LIFE IS BEAUTIFUL

I haven't really posted in a while, so I thought I would post a quick update of what's been going on with us. First off, because I've had several people ask, the last insemination did not work so I don't have any exciting news in that regards. The next step will be to flush my tubes out to make sure that a)they are open and b) they are clear. It's funny because when we were talking to the doctor about this he said he's had people say one of two things in regards to the procedure. It either wasn't as bad as they thought it was going to be -OR- it was worse than they thought. Guess I'll have to let you know (because let's face, either way it doesn't really sound that lovely, does it?) However, we are taking June off BECAUSE we are buying a house. Hooray! We've been hunting and looked around EVERYWHERE in the Weber County area but didn't have luck. The Friday before Memorial Day we were headed up to Bear Lake with some friends, but our realtor suggested taking a look in Davis County just to see. We ended up putting an offer in on the second home we looked at. We LOVE it and are so excited to finally be settled in one place for a while. It was built in 2004 and has 5 bedrooms & 3 baths. Here's a picture, but it's not really the best as it's off of the MLS listing:

We just had the inspection done on Friday and the appraisal is going to be this coming week. Hopefully the underwriting process will go quickly and then we can move in. We're scheduled to close on the 24th of June but I'm hoping it will go quicker. We were able to meet the current owners (well, just the wife) and she is wonderful. She was saying the ward is a younger ward (the current bishop is 33) so we'll fit right in. With all the stress of trying to close on the home we're going to take a break from the baby thing and then will start up again in July. I was on a fertility blog today (Beyond the Rain) and found the following which I think are great:

I actually LOVED this talk from the last General Conference because it seemed like it directed just at me. I'm sure everyone else felt that way as well, but it was just such perfect timing. Oh, and the younger gentlemen in the video was in my old ward - he was our home teacher. Megan, I saw on your blog that Will was in a church video, but this is the first time I've seen it. He's famous!

This one made my bawl like a baby (probably because I'm hormonal anyway!) but I loved it. However, I do have to make one disclaimer on it - throughout this whole process I've never been bitter towards my friends/family/loved ones that are able to have children. I'm genuinely happy for them and feel bad that sometimes they don't want to tell us about their pregnancy. I look at it this way...it's another baby for us to love and buy presents for (I'm all about buying baby stuff, love it!) I did have to laugh over the part with the comments people make. You wouldn't believe some of the "advice" I get in regards to fertility and having a child. I really should start writing some of it down, it's priceless.

Hope everyone has a great week and is enjoying this awesome weather. I also have some other exiting news to share, but it's not mine and I have to wait for permission! Darn it!

Oh, one more thing to make me do a happy dance - Alan FINALLY cut his hair. He's been growing it out since September or October of last year and it was getting pretty long. He'd been talking about cutting it once he found a style he liked, but I didn't really thing too much of it. Then, Thursday morning I woke up, rolled over to give him a good morning kiss and wondered who the crap had crawled in bed with me. I LOVE, LOVE, LOVE having my handsome hubby back!



Of course, in the last one, Alan kinda looks a little um, well....chesterish (or stoned, as my little sister said). When I asked him about it he said he was sad he had cut his hair! Guess I'll have to get a better pic of his new haircut where he's actually smiling!

MY THOUGHTS EXACTLY!

I found this cartoon on another blog and absolutely loved it. After dealing with people all day yesterday at the marathon and then more today coming home from a missionary farewell, well, let's just say I was not in the best mood. So, when I saw this, I cracked up and had to post it! Thanks Dilbert!

OGDEN MARATHON 2009

On Saturday Alan ran in his sixth marathon coming in at his personal best.... 3 hrs. 59 minutes. He's currently training to qualify for the Boston Marathon and to qualify he has to come in at 3 hrs 10 min., so he just needs to shave off a little more time. I'm so proud of him, he did so good! Hopefully we'll be able to do the next marathon together!

Alan just coming across the finish line.....he didn't look to good when he first crossed. He was more sick this marathon than any other he's done. I guess at mile 17 or so he almost passed out, poor guy. Luckily food and a long nap helped him feel a lot better! I was amazed at how many people DID collapse at the finish line and had to be taken off in a wheelchair. I don't think I've ever seen that many so bad at the end before. However, when they started out it was 30 degrees and by the end it was almost 75 degrees which is a huge temp difference (especially if you're trying to run in it and stay hydrated for 26.2 miles).

This picture cracks me up! He didn't realize I was trying to take a pic and looked away at the last minute. Guess what, though? He said as soon as he can find a style he likes, he's going to cut his hair. Happy dance going on!

Cheeser Danny.....he and four of his brothers ran the relay.

Mike (one of the brothers that ran the relay) and Alan just chillin'....

Enjoying creamies....

MARSHMELLOWS & GRAHAMCRACKERS & CHOCOLATE, OH MY......

