Bittersweet Memories!

Heres a funny video of Ninja that I just found in my files. Thought I'd post it.

Oh and here's another one! This one is more cute than funny.

August 11, 2009

Craig took me today to get my blood drawn. In the waiting room we had a spat (I don't even remember why) and I pinched him to get my point across. He hates it when I do that, because he has no nails to get me back with! Anyway, we both went in when the phlebotomist took my blood, and just before she stuck the needle in, I turned away to not have to look at it. Well Craig had the biggest smile on his face. He was hoping it would hurt so he could get revenge without actually touching me himself. How rude! Joke's on him though, because it didn't hurt a bit. The most painful part of the whole experience was about an hour later when I ripped the bandaid off!

August 6, 2009

I finally had my first doctor's appointment! It ended up being a little disappointing though, becuase all they did was talk to a few of us about the hospital, policies, etc, and then took my medical history. They didn't even draw blood. I have to go to an outpatient lab to get it done sometime this week. So NEXT week, next Friday, I have my actual appointment, where we (Me, Craig, and Craig's Mom) will get to hear the heartbeat! I'm so excited!

July 15, 2009

The Best One Yet!

Getting tickets wasn't easy, but after countless technical difficulties, we finally scored a pair to Harry Potter and the Half Blood Prince at 12:20 am! You would have thought that someone gave Craig a million dollars, he was so excited. :) He had been talking about this for a week now: "One more week!"..."Guess what's happening in just four days?!"..."Tomorrow night is the night!"...   Anyway, we left what we thought was early, but it seemed we were the last ones there, and everyone was already seated. One employee said that it was packed, and warned us that people had already came back to the refund their tickets. She was right! We hunted the theater for seats, and finally found that there were 2 available seats in the same row, but about 25 seats apart, so Craig talked everyone in to moving over so we could sit together, and it worked! We actually had pretty awesome seats! Go Craig! Aside from some comments shouted out during the movie, it was a great experience, and it was the BEST Harry Potter yet! We went to Denny's afterward, at 3:45 am with a bunch of other HP fans, and Craig was in such a great mood, he turned on the charm with our waitress, who hooked us up with some delicious hot chocolates! We got home and got to bed about 5:30...it was a magical night!!!

Mmm...Denny's Hot Chocolate! This is the only picture of the night that we got. I wanted to get a picture in front of the movie poster, but apparently they didn't have it up yet! Slackers!

June and July in Florida

We are settling in to Florida life, but I just can't seem to get used to this muggy heat! It's like stepping into a sauna everytime you go outside, except that you're fully clothed, and you don't WANT to sweat. Ick. I have noticed there are a LOT of critters here. Some are cute and I can handle, some are disgusting!!! Here's some pics:

This frog was hanging out by the cardboard boxes we had to throw away by the side of the house. One night I was taking the trash out to the curb and he jumped and stuck to my leg before jumping off!
These little things are EVERYWHERE! Craig showed me how to catch them and make them bite you. As kids they'd stick them on their earlobes like earrings! This tiny one we found in our house!

This turtle wandered into our yard. Guy was perched on the back of the couch, staring out the window and going wild. We went out to investigate and it was a huge turtle! I don't know how he got there, but Craig chased him down (he was the fastest turtle I've ever seen!) and carried him to the vacant lot across the street.

I'm Pregnant!

I know that everyone knows I'm pregnant already, but I never blogged about it. So here is what happened:

 I actually found out about 3 in the morning the day after a Memorial Day lunch at Craig's Uncle Dan's house.  I suspected I was pregnant the day before, but heard it was best to use the first mornings pee. So when I woke up at 3, I figured now was the time. I was SOOO tired. I saw the results and thought...yep I knew it! Then I went back to sleep. I KEPT the secret from everyone all while packing, cleaning...there was a LOT going on, and it just was never a good time to tell him. Also, I didn't want him to worry and not let me help pack and get things ready...so I waited.

The last 2 days of our drive we were riding in the same truck, and talked a lot. I talked a lot about *IF* we were to have a baby, the names I liked, etc. etc....We passed an anti-abortion billboard and it said something about how the baby's heart beats at 3-4 weeks...and I kept saying, "Isn't that amazing?!" After 2 days of this, he never caught on!

Now the plan was to keep it a secret from Craig until Father's Day about 3 weeks away. I thought a positive pregnancy test would make the ultimate Father's Day gift! I had it all planned out. However, when we finally got to Florida and saw how TINY our new place was, Craig kept saying: "If you get pregnant, I'm going to pay to break the lease and we'll find something bigger." Since I knew I was already pregnant, and he seemed very adamant about it, I thought I should tell him BEFORE he signed this lease, so he could decide NOW what to do.  So right before our landlord came over to bring over the lease, I told him I had his Father's Day gift and wanted to give it to him now. He LOVES presents and was all for it. He didn't want to wait 3 weeks either! I took another pregnancy test really quick that I had picked up that day (June 2), then put it in a bracelet box, put that in the box it came in, and put a bow on top. I had him stop unloading for a second, brought him outside on the porch (since the landlord had just gotten there and he was inside working on some stuff.) Then I pulled my camera out.

