Baby Olsen Gets Showered

The month of November was kind of a crazy one for this little Olsen family. You can read more about that here. But this post is about how November was pretty darn awesome too. 

On November 7, 2015 Bridget Olsen, (Lauri Olsen and Becky Olsen) hosted a dual baby shower and a bridal shower for three of us Olsen girls. We celebrated the life of Jaiden and Beckah's baby Samuel Olsen, we celebrated the coming of my baby Olsen and we also celebrated the upcoming marriage of Emily Olsen to her sweetheart Brian. It was really fun to have everyone there and to spend time with family that loves and cares about one another. 

Baby Olsen got quite a few lovely things! I was ecstatic about the cute clothes we were gifted including many outfits that had hats and those hats have EARS. I'm a sucker for hoods/hats with ears. They're just so darn cute. We also got blankets. Handmade, homemade, made with love and made for convenience. I'm pretty sure we have 30 blankets now which makes it quite nice since Baby Olsen is due in February and our apartment doesn't heat up well. So, it's giving me peace of mind to know that this little bundle of joy will be bundled in warmth.

In addition to the diapers and wipes we received we got toys, bath time necessities, including a delightful rubber duck that tells you if the water is too hot! It was a really great afternoon and I am still so very grateful, and always will be, for the gifts that we received. It helps so much to have the things that we'll need for this little guy. It means a lot when family takes the time and resources to prepare a gift for you, you know? Especially when the all you want to do is give your child the world and they help give him a piece of it. The Olsen family is so great.

Two weeks later my Mom and best friend Erin hosted a "friends" baby shower for anyone who could come. My sister Kimberly and my Mom made all the food and it was divine. Guys, mac & cheese "muffins"?? ALWAYS. They should be at every single party, ever. Erin did a fantastic job with the decor and the games. It was a fantastic shower and we got some more fantastic gifts. Books, gift cards, clothes, games, a bag for Mommy (including bath soak, nail polish chocolate etc.), bow ties, bibs, and MEALS. Yeah, a friend of mine made about 6 freezer meals for us to use when all those neighbor meals stop coming in. She pulled the meal ideas from my Pinterest board so it's awesome because I know I'll like them!

Looking back on November there was enough that could make it the worst month of the year but because of these people who made the time to come and celebrate my baby with me-and those that wished to but couldn't make it-made that month so much better. They gave November that silver lining people are always talking about. So, thank you. I'm so excited to have Baby Olsen here in just a few short weeks! 

Let's Recap...

I'll try to be brief. 

October 30, 2015

Our car registration was needing to be renewed and so we took it in to have it looked at. Much to our chagrin we found out that our, until that point, reliable 1993 Honda Accord did not pass inspection. The tires needed replacing (two of them and we already knew that) but we also found out that we needed to have the rear motor mount replaced/fixed. After taking it to a trusted mechanic friend of ours we learned that the repair would cost almost three times what our car was worth AND that we'd be hard pressed to find a mechanic willing to fix it because apparently it would take too long to fix. He even made some phone calls for us but the other mchanics he called said the same thing. So, we were in a pinch. We didn't have another car and so we reluctantly made the decision to apply for a very small auto loan. In the mean time, my parents were kind and let us borrow their car until our situation was resolved. 

November 2015

(The dates all blend together) 

November was...oi vey. Researching the best credit unions, applying for loans, researching cars that fit our loan restrictions (MUCH harder than we thought) and finally deciding on a car. It was a Friday, I don't remember which one, and we drove up to Sandy to test drive the car. It was glorious. Neil checked and rechecked just about every component possible without take the car apart and it drove like a dream. We felt really good about the car and so the next day we met the seller at the bank and made the purchase. We bought the car, a 2001 Honda Accord V6, for $2750! A steal right? We thought so and that was the price we had them come down to. Well, not quite 12 hours later, Neil was driving home from work and the car started lurching. And not just like, oooh gunned it too hard lurching either. The following Monday we made an appointment for the transmission to be inspected. We had to wait until Wednesday. But instead of having it done that day, we had to wait for a few days for them to take apart the transmission to see just what was wrong. After finding out that a rebuild would be the best option we gave them the green light to start. Unfortunately, in order to pay for the fix, we had to open a line of credit. About another week went by of hoping our car would be finished and finally we had it! In good running condition with a transmission that will probably last longer than the rest of the car. 

