Harry Potter World

During all the arduous training for hubby's career, one of they saving graces for me was reading to & with our kiddos. Daddy may be on-call and we haven't seen him in days, but we can escape somewhere like... the wizarding world for a little while. I started reading the Harry Potter books to our kids when our oldest was about 6 years old and bubba do was about 4. That may seem a little young for the stories, but my kids are kind of crazy smart and were ready at those ages. By the time we finished the series our kids couldn't fathom that when we were kids there was no Harry, Ron or Hermione yet. Pooka shell started reading them on her own and requested a Harry Potter themed 8th birthday party. We went all out (see previous blog posts about the party) It was magical.

We as parents decided to plan a trip to "The Wizarding World of Harry Potter" at universal studios in Orlando. We all talked about it for nearly 2 years...dreaming of when residency would be over and when we could possibly afford such a luxury as a real family vacation. The kids joked that it would be awesome if we surprised them some day and just said "We are going to Harry Potter world today!" Well, that is just what we did. I secretly packed all our bags and hubby made the travel arrangements to fall on a week they were off track from school. We invited our 19 year old niece to come with us to help out, and on that day we just told the kids we were driving Kylee home...we were really going to the airport. Sorry, the video is sideways...not sure how to fix that

I love how Bubba do gets all teary eyed at the end. They were so excited!!

At the Airport (notice the glasses)

Hogwarts express!!

 

                                                       Outside OllivandersWand shop. The very best part of the trip...When you go to Ollivanders they take small groups in to meet Mr. Ollivander himself. In these small groups they choose one child out of the group to try out wands and have "the wand choose the wizard" We knew about this before and were ready to deal with the disappointment if they didn't get chosen, or heaven forbid, one did and the other did not. Miracle of miracles Mr Ollivander walked straight up to the two of them and asked "are you two together?" They said yes and he chose both of them!! Mr. Ollivander handed Pooka a wand and explained that the wand choses. He then asked her to give it a try...say "accio ladder." She did and the ladder started flying across the room and all the drawers acted as if they would fly out of the shelves. "Perhaps this isn' the wand for you" he says. Then he asked bubba do to try one..."say lumos!" Bubba do tried and the lights all flickered violently and papers flew everywhere. "No, no. Definitely not that one" Ollivander says. He then explained that these wands were siblings like Harry and Voldemort's. They had Unicorn hair from the same Unicorn at the core. "Perhaps....I wonder....if we switch them" He says as he has them trade wands. The lights all shine directly on them and you hear the proverbial angels sing....the wands have chosen. SO memorable. My favorite part.

I cried a little when I saw Hogwarts

 

                                    Bertie Botts (There really was an "earwax flavor!)

 

                                                                     Gryffindor!

                                                    
 Butter Beer!
 

                                                                   Hogsmede Village
There are tons more great pics...too many to blog. It was so special to give them this experience. They have put up with a lot of difficult situations over the course of Daddy's training. Thank goodness for Magic ! :0)
p.s. I hate how I put the pics in one place and they show up in another when I publish the post. Sorry

                                                            



Not really a baby anymore

We wanted her to come for so long. We tried for years, and I cried everytime the test was negative. Then miraculously, that awesome day in July 2010... the test was positive. I was so scared it wouldn't work out again....but she was meant to be ours.

 

 

Today little Savvy went pee-pee on the potty for the first time ever. Good lob lady!! Of course we were excited for the milestone, but I found a part of me was sad. How could she be big enough already?! She really isn't a baby anymore...she is a toddler, and that is very different. She still needs me when she is scared, and sleeps with her special blanket. She still eats baby food (primarily because she hates strange/unfamiliar textures). She makes messes and cries when she is tired. She still takes naps, and sleeps in a crib, and wears diapers. But, next month she will turn 2 years old. She will transition into a toddler bed and continue to learn how to be a big girl. I already miss the baby.

 

 I have been through this stage twice already, but this time is different. It is likely my last time through. I would love to have more children, but the years are not slowing down. IVF is the only option now. If I had an extra 10 thousand lying around I would do it tomorrow. Alas...our insurance now doesn't hold a candle to what we had in Residency. Student loan debt and an unsold house in Iowa eat up any extra. Sad but true. Yet I am so grateful to be where we are. Finished with training, back home (albeit in a temporary place still), and parents of 3 wonderful little people. Hubby is so happy with his job that it has been worth the wait. I am looking forward to the next stage and next adventure...now to get me back on stage....



