The Luck of the Irish

Happy St. Patrick's Day!

We were *lucky* to have Daddy home with us this week. It was so fun. The funnest part was today when McRiley (our friendly, family leprechaun) came and left the girls some treasure. But they had to follow the clues to get it. (Thank you, Crafting Chicks. They did all the work. I just printed and cut out. It doesn't get better than that!)

They were running around, looking for clues, it was a lot of fun. I saved everything for next year to do over again. :)

McRiley left the treasure outside. The bag of treats says "You are my pot of gold at the end of the rainbow." Aaahh. So cute. And so true.

Of course, we can't have that much sugar. :) Especially since we had made green cookies the day before. So the girls got to pick out six skittles to eat right then. I love that they thought they were so *lucky* to get six whole skittles. :) 

And this afternoon, we played Lucky Bingo (thank you again, Crafting Chicks).  We all took turns calling out the cards, and it was so cute to hear the girls call out the cards and try to describe them. It was serious business. And we used Lucky Charms to mark our cards. Sadly, there isn't nearly as many marshmallows as cereal. 

I am so lucky, *BLESSED,* to have amazing people in my life. And I count Jonathan, Sami, and Janie as my biggest pots of gold. And luckily, we have had a great week. I am sad the week is over. It's going to be a long time before he gets more vacation, but I am grateful for this week. And I am thankful he did all the things on my "honey-do" list! Yay!

We're Back

My poor Sami was sick all last week. The poor thing missed her field trip to the fire station with her preschool, but what can you do?

Right after Sami started feeling better, Janie and I got sick. It was Sunday and I knew we wouldn't make it to church with all us hacking and coughing and our running noses. So I decided to get caught up on some photo editing. I turned on my computer but the screen kept going out. So I restarted the computer a few times, until it wouldn't come back on. When I had tried everything I could think of and the computer still wouldn't turn on, I started freaking out. I thought I had lost my hard drive with all my pictures. (We have a back up hard drive but I haven't backed it up in over 6 months. So I wouldn't have lost everything, but enough to still make me cry :) ) And Jonathan was on a 30 hour shift, so he couldn't help me.

But being the smart man that he is, he came home, "diagnosed" the problem as our power source being broken, just ordered us another one and it arrived today and wah-lah! Here I am. Love it! And we are all feeling so good. The good thing about being sick is appreciating being healthy. The only one who came out unscathed is Jonathan. I think he has an iron immune system because he has been exposed to everything.

I have decided that I would rather have my computer than my tv but being without a computer (not really, I still had Jonathan's laptop) was good because it makes me want to cut down my computer time. It's amazing how much time my computer sucks away. So I am going to do better at leaving the computer alone.

But I am glad I have it. :)

(Oh, and I put in this picture of Janie because I think she is so cute in her little hat. But when I pull out the camera, this is the face she gives me. Funny girl.)

It's Been 10 Years...

It's been 10 years this month since I came home from my mission. I served in the California San Fernando Spanish Speaking Mission. 

I love my mission. 

But I will say that my mission was hard. But easier than some missions, for sure! 

I had lots of awesome days, and lots of really, really hard days. 

I gained a lot of weight (I'm sure you already noticed from the second picture, and that isn't even at the end of my mission!). But I made tons of awesome relationships and gained a strong testimony of the gospel. I am so, so grateful that I got to serve the Lord full time for those 18 1/2 months!

One of the things I love about Jonathan is that he loves that I served a mission. He says that is one of the first things that attracted him to me. And I am so glad he was attracted! :) 

If my girls choose to go on a mission, I will be so happy for them. I know they will struggle, but they will come to love the Lord and His gospel in the process. 

It is one of the greatest honors of my life that I was able to serve the Lord and His children as a missionary. And now Jonathan and I talk about our missions that we will serve together. 

I already know it will be awesome!

Valentine's Day 2012

We have had such a fun day today! I decided to blog about it right away while it's still fresh in my mind (and so that it happens).  

We started out with the Valentine's Day party at the preschool. Janie was invited as a special treat for her efforts in the bathroom. She was the only sibling invited and I got to go to be the Mom helper. It was a fun treat for all of us.

