Fall Updates

Remember how your mom used to tell you "well, life just goes faster as you get older"...well, she was right about that and a few other things!  :)  Here's another update because I haven't been too on top of this blog lately.  I'd like to say it's because we've been having WAY too much fun!

October was a busy month!  Justin was away for a week for training, had some great Crossfit Heartland girls over to the house for a night of fun, traveled to Omaha to see my family and celebrate my mom's birthday, celebrated Emersen's birthday and ended the month with a dentist visit.  Woo!  Nothing too out of the norm for October but still went fast just the same.

November, now that's where it got real exciting ;)  Libby and I had a wild night of dinner, drinks, and dancing in Lincoln.  It was by far the best night of fun I have ever had with Mrs. Libby Todd.  YOU ARE SO FUN and I love you!  She is the best friend I could ever ask for and best thing is that she's never too far, has all the right words of advice, is patient and never gets too tired of me!  Last one being most important of all!  What else happened in November...a friend at work got married, I voted, caught up with my great friend, Ida, who stopped by as she traveled through GI (best surprise ever - it was so great to see you), celebrated both of my sister-in-law's birthdays, went hunting with the Davis clan, and got some fantastic news from our doctor in Omaha.

I found this on a infertility website the other day...
 God "knows the plans he has for you.  Plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to giver you hope and a future.  Then you will call upon me and come and pray to me, and I will listen to you.  You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart." Jeremiah 29: 11-13
I haven't been to church in months and to be quite honest with you, I don't want to or plan to go in the near future.  I hate to be so blunt but my faith has disappeared with the past year.  I read this the other day and wanted to believe and have faith that God does have a plan.  But I can't let myself believe that everything will be okay and that someday I will hold our child in my arms.  Hope seems such a futile thing.  Not that I am hopeless.  I just don't let myself be hopeful to the point that if disappointment hits, the fall is not so long and hard.  This has been the longest "waiting" game of my life.  I have developed a level of patience I never knew I could.  I have truly accepted the things I can not control and given my struggle up to somebody.  Whether that somebody is God, I don't know.  Someday I hope my faith returns.  But for now, it is what it is.

I would have to say the two things that pulled me out of depression were 1. Justin and 2. Crossfit.  Seems obvious with the first...Justin is the love of my life.  Simple as that...love of my life.  Crossfit - more than the exercise but also sincerely great friends I have made, having something to look forward to each day, and something to focus on other than miscarriage, doctor's visits, questions without answers.  I can put my energy into something that I can control.  And if, my body can not carry a child, then I'm going to do everything I can to make my body as healthy and strong as possible.

Oh and FYI...the Duchess is pregnant!!  :)

Lincoln!!

Dancing queen!

Blaze, my lunch buddy :)

Vacation to MinnesOOOta

We started in Maple Grove for  a relaxing Labor Day weekend on the lake.  First time of water skiing and it only took 1.5 days to figure it out!  What a fun way to be on the water! 

Too close...you need to scoot over!

Lindsey and me!  What a friend...so thankful for you!

Checking out the roadside sites on our way to Two Harbors.

Lake Superior!  Looks like the ocean...water was COLD!

Felt like squatting a rock.

Giving me pointers for when I'm on the water navigating. ;)

Out for a walk in Two Harbors.

Iron ore...it's magnetic.

Great views!

More magnetic iron ore.

Trying to stack some rocks for good luck...

I am man and these are my rocks.

Gooseberry Falls State Park. 

Split Rock Lighthouse State Park

Saved many of souls with this light house!

Fredenburg Lake...getting ready to go kayaking.

Northern woods!

Wonder what's been going on?!

I've been neglecting this blog...so, folks here's the low down on our lives the last three or so months...

July brought a wedding in Lincoln for Justin's cousin, dinner and Montgomery Gentry concert with some new friends, and the Osmond Classic.  The concert was a blast with a great view of the stage.  The wedding in Lincoln was great!  Such a beautiful wedding and time to spend with Justin's parents and family.  Our new friends from Crossfit are awesome!!  The concert was pretty good!  Grand Island is getting some pretty big acts...watch out Quest Center.  We love to work out with this group and getting the chance to hang out outside our "box" was great!  The Osmond Classic is a golf tournament with a lot of day drinking for those participating in the golf portion.  I was able to go hang out later for some evening/night drinking and have a nice time!  We love any time we get to catch up with Matt and Alana!  Great friends who we don't see enough through the year and this was a treat!

