Cruisin'

I know you've all been waiting patiently to hear about our Cruise! Let me just say it was FABULOUS, AWESOME, RELAXING, ROMANTIC, FUN and everything I hoped it would be and more! Bryant and I had planned to go on a trip after he graduated with his DPT, but there was no money, and no time to go either before he started his job. However, we took a very quick, whirlwind trip back to Idaho for Bry's sisters wedding. They went to Hawaii on their honeymoon. It got Bry and I talking about how much we really needed a little get a way. Just the two of us.

Gracie was born and two weeks later Bryant started his very demanding and stressful PT program. Then Kate came along, and we moved 5 times (literally). This past year and a half or so has been the craziest and hardest I have ever gone through in my life. In fact, I finally went to the Dr shortly after getting to Beaumont and was put on depression/anxiety medication. Elder Holland came to Beaumont for Stake Conference in August and talked about trials. He said "sometimes you have to just grit your teeth and get through it." I totally felt like I had been gritting my teeth and getting through everyday for the past year+. I know everyone has their trials, and others might think there's are so much worse than mine, but the past 18 months or so have been very difficult for me for many many reasons. I appreciated Elder Holland and his comments on the matter.

Needless to say, Bryant and I were due for some one on one R&R time with each other. The Cruise was the perfect vacation for us. For one thing, it was affordable! For another thing, they had lots of activities and shows, etc that we could go to, but we didn't feel obligated to do anything. We could decide 10 minutes before the event started to go, and just grab the stairs or the elevator to get to it really quick.

We had FABULOUS food on the ship too. We were adventurous and tried everything from duck and escargo to alligator fritters and frog legs. It was really fun!

We went from Galveston to Progresso, Mexico in the Yucatan. We did take an excursion that day to
Chichen Itza and toured the Mayan ruins there. It was so incredible. Probably one of our favorite parts of the trip. We could have spent some major hours there looking around, but we had limited time since we had to get back to the boat! We also left with a beautiful stone dining set that we talked them into letting us have for like $25!

The next day we went to Cozemel. Cozemel is in the Caribbean Sea so the water there is beautiful! We didn't do an excursion that day, we just grabbed a taxi to a beach. We weren't that impressed with the beach we went to unfortunately. It was a "resort" so we had to pay to get in, and then there was so many rocks under the water you couldn't even walk into the water without loosing your balance. It was still a fun time though. To just sit on the beach and look at the beautiful water for a while.

It was so expensive to use our cell phones, that we were phone and internet free the entire time we were gone. It was so nice to just spend time with each other with no distractions. And I must say, after 5 days, we didn't get tired of each other once. It was a much needed break from the demands and responsibilities of everyday life, and a great way to just focus on each other.

Of course my incredibly awesome Mother came to watch the girls for us. I didn't worry at all while we were gone knowing they were in such good hands. I'm so glad they have a "Bubby" that loves them so much. And they know it. And in return, my girls love her so much. Gracie asks me about 3 times a week if I bought plane tickets to go to Bubby's house yet. Poor girl is having major Bubby withdrawls!

I can't wait until our next Cruise! It will be sooner than another 7 years form now that's for sure! Maybe we'll bring the girls along next time!

Anyway, here are some pictures of our trip! Enjoy!

The Pyramid at Chichen Iza--It was incredible!

The city of 1000 Columns...

The Ship itself. It was HUGE

Me posing on the deck on one of our sail days.

Bryant and I at dinner one night. Best second Honeymoon EVER!

Christmas 2011

I know this post is really really late....but better late than never right? I've mostly been waiting so I could post pictures!
Christmas was really great this year. We tried really hard to keep the presents to a reasonable amount and really tried to focus on having a Christ centered Christmas. Gracie is at the age where she is really understanding things these days. Of course presents are fun, but we want her to understand that Christmas is a time to think about the Savior, and his birth and how we can be more like him. Not how many presents we can fit under the tree.

It was so nice this year to just spend a simple Christmas as our own little family. We let the girls open their new PJ's on Christmas Eve, which they both loved! Christmas morning we woke up and went to church. It was just Sacrament Meeting of course. I made quiche and rolls for breakfast and then we let the girls open presents. It was a nice, relaxing day spent with my favorite people!

Gracie opening a present...in her new PJ's! She actually got 3 new PJ's but for Christmas Eve I found matching tinkerbell ones for the girls!

Kate playing with her new Turtle that holds balls. She likes the balls better than the Turtle!

