5 Tips to Increase Study Habits

Whether you are taking your class online, on campus, or independent study, there are a lot of distractions that get in the way of effective study. When you feel unorganized, or can't buckle down, your stress increases and studies have found that it can actually change your brain! Here are 5 tips to help you succeed.

1) Eliminate Technical Distractions

Technology is all around us. It enables us to be connected. We can look up when an assignment is due on the spot, we can study on our computer, on our phone, or a tablet. In a study done in 2013 by College Explorer Study from re:fuel, college students on average own 7 tech devices. If you have a Facebook account, Instagram or any other Social Media account, you can easily get sucked in and distracted. 

• Turn off your phone - or put it on silent. If you are tempted to check it, try putting it on airplane mode or disabling the cellular data. 
• Don't study by a t.v. - as much as we wish, our brains can't focus on more than one thing at a time. 
• Only open web pages that are necessary - it can be tempting to have other pages open while studying, but your studying will be less affective if you are jumping back and forth between school and what is trending on Buzzfeed.
• Music or No Music? - Play classical music in the background while you study. I may be a little biased because I am a cellist and have been using this method ever since I was little, but there have been studies to prove the positive effects classical music has on the brain. 
  

2) Stay Hydrated and Fueled

Fuel your body and mind by eating well and staying hydrated. This means eating a nutritious breakfast every morning, drink a lot of water, and make sure you are eating throughout the day. Dehydration and low energy limits your brains ability to stay focused, and retain information. 

• Keep a water bottle with you wherever you go and stay hydrated. 
• Have nutrient based snack foods in your bag such as: nuts, energy bars, or fruits.
• Plan weekly shopping trips to make sure you always have food readily available!
• Take daily vitamins - Try taking a multi-vitamin and fish-oil everyday and see if you feel the benefits. 

3) Make Time to Plan Your Day

It is good practice to take 10-15 minutes to plan out your day. You'll be able to prioritize your tasks and decide how to be efficient with your time. 

• Get a planner - this may be old school, but planning your day in writing takes more time and you'll be able to really plan things out. 
• Make a "To-Do" list before you go to bed each night, and it will be ready to plan the next day. 

4) Decrease Your Stress 

It is important to study and aim to do your best, but it is also very important to take care of yourself. If you aren't getting enough rest, or you aren't taking time in your day to do something for yourself, your stress will increase and it affects your longterm health. 

• Get adequate rest - Make sure you are getting 8 hours of sleep when you can. If you are cramming for a test and trying to decide if you should go to bed or stay up late, it is usually better to study after you have slept. 
• Get into a routine - Try and get into a routine, this is where daily planning is key, but the more you can predict your schedule, the more organized you'll be. 
• Be Active - take a walk around your house or apartment. Join a community sport team. Routine exercise helps decrease stress and regulate energy levels. 
• Go Outside - Vitamin D has been confirmed as a source to decrease stress. Study outside even, it really makes a difference. 
• Practice Deep Breathing Exercises - This can really help clear your mind and calm your energy. 

5) Study With a Friend and Ask Questions

One of the best ways to learn, is by teaching. Make friends with your classmates, if possible, and study together. If you aren't in a physical class, don't be afraid to reach out to your professor for advice or clarification.

• Make a list of questions as you study, so you know where you need help. 
• Use resources like Google Docs or Quizlet to take notes or build study material. You can log in anywhere, and aren't going to lose your material!
• Teach a friend or family member what you are learning if you aren't on a campus. 

It is hard to get into good habits, but its not impossible. Focus on one or two new approaches at a time, and add more over time. You'll see the differences quickly!

It gets dark fast

It is crazy how quickly we can get lost in our thoughts. 

When something is on my mind, I either have to write it out, talk it out, or I don't sleep. If I am anxious about a task, or a challenge I face, I just don't sleep. 

My mind fascinates me. It can facilitate some of the most creative thoughts. My imagination is wild. It is healthy. 

