the coffman's

2011-10-14T16:54:00.000-07:00

Justin left today to go hunting. This saddens me. After almost 3 years of marriage to a man who has to pick up and leave with a single phone call, I'm pretty good at being alone. I've gotten used to it and I'm happy to say that I have really matured in this area. haha. Justin agrees :) I used to get upset when he would get flood calls or have to be gone for long periods of time for work. But I have come to accept it as a permanent part of my life and have actually become quite grateful for those flood calls. But I am so freaking crazy about my husband that I would really prefer it if he wasn't gonna be gone for a week. Although I must say I am super excited for this hunt to be over with because it is ALL I have heard about for the past 2-3 months and I am sick of all the hunting/camping gear that has been lying around my house the past few weeks.

Here he is getting ready to leave :(

On a happier note, I ordered my stroller today and I am so so excited! It will be here Tuesday! I can't wait. Crazy to think I have less than 8 weeks left! It is coming so fast! October is already halfway over! Because of my kidney issue and all of the pain coming along with it, my dr. said that I have the choice of being induced early if I want as it would be considered medically necessary. I would obviously prefer to just wait for him to come on his own. Which is the plan for now, but that could change depending on how severe the pain gets with his growing size. However, I will NOT be going over 40 weeks. Nope. No thanks. So there may be a scheduled induction on my due date if he hasn't arrived by then ;) Call me selfish, but I think 20 weeks of dealing with the pain will be long enough!

Can I just say that I have the sweetest and most perfect man in the world? I found this adorable note in my lunch. He wrote it before he went to bed and put it in there for me to find at work.

Love it. Love him. I'm so blessed!

Randomness

2011-10-03T10:34:00.000-07:00

It is definitely time for an update. I am a horrible blogger. I am down to about 9 1/2 weeks left in the pregnancy. Everything has gone pretty well other than the hydronephrosis that tortures me on a daily basis. But so far my munchkin is strong and healthy so who am I to complain! I know the next 9 1/2 weeks will pass quickly like the rest of the pregnancy seems to have. Which is great because I a super anxious to smooch my little man, but also scary because I feel like I still have so much to do to get ready for him. He moves around like crazy these days. It's crazy laying there and watching my stomach move all over the place! Justin and I are quite fascinated by it actually :) Yesterday we went to a birthing class at my OB's office. Justin was not very excited about the 6 hr class, but he actually was super cute during it all. The class was mainly for him anyways haha.

Here is a 3D picture of our man at about 28 weeks. Seeing it on the screen in color was was a million times better. These pictures don't do him justice :)

Ward calling update: I'll give you some hints.

1. My heart dropped when he told me
2. The rest of what he said went in one ear and out the other as I was in total shock and internal panic.
3. He leaves, door closes, and a full blown panic attack/balling session begins.

What is it you ask????

WARD CHOIR DIRECTOR

My initial thoughts: How am I supposed to do this when I work every other sunday? PLUS, I don't know anything about leading a choir. AND, I am due in a couple months and it's right before Christmas which is a big time for choir numbers and I won't be around! And, I am like the youngest adult in the ward- who's gonna show up to practice and will anyone even listen to someone who doesn't know what they are talking about??

However, despite how I was feeling at that time, deep down under all my crazy emotions, I knew it was right. I know it is going to be scary and extremely uncomfortable but its obviously what I need to learn and grow in the way the Lord wants me to. So I prayed and prayed. And now I feel very calm and peaceful about it all. I know the Lord with guide and direct me. And that is all I need. And now looking back on that (this happened a couple weeks ago) I'm sure my hormones had a lot to do with my meltdown as well :)

This time of year excites me. I am so happy it is officially October! Which to me means it's officially Fall! The holidays are coming! And the best part? I will not be working any of them! This baby could not be coming at a better time. It is perfect. And no I didn't plan it this way ;) Hobby Lobby makes me happy. I go just to walk the Christmas isles and it is amazing. I am a Christmas nut and can't get enough. Big news for the Coffman fam this year- it's very possible that we may be getting a fake tree this year... not sure how I feel about it and I may change my mind. But the thought of having no pine needles to vacuum on a daily basis and being able to have the tree up and ready before the baby comes is very appealing... So we shall see. Anyways, that is the update on the coffman's for now. Yay for the holidays!!!!!!!

