Meeks Family Blog

Update!

2011-07-14T20:51:00.000-07:00

We are expecting baby #3 due January 5th, 2012. 15 weeks and doing great!

We also have signed Kenzi up for horseback riding lessons, yes, riding lessons! She did so great with her first lesson, she rode bareback, within minutes she let go of the strap and just let her hand not holding the reins rest on her knee. She got the horse to start on her own, stop, and began learning how to steer the horse.

Lilly's surgery went fantastic. We are now at 2 weeks post-op and get to dissolve her stitches tomorrow. She is using her thumb and it is looking great! This will be a picture right after surgery, she has been running around and having a ball ever since!

We had a great 4th of July with the exception of our neighbors, but all the kids had a great time! That's about it for now, I'll try to update more regularly. Between the kids, the pregnancy, work and school, life gets pretty hectic.

Life is crazy as normal!

2011-01-02T23:39:00.000-08:00

Seth is back to work, I am starting up school again, Kenzi is LOVING kindergarten and I am also working on my application for nursing school. Wish me luck, any prayers would be appreciated. I will try to update soon with pictures from Christmas. =-) Oh and of course we can't forget miss Lilly. She is talking up a storm and gaining more words every day! My girls are both so smart and sweet, I am truly blessed with a wonderful family who I adore!

The Bunny Revenge!

2010-09-13T15:56:00.000-07:00

Many of you know from my facebook rants that we have a problem with "wild" bunnies/rabbits. I had just planted $40 worth of fall starts and they decided to help themselves to about half of it. That made me see red, because you don't mess with the pocketbook when it's already slim! Anyways, a few friends loaned us some traps...and the story continues.....

There once was a bunny who decided to steal....

Little did he know he'd end up a meal!

He found himself in a bucket and was soon out of breath

And very soon after was without a head...

Next came the feet and the skin soon thereafter.....

Then all the innards, they weren't such a bother...

So the moral of the story is....

Stay out of my garden or you'll end up like him!

Ah sweet revenge! It will make such a nice stew! Thanks again to our friends who loaned us the traps!

Building of a tree fort!

2010-09-13T15:02:00.000-07:00

We decided shortly after moving in that right in between the two trees in the back would be the PERFECT place for a tree house for the girls. Originally it was just going to be something simple that Seth came up with...then we involved the master carpenter (literally) his Dad. John came over and began helping us providing us with tools to make the job go much easier. We still have a ways to go, but the girls seem to like it so far! Deciding where the ladder should go.

Kenzi sure does love to help!

Lilly enjoying the wonder of a whole new height!
They can hardly wait till it's finished! :)

Kuehn Family Reunion 2010

2010-08-30T22:50:00.000-07:00

Earlier this month we got a chance to go to my family reunion. We had a lot of fun and got to celebrate my Grandparents 60 years of marriage. Amazing! Here are some fun pictures that we have to share! :)

Lilly was of course screaming, but I had to get a picture of the girls with my grandparents. They are so wonderful and I am so blessed to still have them in my life.

Valerie, Grandma and I.

Four generations, not sure how many pictures we will have like this.

Me with my Grandma.
My last picture with her, was at my High School Graduation.

Me with my Grandpa Burt. I love that man so much!

Valerie giving Lilly sugar and laughing about it! :)

There is always something to do at Great Grandma and Grandpa's, even if it is kicking and ripping apart a stump! :)

Lilly and Hailee (sp?). My Cousin's little girl, they are only a few months apart and had so much fun playing together!

I can't wait to do it all again next year! This is becoming a fun family tradition, everyone getting together once a year!

Updates

2010-08-30T22:31:00.000-07:00

So this year has flown by and it's almost been a year since I updated the blog. I know I'm not very good at it, but I do have a legit reason for my absence. In January my Grandma passed away leaving us without our rent paid, and me without a job. It got REALLY hard there for a bit, selling our plasma to make rent, or get food. Thankfully, Seth is back working, at least for now, so it's been nice to have a steady paycheck for 2 months! Because of the lack of work for me, I decided that it was time to go back to school. I started Spring term of 2010 and just completed my second term. I will be applying for nursing school this year! :) Please keep us in your prayers, we could really use getting into nursing school so that we can have one steady paycheck year round.

