Merry Christmas Eve Eve

Best present so far: Straight A's

All my hard work paid off and I am so proud of my first semester in the Elementary Education Program.

The success of this past semester has given me hope and motivation for the rest of the program.

The present I am looking forward to the most: Talking to Reese on Saturday! 

Life is so Good!

This is me...
...loving school
...hating homework
...loving the idea of having money in my checking AND savings accounts
...hating the thought of paying off student loans
...loving that Reese is saving America and being able to pay for his mission from all his hard work
...missing him like CRAZY
...loving the thoughts of two sweet baby girls headed my family's way
...hating not having the time to sew and sew and sew quilts and quilts and quilts for them
...enjoying planning baby showers
...anxiously waiting to hold those sweet babies and smell their new baby smell
...loving thinking about the future, my life, things I want to do
...hating getting back to the reality of homework I should be doing right now...
...being grateful that I get to go to school so I can become that teacher I have dreamed of becoming
...on that note...I am headed back to the homework world with a more positive attitude.

Reese got called to serve in the Tucson, Arizona mission! 

He leaves for the MTC on December 1st. 

We are all very excited!

So this one time Gertie and I went on a walk.

Just the two of us because that Turner family all decided to get up and leave for a family reunion in Idaho. They all left Gertie and I. Well not all of the Turners went to the family reunion, Reese(he's that super stud/firefighter boyfriend of mine) decided to to stay home because he is "on call" for firefighting. Did I mention my boyfriend Reese is a firefighter? ;)

So Reese and I made plans on Friday to take my lil' sister and brother to see a movie.
We were all quite excited to go!

My plan was to come home from work on Friday and run, clean, and shower then we would be off to the movie.

I was just about to start mopping when Reese called me and informed me that he had just received a call from his squad boss saying Reese's crew was going up to Idaho where 3 new fires had started in addition to 2 others still going on.

I couldn't believe it. He was finally going out on to a fire! I jumped in the car and drove a little over the speed limit to Reese's house just in time to say goodbye and watch him drive off.

I think I have done pretty well at not worrying too much about how he is doing, what he is doing, and when he will be back. Just looking for pictures of wildfires on google was a bit too much for me. It is hard to believe he is somewhere like this...

I can't wait to here all about it when he gets back, whether that's tomorrow or in (gulp) two weeks.

But for now Gertie and I will be okay because the rest of the Turner family is back from Idaho, finally!

she's baaack....

Crystal the Olympic swimming champion has returned to the pool.

Okay not really, but I did finally get back in the lap pool after a 16-month absence. With sweet encouragement of Reese and Ethan, I dusted off the ole' cap and goggles and headed to the legacy center to give swimming another chance. It felt so amazing to get back in the water. I had convinced myself that being on the high school swim team for 4 years had ruined swimming for me and the thoughts of ever returning to swim between those dreaded lane lines and suffer from skin reeking with the stench of chlorine would send me into a nervous wreck.

That may sound a bit over the top but it's true. I am so glad I did swim team in high school for many reasons: friends, exercise, following in my brothers footsteps and to be part of a team. But I never was and never will be a competitive person so I always hated competing in meets, preparing for meets, or even thinking about meets because it made me so nervous and sick to my stomach. Ever since my swim team days I have linked those same feelings of nervousness and anxiety to swimming laps or even walking into the locker room of the pool.

Basically, it was a very big deal for me to finally get back into the pool yesterday. And I couldn't have and wouldn't have if Reese and Eth hadn't been there.

After pushing all anxious feelings aside I jumped in and pushed off the wall. The second I took my first stroke of freestyle I realized how much I still love to swim. I love the feel of my arms and legs pulling my body through the water. i love the silence of everything but water splashing and swishing past my ears. I love using muscles I haven't used in over a year. It was almost therapeutic for me.