But how quickly it can go from light to dark. And gets stuck.

I think we all need to practice patience toward each other, but especially toward ourselves. We are quicker to forgive each other, and look past where others fall short, when we are in harmony with ourselves. 

We're All A Little Disordered

I have been trying to come up with a clever title for this post. Hopefully I can draw something from what I am about to say to give it a smashing one.

I am not angry at you, world. I am sad. I am sad that (usually) the first compliment we give to friends or strangers is about their bodies or personal image. As my husband says, comments like these are easy because they don't require you to directly interact with a person or to even really know the person whatsoever. The are comments that can stem purely from observation. You don't have to know me to notice my good hair, nice eyes, great legs, or changes in body shape from when we may've last met (cause trust me people I rarely talk to have talked about my weight with me). We all do it, we will keep doing it, and it is WRONG.

I started my recovery process for an eating disorder in the fall of 2010. It has been a long process, but over the past year and a half I have been way more candid. I have opened up and told my story to people. And do you want to know what the first question I usually get asked? 

"What kind did you have?"

I hate answering that question because I think it's irrelevant. I wish people understood this very important thing: Any form of disordered eating is not healthy. Why do we have to put a label on what kind someone has? I was about to rant about how there are three categories, anorexia, bulimia, and EDNOS (eating disorder not otherwise specified), but I guess one study they have added two categories: Psychogenic Vomiting (the relation between patterns of vomiting and psychiatric diagnoses)

, and Pica (characterized by an appetite for substances largely non-nutritive, such as ice, clay, chalk, dirt or sand).

Whatever

Now my ADD has kicked in and I want to take this post all over the place. I will not. I will keep it brief and to the point. 

We are all a little disordered okay? Maybe you don't focus on food or body image in the same way as someone who has (or hasn't) been diagnosed with an eating disorder. But, society focuses on body image and food so much, I truly believe we are all a little disordered (in case you can't tell, I have used this for my title by now. I actually came up with the title in the third paragraph).

We all make comments on our bodies, or how "bad" we are being for eating that dessert. We compare our bodies to our friends, we peak at their plates to make sure our portions match.

People are trying to be positive with the compliments, but by stating positives we imply negatives. So when Sally says "Mindy you are so good for not eating that cookie, I can't say no." Would she then tell me the next time I ate a cookie, "Mindy you ate that cookie, you are bad, you can't say no". (Do it, I dare you.)

If you want to talk to me a simple, "Hi Mindy" would suffice. If you want to say something positive about me "I notice how hard you work" "You are a very passionate person" would work for me. 

If you want to have small talk, I enjoy talking about the weather, not clothing sizes. 

Visual Hairstylist

Its An Art

I love doing hair, and even though I don't do it full time right now, I would be devastated if I no longer had clients to serve. I love knowing that I can make someone's day by making them feel beautiful. It doesn't have to be extreme make overs. I have never had the experience of changing someone's life because I worked on their hair (not that I've been told anyway). But I know that I touch people's lives in someway, or they wouldn't come back.

Oh and it helps that I am such a damn good stylist.

I am still human. I make mistakes. Sometimes colors just don't turn out. Sometimes I over think things and my lines aren't perfect. But every person I do, gets the special treatment of a personalized haircut.

I take so many things into consideration when I do haircuts. I constantly visualize what my next step will be. I constantly take steps to get a better look. I cross check the look in the mirror. Its an art. I am a visual hairstylist.

And what looks good on one client, does not always look good on another. I pay attention to detail, I remember everyones weird cowlicks. I am not lying when I tell people after 2-3 haircuts I know their head.

So thanks to all my clients who have stuck with me. I love serving you.

