Sunday Fun and Pigtails

This past Sunday, my Grandma and Grandpa
came to visit us, which was way exciting because
they hadn't seen Kaiya for about a year!

The last time they saw her, she was only 7 months old!
It is truly amazing how time flies!

Kaiya immediately opened up to them,
especially since they walked in with an
adorable pink, stuffed monkey just for her!

If you give Kaiya a toy (or food), she's immediately your best friend.

Also, she's immediately your best friend if you have a cool phone.
Like Grandpa's. His phone is about as big as her forearm. Haha!

Side note: doesn't she look just like Joshua?! I think so.
Plus, aren't her pigtails a.dor.able?! She finally has enough hair!
They make her look like such a big girl...

I miss my baby, sometimes.

Anyways, Kaiya does enjoy her phones, but she
does also like to read books, believe it or not!

And I have the pictures to prove it...

I am in love with these pictures!
And I am oh so glad we caught these memories of Kaiya
with her great-grandparents.
They will be cherished forever. :)

My favorite!!!
Grandpa "eating" Kaiya's toes.
She loved it.
And even requested it. Haha. Silly girl.

I love my family.
There is truly something special about families coming
together to enjoy each other's company.

There's something especially special about having your daughter
play with and make memories with her great-grandparents
because that is exactly what I did with them when I was a little girl
running around in pigtails. :)

Family: Can't live with 'em, can't live without 'em

Family is super duper important to me and always has been.

Being raised in the LDS faith and having such an awesome family

has given me a love for family that is unconditional and eternal.

Yes, families can sometimes be crazy, overwhelming, and hard work,

but they are so worth it!

When my family was able to be together for Christmas, we had family 

pictures taken all together for the first time in 2 years!

What a great bunch of people! I love them. :)

My older brother and his gorgeous wife and daughter

were able to join us as well! Oh how I love my little niece!

My parents kind of enjoy being grandparents...if you can't tell. Haha!

Seriously, they look SO happy!

Our sweet Chinese sister was able to take pictures with us too!

Oh and how could all us siblings get together without being silly

and sitting on Tessa? (apparently it's tradition?)

Finally, our little McGlothin family got some pictures together.

Can I just say it is really, really difficult to get an 18-month-old 

to cooperate for pictures?

The entire time we were taking pictures, all she wanted to do

was press "muttons" (buttons) on the elevator!

Anyways...here are some pictures of my adorable little family!

I love this :)

Oh, and did I mention our little family is growing? ;)

Here comes baby #2!!!

We love that little peanut already. <3

By the way, all of these pictures were taken by this dear friend of mine...

I've known her forever it seems and it had been so long since we

had seen each other! So, I was so happy to have her take our pictures.

Race to the End

Well hello everyone!

I've kind of been M.I.A. for the last few months (or more).

Life was seriously so crazy this last semester.

I was taking 15 credit hours of class, working 20 hours a week, 

and being a wife and mom on top of that. 

It nearly killed me. And I nearly gave up.

But then I decided I was too close to the end of my schooling to give up.

I made it through the semester after many agonizing days (weeks, months, etc.) of

not enough sleep, time, or energy to get everything done.

Some days I thought I was losing my mind.

(Some days I really think I did).

Some days I cried.

The only reason I made it through was because Heavenly Father is all-knowing 

and all-loving and put people in my life to get me through.

These angels:

*my husband

*my sweet Kaiya (believe it or not)

And...

*countless selfless and kind babysitters who also have busy lives of their own

I could never do anything I have accomplished without them.

And for one more semester (just one more!),

I will be relying on them again.

For just one more semester, my life will be unbelievably busy with

15 hours of work, 15 hours of internship, and a 3 credit class every week.

But I can do this! And it will be so worth it!

When things get tough this semester, I think I will just ponder about

how amazing it will feel to walk across the stage at graduation and say,

"I did it. I got married, had a baby, and graduated from college--all within 3 years."

Was it crazy? You bet your bottom dollar.

Was it worth it? Wait 'til you see my smile at graduation. :)

Thought of the Day: Are you a carrot, an egg, or a coffee bean?

