A look back of 2014

Warning: If you're sick of my baby- skip this post since 90% of my year review will be about her. you're welcome.

2014! Another awesome year under our belt. I'm happy it's over. It felt like most of the year was spent in anticipation and being pregnant and then in a weird limbo of having a newborn. These last few months have been the best months of the year and I look forward to continuing that awesomeness into 2015

The first pictures I have (that aren't belly pics) are from my graduation in May. Oops! Graduating college 6 months pregnant was pretty awesome. The whole day I just thought of my baby girl and how empowering it is to have an education and a chosen career. I must say I LOVE being a college graduate!

It wouldn't be a year in review without Football! Bart was the Sophomore Head Coach this year for Kearns. I was so proud of him! He really came out of his shell and was a great leader.

And then of course this happened! I've documented those first few months pretty regularly. Since the baby and I both sleep through the night now I don't have nightly updates. Bottom line? She changed our world and it's the best world to be in!

My baby sister got married! It was a beautiful weekend

And this is how our year ended: 

Like I said: not too eventful and yet the most life changing year yet! In my defense I wasn't super interested in documenting my preggo self for posterity. You're welcome.

Happy New Year everyone!

Count my many blessings

Ahh Thanksgiving. Where do I start? I love having a special day where I can slow down and really ponder on my blessings. I am always overwhelmed by the love I have been shown by my Heavenly Father and the gifts he has rained down on me. 

Last season I was incredibly grateful for my health. I had spent the majority of the year overcoming my Hashimotos diagnosis and by November I had gained a greater appreciation for my body and my health. This year I am still happy for the blessing that is my body, and all that it allows me to do. 

But of course as my family gathers around the table this year to spout off our thoughts, mine will be about my little family. 

My beautiful healthy baby girl that has brought a new kind of joy into my life. Who makes me feel like I am important and needed. Her loves and cuddles and smiles complete my day and have changed my life forever. 

My amazing strong husband who has loved me every step of the way as we do this thing called parenting. Who has looked at me like a crazy person as I cried and laughed my way through pregnancy and then cried even more when the baby finally got here. Who took over in the middle of the night when I was coming apart at the seams. Who laughs with me and runs with me and cooks for me. I can't say enough good things about this man. I am so in love with him. 

My mom who has truly been an angel sent from heaven to help me when I didn't realize I needed so much help. To listen to my tears and give me honest advice and tell me it's going to be OK. 

My dad who kept me company when I was feeling so lonely and who gave me that big hug I can't find anywhere else. 

My siblings who fell in love with my baby and spread some of that extra love my way. For checking in on me and taking an extra minute to chat. 

My in-laws who have supported me and loved me like always and who are enjoying a Bowen Family baby boom! 3 born this year and 3 more due by June! I can't wait for Macs to enjoy her little cousins. 

My job that keeps me sane. What more can I say? 

My testimony and membership in the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints. The love I feel from my Heavenly Father everyday and the guidance he has shown me and Bart. The peace I have in my life because of my faith and the happiness that choosing the right has brought me. The power of the atonement that helps me be better everyday and the example Jesus Christ set for me to follow. 

Happy Thanksgiving everyone! Eat lots of food and find a comfy couch to sit on. I know I will! 

Birthday Cereal

My dad turned 50 this week! We surprised him with a party at the park. It was the finest of parties, complete with cold cereal and chocolate milk (a family/dad favorite). It was pretty toasty at the party, and my camera's battery was dying so I didn't get tons of pics, but you get the idea!

730ish Days

2 years ago we got married! It was lovely. We looked pretty and we've only gotten prettier :)

You don't see very many marriages that work these days, which can be a scary thought. The main idea that helps give me hope? Marriages weren't meant to fail. They were designed to succeed and make this world a better place. A loving marriage goes a long way when it comes to the happy things in life. I found my person and I think we will do just fine.

Of course there are "Ups and Downs" in a marriage. Luckily for us for every 1 Down there are 20 Ups. Isn't that the way life should be? Bart has embraced the motto "Happy Wife, Happy Life". I love you Bart!!

Day 6

I figured it was time to check in! 6 days down, -insert number here- to go! To be honest, the diet hasn't been as hard as I thought it would be...here are a few thoughts.

. There are many different ways to eat chicken...learn those ways

. carrots for breakfast? why not?!!

. It's amazing to have a best friend who is going through exactly the same thing. What are the odds? God knew what he was doing when he put us together all those years ago.

