Life in the Bluegrass State

Ok, now that I've written about the miscarriage and can process my thoughts better, I believe some updates are in order.

About 36 hours after we moved to Kentucky and unpacked the truck (with the help of our amazing church congregation out here), we headed out to DC for my little brother's wedding. It was great to see our family and all be together for such a happy event. In between wedding festivities and visiting with family, we took Ryan to the National Zoo. He loved everything, and made animal sounds left and right. Also during the week, Brenton and I went out to dinner to celebrate our 3rd wedding anniversary. We ordered three desserts at one of my favorite Greek restaurants. One for each year. They were delicious!  (strawberry cheesecake, white chocolate raspberry mousse cake, and creme brulee)

After the wedding, we headed back to Kentucky so Brenton could start his new job, and I could settle in the house. Brenton's first day of work was on our actual anniversary, May 1st. He had to work until around 9:30 in the evening, so we were grateful for the early celebration the week before. However, when he got home he surprised me with some sparkling cider, chocolates and a movie. We cuddled up on the couch surrounded by boxes and enjoyed the time together. 

Since then we've unpacked, settled in and started making our house a home. Everyone has been so kind here. I've never lived in an area where the people are more friendly. Honest.

Here's a little slideshow of our move, trip to DC, and our first month or so living in Kentucky. While we may have had a few bumps in the road, things are looking up, and we're very happy.

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Dear Provo: A Thank You Note

Dear Provo,

On Wednesday morning we will lock our door, hand the keys to our landlord, buckle ourselves into our U-Haul and leave your boundaries forever. I don't really have the time to write this post as there is still much to be done before that morning, but after nearly 7 years of ups, downs, and everything in between, I feel some "thank yous" are in order.

Thank you for the education I received here at one of the nation's top universities. I worked extremely hard to earn a bachelor's degree from Brigham Young University, and I am grateful for the professors who motivated, inspired, and encouraged me to work for something I will treasure forever. No matter what life throws at me, no matter what job I may have or lose, no on can take that degree away from me.

Thank you for the gift of my best friend, Laura. A bond like ours will last forever, and I will cherish the memories we have of our time spent here together.

Thank you for introducing me to my sweetheart. Your town full of affordable restaurants and lovely parks provided a great atmosphere for me to get to the know the man I would one day call my husband.

Thank you for providing me with my first salary-based, post-graduate job. I learned many valuable skills from it, but mostly learned I had something to contribute to the professional world, and was seen as an asset to a successful company.

Thank you for the miracle of my first child. Thank you for the fantastic hospital that saved my baby's and my life with only precious minutes to spare. Perhaps there are other hospitals and doctors who could have acted that quickly and effectively elsewhere, but I will be forever indebted to the people who took great care to ensure my son made it safely to our family.

Thank you for providing my with fantastic friends. I've made some friendships here that will continue with me no matter where we live. I'm grateful I was able to be in an area where so many people were in the same season of life as me. I don't think that will be the case anywhere else, and it was perfect for this stage of life.

We are truly thrilled to be moving on to Kentucky. It's everything we were hoping and praying for. I'm so excited for this new adventure for our family, but please know there is a part of me that owes you gratitude for the many joyful, life-changing events that happened in your city. Farewell, and may I never have to live here again.

Best Regards,

Katie Hoyos

Rockin' Date Night

 With Brenton's busy schedule, our rambunctious toddler and a tight student budget, coming up with a fun weekly date idea is hard. Often we just end up putting Ryan to bed and watching movies on the couch. It's fun, but gets old quickly. A few weeks ago I decided we needed a change. I invited two couples over who were kind enough to drop their schedules for the evening, and we pulled out all of our instruments for Beatles RockBand. It was awesome!

Everyone took turns on the instruments and really got into the music, which made it even more fun! 

Once we were done with RockBand, we decided to break out "Just Dance 2." It's one of my favorite games for the Wii. Basically, you hold the remote in your hand and copy the dancer on the screen. The result? Some pretty fantastic pictures! 

It was a good time. In between dancing and singing we ate some tasty brownies and laughed at how silly we looked. Thank you to our awesome friends who came over to rock it out at our house, and for letting me put up pictures of it. You guys are champs. Who says you can't have fun on a budget? 

Weekend Surprise

Last Thursday began like any other weekday. I had just put Ryan down for a nap, and was getting ready to fold the laundry when I got a call from my mom. It went something like this.
"Hi, mama."
"Hi, Katie. I may or may not be about to de-board a plane in Salt Lake City, and I was just wondering if you had plans for lunch."
"What?! *cue tears* Are you really here?!?"
"I'm really here."
"Wait. What??"
"I'm really here. Are you free for lunch?"
"Um, yes!! I don't have plans. I can't believe you're here! I love you!"