Why Utah is so Depressed

1)
Dramatic changes of weather.
     Hot
                   to                                                                FREEEZING!!!

to                6 months of winter

to                                                          3 weeks of "spring"
to                                                                                                           3 months of decent weather

How are we supposed to function with the sudden changes in weather. I mean you wear your sandals thinking its going to be a nice day, but then your feet are cold. No one can be happy,

2)
Unrealistic misinterpretaions of religious beliefs that get turned into social behaviors

I am a proud Mormon. I do not approve of the behaviors and beliefs that have come about in the culture. It is not doctrine. It is unfortunate, because I find a lot of peace and comfort in my religion. I think the LDS gospel is very hopeful. The members are their own worst enemy. One of the core beliefs we talk about is "being Christ-like". Okay I would like to point out the phrase

Christ - "like". Christ is an example to us. We believe that Christ was "perfect". We are not told to be him. We are told to use look to him as an example of humility, love, patience, kindess, forgiveness, etc. We are not asked to never make a single mistake in our life.

Do we forget one of the biggest words in our church, ATONEMENT? Yes I think we forget. We forget that we can use the atonement as often in our life as needed. And I believe the atonement is not just for when you are seeking forgiveness. It is when you need comfort, it is when you need to feel love. It is when you need to feel support. This to me is Hope. The LDS Church to me is hope.

Unfortunately, we are human. We are not perfect. We all make mistakes and have skeletons hiding in the closet, under the bed, in a bottle, in pills, in our heads.

 I wish so badly this scenario could happen:

     A fellow member admitting they are struggling with something, whether it be an addiction, or even a belief. They say it in a whole congregation, or in one of their block meetings, or to another member.
      What if - what if we could just open our arms, our ears and our hearts to them. What if we could avoid judgement(I believe being judgemental is part of human nature that we all have and its OK to admit we have all been judgemental),  and help that person. Sometimes it may just be a listening ear. Which means you don't have to say ANYTHING. You don't need to give any advice, or try to relate it to your life, or try to compare an urelated story to thier life. Just Zip the lip and listen. AND LOVE!
     I don't think anyone likes being vulnerable, but we need to be. We need to be real. You don't have to disclose your life struggles to everyone, you can keep details to yourself. But I am starting a movement.
LIFE SUCKS SOMETIMES! When I lost my baby I didn't want comfort from people(bare with me on this). I just wanted peopled to say "yes, it is unfair, it hurts and you can be as sad as you need".

Guess what ladies and gentelmen. Your life can be stressful, and you can vent, and it doesn't have to be OK. Lets take off the masks. Let stop pretending(or feel like you have to) that there is nothing that brings you down. That there is nothing in your life, family, or home that discourages you.

The end.

One Year

This day has been a fog for me. I keep finding myself asking "whats the date", for work related tasks, then I have to realize that it is March 25th.
There is no way to know how to feel today. I didn't do anything out of the ordinary. I worked my full 8 hours, and plan to do normal activity with Perry tonight. But, the thing that is on my mind is the 'what ifs". What would life be like if I had not lost my baby?

There is the obvious: I would be a mother. We would have all the stresses that come with having a baby. Since I did lose my baby though, its hard to imagine what life would be like if we had her. I do know what I would have missed out on if I didn't lose her.

Relationship with Perry: We have grown very strong as a couple. It was not easy. In fact the first 6 months after losing our baby, I was very not like myself. We have since worked very hard on our relationship, and have strengthened things between us. It is amazing as life goes on, the closer you can get to your significant other, even after you go through hard things.

Work: I most likely would have not started working with Barebones. I was offered to work with this company within the week of losing my baby. This job opened a lot of doors for Perry and I. It gave us the financial stability we were needing so Perry could go back to school (speaking of, while we were pregnant Perry was not going to school full time).

Music: I found Searching for Celia by random happenstance. I have been so unbelievably blessed to find such amazing people. All of the people I met in that band have been such a strength and good example to me. Thank you guys.

Dogs: I would not have my Dexter! He was born on March 29th. I don't think I was planning to get a second dog while I was pregnant. He is my little baby. Both of my dogs are spoiled shits, but I find justification because of what I have gone through.

Life Progress:
We have been given another chance to prepare ourselves for another baby. Not that one can ever really plan for a baby, but it has given us new goals and desires. It is a little push for motivation. And I am excited to continue working toward those things.

