Just Dance...again!

I am SO happy that I was able to be a part of a dance performance in April of this year. It was a lot of hard work and it was so fulfilling to push myself to my limits again. I met amazing people, and made friendships that I will cherish forever.

"FINAL EXAM"

"AGGLOMERATION"

"I AM"

Thank you to my greatest fans who came to cheer me on in my old dancing age! Mom and Dad Stratford, Melanie, Madi, Mom and Dad, Nina, Amy, Aunt Marla, Annie, Brooke, Savanna, and my love - Shane... it meant the WORLD to me to have your support, I love each of you so much!

Taking a break from blogger...for a bit

See you soon!

04.01.2011 was my birthday

I am not fooling, my birthday fell on the beloved holiday for all pranks to be unleashed... and I LOVE IT! Besides the regular teasing and pranking that goes along with having four older brothers, April Fools Day was always designated just for celebrating my birthday. The only tricks played on me were the candles on my birthday cake... when I was young I could not figure out why I wasn't powerful enough to blow them out!

Most people may say that birthdays lose their sense of excitement and valor with each year added on to ones tally, however, I tend to enjoy each new birthday with more vigour as I reflect upon the ups and downs of the past year, and look most forward to the year to come. It's like reading a good mystery book... you never quite know where and when the book will take a turn for the better or worse, yet either way, it becomes more exciting. :)

Shane was going to be taking me up to the family cabin for the weekend, but before we left I needed to see a few of my favorite people! We went to the park with my sister and her family (including the adorable dog, dundee) after which we enjoyed our favorite soft serve frozen yogurt, Yogotogo. Then we stopped by the bank to see one of my best friends, Rachel!

We thought it would be funny to take a picture right outside the men's bathroom... I think you'd agree with me when I say the picture doesn't exactly scream FUNNY... ;) However, Rachel is by far the funniest friend I have... she is from Georgia and just moved here a few years ago. I will always love her feisty southern accent and positive attitude about life... she has been such an amazing friend for me!

Then up at the cabin my cute mother in law gave both Melanie (Shane's sister) and me matching outfits!

A couple weeks after my birthday Shane and I were able to see Ballet West's performance of Bolero and it was AMAZING. It kept me on the edge of my seat the entire time! I am so grateful for a husband who will take me to ballet performances and never complain about it one little bit. I know that he does it just for ME...

And I just love EVERYTHING about him!

Funny how things change...

When Shane and I were first married we discussed what material "things" would make for such great gifts for our 5th anniversary. As our 4th year of marriage is fast approaching I have reflected upon those wishes - desires for material possesions. Those un-practical, yet exciting ideas of gifts have no meaning to me now...and for the past two years I have only had one dream - one wish - and at least for now, I am still reaching for that shining star in my sky.

In the meantime, as I wait (sometimes not so patiently) for my fairy-tale dreams to come true, I have been able to share in sweet moments with my sister in law as we found out together that she and my brother would be having a beautiful baby girl...that calm little baby that seems just as much mine as she is theirs. I get to spend every waking moment counting my blessings for a husband who makes the tough times more than just bearable; a man who lets me cry, and holds me close as our hearts cry together.

Some days I awake to cloudy skies, some to sunshine...and on the days that I watch the raindrops fall on the pavement outside my window I think about the entire bag of tulips that I planted with my sweet one a short seven months ago. Those flowers embrace the rain and also reach tall for those sunny days...they need both to grow beautifully.

So, I choose to embrace the rain.

I choose to welcome it to my seemingly eventless life,

and thank it for making my life

more eventful...

more enjoyable...

more BEAUTIFUL.

Apples, onions, and lettuce too

Up until two years ago, I had never been able to bite into an apple, or eat a hamburger without the onions and lettuce sliding right back out. But two years ago today (March 4th) all of that changed! I was able to have major reconstructive surgery on my upper jaw. I will never, ever be able to forget the long-lasting effects of this procedure because I am able to experience them every single day, and I feel so blessed that I had such an amazing team of doctors to make my life even more beautiful than it already was. I wanted to post a few pictures (just a tiny few), and some facts that I had written down not long after my operation about the surgery and recovery.

