I’ve decided I’m pretty horrible at this blogging thing. Nevertheless, I am back. For the third time. 

Before I post about things we have been up to recently I have to write about our drive from Idaho to Connecticut. It was long. 2,334 miles to be exact. I’m 97% positive that if Jordan’s parents didn’t come out to help us make the drive that I would’ve driven myself off a cliff. I would’ve had to do that before we got to the Midwest though. Definitely no cliffs around there.

There really isn’t much to report, except for the part where we drove through 70 mph winds. There we were, put-putting along with our snail of a moving truck (thank you Scott and Karen for driving that beast!) when all of the sudden we hit some seriously crazy winds. It wasn’t too concerning until we saw a semi-truck tipped over on the side of the freeway. Then another. And another. We ended up passing seven trucks, literally blown over on their sides.

Then one semi tipped over from the other side of the freeway, blocking our lane of traffic. We had to sit there in the crazy winds for what seemed like forever. As we waited and hoped for things to get moving, we suddenly saw a white, rectangular thing fly in front of our window and then up into the sky. It was our license plate. NBD.

We ended up having to do a little off-roading to get out of that mess. Eventually we hit a rest stop and took a bathroom break. When Jordan opened the car door to leave, I was positive it was going to blow right off. He had to cover his entire face with his hood to not get demolished by all the dirt flying around and as he walked you could see he actually had to make an effort to keep his balance. I decided to stay in the car. No dirt mouth for me.

When we hit Omaha, my faith in Nebraska was restored. However, Jordan and I vowed to never drive through that state ever again. Sorry, Nebraska. It wasn’t you, it was me. And by that, I mean it was you.

The highlight of our trip was a little detour we took to Nauvoo, IL. We were able to walk around the temple and all throughout the settlement. We also visited Carthage Jail. It was an amazing and humbling experience to visit a place that holds so much history. We traveled through time that day and I felt my testimony strengthen as I stood on those grounds. I was especially touched when we visited Joseph Smith’s grave. As I thought of the man that he was and all that he sacrificed to follow God, I was overcome with a feeling of love and appreciation for him. He was willing to give up everything to follow what he knew to be true, including his life.

The faith of the early Saints amazes me. I will never have to give up as much as they did to follow the prophet. I will never have to face the persecution they endured. They experienced trials that I don’t think I could ever handle but I am eternally grateful for their examples and sacrifice.

I had so many complaints throughout our long journey: the length of the drive, the nasty fast food we ate, the weather we hit along the way, etc. As I stood in Nauvoo I couldn’t help but compare the journey I had made with the journey the Saints made to Salt Lake so many years ago. They walked. They pulled handcarts and carried their young children. They experienced weather conditions so severe that it cost many their lives. Women birthed children along the way and many had to bury them. The trials they endured were endless but because of them, the church is what it is today. I am forever grateful for their perseverance and faith.

After we got to Connecticut I would joke and say I never wanted to go on a road trip ever again. Well, a few months later we made plans to drive to Oklahoma for Christmas with a toddler and what would be a brand-new baby. You know what? The trip was great. Here’s to a positive attitude and more road trips to come!

Our Big Move: Part 1

Remember how we moved across the country from Idaho to Connecticut? Yeah.. about that...

For the past few years Jordan has applied to PA school without success. The first year of applying we really had no idea what we were doing and applied even before he graduated although he had hardly any hours of experience. On top of that I basically told Jordan he could only apply to a few schools that were within the boundaries of places I'd be okay to live in (aka close to family). Regardless of his somewhat weak application and limited options, he was still invited to two interviews. Even though he wasn't accepted we felt hopeful since he made it that far having applied to only four schools with such little experience. The second year we'd get in for sure (or so we thought).

The second time around Jordan had more health care experience, had recently accepted a job at the hospital as a CNA and applied to a few more schools. I still set limits because I wanted to stay close-ish to family, but I thought expanding my boundaries a little more would help. (Anywhere on or near the east coast was still a big NO.) He got a couple of interviews, but he still didn't make it. This was a huge let down and we did some serious thinking and praying about whether or not to give it a third try.

We decided to give it one last go and to give it our all. Jordan went back to BYU-I to take a couple classes that would make his application stand out a little more academically and he also began shadowing a PA at the hospital. When it came time for applications, we applied to as many schools as we could. If the school was in good standing and Jordan met the requirements, we applied. Next thing you know Jordan was getting so many interviews he had to be selective about which to accept.

