Warming up here

Utah is getting so warm already. Talk about a strange year. I have been busy getting us ready to move and soaking up time with loved ones. Lincoln and I go on a walk or run every morning. I try to let him stop and see the horses and play at the park. Two old men were walking by while Lincoln was looking at the horses and the one said, “You’re raising a cowboy ..” I agree. This handsome prince LOVES horses. He loves animals. He can’t stop pointing at them. He also just started saying, “WOOF” when he sees a dog. No one told me being a parent just keeps getting better and better.

Yes, we went on a walk in pajamas. As we were walking back to the trail a lady called Lincoln a she. He gets that a lot. He must be really cute. Riiight?

I don’t know if I have mentioned it, but I have a goal to lose 6 more pounds before moving. I’d like to share what I am doing. I strive to eat about 1500 calories a day. Tracking calories IS the magic wand. I also try to walk or jog every day (except Sunday) while also doing strength exercises daily.

Strength exercises are really stabilization + strength. Because of being inactive for as long as I was and going through pregnancy, I have some muscular imbalances and poor posture (which is much better since doing a few exercises every day.)

Daily I try to do

1. 20 pushups
2. 20 squats with weights
3. 20 lunges while doing bicep curls
4. 1 minute of floor bridges
5. 20-30 reps of an abdominal exercise (I’m trying to fix my diastasis recti so I have to modify these exercises)
6. Prone cobra for a minute
7. Iso-abs (planks)
8. Static stretches for various parts of my body

Some days I do 3 sets of these, some days I go for stretching and one set of these. I listen to my body and sometimes I try new exercises. The important thing is to keep moving and give those muscles a reason to grow and strengthen.

Happy Wednesday!

My grandfather’s interactions with the Prophet Joseph

I have been LOVING doing family history. I feel so close to these ancestors as I study their stories. I’ve been having so many amazing things happen, I wish I could just spill them all out, but Im going to have to write one at a time. I want to share these stories for my family to see. I hope we remember what great sacrifices our ancestors made to have the gospel. They wanted the gospel and they wanted us, their posterity, to be blessed by the gospel. I have found the greatest stories of faith in my own ancestors.

One of my 5th Great grandfather’s name is Alvah Alexander. He was a member of one of the 1st quorums of the seventy. I was reading his bio today and came across this piece he wrote about his interactions with the prophet Joseph Smith.

“I came to Nauvoo in the fall of 1842. At this time I met the Prophet Joseph Smith, and knew him from then till the time of his death. I was only a boy of eleven when I first knew him, but I always loved him, and no amusements or games were as interesting to me as to hear him talk.

I remember one day I was at his home playing with his children, when he came home and brought two men. These men had been arrested for abusing Joseph. He brought them in and treated them as he would one who had never done him a wrong; gave them dinner before he would allow them to depart. Just before they sat down to dinner he brought his children up and introduced them. Pointing to me he said: ‘This is a neighbor’s little boy’.

When the officers were taking Joseph to Carthage, at the time of his assassination, my father and I met them. We stepped to one side of the road to allow them to pass.

Captain Dunem, who was with Joseph, stopped and told my father that Joseph said he never expected to return. And he never did, for he was foully assassinated at the Carthage Jail.

When they returned with the body, I was among those who went to meet them. I saw him lying in state at the Mansion House. I was deeply affected, as my love for the Prophet was great. As a boy, my testimony that Joseph Smith was a true Prophet was as strong as it is now as a man; and I verily testify that Joseph Smith was a true Prophet of the living God.”

I also know that Joseph Smith was and is a prophet of God. I am so grateful for this wise grandfather writing down his experiences so that they may bless our lives.

Family – this is (grandma Isabella’s mother) Lacy Bell Hatch’s great grandfather. 

Like a child

Monday I went outside to go running and my jogging stroller had a flat tire. I turned around and almost went inside when my little prince saw his little car he likes to ride in. So instead we went on a two mile walk and I did a “playground” workout.

I did 30 tricep dips, 100 lunges and 100 side squats. It is Wednesday and I am still VERY sore on my quads. Wowza. I think I will be switching up my workout routine more because apparently I need it!

Anyways, while walking to the park we had several vehicles drive by. Each time, little prince, would do this…

Cutest thing ever right? Why are children unbiased in who they are kind to? Why are they so much more christlike than us?

The track I walk on sometimes is right by the elementary school. While jogging or walking recess is often going on at the school. I ALWAYS hear children shout at the top of their lungs, “HIII!!” “HELLOO!” And Lincoln and I kindly wave. I want to be more like them.

Happy Thursday!

What e’er thou art act well thy part

Sir Knight and I don’t have many weekends left till we move across the country so we are taking every chance we can to attend the temple. Its our favorite place to go on a date. Its amazing how going to this place increases my love for Caleb. I remember when we got sealed in the Draper temple, the man who sealed us told Caleb that by taking me to the temple he is telling me he still wants me forever. I love that.

Sunday we went to church and I left Lincoln alone in nursery for the first time. Caleb came out of Elder’s quorum (a church meeting for men) and said, “How was relief society (relief society is a meeting for women) today? I bet it was nice without Lincoln.”  I said, “I missed him.” Caleb laughed. But really, one day when I no longer have babies to hold at church, or a little one to pace around the halls with, I am going to miss it terribly. I love this stage of my life. I looked forward to it since I was a little girl. I know right after Lincoln was born, and I was super tired, it was difficult at times. But I do feel like I am good at enjoying the stage that I am in. My days are not crazy with several children, like I hope they will be one day. It is just Lincoln and I playing, learning, eating, napping, reading, cooking, and cleaning together. It is heavenly. It is what I came here to do and be – a mother.

