Noah and Amanda

Baby Room

2012-01-10T18:38:00.000-08:00

The only pictures I'm showing right now of the babies room is the closet:) I know completely boring but the rest of the room still needs a lot of work. Noah and my brother-in-law built me shelves in the babies closet so I could put cute little baskets in the closet. Hope you like the closet because Noah worked so hard on it! He did an amazing job.

Baby Updates

2012-01-02T18:47:00.000-08:00

I had my 32 week appointment today and everything looks great! I'm getting so excited to meet this little one soon! I will be 33 weeks this Thursday and can't believe Noah and I will welcome our sweet baby next month. What a blessing it is to have this child and I only hope to be half as good as my parents were. I can only pray I have the patience of my mom and the child like attitude like my dad.

Stats:

Weight: I weighed in today at 121 lbs. - I'm not happy that I weigh so little but the beginning of my pregnancy was so rough and unfortunately I lost a lot of weight. The doctor said I'm just fine and as long as I am gaining then everything is just fine. My doctor also told me I'm a small framed woman and that also contributes to my low weight gain. I should gain about 8 more pounds until due date which I'm excited about.

Baby Position: The baby is head down and ready for delivery! Just have to be full term and I should be able to have this baby without a C-Section.

Comfort Level: I'm starting to get a little uncomfortable but I'm just fine with a little discomfort. This baby is worth every kick and awful feeling I have.

Baby Room: The babies room is a work in progress. I will show pictures once Noah and I have the crib up and some wall decorations.

Due Date: If I go past my due date then my doctor will induce me a week later. He only induces on Wednesday's which means my baby would have the birthdate of February 29th.

Work: I've worked through my whole pregnancy. I know a lot of people think I'm crazy but I firmly believe in hard work and contributing to my little family as much as possible. My parents raised me that working hard is very important. I will be working my last day of work on January 31st and even knowing I will have a couple weeks of no work and no baby makes me uneasy. I don't like the feeling of just sitting all day or just sleeping. However, Noah told me the other day how proud he was of me and having a couple weeks of doing nothing will be good for me:)

I will post picturse soon.

Utah Baby Shower

2011-12-30T20:53:00.000-08:00

My wonderful sister and best friend Katie decided to throw me a baby shower in Utah. I can't believe how much work they put into the shower and how they made everything so cute! The theme they chose was "Little Cupcake"...adorable! The food, company and games were absolutely perfect. I feel so grateful for all the people in my life.

Micah's Birthday Party

2011-12-12T17:00:00.000-08:00

My cute little nephew had his birthday party this past weekend. He is so big now and loves anything batman. Micah is probably the most well behaved kid I know except for if Isabelle makes him mad. I can't wait to be celebrating my little ones birthday one day.

Family Photos

2011-12-09T10:18:00.001-08:00

I wanted to get some family photos done for our Christmas cards this year. I didn't care if I was over 7 months pregnant...I wanted updated pictures. I talked with a co-worker and he said his wife just started a photography business. She just started this year but is really good. I took a look at her blog and was sold. Her pricing is extremely cheap because she is just starting out and is building up her customer base. If you're in the Utah area and don't want to spend a fortune on family photos...take a look at Lexi's blog.

http://lexiraephoto.blogspot.com/

Also, I posted some of the pictures she took.

Michigan Baby Shower

2011-12-06T17:58:00.001-08:00

Another thing I did while visiting Michigan was that I had a Baby Shower. I can't believe I just wrote those words...I had a baby shower! I still can't believe I'm having a baby and I still don't believe I'm going to be a mom. We're so blessed to have this chance to be parents. Everytime I think I'm pregnant I have to feel my belly for it to be real.

The baby shower was absolutely perfect! My mom, Sara and Sara's mom (Barb) helped put the whole thing together. I had so much fun and was able to spend time with some of my most dear friends and family. I chose the theme of Noah's Ark because of my sweet husband's name...Noah. I thought it would be cute! Sara took some great pictures and I loved the cake they had made for me.

Noah edited the picture of my invitation so you can't see my families phone number and email to RSVP (just in case there are some crazies out there)

Red Wings Game

2011-11-30T17:29:00.001-08:00

Noah, my dad and I were able to go to a Red Wings game in Detroit while we visited. Red Wings won and it was such a great game. Going to a hockey game is probably my favorite sport to attend because it's always so intense. I love the fights and how to crowd goes crazy when we get a goal. The best part of the whole game was going with my hubby and my amazing dad. I love making memories and talking the whole way up to the game and the whole way back home. I sure love my family!

Ten Year Class Reunion

2011-11-29T16:00:00.000-08:00

I can't believe I graduated high school 10 years ago! Where has the time gone? Part of our trip to Michigan for Thanksgiving was also to attend my reunion. It was great seeing old friends and catching up with everyone. The picture where I'm with 4 other girls is my best buds from high school and still are. We called ourselves the Fab 5...LOL we thought we were so cool. It was great to have all of us together again and talk about all of our old memories. I couldn't stop laughing! We were definitely a crazy group of girls.

Michigan vs. Ohio State

2011-11-29T15:47:00.000-08:00

We visited Michigan for Thanksgiving this year. It was such a great time! Noah got to enjoy the whole experience of a true college football game. My brothers picked him up at 6a.m. in the morning where they tailgated all day. It's a big group of guys who cook breakfast under a tent where they have TV's playing and heaters. Then they made lunch, went to the game and Michigan beat Ohio State for the first time in 7 years! Noah and my brother Josh ran out onto the field when they won! Noah said he couldn't believe how fun it was and he had a blast. I was so happy he got to spend the day with my 2 brothers. Hope you enjoy the pics.

Ode to Noah

2011-10-09T20:26:00.000-07:00

I had to wrtie a post about Noah because I would like to share with everyone how special he is. I don't believe that just because I'm pregnant Noah should have to put up with some crazy pregnant lady:) I believe he should be able to enjoy this pregnancy as much as possible.

While I was going through the extreme sickness I didn't see the blessings that came from it...I was just concentrating on eating and trying to feel normal. Now that I'm feeling better I see the goodness from me being so sick. I was able to watch my husband for months serve me without complaint and become my life support. Noah never complained and would laugh when I would send him to the store for the 4th time in 1 day. He is the most loving and patient man I know. He cares about me and thinks of my safety in so many ways. For example back in July he talked about buying me really nice snow boots so I wouldn't slip outside when winter came:) It melted my heart that he is so worried about me falling in the snow.

I'm not a great writer and I have a hard time expressing my self with words but Noah is nothing but amazing. He makes me laugh when no one else can and he is my best friend. Noah doesn't show it often in front of people but he is the most tender hearted man. He has the sweetest heart and it shows everyday with how he treats me. When Noah talks about me and our family behind closed doors his eyes get a little teary and when I talk about him and share my feelings I can't help but get choked up. I love him more then anything but it's easy when I have someone that treats me like a princess.

The End.

Halloween

2011-10-03T18:09:00.000-07:00

My favorite time of the year is Fall. I love the cool crisp weather and all the holidays! I would devote my life to decorating 24/7 if it were possible. I took pictures of a couple of my decorations and would LOVE to hear what others do because I still need to put more stuff up around the house. Enjoy.

Vote for Me PLEASE

2011-09-28T11:46:00.000-07:00

I entered a contest for the cutest baby bump...unfortunately I still don't have much of a bump:) Anyway, if you could go vote for me today (voting ends tomorrow) I would greatly appreciate it. I'm number 107.

http://www.971zht.com/pages/babywatch11/

About Pregnancy

2011-09-15T22:26:00.000-07:00

This pregnancy has definitely been a little tough. I'm not complaining but I want to remember everything about this pregnancy:) Things that have made me laugh and wonder how Noah survived most of his life in his single years... so this is funny stuff Noah has said or done.

1. Noah is so use to me throwing up that it doesn't phase him anymore. A couple weeks ago I was hugging the toilet when he walks by after making a yummy taco. He takes a bite of the taco looks at me puking and goes on his merry way. It was like he was seeing nothing new..you just had to be there.
2. I haven't been able to clean at all. I've been so sick I never entered the kitchen. Finally 2 weeks ago I had enough strength to walk into the kitchen and get a glass of water. I look on the kitchen window sill and there are 2 dead fly's! I call for Noah and ask him why he hasn't vacuumed up the flys or at least thrown them away?? He responds "I wanted to keep the dead flys on the window sill to be a warning to any other flys that enter the house" all I could do was stare at Noah and shake my head. Did he really just say he was keeping them to deter other flys from coming into our house? So I guess we have a fly pet cemetery! (i made him vacuum them up)
3. Same window sill but a week later i notice a spider. I call for Noah again and ask him to vacuum the spider up. He said "I can't vacuum up Stanley...he is our guard against other bugs that try to enter the house" again I stare at him and think...did he really name this spider? did he really just say he wanted to keep the spider as if it is some kind of pet? *sigh* all I could do was laugh (I made him vacuum the spider)

Anyway, theres so much more to write about but all of a sudden I got really tired. goodnight.

A Miracle

2011-08-22T12:56:00.001-07:00

I think it’s time to let everyone know…We’re PREGNANT!

The road to get pregnant and the road to stay pregnant have not been easy! Here’s how we found out.

After years of trying multiple infertility treatments Noah and I decided to adopt. We were so excited and about to pay our deposit when I started to feel really sick. Of course I had the “flu” and couldn’t move for about 5 days in a row. I decided to go to the doctors and make sure nothing was majorly wrong. The first thing the doctor says, “we should probably do a pregnancy test” I immediately refused to do a test because I told myself I will not take another test as long as I live! I was serious. The doctor told me I didn’t have to take one so he did other blood work which came back normal and sent me on my way.

The next day was even worse. Another day of puking about 15-20 times and I could barely move. I call my sister to tell her I think I’m going to die! She gets really forceful and tells me to take a pregnancy test just to rule out morning sickness. In the back of my mind I’m thinking, “doesn’t everyone know we’re not doing infertility treatments anymore and we’re adopting..I can’t get pregnant”. Anyway, I take a test just to show my sister she was wrong. Well the test said, “PREGNANT”. I immediately called my doctor to tell him that I just had a false positive on a pregnancy test and I think something is wrong. My doctor tells me to come to the hospital to have more blood work done and to get a blood pregnancy test.

My sweet sister picks me up to take me to the hospital (FYI – I still haven’t called Noah or told him anything yet. I refused to think I was pregnant). I get all the blood work done and in 2 hours I get a call from the hospital saying congrats nothing is wrong with me but they’re 100 percent positive I’m pregnant. Nope I don’t believe them….I decided to run to the local Walgreens and buy 3 different pregnancy test. I took them all at home and they all said POSITIVE.