That brings us to today.

We took my parents' car back to them tonight and had a lovely drive home. When we got back we found a gift on our doorstep. It was an envelope and all that was written on the front was "Merry Christmas, We Love You!" Inside the envelope was $100. 

Neil and I were (and still are) gobsmacked. You only hear about this stuff happening but it never happens to you.

We don't know who you are and we don't know if you knew about our situation but we do know that we are so grateful for you, your love and your generosity. You've made our lives, and this Christmas season, a whole lot brighter. May the Lord shower innumerable blessings down on you and yours. Thank you, so much. 

Earth's Angels

Two things you need to know about this post:

1. This is not a post about The Penguins' song Earth Angel (and I am sorry if it is now stuck in your  head).

2. This is a long post but, please, stick with me and read to the end. I promise you won't regret it. 

Who They Are and Why They Are Important

Have you ever met someone that you just instantly like? Not because they are trying to be likable, even though they are very likable, but because there is a certain spirit about them? No malice. Just humility, love, kindness and a touch of gumption. That's how I felt when I met Neil's cousin Jaiden and later, the girl who would become his wife, Beckah. But let's start with Jaiden. Neil had told me story after story about the two of them growing up. Neil would always say how much more of a brother Jaiden was than a cousin. Naturally, I was excited to meet Jaiden and have been grateful for the opportunity to know him ever since. Jaiden is the kind of man who can roll with the punches, he is quick witted but never unkind and he has one of the purest hearts I have ever known. He respects his mother and his wife and all women and isn't afraid of showing tough love when it's needed. But what makes me admire him even more is the fact that my husband does. My husband loves his cousin and has said time and time again how grateful he has been to have Jaiden there in his darkest moments even when Jaiden didn't know it was. Neil has said how much he hopes to be like Jaiden because of his genuine goodness and much more. On top of everything else good about Jaiden, how can I not love someone who my husband looks up to in that way? It would be impossible.

Then there is Beckah. Words cannot describe the purity of this wonderful woman. I don't remember exactly when we met, unfortunately, but I do remember what I thought of her. I remember thinking, "How is it possible that someone that good exists? No wonder she and Jaiden hit it off!"

We've been asked by numerous people if we are sisters and someone once even asked if we were twins. It tickles me every time it happens and every time I want to shout, "YUP! And she's a darn good sister, too!" Every single time I am flattered beyond words. I would absolutely claim her! I want to be as closely connected to someone that pure of heart, that righteous, that patient, that genuinely kind, that good as I possibly can. I still do because it rubs off. Not in a magical, stand-next-to-me-and-I'll-become-like-you kind of way but in the way that when you surround yourself with people like her, and you want to stay surrounded by them, you have to choose to become better. And you have their example right there, smack dab in front of you to teach you how. 

These are two of earth's angels. Flesh and blood angels. And I am beyond blessed to have them in my life. I mean, look at them! They radiate the love of God. They carry Christ's countenance with them and share His light with anyone and everyone who they encounter.  They are supremely, genuinely good. It is with their permission that I share the story that follows a bit later in this post. 

The Tale of Two Babies

 Back in May, when Neil and I found out that we pregnant, we couldn't wait to share the news with Jaiden and Beckah. Beckah and I had talked a few times about my worries that it might never happen for us. Two years is nothing in comparison to so many others' stories of infertility but for me and Neil, it was hard. Really, really, hard. Beckah listened every time I needed to talk about it and never disregarded my feelings. So, naturally, I wanted them to be some of the very first people we told but I wanted to do it in person. Jaiden's sister Anna was getting married soon and so Neil and I decided to tell them then. When we did, the amount of pure joy they had for us was off the charts. We could feel that they were excited for us, genuinely and perfectly. It was amazing to feel that and share that with them. Little did we know that a few weeks later, they would be calling us and sharing the good news that they too were pregnant! 

