Gallup

I've been thinking for some time now, that I need to write down my feelings about our upcoming move. It's not something I like talking about. Actually, I'll go one step further, I hate talking about it. Or even thinking about it. Over the past couple of months, I have had lots of people broach the subject and I can feel my stomach twist the moment they do. I'm generally pretty chatty and an open book. If someone wants to know something about me, I'm not one to hold back. But in this regard, I'd rather have a cavity filled than talk about it. (Sorry, Trav. :)

Nevertheless, writing has always been a somewhat therapeutic outlet for me. So I hope this works.

When we first moved to Farmington, I was a tad disappointed. We thought we were going to Albuquerque, and when that didn't work out, I was scared to move to a small town. I've always called myself, "a big city girl". It's not like I grew up in Chicago or NYC, but the more I've seen of the United States, the more I realize that while my home was in a suburb, I did grow up in a big city. Accustomed to all that comes with a population of 500,000+, and surrounded by a couple million more. But regardless of the fact that we were moving to a town of 50,000, we were finishing school and looking forward to our next step in life. An income! A real job! It felt good to be moving forward and making progress in life. Plus we were 6 hours from family now. There was plenty to be excited about.

When we moved to Farmington, our friends from dental school, the Shaheens, had been living here a year and were preparing to move and open a practice in Gallup. Knowing my feelings about this move, Megan assured me repeatedly that I would love Farmington. I remember being almost bugged, because I thought, "You don't really know me that well then." Maybe I would like Farmington, but don't tell me I'm going to love it. I highly doubt it.

I was very cautious about my feelings toward our new home as we started settling in. Besides the Shaheens, we didn't know anyone. And they were gone most of those first couple months, then they moved. It took a while to figure out where everything was. To know all the roads and how to get from point A to point B. Our ward was very nice, but I didn't necessarily feel super welcome either. I basically had an entire summer where I just stayed home with the boys and missed my friends.

I remember our first Sunday afternoon, we took the boys on a walk around the neighborhood and didn't see another soul around the entire time. I wondered if going on a walk was a lost art in New Mexico. We had no connections, no friends, or even acquaintances. No place to stop in for a chat. It was obviously a pretty lonely feeling.

I knew we couldn't just sit around and wait to be "friended", but in some ways, I couldn't muster the energy to start over with the whole social group thing. We had hosted so many parties and get togethers in Buffalo. We had the best time and I loved all of it, but it just made me tired thinking about starting from square one again.

Slowly, however, I started branching out. I heard about a Zumba class and started going. The instructors even expressed surprise that I had come by myself and said most women didn't do that. Well... when you don't have a choice....

We were invited to a few dinners and social gatherings. We both got callings and started to know our ward better. I realized that the town did a really good job at offering activities for young children. The E3 Children's Museum was nothing nice, but it was free and the boys loved it. There was a fun splash pad not far away. On Tuesday mornings you could go to the Riverside Reserve and eat a picnic lunch then go on a nature walk with a guide and feed the ducks. Once Collin started preschool in the fall, we had a gotten ourselves a pretty good schedule in place. On Monday mornings we'd go to "Musical Mondays" at the Farmington Visitor's Bureau where they had a craft, story and songs for an hour. On Tuesday or Thursday we might go to Story Time at the library. Wednesday was 1/2 price at the Bounce House and the boys loved playing for hours there. On Friday they had a "playdate" at the Children's Museum with a craft, story and songs also. There were dozens of parks to visit, including one within walking distance of our house. I guess Farmington has more parks per capita than any other city in the country. There is an Aquatics Center with toddler playtime some mornings. Collin also started swimming lessons there on Tues. and Thursday mornings. And the afternoons were always taken up with Collin's preschool and Weston's nap. I had gotten into my groove and didn't even realize how nice life had become.

Then, in the late fall, Bron started contacting Travis. Their practice in Gallup was doing way better than they had even hoped for and they needed another dentist. It was almost a joke to me, because I knew we would never go. I always said that money wasn't everything and certainly not reason enough to live in a place like Gallup. The moment I realized Travis was seriously considering it, I became unglued. I remember it was later in the evening when I saw on his face that this could be a real possibility. I was about to drive to get frozen yogurt and once I got in the car, I just sobbed all the way to Aspyn Leaf Yogurt. I remember big, warm tears falling in my lap while I finally admitted to myself that I LOVED Farmington. I did. I loved it. I was so happy here. I loved our house and our neighborhood. We lived in the best part of town. A stone's throw from Sam's Club, Target, Wal-Mart and the mall. We had a Hobby Lobby, TJ Maxx, and Costa Vida! They were just putting in a Panda Express. We had found some yummy Mexican food restaurants and other places that had good food. Durango was just 45 min. away. Our church building was around the corner. So was Collin's preschool. My entire life was within just a few miles of my home and I loved it. I hate driving and traffic, so it was completely ideal. I loved my Zumba class. I had just started a book club that was gaining momentum. I loved, loved, LOVED Collin's preschool. It had saved my life. Collin loved it and looked forward to going every day. It was the perfect break in the day and allowed me to get things done without him wasting away in front of the TV. I loved our ward. Travis's office was just minutes away. I was just starting to feel settled. It couldn't be time to leave. It just couldn't.