. Quinoa is still nasty. I invite anyone to cook me "tasty" quinoa and bring it to me so I can learn what it's supposed to taste like.

. Apparently 80oz of water a day isn't enough...potty breaks anyone?

. a week of being sugar, dairy and process food free and my skin is breaking out like a teenager. Where's the justice in that??

. the "I feel full" feeling only lasts about an hour.....I miss you carbs....

. Coconut Milk and Almond Milk mixed together kinda sorta tastes like Fat Free normal Milk

. I felt super healthy at the grocery store. helllloooo produce aisle. 

It's amazing how your outlook on your body and health can change so drastically in such a short period of time. There is something in the brain that just switches over when you know you can't eat certain foods. There is no internal struggle or cravings because you just know the answer is no.

It's been an adjustment, but I'm doing it!

On a side note...my niece Ameri turned 6 today. I still remember going to visit just weeks after she was born. It was during one of the darkest times in my life and that baby girl invited in the sunshine just when I needed it! She's such a smart, talented and beautiful little girl and I look forward to watching her continue to grow up.

My Year in Pictures

Happy New Year! 2012 was a great year and I look forward to what 2013 brings! Last night I was going through pictures and got a little collage happy. Instead of flooding my instagram (which I did anyway) I decided to share them here!

First we have "Imafatkid". These are only a few of the things created at Cafe Bowen this year. I have been experimenting with cooking more and more and Bart is a great cook. We enjoy our time in the kitchen! in 2012 I canned some peaches, learned how to make a few soups, made my first pie and of course holiday candy. Cookies are a staple at Cafe Bowen and Bart perfected his omelets this year too!

Next up is "A.M. Real Job" with just a sneak peek of my past few months at work. I have been at ABC4 since June and have learned so much! I'm lucky to work with patient people who are willing to teach me and put up with my stupid questions and silly mistakes. Having a sloth at work is just a regular day!

This next collage is simply named "Moments". I loved sitting by the Christmas tree this year with some hot cocoa. We went through a few boxes this year and I may or may not have been addicted. My niece Ameri is such a doll and I love any chance I get to spend with her. This picture was taken in the Summer as we played in the grass. The "I love you infinity" note was written one of the many mornings Bart and I were up early eating breakfast together. Sometimes notes are better than words. One of my favorite pics of the year is this cute baby elephant who was jealous of all the attention her mom was getting, so she kept peaking out behind the fence and rock. 

I really love this next collage "Family". Obviously not all of my family is shown, and that simply means I didn't have a photo of them to use! (Jenny, Dad and Jake, we need to fix this!!). 

The one of Bart and I is cut off, but you have probably seen it before. I LOVE this picture of us. 

Next up is one of my fav pics of my BFF Sarah. She is such a beautiful person inside and out and I'm lucky to have her as a friend! 

The pictures of my mom and brother were both taken on the day we flew to Boise for a football game. I was terrified of the plane so my mom was trying to distract me. 

Dallin and I had great seats and it was fun having one-on-one time with him. 

The pictures of my nieces are special to me, and I'm happy I got a chance to see them in December! 

And last but not least, the picture taken with my baby sister Katie! She discovered that SheDaisy was playing in PG and we just HAD to go! It was so much fun hanging out with her. I realized that day it was really the first time her and I ever really hung out as friends AND sisters. I look forward to more days like that :)

I read a lot of books this year. A LOT. "Reading Time" shows a few of those. I went through phases where I would buy a new book every few days after I had finished a different one. Then around book 5 I realized I should probably stop buying so many and took a break....only to resume my habits a month or so later. Bart reminded me that there is a thing called a Library and to be honest that had never crossed my mind! I don't love libraries... I feel like I can't find anything good to read. These are just a few of my favorites from this year. 

My friend Chelsey was so sweet and sent me The Fault in Our Stars and I absolutely loved it. I read it within 24 hours. 

We Need to Talk About Kevin is a very good read, and it gets you thinking. 

Jodi Picoult is my favorite author and I have most of her books. I especially enjoyed her newest book Lone Wolf. 

Born To Run is the book that inspired Bart and I to start running. Even if you aren't a runner you should read this book. 

I discovered So Much For That one day roaming the isles of Barns and Noble. This is the kind of book you can read again and again! 

There were many others that I read in 2012, but these were some of my favs. I am always looking for new things to read, so if you have any suggestions.....suggest away!