I still have not called Noah. I sat in our bathroom staring at all the test wondering how this happened. We weren’t doing any infertility treatments? How could I just get pregnant out of the blue after we’ve been trying for so long…this doesn’t make sense? I started to cry because I was pregnant and I felt so miserable.
Noah came home from work and I wanted to surprise him. On one of our guest bedrooms I put the sign “Nursery”. He looked at it and looked at me and didn’t get it at first. At this point in our life we had written off the possibility of me getting pregnant. And we are/were happy. This did not define us and Noah and I have a lot of fun together, we’re always laughing. Anyway, Noah said very quietly, “Are you pregnant”? I started to cry and said, “Yup”. Then we stared at each other for about 10 minutes and sat on the stairs to take in this huge change. We couldn’t believe it…could this really be true?

Now the fun begins. I’m not just sick from this pregnancy I’m near death. I was puking more times in a day then I could count. I lost 10 pounds in 1 week and currently I’ve lost a total of 17 pounds. That means I’m currently 14 weeks pregnant and only weighing in at 103 pounds…I look disgusting.

I receive IV’s everyday through a permanent IV that’s in my arm. I receive nausea medication every 4 hours through my IV and most days I feel like I’m going to die. I now understand why I had to wait so long to get pregnant. I had to REALLY want this baby in order to withstand this extreme nausea. Most days I feel like I’m starving. I want to eat a big steak so bad I can taste it in my mouth. I dream of the day where I get to grab a water and drink it in one big gulp.

Even as I write this I feel horrible but I want everyone to know we feel so lucky. Noah and I can’t believe this is happening to us and that we get to bring a little one into the world. I believe in miracles and I truly believe this is a miracle. The Lord definitely had a hand in this and we know this child is suppose to be in our family.

New Mexico Trip

2011-06-19T08:58:00.000-07:00

This past week has been a lot of fun. My mom flew into Salt Lake and we took a trip down to New Mexico where she is from. I couldn't believe I was finally going to meet 2 of her sisters for the first time. Also, I was going to meet my cousins on my moms side and see where my mom grew up. It was amazing. We had a few bumps in the road...for example: For my cousins wedding I couldn't get the zipper to work on my dress! It was broken. I was freaking out because it's the only dress I brought with me and we didn't have enough time to go to the store (we would have missed the ceremony). Anyway, this is why I love mothers! My cute adorable mom got a needle and thread and outside the ceremony sewed me into my dress! We walked in just in time to sit down and see the bridal party start walking up the isle. WHEW! That was a close one. Later that night my mom had to cut me out of my dress.

For Koren she had a hard time at the wedding because her newest little one decided to poop out of his diaper. This wasn't the normal poop out. This was a VOLCANO! He got it all over Koren's skirt, shoes, and dinner table. It was hilarious and disgusting at the same time. Luckily at that point we just had to laugh because that day was absolutely crazy.

The House my my grew up in.

I thought this was funny. A post office and gas station connected. Now that is country.

Courtney's Baby Shower

2011-05-23T11:05:00.000-07:00

This past Saturday I threw Courtney a baby shower (Noah’s sister). It was a lot of fun and I had a blast looking things up on the internet of new and exciting things to do at a shower. As I was planning her shower I felt so bad that I couldn’t do this for my sister or sister-in-law (sara) when they had their first babies. At the time I was going through college and was broke! But it feels great being able to do this for Noah’s family. Enjoy the pictures. The funny thing is I don’t have 1 picture of me or Courtney! I’ll have to get some from her camera.

Mother's Day and More

2011-05-11T15:50:00.000-07:00

I have to write a little something about my mom for Mother’s Day. I can’t express the blessing I have from having my mom as ….my mom! She is absolutely amazing. I have the mom that patiently will sit there while I rant and rave about everything under the Sun and chuckle because she thinks I’m hilarious. I have a mom who ALWAYS says a kind word about everyone and always puts herself in other people’s shoes. I can’t count the times my mom would buy me something in high school and go without so I could have everything. My mom is my best friend and my advisor in life.

This summer my mom, me and my sister have decided to take a girls road trip to New Mexico to see where she grew up…I can’t wait! I can’t wait to be in the car with my mom and again chat about everything and probably shed a few tears (us girls always cry).
I’m so blessed to have my mom. I’m very grateful that the man upstairs let me be her daughter.

Read the poem below…stole it from a friend but it’s sometimes how I feel:)

“Happy Mother's Day”
it comes around every year;

but when you have empty arms,
it's very hard to hear.

It's a day to celebrate a mother;
for all the trials she overcame;
and a reminder to an infertile
of her loneliness and shame.

But what really makes a mother,
Is it just conception and birth?
Or is there something more,
that shows a mother's worth?

It's putting your child first,
in everything you do;
it's sacrifice and determination,
and love and patience too.

An infertile woman makes all her plans,
around a child not yet conceived;
she loves them even though they aren't here,
more than she ever could have believed.

She appreciates and understands,
what a blessing that children are;
she works hard for just a chance,
that motherhood is not that far.

All odds are stacked against her,
and yet she still has hope;
everyday is another struggle,
finding ways to help her cope.

So even though her arms are empty,
she can still be a mother too;
So say a special “Happy Mother's Day”
for those waiting for their dreams to come true!

Happy Birthday to Me

2011-04-25T17:58:00.000-07:00

My birthday was a couple days ago and I had a nice relaxing get together. Usually Noah and I have a big BBQ with friends and family but this year it RAINED all week and weekend! BORING! So Noah made my favorite meal and Family came over. Very simple. I received a lot of cards and gifts that I was very appreciative of. Check out my shirt in the pictures, my sister-in-law got it for me:)

Noah decided to spoil me this year because he had to be gone most of the day of my birthday. He got me an ipad and a lot of gadgets etc. to go with it. I was so excited. Noah already has an ipad and I think he got me one so I would stop stealing his:) I love the ipad. It is perfect for me. I love to lay in bed at night and search the internet and the ipad is perfect for all the little stuff I do. Anyway, I had a great birthday but feel very old. I've gotten to the stage where I don't like telling people my age:(

Girls Trip - Bahamas

2011-04-13T17:27:00.000-07:00

I got back from the Bahamas yesterday and can't tell you how much I loved the trip. It was wonderful connecting with old friends and laughing our heads off about the stuff we use to do in high school. It was really hard at first leaving Noah and I started to cry when I got to the airport. But once I got settled in Florida and on the cruise I was able to relax and enjoy myself.

I played drums with a local in the bahamas, took a horse ride around the islands, went parasailing, snorkeled and ate a lot of food. I can't wait to go back and take Noah!

Time to Relax

2011-03-25T13:19:00.000-07:00

I have friends from high school that have been my friends since I can remember. These girls are friends that I’ve been able to stay in touch with, get together with and still laugh our heads off. Going back to Detroit in Thanksgiving we were able to get together and it was really nice just being with old friends.

We’ve decided it’s about time to go on another trip together. Our last trip was to Panama City, Florida when we were all 18. We were a little crazy back then! But this time we’ve decided to take a cruise to the Bahamas! I can’t wait! We’re going to be swimming with the dolphins, visiting Atlantis and parasailing!
When my friend Angie suggested a cruise I went to my sweet husband Noah and asked what he thought about a bunch of crazy girls heading off on a cruise together. Noah didn’t even hesitate and said it’s about time that I do something fun and relaxing. He is so supportive and realized I needed a break from Utah and trying to have a baby.

So…cruise is booked, flight is booked and excursions are booked! I’m so grateful to have the ability to just get up and go on a trip with friends. I’m extremely grateful that I have a husband that understands my bonds with these girls and knows I need to continue my friendship with them.

I leave in a couple weeks I’m sure my home will turn into paintball/game central while I’m gone!

Update on Ryan

2011-03-15T14:50:00.000-07:00

I wanted to give everyone an update on Ryan. He was found and survived the tsunami and earthquake without injury. When we heard the news we couldn’t believe it and I was so happy to hear the joy in my friend Katie’s voice. To know that her sweet brother was okay and that he would continue out his service for another year is great news. Go Ryan!!

All of the LDS missionaries in Japan were found safe…which to me is a miracle. The missionaries will be moved far away from the nuclear power plant. Everything is explained in the article below.

http://www.ksl.com/?nid=148&sid=14743094

Ryan Lundell

2011-03-11T19:32:00.000-08:00

If you read my blog then you would have heard me talk about my best friend Katie. I was her maid of honor at her wedding and she's like another sister to me. I can't imagine my life with out her. When becoming friends with Katie I also gained a 2nd family. Her family has been my haven away from home and I love them so much. My dear friend Katie has the most gentle younger brother named Ryan Lundell. When you're around Ryan you just want to squeeze him because he's so cute.

Ryan currently is serving a mission in Sendai, Japan mission and unless you've been living underneath a rock then you should know that area was hit with the quake and the tsunami. Currently we haven't heard from Ryan and he is missing. We know that the area he is in has lost all communication and traveling to his area is very difficult. Katie and her family have been waiting for word from the church to find out if they've found him. It's been a complete day and still no word from Ryan or the church.

Please pray for Ryan. I have faith that the lord is watching over him. I love him and his family. I posted a news article with his picture and information about his area.

You will need to copy the URL below and paste it.

http://www.ksl.com/index.php?nid=148&sid=14687566

10 things about me

2011-03-06T22:08:00.000-08:00

1. I graduated college in business because I felt it would help me out when looking for a job. If I did what I really wanted too I would have graduated in history or art.
2. I will only drive American made cars
3. If you make me laugh hard enough I will pee my pants.
4. I have more socks then most small nations.
5. My dream home isn't a huge mansion or lots of land. I want the home from the movie "father of the bride"
6. I would love to name our first son after my hubby (Noah) but Noah refuses to have a Noah jr.
7. I love my family more then I can express in words. I have the best husband, siblings, and parents in the world. I still feel as though I don't deserve them
8. I love to clean. I look forward to organizing and cleaning my home.
9. I wish I would read more books.
10. I like mowing the lawn.

No luck

2011-02-19T20:17:00.000-08:00

At the end of December we did artificial insemination and in January we found out it didn't work. Very frustrating. After taking 4 medications a day and Noah having to give me shots in my stomach we found out it was all for nothing. This definitely has been a roller coaster ride. Because of all the medications I went a little crazy. I seriously didn't feel like myself and if you mixed medusa and the mad hatter you would have gotten me:) I've realized through the past month another blessing in my life because of this trial... My husband. I can't put into words our relationship and how much closer we've become. Noah was so patient as I went into my crazy mode because of all the hormones. He told me I was beautiful when I became sick because of the medication, he comforted me when I was upset and he was my rock when I felt like I couldn't take one more pill:)

I will be starting this whole process again in a couple days. This feels like a suicide mission when I think about taking the medication again but it is worth a shot. I think this will be the last time we do artificial and our next step is adoption or IVF. I find it interesting that there's no explanation as to why I can't get pregnant. After a million different test we find out that Noah and I don't have anything that would prevent us from having a child.

Anyway, Noah and I have decided this will not control our lives. We don't think about this constantly and fortunately I've been able to only think about it when I need too. We go through all of our blessings and can't believe how much the Lord has blessed us. We've been extremely blessed:).