I think it took me weeks to even stop crying long enough to think about it. I mean, I couldn't even pray about it. I didn't have the courage. I blessed my lucky stars that when Travis prayed about it, he didn't feel it was quite right. At least not yet, he said. I chose to ignore the yet part.

Fast forward to a couple of months ago. We had assumed that when we told Bron, "no", he'd find someone else right away. Well, that didn't happen. And his phone calls and texts only abated for a short while. But at the same time, many opportunities were arriving at our door step. I think it was around April that we realized we had 6 potential opportunities to buy into or start working with another practice. One was particularly tempting, because it was a private practice right here in town. And they really wanted Travis there. It could be long term, and it could be great. We started praying. And praying and praying. Slowly, we crossed off the options. It was down to Gallup and the private practice in Farmington. And the more we considered the latter, the more it didn't feel right. But that left Gallup. GALLUP. The armpit of America. I couldn't stomach it.

Of course he could just keep working where he is at. He didn't sign any contracts, make any time commitments or agree to any Non Competes. But he also isn't progressing much by staying. It's a mostly Medicaid office. It's mostly the reservation that fills his slots. Lots of silver caps walking out the door. No investment in the company. It's just a job. It was a starting point. It's not bad money, but it's not great either. They didn't normally offer a buy in opportunity unless you were willing to open a brand new office. But they offered it to Travis, as incentive to get him to stay. But it's a bigger corporation- type company and there is enough we don't like about it to keep us away from making any long term commitments.

So back to Gallup. Mind you, we had gone there a couple of times to "check it out". It's a gorgeous office. I've never been in a nicer dental or medical office. And they are beating patients away with a stick. They do a full range of dental work. Implants, 3rd molars (wisdom teeth), sedation, etc. You couldn't ask for better business partners. We've always loved the Shaheens. But it's in Gallup.

Our deadline was looming, as much as we'd procrastinated a decision. We were laying in bed, in the dark, one night last month, when Travis brought it up again. I was staring up at the black ceiling when a wave of resignation washed over me. Immediately the tears came as I realized that this was our future. I really can't remember the last time I cried that hard. Not just the ugly, hiccuping crying, but full on, this is the worst thing I can remember happening to me, body racking sobs. My face looked like a battered woman when I woke up the next morning. Every time I thought I had it together, I would think about the life I currently had, and all that I was leaving behind, and the hopeless despairing tears would start anew. Perhaps the pregnancy hormones had a hand in it, but it honestly felt like a death sentence.

I'm pretty sure everyone else sees it that way too. It's really fun when people find out we're moving and ask where we're going. Not once... not ONCE! have I responded and not gotten a gasp/grimace/groan/ or comment such as, "Oh dear". Really, every face conveys that look, "Oh crap, I just stepped in poo." I think people would have better reactions if we told them we were going to Afghanistan. It has gotten so old. I can't blame them though. I would probably have done the same. Which is why it's just easier to not talk about it with other people. I shouldn't expect them to try and muster some encouraging words in the face of my trial. It's not really fair to them.

But while Megan moved to Gallup spouting optimism and a positive attitude, I have not found the strength to mask my despair. I usually join in after the grimaces and joke "Yup, pray for us!" :) It's either been that, or I just cry. If I don't joke about it, I cry. And sometimes I joke about it, then cry later. They seem to go hand in hand. But it's always easier if I can hold in the tears until I'm alone.

In all honesty, this might be the scariest thing I've ever had to do. That probably sounds really melodramatic. And again, pregnancy hormones could partially be to blame, but it's just how I feel. I feel scared beyond what I'm capable of handling. How can I live there??!! How can I live in a place that has NOTHING! I mean seriously, it has a Wal-Mart and Home Depot. That's it. Apparently, the Cracker Barrel is the highlight. I'm not even joking. Those that try to cheer me up, mention the great camping, hiking and fishing. Greaaaat. All my favorite hobbies. I don't know the statistics, but it is overwhelmingly populated by Native Americans. And homeless people. And I know that sounded really racist, but unfortunately, we're finding that the majority of stereotypes associated with Indians (can I call them that??) are true. And they aren't positive stereotypes. There is nothing to do. Nowhere to go. It doesn't even feel safe. There are a lot of beggars and sketchy characters on every street and in every park. And speaking of parks, there is only one that even has grass. How can this be worth it??!!

OK, now for the positives. There has to be some positives, right?!

Gallup is two hours closer to Mesa. So it's just a 4 hour drive home. I wonder how many of those drives I'll be taking.

We'll have friends. The Shaheen's are there. And the Kings, another family that is involved with the practice. When passing through once, Megan was having a birthday luncheon for Brynn and I got to meet a lot of the girls that live there. It seems like there is a good core of fun girls that live there.

We found a great house to rent for pretty cheap. It's in the best neighborhood... OK, the only good neighborhood.

There is a book club.

I'm told there's a Zumba class.

It should only be for a year or two. I try to keep perspective in mind with this one. A couple of years, in the long run, is really not a big deal. You can do anything for a couple of years. It's' not forever! My new motto: This too shall pass. :)

There are no tornadoes in Gallup! One of our other options was Tulsa. Comparing the two now, I'm going to take comfort that we're not going there! Gallup might be a crap hole, but at least we won't be in fear of a natural disaster. Pick your poison, I guess.