Yep, it went something like that. As it turns out, my mom brought my brother's girlfriend out for the weekend, and while he and Brenton both knew about it, she kept it a surprise from me.

So now that we had all the ingredients set up for the best weekend ever, a hour later Mom was at my doorstep. I have never been so excited to open the front door in my entire life. The weekend was full of shopping, swimming in the hotel pool, more shopping, playtime with Ryan, eating out, and mostly just wonderful time being together. My mother lavishly spoiled me every minute. I felt so pampered and loved.

On Friday, we went to Gardner Village in West Valley. I had always wanted to go, but had never got around to it. We met my mom's sister, Shelley, there and hit the shops. I was so happy to simply spend time with them. We looked at all the funny witch displays, enjoyed some amazing Snickers fudge, and Mom bought me a few exquisite pieces of vintage-style jewelry.

Later in the evening we all had dinner together. It was lovely to get to know Nicol, Joe's girlfriend, a little better. She is a wonderful girl. It's a new thing to see my little brother head over heels in love, but I'm so happy for him. He is at such an exciting stage in his life, and it's great to be a part of it while we're both still in Utah. Ryan charmed everyone with his smiles, giggles and new words. Grandma bought him lots of fun animal toys, and he had a blast making the noises for each one.

Saturday, Mom and I shopped til we dropped. She purchased several gorgeous things for me, including a stunning black-tie party dress and a lovely new parka. I was so grateful. We were very tired upon arriving home, so it felt great to relax in the pool and spa at the hotel. Ryan loved spending time in the pool with us. Brenton shot a few pictures before he jumped in, too.

All too soon it was time for goodbyes, but it was truly one of the best weekends I've ever had. I feel completely rejuvenated and grateful for my amazing mother. She knows me so well, and understood how much this weekend would mean to me, especially by making it a surprise. Just when I feel like my life couldn't possibly be more like a fairy tale, something wonderful like this happens, reminding me that I truly am the luckiest girl in the whole world.

On the Brink

Yes, the rumors are true. We are looking/hoping/praying to be moving out of Utah in the not-too-distant future. Brenton's classes will be finished by the end of Winter semester, and then all he has left is in internship, which we can pretty much do anywhere. YAY!!! Can there really be a light at the end of the tunnel that is not, in fact, an oncoming train? Are we really going to be able to move?! Please do not misunderstand. I have wonderful friends out here. We are very happy and will be sad to move away from the great friendships we've made, but it's time. Actually, it's beyond time for me.

Utah has been the site of so much joy, love, pain, suffering, discouragement, promise, and most of all growth for me. I feel like it marked a poignant era, but that era has passed. It's very hard to remain in your college town after you've graduated college. To me it feels like a canvas full of strokes that made up my college years, and now that I've moved on and have a completely different life, I'm repainting over that same dull, completely-covered-with-old-paint-canvas. I want a new one. I want to move to a place where my mind and lifestyle have already been for over two years now. I am SO ready to move on.

While I met Brenton out here and have many fond memories of our courtship, I also have several painful memories of past events, people and places that I do not enjoy seeing on a practically daily basis. I have moved on from those choices and people, yet somehow every time I think I've pushed it all away something comes up where the past is slammed in my face. Truthfully, I hate it. I've moved on, why can't the world do the same? I feel it's mostly because I'm still here. It some ways it feels like a reformed alcoholic who is still working at a bar. Not the most ideal of situations. Now of course it's not that extreme for me, but a metaphor none the less.

This post is not meant for me to seem ungrateful. We have been so blessed here. Truly. Since marrying Brenton our lives have been a fairy tale. We are so lucky with all that has been given to us, and I am sometimes a bit confused when people talk about how difficult the first few years of marriage are. If these are the hardest years, the rest of lives will be complete bliss! I know that much help and blessings have come because of where we have been living. I'm just ready to put the past behind me not only mentally, but physically, too.

I know that to some extent the past never truly leaves us, but I can leave the place where it all occurred and face the future with faith. I am so excited for Brenton, Ryan and I to strike out and pave our destiny as a family. We are giddy at the prospect of going some place back East. So for now we are searching for internships, looking at the cost of living in various areas, and writing down our Provo Bucket List (it's pretty short). Updates will follow as we decide where our next adventure will take us, and I am THRILLED that it's time to start looking!

A Successful Venture

Yes, my friends, the garden was a fantastic success! Remember that cute little plot we had in May, with all the seeds and starter plants in their organized rows and boxes?

Here it is today....

 

Quite the jungle, huh?! We are so proud of our little garden, and how much produce it has given us this summer. We've picked dozens of tomatoes and green beans, bunches of herbs, plenty of zuchinni, lettuce, peppers, corn, cucmbers and spring onions, and this week the melons are all starting to come in. We also have about a dozen pumpkins ripening for the Fall season, and a few butternut squashes, too!