I now view swimming in a new light. It's now where I want to go when I need quiet time, where I go to spend time helping Eth or spending time with Reese, and a place to go when I need to burn off a few calories. Swim is no longer a chore or a requirement but rather a little bonus to my life. Swimming with body that is 20 pounds lighter also makes it more enjoyable and makes being in a swim suit a little less intimidating. I feel comfortable in my own skin for once. Even if it is super itchy and dry from all that chlorine. I guess the title "She's baaaack" is a little off because I don't feel like the Crystal who is comfortable in her body is back, but more that she is here for the first time. I feel like I have finally accomplished what I set out to do when I first started this blog. That is to feel healthy and good about myself. It may have taken me a bit longer to get to where I am today than what I originally hoped for but ever step of the way has been so worth it. I'm on the right track and life just keeps getting better.

All i have wanted to do lately is spend my time with my family and with those who I hope will become family someday. They are all the most important people to me. I feel like it's okay that I don't spend every weekend with friends from high school. I miss them all like crazy but I realize that all of our lives are different and that is okay. I guess you could call it "growing up" saying that makes my eye twitch a little.

Life is just wonderful. I am learning and loving everyday. I am surrounded by people I love, admire and adore.

A few updates in my world....

• Brandon and Hope are having a girl! I cannot wait for November!
  
• Jeff and Rachel are due in January


• School is going... well it's just going


• Work is awesome, especially my job at the Special Ed preschool(Best Job Ever!)


• Reese just started the mission paper process and is doing firefighting all summer
  
• I teach the sweetest 7 & 8 year old kids in primary and I love it
  
• Finny Mae is growing up so fast and I got to introduce her the world of Barbies. She mainly slobbered on Ken's head, chewed on Barbies ill proportioned feet and growled at them. I couldn't have been more proud.

Ethan and I returned to the pool tonight, without Reese because, well, did I mention he is a firefighter? Yup, I have myself a studly firefighter for a boyfriend! So he was off doing firefighter stuff like, well, just brutal firefighter stuff. So it was just Eth and I off the the Legacy Center to get some swimming in and for the FIRST time in over 4 years that I didn't have the slightest feeling of hesitation, anxiety, or nervousness as I walked through the locker room and hoped into the pool. I was looking forward to my time spent in the pool and I loved it.


Also, Eth made some wonderful improvements on his breaststroke and will be kicking trash at his meet on Friday.

summer smiles

June is here and I couldn't be more excited!
My family and I ran away for Memorial Day weekend and spent 3 glorious days laughing, swimming, and relaxing in the sun.
I of course spent too much time in the sun and am now paying the price, but I don't really regret it. We did a little shopping and I bought 4 new shirts as a reward for some recent weight loss. Trying on shirts with completely fried shoulders and arms wasn't very pleasant but so worth it. We did some exploring and came across this in one hotel lobby. My dad insisted on getting my picture but of coarse I didn't mind a bit. I love this! If I could I would do this to my room.
We stopped by the Las Vegas Temple on our way back home. If it wasn't 106 degrees outside we might have got out and walked around the temple for a little bit.
Summer has officially arrived and I can't wait to start doing summer things! Reese is officially on-call for fire fighting which has me nervous, anxious and excited all at once. We have tentatively planned our the first hike of the summer with Natalie and Ethan for this weekend to continue our Tertin' adventures from last summer. They are my favorite!I heart summer!

Today was a good good day!

I love Reese!

End of story!

herro

Where to start....

-I have been pretty crafty lately, completed a few projects and are half way through with a few more...