 It was soon discovered that our due dates were 9 days apart. I was over the moon because I knew that our babies would grow up together. We all talked about the excitement we had and then they told us they would be having a boy!! The anticipation for us to find out the gender of our baby was too much to handle and soon enough we were making that call to them. There was never a moment's thought of jealousy either direction. There was never a day that I didn't pray for them and their little family. Our joy for them was full and real and I was grateful for them. It's a feeling I can't really explain. 

Our joy is still full however, due to circumstances no one could've seen coming, it is full in a much different way. 

The Tale of an Angel

Just last week, early Monday morning, Jaiden called Neil. Beckah's water had broken and they were at the hospital. 

Neil drove to where I work, and when I saw his face, my heart dropped. Then he told me what had happened and together we cried for our cousins and their baby boy. 

We cried and prayed. It was all we could do. 

Jaiden shared the following just a few days later:

"Samuel Olsen came into and left this world yesterday. Beckah's water broke early Monday morning. Almost 50 heartbreaking hours later, we welcomed our perfect tiny baby boy. He weighs a shocking 15.1 oz and is 11.25" long (for only being 21 weeks he was a big boy). We are so lucky to be the parents of such a perfect little boy who only needed a body to finish his work here on earth. It is comforting to know that we have an angel in heaven watching over us and giving us a little extra motivation to be a little better. We are so blessed to be surrounded by so many wonderful family and friends. We thank each of you for your love, prayers, and support. We miss you Samuel." 

The Rest of the Story

Honestly, there isn't an end to this story yet. Jaiden and Beckah laid their son to rest and continue to be genuinely at peace with the Lord's plan for them. They continue to embrace and have faith in the Lord's Plan of Salvation. They continue to walk in righteousness before the Lord and they continue to inspire me. They have expressed to me and Neil that they are still excited for our baby boy. They want to be involved and see our son grow up as they would have seen Samuel. They are still cheering us on even though it would be so easy for them not to. But there is no malice. Just humility, love, kindness and a touch of gumption. There is an army of angels carrying them, I am sure, but most importantly there is an angel waiting for them, watching for them and loving them from afar. His name is Samuel. 

I am grateful for two earth angels who, despite this heartbreaking and what could be faith shaking experience, have remained by the Lord's side and shown me what the true meaning of faith is. My admiration of them and my love for my Heavenly Father has grown over this last week. I know that Christ lives. I know that because He lives, we can live with Him again and Jaiden and Beckah will be reunited with their precious Samuel.

A Baby for the Olsens

I realize that the majority of the people who read my blog follow me on other social media outlets however, that won't stop me from sharing this story (which in all reality should have been written up a couple months ago). 

You may remember, though it has been some time, the day I posted about going on a hike with my best friend, Erin. On that hike we had talked about a plethora of things as we always do. 

One of those things was our hopes and dreams regarding our future family lives.

That particular topic took up a good portion of our hike and later that day, after I was home, I felt like I should take a pregnancy test. 

I actually kept telling myself that I didn't need to and that it would be the same result as the last million times I'd done it in the last two years. Negative. So, why? I kept a few tests at home but I didn't feel pregnant, and my cycle, which ranged anywhere from 60 to 80 days in length on average, hadn't even hit the 45 day mark. 

I finally decided to take the chance. Usually, as per the instructions for the pee-on-a-stick tests, you have to wait for 3 minutes before an accurate reading can be read. For me though, a faint, a very very faint but still very much THERE, line appeared on the test. 

I counted and recounted.
Two lines=pregnant. 

But that couldn't be real. It was probably a false positive. 

I cleaned up, left the stick on the sink counter, and headed to CVS to buy some more tests. Different brands this time because I had a store brand and surely a brand name test would give me a more accurate result. 

On my way home, I called Neil. I asked him, "Do you want me to tell you now or wait until you get home?" Of course he said to tell him then, it's rather hard to judge when you want to hear some news when you don't know what that news is! So I said, "I think, I THINK, I might be pregnant. I just went and bought another test to try again." He was cautiously excited and told me to wait until he got home to take it. And so I did. 

