New background...hmmm

I am about to have to change my background and take of the Christmas music because January is almost here...this makes me sad. Hey! But I can leave the snow because it is still winter...at least I think it is...it is not very cold right now! Man I wish it was snowing like crazy!

Merry Christmas!!

I know it is two days after Christmas but to me it still feels like Christmas...I am just sad when January rolls around and it no longer feels like Christmas. I know that we still can have the Spirit of Christmas which is of course the Spirit of Christ! We must always remember that we need to have charity and follow the promptings we receive through out the year.
Christmas has been fun. Mark and I spent Christmas Eve with my dad's side of the family. They are a lot of fun, even though it was really loud and crowded. I have two wonderful teenage cousins who are hilarious and I just love talking to them! We all played Dirty Santa and it was great fun! My teenage cousin, Tracy, ended up with a game called Buttcrack Basketball! Just read the title of the game and you can figure out how to play. Without anyone knowing she gave it to my nephews and sure enough we look in the back room and they are playing it properly! haha! It was hilarious! Needless to say everyone yelled, "Cochono!" at them and had them put it up. When everyone left we got ready for Santa and woke up in the morning and opened our gifts. I got Mark everything he wanted and he was quite excited! My nephews got their long awaited Wii which was exciting for them and of course Mark! haha! Mark and I then stayed a night at Heather and Steve's which was enjoyable. Mark was happy to play XBOX with Steve and I was happy to have girl talk with my sisters...I don't get that very often. It was a ton of fun!
I had a Merry Christmas and an enjoyable break...I just don't want to go back to work on Monday....yuck!!

The Spirit of Christmas

I noticed that I have not written on my blog lately. I wanted to let you guys know of a great book a couple of my young women had me read. It is called Christmas Jars and when I read it I felt the Spirit of Christmas. I recommend everyone to read it with a box of tissues! I believe too often we forget the true meaning of Christmas. This book helped me remember that Christmas is not about how many gifts are under the Christmas tree. It is about giving and charity. It is about the pure love of Christ. Christ came to this earth and gave the ultimate sacrifice so we can live forever with love and peace. We must remember that He loves us and He wants us to follow Him so we can be like Him. The best gifts we can give on Christmas is the gift of sacrifice and charity. We must recognize that we have been blessed and that we must bless the lives of others. We can be instruments in the Lord's hands if we but listen to Him and not fear what He asks of us. We must give Him the greatest gift we can and that is our heart, our complete lives to His will and our Father's will, which is the same. We must love all even though it is hard. We must remember that Christ is the meaning and Spirit of Christmas and that we must be like Him during this season and through every season! Let us always remember Him and His sacrifice.

It's December!!

I am so excited it is December now! I absolutely love this month!! I love the cold and all that comes with it...hot chocolate, cuddling up, the smell, cute coats, warm clothes, christmas trees, christmas lights, and fireplaces being used almost everywhere!! I especially love December because I finally get to listen to Christmas music(it is the best music ever)! I love all the christmas parties and the yummy food that comes with those parties. The spirit of giving and love is increased. Family members gather to celebrate the Savior's birth and share fond memories with one another. I just truly love this month! I hope everyone has a wonderful Christmas season and remembers what it truly is about! Merry CHRISTmas and Happy December!!

Thanksgiving Part Two!

We had Thanksgiving with Mark's side of the family this weekend. It was kinda of a bummer because Mark and I both thought they were having dinner on Sunday but it so happens they decided on Saturday instead. So we showed up really late...it was kinda frustrating but still good to see everyone! I wish Jay(his brother) and Tricia and their kids could have been there but it was nice to have most of the family all together! The picture is a good one...except for me (of course)...I think I look like crap!!

I am grateful...