Kenzi is starting Kindergarten in two weeks, I can hardly believe that my baby is old enough to be in school! She is so thrilled to be going back to Young Learners for another year. They might be relatively expensive, but I know that she will get the education and the one on one time with the teacher that she needs to excel. She is so incredibly smart, and beautiful that it amazes me. She took a gymnastics class over the summer and LOVED it, so now we are looking for a gymnastics academy for her. She is also enrolled in a ballet/tap class through New Visions Dance Studio and she is LOVING it. The teachers there are so wonderful and it's made her so much less clumsy, gotta say, I am loving the fact that she's getting less bruises! :)

Lilly, what can I say about Lilly. She is starting to talk a bit more, which is good, we were concerned there for a bit because she wasn't talking much at all and was not willing to sign either. But now she's doing both which is AWESOME! She is starting to get her canine teeth, so she's been a bit grumpy from that, but her level of grumpy, has NOTHING on Kenzi's! We will be celebrating Lilly's second birthday next month, and I can hardly believe it! My baby will be two!

Life is hard, but life is good. We are all doing well, I am still a teacher at church, I teach the CTR 6 class, and while I admit that most days, I hate it, there are times when it is rewarding. Seth is happy to be working. I have a part time job too, I go in when I have free time so my schedule is very flexible. I love it! I work as an executive assistant for a financial adviser, it's mostly filing and computer work, but hey, it's a paycheck! I have my trip to Hawaii all paid for, so now it's just saving up the "fun" money for while I am there. I love the fact that Seth is letting me go and have a week to myself, he really is such a good man! We've been together over 7 years now and I love him more and more every day!

We recently did family photos, so hopefully I'll have those to put up soon. Hopefully I will be able to update this a bit more now that my school schedule won't be full of highly intensive classes. I'll do my best!

Belated Halloween Pictures

2009-11-24T19:18:00.001-08:00

Halloween 2009, Mekenzi went as Cinderella, and Lilly was Mini Mouse...minus the ears. They both had a really good time and it stayed dry, which was nice for us! :)

Goodbye Sweet Max

2009-11-24T19:04:00.001-08:00

Today we had to say goodbye to our cat Max. He was big and fat and so lovable. We're not sure what happened, all we know is that his liver was failing, and failing fast and so we had to put him down. We're having a hard time with this one as he was only 4 years old. Here are some pictures to remember him by.

2009 Fall Ball!

2009-09-18T22:44:00.000-07:00

And the season has begun! Here are some fun pictures of the boys playin ball!!! They have a lot of fun. They play every thursday night!!!

Lilly is growing up so fast!

2009-09-18T22:35:00.001-07:00

Here are some cute fun pictures of our sweet Lilly. :)

Kenzi's first day of school!!!

2009-09-18T22:28:00.000-07:00

We are so proud of our sweet Kenzi, she is loving Pre-K and is flourishing!

Goodbye Sunny Dog

2009-09-08T22:54:00.000-07:00

This year we had to say goodbye to a very dear friend. Our dog sunny, we got her when I was 12, and had to say goodbye to her this summer. She was almost 17 years old, so I would say she had a very long full life. She will be missed.

Summer fun 2009

2009-09-08T22:51:00.001-07:00

4th of July

2009-09-08T22:44:00.001-07:00

This is the first year that Kenzi has enjoyed the 4th of July, and this was also Lilly's first 4th of July! I hope you enjoy the pictures!!! :)

Time to update!

2009-09-08T22:38:00.000-07:00

Sorry it's been so long since we updated the blog! I'll have more pictures tomorrow after Kenzi's first day of school. She will be in a pre-k program thru Young Learners and she is so excited to go to school and to learn. I quit my job managing apartments and I am now taking care of my grandmother full time which is a very challenging job, but now I know for sure, I can handle being a nurse no problem! Seth's been out of work, but hey, that's life in construction!!!

Heart Attack Waiting to Happen!!!

2009-05-19T19:39:00.000-07:00

Time to say goodbye to the bassinet. At least during the day.

Sleepy Babies

2009-05-18T23:21:00.001-07:00

There is nothing in this world sweeter than a sleeping baby. It just brings that instant calm when you watch them sleep so peacefully, makes all the stresses just melt away.

