The Countdown has Begun

  In less than one week we will be moving into our new house! (Well, it's new to us.) Since closing a couple of weeks back, Ryan and I have been busy going through and packing up our possessions. I have been a little worried about how we would fill our new home with the items we have but, now that we've packed up most of it, I'm a little worried our new house might not be big enough!
  I've been trying really hard to remain organized and marking all of the boxes as specific as I can to make the unpacking process as easy as possible. I was a lot better about it towards the beginning, and now just kind of throwing the last few knick-knacks where ever they will fit. One of the many benefits of being a homemaker is actually having the time to "make the home" once we move!
  I've, of course, been "pinning" tons of advice on packing and moving, but most of them seem to be for cross-country moving. We are fortunate enough to only be moving a few miles away from where we currently are and live rather close to a lot of my side of the family who will be talked into helping us move! (Hey, it's finally payback for all of the things I help them with!) The best advice I can give is:

• Start packing as soon as possible (and don't drag it out!):
• The sooner you get everything packed up and ready to go the more time you'll have to focus on other things towards the end of your time being in your "old" place, like making sure you've updated your address with your family, friends, doctors, magazine subscriptions, bank, and notifying your utility providers. Yes, your house might be a wreck for a little bit, but having it ready to go will be a weight off your shoulders (until you actually have to move it!). 
• I had Ryan help me pack a bag like we were going on vacation for a few weeks and everything else got boxed up. I even packed up all of our bathroom stuff and am putting to good use my stock of hotel shampoo, conditioners and soaps that I've been saving for a rainy day.
• Put stuff in things:

• I know, pretty obvious one here, but I don't simply mean "books in boxes" (although you should do that too), I mean put all of those empty spaces to good use. When moving, whether it's a long distance or not, space becomes very valuable. Plus the fewer trips you have to make the better (especially in this heat wave we've been having in Utah). The kitchen is the best place that I've found to put this advice to good use. Mixing bowls, Crockpot, rice cooker, bread maker; these all have empty spaces in the middle and make the perfect vessels for all of those little kitchen gadgets and spices that you have! Just remember to check all those pots and pans when you're unpacking, otherwise you'll spend a lot of money replacing all of those things that you'll think have gone missing in the move.
• Pizza and Root Beer:
• My family, unlike my friends that have helped me move in the past, doesn't drink beer, but any drink will do. *important note: make sure to have plenty of cold water bottles handy for the actual "moving" portion of the day and save the specialty drinks for when the food is served at the end. Never underestimate the power of a free meal!

  Closing on this house has been a long process that's taken a lot out of us, but now that it's getting closer to moving day our spirits are definitely lifting. I can't wait to get settled in and begin turning our house into a home! 

Happy Birthday to Me!!

 What better day than my birthday to start the ball rolling on my blog again. New beginnings and whatnot.

   Today I turned 30! I would like to think that exclamation point was out of pure excitement, but it's really out of shock! 30 always seemed like the age where you were suppose to have everything figured out (and I know you older people will laugh at that now that you too know better). While I feel like I'm well on my way to that--I still feel like it's still so far away.
  29 was such a good year for me--I can see why so many women choose to stay there. At 29 I had just gotten married, bought a new car and now a new house. (Whew!) I would not change one thing about my life but, if given the chance, there is a lot I feel I would have liked to have done differently. But then I wouldn't be who I am and where I am right now, which is married to the love of my life and so happy and grateful for everything I have.
  We have also started trying to have a baby, and most of you know our struggles with that, but we are still very hopeful. I know we'll get our baby, when the time is right, and it's meant to happen. And when it does happen, my life will be all the more perfect! Maybe 30 will be the year!
  I really don't think 30 is going to be that bad at all, I just don't feel that old. I like to think that I'm still 25, but when I think about where I was at 25--I'm pretty excited to be 30!

Am I Less of a Woman?

 In honor of National Infertility Awareness Week, I would like to share my story.