You can see just a bit from this picture how my teeth had begun to go crooked. They also flared out, and I had a large overbite.

Here I am ready for surgery, March 4, 2009. This was after 2 years of braces and a gum graft surgery to prepare me for my big jaw operation. It is crazy to compare pictures from my wedding day, to the day of surgery, and after!

Right after surgery


How I was fed for a couple weeks after surgery

7 days out of surgery... I remember feeling like I had a tootsie roll inside my top lip!

And here I am with my wonderful husband one year past the surgery. The comparison is incredible!


Here are some of the things I wrote down about my surgery not long after it was done:

**My surgery lasted 1 hour 45 minutes in which I had the post set in my lower jaw for my tooth implant, had my upper jaw removed, a wedge of bone cut out, then replaced and put back together with 4 plates and 18 screws. Crazy...ouch.
**I was asleep for a long time after surgery (because of my anxiety the anesthesiologist was surprised at how much medication was required to keep me asleep!)
**Once I woke up and sat up, my nose bled and bled and BLED. It was so frustrating because I was so numb-so as I tried to clean the blood off myself I couldn't because I had no clue where the blood was at. I ended up throwing up blood 3 times through my banded-shut mouth. :(
**My diet consists of medication after medication and about 10-15 cc's (about one tablespoon) of juice.
**I crave to talk with Shane...not being able to express my feelings through words is hard. It is tiring.
**I am amazed at how this recovery is seemingly easy despite the incredible difficulties. I have experienced an outpouring of love and service, and I know that has helped me heal. I couldn't ask for a better husband. I can't believe how gratefully and willingly he has served me! I love him with all my heart - can't wait to give him a big KISS someday! I can't wait until I can smile and laugh too. :)

***

My looks changed subtly, but they did change quite a bit. My nose is different, the muscles in my cheeks sit higher on my face, and my chin is more prominent. The entire shape of my face is different!

My teeth haven't budged one tiny bit since my surgery.

Just a few months ago I actually took my very first official bite out of an apple.

I will sometimes eat one piece of flat lettuce through my front teeth to feel the sensation of my front teeth actually getting through something so tiny...it is so amazing to me, still.

I feel so grateful every day for the experience that I had... I feel so blessed to be able to eat normally!

The thing that makes me smile...

Him. Just hiking on a clear, sunny, snowy day...

with him.

I love you Shane...thank you for making my world turn round!

xoxo

Sunny California!

In January I was able to spend an entire week in sunny Newport Beach California with my mom, sister, aunt Marla, aunt Debbie, and cousin Tara. It was fun to have a "girls only" trip filled with lots of laughter! We were able to do so many things from shopping, sunsets at Victoria Beach, playing Phase 10 at Newport Beach, cooking at the condo, going out for world-famous king crab legs, and a whole day (open to close) at Disneyland! Most of the pictures of all of us are on my mom's computer, but here are a few that I snapped while enjoying the vacation:

Kenzie & Brooke...so happy to be in SUNSHINE!



The night we checked in to the condo...look at that GORGEOUS view.



Brooke & Me at "Toy Story Mania" just ONE of the MANY fun rides at Disneyland. Our family LOVES Disneyland!

Victoria Beach

Kenzie & Brooke at Victoria Beach

Brooke, Kenzie & Mom watching the sun set at Victoria Beach

It was so nice to escape from our cold, sunless weather and head west to find some warmth... but it was also so nice to come home to the warmth of my husbands arms.

Thank you SO much Dad for the much needed vacation!

I might be going crazy...

Tonight I had a suggestion from a friend to make french toast for dinner.

We had one egg in the fridge...one egg, just for me, to make my french toast.

I removed a bowl and placed it next to the sink. I cracked the egg, and let it slip so perfectly and gracefully down the disposal. I then proceeded to carefully set the cracked egg shell into my bowl. I picked up my fork to whisk up the egg.

It was then, and ONLY then, that I realized I was about to whisk an egg shell, as my perfect little egg sat so perfectly down the drain.

