Nice Night For A Walk

Usually when Jeff and I get home from work, we'll get something to eat and then settle in on the couch for the night to watch TV/go on our computers/play on our phones.......Which don't get me wrong I love doing that most of the time! But sometimes I just get the urge to go outside and go for a walk.

Now living in Oklahoma doesn't always make that possible. Especially in the summer! It can be so hot and humid that just stepping outside makes you feel like you need a shower. And if it's not hot the wind can be overwhelming.

But there is that rare perfect evening when there is no humidity and no wind. Tonight was one of those nights.

.

When I picked Jeff up from work, I told him I wanted to go for a walk. He took me to Hafer park. It was absolutely GORGEOUS outside.

I didn't realize how big the park was and how many different little paths and parks they had. They even had this little pond with ducks and fish where we started our walk. It was so charming.

Excuse the pasty white skin. I haven't been outdoors in awhile:) It felt SO nice to be outside. And I know it's good for me and the baby to exercise!

Jeff has so many memories of different scout gatherings, baseball games, swings being built, concerts in the park etc......That he had gone to at this park.

It was fun listening to all of his different memories. He really LOVES this town. I loved looking at all the pretty scenery around me. It's doing things like this that make me feel a connection to my home.

We had a really nice time together.


On the way home, we stopped and Subway and you guessed it, parked ourselves on the couch for a night of TV.

I feel like my life is pretty perfect right now.

Well it will be perfect after Jeff goes into the kitchen and makes me and little bird a rootbeer float:)

I don't think I have written a blog about how magical my time was at home before the wedding. Because it was. Totally magical.

While it was incredibly sad to leave Boston ( I think I've mentioned a time or two how much I love that place), the 2 and a half months I spent on the Flats in Milford was just what I needed.

Ever since I caught the traveling bug at 19 I've spent most of my adult life away from home. It was beyond wonderful to spend so much time with the people I love (and am slightly obsessed with).

So I spent those 2 plus months, planning my wedding, working on my brother's pig farm (True story), driving security at the pig farms (including 1 ghost pig farm that use to FREAK me out), taking walks in the beautiful country, having my mom do my laundry, going to Cedar with the girls, game nights, having my mom make me toast, 4-wheeler rides and MOST importantly spending time with my favorite Milford/Minserville crew.....With the occasional visits from the city cousins!

I had my base camp at Joel and Maria's. They have 3 ADORABLE little boys. They have this one little guy named Ty.....He was my shadow the whole time I lived there. Most mornings when I would wake up it would be to Ty either knocking at my door and saying "Sheesha, you in there?" or him just turning the knob and coming in. We had SO much fun together while big brother was at school and newborn baby Jack was sleeping. We went on LOTS of walks together.

It usually started out with Mr. Ty IN the wagon but would always end up with him trying to pull it. It was a 3 mile loop around the neighborhood. Sometimes it took forever. But I loved every second of it.

Sometimes I would take my buddy Spencer by himself. Don't think I'm a bad influence by letting him smash beer bottles. It was seriously SO fun to smash them! We would have races to see who could find them first. Usually Spencer was on his bike so he would totally beat me to them!

He reminds me SO much of his daddy in this:)

And at least once a week, we would head to Minersville and pick up my other favorite little guy and go get Frazzles and go to the park. Seriously, could these kids be ANY cuter?

And sometimes I would take Bridger all by himself to Alco to pick out a prize. We occasionally threw one in for Grammy!

I'm excited I get to see these cute faces in March (along with all the other ones)! How could you not be excited when you get texts like these:

Don't worry, I say they're ALL my favorite:)

Introducing......

We had a super fun and busy time last week. So get ready for a LONG post!

My sister Carole came from Utah and saved her sissy's life. I was super homesick. Her visit came at the perfect time. I'm pretty sure I followed her from room to room to make sure she was really here. I wanted to make sure she had a relaxing visit, because as a mother to 5, a wife and having multiple jobs, she is ONE busy lady.

Here's her "welcome basket":

I think she liked it!

Her visit REALLY came at the perfect time because the day after she came she got to go with Jeff and me to our little bird's first ultrasound!

On my appointment a few days before my Dr. wanted me to get checked for TWINS. He said because my levels of HCG were high and I had been really sick. I actually lost 6 lbs instead of gaining weight (no complaints here:)

So for a couple days I was excited/stressed/freaked out about the possibility of twins.

We got to the ultrasound appointment and there was just one little bird Hale. I'm pretty sure I sighed a sigh of relief with a dash of disappointment.

