the sisters (in law)

I love all my sisters by marriage! (Okay, I just realized that sounded kinda like "sister wives" of polygamy... totally not what I meant!)

I mean, my sisters-in-law! They are all so great and I am lucky to be related to them. I am happy that I have gotten to know them over to short 5 years I've been married to Travis and I look forward to getting to know each of them better throughout the years to come! My sisters-in-law that have children (Christy and Ashley) are such good examples to me of how mothers should be. Even though I wasn't ready to have children for a while, I was excited to start a family because I had such good role models around me. Seeing them with their children made me happy to know that there are actually mothers who love motherhood!!

First, Christy. She's married to Travis' oldest brother. She is awesome! When I say she's creative, it's quite the understatement. She has a blog called Creatively Christy and she is really good at what she does. Christy is extremely talented in many areas, but she is also a wonderful mom to her kids. You can see how much they love her and they are so lucky to have her as a mom! I can just imagine what their halloweens will be like, with their amazing home-made costumes, and how for each holiday, Christy comes up with something amazing to celebrate it, like a cool cake, fun decorations, or great gift ideas. Even though Christy and I are very different, we do share the same ideas of fashion and hairstyles. :) She dresses her kids SO cute and I've been fortunate enough to borrow some of her son's clothes for Phineas! Her kids LOVE her and she is such a fun mom.

Ashley. She is married to Travis' second oldest brother. If there is one word I could use to describe Ashley, it would be PATIENT. She has 3 little boy-rascals for children and they have more energy than I've ever seen in kids! Yet she handles them all with so much love and grace. She is quite the classy lady and I really look up to her! She has a contagious laugh that fills up a room and she has the most amazing smile. I love how she is passionate about life. She doesn't have a temper and is slow to anger. Even when her boys create a mess or throw a tantrum, she responds with such care and love that you'd never know she was upset. I wish I could be like this! Her boys are going to be the leaders of their generation, I just know it. And I bet you it will be because they have a loving mother who cares about them and teaches them the gospel.

Kellee. Oh kell-bell. I love her so dang much. She may be younger than me, but she is wise and so much more mature than me. Kellee is exactly what I aspire to be, gracious and kind. Everyone loves her, and it shows in all her friendships! I don't think I've ever heard her utter a mean or bad thing about anyone. She always has nice things to say, and is ridiculously positive. I'll admit, at first it made me sick how happy she is! Then I realized that while things may not be perfect in her life, she always makes a point to be uplifting and optimistic. It's not that everything always goes her way, she just decides not to dwell on the negative. Kellee is smart and everything I wish I could be in the fashion department. From top to bottom she always looks so well put together. She is motivated and dedicated to life and isn't ashamed to show it!

Megan. The reader. The swimmer. The massage therapist. The baby of the family. Even though Megan is the youngest, she is definitely the second mom to all the nephews and niece of the family, and also to Parker, her older brother! The funny thing is, he listens to her!! She gives the best back rubs in the whole world. She participates in lots of extra curricular activities and is very well-rounded. I have never seen more self-confidence in a 16 year old. She knows who she is and is such a great example to her friends of how a daughter of God should behave and dress. She loves school and it reflects in her grades. She never complains about chores or housework and when her mom asks her to do something, she jumps up and quickly obeys, without asking why. Oh I would be so lucky to have a daughter like Megan!

I love all my sisters-in-law and am grateful to associate with them as often as I do. I'm glad we all live in a close proximity (all except Kellee, which makes me sad!). Sunday dinners are so fun when everyone is there and it gives me the boost of confidence I need to continue the daily grind. They instill a desire in me to be a better mom and I am grateful to them for their amazing examples.

blister

My sister is my best friend. It wasn’t always that way, though. When my mom had Lizzie, my dad brought Spencer and me to the hospital to see her. I freaked out. I was no longer the baby of the family, and I knew things were going to change! We have my tantrum recorded on video. I was mad. However, my mom had an idea and it changed my view of the situation when she brought Lizzie home. She came and handed Lizzie to me saying, “Look at the present I brought you from the hospital! It’s YOUR baby!” From then on, I have taken it upon myself to watch over and protect my sister. We’ve been the best of friends ever since. :)

Lizzie is such a talented person. She is crafty, stylish and so creative. She is definitely the artsy one of the family, and she takes after my mom in that aspect. She is awesome with her hands. She can make anything and while she is strong, she can handle very delicate things, like making jewelry or other crafts. Lizzie is also great at giving massages. I love her back scratches/rubs.

She is also really good with people. She has a way with everyone she meets. I’m sure they are initially drawn to her because she is so gorgeous, but after they get to know her personality they are hooked! Looks AND an awesome character?! She’s got it all.

