we did the typical Las Vegas tourist attractions although we have been there like a million times before. It was still fun though!

Our cute shirts!

777 - all the luck we could muster!

Our actual running attire due to the cold weather. Below: Mile 16 (?)

Now the big question - - - will we attempt another marathon in the near future? On that horrid day we decided that this would be our one and only marathon. But I do think maybe some day we will try again. Just give us some time.

"You have to forget your last marathon before you try another. Your mind can't know what's coming. "

- Frank Shorter

Things I am grateful for this Thanksgiving Vacation (in order of appearance, not importance) . . .

2009-12-01T15:32:00.000-08:00

1) Paid time-off

2) Flying home the night before I had planned (and a boss that comes home early so I can catch that flight)

3) Del Taco

4) Family bonding time

5) Baking pies

6) Winning the Corn Hole tourney with Bryan

7) Thanksgiving Dinner

8) Post Thanksgiving family walk

9) Relaxing in the spa

10) Black Friday Bargains

11) Panda Express

12) Sprinter ride to the beach and Ruby's on the Pier

13) Santa Makes a Change

14) New books to read

15) Del Taco (again)

16) Free upgrade to First Class on flight home

17) A red eye flight that gets me in an hour before having to be back at work

18) NO SNOW in Indy yet!

19) Another full week of training (or not training) before the Las Vegas Marathon!!!

Wow - I suppose it would have been easier to just say that I am grateful for my whole entire Thanksgiving Vacation. It was perfect! I am such a lucky girl! I have an amazing family - an awesome husband - a great job - a roof over my head - good health - and food to eat. I can't really ask for more! As I am always finding something new to add to my "eventually I would like to buy" list - I am truly grateful for a day designated for giving thanks and remembering all the things I have been blessed with - because I don't do it nearly as much as I should. I have a wonderful life and a ton of stuff to be grateful for - not just on Thanksgiving but each and every day of the year!

Our group shot before dinner :)
Dad posing for the camera while carving up the deliciousness!!
Bryan and I eating Thanksgiving outside in the beautiful sunny weather!
The girls in the family (minus Rachel and Olivia who weren't there to celebrate with us)
Traditional whipped cream in the mouth photo (above) Spa time (below)

HOPE YOU ALL HAD A WONDERFUL THANKSGIVING!!!!

No I did not get the holiday wrong . . .

2009-12-01T15:18:00.000-08:00

This is actually a post about Halloween :) Okay - it is really just going to include two pics and a short blurb - but Bryan was so disappointed that I never got the picture of the boys up in their Halloween costumes so I thought I would throw it on here real quick - along with our Halloween pic from Trunk or Treat. (No - we were not dressed as anything particular - we just wanted to wear festive black and orange attire! Never again though - it caused way to much confusion! Next year we will have to actually dress up as something!) Halloween was fun - Shawna came to town - which of course was awesome! We had a grand time - and just one trick-or-treater!!!

And finally - the Halloween picture of the boys. They were the three little bears - obviously!! I didnt take this pic - just stole it - but how could I resist! Such cuties!!! From left to right - - Cooper, Cale, Colter.

Fall Fun!!

2009-10-22T15:25:00.000-07:00

So for once I am not going to start this post by apologizing about being a blog-slacker and promising to be better from now on, blah blah blah, because frankly, that just isn't the case for my lack of posts lately. Truth is - nothing too exciting has happened, nothing blog-worthy anyways. Bryan got a funny schedule this month and instead of being off on the weekends like normal - he has had to work - boo. One day we did find time to hit a good old fashioned corn maze - which was fun. We got pretty creative and wedged the camera between the corn and the stalk to take our self-timed photos - not too shabby!

Other than that - we spend our fun fall days at work! Luckily for me, on Bryan's days off - which this month have been at the beginning of each week - he is able to come to work with me - where we spend our days playing with three very adorable little boys - so we cant complain too much! The weather here in Indy seemed to go straight from the summer heat to the cold winter - which made it a harder transition for the little boys, but with the aid of three very plush winter jackets - we have made it work! The boys love playing outside - and with a yard like they have got - who wouldn't? They have tons of toys, slides, cars, etc - although my personal favorite has got to be . . . the fence!!! It was put in a few months ago and boy is it GREAT! Outside time has become so much easier and much more relaxed - and the boys are definitely enjoying their new found freedom!
   Cale
   Colter
   Cooper
Although I love these boys to pieces - there are many reasons I would not want triplets of my own - one (of the many) reasons may sound lame but it would totally bug me - it is so stinkin hard to get a good picture of all three boys at the same time! I cant get them all to sit still long enough and look at me, much less catch them all smiling! Okay - maybe a little dramatic because I have got a few decent pics - but you know what I mean! It is so hard to catch cute pictures of one kid - it is three times as hard catching a good one of all three! Anyways - that is why I love the picture above - no one is crying or looking the wrong way or blinking - they just look too cute in their huge winter coats!

It is official . . .

2009-09-14T19:28:00.001-07:00

Bryan is OLD!!! Ha ha! Okay, okay - I am only just teasing, but he did hit the big 3-0 on the 11th of this month - and that definitely is considered a milestone in my book! We didn't do anything fancy (do we ever?) however he got to eat out for all three of his meals that day and for Bryan, that is pretty much as good as it gets! He was a trooper - and even though it was his day off - he came to work with me all day long! We had donuts in the morning - took the kidlets to the park and to lunch - then we went to Bryan's traditional birthday dinner at Red Lobster where he gets the all-you-can-eat shrimp while I have to scour the menu for something edible to order for myself - - it is always such a treat - - but I suppose it is something I can handle one day a year :)

At Red Lobster - Yum Yum :)

I have been wanting to try to make a cake with fondant for a while now - so I thought I would give it a whirl for Bryan's birthday. I definitely thought it would be easier - thats for sure! I had this adorable cake envisioned in my head - but by the time I got down to actually making the stupid cake it was already pretty late at night and I was not in the mood to do it. So sadly - I made this one pretty half-heartedly! Kneading the fondant was brutal - as was rolling it out - so I rolled it just enough to cover the cake - - so it was way too thick - oh well! I cut a bunch of corners in order to get it done in a timely matter. It definitely did not turn out how I wanted it to - but I am glad I gave it a shot so I know what I will be in for the next time around. I totally want to try it again - but maybe on a Saturday when I have some extra time on my hands - we will see. Anyways - it was tasty, which I suppose is what really matters. Dinner - Presents - Cake - - - that was about it - - but it was a nice, mellow evening at home. Happy Birthday Bryan!!!

The Happiest Run on Earth . . .

2009-09-10T20:12:00.000-07:00

Seriously, does such a run really exist? I think not! However - if you just had to run 13.1 miles somewhere - I guess there is no better place to do it than in Disneyland, CA - wahoo! I was so nervous about this run for a few reasons - 1) because I did not train very well this time around. In fact - I trained worse than last time - which was pretty lame back then! I think the furthest I ran to prepare was 6 miles - I attempted a 7 miler with my sisters one week and got grumpy and walked - haha! and 2) because I was running with my sisters who had been training together and they (and by they I mean Bonnie) were very insistent that we were going to run this thing under 2 hours! The time didn't scare me too much - I needed to shave 6 minutes off my last race - very possible I knew - but I just didn't really want to be the one holding everyone else back.

