Double Trouble


Saturday was my niece Elle's first birthday and since Bryn's birthday is only two weeks later we decided to have a double birthday bash for these two cuties. Elle and Bryn put on their tutus, headed to Chuck E. Cheese, and partied like crazy one year olds. It was a WILD TIME!!

Hey Elle...they're trying to take our picture. Let's agree to never look at the camera.

Some more party animals!!

River, Kameron, Reilly, Ailey and Dane

Grandma Vic and Grandpa Ken

Aunt Stacey and River

Birthday Girl...Elle Jane

Birthday Girl...Bryn Kaitrin

Brynnie in her birthday crown with Mommy and Daddy. She would not wear that thing and was pretty traumatized when Chuck E. Cheese himself came over to place it on her head.

Not a fan of Chuck E. Cheese

Is a fan of presents!!

And money!!

Elle liked presents too when she wasn't jammin' to the music. She was rocking out!!

How cute are these mini-cakes?

And then she grabbed the lit candle...Hmm...perhaps Tyler should have been the one filming instead of me!!

Much safer now that it's blown out

Both girls dug right into their cakes...yum yum!!

Elle liked hers!!

The most HILARIOUS video EVER!! Go Elle Go.

How many hours have we been at Chuck E. Cheese?

Bryn and Grandma

Hanging out with Aunt Stacey...Uncle John was there too...he must've been playing games.

A little tiring but a fun day all in all.

Happy Birthday Cute Girls!!

Weaned


No...not Bryn. She's been weaned for months. I've been weaned from my anti-anxiety medication. (Not pictured above!!) Just in case any of you might have been wondering but were too afraid ask..."Is Kristin still on her happy pills?" The answer would be no. Not any longer.

So in analyzing this whole experience I have come to the conclusion that I really have no idea if the medication worked or not. Half the time I wondered if they were just placebos. (Is paranoia a side effect?) I started taking them at the first of the year. I took them while my cast was on and then was encouraged to finish out the prescription. Which ended up being basically three months. Then I had to call back in to get my instructions for the "weaning." Holy crap.

I guess the medication worked in that I didn't end up hacking my cast off and by the time I got it removed it barely bothered me (ok that's a lie...it bugged the crap out of me.) But did the medication reduce my anxiety? NO. I still felt lots of anxiety (I am a big worrier by nature) and had some worrisome things that occurred during this time and believe you me I felt it all. Obviously I would need a much larger dosage (perhaps horse tranquilizer size) to deal with my own particular brand of crazy.

I felt slightly subdued when I first started taking the meds but after about a month or so I felt like myself again. I found that I clenched my jaw A LOT... especially at night. (This is a common side effect.) In asking Tyler if he noticed any difference in me he said that the medication took the "edge" off. I was extremely insulted. What did he mean by my "edge"? Jerk. But since the weaning I get it. I have a short fuse. I get mad easily and fast. The medication really did help with that. After I began the weaning process I noticed it's return even though I didn't notice it's departure. Weird. Is that reason enough to stay on the medication? No. Patience is something that can be learned.

All in all, I really believe that my panic attack and cast-claustrophobia were due to a bad reaction to hydrocodone. (I have had bad reactions to it before and most of my claustrophobia/panic ended once I stopped taking the hydrocodone and switched to ibuprofen.) Either way I learned a lot about myself during this process. There is no weakness in asking for help if you need it. There is nothing to be ashamed of if you need anti-depressants/anti-anxiety medication. If you need it--use it!! If I need some help later in my life I won't hesitate to go in and have a frank conversation with my physician. No problem.

Now onto the weaning...that was a scary conversation with my physician. I have always known that you can't just go off this kind of medication "cold turkey"...you have to wean yourself slowly. Slowly is right. This has been a several week process. One that required me taking meticulous notes, marking off days on my calendar, and cutting pills. The doctor kept asking me on the phone "Mrs. Johnson, do you have a pen and paper because it is crucial that you write this down...it is crucial that you do not deviate from this plan...it is crucial that you call us immediately if you feel different/off/or have any unusual symptoms...now I need you to read your notes back to me so I know that you have the schedule of days and dosages down correctly. I can't stress enough how important it is that you do not deviate from this schedule and that you call us immediately if you have any problems." Uh-scary. Now I have anxiety about my anxiety medication!!

