No More Glasses!

While I was away from you all I was off getting de-nerdified! LOL! Well I'm still a nerd at heart, but not on the outside. LOL! About a month or so ago I decided to try contacts, and I LOVE 'em! They are the best inventions EVER! My whole looked changed, not to mention my confidence level. I don't feel like I am hiding behind those two lenses anymore, I am just out there. I am me. :)

Spring Has Sprung

Yes ladies and gents, the Vernal Equinox has made her debut! For us out here in AZ it is a bitter sweet time. While we enjoy the warmer weather, Spring is just another reminder that the 100+ degree weather is just around the corner.

Although the Summer is on it's way, for now, I will sit back and enjoy the warmer days and cooler evenings. Plus I can wear dresses! YES!! Oh, and who can forget the beautiful blooming flowers? So pretty! Happy Spring everyone!

Check Out This Awesome Giveaway!

Miss Hanna over at Aspire is giving away a free blog button to one lucky winner! If you are interested, head over to her amazing blog. :)

Don't Ever Break Your Vacuum

Seriously. Treat your vacuum cleaner like one of your own children. I am not even kidding. About three weeks ago our vacuum bit the dust, so to speak, and none of us rushed to replace it. Big mistake. As many of you know, I am a bit of a clean freak, and going three weeks without vacuuming almost sent me into a conniption fit. Our floor didn't really look dirty, but I just knew it was. I knew I was walking on dust, and dog hair, and dead skin cells. Ugh, the thought just makes me shutter!

Thank God that my parents FINALLY replaced our deceased vacuum yesterday! It is a beautiful little machine that really works great! It's one of those upright vacuums where you can see all the dust and gunk swirling around in the bag. I love that because I know that my floor is getting clean. And boy did we clean. Once the thing was all assembled, my mom flipped that switch and got to work. After about 60 seconds the bag was full...

Yeah, gross. I know. We had to actually vacuum about three times until we were satisfied that I floor was clean. Heck, we even vacuumed more today, and STILL found more dirt and dust! But I think everything is all spic and span now. I will now be able to vacuum every week! Whoop!

So, take my word for it: do NOT break your vacuum, because you could be walking on layers and layers of nasty stuff. Happy cleaning! :)

My Photography Blog

Along with restarting my Mommy blog, I have also resurected my photography blog! Yay!! So if anyone is interested in following my photoshoots and my weekly I ♥ Faces posts, then head on over to KC Photography for a little look-see. :) {hint: just click the logo below}

STATIC

Static can be a total nuisance. I know it drives me batty once the cold weather gets here and it makes my hair stand up on end! However, static can be quite fun if you just know how to control it.
As you can see, Lyla and I decided to make the best out of the electrical currents. LOL! Our hair was so crazy! It was literally standing on end! It was also quite tricky to get these pictures, as I had to hold the camera and the pillow over Lyla's head. So be grateful! LOL!

VINCENT VAN LYLA

Lyla and I tried something new the other day! I sat her little butt down at the kitchen table, got out a piece of blank paper and a couple of colored pencils, and let her have at it! This was her very first time coloring! Haha! It was so cute! She got REALLY excited, but didn't know what to do! Of course she tried to put them all in her mouth, but I nipped that in the bud before she really got into it. :P

We probably "colored" for about a half an hour! She never once drew anything, but she gave it her best try! I help coloring swirls and stuff to try to get her to copy me, but no such luck. She did have fun though. :) We are going to try again soon. Once she finally does color something, I will post it on here. Yay! In the meantime, here is her at her first coloring session. :)

"MORE THAT MEETS THE EYE"

Decepticon forces return to Earth on a mission to take Sam Witwicky prisoner, after the young hero learns the truth about the ancient origins of the Transformers. Joining the mission to protect humankind is Optimus Prime, who forms an alliance with international armies for a second epic battle.

It's here! Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen!! It's here! Ahh! Yes, I am a huge nerd for being in love with these movies, but how could you not be!?! Huge alien robots fighting to the death, hotness named Shia LeBouf, and Megan Fox! What more could you ask for in a movie?!?

