ode to dawn

no, its not your birthday, but i wanted to express how grateful i am for your friendship! thank you for the 30 days of birthday (yes people, she has given me a present everyday for the past 30 days for my birthday! everything from awesome choppers and cooking supplies to amazing bread, applesauce and cupcakes! ) you are an amazing example and i love you much :)
D-Determined, she helps EVERYONE until the job is done. she makes goals and changes in her life and sticks through to the end. (I also wanted to write "Deseret Houswives" b/c she is funny, inside joke)
A-AMAZING. i know that is a pretty generic adjective but she really is the most amazing person. 4 kids, 2 foster kids, 4+ pets, professor at the y, cook of the year...the list goes on.
W-Willing. someone could call her at the 3 in the morning and she would do whatever was needed to help.
N-Natural. she is such a "natural" at everything she does and tries. she learns something and not only can do it but she can do it the best....
i know how much you love being publicly thanked :) but thank you, thank you, thank you, thank you.
xoxo
your friend you can't text,
ang

confession

dear readers,
i mean this in the most unsacrelgious way but i just have to say it: Dieter Uchtdorf is a stunning man. its not like i am day dreaming of him all day but let the record state that i do think he is handsome. when he walked into the room for the dedication my head said, "If I were a 50 + lds single i would have a crush." please don't think i'm weird.
the end.
much love.
ang.

phone pal

Inevitably after i have a baby i go through a little post-partum and i think i am going through it now. You can put your phone down now i think i get it a little different than most people. I don't think I get depressed, just unmotivated. I become a hermit. Anywho, feeling this way made me remember something from my childhood that was so funny. in the cute town i grew up in there was a phone service kids could call if they were lonely or needed a friend. it was called "phone pal". isn't that a fun idea? i can just see the marriage and family majors now cooking up this great idea..."i know we'll start a helpline in our apartment and we can take turns answering the phones helping kids out...we can count it as our internship and the ladies will be impressed with our kid skills." little did they know that a girl from orem would monopolize their plan to "heal the world" one phone call at a time. i had to have been about 10 or 11 and a friend told me about it. you just called, told them your problem and they talked you through it. I immediately went home and told my brother, Sam. We then began calling all day with new scenarios. "Our mom was at the grocery store and we were scared...A friend at school wouldn't talk to us anymore.., etc." The "phone pal" would then tell us he was some kind of superhero and he would help us be brave or he would be our friend. Sam and I would cover the phone and giggle and laugh. It didn't take too long for them to catch on. I remember running out of ideas and calling with the infamous "do you have breasts, this isn't kfc?" classic prank and getting an ear full. It kind of ruined the fun when we realized we had crushed the dream of a well intended 21-year-old RM. I guess I was kind of a little *&!@ for pulling such a prank but even at that age how could you not resist? If karma is real I am sure this is why i suffered in High School with bad skin...i just know it.
ang
ps what ever happened to prank calling? have the cell phones taken away this fun activity?

Nolan Ronald Douglas King

Nolan was born on June 29, 2009 and not to brag, but it was the best "birth" experience I have ever had. My incredible mid-wife Lindsey Brienholt had just left for Greece and I had an appointment to see her partner Kat Miller. I was 39 weeks and I felt "finished" and really wanted to ask to be induced but wanted it to be someone else's idea. Thankfully Kat suggested it and asked if I wanted to go in a couple of days...or today? Today please. I walked over to the hospital, called Seth and told him to get my stuff and meet me and thus it began. Everything happened pretty fast, I got my epidural before I felt any real pain and before I knew it they handed me little Nolan. I think my face was totally shocked when I saw all of his hair. Our babies don't have much hair so I was surprised to see him sporting black hair. Seth and I think it was Ron's (Seth's dad) idea of a little joke to get one with his great dark hair. He weighed 7'11 and was 19 inches long. I absolutely loved St. Mark's hospital. It was the best hospital I have delivered at. He is a really sweet baby and we are adjusting to him as best we can. Sophie is having a hard time not being the baby and is always in his face saying "hey buddy...i sorry...i sorry..." please bless nolan will not get hurt. (btw "please bless" is one of my new favorite sayings...) Needless to say having a newborn around always brings a special spirit in our home and I love it. We have had so many people help, bring food, take the kids, etc...that it is absolutely overwhelming. I'm so grateful and so in love with this brand new boy who I feel like I have known forever.
xoxo
ang

great. photographer.

