Only Sweater Weather

This week, if you live in Utah you know that the weather has finally changed.  This past weekend brought temperatures near and at freezing, along with a few rainy days.  On Tuesday though was...the first snow!!!  The whole day it snowed off and on.  I loved it, but it was very cold.  Kyle told me though that these temperatures, is just sweater weather for the most part...and it will definitely get colder.  Hopefully I will adjust soon, and I definitely need to buy some warmer clothes and accessories.

As for our weekend...the weather kind of put a damper on things.  Saturday had lots of plans but due to snow storms on the mountains one thing got cancelled and then a friend was sick so they cancelled.  Instead Kyle and I just made caramel apples at home, watched How To Train Your Dragon, and drank hot cocoa.  It was a nice fall, rainy night at home though.

As for the first snow...I got pictures of it!!!  I was leaving the house when it started, but I ran inside and quickly took some pictures.  Let me just say its very hard to focus a camera when snow flakes drop in front of it, changing the item being focused.

 I loved the snow (at least that day I did)

Finally Doing Stuff

Last week and this week feel like I'm finally living a normalish life again.  It feels AWESOME!!!  There's been a few things I've actually accomplished and others are just amazing improvements in life.

Accomplishment 1- Keeping Up Appearances
This is number one because I think it keeps Kyle the happiest.  The house is actually able to stay picked up and looking decent.  There was a few weeks that I would have been embarrassed with people stopping by, but with the way I felt overall...I actually did not care.  Now though, it's staying picked up and clean looking.  No it is not sparkling, or vacuumed everyday, or anything to that extent.  But just having it picked up is making us happier.

Accomplishment 2 - A Change in the Looks
 I don't know if you recall but many, many posts back I had mentioned that I was going to be sewing pillowcases and curtains and blah and blah.  And after all that talk I only accomplished the curtains (which because our house sucks the curtain rod won't stay...so no curtains for now).  Well now I can mark off the pillowcases.  Each one was different which made it interesting to sew each time.

The white one is my favorite....Kyle likes the other non-blue one.

Accomplishment 3 - Bang! Skip-bo! Uno! Monopoly!
So I know I've been able to get out of the house.  But doing the cousin game night this past weekend was kind of a big deal.  First it was a 1 hour drive to the cousin's house.  Car rides for me...just aren't fun.  Then it was like a few hours of being away from my house and knowing that it was a 1 hour drive back.  Most places are only 20 minutes max if I felt sick.  This night though I was able to play the whole time, got hungry frequently so ate snacks.  It was a fun night, and just great to have fun again.

Accomplishment 4 - To Read or Not To Read
At the beginning of the school year I felt prompted to go help out at the elementary school.  I mean I don't do anything all day, so there was no reason not to follow this prompting.  But between trips and me not feeling well at all it got postponed until this past Tuesday.  I had a contact in the ward and she set me up to help for just an hour in the mornings with a 4th grade teacher.  So far...is has been AWESOME!!!!  It kind of makes me wonder why I didn't go into teaching, but its also nice not having to worry about everything.  Since I come in during reading time, and a lot of kids struggle with it, I pull one or two kids aside and just work with them.  They are so sweet.  It's teaching me a lot about what kind of parent I want to be.  I want to be a parent who is there for their kid to help with homework and reading...and pushing them to do better at it.  I feel that these kids are no where near what I was doing at their level.  However, I did have an awesome teacher for 4th and 5th grade who really pushed us...and didn't have to deal with all the crap of testing, timing, and whatever else the teachers have to deal with now.  Enough of that rant....

Improvement in Life - Food Glorious Food! 
Okay...so I can finally stomach stuff.  I still can't cook or look at raw meat.  Found that out Sunday morning 2 minutes before church started.  However, I can eat medium meals....and snacks...and food I haven't been able to consume in a while.  This is making me...SO HAPPY!!!!

Columbus Day

I know there has been like a overload of blog posts from me.  This one will be short and not about the future kid, I promise.  But I do use this as my weekly journal type thing.

First off I had a clean house! Because of a random federal holiday called Columbus day, and Kyle being a federal government employee he got Monday off.  We didn't know he had this day off until the Wednesday or Thursday before.  It was like awesome news.  