But wouldn't you know it? The darn test I bought was faulty. It gave me an error reading. 

I was out of tests and out of pee. 

We decided to trek to Target to pick up a variety of pregnancy tests (because they were having a sale...go figure) and by the time we got back home, I had a full, non-watered down bladder and an army of pregnancy tests. 

Test #2 (okay, #3) was, again, positive. That second little line showed up pretty rapidly, however faintly. 

Over the course of the next few weeks, I took a test every few days. All positive. However, that didn't stop me from being skeptical. I called my OBGYN and set up an appointment for a few weeks down the road. 

Those few weeks were torture but finally the day came and we went into the office cautiously excited. 

After the nurse called us back and took all the notes she needed from me, she sent in the doctor. He was so nice and asked all the same questions and then some. Finally, it was time to look for proof of a baby via the ultrasound machine. 

Based on our baby's size, baby was 6 weeks 5 days, not 8 weeks 1 day as we had thought. Apparently this is common for women with PCOS. We don't ovulate with the same kind of reliability as those without PCOS so I had just ovulated later than the "normal time". Because of this, we couldn't hear the heartbeat but we sure could see it! That little bean shaped nugget in my uterus was showing off as best it could and it made us both so excited. About a month later we were able to hear our little baby's heartbeat and I fell to pieces. My midwife was tickled that I cried and said it is her favorite part of the job.

I've made it safely and soundly through the first trimester and a good way into the second. Our baby is doing well, growing, kicking, moving limbs and having a good ol' time inside of me. 

I treasure this child, I pray for this child everyday, as I did before this baby was even growing inside of me. I cherish every little movement I can feel and every picture we can get at our checkups. I am grateful because I am blessed with a husband who will be a fantastic father and who is excited to be one.

February 1st, take your time getting here but not too much time, okay? We really can't wait to meet this little baby face to face. 

My Tea and Me

Okay, honestly, this post has very little to do with tea and much more to do with organizing my kitchen but it all starts with my tea! 

I only drink herbal tea but I have enough variety at home that it definitely takes up space. 

And that thought, that very dangerous thought is where this all began. 

With a baby on the way, (um, I should maybe make a post about that...) and with the tiny apartment we live in, I have been in FULL ON de-junk, de-clutter and organization mode. Which is saying something because this is a regular thing for me. So, really, I'm in beast mode with this right now.

In addition to wanting to organize my house (and de-junk etc.) my husband and I are gearing up to start the Whole30 on October 1st. I know, I know, that seems far enough away that you may think I don't need to go crazy just now. But, preparation is the key to success. I'm clearing out my kitchen of things that we don't need, things that aren't good for us (on a non-Whole30 scale) and we're preparing bit by bit so that come October 1, we are ready to go!

So, back to the tea organizing... 

I started with my tea shelf because I had so much of it and it is taking up so much space that I was, and am, convinced that there is a better way to store my tea. I also started with the tea because I felt like what I needed to organize it already resided in my house...somewhere. 

And I was right!

After a few minutes (give or take a couple hours) on Pinterest, a light bulb sprang to life in my brain. 

I used the following items:

Ball jars-left over from canning

Ikea spice racks- that I bought a couple years ago and never used!!

small plastic storage container (from Target)- I bought 10 of these on sale for $1 about a year ago and didn't end up using all of them

paint- a sample size for $3 from Home Depot. Color: Irish Folklore

card stock- from my craft supply 

a glue stick-I wanted the labels to stick but not be super hard to remove if I needed to

scissors

and

THESE labels from Limeshot Design. They're free! 

So, I got to work moving the loose-leaf teas from their bags to mason jars. Anything that needed an airtight container went into a mason jar. Any of the teas that were in their own bags (like the Bigelow Teas) went into the small plastic container.

After all the teas were settled in their new homes, I painted the Ikea spice racks. As they were drying I printed the mason jar lid labels on my card stock.  I couldn't figure out a way to print the names directly on the labels (I didn't try that hard) so I just wrote them on free-hand. Then I glued them on my jars.