Overall - we didn't make the two hour goal - but the race went quite well and we were very happy at the end! So I guess the title can stick for now . . .

Here we are in front of our hotel. We had to check in for the race by 6 pm the day before and the race started at 6 in the am so it only made sense to sleep up in Anaheim the night before! What we really didn't plan on was going up early that day so we could spend a childless/strollerless day at Disneyland. It may be one of the worse things that you can do the day before a run like that - walking around a theme park all day - - but we had a great time and I dont think any of us regret the rash decision! The lines were not bad at all - especially for a Saturday. I think the longest wait was maybe a half an hour! We got to ride all the fun adult rides - and we even broke down on Space Mountain and got to see and ride the coaster from the inside - lights on - definitely a once in a lifetime opportunity! At the end of the day - we were very responsible and left at a decent hour in order to get a good 8-hour (or very close to) night sleep!

Here we are before the ran began! No one came up to watch so we had to run with our camera in tow and took our own Kodak Moments! We started in Down Town Disney - Ran through CA Adventures - then through Disneyland - then into the streets of Anaheim. We passed by the Honda Center (Home of the Ducks) and got to run a lap in Angel Stadium before heading back to CA Adventures where the race ended.
Shawna and Bonnie running through the Castle!
Whew! Mile 8! Over half way done! Don't mind the time - it wasn't accurate because of how long it takes you to actually pass the start time.
In the stadium! Mile 9!
With a bug from Bugs Life - 1 mile to go!!!

Bonnie and Shawna at mile 13 - Almost done! Notice Bonnie's face - classic! Ha ha!

Yay! We are finished! Sorry we look pretty gross in all the pics - a combo of both sweat and water from the water stations we used to pour on ourselves as opposed to drinking!

Overall time you ask? 2 hours and 9 minute! Drats! The funny thing was that the night before Bonnie used a permanent Sharpie marker to write down her arm the time we had to be at when we hit each mile marker in order to achieve our two hour goal. As the run started we were weaving in and out of people trying to maintain a steady pace. At mile marker one Bonnie nearly panics as she checks her arm and tells us we are behind! "By how much?" we ask. "Too much!!!" was her response! Geesh! By mile marker 2 she claims it is a hopeless cause so lets just get into a comfortable pace and finish! That was definitely fine by me. We relaxed - ran at a steady pace - and got to take all kind of candid shots that we would not have been able to had we been more set on our goal time. But it wasn't until our ride home that I finally got Bonnie to tell us how far behind we were at mile marker one. 20 SECONDS!!! Ha ha - she definitely gave up too easy on that one - had I known that I think I would have pushed us a bit harder - because that time definitely could have been recovered! Oh well! Still a fun run and an awesome castle shaped medal at the end - definitely worth it! Oh yeah - and the permanent marker sweat completely off her arm by mile 3 - haha!

Nothing Is Better Than Last Minute Company

2009-09-02T19:10:00.000-07:00

Especially when it is my sister! Shawna texted me last (x2) Friday night and told me that she was going to come visit for a few days.

me: AWESOME! WHEN?

shawna: I think tomorrow.

Ha ha - she is so funny - but it is a true story! I would love if all my visitors decided so last minute like that - then I wouldn't spend weeks counting down the days until the visit - it would just be here the very next day!

After these last few visits I am sure by now Shawna wishes I lived somewhere a little more exciting than Indiana - but such is life! I loved having her here! She stayed a week and woke up every day at 6 just to come to work with me - she is the best! The boys loved her and it is always nice to have an extra helping hand! Sadly the very few pics we took were on her camera and she has yet to send them to me - so I cant post any - but take my word for it that we had a fantastic time together. Sisterly bonding is the best - too bad I cant get Bonnie out here for a few days too :) We did all the regular stuff that we always do when we are together - shopping, movies, eating, running, and lots of late night talking of course! I sure wish I lived closer to my sisters so we could hang out more often! Luckily it is only a few short days until our next scheduled trip! I know I don't say it often - but SOMETIMES (and by sometimes I mean vacation times) having a pilot as a husband is the very best!

I'm NOT a PC!

2009-08-29T15:59:00.000-07:00

About 6 months ago we decided to finally get Bryan a laptop. He is always out of town and it is nice to have a computer to get things done and keep him entertained on long layovers and such. I grew up on Macs and Bryan did not - so when it came to picking out a laptop we had quite the pickle! Our desktop at home is a Mac because I insisted on it - but since this was going to be Bryan's laptop I decided to let him pick - and he chose a Dell. It was actually a pretty cute little netbook - the thing was tiny - perfect for traveling - and pretty inexpensive - in case he lost it. Really all he wanted to do with it was play on the internet and that is what these new netbooks are made for - so I was okay with his decision. I stressed to him several times the advantages of Macs but he just didnt think they were worth the difference in cost - fine.

So anyways - fast forward 6 months to the present and the thing seriously is pretty much junk! It is slower than molasses and is constantly shutting down and kicking him off the internet for no reason at all. Plus - the teeny tiny size makes it great for traveling but the screen is so small a whole window doesn't really fit onto it without scrolling. But it wasn't until Bryan spent over 2 hours with tech support and coughed up over $100 bucks to get rid of some stupid virus that had attacked his little netbook that he finally saw the light! He decided to donate his little netbook to the Molly-needs-something-to-do-during-naptime-or-she-will-go-insane cause (since a junk, slow laptop is better than no laptop) - and we headed up north to the Apple Store in Carmel to pick out a nifty new laptop for my Bryan (and to hit Cheese Cake Factory - mmm!) It ended up being such the fun night! We ordered the computer and got some smashing bargains too - free printer and ipod touch! I also ordered this awesome green cover thing to protect it and his whole laptop is green now - ha ha! I am seriously so very jealous but am glad that he finally has something decent to play on during all those hours he is away from home every week!

Doesn't he look so happy! The moral of this story you ask? Macs will forever be the better computer - ask Bryan - a convert :) They are so stinkin easy to use and best of all - NO VIRUSES - EVER! Happy early birthday, Bryan! Don't expect too much more next month!!

River Trip!

2009-08-20T18:30:00.000-07:00

About 2 weeks ago Bryan and I both took a week off to go home to California to visit with my family - and as always it was a pretty smashing time! We left Friday evening together on a short (16 minutes to be exact!) flight down to Cincinnati - then we parted ways for the weekend. Bryan flew to Salt Lake to visit with his brother and I flew straight into San Diego. Bry got to go to his favorite Peruvian restaurant twice while in Utah - so he was pretty much in heaven - then he flew into CA on Sunday. Our week was busy as always. I got to visit with a few friends and a new little baby; we got to see Wicked - which was an awesome show; I got to visit all of my very favorite restaurants; and best of all we had our annual (or not quite so annual as the case may be) trip to the River!

