Lately

It seems like I have been so busy lately and to be honest I have no idea doing what. Anyway, I am busy and neglecting my little blog. So here are a few updated pictures of the house...you are welcome Sarah :)

Here is the new view when you walk in

Ignore they misplaced giraffe...he now has a new home

Our living room. Those bookshelves took FOREVER. But I am pretty happy with how they turned out, minus GB's lovely array of electronic chords on the lower left hand corner.! of course HGTV is on the screen :)

 Oh how lovely to finally have a couch

The Dinning Room...still needs some work. I plan on framing old maps to surround the big map on the wall 

Our bathroom

That's about it for now...GB's office is almost completely done as well as our guest and bedroom. I will be sure and post those pictures once they are complete but for now, I am taking a break. I really love all we have done so far. It feels like home. 

A few weeks ago GB abandoned me for Manila  unfortunately for him, I am pretty sure he worked harder there than he does here at home ;) But here is a hodge podge of pictures from around the city and his day at the beach.

umm no idea why he is wearing a british shirt in Manila

 Oh what is this I see, GB playing sand volleyball?...shocker

While GB was far far away, I decided to go visit my dear friends in Columbia. Folks, no one compares to these girls. They are awesome and the best friends you could ask for....so you should all be so jealous. It was such a great trip for me. Being with them was like I held out a broken heart in my hands and having them take it and say "girl I got this."  We went to enrichment were I got to see all the sweet women I used to be in RS with, we ate at my favorite Thai restaurant, AND we even got to have a girls day. We went shopping at my ALL TIME favorite place, talked, laughed, and ended the day with the best frozen yogurt there is. It was a perfect day and it was glorious. I don't know why but I don't have a single picture with them...fail. How did that happen? I did manage to get pictures with their kids

Meet Grace. She is a firecracker, this girl has more personality in her little finger than most people do in their whole body. I love it, 99.9 percent of the time when I call Na, I can hear little Grace in the background doing something crazy and it is so entertaining. She is awesome and definitely got the right mom cause this chick can pose.

Obviously her talented mother took this picture....if you need a photographer, hire her. She is gifted. GB and I are getting her to take some couple shots in a few weeks when we go back for another visit...if you don't believe me now, wait till you see our pictures :)


Tonna just had the most adorable baby boy, of  course he is, he is Tonna's after all. Oh little Scotty. I seriously could not stop kissing him and he HATED it lol. He would allow me two and then he was done. He was so squishy and cute I wanted to stuff him in my bag and take him home.

This picture is horrible of me, but I could not resist...isn't he just so precious and smushy when he is sleeping??!! Oh I love him

I also stopped in to visit the two little ones I used to nanny, who aren't so little any more. They melted my heart with how excited they were to see me. They kept dragging me all over the house and yard showing me all the cool things they had built. I sure do miss them. Once again, fail, I didn't get one picture with them. 

Kids are so awesome and I am so blessed that I get to be around them all the time though work and my church calling. Its hard when we move and I have to say good-bye. I kinda feel like Mary Poppins only no where near as awesome.  I am convinced that Christ is the ultimate heart mechanic and at different times through out my life he has used different tools to mend mine. Children have got to be my favorite tool of his. They have a magical way of making everything seem okay. I am so grateful for all my friends and the sweet spirits they are raising. 

Driving home from Columbia was hard, I bawled my eyes out within the first 15 minutes of being in the car. My friends are that awesome. I really really loved and adored our life there. I am so glad I close enough to go visit whenever I want. 

Wrapping up here are our Easter pictures. Yep, pups included...cause we are cool. 

Here is GB with his loot

Oh yea, no picture of me, not really a fan of effects Clomid has on my face...that's right...Cyst was down 75 percent this month. Halle-friggen-lujah.

Easter was wonderful. Primary always lifts my soul but this Sunday the kids seemed to have a special spirit and I really enjoyed it. GB and I hosted our first holiday feast and we had the fam damily over. It was great, we ate and played games and just enjoyed the rainy day. 

Last but certainly not least.....the poop mine field. The other day GB and I ran out to grab some food and left the pups to roam free. Mistake. We came home to this....

I was in shock, we were seriously only gone 5 minutes  I mean really? Come on. One thing you should know about our dogs is that they are emotional pottiers...yes I made that up. When they think we have abandoned them, they poop to show us how mad they are. I think the most endearing part of it, is that as soon as we notice it, they drop their heads and slowly make their way to their kennels. We never have to say a word. Oh pups, you make it impossible to be mad for too long. 