The first school he got into was Salus University in Pennsylvania. He actually received an email of acceptance while he was in his interview at UC Davis. I was the first to see the email and I was so happy I cried. It was seriously painful to have to wait till Jordan was done to tell him but you can imagine how relieved and excited he was when finally hearing the news. Once he was accepted to one school, it was a lot easier to turn down other interviews to schools he had no desire of going to in the first place.

During October and November of last year, Jordan flew all over the place to attend five interviews. He got into two (Salus University and UC Davis), wait-listed on two (Emory University in Georgia and Quinnipiac University in Connecticut) and rejected to one (Nova University in Florida). Between Salus and UC Davis we decided on UC Davis and started making plans to move in June.

You can imagine how I felt about moving to California and living an hour from Jordan's parents and six hours from my own. I was looking at apartments every day, trying to figure out where would be the best place to live. Jordan and I started to get in contact with people who could give us a better idea of the area and things really felt like they were falling into place. Even though the school was acting a little sketchy and we had little information about the program, we couldn't wait to move. Living close to family was all I ever wanted - things were finally working out how I thought they always should.

Then one morning while I was at work Jordan text me saying he got into Quinnipiac off the wait list. I was really excited for him because out of all the schools this one was at the top of his list. He had a great experience at his interview and LOVED the area. Although it was exciting and something to be proud of we both started off with the attitude of, "Cool, but we aren't actually considering it." Then the more we talked the more our attitudes changed to, "Well, we won't tell them 'no' just yet."

The days went on and we received tons and tons of information about Quinnipiac and everyone Jordan came in contact with was extremely professional. On the other hand, we still hadn't received any emails from UC Davis and everyone we talked to was rude and/or unprofessional and gave us zero answers to the many questions we had. We decided we had some serious thinking to do.

The fact that moving to Connecticut was suddenly a real option came as a shock to me, considering it was the last place I'd ever thought we would move to out of all the schools he applied to. I knew why we were considering it, but it was still hard to accept. Right around the time we decided it was a serious option I found out I was pregnant - surprise! Of course I was so excited to welcome another little one into our family, but a move and a pregnancy/new baby (both potentially across the country) was a lot to take in. I was a little emotional to say the least.

We started balancing out the pros and cons and thinking about what was most important. It was really hard to compare the two because we felt so uninformed about the PA program at Davis. UC Davis has a great reputation and their med program is #4 in the country. We knew the name alone would serve Jordan well if we chose to go there. However, their PA program is ranked #84. Quinnipiac is ranked #11. This discrepancy between the two proved to be accurate every day that passed and we began to think that maybe the name of a school isn't what is most important. Is it better to graduate from somewhere with a well-known name or graduate better prepared to take care of the medical needs of others? After A LOT of praying, research, wise input and counsel from others and crying (on my part) we decided that attending Quinnipiac was the best choice, even if it was the harder one.

Throughout the past few years I have learned a lot. I think the one lesson that stands out most is that Heavenly Father has a plan for me. It might not always be what I want or what I think is best but the fact is He knows what is best. He knows the whole picture and how things will end. It's my responsibility to pray and seek to know what His plan is for me and make the necessary changes in my life to follow that plan, no matter how hard it may seem. I'm grateful to be in Connecticut and am excited for the adventures to come!

Aloha!

So when I was thinking of where to start on this whole “catching up” process I forgot that we went to Hawaii BEFORE Easter. It’s all a blur now. Oahu was amazing and I hope we can go again some day. I loved the atmosphere there: the beautiful beaches, the culture, the scenery, everything! I have a Disney CD that I listen to with Tate sometimes and there is a Lilo and Stitch song on there that makes me want to cry every time it comes on. Oh Hawaii, I love you.

I was nervous to be away from Tate for a week considering we have been inseparable since he came into existence. I think the longest we have been apart besides Hawaii is one night - not even a full 24 hours. He is with me constantly and even when I worked as a tutor I brought him with me! Anyway, before we left I went to go say goodbye, bracing myself for an emotional melt down (from us both). I gave him a hug, said I loved him and was leaving but would be coming back soon and asked if I could have a kiss. Want to know what my sweet child did in return? He slapped me. Right in the face.