Once the shelves were completely dry, I hung them on my kitchen wall (which was harder than I anticipated but I did it!), placed the jars on the racks and voila!

Then, because I had some frames floating around, I decided to add some art!

All The Hikes

It dawned on me recently that I live in an awesome state filled with so many natural wonders to explore. My last post was about a visit Neil and I made to Arches National Park and I think that's what spurred all of this. I decided that I wanted to get out more, hike more and just enjoy all of the amazing scenery so close to me. 

Last week, my best friend and I went on a hike up Little Cottonwood Canyon in Sandy, UT. 

It was so much fun and aside from that, it was GORGEOUS. Everything here is Utah has been so green lately due to all the rain. Here are some pictures from our adventures. 

Sneaking Away

This past weekend, I surprised Neil with a weekend getaway trip to Moab/Arched National Park. 

It all started at the beginning of the month when he was feeling overwhelmed with all of the responsibilities he has. I decided that I would step in and make a relaxing vacation happen.

I set to work making phone calls to a couple people including his sister Anna. (We stayed at their lovely home in Monticello.) I made packing lists, made sure that our laundry was done, house was clean, etc. I planned and carefully avoided bringing it up. 

It. Was. Hard. 

When I'm excited about something, Neil is who I tell first! It was hard not to turn and be like, "I'm so excited to surprise you!" 

But I kept it a secret. When I finally revealed the secret, he was ecstatic. It was so much fun to see his reaction and to feel his relief that he didn't have to plan any of it. 

We headed to Monticello Friday night and spent almost all day Saturday hiking the various trails at Arches. It was so much fun that I'm thinking another surprise is due again soon. 

Sniffles and Sneezes

Last week I woke up and it was like I'd been hit by a truck. 

My head was pounding, my throat was experiencing that horrible combination of dry, sore and mucus-y. My eyes were watery and my nose was runny. 

To be honest, I think it was a mixture of a cold and allergies. I had a slight fever and chills for a day but the next day it was your typical allergy attack. Thankfully, however, I didn't have itchy eyes or an itchy throat. I can deal with the rest just fine but itchy eyes? No. And an itchy throat just makes me miserable. 

Anyway, I have learned that some things work for me and some things don't. Most nasal sprays don't work for me. And with this bout of sickness, I didn't know if it was a cold or allergies or both so I treated for both. Which in the end wasn't much different than if I treated for one or the other. 

Things that work for me:

 Just a note, I'm not getting paid to promote these brands I simply like them and they work for me. 

1-Water! Because water is good for everyone ALL the time. Drink it. Love it. Be cleansed. 

2-Nasacort Allergy 24: I don't actually love this one but I do use it on day one of my sick days. Just day one. 

3-Smith's (Kroger) brand Nose Vapor Inhaler: Honestly, it sounds disgusting but I like this because it's not liquid. It's like breathing in the Vicks vapor but more direct. And it loosens up my congestion pretty well. 

4-Puffs Plus with Lotion AND Vicks: Apparently, these aren't sold in stores anymore. Why? No idea, but you can buy them online. I bought mine on Amazon.com in bulk.

5-Tylenol Sinus:This little beauty saves my bacon. Every. Time. I like it for a couple different reasons. It works, the caplets are coated in some kind of minty stuff that makes them easier to swallow, AND it treats both allergy and cold symptoms. So, YAY! 

6-Burts Bees Lip Balm: My lips get very dry when I take decongestants so I make sure to keep this lovely lip balm close by. 

7-Vicks Vapor Rub: I actually use this and the Breathe oil to help me, you know, breathe. And I love it. 

8-Vitamin D: I have a Vitamin D deficiency so I take 10,000IU every day but I make sure I get enough when I'm sick. I've been told that Vitamin D is the boat that takes the medicine to your cells so without boats, medicines and other supplements don't really do much. 

9-Traditional Medicinals Seasonal Sampler: You get four bags of each flavor. It doesn't cost as much as buying all four flavors.