Okay, I know some of you don't think this merits a post, but I am seriously so excited! I saw this movie twice in the theatres, including the day it came out! I cannot wait to get this one on DVD!! It has to be, by far, the best movie this year! If you haven't seen it, I HIGHLY recommend renting it. :)

Okay, done now. Sorry, hope everyone is having an awesome Tuesday! :D

I ♥ FACES | Moved!!! :D

Hey everyone! I just wanted to inform you that I now have my photography up and running! YES! It is not quite finished yet, but I do want to let you all know that I will be posting my I hearts; Faces posts over there now. :) So ya'll should go and check out the newly launched KC Photography!!!! :D

I AM FAMOUS

Words cannot describe how touched I am right now. I knew it was coming, but I did not expect that it would be this beautiful. About two months ago, I was interviewed by a friend of Alexa's. She is one of the writers on the school newspaper. She wanted to do an article about me. Sort of "The Life of a Teenage Mother" type thing.

Yesterday, it came out. The Wick High newspaper was placed in with the regular town newspaper. And there it was. My article, on page 6. I finally got around to reading it this morning, and the words on the grey paper touched the deepest part of my heart. Emily captured my life beautifully, and transfered my exact mood onto the page.

I am honored to have been featured in the very first issue of the Wick High School newspaper. I will keep this article forever, in hopes that someday, when Lyla is ready, I will tell her about what I faced when she was just a baby. I pray that this article is read by many other teens possibly thinking about taking that next step with their boyfriend/girlfriend. Perhaps this article will help them think twice about partaking in an act that is only meant for marriage.

However, my biggest prayer is that it will help others understand me better. Maybe now they will understand what I am going through, and just how hard it really was, and is, for me as a teenage mother. Emily, if you are reading this, I thank you tenfold. You are amazing.

Here is a little excerpt from the article:

{"...As the pregnancy carried on, Kylee reluctantly returned to school. She often felt depressed, and planned to put the baby up for adoption. She told her story to her church, however, and three months into the pregnancy she decided to keep the baby. Kylee's responsible decision further untied her family, but many passed judgments on her. They saw her as a "goody-goody" who changed into a "horrible person." People she didn't know asked her personal questions, which she did her best to ignore...When asked if she would change anything given the chance, she replies by saying "No, because Lyla is here. I regret having sex, but I can't imagine life without her now. Kylee's experience has made her more aware of how prominent teenage pregnancy has become in our society. "I know how much people will lose once they're pregnant." She wants to make girls aware of this problem. Now committed to abstinence, Kylee offers this sound advice to teenagers "Don't have sex!!! Be responsible! You only get to live your life as a teenager once, so do it right!"...Kylee is a testament to the fact that the most beautiful things in out lives can sometimes come from our most awful mistakes. Through this story, Kylee hopes that people will understand her better, and see that teenage pregnancy isn't easy for anyone"}

Sorry that was so long, but I really wanted to give you a feel of what the article was about. I skipped around a bit, so I hope you weren't too confused. LOL! This article truly touched me, and I feel so honored to have made it into the paper. I hope and pray my story will help out others in my similar situation.

THE NEW "IN" THING

Ususally, I am the kind of person who doesn't follow trends. Whether it be clothing, hair style, or the new fixation people have with Twilight and Taylor Swift, I usually go my own way. But there is the new trend going around that I just had to partake in. It may seem kinda silly, but I just had to!

Yeah, I know, I know. I am an excelent model ;)

THE CLUTCH WALLET! It is ah-mazing! It is seriously revolutionizing the wallet industry! I know this sounds silly, but this thing is the best invention EVER! I love it so freaking much! My old wallet was small. I always lost the darn thing. Plus, since becoming a mother, I have so many cards I carry around. I have my license, my Debit card, my Safeway card, Lyla's insurance card, my school ID {though I don't really need that anymore. LOL!}, and a few random gift cards. It was seriously getting ridiculous!

With this revolutionary new fad, I am able to keep my cards and money all squared away. I ♥ it so much, and I recommend it to anyone who is looking for a new wallet. I got mine at Rue 21, on sale, for about 3 bucks. Can't beat that!!

I GOT ANOTHER BLOG AWARD!!!

