Happy Birthday Kyla!

Yup....she's the big ONE today and she's pretty excited about it! 

copyright Keely Richman Photography

copyright Keely Richman Photography

copyright Keely Richman Photography

copyright Keely Richman Photography

copyright Keely Richman Photography

copyright Keely Richman Photography

copyright Keely Richman Photography

I know what you're thinking....Kyla is totally adorable, and HOLY CRAP you took a family picture?!  Yes my kid is pretty darn cute, and yup...here's the Richman family picture for 2015.  We probably won't get another one for 5 years, but secretly I'm ok with that.  Shout out to my dear friend Brandy Taylor for capturing it for us.  Love you to pieces! But enough about me...it's Kyla's big day so this post is all about her!

I can't believe I have a ONE year old.  Time flies when you're having fun.  Kyla currently has 10 teeth. She loves watching Curious George, loves potatoes, green beans, & pumpkin pie and speaks 2 languages!  She has gibberish down really well, but is slowly picking up English.  Her favorite words are...

WOAH!

WHO!

WHAT!

Baby

DADA! &

MAMAMAMAMAMAMAMAMAMAMA! (only when she is upset of course)

I did most of them in caps because her talking is more of a yell.  Her happy is definitely too loud, but I'll take a happy loud kid over a crying sad one.

Her favorite activity right now consists of pulling all of my pans and dishes out of the lower cupboards and sliding them across the floor.  Oh, and she helps load/unload the dishwasher by climbing in it.  Needless to say I've gotten faster at my house chores.

Kyla loves books!  She sits on them, eats them, turns the pages, and stares at them almost as if she could read.  Another shout out to cousins, Heather, Kennedy, and Kadance (sorry if I spelled it wrong) for giving Kyla her first Birthday present last night...A BOOK!  It's no contest...those girls and Scott win the favorite cousin award hands down.  Thanks so much guys for all of your help.  I have to say though, my good friend Amy takes the cake as Kyla's favorite person.  I almost think my kid loves her more than me some days, but who wouldn't.

A few more favorites are...

Pretending to drive Dads pickup

Riding the 4-wheeler

Playing with dogs

Going for walks 

Eating anything that looks out of the ordinary

Getting chased around by Mom & Dad

and last but not least....WALKING!

She is finally getting the hang of it.  She is still waaaaaay wobbly, but I'm sure she'll be running by tomorrow.  

Casey and I know we are spoiled rotten with Kyla around.  She has been one amazing kid!  She sleeps great, eats like a champ, and is happy around the clock.  I know I've said it before, but she truly has been our "light in dark" this past year.  We are so blessed and thankful for our little pumpkin.

Happy Birthday baby girl! We love you so much.

xoxo

  

A peek into our lives...

Well…it has definitely been a while since I’ve jotted anything down, and figured it was about that time again.   Bare with me while I get through this post, because it will more than likely be allllll over the place.  Here we go…

My world got turned upside down after Luke passed away.  I’ll admit that I have been slightly depressed.  Secretly I haven’t been dong ok.  That girl you see in public who looks like she has it together, I don’t. I’m a complete mess on the inside.  There’s not a day that goes by that I don’t think of him.  I still cry...a lot, and I probably will for a long time, but I am slowly healing.  I think the hardest thing has been seeing how quickly others move on.  I understand that’s what you do…you get lost in the every day things, and continue on with life, but just know that it feels like yesterday for some of us. I’m not asking you to feel sorry for me and I’m not seeking pity.  I’m just telling you the struggle is real for me each and every day, and I’m sure it is for my family too.  My heart aches for my friends who have dealt or are dealing with losing someone close.  It’s a different struggle for all of us, but a hard one none the less.

