iPhone withdrawl

I am selling my iPhone.....

It is SO sad. I am totally addicted to it. It is controlling my life. I check Facebook, probably hundreds of times a day!

I just put it on Craigslist and I am waiting for a response. Tyson and I decided to go back to the days before Smartphones. I haven't even gotten rid of it yet and I am already suffering withdrawl.

Pathetic.

The REAL meaning of Christmas???

Something happened today that really made me feel like a failure as a mother. The past few days, I have been thinking about our Christmases as a family and have really been realizing that each year, we are missing a VITAL part of the holiday.... our Savior.

I talked to the Mister about it and he agreed with me 100%. We talked about ways to change this and how we can really get the true meaning of Christmas to be the focus this year and all of the years to follow. I wanted to gauge how much my children know of the nativity story so, after school, I sat Ashtyn down and asked her why she thinks we celebrate Christmas. Then, the unthinkable happened. Ashtyn shrugged. I decided to ask Kai to see if I would have better luck and not feel like a total failure. Kai looked at me and said, "we celebrate Christmas so the family can be together?" Then it REALLY hit me. How did I miss this? How have I managed to go through each Christmas and NOT teach my children the true meaning and how presents really have nothing to do with the real celebration at all.

It was a huge disappointment. And now, I have a bug project in front of me and I am excited to take it on. Saturday, we are going to the live nativity that the LDS church puts on every year. That'll be a start. If ANYONE has any cute ideas of ways I can keep the kids' attention while teaching them, please let me know.

Operation: Keep the CHRIST in CHRISTMAS, is in full swing!!! :)

Og Mandino

Anyone ever heard of Og Mandino?? He wrote 'The Greatest Salesman in the World' The book is an easy read and I think a MUST READ! It has some of the most insightful and self-healing words in it, and I am in awe of the book.

I've recently been reflecting on myself and the way I handle different relationships and, just everyday life. I've always respected and looked up to people who are very self-aware. I think it is so important in life to know your short-comings and your strengths and to always be trying to improve.

Dave Blanchard is the president of the Og Mandino corporation and he offers a training that helps you become a better, you. I went online and did the assessment and the whole time I was very skeptical. After I finished the online assessment, I made a phone appointment with Dave and we went over my results. I cried through most of the call. It was the most spot-on assessment of myself and I was shocked that he could know all of this by an online test. I was sold right then. Now, once a week for a full year, I am learning the tools that I need to overcome my own insecurities and to embrace and live up to my full potential. I am SO excited.

2012 will be a great year for me and my family. I can feel it and I look forward to the wonderful blessings and, believe-it-or-not, the trials that it will bring. Because, nothing humbles you more and brings you closer to God, than a hardship. :)

I'll keep all two of my readers posted throughout my experience.. :)

(Just in case you are interested in the training or just learning about Og Mandino, here is the link http://www.ogmandino.com/)

FRENEMIES

So, an epic fail on my Thankful posts! I always updated on my Facebook, but I keep forgetting to update on my blog.

Anyway, we had a wonderful Thanksgiving in Utah and it was an absolute blast!! I really miss those Utah Mountains, but as I visit Utah, and also grow spiritually, I find that Vegas is where I belong.

Along my path of spiritual growth and development, I have actually had to cleanse my soul of negativity. Which also includes negative people that only bring me down. I recently said this and I stand by it:

"It's okay to burn bridges if those bridges are leading you to a negative place."

I don't usually quote myself, but I really like this one! :)

I want to really get into this subject because I have recently been enlightened. Sometimes we make friends with people because they share the same interests or ideas. Sometimes it's because we have the same habits, either bad or good. There are many reasons why we make friends with people.
In the past, I became friends with all the wrong people. And I became one of those people. Since then, after changing my life around, I have realized that I don't share the same interests or lifestyles of these said friends, and it has been easy to detach myself from them and say, "good luck to you."

I recently had a surprise detachment. This person was someone I knew wasn't as loyal of a friend as I would hope for, but that has been a friend for a long time. I find that as time goes on and I mature, I cannot surround myself with those who live life always trying to be "popular" or those who constantly are judging others and gossiping about everyone they know. I have a really hard time with those people who are in the church who preach one thing and do the opposite. I call these people "Utah Mormons"

I say that generally speaking. There are SO many wonderful people and great examples of the LDS church in Utah. But, speaking from experience, I have noticed that moving away from Utah, there is a HUGE difference in the Mormons outside of Utah. There are absolutely "Utah Mormons" anywhere, but it has to do with their demeanor, and not where they are from. There is just a more accepting, less-judgemental way about the Mormons outside of Utah. But I digress.