Wish us luck this next month!

Best Purchase Ever

2011-02-12T15:19:00.001-08:00

When I went home for Thanksgiving I noticed that Josh and Sara had the cutest thing handing on their wall....a battery organizer/holder. I absolutely loved it and thought "what a great idea". If anyone knows me or has been to my house you know that I love to have things organized (no clutter) and have all my drawers and cabinets in order. I don't know exactly how I got this way because my parents had to have the house cleaned but it didn't need to be perfect. Anyway, I took a picture of it below. so cute.

Baby Mitchell and My Moms Visit

2011-01-30T14:40:00.000-08:00

The past 2 weeks have been CRAZY! Little baby Mitchell was born (my sister's new baby) and my mom came out for 2 weeks. Noah and I would go to work and then go straight to Koren's house to hang out. We would stay until about 11:00p.m. and then start all over the next day.

I was able to be in the delivery room when my newest little nephew was born and it was amazing. Koren was in labor 3 hours and only pushed 2 times and the baby came out. Koren wins the gold medal when it comes to having babies.

My mom flew in the next day and I was able to pick her up at the airport with Micah and Isabelle. We had a blast. While my mom was here we took care of Mitchell, SHOPPED!, went out to eat, played games, and just spent every second we could together. My mom is the most amazing woman in the world. Just having her around it atomatically feels calm. She brings a presense with her that I can't describe. I'm so grateful to have the family I have. They're my best friends.

Our Anniversary

2011-01-19T21:33:00.000-08:00

Noah and I celebrated our wedding anniversary on January 6th. I can't believe it's been 4 years! We've made it 4 years! hurray!

Our anniversary was on a Thursday this year so we decided we would celebrate on the next day which was Friday. But little did I know my sweet husband would have a surprise for me. I came home from work on Thursday and Noah had dinner made, candles on the table, a dozen red roses, my favorite candy and he bought me a new kinect game! I couldn't believe how beautiful everything was. I was so touched at how much time he put into surprising me.

The next day, which was Friday, we went to the Zermatt Resort. which was absolutely beautiful. This anniversary was special.

My thoughts on Noah:
This past year I realized I have something special. I was talking to a friend the other day and she said I was so lucky. She continues on to say that she can tell that Noah just adores me. I always knew Noah loved me and liked me but I've never thought about the word "adores". As I look back through our marriage I realized how much he does adore me. He thinks everything I do is cute. He thinks my little weird mannerisms make me unique. We have something special.

Noah every night tucks me in. Even if we just had a disagreement he will always come over to my side of the bed and put the covers over me so that I'm nice and warm. After he has covered me up he will give me a kiss. He has done this every night for 4 years without fail. No matter what mood he's in..no matter what mood I'm in. What a wonderful dedicated husband I have.

Noah never thinks about himself. He works hard so I have all my wants and needs. I'm truly married to my other half and my best friend. I love my husband very much. I love that he chose me to be his partner in crime and I love that he adores me as much as I adore him.

Noah's Turn:)

Well, here we are again. Another year gone by. It's always amazing how fast time moves these days. I know it's cliche to say but it does really seem like yesterday we were dating. But, then I think of all the things that have happened over the years. When we first started dating our niece Isabelle was just a baby. Now she's almost 5 years old and has two little brothers. I think of all the places we've been and things we've done. We've been across the world together. We really have done so much and grown in so many ways. The best part is this is just the beginning. I'm excited for all the new memories that we will make. I'm grateful for the family and friends we have in our lives and how that has enriched us. Most of all I'm personally grateful for my little Mana. She's my best friend and brings so much joy to my life when I don't want to kill her. The only worry I have is that I'll wake up in forty years and once again wonder where all the time has gone. With this in mind I commit to enjoying every moment and not taking for granted the short time we have on this earth. Whether we are across the world on some adventure or just simply across the table I want to spend every moment with my little wife and build great memories no matter where life takes us.

No more mess

2011-01-08T21:06:00.000-08:00

I bet you're wondering what the picture I posted is all about. One day Noah went on a business trip and I decided to let my dog(spanky) sleep with me because I was scared. Sadly, Spanky sleeps in the garage because we don't think it's wise to let your dog roam around the house when you're sleeping. Anyway, I broke the rules and needed him by my side because for some reason I thought my 3 lb. dog could protect me if I needed him too.

I woke up the next morning and noticed my carpet was sticky in a couple places...thats when I realized Spanky got into the Gorillia Glue!!! I then decided to get carpet cleaner and try and clean the glue off the carpet. Just an FYI carpet cleaner and gorilla glue combined make a hard substance that not even a hammer can remove (I tried). So long story short our carpet was ruined. There's a lot more to the story that I will share real quick; 4 sweaters were ruined, I got glue on my hand which then was glued to my head which lead to a call to Noah crying because I couldn't get my hand off my head, and wood dresser ruined (don't set gorilla glue bottle on dresser).

So the picture being shown is just one section of the carpet ruined.

GOOD NEWS THOUGH! Today we had the carpet replaced and now we are gorilla glue free!!!!! Hurray! And thanks to the horrible economy we were able to get our carpet for half the price. I'm so happy I won't ever have to stub my toe on gorilla glue again. The End.

Funny Noah

2010-12-16T21:03:00.000-08:00

Today this was my conversation with Noah..

Noah: you were snoring last night
Me: no I wasn't! I never snore!
Noah: yes you were
Me: NO!
Noah: I knew you wouldn't believe me so I recorded it!
Me: WHAT! Can I listen to it

Noah keeps me laughing constantly. Thank goodness for his sarcastic personality.

Front Room Complete!

2010-12-09T22:12:00.000-08:00

This past year I gave myself the goal to finish my front room before the year ended. It finally is complete. I have a couple small items to buy but besides that all the large pieces are purchased! What do you think? It feels so nice to have a room WITHOUT a TV in it that Noah and I can sit and talk without any distractions. I love having a sitting room that is comfortable. I wanted a room that was inviting and cozy:) I'm so happy this room is done! Hurray:) Enjoy the picture below.

This is what the room looked like before

Thanksgiving

2010-11-30T09:13:00.000-08:00

Thanksgiving this year was a BLAST! Noah and I went back home to spend the Holiday with my side of the family. Noah said he always gets excited visiting my family because he feels like its “National Lampoons Christmas Vacation”. There is always excitement when my family gets together.

Below is a short run down of everything that went on while in Michigan:
• Electricity went out at my parent’s home. Noah and I wake up to my dad in a full snow suit and hat with ear flaps saying, “It feels brisk in here”…IT WAS 56 degrees in the house…long story!
• Josh calling himself the “M” (Master)
• Festival of Trees
• Engel (enough said)
• My dad making inappropriate jokes about snuggling with my mom (disgusting!!)
• Somerset with Sara
• Holding Olivia
• Aaron wrestling all the nieces and nephews
• Thanksgiving dinner
• Watching National Lampoons Christmas Vacation with my whole family
• My dad going Mock 10 while trying to pick us up at the airport. I had to run out into the street to wave him down. (Noah laughed pretty hard)
• IHOP
• Visiting all my friends and friends parent
• Football
• Gauchos – Josh ordering 2 desserts and trying to finish them both in record speed
This Thanksgiving was amazing and I’m so grateful Noah and I had the chance to spend it with family and friends. Thanksgiving 2010 was a success.

Halloween

2010-11-08T20:19:00.001-08:00

Halloween 2010 I decided to have a little fun:) I made Halloween treats and had family and friends over for a party. It was more of a get-together. Everyone decided to go out trick-or-treating and about 5 minutes into knocking doors it started hailing and raining like crazy. Isabelle, Micah, and Sawyer were a little surprised. Isabelle was Dorthy from the Wizard of Oz and took our dog Spanky with her to play the part of Toto. As it started to hail everyone started to run back to the house and Toto (spanky) somehow got himself wrapped around a pole outside. Isabelle wouldn't let go and stood there crying because she couldn't leave Toto by himself. Garret had to run back outside and save Toto along with Isabelle. Isabelle has the softest heart:) It was really cute.

Instead of going back out we all decided to hang out inside, pass out candy and watch Halloween shows. It was a blast.

BATMAN!!!

Dorothy, wicked witch, and Glinda the Good Witch

Princess, Prince, and a dragon

Yummy pumpkin cupcakes

Fall

2010-10-16T21:26:00.000-07:00

Fall is my absolute favorite season! I love the weather and just everything about October and November:) Noah and I have carved pumpkins, visited gardner village, went to a pumpkin patch, watched Belle play soccer etc. etc. It's been a very busy year:)

Happy Thoughts

2010-10-05T20:14:00.000-07:00

Lately I've been thinking about a lot of things and for some reason I've had happy thoughts flooding my little mind:) My thoughts are as follows:

1. When my mom came to Utah to visit in October of 2008 and Noah went on a business trip. My mom came into my room and we talked all night. Then it was really late and we were all warm in the bed and we fell asleep together:) It reminded me of when I was a little kid. I loved it and will never forget talking with my mom until we both just fell asleep.
2. When my dad came to visit, me, him, and Noah stayed up all night listening to stories of him when he was a kid. Those are the best stories ever.
3. Noah holding my hand as we flew to Australia.
4.. Noah knowing my thoughts without me even saying anything
5. My brother Josh calling me and explaining he is the "glue" of the family. That conversation will always be in my memory!
6. Aaron texting me "love you" when I had my miscarriage
7. Koren and I laughing constantly over stuff that isn't even funny:)
8. Calling Noah telling him I accidentally spilled gorilla glue all over our master bedroom carpet and him laughing. I will never forget how kind he was even though he knew we would have to replace the carpet
9. Sara's voice...yes weird but my sis-in-law has the most calming voice in the world
(i have lots of memories of Noah's family that I will continue on another post)

I have a ton more that I could write but for some reason these have been coming to my mind all day. I'm one lucky girl and need to realize how much the Lord has given me:)

Slowly but surely

2010-09-22T20:40:00.000-07:00

I remember telling Noah I wanted my entire home furnished and decorated before we ever had any kids. Well I didn't know that I would have trouble getting pregnant:( But my downstairs is almost done! I have 1 more piece of furniture to buy and I'm done with my downstairs. My kitchen, dining room, family room, bathroom and now my living room are "almost" complete. Now when I have kids (one day) they won't ruin any of my stuff...right;) Take a look. If you remember my post from the beginning of the year all I had was a couch. LOL pathetic I know. I love decorating and feel excited when I complete something in my home. Having projects helps me with my self esteem.

Peace

2010-09-12T22:47:00.000-07:00

This past month has been very interesting and difficult at the same time. Yes, I've had some hard times with getting things done to one day get pregnant. But I finally had some sort of revelation of the reasons for this trial. I needed to humble myself and realize that God is aware of me.

I consider myself very religious but there have been a lot of times where I would say "how can God truly know me? There are 6 billion people on the planet and I doubt he knows me" "Is God really there"?