He opened the box and saw the jewelry box inside, and said, 'Ooh, this looks expensive!!!" I said "Oh yes, VERY expensive!" I was SO nervous as he opened it up. SOO nervous!  When he opened it up, he looked at it, then got real close to read the results, then his head shot up and he looked at me like a deer in headlights! His eyes were wide, his mouth hanging open, white as a sheet! It was perfect! Then he said, "Are you serious?!" I nodded my head yes, and then he gave me a hug. I had the video camera on him still, so he didn't tear up, but If we were *alone* I know he would've been a bit more expressive. He just couldn't believe it, but he was SO happy. I was happy that I didn't have to keep such a big secret anymore!  8 days is an eternity when you have a secret that good!

We signed the lease anyway, but negotiated a way to break it if we had to, with minimal penalties, and the rest of the day Craig was just useless. No unpacking, no working, nothing. Just in shock the whole day. Then he insisted on calling everyone, even though I thought we should wait a bit. He said, "If you don't call your dad, I'm going to!" He just HAD to tell someone! LOL! We did end up calling everyone. We told Saphara, his youngest sister, who went to the mall with us and bought a little photo album that said "Great Mothers Get Promoted To Grandma." or something like that...anyway, we called Craig's mom and told her we had a gift for her, and to come over. She said she was busy, and can it wait until Friday? Craig said...NO! It's perishable! She came over to the house after work, a little annoyed when she saw the little wrapped box...CLEARLY not perishable, and said again..."This couldn't wait?" She opened it, and was about to thank us without reading the inscription...just a polite thanks, and then she read it. She wasn't quite sure what to make of it. She looked at me, and I just nodded and smiled. Then she went NUTS! It was the best reaction ever! She hooted and hollered and wailed and cried and hugged us! She called everyone she knew and told them she was going to be a grandmother. She told us that she was more excited than she was when she found out that SHE was pregnant with all her kids! LOL! To that, Craig said, "Geez Mom, thanks a lot!" Randall came over to congratulate us, and we all sat in our cramped kitchen for a bit and talked. I think at that point she was glad she didn't wait until Friday! I wish I had gotten HER reaction on camera. It was priceless!

Here's Craig taking a break from moving to open his Father's Day gift!

May 29-June 1, 2009

On the Move!

I drove the Jeep, Craig drove the Penske truck, which pulled our Nissan. Grandma Cheri gave us some walkie talkies so we could talk to each other when our cell phones might not work. Thanks Grandma! Oh, and we used them so much in the first 10 minutes that they died before we even got out of town! (We hadn't figured out the Power Save yet!) That was about it. I had the dogs in the Jeep with me, they had the whole back to lounge around. They did so well, they slept most of the time. 

(This was what I had to look at for 2 days straight!)

(This is the back of the Jeep...they had food, water, their beds, pillows, etc. You can see that they made themselves very comfortable!)

The first day we drove to Fort Stockton, TX and stayed the night in a motel. 

(I tried to get pictures of all the state signs we passed, but this is what they all ended up looking like!  Welcome to New Mexico!)

The second day took us to Spring, TX, where we stayed with Craig's dad, Robert, his new wife, Leah, and their kids, including Craig's half sister, Shannon. They were so great to us. They fed us, gave us comfy beds to sleep on...(we each had our own full bed, in the same room...it was bliss. LOL!) Then fed us again the next morning, gave us a great monetary gift (Thanks Leah!) and we were on our way again. We left the Jeep with them in TX, which was the plan, since we really hadn't driven it in about 8 months anyway...and it was still in his dad's name. Anyway, we were relieved to be in the same truck, so at least we could drive in shifts. For the last 2 days, we BOTH drove the entire way. It was tiresome. Things went smoothly. 

(They all would wake up at each rest stop to get a snack and go potty!)

(Batman and Me on Day 2, waiting for Craig to fill up and hit the road again.)

Day 3 we made it to the beautiful Panama City, FL, where we wished we could stay and have a look around, but we had a schedule to keep, and we needed to get the dogs to our new home. We'd really like to go back just the two of us sometime. 

(Day 3 we passed through so many places I had never been before! This is what Louisiana looked like through most of the state! Just trees growing up out of swampy water or something! Crazy!)

(And here is a poor tiger that was locked up at some little rest stop on the way. I took the dogs to pee, and went to walk them over to see the tiger, and they were  NOT happy. They didn't even growl, they just tried to get as far away as possible from it!)

The fourth day took us to our new home in Crystal Beach, or Palm Harbor, FL. (Same thing kind of.) Some men from our new ward were there and helped us unpack all our stuff into our tiny 900 sq. ft. duplex. The boxes were so packed in the house that there was NO getting around. We had too much stuff for the place! We immediately went and rented a storage unit down the road and put 50% of our stuff in it.  