Here's my MOST favorite picture we got from the day. I think the baby looks like he/she ( I think at this point it's a boy) is smiling. You can see the baby's precious little hands up by the face.

Here's a black and white one:

Now I know why people say "little peanut!"

There's also a short video of the baby kicking, but I don't have that one on my computer. I asked the nurse if the baby was moving yet. She said: "Oh yeah". When she first put the little stick on my tummy the baby did a complete flip. And every time it was pressed somewhere it looked like the baby was kicking it away.

Leave it to my baby to not want to be bothered:)

And one of the pictures kind of reminded me of Voldemort in all honesty. The nurse said she had never heard of that one before but looking at it, she agreed with me. Here it is:

Don't worry baby Voldemort! We'll teach you to be good!!!!!

I am SO in love with this little one. I could look at these pictures ALL day long. It's still hard to imagine that I have this precious little life growing inside of me.

The next day we (along with my favorite people Lana, Jenn and Mr. Adler) took Carole to Dallas. We had SUCH a fun weekend.

Carole was brave and took a picture by the X marking the spot where the fatal shot hit JFK:

We also got to go to the Dallas temple together.

And we went to Pioneer Plaza that had all these cool Bronze cattle showing the cattle drives!

Don't worry. Adler wasn't scared. He had bumped his head before getting up on the cattle! Adler really does love Uncle Jeff....Although he did want Carole to sit by him instead on the way back!

What a great visit!

And last but NOT least......Jeff is done at WALMART!!!!

He is working for his dad at his Accounting firm.

It's going to be weird getting use to living a "normal" schedule!

We're grateful for this opportunity for Jeff to get some experience.

I feel so blessed right now.

I even dare to say......I'm starting to love Oklahoma. I know. Who would have seen that coming?

I think it might have something to do with this little Okie growing inside me:)

SO PROUD!

Jeff graduated from UCO last week. He continued on a tradition of much of his family graduating from that college.
I am so proud of him! I don't even have words to describe how much.
I think his aunt said it best: "What a year you've had-wife degree and a baby on the way."
Jeff has worked very hard for his degree. And the past year he's been working over-night going to school and getting use to marriage (which being married to an emotional girl can't always be easy).
And along the way he has been the BEST husband and future dad.
No if he would just decide what he wants to do next..........:)
The day was beautiful. His mom and dad, sister Jennifer and Lindsay and brother-in-law Kasey came to support him.
Here's Jeff waiting in line to get his diploma:


A picture with Jennifer:


And one with his proud wife:

After his graduation (which thankfully was pretty short and sweet), we went to Texas Roadhouse. I was so happy that my steak and potatoes settled well that day because it was DELICIOUS!
I'm so proud of you Jeff. I know great things are ahead of you. Know that I will always be your biggest support and fan. I LOVE YOU!
P.S. I told his mom that I would even be willing to move to Bulgaria or Russia if he found a job there. She said she would have me declared legally incompetent so that we couldn't take the baby so far away:) So that probably won't happen anytime soon!

Tender Mercies

I've been sick. I mean REALLY sick. I'm throwing up so much that the blood vessels around my eyes are broken. I know it's all for a GREAT reason. And so while it's awful to throw up everything I eat......I still sometimes smile after I'm done because I know there is a little life growing inside of me.

On a side note, I KNOW this is a Slade baby because the one thing that ALWAYS sounds good and I can keep down is nachos:)

And I'm worn out. I got the bright idea to get a second part-time job to help pay off the last of my credit card debt. And while I'm grateful I'm able to handle it (barely), it's not always easy pulling into my driveway at 1:30 a.m. and getting up at 6:30 for my "real job."

Tired of me complaining? I am too. I'm done. I promise.

Last week on one particularly hard day, when I thought I might just break. I opened up my mailbox to see this:

Seeing my mom's precious handwriting was enough to do me in. And that was even BEFORE I opened it! Inside was treasure trove of Christmas gifts and goodies from home:
Inside was my mom's homemade toffee, ornaments, a card for Jeff's graduation and a book of all my dad's best poems that instantly became one of my prized possessions. There was some of my sister's "famous" popcorn that I wait for every year! I barely will share with Jeff:) And the video that my wickedly talented sister makes every year for our family. I woke Jeff up to watch it with me and cried over almost every picture. It's probably my favorite Christmas tradition that my family has been doing for over a decade now. Last but not least this card was in it:

From my nephew Spencer. I have always had a soft spot for him. We have close birthdays and I adore him. This card made me cry for a good 5 minutes. I'll keep it forever.

