December 2012

We began this month by heading downtown for date night. We ended up going to Tuchanos for dinner and then walked from the Gateway to Temple Square to look at the lights! We were also able to check out the candy windows that Macy's has brought back. That was a lot of fun. I miss seeing those from when I was a younger.

The First Presidency Christmas Devotional was on the 2nd and we headed over to our friends house to have dinner and watch the devotional. I love listening to the first presidency. They are amazing men. The same week as the devotional we had our ward Christmas party and Shaun's work party. Both events had great food and good entertainment. 

An event I have been waiting awhile for finally happened. I became completely self employed as of the 19th of December! Since Shaun got a job back in September and now has benefits we decided that I no longer need to be working at the hospital and that I need to focus on building my massage practice. This will definitely be a big change for me. I am not used to being home so often, but hopefully things with my practice will pick up and I will be able to stay busy with that.

This year Tom, Chelsea and Jake came in town for Christmas and stayed with us. It was a lot of fun to have them here with us. Our Christmas celebrations were spread over a week this year. The Sunday before Christmas we had a dinner party at our house with Shaun's parents, Tom and Chelsea and our friends Kenric and Sona. It was a lot of fun. On Christmas Eve, Shaun and I went to my Grandpa's house for the annual Christmas Eve party and then head over to Shaun's parents house to hang out. On Christmas Day we got up and opened presents with Tom and Chelsea and then got ready and headed up to Shaun's Grandpa's House for a little get together. After that we headed to Shaun parents to do Christmas with them. While there we were able to Skype with the Indiana Krugers, which was fun. They kids were definitely excited about Christmas. After spending time with them we headed back to our house were we had Christmas with my parents, my aunt Brenda and my Grandpa. It was a busy day, but it was definitely fun.

The following Saturday we had a Christmas party with my Mom's side of the family. It was fun getting to see family members I don't see very often.

To end our year we had our annual New Years Eve fondue party. It was fun. There were ten of us the spent the evening eating yummy food, watching TV and playing a huge game of Ligretto. It was a great way to ring in the new year!

The year 2012 definitely had its ups and downs, but I wouldn't take back any of the things we have gone through. I am grateful for all the lessons I have learned during 2012 and look forward to the many things I will learn during 2013.

Candy Windows are back!

So pretty!

Christmas Morning

I love this picture!

Cousin's playing

Shaun & I with his Grandpa Christmas Day

Ligretto! It was funny with some many people!

Happy New Years! (We are a little tired in this picture)

November 2012

November started out with being crafty! I love being crafty! On the 3rd it was our ward's Super Saturday activity. They had some fun projects, but I decided to go simple and just do a couple of necklaces. They turned out pretty cute.  Also on the 3rd was the annual niece's activity that my Aunt Brenda does, only this year all the mom's were invited too. We went to Color Me Mine!! I LOVE COLOR ME MINE!! It was fun to be able to hang out with my mom, cousins and aunts and just be creative! I really like how my piece turned out!

November wasn't a very good month for us as far as health goes, especially for Shaun. At the beginning of the month he had a cold. He started to feel a little bit better and then ended up with strep. After taking the penicillin for that he still wasn't feeling 100% so decided to go into the doctor again and found out the he had a little bit of bronchitis. I also had a cold and sinus infection during November. With being pregnant there is very little you can take and I was pretty miserable, but at least I wasn't sick most of the month like Shaun was. I will take that!

On Thanksgiving this year I had to work, but Shaun's Mom was willing to schedule dinner after I got off work so we went to his parents house and had a small Thanksgiving dinner with his grandpa, Uncle Stewart, Aunt Marie and her friend Louise. It was different than most Thanksgivings I have had, but it was still an enjoyable evening. Shaun made green bean casserole from scratch and it was really tasty. All of the food was good in fact.

We ended the month by going to our first Christmas party of the year at a couple of our ward members house. It was fun. The food was good and we had fun watching The Grinch (the animated version). It was a great way to begin the Christmas season!

My Mom being creative

The kids painting 

Dawna & My Aunt Brenda

My Aunt Shirlynn & Angie

My completed project

I love how it turned out

October 2012

October was a pretty crazy month for us. On the 10th we were able to go to the Temple and doing sealing for some of Shaun's ancestors with his parents, aunt, uncle and some cousins. His cousin Angela has been working on genealogy for the family and had a bunch of names that were ready to have sealing done. It was really neat.

In September our lease for the place we were living ended and we really didn't want to sign a new lease there. As much as we are not fans of moving we decided we should look and see what else was available. We really didn't want to move from our current ward, because we really think it is a great ward and I had just started my calling in the Relief Society Presidency and have really enjoyed it. Luckily we were able to find a new place to rent within our ward boundaries. On the 20th we loaded up a moving truck and moved the 1.1 miles to our new place. For this move we decided to do things a little differently. On all of the boxes we packed we placed a colored star on it. This star designated where that box would end up. We put signs on every level of our new place that showed where that colored star went. For the most part this worked out great. We definitely will be trying it next time we move.

Also in October I was able to go to Time Out for Women here in Salt Lake with my Mom, Aunt Cory and my friend Christie. It was a really fun weekend! I am so glad I went. It is such a spiritually uplifting event! I can't wait for TOFW 2013!