Recent Happenings

2011-07-09T11:13:00.000-07:00

So... not too much has happened around here lately. But I figured I should probably post since it has been a while. There are a few things that I am quite in love with right now.

First, is my 2 month old niece Tillee. She is so ridiculously perfect. I am obsessed.

Second, is my new diaper bag, which I am also obsessd with. Love it.

Third, is my Starbucks soy hot chocolate. I am limiting myself

to only 3 a week. Which means everyday on my way to work :)

Fourth, is my husband. I'm always in love with him. But I just have to say how proud of him I am! His business got an office/shop in Mesa a couple months ago! He and his partner are such hard workers! Congrats to them!

And last, but definitely not least! I am in love with this bundle of perfectness growing inside of me. In the last week or so I have been feeling the baby move and I LOVE IT! I'll be sitting,charting at work and feel the baby move and it totally makes my day. I am a little over 18 weeks now. I feel like my belly gets bigger everyday! I still have some morning sickeness, but honestly I love being pregnant. So far anyways! Ask me in Novemeber when it's freezing and dark outside and I am 8 months pregnant getting up at 5:30 for work! haha. I cannot believe how much being pregnant has changed me already My perspective, my wants, my goals. I cannot wait to meet this child of mine. Justin is the perfect husband. He really is. He gets so excited over every little thing that has to do with the baby. He is right there by my side with everything. He's like a little boy on Christmas during ultrasounds. haha. It's the best.

This month, I've been at my job for a year! I feel totally comfortable at work, love my co-workers. Time has flown by and I have learned so much! Very grateful for my job, but so excited for 3 months off when my little love arrives.

Anyways, to say the least, life is great and I am so blessed.

December 8, 2011

2011-06-01T15:28:00.000-07:00

I am so in love.

Two Year Anniversary

2011-02-05T23:37:00.000-08:00

For our 2 year anniversary, I decided that it would be nice for Justin and I to get away for a few days and just relax together. I suprised him with a 3 night trip to a nice resort called L'Auberge in Sedona. From the moment we checked in, it was total heaven and relaxation. We got to our little cottage and got settled in. We were looking out on our porch at the view when Justin came up behind me put his arms around me and told me happy anniversary as he handed me a little box.

I opened it and cried when I saw this........

He added another band to my ring!! Which I didn't expect to happen for years down the road. I was completely shocked and so grateful for all of the thought and love that went into it. He is so sweet and romantic and PERFECT.

This is the front of our little hillside cottage

Our room- the gas fireplace was amazing!

The bathroom was HEAVEN. The tub was huge.

Awesome indoor shower

The door on the right- a private outdoor shower :)

Totally awesome

View from our porch

Walking the downtown shops

Rocky Mountain caramel apple at like 10am....haha

One of the MANY western/cowboy stores we went in

One morning we ordered room service for breakfast. It arrived at exactly 8 am like

we asked and it was hot and amazing!

We drove up to Flagstaff a couple times we were there. First night of our trip to go

out with some of our friends who live up there, and then again for the day to shop and see a movie.

We saw Season of the Witch. Freaky but good!

The morning before we left :(

Justin got sushi for lunch....nasty. Whatever makes him happy!

The trip was amazing. Our room was so extremely clean, quiet, and beautiful. My favorite part was the nightly turn down service haha. We would walk in after a day out. It's freezing outside. And we'd walk in with the heater on, the down bedding folded down with our robes folded neatly on each side of the bed, chocolates, and quiet music on...Seriously the most relaxing thing ever. We were able to spend 3 nights, uninterrupted, just us two. Total bliss.

Two years ago I married this amazing man. My best friend. Never, have I regreted nor doubted the decision I made that day. I know that the Lord brought us together. To be an eternal partnership. I can't imagine my life without him.. He is my everything. And he will someday be the daddy of my children. I thank my Heavenly Father everyday for bringing him into my life.

PUMPKIN, PUMPKIN, PUMPKIN!!!

2010-10-09T18:57:00.000-07:00

I love this time of year! October, November, and December are by far my favorite months of the year. Something about fall and the upcoming holidays just makes me so happy! As far as October goes.,there's nothing like a clean house smelling like pumpkin.

Pumpkin Bread (to DIE for)

Pumkin Wall Flower

Pumpkin soap

And of course,

Pumpkin candle!