After a while, Kate got tired, so she crawled up on Bryant and fell asleep!

Gracie showing off some of her loot!

Teaching a 3 year old about Christmas

This year, Gracie has been really excited about Christmas. It's the first year she really understands what's going on. She loved putting up the Christmas tree, buying new ornaments for it, opening the new ornaments she got from My Mom and Dad (a tradition we have in my family. Every year everyone gets a new ornament.) She has loved to help make treats, see Santa (from afar only--once we got close to him she freaked out--silly girl!), singing Christmas songs, etc.

This is the time of year to think of others more than ourselves. Bryant and I have really talked about how we can help Gracie understand the true meaning of Christmas. We want her to experience the joy of giving to someone less fortunate, sharing what we have with others and understanding that we can love someone we don't really even know simply because they are children of God. We chose a card off the "giving tree" this year. We specifically chose a little 3 year old girl so Gracie could help pick out a gift for her. We explained that Santa needed a little help so this "friend" could have a nice Christmas like she is going to have this year. We talked about how happy this would make Jesus on his birthday, and we talked about all the toys and fun things Gracie has and gets to do all the time, and that this friend probably doesn't have what she has, so that it's so important to share what we have. Gracie seems to understand really well. We were out somewhere last week, and she found something that SHE really wanted. So, I told Gracie that we can't always get what we want, but maybe we should buy that for her "friend" so she would have a Christmas present this year. Thankfully, she was all for that. We brought it home, and she helped my Mom wrap it up. It's been sitting under our Christmas tree and she tells everyone that comes over that this present is for her friend.
I'm really proud of her. My brother and (mostly) my sister in law sent Gracie a little mini-pillow pet a few weeks back. And let me tell you, Gracie LOVES it. I had no idea she would love a pillow pet so much or I would have gotten one for her months ago for her birthday or something. She takes the thing everywhere, she sleeps on it (as a pillow) every night, she shows everyone how it works, it is quite possibly one of her favorite things ever!
Since this little gift that Gracie chose wasn't anything spectacular, nor was it very much money, Gracie also decided her friend needed a pillow pet. I thought it was a fabulous idea!
Well, Bryant and I went out last night. We went to a few random stores, and I found a pillow pet. Exactly the same one Gracie has, but the bigger version of it. So, I bought it thinking, "okay...this is going to be hard for Gracie because she will want the bigger one, but she is going to have to be okay giving the bigger one to her friend that doesn't have all the nice things she does."
Well, this morning I showed her the pillow pet for her friend. And I have to say, I have a GREAT LITTLE GIRL. She was so excited that her friend would have a pillow pet that matched her own. She wasn't upset that it was bigger than hers. She's excited to help me wrap it up for her this afternoon.
I think what this has proved to me more than anything else, is that no matter how little, our kids are not young to be taught and to understand. I feel so blessed to have such an example of Christlike love in our home.
I love you Gracie Girl!

Offer Number 2

Just an update for anyone interested--we have an offer in on another house right now. We really like this house...A LOT. Possibly more than the first house. It's an estate sale so the property is vacant right now. The inside has been updated, and we would be so so happy if we got this house.
The "executor" of the house is being completely unreasonable however. We have offered asking price for the house as well as agreed to pay for the survey. This surveys the land area to determine property lines I guess. That's an extra $800 out of our pocket. In return we've asked that he pay closing costs. This is a totally reasonable offer, very fair considering the market here, and considering that we are willing to pay asking price for the home. He has played hardball and doesn't want to cover all of the closing costs, PLUS he has now said this is basically an "as-is" property. So if the inspector gets in there (something else we will pay for) and finds a major problem, we would 1)be 100% responsible for fixing the problem OR 2)if there is a problem that is so major we don't feel we can take the house--we loose all the money we paid for the inspection PLUS our earnest money. Um--anybody in our position (just out of grad school with student loans to pay, first time home buyers with 2 kids etc) should know we don't have $1500-$2000 to just throw around willy nilly. This is a 50 year old home. Who knows if there is an underlying problem.
The house has been on the market for over 6 months now, and we are the FIRST offer this house has had. So, either this guy gets with the program and starts being fair (since we have been more than fair on our end) or he's going to be stuck paying taxes and insurance on a vacant house for quite a while longer.
We're so frustrated. Our realtor is so frustrated. Not with us, but the listing agent for this house is the same as the first house we were suppose to be buying up until last week. As far as Dixie (our realtor) is concerned, this agent has been dishonest and completely violated her oath of ethics. She's going to have words with her once this is all said and done.
So anyone wanting to buy a house in Beaumont--BEWARE OF HESTER BELL!
In all of this I can say, I am so so grateful our agent is such an honest, caring, fair person. She has been wonderful. I trust her completely and I know eventually she will find us a great house and she'll make sure we get a great deal! So, if you're interested in buying a house in Beaumont--let me know I'll hook you up with Dixie Brown, possibly the best realtor in SE Texas.

