Three Owls In A Barn

We Are Family

2012-02-07T08:00:00.000-07:00

It's becoming tradition to have our Christmas party on New Years Eve. It makes it easier for our large family to all come together at the same time.

My parents recently finished their basement, so we had a great space to hang out. They decided to keep the wood paneling in the family room and I like to think it makes for a perfect backdrop.

My mom jumped at the chance to do last minute family photos and I soon regretted not doing my makeup that day. Oh well, might as well post them on my blog for the whole world to see.

I sure do love this family.

Us being the hilarious people we are...decided to reenact our family photo from when I was probably close to one. Gregg took a quick picture of it, but cut off Curtis' head. You get the idea though. We have slightly changed.

Our Endless Love

2012-02-06T08:30:00.000-07:00

It's that time of year again that we sit back and reflect our marriage. Today marks eight years. Crazy to think about!

It would be easy for us to feel that we haven't accomplished what we thought we would by now like the fact that we only have one child and most couples have two or three by now. But I like to think about the hard work we've put into getting our one child. The closeness it has brought to our marriage could not have happened any other way. Referring to how young we got married, I recently told Gregg how lucky we were that neither of us turned out to be psycho and if we are we must both be on the same psychoness level. I could go on and on about how much I love him, but I'll save that for Gregg personally. {your welcome}

So here's to eight beautiful years and not being psycho. Love you babe!

I just had to share these pics I found of us from Emme's sealing. This guy makes me laugh.

Christmas 2011

2012-02-02T19:58:00.001-07:00

December was crazy busy as usual. It's my busiest month of the year at work so I always work longer days and to throw multiple parties in the mix makes for a hectic month. You could say it's a good kind of hectic because it's fun, but I'm not going to lie when I say I was relieved when it was over. Emme was so fun to watch this year. She ooohhed every time we turn on the Christmas lights and we couldn't wait to take her downtown to the Temple Lights. We had it all scheduled, but due to Emme's asthma our plans were changed. Out of now where her asthma flared and I could tell it was a struggle for her to breath. She had to take a steroid and we had to up all her doses of asthma treatments. To keep her from getting sick and then hospitalized we had to keep her away from a lot of people and out of the lovely Utah inversion. So instead of Temple Square we decided to go to Thanksgiving Point with my niece and her friend. We were so excited for Emme to see all the cool lights, but literally minutes before we pulled in she fell asleep. Nothing would wake her and the long drive proved too long for a one year old to stay awake. We laughed at the irony and decided there is always next year.

We spent Christmas to New Years in Idaho with my family. Except for everyone getting the 24hr flu and Emme having diarrhea the WHOLE time it was a fun relaxing week. I think we did laundry at least once every day. Emme loved waking up to pompa every morning and continually getting crackers from Ma (grandma). Gregg and I even got a date night while my parents watched Emme.

I hope everyone had a great Christmas!

She loved the lights as you can tell.

She was very excited about Santa and kept waving and saying "ho ho ho," but the second she sat on his lap she was terrified.

Opening presents with the Alexanders

All of the granddaughters.

Instead of packing all of Emme's presents we let her open a few before we left for Idaho. I love her face when she noticed her new kitchen.

While Gregg and I were busy packing she found a fun new spot to hang out.

Opening presents in Idaho.

Christmas Day

I could have cropped this, but how else would I explain my sister's awesome photography abilities.

She loved this box and would hang out in there forever.

Playing on grandpa's tractor.

My country bumpkins

2012-01-22T20:20:00.001-07:00

Fall twenty eleven

2012-01-18T14:32:00.001-07:00

Halloween update...check.
Despite being sick in all of October we decided to suck it up and still enjoy some festivities. Here are some things we got to do.

Pumpkin Patch with Kenz and Kaylee. Not pictured..our friends Chloe and Alli.

I just had to throw these in here. My attempts and styling Emme's hair. It didn't last long.

Trunk or Treat with cousin Sage.

Dress up party with some Idaho cousins.

This one makes me laugh.

Trick or Treating at Dad's work.

Just plain trick or treating.

She loved getting to pick out her own stuff.

One Year

2011-12-06T15:38:00.000-07:00

Our little miracle is ONE!! Well, actually she is close to 15months now, but holy cow! The time spent around her birthday had us thinking a lot about the year before. The whole experience almost feels like a dream now. Words can't express the love we have for her and for her birth family.

At her one year check up she was
30 in long or 75%
21lbs 6oz or 55%
Head was 10%

Now on to bragging and mentioning some things I want to remember. Everywhere we go people comment how smart she is. They always guess she is a lot older than she is. Even her pediatrician is always amazed by her vocabulary and motor skills. She has been mimicking words from about 9 months. None of the credit goes to us by any means. She is just one smart cookie. Maybe everyone feels this way about their first baby though. Her favorite toy by far is books. She would sit in my lap and read all day. She has an alphabet train and she has brought me the c for car and v for van and said "car? car?". She has also brought me the m for monkey and did her arms like a monkey and made the sound they make. She will copy every word we give her {in fact she never stops jabbering}, but some of her favorites are: pompa (grandpa my dad), papa (Gregg's dad), baby, push, owl, dog, Grant, no no, yes, ya, cow, moo, roar for lion and dinosaur,car, ball, and of course mom and dad. She makes the sound of many animals and sometimes only needs to hear it once. I can ask her to find something in one of her books and she will flip to the right page and point to it. She's even figured out how to push the button on my iPhone and slide to unlock it. Along with having such a busy mind makes for a busy kid. She never slows down except to read books and still puts everything in her mouth and I mean EVERYTHING. Even in an empty room she will find something to do. Whether it be pulling off dry wall or finding the tiniest speck to taste. Luckily she sleeps like a champ and loves to go nye nye (night night). That is a big help so Gregg and I can refresh for the next day. My favorite thing is how cuddly she is. She gives the best loves and kisses around. I never mind having drool smeared on my face if that means I get a smooch from her. I will admit that we snuggle her a lot and give her maybe too many squeezes, but we just can't resist her. Gregg even made up the phrase, "I've got the squeezies." Meaning when Emme does something cute and you grit your teeth because you want to squeeze her so bad. And yes, just looking at these pictures gives me the squeezies. We love that emme memmer moo of ours.

My favorite picture. No fancy bows, background, or clothes needed. Just Emme in her purest form.

Birthday Under The Sea

2011-12-05T15:21:00.001-07:00

On Emmer's real birthday we both took the day off so we could take her to The Living Planet Aquarium. Gregg's dad has an aquarium and it's the first thing she runs to every time we visit them. She normally calls fish "Pi", but occasionally will say "Fi". So we thought it would be fun for her to see the BIG aquariums. She loved it and not once did she get bored. Looks like we have a winter activity for her to get some energy out.

Can You Tell Me How To Get, How To Get To....

2011-11-10T10:00:00.000-07:00

Ses"Emme" Street?
-Brought to you by the Letter E and Number 1

We do first birthday's big around here, so for Emme's third and final birthday party we spent it at our house. We decorated Ses"emme" to the max although I only took pictures of some of it for some reason. It's always more stressful to be the host and I don't always get to take the pictures I want. We had a blast though and everything turned out great.

The dessert area.

Emme's birth aunt drew this picture. Talk about amazing!

Big Bird, Elmo, and Cookie Monster showed the way to the party.

Thanks to Gregg's cousin for making her cake. For the record I did do most of Elmo. :)

These are my beloved cousins whom I lived with for a while when I first moved to Utah. Emme is making what we call "turtle face". She makes it when she feels awkward. She made it a lot at her party because of all the attention she was getting. So funny.

Turtle Face

Total Pro at this cake stuff now.

I love K's face as she's laughing at Emme.

PAPER!!!!

Cue turtle face. I didn't realize how many times she did it until I did this post.

Let Them Eat Cake

2011-11-09T10:00:00.000-07:00

We also had a little party with my parents and brother's family while still in Idaho. Yep, that's right two parties so far. We celebrated all month long.

Emme and I share the "don't bug me I'm eating" attitude.

Not afraid of getting dirty.

Playing with Colby after.

You can't tell Colby likes Gregg or anything can you? I think because we've spent so much time at their house, he's gotten used to us.

First Birthday

2011-11-08T10:00:00.000-07:00

Gregg and I were so excited for Emme's birthday party with her birth family. Most of them hadn't seen her since she was born so we were ecstatic to show her off. They were so cute and got her balloons and the cutest gifts. Emme had no problems warming right up to them. Unfortunately, we didn't get to see her birth mom this time, but we love her and we're so glad we got to see everyone else. We felt such a fast connection to them when we met a year ago and it was as if we had always been family. Hanging out at the hospital with them was like hanging with people we had known forever. We are so lucky to be connected to such great people.

Emme with her birth brother (K) and aunt. Doesn't K and Emme look so much alike?

We went with a Ses"Emme" street theme this year.

She had no fear of the cake.

Here, you have some. It's good!

Best. Day. Ever.

Getting a kiss from her birth grandma. Isn't that the cutest thing?

You want some cake?

K got her a baby doll, that she loves dearly.

Loves

This is typical Emme. She'll eat any paper she can find.

They surprised us with a giraffe costume. So dang cute. Contrary to this picture she loved wearing it for Halloween.

Great picture of the two of them.

Emme is so happy.

Chilling with Papa.

It's tradition

2011-11-07T20:37:00.001-07:00

I don't think it was by any accident that Emme was born in Idaho so close to when the Eastern Idaho State Fair is. It has been a yearly event for my family and me since I can remember. So it just makes sense that we are now able to take Emme with us and at the same time celebrate her birthday with not only my family, but her birth family as well. The best part was we ran into Emme's birth grandpa (fittingly called Papa just like Gregg's dad) and birth aunt while we were at the fair. Crazy to think a year ago we were anxiously awaiting the arrival of this special girl.