HAPPY THANKSGIVING!! I had a wonderful day with my family. It was the first Thanksgiving with my family since I have been married! It was very nice to spend this holiday with them again. I had ALOT of good food(cheese ball, my mom's stuffing, chocolate cream pie, Mark's salsa, my sister's yummy mashed potatoes, OREO TRUFFLES, etc.)!!! I am extremely full now! I am looking forward to another yummy Thanksgiving at Mark's parents on Sunday.
I just wanted to make a list of some of the things I am grateful for, because honestly I am grateful for a numerous amount of things and cannot list them all!

1. My Husband. I cannot explain in words the love and gratitude I have for my husband. When I was in seminary we were learning about Moroni and we read the scripture Alma 48:17 which reads, "Yea, verily, verily I say unto you, if all men had been, and were, and ever would be, like unto Moroni, behold, the very powers of hell would have been shaken forever; yea, the devil would never have power over the hearts of the children of men." I told everyone that I was going to marry a man just like that, just like Moroni. I am very proud to say that I did exactly that! I love my husband more than anything and he is truly a man of faith and charity. He loves the Lord and he loves me more than I have ever been loved by anyone.

2. My Family. I love them and I am very blessed to have such an amazing family! I have truly been blessed with goodly parents. I felt unexplainable joy as a knelt at the alter with my parents and was sealed with them for eternity. I am grateful for that sealing power. I am grateful for the knowledge that families can be together forever. What a comfort this knowledge brings to my life! My in-laws are just as wonderful as my family, well they are MY family. I love them with all my heart and I am truly grateful for all they have done for Mark and me!

3. The Gospel. Oh my! Everything about the gospel I am grateful for. I cannot imagine my life without the gospel (well actually I can and it would be an awful life). I joy in studying the scriptures and the words of the prophets. I love knowing that I have a Father in Heaven who loves me and hears and answers my prayers. I am so very grateful for the Atonement and the miracle of forgiveness. I love my Savior and I truly would be forever lost without Him (we all would be). I am grateful for the knowledge of eternal families and eternal life. This life is not all; we will live forever!

4. My Dear Friends. A big reason for me being where I am now is because of the wonderful example and strength of my friends. All my life I have been blessed with good friends who were a strength to me, who helped me do what is right, and helped me to want to be a better person. During this holiday season and everyday really I think of my dear friend, Amanda Thomas. She passed away on April 10, 2007 and that day on I have felt a little piece of goodness gone from the world. She was my dear friend and she is a HUGE part of who I am today. I miss her but I am blessed with little moments everyday that remind me that she is still living. I am forever grateful for her and I am grateful to know that I will see her again.

5. My Achilles. He is my cat and he has been a blessing in my life. I LOVE cats and for some reason every time I see one I just automatically smile and get really happy. I am certain that this is just a little tender mercy from the Lord to show me that He loves me and wants me to be happy. Achilles brings me that happiness. He is a very loving cat. Whenever I am crying he is seriously there in my lap licking the tears away...it is quite cute actually and I am grateful for it!

6. Dancing. Of course you all know I am grateful for this! Dance brings me joy and I am grateful for this talent that my Father has given me. I am grateful that I can nourish my talent by learning more and more every week. It truly has brought joy and peace to my life. Some weeks I am so tired from work and life is sometimes just hard but when I dance my cares are pushed away and I am just purely happy! I LOVE dance!

You Are Loved!

You Are Loved is a song by Josh Groban. The first time I heard it I just cried and cried. I automatically thought of my Heavenly Father and was reminded of the great love He has for me and all of us. This song has comforted me through many of my trials and especially the one I was facing recently. As I listen to it I am reminded that we do have a Heavenly Father who loves us no matter what. He is ALWAYS there, reaching out, reminding His children that He never gives up on us. He wants us to know that He does not want us to ever give up. If we look to Him in ALL things we can feel peace and comfort no matter what darkness falls upon us. We may feel at times that no-one understands, that we are alone. We are NEVER alone. He is truly always there, even if we have moved away from Him, He is still there. He is continuely reaching His hands to us and we must reach back and take His hand. He can make weak things strong if we let Him. Our Heavenly Father loves us and His one desire is for all of us to return to live with Him. I desire more than anything to return to live with Him. I desire to be with my dear husband for eternity and be able to walk and talk with our Heavenly Father together. There will be no greater joy for me!