Honestly, it was kind of perfect. It made it a lot easier for me to leave! Obviously I wasn't mad at him or anything but imagine if he had reacted in any other way. What if he started crying and tried to follow us outside and I could hear him screaming as I got into the car? I would've been a wreck. I'm grateful for that little bit of sassiness because it got me on my way to Hawaii tear-free, although I still felt a little emotional inside.

The flight was fine (Tate was definitely on my mind all throughout) and we arrived in Honolulu in the evening. By the time we got to our little cottage it was pitch black. I couldn't appreciate the cuteness of it till morning.

The picture doesn't do it justice - the cottage was DARLING. I absolutely loved North Shore and would definitely stay here again if we ever go back. I love the laid back, surf-town feel and definitely enjoyed this much more than our second rental in Waikiki. 

As for the rest of our trip, I'll let the pictures do the talking. 

We took a trip to the Dole Pineapple Plantation as suggested by my dad. I would probably not recommend it to other couples (maybe it's cooler to kids?) but it was interesting to see how pineapples grow!

Gorgeous North Shore. I love the personality up there - so different from anywhere else on the island!

We were able to go to the temple during our trip - it's so pretty (of course)! I love the temple.

Hanauma Bay - my favorite part of the entire trip. Snorkeling was unreal. Jordan and I cruised around for hours and saw all sorts of ocean life - sea turtles included.

Although it was a little stormy the day we went, Lanikai Beach in Kailua was by far my favorite beach on the island. In my opinion it was WAY better than Waikiki. If we ever go back, we will not be staying near Waikiki again - we will definitely stay in Kailua.

I've said it before and I'll say it again: Hawaii was amazing. I'm so glad we were able to go, especially before all this moving across the country/grad school craziness got started (more on that later). Visiting Hawaii really made me realize how beautiful the Earth is and how much more of it I want to see! I'd love to travel more some day but for now I'll be sticking to the east coast. 

Projects

This year I have made a goal to complete at least one project a month. I don't craft nearly as much as I used to and I miss it. Now that Tate is a little older, I hope to have some time to work on projects every now and then. For a while there I considered it a success to have showered by the end of the day. Crafting was not an option, even if I had the energy for it. I seriously have no idea how these super-blogger-moms do it. These wonderful women who somehow manage to homeschool their children with enriching, homemade activities, bake delicious meals and desserts, complete amazing DIY projects and maintain a clean house all in one day fascinate me. How is it possible to do so much with multiple kids and only 24 hours? Is there something I'm missing out on or is normal to be a little lame as a first-time mom? I feel that Tate's super dependent stage has passed and now I have time to do a lot more than before; but I have no idea how some moms do that much. I think I'll start small and try to forget about those moms, otherwise I'll get really depressed!

On a more positive note, I have made a few things that I neglected to blog about before (surprise, surprise). The only one that stressed me out was Jordan's huge SF Giants blanket. All I needed to do was sew two pieces of flannel together, so procrastinating till the night before his birthday didn't seem like a big deal. However, I didn't take into account that the fabric was cut to cover a very long man and that sewing through flannel isn't that easy for a beginner like me. Long story short: I finally went to sleep at 8 AM the next day. No big deal.

The other projects went a lot better... no tears, no all-nighters and no urges to punch myself in the face.

This is the interchangeable wreath that I blogged about before. I made felt flowers and pinned them in individually just like the bats. The flowers are working out much butter, though. Paper doesn't do so well in snowy/wet weather, duh. 

Carseat cover for Baby Tate

This was my parents Christmas present from all of us kids. We planned a date for each month of the year and put whatever they needed on the inside (gift card for dinner, tickets to a BYU basketball game, etc.). I found the idea on Pinterest but decided that plain envelopes were too boring. Thanks to my sister's handwriting, they turned out pretty cute.

I'm excited to start some new projects. First on the list, little man bow ties. 

Is This Real Life?

Sometimes I don't believe it when I think about the fact that I'll be a mom in less than a week. It is so crazy to think that time has gone by this fast and frankly, I am scared out of my mind. Being a mom is all I have ever wanted and I know without a doubt that this was the time Jordan and I were supposed to start our family; but that doesn't change the fact that I have no idea what I'm doing. For this reason, I am so grateful for the gospel and to know I can completely rely on prayer and inspiration to help me when I'll need it, which will most likely be 100% of the time. As unprepared as I feel, I'm as ready as I'll ever be!

