Downing Family

Winter Blues

2011-01-07T13:48:00.004-07:00

Well, it's hit me. I want to be somewhere else. No offense Jack Frost, but I'd really prefer to be somewhere warm and tropical. I wouldn't mind dropping by to visit Amanda in Florida for a week or two if it didn't cost so much. Its that time of year when I just crave that warm summer sun. COME BACK! Sigh. :o)

Christmas Wii time before the black death hit.

Christmas Jammies

The rest of our Christmas break...all of us (except Macie) got the black death for a whole week until finally we found a doctor Friday morning. Wow. Thank heavens for antibiotics!

On a different note:
Last night I was at Zumba, and forgot I had left my water bottle in the hall. After class, I was so happy to see it I grabbed the bottle and chugged. The cool refreshing water was so good! Except the last gulp...which tasted kind of salty, and had a bit of a crunch. I looked inside my aluminum water bottle and found a mostly eaten string cheese, and wrapper in my drink! SICK! I think I must have loaned it to a child earlier that day (hopefully the cheese wasn't any older than that). It took a great deal of effort to get all the pieces out of that narrow top.
I've learned my lesson. Always look inside the bottle before taking a drink.

Favorite Random Comments

2010-10-08T14:04:00.003-06:00

Aleia will say some of the funnest things in the car randomly.
Here was my favorite today:

"Mom, Heavenly Father is a pretty great guy, isn't he."

And here are some others:
"Wow. The whole world is SO different."

"Mom! There's boogers stuck in my teeth."

Matt and Aleia talking:

M: if you eat all your dinner I'll read you a book afterwords!
A: Ok!
M: What will you give me if I eat all MY dinner?
A: " A kick in the pants"

Livin the LIfe

2010-09-27T21:06:00.003-06:00

Blogs are so interesting you know? A place where anyone can find out everything about you, without ever having to disclose of themselves. Such a wierd concept.
All seems to be well here.
Matt: is still working 2 jobs, but managing it remarkably well- coming home on time from work, and getting family time before the girls go down. He's also working with the 11 year olds in church, and with scouts. Go scouts!
Dixie: is teaching 3 aerobics classes during the week, 2 zumba and 1 yoga. Today's Zumba was so AWESOME! The energy was so high! And shauferring Aleia to Preschool 3 days a week, twice a day.
Aleia: is growing up so much! She is now in the stage of life where she'll go off to friends houses (by herself) That was a big adjustment when we moved here! There is always a friend to play with, and she LOVES that.
Macie: Loves to dance (still. I thought she would get out of that phase, but she hasn't yet). She loves going to "boomba" (Zumba) and loves to play with the neighbors too (if she's in the mood- otherwise she'll tell them to "go away") Her speech has really increased the last 4 months. She and Aleia also play really well together now. They giggle and laugh, and have a lot of fun.
That's us. Hope you are all well too!
Dixie

HI Everyone!

2010-07-19T22:03:00.004-06:00

Hello Everyone!

It's been a long time. I just want to give a few highlights from the past few months.

Matt and I have had a fun and busy summer. Matt's been working two full-time jobs (in the same company, until they can find a replacement for one of them) and has seriously been working all hours of the day. But after deadlines, we'll head out somewhere and go have some fun. We've been able to go play with some friends in Kamas, go to family reunions, see lot's of family that we don't normally see, and have some fun adventures.

Kamas at the house with Matt and Amanda Colemans' family

For the fourth of July we went up to Tremonton and spent time with my sister. The kids loved being with their awesome cousins. We loved it up there. They even let us get away for our aniversary. It is beautiful up there.

This past weekend the kids spent the night with grandma and grandpa so we enjoyed motorcyle rides, tried our hand at some mountain biking, and ran millions of errands in Orem. Whew!

Most of all, we're happy we have each other. And are greatful to be living out here. It is so peaceful and quiet away from everything. I love the smell of the fields, and the majestic mountains every where I look. Most of all, people are just friendly. It's nice.

Macie turned 2! She is an awesome little singer. Loves ambulances, cars, ants, barbie, and dancing.

Aleia has made quite a few friends on our street, and spends a good part of the day house hopping to different friends houses.

We have grass now! (It looks better than it does in this picture, this one was taken 4th of July weekend.)