Our kids are young. It's not like they're going to middle school or high school in Gallup. With luck, Collin might not even remember this time of our lives. :/

Hopefully, this will teach me to be a good, "stay at home mom". Especially with Collin's personality, I feel like we have to get out of the house at least once a day to stay sane. I feel desperate to hold onto all the great activities and places I have to go to with the kids in Farmington. I think my biggest fear is just going crazy always being at home with the kids in Gallup. Having no place to escape to. No place to let the kids get out and play. I've already been trying to devise activities and things for us to do together at home once we move. I'm going to have to work really hard at choosing a good attitude when I am home so much with young children.

So far, I think the most inspiring thing came to me when reading the Conference talks in the Ensign this past week. (Btw, why haven't I made reading these a priority before?! Just reading one a night has been soooo helpful.) It was at the end of Elder Ellis's talk. He said, "For 16 years I served in the presidency of the Houston Texas North Stake. Many moved to our area during those years. We would often receive a phone call announcing someone moving in and asking which was the best ward. Only once in 16 years did I receive a call asking, 'Which ward needs a good family? Where can we help?'"

I stopped. I let it sink in. I read and reread that paragraph many times. I was overwhelmed with the impact of that statement. I would have been the family calling in and asking which was the best ward to move into.

It made me think of our experience in the Buffalo Ward. An inner city ward. A ward that struggled. We were actually warned to not live in the Buffalo ward and to make sure we were in the Amherst Ward. Amherst was considered the only "good" ward in the stake, and it actually wasn't too far from our boundaries. There were wealthier, established families. There wasn't a shortage of leaders or dependable priesthood holders. I know it wasn't perfect, but it was a far cry from the Buffalo Ward. And I'm not saying it would be a bad thing to want to live in the Amherst ward! Many times I wished for that very thing. But could I put a price on our experience in the Buffalo Ward? Never. I loved, loved, loved that ward. I didn't at first. But, the more you serve and the more you get to know the people, the more you love it. I had experiences there that I would have never had in the Amherst ward. I believe we were given callings in that ward that would have never been asked of us in the Amherst ward. And we grew from them. When we left the Buffalo Ward, I was overwhelmed with the love and appreciation that was expressed to us. I felt like we had done something good there. It was an experience I couldn't put a price on. I will always be grateful that I was challenged and stretched there. I learned that I can love people I wouldn't have normally come in contact with before living there.

I was raised in a wonderful ward. I have been blessed with an amazing family. Maybe I need to be less concerned with how I can be served and focus more on how I can do the serving. Maybe Gallup is the place for me to work on that.

And of course I believe that God is aware of us. He has a plan for us. This is where our lives have led us. He had to have had a hand in it. He has his reasons. It's time for some faith.

Last, but not least, all I have to remember is that I will still be with my favorite person in the whole world. With Travis, I can get through anything.

A few month ago, I was talking to my mom on the phone and she was expressing some worries and anxieties she has. I don't think a Mother ever stops worrying about her kids. Even still, it surprised me a little and I told her that I hope she never cries or worries about me. Sure, I have trials and life isn't always pleasant, but I would never want her to shed a tear over me. I'm too lucky! I have it too good. I am too happy! In response, she nearly gushed how good it was to hear that and how grateful she was that I have Travis. Her very next words were, "I know you two could be happy anywhere." I remember her saying that because she didn't know we had Gallup on the back burners. No one did. For her it was probably just an offhanded comment. But it stuck in my head. I knew we were thinking about moving to a less than desirable place, and I wondered if she was right. Could we really be happy anywhere?

Well, I might not ever love living in Gallup, but that's OK. There are worse things in life. And whenever I get scared or nervous, I remember that I will still have the man that I could never live without. We considered having him commute. He even looked into housing in Mesa and thought maybe he could work a 4 day week and just see us on the weekends. No thank you. I will take seeing my husband every day to living in Mesa or Farmington or anywhere that doesn't have him. I feel safe when I'm with him. I only ever want to be near him. I will go anywhere with him. He has my whole heart. I love him more than anything else in this world.

We have found it ironic, that there is a country song on the radio right now, that's pretty popular. It's by Jake Owen and it's titled, "Anywhere with you".  It's basically our theme song right now. :) I tried to get it to play automatically on the blog, but it just won't. So if you want to hear it (you should :) then click on the "play" button at the top, right hand corner of the blog, right under our family picture.

Part of the chorus is:
"Pick a spot on any old map
I travel light and my bags are packed
Just as long as I'm where you're at
I'm gonna have a real good view
I'll go anywhere, anywhere with you."

Of all the spots on the map, I wouldn't have ever picked Gallup, but somehow Gallup picked us! So bloom where you're planted, right? Right. I might need to get that framed. And posted all over my house. :)

So after contemplating my mom's statement, I've decided that the answer is yes. Yes, we can be happy anywhere. With Travis and the church, I can be happy. She is absolutely right.

(But you can still pray for us! :)

A Quick Trip Home

We took a quick weekend trip home to see David give his homecoming talk last Sunday. 

Travis took a 1/2 day on Friday and we left around noon to make a 2pm appt. in Gallup to see a couple of houses first. 

