Gender Reveal!

Well I suppose I should FINALLY put up what we did to reveal the gender of our little baby!

We had quite the party....which is just how I like it.

I'm not one of those people that just wants a little post on Facebook.

No, no, no...this is revealing what my firstborn will be.  That definitely calls for a party!

Since we were going down to Arizona the day after we had the ultrasound, we decided it would be so fun to have the party down there since a bunch of family could be there too!

My sister, Karly, and her family as well as Alex's sister, Brittany, and her family live in Gilbert.

Plus my bestie, Ashley, now lives in Mesa and I was SO happy she could be there too!

My in-laws also drove down from Santa Barbara for the weekend.

We had my parents on FaceTime as well as my other sister, Krista, on FaceTime so everyone could watch the big reveal!

Everything was blue and pink and everyone had to cast in their guess!

This box had the blue balloons inside.  On the outside everyone had to write their name on the boy or girl and then tape it on accordingly.

Everyone who guessed girl with their pretty lips!

(I had some family and friends who guessed girl as well...so their names are on the box.)

Everyone who guessed boy with their curly mustaches!

My in laws opening the box!

And the blue balloons floated on out!

It was very exciting!  I loved everyone getting in to it and getting all excited!

It was so fun to have the balloons float out, everyone cheer and clap, and just be so happy for this little man to come!

 Now for some pictures:

Now if that isn't the cutest hand you ever did see.

His cute profile!

Look at that face.  I'm sure I think it's the cutest since I'm the one growing him, BUT...I think his little face is so adorable!

Alex went "Look!  He has your nose!"

I guess he does...it's still hard for me to tell. :)

I won't show off his man business because I'm pretty sure that'd be child porn and I'm not down with that.  But he sure did show it off once he decided to stop being wiggly!  No denying he's a boy!

I love this stage of my life.

It's all so new and scary and exciting all wrapped up together.

I'm so grateful for my sweet husband and that we can share all these new things with each other.  It's been so fun watching my husband grow more and more in love with our little man.  Alex has now felt him kick quite a bit and his kicking keeps getting stronger and stronger.

Only 17 more weeks to go!

Turning 26!

Wow...I am 26!

It really is so strange that I am closer to 30 than I am 20.

When did I grow up?

When did I graduate college, get married, become a mother in the making, and oh yeah...turn 26?!

I realize I am not old by any means, but when you start to accomplish all of the main things you pictured for your life...you start to go, "What the heck?!"

I spent 26 half at work and half traveling to/in AZ.

I really need to blog about our baby BOY, but first I wanted to think about my year 25 and what all has happened, so I decided to list my top 25 favorite moments of the year and then put up my 25 favorite photos from being 25!

1. Bike riding in Central Park.  Seriously a dream come true.

2. Running in the Ragnar Wasatch Back.  It was SO hard, but SO fun and SO rewarding!

3. Really coming in to my own at work.  I feel like my instincts are on and that I truly do a great job.  Plus it's nice when you feel valued and get a lot of positive reinforcement. :)

4. Eating breakfast at Tiffany's on 5th Ave in NYC!  Hello, bucket list success!

5. Seeing "Wicked" twice!  I really don't think it's possible to EVER get tired of that show.

6. My friend, Rachel's, wedding.  It's amazing watching people you care about kneel across the alter from their love to get sealed forever!  Plus, when you are bridesmaids with some of your greatest friends, it makes for an AWESOME weekend!

7. Going to the 9/11 Memorial.  It has the most intense feeling that is indescribable.  I truly am in awe about everything that happened there.

8. Celebrating our 1st anniversary!  It flew by and if what everyone says about the first year being the hardest, then boy do we have it made!

9. Going to the water park with Alex A LOT.  That was our favorite summer spot and it was so great!  We had so much fun together!

10. Going home and having a Lowcountry Boil on Christmas Eve.  It really was good for the soul.  I never wanted that moment to end.

11. Visiting the Florida Keys with my parents.  I love going to parts of the country I've never been before.  

12. Going along with 11...swimming with dolphins.  We legitimately SWAM with them.  It seriously was amazing hearing their clicks under water and having them look at you right in the eye.  Just one more reason to add to why they're my fav.

13. Disneyland with my in law family!  It was such a fun week and it really is the happiest place on earth!

14. Repelling off the Corona Arch in Moab, UT.  Did I mention I have the best job?!

15. Putting together the best Christmas program ever!  I'm so grateful for all the help and amazing talent of the people in my ward.  My choir, the narrations, small groups, and solos just all came together so nicely.  My Bishop also said he enjoyed it more than the MoTab Christmas concert.  Even if he was just saying that to be nice...I don't care!