Lizzie is very generous. She would give the shirt off her back if you said you liked it or wanted it. In fact, she has done that to me several times! She is so giving of her time, talents and material possessions, and she rarely complains about having to sacrifice anything.

Liz loves me unconditionally. I’m sure there have been times when she’s thought I am crazy, but she still loves me and wants to be my friend! She may be younger than me, but she is wise and older spirit. She is so mature in ways that I may never be! She has a strong unwavering testimony of Jesus Christ and she truly is a great example to me. I look up to her so much. She loves the Gospel and she isn’t ashamed of it!

She is incredibly patient. She doesn’t get thrown for a loop when plans change or unexpected things come up. Lizzie just goes with the flow and tries her best to adjust without much compliant. She also does it with a smile! (A beautiful smile that is, too.)

I love my sister. I am so glad we are close. I’m also glad I only have one sister because that way there’s no competition for attention. We have each other and that’s that! I love being able to call her and ask for advice, to which she always responds with charity and kindness. She always turns me back to my Heavenly Father and reminds me to ask for His help.

Lizzie has always been a source of strength for me to draw upon. I love her on such a deep and eternal level. She’s my guiding star! Love you Lizzie, my sister blister!

Sven

Oh what to say about my older bro.

He is awesome!! I love having an older brother and I’m excited that I had a boy first so he could be an older brother to his siblings, too.

Spencer is so great. He is a man of many talents and he is super smart!! He knows something about everything and I love his tidbits of information.

Sunday dinners are the best when Spencer is around. He always cracks us up with his funny quips and hilarious accents. I also love it when he cooks! Did you know that he rarely follows a recipe? He whips up amazing dishes all the time and you better not ask for a recipe because he has it all in his head. He puts certain ingredients together that I wouldn’t dream of combining, yet it always tastes fabulous!

My brother is my favorite person to scare. Whether it be hiding around the corner, in the closet, or banging on the bathroom door, he is the best to scare. And he always gets us back!

Spencer has a huge heart. He is always thinking of others and what he can do to help, or make things better. He is very generous and kind. He is such an amazing uncle to Phineas and he is always so gentle with him. I also think Spencer is the only person who comes over to play with our doggies. They LOVE him! He gives them quite the workout, and it’s nice to have someone keep them entertained for a while. We have neglected the dogs quite a bit since we had Phineas, but Spencer gives them lots of love.

Spencer is stubborn… in a good way!! He can do anything he sets his mind to. A while ago he thought it would be cool to have a Renaissance Faire here in Utah. As kids, our parents took us to the Faire for several years and we loved it!! In high school, we even worked there! We thought it would just float as a “good idea” for a while, until Spencer set out to make it a reality. Now it is really going to happen, in September this year! He has worked so hard to set up this event. Keep an eye out for more information and check out the facebook page, The Utah Renaissance Faire!

Spence is a great friend and an awesome brother, and I am so grateful for him and that’s he’s a part of my family.

Bart the farmer

aka: Papa bear, Daddy-O, Bubba, Marcos/Marcus.... Dad. (I have no idea where the nickname "bart the farmer" came from, but we do call him that!)

I love love love my dad.

He is such a great example to me. He works harder than anyone I know, and he is really good at his job!

I have never heard my dad complain. (Maybe he does, but I've never actually heard him do it.) He usually keeps to himself but when he is passionate about something he does speak up.

My dad has a strong testimony. He reads his scriptures daily (I know because I've caught him reading and he has scriptures all over the house that he marks up). He was my Sunday School teacher when I was a senior in high school and I learned so much from him! It wasn't easy teaching our class, either. We would talk back, make jokes and hardly pay attention sometimes. I knew that he was meant to be my teacher that year because I learned so much from him and my relationship with him improved. Plus, I respected him that much more.

There is an unspoken game in my family that we all try to get my dad to laugh. We LOVE his laugh and when he really gets going it sparks a chain of laughter that continues for minutes. We know we've said or done something REALLY funny when we get dad laughing. It always makes us feel so good!

My dad is a great cook. I remember growing up with such a wide palette because my dad introduced so many new foods to us. This is where I got my love for sushi, miso soup, Thai and Indian food! He still tries to get me to love pollenta (a mixed corn type food) but I don't like it. He makes me "taste" it every time he makes it, hoping I will change my mind. Sorry Dad, not gonna happen.

I know he loves me. Words haven't always been his thing, but he sure does show me. I know he cares about me and what I am doing in life. When I was pregnant he called me all the time to check up on me and see how things were progressing. I'm so glad Phineas waited to be born until my dad was back in the states!

My dad is a wonderful grandpa to Phin and he has a special way with him. I'm so grateful for my dad and all he does to continue to support our family. I love you, Dad!!

Love, Katerina.

linda lady

I am so grateful for my mom! She is such a great source of support in my life.



She answers every one of my phone calls, even if she's in a movie, or it's 3am! She is always eager to help in any way she can.