This is how I feel today, but at least some light is still shining through:

- M

Since I am already Vulnerable

Everybody Knows Somebody 

This week is national eating disorder awareness week. And the slogan for 2013 NEDA week is "Everybody Knows Somebody". And since I have already put my self out there with my last post, I felt like I had some more courage to write about my own struggles with an eating disorder.

It is very hard to know what should be said. The last thing I would ever want to encourage is negative behaviors to anyone reading. And for those who already knew a little about what I have dealt with, this won't be news. But, to those who have never known, now you do.

I started my recovery in 2010 by entering Center For Change treatment facility. I thought going inpatient was a little extreme for me, especially when I started realizing that many of these girls were either a lot deeper in the illness, or had suffered for many years longer than myself. And this leads me to my first point of misconceptions of eating disorders.

It doesn't matter how much you weigh or how long you have been suffering. The behaviors of any person suffering with an eating disorder, of any kind (restriction, binge eating, over exercising, purging) are DANGEROUS. The consequences of those behavior can be deadly. Some are immediate, others may not play out until later years in life. Disordered eating is disordered eating, period.

Inpatient was exhausting. All of the control and day to day decisions are taken away from you. There is a set schedule and routine. Weigh in and vitals in the morning. Every meal is pre portioned, and if you don't finish your plate, you have to have a meal replacement shake (hope it is the chocolate because that is the most bearable). That is just the physical part. The real trial was mental. Talking to each other, talking to your therapist, talking in groups, writing, crying, anger. You were pushed to be honest with yourself, your feelings, your issues. And this leads me to my next point: Food is only a symptom.

I can only speak for myself as to why I developed an eating disorder, and it wasn't to lose weight. I remember the day it all started, actually. (Most things in between 2008 and 2010 are pretty fuzzy. When you are malnourished your brain literally starts suffering. I have a hard time remember many details of those two years.) The point is, there is always underlying issues as to why anyone as an eating disorder. Or, any addiction really. Eating Disorders are just another type of addiction. The reason I developed an ED is not going to be the same as someone else. I would never assume to know why someone has one, but I sure as hell can empathize.

And here I will make my final message. It is about changing how we think about ourselves, and what we talk about day to day regarding food and body image. I have a hard time thinking it will ever happen. Some of the closest friends I have, who know what I have dealt with, still don't understand there are certain comments they probably shouldn't make in front of me. I realize that people shouldn't have to monitor themselves, and I am in the part of my recovery where I am less sensitive. But, what if I wasn't as stable? If an alcoholic were in recovery would you invite them to go to bars, or have a drink? When people talk to me about weight, diets, or negative body issues, I still have to tune it out sometimes.

I will never be totally immune. I wish we could all stop worrying about what others are eating, commenting on what people are choosing to eat, judging ourselves for wanting something sweet. If you want to have that doughnut, eat it. If your friend doesn't want to eat one with you, its okay. If  you want to eat a salad, eat it. We should be able to eat what we want with out positive or negative feedback.

If you have read this whole post, thank you. If you have any further questions let me know. I am very open about discussing what I have learned as I have gone through the recovery process. I now challenge you to start focusing on positive self talk. And overtime, I bet we can start changing the world.

We may experience turbulance

March is going to be a hard month for me.
The pain actually started earlier than expected when my youngest dog, Dexter, had a seizure last monday:
     I picked him up to feed him some pedalite, and just by chance, seconds later he experienced a seizure. For a short moment, he stopped moving, and I thought "get ready for CPR!". We took him to the doctor the next morning, his fever was really high, and they gave him some shots. He has been doing better and is healthy again!

But, that night, I was traumatized. It brought back a flood of emotions. I was crying and remember saying out loud "I can't lose another baby". That is one of my biggest fears. And I have all reason to feel that way. I know, whenever I get pregnant again, it will not be easy. I will be fearful up to 20 weeks, and after I am sure. Any signs of swelling, I will have panic.

