Katie's Oregon Vacation

As previously mentioned I went on a wonderful week long trip to Oregon, sadly leaving my husband behind in Provo to finish his finals. (I was lucky enough to have a professor who gave me the study guide and final to take with me...it was a closed note final too!) I was worried about flying mostly because I have been so sick with my pregnancy, but my first flight was uneventful. I arrived Tuesday night, June 10th and spent a very relaxing week with my wonderful family. I realized while there how lucky I am to have such a great family that I love so much. How cool is it that I get along with both of my brothers, my sister-in-law, and my parents! The first full day I got my hair cut and dyed, and then went to the Chinese Gardens with my bros. We also went to the Pita Pit for lunch where I had the best philly steak sandwich ever! Then we went back to Tigard to meet up with Megan who was getting off work. We went to Sweet Tomatoes for dinner and had a great time eating and chatting. Then we went back to play a fun game called "Last Word." The next couple days were not as eventful but it was so great to sit around and talk with my mom about anything and everything. Grandma Lents arrived Friday; everyone thought she was flying in at 8 PM but we got a wake up of our lives when Aunt Sandy called at 8 AM and said that grandma was already on the plane! Luckily dad and I got to the airport in time, although all the walking made me fill pretty sick. Friday night grandma took us out to Olive Garden for dinner for father's day after which we went to an office supply store to buy graduation presents for Matt and Joe. (Matt graduated from high school June 6 and Joe the next day). While there I had a moment of genius and remembered that Brad loves a specific brand of clicky pens that are impossible to find in Utah. I have tried to find these pens for him on several different occasions, i.e. Christmas, birthdays, and anniversaries, without ANY luck. Needless to say I was thrilled beyond belief when I found a box of 12 of these pens in this store. (I gave him the pens when he picked me up from the airport as a Father's Day present...he was nearly speechless!)
Saturday was Joe's graduation from PSU. The plan was to wake up early and be gone by 7 am. Unfortunately the nature of morning sickness is that I am generally sick in the mornings, which made our graduation plan dubious. I had all intentions of going and suffering through, because by now I wasn't vomiting EVERY morning. Unfortunately as I got up this was not to be a non-vomiting morning...and I didn't feel any better once I had. I really wanted to go but the idea of sitting in an auditorium from 8am to at least 1pm seemed very difficult, so my family went off without me and I slept until 11. When I woke up I was feeling much better so I made a fun "welcome home" poster for the boys and brought down the candy posters that I had hidden in my room. (Mom had the great idea to make funny happy graduation posters for the boys using candy bars. Friday night mom, grandma and I made up the posters) I also wrapped their presents. By the time I finished all this everyone was arriving home. We spent the rest of the day eating, playing Settlers and watching silly movies.
Monday was another especially fun day because mom, Matt and I went shopping! We went over to Target and found lots of fun maternity clothes. It was kind of weird because I've been able to comfortably wear my normal clothes until just this week, now if I want to wear my normal jeans I have to keep them unbuttoned!
Tuesday morning was my flight out of Portland. I was very sad to go because the week had flown by so quickly, but I was really excited to see Brad again. The unfortunate part about all this was that I had bought the cheapest ticket home which meant my flight was leaving at 6:50 am, which meant leaving the house no later than 5. By some luck I was actually feeling okay that morning when I got up so I ate some toast, hugged everyone then dad and Matt took me off to the airport. As I was standing in line waiting to check my bag I started feeling queasy. By the time we took off I was feeling really dizzy and horribly nauseous. As we were ascending I pulled out the Target bag from my purse. I opened it up, leaned forward in my seat and pulled the bag over my head so no one could see my face. Needless to say that was one of the most embarassing moments so far in my life. (I forgot to mention that the flight was packed so I was surrounded by people who all got to hear the show.) The mortified girl next to me pushed the call button for the flight attendent who I told loudly,"I'm pregnant" then more quietly said, "I just threw up." I lifted my bag which she snatched and ran back up the aisle. A minute later she returned with another garbage bag a huge pile of napkins and some water. A woman across the aisle looked at me and said, "It's okay, the same thing just happened to my daughter." After this I felt fine for about 30 minutes. Then we began to descend into SLC and for some reason the change made my stomach very upset. So I grabbed for the bag the flight attendant had brought and once again pulled it over my head. I heaved and heaved and this time everyone tried to keep their conversations going and not stare at me, which I appreciated. But for some reason the girl didn't push the button so once I was done I pushed it and had to sit there with my bag of puke until the attendant showed up. She once again whisked the bag away and brought me a replacement. So the beginning of my day was pretty bad, but the rest of it was nice. Read the above entries to see why I say so.

