Happy Birthday!!

Levi LOVES his Nana
Her two Grandkids

Her Hubby cherishes her

All the neices and nephews..minus Ashley...they all love her and call her "Crazy Aunt Kelly"

Her and her beautiful mom

Her brothers...she was the only girl and from what I hear, made their lives crazy growing up but they all love her still :)

I really should get a better picture as they were both nervous on our wedding day. My mom told me I would marry him the first night she met him! We were only dating for like 2 months! I guess mother knows best!

My mom and Laurie...my mom was so picky with who Trev dated but absolutely loves Laurie!

One of my favorite pictures of my mom and Trevor!

Mom and her mini me..my sister

Me and Mom

Today is my beautiful momma's birthday. I won't say how old because she would probably kill me but I will say that she doesn't look her age and I hope I can age as gracefully as she has! I was lucky enough to be able to spend the day with her which was totally unexpected. You see, we went to the Seahawks game yesterday and her and Steve were going to go home early this morning but Steve, being the entrepraneur that he is, decided to take advantage of being over here and meet with some clients so I was lucky enough to spend the day shopping and having lunch with her.

If you asked anyone in my family or anyone that knew my mom for that matter, one thing they would all say about her is that she is unique and slightly crazy..hence her nickname by my cousins "Crazy Aunt Kelly". There are many things that make her unique and we all love her for them!

My mom is one of the most treasured people in my life. She has always put her kids first; and looking back, I can't believe how incredibly lucky I was growing up and hope that I can be half the mother she was. Some of my favorite memories is of her waking me up super early in the morning so we can go grab breakfast before everyone else woke up or go shopping, just the two of us. She always had a way of making each one of us kids feel special. She definitely had her battles with us and I was definitely not the easiest kid to have growing up, but I never once doubted her love for me. I don't think she ever missed one of my games and would spend her time driving us kids wherever we needed to go. One of my favorite memories; though there are many, is helping us get ready for school dances. This is something I will always cherish and can't wait to do with my kids some day.

She has a way of touching the heart of everyone she meets. I admire her for her confidence and wish I had the same. Some of the best days of my life were spent with her and I am excited to continue making great memories as a best friend. I could go on and on about this amazing woman but I think I will just put some pictures of her with some of the people that love her most.

Happy Birthday Mom and I Love You!!

DUKE

Yesterday I was FINALLY able to witness Duke's mens basketball team play live. For anyone who knows me and my family knows that Duke is OUR TEAM. I don't exactly remember when it started but as long as I can remember this was the team to root for and it all started with Coach K. Coach K is not only an amazing coach but an amazing person. He coached the Olympic team a few years ago and turned down the money and opportunity to coach in the NBA because he wanted to coach real talent and people who played for the game and not the show. Now, NBA players have lots of talent OBVIOUSLY but they do get away with a lot and a lot of them are in it for the show.

Anyway, yesterday my mom, brother, sister, and I met up in Portland to watch Duke play against the Oregon Ducks. Quick fact: Singler has a little brother who plays for the Ducks and that was cool to see. Anyway, I drove the 3 1/2 hours to Portland to watch a 3 hour game and then trecked my way back to Seattle but it was TOTALLY worth it. Not only did I experience a great game (Duke won, Singler had 30 points, was player of the game, and received a standing ovation) but I was also able to spend some quality time with my family. I loved that I shared this experience with them but I was really excited to share it with my brother. My mom and sister were able to watch them a few years ago but this was a first for me and Trevor and I know he really enjoyed it. It really made me realize the important things in life and how I have so much to be thankful for and this was the perfect medicine for me. I may not have spent Thanksgiving with my family but I was able to see them over the holiday and I can't wait to see EVERYONE at Christmas!

Now, let college basketball begin and GO DUKE!

