Days 21-30

Well lets finish this bad boy up! Note to self NEVER DO THIS AGAIN!

Day 21

A picture of something that makes me happy



Zumba makes me very happy! I really love it! I have really enjoyed working out and having an hour to just focus on me! Moms need that!

Day 22

What makes you different from everyone else

I guess it is our personalities that really define who we are. I like to think of myself as a very strong person but very weak at the same time. I can be so tough when it comes to Jenna and her issues, but the littlest thing can make me crumble! I am typically a very happy person, and I like that. I enjoy life and I enjoy living my life to the fullest. My dad would probably say that I am tender hearted, which I am. I have a big heart and I enjoy loving!

Day 23

Something you crave



I love these little babies! I have consumed 3 boxes in the last week!! Good thing I go to Zumba huh? They are just perfect.....


Day 24

A letter to your parents

Well this could take hours to write the right way:) So here is my short version

Dear Mom and Dad-

I hope you know that I love you! I miss you more than ever now that you have moved! I really thought that I would be okay with you moving, but about a week after you left I realized I wasn't. I took for granted you being so close to me. I have wonderful memories, but I am selfish and want my mommy and daddy back:)

You have shown me that correct way to live my life by your examples. You have always given me SO much and I truly appreciate it! I am who I am today by your wonderful examples of compassion, love, honesty, trust, and companionship and so much more.

Thank you for raising me in the church. Another thing that so many of us take for granted. I value the times you "made" me go to church, because even if I thought I wasn't listening luckily some of it stuck with me. I am so appreciative of your examples! I feel so blessed to know my family is eternal!

Thank you for loving my children. I love that my kids know and love their grandparents. It is so neat to see the relationships they have formed with you.

Dad, thank you for being such a hard worker. You work so hard for your family, and we appreciate it. You haven't always had it easy and your attitude and love for life is amazing. I feel so blessed to have you as my father!

Mom, thank you for always being there for me. You have been there for me so much over the last two years, thanks just isn't enough. I love spending time with you and all your little quirks:) I love that you love life and being right in the middle of any activity! You are always so willing to help me and I am forever grateful for that!

Thank you for just being you. I love you so much!

Love

Tara
(your favorite)

Day 25

What you would find in my bag

1. my wallet
2. a billion insurance cards
3. chapstick
4. all the pens I have stolen from various places
5. floss
6. my planner


Day 26

What do you think about your friends

I think the world of my friends! They are great examples to me and I look up to them so much. I couldn't get through a week without most of them!

Day 27

Why are you doing this

Who knows why I started this! I know one thing I wont be doing it again!

Day 28

Picture of you from last year and one from now

last year


This year (I am not home, best I could do)



Day 29

What have you learned the past month

Life can be hard. I knew it was hard, just not as hard as it has been sometimes. I have learned that when we face a trial we need to rely on our Heavenly Father to help pull us through. I have learned a lot about the Atonement and what it means to me. I think so many of us take that for granted or don't really understand it. I have learned that my Father in Heaven WANTS me to succeed in life and is forever on my side. What a wonderful thing to know.

I also learned that if you love somebody, you can get through anything! Love really can conquer all! I have learned a lot about myself and who I have become over the last few years. I hope to keep my heart and mind open to learning new things.


Day 30

My favorite song

Butterfly Kisses

I just love this song. It makes me think of my Dad and the love he has for each of his daughters. He is such a great man and father! Now that I am married it has new meaning to me also, it makes me think of Kurt and Jenna and his unconditional love for her. There is just something so amazing about the bond between a dad and his daughter.

Gavin goes to the dentist...

Gavin had his first official trip to the dentist. He was SO good!! I was so impressed with him I about cried! He jumped right in the chair and was good to go. He was able to take front x-rays and get his teeth cleaned. He wasn't scared one bit. I think he kind of like it:) I am so happy that he likes the dentist.

Day 14-20

Day 14- A picture of my family



There is also a picture of my little family on the side of my blog:) We are getting a new one next week sometime!

Day 15- Put my IPOD on shuffle and what are the first 10 songs

Easy, I don't have an IPOD!

Day 16- Another picture of me (at work and I dont have one)

Day 17- Someone that I would switch lives with for one day

Well I do love my life and all, but for just one day I would switch lives with Ellen. Wouldn't it be great to be that hilarious and do so much good for people? I always have to watch her show, because no matter my mood for that hour I am happy! She makes me laugh, she makes Gavin dance and she makes us both smile! She is such a giver and I think it would be so wonderful to have money and be able to just give it away to deserving people.

PS. I would keep my husband.

Day 18 Plans/dreams/goals

Well all I have planned out right now is my current month. I am typically quite the dreamer and always have big plans for myself. I have found though that life is much easier and happier if we just go a day at a time.

My goals. I do like goals, but usually they don't end up working out:)

My main priority is to get Jenna hearing and up to where she should be developmentally. She gets her ear activated December 7th and I am so excited for that day. We will be doing a lot of verbal therapy after that.