As we pulled into Gallup, Travis turned and put his hand on my arm and told me, "You must really love me." 

I let my eyes take a quick glance around, surveying Gallup, and quipped, "Clearly". 

But more on that later.

As for the two houses....

they were scary. 

I got a sticker in my foot leaving the first place and all I could think was, "Figures."

But we managed to make a last minute appt. at 4:30pm to see one last place. Thankfully, we had the Shaheen's house to hang out at while we waited!

Now this was more like it! 

It's 4,000 sq. feet, 4 bed, 3 bath and three living areas. Obviously, way more than we need, but when compared to our other choices, it's a no brainer! As we walked around and I got more and more excited about various parts of the house, I turned to Trav and said, "OK, now you can move me to Gallup."

If all works out, we'll be paying $500 less a month than we currently are and will be in the same area as the Shaheens and Kings. Besides the fact that we'll be in Gallup, it seems too good to be true. We'll keep our fingers crossed!

Since we were in Gallup so long, we didn't pull into Mesa until 9pm, but 10pm our time. Both boys had conked out, but were promptly awake and full of energy the second we walked into Grandma's house. :/

The next morning, Paula watched the boys so we could go to the temple.

Then I went with Shelley and my Mom to Mi Amigos for a luncheon with all the girls in our ward that we graduated with. Sis. Merkley organized this weeks ago as a celebration for all of us turning 30 this year! Just LaRee and Keli couldn't make it. It was fun to get together with all the girls and Moms! 

I also got to meet baby Lindi for the first time! Oh, I could not wait to get my hands on her!! She is so so sweet. I love her to pieces already.

This was taken the week of graduation. Have we changed much?! :)

(Who would have thunk, that that boy right in front of me would be my husband?? Not I?! Haha)

When we got home, we found Elder Davy out on the trampoline, playing a game with his friends. We got a kick out of watching them try to one up each other with their "moves". It was like they were 12 again.

Finally, it was time to meet David again after two years! 

He had no idea who my boys were.

But they sure knew who HE was! You don't pray for a missionary for two years without knowing who he is! We still catch Collin praying for him on his mission. Now he tries to remember to thank HF that he is home.

Shelley's boys came over and it was time for a swim! I'm beyond sad that we won't have this pool at our disposal this summer.

That night, Marcie watched the boys so we could go out with Travis's family for his birthday. Just the adults... yay! We met at the new Gecko Grill, what what! Southwestern shrimp burrito and I have been going through withdrawals.

We also got some good news... Trevor and Gretchen announced that they got engaged the night before! So happy for them. So not happy that they are tying the knot two weeks before my baby is due. Ew. No one in their final trimester should be in photos that will last a life time. At least not my chubby cheeks. Ah well. 

Travis got a song and a treat and for his birthday! And for some reason thinks pulling this face is better than just smiling. :)

Back to the Evan's house, we all ate some DQ blizzard cake that we had picked up earlier. I went to put the boys down and walked back in to see Ryan and Denyse Carter! Surprise, surprise! They just finished school in Buffalo and are here for a while until he starts work in OK. 

Chase also came over and it was fun to watch these three laugh and catch up. We were just missing Evan! 

Ryan and Chase are cousins. 

Trav and Evan are cousins. 

Chase and Trav are life time friends.

 Ryan and Evan are long time friends. 

Then Ryan moved to NY and Trav and Ryan became good friends. 

Ya follow all that?! :)

The next day was Mother's Day and time to hear David's talk!

He did good. I wish there was time to hear more stories from his mission, but there were 4 speakers on the program! It was fun to see him all growned up though and hear his testimony.

We had dinner at my Mom's that night... my fav... snoring enchiladas. I made molten chocolate cakes for dessert. Grandma and Grandpa came too. Grandma asked what we were going to name baby girl. I told her it was probably going to be Olive. (After HER mom.) She laughed and said she thought it was a joke. :/ I have a feeling we'll be getting a lot of that. 

My first school Mother's day gift. He leaked the secret the day before. He was just so excited to tell me all about the scrub I was getting for my feet!

 

No idea what this picture was about! Jeffy getting cozy and Weston deciding it wasn't for him, I guess.

The next day we were planning on heading home, but didn't leave until about 4 or 5pm. 

Instead, we got our Jamba on for breakfast then checked out Deseret book for some art work. Yikes. Maybe another day when $500 for a picture sounds feasible.

Then we went back to my Mom's to gather the troops to go out for lunch. We walked in on some P90X ab ripper. Hard core.

It was a tough decision, but Pei Wei was the weiner. They have caramel chicken now! I might have an alternate to my Spicy chicken salad now. Lunch is always fun with young, active boys! The pigeons flying around won entertainment of the year.

Jodi Arias and other pop culture was our entertainment. :)

With a new TV in the living room, we spent the next couple of hours viewing funny YouTube videos on it, including the Taylor Swift video,"Trouble", interrupted by a goat screaming.  Also, "Hide yo kids" and "I'm backin' up, backin' up, backin' up. Cuz my daddy taught me goooood." I love those remixes. We also got the digs on David's latest girlies, then took one last swim. I find myself constantly pining for sun and a backyard pool. What luxury! 