16. Watching my dad and brother in law give Alex a blessing on Christmas Day because my poor husband was so sick.  It's amazing watching the Priesthood in action, especially when it's benefitting someone you care so much about.

17. Seeing the Statue of Liberty in real life.  It's was one of the moments where you think to yourself, "Wow...it actually is a real thing!"

18. Having my mother clean my house when my parents visited.  I was still in my 1st trimester and not feeling well AT ALL.  While I was at work she (with my dad and husband's help) cleaned up a ton.  It was so relieving to not have to do it when I felt so crappy.

19. Watching my brother in law open his mission call.  I haven't witnessed one in awhile, but it's such a spirit filled moment.  I'm so grateful I could be there for it!

20. Reading "The Anatomy of Peace." Everyone should read it!  It is life changing.

21. Discovering the beauty of Sun-Dried Tomato & Basil Wheat Thins dipped in cottage cheese.  UH-MAZING!

22. Having a stint with bangs.  They were slightly more work than I was wanting, but they were fun to experience.  Once I found out I was pregnant, I decided to grow them out because I figured I was not going to want to deal with the extra time on my hair while having a newborn.

23. Taking the test that confirmed I was pregnant!  It was the most nerve wracking/crazy/amazing moment I'm pretty sure I've ever experienced.

24. Watching my husband gradually go from being terrified of being a parent to being excited to be a parent.  At first Alex was hesitant about rubbing my belly or talking to the baby, but slowly he's come around.  Now he loves to rub my belly, say good morning or good night to baby, or put his head up to my tummy.

25. This one barely made it in the 25th year, but finding out our baby was a boy.  I've never felt so much emotion in such a short span of time.

And now 25 pictures.  They are all out of order and I do not have the motivation time to put them in order.

Ragnar.  LOVE my team! (June 2012)

 Sister time at Granddad's funeral. (May 2012)

 Granddad's funeral. (May 2012)

 25th bday party! (March 2012)

 Meeting Audrey. :) (March 2012)

 Hollywood Walk of Stars! (March 2012)

 Seeing the Braves in AZ! (April 2012)

 Laela.  She's just too cute. (May 2012)

 Statue of Liberty! (June 2012)

 Breakfast at Tiffany's! (July 2012)

 Central Park riding! (July 2012)

 NYPD. (June 2012)

 The things that happen in Times Square! (July 2012)

 Unbelievable. (June 2012)

 9/11 Memorial. (June 2012)

 Hoboken, NJ. (June 2012)

 The Voice chair.  My fav show! (July 2012)

 Disneyland! (Oct 2012)

 Tower of Terror! (Oct 2012)

 Oakland Temple. (Sept 2012)

 1st anniversary trip! (Aug 2012)

 Rachy's wedding with friends! (Sept 2012)

 Halloween! (Oct 2012)

 Disney magic! (Oct 2012)

 Announcing the news! (Dec 2012)

You will notice there's no pics from January and February of 2013.

There's something about the mixture of nausea, fatigue, throwing up, and the lack of showering due to dizziness that makes a girl not want to document her life.

Here's to a great 26!  With the little man on the way...it's bound to be an adventurous year!

Happy Birthday, Other Big Sis!

The beginning of the year is always a busy time for my family.

We have a lot of birthdays and anniversaries packed in to the first few months.

And now it's Krista's turn!

Happy 3-4, Kris!!

I know you'll make your day awesome!

And you totally deserve to have an awesome birthday.

I'm so proud of you and everything you're accomplishing.

Thank you for being such a great big sister and always being someone I know would drop anything to help me.

I hope your day is full of your favorite things!!

You'll see me later and I'm one of your TOP favorite things...so it's bound to be a good day. :)

Love you, Kris!

My sister, Karl.

My sister, Karly's, birthday was yesterday, but due to me working, subbing a dance class, and institute...the day, unfortunately, did not include a little blog shout out love.

So here it is a day late:

Karl,

Happy Birthday!

I so wish I was there with you to celebrate your big day.

I would try to make you feel like the most special lady in the world.

Never forget that you ARE special.

Never forget that you are worth it.

Never forget that you're an amazing mama.

Never forget you're stronger than you think you are.

Never forget you deserve happiness.

And lastly, never forget how much I love you.