It has been such a thrill for me to water, nurture, watch, and pray over these plants throughout the season. I have been especially proud of the plants we grew from seed. I was nervous about planting those, because I'd never done it before. But each plant came through and brought us quite the bountiful harvest. What a wonderful blessing for our family. Even now as I type this post I'm happily eating a fresh cucumber and several cherry tomatoes, of course. Ryan and I still go out every day and pick handfuls of the delicious little tomatoes and giggle excitedly as we eat them together. It's one of my favorite parts of the day. 

All of this abundance of harvest has made me so grateful for the gifts from my Heavenly Father. Watching his creations grow that I planted myself has given me a deeper respect for Him and His plan. It has been amazing to watch them grow as my son grew right alongside them. Each experience helped me to see the joy in nurturing, and why I'm so happy to be a mother. 

So here's to another wonderful summer full of tasty fruits and veggies. There is so much to be learned from growing a garden, and being able to really see the "fruits of [my] labors."  I'm off to make a batch of zucchini bread. Mmmmm! 

A Gardening Adventure

Last year, Brenton and I had a very successful crop of tomatoes, zucchini, and herbs. This year we did some research, and decided to attempt square-foot gardening. Here are the steps we did to begin our garden.

Step 1. Acquire wood and soil to build boxes for plants. We got wood from the scrap pile at CFC Fencing in South Provo. They leave all the fencing they tear out just outside their property for anyone to pick up for free. Awesome. Also, with square-foot gardening, the soil is really important, so we ordered ours from Wolf Mountain through a friend who works there.

 You can see our soil in the background

Brenton ingeniously constructed all our boxes. 

Step 2. Clear space in your garden plot for the boxes.

Brenton was our hero, and cleared away all the prickly branches.

Step 3. Purchase plants and seeds. I don't have a picture of our trip to the store, but we managed to get two $40 gift certificates to McCord's garden center for $13 apiece through Groupon. It was a smart move, and we were able to get the following starter plants: cilantro, basil, oregano, rosemary, tomatoes, Grape tomatoes, Jalapeños, Red Bell peppers, Spring onions, pumpkins, Butternut squash, lettuce, spinach, cucumbers, and zucchini. We also got seeds for corn, more pumpkins, watermelon, sugar baby watermelon, cantelope, honeydew, and green beans. YUM!!!

Step 4. Plant Boxes. Before putting down the boxes, instead of going out and buying expensive ground cloth that "supposedly" keeps weeds out (I've heard it doesn't really work), lay down sheets of newspaper. It's much cheaper, free in fact if you used your junk mail, and for us, The Daily Universe. Make sure the newspaper goes past the box, so no weeds creep inside. Fill the box with your good soil, then plant the plants!

I only had stamina to plant the first two boxes before I was tuckered out. Here's our pepper box, and our herb box. You can do approximately 4 plants per box. 

Step 5. Take a nap. You may feel this step isn't important, but believe me. It's crucial!! 

I love how Ry-guy's snugging a Wii remote. Precious. 

Step 6. Plant the rest of the boxes. 

While it's not required, cute gardening boots are a big help. 

We are very proud of our boxes! 

Step 7. Plant the melons, corn, pumpkins, squash, and lettuce in the sandier natural soil in your backyard, but make sure the soil is turned, and fertilized. I did this while Brenton was at work, so I didn't take any pictures of it. 

Step 8. Once everything has been planted, compost the entire garden. Again, I did this while Brenton was at work, so no picture. 

Step 9. Make support structures for the plants to grow vertically in the boxes. We used plastic netting and bamboo poles. For the tomatoes, we just put tomato cages right in the box. 

Step 10. Place newspaper around all the garden boxes, and around all plants that have already sprouted. This makes it so you don't have to weed all summer. We did this last year, and didn't have to mulch once. It's a Southern garden trick from my mother's best friend. 

See, there really is a use for The Daily Universe! By the time I was done gardening that day, all my shorts were covered in dirt, so I had to start wearing Brenton's. 

Step 11. Wet down the newspaper. If you don't get it wet quickly, it won't stay where you put it, even if you mulch and then wet it. You need to completely soak the newspaper before you do anything else.

 Going for the reach. Our hose only goes so far, so you have to get creative.

We use a hose attachment called a rainmaker. It's really great because it waters well without disturbing the soil from the high pressure of the hose by itself. 

Once everything's been watered, cover the whole garden with mulch to seal in the moisture, and keep the newspaper in place. My favorite mulch is red cedar, because it smells so good and looks so pretty. 

And there you have it!! We are so excited about our garden this summer. I can't wait to see how everything turns out. So those of you who live in Provo, now would be the time to start buttering up to us to get your hands on fresh fruits and veggies this summer! 