Yes, embarrassingly I've had these thoughts and I struggled with feeling little in this huge world. I also would feel small because why would God listen to my prayers when people in Africa, Iran, etc. are suffering more then I could ever imagine. They have real trials and mine are so trivial.

After all these thoughts I went to my very patient husband and told him all of the above. He calmly gave me a hug and asked me a simple question... If Isabelle (me niece) falls and skins her knee what would I do? Without hesitation I said I would pick her up and console her until she wasn't crying anymore and I could make her smile. Then my very smart husband said..."Even though you knew that little scratch on her knee wasn't a big deal and you knew she would be fine...you would still pick her up and say, It's going to be alright". I said of course! Then Noah said, "that is how our Heavenly Father works, he doesn't care what trial we bring to him if it is important to us it's important to him no matter how small or big". I've pondered Noah's words for along time. I knew he was right.

I had a wave of gratitude the last couple weeks towards my Heavenly Father. I know he has been with me through my trials even when I thought he deserted me. I know he knows my name and can count ever hair on my head. My trials have brought me close to him, my husband, and my family. I now know this trial isn't in vain. It's good. I will continue to press forward and be happy. I understand why we have trials now. I understand that just because I want a baby right now doesn't mean I'm always going to get what I want. Life is good. I'm blessed. The Lord has blessed me.

laparoscopy done!

2010-09-02T20:45:00.000-07:00

Yesterday morning at 6:00a.m. I went into the hospital to get my laparoscopy. I was so nervous and crying off and on because it was an actual real surgery. I would be under anesthesia and 3 incisions in my stomach. They would have to cut all the way through my stomach muscles and I was very scared. I'm very lucky to have such a great family:) My mom, sister, sara (sister-in-law), katie (best friend), and dad all called and gave me support I really needed.

Once I woke up from the surgery I felt very sick and kept throwing up. Poor Noah couldn't do anything but watch:( He felt really bad. Eventually, we headed home and I went right to bed. I slept until about 3p.m. woke up for a couple minutes just in time to receive flowers from my best friend Katie! Loved them! Then went back to bed until 9p.m. just to throw up and then back to bed until this morning around 8a.m. I can't believe how much I slept...I was so tired.

My stomach hurts so bad along with my shoulders. I can't bend over to pick up anything off the floor..boo!

Anyway, RESULTS! My right ovary was in perfect condition but my left was completely covered in endometriosis which is what our fertility specialist suspected. Endometriosis isn't harmful and you can have it all your life but it can prevent you from having kids so that is why we had to have the surgery done.

Now I'm all cleaned up and should be set to go for artificial insemination! Slowly but surely we're getting there. Noah has been amazing..I can't stress enough how much he does for me. Constantly taking care of me this whole time:) thank you NOAH!

Package Delivered

2010-08-24T21:49:00.000-07:00

Well today I received a box in the mail. I thought "what could it be" it's too big to be my medication for the artificial insemination?? I opened up the package and was disappointed. It was my medication. I didn't realize how much I would have to take! behold the package below...

I don't want to take all this stuff! It is going to make me so sick. I am sad.

I didn't even put everything I have to take in the picture because some of it has to be refrigerated and I was too lazy to get it out of the fridge to take a picture. The only good thing in the picture is my new coffee table. Do you like it? kind of different.

The medication above is only for 1 month! How can I take so much? Don't you think my body will go into shock? geesh. this is going to be a rough couple months.

Okay I need to say something positive. The 1 good thing that has come from this trial is the closeness between me and Noah. He is my rock and we are a team. I'm lucky to have him and grateful for everything he does for me. He continually keeps my laughing.

Moving Forward

2010-08-21T09:08:00.000-07:00

Things are starting to move forward with trying to have a little baby:) Slowly but surely.

I recently just had an HSG and everything is perfect! The HSG was extremely painful...definitely glad it's over with. So now it's time to move forward to a specialist. After a lot of consideration and studying we decided to go with Dr. Slater at the Utah Fertility Center

She works with Dr. Foulk who has appeared twice on the Oprah Winfrey show as a fertility expect. Foulk and Slater are amazing and 6th in the country. Anyway, this is the plan...

Major blood test where they test everything and anything - this is done

Ultrasound - this is done

laparoscopy - scheduled for next week

artificial insemination - we will start this in September for 3 months

if I'm still not pregnant we are doing IVF which will start the first week of January

That's the plan! Meds are already purchased for the artificial insemination and can't wait for the first week of September to come! I will have to get injections in my stomach which Noah will do for me every night and take a lot of Medicine. By the way did I mention all of this stuff cost around a million dollars! Okay, not a million but pretty darn close!

My medicine alone for 1 month is over $400.00 and that's not including the procedure. boo. We have great insurance but unfortunately they only cover $1500.00 of infertility treatments a year. Basically everything we're doing is out of pocket. If I get pregnant my baby will cost the same amount as a Mercedes Benz! Yikes!

But I can't complain because it will be worth it if we get pregnant. If we don't by January then we will put in adoption papers...this is going to be a busy 5 months. Wish me luck.

Running a race

2010-08-11T18:44:00.001-07:00

I have been at my current job for almost 3 years but in my current position for a little over a year. My current boss (CEO) is interesting and difficult at the same time. He definitely knows how to push my buttons and push me to be a better employee. He has been challenging me to a race for a couple of months now and is determined to race me in a 3 mile run. He even sent me an appointment invite in outlook for the race to be in 2 months at 8:00a.m. LOL. He is serious!

So...should I race him? I use to be able to run 7 minute miles and now I'm extremely slow. I'm nervous because if I lose I will never hear the end of it...but if I win...he'll never hear the end of it. What would you do?

My co-worker (head of marketing) is going to come to the race because if I win he is going to post it in the company newsletter...I think this will get out of hand.

So wish me luck

Visits from Missouri

2010-08-10T10:44:00.000-07:00

This past week we had visitors. Noah's dad and Jane came out to Utah to visit. They stayed with us and it was good to get to know them better. We stayed up late every night just talking and hanging out which I love:) Noah's dad is hilarious with all of his stories and Jane is pretty funny as well. We definitley had a good time. Also, Noah's sister came down from Logan, Utah and spent a couple days with us as well. It was a great week!

Detroit

2010-08-02T22:20:00.000-07:00

I was fortunate enough to take another vacation to Detroit:) I was able to visit my family and spend some good quality time with them. I have so much fun hanging out with my brothers. They seriously are hilarious together and keep us all laughing. I have such a hard time being so far away. I definitely love my family and would love to hang out with them everyday. We were able to visit an air force museum in Dayton, Ohio...it was amazing. It was fun for the adults and kids.

I posted a lot more pics on facebook:)

Australia! g'day mate

2010-06-17T15:09:00.000-07:00

Noah and I went to Australia for 2 weeks in the beginning of June. We just got back and had such a great timeJ We decided to go to Australia for a couple of reasons, 1. To see Noah’s family 2. For a vacation.

The flight was absolutely horrible. Not scary or anything just way too long. We had to fly from SLC to LA then LA to SYDNEY which just the LA to SYDNEY flight was 15 hours long. I about lost my mind and decided I could never be in prison! Being kept in a small confined area for that long was tortuous.

We arrived in Sydney after 24 hours of no sleep and rented a car where Noah had to drive on the wrong side of the road. It was really weird and nerve racking. We finally made it to where we were supposed to be staying and felt much better once we could get some rest. We stayed in Annangrove for 3 days, downtown Sydney for about 5 days and then a cottage up in the Blue Mountains for the rest of the time.

We were able to pet and feed Kangaroos and Koalas, tour the Sydney Opera House, tour the barracks and other museums, ride a ferry to Manly beaches, eat Australian food, shop, hiked in the mountains, road a tram and railcar, and visit Noah’s relatives etc. I would highly suggest Sydney to others. Noah and I had a great time and I enjoyed spending quality time with Noah for an entire 2 weeks. We didn’t have to go to work or receive work calls. It was nice.

Noah and I decided since we haven’t had kids yet (even though we’re trying) we might as well enjoy itJ we’re going to start traveling more. Our next trip is already in the works…I got to choose this time because Noah picked Australia and I chose…..ITALY! I’m really excited because Noah is going to let me plan a lot of it (or I’ll try). He usually has to get involved because I get nervous and worried that I will mess something up.

I posted pictures of my trip on my facebook but I will post some on here as well when I get a chance.

Dad's Visit

2010-05-25T21:00:00.000-07:00

My dad came to Utah to visit me and my sister. We had so much fun. I loved staying up late with him and talking. I love when he tells me stories of when he was a kid and about my grandparents. He is such an amazing dad and I'm very fortunate to have him and the rest of my family:) Enjoy the pics and video of my sister kicking my trash.

Parenting Nightmares

2010-05-16T22:35:00.000-07:00

I don't have kids but I have a niece and a nephew that live about 2 minutes away from me that I'm with all the time:) Well we had Isabelle and Micah for the entire weekend because Koren and Garret are on a cruise.

Anyway today we thought it would be nice to make some cookies and bring them to an older couple down the street. It was gorgeous outside and it would be a fun little project for me, Noah, and the kids. We make the cookies and walk to the couples home. We knock on the door and Micah is holding the plate of cookies...the door opens and their little dog comes running out and scares Micah. Micah decides to throw the plate of cookies up in the air and run away. I quickly apologize and pick up all the cookies. The wonderful older woman was so nice and said it was no big deal. She invites us in...big mistake! About 2 minutes of being in the home micah trips over a rug and crashes into their coffee table and starts screaming his head off. I again apologized and felt horrible! Then Isabelle proceeds to ask the woman about what she has on her face (she has a couple of moles) the woman replies that they're moles and she's had them all her life. Then to not make it awkward I pointed out that everyone has moles and showed Isabelle one of Noah's. But then Isabelle says very loudly, "yeah but her moles are HUGE" then she proceeded to put her hand to her face as if it was a mole to show how big it was! I then decided it was time to go because I had enough humilation for the day.

As we left, Noah and I looked at each other and started busting out laughing because our small act of kindness turned into a disaster. Then I started to wonder...is this what parents go through sometimes? You parents are brave for taking your very honest children in public! My hat is off to all of you:)

Enjoy the pictures of our weekend.

The water you see is the reason why we bought the lot we have. This creek runs right in our backyard! We love it.

This is going to be a long week

2010-05-07T15:08:00.000-07:00

Since I've moved to Utah I don't think me and my sister have ever separated! We vacation at the same time to Michigan and we talk about 10 times a day on the phone. Today Koren leaves to go on a cruise with Garret and I can't call her unless it's an emergency because it's $7.95 a minute...where they're going! I'm sad and this is going to be really hard. But the bright side is that I get to watch my 2 little munchkins! I love them more than I could ever express in words.

Yesterday Noah and I went to Koren and Garrets to see them off and we took some pictures with our new camera. I don't know how to use the camera yet so you probably won't really see a difference in quality from all my other posts.