Now I have to admit that while being the Christmas freak that I am, I listened to Christmas music while I made pumkin bread today. And let me tell you, it was amazing. haha. And I have already begun purchasing Christmas decor. Kirklands and Hobby Lobby are dangerous places for me right now. I cannot resist anything Christmas! Anyways, happy fall time!

So grateful.....

2010-08-19T20:30:00.000-07:00

The past year and a half has been a little crazy and sort of a blur now. I was so consumed with nursing school that I very rarely thought about anything else. It was always what assignment I needed to complete, what I needed to study, when the next test was, and the list goes on and on and on. Now that I've graduated and gotten a job I feel like I have my life back again. I never realized how much school consumed me until now. Like I feel like I am back to reality and I'm myself again. With more time on my hands I've been able to think about my life and how truly blessed I am. I am so grateful for my amazing family. It seems the adversary never lets up on my family, but I know that my Heavenly Father is watching over me. He is aware of me and my struggles. I am so blessed to have been raised in the gospel of Jesus Christ. I don't want to know what my life would be like if I hadn't. I am so lucky to have Justin. Honestly, most times I probably don't deserve him. Sometimes I question if he can really be this perfect, but he really is. It amazes me how perfect he is for me. He really is my perfect half. He is everything I'm not .He makes up for what I lack. He is my rock. And one day (hopefully sooner than later) he is going to make one amazing daddy!

Here are a few of my favorite pictures

This temple is even more beautiful inside!

And of course, my favorite temple.

Please say hello to.....

2010-08-03T19:21:00.000-07:00

My workplace!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I got offered a job at Banner Desert Medical Center on the Orthopedic/Neuro unit! I am thrilled to say the least. I was trying not to cry when the lady called me and offered me the job! haha. I walked out to the living room and cried when I told Justin haha cuz I was so excited! I have been praying that I would get a job soon and more importantly that I would get the job that is right for me. I know that this is where I am supposed to be. I am even more grateful that I got a job close to home. I was more than willing to drive to Phx if that's what I needed to do. But let me tell ya, I am quite happy with my 20 minute drive :) And extremely happy with the fact that I got a day shift position!!! I am still in shock. Everything has just fallen into place and again, I know the Lord's hand was in it all. He blesses me more than I deserve. Celebration time!!! :)

Mallory Coffman, RN!

2010-07-30T18:23:00.000-07:00

On Monday, I took my NCLEX................

On Tuesday, I found out that I passed!!!! and I am now officially a...............

It was the best day of my life!!! (other than getting married :)) Nothing can describe the feeling. It's AMAZING! I have always wanted to be a nurse, I've always known that this is what I was going to do. And I did it! I am so thankful to my Heavenly Father for blessing me so much along the way. I know that I could not have done this without him. How wonderful it is that during such times of stress, during so many tests, and before so many nerve-racking nursing skills, I was able to pray to my Heavenly Father and ask for his help. I know that he was right there beside me guiding me the enitre time. I am even more indebted to Him now. I only hope that now I can use these skills and abilities to be a great nurse. To give the best care to every one of my patients and make a difference in their lives. I also have to thank Justin. For insisting that I quit my job before nursing school and being so willing to be the sole provider. He put up with SO much. He really did. Messy house, crazy wife, fast food for dinner, hearing "I can't, I gotta study or can you quiz me?" way too often, and the list goes on and on! He was my biggest support. He encouraged me, praised me after good grades, listened to me vent and cry and whine, and made me laugh when that's the last thing I wanted to do..... Oh what a good man he is! Needless to say, I truly am so blessed!

happy birthday to me

2010-07-28T18:38:00.000-07:00

My birthday was a few weeks ago on July 5th. There's something I've been wanting for a long time, and my hubby scored big points and got it for me for my birthday.................

He got me a piano! Its older, but I don't even care. I am in love with it. I need to get it tuned, but I still love playing it even it a few keys sound excruciating! haha. Justin really is the best. I am so happy that I can play the piano again. I hated not having a piano in my home, it felt like I was losing my ability. Now i can practice again. Watch, now I'll get called to be a pianist in the ward! haha.

The day has come.....