Surprise Getaway

As you know, our anniversary was on Sunday. Due to a recent purchase, I figured that we weren't doing anything too big for the special day. Luckily the day was gorgeous, so Brenton made a lovely picnic lunch for us. I took some pictures of Ry-guy and we enjoyed the afternoon.

After lunch, I suggested some ideas to Brenton as to how to spend our evening, and he looked at me with a twinkle in his eye and said, "What if I told you we won't be here for the evening?" After quickly packing, we rode up to my aunt and uncle's house, as Brenton had already planned with them to watch Ryan for the night. I still had no idea where we were going, but I was so excited!! We dropped off Little Buddy, which was a bit hard for me as I hadn't spent a night away from him since the NICU, then headed out.

We began driving higher into the mountains. The more we drove, the prettier it got. At last, Brenton pulled into a gorgeous bed and breakfast nestled in a canyon by a rushing stream. It was breathtaking. After checking in, Brenton lead me to the Denali Suite. It was lovely, and all set up with rose petals, sparkling cider, and chocolate covered strawberries. You could even hear the stream from our room! I loved that. Brenton took care of everything. I was so surprised. He's always thinking of sweet things for me. I'm so lucky to have him as a husband.

                   

We had a lovely evening. It was wonderful to feel like a couple again and celebrate the day we became a family. I'm always amazed at how Brenton continues to surprise me. He is such a wonderful man. It's incredible how one special day can completely rejuvenate your entire marriage. I love my sweetheart so much, and can't wait to spend the rest of forever with him.

Two Years

What more can I say about the amazing man that I married? Should I tell you how he always puts me first? Or  how he finds little ways to make me feel special every single day? I could go on for hours about how in his mind, I really am a princess, and am therefore treated as such. Maybe the best thing I could say is I'm pretty convinced the first thought that comes into his mind every morning is, "How can I make my sweet wife happy today?"

Two years ago I knelt across an alter and promised to love, honor, and cherish Brenton for time and all eternity. Every time I think about it my heart fills with gratitude for the Restoration of the gospel, and the blessings that come through faithful obedience to the ordinances of the temple. Marriage has brought me greater joy and prosperity than I ever imagined.

I'm amazed that two years have passed by since my wedding day. While that may have been the day I looked the prettiest, it isn't the day I've been the happiest. Yes, up to that point, it was. However, since being married to my best friend my happiness has only continued to increase. There have been challenges both emotionally and physically, but there have also been immense blessings, the greatest one being the birth of our son, Ryan. Nothing in this life can compare to the joy that comes from seeing your child for the very first time, and knowing that he is sealed to you and your spouse forever. Even if all you get to do that first time is feel his tiny hand wrapped around your finger as he lies in a NICU bed, the bond is still there.

To my dear husband, I love you, I adore you, and I admire you in so many ways. You are the best choice I ever made, and the best part of each day is discovering more reasons as to why you are the perfect fit for me. May this next year be as wonderful as the first two of our 50-year honeymoon, and once that honeymoon's over, let's start another one. Happy Anniversary, sweetheart.

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Celebrations with Best Friends

Hurray for the weather starting to warm up! It seems like everything in life goes better when there's sunshine. It was a very fast semester for Brenton, but I'm so happy to see him doing so well in his classes and enjoying his major. When he wasn't studying, we spent some time with our best friends, celebrating graduations, birthdays, and friendships.

A few weeks ago we had Laura and Parker over for dinner. They have both been very dear friends of mine since college, and Parker will be moving very soon. We wanted to see him before he set out. It was a lovely dinner, but more importantly, lovely company. Parker brought his famous cheesecake, which surprisingly after all this time I still hadn't had. It definitely lived up to all the hype, and was amazingly delicious. It was great to see Parker before he headed off to the next big adventure in his life. Happy trials, dear friend!

Last Saturday was our friend Ethan's birthday. He came over and played Wii games with Brenton, while I made an inside-out Oreo cake for us to celebrate with. I even made my own chocolate frosting, and it was the first Martha Stewart recipe I didn't mess up. The frosting was amazing! It was fun to celebrate, and great to eat a yummy cake! Happy Birthday, Ethan!

Make a wish!

Right before he blew out the candles, Ryan let out a huge burp, and Ethan laughed so hard he couldn't blow out the candles.

Finally got em! 

I asked them to smile, and they both gave me this face .Are they best friends or what? 

That's better. 

Ryan enjoyed the cake, too. Most of it ended up in crumbs on the floor, but in his defense, cake is pretty hard to eat with your hands. 

Thanks to our best friends that we love spending time with. You bring so much love and joy to our family, and we are very grateful. Life is always a bit more merry when you have wonderful friends to share it with. We love you.