So far so good. No problems as of yet except for the fact that I have added two new phobias to my long list: breaking bones and panic attacks. File those right under rats and cats please. I am still glad to say I only had the one panic attack...but it was enough. I'm keeping THAT medication around "just in case". So I'm a little wiser, a little more empathetic and a little more "edgy" but hey I'm back to being me!!

New Year New You

In January our Relief Society did the greatest thing. We started a "New Year New You" Program. I can't tell you how amazing this whole 7 week process was. It has made a huge difference in my life. The purpose was to help the women kick off 2010 in a positive way and to help them begin to set and attain goals. It was kind of like our own "Biggest Loser" but weight loss wasn't the only goal of the program.

The women who signed up were divided into teams of about 4 and a team leader and team name were picked. We actually had a good turn out of women who wanted to participate. Each day there were specific goals that needed to be accomplished and tally sheets had to be meticulously kept. You got so many points for doing certain things each day. Once a week you would meet as a team to give your point totals for the week, weight loss, inches lost, provide support to each other and to report on your personal goal.

Here's a break down of the program:

Exercise: 30-45 min. per day = 15 pts. and 45-60 min. per day = 20 pts. (Encouraged to work out every day except Sunday.)


Water: 1 pt. per 8oz. glass (encouraged to drink 8 glasses per day)


7+ hours of sleep per night: 5 pts.

5+ servings of fruits/vegetables per day: 10 points

No eating after 8pm or 2 hours before bed: 5 points



Prayers (morning and night): 2 points per prayer.



Scripture Reading: 5 points



Personal Goal (Each woman was encouraged to set a personal goal to work on): 15 points per week.

Lost Pounds: 10 pts. /1 lb and 5 pts. for a 1/2 lb. If you were wanting to lose weight you were encouraged to follow a weight loss program like Weight Watchers etc. For those who didn't want to lose weight they could journal for their points.

(If you didn't meet as a team and report your points/weight/inches each person would lose 10 points for the week.)

Each teams points for the week and ranking were displayed on a poster every Sunday. It was extremely motivating because you didn't want to let your team down by being the weak link.

Our ward did amazingly well. We had our end celebration a few weeks ago. The winning team received prizes as did the person who lost the most weight and the person who lost the most inches. Sadly my team didn't win but I feel I made some great progress and established some good habits. 7 weeks is a long time and it really had an effect on my daily life.

I somewhat followed Weight Watchers not seriously but just kept points/portions in mind. (I have done Weight Watchers several times in the past to great results.) I made sure I ate lots of fruit and veggies...fairly easy for a flexitarian/vegetarian family...but even I had to add a few more daily portions for myself. I really upped my water intake. I love water and drink it all the time but when I started paying close attention I realized I wasn't drinking even close to the amount I that I should be drinking daily. I also upped my workouts from 4 days a week to 6 days a week. (I started this program in January so I was even working out with my arm in a cast.)

The personal goal I set was to journal more...I decided that could take the form of blogging/facebooking/gratitude journal/regular journal. That was a good goal for me because my blogging had gone way down hill and I had to blow the dust off my gratitude journal (which I have previously kept very regularly for the past 13 + years.)

My results:

Since beginning this program I have lost 10 lbs and 10 1/2 inches. This was nice because I am back to my pre-baby weight and even had to buy a smaller pair of jeans because my pre-baby jeans were too big. I still would like to lose an additional 5-10 lbs and a few more inches plus firm up a lot more. But it has been a great way to start 2010 with good, healthy habits and some weight loss. I am still keeping track of everything and recording my tallies in a journal to help me stay on track.

This program was so much fun and I really appreciate all the hard work and time that went into putting this whole program together by some amazing women in our ward!!

How are you doing on your New Year's Resolutions? I've still got quite a few that could use some work but at least I feel like I have made some good progress so far.