I love french toast.

Even more, I love a good hearty laugh.

1.11.11

What a day to have a birthday! Most of our family were able to get together to celebrate one of the greatest men on earth...my Dad! My mom made it so fun - chili and bread sticks, homemade brownies and frosting, and homemade cheesecake (Grandma Ferguson's recipe) with berries.

Brooke, Mat, Cory, Nina, Eric, Michael

Holly, Kenzie, Mom, Bryce (holding baby Eric)

Easton, Todd, Dad, Nyle

Lauryn, Savanna, Tyler

Because Dad's birthday fell on 1.11.11, I thought I would share 11 'I love you's' about my Dad:
1. He always came (and still does) to every performance. Dad's applause could always be heard first, and louder than anyone else's, simply because he felt so proud.
2. Staying up into the early hours of the morning to help with math homework was a regular routine, because quitting was not an option.
3. Teaching me how to appreciate the simple things in life, like a good piece of homemade bread and jam.
4. For being the world's greatest handyman. Somehow, Dad even knew how to fix every broken heart with only a few words and a warm embrace.
5. Turning little things into a science project for the mind. 'Look at the difference between the composition of this dirt, in comparison to that dirt...what makes it that way?' This is exactly how Dad thinks every minute of every day, I just know it. He is SO SMART!
6. Dad knows the answer to every question...NO MATTER WHAT. But Dad doesn't just answer the question, he answers it with the wisest of words.
7. For respecting and openly loving my Mom every minute of every day. Watching the way he treated her made me realize what every woman deserves in a companion, and it always encouraged me to be better, so that I might have the chance to marry the best (and I sure think he is :)..).
8. For listening to me when all I needed to do was talk. For holding me tight when all I could do was cry.
9. For making dinner time, family time. No phone calls were answered, and no work was done. It was all 8 of us, great conversation, and amazing food every night. (With a little bit of bickering from Brooke and me over who got to sit next to Dad... :))
10. Always caring so much without seeming protective, even though I know that's how he feels inside! But no kidding Dad, I can't thank you enough for caring. If you didn't care, I wouldn't be where I am today.
11. For saying "I love you" EVERY TIME we talk.
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Thank you Dad for allowing me to fall, for picking me back up, and for knowing me well enough to carry me when I couldn't carry myself.
I love you.

(more posts below)

2011...bring it on.

To celebrate the ending of 2010 and beginning of 2011 Shane and I were able to vacation in St. George with our friends Mike & Rachel, Nate & Amanda, and Darin & Jen. A nice cold front blanketed all of Utah making it much too frigid to carry out most of our outdoor plans, however, it didn't take away from the fun we were still able to have.

Attending the temple, a little bit of mountain biking, little bit of tennis, not being able to see each other while soaking in the hot tub (we created SO much steam because it was so cold outside!), Rachel's famous fried egg sandwiches, playing COUNTLESS games of "The Office" clue, pizza, movies, bingo, one 499 piece puzzle (if you can believe it, we had a BRAND NEW puzzle, and one piece was missing! bummer...), shopping, church, one amazing Sunday dinner, and laughing so hard our stomachs hurt while watching our men battle it out playing the dance game on xbox kinect. SO, SO FUNNY.

You can't tell from this picture, but because of the wet clay dirt and sandy snow our bikes were filthy!

I feel so grateful to have such great friends... friends who are supportive, uplifting, and downright FUN. When we are together, it feels like family.

Thank you for helping us kick this 2011 year with a bang!

Two days before Christmas, our furniture went from this:

To this!

Our new furniture is so comfortable and so beautiful, and the quality is phenomenal. Everything in this picture with exception of the brown ottoman is from a furniture store called Lofgren's www.lofgrens.com. Our console table and end table are both bamboo, our entertainment unit is walnut, and we were even able to choose our own fabric for the sofa, chair, and ottoman.

Now we just have to keep ourselves from buying more furniture from this place...we love it!