One day while I was nursing Lincoln in the mothers room at church I saw a sign someone had placed above the door it said, “What e’re thou art act well thy part.” It reminded me of this talk. I reread it when I got home and decided to share a paragraph from it on instagram (@paigerchickybaby).

As daughters of God we are each unique and different in our circumstances and experiences. And yet our part matters—because we matter. Our daily contributions of nurturing, teaching, and caring for others may seem mundane, diminished, difficult, and demeaning at times, and yet as we remember that first line in the Young Women theme—“We are daughters of our Heavenly Father, who loves us”—it will make all the difference in our relationships and our responses.

Happy Monday!

Welcome March

I  love how Utah can have completely different weather each month. February this year surprised us by being mild and warm. This winter season it snowed on Christmas, but we haven’t got snow at our house since. Yesterday we were asked by our local Authority to fast and pray for moisture. So hopefully, March will be a wet month.

Last year, after I graduated, I was officially a stay at home mom. The adjustment was a little overwhelming. Going from working full time, going to school full time, being a young woman leader, to “just staying home” came with its challenges. I would sit on our chase lounge and nurse my baby boy most of the day. I watched Downton Abbey, Larkrise to Candleford, and a bunch of Disney movies. I loved holding my sweet baby after he ate and cuddling him in my arms as he slept, but I felt quite unproductive. I decided to start to do my family history.  I started to do it out of obligation because I knew I should, but then i grew excited to work on it every day. I felt like I was sincerely getting to know these family members. This weekend I reflected on how finding and learning about my ancestors has blessed my life.

There is so much confusion and sadness going on in the world. There are those who are abandoning their faith and losing hope. This time last year I found my personal faith being attacked.  I had sick feelings about all that was going on. It was around that time that I began doing family history. Again and again I came upon ancestors of mine who gave everything to come to Zion and follow the Prophet Joseph Smith. Those ancestors left their homes, countries, and families to come to America and join with the saints. Some lost children while crossing the plaines to Utah. As I learned about these ancestors my faith was strengthened and I knew that they did it so their posterity would be able to be partakers of the gospel. They had a testimony that Joseph Smith was a prophet of God, and they reminded me of that same testimony which I have. The way has never been easy for followers of Christ, and it never will, but we can be sure that Christ will never leave or abandon us. If we follow Him and stay in the Old Ship Zion, we will safely return home to our Father in Heaven.

Else Kathrine Andersen Christensen (1847-1923)

This is my Great Great Great Grandmother (My mother’s, mother’s, mother’s, Mother) I have felt a special connection with her since I have learned more about her life. I thought I was the only person in my family who likes medical stuff. This lady was one of the first Midwives in Utah. She delivered over a thousand babies. She was born and raised in Denmark. When she was a young woman she secretly allowed LDS missionaries to teach her about the restored gospel and the Book of Mormon. When it was discovered that she had been baptized she was kicked out of her home and her family disowned her. She never saw her parents again. She met and fell in love with her eternal sweetheart Lauritz Mathias Christensen. Together they came to America, traveled with the pioneers to Utah, and Laurs kept his promise to build her a nice home and raise a family. They were the parents to 10 biological children and 2 foster children. Else lost her family and two of her children passed away while on their way to Utah. She gave up her precious Denmark to come to America and gather in Zion. She is one of many of my ancestors who had tremendous faith in a very difficult time. I will forever honor and be grateful for this Matriarch of mine!

Cousins

This last week Caleb and I stayed at his sisters house and tended their children. Going from 1 to 4 children that fast was sure enlightening. I think my sister-in-law is a super hero and I love her kids even more. Her house is surrounded by fields and Lincoln loved exploring outside with his cousins. He also enjoyed telling them to push him in the tractor, to turn on the fan, and to drag him around on the house on a blanket.

If you have been following my other blog, I have been trying to share my weightless journey. Due to not having a computer until just recently, I have not been able to blog very much. I will resume sharing how it all is going. To update you, I have lost 7 pounds since Christmas. The last month Ive stayed about the same. I have learned that my eating habits are closely tied with my emotions. I had  to deal with a few heartbreaking things this last month and it made eating good and exercising very difficult. I go into survival mode and don’t want to worry about watching what I eat. Luckily, I didn’t gain any weight, but today I am starting to track my calories again. I gave myself a pep talk and I am ready to lose the last 10 pounds! I found this old picture of myself last night and I almost cried.

I miss that body. I know it is still here. It is amazing and has been through a lot (creating a child namely) and it can do hard things. What makes me sad is how I have treated it the last couple of years. I am resolved to always take care of this gift God has given me. I want to exercise to keep it strong, feed it foods that will help it maintain its proper functions, and give it adequate rest. Being a full time student and pregnant, I just thought I would be healthy when I graduated and within a month or so the weight would come off. Don’t ever lie to yourself and tell yourself it will be easier tomorrow. I love the quote, “Don’t put off twice tomorrow what you didn’t do once today!”

Where we are.

Soon on we will be southerners. Soon we will be far from all that is familiar and we will be having new adventures while Sir Knight attends PA school, but for now we are here. Here physically and here in this stage of our lives. Our prince is 18 months this week. We are in North Ogden, surrounded by beautiful trails and mountain views. Sir Knight is home, and ours for the evening, by 4:30 most nights. We spend lots of time together and take many trips up the street to Grandma and grandpa Vaughan. So for now we are going to drink deeply of this place and this time we have. Like yesterday when little prince came with me on my morning run. Have a great day!