***If any of you read the Mary Jane's Farm Magazine check out the April/May issue. My sister, Stacey, and her Dining Divas group were featured. Exciting!!***

It's The Most Wonderful Time Of The Year

"...With everyone telling you be of good cheer...It's the most wonderful time of the year...It's the hap-happiest season of all..."

(I'm singing and twirling with joy!!)

The dreary and dark Pacific Northwest just got a little less dark. Good-bye dark at 4pm. Good riddance!! How I love daylight savings time. Sweet sweet harbinger of summer!!

"It's the most wonderful time...la la la la...of the year!!"

What I Am Up To

Here's what I'm doing these days:

1.) My house is undergoing a MAJOR de-crapification process. That is the removal of any and all
unnecessary, non-aesthetically pleasing, and non-sentimental crap from our house that has
been accumulating for the past few years. It is a monumental project. But each day I get a
bit more done and the joy of seeing all this unnecessary stuff heading for Goodwill fills me with glee. My motto is "purge, purge, purge."

2.) I started physical therapy yesterday for my wrist. It is healing and getting better everyday but it is going a bit slower than my doctor would like...and it's still pretty stiff...so I now will go to P.T. twice a week. After just one session I can already tell a big difference.

3.) I have been listen to this book on my Ipod and computing it to memory:


I HIGHLY HIGHLY HIGHLY recommend it!! It has saved the sanity of two adults in our family and the life of one 13 year-old. It is fantastic. Tyler even finished it before I did and loved it...and the last parenting book he read was...oh yeah...he's never read one. So that's especially high praise.

4.) I am also marveling that these two girls are about to turn ONE!!

Bryn and Elle

Aren't these the cutest almost one year-olds on the planet? Their Grandma is pretty cute too!!

I don't think I've mentioned it on the blog but Bryn is crawling and into everything!! It is so fun to see her booking it around the house...she's very fast...I'll have to post some video. It is so interesting to me how different kids are. Reilly and Ailey never crawled...they just stood up and walked. Kameron crawled for so long I was beginning to worry about him. I had to bribe him with cookies for weeks to get him up off his chubby behind. Elle is crawling too but for awhile she has been doing the most hilarious butt-scoot I have ever seen. I wish I had video of that.
These two girls are going to have quite the double birthday bash in a few weeks...as is befitting two miracle babies.

So that's what I'm up to...

Two Light Spring Recipes

I have Spring Fever. I'm done with winter...even though I have been LOVING our mild winter this year. But as Spring is approaching it affects my cooking. I don't feel like eating the heavier winter comfort foods...I start craving healthier meals. I have been scouring blogs, magazines, and cookbooks for some new healthy recipes to add to my repertoire.

Here are two delicious recipes that are light, healthy, economical, and vegetarian (or not) that you should give a try. I made these and my family loved both and I have since made them each a few more times to rave reviews.

Black Bean Couscous Salad

(I found this recipe on a blog...can't remember where...but I've tweaked it a bit to make it my own. This is probably my favorite recipe of the two even though I really love both. I triple this recipe. It's really good for lunch the next day.)

1 cup uncooked couscous
1 1/4 chicken broth (I use bouillon because I am cheap and it doesn't affect the taste either way)
3 T extra virgin olive oil
2 T fresh lime juice (I use way more than this because I like it to have a real zing)
1 T red wine vinegar (I add more than this too because I like it tangy)
Dash of cayenne pepper (optional)
8 chopped green onions
1 red bell pepper, seeded and diced
1/2 cup chopped cilantro ( I probably add more because I love cilantro)
1 bag frozen corn, thawed
2 cans black beans, drained
salt and pepper to taste

Bring chicken broth to a boil and stir in couscous. Cover pot and remove from heat. Let stand for 5 minutes. Then fluff with a fork and break up any large chunks.

Whisk together olive oil, lime juice, cayenne pepper and vinegar. Add green onions, red pepper, cilantro, corn, and beans and toss to coat. Add couscous and mix well. Can serve at once or can be refrigerated.

Wild Rice Mango Salad

(I got this off my sister Stacey's Dining Divas blog. Very good. I have also slightly tweaked this recipe as well. I usually double the recipe...due to the avocado it's best to be eaten the day you make it.)