I went to a baby shower yesterday, and that was hard. I was proud of myself for going. I am so happy for my friend, Mirinda, who is having her first child. She is having a girl. It hurt to see her open all those adorable outfits. It was hard to see other expecting Moms at the party as well. I can't hide and avoid all of those events for the rest of my life. Again, I cried a little.

Tonight, I went back through my facebook, on March 6 2012. I announced I was having a "mini me" with a photo of her ultrasound. I didn't know that 17 days later I would hear the worst news I have ever heard in my life, and there was nothing I could do to change the outcome.

It is ironic. One of the biggest issues I struggle with is having control in my life(to a certain degree). I get frustrated with situations that I can't do anything about. And in this case there was nothing I could do past, or present, that would change the outcome.

I have reached almost all the painful dates. When she was supposed to be born, when I found out I was pregnant. I have watched all the other ladies or friends I know that were pregnant at the same time, or have since had their babies. It is hard.

But this month will probably be the hardest. And I am writing this post just to share my thoughts. And to warn everyone, that if I am moody, this is probably why :)

Back from the Grave

For what I've gone through, it really feels like I have been crawling out of a hole. I have been blessed with expriencing little loss of a loved ones in my life. Probably the most devistating loss I had felt up to March 25 2012, was when Perry went on his mission. But, he came back.

I have gone through all stages of grief. Denial and Anger, big time! It got to a point that I had to stop looking at my IG and FB feeds. It was too hard seeing little babies. I was pregnant around the same time as many friends. I felt stuck too, emotionally. I am happy for them, but I envy them.

As Perry and I have worked through things, we have come to a realization that we experienced two polar opposites, at the same time. 21 weeks is a long time to be pregnant. I had about 5 months to think about Perry and I being parents. We found we were going to have a girl at 19 weeks. We started getting excited(and debating) about possible names. Would she look like me? Or would the Burton genes take over? It didn't matter, we would love her all the same.

When I first started experiencing swelling at the beginning of March,  I did all I could to stay off my feet. I visited Tara Tullety (sister and midwife) for a monthly check up on March 21. My protein was too high in my Urine. She told me to try a couple things to get rid of the water. Two days later she asked me to come back in for some blood work. She took one look at my ankels and decided it was best if I went to the hospital. They would be able to get results a lot quicker.

I let Perry know I was going to get some tests done. When they checked me in, they literally checked me in. They gave me a room and told me to put on a robe. I called Perry letting him know they were admitting me, still thinking I was only getting test.

The next few hours seem like a blur of emtion and despair. I foudn out I had preeclampsia, and the only way to treat it was to deliver. With the baby being 21 weeks, there was no hope for survival. Her lungs were not developed. I labored for 36 long hours.

During this time I was able to find a little peace. By the time I delivered I was ready for it to happen. And although I was about to go through immense grief and pain, I was able to get a little glimpse of happiness. I was able to see Perry hold our baby girl. We named her Olive(after someone on my mothers side). She was 10.4 oz. and 7.5 inches long.

Perry was so gentle and careful with this fragile little body. She was stillborn. I feel kind of blessed about that. I didn't have to see her struggle. This little girl looked just like Perry. She had his nose, his eyebrows. Goodness. I will never get over how perfect a baby can be at such a young gestation.

To be continued...

Maybe we'll get Internet

It is much easier to blog when I have Internet in my home. Our neighbors moved out in April, and took it with them. No more poopy old lab!

I somehow survived school. I got A- in my Stats and Math 118 class. A-!?!?!? My smarty pants husband Perry got an A.

I have been enjoying my jobs. I stay pretty busy at the salon. It's been fun getting to know the new hire, and I look forward to getting another new hire! I love my clients, we haven lot of fun chats. Working for Bare Bones has been rewarding but frustrating. The server for which we use the book keeping program on has had problems for weeks now. I am trying to work hard and learn what I need, but it's hard when I can't do everything I need! But I am the jack of all trades with that job. Book keeper/HR/executive sec.