Playing catch up

SO much has happened since I last blogged. It has been a crazy busy time adjusting to our new "post residency life". Celebrating graduation,  packing up everything, saying goodbye to Iowa and good friends, unpacking and trying to settle in, Bubba do turned 6!, hubby turned 35, the big kids starting school, our family ran a 5 mile Temple to Temple race, enjoying all the fun in our new neighborhood, Pooka-shell ran her first 5k with me, Savvy turned 1 and a half, Roand trip to Denver to see my little bro get married, met my nephews for the first time....Whew!!! Here is all the photographic evidence.

Hubby and his partners in crime aka fellow graduating residents

We will miss UIHC



Kristie, Jana, Jen



  

"Silly sister Blackmon"



Goodbye Iowa house

Hello Utah house full of boxes

Happy birthday Bubba-do! with the grandparents

Happy birthday hubby!

First Day of School, 3rd grade and 1st grade

Temple to Temple 5 mile run!

Tired but cute after the run

Fun at Daybreak. Dragon!

Tiger

Do tigers eat cupcakes?

Finished her first 5k in 32 minutes

Savvy is 18 months

Little bro is so happy :0)

The big brothers

Vail Colorado

Cam is a great Dad. So fun to meet my nephews for the first time.

HOLY COW!

I love to write in this blog. I also love feeling sane....I have not done either for some time!

Here is the new (rental) house in Utah. Yay we are finally home!!! I cannot tell you with any accuracy what it has been like relocating our entire lives half way across the country. We have been here 1 month and I still miss people and places in Iowa. There are still many boxes to unpack and much organizing to do, but we are very thankful for it all. The traveling was awful even though it went smoothly...just so much work. It took a couple of weeks to recover from that. Having hubby home for an extended period of time has been unreal. He officially starts work Sept. 1st so we are enjoying having him around.
It has been great starting to run again here. In Iowa when I ran my typical routes it was on busy streets passing Mc donalds and railroad tracks. Here the trail down the street goes around a beautiful lake or straight to the Temple!
It still doesn't feel real sometimes. Is residency truly over? We actually survived? Am I going to wake up tomorrow in Iowa and realize it was all a dream?
I miss Iowa. Even though we are around so much family and many familiar places, I don't feel like we "fit in" yet. It will take time....In the mean time let's get something to eat at Costa Vida, or Famous Daves, or Jamba Juice, or Leatherby's, or Cafe Rio, or In and Out, etc....because they have those here!!! :0) I really do love being home

"...Because my heart is broken, my spirit, contrite..."

"I will not be afraid, for the Lord Jehovah is my strength and my song" I am strangely okay. I have moments with tears, but I feel mostly peace.

About two weeks ago we got a lovely surprise. A positive pregnancy test. I felt like everything was okay, everything was good. I continued running and biking and feeling nauseated. I never feel nauseous when I'm pregnant. I thought maybe that meant the twins I've sometimes dreamed of. Then it happened. I was about 6 weeks and I started bleeding after a great 3 mile run. I had no pain, but I started feeling very shaky and dizzy. I wanted to just lay down, but I had a doctor's appointment for some unrelated matter so I made the drive to the hospital. By the time I got there I knew something was not right. I called my hubby who was upstairs in OB working. He ordered some labs and said he would meet me at the Ultrasound room. They had to push me in a wheelchair with little Savvy in my lap because I was so dizzy. I thought maybe a miscarriage. Sad, but not uncommon. In the Ultrasound room I was greeted by my favorite ultrasound tech who has been there for all of my dramas and procedures. I took a deep breath, and there it was...another ectopic (tubal) pregnancy. How could that be!? I felt so sure everything was going to be alright! I retrospect I feel the Spirit was comforting me because I would be safe and taken care of. I was in the right place at the right time for the beautiful people at University of Iowa Hospital to save my life....again.

Hours later I was in the OR having my one and only remaining fallopian tube removed. Hubby and I knew it was the right thing to do. The right, safe, and very sad thing we had to do. As soon as we decided that, we also confirmed that we both feel our family is not yet complete. We will follow what ever promptings we receive and try IVF again as soon as possible.