So, I am a huge fan of inspirational thoughts and quotes
and heard a great thought the other day that inspired me to
change my attitude toward adversity (an annoyingly inevitable part of life!).

This inspirational thought is a story about carrots, eggs, and coffee beans.
(Sounds exciting, right? Just wait, it gets really good).

Source: www.actioncoach.com

Here's the original story (it's long, but wonderful!):

"A young woman went to her mother and told her about her life and how things were so hard for her. She did not know how she was going to make it and wanted to give up. She was tired of fighting and struggling.
It seemed that, as one problem was solved, a new one arose. Her mother took her to the kitchen. She filled three pots with water and placed each on a high fire. Soon the pots came to a boil. In the first, she placed carrots, in the second she placed eggs, and in the last she placed ground coffee beans.

She let them sit and boil, without saying a word. In about twenty minutes, she turned off the burners. She fished the carrots out and placed them in a bowl. She pulled the eggs out and placed them in a bowl. Then she ladled the coffee out and placed it in a bowl. Turning to her daughter, she asked, "Tell me, what do you see?"

"Carrots, eggs, and coffee," the young woman replied. The mother brought her closer and asked her to feel the carrots. She did and noted that they were soft. She then asked her to take an egg and break it. After pulling off the shell, she observed the hard-boiled egg. Finally, she asked her to sip the coffee. The daughter smiled as she tasted its rich aroma. The daughter then asked, "What does it mean, mother?"

Her mother explained that each of these objects had faced the same adversity - boiling water - but each reacted differently. 

The carrot went in strong, hard and unrelenting. However, after being subjected to the boiling water, it softened and became weak.

The egg had been fragile. Its thin outer shell had protected its liquid interior. But, after sitting through the boiling water, its inside became hardened!

The ground coffee beans were unique, however. After they were in the boiling water, they had changed the water.

"Which are you?" the mother asked her daughter. "When adversity knocks on your door, how do you respond? Are you a carrot, an egg, or a coffee bean?"  

Think of this: Which am I? Am I the carrot that seems strong but, with pain and adversity, do I wilt and become soft and lose my strength? Am I the egg that starts with a malleable heart, but changes with the heat?  Did I have a fluid spirit but, after a death, a breakup, or a financial hardship, does my shell look the same, but on the inside am I bitter and tough with a stiff spirit and a hardened heart? Or am I like the coffee bean? The bean actually changes the hot water, the very circumstance that brings the pain. When the water gets hot, it releases the fragrance and flavour.
 
If you are like the bean, when things are at their worst, you get better and change the situation around you. When the hours are the darkest and trials are their greatest, do you elevate to another level? How do you handle adversity? Are you a carrot, an egg, or a coffee bean?"
(Story Source: http://mbstories.quora.com/The-carrot-the-egg-and-the-coffee-bean)

I am trying to be the coffee bean. I'm trying to become a better person when adversity comes by developing patience, understanding, humility, love, and selflessness rather than by exclaiming, "Woe is me!" and wallowing in self-pity. Doing that will not change my situation and will only make me feel worse. If, instead, I try to learn from the experience and gain an elevated perspective, I will be able to see my purpose in life more clearly.

Anyways...just a little something to think about at the start of a new week! Don't let past (or future) failures or hardships be a plague. Be a coffee bean (figuratively, of course!) that "changes the hot water, the very circumstance that brings the pain."

Any thoughts about the story? What did you like? Did it inspire you like it inspired me?

Life Lately: McGlothin Family Updates

Life can be a little crazy sometimes.

I'm sure you know exactly what I mean.

Between a 20-hour work week, 15 school credits, and family responsibilities,
I sometimes barely rememeber what I did 20 minutes ago, let alone one day ago.

When people ask me how my weekend was, I usually say something like,
"That's a really good question..." or "What did I do?!"

I guess what I am saying is that I am exhausted!
But it is SO worth it because I graduate in April. Yay!

Recently, Joshua and I have been pretty busy with school and work.
Most of the time we get to spend together is in the evenings
after Joshua gets home from school.