I work a lot. I like it. We were able to go camping last weekend with four others. I will post pics later today.

Here are some fun pics.



Dexter and Vinny cuddling






Penelope at Sean's graduation



Sean's graduation speech




Hair fun!



Necklace I got as a gift. That's the birthstone for march



Gray Vinny and Penelope

FREEDOM

This is how I feel after completing all my finals.

What am I free from? A constant battle with myself to find motivation and determination to finish this semester!

     I am happy with myself. I got an 88% on my Statistics final. I didn't do much studying, and that is not bragging, thats bewilderment. I am the type of person that studies, and studies, and studies. So either A: I am a uber nerd because I like statistics, understand it, and retain it, B: someone upstairs was working some magic because he knows I am struggling. C: Both A and B. D: I cheated.

I didn't cheat.

Maybe
                                                    of course I don't cheat. I have too guilty of a concious.

     So what now? What to do with my free time? Thats right. I don't have much anymore! I will be working 5/6 days a week between two jobs. I am going to be doing some hard core book-keeping training for Bare Bones and Tifie Ranch. I am really excited to have a little change with work. I still love doing hair and am hoping I stay busy at the salon. I have a sweet story I want to share.

     Elaine Moody is one of my regulars. She is there every friday to get her hair done. She was very concerned about me when she found out I was sick. She was very sweet to me the next time I saw her, giving me a hug, and comforting words.
     Last week she was checking up on me. I told her I was just trying to manage day to day. It somehow came up that I had little appetite and motivation to make meals. She said  "what is your favorite place to eat? You ought to go out and a least get something you like." I told her we were trying not to spend money on dining out, or I probably would! I didn't mean to say it to make her feel bad, or woe is me I'm so poor.
     At the end of her appointment she pulled a $20 out of her wallet and said "go out somewhere with your husband and get yourself some food you enjoy". Oh Elaine!!! I seriously love my old ladies. They look after you. Its like having multiple grandmas.

I got to spend time with Gray and Lear (little brother in laws) over the weekend. I took them up to my parents house. I hope they had fun, and weren't too bored. We wanted to do a lot more things with them, but crummy weather got in the way. I liked having them get to know my family a little better. Maybe the whole In-Law family can come up next time!

 Ta for now.

A bit of fun

What a week! It is amazing how fast time goes when you are not laying in a hospital bed, or any bed for that matter.

I got myself to go to school. My teachers have been more than understanding, and willing to work with me. It's been hard to find motivation, however, as I feel like I've lost all my steam. Then I think about dragging it out, and that sounds terrible! I have two test to make up, 8-9 assignments, and then finals. So to not stress out I am trying to handle my life DAY to DAY.

I met with a tutor for my Stat 121 class, and he was encouraging. About a half hour into reviewing exam material he says to me "I am surprised how much you know! Most people I help at this point are so lost." So tomorrow I plan to take the exam!

I went back to work this week as well. Thursday-Sat. My body aches. But it was good to see my clients. I was swamped, and that felt good. I only almost cried twice. When two of my older ladies gave condolences. They are so sweet.

For fun this weekend, I got to go on a couple dates with Perry.



He took me to see Hunger Games. I was pleased with the movie. Lots of cool cinematography! But mostly it was great to cuddle on the comfy iMax seats :) Go memory foam.



I took Vinny on a couple long walks. It was nice to get a little exercise, especially out in the sun. Since losing at least 20 pounds of water, I don't recognize my little legs. I think I experienced some atrophy too.
I have taken some before pictures, pre-running.



No muscle :s


At least the swelling is almost gone! Still a little tenderness around the ankles and top of foot.

And my most FAVORITE thing I did this week. Woke up the Scooter!!



We went on a ride with the club I am part of. Brigham Bees Scooter Club.