I am recovering, again. With much help from friends and Church members and love sent from our far away families. I cried plenty the day of surgery, but I have not shed a tear again until this moment, as I re-live these feelings...it is very cathartic to write about it all. For now, our family is complete. I feel that. I also feel a yearning for the future and the hope of having all the babies we are meant to have. I will exhaust my options until I am told we are finished. Until we feel finally complete.

I will never have a surprise positive test again. I will also not have another ectopic. We won't ever conceive without medical help again. I am mourning these losses. but counting my blessings.
This roller coaster has made me exponentially grateful for our three beautiful children. They are miracles. I am so thankful to be a mother, to be a wife. To be alive.

"Hey, it's good to be back home again..."

We recently traveled back to Utah to visit family, have our little Pooka-Shell's Baptism, and house hunt! This trip was taken by car. Being in a car for 18 hours should be a form of torture. The kiddos were reasonably well behaved. On the way back they even slept through the night. I, however, cannot sleep in a car for more than a few minutes at a time no matter how tired I am. Poor hubby had to drive 95 percent of the way. When I would take a turn I could barely do an hour and my eyes would start to cross from lack of sleep. We drove straight through....only stopping for gas, food, and potty breaks. I hope to never do that again...ever!

 That said, it was WONDERFUL to be back home. Utah is where I was born, where I grew up and discovered my talents and love of performing. It is familiar. I know how to get anywhere when I'm there. There are so many great restaurants and retail places.  So many memories. It is where I found the love of my life and started a family. It is where most of my family still lives. It was delightful to see places closed on Sunday, and Deseret Book stores, and Hale Center Theater, and mountains, and Jamba Juice, and Costa Vida! We ate at Leatherby's twice....man have I missed Amy's hot fudge brownie!!

I will write more about the Baptism in another post, but it was amazing. Looking out at every one in the chapel and realizing all 45 of them were family! I say all, because the few of our dear friends that came are just like family to me too. Our beautiful oldest child Baptized and now having the Gift of the Holy Ghost. Priceless...the Spirit there was amazing.

I left Iowa 33 years old and came back 34! My birthday was lovely. I didn't have to change any of the dirty diapers that happened that day :0) I also didn't have to feed any one....hubby stepped up. I got to go for a nice run in the morning... Took a nice long shower... Got ready without anyone hurrying me....had lunch with some old friends from the 24th ward...and that night we saw Zorro at Hale Center Theater. It was so good to be back at HCT! "It was almost like we never said goodbye".

Staying with family and seeing our kids get re-acquainted with cousins and grandparents was so neat. We looked at a ton of houses. Although many of them were quite nice, we didn't find our "dream home". It turns out that it will be best for us to rent a house for the first year or so, and most likely build the house we really want. That solves a few problems. Renting does not require a down payment, so we can save that amount to go towards building what we want. Also a rental house doesn't have to be a perfect fit...just adequate. It would be hard house hunting for out dream home from across the country. So if any of you know of someone who wants to rent their house in the South Jordan or Riverton area....

When it was time to come back to Iowa I was ready. I wanted to be back in our own home. With our kitties...surrounded by our own things. I wanted to be back in our own ward, our own neighborhood. Home. Iowa has become our home too. It is where we went from a family of 4 to a family of 5. It is where I became a Zumba instructor, and a Runner! It is where Hubby has become an amazing OB-GYN. It is where our oldest children started elementary school and learned to read. It is where we fell in love with fireflies and cardinals, and the Hawkeyes. It is where we have gained a lot of faith and a lot of perspective. The trip back home seemed like a dream. Like we were on another planet. In another lifetime. Very soon we will be back there for good....and missing Iowa.

Baby Savvy is 1 year old today

It has been one year since I survived un-medicated child birth, and I am almost back to normal! Today is Savvy's 1st birthday. It has been a busy beautiful year. With our first two kiddos I eagerly awaited all the milestones: rolling over, sitting up, crawling. This time I have been more than happy to let her take her time. It is possible that she will be our last baby...considering the major work it took to get her here. I want to remember more of the little things. I want to pause and just look at her more often. It makes me want to do that with the bigger kids too. I'm noticing the beauty of childhood, of the family.
Baby Savvy is smart, and funny, and beautiful. We love her "pretty face", and her "little lamb" laugh when she gets super excited. I love seeing her fold her arms for prayers and we were all so excited when the other day she learned how to clap. It is the little things. Happy 1st birthday Savanna Blake!