I would like to lose another 10 pounds. I have been working so hard and I go to the gym a lot and I actually enjoy it. I have lost 20 pounds thus far and I am so close to where I want to be.

I want to be happy. I believe I deserve to be too. I am not a depressed person and can not function if I am not happy. So my goal is to be happy, life is what it is and I WILL make the best of it.

Day 19 Nickname I have been given and why

When I was little these were my nicknames

Tiny, Princess, Nikki, 3 names, Tarajet (dad still calls me that) and good ole Tara.

Most of these my father gave me: Tiny, Tarajet, and Princess. Not really sure how the first two came about, but pretty sure I was called Princess because I am one:)

3 names came from Larry Shaheen- He taught me primary when I was younger and never really knew what to call me. Tara Nichole or Nikki. So he went ahead and called me 3 names:) For most my childhood I was Nichole and most people shortened that to Nikki and then one day I just changed it to Tara. Not sure why??

Day 20 Who I can see myself marrying and spending the future with

Funny question since I am already married.

I know Kurt and I are meant for each other, I always have. I love him and we have proven that we can get through just about anything life throughs at us. We have our struggles, but we love each other and that gets us through!

Pictures

Here are a few of the kids pictures that I had taken. My friend Melissa Worley took them, she does an amazing job!

Day 13

A letter to someone who has hurt you...

Dear 4Real Milkshake Machine at Maverick-

I am convinced that if I would not have found you I would already be at my goal weight. And since I am not at my goal weight I blame you! Who wouldn't fall into the loving arms of a cookies and cream milkshake? So you hurt me, I forgive you and I believe I will have one of you later!

Okay, so probably not what this challenge had in mind so here goes

I have been hurt...I have also been the one to do the hurting. It sucks, it isn't fair, but here are a few things I have learned the past year. We all will get hurt at some point in our lives and we will all hurt somebody too. I believe the way we respond to it makes all the difference. I take my life 24 hours at a time, and I mean that. I have no time to worry about if somebody thinks I am fat, ugly, talk to much or thinks I change my hair color too often. I just don't. Who needs the drama of highschool, isn't that why we graduated? You can get hurt, what makes the difference is what we do with that hurt. Let it roll off our backs, or take it to heart. It makes life a lot easier to just let it go. I don't have time to get hurt or worry about what people think. I have all I need right in my house.

Days 9-12

Day 9
Something your proud of in the last few days

I fasted yesterday and I am pretty darn proud of that! I am not the best to fast! I always seem to "forget" not to eat on fast Sunday! Yesterday though I stuck with it and was very proud of myself. I wanted to fast because so much good has happened to me in the last little while and to my family. I also learned that I could never be anorexic, I really love food!

Day 10
Songs you listen to when you are happy or sad

I really don't listen to music too much. Just the radio in the car and Pandora on my phone sometimes. I like all types of music I suppose. When I run I really like to listen to Pink, she is awesome and keeps me going!

Day 11
another picture of friends



Pretty sure these people are the best friends I could have! I love my sisters and brother so much! They mean the world to me!

Day 12
How you found out about blogger

I had received a blog invite from my friend Karen and so I started looking at her blog, and pretty soon I decided I needed one too:) It was a few months later though when Tenille taught us how to use it! She walked us through how to post and make cute backgrounds. We all huddled around Ashley's laptop in Maradee's backyard trying to figure it out!

Day 8

Short term goals for this month

I want to be super on top of my Christmas shopping. I really don't want to spend millions of dollars all at the last minute! I just want a few months of less stress!! I know...probably wont happen...but a girl can dream!

Jenna's Surgery

Friday morning was Jenna's cochlear implant surgery. The surgery took about 2.5 hours and went very well! She has a little different anatomy in her ears. The doctor felt like he was able to get the implant right where it needed to be. We stayed over Friday night at Primary Children's and we were able to come home Saturday just in time to take Gav trick-or-treating!

They will activate the implant on December 7th! What an awesome Christmas present this will be!! I can't wait!

Big thank you to Nanny Bart and my parents for taking care of Gavin! It is always so hard to have to leave him, I am glad we have such great family to help us!

Day 7

Someone/something that has a big impact on you...



This book came to me at just the right time in my life. I started reading it the week after Jenna was born, and it totally changed my views on life. I learned more about the pre-existence and about the plan of salvation than I thought possible. It completely changed my outlook on my situation. I realized that God chose Jenna to have this Plan and that he also chose me to be a part of her plan, and to help her get back to Heaven. I decided after reading this book that I would do whatever it took to get Jenna back to her Father in Heaven. No more feeling bad or sorry for myself, just taking it day by day and working towards a wonderful goal....to see my daughter in a "perfect" light.

Day 6

Favorite superhero??

Well, I don't really have one, and honestly I can't even think of one right now:)

Day 5

A picture of somewhere I have been...