I was holding sweet Lindi when Weston kept saying, "Hold. Her! Hold. Her!" He was so excited to hold the "princess" as he calls girls. She is such a sweet baby.

It was a short trip, but turned out to be just the right amount of time. I was glad Travis was willing to take work off to come with us. No driving for me! However, the drive home did feel really long. Doesn't make me excited for all the driving coming up in the next two months. Between moving, Greer, California, and Trevor's wedding, we may as well live in our car! I wish I liked listening to books on Audible more. Everyone raves about it, but I think it takes all the fun out of books. It's not really reading! 

The next day I was so tired and Collin was frustrated with me. Exasperated, he said, "Mom. Why didn't you just sleep in the car?!" Clearly, I wasn't thinking. Sometime I need a 4 year old to intervene.

April

A month behind, again!! I'm blaming this one on the birthday book I worked on all month. :) 

OK, here's what April looked like...

I found the best ice cream flavor!! I randomly picked up this Dreyer's French Silk, but on the first bite I could taste a coffee flavor. I LOVE coffee flavored ice cream! But I always feel guilty buying it, so I never have it. (#overlystrictMormongirlproblems) I hesitated to check the ingredient list because I didn't want my bubble burst. Well, wonder of wonders, there's not one coffee/mocha/espresso ingredient! Not even extract. I have no idea how they get it to taste like coffee, but I am one happy Word of Wisdom follower. Joking! (I'm really not trying to say coffee ice cream is against the Word of Wisdom! I really don't think it is anyway. Grey area?? Personal choice?? Spirit of the law? But if you love coffee ice cream too, no judgement coming from me! ;)

Here's an antidote about Collin I'll want to remember....

In the middle of getting a scolding, Collin quietly interrupts, "Mom, can I tell you something?" With an almost  exasperated sigh, I pause and look at him with raised eyebrows. His eyes glance shyly downward as he genuinely comments, "Mom, you look so beautiful right now." 

Oh man, he's good! Learning young, I tell ya! How can you be mad after that?!

Grandma sent some belated birthday presents for the boys that made their day. Oh SkyMall, how Sharon Lindblom loves you! :)

Thanks, Mom! 

I got a flyer from Collin's preschool at the beginning of the week stating they were to dress up as royalty... kings, queens, knights, etc. for a Royal Ball on Friday. What the?! So I'm just supposed to find a costume when Halloween is no where near?! That means I'm going to have to make something! I'm not really that Mom. But as I drove past his preschool in the morning, I saw parents walking children in with full on, elaborate costumes. There was a big castle outside the door and now a burden on my shoulders. This was one of those moments that I was grateful I keep all sorts of scraps of material and fabric in my crafting box. Just a little bit of sewing and tinfoil and whaa laa! Here is my knight with what we had laying around the house. 

In the weeks following, he thought it was really fun to use it to play dress up with.

I have gotten so tired of Collin's swim lessons! We have been going twice a week now for 6 MONTHS and he still can't swim. Not even close. Their curriculum is SO SLOW. They don't push the kids at all. So we've finally started taking the boys to the aquatics center during open swim hours and having Travis teach them. Not many people know that he taught swim lessons in college for years. I think they've each had about 5 lessons now and it's made a world of difference! After just two lessons, Collin could make it across the pool on his own. Weston just floated on his back for at least 15 seconds on Monday, unassisted. I can't wait until they are pool safe! It's such a scary feeling to know your kids aren't safe in water. 

This picture was taken after their first lesson, sipping on hot chocolate. The pool is heated, but still not terribly warm. Weston was blue and they both were shaking and chattering. Some warmer weather would be nice!

We have traditionally gotten donuts on the last day of lessons each month. Here's our last Dunkin' run! No more useless Red Cross lessons again!

A couple of weeks ago, I thought it would be fun to get McDonald's ice cream cones after FHE for a treat. That's something I remember doing with my family all the time. We would go to the Mcdonalds on Gilbert and Baseline and after pulling out of the drive through line, whomever was driving would pretend like the car had gone out of control and do tight circles around a parking lot light post until we were all dizzy. My mom or dad would feign panic and cry, "Oh no, the car is out of controlllll! What are we going to do?!!!" Us kids would giggle and laugh and fall to one side of the car, thinking our parents were hysterical. I told Travis this memory as we drove to get our cones. Our McDonalds is also in a big a parking lot by a Wal-Mart so after we got our ice cream, Trav drove out to a lone light post and spun circles around it crying that the car had lost control. I thought it was just as funny as I did a child. The boys were cracking up. I married a good one. 

Check me out!!! Woot woot! This family won't live on crumbs alone when the second coming happens. :) I know it's really a very small start, but hey, it's a start. We had ZERO food storage before this. I tried to go to the cannery to can our food one night, but it was closed! Then I was told you could go on Tuesday mornings and just buy the food. Well, why didn't someone tell me that in the first place?! I thought you had to can your own! I'm starting to realize though, that it would be really nice to settle down in a house that I know we're going to stay in for a while. The more food storage you have, the more you have to move every time you change houses!

This was one of those containers you can buy at Sam's Club. Now if only we had hundreds of dollars to spend on food storage, this might not be so hard!