I had a lot of fun writing this blog post today! Obviously this is only a sampling of what happened in 2012. Thank goodness for pictures right?? They making telling a story so much easier :)

The Bowen's 2012 Christmas Card

Happy holidays! We just wanted to update everyone we love, and anybody else who cyber stalks us, on how our year went. We meant to finish this earlier and send it out, but Bart has been stricken with Mono and is rendered useless until further notice.

                The year started out great. Megan was in her second semester at the University of Utah and Bart was halfway through his first year of teaching, contemplating his life choices. He soon realized teaching is about 15% inspiring young minds and 85% punishing the little &%$@ who disrupt the class. We regularly argue who is to blame for the bad behavior of these kids. Bart says it’s the parents while Megan says it’s the children.

Our upstairs neighbors and their small yapping dog finally moved out…followed quickly by an even larger more annoying dog. Our apartment adventures have been memorable to say the least. We live in a place invested with dog owners who have no time for their dogs, and so these dogs bark and cry all day long. We regularly dream about giving a bacon sponge to the dog downstairs, but have had self-control so far. This has further encouraged us to start thinking about buying a house, which will hopefully be in next year’s Christmas letter.

We decided to take a vacation in the early spring to California. On our way we discovered a little town where the people are literally outnumbered by livestock 7:1. At this point we were lost on our journey. Bart was willing to stop for directions but there was not a soul to be found and let’s be honest, cows aren’t that friendly.

Angel’s Camp, CA was a great place to vacation….if you’re collecting social security and have a subscription to AARP. We stayed for 4 days. Our trip later took us to San Francisco but we only stayed one day because come on, what would a young couple like us have to do in the “Paris of the West?” After biking from the pier across the Golden Gate bridge and back (which only took us 2 hours), we decided not to stop for lunch to save us money on the rental fees…but Bart was quickly reminded  how Megan gets when she’s hungry, and looking back he would have gladly paid the extra fees. After fighting a herd of retirees for a table at the local chowder shop, we decided to head back to our hotel for a nap (because remember, we’re 80 years old).  We were pleasantly surprised by the location and classiness until we got to our “room” which was really just a bed squeezed into a 5x5 closet and yes, that included the bathroom. We decided to tour the city at night, which left us incredibly lost for a few hours…but we got to see the side of San Fran that few tourists ever get to see.

The summer was an exciting time for us this year. Bart was a coach for Kearns High School Football which meant Megan became very familiar with the bleachers and Bart was socially absent for most of the season. Megan also got her first grown up job as a morning producer for ABC4. We are both feeling very blessed that we have jobs we love. The rest of the summer was spent running. Bart started training for a half marathon and Megan started watching Bart train for a half marathon. He completed it under his goal time and lost 30 pounds in the training process.  

     

We really do live in a great location. We love the area. It’s close to work and more importantly, close to the mall! In an unrelated note we will be pushing back the purchase of a house.

Since Megan is now working full time she’s napping a lot more, but the naps kind of suck since she really hates the couch. Bart however still enjoys taking naps as often as possible.

Many things happened in the political world and Bart was so happy to announce that this was “our first election in love”. A very exciting time in the Bowen household! In other social news….Megan thinks it’s stupid that women are wearing pants to church to send a message. Bart was all for supporting it except his disability prevented him from realizing his “purple” tie was blue.

Megan is still a student and finds joy in going to class (HA!) She finally learned how to spell available and resturaunt….resturant…restarount? Moving on…        

    

                During this season of giving Bart wants an iPad for Christmas and Megan wants new couches. But hey, we don’t always get what we want right? Just two days into Bart’s Christmas break he finds out he has mono and should be resting for the next 3 weeks. Bart is keeping busy by taking pictures of his nasty infected tonsils and sending them to random family members. On the plus side we have plenty of pudding, applesauce and soup in the house.

                All jokes aside, Merry Christmas everyone! We have missed our friends who have moved away, and enjoy living so close to our families. We are truly blessed and during this time of year we are grateful for our happy and fulfilling lives. We wish all of you the best and a Happy New Year!

Holiday Update

So my blog told me I have to start paying for more space if I want to post more pictures. Luckily I FB stalked enough to find out that I just had to add another "author" (aka Gmail account) to my list and I'm back in action. It's really annoying the hoops we have to jump through to stay cheap....amiright????