Today an unexpected visitor showed up at my blog, and presented me with an award! I am sooooo flattered! Her name is Chantel and she was a teen mom as well. She is now 26 with two kiddos and one on the way. :) I want to thank you mucho for this award Chantel, and I can't wait to get to know you better. :) {You can visit Chantel HERE}

So, this award comes with some rules, plus a servey I have to fill out {which is fine with me. I have an addiction to surveys} So here we go!!!

RULES

1. You Can Only Use One Word!

2. Pass this along to 6 of your favorite bloggers!

3. Alert them that you have given them this award!!!

4. Have Fun!!

THE FUN PART

1. Where is your cell phone? Counter

2. Your hair? Messy

3. Your mother? Working

4. Your father? Chuck-tastic!

5. Your favorite food? Italian

6. Your dream last night? None

7. Your favorite drink? Soda

8. Your dream/goal? Photographer

9. What room are you in? Livingroom

10. Your hobby? Photography

11. Your fear? Alone

12. Where do you want to be in 6 years? Married

13. Where were you last night? Home

14. Something that you aren’t? Outdoorsy

15. Muffins? Poppyseed

16. Wish list item? DSLR

17. Where did you grow up? Arizona

18. Last thing you did? Potty

19. What are you wearing? PJ's

20. Your TV? Movies

21. Your pets? Billy

22. Friends? Supportive

23. Your life? Complicated

24. Your mood? Blah

25. Missing someone? Lexy

26. Vehicle? Honda

27. Something you’re not wearing? Shoes

28. Your favorite store? Target

29. Your favorite color? Orange

30. When was the last time you laughed? Afternoon

31. Last time you cried? Wednesday

32. Your best friend? Lexy

33. One place that I go to over and over? Store

34. One person who emails me regularly? Louise

35. Favorite place to eat? Babbo's

Whew! There ya have it! One word answers! Man, that was harder than I thought it would be! I just realized with that survey that I like to jabber a lot! I seriously had to erase so many things, because I was trying to use more than one word! LOL!

Okay, so now I have to pass this award onto 6 of my favorite bloggers. Who shall I pick...

Louise over at Adori Graphics

Lacey over at Laceyy Laughhs

Ave over at Made is Canarias

Katie over at My Story Is Not Over

Nicole over at The Young Mama Blog

The Crowder's over at The Crowder Family

SEE YOU AT THE POLE 2009

Today is national See You At The Pole day. Today is a very special day for Christian teens around the USA. For those who do not know what SYATP is, it is one day every year where teens and tweens show up early to school. They all make a HUGE circle around the flag pole, join hands, and pray.

I have been a part of SYATP since I was in 6th grade. This is my first year that I had to miss it. It is an amazing time of witnessing and fellowship. Last year, we started doing this EVERY day around the flag pole. You could feel the oppression. People would actually walk by and scream obscenities at us. But that only made us stronger. :)

I pray that today was an amazing time of prayer at Wick High. I miss being able to be there, but I was there in spirit. Did anyone else experience SYATP? Did any of you participate in it? Anyone have kiddos who participated? I would love to hear about it. :)

I WAS FEATURED!!!

Yesterday was the first ever Blogger Uncovered over at Adori Graphics! I was so honored to be the very first one to be featured! I have never been featured on another blog before, so this was so amazing!

What happens is, some of the readers of Adori Graphics asked some specific questions about me and my blog. I answered accordingly, and my answers were then featured on Adori Graphics. It is a great way to learn about other's and what their blogs are about. :)

Thank you Louise for allowing me to be the first ever blogger for the Blogger Uncovered slot. :) Check out Louise's blog for more Blogger Uncovered stuff, and so much more. She is an amazing woman with amazing talent. Pay her a little visit why don'tcha. :P

MY VERY FIRST BLOG AWARD!!!!!!

The lovely Louise from Adori Graphics has given me this lovely blog award for my honest blogging :) I am sooooo freaking excited! This is my very first blog award ever! I feel so accomplished! LOL!

I now have to pass the award on to 7 bloggers who I think are honest in their blogging and to list 10 honest things about myself. So, here we gooooo...

10 Honest Things About Yours Truly

1.) One of my biggest fears is taking a shower when no one else is home. I absolutely CANNOT bring myself to do it. It just freaks me out to no end.

