What a life.

So much is happening in my life right now - I seriously feel like I live in a whirlwind with no chance to even get my bearings. But things are good. Like really good. Seriously crazy, but good.

I am love, love, loving being a teacher. I am also hate, hate, hating it, too. I hate leaving my baby - I can't even count how many tear-filled drives to Heber I have had after leaving her. I also hate that I spent my Saturday night grading. How lame. But I love that I lucked out and got the Honors kids. And I love that I only work every other day. And I especially love that at the bottom of the last quiz I gave my students I got nice notes telling me that they love everything from my class to my bangs. I feel super blessed to be working with the 9th graders. I think that teenagers are at such an important stage of their lives, and I get the chance to watch and (hopefully) help with those important changes. The kids are hilarious and my work is so entertaining. I definitely have my highs and my lows. One day I am stoked and super happy about the amazing day I had, and other days I feel like I am the worst teacher in the world and that I should just give up. This first year has been hard, so far. I feel like I don't know near enough and I definitely do not have enough time. And I am freaking out because I never am more that one day ahead in my lesson planning. But I am lucky to have this job, and I know that, and so I remain grateful and positive.

Jer is taking three more classes (and still working full-time) and that, combined with me working, and resulted in a house of disastrous and stress-inducing lack of order. We are still not unpacked from moving. We have a half-painted piece of furniture in our back yard. But we play with our baby, and that, I say, is way more important.

Speaking of baby - what an adorable little monster. She is such a little babbler. I can't believe I ever lived before her. She sits all by herself and stands if she is holding on to something (sometimes) and loves her solids! Jer and I are making her food and, so far, it is going ok. She is a chunk and I love it.

PLUS - a big congrats to the newest members of the family! My brother-in-law and his wife had little Ciara a few weeks ago and Kamie and Alex just welcomed Ari 2 weeks ago! I am so glad that Kaiah will have so many cousins so close in age!

Finally - happy birthday to my amazingly wonderful mommy! I was lucky enough to grow up with a mom who always, no matter what, put her children first. I never for one second questioned whether I was loved. My mom had my back, and I knew it. And, most importantly, she taught me to love and respect myself. I think one of the biggest problems with people today is a lack of self-confidence, and I think that confidence comes from how you are raised. I attribute everything good I have ever done to my self-confidence, which I definitely got from my mom! So mom, please, please have a fantastic birthday. You deserve it. And no, $40 on your first "real" purse is not too much to spend on yourself!

Now off to do something productive, or not. We shall see.

Why in the world does my baby hate milk?

I am at my wit's end.

My beautiful, adorable, yet extremely stubborn little baby girl has decided that she no longer needs fluids. She has always done really well with both breastfeeding and taking breast milk from the bottle. Now that I am back at work, though, she refuses. We can't get her to take breast milk or formula from a bottle, sippy-cup, or cup while I am at work, and I can't get her to take a bottle when I am home either. Plus, she barely breastfeeds - and it is a fight every time. She almost acts as if she doesn't like the taste of breast milk or formula. The only way we can get her any fluids is by mixing it into her solid foods (which she loves). I seriously don't know what to do anymore.

Suggestions?

Six months!

And the love of my life!

5 months!

My little Kaiah bug is 5 months old. Well, she is actually 5 1/2 months old! I know, I know, I am very behind in blogging, but I have been busy! My little girl gets cuter and sassier and funnier and more adorable every single month. She has such a strong personality - she is definitely a handful! I wouldn't have her any other way! She is so big and active for her age - today I had a labor and delivery nurse ask if she was 9 months old!

She has tried a little rice cereal and some banana, but isn’t a huge fan. We are going to try and start her on solids for real in a week or so – wish us luck! She has also been busy making lots of friends – quite the social butterfly.

Love you, Kai kai!

In other news – I am super busy decorating for a cousin’s wedding and trying to get my disaster of a classroom together. I start teaching next week – ahhhhhhhh! I am not AT ALL ready . . . (insert hyperventilation noise here). Plus . . . we moved! We found an awesome house in Orem that used to be a duplex – so Kamie and Alex are renting the upstairs and we are downstairs (own kitchens and front rooms and such). It is much bigger and Kaiah has her own room! Pictures coming soon!

Wish me luck – I think these next two weeks might be the death of me! At least I can always get a smile from my little sass queen to make my stressful days all better.