So on Saturday Kyle helped me clean the whole place up.  It felt so great.  On Monday Kyle pointed out that all the pants I had patched for him had worn out the patch.  We went shopping at JC Penney's and got his some new pants and shoes.  

So with a clean house, relaxing Sunday, new clothes...it was a great weekend.

Ultrasounds

Okay, I didn't really mean to do this as a post but I had a strange circumstance.  Kyle's brother Tyler is on a mission.  I've been trying to send him these pictures and have done it various ways.  Attached in an email, copy pasted into an email, inserted into an email...but nothing works.  However, I know that he gets the pictures that I send him which are in the blog.  So...I have to post this.  Then I'll copy it and send it to him.  There's probably other ways, but I know this way works.

And since it's a blog post thing anyways, I'll add some comments and captions for you since its up.

This is Kyle's rendering of how in a ultrasound picture the baby looked like Strongbad's mask.  

This was the most amazing experience for me...except for getting married.  One of the first things the doctor showed us what the little one's heart.  We could see it beating.  It was going thump thump, thump thump, thump thump.  To me this showed the miracle and amazing works that Heavenly Father does.  

Seeing the kid wiggling about - it would shake its little arms and flip all over the place - kind of made my suffering of morning sickness and other stuff not even matter at that moment.  I had so much love for it, that these didn't matter.  It kind of helped me glimpse to how Jesus Christ's sacrifice and all that Heavenly Father does for us is out of love.

Exciting Post 2

If you didn't read yesterday's Exciting Post 1...do it!  I think of it as way more exciting than this post I'm about to do.  If you did read it already, onward to Exciting Post 2. Warning: Lots of pictures and words

So ever since we got married both of us wanted to go visit NYC.  Because of school and lack of funds, this was never possible.  Since though Kyle has got a steady job now we put it on the list of things and finally got to check it off this past week.  We did a lot each day so I'll try to break it up by day.

Tuesday

Flew out of Salt Lake City Airport to La Guardia.  However, at our layover in Midway-Chicago we got delayed an extra 2+ hours.  Finally we arrived on the east coast!  We bought a MetroCard because we were going public transit and not paying taxi.  $50 for a one time drive or $4.50 for the trip over to Kyle's cousins home, Tracy, where we stayed.  The workers at the airport did scare me a bit when we said we would ride the M60.  I knew it went through Harlem, but they made it sound really scary.  We still went on it, and really...not scary at all.  Sure nobody was happy, it was packed and we had to stand for like 30 minutes, but it wasn't scary.  Finally we got to our destination and just crashed.

  

Using the layover Time to play on the Game Boy

Bored at the airport

Flying over Chicago

Wednesday

This day started out with us running to the grocery store to pick up milk and juice.  We brought a large box of cereal from home because we got it really cheap...only 2.50 for a LARGE box of Cinnamon Toast Crunch.  When we showed our cousin she said it'd probably be 7 bucks or more there. Ridiculous...yes.  Milk itself was almost 4.20 for one gallon.  Oh a funny thing about milk there.  In NYC it expires faster.  I took a picture to show it. Weird huh?

Well continuing on...we hopped the subway to Times Square and looked around.  Big screens and stores everywhere.  Most stores we didn't care to look in at, but there was a HUGE Toys 'R' Us!  So of course we went in.  

Kyle in Times Square

 

So we found the science section and looked at the planet models.  None of them had Pluto...but there was still the spot in the plastic molding where is should have been.  To us...Pluto is still a planet.

Empire State Building out of Legos with a King Kong at the top

After Times Square we went to find our theater....the Gershwin Theatre where we had tickets to go see WICKED!!!  I had only heard a few songs, and knew a little of the plot.  Kyle didn't know much.  However, I loved it and I think Kyle did too.

With our tickets!

Inside of the theatre from our seats.  Yes we couldn't see the whole left side of the stage.  But they cost 50% less than all the rest of the seats.

Since we were already in that area we did Top of The Rock.  It's an observation deck many, many floors above.  

They had this room with LED lights that followed each person.  Kyle found it fascinating, so we took pictures in there.

