9.03.2009

.Summer Bliss.

So...I am not the best blogger...I will be the first one to admit it.
Since I was a little, what you call, handicap for 6 weeks, we didn't take many pictures 
or for that matter do anything really fun. It was always too much of an effort for me. Those bloody crutches of mine got to the best of me! (ask Levi)

So these are the rest of the summer pictures we took. 
I am so looking forward to the fall! Nicer nights to go on walks, long boarding, leaving the windows opened at night!
Ok maybe the windows thing will have to wait till the Winter since we live in Az and all...

Dallyn Cowley got married to Ryan Willis!
I love you Dall!!
The Bride and Her Girls.
06-12-09


Night Out with some of our Favs
Emily and Tanner Yeates
(Lydia was born 2 weeks after this pic)
07-31-09


First Time Back to Cibo Since We Got Engaged!
Same Picture but...I am a brunette, on crutches and Levi has braces.


The lovely Mrs. Kim Jaxn!!!!
Congrats Kim and Curtis!
(Ignore my hair and make-up...it was a long hot day and my first crutches free day!!)
08-07-09


Dane and Mal were gone for the Summer selling alarm systems.
We missed them ever so! So decided to celebrate our reuniting eating Sushi!
08-15-09


Best Friends since we were 2!
Alyssa's Wedding Dinner at Tia Rosa's
08-19-09


It's Official!!! Alyssa Massey Allen!!
Congrats to Lyss and Owen! So happy for you guys!!
Don't mind my green tongue...we got a little sugar happy at the candy station!
08-20-09


Bowling with the Fam for Christy's B-day.
08-28-09


My Adorable parents!
They're putting their papers in to go on a Mission in November!!!


The Birthday Girl and Birthday Lover Themselves!!
Happy 25th Christy, I love you!!!


My Momma and The Girls!  
(We're just missing Mairsy and Hills)

9.02.2009

.Exercising Blind Faith.

This is my newest "Moto" for the time being. Tonight after Levi was asleep, I was sitting on the couch, waiting for the Lemon Bars I was baking for a co-worker who is doing a HUGE favor for me, looking at the dreadful Thank You cards that STILL haven't been done...(We are coming up on our 6th Month Anniv this 27th and I promised myself, Levi and my parents that they would be done before 6 Months) I was thinking about today, the last 5 1/2 months, the last 5 years, thinking about my LIFE. Who I am, where I came from, and why I am ME. 
I started crying, being the worry wart that I am, stressing about tomorrow, next week and the next couple of years...So I called the lady who I adore, the lady who knows me better than anyone else knows me, and the lady who always has and always will know just the words to tell me to calm me down and look at the brighter things in life.
{*My Mother*}
I haven't had a heart to heart with her since I have been married. Which is so un-like me because I told her everything before I was married. Call me crazy, and sooo the baby of the family, but I actually got home sick the first 3 months of marriage. I missed my mom! After a short 12min conversation, I felt reassured, that I could do anything, accomplish the impossible!! She told me...
"Exercise Blind Faith. Don't worry about what is going to happen in the future. Have faith that everything will work out. Work on your weaknesses. (Which I have PLENTY OF!!) Satan works the hardest on those because he knows he can get to you easiest that way....deep...getting you feeling your worst...When having doubt, think about something that makes you happy. 
Levi. A Good Movie. A Primary Hymn. Your Favorite Treat. 
Family. Working Out. Baking. Cleaning. Getting a Pedi. 
Window Shopping. The Weekends. Friends.
Whatever your "Happy Nitch" is, go there when having a hard time. Exercise Blind Faith."

 I love you Mom!!! I don't know where I would be without you in my life. You have always been there for me, no matter how stingy or selfish I have been. You have done nothing but give me unconditional love the last 23 years. I love you!!!



7.26.2009

.What's Your Crutch?.



I never thought or even put into perspective how much I took WALKING for granted.
Even something so simple and so easy as 
getting in and out of the car,
getting up from my seat to get a drink or being able to run up to
Levi after seeing him for the 1st time from a long day of work!
Everything now takes so much more effort than that.
I can't carry anything 
that is bigger than my 
backpack.
That takes running errands to a whole other level!!!!!

Getting out of the house isn't so simple anymore. 
And might I add as bloody hot as AZ summers already are...
having a backpack on,
with crutches under your pits 24/7, 
doesn't help.

BUT...there are SOME perks to being in my situation
PRO'S:
*Co-Workers GET to help me out with things that I cannot do. Like...
Bringing back my patients
Putting away my dirty set up
Doing Start and Final Records 
*I get to drive the remote control carts at the grocery store
(I take my crutches with me so people can look at my funnier than they already do
at a 23yr old in an old grandma mobile! See a few pics below...)
*I get treated like a QUEEN at home! Levi has been amazing and currently does
EVERYTHING for me!! Cleans, dishes up food for me,
puts my shoes and groceries away, etc.
*I get a wheel chair at the Mall! Which also puts Levi in control.

AND!!!! Handicap parking!!! Which if you look closely...
doesn't expire until 12/09!
Hello front row parking on Black Friday and 
for all my Christmas Shopping!!!
Just Kidding...I would never do something like that...

My amazing mother so generously made these darling covers for me.
Not only do they match my apron I made, 
but they are stylish and compfy! Thanks to a little padding underneath :)

My crutches have become my shadow. Where ever I go...
they come too.
I've become quite attached to these things.

We also now have 2 covered parking at our Apartment Complex.
Which this Handicap parking just so happens
to be right in front of our apartment.