New Camera

2010-05-04T15:43:00.000-07:00

Noah finally bought a new camera. We have been thinking about getting a new camera for a little while and just yesterday he picked the camera he wanted and we should receive it Friday in the mail. Not only is it a camera but it is also takes really nice video...a 2 for 1!! Anyway, if it was up to me we would still use disposable cameras from Wal-Mart:) But if anyone knows my husband we have to have nice electronics:) But if it was up to him we would wear garbage bags everyday and I like to have nice clothes:) So if it was up to the both of us...I would be posting really bad pixilated photos while we're dressed in garbage bags! Thank goodness we found each other because we definitely are each other’s "other half" Below is the camera!

http://www.usa.canon.com/consumer/controller?act=ModelInfoAct&fcategoryid=139&modelid=19356

My Birthday

2010-04-25T20:08:00.000-07:00

This past week I had a birthday and can't believe how old I am. I never felt old but for some reason this birthday was really hard on me. I don't want to grow older and seriously I still feel as though I'm 18 years old. I hate Time. I hate the fact that I can't stop Time and no matter what it keeps going.

Anyway, I'm done with my rant. Now onto more positive things. My birthday was wonderful. I had a BBQ and enjoyed spending time hanging with friends and family. Noah of course spoiled me:) He is a great husband and really tried making my birthday special.

Soccer 3-0

2010-04-11T21:45:00.000-07:00

So far we've played 3 games and won them all! hurray! I'm having so much fun playing on this league with Noah and my brother-in-law Garret. This coming up next week is going to be hard because we'll be playing against the best team in the league..YIKES! I hope we win:) Anyway, enjoy the pictures!

Soccer season is here

2010-03-21T21:40:00.000-07:00

Noah absolutely loves soccer and plays it all year long. He is usually on 1 or 2 indoor teams during the winter but summer is coming and he is already getting excited. Last summer Noah probably played on about 10 leagues...that's right I said 10!! He is crazy! He convinced me this year to play on a co-ed team with him. I was very nervous because I never really have played soccer before and I don't really know the game. But Noah said we would play on the "E" league which is the lowest league you can play on (beginners level). I eventually said I would play and this past Saturday we had our first game...and we WON:) I played a lot and have fun playing defense. I'm not very good at handling the ball yet so offense would be a bad deal for me. Anyway, I had so much fun playing on the field with Noah and loved how supportive he was to me...he made me feel like an all star! After the first game I highly suggest each couple do something like this. I love Noah so much and am grateful for all his support and eagerness to hang out with me.

Decorating Help Please!!

2010-03-06T09:44:00.000-08:00

Alright I am calling to my 5 - 6 blogger commenting friends (you know who you are) to help me with decorating. My front room is a sad sad mess. I don't know what to put on my walls and I don't know if we should get 2 couches or 1 couch and 1 loveseat. In the picture I posted the couch we bought for the front room and the love seat etc were coming but now I'm wondering if I should get rid of the loveseat and have 2 couches. The wall is blank and sad. As a side note I want to say that this room is made for guest to just sit. Our family room has a tv in it. So I want this room a little more formal. I would like to complete this room as soon as possible so it stops bugging me. Any ideas!!!

Questions I have:

Should I do 2 couches?
What should I put on my wall above the couch?
Should I put curtains or just leave the blinds OR should I have curtains and blinds
I want to get a rug but should it be really big that covers the whole floor or should it just cover in front of the couches.
I give up

This is the family room. I like it but I don't know if I like the painting I bought on the back wall?? By the way I would love to get rid of the speakers but Noah won that fight:) Also, I would get rid of that beautiful WWF belt on top of the TV but again that is a whole other blog post:) Anyway, should I get curtains? If so what color...I don't anymore brown in the home.

This is my kitchen ...I think I am done with it but suggestions are welcome:)

This is about what the first floor consist of. I have a couple rooms upstairs that are in desperate need as well:( I wish I had a professional to help me.

Just like her mother

2010-02-24T20:07:00.000-08:00

Today Koren and her kids came over today. I love Micah and Isabelle so much and seriously can't get enough of them. One thing about Isabelle is her joy of performing and dancing....if anyone knows Koren then you know Isabelle is just like her. Today we did some video of her dancing with Micah and she was making us laugh so hard. Enjoy the most perfect kids ever!

Make photo slide shows at www.OneTrueMedia.com

New Furniture

2010-02-24T09:47:00.000-08:00

Last week I finally went out and bought my front room furniture! Anyone who has been to my home knows how much I've been meaning to go buy furniture for my front room. The front room is more of a place for people to visit and isn't where Noah and I have our TV (that is the family room). So I wanted furniture that was comfortable but that looks a little more classy as too comfy (like our family room). So I've been searching and I finally found something I like and I bought it! Hurray for me:) So far the only thing I have is the couch and the rest of the set is coming in about 2 weeks. I'm so excited. I never thought I would be excited about decorating as much as I am now. Below is a picture of the couch but I didn't get the exact color. The wood on mine is very dark and the color is a little darker:) Now I need help with what to put on the walls..I will put more pictures and would love for some help!

Valentine's Day

2010-02-15T19:05:00.000-08:00

Valentine's Day was wonderful this year. Much better than 2 years ago when I got Noah scriptures (reminder: don't buy your husband scriptures for Valentine's Day). Anyway, we celebrated our Valentine's on Saturday since we don't shop on Sunday:) Well actually we celebrated Friday and Saturday.

Noah came home Friday with a beautiful arrangement of flowers! I love how he always thinks about me. Then we checked our mail and my wonderful father-in-law and cute wife Jane got me some chocolates. I was very touched that they thought about me since he already has 6 daughters:) It made me smile. Then Saturday Noah and I went out to eat and did a little shopping. It was such a great weekend.

Adoption

2010-02-07T21:36:00.000-08:00

Through the process of trying to get pregnant, Noah and I have considered adoption. We would love to do a private adoption because it only cost around $2,000.00 instead of around $30,000.00. So word of mouth is the best way to get the message out that we would love to do a private adoption. If anyone knows of a young pregnant mom who doesn't think she could care for her baby...we would love to take over the role of mom and dad:) Noah and I feel very blessed and know that one day we will be able to bless our home with a little child:) When that day comes, I don't know but I have faith it will!!!

Visits from home

2010-02-01T19:50:00.000-08:00

I was so lucky this January to have 2 of my best friends since high school visit me in Utah. Still to this day I talk to all my best friends and I'm grateful to have a friendship with them. The first visit was from Liz. Liz and I were inseparable in high school and if I still lived in Michigan we still would be. I always go home to Michigan every year and see her but this year she decided to come visit me:) I can't believe everything we did...snowmobiling, snowboarding, the grill (best restaurant ever!), Park City, Salt Lake City, Temple Square, and the list goes on and on. I loved every minute of having Liz here and enjoying her company like I did back in the good old days:)

The next visit (2 weeks later) was from Angie. When I go home every year to visit Michigan sometimes I don't get to see Angie because she lives in Chicago. Having her take time off work and buy a flight to come see me meant so much to me. The first night I picked Angie up we talked until 3a.m. about everything and anything. It was like we weren't ever apart. She is amazing! Angie was only here a couple of days so we didn't get to do as much as I did with Liz but we sure tried to do as much as possible.

Noah and I live about 45 minutes away from all the resorts and Park City. We love having guest and if anyone would like to come visit and take advantage of what Utah has to offer we would love to have you and we have plenty of room:)

3rd Anniversary

2010-01-15T19:46:00.000-08:00

I can't believe it's been 3 years since the precious day of our wedding. I still look back and am so grateful for the wonderful man that I married. Noah is extremely patient and continues to show me how much he loves me everyday. On our anniversary I get a call from him and he says ....come outside...I walk outside and he is holding a gorgeous bouquet of roses and the new Indiana Jones 2 xbox game! I was so excited (he knows how much I love lego games). Anyway, we weren't going to celebrate our anniversary until Friday because our anniversary fell on a Wednesday but Noah continues to surprise me and makes me feel special. Later that evening we went to a romantic restaurant in Salt Lake and had a great time talking and laughing. Noah still can make me laugh until my side hurts:) Thank you Noah for loving me, loving my family, and loving the church. I never can express how much I love you!

Noah's Turn (he is very sarcatic....enjoy)

So here we are again at the start of another year for our marriage and of course the new year in general. It's amazing how fast time flies when your engaged in wedded bliss, or so I'm told in a very stern voice in Target one day. Ah my sweet wife never ceases to remind me how much in love I am and how happy she's made me. Truth be told I am happy and each year has been an adventure. I have no idea what the future will bring us but I look forward to it knowing that I don't have a choice, after all I'm married. I haven't had to make a decision in three years now. Seriously though I love you Mana and I can't wait to see what the future brings us. Love you.

Try Try Try Again

2010-01-01T20:11:00.000-08:00

Well it's been 1 year since Noah and I started trying for a little bundle of our own. I don't want to go down this road of trying a million different things to have a baby. I don't want to think to myself that we'll never have a baby. I don't want to have this trial. I don't want to have disappointment after disappointment. But in reality it's not my choice whether I'm going to have this trial or not...which I'm not happy with.

Noah gave me a blessing the other day that was very comforting. In the blessing it said we would have children very soon but I must learn to be patient. I think the Lord is trying to teach me patients and is forcing it on me. I know I don't have patients and when I set my mind on something I don't stop until I get it. Noah calls me a little pit bull...because when I latch onto something I don't let go:) So far it's worked in my life especially with being determined to graduate college, excel in sports etc. But now it's time to enter a new phase in my life. I need to become a patient, nicer, more spiritual person. I still have so many faults.

I really wasn't ever going to get too personal on this blog but I've found that comments and writing out how I feel has been very therapeutic. Yes, I have days where when I see a pregnant woman I think..."whats wrong with me". But I also have a lot more days where I'm completely happy with my situation and I've been very blessed! I have so much to be grateful for! I have 2 parents that are seriously the best parents I've ever known. I have siblings that are my best friends and we truly love each other and love seeing each other succeed, I have an amazing husband that tells me everyday how much he loves me and literally adores me(and I adore him), I live in a beautiful neighborhood where I feel safe, Noah and I both have great jobs that gives us the opportunities to help others and to be financially stable, I have the gospel in my life and enjoy going to church, I have so much to be thankful for and I need to repeat it to myself everyday.

So I've been put on Clomid to help with ovulation. I currently am feeling all the side effects, nausea, headaches, vomiting, and moodiness. I think to myself "is this worth it" my Friday and Saturday night with the hubby are going to consist of me feeling like crap. I only have 2 more days of these awful pills and I don't think I'm going to take them again. Then my doctor will probably put me on something else. This truly is the part that sucks. I don't like feeling like a lab rat and going through every step of this horrible process just to see one by one each thing failing. What's interesting through this whole process is the constant faith and calmness my husband has everyday. His faith has never wavered. So here goes the journey.