Happy 5th Wedding Anniversary!

2009-05-18T23:13:00.000-07:00

We celebrated our 5 year wedding anniversary by going out to dinner at one of my favorite restaurants. The Melting Pot, it's expensive, but it is such a great place, great food, great atmosphere, it made for the perfect way to spend our anniversary. 5 years later, still very happy, and still very much in love. What more could I ask for?

Happy Easter, a month late!!!

2009-05-18T23:09:00.000-07:00

Well, it's better late than never, I thought I would post some pictures of my adorable girls in their matching dresses. Hope you enjoy them. :)

New Family Photos!!!

2009-03-22T21:01:00.000-07:00

Our friend Heather Cooper, she is an incredible photographer and I am so lucky to be able to call her my friend, she took our family photos. If you want to use her for your own family, check out her website! heathercooperphotography.com. She is fantastic! To see all of the pictures, you can see them on our facebook pages. http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2018326&id=1083920531&l=51e1466807 and the second half of the pictures is at http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2018328&id=1083920531&l=3828cd8a31

Lilly's first solid foods!

2009-03-22T20:53:00.000-07:00

It's that time already, she's getting so grown up! She had her first bites of solid food. Rice cereal and breast milk! YUM!!!

Girls Day Out!!!

2009-03-22T20:49:00.000-07:00

Seth was sweet enough to watch the girls all day Saturday so that I could have a girls day out! My girlfriends Rachel and Karina, whom I have been friends with since I was 13!!! It was a lot of fun, we did a temple session and then went out to dinner at Olive Garden. It was so nice to have the time away and not have to worry about the girls!

Look who is rolling!!!

2009-03-22T20:43:00.000-07:00

Lilly is rolling now, she started about a month ago, it's taken me that long to get it up on here!!!! It's so cute and she's so proud of herself most times! She found her toes about two weeks before she started rolling! My baby is getting so big!!!

Time with Captain Grandpa

2009-03-22T20:35:00.000-07:00

Kenzi sure does love her Captain Grandpa!!! And he even tried teaching her how to fish, at HER request!!!! Don't ask me where she gets it from, Lord knows it's not me!!!

Candace

2009-02-13T10:21:00.000-08:00

I'm sitting her today thinking about my sweet little niece. She would have been 2 years old today. It was a year ago today, that I was sitting in the doctors office, finding out how far along in the pregnancy I was with Lilly, and I was so scared that something would go wrong, but now that I look back, I know Candace was looking out for her cousin and was giving me a sign that it was our turn and everything was ok. She truly was an angel straight from heaven and I feel honored and privileged to have been able to hold her sweet spirit in my arms. If you want to read about her, she has her own blog, onetinymiracle.blogspot.com.

We love you sweet girl, Happy 2nd Birthday!

Ah Irony

2009-02-12T21:07:00.000-08:00

I am sitting here thinking about how it was Seth who wanted me to find him a blog place so that he could start writing, and now it seems that I am the one who is doing all the blogging. Oh well. So last week Seth found a crack in our exterior wall, and as we live in a cinder block house, this was a bit worrisome for me. So tonight I wanted to investigate further, and upon further inspection, I learned that the crack goes all the way through the wall, and there is air that is flowing straight into the house. So yay, we have a cement house...with a crack in the wall. I swear, it's always something! Just feels like all the somethings are piling up right now and making it difficult to not sink. Just when I think we have a chance to get ahead, something stops us and pulls us back down. Life is a test, and I know that, it's just hard some days. Like when you have very little money left in your bank account and the bank tries to hold your paycheck for a week and says its for your protection,when you have bills that have been sent out and will be coming out any day now. Yeah, I had that one happen today. Now the crack in the wall, as if the mold and the ground water leaking into the house wasn't bad enough, now the wall is actually cracking open! I can not wait until I get another complex to manage so that I can get out of this money eating pit and have an opportunity to really help ourselves. Sorry to vent, I just need to get it out so that I'm not feeling so frustrated, because when I'm frustrated, I'm no fun!