My aunt and uncle were in charge of this little car area. Emme never wanted to leave. I can't say I blamed her.

I love taking her to see all the animals. If you notice her poor eyes, it's not allergies. I had her tested for cows and she is not allergic, but her poor tear ducts won't let her tears drain so any time spent outside is no good on her eyes.

Another tradition. I couldn't count the number of these hats I've had in my life time. We even have a video of my sister wearing one of these while imitating their commercial. "HEEEEYYYY CULLIGAN MAAAAN!!!"

I just can't get over this smile.

2011-11-02T14:05:00.001-06:00

Happy National Adoption Month!

Here's hoping it's a healthy month too!

A Bunch Of Sickos

2011-10-27T20:27:00.001-06:00

The winter colds and flus have come early to our house this year. Between me recovering from a minor surgery and Emme having surgery to get stents in her tear ducts then shortly after us all getting sick sick sick, October has not been in our favor. I love fall and all the fun activities that go with it, but this year we have been watching the leaves float to the ground while laying on the couch. Gregg has once again proved worthy of being a great husband and dad by cleaning up throw up twice (one mine and one Emme's) and holding Emme all night while sitting up so she could breath and get some rest. Being sick while being a mom proves to be a thousand times harder than before. Not to mention having a poor sick baby at the same time. Hopefully the Alexander house will get back to normal soon and we will return to the real world. I have too many products that are half done and a ton that haven't even got started. So watch out for us in the future. We're gonna blow yo' mind. But don't hold your breath.

The picture of Emme is of her playing with toys while in the pre op room before surgery. I love that she gives loves to all babies fake or real. That girl is too cute.

July

2011-10-13T15:45:00.000-06:00

July is my favorite month. Even more so now that I live in Utah and get an extra holiday {Pioneer Day}. We went to two parades, saw three firework shows, and had lots of outdoor fun. To quote my niece Kenzie while watching the fireworks at the Bee's game, "I wish every day could be July!" Me too Kenzie, Me too.

Fourth of July in Idaho

Emme was a little sick on the Fourth and just wanted to cuddle. She ended the day with a blow out so it was pretty cool.

Snuggling with dad. I was so excited for her to experience her first parade, but such is life when you don't feel good.

Draper Days

We were nervous what Emme would think of the noise at the fireworks so we brought plugs.

She loved them.

Annual Canyon Dinner

Family of dogs. Note that Gregg and I got engaged at this very spot eight years ago. CRAZY!

One tired girl, or grill as we like to say.

Emme is a bit of a bully to her younger cousins as you can see in these pictures.

"Lissy can I please have some of that hair?"

Cute Lissy.

Butler Days

Please ignore me in these pictures and focus on Emme. :)

Much better time at this parade.

"Candy over here please!"

Not documented is the Bee's game and Bountiful fireworks. Apparently, we were simply having too much fun to take pictures.

Goodbye July...until next year.

Giraffe?

2011-10-12T14:45:00.001-06:00

I have to spoil the surprise and share Emme's Halloween costume. She just looks too cute in it. Her birth family got it for her birthday because they know it's my favorite animal. I wanted her to be one last year, but I couldn't find one small enough for her. I'm so glad they found it because it's perfect for her and goes along with her many stuffed giraffes.

Idaho Trip

2011-10-10T15:24:00.000-06:00

When Gregg found out he had scout camp, I decided to take Emme to Idaho to see the fam. She got to experience her first county fair which is a big deal for us Idaho girls and play with her cousins.

Fair food is the best.

She loved the animals until...

A sheep baad in her face and freaked her out. She doesn't make this face very often so it was pretty cute.

Entertaining Emme in the bounce house Addison got for her birthday.

This picture is hilarious.

These three girls are all bruisers so it's fun when they get together.

We got to go to lunch with the girls before heading out of town. Emme was exhausted and kept laying her head on the table.

Yuba 2011

2011-10-09T14:53:00.003-06:00

Our second camping trip was our annual Yuba trip. Because of all the water this year we had to camp at a different spot other than the beach we're normally on. It was still really fun, but I felt I missed out on the potential sand eating picture of Emme. Maybe next year right? I will have all of you know that when it came my turn to wake board I got up on the first try. Not that I stayed up long, but it was BIG progress from last year. It would figure that we didn't have a camera to document it, but trust me, I was awesome.

Her first orange. She was on cloud nine.

Mom, I'm so cool.

She mimics everything we do now and when I showed her my tongue she showed hers right back. She also starting saying "Tricia" on this trip. Now she says it all the time.

First boat ride! Who doesn't like a life jacket shoved up their cheeks?

Swimming with the kiddos. How could I resist?

Relaxing tubing. Exactly my style.

Jones Family Campout

2011-10-09T14:29:00.001-06:00

Emme got to experience a few camping trips this year. Let me just start by saying the crawling/put everything in mouth stage is very difficult while camping. We had a blast though and can't wait until next year.

Even though it was past bedtime I had to snuggle Emme around the fire.

Gregg is a huge TAB drinker {gross I know}, so five years ago when we went to the Coca Cola store in Vegas we bought a TAB hat for Gregg and a TAB onesie for the baby we had been trying six months for at the time. It sat in our extra closet a looooong time and would make us sad every time we saw it. We were so excited the day Emme fit in it and couldn't wait to take pictures of our TAB duo.

Getting some cuddle time with Grandma Jones.

Our hike. Doesn't Emme look miserable?

These two look so much alike.

Finally made it to the waterfall. Okay, it was actually a really easy hike.

Much better in front.

I Know...

2011-09-26T22:39:00.001-06:00

I have a one year old living in my house. Major posts are in order, but maybe if I keep delaying them I can stay in denial that she's not really one. Hopefully soon I'll find time to get on the computer and make a "real" post. Between Emme, work, and my calling there just doesn't seem to be enough hours in the day. Or to rephrase that enough energy in the day. I'm enjoying that girl so much.

And because every post is way better with a picture here is my little walrus.

Nailed It

2011-09-26T22:02:00.001-06:00

I found this on Pinterest today and laughed until I cried. Man, does this sum up my baking skills. Like the time I used pancake mix instead of flour for cookies. Yeah they were fluffy alright.

Lagoon 2011

2011-09-13T20:53:00.002-06:00

I'm trying to catch up on the crazy summer we've had. The day after our family reunion my family did our annual Lagoon Day. I was happy I could go on rides this year since last year was too close to my heart procedure and I wasn't able to ride. I'm excited for when Emme gets to ride the rides. She mainly stayed in her stroller this year, but enjoyed all the fun things to stare at.

Love this picture of the three strollers. I'm so glad to have Emme so close in age to so many cousins.

Love her laid back attitude.

Blake, Teagan, and Bridger on Rattlesnake Rapids.

With grandma watching mommy on the ride with Makadee.

Surprising our crowd with funny faces on the way down.

Love Makadee's face. She thought I was hilarious because well, I am. :)

The only ones daring enough for the rocket.

Look babe, No hands!!

Oh and P.S. Emme turns ONE tomorrow. YIKES!!!!

Pure Joy Pt. 2

2011-09-13T20:23:00.000-06:00

Gregg's sister Staci took this photo the night we found out about Emme. The best thing we could come up with in a hurry to share the good news with Gregg's parents was to tape a piece of paper to one of Herc's bandannas.

This is what happiness looks like.

Pure Joy

2011-09-07T22:45:00.001-06:00

2 Nephi 2:25
Adam fell that men might be; and men are, that they might have joy.

September 1st will be a day we never forget. It started on my way to work. I was down that day and felt the need to pray. I turned off the radio and poured my heart out like I had done so many times. I told Heavenly Father I was trying, REALLY trying to live in faith, but I wasn't doing a good job at it. I felt we had a baby coming soon, but every day went by without an email from a potential birth mom or even a hint we were being looked at. I'll always remember rushing home from work to meet our caseworker after finding out we needed to sign paper work. The shock of reading I was getting a baby. The deep gratitude that Heavenly Father did remember me and has a plan for me. Talking to Emme's aunt and setting up a time to meet {M}.
Most of all I'll remember the JOY. PURE JOY I felt that night. We called each of our siblings and my parents and shared the spectacular (there's not even a word good enough) news. We had screamers, bawlers, and just plain excited responses. A few people even collapsed to the ground. It made us realize how much everyone was on our team. After having so much bad news from us it was the best thing ever to give them good news.

This year we celebrated by getting in our Utah gear for their first game and going to dinner at Olive Garden because that's where we met Emme's birth mom and aunt. We reminisced over pasta and proudly showed off the girl that's made our lives amazing.

Tubes

2011-09-07T21:44:00.001-06:00

At the end of June we were finally able to get tubes in Emme's ears. All went well and we had a good experience. I only wish they'd let us keep the hospital outfit because she looked so dang cute in it. Emme was grumpy after they woke her up, but it was mainly due to her being hungry. After we got food down her she was fine and back to normal. A girl after my own heart. The surgery was so fast I barely had a chance to get on Facebook before the doctor came to talk to us.

One thing that was cool was her anesthesiologist told us both of his kids were adopted and he only had a days notice for one of them. For some reason this made me feel safer knowing my child was in his care. Maybe because I felt more connected to him. Funny how knowing others have adopted makes you automatically understand them and all they've been through.

Emme has had one infection since the tubes, but it was so nice just to do drops instead of taking her to the doctor and doing an antibiotic that makes her sick. It confirmed to me even more that it was a wise decision to put tubes in her ears.