Tomorrow we are headed for Florida for an early start on  Spring Break and I can NOT wait. I am gonna sit on some beaches and ride me some coasta's. Should be epic.

Throw Back Thursday

I saw someone do this once on FB or their blog, not really sure to be honest, but anyway I LOVED the idea. So, from here on out, Thursdays will be throwback Thursdays :)

Back when we were super adorable :)

GB says this picture was taken at Callaway Gardens. He said he used to go there as a kid. On this day he was in the butterfly exhibit and caught one.

My mom told me that when I was little I was incredibly spoiled. I was not only  the first grandchild but I was also the only one for a few years. She said that everyone (by everyone I mean my aunts and uncles) used to love to love on me. They would take me everywhere with them, including dates.  This particular picture was taken by my uncle Phillip. My mom said he dressed me up and took me to the park for a photo shoot.

Growing Pains

*WARNING* This post is not for the weak in keister. This mother is loooooong. So if you can't handle it...back away. Otherwise sit back, pop a cola, and enjoy.

These past few months have been extremely challenging but even more rewarding. In January and really since we moved here, I have really struggled with finding my place.This time in my life has been one of the most lonely. It was a lonely that I alone am responsible for because I honestly felt like I just didn't fit because I don't have a child. I felt like I had nothing to contribute to the sweet people I was surrounded with and wasn't really sure what to say in social situations just because my life seemed to different. I didn't know how to deal and I always came home feeling so empty and alone. February has been a really great month for me (trials included). First of all let me start by saying I have the most wonderful visiting teachers. They came over a few weeks ago and just sat and talked with me and for the first time it hit me, I don't have to be alone. The more I have been around these women the more I realize it doesn't matter what phase of life I am in, you don't make friends based on where you happen to be at in your life. You make friends because you have a connection. In getting to know some of the amazing women in the ward I am finding that we are so alike. Its been the most wonderful blessing. For the first time since Garrett and I have moved here, I feel like I belong. I feel loved, and most importantly, I feel like I am home. These women amaze me. I have already drawn so much strength from them. They have been so supportive and concerned while I have gone through this very rough process  of trying to get pregnant.

All last week I was on Clomid in preparation to hopefully get an IUI (look it up), and I am not sure if any of you are aware the effect Clomid can have on a woman who suffers from depression and anxiety and is unable to take medication for it. Well let me just say this, Biotches be CRAZY! That crap is no joke. I can honestly say I know how a bipolar person feels. I mean I would be fine one minute then the next thing I know I am hysterically crying. Luckily for me, I was only a rage-a-holic for about 4 hours the whole week. Poor Poor Garrett, he was such a trooper. Last week was mostly a huge horrible blur, but I do know this, I grew even closer to Garrett. He has such great patience and made me feel so immensely loved. I know that sounds weird but its true, and I had moments when I was so overwhelmed with it that I cried harder. He is awesome and I know that during this time we have become even closer than before. It blows my mind because I have always felt so connected to him and there are times when I feel like I couldn't be any closer to this person...then this past week happens. My love for him has grown more and more through this trial and for that I am so grateful.

Sadly, my week of ...well, excuse me family but Hell. Yep a full blown week of it, seems to have been in vain. After sitting through what seemed to be the most uncomfortable ultra sound I have ever had, we found out I have a cyst. What does that mean? It means no IUI for this girl this month. Hopefully it will go away by next month cause if not, I get to be on birth control for 3 months to kill it....pushing my pregnancy back 4-5 months. As soon as the doctor told me I was beside myself.  I was so angry with my body, between my uncooperative uterus and GB's less then motivated swimmers I feel like tadpoles are trying to push through a brick wall. What we really need is a sponge and a pack of hungry sharks. At that moment it just felt like too much to bare, so I have GB give me a blessing. It gave me such comfort and wonderful insight as to why we are struggling with this and how it will be such a blessing to us in the end.