1 cup wild rice, uncooked
2 cups shredded, cooked chicken breasts (I usually leave this out and add two cups cashews instead...very good!!)
1 avocado, diced
1 large ripe mango, diced
1/2 cup green onions, chopped
1/2 cup sliced almonds
2 T orange juice (I usually add more...I like it orange-y)
1 T olive oil
1/2 t. cayenne pepper (I usually add more)
garlic powder to taste (about 1-2 T)
salt and pepper to taste

(If you do add chicken still add at least a cup of cashews as well. It's really good.)

Cook rice and cool slightly. In a large bowl, combine nuts, (chicken if added), avocado, mango, red pepper, and green onions. In a small bowl, combine orange juice, oil, cayenne, garlic powder, salt and pepper. Toss with rice mixture. Can eat right away.

It's That Time of Year Again


The Science Fair is here again. Kameron was so excited to participate this year. (I was less so) Luckily Tyler shares a love for the Science Fair and he and Kameron put their heads together to figure out what they wanted to do and they had a ball working together. I got a kick just out of watching the two of them.

Kameron did a fantastic job!! They don't judge the projects until 4th grade (Kameron is in 3rd grade) but he did get an "honorable mention" ribbon in addition to his participation ribbon so he was THRILLED!!

I got a kick out of this:

Ailey was so proud of her big brother and his awesome project that the day before the Science Fair after Kameron has gone to school she asked me if I would take her picture in front of Kameron's project. How cute is that?

The same night as the Science Fair was also the big Blue and Gold Banquet for Scouts. There was a lot going on that night. Tyler, stud that he is, did all the parent help with projects for both events and lugged all four kids to both events by himself because I was at home sicker than a dog.

This year Kameron had to make a cake that celebrated the 100th Anniversary of the Cub Scouts. A much more difficult theme than last year's "State Cakes."

Here's Kameron's Ode To Scouting creation:

Side one

Side two

I'd like to add that this cake was made from scratch and so was the frosting. It was delicious!! Way to go Kameron (and Tyler). He got the award for "Best Boy Scout Theme."

Here's my thrilled cub scout:

What's up with this picture? Maybe he was tired of posing for pictures. Who knows? But a very good representation of "Kameron annoyed at 9 years old" I love it.

Kameron, we love you and are very proud of you and all your accomplishments!!

(Despite any crusty looks you give us when we try to take your picture! HA!!)

Something That is Making Me Laugh

I heard about this sign two weeks ago and every time I think of it I laugh. HARD.

Book Reviews #66 and #67

I'm going political on you with these book reviews. Both are interesting reads.

Book Review #66

I was very interested in reading this book because Sarah Palin has been a bit of an enigma to me. Who is the real Sarah Palin? Is she the savvy, feisty, big oil butt-kicking Governor of Alaska or the the train-wreck we witnessed during the Katie Couric interview? When she first came on the scene I had no idea who she was and was unsure of McCain's decision to pick her as his running mate. As I learned more about her I was intrigued...then came the onslaught of bad press, media sabotage...not to mention the SNL parodies. What was one to think?

I read this book because I wanted to hear her side of the story...in her own words. I wanted to get a glimpse of who the real Sarah Palin is and what does she stand for. I read it with a bit of trepidation. I was skeptical. I didn't want the SNL parody to be confirmed. I was pleasantly surprised.

This is a interesting and enjoyable book. It was very readable. I couldn't put it down. I was fascinated to learn a lot about Alaska, her history, upbringing, family background, how she got into politics, and her position on the issues. Her account of the Presidential Election was unbelievable to say the least. I appreciated hearing her side of the story on the various scandals and bizarre events that took place during the election. I enjoyed her matter-of-fact view of politics, her values, and her ideas for our country. I appreciated her not going into all the personal details surrounding her daughter's pregnancy. In fact Levi Johnson's name is never mentioned. All in all, I found her story compelling.

That said...the book was far too long and her "aw shucks" and "oakey dokey" way of speaking truly bugs the heck out of me. Is Sarah Palin ready for the White House? The jury is still out for me but I like her position on most issues.