My mom has always wanted me to achieve my dreams. She has a phrase we often hear, "make it happen!" When I tell her I want to do something or a wish of mine, she always tells me to make it happen! She's also been great at helping me to accomplish it.

My mom is so great with Phineas. He loves her and her awesome curly hair. They have a special game they play and it always gets him smiling and giggling.

She is such a helper. She comes over about once or twice a week to help out with Phineas and sit in the back seat of my car to keep him entertained while I run errands. I appreciate how she supports me in my ideas about childrearing, although I know she doesn't always agree. It means a lot to me that I am still able to fulfill my role as a mother without her stepping on my toes and telling me what to do.

My mom is fun. There's never a dull moment when she's around. She makes everything into an exciting event. With my mom it's all about the hype, so even the most boring things can become fun. Road trips with her are the best, because of this! Once when we were driving to California, she brought all the ingredients and tools necessary to make guacamole. So from the passenger seat as I was driving, she made the yummiest treat! She fed it to me with chips as we drove. She calls it "road-trip guacamole" and to this day I haven't tasted a better dip! :)

We have a lot of wonderful memories together and it's so fun to see her with Phineas because it gives me an idea of how she was with me as a child. She is such an awesome grandma; tender and loving with Phineas. She is that way as a mom as well.

There is so much more I could say about her, but it's hard with a squirmy 3 month old who likes to be held all the time. I know I don't tell her enough how much I appreciate her, and this post doesn't do it justice!

Love you mom, you're so wonderful and I am grateful for you!





Love, Me.

Sacrifice

This is Travis posting. I just wanted to say that Kat really gives me too much credit. I am far more judgmental than she says I am. Anyone who has known me for a long time can attest to that. Kat is just very forgiving and tends to forget when she does. Which is obviously a good
quality. As for me supporting her in her birthing and nurturing decisions, she does her homework, and she thinks about what will be best for Phin and ALWAYS puts his needs first. She has sacrificed her body, her time, and herself in so many ways to take care of our little guy and to bring him into this world. I wasn't immediately on board with every decision she wanted to make, but she ultimately convinced me on each point with a genuine desire to give Phineas the best birthing and growing experiences. I know and trust that she knows how to best take care of our little guy and how to nurture and love him best. I love her very much and am not nearly vocal enough about how I feel about her sacrifice and support. She supported me so much with my struggle to get a permanent job and now I am finally there! Im so glad she is my Wife and the Mother of my child. And he sure is cute!! I just have to say that we make a DANG cute
baby! :)

T-rav and tiny tot

Since February is the month of love and all, I decided this month would be themed "12 people I love/am grateful for." First comes first though... I'm grateful for Travis and Phineas.

They are the most important people in my life, and I don't know what I'd do without them! You've heard me rave about Travis all the time, so I will keep this short.

Let's just say that I'm sure I don't know how good I actually have it. I have a husband who isn't afraid of cloth diapers. He supports me in all my crunchy granola ideas about birth, breastfeeding and child-rearing. He doesn't judge me or my post-baby body. He helps out with Phineas in every way imaginable. He's the model father and husband.

Then there's Phineas. He teaches me so much. There have been times when I miss being able to just hop in the car and go where I want. Sometimes I want just a quiet minute to myself to just stare at a blank wall and not have a list of things to do, I just want to be.

Yes there have been times when I crave sleep. I feel like a junkie who is looking for the next fix. I am obsessed with bedtime and naps. I cannot ever get enough and I am definitely going through withdrawls. (Side note here: to all my wonderful friends without kids, please I beg you..... SLEEP! Sleep for those of us who cannot. Take advantage of it. Go to bed early, and sleep in late. Take cat naps. Don't stay up all night just for the "fun of it." Sleep, and sleep hard. Please. Do it for me. If I ever hear you say how tired you are, I just might slap you silly. That's your choice to stay up late. Soak it all up while you still can!)

All this aside, I wouldn't trade being Phineas' mom for anything in the world. All the things I want to do WILL wait for me. The books I want to read, the pictures I want to take, the hobbies I want to pick up... it WILL wait for me. Phineas, however, will not. There are moments when I feel like an hour lasts a lifetime, especially during his crying bouts. But I think to myself, is there any place I would rather be? No. Would I want to go back to the way things were before him? Definitely not. Now that I've had Phineas, I could never go back to not having him. I didn't know I would love him this much.

It is hard. Waaay hard. Harder for me than I imagined it would be. Which is why I sometimes seem ungrateful when I complain about how rough this adjustment has been. I don't mean to be that way, I just thought I would be a better mommy! Yet I realize how lucky I really am to be where I'm at... with the husband I have, and the baby that's ours.

So I'm grateful for Travis and Phineas. My two boys whom I love very very much.