     Saturday when we were running errands I said something to Garrett like "I just wish I had a baby" and my sweet husband says to me, " Me too love, but then I would have everything I ever wanted and I am not sure I deserve that." Melt my heart. So for now, I am happy. I decided yesterday I could sit and pout and feel sorry for myself over something that is out of my control, OR.....I could live my life and enjoy all the marvelous blessings I have been given. I have been given the most amazing person to be my companion and the lord has seen fit to bless us with something money can't buy. Time, we have been given more time to nurture our relationship and just enjoy each other  I have this beautiful house that I am still in awe of. I have been given the opportunity to nanny two great kids that I get to love and care for and rock to sleep every now and then, I get to teach the sweetest girls every Sunday and sit and be edified by all the tender children in primary. So while I feel like I am in a limbo and while I desperately want to be a mother, I am going to enjoy my "in the meantime" and all the special moments that go with it. I feel so blessed and so very loved by so many people.  In the quite moments of my life, when Garrett puts on sweet music, grabs my hand and dances with me in the kitchen, or when I am driving home from the temple with a new friend who is showing me strength, or moments when my sweet mother in law gives me a tight hug and tells me she loves me, or my sweet brother in law remembers me in a prayer without being reminded and without me even being there....in these moments I am overcome with more love than I can describe. Through this trial my eyes have been opened to the endless blessing in my life and the small and quiet moments, my heart could explode. I have the most amazing family, friends, husband, and life really. I know that I will have a child, I have been promised that I will have children and special blessings in specific for the first one I will have. So I can wait, until the lord says its time. Life is crazy but life is good....its oh so very good.

Thanks for the love everyone from my VT's bringing me a spa care package, your encouraging texts and calls, to your fasting and prayers, I feel the love from you and I am more grateful to you than I could ever express.

To my future baby, I hope you know how bad I wanted you one day when you think I am the meanest mom in the world and how the day I held you in my arms was hands down the best day of my life and in that moment...everything was worth it. (cause while it hasn't happened yet, I know it will be.)

Mi Casa

Here you go Family ( mom, Shelia, and Trina) The house is 2600 Sq ft. if you don't count the garage and has 4 bedrooms/2.5 baths.

This is what you see when you walk through the door

and if you turn to the left

And views from the living room/kitchen and downstairs bath

The front door and if you are at the door and look to the right....

and at the top of the stairs and look left (my craft nook)

GB's Office

Look to the right from the stairs..Guest Bedroom *note-the laundry room is to your right but I'm not posting a pic

 
and down the hall ...a guest bath and future nursery (looks like guest room so no need to show a picture)

at the end of the hall....Our Bedroom and Master bathe....just from a ton of angles...

*love that walk - in closet!!!!*

There you have it! I really really LOVE all my black doors  through out the whole house and all the colors. The pictures made the colors a little funky. All the hallways are grey and bathrooms are all a blue/grey.  We are having some issues with the laundry room at the moment (i.e. paint color, door issues) and can't get the outlets in our master bath to work but other than that its perfect and I ADORE it!! Building this house was such a wonderful experience  We really really loved our builder and we HIGHLY recommend them if you are in the market to build. So far I have the kitchen all unpacked and I just need a rug and cute towels to hang from the oven handles and it will be finished. I am so excited to get settled and start giving life to each room. I'll keep ya posted!

Happy Burfday Schplum-Cake

This has got to be my absolute favorite picture of GB EVER! It perfectly exudes all the things I adore about him. He is constantly amusing me. He is always either making up a new name to call me, or singing made up songs to me or the puppies,  doing little "dances" (the boy has negative rhythm I am afraid) and a thousand other goofy things. He makes me laugh and/or smile every single day. I just can't get enough. Not to mention, he even looks quite dapper, even posing as such.

A few things you may not know about the birthday boy....

1: He is a MASSIVE fan of magic. There are times when he will literally watch hours of it on you tube...then proceed to explain all of them to me and force let me  watch :)

2: He just recently became enthralled with pick pocketing...so yea...watch out folks

3: As previously mentioned, he thoroughly enjoys making up songs for those close to his heart....or those annoying him...depends on the sitch.

4: He LOVES sloths....really really really really really LOVES them. Like Kristen Belle loves sloths. His heart melts when he sees them..I can say this because I have witnessed it. Give the boy a sloth picture and he is puddy in your hands.

5:  He has stank sneezes....yup you read that right, I don't know what it is but when he sneezes, its the most horrible smell...weird, but we laugh so hard every times he does it.

6: He has mad people skillz,  he has this unbelievable ability to make whoever he is with feel comfortable and important, it's pretty awesome.

7: He is a canoodler ( intense snuggle, NO idea why we call it that) boy LOVES him self some yuddles and I am more than happy to indulge him.

8: He doesn't really enjoy watching sports on TV, (Ladies, did I score or what???) Yup, frigg'n amazing. It's pretty much why I said "Yes." (joke)

9: He will beat you up for a pack of Gushers....It is literally  impossible to keep enough in the house to satisfy him.

10: Kids LOVE him! I mean, honestly how could they not? He is basically a giant, responsible, super fun, awesome kid.

That's all you get for now... some things have to be just for me :) I am so privileged to be his best friend and even more honored he chose me to be his wife. Life with GB is pretty spectacular and I am thrilled he was born.

Happy 29th  to the greatest thing since the pooper scooper.