Things haven't been all roses. In fact, this past month, for me at least, it seemed like the furnace of affliction was burning mighty hot. But we are trying to do the things that bring us joy, looking for the good all around us, and trusting that God is in charge. It helps.

Hope you all are doing well!

Dixie

Tribute to Aleia

2010-04-04T21:39:00.004-06:00

Aleia turned four in February and I wanted to do a little spotlight on her. Time just passes way too quickly sometimes. So, here it is now.

Aleia's favorites:

food: ice cream
animal: horse
family and friends
movies
books
one-on-one time

Aleia is very quick-witted. I'm always amazed what comes out of her mouth. "Grandma, I have to eat my boogers because my mom and dad don't feed me enough".

Or "MOM! My heart is in HEAVEN!"

One thing I love about Aleia is the friendship she has with her sister Macie. She loves to play and laugh with her. And when Macie is sad, she'll usually help her calm down and be happy.

I'm also impressed by how quickly she picks up words, songs, phrases, etc. She learns very quickly auditorily, and can repeat a song a few weeks later that she heard once or twice.

Aleia is a great friend, and is very good at maintaining close relationships with her family members. We feel very grateful to have her as part of our family. :o)

Just about finished!

2010-04-04T21:13:00.003-06:00

The house should be done in one week! That's almost 2 months ahead of schedule! We have an awesome builder. So far, everything has turned out better than I expected. Heres some pictures of the fun!

So, the floors are all in, the cabinets are pretty much all in. They just need to hang doors, put cover plates on outlets and heating ducts, hang bathroom mirrors, and a few other small things. We forgot to take a picture of the outside. It looks AWESOME! It's actually not the color I previously posted. And thank heavens, it looks a lot better than that first color. Whew.

We met some more neighbors. I can't wait to be a part of that neighborhood. They seem really really cool. I'm excited that the moms out there don't work. Most of them are home with their kids. Yea! Friends! And we discovered there are 16 girls Macies age in the ward. NO BOYS. Crazy. One more week. Then we can close. :o))

2010-03-27T23:56:00.002-06:00

Yes, It's grey. Man. I never thought the color of a house would be such a stressful thing. And you know what? I'm glad it's not brown. I told Matt, I really don't want anything that is the shade mud, dirt, or poo. Not that those colors are bad on houses! There are some beautiful homes that color. There just seems to be nothing but brown where we are moving to. I just wanted to look at something a little bit different. And well, I got it! Stone grey. I can't begin to tell you how much I've worried about our outside house colors. You know? There's a lot of pressure for it to be nice.

Your neighbors might not like you if they don't like your house color.
You don't want to depreciate home values in your neighborhood by making an ugly house.
Oh, by the way, the builder's model home is 2 doors down. He wants it to be a nice neighborhood to show off the best of his work (which by the way, they have done amazing work on this house).
It's the first of this model he's built, so he asked if he could send people out to look at it periodically. (no pressure right?)

We went to look at it today with the garage doors on it, and you know? I love they grey. I have no regrets. Go grey! Thanks Matt, for putting up with all of this! (PS. what is the correct spelling for grey/gray? Wikepedia said either one works. Anyone know for sure?

More House Updates

2010-03-19T20:38:00.003-06:00

As for updates, when Matt was there a couple of days ago they were putting the texture on the ceiling and prepping the outside for stucco. It should be all done in a month! Wahoo!

This is the house in preperation for stucco. Yea!

Here is the front room

Here's one of the bedrooms (south facing)

The Calm Before the Storm

2010-03-04T22:07:00.005-07:00

We had a nice morning, so all the neighbors were outside. I love it when that happens. The weatherman was right though, we definitely got snow in the afternoon. Here are some pictures of why I have loved where we live.

Upstairs Neigbors
Kid pow wow

I love this smile!

Their little table. Smart thinking Aleia!

Emily and cute kids

House is coming along!

2010-03-04T21:57:00.003-07:00

The view from upstairs

How it looked last Sunday (Feb 28th)...