CON'S:
*Crutches put me 10min behind, ALWAYS!
*I have gained 5 pounds.
(Imagine not being able to do any sort of cardio. Period.)
*Going to lunch on my lunch break by myself=annoying.
*Shopping is no longer enjoyable. Who's gonna take what I want to the register!?
*This one might sound quite odd and crazy to 99.9% of you.....
I can't clean and I MISS IT!!!! I honestly cannot wait
to get on my hands and knees and DEEP clean.
*I don't particularly like asking for help...but really, that's all I can do at the moment.
*I can't help my BFF plan her wedding 
while she is in town for 2 1/2wks.
And help that I can do, is anything sitting down.
*And...I can't do my grocery shopping on Fridays anymore :( 
Levi has to come with me so he can carry everything to the car and then upstairs.
We now do it on Saturday's after he gets home from work.
Which takes away almost 2hrs of play time we 
COULD be doing instead.


...Crutches are to my left...can't really see them here...

When I was a little girl, I always wanted to be on crutches. (Probably for the attention reason)
I had crutches when I was 18 with my first hip surgery. 
I was fresh out of High School,
 just started hanging out with the "older" crowd and it was prime wake boarding time!! Please...I used those things for a week and didn't go to PT once! 
Now that I have been on these for 4 weeks and 3 days (which feels like months...and the entire summer!!), I am doing PT 3 times a week for 1 1/2hrs each session, I will never wish for crutches AGAIN!!
31 days down...11 to go!!!!

I was just told by my Physical Therapist that I won't be able to 
wake board or snow board for at least a year. 
And it is going to be quite some time
 until I can start running and doing intense cardio.
But that wasn't it....
I was also told that I have a very high possibility of having arthritis in my hip by the time I am 30.
I know that isn't the end of the world, but for some reason it really hit me hard.
That gives me 7 years to prove the Doctors wrong.
I don't want some "unknown" hip accident 
preventing me from doing what I love to do.
Once these 11 days are over, I am turning OVER  a new leaf. 
I am going to keep my body in tip top shape
so I can always be that wife and mom who is athletic and out
 playing with my kids.
My mom is my inspiration. I want to be JUST like her.
She had 8 kids and STILL plays volleyball and softball. 
I am going to keep my head high and always give a thumbs up!!

Thank you Levi for being such an amazing supporter through out 
all of this. I know it hasn't been easy. 
Thank you... 
For always being willing to do and get whatever it is I need. 
For laughing instead of getting frustrated when I get 
FRUSTRATED
 because of my 
"always in the way cructhes" moments
For holding onto the back of my backpack as I go down to stairs, 
just make sure in case I fall, you've got my back:)
For always taking crutches and putting them into the car for me 
and then getting them back out for me.
For making me ice my hip.
For keeping our place clean, tidy and organized.
And most importantly, 
For being you.
I love you and couldn't have gotten through any of this without you!!

7.02.2009

.Our Love Story Without End.

It was a Hot Saturday Summer afternoon at a mutual friends Pool Party in Gilbert on August 23rd, 2008...My first impression had on Levi was "Who is this guy? Why have we never met?And what does he think he's wearing!?" (He had on short, black, Volcum board shorts with bright blue and yellow polka dots). The very next day at a friends farewell, Levi worked his magic with his smooth words, and got my number. That night, I ditched a blind date/hang out, to go watch a movie with Levi at his place. We had our first kiss that night and our second kiss in the rain the next night. A few weeks after dating I apparently "made" Levi become boyfriend/girlfriend with me :) Levi placed a bet with his bestfriend that they would wait until their girlfriends cracked and said "I Love You" first. Needless to say...his bestfriend lost and Levi caved in and told me he "Loved Me" on Wednesday November 19th, 2008. Exactly 1Month later we were ENGAGED!!! Levi popped the question when we went on our 1st date all over again. We had Dinner at Cibo and dessert at The Compass Room on top of the Hyatt Hotel in Phoenix. Completely surprised me, everyone knew it was going to happen, but me. And yes...I cried like a baby! Our original Wedding Date was April 24th (8 Months exactly after our 1st Kiss), but a week after being engaged, Levi came up to me and said we could move it up a month if I wanted to. So...We did!! We were sealed for Time and All Eternity on March 27th, 2009 in the Mesa, Arizona Temple. It was the best day of my life and a dream come true!
...photosbynatalie.blogspot.com...

{i.am.so.in.love.with.you}






{Yeager Family}

{Owens Sisters}

{All of My Lovely Nieces}

{Owens Family}

{Bridesmaids&My Bestfriends}

{Grooms Men}


(Candy Station)

{Our Flower Girl}

(Dinner Tables)

{Classic. Messy. My Dream Come True!}

{The Exit}

7.01.2009

I Am Turning Into An Old Woman!


Who do YOU know that is 23...




And already on their 2nd Hip surgery!?
Well...if you didn't know anyone, now you do!!!
I had surgery last Thursday. The Doctor had to dislocate my hip
 (while I was under of course)
and shave down the "ball" of my hip socket. The ball and socket 
were rubbing on each other, causing pain that I cannot describe.
I am on crutches for 6 Weeks, no swimming for 2 Weeks. Yes, 
NO SWIMMING for 2 Weeks and no lake or river trips for 3 Months
What is a girl to do in this heat??




Oh and don't worry, my Doctor put me to work only 20hrs after surgery.
PT for 4 Weeks. And that lovely legging I am wearing...

IT COMES OFF TONIGHT!!!! 

I don't think I can go another sleepless night with it on.