2.) I hate, hate, hate Taylor Swift songs. {I know I will most likely get shanked for that one.} I just cannot stand her "oh-I-am-so-in-love-and-I-have-to-find-1000-different-ways-to-sing-about-it" songs. Puh-lease!!

3.) I suffer with major anxiety and depression. I have struggled all my life with this. It is a very hard thing to recover from, but with God's help, I am getting there slowly but surley.

4.) I had mono in 7th grade. {No, I did not get it from kissing someone.} I was very very sick for months. I seriously slept ALL day EVERY day for a month!

5.) I have NEVER been in an airplane. I have no clue when will be my first time.

6.) I am very sensitive and take even the smallest things, and dissect them. Which in turn makes me sooo stressed and upset.

7.) I conceived Lyla after the first time I had sex. {Man! Am I fertile or what!?}

8.) I really, really, really want to be a professional graphic designer/photographer, but I have a fear that I am being selfish, since I may not be able to find a steady job in that field. I feel like I should be wanting to do something else that will bring in good income for me to take care of Lyla on my own. :(

9.) I am ranked number 31st in my whole senior class. This is out of 140 students. I think that is pretty good for someone who got pregnant at 15. :P

10.) You probably already know this, buuuuutttt....I LOVE GOD! I love Him with all of my heart, and I sometimes shy away from Him because I think I am not good enough. Praise God that He will never give up on me! He has showed me His love time and time again. Love you Lord!!

Whew! So there you have it, ten honest things about me. Hey, that was a pretty good release. LOL! Okay, now down to business. Who shall I pass this award onto? Hmm. How about....

Emma Jo over at Emma Jo(:

Lacey over at Laceyy Laughhs

Katie over at My Story is Not Over

Jen over at Our Journey with Micro-Preemie Twins

Aly over at The Life and Laughter

Scotti over at The Oxford Family

Jessica over at The Sweet Life

I hope you all enjoy this blog award as much as I did! Please pass this on, and don't forget to post then honest things about yourself. :) Love you all! ♥

MY RANDOM BRAIN

I was sitting in Government today, trying to find something to work on, and I just kinda realized that while you guys know the most intimate parts of my story, you don't really know anything about me. Oh sure, you know I like photography, and all that jazz, but what about all the random things I like? The things that make me laugh? Those kinds of things. :) I would really like to share them with you if that is okay with ya'all. :)

I LOVE: Canon digital cameras. The smell of the Earth after a nice rain. Bright shoes. BIC pens. Costco. Free samples. Hot baths while reading a good book. Science. Understanding math. Romantic poems. Actually listening to the words in songs. Sour candy. Stylish outfits. Name's with Y's in them. Lyla ♥. Tall people. Asians. Curly hair. French manicures. Diamonds. Volleyball games. Photoshop. Forever 21. Chocolate sprinkles on chocolate ice cream. Binder clips. Hearing the words "I am proud of you." Chuck Taylors. Vintage things. Learning to play the flute. Very shiny objects. Orange Expo markers. Quoting Jim Carey movies. Taking pictures. FDR. Purity rings. Ultrasounds. A good debate. Drawing ♥'s. Laughing at nothing. Riding in the car while listening to my favorite song. YoungLives. Cursive fonts. Watching medical shows. Playing Wii tennis. When the clock says "11:11" or "12:34." When guys where ties. American Eagle Jeans. Target. Cappuccino punch. Tiramisu. My family. Getting 100% on a test. Spinning in office chairs. Watching people in airports. Dressing up. Hair clips. Hospitals. Scotch tape. Laptops. Getting hugs from Lyla. Cloudy days. White teeth. Singing a note perfectly. Writing the letter "W." Tie-dye. Getting hair cuts. Striped shirts. Maps. Facebook. Watching people eat fruit. Getting out of school early. Singing at church. San Diego. Black and white pictures. Books. Feeling like I am beautiful.

But most important...I love how much God cares for me. I love how much he loves me. I love how much he is my best friend when I am all alone.