so sister abby is engaged and my friend shelby graciously accepted to take her engagement pictures. can we just say "amazing". abby and peter came up to my house thinking that their session would be canceled b/c it was rainy but shelby took them out anyway. here's the scene: impromptu pictures+unplanned clothes/make-up+limited time (peter is a huge lakers fan and had to see the game)= INCREDIBLE pictures. they could choose any of them and be totally happy. shelby is brillant, brillant, brillant. check them out and her blog www.letter9photography.blogspot.com i completely recommend. she will be taking care of all the king family picture needs from here on out.

ps pregnancy news: i measured small at my appointment. let's clarify, my uterus measured small i am huge. i had to go get an ultrasound and i measured big for my ultrasound. 33 weeks for my doctors measurement and 38 1/2 weeks for the ultrasound. crazy. they also took some more creepy/amazing 3-d pics and he looks a lot like carson but with tons of hair. i'll believe the hair when i see it. wish me luck and patience!

lately...

LOST-wtc was that?  at the ending i didn't know whether to laugh, cry, or just throw things at the television.  i usually love the "relationship" parts but i hated how they made all of the motivation b/c of "love".  stupid.  but you know i will be watching the last season faithfully.  can't give up now :).  ps-if i could be one character on "lost" it would be juliet, even with the mom jeans.  

 

"You're Fired"-i got released from my church calling this week.  i was serving in the primary presidency and not to brag we have around 270 kids in our ward.  it was so crazy and amazing.  i really am going to miss it.  this is the first calling that i have been really bummed about being over.  i loved the kids, sundays, and especially the girls i served with.  dawn meehan gets mentioned in church every sunday for a reason....

ENGAGEMENT-abby (my little sister) is engaged to peter fuller.  they are getting married at the end of July (just in time for my post pregnant hotness).  i am really excited for them, they are a cute couple.

THOUGHTS-i have been thinking a lot lately about how friends/people change throughout the course of life.  men especially.  i think men get to a certain age where the only way they feel they can compare themselves is success.  they can no longer compete in foot races so they sit around and talk about how "awesome" they are and how "awesome" their jobs are, etc.  i have always been that girl who didn't have a lot of girlfriends growing up....i just wasn't good at keeping/making friends (too much work) but now i totally prefer the way women interact with each other.  we aren't afraid to talk about the good and the bad.  its not that i prefer people who sit and talk about the crappy things in going on in their lives, i just like "real" thoughts and issues.  girl power!!!!

HAIR-my hair is currently brown, should i go blond again?  (natalie k. hill-i know what your answer is)...i promise i won't go too blonde, just a few highlights?

10 years-i can't believe that may 22 marks my 10-year-anniversary!!!  thinking back to my "child bride" days it seems so long ago but then not really.  i am really lucky that i married the most awesome handsome human on the universe.  he has always given me whatever i want, what can i say, you should be jealous.  seth=perfect.

ang

i'm so sorry (to my 2 fans, including my mom)...