I'm SO grateful for my family. Even though they're far away, they show me all the time that they love me and are thinking of me.

And I don't know HOW she does it, but my mom always seems to know the perfect time when her kids need her the most, whether it's a phone call, or a package from home. I think we're more needy now than when she was raising us:)

I hope everyone enjoys their Christmas season. I'm excited to celebrate with Jeff as we start our own family traditions and celebrate the birth of our Savior Jesus Christ.

A Year of Wedded Bliss

Jeff and I (and our little lentil) celebrated our 1 year Anniversary on Sunday the 27th of November.

I can't believe its been a year already! I woke up to flowers (roses that reminded Jeff of our bouquet), a gift card inside a really sweet card and a husband who didn't have to work that day!!!!

We played hooky from the world and stayed home all day and watched football and movies. And he rubbed my feet. It was the perfect day.

As I reflected on the last year I came up with some of my favorite things about being married to my sweet Jeff.

1.Having him warm up my car for me in the morning.

2.Having him tickle my back before I fall asleep (that is when we actually sleep together!)

3.Jeff always pours the perfect drink. It use to be Diet Dr. Pepper, but lately it's Grape Gatorade. Sometimes slushy, sometimes normal.

4.Having Jeff empty the dishwasher. It's my worst.

5.Having Jeff take out the garbage.

6.Having someone so handy at fixing things. He's amazing.

7.Having Jeff get my make-up bag every morning for me. And he NEVER complains.

8.Having a GREAT mother-in-law. She's been one of my only friends this first year. I don't know what I would have done without her.

9.Having someone help me pay off MY not HIS credit card debt, and never make me feel bad.

10.Being married to a worthy Priesthood holder.

11.When he actually goes shopping with me, he carries all the groceries inside.

12.Having someone to watch cheesy disaster/alien movies with.

13.He make the MOST delicious Annie's macaroni.

14. He crisps my chicken to the perfect burntness.

15.Having someone to spend the holiday's with.

16.Having someone to sit at church with.

17.He always surprises me with little "prizes". On Sunday it happened to be tums:)

18.Jeff loving my nieces and nephews. He told me that if any of our kids turned out like Bridger he would be more than okay with that. I fell in love with him all over again.

19.Being married to SUCH a hard worker.

20.Finding out I was pregnant and knowing he would be SUCH a good daddy.

I love you honey!

It's been a great year.

I'm glad we have an eternity more of them.

Dear Baby

Dear baby,

A week ago my life was changed forever.

As I was driving home from work on a Friday afternoon, I was talking to your grandma on the phone. I told her that I might just for fun get a pregnancy test, because although I was pretty sure I wasn't, I had been extremely tired all week. And not just normal sleepy, I mean I was falling asleep at work sleepy. I was also a few days "late."

She told me to go get one and let her know. You'll learn that Grandma Slade is as anxious as me to know things! You'll meet her when she comes to OK for your birth....And stays forever. She's the best grandma in the world. All your cousins think the world revolves around her.

So, to get back on track, I bought a test, took it home and to my ABSOLUTE shock, this is what the pregnancy test read:

You'll have to excuse the blurriness. I believe I was shaking at the time:) I ran into my bedroom woke your dad up out of the dead of sleep and yelled: "Look at the stick!" He looked at the stick and gave me a hug. I asked him if I could call grandma and tell her about you. He somewhat dazed said yes. I turned off the light and began making some calls. Calls I have been waiting what seems all my life to make.

That night we told your dad's family at dinner about you with this adorable onesie that your Aunt Jennifer made:

Since that life changing day little baby, you are ALL I have been able to think about. I have wanted to be a mommy since before I even knew where babies came from. When your aunt Stephanie and I use to play house I would put a pillow under my shirt and pretend I was pregnant.

You are SO loved already. You have grandparents, aunts, uncles, cousins and most of all a mom and dad who are eagerly awaiting for your arrival.

I am going to try and do my best to make sure you arrive in this world healthy and happy. I am even cutting WAY back of diet Dr. pepper:) I went for a long walk today instead of driving to do my errands to start making myself strong for you.

I remember not too long ago wondering if I was ever going to be a mom. Then I met your daddy. Then, almost a year ago we got married for Time and All Eternity, and became a family. And now when you join our family, you will be ours forever.

I wonder if you will look more like him or me.

I wonder if you will be a boy or girl.

I wonder about a lot of things.

But what I think about most of all is the miracle that you already are to me.

I thank Heavenly Father every night for you.

I love you little baby Hale.

Love, Mom