Staying busy has been key, and between being a Mom, driving truck, and taking pictures I think I’ve done pretty good at it.  Yes…I am still taking pictures.  If I seem to have dropped off the grid it’s because I’ve been in a truck for corn harvest.  Not gonna lie…it’s been a nice break being away from my computer.  Our electronics have a way of sucking us in.   I strongly encourage each one of you to take a step back and enjoy life, rather than try living it through your friend’s facebook posts.  Delete the app off your phone.  Best decision I’ve ever made.  Trust me.  You’ll live if you don’t check facebook for a day….I promise. 

August was a busy month for me.  Got to go to the Hogle Zoo with my Mom and Austin’s family.  Had a fun day, but was definitely worn out after fighting busy Utah traffic.  I went back to Salt Lake the next weekend to go to the Shania Twain concert. It was a much needed girls night with my best friend from High School and our Moms.  (Love you Red, thanks for putting it together)  I also had my first experience eating at Tucanos.  Needless to say, it’s my new favorite place.  Go there….you won’t regret it.

 Fair week happened and so did the food.  I indulged in the mac and cheese pulled pork sandwich and gave it 2 thumbs way way up.  Are you ready for this? Brace yourself…..I only ate 1 maple bar the entire week.  Yes, you read that right. ONE.  I think having a kid must have thrown off my taste buds, because I didn’t have any desire to eat more.  That didn’t stop me from eating 2 scones though.  Oh, and a rice bowl.  (Sorry if I just made you hungry.  Gotta love that fair food.)

Casey had another Birthday.   (Funny how those things keep showing up every year.)  We were both stuck driving truck while his family was off on vacation on their annual Richman trip to Alturas Lake.  We made it up there to spend Friday and Saturday with them.  (Make note we are still in August here. Told you it was a busy month.)  It was Kylas first big trip away from home.  I was an idiot who didn’t know to think about the altitude change and her ears started hurting as we climbed the pass. (The trip home went much smoother.)  Kyla loved listening to the live band that performed at Red Fish Lake and Case and I enjoyed a little break from everything.  We then spent Saturday night in Sun Valley and Kyla had her first hotel experience.  (A lot of firsts for her on this trip)  She loved every minute of it!

Ok…August is over now.

Kyla turned 10 months old September 17^th, and I just gotta say how much fun it is seeing your kid grow and change.  She is HOOT!  She has 4 teeth, is walking around furniture, and makes me laugh every day.  I need to apologize to all of my friends though because I know my Instagram and facebook posts are chuck full of Kyla, but hey….this is my life now, and I can tell you now that I’m not posting any picture of me, that’s for sure!  I’ll try and tone it down a bit, but I’m not making any promises.  She is just too darn cute!

So here we are…fall is officially here and harvest is in full swing. I’m excited for sweater weather, pumpkin everything, and for Marty to visit the future next month.  (Google it if you don’t know what I’m talking about.)   All in all we are doing good…as good as can be expected, and I guess that’s all we can ask for. 

Happy Harvest everyone!  Keep it rubber side down, and watch out for those tater trucks.  They’ll run you clean off the road.

Love,

Me

                            Kyla listening intently to the music at Red Fish.  She cracked me up.

In memory of Luke....

I figured more people take the time to fully read my blog, rather than just posting this entire thing as a facebook post.  Now this is going to require some effort on everyones part.  I don't want everyone reading this and think "Oh that's a great idea!" and then not follow through with it.  It's a really crappy day outside and I figured everyone can take 10 minutes out of their day to make this a success for my family.  I know you have 10 minutes because you've already been on the computer for 30 minutes browsing facebook.  Caught ya didn't I! :)

Here is what I am cooking up....
I am in the process of making a book for Lucas's wife and kids.  My Mom and Dad will get one too along with Austin and I, but I am doing this mainly for Quintin, Kai, Gem and especially Soph & Mia.  I am going to do everything I can to make sure my brothers kids remember him.

This is the part where you come in.
I am asking you to PLEASE write down any story or memory that you have of my brother.  It can be two sentences, or it can be 2 pages long.  Some of you will have more memories than others, but I am just asking for any piece you can dig up so his kids will know what an amazing, funny, and hard working man he was.  If you have pictures that would be great!!!