April was a big month for this 2 year old! He decided he was done with naps. Sad day for me. :( More and more often I was noticing it was taking him an hour to fall asleep at nap time. Then, we wasn't tired at 8pm. We'd let him stay up til 9pm, and then still hear him in his crib up to an hour after we put him down for the night! Well, one day at nap time, it was 1 1/2 hrs. after I had put him down and I could still hear him. I finally went in to go get him and stood in shock at the door for a couple of seconds. He was stark naked. I didn't even know he could take his own clothes off! I'm so glad he didn't poop!! And after all that, he was only crying for his blanket. I think he would have gone to sleep naked after that, if only he'd had his blanket. 

So he's been about 2 weeks now without an afternoon nap and it hasn't phased him. The first couple of days he was pretty cranky by bedtime, but now it's old hat. At least he's back to sleeping at 8pm and doesn't get up til 8am!

Ever done this to your Sunday dinner? It was baked chicken, covered in cheese and stuffing. I grabbed the hot pan with one hand and as I was carrying it, it just slipped right out and was on the floor before I even knew what had happened. I felt so bad for ruining our dinner! My shoulders slumped and I just stared at it for a few seconds while Travis laughed and took a picture. All we had left was salad and some rolls. I was so disappointed! :(

Sometimes there are dinner success stories though. I don't know why I take a picture of my dinners every once in a while, except that sometimes I just get so excited to eat it, I think I better take a picture to document what makes me so happy. I swear my life revolves around food. 

I never thought to just make nachos for dinner before. These were steak nachos and we most definitely ate the entire pan. 

I tried my hand at Huevos Rancheros one night. Why not?! I had my doubts, but it was actually pretty good! The finished product swelled my pride a bit. Looks like a picture off of Filiburtos drive through menu, haha!

Collin's nightly fish lips still make me smile. I'd like to know who he's kissing in his dreams every night!

Two weeks ago, Weston got pink eye in both eyes. Poor kid! 

It started on Friday afternoon, so we couldn't get to the doctor until Monday to start the drops. He had to miss church and was SO SAD about it! Collin and I went to the first two hours and Trav went to the last hour to teach his class. While we were gone, I guess he kept saying, "Church. Church" in a sad, wishful voice. When Travis reminded him his eyes were sick, he'd proclaim, "No, all better! All better!" When I was home with him during the last hour, I realized he's pulled up a chair to the end table and opened up The Friend. He was looking so intently at the pages, it was about the sweetest thing I'd ever seen!

That same weekend, Travis had to be gone Thursday night for a meeting in Texas. He didn't get back until Friday night at 11pm, but I wasn't too sad to take a night off of cooking. :) After the boys were in bed I started a chick flick movie "marathon" with What to Expect When You're Expecting, then Something Borrowed. That first one was hysterical! It probably helped that I'm pregnant right now, but they really hit some things on the head. Every time she said she peed herself a little, I had to laugh. Being pregnant is so glamorous!

That Saturday we had a family day of fun! We took the boys to see The Croods in the theater, then went on a little shopping trip to Sam's and grabbed lunch. I'm so entertained in that store. Add an ICEE and I could browse for hours. It was nice enough to take the boys to the park, then shop a little more for a grill. 

We ended with dinner at Mikasa. I love that place. Mmmmm, their sushi is so dang good! The boys had fun using the trainer chopsticks. If I wasn't so embarrassed, I would have asked for a pair for me! I still can't use regular ones! They aren't the biggest sushi fans, but Collin was pretty happy with Goldfish crackers instead.

The happiest and saddest part of the month was May 1. Davy Love got home from his misson! It's so weird that his 2 years is up. He's been such a good missionary in Honduras. I've looked forward to his emails each Monday. His attitude through it all was incredible. Even with hard companions, bad areas, or poor conditions, he never let it get to him. He's been a great example to me. 

Christopher and I both viewed the airport scene via modern technology. Yay for Skype and Facetime. It was fun to see him walk down for the first time and get hugs and take pictures. I'm really sad I couldn't see him getting released though. I talked with him for just a few minutes two days later and can already see the missionary transformation in him. He has such a happy demeanor and mature disposition. Our Davey is all growned up! :)

I'm so excited I get to hear his homecoming talk in church this Sunday!

I was big and pregnant when I last saw him, and once again, I'm big and pregnant! Haha!

Now for the scariest part of my month. Last Friday, I was laying on my bed later in the afternoon and could hear Weston playing around with the various junk that fills our room. Then I heard our dresser drawers being pulled open. I've always felt nervous about our dresser. It's a tall one and when the two, largest drawers on the bottom are pulled out, it's extremely off balance, and tips forward easily. I've always thought we needed to figure out a way to secure it to the wall, but never actually attempted it. Bad Mom! Well, the second I heard those drawers being pulled out, I rolled off the bed and had just made my way around the bed when I saw the dresser start to tip forward. I was about 5 or 6 feet away and Weston was directly underneath it. In a split second I had to decide whether I could jump under it to stop it from falling on him or it would be better to push Weston out of the way. I lunged forward to stop it, but the drawers continued to fall out, knocking Weston down.  I remember screaming and thinking that he had been seriously hurt, despite what I had done. With the weight of the dresser on me and Weston screaming on the ground, I slowly let it lower to rest on our cedar chest, then fell next to Weston, trying to comfort him, but not wanting to move him in case he was hurt. When I could tell that he was OK, I picked him and realized I was bleeding and shaking. Travis walked in the door 2 min. later to find me cradling a crying Weston and nearly in tears myself. Luckily, my hand was just a flesh wound. :) And I can't describe how relieved and elated I was to watch Weston get over his scare and be walking around fine just minutes later. Tender mercy! It makes me sick to think what could have happened if I wasn't right there. 