I haven't been the best at keeping you all posted on how our house is coming. That's because they are going so fast I can't keep up! Since I last blogged, our house has been framed, it now has windows, outside doors, a roof, the garages, showers, baths, heating, plumbing, electric, and I think the sheetrock is going in monday. Goodness! They are cruising! This house could be done in four weeks! (I wouldn't mind!) So, there's the update. It is so neat to see the progress every day. We are counting our blessings we've had such great weather the past few weeks, so they can work so quickly!

oh, cool story about Sunday. We drove out to see the home, and right when we got out there, Aleia had to go to the bathroom. So we knocked on the neighbor's door, and she said, "Oh yeah, you're dixie right?" She knew who I was! (Appartently it's a tight knit neighborhood) And her husbands name is Matt too. They are a VERY cool family. Apparently there are a lot of girls Aleia's age. I'm excited to get to know the people around us. Jackie (the neighbor) said people were really down to earth out there. Yea!

Kristi Approved Seminar

2010-02-18T22:11:00.002-07:00

Hey,
My mom and I are going to have a Kristi Approved Live the Life seminar in Lehi at her school March 1 at 4pm. Is anyone interested in comming? She will talk about the program, and answer any questions, and then the books, protein powder, etc will all be there to purchase. If you are allready a member, you could come and say hi!

Family Home Evening

2010-02-16T17:06:00.002-07:00

Dad was teaching the lesson, and asked Aleia

" When Jesus Christ is not on the earth, who does he send for us so we can still be happy?"

and Aleia, without batting an eye says promptly

"Kids!"

How wet our Foundation :o)

2010-02-09T16:30:00.003-07:00

Yipee! They just got started pouring the foundation after I drove up with some hot cookies and a "Thank You". I didn't realize how many cement trucks it takes to put up a house. They started with one... then another pulled in, and suddenly there are four more parked on the street. Crazy. The weather's been perfect. Couldn't ask for a better temp! So, after the foundation sets for a week, then supposedly it goes up SUPER quick. I don't know if my girls can handle the drive out there every day, but I'd sure love to see how it goes up. I can't believe it's really happening. Yahoo!!!

Finally Getting a House

2010-02-01T15:37:00.003-07:00

So, many of you already know this, Matt and I are finally getting a house! Yea!!!!! We will be building and are very excited. We have been waiting for this day FOREVER. (And we'll have to wait a little longer until it's built.) Honestly? It doesn't seem real. I don't think it will seem real until we are moving in. But we are so excited to know where we are going to be for the next part of our life. Life's pretty good right now.

Live the Life Promotion

2010-01-30T07:41:00.003-07:00

Hey~ I know some of you have been wanting to try the 'Live the Life' Program. http://kristiapproved.com/live

There is a promotion going on:

Starting this coming Monday Feb 1st and ending Feb 7th, we are doing a big "promo" for our NEW UPGRADED LIVE THE LIFE program. We took all our members suggestions on how to make it even better and then did just that...made it better. It has all kinds of awesome new stuff on the menu, dinner options, grocery list, and even changed up the workouts to be much better and more time efficient. We're also adding some neat accountability reporting features to help you out even more with the results you report back each week.
What's the "promo" you ask? (good question)
For anyone who signs up during this week of Feb 1st - Feb 7th will get their first 4 weeks of our Elite membership for FREE: (the new LIVE THE LIFE program upgrades start Feb 1st) That's a $20 value for FREE!

If you have been interested, this would be a great time to do it. She has never lowered her prices. I think it's been a great program for my family. I love how I feel being in control of myself, and how confident I finaly feel about my body.
Here's the Link for the Men's program: http://kristiapproved.com/for-
And Here's for the Women: http://kristiapproved.com/for-

There is also a 7 day challenge you can try for free!
Here's the link for the FREE "Seven Day Challenge"

http://kristiapproved.com/seve

Try it! You will be SO glad you did.

Girls are great

2009-12-31T11:34:00.003-07:00

I've been really trying to slow down and just enjoy life, (now that christmas is over...Man Santa creates stress). And I've really become fond of the little moments, like my girls giggling on the floor and rolling around in their new Christmas Pajamas...

or watching them snuggle up to dad for a story.

Normally we hurry home from the gym, but yesterday I let Macie walk too, and we all enjoyed the silence of the newly falling snow...Macie and Aleia listened to it crunch under their feet, and tasted the cool feathery flakes on their lips and faces, and as I looked up into their bright excited eyes, I found a moment of true happiness.