2010-04-28T16:29:00.000-07:00

We FINALLY have a new vehicle!! We have been saving for a while and yesterday was the glorious day! We've been wanting a Toyota Tacoma but it has been difficult finding the one we want. None of them have had everything that we wanted. But then....Justin came across the PERFECT one on craigslist! (we refused to buy from a dealer) So..... here it is!

2009 Tacoma Sport with 3,800 miles-aka- practically brand new, the guy NEVER drove it. It still SMELLS new!

Rear view mirror back up camera, bluetooth for my phone, ipod hook up, AMAZING JBL sound system

Back seat

Basically, I'm in love. It is SO hard not to speed in this thing. I am not even kidding! I barely push on the gas and I'm at like 50! Needless to say, I will be using my cruise control A LOT! To help me not speed! Anyways, that's the most exciting news in my life right now. Now if I could just get some self discipline and motivation to study and get some assignments done, that would be great.

Woohoo!!

2010-04-18T15:43:00.000-07:00

Rihanna concert July 22nd with two of my sisters!!! We have awesome seats and I CANNOT WAIT! We are gonna have a blast!!!!!!!!!!!

Spring Break Part 2: Kitchen Improvements

2010-04-13T23:04:00.001-07:00

This is a little late, but I finally found the desire to post again. Over Spring Break, I decided to take on a rather big project and stain my cabinets and re paint the kitchen.

Here are a couple before pictures:

I honestly don't know what I was thinking when I painted it that green color. It wasn't workin' that's for sure!

Nasty light oak cabinets. blah.

And here are the after:

I painted the walls a light tan color.

Before I did the kitchen cabinets, I practiced first on my bathroom cabinets

So, I basically didn't have a spring break. I worked on this the entire week, but it was definitely worth it! Oh and just for the record, I did this all by myself, other than Justin helping me tape off before painting the walls. Now time for tile and new appliances :)

Spring Break Part 1: The cabin

2010-03-20T23:42:00.000-07:00

On Friday, Justin and I headed out to Heber to my sister's in-laws' cabin for a quick weekend getaway with my sister and her family. Justin and I haven't been away together in over a year so this was a much needed vacation especially for Justin. We wanted to just get out of town, away from reality and just DO NOTHING! I had just finished block 3 (woohoo) the day before so I was completely relaxed, with nothing on my mind! Here are a few pics:

I loved not wearing make-up for 3 days!

After the kids went to bed, my sister and I got crazy! We even climbed up to this old tree house type thing late at night trying to mess with the guys while they were talking around the fire... It was dark and we were making stupid noises and all the sudden I happen to look over to the left (the guys were to our right a ways down) and I think I see this man standing in the distance, but I'm super blind plus it was pitch black so I wasn't sure. So I yelled "hey" cuz I was freaked out and then he started running towards our tree and I realized it was Justin. But I was only like halfway up the tree and I hate being chased so I started freaking out even though it was only Justin. Anways, then I was too scared to climb down cuz the wood slats (steps to the treehouse) were really wiggly so I made him pick me up and put me on the ground. I guess Justin told my bro-in-law to keep talking so that we wouldn't realize Justin had left to come scare us. Lame.

All bundled up! It was cold! I had 2 pairs of pants on!

Justin hanging out eating and watching movies.

Justin playing with my nieces and pushing them on the swing

My husband is so attractive with kids and he is going to be the best daddy someday!

We had so much fun watching movies, sitting around a fire all night, making s'mores, and playing with my sister's kids. Leaving the cabin was sad, but I was also excited to get home to start on some projects around my house. Part 2 of my spring break coming up :)

Shoot Me Now!

2010-03-06T20:52:00.000-08:00

Now this may not look like a lot of notecards....but trust me, it is. There's about 100. Each one crammed with important information that's supposed to be shoved into my brain and added to all of the other thousands of notecards that I shoved into my brain prior. This is what I need to know for Monday's test.

And these........

Are for Thursday's test. My block 3 final. There's about 300 notecards there. I'm supposed to remember crap from November for this test???? So, needless to say, all I have been doing is studying. constantly. And if I am not studying, I'm thinking about what I need to study. Or feeling guilty that I'm not studying. I thought I would be hanging out with my man tonight, as spending quality time Justin would be a good excuse not to study right? haha. But that didn't happen. Nope. He got a flood call! Am I suprised? No, story of my life.

So, somebody, please......

Shoot me now.