So Much To Talk About.

2009-12-25T23:49:00.000-08:00

This Christmas season has been magical. We met with friends and did ginger bread houses and had a great time. Noah and I worked as a team and made the best candy house anyone has ever set eyes on. I've made a great friend from work who I just adore and she makes my days of craziness bearable.

Then my wonderful sister had her birthday. Koren and I didn't get along when I was a snotty little brat in my high school days but now she is my best friend and I call her about 5 times a day (literally). She is seriously perfect. Koren was valedictorian at BYU, danced professionally in New York, and now she is the best mom I've ever seen. I hope to be like her one day. We had so much fun on her birthday and I love to see how Garret treats her on her special day. Whatever she wants to do he goes along with it and makes sure she has fun. I also sat back for 1 moment at the little cookie shop we visited and watched how my wonderful husband treated my sister. My husband treats me like a queen but he doesn't have to be just as nice to my family (you know what I mean??). Anyway, he is so kind to my sister and I realized once again at that moment how lucky I am. I have a wonderful family and a husband who loves me.

Soon after my sisters birthday Christmas Eve came and I woke up in the morning and looked out the window and saw Noah shoveling the snow in shorts. That crazy boy! Later that night we had the whole crew over for some dinner, movies, hot chocolate, and fun. I could just eat up my niece and nephew. We spent the whole evening together and relaxed from the busyness of the holidays. Koren and Garret bought Noah and small little fishing pole for the creek in our backyard. Now Noah can walk back there in the summer and catch a couple fish:) (Noah was blinking his eyes in the picture with Micah....but Micah looked so cute I had to post it)

Now Christmas was today and we went to Noah's moms house. She cooked a wonderful dinner which was very yummy and we talked and played games. I was laughing so hard while we were playing games I had tears in my eyes.

Merry Christmas

2009-12-21T12:10:00.000-08:00

Every year I post the below poem on my blog:) God Bless the Troops.

T'was the night before Christmas,

He lived all alone,

In a one bedroom house, made of plaster and stone.

I had come down the chimney, with presents to give,

And to see just who, in this home, did live.

I looked all about, a strange sight I did see,

No tinsel, no presents, not even a tree.

No stocking by mantle, just boots filled with sand,

On the wall hung some pictures of far distant lands.

With medals and badges, awards of all kinds,

A sober thought, came through my mind.

For this house was different, it was dark and dreary,

I found the home of a soldier, once I could see clearly.

The soldier lay sleeping, silent, alone,

Curled up on the floor, in this one bedroom home.

The face was so gentle, the room in such disorder,

Not how I had pictured an American Soldier.

Was this the hero, of whom I'd just read?

Curled up on a poncho, the floor for a bed?

I realized the families, that I saw this night,

Owed their lives to these soldiers, who were willing to fight.

Soon round the world, the children would play,

And grownups would celebrate, a bright Christmas day.

They all enjoyed freedom, each month of the year,

Because of the United States Soldier, like the one lying here.

The very thought brought, a tear to my eye,

I dropped to my knees, and started to cry.

The soldier awakened, and I heard a rough voice,

"Santa don't cry, this life is my choice;

I fight for freedom, I don't ask for more,

My life is my god, my country, my corps."

The soldier rolled over, and drifted to sleep,

I couldn't control it, I continued to weep.

I kept watch for hours, so silent and still,

And we both shivered, from the cold night's chill.

I didn't want to leave, on that cold, dark, night,

This guardian of honour, so willing to fight.

When the soldier rolled over, with a voice soft and pure,

Whispered, "Carry on Santa, it's Christmas Day and all is secure."

One look at my watch, and I knew he was right.

Merry Christmas my friend, and to all a good night.

Christmas Lights

2009-12-16T20:06:00.000-08:00

Today Noah and I went to Thanksgiving Point and road on a horse and carriage to see all the Christmas Lights. It was a lot of fun sitting in the carriage with Noah. We had a good time riding around while looking at all the beautiful lights. Afterwards we came home turned on the fireplace and drank hot cocoa. What more could I ask for? Today was a great day:)

Micah's 2nd Birthday

2009-12-06T13:02:00.000-08:00

On Saturday we celebrated Micah (my nephews) 2nd birthday at my sister's house. I can't believe how big he is. We had a lot of fun watching him open presents this year. It was also nice to see Garret's parents...they leave soon to Guatemala on a mission.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY MICAH BUDDY!

It's Cute

2009-12-02T21:32:00.000-08:00

I just bought a new dress at shabby apple (here it is) for Noah's work Christmas Party. He has such a fun group of people that he works with. Anyway, they do themes for their Christmas Party's. For example last year they did ugly sweaters and this year the theme is James Bond. So they're going to have fake gambling tables set up etc. Noah is wearing his tux that his work bought him for all the events he has to attend and I'm going to wear the dress I listed in the beginning of this blog. Anyway, I put it on to show Noah and he said, "it's cute". For some reason I was expecting sexy, incredible, AMAZING...but I got yeah that's cute. I'm usually okay with "cute" but for some reason today I'm not okay with "cute". Man, am I being a girl right now! Goodnight.

Thanksgiving

2009-11-27T23:08:00.000-08:00

This Thanksgiving was wonderful. I had it at my house with 3 other couples and 4 kids. My house was filled with noise and kids running back and forth. I absolutely loved the feel in my home. It is so hard being away from home but I now know what my mom was talking about when she told me I would make friends that I would consider family. Noah and I have made friends that we do everything with:) I still want to be around my family but the blow is softened by close friends and my amazing sista!

This Thanksgiving we had Turkey, Ham, and about every side you can imagine. We ate then just hung out while Christmas music played in the background and the sound of football. It was so cozy. Thanks everyone for coming!

I hate the picture of me above...but all well.

Apple Crisp

2009-11-22T10:37:00.000-08:00

Yesterday I made Apple Crisp for company we were having over. A couple post before this I posted my berry cobler and this time I would like to show off my Apple Crisp (uncooked). The recipe is from my mom who got it from my grandma. I have really enjoyed baking and hope to make more desserts as Christmas gets closer. If anyone has some old recipes I would love to try them out. Thanks!

Things I want.

2009-11-18T13:49:00.000-08:00

The other day Chrissy wrote on her blog things she loves then Jules wrote on her blog things she loves. I have a lot of things I love but I for sure have a list of things I want. Noah and I are on a budget so for sure I won't get all of the things below for this Christmas.

http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/647503-REG/Canon_3814B010_EOS_7D_SLR_Digital.html

This beauty is an amazing camera that I feel will take great pictures for our family. Noah and I have good cameras but nothing like the above picture. Click on the link and you will see all its special features.

The lovely ruffle jcrew jacket. SO cute and adorable. I think this jacket is obviously possibe. It's on my Christmas list!

I would like the Mercedes SUV. Noah and I have looked at them but I can't let go of the fact that it's not a Ford. I love my Escape but truly this car is so CUTE (and a little expensive). I don't think I would buy it unless I paid cash and right now a new car isn't on the top of our list. bah hum bug!

A snowboard. Most don't know this but Noah use to be a professional snowboarder and trainer! Hello why haven't I taken advantage of having my own little trainer for FREE. I want my own snowboard and gear so I look like a professional...when in reality I fall on my butt every 2 minutes...sigh

This picture is small but it is a flower handband from Nordstroms. I think it's fabulous.

I can't wait until Christmas!

2009-11-15T15:42:00.000-08:00

Christmas is my favorite time of year. I love the decorations and the Christmas music playing in all the stores. I can't get enough. Just this past Friday, Noah and I went to see "The Christmas Carol". It was so good and put me more into the Christmas spirit. I have more decorations for Christmas then most people I know. I love the feeling of my home in the winter. I love having a white Christmas, gloves, coats, scarves, fireplaces, hot cocoa, sweaters, and hats.

Is your Mom or Dad home?

2009-11-10T20:44:00.000-08:00

Today I got home from work and started to relax on my cozy couch when the door bell rang. I walked over and opened the door and there was a salesman. He then preceded to ask me if my mom or dad was available. I know I look young but really do I still look 16 years old? I told the nice young man that I was the owner of the home. The salesman looked confused but eventually believed me and continued with a sales pitch on how he could areate my lawn for only $30.00.

Anyway, I thought it was funny that he thought I was still a teenager.

Annoyed

2009-11-05T21:17:00.000-08:00

Why can't I have one of these.

Right now I'm angry, frustrated, annoyed and about to go cry. RRRRRRR. I feel hopeless at times and other times I'm okay.

Something new

2009-11-04T08:45:00.000-08:00

I've been on a new little kick lately. I'm determined to do something new once a week. I was getting annoyed with doing the same old stuff every week...you know..movies..out to eat etc. So far Noah and I have done...

Hay ride
Corn Maze
Pumpkin patch
Pumpkin carving
Gardner Villiage
Jazz Game
Made new recipes
The Hoogle Zoo

We are on week 9 and I don't know what to do next?? Does anyone have any suggestions? We definitley will be going snowboarding, skiing, and snowmobiling soon but it's too early. I need some ideas to keep this little goal of mine going.

I Met NieNie

2009-10-27T15:28:00.000-07:00

I read a blog that I have linked on my blog...NieNie Dialogues. Anyway, it's about a wonderful LDS wife/mother who was in a plane crash with her husband. They both survived but had severe burns. Well today I was in Costco and from across the store I saw Stephanie Nelson (NieNie)...I didn't know what to do! I have been reading her blog for along time and always thought how amazing she is. I could really care less if I ever met a "Hollywood" star because of a lot of reasons I don't have time to write. Stephanie is so down to earth and truly is an amazing example to me. Well of course I made a fool out of myself. That's right I screamed her name from across Costco. I really didn't know what I was doing at the moment only the fact that I had to tell her something. She looked around a little confused because her name at this point was echoing through Costco. I ran up to her and told her how amazing she is and that I'm bascially some crazy person who reads her blog. She was so kind to me...even though if I were her I might have ran the other way (I can be a little too much sometimes:)

I was glad I at least was able to tell her that I think she is amazing and truly inspirational...then out of the corner of my eye is her husband a little ways away just smiling. I think maybe he was standing back to make sure I didn't fully tackle is cute little wife to the ground. I hope next time I can keep my cool....

test

2009-10-26T20:52:00.001-07:00

Pumpkins at Koren and Garrets

2009-10-25T20:14:00.000-07:00

Today we went over to Koren and Garrets to carve pumpkins! Noah and I carved pumpkins at our home already so we decided to glitter it up. We had such a good time at there home (we always do). Usually Garret and Noah say funny jokes and Koren and I roll our eyes:) Also, Micah just started saying...MANA! He finally says my name after much persuading. He now willing calls my name and it melts my little heart.

Zoo

2009-10-25T20:04:00.000-07:00

On Saturday we went to the zoo. Noah and I went with Koren and Garret, and his friend Mike and Family. We had so much fun. For some reason during the Fall season nobody goes to the zoo because it was empty. I loved that we didn't have to try and push our way to the front to look at the animals. Also, it wasn't hot outside so all the animals were walking around and coming up towards the glass.