Disclaimer

2009-12-22T12:15:00.000-07:00

Ok, so my sister gave me flack for posting pictures on facebook where i'm not completely covered.

First of all, I have to say that it took a lot of guts to hit "post" on that.
Second of all, given the context of the note, (which she may not have read) I figure that a picture can speak louder than words. No one would take health advice from a fatty. They are just not credible!

And now motive: honestly? I've done weight watchers, I've tried Jessica Seinfields "Deceptively Delicious recipies, I've tried to encorporate a Medeteranean diet, I've tried a lot of things to be 'healthy". I've always excercized...ALWAYS. But this is the first time, where I learned exactly what to eat so I wouldn't have cravings. I know exactly how much food is enough,and I know how to adjust it for all of my family members specific needs.

Now, I don't feel guilty eating, or feeling full. I enjoy my food, and don't beat myself up over not making it to the gym. I don't exercize as hard, and I know that I'll be just fine! 90% of how we look is what we eat. I read all the tips on how to be healthy from magazines, and just smile because I'm allready doing all the things they say! It's all included in the Live the Life program. I never knew how to encorporate all the tips and ideas before. "eat more fish, eat some nuts, add citrus...etc etc etc." But now, it's just part of who I am.

Lastly, my heart hurts when I hear of people starting up diets and joining programs. Because unless we are taught how to eat to maintain horomone levels and insulin, we all will give in to "emotional eating". Kristi teaches all of those things. It just makes so much sense! So, I hope no one was offended by my unmodest pictures. I stand by my reasoning.

My "Live the Life" Experience

2009-12-19T20:59:00.004-07:00

So, I don't normally publicize these kinds of things unless people ask. But this has been so life changing for me, I realy wan't everyone to try it out! I can't think of anything but good that can come from this, so I'm going to go out on a limb a little bit.

A few months ago I was frustrated because I was going to the gym religiously and ate healthy and wasn't getting the results I wanted. I found a program called Live the Life, iv'e been able to loose the weight, and keep it off. I'm so much happier! And I know that it's ok if I don't get my workout in. Live the life gives you 12 weeks of meal plans and workouts and tells you exactly what and how to eat, with the grocery list and everything. The workouts are simple enough to do at home. And not only does she teach you positive life changing habbits, but tells you exactly what is best to eat at fast food joints, or restaurants, and it realy is a lifestyle...not a yoyo diet.

I've been able to loose 13 pounds on Live the Life, and have continued the lifestyle for six months now. I honestly can't think of living any other way. Honestly I think the biggest change that I've made is a mental change. I'm a lot more positive in my mind. Not just with eating or working out, but with everything. I used to beat myself up over things, but now I can get over things a lot easier. I don't dwell on my mistakes as much, and I am a lot better at positive self talk.

Some other benefits have been :

I'm more confident in myself
my family is eating healthier
the girls really like the food.
I don't have to spend all day at the gym now, or plan my life around aerobics classes
I've even been able to cut grocery spending.
I usually spend around $60-65 a week on groceries for our family.
Matt's lost 20 pounds just from the diet part alone.
My mom just started too, she says she's lost 12 pounds the first 4 weeks, and I think the hardest part for her is eating all the food. Darn! ( I have no problem eating a lot of food):o)

I know a lot of people may be looking for a lifestyle change for the new year. So, if you are interested, check out Kristi's website, or I'd be happy to talk your ear off about it :o) So if you are interested, here are some links. Here's for Men: https://kristiapproved.infusionsoft.com/go/ltlmens/dixistix/ Here's for Women: https://kristiapproved.infusionsoft.com/go/ltlwomens/dixistix and here's a little bit more about it: https://kristiapproved.infusionsoft.com/go/ltlgneral/dixistix/

Before After

The-Christmas-Spirit

2009-12-12T10:28:00.000-07:00

The-Christmas-Spirit

Coast Pictures

2009-12-02T15:38:00.007-07:00

Ok, I pulled these pictures off of Matt's facebook page. At least it's something!

Pacific Beach

Grandpa was giving out rides to cute girls

A walk thanksgiving Morning around Leonards 'neighborhood'.