Jordan and I finally finished the nursery. There are a few things we still need like a garbage can, but overall it feels finished. I love how it turned out, especially when I see pictures of what that room used to look like...

Before

 After

Jordan's dad designed and printed this art work for us, painted the wall gray, and hung them all up. Thanks Scott! We LOVE it!

We found this for a ridiculously low price at DownEast, as you can see below. It was the first thing we bought for his room and we were pretty excited about it. 

Don't mind the garbage on the floor... I told you I still need a trash can.

Close-up of his sheets.

Forgive the pictures... we don't have a high-quality camera so those were taken with Jordan's phone. I don't think they do the room justice, but for a phone they aren't too bad. It feels great to be finished and know that at least I'm prepared in that aspect. The colors turned out fun and even though I know decorating was more for us, I'm glad my baby will have his own cute little room. I love walking in there and am excited to actually have a baby to change on the changing table, put into the crib, and cuddle with in the rocking chair.  

On Halloween, my 39 week mark, we were able to have maternity pictures taken! My friend Summer was kind enough to take them for us since I'm pretty much awful at documenting our lives. Our main form of documentation is Instagram, and I think we've posted like six pictures. Pathetic. I need to be better so I can capture all the fun family moments that are soon to come! Anyway, we love how they turned out and feel so grateful to have some nice pictures of us for once since our wedding. Thanks, Summer! 

3 more days! Ready or not, he's coming!

Interchangeable Yarn Wreath

I had a really hard time naming this post in such a boring, straight-forward manner. Just an FYI.

I normally don't get that excited about wreaths that I make, but I really am pumped about this one. Yarn wreaths are by far my favorite but they take twelve years and five months to make. This is a problem. All of the hours spent wrapping yarn and untangling it only to tangle it again by continuing to wrap it is enough to drive a person insane. Oh, and let's not forget all the time spent massaging your hand and hoping you don't develop some type of arthritis. Yes, I'm a whiner and yes, it may not be that bad, but I've solved my problem regardless. This wreath is interchangeable! The bats are pinned on, not glued, so now I can take them off and pin on other things depending on the season or holiday. I can pin on snowflakes or blue roses for winter, hearts or red roses for Valentines Day, four-leaf clovers for St. Patrick's Day, etc. Three cheers for preventing carpal tunnel!

Rocking Chair Makeover

While browsing DI in Rexburg a couple of months ago, Jordan and I found this rocking chair and got really excited. We wanted a chair that we could fix up and make our own, but nothing caught our eye until this little beauty. Sure it smelled bad, and maybe the original cushion was covered in cat hair (we left it at the store because it was so bad), but we knew there was a little treasure hiding beneath it all. I'm so glad we got it! $15 for both pieces... that's what I'm talking about.

After spending several hours sanding and painting, Jordan was ready for me to help finish it off. We only needed three things: a cushion to sit on, pillow for decoration/comfort, and fabric for the ottoman and pillowcase.

We spent FOREVER searching online and in stores for chair cushions but could never find one that was the right size. We decided to stop by Cost Plus to check out their selection while we were in Utah. After searching through the chair cushions with no luck, we started wandering around with hopes of magically stumbling upon something that would work. What was waiting for us in the 50% off section you ask? A cushion of not only the perfect size, but also the perfect color. It was love at first sight.

We found the perfect fabric to use for the rest from a body pillowcase (on sale) at Target. We cut it in half and used the part with the zipper for the pillow and the other part for the ottoman. I should do projects with Jordan more often - all I had to do was sew one seam and staple some fabric to wood. Best project ever.

I'm loving the end result and can't wait to rock little Baby Bevan. This chair is the perfect size for tall people like us and I hope it lasts for a while. I'm excited to post more pictures of the nursery, but we still have a lot of work to do. One project down, several more to go!

By the way, as I was walking out of Walmart the other day, I had quite the conversation with a mysterious old man. I thought I should share.

Old Man: You're walking out of the entrance door.
Me: Haha, yep... (so are you?)
Old Man: You know, I was at McDonald's the other day and they only had one straw left. Do you want to know what it was?
Me: What?
Old Man: The last straw. (Exits stage right.)

Just a little food for thought for the evening... something to ponder about. As for me, I'll continue to be freaked out by random old men (not the kind that resemble your cute grandpa or Santa) approaching me at Walmart, which may or may not happen every time I go. Super Target, please come soon.