A couple of weekends ago most of my siblings and their families got together for a bonfire down on my grandfather's farm. Yep, my grandpa is a farmer and has the best place for bonfire fun.






Aren't my nieces the cutest?

MOTHER'S DAY GIFTS

For Mother's Day I decided to go a little easier route than usual and do some cute watering cans. I actually found the poem on a craft blog I love (Skip to my Lou) that had originally done the watering cans/poem for May day. I thought it would be cute to re-do for Mother's Day and they were a pretty big hit. I forgot to take pictures of them, so as we were taking one of them to my grandma I hurried and clicked a couple of shots which aren't so hot. You could totally use the same concept for any holiday or just as a cute pick me up.

Mothers Day

So today is mothers day. I always feel bad because I don't ever know what to do for Marisa, especially since we don't have kids yet. Today we go in to our doctor to get the insemination done, and I can't think of a more fitting day to do it. I don't know how to say, "Happy Mothers Day" to someone who is not a mother yet, so I'll do the best I can. Marisa, I am so lucky to be married to such a wonderful woman, who will someday be the most wonderful mother the world over. Our future children will be so blessed to have such a thoughtful, encouraging, loving, and compassionate woman raise them. I am blessed to have you for a wife, and am excited for our future together. I love you so much... and someday so will our children. HAPPY MOTHERS DAY!

something Wicked this way came

This past weekend Alan and were able to go see the production of Wicked down in Salt Lake at the Capitol Theatre. Can I just say it was freakin' awesome! I bought the tickets kind of last minute (considering they went on sale the end of 2008) but we ended up with the best seats. The performance was amazing and even though the tickets pretty much cost an arm and a leg, it was so worth it. Hopefully we'll be able to attend more productions in the future.



I have the dumbest smile going in this picture....

faMIly!

With Mother's Day fast approaching, I thought it would be nice to do a tribute to family. I love my family, I really do. They are some of the best people in the world. We've been through a lot together and I know I can depend on them for anything, anywhere, anytime. That being said, sometimes (and just some of the time, mind you) it would be nice to live in another state. Recently we had some family drama with things being blown out of proption and some he said/she said crap (yep, I said it, crap) going on. It's times like these I would love to live, in say, the Carribean (it's nice this time of year) or even Europe. Oohh.....Europe, I've always wanted to visit, why not just live? Anywhoo, getting a little side tracked here, but wouldn't it be nice if family drama wasn't so, well, dramaful (I know, it's not a word). Things will work out, they always do, but in the meantime, to my family, I LOVE YOU. I've LOVED having my sister-in-laws as work out buddies. I've gotten to know them a lot better and it's been fun to see them in the mornings. I love my brothers and their different personailities and how each of them fit in so well with our family. I love my little sister even though right now she has more drama than anyone I know and I love my mommy and her little ways of doing things for those she loves. I love that I live so close to my family and see them so often. They are some of my best friends and people who I can really be myself with. So, here's to families and all the love and fighting that goes hand in hand with being a family. Because let's face it, if we didn't have family drama every now and then, life would be pretty boring.

Fun times with Fertility

Two posts in one day, what is this world coming to? As you might have guessed from the picture, we had another fertility appointment yesterday. After having the follicle check, our doctor told us the egg was currently at 1.8mm (in order to do an insemination they like to have the egg at 2.0mm) and he thought it would be another three or four days. Well, in four days it's Mother's Day, so I thought heck, it's fate. Our doctor rocks....he's going to meet us at the clinic ON Sunday, ON Mother's Day, ON his day off (well, maybe being an ob he doesn't really get a day off?) I told him it has to work this month....not only is it my birthday and that would be the best present I could ever get, but the procedure will be done on Mother's Day, which is totally appropriate, and it will be the third time, which I'm told, is the charm (ya know, third times the charm?) Since starting fertility we've had some ups and downs, but a lot of laughs. I don't know if you read my post about poor Alan having to produce a specimen there at the doctors office, but it was seriously hilarious. This go around, as fate would have it, we were able to have another laugh. As we were coming out of the doctors office we ran into a girl from our old ward we haven't seen in forever. She used to be my visiting teacher and I loved her to death, nicest person in the world. As were sitting there talking I completely forgot I was holding the "specimen cup" and me being me, started talking with my hands. She kind of looked at the cup, looked at us and then at the cup again. I started laughing at her expression and told her we were currently going through fertility and all the fun that goes with it. She looked relieved and started laughing. Then today not only did I find an awesome fertility support blog (thanks Kelly, found it off of your blog) but I found a quote I liked from Marjorie Hinckley and thought it was so appropriate for so many things in life, but especially fertility: "The only way to get through life is to laugh your way through it. You either have to laugh or cry. I prefer to laugh. Crying gives me a headache." Love it! So, May is OUR month! And, if not, next month we get try another procedure that from the sounds of it is even lovelier than the insemination!