Counting The Days...

So, I should be packing to get ready for my 3-week trip that's starting in just two days. I've never been good at packing any sooner than the last possible second. I just hate packing. I'm always worried I'm going to leave something crucial behind. As if wherever we're going is a desert wasteland and it would be absolutely impossible to borrow or buy whatever I forgot. Silly, I know. Anyway, I am so EXCITED!!!! for this trip. We get to see all of Blake's family and all of my family. My whole family is going to be in the same place at the same time--Well, at least in the same room. That hasn't happened since July of 2006. And I've had two nieces and one nephew born in the meantime. And the awesome thing about this reunion is that not once, but twice, we will all be together in the temple! Once to do a session together (except Blake. He won't be there yet. How sad am I?). And then for my little sister Megan's wedding!!!! Thankfully, Deloitte will have released him and Blake will be there by then. I told him I absolutely could not go to a wedding without him. This is the most recent photo I have of my family on my computer. That's pretty sad. It's missing our 2 kids and 7 other kiddos (unless you count Natalie, who was just a wee bun in the oven--then it's only missing 6). Definitely time for an updated Ketcheson Photo.
Our last photo with Blake's family is just a couple years old and only missing Bryce. I really liked these photos. Such a great location!

I am so lucky to have married into a great family. Kayli has been talking non-stop the last couple weeks about flying on an airplane to see Grandma Cindy and Grandpa Kevin (we really need to get cute nicknames like all the rest of you. I didn't mean for this to happen, but Kayli just picked up on what Blake and I call each other's parents and started differentiating this way). For the last couple months, I think I've sent an email to my mother-in-law at least once a week asking for this or that and she has so graciously agreed to basically just totally taking care of us. I am so grateful that Kayli adores them so much because they are going to watch the kids while I go visit my sister Amy in Idaho for 5 days! We'll have to see how my little Mamma's Boy does, since he doesn't remember his awesome grandparents. But I'm not too worried. Kayli has loved them from day one. I'm sure that will come back to Bryce.

And did you notice that I'm down to less than 100 days in training?! Great time to go on a long trip.

Anyway, we can't wait to see everyone!

If You Need Any Questions, Please Call...

So, we've been debating the appropriateness of posting this here because it regards my health. But after playing it for my parents over and over and over this weekend, we decided that it really is too good not to share. We used our camera to record it, but it's just the sound you want. Be sure to pause the music on the right to be able to hear. If you don't quite get it the first time through, play it again. It gets funnier every time you listen. And don't be alarmed--I don't have cancer.

I just thought I'd add that I was officially "discharged" (as the doctor put it) from this office the day they took the blood tests that this is referring to. And oddly enough, I have yet to feel it worth my while to call back to try to clarify the results. The whole experience with this office was horrible and confusing. All the laughs I've gotten from this have almost made it worth what they put me through. But I will probably never call back just because I am so grateful to be through with them and the whole experience.

Goodness

What a wonderful weekend! We had the 178th Annual General Conference for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints on Saturday and Sunday. Listening to it online while the kids try to get us to play with them makes really focusing on a challenge. But I enjoyed the parts of the talks that I did hear and I'm really looking forward to reading them all in next months issue of the Ensign. I especially loved Elder Ballard's talk. When Blake asked 'why?', I told him that I always love the talks where they talk about how much women rock! And I was so grateful for President Monson's concluding talk. That was when it finally clicked for me that he is the prophet. It's not that I didn't have faith in that whole process, it's just like I kept having to remind myself that it's him and not President Hinckley. But now, it feels completely right.
My parents came out Saturday and spent the night. It's always fun being together, and somehow never enough time to accomplish all we want to. While the guys were at the Priesthood session Saturday night my mom and I worked on cute accessories for the grand kids outfits for my sister's wedding that is only 19 DAYS AWAY!

Last week I took dinner to a friend of mine who recently had a baby. And I don't mean to brag, but I MADE THIS! I'm sort of really proud of it. See, I love to cook and bake and for the most part, what I make is pretty yummy. But it never looks as good as I want it to. I pulled this out of the oven and had a momentary struggle over wanting to just keep it for our dinner that night. But I didn't. I took a picture instead. And the picture doesn't do it complete justice, but I still think it looks pretty good for homemade French bread. Okay, I'm done tooting my own horn.