I am begging you all to please help me make this work!  I can't do it without you guys.

I will take hand written letters or typed, whatever works best for you all.

If you could, please email them or send them by mail.

Keely Richman
925 E 100 S
Declo, ID 83323

E-mail:
keelyrichman@gmail.com
208-431-6082

Please help spread the word.  Feel free to share this post with anyone who had the honor of knowing my brother.  Also, please include how you met Lucas for those of you who aren't related.

Miss you

Tippin the scale

I have been asked by a lot of my friends and family to write more on my blog, so here it goes.

Men, this may or may not apply to you, but I'm sure a lot of women can relate to what I'm about to discuss.  Two dreaded words....WEIGHT GAIN.  There's a quote that hits the nail on the head for me.  "I wish I was as skinny as I was back when I thought I was fat."  I don't think there has ever been a time in my life that I considered myself "thin" or "skinny."  Looking back at my High School Volleyball picture though, I definitely think "Holy crap, I was THIN!"  (Notice my awesome tan and rippling bicep)

2007

I am one of those shallow people too that looks at others and thinks "Wow, they sure tanked up." I'll admit it.  I'm not proud that I do it, especially now that I AM one of those people that have "tanked up."  It sucks tasting your own medicine, but I plan to change all of that.  

I just became a Mom.  Kyla is the best decision I ever made, besides marrying Casey of course.  I had a pretty rough pregnancy though.  The sick and miserable kind, not the pretty glow and tons of energy kind.  With my 9 months of misery came 65 extra pounds that I had told myself I wouldn't let happen.  Ya...guess I lied cuz it happened alright.  Oh...and those 20 pounds after I got married happened too.  Funny how it can sneak up on ya.  I got BIG and sadly those 65 pounds don't come off as easily as they go on.  To add to it all....I have struggled with extreme tiredness and fatigue, which I blame on "mono" that I got back in High School.  My energy levels tank easily if I'm not careful.  Being tired leads to zero energy which leads to laziness which leads to weight gain!  If only I could sleep and lose weight at the same time.  Someone should really figure that method out.  So here I am...tired, overweight, and wanting to make a change in my life.

WHY?  Why do I want to lose this weight?  One, to feel better because I feel like a slug, but honestly it's because of my family.  I want to be the energetic happy wife that my husband deserves, and I want to be the energetic happy Mom that my kid(s) deserve. The (s) will come later down the road of course, but they deserve to have a active Mom who is willing to go and participate in things with them, rather than sit on the sidelines and watch.  Plus....I'm just a big kid myself and it would kill me if I didn't have the energy to play all the time with my mini me's. 

I needed a little jumpstart to get this weight loss in motion, and my friend introduced me to AdvoCare.  I did a 24 day challenge and lost 10 pounds and 8 inches.  The real kicker....I didn't change a single thing in my life.  I ate the same, did zero exercise and lost 10 pounds!  Oh...and my energy levels skyrocketed!  Now during this 24 day challenge they encourage you to do the normal weight loss rules.... eat healthy, exercise....yada yada yada.  Well I really wanted to test this which is why I didn't do any of those things.  It works!  I'm a firm believer that a body in motion will stay in motion.  The energy that I got from this made me want to be up and about which automatically burns more calories.  Energy is big in my book and would tell any of you to try the "SPARK" drink that AdvoCare sales.  It was just the boost I needed.  Now I absolutely hate having my picture taken....especially when I look extra plump these days.  (Ironic that I'm a photographer huh!) But It's a good way to see results.  

I am nowhere near my goal, but It's a start.  I am not planning to look like I did in High School, and I am not planning on getting down to 165 lbs.  My goal....to feel happy in my own skin again.  To be comfortable having my photo taken.  To have energy and strength back.  To fit in my jeans I wore before I got pregnant!  I want to be a physically strong woman, not a stick that has to run herself to death to shed the weight.  For those of you who struggle with losing weight....take a picture once a month or once every 2 months.  It's a lot more fun to see your results this way, rather than that nasty 3 digit number that makes you feel discouraged that it's not decreasing.  I won't let a number on the scale define who I am, and you shouldn't either!