Enjoying Gifts

2009-02-05T14:18:00.001-08:00

Kenzi has been doing so well, and really enjoying all of the gifts that she was given this year. Between always wanting to "make tea" and taking the puppy or the kitties to the "doctor", and playing on her computer cool school, or riding her bike, her days are full of learning and imaginative play! I hope everyone knows just how much she LOVES her gifts!!!

Birthday Party!

2009-02-05T14:06:00.000-08:00

So it's been a while, dealing with sick kids, sick husband, and then getting sick myself!!! Kenzi had a wonderful party, which ended with the snow starting to fall pretty heavy so everyone had to leave! But it was good. Shortly after her party, poor Lilly got sick, REALLY sick. She had a cough and massive cold, kept throwing up everywhere, and had a nasty fever. We were so worried about her that we took her to the hospital, they said it's viral and nothing they can do about it, other than give her anti-nausea medication, which we gladly accepted. Once she was able to keep food down, and get re hydrated, all was well! She is doing 100% better and I am so relieved! Now I have it, but hey, that's the price of being the mom! So, time for pictures!!! This was the year of my little pony....lots of pony's and lots of little pieces to lose! She's doing a lot better and keeping everything together and putting it away, mostly cause I make her, but still, she's trying!

Big Day Tomorrow

2009-01-23T19:51:00.000-08:00

Mekenzi has her 4th birthday party tomorrow, although her birthday is not until Sunday we are going to be celebrating on the same day that Lilly turns 4 months. We will be going to Papa's Pizza on 163rd and Stark so that all the kids can run and play to their hearts content. I will post pictures when I get them tomorrow! Hope to see anyone who can make it there!

Seth's Final Year as an apprentice!

2009-01-20T21:10:00.000-08:00

So this is Seth's final year as an Ironworker apprentice, once he gets his hours, he will turn out and be sworn in as a Journeyman Ironworker! We are so proud of him!!! Here is a picture of his 4th year class.

The Girls!!!

2009-01-13T11:53:00.000-08:00

Our 2008 Christmas letter

2009-01-02T22:24:00.000-08:00

Dear Friends and Family,

Happy Holidays! This year has been a bit challenging for us, but we have survived and hope to have a better 2009. So, here is what is up with us! We are living out in NE Portland, right on the border of Gresham where we manage a small apartment complex, we love our ward and having our own identity and not being “just another Carroll”.

Seth is in his final year of his apprenticeship and once he gets his structural hours, he will turn out as a Journeyman Ironworker. He loves what he does and is looking forward to getting back to rods, he’s not a fan of the structural aspect, but he is working thru it none the less. It’s nice to see him so happy and having a job that he loves!

Brianne is still managing apartments; it will be 3 years in April. I also stay home with my girls and I love every minute of that. I like my job most days, some are more challenging than others, like a few weeks ago, when a tenant drove into another tenant’s apartment, that was fun! Thankfully I have Seth to help me with a lot of stuff that’s been going on lately because of the lack of work. Thank goodness for my job, it pays the rent!

Mekenzi will be 4 years old this month and is thriving. She will be starting pre-school in the fall and is so excited. She asks every day when she can go to school. She is a great helper to her mommy and is working so hard on getting ready to start school. It’s getting hard to say that she has to wait because she wants so badly to go to school….she has an unquenchable thirst for knowledge, which I absolutely LOVE!

We are also pleased to announce the arrival of our second daughter, Lilly Mae Meeks. She graced us with her presence on September 24, 2008 at 11:16 am weighing 7 lbs. 5 oz. and she was 20 ½ inches long. She is absolutely a perfect baby, very content and easy to please, which is so unlike her sister, so it’s a nice change of pace! Funny thing was, the nurses said I wasn’t really in labor and sent me home…she was born about 6 hours later! Guess we showed them!

We are hoping for more work this next year, as this year was VERY slow, but there are some good prospects for work this next year, we’re just hoping that not all of it is out of town, it’s not very fun when he’s gone for 6 months at a time! We are enjoying this holiday season and hope that all of you are doing well and enjoying the holidays as well. Please know that you are in our thoughts and prayers. Wishing you a very Merry Christmas, a Happy New Year, and a wonderful 2009!

All of our Love,

Seth, Brianne, Mekenzi, and Lilly Meeks