Life Happens...

I have been going through ALOT lately. It came to a point where I did not think I could make it through or handle the situation. I am though and I just wanted to thank those of you who have made my life easier without you even knowing it. There have been little comments made that have made me feel 100% better about myself (which is what I needed). Life does happen and things happen that you would never imagine but there is peace and hope all you have to do is stop and look for the little things that matter. Many people in my life have been a constant strength to me and I appreciate them more then they know! Your lasting example is what keeps me from falling. My husband has been a HUGE support and his loving heart amazes me everyday. I seriously would not know what I would do without him. Mark is the greatest blessing I have ever had and will ever have! His love for me is without end. Mark is the best husband any wife could ask for. I truly wish that every woman had a man like Mark...if they did they would NEVER feel unloved!! I also want all to now that the Savior knows exactly what you are going through (no matter what). He has felt EVERYTHING you have felt. He knows your heart and will lead you and guide you if you let Him. I love my Savior and Heavenly Father and They are the ultimate strength. We can do nothing without Them. It is amazing to stop and listen to the Spirit and know that it is our Father speaking to us. What a joy to know that we are His children and He loves us! We can be forgiven and we can return to live with Him. This knowledge has helped me get through the hard times of life and see the joy in life when it seems that everything around me is falling apart!

Falling Slowly

I just wanted to brag on a few of the youth in our stake. They recorded a beautiful song and did an amazing job and I thought you guys would love to hear it. I never heard the song before but when I listened to it I immediately fell in love with it. I found the lyrics online and just love the words. I (of course) found a different meaning to the song then what it really means. It is a love song but as I listened to it the lyrics reminded me of repentance.



Glen Hansard - Falling Slowly Lyrics

I don't know you
But I want you
All the more for that
Words fall through me
And always fool me
And I can't react
And games that never amount
To more than they're meant
Will play themselves out

Take this sinking boat and point it home
We've still got time
Raise your hopeful voice you have a choice
You'll make it now

Falling slowly, eyes that know me
And I can't go back
Moods that take me and erase me
And I'm painted black
You have suffered enough
And warred with yourself
It's time that you won

Take this sinking boat and point it home
We've still got time
Raise your hopeful voice you had a choice
You've made it now
Falling slowly sing your melody
I'll sing along

Yay for New Dance Shoes!!

OH I was so excited to see on my apartment door a UPS sticker! I went straight to the office and was handed a long awaited shoe box!! I opened them and they were just as cute as the picture. I was so worried they would not fit but they fit perfectly! Let me tell you dance shoes are comfortable and very lightweight. I am sure it is going to be a lot easier to dance now! I watched Dancing with the Stars last night and saw something I shouldn't have...Julianne was wearing the cutest swing shoes ever and I am thinking they will be my next pair! I just have to find them and I will! I posted a picture so you could see why I want them (I wish I had a better picture so you can see them better)!

A Night Out!

Last Friday I went out with my co-workers and it was a lot of fun! I needed a night out with friends badly. Of course they teased me for not drinking but I was not alone (one of my co-workers doesn't drink). We went to TGIFridays and it took FOREVER!! We waited an hour for our table because the people before us just kept talking and taking pictures and talking and taking pictures! When we finally got a table getting the food took about an hour. Even with the long wait it was fun. I needed to get out because work has been such a stress in my life. It also has been a long time since I went out with a big group of friends. It is nice to go out once in awhile; I need friends!! We took pictures but my co-worker is lazy (jk) and has not posted them on her Facebook yet so when I get some I will post some (I wanted to wait but it was taking way too long).