TWO DOLLAR TEARS

Today Lyla received her very first birthday card in the mail. My lovely Aunt Cathy is not able to make it to Lyla's party this Sunday so she sent Lyla a wonderful little card. The card was wonderful, and what she wrote was sweet, but the really wonderful thing was what was inside the card.

Just a little flashback to my younger years. LOL! So every year when our birthdays rolled along, my grandma Marty would send us a wonderful card with $2 inside. No matter how old we got it was always two dollars. This is a tradition that I have been a part of since I can remember.

Last December {right before I found out I was pregnant} my grandma Marty passed away. She was pretty old and just sort of gave up. She was a wonderful lady, and I wish I would have been able to be with her more. She lived all the way in Phoenix and just couldn't come down to our neck of the woods much. Her funeral was lovely, and it was a wonderful time of remembering my wonderful grandma who always sent me two dollars every year. :)

So, can you guess what was tucked in with Lyla's card? Yep, you guessed it, two dollar bills. I honestly almost started bawling right there! It was such an amazing moment, seeing those two 1's peeking from inside the card. I am so happy that Aunt Cathy chose to carry on this tradition of the $2. It makes me remember my sweet hearted grandmother, who I just realized I miss greatly.

Thank you for listening to this wonderful moment I experienced today. I know you probably wont understand what is so great about two dollars, but I was so touched to see them. One day I will share this story with Lyla, and perhaps she will somehow be connected to the great-grandmother she never had a chance to meet.

BLOGGER'S BIRTHDAY???

Did anyone else notice the little cake next to the "B" on your Dashboard? LOL, I know this is kinda random, but it is making me think that today is Blogger's B-Day! If so....

HAPPY BIRTHDAY BLOGGER!

LOL! I am soooo random. :P

WHICH ONE, WHICH ONE

I finally got my Homecoming dress! We went on Friday after we all had some of Lyla's B-day cake. :) We went up to Prescott, so they didn't have the dress that I tried on last weekend, but I did find a ton of adorable dresses! :D But which one did I choose? Hmmm?? {Lexy is with me trying on dresses, but I had to white out the one she actually picked so Garett doesn't see :P}

Did I go with this one??? How 'bout this one??
Hmmm...maybe this one?
Is yellow what I went with??
What about this little number??Well, all those were super beautiful, but I went with the classy 50's style dress! I love this dress sooo much! I feel like a million bucks in it! You can't really tell, but it has three little roses in the top corner. It is the most beautiful thing I have ever owned, and I cannot wait to wear it to the dance. Now, if only I had a date....

EVERY GIRL'S FAVORITE PLACE...

THE MALL!!! YES!

Yesterday was amazing! I got to hang out with two amazing ladies that I met at YoungLives camp. Aly is 15, and was one of the childcare workers at the camp. She is a beautiful young girl with amazing photography talent. Her heart is for the Lord, and she makes me smile. :)

Amy is 18, and she has a beautiful daughter named Addison. Amy is so cute and bubbly! She makes me smile with everything she says. She is the kinda person who you would think would never hurt a fly. :)

So along with Alexa and her new boyfriend Garett {I know, I didn't tell you, sorry :P} we all had a blast! First we all met up at the Starbucks, then we headed off to Panda for some much needed lunch! While in line, I realize that I have forgotten my wallet! Imagine that!! I am 1.5 hours away from home, and I don't have my card, my driver's lisence, or my cash! I am soooo angry! Alexa lets me borrow some of her money for food, so that was good.

After we ate, we headed to Forever 21 {best store EVER!} and spent about an hour in there, no joke. We were trying on all these silly hats, glasses, jewlery, etc. It was really a blast! Garett was cracking me up! He was putting on scarves and looking at girl clothes! I think Alexa was embarrased! Haha!

Once that fun was over, we marched onwards to Dillard's. Lexy and I wanted to look for ideas for Homecoming dresses. We all decided that we were going to try on a dress, and I would take some pictures. I found the PERFECT dress! It was so amazing! To bad I didn't have my money! >.<

Anywho, after that we walked around for a few more minutes, got some DQ, headed to Am Eagle, then we said our goodbyes. It was an amazing day! I love my new friends. I really really hope and pray that we can hang again soon. It was nice to get out of the house. Love you girlies! Thanks for hanging with me! Muuah! ♥