Dishes pile up in the sink for a couple days because we are so busy
and Kaiya's toys end up everywhere...
the shower, trashcan, bookshelf, drawers, dryer, and other random places
throughout the house.

Joshua and I celebrated my birthday at the beginning of the month with some dinner
at a Thai restaurant in Provo that was delicious! We love Thai food and have
set a goal to visit every Thai restaurant in Provo before we leave next year!
(We'll see how that goes...) :)
We also got some ice cream from Coldstone!
Seriously, every time I go there, I tell myself I will try a new Creation flavor...
but I always end up getting the Founder's Favorite ice cream.
It's filled with addicting sweet cream ice cream, brownie chunks,
pecans, chocolate syrup and caramel syrup.
Is your mouth watering yet? Mine is...

 Now is your mouth watering?!

For date night last Friday, Joshua and I went to the Provo temple
and just enjoyed sitting outside of it, reading together,
and enjoying the peaceful evening.
We even got to cuddle a bit because it was chilly. ;)

Anyways, Kaiya is showing interest in helping me "clean,"
meaning she will hold on to the broom as I try to sweep the floor
and pushes the vacuum with me. She's such a great little helper!

Not too long ago, Kaiya reached into the refrigerator and pulled down a bowl
of beans that spilled all over the floor.
She immediately looked over at me to see what I would do.
I just smiled at her and said, "Whoops! Let's clean it up!"
She smiled and picked up each bean, individually, and placed it
on the bottom shelf of the fridge. 

That didn't last long...because then she started grabbing handfuls of the
beans she had already put away and threw them back on the ground!
Close Kaiya...but not quite. :)

And for those not keeping track, Kaiya is now 14 months old!
Unbelievable, right?

Kaiya 14-month update:

• Favorite foods: everything...except cranberry sauce (can't blame her, right?)
• Favorite words: baby (most things are "baby"), bye-bye, duck, dad
• Favorite activities: looking at things upside down (with her head between her legs), playing tag, making friends, playing in dirt and rocks, playing with daddy, going to the duck pond
• Favorite person/people: Mommy and Daddy of course! ;) And anyone else who plays with her...
• Favorite book: Back in My Arms

Playing with rocks...one of her favorite things!

Well, I hope you have a wonderful day! :)

A long + crazy day = productive!

(Disclaimer: This post is partially written for my own sanity so I remember why the heck I am doing everything I am doing right now!)

So, yesterday felt like the longest day of my life!

I helped in the BYU Preschool from 7:45 to 11:45 AM...

Had class from Noon to 2 PM...

Went to work from 2 to 5 PM...

Took a test from 5 to 6 PM...

Played with Kaiya from 6 to 7:30 PM until her bedtime...

And then made a pillowcase from about 7:30 to 10:30 PM.

When do I eat, sleep, rest, relax, see my husband?
That's a really good question!

Okay, so this schedule is pretty crazy, right?

But I know it is totally going to be worth it when I get that degree next April.
**I can almost hear that Graduation march song playing, haha.**

Also, I love what I do everyday, even though it makes my days long, crazy, hectic, busy, exhausting, etc.

1. I love working in the BYU Preschool because I am learning all about how to
teach children,
interact with them,
ask them questions that make them think,
engage their interest in learning,
and so so SO much more!
(And they are just so darn cute!)

All of those things are skills I can use as I raise my own children!

2. I love how applicable the classes are that I am taking right now...even if one of them in particular is pretty difficult.

3. I love my job working for BYU as a secretary! Everyone I work with is so nice and I just love them. :) At work, I am never stressed out.

4. I love taking tests!!! (okay, this one is really a stretch, but I am trying to be positive, okay? ;) )

5. I am so grateful that I had the opportunity to learn how to sew yesterday and make a pillowcase. Joshua's mom was so sweet and showed me how to use my sewing machine and follow a pattern to make a pillowcase. It turned out super cute and I cannot wait to create some more cute crafts! :)

 Joshua's mom joked that she unleashed a beast by teaching me how to sew because now I am going to be addicted. I think she was right!

Well, I got a lot done yesterday...all day...so I suppose you could say I was pretty productive? :)