Anywho.....because of said photo-problem I am a little late putting these pics up but that's okay because it's not even December yet so I am still technically ahead of schedule.

On Thanksgiving we ran the Utah Human Race. It was really fun and really cold. Bart had his best time and I....finished! Go me.

 
Thanksgiving was great as usual. We spent the day at my parents house bonding with the fam damily...later that night we had dessert at Bart's mom's house. I love Thanksgiving and have so many blessings to be Thankful for!

Can I just say that I love creating new traditions with Bart and our future family?! We decorate the house on Black Friday while watching "Christmas Vacation". This year we even got fancy and put Christmas lights on our front windows. For now it's not much, but the few decorations we have make our apartment so cozy!

Year two of tree decorating...I think I'm getting better!

Our new ornament (B for Bowen....Get it???!)

This was our first family ornament from last year, go Aggies!

and that's my cute Husband getting cheeky

As Bart would say, this is our 2nd Christmas married, 3rd Christmas in love and 4th Christmas together 

Another tradition is that Bart reads A Christmas Carol every night. Let me just tell you that Charles Dickens really knows how to confuse your tired little brain if you read this too late at night. Bart's a great reader though so I enjoy this little part of our Christmas nights :)

Snow, coats and naps

Well my birthday celebrations have officially begun, and mother nature decided to give me snow to start things off right! I loved it! The storm was awesome. I loved watching it snow all day at work and then coming home and getting in sweats and slippers and some hot cocoa of course....can't forget the cocoa

On Saturday it was too snowy to go running, so Bart and I decided to go jean shopping for my skinny hubby....it wasn't a pleasant experience. 

We went to Khols first and by the end Bart wasn't a happy camper. I found myself an AMAZING red coat (pics to come) but we couldn't find any pants that fit Bart.

 Who knew losing 30 pounds would make it harder to find jeans?? 

We went to the mall next and we found ONE pair of jeans...three different stores and only one pair. Not even the same style, but different brand, fit the same....so, ONE pair of jeans later we were done shopping....

we probably won't be doing anything like that anytime soon. 

Later that day Bart and I met his mom and brother at Red Rock for some lunch.

Love that place!

All bundled up with 3948 layers to decrease the possibility of me whining about 

the cold

 And what would a Saturday birthday celebration be without taking a nap?? 

Which is exactly what we did and it was a pretty great nap.

To finish off the day we headed down to my old stomping grounds (any by stomping grounds I mean the place where sad, terrible memories were made). Our nephew was playing in a championship football game at Lehi High so despite the 20 degree weather, we went and watched! His team was playing Lehi's team which of course means Lehi lost...because that's what Lehi High School does....lose!
It was freezing but since it was a little league game it was only an hour and half so we survived.

All this fun stuff and my birthday hasn't even happened yet! Stay tuned :)

Be Fabulous Friday Link Party!

My cute BFF Sarah posted a Link Party on her blog and since I have never done one before I decided to give it a try :)

Here are the Rules:1. Write about an accomplishment, daily task, or something exciting that has happened (or will happen) in your life that you deserve some recognition for.2. If possible, post a picture showing that accomplishment.3. Copy the "Fabulous Friday" button and place it in your post. Or copy the code and place it in your html.4. Link up your post here and spread the word!

An accomplishment I can think of is this amazing job I have had for almost 2 months now! It has been such a blast to work in my related field and have my "dream job" before I even graduated from college. 

I was talking to my boss the other day and it's just crazy to think of the people I get to work with. These people worked in the industry at the peak of journalism. They were hard core crime beat reporters and producers who kicked ass. The stories they tell are the reason why I wanted to become a journalist in the first place. Times have changed and everyone has had to adapt, but I am so lucky to get to work in a place like this at such a young age!

How did I do for my first link up? Sarah is such a cute blogger...the student has become the teacher (haha!)

State Fair

Bart finally had a Friday off from football since the Varsity team played on Thursday...which means I made him take me out on a date because let's be honest...I'm needy. I decided we should go to the fair since I had never really been to one before. It wasn't as fun as I was expecting, but the fat kids in us thoroughly enjoyed the food!

This is Bart's "I hate crowds and people and having to pay money for anything" face

He cheered up as soon as we found him a $10 turkey leg

It was actually really good....we felt very Neanderthal-ish eating it

And of course we couldn't get meat without a lemonade!

It was fun to get out and do stuff....but I don't think I'll have an interest in going to the fair again..once seemed to be enough!