Anyway, I recently had to confront this person about some un-kind and things that were said about me, and being the blunt person that I am, I would rather confront the problem and fix it. That didn't happen and needless to say, we are no longer friends. This is a sad thing, but a necessary thing. I wish her the best and I am happy with my choices in my life now. I am so very thankful for all of the supportive and loving people in my life. I appreciate the relationships I have now and even though I lost one of them, I feel it was for the best. :)

Which brings me to my point. I belong in Vegas. I spent the first 4 years of my marriage trying to convince my husband to let us move back to Utah and to get his old job back. But, as I visit Utah, I realize... I have made friendships that will last a lifetime here in Vegas. Friendships that are meaningful to me, the kind that I can be myself and not worry that one of my dear friends is hurting me or judging my every move. I would absolutely LOVE to live closer to my in-laws because they are so wonderful, but I've come to realize, I do have family here. :) I am so blessed with the love and support and caliber of friendships I have here. That being said,
I hope everyone had a wonderful Thanksgiving!! :)

Thankful D, E, F, G...

Continued....

D. I am thankful for DIVINE intervention! I feel this has happened many times in my life!:)

E. ETERNAL marriage. Tyson and I will be getting sealed this January on our 7 year anniversary! It makes me so happy to know that my family will be ETERNAL and I take great joy and comfort in knowing that.

F. FAMILY is everything. No matter who comes and goes in your life, you cannot stop being someone's mother, sister, brother, cousin, child, ect. Even when things are troublesome in relationships with my family members, I know that every single one of them will always be there for me. :)

G. GOOGLE. It is a saving grace all of the time. I absolutely love that I can type anything in the google search engine and the answers appear!

I just love this time of year and I think it is the most important in providing service for others. Use your God-given talents to enrich and better people's lives. that is when you feel the most at peace.

Thankful For....

It's that time of year again!! Time to document my blessings here! I missed yesterday so here it goes...

A- I am thankful for the Atonement. Without it, I would truly not be the person I am today!

B- I am thankful for BABIES and all of the joy they bring to their families and to me. They help me with my not being able to have any more of my own.

C- My CHILDREN who teach me more than I teach them and who make my life whole and complete.

It is so important for us all to realize our blessings. When we do this, our trials seem easier and our faith is stronger.

"LIV"-ing with the Sister Wives!!

6 days ago, a dear friend of mine asked me to go to a meeting for a new product. I was mildly interested until she told me that the Sister Wives would be there. I thought it would be neat to meet them, so I obliged her and we went.

I really did not expect to be so moved and so excited about a weight-loss health supplement. BUT I AM!! The company is called LIV INTERNATIONAL. My personal site is

www.livonline.net/mizkylie

Go check it out!! It is AMAZING! I am on my 6th day of all the products and I am waiting to be on this for a couple of weeks before I give you my full testimonial. I am a very genuine person and I will not sell anything that I don't love and fully believe in. I will post more on this later on.

Anyway, I hit it off instantly with Janelle and Meri Brown and was invited go to a training for the product last weekend. It was so much fun. I was then invited to Christine's house for a jewelry party last night, it was so much fun and I have to say, these women are the most inviting and caring women I have ever met.

Meri and I had so much fun just being silly. One of the daughters took my phone to take a picture of us being silly and she just kept taking them! Needless to say, I have 12 photos of us being goofy, I thought I would share!





If you all get a minute, I would love to answer any questions you have on this product and I WILL post more of my experience with the product over the next few weeks!

Hope you all have a WONDERFUL Halloween!!!

Womb-less

As I sit here typing next to my husband who is deeply sleeping, I am feeling very blessed. I've kissed my kids as they sleep at least 4 times tonight.. some call that OCD, I just call it being an awesome mom! ;)

I don't feel I am missing anything, although, technically, I am. I had a hysterectomy a week and a half ago. Yep. I am 28 soon-to-be 29 and I had my uterus taken out, by a robot no less.

I am blessed with two amazing kids and my husband actually had a vasectomy in 2005. So, we weren't planning on anymore kids, but I guess I always had that little hope that he would get a reversal.;) I think I only wanted another one maybe because I couldn't have one? I prayed about it often and felt I was, in fact, done having kids. Now, the deal is sealed.