The dresser is currently laying on its side with all our drawers scattered about on the ground. I don't think I can use that thing again unless it's bolted to a wall. Which probably won't be happening until we move. :( Our ghetto room just got more classy.

Travis turns the big 3-0!

Turning 30 is a pretty big deal. Am I right??

So I wanted to do something fun for Travis's big day, but being pregnant and not within close proximity of family to drop the kids off for the night, I was hitting dead ends. I finally decided that the best I could do under the circumstances was a good ol' fashioned {stay-cation}. A glorified day date, if you will. :)

So I found a babysitter for the entire day and scouted out some fun things for us to do in Durango. 

Maybe the 3 hour zip lining adventure package??

NO PREGNANT WOMEN was plastered all over their page.

OK, a hot air balloon ride.

Anyone want to pay $500-$700 dollars for a one hour balloon ride? Not I! 

After many hours researching online and calling a bazillion places. Yes, a bazillion. I was excited to finally have a plan! 

We set off at 8:45am for Colorado and about 10 min. away from the ranch, I finally told him what we were up to that morning. 

Horseback riding! 

Neither of us are necessarily big into horses. I don't think I've even been on one since I was 12. But I was happy when he seemed genuinely excited about it. I was lucky to even find a corral that was open in May. Every other place I called wasn't doing them until Memorial Day. 

It was just the two of us and our guide on our one hour ride. (Ha! That reminded me of the Gilligan's Island theme song.)

I was paired up with, Tom Dooley.... the horse that liked to stop and eat. I felt bad pulling up on his reins. I can commiserate with Tom, I enjoy a good snack too! 

Trav got Bear. The horse that liked to sniff my horse's behind. :)

As we started off across the field I started laughing and turned around to tell Travis that I felt like I was on an episode of the Bachelor. And I got the one on one date! Haha! 

 It was a casual ride through the mountains. Beautiful weather and scenery. When it was all done, I joked that he better not tell Ryan Carter about the life our guide had, or Ryan would be jealous. He was only a few years younger than us and managed the corral and had a cute little house on the land in the mountains. Ryan's dream. Trav laughed and said it kind of made HIM a little jealous! Apparently, George Strait's song, I Should've Been a Cowboy, was stuck in his head during our ride. That got me laughing! I had no idea there was a little {country} in my city boy. Awww! :)

After that we had about an hour to grab lunch. We drove downtown and parked on Main St. because I was finally going to get my crepes from the crepe stand that was closed last time we came. Well, guess the news?! He was closed again!!! Why I oughtta....! Gone camping with his family for the weekend, the sign said. Bah! 

So we walked up the street a ways and grabbed us some NY style pizza. 

 And Rocky Mountain Chocolate Factory was just across the street so how could we resist sharing a little toffee and chocolate?! 

Next up was our white water rafting adventure! Now, I'm not totally daft. I knew I'd be 6 months pregnant when I booked all of this. So while it would have been fun to do some higher class rapids, I just paid for an 1 1/2 hour trip down the Lower Animas River that was said to be only Class II and Class III rapids. It's meant for families and even kids. We changed into our swimsuits, got fitted with water boots, life jackets and helmets and rode in the company's van to the entry point of the river. The biggest bummer was that I couldn't get any pictures! We couldn't take anything with us. :( There was only one other couple with us and our guide. Apparently this time of year the water is at it's highest level. It's also very chilly! He made it clear what to do if the raft flipped and I was wishing with everything I had that that never happened! Freezing cold water is NO BUENO! Thankfully, it never did. The splashes of cold water was enough to keep me awake! There was really only one section of the river with any rapids big enough to feel like you were doing what you see in movies. The rest was pretty tame. Which I have to admit, was fine by me! We pulled off to the side after a while to have lunch. I didn't remember reading about any lunch offered, so it kind of confused me. I had planned on going to a nice dinner in Durango when we were done. After we got back on the river, it felt like we had been gone quite a while. We left at 1:30pm so I asked the guide what time it was. Oh, just 4:30pm! I kind of stammered and said, "Oh, I just thought this was supposed to be 1 1/2 hrs??" He seemed equally confused and told us this was the half day excursion. At least that's what the computer told him. Well, I knew for a fact I had only paid for 1 1/2 hrs, but whataya going to do?! So at that point we were only barely past the half way mark. Oi vey! By now my back was starting to hurt and my feet were most definitely numb. And I had told the babysitter we would be home by 6pm. Now we weren't even going to be off the river until 6pm! Thankfully, when I called her, she was fine to be with the boys an extra hour. We picked up some yummy Chinese food in Aztec on the drive home and it was 7:30pm by the time we got back. That meant baths for the boys and off to bed with them! We ate our dinner in front of the TV, watching The Hobbit. Travis read the book and has been wanting to see it for a while now. I think it was kind of a present to him that I even watched it with him. And stayed awake! How people like all that Lord of the Rings stuff is beyond me! :)

It was such a fun day, though. I absolutely love just spending time with him. There's nothing else I'd rather do. I was in such a good mood, all day. He kind of has me wrapped around his aged finger. :)

The next day was his real birthday. He woke up at 6:30am and went to a meeting. Cuz I guess that's what you do when you turn 30! :/ It was fast Sunday, but I talked him out of that at least. I told him he could fast next Sunday. HF will understand. We usually have donuts on birthdays, but I got those yesterday for breakfast so they wouldn't be stale today. 