J Family Reunion 2011

2011-08-15T15:47:00.000-06:00

We had another great year at the Jackson Family Reunion. Some memories we made were...

Giving kisses to those we love,

Hanging out with daddy,

Jumping in the bounce house,

Playing with cousins,

Listening to the talent we have in our family,

Being silly,

and last but definitely not least enjoying the campfire.

Rudolph the ?

2011-08-03T14:25:00.025-06:00

I'm finally getting the courage to post a video that happened back in December. You can call it stage fright, brain cramp, or just plain forgetfulness. I like to call it funny and that's why I'm sharing.

*The video quality is very poor because it's from my phone. If I'm ever ambitious enough to actually hook my phone up to the computer I'll post it in better quality.

We Like It Here

2011-07-26T12:08:00.001-06:00

Thanks to Brad and Tricia, we have a lot of opportunities to go to St. George. We went back in the beginning of June and enjoyed the hot desert sun. Swimming, shopping, and eating out is always a must.

Gotta start the trip out right, by getting all the Salt Lake grit off the car.

Big fan of swings.

Swimming is a must.

Emme loves the water.

Hobo Joe's as we Alexander's refer to it.

Such a Ham.

Snow Cone with cream and ice cream at the bottom? Yes please!

Love Tuacahn.

Emme's first time in Vegas.

Family Fotos

2011-07-25T11:34:00.000-06:00

After temple photos we changed and took some family photos. Our photographer Jess Bishop was awesome and spent a long time with us. I wish I could go back and change the outfit that I wore, because I look pregnant in it (I'm not), but other than that I love them. Now you're thinking that too, am I right?

She's Got My...

2011-07-09T12:00:00.001-06:00

A common thought of adoption is children who are adopted end up looking like their parents. As if that makes the adoption "meant to be." I actually don't really believe this because think of all the transracial families through adoption. I truly feel that they are "meant to be" as well. In fact Emme is half Hispanic, but this is for a whole other post. My point is as I was looking through photos today I realized Emme does have something of mine.

What you don't believe me?

Just look....

That lucky girl has my HAIR!

idea courtesy of Que and Brittany's Adoption Journal

Temple Redo Pics

2011-07-08T17:55:00.000-06:00

Remember how I got shingles? Well, one of the reason I did might have been the stress of getting pictures right after our temple sealing. The night before the sealing I was almost in tears after hours of searching for an outfit to wear for our family photos (after temple pics) so I called our photographer and we rescheduled for a later date. Did anyone notice how spring sucked this year? Well, it was not pro Alexander photos so we rescheduled multiple times and FINALLY after two months we got our pictures taken. I'm glad we did because the weather was awesome and we were more refreshed. Oh and that outfit I cried over? I ended up wearing stuff I already had. Isn't life funny?

I Am Thankful...

2011-07-01T14:56:00.002-06:00

To live in this country and for those willing to sacrifice leaving their families, wives, and children.

A few months ago I did a new clients hair. She brought in her little girl that was close to Emme's age. I soon found out her husband had been gone for months training to serve our country. I broke out in tears because I couldn't help but think of Gregg being gone and away from Emme. Thanks to all those that help our country stay free.

The R house had this video posted. Watch it, but I warn that you will cry.

Lover's Deployment and Return from David George on Vimeo.

Understanding and Supporting Pregnancy Loss

2011-07-01T14:53:00.002-06:00

Over at the R House {an adoption blog} she discussed pregnancy loss. Whether it be early in pregnancy or later in pregnancy. I have never been pregnant or close to, but the articles were good enough that I wanted to share them. Through them, I learned how to better understand, help, and talk to others that have lost a child during pregnancy. I've known many women who I am close to that have lost babies. I hope I didn't say anything at the time that might have hurt them. Sometimes when you see people that have children, it's easy to forget the struggle they went through to get them here. We're all in this together so let's be a little more kind and understanding.
Start here
Then here
Then go here.

It's a cousin thing.

2011-06-16T12:50:00.002-06:00

We recently took another trip to St. George (more to come) and we couldn't resist remaking the pictures we did in February.

Grantermander sandwich. Poor kid is going to get smothered with all these girls.

Trying to distract Emme to keep her headband on and keep G happy.

Fail.

February. My how they've grown.

9 months

2011-06-16T11:25:00.001-06:00

Someone asked me recently how old Emme was and I told them eight months. Not until later did I realize, "nope she's nine." Holy cow! I love this stage. Her crawling is getting better every day. She is now into drawers and Herc's dog food. She thinks it's hilarious to give our tile floor kisses, which I'm having issues with as you can imagine. Lot's of sweeping and mopping going on these days. Yesterday she learned to pull herself up in her crib. I couldn't believe my eyes. Now she does it all the time and chucks her binki across the room. I'm loving getting to know her personality.

We finally had her ENT appointment and it looks like tubes for Miss Emme. She had a lot of fluid and the Doctor was concerned it would start to affect her hearing and speech. I was shocked they wanted her to have surgery because it has been a while since she had her last ear infection. I thought they were going to think we were crazy for even coming in. It will be much better for Emme in the long run, but I don't like that she already has to be put out at such a young age. I know it's a simple surgery, but it always seemed easy until it was my own child that has to go through it. I'm ready for it to be over with and to have Emme feel better.

While she was there she got weighed.
20lbs 2oz
28in
She's our sturdy little bug.

Grass? Yes, please.

Aunt Tricia gave her a cute do.

What? I always do this.

Gotta love the binki smile. She has a bonk on her nose proving her new love of crawling and pulling herself up.

8.five months

2011-06-01T21:31:00.003-06:00

Emme is growing and learning at a rapid pace. I can't believe how far she has come these last few months...Weeks even. Gregg and I babysat three kids for 11 days and Emme picked up a bunch of new tricks.

She can:
Say momma and dada (for real this time)
Claps
Army crawls like no other
Goes from laying down to sitting up
Feeds herself her bottle
Does "so big" with her arms
Signs" more" and "all done" (only if we do it first)
Gives open mouth slobber kisses
Waves

Just a few days ago she started to pull herself up to grab the remote and a toy. She will let anyone hold her, but will not crack a smile for them. She just stares with big eyes, then looks at us and back at them. She drools, drools, drools and I think she has allergies because of her watery eyes. Poor thing. She is not a fan of bows and rips them off her head seconds after me putting one on. I still try though. I can't believe how big she is. She is in such a fun stage. We love when she gives us a big excited scream every time she sees us. She melts our hearts that's for sure.

She had her second visit to the ER a few weeks ago. She woke up about 11PM and starting crying. I went to check on her and she could barely breathe. I of course freaked out and we took her straight to Primary Children's. Apparently it was due to Croup and they gave her a steroid which helped a ton. It was a pretty fast case of it and I was glad it wasn't something more serious. It was just weird how she went to bed normal and woke up barely breathing and gasping for air. That's how Croup works though. Good to know!

Outfit courtesy of her Birth family. So sweet! It's been very handy especially since it's been such a cold spring.

So cute with her hood on. She has already learned the "fake smile". Whenever she hears the beep of my camera she does the pirate face. I think that might be a sign that I take too many pictures of the poor child.

Good thing my camera clicks fast so I can get smiles like this.

We Love Springtime!

2011-05-16T18:30:00.001-06:00

It's finally starting to get warm around our neck of the woods. Emme is definitely not accustomed to the outside elements because she has been bundled up inside her whole life. So it's nice to be able to put her in short sleeves and bask in the sun. Well, shade. Thanks to my cousin in North Dakota for the hat. It has been put to good use already.

Check out those teeth! She worked hard for them.

I had to add this pic because of the rolls on her arm. Can you say SQUEEZE?

Gregg got home from work and joined us outside. This is Emme's face when she noticed him. She loves her daddy.

Mother's Day

2011-05-09T18:26:00.000-06:00

It's a well known fact Mother's Day has always been hard for me. I will admit this year was much easier. I would still get anxiety every time someone would bring up Mother's Day, then I would remember I was a mom now. I think it's hard to throw away feelings you've had for years and years. I thought this year would be tear free, but it wasn't. I was pretty much a blubbering mess through all of sacrament and then again during my lesson. I thought the bishop was going to call me in to see if I was okay. He didn't for the record.

But man....

I cried...

I cried for Em's birth mom and the extreme love I have for her. She made me a mom. Words just can't explain.
I cried for Em's birth family. They made so many sacrifices for our little girl.
I cried for all those who are still waiting to be moms.
I cried appreciation to our Heavenly Father that I am a mom.

So there's always next year to try again for a dry faced Mother's Day, right?

and, What's a Mom Post without thanking my mom and mother in law.. I know they have cried many tears for me over the years.

Easter eleven

2011-05-06T17:58:00.000-06:00

We had a great Easter this year. We forced our seven month old to enjoy it too. Holidays usually mean little or no sleep for babies, but once again our Emmers was a champ. The Easter Bunny came after church due to a nine o'clock meeting time and the fact that I had to speak in church. He even waited until Emme had her only nap that day so she would be excited.

How nice of the Easter Bunny to leave a trail.

YUM!

The goods. Yes, that is candy in her basket and no she does not eat candy yet so yes that would mean her parents are big Easter candy fans.

Playing with her new toy.

Showing us she can clap.

We couldn't resist.

It lasted about one second.

Easter egg hunt. I just had to add this pic because of her squishy thighs. Don't worry she's not really eating the plastic bag.

Sealing Day

2011-04-18T11:27:00.001-06:00

Gregg and I believe that families can be together forever. In order to achieve this, we believe you need to be sealed in the temple. Gregg and I were sealed on our wedding day. If we had conceived Emme she would have been born in the covenant, but because she was brought to us through adoption we had the opportunity to have a live sealing in the temple.