My Rating: Good

Book Review #67


If you like Glenn Beck you will like this book...if you don't like Glenn Beck... you won't. I happen to enjoy Glenn Beck and I, therefore, enjoyed the book. This book is highly readable with interesting quotes, side notes, cartoons and you just might learn something. I did. I also appreciated all his sources and citations listed in the back of the book. Great if you want to research a subject further or verify a fact. I did.

My Rating: Good

A Rose By Any Other Name




These are the things I ponder while teaching my CTR 4 Primary class. What is in a name? This has been a favorite topic of mine to ruminate upon since reading Freakonomics. This Sunday I had to find out from all the parents of the kids in my class why they picked the name they did for their child. It was highly enjoyable. CTR 5 (Ailey's class) had the same lesson so I got to explain why we picked that particular name for her. Again enjoyable.

I love naming. Seriously. It is the best part of being pregnant besides the baby at the end of nine horrific months. Apparently I have always enjoyed this since my little girl journals are filled with lists of "names I like" and "what I want to name my kids".(I apparently REALLY wanted girl/boy twins named Ashley and Anthony.) I am somewhat sad that I don't get to name any future kids but feel good that I got to use most of my favorites.

I was thinking about my name and why my parents picked it for me. I like my name and have never wished it was anything different. My name is Kristin Marie. My mom named me Kristin after her best friend that she grew up with and my father picked Marie after his aunt who passed away before I was born. My mom wanted to name me Kristin Kara and my dad wanted to name me Nancy Marie (Ew!) so they compromised. If I would've been a boy my name would have been Scott John.

Reilly was going to be named McKenna Marie until I saw her on ultrasound and just knew that her name was Reilly not McKenna. Incidentally, all my children's names were picked after seeing them on ultrasound and having their gender determined. Reilly was the name of the niece of a guy my college BFF Tiffany was dating once upon a time. Tiffany had the "pleasure" of spending some time with little "Riley" who was somewhat obnoxious and I heard many hilarious imitations of Riley. (Tiff-- to this day when Reilly gets obnoxious and whiny I like to bust out with "Where's Pork? Where's Pork!!" to her utter irritation and confusion.) Tyler and I both liked Reilly and picked her middle name to be Victoria after my mom. If Reilly would have been a boy we would've named her Braedic Tyler or Braedic McKinnon. Braedic is the name of my friend Tiffany's darling younger brother, Brady.

Kameron's name was going to be Braedic (our #1 name) but after seeing him on the ultrasound I felt "inspired" on the elevator at the hospital that his name wasn't Braedic or even our #2 name Cade but actually our #3 name Cameron....which we changed the spelling to a "K" in honor of me I guess. What can I say? I like the letter K. We didn't decide on his middle name until after he was born. We were torn between Tyler and McKinnon. My grandpa McKinnon had just passed away and we wanted to honor him. I let Tyler decide the middle name. He picked Tyler in the delivery room and I'm glad he did because Kameron is our only boy and I'm glad that he is named after his dad. If Kameron would've been a girl his name would've been Ailey.

Once we knew that Ailey was a girl and we saw her dainty little face on the ultrasound we knew that her name was Ailey. When I was four years old I had as friend named Ailey and I always thought that it was such a darling name. Ailey is a name that was on all the lists of names in my journals...that and Cameron...ironically. The problem was picking a middle name. We wanted to honor one of Tyler's grandmothers who were great ladies but we weren't too crazy about Alice or Helen. So we were going to "fancy them up" a bit and go with either Elise (for Alice) or Helene. We couldn't decide and went back and forth. When we got home from the ultrasound I looked through our baby name book to see what the meanings of both names were to see if that would help us decide. Oddly enough I found the name "Ailey" (which I had never seen before) and Ailey is Scottish for Alice and Finnish for Helen. I got the chills. Her name was meant to be. We picked the name Eva to be her middle name after my Great-Great Grandmother. If Ailey would've been a boy her name would've been Braedic.