My New Dance Shoes

So I finally made a decision and bought dance shoes yesterday! I bought them online so I am kinda nervous and just hoping that they fit perfectly. The ones I bought (as you can see) are not any of the ones I posted earlier and are not silver (like I thought I wanted). I was looking on danceshoesstore.com and found these and fell in love immediately! My family liked them the most so I picked them. Believe me as I dance more I am almost certain I will have a collection of them (of all styles and colors) because as you know I LOVE shoes!

Capture the Flag

Tonight was a Joint Activity. Mark (my good young men's president) didn't know what the boys had planned so me being the smartest wife ever said, "Hey! We can play capture the flag! I LOVE playing that at work!" So guess what that is what we did. Well we did go to church and the boys had something planned (making cards for the nursing home) so they did that in a hurry (the girls made better cards by far) and then we played capture the flag!! It was a total hit (of course)! The only problem is that I had a brillant idea to win and then my husband (the ref) ratted me out! So my plan was to have two of my young women tell me where the flag was, drive me over there, I grab the flag, get back in the car, and then they drive me to our side. It seriously would have been awesome if my husband stood by my side and did not let the other team know my plan!! I guess I learned I can't trust my husband to let me cheat and get away with things (oh wait maybe that is good). It was truly great fun and the youth loved it (even though my team lost each time). I am certain we will play again soon!

My Obsession

Okay so this is getting really bad but actually I think it is really good. I am becoming so obsessed with dancing I am even dreaming about! When I have nothing else to think about you can guess it...dancing is what I think about. If you ever see me with a twinkle in my eye and a smile on my face yep it is dancing that is on my mind. I had my lesson tonight and again it was so fun, relaxing, frustrating (because I expect perfection), exciting, peaceful, entertaining, all the good words you can think of!! It is seriously like being in love it is crazy. I so wish I could dance three days a week...actually 7 but I need to be semi-practical. I just have this hope that I will get really good and Marcus will want me to help him teach so I could dance much more often. Then I hope to one day own my own dance studio and just dance all day long. Life would be wonderful! It would be a lot easier then dealing with defiant teens all day.

Insurance is Amazing!

Okay so yesterday after work Mark and I went to our eye doctor appointment and it was wonderful! Why you ask...because we have insurance! The total out-of-pocket expensive for us was rather amazing to say the least! Let me break it down for you...

With Insurance:
Mark's Exam- $10
Kira's Exam- $10
Kira's Contacts- $24
Mark's Glasses- $55

Total: $99

Without Insurance:
Mark's Exam- $70
Kira's Exam- $70
Kira's Contacts- $144
Mark's Glasses- $280

Total: $564

Oh I just LOVE insurance!!!! Now Mark has amazingly cute glasses and I have new contacts!! (well...we will on Tuesday!)

Halloween Activities

Halloween was a lot of fun this year. This past Saturday Mark and I went to my mom's ward party and that was enjoyable. After that we went to a corn maze in Pocola, OK with my mom and nephews. It was rather neat...not as awesome as the one in Utah but it was fun. Kaleb and Kyten loved it and they wanted to keep going back in...we went through it twice. What made it hilarious was when some teenagers scared my Mom and she cussed in front of the boys. Kaleb and Kyten didn't let her live that down. Wednesday was our ward party and it was truly a lot of fun. A ton of people came and there was lots of yummy chili and dessert. Mine was the best, of course, because it was Oreo Truffles. Thanks to Heather I am obsessed with those things and try to make them any chance I get! Friday at work we tried to have a Halloween Party for the kids (well their actually teens but yeah) and it went all right. It is just hard to have an actual party when therapist are taking them for group therapy and then they have school...those dang therapists! We had lots of candy for them and cookie cake (oh so yummy)! Then after work Mark and I went with my mom to take the boys trick or treating. We first went to my grandmother's neighborhood in Barling. There were not too many houses passing out candy...rather sad actually. Then we went to the rich neighborhood by my parent's house and the boys got a ton of candy! I love going over there because we get to look at the fancy houses closely and even get to see inside! haha! It was a fun night and a fun Halloween! Now I am looking forward to Thanksgiving!

I guess I have been tagged...