Here are a few pics from the game:



Warm-ups:

Me and Trevor:

Singler shooting after a technical foul:

Me and Whit:

Mom and her girls

Levi enjoying his own seat

25 Things you May or May not know about me!

1. I was in 4H when I was little and wanted to be the Rodeo Queen when I was older
2. God is my foundation and my rock, an ever present guide in my life.
3. My husband is the only man I ever allowed myself to TRULY fall in love with and the greatest thing that has ever happened to me.
4. So far Jamaica is my favorite vacation spot
5. CrossFit is a passion of mine and is one of my favorite things to do with Cody (weird I know)
6. My parents always supported me and didn't only tell me they loved me but also showed me.
7. I love shopping for office supplies.
8. I was homecoming queen in high school and thought it was the coolest thing ever...now I just laugh at how silly it was!
9. I like receiving gifts but I love giving them.
10.I lived in South Carolina for 1 year.
11. I have a published poem..and let me tell you..it is PRETTY good ;)
12. My dad taught me more about hard work and a positive attitude than any other coach I had. (he coached me in basketball)
13. I admire my older bro and am proud of my younger sister.
14. My first and foremost love language is and always will be, quality time.
15. Running in the crisp fall air is one of the best feelings.
16. If I am stressed out you will most likely find me in a gym or doing some sort of physical activity.
17. I finally understand football and enjoy watching it.
18. I believe God has something amazing in store for our little family and His blessings in our life are so present and so undeserved.
19. I want to travel to Thailand, Europe, and SO MANY other places.
20. Moving to the big city gave me a whole new confidence but also really showed me how much I miss my family.
21. I am a mountains AND ocean kind of girl.
22. I have always been considered more of a tomboy but am starting to turn into a city girl as well.
23. I am patient, yet demanding, driven, yet content, disciplined, yet laid back, strong, yet vulnerable, passive, yet aggressive, and maybe a little bit spoiled.
24. I spoil my yorkie Mia.
25. If I can't sleep at night I listen to Christian music to help relax me.

City Church

Almost 1 year ago today, Cody and I finally found a church that we loved..The City Church. We went to quite a few different churches, trying to figure out which one we liked best and thanks to a good friend, we were introduced to City Church last November. We absolutely love this church. We usually go on Saturday nights (never thought that would be me) so we can just totally relax on Sundays. There were many reasons why we chose this church. We knew people that came, it was a good environment and didn't seem over the top, but the main reason was Pastor Judah. He is an AMAZING speaker. We love just about every message he has and always leave with a good feeling, but this weekend's message was just out of this world. I left feeling as if God was talking to me and instead of leaving and thinking about myself and all my stressors, I left feeling like I wanted to help others and how blessed I was.

There are so many things that go on in life and it is easy to forget just how good you have it. I feel so blessed for the life God has given me and this weekend I feel like I was grounded again. Too often I focus on things that don't truly matter and I get caught up in myself as we all do. Pastor Judah brought it home by saying that Jesus is the point of life and without him, we wouldn't be here. It is important to focus on this and be in aw of God. I know that God has been speaking to me and I just haven't really been listening. I am choosing to listen to God and it really does make everything better. Yes, I still have my stressors but knowing that God is behind me and I have his strength when I am weak makes me feel good.


The reason I wrote about this isn't because I am trying to preach..no, that is not it at all. I am not super religious but I am a christian and I have felt alone before and prayer worked for me. I wrote this because I want people who have been feeling lost and/or alone to know that all you have to do is pray. You don't have to go to church, you don't have to go do x number of good deeds, you just need to sit and pray and listen to God. Even if you don't know how to pray, it is easy, just talk to him like you would any other person. So, I encourage everyone out there to say a prayer for yourself for whatever situation you are in and just listen. You might not get the answers overnight but prayer really does work.

30 day Paleo Challenge

One of the MANY things I love about fall is that it seems like a fresh start. No, I no longer get to go on summer vacation but in a way, I still feel like when fall comes around, it is a time to regroup and refresh. Cody and I had a very busy and fun summer and September flew by with a Seahawks game, fashion show, Husky game, my fundraiser (which I got 5th out of the girls), and numerous other activities. With October coming up, I began thinking about goals and where I have been and where I want to go. Along with this, I realized that I have sort of stalled in my progress to become more fit. I have had a few to many cocktails and cheat nights over the last few months so I decided that October would be my month of eating clean. By eating clean, I mean following the Paleo Diet.
Now, this diet I have sort of been following already for the past year or so. It is definitely more of a lifestyle choice for me because I like eating this way but I definitely haven't been hardcore. I would try and stick to this during the week and being mindful of what I am eating on the weekends. With stalled progress and the holidays just around the corner, I figured I should try and challenge myself to eating strict paleo for 30 days. This means no grains, dairy, sugar, alcohol (this one will probably be the toughest with football season), and basically processed foods. The one thing I will have that is dairy is whey protein after a workout.

