Riding with the Girls

A few weeks ago my Laurels and I held a planning session and we planned out our mutual activities for the rest of the year.  As part of that they decided they wanted to go ride horses! WAHOOOOO!!!!!! (Did I mention I LOVE these girls) Couldn't have asked for a better activity because if you know me at all then you know that I grew up riding and showing horses.  Horses are in my blood!

So my advisor, Maggie, and I gathered up some horses and with the help of my WONDERFUL neighbor Vince we took them on a ride.  At first we just walked along the canal bank.  Then we took the girls out into a hay field and showed them how to make their horses jog/trot and then lope (a.k.a "go faster").  It was a BLAST!!!! They had so much fun and so did I!! It made me VERY reminiscent of my childhood and riding along the ditch bank with my sister and good buddy Emilee and then racing our horses in between the rows of the lettuce field. (We were a farmers WORST nightmare) he he :) So anyways, it was a TON of fun and here's a pic from our adventure!

From right to left: Cass on Rose, Alli on Honey, Sadie on Red Skin, Kizzy on Denny, Maggie on Dodger, and me on Mare (she doesn't have a name because she acts like a dork.  When she can be consistently good then she gets to have a name =] )

Here We Go Again!

I just got my test results back on my blood draw.  AND . . . my progesterone is . . . incredibly LOW! Ha! Kinda makes me laugh because I always had a notion that my progestrone level and ovulating may be my problem in the first place.  Now the doctor knows that it is too :)

So now what?  Well I get ANOTHER treatment of provera to start a period (a little pill I take for 7 days), then I get a heftier dose of Clomid (the fertility drug) and I take that for 5 days.  Then do what comes natural and go back to the doctor for another poke in the arm :) Gotta love it! Hey at least we're making progress :)

A Little Help

So, as most of you know, Rusty and I have been trying to start a family for

1 year, 11 months, 2 weeks, and 5 days

but whose counting?  The last couple of years have been pretty tough and we have had our sturggles, but we are FINALLY getting some help! I just finished my first round of fertility medicine, have had my progesterone (a hormone in your body that is made for two weeks at ovulation and all throughout pregnancy) level tested, and am now waiting on the results.  If the level is high or even present and I don't start a period then chances are I am prego.  On the flip side, if the level is low or non-existent then chances are I am not prego.  So I have my fingers crossed, have wished on a million stars, and said countless prayers.

Of course I really really really want to be pregnant and carry it full term, but what do ya do?  There is only so much I can do.  My struggle with infertility has taught me to hope, but not get my hopes up (if that makes any sense at all).  I know that someday I will have a family, but I get a little impatient for "someday" to just show up already!  I have had to really remind myself lately not to jump at every teeny, tiny little maybe sign of pregnancy (especially since I now know what my body feels like in the early stages of pregnancy) and to not allow myself to hope for that until I have some concrete signals from my body.  I have allowed myself to let my hopes soar before only to be crusehed by ONE pink line.  I can't do that anymore.  However, I can be VERY GRATEFUL for what I do have :) I have a WONDERFUL husband, a good, job, I am a homeowner, and a mama to a HILARIOUS and lovable St. Bernard named Dozer.  I am a sister, a friend, a daughter, a teacher, and trying to be a better daughter of God.  I am  so       very very blessed!!

So what is the point of this post?  I guess just to get my thoughts and feelings straight in my mind and also because I really use my blog as more of a journal (since I'm HORRIBLE about writing in a real one!).  I just needed to remind myself that the Lord is in charge and that life really is good, no matter how the blood test comes back or how many times I have to count days, take pills, and be poked in the arm.  It is ALL worth it and the Lord will take care of me. 

So friends, I ask this favor of you.  Please keep Rusty and I in your thoughts and prayers that we may be able to handle whatever may come our way.  Whether it is celebration or another try I know that we can get through this because "the Lord is with thee whithersoever thou goest."  Thanks friends :)

My summer in a Nutshell

This summer has been absolutely NUTS!!! Like I'm sure most everybody's has been :) Here's a few things I got accomplished this summer :)

First there was my birthday and this is what a got from my Mom :)

 I got this ADORABLE little guy from my sis-in-law Whitney :)

Next a little home decor :) My friend, Kenna made the purple deals for me for my birthday. I think it turned out pretty cute :)

Here is the dresser I re-finished.  It just needs handles :)

AND . . . I cut my hair!!!! It's a little more grown out now, but I LOVE it!! :]

I also went to girls camp this year, but will not be going again :(  At least not as an assistan camp director.  I got a new calling.  Can you guess what it is?