It was the best decision for what I've been going through the last 6 years. Thankfully, I still have my ovaries so NO menopause for me this young!! phew!

The best part of having the surgery, is the amazing help we received from friends. I've never had such high caliber friends in my life. I know I've become a better friend the last couple years and I do try to give service to others, but the service my family has received the last couple of weeks would humble anyone.

Calls, meals, babysitting, rides, texts, emails, cards, ect. The list goes on. I am so grateful to be in this place in my life and have such amazing people that I trust and would do anything for close around me. One of the sweetest things I got was a beautiful bouquet of flowers the day after surgery from my ex-husband and his wife! They had just visited Las Vegas from Utah and they actually took both Kai AND Ashtyn out to get frozen yogurt. I am so grateful for my relationship with them as well.

I have a deeper appreciation for service. Even the little things. And, MEALS! Oh how they are such a blessing! Anyway, I'm feeling deeply blesses, grateful, and loved.

Ahhhh, I love my life.

Toothfairy....

Ashtyn lost her first "official" tooth today! She totally freaked out at first because, apparently, she thought that the tooth fairy, herself, took her tooth out of her mouth while she was asleep at night. She was eating a sandwich when she found out that was not the case. She asked me questions all day long.

"Mom, will the tooth fairy give me money or give me a toy?", "Does the tooth fairy have teeth? When she loses teeth, who takes them?"

Ashtyn wanted to leave a note for the tooth fairy. I went to get her some markers and paper and came back to this sitting nicely ON her dresser with a throw pillow on top of it! (see what I mean by bright?) It reads:

"I left my tooth for you. I LOBE you, Ashtyn" without the punctuation of course. She cracks me up.

.............................................

We love our new place. I decorated it SO cute and I have my lovely Scentsy burning in each room. Mmmmm, I love me some Scentsy. (Shameless plug) Let me know if you want to buy some for Christmas gifts or just to make your home smell lovely.

Ahem, anyway, we love our new house. We love our neighbors. It has been a great adjustment and I love being so close to the kids' school and being able to walk them to and from. NO more bus drama!

We are going to visit Utah the first weekend of October and go to a UTAH game! YAY! PAC 12 BABY! I am excited because we have not visited Utah during the fall in too long. I miss those fall leaves and the intoxicating smell of the harvest time.

Just a fun little update entry here. I will be able to flow better with my posts after I get the hang of it again.

XOXO- Kylie

P.S. Tooth fairy left some 'Hello Kitty' stationary, a personalized note, a Barbie toothbrush, some Aquafresh toothpaste, and some dog and cat tattoos for the Mini. :)

She is a bright one, she is. I took a couple of pics of them at church today for Tyson. I could not resist, they both looked so cute.

For your viewing pleasure, just some pics of the kids from church that I snapped for Tyson. They always look so cute in their Sunday best that I am always texting him pics. :) ENJOY!

Frugality?

Is that a word?

We just moved. It has been 2 years since we last moved. Las Vegas is the place to buy right now, it is soooooo cheap to buy a house here. We have been renting since we moved to Vegas 3 years ago. In order to buy a house, we need to have a good down payment to get a better interest rate and all that jazz.

I have been fervently praying for something. A change maybe? Then, just 4 weeks ago, we decided to move into a smaller home, still in the same ward that we love, with $500 a month less rent! We are closer to our friends and ward members and there are 3 pools here that are open 24/7, 365. Nice.

We actually really love this smaller home. It is something to get use to, but it is really clean and very homey.

I really want to start saving in every way and there are a few people I know that do the couponing stuff. I think I could totally get addicted to it. So, I am going to try it out.:)

The kids' new school is a short walk from my home and I love being this close to them. Since I am the PTA mom, I can be involved with the school much easier.

I would love to hear any other suggestions on how to save money here and there. Please post a comment, all ONE of you! ;)

Oh my Kai-Kai

Kai's step-mom, Tasha, texted this cute pic of Kai!

Oh this boy.... ahem, I mean, little MAN! He has been in Salt Lake visiting with his dad for 53 days now. It is always hard without Kai here. Tyson and I can handle it, although we miss him terribly, we know he needs that time with his dad.