Playing on the river Kelly-style is pretty awesome. By day we set up camp on a beach somewhere while we sea-doo, play in the water, eat, and bask in the 119 degree heat - all to our hearts content - but in the evening we pack everything up and head into the town of Laughlin, NV where we stay in a hotel and enjoy all the luxuries that come with that - beds, showers, air conditioning, buffet dinners (and buffet breakfasts - haha!) Best of all - NO CAMPING! YAY! It has not always been this way - but a few years back we definitely learned this is the way to do it - and we have never looked back :)

Overall - we had a great time and as always - it was very hard to say good bye and leave! My family is just too good to me and I miss them tons when I am gone! Thanks Mom and Dad for everything! 4.25 years and counting till our move . . . CANT WAIT!

Flying High!!!!

2009-08-09T00:13:00.000-07:00

Here is my first official post from an AIRPLANE! Thats right - technology these days allow one to access the internet while flying thousands of feet above the earth in an airplane! The sad part of this post is that I am on my way back to Indy - BOO! The fun part of this post is that I am flying first class with internet and unlimited Cherry Coke- YAHOO! It is late so I wont attempt to discuss my trip in details right now - I will say that it was GREAT as always and I have the best family and husband in the whole wide world! More to come later - I am running low on some major battery life! See you on the ground!!!!!!

A Little Bit of Everything!

2009-07-28T18:56:00.001-07:00

Is it just me or is this year seriously flying by? I cant believe it is nearly August - the summer is almost over - and I am not sure if I am quite ready to be thinking about snow yet. Hopefully I've still got a few more months after August to come to worry about that!

Well I guess that lots has happened since I posted last - my sister Shawna got to come visit for a very awesome week and a half - with her and Bryan here it was more like a vacation for me! She was a great sport and came with me everyday to work to help out - it was fantastic! We also got to hit Holiday World - which was a blast - and of course we got some quality sister bonding time in which I definitely have missed!

Shortly after she left Bryan and I hit a new milestone - - one year in our very first house/1 year in Plainfield - - quickly followed by Bryan's 2-year anniversary at his company - a day fondly referred to here as "Happy Raise Day!" We celebrated at our county's Rib Fest where Bryan got to gorge in lots of pulled pork sandwiches and yummy treats - he was basically in heaven!

Fourth of July came next - it was a very gloomy day - it poured all day long and I was terribly sad that I didn't attempt a weekend trip home to visit with all my family that was out there at the time. Of course they had beautiful sunshine and lots of food and fun! Our ward party was cancelled - as were the city fireworks - but we did celebrate at some friends house (inside of course) then came home and let off some fireworks in the rain.

The boys are growing like crazy! They are 18-months old now and so adorable! They all can walk and run and they are getting into everything - definitely keeping me on my toes!

Everything else here is pretty great! We got a new treadmill that I love - I got all four of my wisdom teeth removed (which went so much better than expected!) - We went and test drove some Jeep Liberties (my dream car and sadly left without one even though we found the perfect one) - and we get to go to San Diego to visit my family this Friday - hurray!

And best of all - - I finally updated this stupid thing so I am officially caught up and hopefully will no longer be nagged about it - for now that is! Hope you all enjoyed this lovely catch-up! Below are some random shots of the adventure previously mentioned!

   Shawna and I with Santy at Holiday World
Bryan on the new ride - Pilgrim's Plunge (He is in the front seat in the white shirt - great shot huh?!?!)
   Yikes!!!
   Shawna with Colter and Cooper.

   Rib-Fest Yum Yum!
   July 4th, 2009
   Cale
   Colter
   Cooper

Memorial Day Fun!

2009-06-04T19:47:00.000-07:00

This year Memorial Day was not going to be anything too exciting - I did not have to work but Bryan did - so I thought I would spend the day lounging in my pjs and running some boring errands. However - the family I work for decided to take a last minute trip which left me with an extended, 5-day long break - wahoo! Of course I chose to fly home and spend some quality time with the family - - do I go anywhere else? I actually flew into Vegas Thursday night and got there by the skin of my teeth! It was seriously such a full flight but someone luckily did not show up to the gate on time (but had already checked in) and I was free to take their seat! I spent Friday visiting Shawna in her class room (she is such a cute little teacher!) then Bryan flew in later that night and we went on a little double date with Shawna and her friend. We went to Cafe Rio (my favorite!) and then hit Nielsens Frozen Custard for Bryan - which I am pretty sure was the whole reason he chose to come! Overall - very fun day! We woke up early the next day and drove home and had some major family bonding time with swimming and a bbq. The weather was so so beautiful - the pool was perfect - the food was delicious - and the company was great - - it couldnt have been a better day/weekend! Sadly Bryan had to leave Sunday because he had to go back to work on Monday - but it was great he could come for those few short days!

Then Aubrey's birthday happened to fall on Memorial day this year - so we started the day off right - IHOP - which was super yummy of course!
After breakfast the girls all went to get pedicures together. I am not super fond of them because I am so ticklish - but it was not nearly as bad as I remember it being and it was way fun. I am actually even considering making it a monthly thing! We took pics but Kelly's dont have the cutest of feet so don't look too closely :)
We spent the rest of the day swimming and doing the traditional birthday festivities. Happy Birthday Aubrey!!!
I took the redeye home that night and landed in Indy with enough time to grab a coke from McDonalds (to keep me awake of course!) and head straight to work. It took a few days to get readjusted but now I am as good as new!!!

2009-06-04T19:20:00.000-07:00

Lately a certain someone has been nagging me for a new post and since nothing super exciting has happened lately (well, besides Memorial Day weekend but I have no pics of the event and am currently waiting on some to arrive via email any minute now) I decided to do a "mini post" while I wait - so exciting I know!

Here in Indiana we seriously have some crazy weather and just a few weeks ago we were hit by a major wind storm! It was pretty intense, especially when the tornado sirens were blasting! Anyways - the next day as I was driving into our subdivision I noticed this tree in a neighbors yard.

I would just laugh and laugh every time I drove by it! Sadly, it was fixed a few days later - but hopefully ::fingers crossed:: it will only remain upright until our next big storm blows through!

Spring Break!!

2009-04-20T17:48:00.000-07:00

Although technically I haven't had a spring break since high school - this year my mom was able to bring Aubrey and Cayden out with her to visit for part of their 2 week long spring break - so it felt like I was on a little vacation myself! We had a great time visiting together and I was so happy they were able to come! They spent about 6 days here - in which time we were able to do some very fun stuff here around Indy - but we were also able to just relax and hang out too, which is a very important part of any break from school :) Cayden was a crazy man the whole week - but we all survived - and luckily - so did the carpet! And although it is always nice to get back into my old routine after any kind of vacation or visitors - I still couldn't help but wish we lived closer to home!!! 4 & 1/2 years to go and counting . . . sometimes it feels like forever!