The teacher is super creative and fun. They played a game with hearts, where they ran races. They ran to a chair, rang the bell, and put a valentine under the chair and raced back.

Jonathan started a 30 hour ICU shift on Monday and so came home at noon today. He took a three hour nap, then got up to party with us. (I honestly don't know how he does it. He's amazing!)

So we decorated sugar cookies together.

I made a special Valentine's Day book for Jonathan. The girls saw me working on it and loved it. So I decided to make a little book for them.  It was already made (by someone else), I just added the pictures and words and put it together. When I read it to them I saw typos, which is always a bummer, but it's the thought  (and effort) that counts. Hopefully this will be special for them.

For dinner on Valentine's day, I usually give the girls something is easy, like mac 'n cheese, and when they go to bed, J and I have a romantic dinner. I decided to include the girls this year, thus taking out all the romance, but hopefully making it fun for the girls.  I love how the tablecloth is totally lopsided. You can't see the lit candle, but it is there.

Jonathan was so sweet (and tired) but he insisted on doing all the dishes and cleaning the kitchen for me. I am so blessed to have him for my valentine! He proposed on Valentine's Day 8 years ago. My life has been incredibly blessed since that day.

Happy Valentine's Day!

My Fertility Issues

I hope this post doesn't make anyone uncomfortable. I don't mean it to. If it does make you uncomfortable, by all means stop reading. Really. We will still be friends. :)

It's just that I know people have been wondering and this is a big thing in my life right now.

When Janie was 9 months old, we started trying to get pregnant again.

We knew women are most fertile that year after they have had a baby, and we just thought we would have a couple more real quick. And I would be done having babies by the time I was 35.

A year after trying, I started taking progesterone again. 

Then another year passed.

It seemed odd to us that in over 2 years, nothing happened. Given my history, I would expect to get pregnant at least once, maybe miscarry, but I expected at least something.

And in this time I had seen a few nurse practitioners who suggested I might have PCOS, or polycystic ovary syndrome. But I didn't really take that too seriously, because I don't have the symptoms. And I know that there are diagnostic fads that come and go. And they weren't doctors. That last one sounds so snobby, and I apologize about that. We love nurse practitioners for physicals, the flu, infections, stitches, etc. But when it comes to a life changing diagnosis, I kinda want a doctor. (Of course, the fact that I am married to one also influences this. Because I have seen the blood, sweat, and training and he has gone through to get his knowledge base).  

So I couple of months ago, I scheduled to see the doctor. And he said that we needed to get more aggressive and that there was really only one way to see if I had PCOS, and that was an ultrasound. So I got an ultrsound. And I was sure I didn't have it. Because even when I went in for the ultrasound, the tech asked me why I was there. When I told her they were checking me for PCOS, she said "you don't look like you have that." For which I am grateful. Some of the side affects can be quite severe and hard for any woman to deal with.

So I was surprised when the doc called me this week and told me that I do indeed have PCOS. I was upset at first. I cried. And I called my mom. (I would have called Jonathan but he was in the ICU on a 30 hour shift.)

My mom reminded me that it was a blessing to know because now I could be treated.

So now I am on 2 different medications, besides progesterone. I take 2-4 pills a day, depending on the time of the month. Next month, I will go in for more ultrasounds and and HCG shot.

As soon as I had Janie, I felt so strongly that there was another one. And right now, we are determined to get this third one in our family. Whether it's through adoption or through me, I am okay either way. 

But three may be the magic number of kids in our family. I just don't know how many more years I want to go through this. And after all this, three kids is awesome! That is a pretty good size family in my book. 

But if nothing ever happens, and it's just us and Sami and Janie, I would consider myself the most blessed of women. They are such joys, miracles I don't deserve and I am so grateful for them! They are such a comfort to me. 

Despite what I have just said, I am not obsessed with getting pregnant. I know what obsessed is because I was obsessed before Sami came. My girls are such a wonderful distraction, a constant reminder that I am so very, very blessed. I do have days of discouragement, but every time I tuck my girls in at night, I am reminded to be grateful. And I try to focus on that. 