Ashtyn, on the other hand, does not understand why her brother has to leave for two months in the summer. She gets SO lonesome and it breaks my heart to hear her say how she misses her brother. It also warms my heart as well to see the love they have for one another. We were looking at videos of Kai when he was a toddler and Ashtyn said, "I will always love my brother." It was SO sweet. Kai is always calling and talking to Ashtyn and I just love their sweet relationship. Don't get me wrong, they fight hard with one another, but they love harder. :)

Since Kai is never here for Ashtyn and Tyson's birthdays in July, we throw them a joint birthday party in Salt Lake when we drive there to bring Kai to his dads house and visit family. This year, we did this and that way Kai and my in-laws are able to celebrate their birthdays even thought it is usually a month or so early, it works out perfectly, I mean, who doesn't want two birthday celebrations?? This year, a few days before Ashtyn's actual birthday, we checked the mail and there was a big envelope with hearts all over it addressed to Ashtyn. I had no idea about this and I figured it was from one of my sisters, I brought it inside and I decided to let Ashtyn open it, it was from Kai and it was the SWEETEST birthday card. Also inside the envelope was a book called, "Purplelicious" the card read:

"You are my sister, it's my job to tease you! Happy Birthday!"
and Kai had hand-written this:
"Happy Birthday Ashtyn! I miss you and I miss teasing you! I love you and I will see you in 30 suns ups. Love Kai-Kai"

It was so sweet that of course, I teared up. Ashtyn was SO over-the-moon that she called Kai right away laughing about what he had written and she thanked him.
I am so grateful to his grandma and his dad and step-mom for helping Kai send these sweet messages to us.

We want Kai home and I cannot wait until next Sunday!! YAY!!

Johnny Five is Alive!!

Hey there blogosphere!! IF I have ANY readers left, How YOU doin??? I am not exactly sure why I haven't been posting over the past few months. I guess I just feel like my life is NOT that interesting.

This summer has been quite uneventful. Ashtyn and I just hang out at the pool, the park, or at the house and we have painted rocks, canvases, frames, and anything you can think of to try and pass the time while the heat keeps us indoors.

Ashtyn turned 6 on July 18th and Tyson turned 34. We had a big birthday bash for Ashtyn at the pool with all of her friends. She deserved it, we have never had a friend party for her and she is such a social butterfly that it was perfect for her! I must say, a pool party is the way to go because it entertains the kids the WHOLE time!

We also took a trip to Salt Lake in June and were able to stay for over a week! It was SO much fun and we were able to visit many friends and spend time with Grandpa Curtis who came in from Phoenix. I am blessed to have a very close bond with him and we just sat in an overstuffed chair one night and he told me stories from his youth. He is amazing and I just love him. Anyway, I hope everyone is having a great summer!! More posts to follow....

I am just going to post pics of our summer so far! ENJOY! :)

Easter

This Easter I really wanted to feel the true meaning of Easter. So, last night I watched a bunch of beautiful LDS videos on the Savior and his truly touching and self-less act of sacrifice. It brought me to tears thinking about it.

I put myself in Mary's position. I imagined my son, Kai, being nailed to a cross and watching him suffer. I broke down. I cannot put into words my love for my Savior and the sacrifice he made so that we could live. He endured more than I can even imagine and suffered and was betrayed by those closest to him. It really made me put things into perspective. I feel truly blessed to have all that I have in life and be surrounded by the most wonderful friends and family who lift me up and bring me joy in life.

We had a great day, so far, Tyson was able to join us at church since he has the week off, that meant a lot to me because I am usually there with just the kids and I always joke to people that Tyson really DOES exist!:) It was such a great day, Ashtyn wore her beautiful new Easter dress and hat. Kai was in Utah visiting his dad. He got a new outfit and wore it last week to church:)


I hope you all have a truly wonderful, joyous Easter!! :)

Surrogate Mother + Sister Wife

This last weekend, I felt what it must REALLY be like to have a mother. I mean, a mother who is still very much alive. :)

I flew out to see Theresa and her daughter Leilani and her husband Bill. Although I felt comfortable and have gotten to know Theresa over the last year, you still never know how you will be in person with each other.
I get to SeaTec Airport and get my luggage. Those jerks broke my bags!! Anyway, Leilani picked me up and took me back to her house where Theresa was waiting. It was SUCH a great welcoming. Theresa had made me my mothers favorite, German potato salad. It was my first time trying it and I must say, YUM!!!! It is a vinegar based concoction of potatoes, red onion, and vinegar. She also had German lunch meat with Salami, Havarti cheese and some delicious spicy mustard. It was so incredibly sweet and she thought I would be hungry so she had this all set up for me.