Thursday

There was a 100% chance of rain.  So we chose more indoor activites.  The only rain we got was when we walked to the Manhattan Temple.  After that it was a great day.  We did a session at the temple.  

Afterwards we walked to the American Natural History Museum.  It's the one from Night at the Museum.  Except the whole outside was being renovated so it didn't look like it.  This museum is HUGE!!!  We were trying to go quickly and still didn't get everything looked at by the time they kicked us out.  However, we did get to find the dinosaurs.  There are so many fossils that they have.  Here's us with T-Rex.

After the museum we took a short stroll through Central Park.  It was a cloudy day, but didn't rain on us there.

Here we're on Bow Bridge.  After this day...we were starving!!  So our cousin recommended a close pizzeria that was delicious.  I even ate 2 slices.

Friday

So this day wasn't supposed to have the rain when we were planning out what to do when.  Guess what?  They were wrong.  It poured, misted all morning.  This morning is also when we took the ferry to the Statue of Liberty Island and Ellis Island.  Even though I got soaked, and it was cold.  I LOVED THE RAIN!!!  Thankfully during the time we were taking pictures it didn't rain.  But after we finished it did pour again.

See the rain spot on the lens?

Both of us with Lady Liberty

So this is legit.  It's not me in front of a green screen, although it looks like that so much.

As part of the tour we got to see Ellis Island.  It was a cool building and history of the immigrants.

The Ellis Island Great Hall.  Can you find Kyle?  I promise he's there.

After the tour we walked through Wall Street and around the financial district to find the Brooklyn Bridge.

It was a longer walk than we thought, but were happy to walk on amazing bridge.

Even though we were tired of walking there was still one more thing to see that day.  The Empire State Building!!  We made it at sunset and it was gorgeous.  However, everyone else also wanted to be there at this time so it was packed.  I don't know how many photos of other peoples I made it in.  

Saturday

We planned our last day to be more relaxful and just look through the museums we had tickets for.  Up first was The Metropolitan Museum of Art.  It's in Central Park so we decided to take another stroll through it.  Central Park was my favorite place.  It is so big and just green and beautiful.  They have trails through the woods everywhere, rivers and ponds, and even though we walked forever there we didn't even cover a 1/10 of the park.  It's so large.  Well anyways, through our walk we discovered Belvedre Castle and Turtle Pond.

Kyle at the Castle

Belvedre Castle had a pretty view over the top of the trees in Central Park.

While wandering we found the museum.  Again, another huge one...with so many little artifacts.  We wandered from room to room to room, and it never seemed to end.  

In the Arms and Armory section of the museum

After this museum we hit up the Museum of Modern Art.  I'm not a huge modern art fan, but there were some cool art there.  They even had some that I love...

We got to see Monet's!!  This is the Waterlillies one, and its so beautiful in person.

Also while there we saw Starry Starry Night by Van Gogh.  Kyle wondered if it was the real thing, yes it was, so he took this quizzical picture:

This is my I'm pooped face.  

By the end of all those days I had a huge blister on my toe and was wiped out.

We actually weren't done by this point though.  We met up with my cousin, and her parents who had just arrived in town for their vacation, to eat dinner at a popular Shake Shack.  

Sunday

Well we had to leave, but we were excited to get home.  We appreciate Tracy so much for letting us stay and take over her futon.  

This time no delay in layovers, but instead of 2 medium flights.  We had 1 short and 1 long one.  I was glad when we arrived at the SLC airport and could walk again.

As a last note, I did take a few landscapes and panoramas.  I put them on the WH Photos blog instead of here just to conserve space.

Exciting Post 1

So I told you this week would be exciting.  And sorry you know I can type a lot for just a little thing.  So i've tried to include pictures to make it not seem so long.  Onward to exciting post 1.....

August 12, 2010

Too many feelings right now to even describe.  I am so happy that I am crying.  I am nervous about what I’ll be like.  So excited to tell Kyle, he’ll be awesome!  So anxious about what will it be like.  Pondering about how our lives are going to change from this point onward.

I’m sure you’ve been guessing what is making me feel this way, and I’m sure that you are right.

 I’m PREGNANT!!!! 