Allergic...

We now live in South East Texas--home of everything that causes people allergies. Bryant and I have never had to deal with allergies before to anything. However, we are discovering that our girls are having a hard time dealing with some of the lovely things that grow down here. Gracie's isn't too bad. She had quite the runny nose and cough for a while, but that was easily controlled with Benadryl. It's my poor Kate that has really suffered. She had such a horrible runny nose for so long. Then a horrible nasty cough was added onto that. I finally took her to the Dr when we were in Idaho for Celeste's wedding the beginning of October. The Dr. thought she may have had a sinus infection, plus all the drainage down her throat and her cough from it was causing her tonsils to be irritated.
We came home, and her nose was still running like a faucet. And it did look like she had a horrible sinus infections--just from being so plugged up for so long in her sinuses. So, back to the Dr. we went. We got more antibiotics, which did clear up the infections, and we also left with a prescription for singular. The Dr. was hoping clearing up the infection would clear up her other symptoms as well, but gave us the singular just in case.
Well, after 2 weeks of being done with antibiotics, it is evident that this little baby just has horrible allergies down here. So, I filled the singular (which cost me $145 out of pocket. So much for having awesome insurance that was so highly talked about when we took this job down here! I told Bryant to complain about the crappy prescription coverage. And NO there is no generic for singular and no other alternative for such young babies--I checked!) The medicine does seem to be helping. So, I'll suck up paying for it unless I want to deal with a never ending runny nose, constant sinus infections, and a miserable baby!

I went back to the Dr. today as well. I've been put on some new meds as well, including thyroid medication which was the purpose of my visit today. However, I have been having a horrible reaction to refined sugar. I don't eat it a lot, and after our sugar fast I really started to notice how horrible I reacted to sugar. Cold sweats, feeling of nausea and passing out, all the color draining from my face, my heart pounding 100 miles an hour. And all this within 5-10 minutes of eating refined sugar.
It's gotten to the point that I will be offered something or see something, and I know I won't be able to handle it so I just watch other people enjoy it.
Well, I talked to the Dr about this today. Honestly I was afraid I needed to be tested for full on diabetes. However, I am happy to report, I do not have diabetes. I have plenty of insulin--too much in fact, and my body doesn't know what to do with it. Basically, I am for all intent and purposes ALLERGIC TO SUGAR. Yep, that's right folks. This girl has to pretty much go on a sugar fast for the rest of my life. There is no medication for me to take. I mean, I can handle a little bit of sugar every now and then if I eat protein with it. But like a bite or two here and there is all. And you know, I'm okay with that. I mean, who doesn't like sugar? I know I do, but I HATE HATE HATE the way it makes me feel when I eat it. It's kind of like those people who are allergic to peanuts. They might like peanuts, but they'll never eat them because they swell up and have to run to the ER. It's just not worth it.
And let's be honest, this might well be the best allergy that has ever happened to me:)

House Buying Woe's

I'm finally feeling up to blogging about this for those who are interested. After looking at LOTS of houses, falling in love with one, not being able to get that one (it went into a major bidding war with 4 buyers and went up about $50,000 from the listed price), to looking again, checking into how much it would cost to do some thing to some houses, etc....we finally found one we really liked. It was in our price rage, it had almost everything we wanted in a house--it did have everything that was really important to us. Everything else that we didn't love about the house was just cosmetic--like paint, and easily remedied. We thought about the house, we drove by it several times, we looked at pictures over and over, and finally we decided that was the house for us. So, we made an offer. A really good offer as well. This house has been on the market almost a year. The offer was accepted, and the earnest money was paid. We were scheduled to close on the house January 2nd. The owners (who are an older couple who just went through a divorce apparently) signed the papers......and then they started talking to each other.....and after accepting the offer, and signing the papers they decided they didn't want to take the offer afterall. So, just like that we are back to square one. These owners, are now in big big trouble however. They are in breach of contract with us, but more than that--we found out that we are the FOURTH people they've done this to. So, their listing agent has her license on the line right now as well.
It's been disappointing for sure. Here we've made plans for this house. Figured out how we're going to decorate, what color paint we're going to use, etc. etc. and just like that, we're on the house hunt again.
Right now our big issue is that our lease is up here at our apartment Feb. 5. If we go month to month they are going to charge us over $1300 a month to live here in this tiny little 3rd floor apartment. Plus this complex expects a 60 day notice. So, we're full of mixed emotions. Do we try to find a house? Do we move into a cheaper apartment for 6 months and take our time? We don't want to stay in these apartments, but we don't want to move just to move again. It's really put us in a bad spot.
I'm sure something will work out, but what a pain in the butt!

