Gardening... apartment style

Ever since I started cooking, I have wanted to plant an herb garden. Every summer I would tell Sam, "When we get a house..." Well we have been married 3 years and still haven't settled down, so this summer we decided to make it happen, house or no house. Pots galore now line our stairwell, and I am loving being able to snip me herbs whenever I feel like it. Now if I can just keep them alive...

Here we go again...

Sam got a new toy. This means I can buy all the clothes I want for the next 10 years without any guilt :) We have had so much fun going on long Sunday drives and making short trips around town on it. Last weekend we took a trip to Park City and it is amazing how much more you appreciate the scenery when you aren't cooped up in a car. More pictures to come throughout the summer...

I did it!!!

I can't believe it - my cleanse is complete. After every medicine and procedure I have tried not working, Sam and I decided to go the natural route for my infertility problems. I found a doctor in Park City that specializes in that, and when she suggested starting out with a cleanse, I didn't think twice. After gagging down my first of many, many shakes and absolutely starving that first day, I did not think I would survive. Three weeks later, and 10 pounds lighter, I am finished, after eating only vegetables, fruit, potatoes, rice, and the grossest shakes you have ever tasted. Imagine drinking mold. A big glass of mold, three times a day. Not even joking. The weird part is, I kind of got used to it. Not the shakes, but the food. Fruit and vegetables actually make great snacks, who would have thought. Not that I don't have my list of every single restaurant and kind of junk food I am planning to dive into... Cheesecake Factory being #1. Doesn't my doctor know I have fine tuned my body to run on chocolate and Mexican food?

Baby Joziah's Blessing

I love St. George. There aren't many places I can see myself living, but that is one of them. We had a fun day down to see baby Joziah get blessed. Being with family for blessings are one of my favorites. After church we relaxed, walked along the golf course trails in perfect 80 degree weather, and everyone else ate while I drank my nasty powder (more to come on that).

This golf course is right across the street from Matt and Jill's house. I love to run its path when we visit - brings me back to my high school running days (golf courses were the place to run - in 110 weather, the grass was much cooler to run on than the black asphalt).

Proud Daddy - Matt is such a great dad dad and brother-in-law. Him and Jill spoil us every time we visit.

Time is flying.

What a happy 3 years. It's been a blast.

Not so traditional Easter

Easter this year included none of our favorite traditions, but was totally relaxing and, thanks to General Conference, totally inspiring. Sam and I slept in, made a huge breakfast together, and ate it while we watched the morning session. Due to my cleanse, we didn't do Easter baskets, but bought some of our favorite fruits instead. For our big dinner, we skipped the ham and decided to make our 2 favorites: Sam made shrimp (my favorite) while I made his favorite sweet potatoes, a.k.a. brown sugar, butter, and marshmallow gloop. We bought all the stuff to color eggs, but ended up going to see Wayne and Kenzi instead, who just had an adorable baby girl. I usually am huge on traditions, but this Easter we skipped most of them and it was one of my favorite days yet. I give most of the credit to Conference, which somehow took away my worries and filled me with gratitude towards my Savior.

Babies, everywhere.

Provo is a hard place to live when you want a baby badly but can't have one. Pregnant ladies and babies are everywhere. And I mean everywhere. Babies at church, babies at the mall, babies in strollers, babies in the grocery store, babies everywhere with huge, flower headbands.

This last year has been filled with lots of injections, pills, more injections, and lots of uncomfortable procedures, all in hopes of having one of our own.

The strange thing is, even with all the doctors telling us no, we both just know it's going to happen. Probably not soon, but someday.

For one of the first times in my life I have felt direct whisperings from my Heavenly Father telling me,

"It's going to be ok. It's going to end up a better ending than you could dream up on your own."

I trust that feeling. I trust the God has a plan for each of us, a plan greater than we could ever create by ourselves. I consider it a tender mercy, from my Heavenly Father, to feel this way when so much else is telling me not to. I love the following film. Watch it, you will too.

APriL fOoLs

With a little photo shop, Sam tricked everyone in his family. No one in mine believed it... I guess my family is just so much smarter than his... either that, or my family lies a whole lot more than his does, so we just don't believe each other anymore :)

Quick Trip to AZ

There is nothing quite like going home. This last trip was a blast. I enjoyed every minute of hanging out with my family in that warm Arizona sun! Trips like these make it awfully hard to live so far away from family. I was finally able to see Ethan in action at his baseball game. He gets so into the game and got out a bunch of kids on 1st base.

Kade entertained us by shaking his booty while balancing. He is the cutest dancer.

1 hour in the sun = sunburn. Sad.

This was my favorite part of the trip. We shopped all afternoon and ended it with the Cheesecake Factory.

Since Sam was in Utah, I had lots of sleepovers with my sisters. They included the traditional presents (contest to see who can find the weirdest thing to give away), what-if questions, and truth or dare. No, I am not still12. But I can still appreciate a good sleep over :)

It was so nice to be able to spend most of our time outside. We played beach volleyball, badmitton, tennis, and went on bike rides. I was in heaven.

We talked Brooke into seeing if she could still spin around the bar... she used to be able to do it faster than any of us. 3 kids later and she's still got it! he he. Brooke is the greatest big sister. She spoils us all almost as much as our mom and is the best mom to her little boys.

My Mom is amazing. She is so much fun to be around, spends all her time doing things for others, and spoils us like crazy every time we visit. Her and my father are such great parents.

twenty-six, yikes!

Inching closer and closer to 30.... it's starting to scare me! Because after 30, is 40. However, the day was wonderful. I woke up early to a TP'd house with all sorts of funny signs. Sam is a real trooper to carry on my family's traditions. We went to an early breakfast at Mimi's, I worked most of the day, and came home from work to flowers, dinner with Sam, and a late night movie at home. I think Sam was exhausted by the time the day was over :)

My wishes for year 26: 1. a BABY! 2. that our jobs work out 3. that if our jobs don't work out, one in Hawaii does 4. increased peace and balance in my life

(Don't be alarmed by the bloody neck, it's just Bella)