Now I am in my office trying to study. As you can tell it's not really happening cuz I'm blogging instead.

Sorry for the whiney post but I just had to vent. I can't wait to not have to make stupid notecards all the time and shove loads of information into my brain. I CAN'T WAIT TO BE AN RN! Only a little over 3 months till I graduate! Halle-freakin-lujah!

London's Run

2010-02-02T19:20:00.001-08:00

On Saturday, I ran London's Run with my sister Hayley. She ran the half marathon (13.1 miles) and I did the 10k(6.2 miles). I originally wanted to do the half marathon with my sister but because of my stupid shin splints, half way through training for it I had to stop. So I decided to just do the 10k. And of course, a couple days before the race her and I both got sick! But after lots of prayers (and drugs haha) we woke up feeling good!

Here we are before the race

Hayley getting her ipod ready

Me after the race. I look horrible, but it's the only pic I have with Justin at the race so whatever.
Hayley and I both got to be apart of "Team Troy". Our friend's son Troy Wendt is fighting Leukemia and is one of the recipents of London's Run so we all wore these awesome shirts!

Hayley coming in, almost to the finish line!

Her and I after the race.

Justin was so sweet and so supportive of me. He came for the entire thing and recorded just about everything! Here I am coming in to the finish.

London's Run was AMAZING!!!! I ran the 10k in about 58 min. which I was pretty happy with. and Hayley ran the half marathon in 1:59 (correct me if I'm wrong Hayley). She did awesome! I am so proud of her! No words can describe how awesome it was to run for such a great cause. I enjoyed EVERY SECOND of that race and I seriously can't wait till next year's. Next up on the calendar: Another 10k for a boy named Ethan on Feb. 20th :)

Can't believe its been a year already!

2010-01-20T23:02:00.000-08:00

On Saturday, Justin and I celebrated our one year anniversary. Crazy to think its already been a year! So much has happened, here's a recap of our first year of marriage together!

We were married and sealed in the Mesa, AZ temple on Friday, January 16, 2009

Best day of my life.

Leaving our reception! :)

We Drove to California the next day for a 7 day cruise to

Cabo, Mazatlan, and Puerto Vallarta

Cabo, on our way to snorkel

In February, Justin quit his job at University of Phoenix, and went full time with the business he and a partner had recently started. In March, I was fortunate enough to be able to quit my job to go to Nursing School.

Before I started school, Justin suprised me with a quick little get away to

Utah to see some of our family and then Vegas.

In May, we moved out of our little, humble apartment due to a mold problem and moved in with my parents while we looked for a house.

On August 15, we closed the loan on our house and became official homeowners! A great milestone for us. We are so happy in our home and know its exactly where we are supposed to be. Couldn't ask for a better neighborhood to be in.

Our yard now has a full lawn of grass and a couple new trees thanks to Justin's hard work

In December we celebrated our first Christmas as a married couple.

Justin was planning a suprise for us to get away for the weekend for our anniversary, but unfortunately some family things came up and we were worried we might have to make a trip up to UT for a funeral, so he told me about it and we agreed to cancel the trip. So, we ended up spending the entire day together going to breakfast seeing movies, bowling, and going to dinner. It definitely made up for not getting to go out of town.

Over the past year, I have learned that marriage is not always easy. Sometimes it just SUCKS! haha but it is also the best thing in the world. I get to share my life with the most caring, handsome, hard working man I have ever met. I love him more than the day I married him. And I continue to love him more each day. I am so grateful for the temple marriage we have. And for the life that we are building together! Here's to one year down!

New Callings

2010-01-12T21:20:00.000-08:00

So 2 Sundays ago, our ward finally split! Woohoo! So, now instead of 1 pm church, we now have 9 am church. It's SO much better! And.... Justin and I now have callings! Justin got called to be a 7 yr. old primary teacher with another guy in the ward. We will be going to LOTS of baptisms this year! lol. He was a little nervous because he has never worked with kids, but he is so cute with him and they already love him. And I got called as s Sunbeam teacher! I love it! It's a lot of work keeping 8 three year olds quiet and sitting in their chairs, but it is so much fun! They are so sweet and I'm so happy to be called there. I'm grateful that I can finally serve in the ward. Anyways, that's my no picture post. Lata!