Happy Birthday, sister.

P.S. And a little shout out to my dear friend, McKell, serving her mission in Italy!  Happy Birthday, Sorella Forbes!

2013 Resolution

I'm a little behind on making goals for this year.

That's mostly due to the fact that the majority of days that have happened in 2013, I can barely muster up the energy to shower.

As I was trying to think of goals for this year I really could only think of one:

Do the best I can.

That's it.

This year I can't set goals like "run 10 miles every week" or "practice the piano every day" or "read 5 classic novels."

My body is growing a baby.

A BABY.

A little human is growing inside of me.

When other people were pregnant it didn't really hit me so hard.

But man...that is crazy!!

My body is growing and nourishing another body.

As cool as that is....it's also exhausting and making me ill.

I am not one of those blessed women that never gets sick during pregnancy.

Ohhhh, how I wish I were.

There have been times when I think I'm starting to get out of this funk and then I throw up 5 times in one day.  That's a dream.

However, the last few days I really have started to feel a little bit better.

Not back to my normal self...but at least not feeling like I just want to keep banging myself in the head with a sauce pan because that would feel better than what is going on in my belly.

I'm 14 weeks tomorrow (Jan 31st) which means I am a third done!

I'm so praying my 2nd trimester brings good things.

I really do want to enjoy being pregnant.

Well, that was a long tangent on getting to my point of just doing the best that I can.

There are some days when really, truly all I can do is plop myself on the couch.

There are some days when I can go run 1 or 2 errands and fold the laundry.

There are some days when it's a mixture of those two depending on the hour.

I just need to do the best that I can for my body.

It is carrying something so precious.

So if that means one day I can go for a walk and the next day I pretend I'm going for a walk...that's ok.

It's been hard to let my body do what it needs to do.

I've always been someone on the go.

Always working, always dancing, always running around, etc.

I've had a little bit of an identity crisis.

I suppose it's a good thing I've had so much time to think and ponder so that I could figure out in my mind how I need to take care of my body.

2013 is going to bring a TON of changes to our little family.

So with all of it coming at me, I just need to do the best that I can.

Pregnant!

So here we go...

Alex's and my life as we know it will never be the same.

And as much of a shock factor it was in the beginning, we are starting to settle in to the idea and are excited for this new phase in our lives together.

So I'll just start from where it all began...

When I was 19 my doctor at home diagnosed me with PCOS (Poly-Cystic Ovarian Syndrome.)

I had one period at the beginning of my Freshman year at BYU, but then never again that school year.  When my mother found out, she was obviously concerned and took me in to see what was going on.

They did some ultra sound work and went ahead and told me I had PCOS.  She told me that having children was possible, but would not happen easy.  She told me it would take a long time to get pregnant and just keep trying.  So I have lived with that belief for 6 and a half years.

I get married at 24.  Now the option of having children is obviously real.

Not too long in to the marriage I tell Alex I want to go off birth control.

He says no.

I explain to him that this could be a many year long process to conceive and that I don't want to waste too much time before we start trying.

He still says no.

I cry.

He still says no.

I ask a couple months later.

He says no again.

I cry some more because I'm terrified.

He tells me he knows everything will be fine and that I don't need to worry so much.

  I wait a little bit longer and ask again.

(I could have been a crazy person and just stopped taking the pill without telling Alex, but I would have never wanted to start trying until we were BOTH ready.)

Finally, we come to an agreement that my pill package I take for October 2012 will be my last one.

YES!

So right before Halloween I have my period. (Sorry for you men reading this...)

We just decided that we would stay calm and not get discouraged when I did not get pregnant.

Well, little did I know that I would not have another period.

Thanksgiving came and went.  Still felt normal.

Except for one thing...I was a week late.

I just thought it was the birth control getting out of my system and throwing off my cycle.

I did not want to freak out so I just kept thinking it was going to come at some point.

Finally once I was 2 weeks late I decided to take a pregnancy test at work.

I read the instructions on the how to take it like 40 times!

Like it's rocket science or something to pee on a stick...but I was SOOO nervous.

So I did it.

Then I set it aside and waited.

Then all of the sudden I saw it come up positive.

But I thought my eyes were playing tricks on me.

So I looked from the paper back to the stick over and over just to make sure I was seeing it right!

Once I realized it was actually positive my heart started racing, I started sweating, and I just kept saying repeatedly, "Oh...Ohh...Ooohhhh..."