Wednesday we just chatted all day and looked through pictures, and journals and letters from my mom and I learned a great deal more than I thought I would. Theresa has such a deep love for my mother and has always thought of my sisters and I. After we had a delicious dinner, we went out SHOPPING! It was so much fun to go out with Leilani and Theresa. Leilani is just 5 months younger than me and we are very much alike.

Thursday morning, Theresa took me to see my mothers grave. It was a beautiful day and we drove an hour to Lakewood, to my mom's final resting place. It is SUCH a beautiful cemetery. I told Theresa that I wanted to see if I could find the headstone myself. I DID!! I left four flower pots on her grave with a label on each one. A love note from each one of her daughters. We took some pictures and then the rain and wind started up, so we left. It was really nice to visit, I am always in awe of how beautiful it is. So fitting.






Afterwards, I asked Theresa to go thrift store shopping with me. There are very few good thrift stores here in Vegas, but in the Seattle area, there are TONS!! It was really fun just hanging out with Theresa. I felt like we have known each other forever and that I was just a part of her family. I found some really cute clothes for the kids!


Friday was our last day together. Leilani, Theresa, and I just played with makeup and talked and spent some REALLY wonderful quality time with each other. Theresa and Bill took Leilani and I out to Bellvue for dinner at John Howies steakhouse. It was a VERY nice restaurant. Bill pointed out that a famous baseball player, Edgar Martinez, was sitting next to us with his wife. He played for the Mariners and is going into the Baseball hall of fame. So, naturally, I was starstruck (even though I didn't know who he was!) I was determined to get a picture with him. We didn't bother him during his meal and I was kind of bummed when we left and he was still eating.:( We went to some shops next to the restaurant and we laughed and hung out, when we went back to get Bill, out walks Edgar Martinez and his wife. I went up to then and said, "Hey Edgar, can I get a picture with ya?" He said yes and his wife, who is SO SO sweet, took my camera and asked what I wanted in the background and what angle to take the picture. I didn't care, as long as I got one. I stood next to Edgar and right before she took it, I asked him, "Is it cool if I put my arm around you or is that too forward?" He just laughed and said it was fine. They were SO nice and friendly. I thought I was super cool too! :)





We went home and we watched the coverage of the tsunami and the earthquake in Japan. What a devastating ordeal for the people of Japan to endure. My heart ached for them and I called my grandma to make sure her family was safe, luckily they are all in Okinawa, that was barely affected by the disaster. Leilani, Theresa, Bill, and I all had so much fun together, it was very natural for us to just be with each other. I felt so completely relaxed and at home. What a special blessing. I know my mother is overjoyed. Every time Leilani and I would say the same thing at the same time and every time we would talk about my mother, I could feel her spirit with us and I could feel her joy.

It was very hard to say goodbye the next morning. My grandma Best picked me up from Theresa's house to spend a few hours with me before my flight left. It was the trip of a lifetime and I am forever grateful for the opportunity. Leilani, Theresa, and I are planning a trip to Cannon Beach next summer so that our families can meet each other!!


I did not take my kids. Tyson thought it would be a very good trip for me to take alone so I could just focus on my mother. I have to say, Tyson was A MAZE ING while I was gone. He cooked ALL the meals for the kids, he took them out to see Rango (don't take your kids unless you like swearing and smoking) He also took them to a birthday party (he hates those) Ashtyn was invited to it, so Tyson took it upon himself to call the girls mom and ask if Kai could come too. He did not want Kai to feel left out because Ash is always getting invited to parties and Kai, not so much. Anyway, she said YES! They had a blast today and then came to get me from the airport. We walked into the house and it was SPARKLING clean!!! Laundry was done too!!

Busy, Busy, Busy

FINALLY, I am a busy woman!! Seriously, I have been in sort of a "funk" for the past, well, while. Lately, I have really immersed myself in church activities, activities with the kids, involving their school, their friends and such. I spend WAY less time watching television and now my family and I have even started up a great nightly meeting. We read out of the Family Book of Mormon and we have a family prayer. Can I tell you how much this has affected our nightly routines?? It is such a cool experience having the spirit dwell with us in the hearts of our children every night. I do not want to go back.