  Today is April 23rd, 2013, but that is not where this story begins. My symptoms, like most people with my condition, started gradually and therefore usually mistaken for other medical problems. And because they happen so gradually, you start to tell yourself that these things are normal and find your own ways to deal with them. I would tell myself that my dry scalp was from the season changing or the type of shampoo I was using. I would tell myself that the stray course dark hairs growing on my chin were just from my hairy family genes. I told myself that the reason my eyes were drying out so fast was from sleeping in my contacts too often, even though they are suppose to be extended wear lenses. I told myself that my inability to lose my extra abdominal weight was due to lack of discipline, even though I eat fairly healthy and exercise 3 times a week. My headaches, my troubles sleeping and most importantly my inability to conceive a child after a year of trying; I had excuses for all of them. But it wasn't until my fear of never having a child of my own got so big that I finally went to see a fertility specialist, and I was diagnosed with PCOS, that everything started making sense.
  I feel like I should have been more shocked after hearing the diagnosis of Polycystic Ovary Syndrome, or relieved, or scared, but what I really felt was . . . nothing. It's like there was this calm around me and I just knew, and everything became super clear. It's as if everything that I had just come to accept as normal, finally made sense. After leaving the doctor's office that day, with prescriptions in hand, I thought that things just had to get better from there. Boy was I ever wrong! That was only the tip of the iceberg! Since then I've been poked and prodded every which way possible. I've had more blood drawn and tested than I ever have before in my life combined. I'm on a medication that is suppose to be making me feel better, but the side effects of diarrhea, headaches, extreme exhaustion, nausea, muscle pain, bloating and gas (which puts my husband's to shame) are getting almost worse the the side effects from the PCOS. I say almost because, while it is horribly unbearable and I feel completely useless at times, I know that it's working. And I know that there is hope for me and my husband to have the baby that we are fighting like hell for.
  My goal is not to change the direction of this blog, but to inform and have awareness for these things. This is very much a real thing and something that I no longer have to make excuses for. While it is not always as easy to deal with as I may make it out to seem, I am doing the best that I can. I am taking some much needed time for me and taking care of myself. I do not intend to distract this blog from it's originally intention, but I will occasionally be making updates about my progress, and am here to answer any questions if there happen to be any. I am not about to go all "gung-ho" advocate about this disease, but I think talking about it and letting others know that they are not alone in their struggles is a good thing.

For more information please go to SoulCysters.com and while you're there you can also check out the wonderful support on their message board!

What is it with men and grilling?!?

My little Grill Master!

  Now, I'm sure that you are all very aware at this point just how much I love my husband, and in case you don't, it's a lot! But I trust him in the kitchen about as far as I can throw a stick. Maybe it's the fact that even though we have lived in our house for almost 2 years and he still doesn't know where anything is or where anything goes. (Sorry babe, you know I love you!). So when he decided that he wanted to break in our new grill for his birthday, I just assumed I'd be doing that too. Boy was I ever wrong!!

  He went outside and took over that grill like he had been doing it his entire life. Like every thing in his life was leading up to this moment of being the man of the house and grilling out back on Sundays. It was amazing to watch him shine in such a way. It reminded me of the first time that we went camping together and I was a little concerned about my somewhat clumsy husband. Not to mention that the last thing you would mistake my computer programming husband for is the outdoorsy, Paul Bunyan type. But once again, I was shocked and amazed as he took over chopping the wood and building the fire like a pro!! 

I did still get to make
him cupcakes!!

 I think that as woman we get so use to just doing everything our selves that we truly do forget that our husbands are capable human beings, and I mean that in the most loving way possible. We, as women, also torture ourselves by trying to juggle everything instead of giving anyone else the opportunity to step in and help. And we all have our reasons, things we say to convince ourselves that it's better this way: "I can get it done faster myself", "they don't do it the way that I would". And that is probably true, they might not do it, whatever it is, the way you would. But we really just need to remember that it doesn't matter 'how' it gets done, as long as it gets done. Yes, your husband might empty the dishwasher and put the cups in the wrong cabinet, or worse, in the right cabinet but on the wrong shelf or wrong order. But it the end, the dishwasher is still empty (and, if you've properly trained him, loaded with the next dirty batch). 

   We can't complain that they don't do anything, and we do everything, if we don't leave them anything to do. And who knows, they might just surprise you with how they shine!

P.S. Since it's been a little while since I've written (promise I'll be better), I just wanted to remind you that you can follow me on PINTEREST and also find me on my FACEBOOK FAN PAGE!