Perry wearing hipster glasses



At the top of Squaw Peak. Thank you Perry for joining me on the ride :)

Wish me luck to survive this next week. School school school and




SCHOOL!!

Thank you post

To my Momma - I love you for taking care of me over the past week. It really means a lot to still be able to rely on you, even though I'm grown up and out of the house.  I don't know what I can do to repay you, other than try and be like you! Be the best person I can be. I hope I can be as good as a mother as you are.

To my Mom in Law - Thank you for sitting in the hospital with me so much. It was very comforting to have someone there with me right after it all happened. You raised an amazing son and I'm glad to be part of the family. Thanks for being a strength for me, I love you. 


To my Pappa - Thanks for coming and being a silent support. Your blessing gave me a lot of peace. Thanks for letting me take over yours and mom's bed for a few days :) I love you

To my Pappa in Law - Thank you for your advice and words of wisdom. I'm thankful that Perry has someone like you to talk to. Thank you for your love and support, I love you. 


Tara - Thanks for being there for me before, during, and after this mess. You sacrifice a lot of your time to your profession. It means a lot to me to have someone I can talk to. Thanks for checking up on me so much, I need it. Love you!

To my siblings - Thanks for your concern and checking up on me. I know not all of you could visit, but I appreciate your love through calling, texting, etc. Family means a lot to me and I'm glad I have you.

Ashliegh Baldwin - Thanks for talking to me and visiting while I was sick. I am glad I can confide in you with confidence, well I hope you don't think I'm crazy anyway :) And I can't wait to start running with you!

Braden and Kristen - Thank you for rescuing my Vinny in a time of need :) 

Colby - Thank you for being Perry's friend and keeping him out of trouble

Julia - thanks for being my friend, can't wait to plan some trips this summer

To all those other family and friends that sent flowers, cards, and kind words: Thank you! Thats all I can really say, I appreciate your love, prayer and thoughts.

To my Father in heaven: Thank you for giving me strength, even when I don't think I have any. I love you and will continue to trust in you. 

Last but not least :)
My Perry: You are my best friend! You are going to have to deal with my mood for the next little while. Thank you for being my better half. I couldn't live without you! I love you very much. We have already gone through so much in our first 2 years of marriage. I know we can get through anything. We are such a good pair.

Stuff I did last week

To help my sanity I tried to do things to help me feel, normal. I went to "zoro the musical" with my parents, brother and his date.



I collected eggs from the chickens.



I finally got to see Vinny early Sunday morning. Perry drove up to my parents after he played a show. He got sleepy on the way, took a little nap, and didn't get to my parents until almost 4 am. He is a sweet husband though, I appreciated being able to finally cuddle next to him. It had been over a week since we had!

Since Vinny stayed at my in-laws, who have two other dogs, for the past week. He got pretty stanky. This is what he looks like wet, pretty disgusting.



My brother made a 50 caliber black powder rifle. Perry and I had the privilege to shoot it.



Aiming



On try number two I got the target!



Powder-wedge-bullet



I love him



Getting instructions



More instructions. I think the bullet accidentally fell out before he shot this.


Love his face on this one



Don't mess with me, perry will shoot you



I finally got to wear my wedding ring!

Health wise I am still on the mend. We visited the doctor yesterday and my test came back negative for most things. This means that they probably won't find the Why of what caused my preeclampsia, but I think that is a good thing. It means I don't have any pre existing health problems.

Health update

I was finally released from el hospital on Wednesday. My mother in law drove me to meet up with my mom, where I now continue to recover.



My legs yesterday morning.

I continue to lose the extra water in my legs. Yesterday I went out to look at a Pomeranian puppy. Holding her really made me miss my Vinny.


And although she was a very cute dog, I didn't get the YES vibes. So we will continue looking to find him a companion. For now, I just can't wait to play with him again!!

After we went to see the pup I went out to lunch at Chillis. I looked a little less sickly than days passed, I even put on makeup yesterday :).

We then went to target to get some pants that fit me, make me feel less grungy. Exercise pants are a step up from sweat pants. Check out these cute sock slippers my Mama got me.