So, I have been going at it from September 26th so I am on day 11 and I have to say, I can't believe I have made it this far without a cheat. We even had family in town and I passed on the wine, cocktails, bread, all of it. I actually feel pretty good right now and learned that if it is good coffee, it is good black with just some cinnamon. The first few days were easy because I was motivated and the next few days were tough with having family in town and lots of chances to just eat crap. Now, it seems easy and I don't even think twice about eating something processed. I feel like my performance is improving in the gym, I am sleeping better, and I have a lot of energy during the day. I am not sure how much weight I can actually lose, but that isn't really my goal. I just want to lose fat so if I can notice a difference in the way my clothes fit then I will be happy. I also have to say that I feel like I am noticing a little more muscle in my stomach than before which is good.

So, almost halfway done with my challenge and I feel pretty good about it.

I encourage everyone to pick 1 area in their life that they can improve on, set a goal, and complete it. It can be anything from eating right to organizing your closets!

Welcome Lily Jean!!

Lily Jean Kovis was born September 13, 2010 and came in at a whopping 7.8lbs and was 19in long. She looks so precious and from what I hear momma and baby are both doing well. From the looks of it, Jaxon is LOVING being a big brother. Here he is holding his baby sis...when they are older guys are going to have to go through him before dating Lily so they better watch out!

I cannot wait to meet Lily and hold her! She is perfect! Here is one more pic of this adorable baby girl!


Our family just keeps on growing!! Congratulations Kovis family!!

Labor Day

This summer went by WAY to fast! I still can't believe it is September already!

Cody and I have been so busy this summer that it seems like we haven't really seen our families so we decided to head over the mountains to TriCities and Yakima to see everyone. Well, almost everyone!

We left on Friday afternoon (which with a Dave Matthews Band Concert, Ellensburg Rodeo, and Labor Day, this was not a good idea!) It took us 1 hour to get from North Bend to Easton which is right outside Colfax..so a 2 hour drive to Yakima was more like 4. We stayed with Cody's parent's that night and had a delicious dinner of BBQ'd ribs, grilled veggies, salad, and grilled peaches with honey on top. On Saturday we headed to Tri-Cities around noon and pretty much spent the whole afternoon with my nephew Levi. Last time I saw him was at his 1st Birthday in April and he is SOOO big and DOES NOT sit still! I have to say, it made my day when he went to me right away from my mom..couldn't believe he left her arms for mine when he just woke up! :) We took him to the playground and then just hung out with him at my moms and then my dad's. While we were at my moms, we had a great surprise...my Uncle Bill, 2 of his girls, and my grandma were all up from Arizona, which meant that the rest of my family was at my mom's having a BBQ. It was so great to see all my cousins and catch up with everyone!! That night we went to Cedar's with my dad and Audrey and then attempted to watch a movie with them (I was exhausted from Levi so I fell asleep early).

Sunday, my dad and Audrey had a family get together to celebrate their remodeled home and I was able to see most of my family on my dad's side which was nice since I haven't seen them in a year maybe?? That is crazy!The house looks AMAZING by the way! It isn't quite done but it should be this week! They are so excited to FINALLY have everything done! It has been nearly a year long project for them between the inside and outside!

We were planning on coming home Sunday night but when stopping to say hi to Cody's parents real quick in Yakima on the drive through, we quickly decided that one more night with family would be the best way to go and decided to just get up super early on Monday morning for the trek back. We visited and watched a movie that was supposedly supposed to be good but wasn't in my opinion. We got up super early Sunday and made it home by 10am and were able to clean, relax and watch Harry Brown for the remainder of the weekend. This movie I recommend seeing. I really enjoyed it.

All in all, it was a great weekend. We definitely were busy with traveling but seeing everyone was worth it and it was something I think we both needed!

Oh, if you haven't yet and decide that you still want to, I am still taking donations for Fight Gone Bad! The link is here: https://rapidgiving.com/fundraising/page/4440/fight-gone-bad
Come on, you know you want to and it is for a great cause!! :)