-For starters, I made this sign for my Dad. I love this saying and have adopted is as a personal motto. My Dad got me a special gift that went along with this saying so it means a lot to me. I made this for him to take to work to use for his team meetings where he has introduced the motto also. There is an excellent story that goes with it.
-I have been waiting to finally sit down and experiment with making little baby shoes. After a few trial patterns, Laura had the perfect one and I am a little proud of this little pair for Miss Finley Mae. I sure hope she likes them. More shoes made with cute fabric are on their way.
-Sunday was Mother's Day which means I could finally give my Mommy the quilt I have been working on for a while, with Reese's mom, Laura's help. I was so excited to find the fabric and make my first quilt. My Mom loved it and with her new sewing machine she got for Mother's day, us girls will be starting on our own quilt soon.
-Sunday was also very special because we finally got to hear the heart beat of the first Mortensen grand baby. My brother Brandon and his wife are expecting a baby in November, and I couldn't be more excited. They are going to be the cutest parents! We have been waiting for this baby for some time and are so happy that it is on it's way! He/She will be so spoiled and I am totally okay with that. Baby quilts will soon be in the making here, along with those baby shoes.

-This is my second week of my summer class, Technology in Education. I really like it so far and am excited to understand how to do things on the computer. Going to school only twice a week for a couple hours is so much better than every day, all day.

-I have also been picking up more hours at work, which is excellent because I am dirt poor. I have been trained on new things and I am enjoying the new learning experiences along with higher pay.

-Went to the dentist today, No Cavities! That deserves a celebration!

-I am quite excited for this weekend to come so I can finish up a few more projects and add some more items to my room.

-I have been feeling so good lately. Happier, healthier and grateful-ier(new word?). Life is fabulous.

rotten fish and rainbows

I had a fabulous weekend. School free Friday spent with my fabulous friends, pictures to come. Saturday was the first official day of yard work, my favorite! Mowing the lawn for the first time means warm summer is on its way! That evening Reese came with the family as we headed up to Draper to do a little shopping. The drive there was pretty much hilarious. Reese says the funniest things that get us all laughing. Here are my favorite two quotes.
-As we drove past IKEA:
Me: "Reese we still need to go to IKEA."
Reese: "Yeah, and I want to go with Brady so we can buy that rotten fish they have and eat it with him."
Me: "I'm not kissing you for two weeks if you eat that stuff!"
Dad: "In that case, I will buy you some right now Reese! As much as you want!"

-Soon we drove by the golden gates of "Day Break" where, as you all know, is an absolutely perfect place where all of your wildest dreams come true:
Reese: "Wow I feel so perfect right now, we must be near Day Break."
Mom: "Where is Day Break anyways?"
Reese: "Where the rainbow begins."

I love him! I had to document this for future laughs!

thoughts of my day

some people need to learn how to drive
some people try too hard
some people need to not talk so much
some people should smile more
i have a ton of school stuff to do this week
i can't wait for finals to be over
i need to work more
money would be nice
it's almost been 1 year of dating my sweetie Reese
i need some sun
i am so excited for long summer bike rides
hiking soon?
i have an awesome family
i need to smile more Finley Friday is coming up!
i want to document this summer in photos
canon rebel, mmmm
i cannot wait for mother's day, she is going to love it
everyone will be jealous
:)
have a great day

good evening officer...

So I got pulled over last night...
Here's how it went down...

Me driving talking on the phone with Reese. I see cop down the road, and lower my speed to below the speed limit.
To Reese, "Ha! That cop thought he could get me, but I saw him and I'm not even speeding. Oh wait, he is turning around. Oh yeah, my head light is out. I will call you after I'm done being pulled over."
>> fast forward to me pulled over awaiting the cop to come to my window>> play:

Me: Thinking how funny it is that my new headlight is waiting on the kitchen table and smiling. A big smile.
Cop: approaches my car, "Whats that grin for?"

Me: "Because I know why you pulled me over.

Cop: Smiling, "And why is that?"

Me: "Because my head light is out and I have new one at home and my dad just hasn't put it in yet and I have my license its just in my purse, but that's in the trunk because-" (out of breath and slightly nervous, but still smiling.

Cop: "It's okay just relax. Im going to let you go just give me your name real quick."
>>fastforward to cop coming back to my window>> play:

Cop: "Tell that husband of yours to get that headlight fixed."