I couldn't figure out if I wanted to laugh or cry so I think I did a little bit of both.

Though I'm not entirely sure...I felt like I was in a bubble.

Once my head stopped spinning I had to then figure out how I was going to tell Alex.

The week I found out was a CRAZY week!

Between two jobs I had to work 65 hours, teach 2 dance classes, pack up our apartment, and move!  I was already running on low.

So the thought of trying to figure out some cute way to tell Alex made me anxious so I decided to get rid of that anxiety and just tell him.

Unfortunately I was not able to see him for another 8 hours!

But when he got home I showed him the test and our conversation went like this:

A: See!  I told you! (meaning: I told you it wasn't going to take long.)

K:  How did you know?!

A: I don't know.  How did I know I was going to marry you the moment I saw you?  I just know things.

And there you have it.

I am pregnant.

I was totally thinking I was so lucky to not be sick!

Until....

Week 6 rolled around.

Since then I've been ill.

I'll have one good day and think I'm in the clear, but then the next day hits me like a beast.

I'll be 14 weeks in 5 days so I am just praying so hard that I'll be one of those blessed women and not be sick anymore come my 2nd trimester!

(Your prayers are appreciated as well.)

I had my first ultra sound when I was 11 weeks.

Our baby looks good and everything looks normal so far!

So remember that PCOS thing?

Well, my doctor says he's pretty dang certain I do NOT have PCOS!

He says it's not uncommon for girls to have problems with their periods when they go away to college and really wishes my old doctor had explored other options for what could have been going on.

He says that I do not have any other signs for PCOS besides my period going out of whack.

Especially since it took me like a week to get pregnant.

HOORAY!  It felt amazing for him to release me from that diagnosis.

We are looking to have a baby come August 1st!

We won't know the gender until March and we can barely stand it!

I think I've covered all the questions people have had.

If there's any more let me know!

It's been awhile...

Hello, World.

It's been quite some time since I contributed to my little blog.

I know...tsk tsk.  I should be better about updating my life.

For some reason I haven't had that burning desire to write on here.

I'm not sure why because it's not like nothing interesting has happened.

My life is by no means boring.

I guess I just went through a 3 month blog hiatus.

Hopefully I'll get that fire back.

So for a quick update:

Thanksgiving was great!

Christmas was great!

We got to go to the Florida Keys for the first time and I definitely wish I was still there right now as it is in the negatives at night in this Narnia land of Utah.

(p.s. roosters/chickens just roam the streets in Key West.  Literally.  No joke.)

How's that for a quick update?

Well, lastly...the thing that is the most fresh in my mind is something we talked about at Institute last night.  Alex and I have it every Tuesday night this semester and it's something that we really enjoy doing together.

Our teacher made all 50 or so of us stand up individually to say our name, where we're from, what we're doing, and a "blessing story."

(First of all...it was HILARIOUS watching all the single people whispering things to their friends like, "He's cute!" or "She seems cool.")

Second, it was so amazing listening to all of these people publicly thanking Heavenly Father for their jobs, their families, miracles that have happened in their lives, their missions, their friends, the temple, etc.

Alex and I were last.

Alex said his blessing right now is that he is going to be Jack's escort for his first time going through the temple. (Which is on Friday!  Yay.)

I have so many blessings in my life...of course!

But, the biggest blessing I have in my life is having broken up my first engagement.

Did it hurt at the time?

Oooohhhh yessss!

Did I think I was going to get through it.

Nope, not really.

Did I lose faith?

Sad to admit...yes.

However, that experience taught me that I am stronger than I think I am.

It taught me that I can do hard things.

It taught me that even when I don't think I have anything left within me...I actually do.

And just when I started to accept those things...Alex came in and really saved the day. :)

I love him so much.

I thank Heavenly Father for him pretty much constantly.

I really don't know what I would do without him.

He makes me feel so very special every, single day.

He was worth the wait and the heartache.  SO worth it.

So yeah...as sappy as it was...

I told the class the extremely brief story of my broken engagement and how that led the way for the biggest blessing in my life, which is my sweet husband.

Now...let's hope I keep up on this updating the blog business.

Fall break in California!

Well, it was that time of year again.

Alex's breaks from school always result in us going to California.

It's close enough, free lodging, free food, and lots of family time.  That equals a big win for us! :)

This time it was extra family time because the whole fam bam came!

Us and Jack came from Utah and Brittany's gang came up from Arizona.

It made for a very full house and a lot of fun!

We started out our week with a day at the beach!