Wedding Playlist

   The best decision I ever made was marrying my husband. The second best decision I ever made was having him make a CD copy of all of the songs we had playing during the reception. We, like I think a lot of other people, decided to compile our own playlist for our reception which made the evening even more personalized. We hand picked every song and had everything from Michael Jackson to Sam Cooke and from Hanson and The Cure to Neutral Milk Hotel. We had over 5 hours of music, including first dances, father-daughter dance and the song I walked down the aisle too (I didn't want the conventional "here comes the bride" song). 
 And now, nearly 8 months since that wonderful day, I will be driving down the road and the song that I walked down the aisle too will come on as I'm shuffling through the CD, and it takes me right back. I usually can't make it through the whole song without tears swelling up in my eyes. And I remember holding onto my father's arm as we rounded the corner, and how all of the butterflies in my stomach floated away the second I locked eyes with the love of my life. All I remember after that was the song and the look on his face, I couldn't even tell you who else was in the room. (I mean, obviously I know who else was there, but in that moment there was no one else.) I had found this piano version of the song that I wanted, and even though it cuts off a little early on the end, I had made it to the end of the aisle and the song was turned of long before that point.


 The rest of the music is our favorite songs, songs that mean something to us, songs that we use to sing to each other over late night calls and every time I hear them I remember all of that. It's a wonderful trip down the memory lane of our relationship and a constant reminder of our love.

Preparing for the Big Game!!

  It's that time of year again where we gather around the tv to hoot, holler and root for our favorite players and team, and our home is no exception to this. I'm not sure about my husband, but as for me, I've got my money on Abilene. What? You haven't heard of her. Oh yes, I said her. She's a 10 week old Australian Shepherd mix with the bluest eyes you've ever seen. I guess I should explain that the event I'm referring to is not football, at least not in the conventional sense. The game I'm referring to is the Puppy Bowl!

  No, we are definitely not big sports fans in this house, in fact I wouldn't even say that we're "little" sports fans. But we still enjoy the tailgating food and drinks, and what's football without hot wings! This year we are working on cutting down the costs of our grocery bill and stretching our dollars a little further since we're trying to save up for our first home. The biggest way we saved money with the hot wings, was not to use wings. For half the price of a bag of frozen wings, you can get a dozen big drumsticks! I'm using a simple recipe that I found HERE on Pinterest that looks super delicious and easy to throw together.
  We'll also be having a quick and easy Asian meatball (which I've talked about before HERE) and Ryan's favorite salsa that I make, my corn salsa. (Well I actually got the recipe from my best friend, but you know how that goes.)
For the corn salsa you need :
2 cans of corn, drained and rinsed
1/4 red onion, diced
1/2 red pepper, diced
1/2 green pepper diced
1/2 orange pepper, diced
1 can of olives, diced
about 4 tbsp olive oil
about 2 tbsp apple cider vinegar
salt & pepper, to taste

  Just mix it all together and it's ready to go! What I love most about this salsa, is that if you don't have all of the ingredients, then you can kind of just throw together what you have. For example, I only had red peppers, so that's the only pepper I used. If you don't like olives, leave them out. If you want to dice up and throw in some avocado, do it! (It's a great addition! If you do add them make sure to squeeze in a little lime juice as well.) And with the salsa we'll be making our own tortilla chips!
  Whatever game you'll be watching tomorrow, I hope that you're surrounded by food, friends and fun!

February 14th is Everyday

  This year I was thinking about doing one of those "30 days of love" things that I'm sure we've all seen on Pinterest, but as I was reading over the daily "chores", I realized that I did a lot of them already. Now, I'm not saying that I'm perfect, far from it, but I try everyday to take a moment and really think about how lucky I am to have my husband and what I can so for him. And I know that it sounds cheesy, but everyday is Valentine's day in our house. (I said it was going to be cheesy).
  Some of the things that were included on this list were leave him a sweet note, make his favorite food, thank him for all he does for you and your family, forgive him when he makes a mistake and encourage your husband. Those seem like simple enough things that we should all be doing anyway. And I understand that the point is to make sure that we're taking time for those things, and each other, and that sometimes that's not the easiest thing in the world. And some of the things on the list are things that we're all constantly striving for: imagine how it feels to be in your husband's shoes, go a whole day without correcting him, don't interrupt him when's he's talking and think positive thoughts about him all day. (Sometimes those are the hardest things.)
  My husband and I have always talked about how we don't need one special day a year to let the other person know how we feel. I'm not saying don't do anything special for Valentine's, I think it's fun to do something extra special. (I've got a little something special up my sleeve that I'll be telling you about later.) I think that it's just as easy to go above and beyond every other day of the year as well! You married that man for a reason. You made promises to each other to go above and beyond for each other. So make time for it. It's the most important thing that you could possibly make time for. Trust me, the laundry can wait. (And we are all putting off the laundry as long as we can anyway!)
  You don't always have to like your husband, but you made a promise to always love him, so make sure he knows it. And, trust me, when you go above and beyond for him, he is sure to return the favor!