Oh my, this is such a crazy thing.  I’m writing this only about 30 minutes since I’ve taken the home test.  Kyle doesn’t even know yet, but I want to surprise him with it.  Still pondering how I should do that.  I’m supposed to be exercising today, but it’s Yoga and you need to have a clear, focused mind and mine is not like that right now.  That will have to wait. J 

September 1, 2010                                                                               

It’s sooooo hard to keep it a secret.  Part of me just wants to tell everyone, and most of me wants to wait until after the first doctor’s appointment.  It especially stinks because our appointment is AFTER our September trip to Las Vegas.  The next time we’ll be down there isn’t until Thanksgiving…and I can’t wait that long.  So the future grandparents will have to get the news over the phone or video chat.

I told Kyle by writing a note that said: “Well we only have 9 months to figure out names.”  And I put it and the tester where he could see.  I sterilized it…I’m not disgusting.  Anyways he came home…I was trying to act all cool like it was just a normal boring day at home.  He went to his desk, read it and saw it.  Then he came over gave me a kiss and a hug and that was it.  He was just Kyle.  I asked him why no more emotion or anything, and he said it just hasn’t sunk in yet.  So I also had recorded it via my camera…but it’s really such a boring reaction I won’t even share it.

So it’s only been 3 weeks and I already feel the difference.  Morning sickness SUCKS!!!!!!!!  I was really manageable the first week I was getting it.  Now though it’s harder and stronger.  I haven’t actually thrown up or anything.  I’m just nauseous all the time.  Like 24 hours a day every day of the week.  Peppermint, water, soda and applesauce have been my friends to help me through the simplest things.  I’ll get really sick when I work out.  So I have to take lots of breaks.  Shopping at Walmart today with smells of everything and everyone made me go faster, and probably look horrible to the other people.  Well that’s enough of me complaining for now.  I need to go outside and get fresh air to help curb this feeling.   Oh yeah…according to online calculators and calendars I’m now 7 weeks along.  Only 33 left?  Seems forever.

September 11, 2010

I know I didn’t write the previous thing too long ago but I just have to let you know.  I know my morning sickness isn’t bad compared to other women’s where they throw up a lot.  But I am suffering a lot.  I can’t even think of restaurants, my favorite foods, chocolate, and any type of food without getting nauseous.  Chocolate people!  I have had a pan full of brownies in the kitchen for the past week and all I have had is ½ a normal piece of it.  Just typing this makes me a little sick feeling.

Another thing I wanted to write about is that today marks the end of our P90X.  I’ve already posted the results in a previous blog. If you notice, my results are not that dramatic.  A little bit off the waist and such.  I don’t think the results of those should count much saying I’m 8 weeks pregnant!  According to posts online this is when clothes start to get a little tight.  Mine have now just fit me to where I was before I started the program.  During the middle of the program I noticed my waist and stomach getting smaller, but now it’s back to normal.   That is good though because when we visit family and friends in Vegas this weekend they shouldn’t suspect anything because I still look normal.  Anyway…I’m still really excited and can’t wait until the first doctor’s visit.

September 20, 2010

So we’ve told family! …even though we haven’t had the official doctor’s visit yet.  Since we were going to be there in person we both really wanted to just tell them face to face.  So I planned it out.  The first person to know was Elder Tyler Hansen.  Since he is on a mission in Argentina and only gets news through emails once a week…he’s usually last to know.  I emailed him the normal update, and then a separate Top Secret email.  In the email it required him to promise to not mention anything in his normal email to family.  I bet it was hard for him, but he achieved it!   When we arrived in Vegas we told my mom as soon as we got to her house.  My Dad was out hunting, but came home at midnight that night so we told him.  After doing some of the wedding stuff of why we were in Vegas that weekend we went to the Hansens.  Jake had a date that Friday night, and we were hoping everyone would get there before he left.  They didn’t.  So nonchalantly before he left we said, “Oh Jake we brought you a little birthday gift.”  I had made a card that contained a poem and candy.  Each page was a different line.  I actually didn’t take a picture of it or any of their reactions.  Here it is:

We’re about to burst (Starburst)

And we hope it gives you joy (almond joy)

It’s been hard to keep MuMs (M&Ms)

