Tuesday, June 11, 2013

Seattle

Over Memorial Day weekend we made the last minute decision to go with Dillon's parents to Washington.  We were hoping that Dillon would have been able to start working by that time but, since ISU messed up on his paperwork that he needed to get his temporary license in order to start work, not once but TWICE, he was still not able to start work yet.  So, the decision was made, bags were packed and the L.O.N.G drive began!  I took off work on Thurs and we spent all day in the car.  We finally made it to Seattle that night around 9:00.  Friday we spent the day seeing the sights with our tour guide Landon (Dillon's brother) who is going to grad school up there.  

He showed us the University of Washington campus...





And took us to Pike Place Market...
The famous gum wall!
While at Pike Place Market we snagged us some lunch at the Crab Pot and couldn't resist taking our pictures :)
Dillon's mom and dad
The happy crabbers :)
After walking around the market for a few hours the sun was starting to come out and we were in need of some relaxing.  So, off to the beach it was :)  Landon took us to Alki beach where we had an amazing view of the city. 
We ended up just sitting at the beach, people watching and enjoying the sunshine.  It was so nice to just sit and talk and enjoy the beautiful view.  After a few hours, we piled back into the car, found some dinner and headed to Safeco Field to watch the Mariners take on the Texas Rangers.  

It was a really fun game.  Cold,  but fun!  Unfortunately the Mariners couldn't quite pull out a win, but they sure made the last inning an exciting one!  

The next morning we were up and headed out to go and see Dillon's grandparents that live about 3 hours from Seattle in Tri-Cities.  Dillon's grandpa has Parkinson's and has not been doing well as of late.  It was so good to go and see him and spend some time with him and Dillon's grandma.  We were also able to see Dillon's great-grandma who is just down the hall and around the corner from her son in the nursing home :) and spend time with Dillon's aunt and uncle and cousins.  I don't know why, but I didn't get any pictures while we were there :(  
But it was a great (quick) trip and so fun to spend time with Dillon's parents and see some of his family that we don't get to see as often!

Thursday, May 30, 2013

Graduation

He did it. 
We did it.  
It finally happened.
Congratulations Idaho State University's 
Masters of Occupational Therapy
Graduating Class of 2013!!


HUGE thank you to these guys,  Terry and Travis.  I'm pretty sure Dillon has spent more time on the phone talking to and texting these two guys over the past three years than he has with me.  In fact, I'm sure of it :)

Here are a few pictures from the graduation dinner and hooding Friday night (May 10th) and actual graduation Saturday morning (May 11th).
Dr Brian Gee hooding Dillon
Dillon's mom and sister Tosha came to the dinner with us.
The Darringtons.  Can't wait for Dillon and Terry to plan hunting trips so Sarah and I can plan some girl time!

Graduation morning with Dillon's mom
Dillon's sister Taya and her husband Chase were able to come also.  Thanks guys!
These two didn't come to graduation but joined us for some yummy lunch at Texas Roadhouse to celebrate

And it just so happened that a friend of mine from High School was hooded and graduated with Dillon as a Doctor of Physical Therapy.
Congrats Jess, it was SO good to see you!
After the graduation festivities, it was off to celebrate with a weekend away at Bear Lake!
 The lady I work with that owns a condo at Bear Lake and let us stay last year for Memorial day, offered her condo to us yet again.  We were so grateful to her for her generosity and for the chance to get away and enjoy the amazingly warm weather and celebrate Dillon's amazing accomplishment!
 I love you babe!  Congratulations again.  Can't wait to start the next chapter of our lives together.

Saturday, May 18, 2013

Easter & Birthday

The timing of my surgery was not ideal since in my family, Easter is kind of a big deal!  My mom and dad had planned to fly home for the holiday (which doubled as my dad and I's birthday), the big egg hunt was planned and family pictures were scheduled.  And... I had to go and have surgery just 4 days before the party weekend.  Oh boy.  But, the night before surgery we were able to invite the Bastow's over for some egg dying fun!
Such silly kids!
Trying to show their "Lukas" and "Sofia" eggs.
 Easter weekend turned out great, despite being so close to surgery.  I got the catheter and balloon out of my uterus on Friday and Saturday morning we were up bright and early to head to Preston.  We got there just in time to head over to the city park to meet the photographer for pictures.  We had our pictures done by Alana Lange Photography.  She does an AMAZING job for which I am very grateful since I did NOT feel as good as she made me look :)
Me and my love!
My cute mommy and daddy!  Can't wait to go see them in July
All of us kids with mom and dad
Normal siblings.  Right?
We can be normal
Grandma and Grandpa with all the grandkids.  We have the CUTEST nieces and nephews for sure!
The WHOLE fam being normal.
I love my family!
Of course after the pictures it was time for the real fun!  We headed back to my sister Nicole's house for the big egg hunt.  A total of 500 eggs for everyone to find.  That is a LOT of eggs!!  First was the little kids turn.
Then the big kids turn!
The eggs were near and far and everywhere!  Seeing as how we've always done our egg hunt in Star Valley and pretty well know where to go for eggs, this year was a little bit trickier having it at Nicole and Bills in Preston.  I changed back into my PJ pants and got my little helper Jack Jack to walk around with me and pick up some of the 'easy' eggs for me.  After about 10 mins I was spent and let everyone else find eggs for me while I hung out in the house with this cutie and my Grandma Brough that came to join in the craziness.
 Once everyone had looked long enough and given up, it was time for prizes!
 All the grandkids got these ADORABLE hats that grandma made for them!
The rest of the day was filled with Easter candy, yummy food, birthday cake...
birthday presents, well me stealing my dad's presents...
and eventually....
... a much needed nap :)
It was such a fun, and tiring, day.  After a good nights sleep we were able to spend Easter Sunday, and my birthday, in Smithfield enjoying the day at my Grandma Brough's house with her and my aunt and uncle and cousins.  
Overall it was a great, exhausting, Easter & Birthday weekend.

