Really Great Experience.

So, yesterday I was having a little bit of a rough day. Jon and I are in the midst of a logistical debate about when to have another baby, and between his job, my education, and our insurance refusing to cover maternity, it's sort of a nightmare. It's been on my mind a LOT lately, and I wasn't really sure if it was because I WANTED another baby, or felt like we were SUPPOSED to have another baby, or just felt PRESSURED by the outside world (read: well meaning family and friends) to have another baby. I was starting to wonder if my decision to pursue medicine really was selfish and not compatible with good parenting like so many other well meaning people I know seem to believe. By the end of the night I was really a little bit down about it.

Well, I went to sleep, and had an AMAZING dream. In this dream, it was PERFECTLY CRYSTAL CLEAR that I was making the right choices in my life, and that not only was it okay for me to pursue medical school, but it truly is something I was MEANT to do. I woke up this morning feeling totally refreshed, and totally supported, not by Jon or anyone else (I already felt supported by Jon), but with confidence that Heavenly Father not only supported my decision, but that He made this plan for me. He put this love into me, this thing inside me that awakens when I'm in the OR, or talking with physicians. It's not a struggle, or a temptation, or something that I have to overcome in order to be a good parent, it's what makes me who I am, and it's something that He wants me to pursue.

I feel like a HUGE weight has been lifted off of my chest this morning. I know it will still be a long road, and that I will have to work extra hard to ensure that my child(ren) are still the most important things in my life, and that my husband knows how much I love him, and appreciate him, but today, the task doesn't seem so insurmountable, and my lingering "doubts," have all but vanished. What a phenomenal experience. I have to admit, I've never really had one of those Earth Shattering, the Lord is talking to you right NOW moments, but looking back over the past week, I can honestly see His work in my life. And, it's a pretty great feeling. For example, the other day, when I was having the same doubts, I decided to flip to a random page in my "daily devotional" book from the D&C. (Or I should say, Doctrine and Covenants, since Jon HATES that abbreviation). The devotional for the day (April 23) said this:

"For all have not every gift given unto them. For there are many gifts and to every man given a gift by the spirit of God. To some is given one, and to some is given another, that all may be profited thereby."

Then, Tuesday, when I was struggling with the fact that I struggle so often with the church, and it seems to come more difficulty to me than those around me, I flipped to the devotional for Tuesday, and it read:

"I John saw that he received not of the fulness at first, but received grace for grace; and he received not of the fulness at first, but continued from grace to grace until he received a fulness."

Anyway, I'm usually not one to talk about my faith, be it struggles with it, or victories pertaining to it, publicly, I'm pretty private in that sense. But, I felt so loved and uplifted by these experiences, that I felt like I HAD to share them.

PS-In case any of you are still wondering, we still haven't come to a decision regarding another baby, so no need to ask! :P

Class is in session!

Literally. Today is the first day of fall classes at UVU. I don't have classes until tomorrow evening, but I went up there this morning to fill out some paperwork and officially change majors and it was a MADHOUSE up there!

There's something about the atmosphere on the first day of fall classes that is unbeatable. The sun's shining, people are EVERYWHERE, asking you to get involved in EVERYTHING. It's so youthful, exuberant, and ALIVE! I really think I could be a permanent student, I enjoy the atmosphere so much! Which, I suppose, is a good thing considering how long I'll be in school at this point.

I met with a new advisor to figure out which pre-med major suits me best, since "pre-med" itself isn't a major. She recommended the Biotechnology major because it includes all of the classes required for med school admissions, as well as a research component, which is something I've been wondering how I will accomplish so it seems as though it will be a perfect fit for me! She tried to talk me into switching some classes this semester, but I had to remind her (and myself) that I'm taking it a little slower than most students, so that I can still be a great Mom to Landon. Not to mention that I'd already purchased (and opened) the $206.00 book for my physiology class!

We also had our first meeting for Anatomy Teaching Assistants, and I was able to secure the hours I wanted, so that I'm able to be a TA, but also keep my time on campus to 2 evenings per week. So I TAKE classes on Tuesdays from 5-9:30 pm, and Thursdays from 5-6:15 pm, and I help TEACH classes on Thursdays from 7p-Midnight! This way, Landon's asleep most of the time I'm gone and doesn't miss me!