17-18 weeks Pregnant!

Well, the news as far as pregnancy goes is that I've been sick as a dog for about a month now, with increasing bouts of vomiting. The good news is that I'm pregnant! I was searching the web to figure out how big my baby is and found a great picture to depict what is going on in my belly; yes, my baby is now the size of a turnip! I wake up each morning and the first thing I do (when I don't run to the bathroom first) is rub my tummy and it seriously feels like it's getting bigger each day! It's wonderful and we can't wait for the baby to come. On June 17 (the day I get back from my Oregon vacation) Brad and I get to go to the doctor's for the ultrasound and hopefully find out (as my mom would say) the flavor of the baby! YAY! In other wonderful news we found out this last weekend that my wonderful brother and his wife are also pregnant and due sometime in January! Congrats!

Brad's B-day, Mother's Day and Upcoming Anniversary

Brad's birthday was sort of uneventful this year, but we still had an enjoyable day. As far as presents go he got a ticket to go see the reunion tour of the Stone Temple Pilots (the concert is while I'm off in Oregon) and I got him a grab bag of silly gifts like his favorite candies and a controller to play video games on the computer. On the day of his birthday we went cavorting around Provo. The highlight of this was definitely on our way to lunch at the mall. I had been feeling pretty sick while we wandered around Wal-Mart and the Game Stop. But as we pulled up to the mall (where the Old Spaghetti Factory is) I was feeling awful. We headed straight for the bathrooms but I didn't quite make it inside. Approximately 10 feet before the ladies room was a strategically placed garbage can that I utilized to empty my nauseous stomach. It was very embarassing, and poor Brad stood there not knowing what to do. Luckily, after splashing my face with some water and rinsing out my mouth I felt okay, so we went to lunch and enjoyed the rest of the birthday afternoon. That night we also went to see Iron Man which we enjoyed.
Tomorrow is Mother's Day and I am a mother to be (tomorrow I will officially be 4 months pregnant!). I hadn't even thought a thing about Mother's Day, maybe it's just because I'm used to thinking about my mother on this day, not myself. But Brad surprised me with a wonderful gift yesterday and this morning told me to be expecting the second gift! Wow, I really am going to be a mom! (We think we're having a girl, in which case her name will be Ruth Lydia Laws. We were having a hard time coming up with a good middle name and finally decided to name her after her adorable cousin Lydia, Brian and Tia's daughter.)
Our anniversary is May 20th, this will be two whole years that we've been married, wow! There is a band that we really like called Teitur, and they just happen to be playing in Provo on the 20th! So, that is our activity of choice on our anniversary. So, these are all the updates for now.

Katie Shines Bright

Today we got Katie's Praxis test results. She got 190 out of 200!! It came with a certificate of excellence as Katie scored in the top 15%of all who have ever taken it! That is very good for Katie.

First Weekend of April. Birthdays and Conference

On April 4th My father Dad came into Salt Lake to visit and attend a session of conference. We went to dinner and watched "Leatherheads". Katie and Dad share the same birthday so we celebrated that jointly with a Biscuits and gravy breakfast and not much else. Sunday we went to the morning session and then took my dad to the airport later that night. It was good to have him here and we look forward to the return with the rest of the family later this month. Also, Thanks to Kristen for getting the Tickets so we could go. You are a gem!

Anouncement!!

As of today Katie is 8 weeks pregnant! After two miscarriages this is very exciting news. We were informed today that the due date is November 4th and that all is going well. Katie is working to complete her degree and will student teach starting in July. She will finish a month before the due date and will be resting and purchasing baby shiz.... I am in the midst of finishing my philosophy degree. I have a teaching assistant opportunity in the fall along with a graduate study course. The semester will be busy but I look forward to the baby and the study. We are trying to decide our future and have been in deep consideration of a graduate degree in Philosophy. The Job market is horrible so we are also trying to guarantee our security while I work on it. Much is in consideration. We will almost defiantly move to Santa Fe during the Summer of '09. Decisions, Decisions.