Here is mom, Aubrey, and Cayden in front of the Children's Museum. We had heard nothing but rave reviews about this place but Bryan and I never dared to venture there without a kid to bring along. It was a pretty cool place - but I honestly would probably not go back unless we had some more kids in tow.
A few weeks back Extreme Makeover Home Edition filmed in Indy - only one week after it filmed in Vegas - where Shawna lives - what are the odds?? We didnt go down and watch the process or even to the filming of "Move that Bus!" but we did go take a gander at the completed house. It was pretty cool - it will air sometime next month.
Not only did we get 6 fun filled days together - we also got Easter! We did all the traditional stuff - dyed eggs, ate ham, had an easter egg hunt, and scarfed down tons of candy! We hid 103 eggs in our little house - every room was fair game except for the bathrooms - I thought that could get a little gross. With lots of help - every last egg was found - a very successful hunt in deed!
I didn't take every day off that the family was here - so a few days were spent with me at work. Mom and the kids loved the little boys I watch - which made a few very easy days for me. The boys got to be held to their hearts desire - maybe a little more so! I was glad the enjoyed it - and I am definitely missing all those helping hands!
During the boys three hour naps - Cayd ventured outside and met a new friend. He called him 'sticky' because the horse nibbled on the sticks he would feed to it. Cayden can be so creative when it comes to names :) He was so sad that I wouldn't let him take home the stick with all the horse teeth marks in it - funny kid! Thanks for visiting guys! Miss you!

Bryan's FIRST Post: How to Attend the NCAA Basketball Tournament for FREE!

2009-03-28T13:00:00.000-07:00

Thursday morning was a much needed day off for me. I had worked Monday - Wednesday and had the rest of the week off. I was eating breakfast and reading the paper and a little article in the corner caught my eye. It said that the four teams in town for the NCAA tournament were going to be practicing downtown and admission was free to the public, parking included!! I know, it isn't exactly the NCAA tournament being that it is only practice but how else am I going to get you to read this post about my day. I was planning on going running and then going to hang out with Molly and the boys she takes care. Needless to say she was a little sad when I called and said I couldn't come anymore because I had some business to take care of downtown :) I pulled on my Michigan State jacket and grabbed the latest Sports Illustrated to read in between sessions and headed out.

The practice and games were held in the new state of the art Lucas Oil Stadium in Downtown Indianapolis. It is the home of the Indianapolis Colts football team and will host the NCAA Men's basketball Final Four in 2010 and the Super Bowl in 2012. It was my first time in the building and let me say it is very impressive.

The four teams in town this week were Arizona, Kansas, Louisville, and Michigan State. Each team had 1 hour to take the court and run some drills and shoot around. There weren't very many people there and so I was able to get really close to the court. I was able to figure out which tunnel Michigan State would come out of and sat in the first row right there. Below are a few pictures I took of my day:

This is a view from my seat showing the MSU team practicing. Coach Tom Izzo is in the all green outfit in the middle.

This is the team heading back to the locker room at the end of practice.
As the team was heading back in I was standing next to the kid in the picture above holding the white hat. Kalin Lucas, a star player for Michigan State and the player on the cover of the Sports Illustrated that I had taken to read was signing the little kids hat so I reached down with my magazine and he was happy to sign that as well. One obviously jealous man on the other side jokingly yelled out "Hey, he's cheating. He has the Sports Illustrated cover." Keep in mind it wasn't my intent to get it signed, I just happened to bring it to read.

The Newest Guys In My Life . . .

2009-03-20T19:09:00.000-07:00

Here they are - Colter, Cooper, and Cale - the triplet boys I began watching about 6 weeks ago - aren't they just the cutest? They are 14 months old and they are actually pretty easy to watch. Of course they have their moments - but overall they are easy kids to spend the day with (especially for boys - haha!) Colter is the little bully - I like to call him. He is the only walker at this point - although the other two should be there shortly - but for now he can poke, push, and steal far better than the others because he can make a quick get-away. It is pretty amazing what each boy puts up with from his brothers - they climb and crawl all over each other - it is actually kind of amusing. All three are very cute and very cuddly! They are on a good routine and the days go by quickly - which is definitely a plus! I love having the Monday through Friday schedule - and Bryan is able to come hang out with us on his days off too (which really aren't many because he now bids for Monday - Friday schedules so we can have the weekends off together). Overall - the job isn't too shabby! I am looking forward to the weather getting a bit warmer so we can play outside and snack on popsicles =) Until then we will stick to legos, trucks, and Nillas - amongst other things - inside. The worse part of the job - by far - is having to wake up and be there by 7! I have never been a big sleeper-inner, but 6 is still a little on the too-early side! I'm sure I will grow accustomed to it eventually - there are most definitely worse ways to spend your days than waking up early to play with these three!

Is it March already!?!

2009-03-06T15:37:00.000-08:00

I know February is a bit shorter than all the other months - but I still cant believe it has already come and gone! We had a few fun highlights that I failed to post and for some reason really have not wanted to - so I will make it quick just so we can move on already =)

Bryan worked Valentine's Day and I really didn't plan on trying to celebrate it on another day - but then realized I would need to take some pictures for our scrapbook for February - and so we did it on the Sunday after. We had heart shaped pizza from Papa Murphy's (although it really didnt look very heart shaped to me) and then we took these cute little tests I picked up from Barnes and Noble - How Well Do You Know Your Husband, and How Well Do You Know Your Wife. They both had 100 questions and it turned out to be lots of fun. The questions were pretty random so it was definitely fun to see how well we knew each other. Bryan technically won - but some of the questions were "what if" questions and they were hard to prove! I mean honestly - how was I supposed to know that if there was a sudden house fire and Bryan could only save one thing - it would be the tv! Serious? I mean - I know he likes to watch tv and all - but he probably couldn't even lift the thing by himself! I just don't see that really happening but I could not prove otherwise - so it was a little frustrating! And he didn't even know his shirt neck and sleeve size - so why honestly would I? Oh well! On the other hand - I had to get up and prove that I could stand on my head, sing my school fight song, and show him that I did not carry more than 6 credit cards in my purse, among other things. If Barnes and Noble carries these books year-round, I would definitely recommend picking them up yourselves because they really were pretty entertaining.

And ten days after Valentine's Day - I turned the big 2-6! Yikes! Bryan was home for the day (YAY!) and we celebrated with the basics - dinner, cake, and presents! Bryan got me this awesome organizer for my craft room and didnt want to wrap it so he hid it in the bath tub - haha! Sometimes I wonder where that boy came from! Regardless - it was a pretty smashing day! Thanks all for the birthday wishes!

Cruisin' Mexico

2009-02-04T18:32:00.000-08:00

Kelly Cruise #3 was everything we had hoped for and more! Our trip was 8 days long and it started in San Diego on Friday. We spent the next two days at sea, then hit Acapulco, Ixtapa & Zihuatanejo, and Manzanillo, Mexico in 3 days, then spent the final 2 days at sea. There really is just not enough time or space to recapture this awesome vacation in a single post!

Below are several of the hundreds of pictures taken that week (even with the loss of Shawna's camera on one of the first days!)

