Adventure.

I'm a major sucker, for any idea that includes anything even close to that dang word adventure. I am a very illogical thinker when it comes to these things, and I always find a way in my head to make impossible things seem totally average and possible. It actually annoys me, so I cant' imagine how it annoys my mom, or how about my husband. But still, when a few friends wanted to go to Tonga after nursing school, I had about $50 in my bank account and imagined up a perfectly impossibly possible plan and somehow barely scrounged by, I wouldn't trade my time there for anything.

When my friend suggested I fly to Alaska to meet her and work construction in Nome the very next morning, again I thought up an impossible plan to clear my schedule and go, again I wouldn't change it. Last year Shawn's parents invited us to join them on an Alaskan cruise that we probably should have turned down, however when it involves seeing new places as tempting as it is we never can just say NO. We joined them, and it was once in a lifetime and completely amazing.

Since that time I have came up with probably 100 plans that my husband laughs at, and that soon become too impossible to be even closely possible. However, my reaction was no different when my friend from work mentioned to me that she is going on an operation smile mission, and wanted me to join. Operation Smile is an organization I have been interested in for a long time. It is an organization who goes to third world countries repairing cleft lip and palates. I can't imagine being a child who had an opportunity to get their smile fixed! I can only imagine it would mean the world to them.
And so once again, I am an unbelievable sucker for adventure, and the word No just wouldn't come out. I brought the idea of going to Peru with operation smile up to my Doctor. Surprisingly she seemed very unconcerned. She explained that we will look over the immunization and medication list and make sure there is nothing that could be potentially dangerous for an expectant mother. So for the past few days I have had off work, I have been working on my credentialing, and finishing my application, while I dreamed of the faces that wait for me in Peru.


Last week I worked a dreaded night shift. One of my required two a month. I rocked a baby with a form of cancer to sleep, and I glanced over at their mom asleep on the cold tile floor, which I'm assuming seemed more comfortable then the offered hard parent bed. The room had a gorgeous view of down town Salt Lake city, and the lights from the city illuminated her sleeping face. I thought about what a crazy adventure this must be. To be a mom of a child, and wanting everything to be all better no matter what.

And then I realized I am starting out on my newest of adventures. This type of adventure is foreign to me. It will be being called Mom, and it will take me by surprise with ten little cute tiny fingers and ten little perfect toes. It will come to me and hopefully look just so much like my Shawny boy. It will bring much more excitement and all kinds of emotion then any previous adventure could have ever been even imagined up to be. This is what I look forward to..the new, the unexpected, the scary and once in a lifetime. This is my number one priority, and if that means putting any other adventure on hold then I can gladly do it. My mom was thrown a few unexpected adventures of her own, and overall she handled them with a queens grace. In my mind,she earned the title of world's greatest mom.
Thank goodness life is full of built in natural adventure..I suppose I don't mind being just a little more tired than usual, or falling asleep at 8 when it's supposed to be our date night in. It's all part of the joy in the adventure. Keep it coming.


but for the record, if it is safe and possible..I'm not saying I can say completely no to Peru next month. Don't judge. :)

A tribute to a Teeny Tiny..

The night before Thanksgiving Shawn and I were very surprised to discover that we are having a baby, one of our very own! Needless to say, it made every holiday this holiday season more meaningful to us. Even though we were pretty much still numb on Thanksgiving we drove around after I worked looking for places for dinner and saying over and over again how surprised we were. We came home empty handed after over an hour of driving around. We obviously weren't to focused on places to eat.


first picture of 2011 we really weren't that lame ALL night

On New Year's we thought about all that 2011 is bringing onto our plate. It is a year that dreams are coming close to reality for us. Even though it makes me very nervous, since we can't even keep track of a dang set of keys, we are taking it one step at a time! Shawn is finally applying for Medical School this year in the beginning of June, and hopefully sometime before this year is over we will find out where we will be spending the next few years of our lives. Our baby will be joining us at the end of the summer, technically my due date is the beginning of August, but the original due date was July 28th. I might just keep that date in my head since it seems so much closer with the word July in front of it. By that point Shawn will hopefully be able to relax with his applications and just be ALL OURS to enjoy.

We are ever so grateful for this opportunity. Working where I work, I feel like I see babies who start out their lives on a rough road day after day. A healthy baby seems almost to rare and good to be true. Shawn and I will be so relieved when we know that our baby is healthy and safe. Our first ultra sound showed just a small little peanut. Today our ultra sound showed arms and legs and actually looked like a real baby! We already think every limb is the very cutest it could possibly be.
We love you little sweet pea. Already in the past 11 weeks and 3 days, you have changed us for the better..we are very grateful for you, we LOVE you.