We love Santa Fe

On Presidents day weekend we went to Santa Fe, NM for a short 2 day vacation. While there we tried to eat our fill of real Mexican food and relaxed. Brad helped his father add boxes in his ceilings so that he could hang some fans in the rooms and Katie helped Tia make a grand Valentines day feast. It was also wonderful to wake up to the birds singing and be free of the usual work schedule. Although we did little it was great to get out of the Motel and see the home town. We came home with a resolve to take vacations a bit more liberally in the future. It was also really nice to be able to see my parents new home. Other than the large stacks of things that no longer fit, the house is great and very comfortable.

Visitors

For Katie's class we get to care for a couple of Madagascar hissing cockroaches named Mike and Ike. According to the places I did research they are the most child friendly pet. Why? they don't bite, they are easy to care for, easy to handle and weird to look at. Right. Anyways we get to watch them off and on for the rest of the semester. I admit that we both like the idea of having them, It is a new experience. We have also been offered a Ball Python to keep. That is in the consideration box. Have you ever seen one eat?

Concert Night

On the second of February (happy Birthday Mom!) We went to Park City to see Duncan Sheik and David Poe. We went early so Katie could see the city and walk down the streets. It was fun and we got a really simple dinner at Red Banjo Pizza. The concert was very beautiful. Sheik brought a quartet and pianist to play some essential parts of his songs. We also heard a song from an up and coming band called "THe I Love You" a band formed by Sheik and Poe. We also got to meet and talk to David Poe. It was a nice night...

Katie's Manifestation of Disapproval

There is a time in all of our lives where we want a certain someone to know what we think. We wish for the opportunity to pull them aside and expound upon matters of injustice and error. I think all of us experience that at one point in life, some at home, some at school but most of us...while we drive. There are human inventions to which the race owes great appreciation. Cars have brought our country closer together, making trips to the grocery store quick and easy (although I'm sure saddling a horse and being saddle sore had its own advantages). On the other hand, these same inventions are responsible for more deaths than murderers and even whole wars. For this reason man contrived another idea to create order and safety in the driving process: traffic Signs. Lights and brightly colored signs have functioned well in their time and have saved many a man from fender-bender-dom. Like most things however, they can be ignored. This is where Katie and I come in. As mentioned in the previous post, we have a bowling class that we attend every Tuesday and Thursday. After one such class we were driving home near the BYU campus. When crossing an intersection we saw a blue SUV beginning to move forward through a large, nicely colored stop sign. As I heard myself begin to try and talk my way out of a wreck, Katie acted. In the moments that counted Katie was able to slow down, turn and avoid certain cosmetic damage to our car. While praising her quick thinking and controlled action, Katie decided to make an uncontrolled action. The car that had nearly hit us was now stopped behind us, I gasped as Katie raised her right hand, curling the four outside fingers to form a common gesture of insult. I grabbed her hand and pulled it out of site but it was too late , the deed was done. With her innocence lost and her feelings expressed, we continued home. I never saw who it was that was driving, and I don't think Katie did either, but that person whoever they are, knows that the female driver of a gray Toyota Camry doesn't approve of running stop signs.

Bowling 101

Brad and I are taking a bowling class Tuesday and Thursday evenings. It has been such a blast. We were both amazed how a knowing a few simple rules has made bowling such a fun and easy game. Last Tuesday I bowled my best game ever, I got a 149. Brad also bowled his best game ever scoring a 172! We're pretty much amazing. It's also been really great to be able to get out of the house twice a week and go on dates after class!

Nog on the Blog

The holiday season is nearly over, surprisingly enough I didn't cry the day we took the tree down. Brad and I enjoyed this holiday season trying to out-gift each other. I got a Toshiba laptop, several good books, lots of yummy chocolate treats, an alarm clock that I love, and a funky teal cover to keep my laptop safe in my backpack. Brad got a playstation 2, xbox, yummy treats, and an "I love Katie" t-shirt. Brad's parents came up to spend Christmas time with us. Julian and Ashley also came up for a pre-Christmas gift exchange. Christmas day we had Brad's parents, Kristen, Nate, Joey (my nephew not brother), Brian, Tia, Lydia and Ben all in our two bed-room apartment. It was slightly overwhelming but nice to have someone around for the holiday, unlike Thanksgiving.