We were sealed in the Salt Lake Temple. It was an absolutely beautiful event. We were treated like royalty. I even made the comment I felt like VIP to a temple worker. She said "That's because you are!" Emme got to hang out in the nursery for most of the time. The ladies taking care of her loved her. One even said she wished all the babies could be like Emme. Gregg and I were able to spend some time alone in the Celestial Room. The Spirit was very strong as we sat and contemplated all that we had been through to get our little girl. I felt the overwhelming love our Heavenly Father has for me and our family. The time in the temple made everything worth it. It was one of the most spiritual experiences I have ever had.

When they brought Emme into the sealing room it was the first time we had seen her in her dress, because I had never had a chance to try it on her. {Things were pretty busy} She looked beautiful. She had a bowel movement seconds before the sealing, but she didn't seem to mind. She gave big smiles all around and loved the big chandelier at the center of the room.

If I can say anything about what I felt that day it would be that our Heavenly Father loves us. We all have a plan. One that will make us grow and learn beyond anything we thought possible. Hang in there... the rewards are endless.

One happy eternal family.

So lucky to have grandmas.

Alexander side.

Emme loves my hair.

Jackson side.

One tired girl.

Too cute for words.

Together we have it all.

Finalization

2011-04-14T10:39:00.000-06:00

After placement of a child it takes six months to actually finalize an adoption. It's sort of a trial period where the agency has custody so they can make sure the baby has gone into a good home. You have three interviews during the six months one of which is a home visit. It's not too complicated, but MAN is it a relief when you are FINALLY able to take your baby to court and legally adopt them.

Our court time was bright and early on St. Patrick's Day. We had to wake Emme up a good hour earlier than normal so by the time we actually made it to the court house she was exhausted. She fell asleep in Gregg's arms right before we saw the judge and woke up right after it was all done just in time for pictures. The judge said it was the first time that had ever happened to her. She was suffering from ear infections at the time, but was a champ the whole day. Gregg's sister Staci was able to come with us and it was so nice to have her there. Our judge did everything back in her chambers so there wasn't a lot of room to invite a ton of people.

Everything went very smoothly and when our lawyer asked if I had bonded to Emme in the last six months I broke down crying with all the emotions of having our little joy. Gregg also expressed his love for Emme and the blessing she is to us. The judge even had Staci tell a few comments and she shared some sweet
things about Gregg and I and the parents we are.

I know I've been a huge whiner on my last few posts, but I can honestly say I am so happy with life right now. Yes, I have to be on a stupid medication, but I'm thankful there are stupid medications out there to help my body. I believe one day we will all have perfect bodies without afflictions and boy do I look forward to that. I'm so grateful to have the opportunity to be a mom and to see Gregg as a dad. I'm especially grateful for the choice of Emme's birth mom. No words can explain the love Emme's birth family has for her. I pray we give Emme the life they want for her and sacrificed so much for.

Asleep just in time for court.

Bink Face

With our judge after it was final!

With Staci and our judge.

With our lawyer who has also adopted two children.

Celebratory breakfast at Cracker Barrel.

Emme's aunt Stachi. Yes, I call her Stachi.

Emme hanging out while we ate.

I love this picture of them.

Rough Week

2011-04-11T18:42:00.001-06:00

I had every intention of getting my blogging on last week. That is until I started getting sick Friday night. I kept feeling worse and worse all night and decided I better call and cancel my Saturday appointments at work because I had the flu. Sunday I awoke to a little rash, but thought it was eczema and moved on with my day. My flu symptoms dissipated within a few hours and I no longer felt achy or chilled. How lucky to have such a fast flu, right? Sunday night I couldn't sleep due to my back killing and my little rash burning. In the morning I had a similar rash on my back where it had hurt really bad all night. I could tell something wasn't right. My arm had felt funny for days. Like I had been attacked by fiberglass or something.

Out of the blue a thought popped into my head. "SHINGLES"

I knew very little of Shingles, so I decided to look it up online. Sure enough all the symptoms fit. One thing stood out to me which was that I could spread Chickenpox to those who have never had them. UH OH. Emme had been with me that whole time.

An emotional phone call to my brother in law confirmed it sounded like Shingles. He made me feel better, by telling me it would be hard to pass to Emme. Not impossible, but she would actually have to touch the rash with her mouth.

I went to my doctor and sure enough...Shingles.

I found out you have to catch Shingles within 48 to 72hrs of getting the rash in order to be a candidate for the antiviral pills. The pills stop the virus in it's tracks. The doctor said he normally sees patients when it is too late and that I was lucky I found it so fast. PHEW! The rash did quadruple in size, but it could have been SO much worse. {I'll spare pictures.} He also told me it's pretty uncommon to happen at my age. Little does he know I'm living in body forty years my senior right now. I really think Lupron has a lot to do with it. Side effects are low immune system and anxiety which can bring out Shingles.

Last week was exhausting to say the least. Emme had her shots on Monday and didn't sleep well for three nights. I don't know why they affected her so bad this time, but they did. Good news is her ears were finally clear. We're still going to an ENT though. When she was sleeping I was awake due to the steroids they had me taking. Not to mention I worked a ton to make up for the Saturday I rescheduled. I can never say enough how lucky I am to have Gregg. Most humans would have threw in the towel.

I'm on the mend thanks to the divine inspiration to look up Shingles. It was a crummy situation, but one more opportunity to grow and rely on the spirit. Without that, I could have suffered a lot worse.

I wanted to add a picture of my daffodils. We have tons of these right now. They've had quite the beating with snow, but seem to be hanging in there.

6 Months

2011-03-30T18:30:00.003-06:00

I hear everyone say this about their kids, but I SERIOUSLY can't believe Emme is 6 months old. B.E. {before emme} every day seemed like a million years. Now time is flying by.

Stats:
17lbs 14oz
26 1/2 in long {I think, um...I'm pretty sure that's what they said.}

Some things for me to remember, since I can't even positively remember her length are:

-she is mastering sitting
-she got her first tooth
-learned how to sleep without being swaddled
-can put her pacifier back in her mouth without help
-rolls
-learned the "pirate face"
-says momma and dadda {just seeing if anyone is really paying attention.}

Here's a photo shoot I did last week. Enjoy!

This is the pirate face. I think it's because she is teething.

St. Georgey

2011-03-30T15:21:00.001-06:00

I'm finally getting to our weekend in St. George. Emme is feeling better and today is her last day on antibiotics. She has sprouted two teeth in the process. We go into the doctor soon to check her ears and get her shots that she wasn't able to get at her 6 month appt because of her fever. We'll get a referral to an ENT at that time and go from there.

Brad and Tricia invited us to spend a weekend in St. George with them a little over a month ago. Once again it rained for Gregg and I, but we did have one day of pretty good weather that we were able to take Emme to the park. She didn't know what to think of the breeze. I can't wait for better weather so she actually knows what it's like to be outside.

Jossie reading to Emme.

Pretty much the best family photo ever.

First time on a swing. She was like "eh...what's the big deal?"

We bought these after the trip to the park, but she thought they were cool. Notice the drool.

Joss and Em sharing the sunglass love.

Love her blue eyes.


First time swimming. She loved the water and ever since has splashed away in the bath tub.

How cute is this?

G money and Emme in their matching onesies. We happened to buy the same one for them without even knowing.

Sick

2011-03-22T00:16:00.002-06:00

This is what a month of ear infections makes our counter look like. Emme has been on four different kinds of antibiotics in her short life. Some she has taken a couple times.

The most recent one, Augmentin, has ripped her stomach to shreds. Maybe that's a little dramatic, but I'm pissed. Anyway, it has been making her throw up every last nano piece of food. I called the Dr's office yesterday and they had never heard of such a thing. The said to half the doses and spread them out, but what do ya know...about a half hour after the weekend shift was over she threw up again. Uuuuggg! So we decide there is no way we are giving her any more Augmentin.

First thing this morning I called to see what needed to be done. {Do we need to go in? Can we just have a new prescription called in?} A nurse that was very short with me tried to convince me Emme was just gagging on the taste. Yeah I'm not an idiot lady! Even my 6 year old niece could tell the difference between a gag and a full out puke fest!! Especially when it was happening 15 to 20 min after she ate. After she got all the info she said she would let the doctor know and have her call me back.

Four Freaking O' Clock rolls around and still no word!!! Mind you my poor baby still has an ear infection and has thrown up all her food including antibiotics. I call the office and I'm ready to get all WWE on their faces {have I mentioned I have feisty issues at the moment?} but I don't...the receptionist took my info and I once again wait to hear back from the doc.

An hour and a half later I FINALLY get a call from the nurse with a quick "I called in a prescription for you, okay bye." Wow, I didn't realize something like that took eight hours to accomplish. Come to find out Augmentin is the worst on stomachs and also explains Emme's explosive diarrhea at the moment. She's had many many baths these days.

Poor girl has been sick for a month now. I just want my Emme back. The one that kicks and squeals each time we see her.

I think it's time to see an ENT.

Not so Quick Update

2011-03-18T16:41:00.002-06:00

Things have been busy in our household this month. We finalized Emme's adoption yesterday which was awesome, {more to come}. This means we can now take her to the temple and seal her to us as well as bless her. Which means....time to buckle down and finish the long awaited projects we've been meaning to do since we moved because we will have company.