Thanksgiving

2009-12-02T15:03:00.003-07:00

We went to Oregon for Thanksgiving. Yea! Something to blog about! It was truly awesome. My favorite part was going to the beach. (Yes, we were frozen solid afterwards). It was a drive-on beach, so Matt got drive our car on there. He loved that. I loved playing in the tidepools and caves (the tide was out) and picking up sand dollars on the beach. Afterwards we went to a coffee shop and got hot chocolates. I think that was Aleia's favorite part. :o) We also spent lots and lots of time with Matts family, which was SOOOOO nice. We loved visiting Oregon...the lush green, the morning fog, It was really beautiful.

I can't get any pictures up right now. Hopefully some to come.

Fall is here!

2009-09-26T15:56:00.002-06:00

We took a trip up the canyon. Sorry for the lack of updates. I'm just not on the computer much anymore. There is too much life to live! (away from the computer). I'm sure some of you with small children know what I mean. Man they keep us busy!

The Price of Freedom...as penned while I was serving in Iraq

2009-06-29T22:38:00.006-06:00

As we move into the week in which we will celebrate our country's independence, I dug up a document I wrote five years ago while I was serving in Iraq. It was written on Memorial Day, but I believe it's message is certainly applicable to a celebration of our independence. Many of you that know me, know that I am a Christian, and you will find obvious references to that faith toward the end of the document. I have not changed a single word of this document; it is in it's pure, original form exactly as I wrote it, and I make no apology for its content.

My purpose in posting this document is not to begin a debate on any of its content, but simply to share a piece of myself with the rest of you that you probably haven't ever seen. When I wrote this document, it was originally shared only with family members. This week, I am opening it up to the rest of you and wearing some of my feelings on my sleeve. So, without further rambling, I hope you enjoy it, and that you appreciate your freedom as much as I do.

The Price of Freedom

On Memorial Day in May of 2004 it finally hit me what it means to be free. I didn’t go to any ceremonies or hear any long speeches. I didn’t visit a grave site or mourn over lost relatives. I didn’t even think about my own grandfather’s service in the Vietnam War as I had done in previous years. Instead, I thought of fallen comrades as I suited up with body armor, ammunition for my M16, and did a final check of all my gear. I spent the day driving and doing recon in downtown Baghdad. I was in the middle of a war zone, and today it felt different. The gas pedal of my bulky Humvee was pressed solidly to the floor as we aggressively navigated a road where two Americans had died the day before. There would be no looking back, but an intense scanning of the road ahead would reveal several possible threats. My brain worked in overdrive trying to assess the intentions of every civilian we passed, my eyes never stayed in one spot for longer than five seconds. The handling limitations of a very heavy Humvee were painfully apparent as I swerved around unyielding drivers. I heard mortars explode nearby as we rested at our first stop. I thought of the many nights I’ve tried to sleep but was awakened by mortars impacting as close as 500 meters away. As our patrolling continued, we drove over sections of road that had been blasted by IED’s (Improvised Explosive Device; AKA, a bomb). I remembered seeing Humvees torn to shreds and burning that had been hit by those IED’s. I remembered being caught between two of these IED’s a mere two weeks earlier. I had picked up a piece of shrapnel that skidded across the road and landed by my foot as I stood outside of my Humvee pointing my M16 at every rooftop and window with any sign of movement. Worse yet, I remembered many of my fellow soldiers who had not been as lucky as I; soldiers who were killed performing the daunting duty that was before them. I couldn’t forget Lieutenant Vega, who was killed as a result of a Humvee accident. I thought of my First Sergeant who was shot and blown up when US forces first invaded Iraq, and who is now back to serve another year in this war. He just found out that his wife (who is also in the army) will be coming next year, just a few weeks before he will finally return home after nearly two and a half years of solid war. There are many who have offered unsung and unrecognized sacrifices. We know so little of those who have given so much.

The country we fight to protect decays with pride and selfishness, and yet every day I am responsible for the safety of four other people besides myself. There are those that will never hold a gun, and mine is locked and loaded for at least 8 hours a day. Others say that war is a deadly thing that causes many deaths, but still I will not hesitate to put two bullets through the skull of anyone jeopardizing my life or the lives of my countrymen. Every day I pray and make peace with my God because of the great strain that the task of war can cause a man.