Basically, we had an amazing time with our family! With 13 of us - you could wander around the ship at any time and find someone from the group. The weather was perfect! We ate more than you could possibly imagine - I still haven't gotten up the courage to get on the scale! People gain an average of 1-2 pounds a day on a cruise boat! Yikes! Definitely doesn't surprise me though! By the end of the week - Bryan's wedding band no longer fit - Ha ha! I drank my weight (if not more) in diet cherry coke - but not just any old diet cherry coke. We are talking about diet coke mixed with delicious cherry syrup and topped with marciano cherries! Yum Yum! By the end of the week the bartenders not only knew our orders as soon as we got to the bar - but they could name the children in our group - ha ha no joke! The ship had lots of stuff to do - swimming, bingo, movies, miniature golf, video games, water slides, shows, board games, crafts, a casino, and of course, food!

Below is a film of Bryan going down the slide on the ship. Some how he was able to go faster than everyone else - very impressive Bry!

How do I thank my parents for such a great vacation - I still do not know! Not only did they pay for the entire trip - but somehow I walked off the ship with $40 more dollars in my pocket than I got on with (which was basically nothing - haha!) They are amazing!

Now it is back to regular life here in Indiana. The weather is freezing (I was going to post a picture of all the snow in the yard but I was too cold to venture outside to take that picture - sad!).

No holidays coming up - no vacation to look forward to - and worse of all - now its time to hunt for a job ::sigh:: I think it is time to start planning the next trip :)

85 degrees in January!!!!

2009-01-20T13:27:00.000-08:00

Since Bryan and I got married so many moons ago - we have had a continuous debate about where we will live when we finally have a choice. We are not talking about tomorrow or anything - we are well aware that we will be in Indiana for the next couple of years - but after - when Bryan is hopefully working for a different company and we are free to choose ANYWHERE! My choice has always been California - my whole family lives here and that was always a good enough reason for me! Bryan - however - insists that he couldn't possibly live somewhere without all four seasons - snow in the winter, falling leaves in the autumn, sunshine in the summer, and spring (whatever exciting happens then - haha!) Anyways - this morning I jumped on a plane and left Indy all bundled up to keep me warm in the 8 degree weather and 6 hours later I walked out of the airport to a beautiful 85 degrees here in San Diego! In January! I love it! I love it - I love it - I love it! Why would anyone want to live in all that blasted cold when they could live somewhere beautiful and sunny all year around? Sure - the leaves and snow are pretty - I will agree to that - but can definitely be enjoyed on future family vacations - I really will not miss it that much! Besides - Bryan is a pilot for pete's sake! For the rest of his working years he will continue to spend at least 3 or 4 nights a week away from home. The way I see it is that during the winter he will be able to fly to the cold places and enjoy the snow - but will never have to scrape his windshield or remove the snow from the driveway. During fall he can enjoy seeing the leaves but will never have to rake them! He can have the best of both worlds. And with that - I think California is the obvious choice - I win! Anyways - for the next 8 days it doesn't matter that I live in the heinous cold - in fact - for the next eight days only I might actually be grateful - I think I will appreciate this cruise to Mexico that much more! Wahoo!!

December in a Nutshell . . .

2009-01-02T17:50:00.000-08:00

Fly to Las Vegas - Drive to CA - Family Party - Ward Christmas Party - Another Family Party - Dad's Birthday - Bridal Shower - Christmas - Wedding Flowers - Wedding - Trip to Detroit - Back to CA - New Years Eve - and New Year's Day - - - all mixed in with lots of eating, babysitting, and of course - shopping!

My Christmas break began way back on the 7th of December. Bryan had to leave to Mississippi for a week to train for a new license and then the rest of his month was filled with trips - so I took off early and he came out whenever he had a few days off in a row. The month was very busy but very fun - and it went by way too fast! Here are some of our additional Kodak Moments for the month . . .

We finally got to see Twilight when we all met together in Vegas the first week of December. It was good - of course movies are never as good as the books - but we still enjoyed it!

Back when we were in elementary school - every Christmas time our school did something called "Santa Makes a Change" Basically - this story was read during library time about Santa and I dont exactly remember why but he needs a new suit - - then everyone gets a paper with Santa in his undies and you are responsible for making him a new outfit. The Santas were judged and prizes were given and the top Santas were kept and put in binder so future students could look at previous years winners. Now - many moons later - Aubrey and Cayd's school does the very same thing! I love it! Two years ago I was home with Aubs and we made her Santa a leprechaun. It was so cute and she ended up getting first place for the 2nd grade - wahoo! Sadly though - last year I was unable to come home and I dont know what became of their Santa's - - but they did not win anything. This year I was back and responsible for two Santas - - we made Aub's a pirate - - complete with a peg leg and gold tooth - and we made Cayden's into a caveman. Both were super cute and we anxiously awaited the announcement for the winners. We were not surprised when Cayd scored first place for all of first grade and Aubs got second for the fourth graders! Way to go you two - I am so proud!
(This pic was taken the day before Christmas break so the kids spent the day having parties in class so I dont know what exactly is all over Cayden's face but he was a mess - haha!)
This was taken during one of Bry's visits out to Cali - - we were having family picture day.
Shawna and Molly - Christmas morning!
Jenae - one of my very best friends - got married two days after Christmas and I got to do the flowers for it. She was very easy and just wanted a mixture of pinks and greens. Our house turned into a little flower shop for two days - it was a crazy mess but it was fun.
My mom and I with the bridal Bouquet - on our way to the temple sealing.
The centerpieces. Her wedding was beautiful. She was beautiful. We are so happy for Jenae!
New Year's Eve was spent at Lego Land. It was fun. At 6 pm they dropped the big lego ball and had fireworks and music as we counted down to the New Year (6 hours early!) We went to Islands after - then spent the real New Years going in the spa and playing wii till midnight.

Hope you all had a very wonderful Christmas

and have a great 2009!

My Thanksgiving Miracle!

2008-12-02T15:44:00.000-08:00

This is my dream scrapbook room - isn't she a beauty!?! You buy each individual cube separately and put it all together - I think I need about 23 or so total- but at 29.99 bucks a cube - that is just not in my budget these days! However - for the past several weeks I have saved my Michael's 40% off coupon and have gotten to buy one cube a week. This was working out pretty well for me - I was saving about 10 bucks a cube - although it was going to take me basically forever to build! Then - something amazing happened - - - - BLACK FRIDAY!

Thats right - Black Friday - that beautiful day when you wake up super early - fight crowds of traffic and people - and score basically some of the best deals of the year. Not only were all my cute little cubbies 40% off - they also had a coupon for 25% off your whole purchase - including sale items! If you dont want to do the math - I will do it for you - - my 29.99 cubbies were now only 10.54 each! And that is not all! I have been having a heck of a time finding the table top and the round corner pieces - I didn't know what I was going to do but special order them and pay full price. But that morning they had every piece I needed - my Thanksgiving Miracle is what I like to refer to that day as! Anyways - I scored basically all the pieces I need for that blasted room! The only real downer is that all of my pieces are up in Michigan (where we spent Thanksgiving) and I will have to wait til the new year to drive my purchases home to build! Thats okay though - something to look forward to after Christmas! Hope you all had a fabulous Thanksgiving and Black Friday - - - mine couldn't have been much better!!!