The last fun thing we did in October was have our annual Pumpkin Carvenival. We did it as a family home evening activity instead of a Friday night activity, but it was still a lot of fun. Two other couples came and we had dinner and carved pumpkins. I am not sure why I find it so fun, but I do!

TOFW with my Aunt Cory, My Mom (gotta love her face) and Christie

Ginger & Kent and their spider pumpkin

Shaun & I tag teamed this pumpkin

Christie's pumpkin

Am I really?

It is kind of unnerving when everything seems to be happening the exact same way as last time. I took the provera to start my period then took the clomid to help me ovulation. On day 21 of my cycle I had my progesterone level checked and was told that I didn't ovulate again. So we started the next cycle of meds and then I didn't start my period when I should have... So I waited a few days and took a pregnancy test and it came back positive, to double check I took another test and it also came back positive. Normally one would be really happy and excited at this point, but I was freaking out. Everything was exactly like last time and I was REALLY worried that I would have another miscarriage and I didn't want that. I called my doctors office freaking out a little, but the nurse was really helpful and understanding. I was told when to schedule my first appointment and then was prescribed a couple of prescriptions to help me hopefully maintain the pregnancy.

Our little Dino! (From my second ultrasound)

October 3rd rolls around and I head to my first appointment. I was nervous because I just wanted answers and I got them. I was able to have an ultrasound that day and we found out that there was a fetus growing inside of me! I was also told that I wasn't measuring as far along as if you go by my last period. I was about a week behind, so we weren't able to hear a heartbeat that day. (I was supposed to be 6 weeks and 6 days along, but was only measuring 5 weeks 2 days) The ultrasound tech told me to schedule another ultrasound for the following week or two and we'd be able to hear that heartbeat. So I did and on the 16th of October I was able to go in and the nervousness was still there. I was measuring about where I should be and there was definitely a baby growing in there! Then the moment of truth came. Would we hear a heartbeat or not? Well we did! It was an AMAZING experience. I, for the first time in my pregnancy, allowed myself to be excited.

The nausea and fatigue has been there this time, which is different then the last time, but that didn't mean we were completely out of the woods. On November 14th I had my next appointment and Dr Merrill told me everything lab wise looked good. It was then time to check for the heartbeat. This was definitely a nerve racking experience. At first there was a student (at least I think he was a student. I didn't get introduced to him) that tried to find the heartbeat. He couldn't seem to find it and that completely freaked me out. I thought this can't be happening again! Then Dr. Merrill took over. It took him a little bit, but he was finally able to find it! Hearing the heartbeat is such a relieving sound. I could finally breath again. I had made it 11 weeks and there was still a heartbeat!!!

My appointments in December went well too! Dr. Merrill was about to find out babies heartbeat pretty quickly this time. On December 20th Shaun and I found out that we are having a little girl. It was amazing to sit and watch her move around and to be able to listen to her heartbeat. This was the first time Shaun has been to an appointment and I think it made it so much more real for him.

We told our parents on Christmas Eve that we are having a little girl and they are so excited! My parents are excited to just be having a grandchild (this is their first) and Shaun's parents are excited to have a granddaughter in the state of Utah!

She is so cute! I already love this little girl so much!

At my last appointment on January 3rd, I had the ultrasound where they check to make sure everything looks good and the amazing ultrasound tech (she really is AWESOME!) said that everything looked good. Our little girl was being so cute! Towards the end of the ultrasound she had her legs up by her head. It was pretty cute. After my ultrasound I met with Dr. Merrill. He looked at the results from the ultrasound and since I was measuring further ahead then the June 5th due date, about 19 weeks and 1 day, he decided to change my due day back to my original due date of May 24th. He said that with my two early ultrasounds that things could have been off just a little bit and cause a big difference in the due date. So as of my appointment I am exactly 20 weeks along! I have made it halfway through my pregnancy! I honestly can't believe how quickly it has gone.

September 2012

September each year always have a lot of events for us and it is TONS of fun! This year was no exception. We went to the Greek Festival, the State Fair, and Oktoberfest! The Greek Festival was yummy as always. We were able to eat tasty food and watch some Greek dancers. It was fun! At the State Fair this year Shaun's mom, Michelle, entered a couple of quilts so we were able to go see them being displayed, which we fun. Then we just walked around a checked out all the booths and a bunch of the different entertainment options. One of my favorite things to do is check out the animals, especially the baby pigs! SO CUTE!! Oktoberfest was also a lot of fun. It was nice to get out of the valley for a little bit and to be up in the mountains! I LOVE the mountains and haven't been able to spend much time in them this year so it was great! It was a nice day weather wise and the food and entertainment was great! I am glad we got to go to all of these events!

Also during September, Shaun started a new day job working for a company downtown called Experticity. Shaun started right before the summer party so we were able to go. It was A LOT of fun. The party was up at Jordanelle, so they had boats and other water related activities. Shaun was able to try wakeboarding for the very first time and did a pretty good job. He didn't make it up all the way but he got pretty close. It was fun watching him try. They also had a cotton candy machine, snow cone machine, and a couple big inflatables. Meier's catering came up and provided dinner. It was really a fun event! They sure do know how to throw a party!

Greek Dancers

Us at the Greek Festival

Michelle's first quilt

Michelle's second quilt

Baby Pigs! So cute!

This year Butter Cows

Getting ready for a boat ride

Shaun trying to wakeboard

Shaun after his wake boarding fun

Shaun and I at Oktoberfest

I love being in the mountains!