5 years and counting . . .

How to even put into words . . .

Today Jer and I have been married for five years. All at once it seems like just yesterday, and yet an eternity, since we were married. We’ve come a long way . . . we’ve grown into adults together (because, really, we were just kids when we were married), and now we’ve grown into parents together. And every single day we’ve grown closer together. More than any other year, this year I am overwhelmingly grateful for the rock solid foundation that our marriage provides me. More than ever, I am grateful that we chose each other. That we still choose each other, every single day. That I never, not even once in all these five years, have for a single second worried that you might leave me or not want me or want someone else more. Not once. Because I know that you chose me. And I know that our lives are so completely intertwined now that we would both be lost without each other. And I don’t need roses or vacations or love letters or gifts or anything else to know that you love me, and only me. You don’t need to prove your love to me. You show me it every single day. Every morning when you kiss me and baby goodbye and every afternoon when you call me first thing on your lunch break and every evening when you tell me all the ins and outs of your day and every night when we lay in bed and talk about family or what the world will be like in 100 years or our own insecurities or our different political views or superheroes or whatever else is on our minds. Our love is not something that changes with our passing moods or tempers – it is the one and only constant in this crazy life of ours. And I know that you feel the same because I know you. I really know you. I know what you like and dislike about everything, even me. I know that there is no one else in the world that you confide in. I know that we share everything and know each other so well that now we just talk things over to get each other’s approval for something completely out of respect – because I always know what you will say anyway. But I respect you more than anyone else I know, so I talk things over even though I know your answer just so you can feel that respect. And I know you respect me, too. And not just as a wife or a mother or an English major or anything like that, but as a person. I respect you so much that you are my go-to-expert for everything – even lesson planning. And the same goes for you. I know that there is no one you would rather talk football with than me. I know that you truly think of me as an equal in every way. That you would never, ever, not in a million years belittle me or condescend or treat me anything less than as an absolute equal in every way – spiritually, physically, and intellectually. You truly value me, and I guess that this is the one thing that I am most grateful for in our marriage – confidence.  I am completely confident in you and you are completely confident in me and that makes me completely confident in us.

And now, after 5 years, we’ve grown and changed to where we are mature enough in ourselves and our marriage that we can choose to not buy any anniversary presents or stay overnight anywhere or have a fancy night out (or all those other things that as newlyweds we planned out for ourselves. Man, weren’t we naive?). We don’t need those things and we don’t feel neglected if we don’t get those things. Because we have more than enough. More, sometimes, than I even thought possible. We have our family, everyday. We have our one, maybe two fights a year (which really just end up making me love you more). We have our shared weaknesses and our shared strengths. We have no resentments nor regrets. We have absolute and undying commitment and utmost respect. And we have a sacred reverence for our marriage.

And now we also have our daughter. And that I can’t even begin to explain.

And now your beautiful baby girl is crying, so I am going to go hold her and look into her face and think of you and see in her everything about you that I love. And that, my dear, is just amazing.

Choo choo! Coupon train!

Hey there fellow couponers. I want to start a coupon train! What is a coupon train, you ask? Well, basically it is a way for people to share coupons they don't use in exchange for ones they will! Here is how it works:

I will start off an envelope full of coupons (about 50) and send it to the next person in the train (based geographically). When they get the envelope, they:

1- take out any expired coupons

2 - take ANY coupons they want

3 - add AT LEAST the same amount of coupons back into the envelope

4 - send it on to the next person in the train within 1-3 days.

That's it! Super easy and super fun! If you want to be a part of our coupon train, just send me an e-mail to kasie_jeffery@yahoo.com and include:

Name

Address

E-mail

Type of coupons you are always looking for (baby, pet, organic, etc)

Type of coupons you never use and would like to give away

Wait . . . WHAT?!?!?!?! You don't coupon! You should . . . and here is one reason why . . .

My fast, not-the-most-I-have-saved-but-still-impressive Target trip:

Bought:

2x Shout travel packs

5x Kellogs cereal

12x SoBe Life Water

I paid: $0.29 (including tax!)

I saved over $33.00!!!!!!

Seriously - you are wasting money if you aren't couponing! If you are new and interested, check out:

hip2save.com

momsneedtoknow.com

totallytarget.com

commonsensewithmoney.com

Make sure you click on their newbie links so you can learn how to save the big bucks!

Happy couponing!