2008-11-13T08:31:00.000-08:00

Well - I guess you all know I made it back from my trip to California alive and well - I have just failed to write about it! Because I quit my job and time really was not an issue - I got to stay for almost 2 weeks - it was great. I left the same day Bryan left for a 4 day trip - then he came out and joined us for a few days - then went on another four day trip while I remained in California - - then I went back to Indy just a day after he got back. Overall it worked out great - the loads were light and I was able to get a window seat the whole trip - yahoo! We really didn't pull out the camera a lot - but here are a few of the highlights! Enjoy!

Shawna came the weekend Bryan was here - so that was fun that we were all together. Shawna was only there for about a day and a half - but we still found time to make it to the pumpkin patch before Halloween! Okay - so it was really in the backyard - but still quite the adventure and we were able to pick several cute tiny pumpkins!

Because we were there right before the elections - we also got to witness first hand the VOTE YES ON 8 experience! Honestly - this might have been the first time I was grateful I dont live in California! I couldn't imagine having to put so much time into something like everyone there did - it was pretty crazy! Bryan was excited to go hold up signs with my mom on her Tuesday morning shift - so I took the opportunity to capture the moment. Holding signs wasn't really my thing - although I did help support the Proposition by watching Aubrey and Cayden the day Prop 8 supporters pulled their kids from school. Luckily - it passed and everyones efforts were very much worth it!
I haven't been home for Halloween in years and was very excited to be there this year. Aubrey was a cute little fifties girl and Cayd was a werewolf. Both were adorable and I got to take them trick-or-treating around our block - - then stayed home to hand out candy to the 5 or so trick-or-treaters that ended up at our house - so sad! At one point I was in an upstairs bedroom watching for any visitors and I overheard a mom tell her children to dump their candy into her purse so we would feel sorry for them and just dump our candy into their little bags! I was shocked! Then when they rang the bell they actually announced to us that nobody had given candy to them yet! Serious?! We live at the top of the block - like we would really believe that they had gotten no candy from any previous house. What are these kids (and parents) coming too! Rest assured - we gave them the same amount of candy all the other trick-or-treaters got -- - those punks!
Mom and I still carved pumpkins even though the kids did it elsewhere this year. One was a spider with a web and one was a haunted house - they both turned out super cute!
The last few days of my trip was spent doing the flowers for a friends wedding. All the pictures I took from the actual reception area are on my dad's camera so I havent gotten them yet. The flowers turned out really pretty though and the reception was beautiful.

There you have it - 2 weeks at a glance! It was a great time and I love, love, love spending time with my family!

Sneak Peek of Cayd's Performance!

2008-11-04T16:15:00.000-08:00

Okay - so I dont know if this was allowed but I couldn't resist taking a video clip of Cayd on Sunday while the primary practiced for the program scheduled for next week. I am so sad I wont be able to be there but I had to get back home to Indiana to do my duty as an American citizen and vote! Anyway - he is just so stinkin cute and his solo will most definitely steal the show in my opinion. I had to capture this moment so we could save it forever - and I figured that filming during the practice wouldn't be as bad as having someone do it during Sacrament Meeting next Sunday. Anyways - turn your volume up and enjoy! The quality is not great because I was filming with my phone, and I should have zoomed up better - but the sound is all you really need for this one anyways! He is singing the second verse to the song and that is why the intro sounds so short.

We Survived!

2008-10-20T11:56:00.000-07:00

Well - October 18th - the day of the Indianapolis Half Marathon came and went and Bryan and I are still alive to talk about it! Thats right - we survived our first 1/2 marathon!

The picture above was taken in our house the morning of the race. We were pretty nervous because we didn't really train like we should have - although we did make some time to find ourselves cute matching running clothes :) Below is a picture after we were done - hurray for being done! Such a relief!

Overall - the run went so much better than we could have hoped. Thinking back on it now - I still don't know how it went so well. We felt great and the miles just kind of went by. Unfortunately, I had to ditch out on Bryan during mile 11 because he stopped and walked for a bit. I felt bad about it - but I told him at the beginning that our goal was no walking - - we could run as slow as needed but we were not going to walk. The course was mostly flat with a few rolling hills until mile 11 when we ran into a state park with a pretty brutal hill. Overall I finished around 2 hours 6 minutes and Bryan was about 5 minutes behind that. We were happy - we were shooting for a 10 minute mile pace/2 hours 20 minute race - - so we beat our goal - which made us happy - as did all the treaties at the end of the run :)

I guess what we didn't expect was how we would feel after the race. We walked around after the run for a bit - then drove home. It wasn't until we got home and out of the car that we realized how sore our legs were - we could hardly move! Bryan ended up with a bloody foot (I honestly still don't know quite what his issue was) but he proudly posed for a picture. After he saw the blood - he tried to convince me that it was the reason for him stopping to walk, although he later admitted that the foot did not really bother him at all the whole run.

Surprisingly, today (Monday) my legs are still sore - but definitely getting better. As to future long distance runs - Bryan says no. This will be his one and only half marathon - unless we sign up for the 10k mud run in San Diego - which looks pretty awesome! As for me - once my legs get a little better it is time to start training for the Rock and Roll Marathon in San Diego next May - Wahoo!

Catch up . . .

2008-10-09T16:11:00.000-07:00

Where does the time go? I seriously can not even believe it is already the middle of October! Crazy! Let's see if I can even remember the highlights of these past several weeks I have missed . . .

Well - for starters - you all must know by now that my mom and sister Shawna got to come out and visit us for almost a whole week in mid September. The week was great and I loved having them here. We had fun and stayed busy - but since most of you also read Shawna's blog, I will not attempt to re-hash the trip once again - she did a great job and mine probably wouldn't even compare! So if you are really interested in hearing about our grand adventures here in Indiana and dont read Shawna's blog - I will direct you to it . . . Misskelly15.blogspot.com . . . mind you the trip was nearly a month ago so you may have to go back a post or two to find it - but I assure you it is there :) Below is a self portrait of the four of us riding a bus around the Indy 500 Track - wahoo! Only 4 bucks a person for a chance of a lifetime - what a steal :)

A few other notable events . . .

1) I officially became a resident of Indiana and got the Driver's License to prove it! I really put off getting this because here in Indiana you have to take a test to get your license, even if you have a perfectly valid license from another state! But, with the new name came a need for a new license so I buckled down, studied a bit, and passed with flying colors - hurray!

2) On a not-so-happy note - - Bryan had his first run-down with the Indianapolis Police. Thats right . . . my Bryan got a ticket! Not for speeding on our ridiculously slow 55 mph freeway, nor for running a stop light or sign. My Bryan was caught NOT WEARING A SEAT BELT! haha! Any time we go somewhere together I have to remind him to put his seat belt on - and though he claims he always remembers to put it on when I am not around - I know that just wasnt the case! Well, it took a day to finally come clean - but he did at last tell me. He thought I would be angry, but in fact I was actually delighted! It is about time he got caught - that 25 bucks may save his life one day!

