Giddy As A Schoolgirl

Yes, Giddy.

After much stress and many much hours pulling wire, framing walls etc.

We did it.

Ok, not did it done, but did it getting there.

We got all our plumbing, heating and electrical (a billion thanks to the Yoda of electricity Alan for helping me through the dizzying process, even though he was packing up all his stuff before a cross-counrty move to IOWA for med school) DONE!

Drywall was started one morning and by that afternoon was 75% hung. After only a couple hours the next morning they were done and ready to tape and mud. The whole house is moving along pretty well. The exterior is almost done and all the siding has been painted. (thank you Crystal for working extra hard, even when I'm not there cracking the whip).

The only painting left is a bit of touch up and painting the trim around the windows and doors white. The stucco will go where all that black paper is and then POOF!

The home that sat for two years is transformed. We'll be ready for finish work and wood floors to go in by the middle of next week and hopefully completed a week and a half after that.

Not Giddy-worthy you say? well I hope you noticed that pine tree in front of the garage. It's one of two cut down this week by yours truly.

It's not that I don't like trees, I just love a good photo opp.

with the rest of life going so well and our house moving AHEAD of schedule, (yes I said AHEAD)

I think i'm entitled to a bit of Giddy-ness.

It's Ours!

On Thursday March 26th we finally closed on our new home! We have a lot of work to do before we can move in, but we couldn't be more excited! We closed Thursday and had one of our subs start working the next morning! Steve and I spent all day Saturday working there together, and boy was I tired! I just keep telling myself that it will be worth it. If anyone wants to come by to see it sometime, the address is 220 North 200 East in Alpine......we'll be there a lot for the next few months!

Our new home

The south side of the house


This is the kitchen from the mud room

This picture is taken in our formal living room

This is the upstairs

I know it is hard to see what is what now, but I'll post more pictures as we go. Our house is going to be so awesome! We feel so blessed that everything worked out so well.

And the best part.....I'll get to enjoy this view EVERYDAY!

I am one lucky girl!

We're Back!

We're alive! It has been one hectic month! We are living with my sister and brother-in-law and waiting to close on a home in Alpine.....boy is that an ordeal! Life has been great and an adventure....to say the least. Last Wednesday night I was driving on State Street in Lindon and I hit a deer....I know, the last thing I expected on such a main street in town! Luckily I was able to slow down enough that the damage was not too bad. The deer got up and ran away, and this is what my car looks like......what do you think? I was pretty lucky, it could have been so much worse......I was going about 40mph!

The hoodSomething to remember the deer

(gross)

Steve and I left for Las Vegas the next day......we needed a vacation! We got into town and met up with 4 of our friends at the Dan Marino Restaurant in the Hooters Casino.......I know Hooters, but Dan makes yummy ribs. Then we were off to see the Cirque de Soliel show at the MGM, KA. Our friend Kara had been in town on a business trip and she was able to snag us all FREE tickets! It was such a cool show! That makes 2 free Cirque de Soleil shows for Steve and I.....thanks Lance and Kara!

After the show

The next night we walked the strip and saw the normal Las Vegas sights.....the Volcano at the Mirage.....Shops at the Miracle Mile......The Gardens at the Bellagio.......and my favorite the Fountains at the Bellagio. We had a blast!

On the way home, we drove past the Las Vegas Temple........it was beautiful! It was a much needed vacation, but we were ready to get home.


The weather was perfect....we actually spent a few hours on Saturday at the MGM's pool....or should I say pools. They have a few pools and a lazy river! It was a great trip!

We will keep everyone updated on the progress of our home.......thank you to everyone who has been praying for us......we are very grateful!

It's Official

We sold our first home! Since both Steve and I are working in Salt Lake now, we decided that it would be a good idea to move a little further north. After much deliberating, we decided to list our home with a realtor. Never in my wildest dreams did I imagine that after only three and a half weeks on the market (keep in mind we are in a recession) we would sign the papers to sell our home! Not only that, we have only a week and a half to move! We didn't have anywhere to go, so my amazing sister and her husband are going to take us in until we find a place, or figure out what to do. Don't get me wrong I feel so blessed that we sold so quickly, but I feel like we just finally got things the way we wanted. Here are some pictures of my cute little house.