Girl's Night Out

2009-12-27T18:50:00.001-08:00

Last Tuesday us girls got together for Heather's B-day and just to catch up. We went to BJ's (Heather's pick haha) and it was very yummy!

I'm halfway cut out of this pic but I thought it was super cute of the other girls!

Me and Kylie with her cute hair!!!

Allison and Heather

All the girls!

We always have so much fun together! We were at BJ's for 3 hours talking! Pretty sure we were done eating within an hour, but stayed and talked for another 2! We always have so much to say, and our conversations could continue on for hours. But sadly, we always have to call it a night and get back to reality ;) Love you girls!!!

The New and Improved Bathroom

2009-11-14T21:51:00.000-08:00

So, when we first moved in, I had this "idea" of a cute little bathroom with burnt orange walls.... So I attempted, and it just didn't work. I couldn't find shower curtains that matched well, or anything else for that matter. I would try different things, tryin to make it work and it just wasn't happening. SO, I decided that I would try faux painting over the orange and just give it a totally different look. I went to Home Depot that night, by myself thank you very much :) and picked out the metallic bronze and the glaze and did it that night. Here are the before pics......

And here are the after...................

Found a new shower curtain. Thank you Bed, Bath, and Beyond. I was nervous it wouldn't match but it actually goes really well. It looks way different in person. way better than it does in this pic.

Justin picked out the new light fixture and hardware... I can trust him with that stuff cuz we totally have the same taste. He did a great job!

It definitely looks way better in person, but hopefully you get the idea. I spent ALL Saturday night painting it. Started at 9 pm didn't finish until 7 am. Yes, Justin was sleeping.... He woke up as I was getting in bed. haha. He loves it and is very proud of me! Probably cuz all he had to do was take the tape off! But anyways, now I love my bathroom and I am happy that I never have to go shower curtain shopping again! (at least for a while!) I absolutely hate it!

Justin's Early B-day Present

2009-11-11T14:23:00.000-08:00

So basically, Justin is the hardest person I have ever had to get gifts for. He doesn't care for small, dumb little things like clothes, giftcards, etc. And everything he wants like guns, fishing/camping stuff I know nothing about so it makes it very hard to buy him something that is the right type/style/brand/color etc. I had heard him say a few times how he wants a gun safe so bad. And his dad just recently got one and Justin loved it. So I decided that I would try to get him one for his birthday. I emailed his dad asking him for help on what kind/size/brand of safes Justin would like. After a couple weeks of searching, we found one that was exactly what we wanted at the right price. We found it at a place in UT and Justin's dad offered to bring it down for me which saved a few hundred bucks in delivery costs! So, his dad arrived on Friday night and Justin opened the door (after I had sneaked out and ran down the street to meet up with his dad and throw a bow on it lol) and was like "why did you bring your trailor, what's on it? Is that a safe???!!" Hahaha he knew exactly what it was as soon as he saw it. So he went out there and about died. The look on his face was awesome!!!

He is the most amazing husband in the world and definitely deserves a good birthday gift. Afterall, he's letting me leave to Disneyland the night of his birthday! haha. Anyways, thought I would update since it's been forever!

UGH

2009-10-12T22:30:00.001-07:00

I am SO sick of...................

Studying!!!!

This pile of notecards is RIDICULOUS! That's everything I have to know for my final on wednesday. There's gotta be over 400+ notecards there. I'm not gonna count them. I don't even wanna know! 2 more days till Block 2 is over! YES!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I love this woman

2009-09-23T15:24:00.000-07:00

I already loved Beyonce, but this makes me love her even more. Beyonce, while in Sydney, Australia, brought this little 11 yr. old girl who is fighting cancer up on stage. You will probably cry. What an amazing video this is.

Banana's ROCK!!!!

2009-09-20T01:13:00.000-07:00

My mom emailed this to me and i thought it was pretty awesome so thought i would share!

A professor at CCNY for a physiological psych class told his class about bananas. He said the expression "going bananas" is from the effects of bananas on the brain.. Read on:

Never, put your banana in the refrigerator!!!
This is interesting.
After reading this, you'll never look at a banana in the same way again.

Bananas contain three natural sugars - sucrose, fructose and glucose combined with fiber. A banana gives an instant, sustained and substantial boost of energy.

Research has proven that just two bananas provide enough energy for a strenuous 90-minute workout. No wonder the banana is the number one fruit with the world's leading athletes.