That's right!! I am the new YOUNG WOMEN'S PRESIDENT!!!!! AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!!!
Holy pressure!! I do love it though :) Wish me luck! I'm gonna need it :)

Well today was the first day of school and summer is officially over now :( But life goes on and I am actually excited about this year's class and happy to be back with the kids where I belong :)

The End is Drawing Near!

Tomorrow is the last day of the school year and I will have officially taught three years (all in 5th grade)!!!!! I am sooo excited for the summer!! Now if only the weather would remember that it's the end of May!

It has been a tough year, but totally worth it.   I have gotten to know some really great kids and I look forward to seeing what next year brings, but not without enjoying my summer first! :)

Happy end of school year and start of summer to all!! :)

Good People

Today as I retrieved my mail from the mail box I noticed and ACTUAL LETTER in there!! Wahoooooo! It's NOT a bill!!!!! :) When I opened it up I found a card and a magnet with a very apporpriate quote for me on it.  I realized that this was from a friend and neighbor of mine who saw it in a store, thought of me, and sent it my way. How nice is that?!  It just reaffirmed my belief that the little things are soooo important, because I will NEVER forget that small kindness that she shared with me.  Right after my miscarriage I called my Mom to let her know what was going on and she said to me, "I don't worry about you because you have such good people around you up there in Idaho."  She is so right! (Like she oftern times is) :) I do VERY good, kind, thoughtful, righteous people around me here in Idaho and especially in Terreton/Mud Lake.  I am so grateful to be leaving out here and to know the people I do.  I feel truly blessed to have them in my life.  Thank you so much to my dear friend for this thoughtful reminder to trust in the Lord.

The card and magnet I received from my friend. :)

Pie in the Face

Last month was National Reading Month, in honor of Dr. Seuss whose birthday was the 2nd of March.  To celebrate the occassion and get the students to read we teachers hosted several activities throughout the month.  One such activitiy was a school wide reading goal that was set at the beginning of the month.  If the students reached their goal then they were allowed to watch "Horton Hears A Who" on the last Friday of the month.  If they EXCEEDED their goal then one student from each grade got to throw a pie in a teacher's face from the same grade.  Also, the principal would have "slime" (colored flour water) poured all over his head.  With incentives such as that . . . it came as no surprise . . .

they exceeded their goal.

Being the person that I am I made the silly mistake of volunteering my face to the cause. Here's the incriminating photos to prove my story.  =]

Here is Chelton (the student chosen to deliver my fate) all poised and ready to go.

Is it just me or does he look a little to excited to be doing this?

Whip cream anyone? :)

Nothing like a good hydrogenated oil and cream facial!!

 

Oooo! That's a little scary lookin'!

(At this point my contacts were fogging up pretty good! Didn't know that could happen!!

See you learn something new everyday! =] )

Here is Mr. Mackay (6th grade teacher), Mr. Hanson (the principal),

Mrs. Huber (4th grade teacher) and myself (5th grade teacher) in all our messy glory!

I hope the kids enjoyed the entertainment!! They did an awesome job at getting all those books read! The things we teachers do in the name of education.  I must really LOVE my job! Oh wait! I DO!!!  =] 

Until next year . . .

D.I. Treasures

A few weeks back I decided to wander into D.I. (like a Good Will) and see if I could find any "treasures."  My in-laws are ALWAYS finding GREAT stuff there, so I thought I'd try one more time (I NEVER find anything good, but what the heck!) :)  This time I decided to try and think about what I could DO or MAKE with things that I found.  Here's what I discovered:  
                 BEFORE                                              

AFTER

                                                                      

This project cost me a total of $3 for the shelf at D.I.  I had the paint, sand paper, and decor on hand and now it looks FABULOUS on my living room wall :)

                                        

Next . . .

BEFORE

AFTER

      This project cost a total of $5.50.  I paid $3 for the frame at D.I., $2.50 for the 1/4 yard of fabric at Porters (craft store) that I stretched over batting that had been glued on and then tacked the fabric down to the back with hot glue, and then used my circut to cut out vinyl I already had.

      AND FINALLY. . .

Take this (a wreath I found for $3 at D.I.)

and combine with THIS

Fake flowers from the dollar store ($12)

and you get . . .

(drum roll please!)

THIS!!!!!!

A bright, fun wreath for your front door to help usher in Spring!! :)

I had sooooo much fun creating each of these pieces and was pretty proud of myself for my finds at D.I.  I think this could be the beginning of a beautiful relationship with the D.I.  :)