The living room....Steve put in this beautiful wood floor.

Dining room

Kitchen.....we glazed the cabinets, added the black accents, tiled the floor and counters, and put in the new back splash.

I love how the office turned out.

Our bedroom.

I am really going to miss our first home, but I know that it is time to move on. We have made some really great memories here, and I can't wait for the adventures that lie ahead for us!

Firefighter Smith

So my husband is amazing! He is now officially a Salt Lake City firefighter. He was sworn in on January 9th and is at station 13. It is kind of difficult getting use to his schedule, but I love it when his days off and my days off line up! It is awesome to think that he is helping people everyday. I love him so much and am so proud of him! Here are some pictures of him in uniform.

These are the guys he trained with for 12 weeks.

The helmets

Aren't we so cute!

Us again...he looks so good in uniform!

Firefighter Smith.....my hero!

Our Trial

I know I have been a horrible blogger lately.....life has been crazy! We had a great Christmas and a wonderful New Year. My parents came out from Indiana and it was so nice to have them here. It was nice to have some time off work to spend with them! For family home evening right before Christmas we had a special visitor........

It was so much fun to see the kids faces when Santa walked through the front door! They were so cute....they all sat on Santa's lap and told him what they wanted him to bring them for Christmas. I even had a chance to sit on Santa's lap and tell him what I wanted most of all for Christmas.......

I asked for a baby! For those of you who know me, I am a very open person. That is putting it VERY lightly. If you want to know something......all you have to do is ask me. So here it goes. I am very open about how badly Steve and I want to have children. Here is our story, or as I like to say.....our trial.

Steve and I decided in January 2006 that we were ready to make your family a little bigger. We started trying in March. I found out I was pregnant in June 2006, but miscarried at 6 weeks. Then it took us almost a full year to get pregnant again. I found out this time in May 2007, and miscarried again at 6 weeks. Since then I switched doctors and have been diagnosed with Poly cystic ovarian disease (PCOS). I have been taking chlomid, a fertility drug, along with metformin (for my PCOS)for the last 3 months with no luck! It is rather exhausting physically and emotionally! No matter what we do, every month we are devastated to not be pregnant. I cry every month. I feel like we are on the right track with doctors who seem to know what they are doing. Every month I take chlomid on days 5-9 of my cycle, I go in for an ultrasound to check my ovaries(follicle study) on day 13 and then they give me two shots of the HCG hormone to make me ovulate! Then we get to wait for about 2 weeks to find out if I'm pregnant! Sounds fun huh?!?!

Anyway, this trial has helped me to become stronger and has made mine and Steve's relationship better! I just can't wait to be a mom someday! Hopefully soon! I hope that by sharing our struggle, we are able to help someone who may be having a similar trial in their life. Having faith in our Heavenly Fathers plan helps me when I am feeling hopeless. It helps to realize that everyone has trials......this is mine.

Christmas Here We Come.....

November was a busy month. I was getting used to a new work schedule, and Steve was SO exhausted from going through another fire academy! It made the month fly by! For Thanksgiving, we went to Steve's parents house and had a great day of food and naps! I'm not one of the crazy's that is willing to get up early and go shopping on Black Friday...I need my sleep. Instead my wonderful husband, who didn't think that we should put our tree up so early, decided to make me so happy and take me to pick out our tree.

Growing up in small town Indiana had it's perks around Christmas time. Every year we would drive for 5 minutes to the next town over and go to this Christmas Tree farm. They had a pony that we could ride and a tractor that would take us on a hayride to go pick out and cut down our own tree for only $10! That is a little harder to do here, but the tree we did get is really nice. I just love the way a real tree makes your house smell! We brought it home and immediately got out the tree stand and started decorating. This is the finished result.........

I bought most of these decorations the winter that Steve and I were married (3 years on the 16th of this month!). I figured that if I didn't buy most of my Christmas decorations then, it would be harder in the future. If you can't tell, the ribbon and the tree skirt match! My favorite new addition to the tree is a picture of my mom when she was 3 and my uncle when he was 2 sitting on Santa's lap. Mom and dad are coming out for Christmas this year, and I can't wait! I miss them so much! There is nothing that can compare to having your family here for the holidays!