It.  Was.  Heavenly!

I started out on the nice, warm sand.  It was so soft against my feet and felt great between my toes.

I watched my nephews and niece playing in the water.

It looked so fun, but I knew it was so cold!

I couldn't help it any longer!  I had to get in that water!

So I took the plunge and I am so glad I did!

Me, Britt, Alex, Jack, Isabelle, Jonah, and Hank spent the next hour or so boogie boarding.

I caught the most amazing wave on my last run!

It was the perfect way to end my water time.

I really could not handle the cold anymore so then I grabbed my towel, stuck my feet in the sand, and just listened to the sound of the waves and the children laughing.

The beach really is where I feel the most at ease with life.

Eventually we got hungry so we headed back to the house and then to get ready for family pictures.

So then it was back to the beach for us!

There are a lot of good ones, but here's a few samples:

Chris (BIL), Zak (nephew), Caleb (nephew), Jack (BIL), Violet (niece), Ann (MIL), Dylan (quasi niece), Hank (FIL), Alex, me, Clara (niece), Isabelle (niece), Eli (nephew), Brittany (SIL), Jonah (nephew), Abram (nephew).  That's the whole clan minus Alex's other brother, Wes.  We sure missed him while we were there.

The night was a gorgeous one!

The next day we just hung around Santa Barbara.

Britt, Ann, and I worked out in the morning and got our butts kicked by Ann's trainer.

(Kicked in a good way! :)

Then the whole family cruised downtown and we spent the majority of the day strolling the streets and the pier.

That evening consisted of pool time and getting ready for the big days ahead of us!

That next morning we got up bright and early to head down to Anaheim, CA to start our Disney adventures!!

I have only been to Disney World so I was SOOO excited for Disneyland!

I seriously wish I could have just taped the whole experience.

It really is the happiest place on earth.

And going with nieces and nephews make it even better because then you have an extra excuse to do the things/rides that you would not do/go on if it was just me and some friends. :)

Here are a few highlights:

The Mickey Wheel!

This is also the location of "World of Color" which is a water show at night.

Pretty much puts the Bellagio to shame!

They project images on the water and everything.

I may or may not have teared up a few times...don't judge.

Disney was my life as a child.

Cars Land is amazing!  It seriously feels like you're on Route 66 cruisin' through the cartoon!  And the Cars main ride is to die for!  So much fun!

Tower of Terror is always a must!  I haven't been on it in such a long time so I could not remember when it drops, plus I'm pretty sure it's slightly different than the Disney World one so I was really tripping out...obvs.

Disneyland at Halloween time is so much fun!  There is decor everywhere.

Just been my dream forever to get a picture with this giant pumpkin Mickey!

Ahhhhmazing. :)

Please look at Zac, Alex, and Jack.

They kill me.

No one wanted to watch the parade besides me, Britt, Ann, and little Clara.

Everyone else missed out!

The parade was so stinkin' magical.

I may have gotten teary again...don't judge...again.

Rapunzel is Clara's favorite, but secretly I was just as excited, if not more, when she came around.

One major bummer...NO Jasmine in the parade.  Aladdin was there. :(

We ended off our second day with this crazy dog. :)

Brittany's family stayed at Disney for a 3rd day, but we headed back to Santa Barbara.

We had a nice, relaxing day AND I got to see one of my girls that has already transitioned from New Haven.  She is going to school there so we met up!  It was awesome seeing her!

Brittany's family came back so we could all go to 6 Flags: Magic Mountain the next morning!

There were a lot of great coasters there!

Especially this one coaster we did towards the end of the night called X2!

It literally blew all of our minds.  It was the best coaster I have ever been on...and I'm pretty sure everyone would agree.

I can't even explain it...you just have to go and test it for yourself.

We were all so dang tired at the end of the night!

We slept in a little bit the next morning and then just chilled by the pool until Alex, Jack, and I had to catch our flight back to Utah. :(

I do not like saying goodbye...at all.

I so do love the family I married in to.

I seriously thank my Heavenly Father every day for that side of my family (as well as my own blood family).

I hear stories from friends of their crazy in laws and I am so grateful that is not me.

I miss them all so much when we're not together.

It was such an incredible trip!

Thankfully I have some things to look forward to now:

-Thanksgiving/Alex's birthday...my in laws are coming up!

-Christmas!!  We're going to South Carolina!!!  I cannot wait!  This is the longest stretch I have ever gone not being home!

Did I mention that Disneyland was magical?!