Also, we have a six monther on our hands! {Post to come} Emme has had two ear infections already this month. She finished one dose of antibiotics and only four days later she had an ear infection in the other one. Tubes you ask? We have to see what the future holds. One more infection and we'll be going to an ENT. This last infection was the worst Emme has ever been. She was awake three nights in a row. It was worse than when she was a newborn. Come to find out Emme now has a tooth poking through which explains her extra grouchiness. Poor girl. It was hard to watch her be so sick. We tag teamed it during those nights. Thank goodness Gregg is pretty much the best dad ever or it would have been impossible to get through sane. Now she has a sharp little tooth coming in. I love it! It's one of those proud mommy moments even though all kids get teeth. I keep feeling it and watching it to see if it's grown any more. Any tips on teething babies would be great to hear!

Hmm...what else? I'm currently on a medication called Lupron which I've mentioned before. What does that mean? Well, in a nutshell I got a shot in my bum that will make me feel like I'm going through menopause and lasts three months. I have several hot flashes day and night, acne, and hardly any estrogen in my body. I tend to get a little feistier than normal {okay a lot}, but all in all it's been better than when I took it almost three years ago. Having a baby helps. I just don't have time to stop and think about it as much. It has brought back some issues I had before the whole heart thing, but I'm pretty sure they will go away once the medication does. On the plus side, my abdomen is feeling great and the endo is shrinking. On the negative side, I still have the big cyst on my right ovary that causes grief here and there. Hmm...after writing this I'm trying to decide why I went on Lupron again. It seems the bad out weighs the good. Oh that's right...my doc said either Lupron or surgery and after prayer and getting a blessing we knew Lupron was the right thing to do. I have to remind myself of that A LOT.

I'm still the Gospel Doctrine teacher in our ward. Gregg got released, so now I get to teach EVERY week until they find a new one for me to trade off with. I'm pretty jealous of Gregg to say the least. Every free second is researching and studying because some of the lessons I'm learning for the first time myself. I figure as long as I stick with the manual I can't go wrong. Plus, I'm really trying my best and that's all that matters. right? RIGHT? From my ward to yours....give your Sunday School teachers a break.

Well, that about covers my crazy life right now.

Posts to come~
St. George
Emme's six month
Finalization (Gotcha Day)
Sealing and Blessing

none"ya"business

2011-02-27T11:36:00.005-07:00

My friend Kara posted a link to her facebook that I loved. I looked at a few more videos by the same person and came across this one. Believe it or not I've heard many of these lines before. Like, "now that you've adopted you're going to get pregnant" and "I wish I could get pregnant for you. It's so easy for me." I realize everyone has the best of intentions and I know I've said way DUMBER things before so I don't hold it against them. It's still funny to have a giggle over it once in awhile.

Valentines Day Massacre

2011-02-25T20:43:00.009-07:00

Valentines Day Card For Birth Mom

What you need:
-Crayola Finger Paint in Red (make sure it's non-toxic)
-Paper. Have a few on hand in case the perfect card you made gets destroyed by paint.
-A little hand that likes to squish paint between her fingers by making a tight fist and shoving in mouth
-Paper towels to clean paint out of mouth and off of face
-A Plan "B"
-A little foot that does not have the ability to clench

Mix all together and you should have a VERY homemade looking card that has the cutest footprints you've ever seen.

*note that red paint can make this situation look like a scene from the movie Carrie. Make a conscious effort to use a different color next time.

new view

2011-02-25T17:11:00.002-07:00

Things are going to change around here.

I've always worried about what people have thought about my blog. Maybe it was because I tended to be a little judgmental of others or maybe it's because I'm insecure. Who knows... I've come to realize that I can really only be me. To an extent I have been by sharing pictures, trips, and mostly recently adoption things, but I've left out a lot of the details of my struggles with infertility and the woes of my broken body. As I embark on yet another dose of a drug called Lupron, I've decided I need to get my feelings out if I'm going to make it through with a good attitude. Back when I discovered I had edometriosis I didn't really have anyone I could talk to or relate. Through the blog world I've found others going through similar things and it's helped me more than I could imagined. I thought about starting a new blog to focus on my endo and such, but in all honesty I have no extra time for that. I rather be playing with Emme. So things might be getting a little more personal up in here. If I can help one person suffer a little less than I did then I've done my job.

Love is...

2011-02-07T14:28:00.002-07:00

Cleaning up my throw up.

Yep, you read right. I had a rough week as far as my body is concerned. I came home from work Tuesday in immense pain from cysts on my ovaries making my endometriosis flare up to no end. When my body couldn't take the pain any longer I threw up down the hall, all over the bathroom, all over me, and finally into the toilet. TMI, I know, but I don't really care. The last time I threw up was in 11th grade when I had the flu, so it was a surprise to me. I felt like I was five years old and unable to make it to the bathroom on time. Gregg was right behind and said "Just go to bed I'll clean up everything." Well, I had to shower first, but when I got out I had clean clothes waiting on the bed and a garbage can next to the bed in case I had another episode. (Which I did.)

The point of all this is to share what a great husband I have. He has a horrible gag reflex and yet throughout the years he has cleaned up my puke, emptied my bed pans, held my hand while I screamed at a gyno appt, gone to the store millions of times to buy "feminine" products, and given me blessing after blessing to comfort and heal my broken body and heart.

I'm positive he got the raw end of the deal when we said "I do." We're still standing seven years later. We've been a little beaten up a long the way, but we're stronger and blessed beyond comprehension.

Happy Anniversary.

Raining Pink

2011-01-31T17:35:00.000-07:00

WOW

That's how I felt. I was amazed by the love and support when Emme was born. I had many friends and family ask if they could throw a baby shower for Emme and I. We had a total of six. Yes, six showers. Three diaper cakes which I was so excited about because I always wanted one. I was honored and still am. The week before Emme was born I had many, and I mean many, clients drop off gifts. Our new ward even threw us a shower and I hardly knew anyone at the time. It made me realize how many loved ones were mourning with us through the difficult times, and there to celebrate with us through the happy. Thank you all so so much. Your kindness will never be forgotten. I promise to pay it forward.

Unfortunately, I don't have pictures from all of them, but here are a few.

Idaho Shower


Everyone at the shower made a page for	Emme's ABC book.


Here is an example.

Ward Shower

The young women of our new ward made me a diaper cake and quilt. So dang cute and thoughtful!

Jackson Shower

My cousin Carla made this awesome fruit bouquet.

Here is the after pic. It was delicious.

My cousin Trevor made this awesome diaper cake.

Emme getting all the attention she deserves.

4 months

2011-01-26T15:14:00.005-07:00

Emme's third month and the start of the fourth has consisted of continuous ear infections (most likely due to her reflux), a trip to the ER, eating real food, and my two favorites... sleeping 12hrs at night and giggling.

We're hoping the ear infections are over. It took 24 days on Amoxicillan and 5 days on Arythomyocin sp? to take away the infections in both ears. Because of her reflux she gets milk trapped in her nose which we think is causing fluid in her ears. Poor girl!

Out of the blue Emme became super cranky and upset and was screaming for an hour straight. This is very unlike her. She finally had a bowel movement and was happy as a clam. When I went to change her diaper she had blood mixed in mucous and poo. Sorry for the gross details. I called the Dr. and she said to take her to Primary Children's ER. We got right in and actually had a good experience there. I've heard horror stories. Emme giggled her head off while the Dr. was checking her stomach and the nurse that checked her blood pressure said babies always cry for her, but Emme just stared her down. She smiled while they did x-rays and everyone loved her. I'm sure most babies are pretty sick though. Anyway, we found out she has an issue with protein in milk, maybe an allergy and had to change to a formula Gregg calls "liquid gold." It's the smallest and most expensive formula as far as we have seen, but we would do anything for our little girl.

Stats
Weight 15lbs 15oz   90%
Height 25 1/2in    90%
Head                         23%

Eating bananas for the first time. The Dr. wanted her to start due to all the other issues she been having.

Ready for church.

December Wrap Up

2011-01-17T19:53:00.000-07:00

We had a great Christmas season this year. It's been hard to find time to blog lately, so this is for sure the bare minimum of all the exciting events that occurred.

Jones Family Party

Emme loved all the attention.

Most of the babies born in 2010.

Christmas Eve

Emme's Christmas outfit from her birth family.

Lots of attention from Great Grandma.

Always getting kisses from cousins.

Christmas Morning

Coming to see what Santa brought.

Jackson Party/New Years Eve

Onesie pajamas.

My favorite white elephant that night. Kayson was pretty excited.

Cousins.

The grand kids with grandma and grandpa

Silly faces

3 Month Photos

2011-01-05T21:30:00.001-07:00

On the anniversary we were approved I took Emme to get her three month pictures done. We're pretty much in love with her rolls and chubby cheeks. Oh, and her blue eyes make everyone around her melt. I found out a few days after she had an ear infection so that could explain the absence of smiles that day. She was not interested in the girls taking her picture AT ALL. The minute I took her and put her regular clothes back on she was talking and smiling away. She is Miss Stone Face to new people and it makes us laugh.

They had to pull out a hammock they've never used because it's too big for most babies. She didn't fit in the normal one.

This is the one smile we got out of her. The owner came over and final got her to smile.

Emme's birth aunt gave her this necklace that says "daughter" and gave her birth mom one that says "mother".

It's Been A Year

2010-12-06T14:08:00.000-07:00

tomorrow....

Since we were approved.

9 months of paperwork, interviews, background checks, home studies, and getting our profile ready were all done on Dec 7 (we didn't find out until dec 8.)

Little did I know the next 9 months would be packed with selling a house, moving in with parents, buying a house, having my heart fixed, moving into our new house, and becoming parents. Yep, it's been an eventful year for us. I stand ALL AMAZED.