And we will see what happens. This will be an interesting year for our family.

This past week...

Lots has happened this past week.

But first of all, I never want to forget how much I love that my fridge looks like this every other day:

The girls put their own pictures up on the fridge. We do art every day. I love it because it keeps them busy. And I usually have a handful that I put in the recycling bin every day. I try to keep the cutest ones.

 And Jonathan got to ride in a small plane and actually fly a small plane.

The doctor he is standing next to is his attending this month and owns part of this plane. It's like a plane time-share thing. So he does a clinic in Show Low once every month, so he can fly his plane and write it as a tax write off. 

But small planes are scary. They go down all the time. So I was praying like crazy for him. But he just thought it was fun.

And Sami participated in her first talent show this morning. It was in her preschool, and she sang "I am a Child of God." She rocked it. I am so proud of her.

And the biggest thing in my life that happened this past week is that I got released from Young Women and called as the first counselor in the Primary.

Being released was very bittersweet. I have been in YW for so long that it was just a part of me and what I did. I loved, loved, loved working with the other leaders and getting to know the girls on a personal level. But I don't think I will miss how busy it can be. Young Women can be pretty relentless as far as planning and meetings and programs because there is always something coming up. But it is good and important for the teenage girls. It is truly an inspired program. And I am so glad to have been a part of it in this ward.

And now I am in primary. This will be a huge adventure for me because I have never been in primary. I have helped out in nursery a lot, but there is so much I am going to need to learn. I am excited to learn the primary songs that my girls know (and sing only a line or two of) that I don't know. I have loved reading the manual and feeling the spirit of primary. When I told my dad I was now in primary, he told me that he loves primary and feels it is one of the most spiritual places in the church. I feel this is really going to help me grow spiritually and as a person. And I am excited. And a little nervous. 

Digital Art Journaling

I have seen art journaling a lot recently. And I have been interested. But I don't have an art studio, which is pretty much what you need to keep all the paint, brushes, canvases, and other supplies needed handy.

So when Jessica Sprague offered a digital version, and it was on sale in December, I signed up with some Christmas present money. 

To tell you the truth, this is a hard class for me. 

The style is so different. So different that I often struggle liking it.

My creativity is stretched, for sure. 

So I am behind in my  online class. Because a lot of nights I just don't have the mental energy to go there.

But it is good for me. 

So here is some (ok, almost all) I have done so far.

I love this one. I pretty much just copied what the teacher did. (You will see that there is a big gap between what the teacher does and I copy, versus what I come up with on my own. But, hey, that's why she's the teacher, right?!) 

The quote says "It is not easy to separate ourselves from what we think we should do and walk in the direction of what we know we must do."

 This next one needs...something. Not sure yet, a border?  But of course we love this quote.

 This next one I do like. It is from a book by Trina Paulus called "Hope for the Flowers."  

Wendy Watson Nelson gave this synopsis: A story is told of a caterpillar named Yellow who was trying to discover what she should do with her life. In her wanderings she came upon another caterpillar caught in some gauzy filament. Concerned, she asked if she could help. The other caterpillar explained that the filament was all part of becoming a butterfly. When Yellow heard the word butterfly, her whole insides leaped. "But what is a butterfly?" she asked. The cocooned caterpillar explained, "It's what you are meant to become." Yellow was intrigued but a bit defiant: "How can I believe there's a butterfly inside you or me when all I see if a fuzzy worm?" After further reflection she pensively asked, "How does one become a butterfly?" The answer? "You must want to fly so much that you are willing to give up being a caterpillar."
 (Synopsis by Wendy Watson Nelson, Increasing Intimacy In Marriage," page 82.)

Our girls camp theme is "Becoming," using the butterfly as the imagery. And we have been talking a lot about the idea of becoming more like the Savior at Young Women and our meetings. So with those two things in mind, I came up with the poster. I love the colors, and I love the message. I am going to frame it in my room to remind myself to not hold myself back with assumptions or negative thinking, or whatever. :)

 And lastly, home. I again copied Jessica Sprague on this one. But I like it. I think.

Even though I don't love everything I make with photoshop, I love the possibilities.