After the long day my feet were puffy again and it was nice to soak in the tub, wash my body of all the hospital adhesive residue.

Today was pretty fun. I got to do a little book training for a position I am going to take over at Barebones/Tifie Ranch. I also got to go out and take some pictures for their website. I am pretty beat, but it was nice to get some sun and fresh air.

Making Lists

A little tragedy has hit my small family. When I am ready to talk about it I will, but for now, I want to share some lists of things I want to getworking on to help me heal.

1) Scooter. Get Stella registered! I drove it last summer, but never registered the plates. I am part of Brigham Bees Scooter Club. They go on rides every few weeks. The first ride is April 7th, and I want to be able to go on it! On top of registering it, I need to get spring cleaning done, a new battery, and wash and wax. I have been wanting to do a new paint job, if anyone has any ideas I am open! Right now its all black. T

he pictures above is not mine, although it would be pretty sweet to have a side car :)

2)Puppy. We have loved having Vinny. Even though he is still a little stinker at times. We want to get him a girlfriend though. I saw this little black pom online today :) She was a little too big for Vinny, but we'll keep looking. I love dogs. Ev

eryone should have a pet in my opinion.

3) Ring. March's gemstone is aquamarine. I can't talk about this right now.

4) Camping. We are trying to set up a trip in May to go to Zions National Park, or at least its surrounding area. I want to get out in nature. I love taking pictures and there are a lot of natural wonders down there in Utah.

There are so many other things that I have been thinking about, and its still weird that I will be able to do them now. At this point I will just continue to heal, yes that means you blood pressure!! Go DOWN so I can get some fresh air.

Coloring

I had a pretty productive day today. I made it on time to class! Go me!!
Next time I get pregnant I will make sure to not have a 8:00 AM math class. This morning I propped my feet up on a chair in class. I could care less what people are thinking. It was really helpful. I also did it during my labs and when I worked on homework.
All you need to do is look at my feet, then you'd understand! I have noticed a little change today. When I prop my feet up the swelling goes down! A little, but yesterday nothing I did seemed to help. Hoping that means I am on the mend.

My salon is in the processes of hiring a new stylist. I watched a potential hire do a haircut. And while I waited I practiced some ombré highlighting on the mannequin. Keep in mind, this is just one of many different ways/colors you can do. If I had long hair I would do it.



Mannequin hair doesn't like to process very well when it comes to coloring.


I am going to be doing something like this on my cousin Krista next week! She has long hair and it will look gorgeous.

I am not going to hunger games tonight in case anyone was wondering ;)

5 more weeks

And this semester will be over!!! I really can't tell you how much I want it to end.
Math. Statistics. It's been great for my brain, challenging myself and all, but can it please be over? I think if I had a spring break I wouldn't go back to school. Plus one for BYU.
I was just on campus for 4.5 hours. My legs are hurting, my brain is hurting. I have a wonderful husband who let me visit him at work. And fed me.



He needs a hair trim.

Sometimes when life gets stressful(and painful in my case), it's hard to stay positive. I think it's okay to not be 100% positive all the time. I don't care when people complain now and then. So long as its not every time you talk with someone.

I sort of feel like I am complaining all the time, especially to Perry. I have reason to!

But I am going to try and be better and not voicing my complaints to him as often. I am so lucky to have my little family. Look at this dog.



He is so cute. And he makes me happy. So does my husband. And our soon to be baby girl.

Life sucks sometimes but it could be worse!

Little Baby

Making me so sick! Why?



Cute little profile

Story about my feet. So last week I started swelling, not a little, a lot. I took it easy Saturday-Monday and the swelling went down, except around my ankles. They feel bruised.
I visited my uncle and he got me started on some supplements. Hoping it helps! I am also going to have to cut back on work hours, so maybe the swelling will be manageable, at least a little..



The smallest my feet have looked for almost a week.

Yay for motherhood I guess. Lol