Christmas 2010

I need to start off this post with yet another trick Duke has figured out on his own. Duke gets quite cold, and often times we will find him here:

On the bathroom floor, snuggled inside a bath towel! I was determined to figure out how he had done this one, so one night I watched as he wiggled his long body up the inside of the folded towel that was hanging on the towel rack. He then pulled it down with him onto the floor, then proceeded to army crawl himself to the opposite opening in the towel so he can poke his head out.

Maybe it's just that we're biased, but I just think our cute little kitty has become so intelligent!

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During the month of December we invited one and all from our neighborhood to join us in seeing the lights and sights at Temple Square.

It was fun to mingle and enjoy the lights and hot chocolate and donuts out of the back of Shane's car with some of our neighbors. We feel so blessed to be surrounded by so many friends!

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Also in December I was able to get four tickets to Ballet West's "The Nutcracker" for the price of one! What an enjoyable afternoon with Mom, Brooke, and Savanna. We were all captivated by the performance, and it was so fun to reminisce about Brooke performing as a buffoon and a soldier with Ballet West.

Brooke, Savanna, Kenzie

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Christmas brought with it so much fun and surprises! Christmas eve is always celebrated with the Ferguson's, and my parents sure put on a spread of delectable food! My parents also devote a lot of time and effort into the Christmas gifts for all of the kids and grandkids...it is so exciting to see the look on every one's faces as they open their beautifully wrapped gifts.

This is what Shane and I were blessed with this year:

A box of water wrapped inside a soft blanket. Can you figure this one out? Let's just say we can hardly wait to not have faded clothes from the washer, spots on our dishes and faucets, and dry skin and hair...thank you a MILLION Mom and Dad!

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On Christmas Day Shane and I headed up to the family cabin with Mom and Dad Stratford to help clean it for the renters who would be arriving later on in the evening. Now this may not seem like a fun Christmas Day task to many, but we're talking about MOM STRATFORD and ME here. We LOVE to clean! So it ended up being a fun afternoon spending time with just the four of us. After cleaning we drove up to Shane's sister's beautiful home in Mountain Green to have Christmas dinner with the Stratfords. When it came time to open our gifts, Mom asked us to reflect about events from 2010 in our family. She pointed out that there were many heartaches, accompanied by many blessings, and that our focus should always be on the one person who allows us to grow and to learn... the person who gives us love willingly, no matter what the circumstance.

This beautiful picture of our Savior, Jesus Christ will always remind us to be grateful for the tough times, and to be content with the outcome... to look for those who suffer, and lend a helping hand... to remember all those in need, and offer a heartfelt prayer... to look all around us and recognize the beauty of ALL things. What a blessing it is to know that our Savior watches out for each of us, and that he wraps us up in his loving arms even when we don't realize we need his comfort.

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We received one of the greatest blessings on Christmas eve when my brother and his wife announced that they would be welcoming their first baby in August... I have felt overwhelmed with emotion as I imagine their sweet family. What a blessing for all of us... the entire Ferguson family can't wait to meet this little baby!

xoxo

My eyes see red & white

Nutcracker just the thing to bring in the right Christmas spirit... What an amazing opportunity I have to be a part of such a fantastic tradition of colors, of magic, of lights, and friendships.

Those candy canes were absolutely amazing, despite the 3 gals who ended up plagued by the stomach flu! Unfortunately I ended up with it too... and try as I might I couldn't perform the party scene for 3 of the 4 performances! Cute Shane, who does all of this just for me, still held his head up high and performed those 3 performances with my part-saver, instead of myself. He was AMAZING... I would dare say that Shane has more character because of that.

My goodness I love him!

Here are my silly candy cane gals...it was because of their individual strengths that made them absolutely perfect!

Susie, Abbey, Kenzie
Alyssa, Bryni, Emily, Kenady, Claire,
Skye, Ali, Courtney

Our 'Candy Cane' huddle

Hundreds of little bodies in costume, with smiles on each one of their faces... feeling the heat of the lights, hearing the applause of the audience, and sensing the complete joy and magic that Christmas brings.

Already looking forward to next year...

xoxo