But energy isn't the only way a banana can help us keep fit. It can also help overcome or prevent a substantial number of illnesses and conditions, making it a must to add to our daily diet.

Depression: According to a recent survey undertaken by MIND amongst people suffering from depression, many felt much better after eating a banana. This is because bananas contain tryptophan, a type of protein that the body converts into serotonin, known to make you relax, improve your mood and generally make you feel happier.

PMS: Forget the pills - eat a banana. The vitamin B6 it contains regulates blood glucose levels, which can affect your mood.

Anemia: High in iron, bananas can stimulate the production of hemoglobin in the blood and so helps in cases of anemia.

Blood Pressure: This unique tropical fruit is extremely high in potassium yet low in salt, making it perfect to beat blood pressure. So much so, the US Food and Drug Administration has just allowed the banana industry to make official claims for the fruit's ability to reduce the risk of blood pressure and stroke.

Brain Power: 200 students at a Twickenham (Middlesex) school ( England ) were helped through their exams this year by eating bananas at breakfast, break, and lunch in a bid to boost their brain power. Research has shown that the potassium-packed fruit can assist learning by making pupils more alert.

Constipation: High in fiber, including bananas in the diet can help restore normal bowel action, helping to overcome the problem without resorting to laxatives.

Heartburn: Bananas have a natural antacid effect in the body, so if you suffer from heartburn, try eating a banana for soothing relief.

Morning Sickness: Snacking on bananas between meals helps to keep blood sugar levels up and avoid morning sickness

Mosquito bites: Before reaching for the insect bite cream, try rubbing the affected area with the inside of a banana skin. Many people find it amazingly successful at reducing swelling and irritation.

Nerves: Bananas are high in B vitamins that help calm the nervous system.

Overweight and at work? Studies at the Institute of Psychology in Austria found pressure at work leads to gorging on comfort food like chocolate and chips. Looking at 5,000 hospital patients, researchers found the most obese were more likely to be in high-pressure jobs. The report concluded that, to avoid panic-induced food cravings, we need to control our blood sugar levels by snacking on high carbohydrate foods every two hours to keep levels steady.

Ulcers: The banana is used as the dietary food against intestinal disorders because of its soft texture and smoothness. It is the only raw fruit that can be eaten without distress in over-chronicler cases. It also neutralizes over-acidity and reduces irritation by coating the lining of the stomach.

Temperature control: Many other cultures see bananas as a "cooling" fruit that can lower both the physical and emotional temperature of expectant mothers. In Thailand , for example, pregnant women eat bananas to ensure their baby is born with a cool temperature.

Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD): Bananas can help SAD sufferers because they contain the natural mood enhancer tryptophan.

Smoking &Tobacco Use: Bananas can also help people trying to give up smoking. The B6, B12 they contain, as well as the potassium and magnesium found in them, help the body recover from the effects of nicotine withdrawal.

Stress: Potassium is a vital mineral, which helps normalize the heartbeat, sends oxygen to the brain and regulates your body's water balance.. When we are stressed, our metabolic rate rises, thereby reducing our potassium levels. These can be rebalanced with the help of a high-potassium banana snack.

Strokes: According to research in The New England Journal of Medicine, eating bananas as part of a regular diet can cut the risk of death by strokes by as much as 40%!

Warts: Those keen on natural alternatives swear that if you want to kill off a wart, take a piece of banana skin and place it on the wart, with the yellow side out. Carefully hold the skin in place with a plaster or surgical tape!
So, a banana really is a natural remedy for many ills.. When you compare it to an apple, it has four times the protein, twice the carbohydrate, three times the phosphorus, five times the vitamin A and iron, and twice the other vitamins and minerals. It is also rich in potassium and is one of the best value foods around So maybe its time to change that well-known phrase so that we say, "A banana a day keeps the doctor away!"

This makes you wanna go eat a banana huh! Definitely at the top of my shopping list for Monday! Oh, and Justin totally puts his bananas in the fridge...weirdo. But he also likes them extremely green so whatever!

The "Before" and "After" pics of our new house!

2009-09-05T15:19:00.000-07:00

Yes, I FINALLY have pictures. I found the charger to our camera so maybe i will start blogging again??! So, when we bought our house, it was nasty carpet, all white walls, gross gold light fixtures, gold door knobs(still are :/), gold everything! Take a looksy..............