3) And last but certainly not least - - I officially QUIT my job - for good this time - and let me tell you - it feels GREAT! I have actually wanted to quit for a while now - the reasons for which I initially got the job just didnt make sense anymore - so I finally just got up the nerve and quit. Of course - they came back and offered me the position I have been waiting for since I started my job over a year ago - but I turned it down too. I am excited to start the next venture in life - my own business!

Okay - I have said this once and now I will say it again - I will try to be better about keeping up with this whole thing. It seems whenever I have anything exciting to talk about - I dont write - - and then when I have nothing to talk about - I want to write - - so I will try to find a happy medium. I know it is not quite New Years yet - but that is my goal - wish me luck!

Happy Birthday, Bryan!

2008-09-16T19:59:00.000-07:00

Although I am a few days behind (okay - almost a week!) I still need to wish my Bryan a Happy Birthday! On September 11th (kind of a sad birthday for a pilot) , Bryan turned 29 years old - yikes - only one more year until 30! When I was little, 29 seemed pretty ancient - but luckily Bryan doesn't act like an old man . . . yet! His birthday festivities actually started on the Tuesday before because we knew his parents would be in town for his actual birthday on Thursday so we thought we would do a birthday dinner with just the two of us first - although I think it was just an excuse for an extra night out for the week! We went to Red Lobster so he could have the all-you-can-eat-shrimp, and I actually found a pretty good chicken meal - so the evening wasn't a total bust! On Thursday I had to work in the morning so I woke Bryan up early so I could get a picture of him with his present before I left for the day. He got a bike - he was so excited - and I knew he would want to ride it while I was working so thus the decision to wake him up early :) He actually got to pick the thing out himself - so it wasn't a total surprise or anything - but I still had to capture the moment!

Bryan's parents showed up later that evening and we went out for dinner to celebrate with them. They stayed for a few days and were our first guests in our new house and guest room - although the room still needs a little work and right now only consists of an air mattress - haha! It was a fun couple of days filled with touring our little city, bowling (sadly I did not win and I refuse to admit who actually did win, so dont ask!), eating, and playing games. It was fun to have them here to celebrate with us. Happy Birthday, Bryan!

It's Official . . . I'm No Longer A Kelly!

2008-08-29T08:18:00.000-07:00

Okay, that is not completely accurate . . . I will ALWAYS be a Kelly, but after 2 1/2 years of being married, I finally legally changed my name. I really didn't hold off because I didn't want to change my name, it is just that I was being lazy and didn't want to go through the hassle of doing it. But the time just came that I felt like it should probably be done - so wa-la! Its done - and I have to admit - it wasn't as nearly as tragic as expected! I had to wait less than an hour and turn in a little form and suddenly I am a new person! Well, I actually couldn't part with Kelly right yet - so I dropped my middle name and replaced it with Kelly. No hyphen - just a new middle name. I figured that Kelly is a regular name anyways - so it will work right fine in the middle! So . . yesterday I was Molly Colleen Kelly and today I am Molly Kelly Kunz! I was pretty fond of having the double L's in all three names - but this new name will work just fine too :)

24 hrs. in Vegas!

2008-08-27T15:27:00.000-07:00

So I am back from my teeny tiny, super short visit with Shawna in Las Vegas! I can not complain - the trip was great - - but it is just so frustrating how a "two day mini vacation" in actuality is really only a "24 hour mini vacation" because it takes so stinkin' long to travel! It is hard enough that the flight time is 3+ hours, but then you throw in time changes, over-booked flights, and all the waiting in the airports and you find that at least half of the vacation was not a vacation at all! So sad! But the 21 hours we did spend together was great - we got Cafe Rio, caught a movie, did some shopping, played the slots, and had some excellent bonding time as the short hours allotted! A few things to keep in mind while planning my next get-away to Las Vegas . . . 1) NEVER try to fly standby out of Vegas on a Sunday - period! Although I was extremely lucky to catch the last flight to Indy - I had an angel of a gate agent who I am pretty sure got me on the flight when someone else possibly should have been put on in front of me! 2) SLEEP as much as possible on the flight out - or you will miss out on some major party-time that night. 3) ALWAYS stop when you are ahead - even if it is a mere $12 - because it is definitely more fun going home a winner than a loser - enough said!

Summer Time Fun!

2008-08-20T10:51:00.000-07:00

I'm pathetic - I admit it - and that is all I will say about my lack of posts this last month! We even had a few blog-worthy events and I just failed to write about them - so I will try to play catch up a bit and hopefully be better in the future - haha - right! The highlight of these last couple of weeks was - of course - my trip out to California to visit with the family! Unfortunately Bryan couldnt make it - but I got to stay a whole week - which was great! Usually I try to cram it into as few days as possible as to not miss much work - but this time I wanted to stay longer - so that is just what I did. We had a great time. We swam almost everyday! My goal was to spend - at minimum - 2 hours a day outside to get my long-lost tan back. The week didn't quite do it for me - but I definitely left looking much better than when I arrived. You know you are not looking too good when even your dad notices and comments on your stark whiteness - especially when he failed to notice pretty drastic haircuts and stuff all growing up :)

We also made it out to the beach, bowling, and to all the restaurants I miss from out west! I definitely didn't go hungry on this trip! Overall, the week was fantastic and I was very sad to leave. I am still waiting for the point in my life that I am grown-up enough not to cry every time I have to leave my home and family in California to come back to my life here in Indiana - because sadly I am not quite there yet and have decided I probably wont ever really be! I guess I just have to wait these next 4.5 years out until hopefully Bryan and I can move back :) The family was great and the kids are growing up so fast - it was a very fun time!

Of course life back in Indiana is not bad and it takes just a day or so to snap out of it and realize how much fun Bryan and I can have here out on our own! We have been trying to decorate our house still and have enjoyed going to our new gym/waterpark. Bryan wanted to go to an Indians game the other night - it was $1 snack night - so I was happy to go along too! On the way into the stadium, Bryan told me that he wouldn't enjoy the night if he didnt catch a foul ball - so it was such the relief when he caught one not five minutes after we got to our seats - phew! We got hotdogs and popcorn (my very favorites!) and enjoyed the game and were pretty lucky to leave that evening injury free. Several people in our section got hit with foul balls and such, and one person got hit by a bat! It was crazy but fun. We probably wont sit in that section again though!

At the end of this week Bryan is venturing off for a day or so in Utah and I am attempting a trip out to Las Vegas to visit with Shawna! Should be fun! Some day Bryan and I hope to take some of these trips together - haha - until then we will enjoy what we can!

A New Post!

2008-07-11T18:17:00.000-07:00

Okay, Okay - I know I haven't posted anything for a few weeks now - sorry I am such a slacker! When I first started this whole thing I had every intention of keeping this blog up-to-date, but somehow I fell behind! Oh well, such is life! We have been keeping busy - so I will try to highlight the major events of the last couple of weeks. I guess first and foremost - Bryan and I officially moved into our new house 2 weeks and 3 days ago. It is beautiful and I love it - although it is a bit overwhelming at times! The move took all day and it seemed that we had a lot more stuff then we realized - but it got all moved so I guess that is all that matters! The house is still pretty much in a disasterous state - we have everything pulled into the center of rooms while we try to paint - and we are still waiting on some furniture deliveries - but I am sure once it is all put away and done it will be adorable! Most of the unpacking was put in my hands as Bryan was working the next several days after we moved and then he left on a little rafting trip out in Jackson Hole, Wyoming. He had a good time out there so I am glad he got to go!