Me: "Will do." (in my head: where in the heck did he hear husband in all of my nervous chattering?)

Cop: Be safe and have a good night.

Me: "Thanks." deep breath!

Moral of the story: cops can sometimes be nice, and my dimpled smiled worked like a charm ;)

so far, so good

I love February, its awesome, mainly because it means yucky January is over with. Being that it is the beginning of this lovable month I figured it is a good time to see how I am doing on my goals I set back at the beginning of January.

First my physical goals. I love my working out! Aerobics is different everyday, some days we do Tae Bo and the next we do weights, then throw in a day here and there of complete cardio. It is awesome! Kick Boxing is probably the funniest, I mean learning to hit people: AWESOME! I haven't been doing yoga as much, but I'm still keeping running in my routine. Yesterday it was perfect outside so I took my restless Siberian Husky, Dash, for a good run! A little Train and Glee accompanied me for our 45 minute run! I have been eating lots better, with a diet full of protein and lots of fruit. I need to work on that vegetable thing and I'm still a huge fan of brownies, but I still feel so much healthier and happier!

My school goals are right in line also! I had three tests last week and did pretty good on all three, so I'm pretty happy. I have been doing good at staying on top of my work and not procrastinating too much so my stress level has been healthy. I need to work on getting to bed earlier so I'm not so tired in the morning and so I'm not crawling into bed so late that I don't read my scriptures. So early bedtimes and vegetables will be the focus of February(alliteration?).

So life is pretty much just fantastic right now! I am the luckiest girl with the best family and lots of sweet friends! This past weekend was awesome! Saturday was Emma Grace's baptism, I was invited and felt so lucky to be there. She is a very sweet and mature little girl, she and I are best friends. Saturday afternoon I went to lunch with my friend for Tacia's birthday. We ate lots of yummy food at Chili's and got all caught up on every one's busy lives. I loved it! Saturday night I got to hang out with a certain sweet guy named Reese. We chilled at my house and made brownies, best way to spend my Saturday evening.

Sunday was this sweet baby girls blessing.

Fin is my favorite! I feel so lucky to be part of her life and love her to pieces! It has been so much fun to see how she has grown in such a short time. I love to listen to her talk and see her smile. She is perfect and has a wonderful family filled with people who love and adore her, especially her beautiful and amazing mom.

I spent the rest of the day with Reese, my sweetie. We are awesome together! He makes me a better person and I couldn't ask for a better best friend.

We went to Brady's for the SUPERBOWL!! It was so fun! My family is hilarious and the funniest people to be with! The Colts didn't win but it was a good game with a few good commercials.

Like I said, life is great! I'm the luckiest girl and consider myself extremely blessed to have a wonderful family and amazing friends! This week has been good to me so far and I think its going to continue that way. Saturday Reese and I are celebrating Valentines, I'm so excited!

wonderful weekend

This past weekend was fabulous and extra long. I got a lot accomplished and spent many hours with loved ones and family! Couldn't ask for anything better!

Here is my weekend in pictures...

Saturday was my hot date to the car show with Reese. We tripled with Brady & Marcee and Jeff & Rachel.
We saw this...
And this...
And this...(someday I won't have to leave my Audi A5...someday)


And this...(Reese's favorite)


Marcee liked this one...
We look super good next to hot cars...
We had so much fun going on a group date with my brothers, we will definitely be doing it again!

Sunday
I couldn't get enough of this...
I love me some Finley Mae...

Monday

Mr. Charles decided to get into some rodent killer Sunday night so our Monday started off with a trip to the vet...
He is pretty cute.
Next item on the agenda was painting my parents room. We make a good team and got the jobe done fast. We're awesome. I thought the doors looked cool with the tape...

So that was my splendid weekend. My pictures aren't the most amazing but I love them anyways. I just finished some yoga, it helped with my sore abs from intense tae bo and kick boxing yesterday. I felt pretty good today. My jeans were even a little baggy :).