So we had French toast with strawberries and whipped cream and sausage and REAL orange juice. You know, the "fresh" kind in a bottle. Ya, we go all out over here. 

We had church at 9am, then he drove the boys around to pick up fast offerings afterward. When he walked in the door, one of the first things he said to me was, "I broke a chair at church." I was standing at the sink doing dishes, and turned to give him a quizzical look. "What do you mean, you broke a chair at church?" He went on to describe the scene. He was sitting in front of his class of deacons, teaching the lesson. Suddenly, one side of the chair busted and broke down. He started to fall lower, when the rest of the chair gave way and he suddenly found himself barrel rolling onto the floor, ending up flat on his back! I felt so bad, but I about died! I was doubled over the kitchen sink laughing hysterically. When I looked back up, he was flushed red with a suppressed smile himself, trying to look at me with indignation. After two months of exercising, he was rewarded by breaking a chair on his birthday! It's too sad not to be funny. Clearly, karma was just trying to keep him humble and make sure he never forgot what it felt like to turn 30. :)

He had decided steak would be a good birthday dinner. But, alas, if you're going to have steak, you should probably have a grill! So the poor man finally got himself a propane grill. I can't believe we've gone this long without one!

Here she is on her maiden voyage. :)

Now, anyone that knows me, knows I'm not a meat fan. All my life I've watched people eat meat with relish... and been completely puzzled why. My sisters love roast, steak and ribs. I'll take the chicken. Or even just the sides. Sides are a great meal to me. I even tried being a vegetarian once. 

But, I've slowly been evolving. 

I've finally taken to roast. As long as it's tender! I had my first steak last year when I was doing that cleanse diet... aka starvation diet. But I reasoned, when your own fingers are looking tasty, why wouldn't a steak be good?? 

Lately, I've started craving hamburgers. I've eaten 2 Whoppers this past month. I don't even know who I am anymore?! 

The one meat I've abstained from, however... bacon. Bleh! Vile stuff. 

So when I suggested steak to Travis as a birthday dinner, my inner voice was falling off its chair. I never, NEVER thought I'd willingly eat steak for a regular meal. I soaked it in a really good marinade first. Then I researched online how to cook an amazing steak. Trav did the actual grilling though. 

They were really big, NY strip steaks. I cut off half of one. As I ate, I realized I was actually enjoying it. By the time it was gone, I knew I'd be eating the other half. Sopping up the juices with my last bite, I felt like I had just eaten candy. Man, I have been missing out! I always felt so sorry for people that ordered steaks at restaurants. Everyone else's big plates of yummy food would come out, and they'd be presented with a piddly little steak with a couple of sides. It looked like such a sad state of affairs. Welp, my world has flipped,so who knows! Maybe in 10 more years, I'LL be the one ordering the piddly steak. :)  

I made him a chocolate cake with Reece's peanut butter cups and frosting, covered in chocolate ganache. And topped with 30 candles! I think this will be the last year we match the candles to the age. :) I was hoping the smoke alarms would go off. And he blew them all out in one breath!

I also put together a book of pictures that spanned from birth til now. His sister, Carrie, was nice enough to find pictures of him growing up and scan and email them to me. From there, I used Shutterfly to organize the pictures and put together a sort of digital scrapbook. Oh my. It took flippin' FOREVER! I had no idea how time consuming it would be! If I had a vice in the language arts, words would have been a flyin'! But when it was finally done and the book came, I was so excited about how it turned out. It was even better than I imagined, and totally worth the time. I had also contacted some of his family and friends and asked if they wouldn't mind writing him a birthday message to be included at the end of the book. I'm so grateful for those that took the time to do that. There were some really heartfelt and kind letters and they were the icing on the cake. Thank you everyone!

(Don't you love the balloon! Haha! It made me laugh out loud, and whenever something does that, I know I have to buy it. :)

Another idea I had, was to get 30 helium, latex balloons and have them in a huge bunch tied to the front porch for the day. Then at the end of the day, I wanted him to tell us and the boys 30 things about himself and with each characteristic or memory, we'd let a balloon go. Well, I had to buy them on Friday since we'd be gone all day Saturday and the store owner said they wouldn't stay inflated that long. Bummer! So instead I just blew up 30 little balloons and he basically did the same thing, but instead of letting them fly away, he popped them. I think the boys thought that was even more fun.

I certainly am grateful for my wonderful husband! I told him he should turn 30 more often, because I had so much fun celebrating with him! Now, I don't think I'll dread my birthday coming up. 30 doesn't look bad at all when you're turning old with your best friend!