To fulfill my promise to Brad I will now retell a story about egg nog during this holiday season. One evening after Christmas we were all sitting in the living room playing some of our new games. We decided to take a quick break to get some snacks to finish off the game. Tia asked Brian to get her a big cup of nog while she changed Ben's diaper. Brian poured Tia a cup, but also added a bountiful helping of Tapitio sauce to the cup. Tia drank a bunch of it before she realized that her nog was burning on the way down. Brian then took a drink after being accused of the debachery. He said you couldn't taste it. Then Brad took a sip and also proclaimed that the Tapitio did not kill the taste of nog. I finally took a drink to settle the dispute. Surprisingly enough you really couldn't taste the Tapitio! The only way you could tell there was Tapitio in the nog was by the red flecks and the strange burning in your mouth after you swallowed it.

Katie's Adventure at Southland Elementary!

So my first day of being at a real school was on Halloween, 2007. It was wild. I dressed up as a waitress. Most of the first graders didn't get my costume, they thought I was dressed up as a teacher. (Part of the confusion is because one of the kindergarten teachers wears an apron every day at school.) I have learned so much during my stay at Southland. One of the biggest things I've realized is that the personality of the teacher sets the mood for the classroom. Some of the classes I've been in I have just hated, but I realized it was mostly because the teacher was putting off a weird vibe that affected all of the kids. I have one more week after the Thanksgiving break and three more lessons to go. Overall my lessons have gone really well. I've been told by two of my observers that I am a "natural teacher" and that my lessons are really well prepared with good ideas. Everyone has been impressed with Liz and me. (Liz is the other cohort student, we carpool to the school and have the same mentor teacher so we're in the same class everyday, teaching and observing together.) Liz and I have also had a good time getting to know each other during our daily commute. It's been really nice to have someone to talk to on the way up and back each day about how my lessons went and different things that we notice in teachers and our new situation in general. The month of November has been wild because of this wonderful experience. I'm so excited to be done with school and start teaching! This picture is of me on my second day of school, notice I'm not wearing an apron.

Thanksgiving Day!

Today Brad and I had our own Thanksgiving meal. I made the turkey and green bean casserole, and Brad made the mashed potatoes and stuffing. It was a fantastic meal, but a strange feeling to have so much food and only two bodies to feed. Of course after cooking for so long and eating such a fine meal we did what most feasters would do, we napped for 3 hours. We were lucky that after we got people checked out of the motel no one came in or out while we cooked, ate, or napped...lucky us! I've included a picture of us and the gang during our delicious meal!
In other exciting news, Brad has decided on a major and "graduate" program. Brad is now majoring in philosophy which will only take him 3 more semesters! YAHOO! After that we will be moving to Phoenix, Arizona so Brad can attend a mechanic school called UTI. It is the best mechanic school in the country and is very prestigious. Since we know that Brad will be done in a year and a half, we've also decided that I will do an internship. This is also really exciting because it will give me some really good experience as a teacher and refine those skills I've been practicing. Then after Brad and I graduate we'll move to AZ the summer of 2008. We are way excited and both feel really motivated about school and work.

Preparation and more waiting

The latest occurrences in our family are not very happy. We have spent the last month looking forward to being pregnant. We are excited to have children but this pregnancy was not meant to be. Katie had a miscarriage last Saturday. Although we understand that it doesn't mean we won't have any children, it was still a sad and draining experience. We are on the bounce back now however, and have the opportunity to watch Lydia, our two year old niece and Joey, our one month old nephew. This adds a little light to the house and we enjoy playing with them. Lydia will pick up or leave on the floor anything she can reach. She also refuses to eat vegetables even with the enticement of a cookie. Joey does little but look around and make little noises. He looks just like his father Mr. Nate Nevins. Other than that we are both enjoying school and do little else. So I close this.