The house isn't quite what we expected. No dishwasher, no garbage disposal, no microwave, no garage or other storage, ONE working drawer in the kitchen for all our stuff! It was definitely going to take some getting used to! But the price just couldn't be beat! Now we had weeks of unpacking, organizing, and finding a place for all our crap ahead of us! (I'll post pics of the house another time!)

We Love You Ninja!

We thought it over long and hard, and we decided it would be best for us to find Ninja a new home. :(  It was SO hard to find a landlord that would take 4 animals, and to make him sit in a little cage for 4 days straight seemed just cruel. We talked to a few different people, and we found him a great home. The lady that adopted him fell in love with him instantly, and just knew her husband would love him too. They are keeping his name, too. He has an enclosed outdoor area to play in, which is great because he LOVES being outside, and 2 dogs and another cat to play with. We were SO sad to see him go, I started to get teary, but there were so many people at our house helping us pack and clean that I had to get back to work. We know it was for the best. We love you Ninja!

The morning after Guy and Girl found Ninja in the Park.

He made himself at home almost immediately.
He was always curious and mischievous, and always so cute!
He even got along famously with the dogs!
Christmas in Washington...and the only cat in Dad's house that actually used the litter box as long as Brittany didn't close the door.
Ninja loved Christmas so much, he protested to taking the tree down so soon after the holiday!

May 2009 GOODBYE!

Goodbye dry heat! Goodbye beautiful house! Goodbye fenced-in backyard! Goodbye friends! Goodbye Grandma Cheri! Goodbye Taco Tuesday at Rubio's Fresh Mexican Grill! Goodbye Mormons! Goodbye cactuses! Goodbye RA Sushi! Goodbye trampoline! You will all be missed but never forgotten!

Goodbye gigantic kitchen!
Goodbye big beautiful house!

Goodbye Missionaries always calling Craig to take them to McDonalds!

May 3, 2009

I finally got to fly back home to be with my new eternal husband! We hadn't seen each other in a week! That's the longest we've been apart since getting married, and it was immediately after we got sealed! Anyway, I was so excited to get back to him, but I had NO idea just what I was in for! He picked me up at the airport in a clean car, he was all dressed up, smelling so good, and gave me a bouquet of flowers to welcome me home! When we got home, I was even more surprised. Girl came to the door to greet me, and she had a little red bow that Craig had made and put on her so she would be dressed up for me, the entire house was spotless, (he cleaned it better than I ever could!) dinner was ready for me, (Pankcakes and Eggs!) and after dinner, I went into the bathroom and was greeted by tons of candles and a hot bath full of bubbles for me! It was the best surprise ever. Thanks Craig, I love you!

May 2, 2009

Bachelorette Party

Getting Ready for the Big Moment!

Crystal, Maggie, and Heather at the Reception

Craig left the day after we got sealed, and I stayed because Maggie was getting married the next weekend. The week was filled with events, and as a bridesmaid, there was a lot to be done still. Maggie's future Mother In Law threw her a Bridal Shower at her tea house, then her Maid of Honor, Molly, gave her a Bachelorette party which was a day of wine tasting (or sparkling cider in the case of me, the 2 parents, and the pregnant friend :)) and then there was the wedding itself, which was beautiful, albeit completely different from our sealing a week prior, and then there was the reception! Dad actually came and sat at the head table across from me. He showed me some of his moves before him and Cindy left for the evening. It was hectic, but fun. Best wishes to Maggie and Chuck!

April 24-26th, 2009

         Together Forever!

               The Boys

The Bobs
The Kids

We did it! What can I say about finally getting sealed? Well, I DO want to say a huge THANK YOU to just about everyone. Thanks Clint, Rania, and Kailey for coming up to WA to support us, thanks to Rania and Mel and Craig's Dad for the fruit skewers (no small task!), thanks to dad and everyone else for monetary contributions to the food, thanks Mel for being my escort, thanks a million plus infinity to Bonnie and Bob Wagar, for the venue, the bouquet, the food, the time, money, effort, stress, AND for miraculously making it to the actual sealing, thanks to Craig's Dad for traveling and making sure Craig had family there to support him, thanks to Meghan Reil and everyone else who had a camera for the pictures when I found out our photographer's dog got hit by a car, thanks Craig for the amazing impromtu speech, thanks Clint and Luke for watching the kids while Mel and Rania helped me out, thanks Ashley and Brittany and all the men for setting up the reception tables, etc, even though it was so cold that no one wanted to be out there, thanks to all the family and friends who came to the sealing and to the reception, for supporting us and eating that delicious chocolate cake, thanks to the temple for having an extra dress on hand when Craig left mine at the house, thanks again to Craig for not backing out, and actually going through with it, thanks to EVERYONE! I really can't say how much I appreciated every single one of you! Even though it didn't turn out exactly as I had imagined, and some aspects were far from perfect, we are grateful that we were able to reach our goals and accomplish the most important thing we'll probably ever do in our life. Thanks for being a part of it, we love you all!