I'm Back.

Well well well...

Looks like I am sitting here in my office looking at Mount Timpanogos. Utah is truly gorgeous this time of year. Please forgive my absence in the summer, I like to be outside. We have been soaking in our beautiful weather as often as possible. Walking, swimming, playing Frisbee, going up American Fork Canyon, playing at Deer Creek, and hitting up Sonic for Diet Dr. Peppers every day.

I am trying to prioritize things in my life.

The older I get the more I have come to accept myself and the life I live.

We all have an immense amount of struggles, each getting trials and overcoming them in our own ways. I know it is easy to see someone else and think of they've got it worse or they have no idea how hard my life is... either way you are right and wrong. Every single person is different and we all do the best we can.

I am working really hard on not passing judgement on others. In doing that I am learning to accept that people are still going to pass judgement on me and that's okay. I am happy with where I am at in my life. I love my husband and my son beyond belief.

I might post too many Instagram photos (so what?)

I might not go to church every Sunday? (does being in a  garage make you a car?)

I might drink too many 32 oz Sonic drinks... (really this could be a problem)

But I like who I am. IT has taken me a long time to accept me, flaws and all.

Granted I have my moments where I feel like a misfit toy... but don't we all?

The decisions I have made have shaped me into the woman I am. The trials I have had have helped me to become a stronger women, despite breaking my heart and having to learn to glue it back together. The love that I have gained has fed my soul and when times get dark, I still have the light of love to guide me back from hard days. We learn to accept what we are given and live and love every day. That is what I am trying to do.

I am happy to say I am not sweating the small stuff as much as I used to. I do from time to time, then I mentally smack me upside the head -Kelli, duh, that tiny stuff so doesn't matter... remember??- I am happy that I am able to see what doesn't mean so much these days and what does.

I have a few good friends that I can count on, day or night, whenever, where ever, let me bring you a Diet DP sort of friends. I am lucky. I am blessed. We all are, we just have to focus on the good.


And without further ado... pictures of our Summer so far... We will play the pick your favorite picture and give it a caption... best caption gets cookies... Ready, Go.

work in progress #wip

So I am just over 46k words into my wip. I have been working on it since the first week of February. I was worried to take on such a different project from my first manuscript. This one goes in a completely different direction and I am constantly researching. My sister Nikki, aka my mock editor, is always sending me ideas and I have a secret board on Pinterest where I put the pictures that inspire my writing. I have sent out queries and guys it is so hard to sell yourself in a three paragraph email. I want to show these lit agents my passion and my drive. I want them to see the belief in my eyes and know that writing and telling my stories means so much to me. One of the authors I follow on Twitter said, if you don't tell your stories, no one will. I truly hope I find someone to represent me, I am trying to get an agent, but I live in Utah and they live in New York and LA. I am anxious to go to the Writer's Digest Conference next month, where I will get a sit down with agents from the city. When my thoughts wander throughout the day I practice my pitch. How do I put into ninety seconds what I have poured my imagination into for the last forty five days? Hi, I'm Kelli. Um... I think you should read my manuscript and take me on as a client and then we can sell my book to Harper Collins, okay? Cool. *Then we shake on it.* I have day dreams, is it silly for a twenty six year old to day dream- I don't care if it is, I want to be successful. I want to get published, I want to see my name on the front of a hardcover book and see my words in print and on the shelves and B+N. So I keep writing, with help from my husband and sister and encouragement from the same and my Mom. I have read that your family isn't a good place to test your manuscript, because they don't want to hurt your feelings... but my sister tells it like it is. Her and I have big dreams for my current wip. One day guys, one day I will have my series on shelves and you will say hey remember that one time Kelli posted about how she wanted to be successful... well she did it.

Xo,
Kelli

Little Lion Man:: Halloween 2012

We had a great October and I am so excited for the Winter Holidays! Here are a few pictures from our Halloween traditions!

clumsy thumbsy (Ellen)

I love the text mishaps that people post to Ellen.
I had one of my own happen in August from my very own Mother..
and I submitted it to the show today!
Here is to hoping we make it big with this text conversation!!
(I hope this doesn't embarrass my Mom, as it might be going National)

you know you love it..

Xo

Kelli

baby showers!

Somehow I had three baby showers and didn't take any pictures of them! Ahh! I know there were pictures taken, so if you have some- send them my way! 

I just wanted to say THANK YOU to everyone who came out to the showers and those that sent their love from far away!! Archer is for sure spoiled! 

I had a fun shower with my families thrown by my Mom and sisters and hosted by my mother in law Paula. It was so great, I know both sides of my families helped with food and decor and it was such a nice shower!! and I got my FAVORITE cupcakes too :) 

My friend Brooke threw a joint shower for my pregnant friend Cortnie and I! 

Oh I think I have a picture of the two of us from that day. Yayy.

(how lame, one picture???)  

We had so many people there to give our babies some love! 