I received a new calling as a Visiting Teaching Supervisor. I couldn't be happier! I know I am going to LOVE it!!! I really love my ward. I truly know and am friends with the most loving and kind hearted, funny, and creative women. They are not only fellow ward members, they are my dear friends. :)

ALSO, after weeks of wondering when my new job would get moving along, I check my schedule tonight and EVERYTHING is available. I made my own schedule for the week.:) AND, its all incoming calls and I take them from home. NO COMMUTE! :)

Life is getting busy over here in the Schrader home and I couldn't be more excited!
I LOVE my life. I LOVE my family.

Here are some pics from our weekend in Phoenix with family

Exciting News!!

This is just a fun post because I am excited about it! Remember
when I told you about my mothers friend, Theresa, and how she found me on facebook??
well, I have been in touch with her and her daughter, Leilani, through phone calls and Facebook. Leilani wanted to surprise her mother for her birthday in March and fly me out to meet her in person!!

Theresa wasn't suppose to know about it until I showed up in Seattle and surprised her. BUT, she ended up getting an email from the airline with my name as the passenger and she was SO SURPRISED!! It is touching how excited she is to meet me. I am staying with her and her family in Kent, Washington. We are going to go and see my mom and spend time together and get to know each other. I am excited to hear stories about my mother and show Theresa some of her writings. It will be such a great experience.

Leilani and I are "cut from the same cloth" says Theresa. I have to agree. Leilani is really fun and outgoing and funny. She and I are always on the same page and we are only a few months apart. I am SO excited for this meeting and I cannot wait to see the beautiful Pacific Northwest. I LOVE it there!! YAY FOR HAPPY NEWS!

XOXO
Kylie

All because two people fell in love....

 

"Mom, there are LOTS of angels in heaven."

This is what Ashtyn said when we had to give her and Kai more bad news yesterday. Tyson's Lovely Grandmother passed away. It wasn't necessarily bad news for us, I mean, she is out of pain now and she is happy. We selfishly want her with us, of course, but we knew she had to go soon and she left us yesterday in her own home with her beloved sweetheart of 65 years.

Beverly Curtis was such a good woman. She was direct, she would tell you exactly how she felt about things and she gave LOVE to everyone, without judgement, without prejudice, just love.

She NEVER left anyone out! Grandma would send us each a yard sale find on every birthday. We are talkin grandkids, great-grandkids, married-in grandkids (like myself) and everyone in between. She sent us gingerbread house kits to every family for Christmas each year without fail.

I never thought of her as "Tyson's Grandma" she was MY grandma too. She wanted it that way as well, we got very close the last 6 years and I am SO thankful for that.

She left a wonderful legacy. Her last words to everyone were, "I Love You." Does it GET any better than that?? :)

Incredible blessings come from tragic events.....

I am a firm believer that from tragic events, profound blessings can follow, if we have faith.

It is no secret that I've been struggling lately. With all that has happened in the past few months, I have felt out-of-sorts and stressed out. I have started this new job and I know it is right for me, but the feelings of complete confusion and feeling overwhelmed are just part of the process. Today, I completely messed up on my first day of working. To make matters worse, Tyson and I have had our little struggles too. We, sometimes, grow a little distant. I know is normal, However, I miss him terribly when this happens.

Today was a difficult day for many reasons. I was emotional and I was thinking about how I haven't attended the temple recently and I need to regularly if I want to set the example to get Tyson on board to someday be sealed to me and the kids in the temple. I shared my concerns with a dear friend, Kirsty. She is a wonderful friend of mine, a timeless friend that I cherish. I left her house feeling better that I had opened my heart to her. I went home and a few hours later, I was in tears. I called Kirsty and her husband answered and immediately I felt a prompting to ask him for a blessing. He is a sweetheart and told me to come right over (it was 9:30 PM!)

I went over, Kirsty, Ryan and I chatted about what I needed in a blessing. Ryan gave me one of the sweetest, most memorable blessings, and I really needed it. I hope they both know how much I needed that and am beyond thankful for them in my life. With faith and perseverence, things are going to be BETTER than okay for me and my family. I TRULY LOVE THE GOSPEL.

Happy Birthday Mom.

Mom,

Today, you would be 54 years old. Wow. You old woman you:) Don't worry, you don't look a day older than 39.:) I miss you and have been thinking about you a lot and I feel like you are proud with the decisions I have made lately.