But there’s going to be a new he or she (Hershey) Hansen

Love, The Nerds +1 (Nerds)

It was only mama Hansen and Jake there in the room with us.  Papa Hansen was on his way home and Audrey was shopping.  So Jake starts to read it.  He missed the keep Mums page, but that wasn’t important.  Then he got to the “going to be a new he or she Hansen.”  Except he couldn’t figure it out completely…he would have variations of “He or She cookies and cream Hansen”, “Hershey Hansen.”   Mama Hansen though was making sounds because she thought she figured it out but by hearing Jake she didn’t know if she was completely right.  Finally, they both figured it out and were so excited!  Jake then left and we talked with the excited grandmother to be.  Next home was Papa Hansen.  Kyle and I were playing Tetris and casually asked Papa Hansen to just check out the card we made for Jake.  It was so hard to keep playing and wait for his reaction.  After rereading it, he asked if it was what he thought it was…and we told him yes.   He was super happy.  Next up, Audrey…she got home and we asked her to check out the cute card I made.  She was the quickest to read it, understand it, and give the loudest scream ever.  We asked her to not be so loud because the only person we weren’t telling was Grandma.  I had been thinking that grandparents have a harder time keeping a secret, and Grandma Hansen is no different.  Everyone else all promised to keep it a secret for the 1-2 weeks.  My parents were excited for a new grandkid.  And with Kyle and I both having families in Vegas they’re excited to see the little one at all the holidays.  The next up is on our drive back home we did our usual stop at the Provo Hansen’s house.  There as we were talking about Grandma’s new addition to the house, Kyle mentioned that, “there will be a new addition to our family.”  Trevor and Danielle were stoked and said they’d visit us…or mainly the baby a lot.  Next up was my sister at her dorm.  We had stuff to drop off so it was easy enough, but there wasn’t a great lead in but told her she’d be an aunt to another little kid.  Her face lit up.  Telling everyone was soo fun.   Now just looking forward to the doctor’s appointment tomorrow to positively identify that I am pregnant, it is healthy, I’m healthy, and when we shall expect it!

Also…my morning sickness has worsened.  Now for the past 4 days I have had the unpleasantness of visiting a toilet and most recently a poor little tree in Centerville.

September 26, 2010

So I don’t think I’ve written it before, and I did a quick glance…but I love and appreciate Kyle soooo much right now. He says he didn’t know that he would suffer along with me.  Now he does know though.  Because of my nauseousness and lack of energy he has to put up with and do a lot of stuff.  First off…I can’t cook.  Since looking at food for any medium or longer period of time, and any smell makes me not feel great Kyle has taken over cooking the food.  Also he now has to wash all the dishes.  Also, I’ve tried a few times but have failed…the house doesn’t get clean.  This he just puts up with.  Thankfully with two of us we don’t make that much of a mess, but it does need some cleaning.  There’s a list of more things he is having to deal with, but the ones I’ve mentioned are the main ones.    We are both praying for me to feel better soon.

September 30, 2010

First off, New York City is pretty awesome. Second, I have dealt with my sickness!  It turns out when I take those prenatal pills, I get sicker…much sicker.  My new system is to not take them until bed.  Then when I’m sleeping they can wreak havoc on my stomach and whatever else.  And when I wake up a feel AWESOME!  Still not any 100%, but a happy, have energy and can eat type of percent.  I’m glad to have figured this out because of my first statement.  With the way I was feeling New York City would not been as awesome.  However, I can go at least 8-10 hours so far of sightseeing.  Towards the end I do get a little (I think the amount will be different between me and Kyle) crabby from hunger, tiredness, sore feet, and other things, but I’m still doing stuff.  All our New York fun will be in tomorrow’s post.

October 5, 2010

Telling people is so fun.  The ultrasound was so cool.  Seeing it wiggle and float.  Kyle said the little one looked like strongbad, you know from homestar runner.  Being back home the morning sickness has returned.  I think mainly because I’m not as distracted by all the awesome sights, and this house just stinks. I'm now 12 weeks, in case you wanted to know.  Oh and the doctor said the official due date is April 18th.

WE ARE SO EXCITED!!!