Jon is taking an intro to business class, as well as a meteorology class that sounds really interesting. Maybe in a couple of weeks he'll be predicting the weather for us! I think he'd be a GREAT weatherman, but it's just an elective credit to fill his science requirement. His classes are all online so he only has to go on campus to take tests at his liesure (because he has SOOOOO much liesure time, ya know).

And Landon must have had an absolute BALL at Josh's football game last week, because all week he's been saying "Go Cray at Football Game" which translates to "Go PLAY at the football game!" So, we'll definitely be at the next game as well. Even if it was $12.00 for admission which is ASTRONOMICAL in my book! Oh well, Go Tigers!

Alright, it seems to be time to put the baby (who's not so much a baby anymore) down for his nap, so I'd better cut this short, get him to sleep, and begin organizing my school stuff. Hope everyone else is having a great week as well!

Friday Night Lights!

On Friday night, we had the opportunity to go see our nephew, Josh, play football at Orem High. It was a LOT of fun, with all the cousins there, though Landon did have a few mishaps on the bleachers.

It was so nice to get back out to a high school football game, it's such a fun atmosphere, but I was a little disappointed with they way the programs are run here in Utah . The biggest shock and disappointment was that the marching band and drill team don't do a half time show. I mean, seriously, what is a football game with no half-time show? I know I'm a huge nerd for it, but I really enjoy the half-time shows. Maybe because I was on the drill team, and went to band camp (yes, I know the jokes are coming) and I know how much work is involved. Just another one of those things that are so different here in Utah, compared to how I grew up. Friday night football in Chardon is like a religion. The ENTIRE town turns out, businesses close early, the 2 cops on duty are directing traffic, raffle tickets are sold, it's just the most AMAZING atmosphere ever. Maybe it's a small town thing, but it's absolutely magical.

Watching the cheerleaders made me feel really old. It doesn't seem like that long ago that I was standing there in front of the stands, but my inability to do any of the jumps anymore reminds me that it's been a LOT longer than it feels!

Here are a couple of the pictures from our afternoon:
Brookie having spirit:

Landon with Mommy and Daddy:

The Blue Water!

Whenever Landon wants to go to the pool he screams "Need Jacket On, Get the Blue Water!" It's really cute, but usually, it ends in my saying "No, sorry, not today." But, much to his surprise, we actually went to "the blue water" on Friday, with our friend Camille, and her darling little girl, Brylie. We went to the new Payson Pool, which is probably the BEST pool for toddlers that I've ever been to. It was great! Plus it was only $5 to get in, for Landon and I both!

I forgot my camera, but Camille was kind enough to send me the pictures she took. We had so much fun, we have got to do it again. Landon and Brylie were so cute together, everytime Landon went down the water slide, he said "Where the baby go?" and we had to go see Brylie before he could go again. Then when we were playing at the house, he was just so sweet with her, showing her how to use his toys, and looking up at her. It was pretty danged cute! But it's hard not to be enamored with Brylie. She is about the cutest baby girl, ever. She has the BIGGEST smile, and it lights up her entire face. It's so perfect!

We can't wait to have another playdate with them! And maybe with the Dad's too, if we can wait till hunting season is over!

Well, it's official!

I just did my first load of laundry since June 19th. Yes, you read that right, until this morning, I hadn't done laundry in almost TWO MONTHS! My Mom never lets me do laundry when she's staying with us, or when I'm staying with her. I can't believe it's been so long!

Back to Reality!

Well, it's finally happened. After nearly 2 months of vacation (counting the 2.5 weeks my Mom was in Utah), Landon and I are back home in Utah, back to reality, and the daily grind. And to be honest, as much fun as we had, it actually feels good to get back into the swing of things!

Landon has seamlessly transitioned back into Utah time (knock on wood), from the moment we got off the plane, actually. And surprisingly, it hasn't taken much re-training on the sleep front, either. It seems like just being back at home with just Mom and Dad shocked him back into his regular routine again, which is a welcome change from the 3 times a night he was waking up in Ohio. I'll cross my fingers and hope it lasts!