Gobbling All Over Idaho

2010-12-03T22:56:00.000-07:00

Gregg and I had a week off for Thanksgiving this year and thank goodness we did because it took that long just to get anywhere with the horrible snow storms. It seemed we had snow day after snow day, but the plus side was Emme stayed right on schedule because we weren't running around like usual. The night of Thanksgiving she slept 8hrs for the first time. Ever since she's been sleeping 7-8hrs. That makes a happy mom and dad.

Emme's Thanksgiving outfit. (courtesy of Trevor and Carla)

She refused to take her usual naps with all the festivities of the holiday going on. So finally she passed out on me.

I had to put this on here just to spite Quinn.

After a full day of traveling through snow we finally made it to Grandpa and Grandma's house. Emme needed a bath so we stripped her down. I was more concerned with getting her into the water before she peed on the floor, than I was to remember to take her socks off. Gregg thought it was hilarious.


We watched the BYUvs.Utah game while we were there. Yea for Utah!

Although Adoption Month is over, we will be thankful for adoption forever. What an amazing experience. Through it, we proved to ourselves that we are strong. It also showed us we are weak without the Lord's help.

A highlight of the trip was seeing this girl....without her, there wouldn't be an us.

So cute how snuggled they are in this picture.

When Little Ones Sleep

2010-11-30T20:16:00.000-07:00

A few weeks ago I could hear Emme during her nap so I went to check on her and she gave me the biggest smile. I ran a grabbed the camera because for some reason when the camera comes out she'll stop smiling. This time I caught it. Booyah!

Yuba twenty ten

2010-11-19T12:22:00.002-07:00

Back in August we hit one of our favorite spots with some of our favorite people. Due to a mishap with chipmunks digging trails under our tent and our air mattress deflating on our previous camping trip we decided to rent a trailer. It was bliss!

We made delicious orange cakes in the fire.

Sisters do as sisters should, we're all together sisters....

Kenz and Kaylee enjoying the fire.

I love this pic of Gregg and Joss.

Warming up.

Now for the Main Event of the Weekend

Here's where my adoption post comes in.

Sometimes in life we try all we can.....

Just to fall short....

So we go for it again....

And again....

And again...

And Again....

We think we should give up when a voice says keep going...(in this case the voice was Ty.)

Yet, we fall again...

When we can no longer bare the pain, suffering, and water up the nose, everything seems to just fall into place all at once. We are rewarded for our endurance and receive the things that we have worked so hard for.

I deserved this smile :)*Note that I had about 100 failure pictures to choose from. Maybe even more. Sad, I know...

And sometimes our reward comes in a blond hair, blue eyed little girl.

Timeline

2010-11-17T16:35:00.001-07:00

TWO WEEKS before we found out about our little one we were called into our bishop's office. We were new to the ward so we knew it must be to get new callings. I just knew I'd be put right back in Young Womens. I was a little more worried for Gregg though. They had just released the Gospel Doctrine teacher and I had a feeling he was in for it. (Gospel Doctrine is a Sunday School calling where you teach the adults. You HAVE to know your stuff.)

Well, survey says...DUO GOSPEL DOCTRINE TEACHERS. Um...como? My first thought was this is way over my capabilities, but then something popped into my head. I remembered a talk given in sacrament a few weeks before where the lady said Gospel Doctrine was her favorite calling because she was really blessed and guided in her teaching. We were scared to death, but both knew we needed to take the calling.

THE NEXT SUNDAY our cute five year old niece gave her first Primary talk in church. It was on modern day miracles and she mentioned that when her aunt and uncle received a baby it would prove that miracles happen. I realized there were a lot of people praying for Gregg and I and when we were blessed with a baby it would answer many prayers. Not just ours.

TUESDAY it was time for us to be set apart for our new calling. Meaning through the priesthood we would receive a blessing in giving us help in our calling. Gregg had his blessing first and the bishop said something interesting. He told Gregg that the Lord would grant the desires of his heart. I thought it odd something like that would be said because normally it's only about the calling. Next up was me. The second couselor in the bishopric gave me my blessing. Sure enough he said the exact same thing...that the Lord would grant the desires of my heart. I could only think of one thing that Gregg and I had in common that way and it was for sure not being teachers. EIGHT DAYS LATER we got news we would be parents in 13 short days. Miracle indeed!

I share this story knowing it's very personal. I've debated back and forth whether to make it public. In the end I felt I should share it. There were many other personal experiences that I could see the Lord's hand in during that time. Our family is a prime example that our Heavenly Fathers knows us personally and has a plan for us. Even though times can be very difficult beyond anything we thought we could survive , I KNOW it is for our growth and benefit.

My favorite talk from Oct. conference was by Elder Richard G. Scott. In it he said....
“Faith is things which are hoped for and not seen; wherefore, dispute not because ye see not, for ye receive no witness until after the trial of your faith” (Ether 12:6). Thus, every time you try your faith—that is, act in worthiness on an impression—you will receive the confirming evidence of the Spirit. As you walk to the boundary of your understanding into the twilight of uncertainty, exercising faith, you will be led to find solutions you would not obtain otherwise. With even your strongest faith, God will not always reward you immediately according to your desires. Rather, God will respond with what in His eternal plan is best for you, when it will yield the greatest advantage. Be thankful that sometimes God lets you struggle for a long time before that answer comes. That causes your faith to increase and your character to grow.

I'm now seeing that all the struggles we faced were for our advantage. It was hard to have faith sometimes that everything would work out, but there were many times the spirit confirmed it would. As hard as it was, I'm thankful for that time I had to learn and grow before I became a mother. So I guess what I'm saying is I AM THANKFUL GOD LET ME STRUGGLE. But, I don't want to go through it again.... :)

She's My Chubby

2010-11-17T16:07:00.000-07:00

I hate that she doesn't have a bow in this picture, but I can't resist her in all her chubbiness glory. She had her two month appt on Monday. She did pretty good with the shots, but didn't feel good the rest of the night. When she woke up in the morning she was back to her old self. She cooed at the doctor and loved that she got to be naked for so long. Here's her stats. (I hated stats before we got Emme, because they meant nothing to me. Now, I see that it's one of the ways to brag about your baby and heck ya, I LOVE bragging about Emme.)

Length: 23 1/2 in or 75%

Weight 11lbs 11oz or 75%

Head 10%

We laugh because I took her to the Dr. a couple weeks ago for her acid reflux, and she was 9lbs 2oz. She was 7lbs 1oz when she was born so she's coming right along.

2010-11-12T23:07:00.000-07:00

So I've pretty much stunk at this daily post thing. I'm blogging from my phone because I'm too lazy to sit at the computer.

Little Emme gets bigger every day. We put on some jammies last night and she couldn't even extend her legs fully. It's sad to see her growing so fast but very exciting at the same time. She's also been smiling and cooing and even giggles here and there. Pics to come soon. She melts our hearts more and more each day.

I'm still amazed by how everything has fallen into place. I remember thinking getting a child seemed impossible for us. Gregg and I will occasionally say to each other "I can't believe we have a baby." Adoption is a powerful thing. Thanks to that and our wonderful {M} we are parents.

You're Joking, Right?

2010-11-03T22:50:00.002-06:00

Did you just not want to get pregnant?

REALLY!?! Believe it or not, this is an actual question word for word that I have been asked more than once. From the sound of it, pregnancy does do weird things to your body and I've heard can be very uncomfortable and at times miserable, but this question is appalling in more than one way.

First-Maybe I come off as a selfish person, but my body is not perfect to begin with. I'm not the type of person that feels the need to dodge the adventures of pregnancy just to maintain my, not so great to begin with, figure.

Second-They're suggesting I took the "easy way" out. um...REALLY!?!...puuuleease. They weren't there for the surgeries, nine months of missing a very important hormone, crying till I was dry, pleading in prayers for this trial to be over, watching people have one, two, three kids while my home was still empty, more dr.'s appts, church lessons of how being a mother is the most important role we can have, more crying, other dumb questions from ignorant people, paper work, paper work, paper work, waiting, more waiting, and more waiting, classes, house checks, interviews, background checks, more waiting... Man, I could go on all day.

Third-How is it fair to a birth mother that I just decide pregnancy is not for me so could they please hand over their baby? I mean come on...REALLY!?!

Hopefully you're getting my point. I'm sure there are cases that people do choose to adopt over pregnancy, but I'm guessing 99% of people try to conceive before they realize adoption is the path they are meant to take. I'm getting fired up just thinking about it again. I am very happy with the way Emme came to us. If I knew the ending from the beginning, I'm sure there would have been a few less tears. That's not how it works though. Gregg and I have been through some tough times that have made us stronger and I KNOW better parents. Adoption was our answer after years of questions, but to just assume we've been through nothing and think we just thought one day "hey, don't you think we should just skip pregnancy and add a year or two to having a baby?" "um yeah, that's sounds fantastic!" REALLY!?! Let's think these things through, before we ask idiotic questions. That goes with most things. Let's all make an effort to put ourselves in others shoes before we open our mouths. I will also do this. !REALLY!

Open Adoption

2010-11-02T22:49:00.000-06:00

One of the first questions I get when people find out Emme was adopted is "Is it an open adoption?" I'm proud to say "YES." Gregg and I always wanted an open adoption. From the beginning of our decision to adopt, we decided we wanted our children to know their birth families. We have always had a good feeling about it. It's very confusing to a lot of people why we would choose that, but we wouldn't have it any other way. I think the biggest misunderstanding would be that we would only made that decision based on what a birth mother wants. WE chose it. I'm so glad Emme will never question where she came from. She will always know the full TRUE story of how her birth mom made the most unselfish choice she could. Not only that, she will get to see it first hand.