My New Apron

2009-10-22T21:46:00.000-07:00

I have been baking a lot lately and I must say my husband has been well pleased. Today he calls me as he is driving home from work and says, "will you make me a berry cobbler tonight." I was already thinking about baking him a cobbler so without hesitation I said, "of course"!

I sent Noah a text of items to pick up from the grocery store so I could make some yummy berry cobbler. I heard his car pull up in the driveway and he walked in with a pretty little purple bag (along with the groceries). I was immediately excited to see what was in the bag! So he tells me to take a look and there in the bag was a cute adorable little green and brown apron! I love it.
The apron he bought me is called Flirty Apron which is a lot cuter and more feminine then regular aprons. Noah is so thoughtful and is encouraging my baking habit.

I posted a picture of my new apron along with my berry cobbler (uncooked).

Apple Crisp and a House Filled with Memories

2009-10-21T21:17:00.000-07:00

When I was younger I remember my mom making Apple Crisp every Fall. I remember the smell that would fill our house. I miss that smell and I wanted my home to smell the same.

I still have a hard time living so far away from my parents and 2 brothers. So I decided to make Apple Crisp. Now I'm not a cook and don't enjoy cooking. I don't ever feel I will be as good as my mom (she is the best cook).

Anyway, I called my mom and she gave me her recipe. I started to bake and within 1 hour my home smelt like heaven. I did it! I sat on the couch for an hour breathing in the smell of Apple Crisp...mmmmmm. Through this whole experience I realized I really like baking..not cooking..just baking.

My next mission is to make peach cobbler (one of Noah's favorites). Wish me luck.

Halloween Costumes

2009-10-21T08:36:00.001-07:00

I wanted to be Little Red Riding Hood this year but still can't find a costume that is modest. I need a costume that is a longer then a mini skirt...anyone know where I can find one?

Fall Festivities

2009-10-10T10:04:00.000-07:00

Fall is my favorite season and I love every minute of it. Noah and I recently went to Cornbelly's which is a place to go on hay rides, make your way through corn mazes and enjoy some hot cocoa. It was a blast and I suggest anyone living in the Utah area to go and enjoy the festivities.

The next day Noah and I decided to get some pumpkins and start carving! We're trying to make family traditions even though we don't have any kids yet. I sure do love my husband and the shared excitment he shares with me when deep down I know that carving pumpkins probably wouldn't be number 1 on his list for a Friday night activity. Noah truly is amazing to me.

When carving the pumpkins I did a haunted house and Noah did some type of monster. Noah named his pumpkin, Mana...that silly boy.

Good Job Noah!

2009-10-04T20:32:00.000-07:00

After a lot of work from Garret and Noah our living finally doens't have any wires! Thank you so much Garret and Noah for all your hard work.

After the pictures I took on a couple post before this Noah kind of went crazy. Has anyone ever seen their husband get extremely frustrated? I was upstairs when Noah was working on the wires when all of a sudden I heard a lot of noise. I run downstairs to see Noah with some type of drill going after our wall as if it did something horrible to him. He put about a 5 inch hole in the wall..then looked at me..then continuted to drill.

My husband had a fight with the wall and Noah WON! After a good nights rest and 3 wonderfully constructed holes in our wall, Noah decided to patch things up with our wall and try to accomplish his mission.

He made it just as I wanted:) Thank you NOAH!

I like this...So I decided to share

2009-10-01T22:29:00.000-07:00

I don't usually swear (well usually not on my blog) so sorry for the profanity...

That's what we do, We Fight. you tell me when I'm being an arrogant son of a bitch, and I tell you when you're being a pain in the ass, which you are, 99 percent of the time. I'm not afraid to hurt your feelings, you have like a 2 second rebound rate and then you're back doing the next pain in the ass thing. I'm saying it's not gunna be easy....It's gunna be really hard. We're gunna have to work at it Every Day; But I wanna do that cuz I want You. I want all of you, You & me... Together every day for the rest of my life....The Notebook.

I saw this on someones blog and I loved it because it reminds me of ME! I'm a pain in the butt...most of you know that. Anyway, Noah always tells me I'm off in another world because I'm always all over the place..I can be crying one moment and then hysterically laughing the next. The quote above makes me smile.

There once was a living room....

2009-09-28T22:21:00.000-07:00

We have our flat screen up above our fireplace. Unfortunately, we had wires as well hanging down. My husband was so kind to build me built in shelves so all of our electronics would be nicely displayed. How sweet.

My wonderful husband has everything built and now is trying to put the wires behind the wall to complete the look I wanted. He started about 8ish tonight and now it is 11:30p.m. and his progress isn't exactly where he would like to be. Now we have a new whole in the wall and the TV is down off the wall. I cautiously took some pictures but lets just say my amazing hubby wasn't the happiest to have his picture taken. Enjoy the pics of my very clean living room right now.

Things Husbands Do...

2009-09-20T10:41:00.000-07:00

I thought it would be funny to tell 2 things recently I've caught Noah doing. Have you ever caught your husband doing something and he immediatley has the "I've been caught look" on his face?? Well, below are 2 instances of that look.

Walked in on Noah brushing spanky's (our dogs) hair. Harmless?? nope because it was with my hair brush!
I have a pumas stone in the shower for my feet. One side has the pumas stone on it and the other side has a brush. Yesterday I walked in on Noah cleaning his soccer cleats with it.

When I catch Noah doing these things I seriously can't get mad because the look on his face makes me laugh so hard. Has anyone else had similar experiences???

The Red Chair.

2009-09-15T11:57:00.000-07:00

This post won't be very funny unless you know my brother Josh...so read on if you know him.

I was talking to my mom today on the phone and we were discussing Josh's kids. How they like school etc. etc. My mom said the 3 boys all like the same toys and so when one of them is playing with a toy the others want to as well. Anyway, needless to say they're just being kids.

Josh and Sara have a little Ikea table that all the kids sit at to eat breakfast, lunch, and dinner. The table is red(I think) and they have 2 blue chairs and 2 red chairs. My mom was telling me the other day Josh said all the boys want the red chair and since there are 3 boys there is always 1 boy sitting in a blue chair...which causes a little bit of a fight during feedings.

Josh finally had enough and went out and bought red spray paint, came home took 1 of the blue chairs and spray painted it red! Now if you know Josh you can probably imagine him losing it! LOL!

So my mom said now there is a blue chair, 2 red chairs, and a crazy looking blue/red chair. LOL! My mom and I were laughing so hard because Josh sometimes gets frustrated.

There is good.

2009-08-31T21:28:00.000-07:00

I called my brother Josh the other day to chat. We started talking about whats going on in our lives etc etc...

He asked if I heard their mini van broke down in Grand Rapids, Michigan. I didn't hear and so he told me the story.

Sara took a small trip to Grand Rapids with her friend Jodi. They each brought 2 kids, so a total of 6 people were in the van. At 1:00a.m. in the morning as they were driving home the mini van broke down on the freeway. Sara calls Josh (who is 4 hours away) for some help. Josh had 2 of the kids at home and wasn't sure if he should wake them up to drive 4 hours to where Sara was to only be able to take a couple of them home in his car. He asked Sara if she thought they could get a hotel for a night and then they would figure something out in the morning.

Sara called around to some hotels and because there were 6 individuals the hotels were going to be over $400.00 because they would have to get 2 rooms. Finally Sara called another hotel and the owner answered. Sara told them her story and the lady said they could have one of the hotel room suites for $90.00 total:) Then the wonderful woman called her husband and woke him up to go get Sara and the crew (free of charge). The husband had to make 2 trips to get everyone back to the hotel.

Once they were settled the owner of the hotel had a friend who owned a car shop and he got up out of bed and came to get the mini van...which come to find out completely lost the transmission. The gentleman with the car shop worked 12 hours straight and had the car ready to go in the morning.

Complete strangers took care of my little family and I couldn't thank them enough. The kindness of stangers still exist and there is a lot of good in the world. I pray every night for my family to be watched over and protected in all they do. I believe my prayers were answered in a small little act of kindness.

So thank you small hotel owner and repair shop guy:) You made my family sleep a little easy one night.

Oh What A Night!

2009-08-26T21:51:00.000-07:00

Above is the photo of me:) Best day of my life!

My best friend Katie is getting married tomorrow:) I can't believe that she is getting married! She met the most amazing guy and tomorrow they will be sealed in the Draper Temple. I can't wait to attend the sealing. Tonight I had Katie and a couple of her closest friends come to my house for a small girls night. We had a lot of fun and definitely enjoyed each others company. I was able to meet some of Katie's best friends from high school and can see why she speaks so highly of them. They were all so fun and we laughed they whole time. From talking so much wedding stuff with Katie it reminded me of my wedding day. I started looking at my wedding photos and found one of me laughing. The photo shows how happy I was and am today:)

Lagoon

2009-08-26T21:34:00.000-07:00

Every year Noah's work (agel) has a summer party at Lagoon. I love the opportunity to meet all of Noah's employees and co-workers. Lagoon is a lot of fun but like last year we decided to take our niece Isabelle with us. Noah doesn't like rollercoasters and he loves treating Isabelle to a fun day of kid rides, food, and basically anything she wants. Noah and Isabelle have a very close relationship and he adores her. It's really neat to see them together:) Anyway, we had a great time and it couldn't have been better weather.

The Woes of Gaining Weight

2009-08-20T10:03:00.000-07:00

I was getting dressed today and my jeans are starting to grow in the waste band or I'm losing weight. I was sick a couple weeks ago with a horrible sore throat that left me anorexic for about a week. Then my wonderful neice and nephew came down with the flu over the past weekend and gave it to me and my sister. On Monday I threw everything up and wasn't eating at all. I'm finally eating but very little. In my daily meals right now it consist of crackets, gatorade, soup, and sometimes I sneak in a piece of chocolate (noah doesn't know that).

On Monday Noah came home from work to a very sick wife who couldn't even complain how sick I was. He walked through the door with Lisol in one hand and some crazy laundry detergent that kills bacteria/germs. He didn't stop cleaning and spraying down our house until the sun went down and by then all the fumes in the air were making me puke even more. I thanked him kindly for all the wonderful smells in the house and fumes I was breathing in.

I'm much better now but am very upset with the weight I lost. I know a lot of Americans struggle with gaining to much weight. But I struggle with not being able to gain weight. I was very proud of myself because since January I gained 5lbs. and had about 10 more to go to be at a weight that was flattering. Being to skinny isn't the cutest look and I think a nice healthy look is the best. Well I lost the 5lbs. due to my sore throat and flu! I get so angry because it's so hard to get the weight back. So here goes another 5 months of taking prevacid and eating until I'm stuffed.