So none of these are in order...if you are wondering.

8 Favorite TV Shows

1. Dancing with the Stars
2. American Idol
3. Saved By the Bell
4. Fresh Prince of Bel-Air
5. Roswell
6. Lost
7. What Not To Wear
8. Reba

8 Favorite Restaurants (this one is kinda hard)

1. On The Border
2. Marketplace
3. Olive Garden
4. New China (it is in Henryetta, OK and it is the best!)
5. P.F. Chang's (so yummy!!)
6. Applebee's
7. California Pizza Kitchen (I am so sad there is not one here!)
8. Outback

8 Things that Happened Yesterday

1. Laughed a lot at work
2. Watched Milo and Otis with my co-workers while all the kids were gone!
3. Went out with my husband to Marketplace
4. Watched Dancing with the Stars
5. Went to my parents' house (that is where I watched Dancing with the Stars)
6. Danced around my parents' house after watching Dancing with the Stars
7. Taught my nephews Salsa
8. Went to sleep!

8 Things I look Forward Too

1. My next dance lesson (yes I am obsessed!)
2. Getting new dance shoes!
3. Receiving a Master's in Marriage Family Therapy
4. Mark graduating and becoming a successful Mechanical Engineer at Lockheed Martin!!
5. Having children....well kinda
6. Having a library in my future home!
7. The Second Coming
8. Life after this life (a.k.a Eternal Life)

8 Things I Love about Fall

1. The cold weather!! I just LOVE it!!!
2. Thanksgiving
3. The smell outside! (there is a certain smell)
4. The changing leaves...so pretty!
5. Christmas is closer!
6. I get to wear my cute jackets and coats!
7. I also get to wear my cute boots!
8. Halloween candy!

8 Things on My Wish List

1. Become a Professional Dancer
2. Go on a mission to Spain or just visit
3. Have a house with a library (I know I already said that but I really really want it)
4. Visit Utah soon!
5. Have Christina move back closer to home!
6. Have my husband fulfill his dream of flying a fighter jet (this is truly just a wish)
7. See the Jekyll and Hyde Broadway Musical Live!
8. Own a pet tiger!!

Tagging 8 people not possible...If you want to do this you can! It is kinda fun!

Dance Shoes

So an update on my lessons! I am enjoying dancing of course! I desperately need dance shoes because it will be a good investment for me. I want to compete and teach so I will need them eventually (well I will need multiple pairs eventually). I need to learn to dance in these shoes instead of my little practice jazz shoe. I am sure it would feel a lot better. So I have picked out three that I really like and two are kinda expensive but I am not worried about that (I am saving money for them). Please let me know which one you like best! I am liking the idea of silver shoes...kinda fun!

Eagle Eye

Mark and I decided we wanted to go to the movies last night because we have not been in awhile. There has been nothing to catch our interest especially since we heard the disappointing news that the Harry Potter movie has been moved to a much later date! I decided I would watch a trailer for Eagle Eye because it has Shia LeBeouf in it...so I thought this must be good. The trailer looked pretty good so we decided to take a chance. Man we are glad we did. I thought it was rather entertaining and action packed! It has become one of my favorites. There has been mixed reviews just like every movie, but I liked it so yeah that means alot! Haha! I added the trailer to my blog so you could watch it and decide for yourself if you want to see it or not.

So She Dances

I had my dance lesson tonight and oh how I love it!! I was hesitant about taking lessons with this instructor but I am so glad I did! My last instructor just danced with me and did not really actually teach me....I just follow well and I guess he assumed I knew what I was doing (which I didn't part of the time). With Marcus (my new instructor) he takes time and teaches me how to do a certain step, teaches me how to follow well, and when I mess up he works with me until I get it right. I feel so blessed to have a husband who understands my dreams and lets me nourish my talents instead of burying them and never using them. I always loved dancing but I never knew I LOVED it until I attended BYU. I went to a dance concert there and seriously fell in love. I cried during most of the performances and knew within my heart that dancing is what I want to do more than anything. I always loved singing and still do but when I dance or watch others dance there is a stirring in my soul that is quite exciting actually. After my lesson tonight I seriously felt so happy and "in love". It was all I could think about and I just wanted to stay for hours! Oh how I wish I was loaded with money so I could dance every day of the week! I am looking forward to my next lesson which is unfortunately not until Oct 20!! Hopefully one of these days you all will get to see me dance, not so I can boast but I really want to share my love of dance with those I love!