The kids are amazing. Kai is a little man and he has such a kind and loving heart. He is a little freckle-face just like me. He does very well in school, he is smart, like you.

Ashtyn is connected to you. Are you her guardian angel?? She talks about you ALL OF THE TIME. Every time someone mentions heaven, Ashtyn will say, "My grandma is in heaven, I miss her." You must've really bonded with her while helping her prepare for her life with me here on Earth. Thank you, you've done an amazing job.

I am proud to be your daughter. I love you so much and have been blesses enough to learn so many wonderful things from the example you set for me. I have faith that I will see you again and I can't wait for the reunion.

XOXO
Your loving and devoted daughter,
Ky

Relationships............

A friend of mine use to joke that he could paint a face on a broom and I would make friends with it. I have always been a very outgoing person. People interest me. I thoroughly enjoy getting to know people and learning new things about the world and I am genuinely interested in what they tell me.

Over the years, I have learned A LOT of valuable lessons by interacting with different people, some lessons are positive ones, and some, well, lets just say they aren't so positive. Either way, I learn something. With some of my experiences with people, I make a connection with them and I start really caring about their well-being. Recently, this has been the case.

You all know the story of Patrick. I am still very close with the family, his boys (my boys:) are doing pretty well and adjusting the best that they can. We will be in each others lives forever now, and for that, I am thankful.

There has been someone else. Charles, aka, Mr. C, aka, Ashtyn's schoolbus driver.
Mr. C was a very nice and laid back 26 year old. Every day, he would park his bus at the stop and wait for Ashtyn and I. Most of the time, WE were waiting for him and he would pull up with a big grin on his face and say, "Sorry Ma'am, I slept in." It was SO funny because it happened more often than not. I never cared, he was so polite, he refused to call me Kylie because he thought it wasn't respectful enough. When he did show up early, we would sit there and chat. He would tell me about his little boy that lived out of state and he had recently came to Vegas to visit him. He told me all about that and his face would just light up when he talked about his son. Mr. C was a nice guy who Ashtyn adored and I was fond of.

Monday, someone else drove the bus to pick Ashtyn up. He was nice enough, I teased him about his Chicago Bears hat. I didn't ask about Mr. C, but something bothered me about him not being there. When Ashtyn got home from school, there was a letter addressed to "The parents of Ashtyn Schrader" inside it said that Mr. C had passed away on Saturday and to tell our children about it before they heard it from someone else. There was a number for a grief counselor if needed. My heart sank when I read this. we had just lost a dear friend on Christmas Eve at a young age and now Mr. C who was only 26 years old had passed away.

I was really disturbed about his young age and I wanted to know what happened. I decided to go online and type in his name. I wished I hadn't. The first story was a shooting that had happened in Vegas over the weekend, near my home. This is what the article said: Mr. C had been taking out the trash with his girlfriend and was confronted by two men and shot to death. His girlfriend survived, but he hadn't.

I wished I hadn't looked because it made it so much worse to know that he died in such a violent way. (I apologize for the sad story, but I swear I have a point)

Tyson and I sat Ashtyn down and told her that Mr. C had died and gone to heaven. We had to explain it the best way we could without confusing her. Ashtyn had two very important questions for us, with a very sad face and countenance, the first question was, "Mr. C went to heaven to be with Patrick and grandma?" and we said, yes, he is up there with Patrick and Grandma. Then she said, "Why is everyone going to heaven now? Are YOU going to go to heaven now?" I told her that everyone ends up in heaven where we came from and that although Patrick and grandma and Mr. C didn't choose to go there now, that God had other plans for them and they were needed there. Although she was sad about this, she went on with the rest of her day as usual.

I am writing this for three reasons. The first reason is that it is very therapeutic for me to write things like this. I do not write for the sake of the reader, I write for MY own comfort, that said, I hope that the reader can get to know me or learn something from what I write.
The second reason is that i think it is SO important to make these small connections with people, even when something tragic happens, I am still glad I knew Mr. C in some way and I am happy he touched mine and my daughters life while he was here. I want to give the message out to tell your family and friends you LOVE them. NO MATTER WHAT, make sure that everyone you love, KNOWS that you love them.