Open does not mean Emme will have two sets of parents. Open means Emme gets to enjoy the love {M} has for her and know she was placed because of that LOVE. We truly believe the more people rooting Emme on, the better.

I love this post from the r house. Please take a second to read it.

Halloween, Bug Style

2010-11-02T22:25:00.002-06:00

We had a great Halloween this year. I loved showing the little one off in her ladybug costume. Emme hit a growth spurt during the Halloween season and we were a little scared she wouldn't fit in her costume by the actual holiday. I added a few pics of her in her costume at different times in the middle of the post so you could see the difference between just a few weeks. I want to squeeze her just looking at the photos. With the added pounds she's been smiling up a storm and actually giggled a couple times.

Oct 16th

Blake and Kelsey were good sports to go to the party last minute with us.

Oct 19th

Oct 30th Seriously!? Love this chunky face!

Oct 30th

Oct 19th

This was a mom, no makeup day. I didn't think I would be in any pictures, but here I am showing the world.


Gregg's, mine, Emme's

Sad to say, but this was probably my best pumpkin in years....maybe ever.

It's That Time Again

2010-11-01T18:31:00.001-06:00

November is National Adoption Month

The the r house challenges advocates of adoption to help educate others by posting daily about adoption this month. I'm up for the challenge, but I don't promise I can do every day. I will try my best! There are so many myths when it comes to adoption and I want to help clear those up. I've been surprised by how clueless people are. Plus, I would be ungrateful if I didn't give thanks for the wonderful gift we have received. Well, I hear that little gift crying in her bed, so I better run!

First Day

2010-10-19T15:55:00.001-06:00

I realized I haven't shared our story of how Emme came to us. Like almost all adoption stories ours was a miracle. Our story really started years ago, but I will start with the day we found out.

Our case worker called on Sept. 1st and asked if she could bring some papers to sign because they were getting audited. We had just barely moved to a different location so we thought nothing of it. Adoption papers are never ending. She asked how things were going and I said it was hard. Waiting is hard. She agreed, but said she believed in adoption karma and if you do all you can you will be blessed. She then gave us the papers to sign. We both quickly read through and initialed each line, but started to get a little confused towards the end. See below....

We both looked up in shock and as I saw the tears in our case worker's eyes I knew it was true. We were getting a baby girl. I kept saying "I'm in shock! I'm in shock!" Could this really be true?! Was our trial of 5 years really coming to an end? and fast....

We were able to call Emme's aunt {J} and make arrangements for a few days later to meet her and {M}(our birth mom) in Idaho. Yep, that's right! Idaho!! How cool is that?

At Olive Garden a few days later Gregg and I arrived first. I've never been so close to throwing up from nerves before. We were so scared {M} would meet us and not like us. The minute they came around the corner and we met, all nerves went away and all we felt was the comfort of the spirit. We loved {M} from the second we met her. Her and I have so much in common, and I could see how the Lord prepared us for each other. We made plans to meet again so Gregg and I could meet the whole family. It was nice to get to know Emme's birth family. We felt very lucky. {M} let us know that she had thought about it and wanted Gregg and I to be the first to hold the baby. How amazing is she? How did we get so lucky to have {M}?

We then had a week to prepare for baby and work out arrangements at work. We both had butterflies all week. Then back to Idaho we went. Emme was born c-section bright and early. Gregg and I waited in the recovery room and could hear Emme screaming. It was so exciting.


Me waiting in the recovery room.

They wheeled her out and she was all scrunched up and mad as heck. Her cry was as cute as can be.

My first time holding her.

Gregg's first time holding her.

Mad at the doctor while he was doing his tests.


Showing {M} Emme for the first time.

{M} was pretty sick from the c-section, poor thing.

Feeding Emme later that day.


{M} taking a picture of Emme.

Gregg and I have truly been blessed. {M} has such an awesome family. We felt so comfortable with them. We're thankful we live in a time that adoptions are open and Emme will know her birth mom and the amazing person she is.

Little Ru

2010-10-19T14:10:00.001-06:00

A lot of Emme's wake times are spent with me putting something on her head and then us having a mini photo shoot. She's not always a fan, but with I think she's starting to get use to the flashing and clicking. I love my newest little model. Herc's pretty glad there's a new kid in town to take his place.

Busy Mode

2010-10-12T09:21:00.000-06:00

I'm in complete busy mode and I love it. I wouldn't want it any other way. I look forward to holding this girl, deciding on outfits, choosing bows, trying my hardest to make her smile, and giving mounds of kisses. Yep, I wouldn't have it any other way. She took some time to get here, but I can say she was definitely worth the wait.

Our Miracle

2010-09-30T16:24:00.001-06:00

Little Emme
Born to her beautiful Birth Mom
Placed in our arms with Love

It's What Fun Is

2010-08-25T11:38:00.000-06:00

My cousins from France wanted to get in a trip to Lagoon with the fam before they left to go home. It ended up being the week after my surgery so I wasn't allowed to ride anything, but I had just as much fun watching and taking pictures. Let's all admit that photos look better big. So from now on I'll probably have big photos on our blog.

Kels, Cam, Gregg, and Quinn are on the back row. That dude in front of Quinn has awesome hair.

Can you find them?

Do you have a ticket?

This is becoming a tradition. See last year.

I love how you can see Cam's face.

This was a harder shot to get than it looked.

Ryan and Al getting their cuteness on.

How can this pic not make you smile?

We miss this boy and his family.

Mak with some other girl.

Darling S. She was pretty sleepy all day.

You Will Read, and You Will Like It

2010-08-25T09:57:00.000-06:00

Yep, I'm obsessed. If you haven't read Hunger Games yet...DO!! Gregg and I have been waiting a year for the final book in the series to come out. The countdown is over and it came out yesterday. I was at Borders first thing. The lady at the register dug out a 50% coupon from the trash that she let me use so I bought Gregg one too so he wouldn't have to wait for me to read it. It's that good. Someone told me Costco had all three for 30 bucks, which is an amazing price. GO. Buy. ENJOY.

Holy Heart

2010-08-20T18:23:00.000-06:00

Where do I begin? I really have no idea. I've been debating back and forth whether I should post about my most recent hospital experience. I decided to post in case someone who reads our blog has what I did and they can get well too.

I've always felt like a pretty healthy person. Little did I know the last three years would suggest otherwise. Now I can truly say I'm healthy and better than ever. Well, as soon as I get back in my exercise routine. ;)

I've had odd migraines since I was in six grade. They happen very rarely, but when they hit they were horrible. Symptoms included...Loss of memory, loss of feeling, unable to understand other people, talking and writing in gibberish, and on top of everything I had the normal migraine signs. Ya know, losing vision, excruciating pain, sensitivity to light-sound-smell. They lasted about 6hrs and would fade into just a pounding headache for a few days. Well, guess what? Apparently these are NOT normal migraines. They mimic mini strokes and little did I know I was a ticking time bomb.

The night we moved out of our townhouse I got one of these ~~awesome~~ migraines. In fact, I had been getting them closer and closer together. While washing one of my cousin's hair at work a few days after I brought up my horrible migraine which I rarely do. I don't usually talk about how crummy I feel. Who wants to hear about that when they're getting their hair done? Another lady getting her hair washed overheard me talking. Her stylist came up to me a little later and asked if her client could talk to me. I said of course, but had no clue why. Little did I know she would potentially save my life. She told me she had overheard me talking and couldn't keep still until she talked to me. She explained what I had was a hole in my heart. This causes the kind of migraines I was having because of dirty blood escaping through the heart and going straight to my brain. How did she know? She had the same thing, but didn't learn what is what until she herself had a stroke. She kept saying over and over that I needed to go get checked and how serious she was. She scared me enough that a few days later I was in the doctors office. They sent me to a cardiologist. I had tests done over about a month and sure enough, I had a hole. One of the tests shows levels of potential "dirty" blood getting to your brain. On a scale of 1-5 I was a 3 holding still and a 5+ while bearing down. No wonder I had dizzy spells all the time. The doctor said I was at huge risk for having a stroke if I didn't have surgery. He also told me if I had gotten pregnant and not known it could have been deadly. Many women have died during labor due to stroke. Even if we knew about it I would be on blood thinners during pregnancy, but it wouldn't help the risk during labor or right after. Huh, who knew I'd been so protected.

Surgery was supposed to be simple. They went through a vein in my groin and inserted a little device that blocked the hole in my heart. We found out the size of my hole was 10mm which is almost a 1/2inch. Cause for concern of a clot getting through starts at 2mm. Pretty scary! Everything went great, but I ended up getting "red man face" and they had issues getting the vein to stop bleeding. After a full day of endless blood, pain, and two shots in the incision I was finally good to go home. Let's just say numerous people have seen my privates and I now know what it's like to use a bed pan. I've also decided there are some nurses who need more training. I've had a few echos since surgery and my heart is doing awesome. Because of my age it has been healing fast and I have no restrictions. My odds of having a stroke are very very low now.

In a way I feel very blessed that this happened when it did. I felt like Heavenly Father was telling me "You've had this your whole life, but NOW is the time you need to know about it and get it fixed," Gregg has given me many beautiful blessings that tell me of His plan for me. Most of the things he said were sacred to me, but one I wanted to share was when he told me I would be healthy and now ready to be a mother. I'm so thankful I have followed the sweet quiet promptings of the spirit. I'm also thankful for a husband that has always been by my side and taken care of me through the downer times.

*This is pre-surgery even though I already look like I've been through the ringer.

New Additions

2010-08-17T21:46:00.002-06:00

I have to say we have the cutest kids in our family. Whenever a new one comes around they never disappoint. On my side of the family we have had two new little girls. By the end of the year we will have two newbies on Gregg's side as well. A girl and a boy in case you were wondering.
These two girls are darling as can be! These pictures make me want to pick them up right now.