That ugly bush is actually a tree.... it could be a really awesome tree too if they had taken care of it...

nasty, dirty carpet.

Ugly gold light fixtures...

So, we spent 25+ hours painting our entire house(except the future baby room haha), justin and my bro-in-law spent 25 hours (and 8 more to go) on putting our wood flooring in, we put in a few new light fixtures, seeded the lawn, I TRIED to decorate lol, and this is what our home currently looks like......

grass is KINDA coming in lol and we are gonna see what we can do with that tree before we rip it out....haha

The front entrance

Living Room

The Kitchen- we still need new appliances....one thing at a time right?!

My new chandelier that I am in love with.

My "attempt" at decorating, don't worry it's not done yet...

The Hallway

The messy office

but...I have my new computer :) which i am also in love with

Our new hall light. You should have seen the one that was there! It was RIDICULOUS!

The spare bedroom

The future baby room- for now, it's our storage unit

The bathroom- the orange walls are awesome. All I have been able to do is paint it, Now it's time to decorate it and strip the gold from it!

No this shower curtain is not staying there...I have just had the hardest time findinga cute shower curtain that compliments my orange walls. If anyone knows where I can find some funky/unique shower curtains- please let me know!

The master bathroom. We painted it a pale lime green, but we think we are gonna repaint it...... We're just not feelin' it. Think we might do a darker earthy color.

The master closet.

Our big backyard!

I want those dead trees gone! haha. Justin needs to get on it!

So, that's our house! Still a work in progress, but we love it! It definitely feels like home, and we know it's where we are supposed to be! We are so grateful for being so blessed in finding this home and being able to even get a home. We are so happy!

offical homeowners!

2009-08-15T11:02:00.000-07:00

It is official- we are now homeowners!!!! We got the keys yesterday! We are so excited. We actually painted the entire house (except for 1 bedroom for the future baby, whenver that may be) before we even got the keys lol so thats a big project already done and out of the way. Last night Justin and my bro-in-law started on our wood floors and will hopefully finish them today! We will probably make the big move on Monday. It is crazy how different the house looks already. It's starting to feel like our home. Sorry, no pics yet. Ill post some as soon as we are all moved in!

Our offer has been accepted!!!

2009-07-10T16:24:00.000-07:00

So, good news!!! We finally got an offer accepted! And it's the house we loved more than any others. We really didn't think we would get it, and we were trying not to get our hopes up. But we actually got it!!! It's on Signal Butte and Elliot and I LOVE that area! The planned closing date is the end of August and we can't wait!!!

2009-05-04T22:18:00.000-07:00

This past weekend was a lot of fun! Friday morning I went to the temple with my mom and Hayley. Then that night I got to go out with Allison, Erica, and Kylie and have a girls night!! We went to Grimaldi's which was SO good! Then we went over to Kylie's adorable house and had pazookies. Then of course, we had the usual 2 hour talk on Allison's driveway at the end of the night. Haha, we can never stop talking! Goodbye's are hard for us girls! Saturday I studied for like 5 hours straight then off to Mi Amigos and the movies with Justin.

Haha, yes we are in the AMC parking lot taking a picture..... Lame I know!! Luckily my husband's a good sport about picture time! We saw "State of Play" and we loved it! We had a very nice, uninterrupted night together!

The "Pat Tillman" Race

2009-04-20T22:49:00.000-07:00

On Saturday, I had the amazing opportunity to run for the "Pat Tillman Foundation". It was 4.2 miles and the course went around the Tempe Town Lake area and ended in the ASU Football Stadium on the 42 yd. line. (Pat's number was 42) My sister Hayley and I ran it together. We finished the 4.2 miles in 40 minutes, which we didn't think was too bad. Especially because we weren't too concerned about our time, we just wanted to run it and have fun. I didn't have anyone there to take pics and I definitely was not gonna run with my camera, so these are a couple pictures off the website just to give you an idea of the set up/environment. There were roughly 13,000 people there that ran/walked. It was awesome to say the least. Btw, the shirts we got are super cute, always a plus!

I can't even explain the feeling of running up into the stadium at the end of the race. All of the ASU players were lined up with their hands out to slap people's hands as they ran passed. It was an amazing experience and I can't wait to do it again next year!