Originally Bryan was going to come home from his trip on the 5th, but he came back a day early so we could spend the evening of Independence Day together! We had a festive hamburger dinner and then went to a park of some sorts to watch the Plainfield Fireworks Display. It was pretty cool and we had a great time. We packed snacks and a blanket and took pictures while we waited for it to get dark so the show could begin. Bryan was not being very cooperative with the pictures so I threatened that the next picture we took was going on the blog - the picture below is what I got! Thanks Bryan - this picture will look so lovely in our scrapbook!

After we finally got home after sitting in traffic for over an hour - we played around in our front yard with some sparklers! It was fun - but next year I want to get the real fireworks that shoot into the air! They were going off everywhere around us and they looked way fun!

The rest of our time basically has been spent trying to paint the house before the rest of the furniture arrives. We painted our little sunroom a seafoam green color that I love - it turned out so cute! I want to make this my scrapbook room so I am currently looking for a cute little desk and cubbys and such to put in here - I am so excited.

The rest of the house we are painting a relatively neutral color - cozy cottage. It is taking a while but it is going well and we like how it is coming along.

Other that that - not too much is going on. We have been working a lot - and since we have moved in - Bryan and I have shared only one day off together here at home - so it has been hard to get everything done that we need to. We got to take a short trip to visit Bryan's parents in Michigan so that was nice to hang out together for a bit - even if it was for only a day! But things are good and hopefully now we are settled enough to be able to keep up on this thing . . . we will see how it goes :)

Time to pull out the ol' running shoes!!

2008-06-20T12:28:00.000-07:00

Several weeks ago I had the chance to help out at the Indianapolis Mini Marathon. Our stake volunteered to man the water station at mile marker 1.5 and 12 - - or something like that - - they were at the same spot, but because the course looped around they passed us twice. It was pretty cool. We filled up and handed out about a million little water cups - we got a t-shirt and a nifty little bell - and we even got to meet Colonel Sanders - the highlight of my day! Anyways - although the experience was delightful - I was a little bummed I wasn't running in it myself. I have never participated in a half marathon - I've never really wanted to - but I hadn't even seen one in person before - which I think is what really made the difference. It just made me a little sad because many moons ago, I practically ran daily for 4 years while in high school - and then just fell out of the habit - probably because I was so tired after all those years - haha! Well - after that volunteer experience I called up Bryan and told him that I was signing us up for the mini marathon for the next year - yahoo! But even better, I later discovered that Indianapolis hosts yet another half marathon in October - double yahoo! So we are officially signed up! I made us each an awesome little chart to schedule out our training routine and got some stickers to put on it every time we did our assigned workout! My sister Shawna lent me her book about training because she ran in one last year - so I was feeling pretty confident in my goal! The training program designed in the book was a 14-week plan, but because the race wasn't scheduled for another 19 weeks from when I signed us up - I had to add a few weeks to the beginning - which turns out to be a great idea because now, 2 weeks into my training I find that I am not quite as motivated as I had hoped. But, I figure I could use the extra 4 weeks I get to motivate myself and work up to the 5 day a week schedule - so that when the actual 14-week schedule begins - I will be ready to go! Wish me luck! After work - going out into this blasted heat is the last thing I really want to do - but I am excited to get back into the whole running thing again. Bryan is so good and gets me to run with him when he is home - and even when he is not home he likes to call me up - - "Can you do me a little favor and put a sticker on my chart?" Ha ha - I think he knows it will get me outside so I can put a sticker on my chart too! The joy!

Summer Storms!

2008-06-07T09:20:00.000-07:00

After being here in Indiana for almost a whole year, there are still very few reasons I have discovered that would convince me to live here any longer than absolute necessary. It is not all bad - of course - it is just so far away from everything and everyone I love out west. However, if by some miracle we could jump up and move out of here this very instant - one thing I would definitely miss are days like today! These summer storms are awesome! I have never experienced so much rain, such amazing lightning, or heard thunder so loud as I have heard here in Indiana. I LOVE IT!!! I especially love it at night, laying in bed and watching it out the window - or having a day off and spending it inside in my pjs! So many people at work were complaining the other day because the storm kept them up all night long - but I thoroughly enjoyed it. As long as the tornados steer clear of us - I am totally fine with this crazy weather!

A Great Day Off!

2008-05-24T12:10:00.000-07:00

I love days off - any days off - but I especially love days off when Bryan has the day off too! They are few and far in-between, but occasionally they do happen and we try to make the most of them when they do occur! Today was one of those days - a Saturday of all days - and it was pretty great!

The day started off at Kohls after I convinced Bryan to let me do some much needed (well - it depends on who you ask) shopping for summer clothes. Sometimes a girl needs new clothes - even if her old clothes are not too small or too worn down to wear anymore - but I hate feeling so guilty every time I want to buy a new shirt! Well - due to some recent unfortunate traveling experiences - we had to replace Bryan's ipod and cell phone in one day - so it didn't take much to plead my case! I found lots of cute stuff - so I left pretty happy!

Then - after the big shopping extravaganza - we went to our new house to sign some papers. I cant believe move-in day is less than a month away! it is so fun to see all the new changes after we have been away for just a few weeks. The outside has looked pretty much the same since we initially found the house, except now we have grass and a cute little tree out front. But the inside is changing like none-other! When we first signed - the inside was framed - thats it! Now there is drywall, lights, doors, floors, and cupboards! it is coming along quite nicely and I cant wait to see it when it is totally complete and all our stuff is loaded up inside!

Here I am in front of our little sunroom - aka - my new scrapbook room!

Here Bryan is showing off the new lights!

Our entryway

Me with the little tree

Our sold sign!

Well - we decided that we had already gone well over our budget for the day - so why not go to lunch too - Wahoo! Bryan's idea - not mine! We went to Red Robin and I got the Souper Sandwich Combo - Chicken Tortilla Soup and the bbq Chicken Wrap. It is so weird because the very first time I got the bbq chicken wrap - I got it and I didnt really like it. But my sister just raves about it every time she goes and gets it - so I decided to try it again and I loved it! Very weird! Now I always get it whenever I go too! As always - it was heavenly and now I am stuffed up to my arm pits! Could the day have gotten any better than this? I dont think so :)

Our First Post!

2008-05-14T20:07:00.001-07:00

Welcome us to the world of blog! I thought we should get into this whole blogging thing before we were completely out of the loop, I mean, we are a little behind already. This is Molly, I am not too sure how many posts you are really going to see of Bryan, but I figured he belongs in the title because right now it's just me and him, so obviously many of the stories will include him as well. We'll see though, maybe he will be inspired by me! Right now our lives consist of going to work and hanging out together at home, yet we still have some pretty noteworthy events that happen from time to time. Bet you can't wait to hear all about them!