Saved by the Bell and Fresh!

So for my birthday Mark got me Season 1 and 2 of Saved by the Bell and I am remembering why I loved it so much! It is hilarious and what is even more hilarious is that I remember all of the episodes!! It is quite great really. Mark also got me season 1 of The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air which is also a classic that I watched quite frequently! As a family we would watch it religiously. It was good family time and I think we were all sad when the last episode aired! I remember crying...haha! Mark and I watch The Fresh Prince but I can't convince him to watch Saved by the Bell with me! I know he would love it! Well I am going now to watch Saved by the Bell while Mark watches his lovely Presidental Debate!

My Weekend

I am starting to figure this out. I have enjoyed trying to make my blog a little bit better and enjoyable to read. I am not sure who actually reads it but I enjoy doing it nonetheless. This weekend was rather exciting. Friday I went out with some of my girl friends. I have not done this in like forever! We went to Olive Garden (our favorite resturant) and Books-A-Million (one of our favorite stores). It was a lot of fun! General Conference was yet again amazing and spiritually uplifting. I love the gospel and hope I can share the love I have with others. I did not watch the Saturday afternoon session because I went shopping with my mom. It has been a long time since I was able to go out with my mom and spend the whole day with her. I felt a little guilty for not watching it but I thought spending time with my mom was just as important. The shopping part was just a big perk! I spent all my birthday money on clothes and then again felt guilty for spending that much money. One of these days it will be a breath of fresh air not to worry about money! (If those days ever come...) Today I had fun playing "Halloweentown" with my nephews. I was the witch and they were trying to destory me. Yeah one of these days they are not going to want to play with me anymore and I will greatly miss that. I guess I will have my own kids to play with though. So that was my weekend, full of fun and excitement!

My Special Birthday Gift

My birthday was on Sept. 30 and I had a great day! I was extremely spoiled by my husband and parents. They just love me too much! Since my birthday was on Tuesday Mark and I decided we would go out on Saturday. There is a drive through zoo in Gentry, AR that I really wanted to go to because I heard that you could hold a baby tiger! Mark took me and it was pretty much the most awesomest birthday gift ever! If you do not know (which I if you know me I would not understand why you wouldn't know) I absolutely love cats of all shapes and sizes. It has been my dream to touch and play with a wild cat. Tigers happen to be my absolutely favorite with lions coming in at a close second. There was this adorable tiger cub in a cage that was just as nice and cute as can be. On of the workers at the zoo explained to me the owner of the cat would be picking the cat up and usually lets people play with it out of the cage. Oh how I was thrilled at the idea. So Mark and I waited around and after an hour the owner showed up and let me play with the tiger!! I was seriously in heaven! She was so fun and acted like a normal house cat. She was biting my hand...playfully of course. It was just plain awesome; I will not forget this experience. I will be going back soon, of course!

Why Mark is not in the title of my blog...

Okay so I noticed that everyone I know that has a blog has their spouse's name on their title. I felt kind of bad that I did not put my title as Mark and Kira's Life but I thought for a second and realized that Mark will never look at this or really care what I put on here and will not be involved in the process of blogging at all! So I put Kira's Life because it is my blog and Mark is a part of my life so of course he will be talked about! Anyways I am not sure you cared too much about this but I wanted to explain for my own sake.

Figuring this out...

Okay so this is my first time "blogging" and I have no idea what I am doing. I am not even sure I will use it that much but we shall see. So bear with me and let me figure it out.