Friday, March 22, 2013

2013 Reset Button

We are only 3 months into 2013, but oh what a year it has been already.  Two weekends ago Dillon and I were talking about how we needed to find the Reset button on 2013 and start it all over.  We have had one thing right after another creep into our lives.

Dillon got hit with a cold the end of Jan and it lasted F.O.R.E.V.E.R!  Like from the end of Jan til the first part of March forever.  Just when we would think he was getting on top of it he would have one, maybe two pretty good days and then it would be back, full force or worse.

As he was fighting his nasty nasty cold and fighting to stay well enough to go to his 40 + hour a week (unpaid) internship everyday he was also fighting to find the time and energy to work on his professional project.  The professional project that his advisor had dropped the ball on and had to come out with a very rigorous schedule Dillon and his group have to follow in order to get done in time.  If the schedule wasn't/isn't followed exactly, graduation could be pushed to August.  PLEASE NO!

In January we were planning to do a third IUI to try to become pregnant.  We almost weren't able to do it with timing and weekends and schedules and everything else which caused a few very stressful days.  But, we ending up being able to have it done.  Only to find out it was unsuccessful. :( AND, the ultrasound tech noticed I have a heart shaped uterus that would need a closer look if we didn't become pregnant and possibly surgery. :(

We were hoping to have a nice relaxing birthday weekend for Dillon on the 22nd of February but Dillon was STILL not feeling well and to top it off he got pulled over on our way to a birthday dinner at Texas Roadhouse with his family and got hit with a nice little speeding ticket.  So much for a relaxing birthday.

For the next few weeks we continued jugging along; Dillon busting his butt at his internship and working on his professional project every spare second; me going to work, babysitting Mon and Wed afternoons, cleaning house for a lady every other Tues, going to mutual Tues nights, coaching YW volleyball and playing women's volleyball Wed nights.

The first Wed in March I spent all evening coaching our wards YW in our stake tournament.  I had to wait for Dillon to get home from his internship to finish babysitting for me before I could head over to the Stake Center.  I was in a huge hurry to get there before I was too late and didn't stop to get gas on my way in.  Bad choice.  After my girls got eliminated from the tournament (they played hard though), one of the dad's offered to take us to go get ice cream.  On the way I ran out of gas.  My first time ever to run out of gas, and let me tell you, it will also be my last.  It wasn't as easy as I thought it would be to just have Dillon come in and fill it up with some gas while we got our ice cream and be done with it.  Oh no, 2 hours later (about 11pm) we got home with only one car.  We had tried everything but couldn't get the car to start.  Turns out when I ran it out of gas I blew the fuel pump.  Awesome.  Mechanics were going to charge anywhere from $400 to $600 to fix it.  I lost it and became a huge emotional mess for 2 straight days.

The next week we went in for the closer look at my heart shaped uterus by having a Hysterosonogram and it was confirmed that I would need surgery.  I have been on my parents insurance but my birthday is coming up quick and I will turn 26, thus kicking me off of my parents insurance.  So, if we were going to be having surgery it needed to happen right away or would have to wait however many months until Dillon gets a job with insurance. 

Isn't it amazing how when it rains, it pours?  Truly.  Every time, without fail.  These 3 months of 2013 have tested us to our limits.  But do you know what else is amazing?  That even amongst the trials Heavenly Father gives us, He doesn't leave us to go through them alone.  He helps us make it through each and every one.  It is amazing to look back over the last 3 months and see just how the Lord has blessed us through each and every trial.  He loves us, He truly truly does. 

We were able to finally get our hands on a prescription for Dillon's cold and it cleared it up within days.  And I was able to stay healthy the entire time he was sick (nothing short of a miracle for my immune system!)

Dillon's group has been able to stay on track with their project and they are so very close to being done.

Dillon's internship advisors have been so good to work with him and allow for time off for sickness when he needed it and for time off to run to Dr appointments with me.

Because of this IUI we were able to discover the heart shape of my uterus and because it was unsuccessful we were able to take a closer look and discover that yes we would need surgery but that that was good news because it means the heart shape can be fixed; increasing our chances with fertility and decreasing our risk of miscarriage.

Dillon was able to take back his birthday presents, boo :( , and have just enough money to pay his speeding ticket.

I have an amazing coworker who has an amazing husband and son who was willing to come and help Dillon put a new fuel pump in the car.  Saving us hundreds of dollars.

My dad's new job in Alaska came with amazing insurance that will cover most of the cost of the surgery and we were able to get it all approved and set up to happen before my birthday.

I have been saving my cleaning and babysitting money so far this year in my sock drawer for a rainy day.  I ended up having almost exactly what we needed to cover the new fuel pump and what we owe upfront for surgery. 

The Lord loves us.  Even when we feel totally and completely forsaken, He is there.  He wants to and will help us find the strength to 'climb our mountains.'


"Strength is not something you have, but something God helps you find" Emma Smith

Here is to a better last 9 months of 2013!