Reese and Archer will be very well dressed and swaddled! 

The last one was a Bunko friend shower, Cort's and my adopted older sister Kelli Casperson threw it for the two of us! Our bunko group is so fun and I am so grateful to have met such amazing people and have grown to love them all! Again our babes got so spoiled, everyone was so thoughtful and I am so happy to know such awesome girlies! 

So THANK YOU, is all I can say! We are nearly set for Archer's arrival, with just five short weeks until his expected Due Date! At my last appointment at 34 weeks, he was measuring 36 weeks.  At the next appointment we will have an ultrasound and get me all checked out to see where him and I are at and when he will be making his debut!! I have a couple more items to get to make me feel like he will be taken care of when we bring him home!  My D'Ettes are throwing me a shower next Saturday and that is the last of them! I am excited, nervous, but mostly just excited.  Do most parents have no idea what they are doing, because it will be really interesting and kind of scary to actually have the little amazing boy in my arms!! So many thoughts go through my head about this every day and I just can't believe it will be real so soon! 

xoxo,

Kelli

happiness is...

I follow this really inspirational blog http://runningonhappiness.blogspot.com/...

It inspires me to be better, stronger, and more confident. 

So in true happy fashion I am going to write a list of things that make me happy.

1. feeling my little boy's kicks and jabs... 

most incredible feeling.

2. my husband, he is amazing, 

I love him more than I could ever write down.

3. sitting in my nursery and looking at the empty crib, 

that will soon be filled with a squishy little boy.

4. not a lot of snow this winter... 

it just is good all around.

5. my family, I look up to each of them in their own way.

6. my dog, Marley, she is so funny and thinks she is a human... 

we lovingly call her our cat dog. 

7. strawberry milk. 

I crave it like 8 times a day. 

8. nesting, even though it gives me anxiety... 

it is making me so excited.

9. hot showers, not as hot as I used to take... 

but still the best thing on my back ever.

10. thoughts of a family of 3, a car seat in the back of my car and 

always having a little buddy with me. 

Well that is the short list, but I am trying to be more grateful and positive.  I don't want to let anything that has brought me down in the past, keep me down for the future. 

and so many fun things coming up this month, 2 showers, Valentines Day, Birthdays, D'Ette Night to Remember, SYTYCD filming, new team auditions... another baby shower in March and hopefully the arrival of my son!! ahhh!!!  :) 

xoxoxo,

Kelli

Christmas

I was horrible at taking pictures this year! So, I will post what I have and document what I remember. This year was our fifth Christmas together married. It also marks our last as a family of two, as baby boy will be a nine month old next year. We have the blessing and the curse of having both families so close, so we try to be everywhere and see everyone- it gets a little stressful for us, but we love our families.

*Christmas Eve we spent dinner at Texas Roadhouse with the Payne side and then quickly jetted down to Pleasant Grove to see the Knight side. We had an entertaining slide show of the most awkward family photos and a beautiful nativity, with our nieces and nephews playing the rolls. When Brandon and I got home we read a Christmas story and read a few verses from the Bible, I get so caught up in the presents that I often forget the true reason for the season. 

*Christmas Day we got up and I had made monkey bread the night before, I made enough for 5 families... Brandon and I spent the morning together, just us two- for the last time. We talked about what next year would be like and how excited and scared we are to see how this is all going to work out! Around 1 we headed to see my sisters and their families, we quickly stopped by their houses to see the loot Santa brought their kids and then went to my Moms for dinner.  One of my best friends Cortnie lived two doors away my entire life and she was at her parents on Christmas, so we got a quick belly shot- we are only 3 weeks apart.  We draw names for gifts on that side and exchange them. My sister Jenny got me the necklace in the post below and I cried when she gave it to me, it was so thoughtful and meant so much to me and I have an insane amount of hormones running through me!! 

*It was a great couple of days, but I think Brandon and I were both relieved for it to be over... it is a stressful time of year! (Not to mention drill competition season starts and finishes my holiday season every year.) We took down our tree a few days after and we both keep saying how nice and clutter free our house is. 

My sisters and I

Waiting at Texas Roadhouse

Lindsay, me, Mary, and Natalie (baby Dylan)

at the Knight Christmas Eve

Bk and I on Christmas Eve

 

Marley on Christmas morning!

Me (25wks) and Cortnie (22wks)

I have a boy, she has a girl.

----------------

On a side note, the nursery is coming along.  It is painted and trim is starting to be hung.  I am taking pictures at different phases in the process and will post them when we are finished! I can't believe our son will be here is three (approx.) months.  I am so excited to meet him, get to know him, and be his Mom.  I hope that we do him justice as parents... it is so amazingly scary to know that you are meant to shape this gift, pregnancy and children are such a reassurance of God and his role in our lives. I am scared beyond belief and hope to do the best job that I can with my son. So much left to do for him and time is getting short! One day at a time! 

Xoxo,

Kelli