So, there's the story!

A Special Thanksgiving

It's no secret to most of you who have kept up on my blog, that from about February 2010 to oh about August 2011--it felt like I was in crisis mode constantly. From a VERY difficult pregnancy, to packing up our apartment(packing pregnant and with a toddler, by myself as Bryant was so busy with school still), to my parents leaving on a mission to Mongolia, to moving from Washington to Oregon 35 weeks pregnant and just PRAYING I could get insurance in Oregon, to my parents leaving Mongolia because my Dad was critically ill, to having my second child, to moving from Oregon to Idaho, to potty training Gracie, to getting through one rather difficult internship, to job searching, to moving yet again from Idaho to Texas, to having some anxiety/depression issues (which I've never had to deal with before), the list just goes on and on and on. As I look back now, I don't know that I realized what a trial that year and a half was for me until it was all over. I see the incredible growth that has come from everything.

I can also see that I could not have made it through that time without the love, help and support of some very special people.
When we got to Oregon, we "house sat" for a wonderful couple who were taking a trip back to England (where he was from) for a month. Once they got home, they allowed us to stay in one of their apartments free of charge for the next 6 weeks. I can't tell you how much that helped both financially, and not having to worry about an apartment contract for the short 12 weeks we were there.
I made some amazing friends there. I practically lived at my friend Danae's house. She let me give Kate and Gracie baths at her house since it didn't really work at the apartment we were staying. She had us for dinner A LOT. She came to the hospital when I had Kate. She watched Gracie for me. My sister Kristin came a few days before I had Kate, but it was so comforting to know I had someone that would help with my 2 year old if the baby decided to come early.
The beginning of November (Kate was 2 weeks old) a group of ladies invited me to go to Time Out for Women in Portland with them. They all treated me like an old friend. It was a nice weekend. One I will never forget.

When my Dad was so so sick, I KNOW there were people literally all over the world fasting and praying for him. November 17, a code blue was called on him. The pain patch that he had dumped too much medication into his system. I am absolutely convinced the only reason he survived that is because that particular day, the Elders Quorum in our ward in Yucca Valley were fasting for him that day.

My sister spent 2 weeks with me after I had Kate. She kept Gracie for me, she changed A LOT of diapers, she cleaned up, she let me sleep, she helped me adjust to being a mom of 2 children.

My Mom---oh what can I say about my Mom---she is wonderful. I can ALWAYS count on her. In April, the company Bryant works for flew both Bryant and I down to check things out. My Mom, bless her heart, dropped everything, bought a very expensive plane ticket and came to Idaho to watch my girls so we could come alone. She has been so generous with my girls. She is the greatest grandma any kid could ever ask for. I just love and admire and respect what an amazing person my mother is, and how much she helped during my time of need.

When we got to Texas, a bunch of guys from the ELder's Quorum were here to help unload the truck--and they brought everything up 4 flights of stairs for us. I had a playdate the first week I was here. The ladies in this ward took me under their wing, and I can truly say, after just 5 short months in Texas I have some of my best friends here in Texas.
We've been invited for dinner several times. I've always had someone willing to watch my kids while I go to my Dr appointments. In fact a few weeks ago, I had to drop my kids off at 6am and I was gone ALL DAY at a specialist in Houston. I didn't get home until about 7:30 that night. I had two great friends watch my kids all day for me.

"The Lord does notice us, and he watches over us. But it is usually through another person that he meets our needs. Therefore, it is vital that we serve each other...So often, our acts of service consist of simple encouragement or of giving mundane help with mundane tasks, but what glorious consequences can flow from mundane acts and from small but deliberate deeds!" Spencer W. Kimball


I'm feeling especially full of gratitude this Thanksgiving season.