Losing someone....

I don't really know where to begin with this post.   I got the strong impression that I needed to write some things down, and maybe by having my friends read this, it might help my family out and help my friends understand what I am going through.  

First off, I just want to thank everyone who has kept me and my family in your prayers.  They are being felt each and every day.  We are truly blessed to live in this great valley surrounded by amazing people.  I can't imagine living anywhere else.

Now before I start into this, I just want to explain myself first.  I am not trying to hurt feelings or cause an uproar.  I am simply voicing my opinion.  MY opinion.  This is NOT the opinion of my Mom, Dad or any of my family members.  It is Keely Ward Richman expressing her feelings.  I just ask that you read this post with an open heart and hopefully you take something from it. 

I feel like I have been on an emotional roller coaster ride ever since little Kyla got here in November.  Just when I was finally getting a handle on things, I got the news that my brother had passed away.  In that instant my world stopped.  It felt as if someone had grabbed me by the throat and was trying to choke me.  "It's not real."  I can't tell you how many times I have said those 3 words.  How could someone you love so much have been here yesterday, and today they're gone.  It's not fair.  I'm mad, I'm sad, I'm confused, I'm ok, I'm not ok.  There are so many things I feel...sometimes all at once, and other times individually.  Sometimes I laugh, and other times I cry.  One day I feel kind of normal, the next day is a different story.  What I am getting at is I never know how I'm going to feel.  This might go on for months, or years....I don't know.  What I do know, is it is going to take some time, and that's ok.  I would prefer it be sooner than later, but I know I will be ok.

Now one thing that has made this whole situation really hard is people.  Yes, people.  I understand that everyone's intentions are good, but people have a way of tearing you down without knowing they are.  What do I mean by this you might ask?  Well....I just finished telling you about my feelings.  I never know how I'm going to feel, and those feelings can change in an instant.  So if I don't know how I feel, how can you tell me to my face "I know how you feel."  Really?  You do?  I understand that you may have lost someone close to you, but that still does not mean you know how I personally am feeling.  Everyone deals with loss differently.

"How are you doing?"  This is a question you ask someone on a daily basis.  You see a familiar face..."How are you doing today?" It's almost like it's programmed into us.  So I understand that this one is tough.  But please....PLEASE DO NOT ASK ME HOW I AM DOING.  You want the truth...the truth is I am doing shitty.  This is a really sucky situation that I am working through, and to make it worse, you ask how my parents and sister are doing.  What is it that people want me to say? "Oh hey we're all doing GREAT!" You know what the answer is, so please don't ask.  If you feel uncomfortable with the silence, start talking to yourself.  At least then you might make me laugh because I think you're crazy.  I would much rather laugh than tear up.  When people ask this question it's almost as if they are trying to get me to cry.  They expect me to be sad.  Well...what if it's my kind of normal day, and then I come across a person who asks me in a super sad tone how I am doing.  My feelings can change instantly.  Say anything besides "How are you doing," these words can be really hurtful without even knowing it.

It is hard.  I hate this.  I hate seeing our family go through this.  A friend of mine said we aren't going to get over this, so we've got to work through it.  So please just be patient with me while I work through it.  For the most part, I am ok.  I can honestly say that.  So when you ask out of habit how I am doing, ok will be my answer, but just because I am ok does not mean the next person can say the same.  

            

    

Capturing Memories

While I was in the hospital, my dear friend Emily Garrard, a fellow photographer, was able to capture some great memories for Casey and I.  Emily has some amazing work, and I am so so grateful to her for doing this for us.  It means more to me than she will ever know.  If you like Emily's work, check out her website here Emily Garrard Photography.  l'll let the photos speak for themselves, so sit back and enjoy the show....