The name Bryn is my sister Jordin's middle name. I really love it. After Ailey was born there was a little girl in our ward whose name was Brinn and I thought it was just darling. I didn't always think Bryn was a cute name. When my mom was pregnant with Jordin after she found out that she was having a girl my parents decided to name her Kiera Lauren. I just LOVED that name. I thought it was so pretty. Well somewhere along the line they decide to change her name and neglected to tell us. I remember going into my mom's hospital room and seeing little "Kiera" only to be told that they had decided to name her Jordin Bryn instead. I thought it was the most hideous name ever. Now I love the name but I really had my heart set on Kiera. :)

Two very early ultrasounds told us that Bryn was going to be a boy. Once again Braedic just didn't fit and I couldn't see the face because the baby was too little and I just didn't feel inspired. Finally we decided on the name Callum which we both really loved. My VERY favorite name was Seamus but that didn't seem to go over very well with our family even though Tyler and I both really liked it. I also liked the name Asa but it is the name of my friend Rebecca's son and I didn't want to steal his cool and unique name. So we decided on Callum McKinnon. We thought Kam and Cal would be cute names for brothers. The third ultrasound revealed that Bryn was DEFINITELY not a boy and Tyler had his own psychotic break in the doctor's office. I was so excited to use the name we had picked out for a girl... Bryn Kaitrin. My sisters have a friend named Meghan Caitrin and we were in Dining Divas together and I kept seeing it on all her emails and I thought it was so cute. Once again we swapped the "C" for a "K". It also worked out perfectly because it is a Celtic name that honors two of my grandmothers Kate and Kathy. We LOVE the Celtic names in this family!!

I'm still loving the names we have chosen for our children. They fit them perfectly. I still wish we could've used Braedic because it is such a cool name and Tyler never got to use his favorites ...Lance (that was never going to happen) and Taylor (I could've been talked into that one.) Reilly wishes that her name was Vanessa and names every heroine of every story that she has ever written Vanessa and last week Kameron told us not to call him "Kam" anymore because his name is Kameron (so I guess Kamers, Kammy, Kamer-lamer-ding-dong, Kameroni, and Kameronius are out too? BUMMER.) Oh well...they will come around.

Speaking of Vanessa...Reilly was thrilled to see the "original" Vanessa (and the only Vanessa I know) at a stake function on Saturday only solidifying that Vanessa is a GREAT name! I am forever grateful for Vanessa helping me to feel less crazy about my psychotic break!! I owe you!!

So back to names...Tyler and I were discussing our names. When Tyler and I met we were known to all as Kris and Ty. I miss them. Kris and Ty were a good time. Kris and Ty rocked. Kristin and Tyler live in a world of mortgages, bills, snotty 13 year olds, homework, church callings and baby poop. Kristin and Tyler are good people: they try hard; but sometimes they take themselves a bit too seriously. It's not like Kris and Ty don't make appearances...they do but they are fleeting. Here's to more Kris and Ty in 2010. Let's hope they come to stay because Kristin and Tyler are a little bit stressed out these days and need to LIGHTEN UP!!

So...do you like your name?

Cast Claustrophobia No-More

Oh the glorious day has come!! My cast was removed on Friday. Woohoo. I can't even begin to tell you how fantastic it is to be able to scratch my arm, shower (bye-bye baths...Tyler will miss these I am sure), do my own hair, hug my baby without clocking her in the head, wear my wedding ring and a whole slew of other things that I have hither too taken for granted...like typing with two hands. (I hope you have appreciated my blogging because it took FOREVER to peck out the posts with one hand!)

The night before my cast was to be removed I let my family go at it with a sharpie. Here are a few pictures for posterity.




My doctor actually asked me if I wanted to save my cast after he removed it. Uh...no. Gross. Who would want to save their nasty old cast. But then I thought of my Aunt Bonnie and her jewelry box of horrors and I bet she probably has a cast or two saved right? Paul's maybe from when he was a baby? Needless to say I did not save mine and think that these pictures will suffice.

Sweet Freedom!!

I am thrilled to be out of a cast but it still hurts like crazy, doesn't bend whatsoever and looks nasty. There is still work to be done to get back to normal but it feels good to be on the mend. Yay for two hands!! Don't take them for granted!!