...for the lack of posts lately. i really need to do it more often for so many reasons. i love to vent and it is good journal writing. i am officially 32 weeks pregnant and feeling large and special. i think my favorite thing about being pregnant is when my nose starts to spread out on my face..aka "swell". i hate yet again being "cliche" and complaining about pregnancy but that is the stage i am in so i might as well embrace it and whine it up. carson told me to not sit in a chair the other day because "you might break it". he was really sincere and concerned for the chair and me.
enough prego talk i am so grateful that today is may 1 and no snow is on the ground. it is amazing what a little sunshine does for the soul. we have been really busy lately running our kids to dance and baseball games. i feel like seth and i are entering into the stage where we don't really see each other any more...kind of sad but i know we will look back and miss these days.
amazing friend natalie k. hill is starring in miss saigon at pioneer theater. she is fabulous. she was kind enough to give seth and i tickets to a dress rehearsal and i recommend it to all. i will be attending again. (please note that it is a PG-13 musical).
last but not least i was told the other day that someone thinks that seth and i think we are "too cool" to hang out with certain people. for reals people. part of me wants to write a big ol' post about why this is the stupidest thing i have ever heard, but mostly i can't believe people have time to analyze friends. wow. i guess this is where i socially fall short. as a married couple i think seth and i have kind of a "whatever" approach. if we can get together we get together with other couples, if not no big deal, we do a lot by ourselves. i absolutely LOVE our friends but our relationship comes first. i don't get offended if i'm not invited to so and so's party or outing, no big deal.
ang

ps "lost" has lost me, even though i am waiting on the edge of my seat i really don't think the writers know where they are going and they are totally shooting from the hip. AND if i am matthew fox i hate the writers...his character is sooooooooooooo lame this season.

it has been forever! i have no excuses except for the fact that absolutely hate the months of january and february!!!! i hate snow and cold, makes me sad. i am back and i really miss venting my issues and telling all about my amazing children, as i am sure people are longing to read my words about my fabulous life. i thought i would just give a reader's digest version about what i have been doing/thinking lately:

-the economy-i know that most people are sick of talking about this but my head is exploding thinking about it. right now it is almost sick how much i "enjoy" observing the history that is taking place (next year when i am living in a "hooverville" i will hate myself for saying that.) it is interesting to see the different reactions of people and evaluate all of the decisions being made. i think that President Obama is amazing to listen too. he is truly inspiring. let's all cross our fingers that his plan works for our country.

-we have been "off-track" with school the past 3 weeks. bella and carson just went back monday and i got more done that day than any other day in the past 3 weeks.

-this is random but i have been thinking a lot about multi-level-marketing. when i was in new york natalie and i went to a "chocolate party" with the real housewives of nyc. it was fun to meet jill zahran and others but as we watched the video full of people from utah who are "super successful" with this particular company i wondered what makes utah so susceptible to this form of business...get rich quick? working from home?....truly believing in the product?...its hard to say although i fear that as we head deeper into this recession these kinds of businesses will thrive off those who are desperate. if the product is so awesome, sell it at the store.

-isabella is major competitive. she had her first competition for dance last weekend and didn't get a first place but a second place for one of her team dances. to be honest i don't feel very competitive at these events but bella is intense. i am proud of her but see so much of her dad in her as she prepares to "win it all" at the next one. (ps, can't say enough about bella's studio...they just know how to run a well-rounded fantastic studio)

-we are having a boy!!! little hans william is due to arrive on July 5 if all goes well. i feel like i am getting huge! okay, i don't just feel, i AM getting huge. i just can't stop eating and every morning i wake up and bella laughs and tells me i am bigger...i guess i just expected this pregnancy to be like sophia's (i only gained 17 lbs, but don't be jealous, i never lost it)...not so. i am terrified of the scales for my appointment next week. overall, i am just hopeful that everything will go okay and thrilled that carson will have a little brother.

-i participated in a scholarship concert for my high school drama teacher and friend, syd riggs this month. it was a great experience...so much fun to see old friends and new ones to celebrate this fabulous woman and raise some cash. it was eye opening to be one of the "older" people in the cast....wearing the little red costume pregnant and having the cinderella be 7 years younger than me also really made me stretch my rusty acting chops...good times.

-lost-i am totally in suspense with all the craziness on this show. i have also been looking at "nerd" websites reading different theories. its fun.

that is all.

ang.

