Good Times

This past weekend was General Conference. I loved it. I cried at least once during every session. I was just so touched by so many of the talks. And I realized that I really need to print off those cute conference packets for the kids. In between begging for Cinderella movies, climbing all over me, and wandering around bored or fighting, I am surprised that I heard enough to cry at any of the talks. :)

The other awesome thing that happened this weekend is that Jonathan built me a new computer! And I am just giddy about it! Our old computer was maxed out on hard drive spaces, was super noisy and slow. I could only have one program up at a time and right when I was in the middle of something in photoshop, it would just turn off. Aggravating, to say the least. 

So Jonathan said he was going to build my dream computer. It has been his hobby for months now, looking up parts, ordering parts here and there. And he put it together this weekend and I couldn't be happier. It has tons of hard drive space and is super duper quick. I can run photoshop, itunes, and the internet, all at the same time! That Jonathan, he's a keeper. 

And the week of Easter is always fun and busy. Today the girls went on a field trip with Sami's preschool to Peter Piper's Pizza. They got a tour of the kitchen, put their own topping on a pizza, play the games, and meet the Easter Bunny.

Here are some pictures I took this past weekend. 

They Say the Best Things

I keep a small notebook in my kitchen drawer. When the girls say something that cracks me up, I try to write it down in that notebook. Most of the time, I forget to write it down. But I love it when I remember. I was just looking through that notebook and started laughing. So I thought I would share, realizing that this may not be as funny to you. And I am okay with that. I love these memories.

Nov. 17th, 2011. I was reading a children's Bible Stories book to Sami, and at the end, she said "and Jesus can come and play with me, please?" I tried to explain that he wanted to come and play, but couldn't. She kept saying, "but I want him to, please?"

Aug. 2011, There were some maxi pads on my bathroom floor, and Sami came in and pointed to them and told Jonathan, "those are Mommy's diapers."

Jan. 25, 2012. Sami was taking a bath. She started calling me. I went in and she was standing up in the bathtub. When she saw me she said, in a totally serious voice, "My name is Sami and I need to go pee pee"

Feb. 22, 2012 We were all on a walk and Sami said to Jonathan, "Daddy, you are my favorite boy." 

May 2011, I told Janie to pray for Daddy during a blessing on the food and she said, "Please help Daddy so he be a good boy."

Oct. 2011. Janie was in the bathroom with me and she said, "Mommy has a big bottom." Then she laughed and said, "Janie has a little bottom and Mommy has a big bottom."

March 11, 2012, Janie had told me a few times that I "was the best mom she had ever seen." One day, after I broke up a fight between her and Sami, she told me that again and added that I was her best friend. :)

I love being a mom to these two sweet little girls! 

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.