This gem looks just like her sister as this age, except with blondish hair. You just have to look at her and she'll give you a giant smile.

This cutie loves to be cuddled, which is great for needy aunts like me. She was three weeks old when I took this picture and after sleeping through most of the shoot she awoke and gave me this cute face.

Reunion 2010

2010-08-09T17:13:00.003-06:00

It was time again for our Family Reunion. We had such a great time. I took a million pictures, and I know a lot of family checks our blog so I wanted to make sure to get a huge chunk of them on here. Looking back on photos I still missed a lot of people, but it doesn't mean I don't love them.
I'm thinking days like these must be a little like what Heaven feels like.

First Night

Paper Rockets
Everyone got to make their own rockets and watch as they blasted into the sky. You can see one flying in the first photo if you look carefully. I helped Addy make hers and our rocket almost took out the entire audience. I like to make a lasting impression.

Candid

Minute To Win It

Lip Singing

D Family

Family Tree
One of the highlights of the weekend was a FAMILY TREE cake made by Carla and Trevor. Their talent is always amazing me. Each family had their own family branch cake and on top of it all was my grandparents, aunts, and uncles. They even put the date of death of everyone that has passed away. I held my emotions in check until I saw that they had put Hercules name on there. I admit it was overwhelming that we were among a few that had not had children and added to the tree. To physically see it, put things into perspective. The fact that they had thought of us and added Herc's name on there was so Thoughtful. It's not that I think Herc is our actual son (I realize he's our pet) it's the kindness that Carla and Trevor had towards us and knowing it would be hard for us to see all the names.

Visit From the French

2010-08-09T15:09:00.000-06:00

I couldn't wait for my cousin and her family to come visit from France. We were able to pick them up from the airport and I got to spend the whole next day with them. My aunt and uncle and other cousin met us Downtown Salt Lake so the boys could see some church sites. We had a blast with them. The youngest came up to me out of nowhere and asked if I could come see him soon in France. Oh MAN!! Talk about break my heart!! I sure hope we can make it over there again sooner than later.

Birthday

2010-08-09T14:49:00.000-06:00

It's been quite a while since I had my birthday, but I'm back online and it's time to document. We got to go to Idaho in the city my parents grew up and enjoy the company of my Great Aunt Dora. My birthday normally falls around Memorial Day and it's tradition to go and visit my grandparent's graves. Not necessarily on my birthday, but sometime that weekend. Whenever we go up there, it reminds me of playing at my Grandpa Lewis' farm. This time my parents took us to his old house and I hardly recognized it. His entire farm has been turned into new housing development. As you can see the same sign stands that marks the road named after my mom's family.

This lovely pic of me was taken at my birthday dinner. Because I have so much updating I'll spare the rest. I got not one....but THREE pies this year. Man, I loves me some pie!

Summer time, and the livin's busy

2010-07-20T17:10:00.002-06:00

I haven't totally forgotten about my blog. I have tons of events I'm planning on posting one of which would be us moving into our new house. Because of this we thought it would be a great idea to wait until summer is over before we get cable and the Internet again. We're too busy to watch and use it anyway right?! Well, truth is I actually miss them both very much (what is happening on SYTYCD for crying out loud). So hopefully soon I'll be back up and running.

Dancing Queens

2010-05-24T15:24:00.001-06:00

We had the opportunity to watch some of our nieces in their dance recital last weekend. The both did great, and I can see we have a lot of talent in our family.

J girl was intriqued when the dancing started.

First up, Mck's ballet.

Hi Mom and Dad!

What a gorgeous dancer.

K before her ballet performance.

Jazz

What a cutie!

These My Peeps

2010-05-20T15:25:00.000-06:00

Let me start out by saying these girls thankfully have let me tag along even though they are my sister's age. We all live in Utah for now and have had monthly get-togethers for years now. We've watched babies come, marriages come, and the announcement that Gregg and I were approved for adoption together. It's so nice to have girls from my home town that know exactly what it's like to move away from family. Not to mention the juicy gossip that takes place. Thanks for all the listening, advice, and entertainment girls!

Survived

2010-05-10T15:35:00.000-06:00

*First of all I would like to start out by saying I DO NOT hate mothers. Gregg and I have have wonderful mothers. I think it is very important to celebrate them and all they do for us. I would just love the opportunity to be a mother myself. That is not a secret.*

Mother's Day went well this year. YES, well. My nephew spoke in his ward in Idaho so a big group of us went to support. I can't say my stomach didn't turn when the speaker shared a quote about the divine gift it is to be a mother, or when they announced if all the married women and mothers would please stand to receive a token. What about single women? I almost didn't stand, but I had my mom and two sister in laws close by to support me. Plus, it was chocolate and Gregg wanted a snack for the ride home. YEAH to NO flower this year. I don't have to sit and watch it die while I'm reminded of the meaning of it.

Overall, the day went great and I did fine. No tears this year. I think the hope of adoption has eased the pain somewhat. Plus, I feel that for the most part I am on the other side of the grief you have to go through when you find you're infertile. It helped at church to have a niece to look at a book with, and watch the boy cousins giggle and change the words to the hymns as we sang. I can't wait for our kids to join in the fun. Happy Mother's Day to Moms, Aunts, Grandma's, Sisters, and women in general.

Dooms Day

2010-05-07T12:02:00.000-06:00

The upcoming holiday happens to be my LEAST favorite day of the year....MOTHER'S DAY. Last year I awoke as normal only to check my facebook on my phone while Gregg was still asleep. Everyone's status said something about mothers (why shouldn't it, it's mother's day) and I immediately was filled with dread of getting through the day. Tears filled my eyes and there they stayed ready to take action at a moments notice. Once Gregg began to stir I announced I just couldn't make it to church that day. The thought of Mothers waiting around after sacrament for their flowers was enough to make me puke. Not because they are mothers, but because I don't belong in this category. Gregg being the understanding husband he is, said no problem. It's rough having a holiday that pierces and reminds you to the core of the trial you have been enduring for years.

Here we are, another year that I still don't belong in this category. This year I've tried to be smart and plan ahead. Even though Gregg and I work Saturday, we are heading to Idaho to be with my family. That way it's an easy way to get out of going to my own ward. In fact it's an easy way not to have to go to church at all! My Plan...FOOL PROOF. UNTIL...one of my very good friends last week after church asked what I was doing next Sunday. NOT going to church, I replied. She told me how a few months before she had a feeling that she needed to challenge me to attend church on Mother's Day, but she was just now getting around to telling me about it. On cue I started crying, telling her I just couldn't do it. She said YES you can, you are tough, Lacey and you can do it. She said what if this is your only test left being childless and you fail? She's very persuasive and also RIGHT. I AM tough. I hear girls talk about pregnancy and babies all day long. I CAN do this. I CAN DO HARD THINGS. Isn't that what I've been preaching to my young women all year? So, I'm announcing to the public so I don't back out, that I will be attending church with my mother on Sunday. In my home ward nonetheless. I'll report back next week to let everyone know how it goes.

In other news, I have learned this year that the Saturday before Mother's Day is BIRTH MOTHER'S DAY. Now THAT I can celebrate. Birth mom's are truly some of the best mom's out there. The fact that they have sacrificed so much to do what's best for their babies is truly awe inspiring. So, HAPPY BIRTH MOTHER'S DAY to all those wonderful women. I know one day Gregg and I will be forever indebted.

ilike you for your phone...

2010-05-06T16:52:00.000-06:00

Whenever I need to use my phone around J, she becomes my best friend. I love how she copies me by using one finger to move the screen around. If a fun phone is what it takes to get some cuddle time, I'll take it!

Salt Lake City 5K

2010-05-03T16:56:00.000-06:00

April this year was a HUGE month for us.
-We sold our house
-Gregg turned 30
-Kelsey won Junior Miss
-We RAN our first 5K
-We closed and moved out of our house

You read it right! Gregg and I had a strong urge that we needed to put our house on the market. We followed the prompting and only four weeks later we received 3 offers in one weekend. We accepted an offer and a short three weeks later we moved out and closed on our house. Gregg and I have both accidentally started to drive to our old house only to realize we're going the wrong way. It was an odd feeling after everything was moved out and our house was empty. The lady who bought it was perfect for our home and we know this was meant to be. We feel so blessed to be able to sell during this insane housing market and can't wait to get into a bigger home. More details to come...

In other news, through all the craziness this month Gregg and I along with Staci, Megan, Lisa, and Ty ran our first 5K. I say ran because my only goal for this time around was to never stop running. We have done the Race for the Cure before, but I wasn't able to run the entire thing. I hit my goal and I look forward to many more races in the future. One of the reasons I was so proud of myself is that because of my endometriosis it has been very difficult for me to run in the past. I once asked my doctor about it and he said "oh hon, you'll never see a girl with endometriosis like you running a marathon." I may never run an actual full marathon, but I feel so happy that my endo is finally under control enough that I can endure a few miles. Gregg on the other hand is a power house! He runs a 5K almost every time we work out. He got to the finish line a whopping 10 minutes before me! I'm also so proud of Megan and Staci. They were amazing! I hope we can all stay a little running group. We'll have to think up a team name or something.

Birthday Traditions

2010-05-03T16:15:00.000-06:00

Gregg's birthday festivities continued with the annual Sunday celebration at Bruce and Deb's. As tradition follows you get to choose dinner, eat with a Happy Birthday plate, and choose whatever dessert you want. As far as I'm concerned, we'll never get too old for this. Happy Birthday Babe! I love you!