Those who have never fought for their freedom, those who have never fought in a war, and those who have never fought for anything they believed in will never understand the sacrifices made by those who have. Even the fiercest of war critics must hush in the presence of one who has fought in a war, because that man fought for the freedom that allows the critic his free speech. Many who enjoy freedom have never paid the price for it, so how could they possibly understand the cost? The price of freedom is not a tag that can be readily read by everyone. It never goes on sale or gets marked down. The forces of evil that cause us to fight for our God-given right of agency do not flinch in the face of war or death. Those that fight for freedom are aware that the cost may include their life. Though we may grieve their passing, their deaths are landmarks of courage and inspiration. The good Lord comforts us in the deaths of our righteous comrades as follows: “…the Lord suffereth the righteous to be slain that his justice and judgment may come upon the wicked; therefore ye need not suppose that the righteous are lost because they are slain; but behold, they do enter into the rest of the Lord their God.” (Alma 60:13) The Lord Almighty and our Great God be thanked for his infinite wisdom and righteous judgment. 1 Peter 4:8 teaches that “charity shall cover the multitude of sins.” Charity is none other than the pure love of Christ, and we also learn from John that “Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends.” There is great hope indeed for those who have lain down their lives for the freedom of others.

May the graces of Christ reach to those who have lost a relative or friend to the cause of war. What is the cause of war? The cause of war has always been and should always be the defense of freedom and righteousness. There is no consoling word that can fill the hole left by the loss of a loved one, but I can still say thank you. Thank you, because I am still alive and enjoying freedom because of what those brave men and women have done. I would give my life for the comrades to my left and right, and they would do the same for me. Only God knows why my life has not been taken, but I am grateful for every day that is granted to me. That is why I say thank you. Memorial Day of 2004 will never be forgotten, and Memorial Day for me will never be the same. Freedom means much more to me than being free. Freedom is made up of the courage of thousands of men and women who have died defending it. Freedom is looking at your family and knowing that you would die to protect them. Freedom is not hesitating to stand up to the forces of evil that would rob us of agency and happiness. Freedom is being able to breath clean air every day having measured yourself as a man, and not been found wanting. For some though, freedom is just a gift, given by those who have spilled sweat and blood on countless battlefields. May we never forget or under appreciate that gift, and may we never forget He who has made us eternally free from the enemies of our souls, even Jesus the Christ.

-SGT Matt Downing

Memorial Day 2004

Someone likes my keys

2009-06-10T20:59:00.002-06:00

On Thursday I was at the gym in an aerobics class, and wen't to leave, but couldn't find my keys anywhere. Someone took them! I waited for a half hour for someone to bring them back, realizing they weren't their keys, but to no avail. So we had to walk home and pop out a screen window to get in the house. (Aleia thought that was a lot of fun). We went back the next evening and someone had returned them. So, I think that is some random incident, right? It happened to me once four years ago, but someone else had the same car I have, and it was an honest mistake. (This key ring only had house keys on it and the gym tags.) So then Monday, I'm at a different gym, different class, and GUESS what happens?
My keys are missing again!!! I couldn't believe it. I dumped out my diaper bag three times, scoured the gym, and stayed again for an extra half hour. (The keys were different looking this time too.) So then I had to use a gym phone to call Matt (my phone was in my car). And he came to rescue us. Lame. Really Lame. Quit taking my keys! Matt drove back and checked today, and sure enough, they were returned by someone. How can you not notice that you have the wrong keys? I dunno. I don't get it.

Our little Courtyard

2009-05-28T20:36:00.003-06:00

I love where we live!!! No, we're not in our very own house with a spot for a garden, and a room for each girl. No, we aren't even in Matt's parents house still, enjoying our own space. In fact, when it comes to space, this is probably the least space we've had in a long time. But that's almost the beauty of it. Our little appartment has been one of the greatest blessings in disguise we could have asked for. Tucked away from the bustling world around us, we were blessed to find an appartment with a little courtyard. And every day, we go outside to play in that courtyard and meet up with 8 other little kid friends and neighbors. It is so great. Aleia & Macie love their friends, and they love them. Everyone watches out for eachother, and plays together, and I'd have to say it's been the greatest blessing in the world. I don't have pictures of today, but 5 families today all had a pizza picnic for dinner. It was so fun! Stuff like that happens all the time. I can't even begin to describe my feelings of grattitude that of all places in the world we could be right now, that we are here. I love this place.