*photo by the incredible nicole hill gerulat

dreams do come true....

today all of seth's dreams came true when for career day carson decided he wanted to be a professional baseball player (for the cubs of course). carson dressed up and you could tell that he felt so cool in his authentic uniform (or as my mom would say "costume" :). i have to admit that i am really proud of seth because he has never "forced" baseball on carson. this has been a silent worry for me from the day we found out we were having a boy. i was worried that seth would put a baseball in his hand the day he was born and so on....seth has been great at letting carson decide what he likes even though i know he has had some hard moments as carson would play dinosaurs or with stuffed animals instead of playing catch but now as carson is older and choosing on his own to like sports it is great.....

isabella chose to be a "broadway star". "oh boy" is all i have to say. i love her boots, or should i say my boots...this is you natalie. :) i haven't pushed theater/performing on bella by choice and it still happens...she loves it. i love to watch her dance...i cry every time, i don't know if it is because i am just inspired by her movement or if it is that i know she will have some tough choices to make in the future....

and in completely unrelated news go see "the curious case of benjamin button". never has a movie been so inspiring to me. absolutely beautiful movie (and not just because of forever crush brad pitt). so many quotes...so many lessons...breathtaking cinematography, off the hook special effects, great acting...best movie of the year. i know a lot of critics have been really cynical about this film and i don't know why. it was brilliant, brilliant, brilliant.....favorite quote:

"For what it's worth, it's never too late, or in my case too early - to be whoever you want to be. There's no time limit; stop whenever you want. You can change, or stay the same - there are no rules to this thing. We can make the best or the worst of it. I hope you make the best of it. I hope you see things that startle you. I hope you feel things you never felt before. I hope you meet people with a different point of view. I hope you live a life you're proud of. If you find that you're not, I hope you have the strength to start all over again."

surprise!

so i am almost 15 weeks pregnant! hooray! i am due on carson's birthday and i am finally feeling better. (i will still accept meals :) kidding. kind of. i have been really bad at posting lately due to lack of time, feeling sick, and being apathetic. to stop the madness i thought i would post some new year's goals....5-6-7-8-music! (i love syd riggs)

1. back to basics with religious stuff: prayers morning and night, scriptures daily, church weekly, temple bi-monthly, visiting teaching 100%.....

2. exercise? (the question mark represents that it won't seriously happen until after childbirth)

3. less cynicism. surprise surprise i can be too cynical...

4. read books out loud with kids more

5. go on dates with husband

6. get out of debt

7. eat healthier and feed my family healthier

8. slow down the drama (if you know me, you know what i mean)

9. be better with homework with kids

10. plant and HARVEST a garden

11.finish what i start

13. be a Christlike example

i hope you all had a great holiday season and in case you failed to receive our card, well today is your lucky day. (see picture above...that was our card)

ang

new york, new york

this december i had the amazing opportunity to visit bff natalie in her element (broadway and the isle of manhattan). my husband put me on a plane by myself (thank you seth!) and i spent 5 glorious days seeing the city and spending time with miss natalie. i can't even describe in words the fun we had but thought i would make a list of top moments/memories:
1. getting a gypsy cab driver (oops!)

2. being greeted by nat's doorman (so fancy)

3. sitting by american idol alum mandessa during nat's show

4. going backstage at said show and meeting my favorite and total star of the show-NATALIE HILL!

5. staying up way past my bedtime talking and laughing

6. arranging a set up for natalie whilst she was talking to her boyfriend (oops, again)

7. infamous lyrical text messages

8. seeing all the sights you see in pictures in "real life"

9. eating (um, yeah, we did A LOT of that)

10. jersey boys

11. and finally....just hanging out with nat. it was so great to spend time with my little friend i have known since elementary school. you can tell true friendship when you can just pick up where you left off. i have never been so proud as when she made her first entrance on stage. i never thought i would cry in "grease".