Poor Noah

2009-08-11T11:18:00.000-07:00

So Noah has been sick lately with a horrible sore throat. We went to the doctors yesterday and got a bunch of medicine and he should be feeling better soon. Anyway, with Noah being sick I have been doing everything around the house...dishes, 6 loads of laundry to try and disinfect everything, vacumning, dusting, mowing the lawn, weeding, etc. Usually Noah helps with the lawn and stuff inside the house but with him sick I feel a little overwhemled. I also need to weed wack today which I have never done before. I've tried doing it before and literally fell over because the stupid thing is heavy to me. So there I am with this weed wacker that's spinning like crazy and I can't control it...can we say I might lose a toe. So wish me luck as I attempt to do all the stuff Noah usually does for the next week:) Maybe this is all to show me how lucky I am to have Noah. This also makes me appreciate my sister-in-law Casey who always has do all the stuff I'm complaining about. Casey you're amazing!!!

Happy Birthday Noah!

2009-08-04T15:47:00.000-07:00

On the 25th of July was Noah's Birthday:) We had so much fun on his birthday. My parents took my entire family out to eat to some fish restaurant (Noah loves sushi) in down town Detroit then we went to the Detroit Tigers game. The game was amazing! Tigers won by going into extra innings against the White Sox. I love going to sporting events and I like them even better when we're in Detroit. Detroit fans go crazy and it's so fun being in the middle of all the craziness. Once we got home from eating and the game my parents took out an ice cream cake and put some candles on it and we all sang Happy Birthday to Noah. Then my parents gave Noah some gifts:) What a fun birthday for Noah!

Noah got this year a little ipod to go running with instead of taking his big touch iphone, a PS3, a game, and a shirt. (a little spoiled with the PS3 but he likes playing games)

Now a little tribute to Noah. I honestly never thought I could find someone who compliments me so well. Noah is amazingly calm and patient and I think that's because he had 6 sisters:) Noah can make me laugh to the point where I have to run to the bathroom because I'm about to pee my pants. He always thinks of me first before himself. I'm not so patient and usually always running around with my head cut off. Noah thanks for being such an amazing husband and best friend. Thanks for loving me for all my many flaws but still thinking I'm perfect:) Happy Birthday Sweetie!!!!

Michigan Trip

2009-08-01T21:49:00.001-07:00

The trip to Michigan was WONDERFUL! Noah and I had so much fun. I love being around my family. We're all best friends and love being around each other. Noah and I were able to go to a lot of fun restaurants, the Detroit Tigers game, Detroit Zoo, Movies, etc etc etc....

I loved going over to Josh and Sara's house late at night and just talking with all my siblings. I seriously can't imagine Sara not in our family. Sara we love you so much!! Anyone who knows Josh knows Sara is the only one that can put up with him:) Also, it's great having Becky (aarons girlfriend) she is like another Sara:)

One night we decided to go to the new Harry Potter movie...well we also decided Josh should drive...big mistake. Koren and I were screaming the whole time in horror because any minute we were going to be on 2 wheels in a minivan screeching down Allen St. My brothers are crazy. I have so many more stories which I will write about soon...but for now enjoy the pics.

Busy Busy

2009-07-19T09:12:00.000-07:00

Things have been so busy at our house lately. Katie (my best friend) and Dave (her future husband) came to Utah to finalize some wedding plans and have her wedding shower. They've been staying at our house and it's been great! I love staying up late with Katie and talking. I can't wait for her wedding in August. She is going to be a gorgeous bride.

With Katie and Dave being here I haven't packed anything for Michigan. Noah and I leave tomorrow to visit my home. I can't wait to see all my nephews, nieces, brothers, sisters, and my mom and dad. I will post pictures soon.

Funny Noah

2009-07-02T11:38:00.000-07:00

Read my husbands blog...His recent post was so unbelievably true. LOL.

http://lettersfromunderthebus.blogspot.com/

Backyard is close to being done...

2009-06-27T20:36:00.000-07:00

One of the reasons I chose the lot Noah and I have is because the moment I saw what our backyard would be it reminded me of home (Michigan). Utah doesn't have a lot of trees or water but our home has hobble creek running through our back yard and has really tall trees. I can open my kitchen window and here the creek running. I feel like I have a home:) You can't see the creek in the pictures but you can at least see the sod we just put down. The weeded part is going to be a planter...the flowers and small trees are coming soon. (I also put a picture of Spanky)

Disneyland

2009-06-19T09:25:00.000-07:00

I was able to go to Disneyland (the happiest place on earth) with my best friend Katie. We had so much fun. I love hanging with Katie because no matter what we're doing we have have. Katie is amazing and I'm so happy I was able to visit her in Cali. The pictures with Mary Poppins are a little weird but she wasn't allowing photos so Katie and I found our own way of being in a picture with Mary. Then Mary Poppins yelled at us and called us Cheeky! My sister said only me and Katie would get yelled at ...at the happiest place on earth...I said, "so true". Enjoy the pics.

Bride + MOH = Trouble

2009-06-15T16:31:00.000-07:00

Well the past weekend has been CRAZY. My best friend wanted me to come to California to help her plan her wedding since I'm the MOH (maid of honor). My 2 sister-in-laws were already headed to California for my other sister-in-laws Cambodian wedding reception...so I decided to tag along:)

The moment I saw Katie we didn't stop laughing. I laughed so hard I had to really concentrate in order not to pee my pants. We didn't stop from the moment we saw each other and I couldn't have asked for a better couple days! Her poor fiance was caught in the middle of girl time. Thank goodness Dave can be just as goofy! (for katie: "this is my mercedes", "are you still going"...(so funny))

enjoy the pics..they were of us planning her wedding...why she has me in a headlock I don't know!

So I just got...

2009-05-31T20:22:00.000-07:00

My concealed weapons permit! Now Noah and I are going out to buy me a gun that fits my needs. I'm excited but still really scared so I will be practicing a lot to make sure I feel comfortable. With the new administration I thought it was about time to get my permit.

Best Friends

2009-05-27T20:39:00.000-07:00

While my family has been some of my closest friends over the years I want to talk about my best friends from outside my family. So sorry, Koren, Sara, Josh, Aaron, Mom and Dad, Becky (Aaron WTF?) and of course Noah this is about my other best friends. I'm amazed by the depth and breadth of those relationships and I wanted to talk about some very special individuals who have really made an impact on my life.

So lets start with Liz (libbit, lizard breath, lizzy..her nicknames go on and on). Liz and I became best friends the moment we met. She is my grade school, junior high, high school best friend that I still talk to after all these years. Liz is the one who had me laughing so hard I would have to run to the bathroom. Liz is one of the most kind individuals I know. She has shown me unconditional love after all these years. I've made a lot of mistakes in my life and definitely at times could have been nicer to Liz or considered her first. But my Liz always forgave and forgot. She always made me feel that no matter what I did in life she would be right there for me. So thanks Liz for showing me how a best friend should be treated and for being my best friend now for 15 years.

After high school I left the great state of Michigan and set out for a small town called Rexburg in good ole Idaho. I remember showing up to college looking around and thinking I was in a different country. I remember feeling very alone and couldn't believe I would be spending 4 years without family being down the hallway. I remember literally getting down on my knees and praying so hard for 1 friend. I kept asking for 1 friend that would maybe take my mind off of how much I missed Michigan and my friends and family back home. Well my prayers were answered when I saw a girl as lost as I was named Rachel (rach, rachy). Rachel and I both looked at each other and were both lost. We decided to spend the day together figuring out how this college thing worked. Well from that moment we were inseparable. For 2 more years of college we were roommates and understood each other. We went to ice caves, sand dunes, drive in movies, road trip to Los Angeles, road trip to Sacramento, road trip to Vegas, and double dating like crazy. Rachel would have me laughing so hard my stomach would start hurting and I would have to ask her to stop. We would drive around in her acura screaming Shania Twain songs. Rachel showed me how to be a little crazy at times and to not take life so seriously. Rachel is someone I could not talk to for years and pick up the phone and pick up right where we left off. She is amazing.

Now my last semester of college I was in Utah and Rachel was in California (now married). I moved into new apartments with a girl from one of my classes. Then a girl who I didn't know moved in because we needed 4 roommates. Little did I know I would be meeting someone who would have more impact then she would ever know. At that time I was finishing up my senior classes and dating Noah and didn't really have any girl friends (except for Koren). After 1 week of rooming with this girl we connected. Noah told me it's like me and her had 1 brain. We were so alike it was scary. Katie. She not only became my best friend but she became family. Katie is family. She is the friend I could call right now and say, "I need you here" and before I could blink she would be at my front door. So when she asked me to be her Maid of Honor today I couldn't help but have flash backs from our amazing friendship that have brought us to this point. I'm overcome with so much joy for her that I can't hold back the tears. The fact that she found someone that could possibly be more important then me! jk. If you met Katie you would instantly feel at home and she always puts others first before she thinks of herself. I strive to be like her and fall short. Katie moved to California less than a year ago and I can't help but miss all of our late nights at my house laughing and watching youtube videos. I can't wait until August...the wedding will be beautiful.

Hanging at Korens

2009-05-23T14:16:00.000-07:00

I love hanging out at my sisters house. There's always something crazy going on, like Isabelle coloring her whole body in marker or Micah slamming is head into the ground and thinking it's funny. Enjoy the picks. (side note: sad..no pictures of garret...sorry! )

To my mother

2009-05-16T21:59:00.000-07:00

I didn't make a post on mother's day to my mom...so this is a little late. I had to dedicate a post to the most patient, loving, and kind mom I know. My mother is my best friend. I talk to her almost everyday and cherish every second I have with her. She always knows just what to say to calm me down if I'm upset. She has something about her that I honestly can't put into words. When I go back home to visit my favorite moments are when I cuddle up next to my mom and we just talk through the night. I'm 26 years old and still love putting my head on her shoulder, wrapping my arms around hers and hearing her voice. I somehow turn back into a 4 year old girl who always wants to be right next to her mom. She is perfect. I look at myself and wish one day to be just like her. My mother doesn't judge anyone, she loves everyone and only thinks of others. I hope to one day to be so tender to others as she is...to humble myself. I've tried through the years to show my mom how much I love her but I feel I come up inadequate every time. My love for my mom is to strong and deep...it will take lifetimes to show her an ounce of what she means to me...but it doesn't stop me from trying... I love you mom!

New Job.

2009-05-09T07:59:00.000-07:00

A position opened up at my current work. HR gave the opportunity for internal employees to apply and interview for the position. I was content with my current position so I didn't apply. But last Friday the COO called me into his office and asked if I would be interested in the position:) I was surprised because I didn't even apply or show interest. After the COO explained the position and what it entailed I told him I would be interested. Well, Monday he called me into his office again and said he would like to offer me the position and for me to start that day! I accepted the position and couldn't believe what I was doing...I hate change and I definitely didn't feel prepared. Anyway, I've been at my new position a week and LOVE it. I get nervous at times but over all it's going well...I'm getting paid more and there are other perks:) I just hope I can continue to do a good job.