Last, but NOT least, I am writing this post to ask you out there what I should tell my daughter about ME going to heaven? My mother died when I was her age and with the deaths of Patrick and Mr. C, who both played a significant role in her life, I am not sure what to tell her when she asks me if I will go to heaven soon? I don't want it to shape her life and cause her any problems if I say I will go when God needs me. I am not sure if this is the time to lie, and say, "no baby, mommy is here for you so dont worry." I have been praying about it even. Please comment if you have some sound advice for me.

I promise the next post will be positive.

Thanks for letting me bare my soul. XOXO- Kylie

Happy 6 YEARS!!

JANUARY 8th marked my 6 year wedding anniversary with the Mister. We have already been through a lot together and have had many ups and downs, as does everyone else.... It's the way we get through the "downs" that make our relationship the way it is. He is the only person I would want to go through everything with. Here is what I have learned these last 6 years.....

Tyson will ALWAYS play World of Warcraft and there is NOTHING I can do about it...(grr) ;)
Tyson can make me laugh no matter how mad I get at him...
Tyson had the cutest shy smile..
Tyson is a lot stronger than he looks...
Tyson is THE most loyal human being I have ever known..

There is SO much more, these are just the basics, I don;t want to bore anyone:)

Happy Anniversary, and here is to MANY, MANY more!!

2011 word to live by.............

I cannot believe it has been a year and now it's time to pick a new word to live by. Last year it was, Love. I can honestly say that I had A LOT of love last year. 2010 was a wonderful year for my family. Kai was baptized, I was given my Patriarchal blessing and later went to the temple. Tyson was promoted at work. Ashtyn started Kindergarten and had a surgery at the end of the year. WOW.

This year, the word to live by is, FAITH. With faith, everything is possible... With LOVE everything is easy. Life requires us to have faith frequently. I believe that practice makes perfect, the more we practice our faith in things, in God, in each other, the easier it feels to have faith and show others to be faithful.

I am excited for 2011 and all that it brings, just have a little faith.....

Happy Stuff....

Despite the tragedy that took place next door, our Christmas was a good one. One reason is because we really were extra loving towards one another, knowing that any minute, one of us could be gone. Another reason is...................................................................................


I GOT MY BIKE!!!! Tyson put it together himself and I LOVE IT!! It is a Panama Jack Beach Cruiser and it is so fun to ride around with the kids on!! It has a bottle opener on the side of the wheel, a cup holder, a cool bag that attaches to it, and a bar in the back that my kids can actually sit on and I can ride them around on. It is the BEST Christmas present ever!! I have been begging for one for months, back in July we were going to buy it so I had it for the summer, but it was Tyson and Ashtyn's birthdays coming up and we had a trip planned, I decided it was NOT the right time to be spending money on myself. It was worth the wait! I LOVE IT~!~

Tyson actually received his gifts early. One if which was the new World of Warcraft Expansion that came out on December 6Th at midnight, I waited in line for an hour with a bunch of geeks that live in their mothers' basement (sorry babe;) Anyway, he had to have it right away, so that was one gift. His OTHER gift were tickets to the Vegas Bowl since the UTES and Boise State were playing here, Tyson's BFF, Oggie, was able to find him a ticket. Oggie didn't even end up charging Tyson for it, so cool for me! :) He also got some cool Led Zeppelin shirts (I get them every year) and a Pink Floyd water bottle (its a cool one)


Ashtyn got her much anticipated DRAGON FORTRESS!!! This thing is actually AWESOME! Tyson and I were playing with it because it was so cool. The funny thing is, all of Ashtyn's other things were super girly, then there is this boy toy Dragon Fortress. LOL, she also got TONS a Littlest Pet Shop animals, to which she calls them "Pechups"
so cute. She loved her stuff.



Kai received A LOT of books. Apparently, Santa wants him to read more often. He also got some Beyblade battle stuff, some socks, some cards, some clothes, 2 remote control cars. He was happy with the Beyblade because we told him if Santa couldn't afford a PSP GO like he wanted, Santa would get him a Beyblade. Kai quietly and happily played with his toys until after all of the presents were gone. There was a big box left and it didn't have anybody's name on it, so we acted all nonchalant and told Kai he could just unwrap it to see what it was. It was a box wrapped in a box, wrapped in a smaller box, well, you get the idea.....



We had a nice little Christmas Morning, then we took the kids out to play and here are the pics of the rest of our week spent with Elliott and Sebastian....











I wish you all a very happy and family-filled 2011!!!!