I've been trying to get the house organized before school starts. Since we've all but decided to keep our house, I need to get it organized so we can go pick up all of our storage stuff (read: junk) from Jen's house. Our car also needs a good deep cleaning, and some organization. Yesterday, I spent the morning going through all of our clothes and sorting them into stuff we'll keep, stuff to take the the DI, and stuff to throw out. It was a big job, but I'm glad it's done!

School starts August 27th, for both Jon and I, and we're really looking forward to it. He's taking two classes, a business class, and something else that I can't remember, and I'm taking an EMT course, and Algebra. I took Calculus the first time I went to college, but it's been so many years, that I know this Algebra class is going to be harder than I expect. I'm taking 13 hours, making this the first time that I'll be in a full time schedule since Landon was born. But, my Algebra class is online, so I only have to be in class on Tuesday and Thursday nights from 6pm-10pm, which isn't really too bad.

I have a ton more pictures to upload from Ohio, I just don't have the time for it, today. We did so many really fun things, it's hard to update on them all. I guess I'll just give the highlights of our trip:

-Spending so much time with my brother and Shannon, and watching how much he enjoys spending time with Landon.

-Ditto for my Mom and Joe

-Cedar Point

-Melt...Best food EVER! Next time you're in NE Ohio, ask me for directions, you'll thank me eternally, but your waistline won't.

-Feeding the Fish

-Landon's first bike ride

-The Islands (Put-In-Bay)

-Seeing old Friends, and having Jon meet my friends

-Spending time with Mammal and Pappal, and watching them enjoy their only great-grandchild

-The Science Museum

-All of the property Landon had to run free on

-The ride-on lawn mower

-Shopping!

-The Fair Food! Mmmmm.

-Chocolate Chip Cookies that actually RISE!

-Tacky Shirt Day (Save the Ta Ta's!)

-Tiramisu Birthday Cake! (What's better than that?)

-Hula Hooping on the Wii Fit with Chucky

-Buddy, my brother's Sugar Glider, coolest pet, EVER!

-Bravo's Cheesecake with caramelized sugar on top!


So, seeing the list, it's easy to see why the worst part of the trip was the 6.4 pounds I gained (according to the trusty Wii Fit). Yeah, I'll need to spend plenty of time with the Wii Fit to remedy that situation. Maybe Utah's sucky fair food isn't so bad, after all!

Then and Now

A couple of weeks ago, I had the opportunity to have a "mini-reunion" with some of the biggest players in my life during high school.  It was just a really great time to catch up with everyone, and see how we've changed, and in what ways we haven't. 

Making it even better was the fact that Jon was able to join in and meet some of my friends he hadn't met before, including my very best friend from 6th grade-College, also named "John," and they got along FABULOUSLY.  It was neat to see them interact together and get along so well.  It gave me so much satisfaction that John, who played such a huge role in my life so long ago was impressed with my husband, Jon, who (obviously) plays the biggest part in my life right now.

Here's John, Michelle, Brandon, and I in Toronto during Sophomore Year of high school:

And Rhea, Michelle, John, and I (and some other friends who couldn't make it) on a dinner cruise Freshman Year of high school:

Here we are (the high schoolers) 2 weeks ago:

With our spouses:

Fishin' in the dark!

Since Jon and I's absolute FAVORITE rock-out-in-the-car-with-all-the-windows-down, and-the-radio-up-loud, song, is "Fishin' In the Dark" by the Nitty Gritty Dirt Band, I thought it was only fitting to include these pictures, of Jon and Landon doing just that! 

It was Landon's first time fishing, and he got the biggest kick out of seeing the fish come out of the water, and touching it, saying "Stinky" the whole time he did.  It was pretty hilarious!

The Word is OUT!

Okay, since the word is out, I can finally give the shout out I've been dying to give....

CONGRATULATIONS ANNE AND GRANGER! CAN'T WAIT TO MEET THE BABY!

Best News Ever!

We got some REALLY great news yesterday! We can't elaborate right now, but we're so excited!

(And no, we're not pregnant)

This is what little boys are made of!

I know I've been slacking on the pictures, I just haven't had time to check and see if my digital will upload to my Mom's Mac without installing the software (which I didn't bring). But, even though this picture is two weeks old, it's one of my FAVORITES, and I just had to share it! This is total Landon, 100% boy, 100% of the time!