Rach and Bryce's Wedding!

This past weekend Alex and I hit up Oakland, CA for a wedding!

Our friend, Rachel, had decided to tie the knot at the LDS temple there (which was breathtaking by the way) and of course our EFY group just had to be there to support her!

Kate flew in to UT from GA and she, myself, Alex, Nina, and Nina's bf, Ricky, hit the road!

Ashley met us there and when we pulled in, the group was complete!

Even though we got in at 2 am, we couldn't go to sleep because we were having too much fun being together!

I swear, there is nothing better than being at such a happy event, as a wedding, with people that uplift you, make you laugh, and help you be your best self.

Being bridesmaids with these ladies was the best thing!

 Nina, Ash, Rach, me, Kate.

If there could be anything wrong with this weekend, it was that it went by WAY too fast!

Before I knew it, Ash & Kate were on planes, and the rest of us were on our way back to the Wasatch Front.

 I feel like this picture is so perfect for the 5 of us.

And of course this handsome fella was lookin' mighty fine all weekend. :)

In all seriousness, I am so happy for Rachel.

It is so amazing watching someone you care about enter in to such a covenant as eternal marriage.

Even though I've only been married for a short time, I can already feel the power that comes from the covenant I made with Heavenly Father and Alex.

It takes work.  Oh, it takes work.

But when it's someone you love with all your heart, the work is not a burden.

I only wish the best for Rachel and Bryce.

They are so perfect for each other!

I want nothing more for her than to have the most fulfilling, happy life.

Nina is soon to follow. :)

3 out of 5 are taken care of...

C'mon Ash and Katers, pick 'em good. :)

I Am Fabulous!

Now before you go and think I have a huge 'ole ego from the title of this post...lemme 'splain myself.

I once had a dance teacher.

This teacher has been on my mind A LOT recently.

This teacher is the most fabulous woman.

She taught me not only about dance, but how to live life, how to love, how to have passion, how to treat people and how to have no inhibitions.

Her name is Holly Brown.  She is not only my teacher, but she is my friend.

I first met her at age 15 when she started teaching hip hop at the dance school.

I was a little shy at first, but after a few classes with her, she helped me come in to my own and hip hop soon became my favorite genre of dance!  It was favorite part of the week.  Not only because the dancing was awesome, but also because Holly made me feel so good about myself.

At the end of EVERY class we had to throw our hands up in the air and yell, "I AM..." then drop our hands dramatically over our faces while yelling, "Fabulous!"

So my Junior and Senior years were spent on the hip hop team with Holly.

She, and her whole family really, made me a part of their own family.

Her husband, Ross, totally believed in my talent and her little kids became like my own siblings.

It was totally normal for me to be at their house just because.

I could be so super silly with them, but also feel true love.

Holly birthed this beautiful family!

They were even younger than this when I first met them and now they're all growing up and I can't even believe it!

But we're bonded for more than just one reason...

Holly is also my mermaid sister...:)

The summer after I graduated high school, Holly asked me if I would help her out with a summer show.  It would be performed every week at an outdoor venue for all of the tourists breezing by.  I said yes.  And boy am I glad I did!  This show ended up being the talk of the island!  We started out with smaller crowds, but by the end of that first summer...we had a large following!  Then we ended up doing the mermaid show for multiple summers and we soon became a family favorite on people's vacations.  We were even a picture on this one family's Christmas card!  It really was some of the most fun times of my life.  Holly was Bubbles, I was Pearl, and amidst some other mermaids we sang songs, did dances, played games with the tourists, and just entertained while having such a great time!

Here are a few of my favorite photos from over the years:

Lately, I've admired Holly even more.

Her youngest daughter, Jasmyn, has had some really serious health problems.

But through it all, Holly has stayed strong for her family and showed us all what she is made of.

I so admire her zest for life, her unconditional love, and the ability to turn a sour situation into a sweeter one.

Out of all the things I HAD to have at my wedding...having Ross and Holly DJ and run the reception was at the very top.  I could NOT give that up.  And in true Brown fashion, they showed up and threw an unforgettable party!

It was so special to have them there sharing in the most important time of my life.

Being thousands of miles apart is hard, but I still feel so loved by Holly.

She is so great at staying in contact and I am forever grateful to have her in my life.

I am a dance teacher now because of her.

And every class I just always try to think to myself, "What would Holly do?"

I know if I think that...I'll never go wrong.

I love you, Holly!

Thank you for everything!