And lastly, I seem to have injured part of my rotator cuff. The rotator cuff is made up of four muscles and some tendons, mostly around your shoulder blade. I went to the gym Tuesday night and really pushed it in the weight room and then I got up early Wednesday to swim. And I was told by the woman whose hand I accidentally smacked mid-stroke that I "swim really hard!" It just felt like a light bump to me but when I turned around at the end of the lap, I saw her back in the spot where we'd collided shaking her hand about in pain. I immediately swam over to apologize. I felt SO BAD! But what can you do after that sort of thing? Anyway, apparently those two workouts back to back were not a good combination. A couple hours after my swim, I got this super sharp pain in my shoulder/back. For the next two days I could barely even raise my arm. My body just didn't want to. I would have to put all my focus on lifting it. The good news is, it's doing a lot better (when I remember not to lift anything with that arm), so I think it's just a strain. But I don't know how long it will be until I can do upper body strengthening and swimming again. That's good for my triathlon. Actually, I think it is good because it's helping me to keep everything in perspective as far as life and the triathlon are concerned. And the swim is the event I'm least worried about. It would be a lot worse if I had injured my knee. So, it's really a blessing in a number of ways. Funny how things work out.

Why? Why? Why?

Kayli has hit the lovely stage of "Why?" That is almost the only word I hear from her any more. Here is one of my favorite recent conversations:

Me: Kayli, don't drink the rain water off the car! That's sick!
Kayli: Why?
Me: Because it's dirty and it will make you sick.
Kayli: Why?
Me: Because it's outside and things that are outside are dirty.
Kayli: Why?
Me: Because there is dirt outside and no one cleans it.
Kayli: Oh.
My thoughts: Finally!

I mean, I'm glad she's curious, but it is EXHAUSTING! Sometimes I do better at answering than others but I can never really tell if she stops because she finally gets it, or because she's giving up on my ability to say something that makes sense to her. I can't wait until we're out visiting many of you in a couple of weeks and you can take on all these questions!

One night last week in the middle of Kayli's bedtime prayer she said, "And please bless the baby in Mommy's tummy." !?!? What?! So, last night I decided to prank Blake in honor of April Fool's Day. I presented him with a present when he got home for dinner (8:30 PM!). It was a little onesie. He just looked at me confused for a while, but then he pieced things together. Still, it took quite a bit of effort (and maybe some lying--but it was April Fools!) to convince him because of the date and the fact that I'm a bit of a prankster. But finally, he believed me! And before he could make it to give me a celebratory hug, I burst into laughter. So, he only thought we were having a third baby for a nano-second. It was totally worth it for the look on his face. Did anyone else have some April Foolery Fun?

In other news, the Roper household is going green!

Well, we've been trying to do our part for a while now, but we have officially said "Ta Ta!" to plastic water bottles. The reason for this is two-fold: 1. All these reports of the plastic leeching chemicals into the water and causing breast cancer and other reproductive problems; 2. All the plastic water bottles littering up our earth. So, we got these cool stainless steel bottles from Kleen Kanteen. They even make sippy attachments. So, we got the 12 oz. bottles for the kids and 27 oz. for us.

Bryce is proudly showing of his nifty new sippy cup.
And demonstrating the wonderful "no-leak" factor. (I know his socks don't match. Kayli was being a little too helpful this morning.)

And here is one more green tip for you:

I used to have a plethora of t-shirts, especially t-shirts that were too big. My mom helped me make them into these t-shirt bags. I got the idea from Martha Stewart. They are so easy! And they are helping me cut down on the super-plethora of plastic bags out on my porch. The hardest part about them, is remembering to bring them. But they are fabulous and fun!

And in case any of you were wondering "why?" regarding the t-shirts I made for the kids, I'd like to explain my inspiration for them. I went shopping for some dirt to re-pot our house plants several months ago and was amazed to discover just how many varieties of dirt there are. But what really struck me as funny is that the one I came home with claims to be "organic". Huh? Can they make dirt that isn't organic? So, I was laughing about how it seems that everyone wants to put the "organic" label on their product and then inspiration struck--my kids are organic, too! Well, I thought it was funny.