Meet Chewy

We have gone back and forth a LOT about getting a dog. After the miscarriage we started talking about it even more. Scott took the day off today so we went golfing and decided to stop in at the Humane Society to look around. We had no intention of bringing one home today! But we saw this little guy first off and fell in love with him immediately. We took him outside and played with him, and decided we had to have him. He's part dachshund and something else - not sure. But he's house trained, neutered and micro chipped so we don't have much to do! There's a few things we need to work on, but he's a very good boy. Frodo and Samwise just scowled at him and then went back to their own little world. Chewy has noticed them, but so far hasn't bothered with them. We got him so balls and he LOVES chasing them. So hopefully he'll stay occupied with balls and not with the birds. We've been chanting "birds are friends, not food" :)

P.S. While driving the golf cart we hit a really cool bump and caught SERIOUS air! Scott about flew out the front. We laughed SO hard!

Josh Groban - "You Are Loved [Don't Give Up]" Official Music Video

Sometimes I just need a little Josh!

Mel's Wedding!!

Mel and Ryan had a great idea to go get hitched in San Diego! Our dear friends Courtney and Ben and Ava let us stay with them and I miss them already. We also got to stop by and see Alissa and her most fabulous babies. Enjoy the pics!
Mom and Dad Shoell, Ryan and Melanie Biddulph in front of the San Diego Temple. The ceremony was beautiful! We were so happy that we were able to be there.

Below: The beautiful bride and 3 brothers. (Tony was there in spirit!)

The happy and gorgeous couple: Ryan and Melanie

Below: Mom Shoell and her Mom, Grandma Thomas

Me and Auntie Sara J.

Me and my handsome hubby.

Me and Nate.

The San Diego Temple is beautiful!

Below: Tom and Nate

Nate and Missy

Me and Scott on the Bobsleds ride at Disneyland.

Below: Us by Grizzley River Rapids. (It was actually too cold to ride it!)

Scott showing off his awesome 3D glasses before the Muppet show.

Below: Waiting in line for Space Mountain. The first day we were in the park we waited an hour for Space Mountain and when we were almost there, it broke down. Grrrr.... but we ended up being able to go on it twice! The second day in the park it was pretty chilly so it wasn't crowded at all! Green beans anyone?

Scott has decided that when he retires he'd like to move to California and get a job driving the train at Disneyland. I am SO okay with that decision.

Neither of us could remember the last time we'd been on "It's a Small World" so we decided to give it a go since it'd been redone. Now I can wait another 15 or so years to go on it again... it may look different, but those dolls are still out to kill me.

Below: Splash Mountain!

Alissa suggested we stop by the San Capistrano Mission and we are SO glad we did! Thanks for the tip Alissa! It is beautiful!!!

Project Runway: Eat Your Heart Out

My first skirt! I'm so very proud of myself :) My mother-in-law ended up doing the zipper because I messed it up, but hey. I'm learning!

Weeeell.....

Sometimes life is just crazy. You can go from smooth, calm, normal sailing to bursts of elation to feeling just plain rotten. Right now I'm feeling calm, so I thought I could finally share with my girlfriends what's been going on.
In January we did an IUI at the Reproductive Care Center in Draper, UT. (If you don't know what that is, you can google/bing it). The whole experience was easier than we thought, but rather discouraging because the success rate is only 11%. But hey -that's better odds than we've had so we decided to give it a go. Then the unthinkable happened: I was pregnant! It was the most surreal thing. We'd tried and prayed so long and then we just stood in the bathroom and stared at the test in disbelief. No jumping up and down and screaming, no tears of joy (that all came later), just dumb stares. We thought it was too good to be true!
Then after 5 weeks, apparently it was too good to be true because the Doctor's office called and said my levels had tanked and I'd be miscarrying any day. Awesome. I was hysterical.
That night I just "happened" to be reading in the book of Mosiah in the Book of Mormon. I read chapter 22, kept going to 23, and then "something" told me to keep reading. Chapter 24 is where the people are in bondage and suffering and the Lord says that He will make their burdens light. Not take them away just yet, but make them easier to bare. I had the most calming feeling come over me, and suddenly I knew that everything would be ok. I was still losing the baby, but I was going to be ok. When I started to bleed and pass everything I was still calm. I don't share all this so you feel sorry for me or to sound self righteous. But I share it because the Lord really does know us! It's still rough and I do get sad, but I'm not in bed completely depressed like I thought I would be. It's hard to explain; I guess you have to know me and my history with serious depression to really get it. But I know I've had angels around me lifing me up and getting me out of bed in the morning. And my favorite angel of all, Scott, has been here to make me smile and laugh even when I almost felt guilty for doing so. I know that with the Lord and with Scott I can get through anything.

RIP Samwise

My Samwise passed away last night :( Poor, poor Samwise. I feel SO bad for Frodo who is just lost without his Sam. What a sweet boy you were Samwise!!

My First Quilt!

I've finished my very first quilt and am ridiculously proud of myself. It's Christmas fabric so I'm packing it away for next year. Scott was (not so) happy to model it for me :)

In other news, on Thursday evening my poor baby Samwise was bleeding from under his wing. He was picking at it so I was way freaked out. I cleaned it up with some peroxide and watched him closely. By later that night it was bleeding again and it had spread. At this point I have to brag about my husband. Without a word from me he was on the computer and on the phone trying to find an urgent care pet clinic. There are several, but none that feel comfortable enough with birds. He finally found one clear in Springville, so at 11pm we loaded up the boys and drove down there. I'm so grateful to have such a wonderful hubby that understands me and my love for the little critters!

Anyway, the vet gave us an ointment to put on the irritated skin (some kind of a rash that he was itching with his beak, therefore it bleed like crazy.) It did clear up his skin, but he was still pulling out his feathers and acting really sick. So Monday we took him to a bird specialist in S. Jordan who explained that while the ointment healed the irritation, having the ointment on his wings and him not being able to clean it off was literally driving him nuts :( So we had to give him a bath and methodically clean his feathers (which he HATED) and then keep him warm until he dried out. Sigh...having sick pets is sad and frustrating. I know, I know I sound totally crazy but I love my little guys! I think he's on the mend now, if only Frodo would leave him alone and stop being such a brat.