August was just as busy with a mud run, wedding shower for another cousin, family pictures in North Platte (which we are still having trouble deciding which we want because we LOVE how they turned out...THANK you Jessie!), our niece's 3rd birthday in Omaha, STATE FAIR,  and the start of our wonderful vacation to Minnesota.  The mud run was not too bad especially with the group support.  I am still amazed at how some could just glide over the hay bales (Heather!) and others had some trouble with the "ups" portion of jumping (Jamie and myself!).  It was a good turn out for the first year.  Isabella turned 3 and was the cutest Rapunzel I've ever seen!  We missed her first birthday because we were moving to Grand Island and I won't miss another.  She's so smart, cute, and well-behaved! 

September started of with that same glorious vacation.  We started in Maple Grove, MN with the VanderWerts on the lake with baby Mari.  We met a few other couples there for the holiday weekend for boating, skiing, lounging, and relaxing.  It was absolutely what the doctor ordered!!  We had such a wonderful time getting to know the other couples and soaking up cuddle time with sweet baby Mari.  THANK you Lindsey and Ben for such a FANTASTIC time.  We can't wait for more trips with you guys!!  Our cousin was married in Broken Bow this month as well!  It was a beautiful wedding with the sunset in the background on a pasture in Berwyn.  We had such a fun time visiting with family, dancing, and celebrating marriage!! 

And lastly over the course of the last few months we have been pursuing different doctors for some help so we can have a successful pregnancy.  We have found a good center in Omaha and are in the midst of meeting with the doctor, having blood draws, discussing treatment options, and enjoying our time together trying not to stress about trying to have a baby!  Our vacation really helped us relax and get away from life!  We are doing well and have faith in the program we are in now.  So, hopefully in the future, we'll have some answers.  Only time will tell...so pray that the doctors we are seeing have the knowledge and insight they need to help us.  To be honest, having a child seems very far out of reach but we are okay now.  We are doing all that we can and that's enough.  So, that's that. 

Springing into Summer!!

It's been a bit since our last update!  I can't believe how fast the weeks fly by when the weather gets nice and we are outside each night doing yard work, walking Blaze, running errands, or whatever needs to be done that day after work.  Spring was over in a flash here in Grand Island...it's been 90 degrees at least more that twice this month.  June 20th will bring the official summer season but it's acting like it already!

We've been busy working...Justin went to some continuing education for the past few weeks leaving Blaze and I here to fend for ourselves.  We were real glad when he came home for the weekends and then for good later in the month.  I have been busy working at the clinic, a SNF, and on a weekend rotation at the hospital.  I really enjoy my job and have learned a LOT in this first year.  For all my SLP friends, we picked a great field, didn't we?!  I've been to a couple of continuing education courses this past year and am looking forward to more!

Justin and I have been with Crossfit Heartland since earlier this year.  We LOVE it.  I had gone to Crossfit Omaha before we moved to Grand Island.  I really missed that type of workout.  Justin had done Crossfit in camp and on his own after graduation.  We were THRILLED when a gym opened here.  It's the best group of people.  We've made some fantastic friends and look forward to going each day.  It's so fun because each day is different and regardless of ability, you can fit right into a WOD.  Everything is tailored to your level of fitness.  Best thing that has happened here in Grand Island since moving here!!

I started playing sand volleyball with a group of girls I work with at GIPT.  Luckily for them, I am still as "good" as I was last year. :)  We already won more than we did in the past, so we're ahead!  Justin has been golfing quite a bit this spring and been able to relax a bit.  Despite his hectic work schedule, he's been able to make a few short trips.  This past weekend he went to see a good friend in Sidney.  He doesn't get to enjoy himself too often but when he does, he makes the most of it!! :)  We've gone to the river on the hot days to cool off.  Blaze LOVES water this year.  He was a little timid and scared the first time...but he's overcome those fears and is now a swimming machine!  It's hilarious to see him paddling along after a dummy.  We had a baby shower for Lindsey in April which was a hit!  Little Mari made her grand appearance early but is at home with her parents.  It was so great to see Lindsey and Ben!!  Thanks Sally for co-hosting!!

BIG news...we got a new car!!  The Yaris is no longer.  Aren't you sad?  I traded in the 40 mile/gallon tin can for a 19 mile/gallon steel box.  I will no longer be blown away on the interstate, slide through the snow, get back spasms, make my foot go numb from long trips, etc.  Our new SUV is fantastic.  We love the room and all the perks of a brand new car!!

Here are some picture updates....

 Getting ready to run through the sprinklers!  YES!!

 Sweet Mari :)

 You are beautiful!!

 Lindsey's baby shower!!

Family Pictures!