10- Essential Oils: There are a bunch of brands out there but I use doTERRA. I diffuse and topically use different oils all the time but I like to diffuse Breathe when I'm sick (along with a couple others). 

Anyway, those are my top ten "go-tos" for when I'm sick and they definitely helped me heal quickly so I could carry out my surprise out-of-town trip! That's coming on Thursday.

The oils I use when I'm sick.

My Oils "Bible". It helps you learn which oils to use for different ailments AND how to use them (Topically, Aromatically, Ingestion...yeah)

The mixtures of teas I drink in addition to the Seasonal Sampler.

Antique Window Painting

You might think that there are a million pins of Pinterest detailing the absolute best way to paint words on glass. In this case, an antique window. However, I was quite surprised when after an hour and a half of searching, I couldn't find even one! There were some pins that came close and others that said they were painted on but were really vinyl cut. It wasn't frustrating, simply baffling. 

Then I realized that all those talented people who have all the tricks for painting on windows are probably Etsy shop owners so no way would they "sell their secrets". I can't really blame them, I mean, they probably make a good amount of money off those things. Even so, I simply could not find a tutorial that helped me do what I wanted to do. 

So, I improvised and here is what I did. 

I gathered my materials:

Antique window from a local antique shop

Paint pens-I used the Tree House studio brand from Hobby Lobby but have also seen DecoColor and Craftstudio brand paint pens and they look like they would work also. 

Fabric

Teapot and Teacup designs

Scissors

Elmer's glue spray adhesive
a single edged razor blade

After I made sure I had everything I needed, I went to work. 

The first thing I did was find free graphics for the teapot and and teacup. Of course, I went to Pinterest for this. And I found a pin and it took me to these free graphics courtesy of Vintage Glam Studio.

I downloaded the document and printed an enlarged version so that my cutouts weren't tiny.
After printing a larger version of the graphics, I cut them out and traced the outline onto my fabric. Then I cut the fabric.

It was about this point that I stopped taking pictures because the project started to become very involved. (Erm, I forgot.)

Then I flipped the fabric over to the "wrong side" (is there a technical term for this?), laid it on a piece of paper and sprayed it down with the adhesive spray. Then, of course, I had to move it to the glass. I already knew where I wanted it to go so I gently placed it on the glass then smoothed it out. It dried pretty quickly so I only had a short window (yuk, yuk) of time to work with.

After the fabric teapot and teacup were secured on the glass, I went to work on the painting.

This was trickier and I went through 3 different techniques before finally just free handing everything.

Something to keep in mind: I printed a design from word so that I could copy from that to the glass. What I should have done was print a large version of the design and tape it to the back of the window so I could "trace" the letters with the paint markers. But that didn't happen because I didn't think about that until it was too late. I won't go into detail about how I did it because it's complicated and took way too much time. Do what I should've done! It'll save you time and energy.

Even though I spent more time than I needed to on this project, I enjoyed the process because I can share with you the things I learned. Like, how to cut out 3 hours by printing a design and taping it to the backside. Let me know what you think! AND if you would like one made for you or someone you know, let me know in the comments and we can work something out!

My Post-Graduation Plans

I don't have any. 

Not really, anyway. 

The funny thing is, I don't even mind. I really don't. I am happy to be at home every day cleaning, cooking and just being free! I'm sure the feeling will wear off at some point but for now, for the summer, I only have plans to enjoy my summer working on my Family History, taking vacations, helping my parents move across the country, spending time with friends, really getting a handle on my health, reading books (of my own choosing) outside in my new lawn chair and sleeping. 

I suppose that is a plan. It's just not the plan I think people expect to hear when they ask, "So, what now"? And I'm not offended by the question, I just don't think I have the typical answer and for the silliest reason, I have been having a hard time answering when people ask.

Why? Why not be proud of my decision? It's a temporary thing and even if it wasn't it would still be a good decision for me. I want one summer to myself without school or work. I want one summer that I can pamper my hardworking husband and welcome him home every day to a clean house and a nice, hard earned meal! What is so weird about that?

I think nowadays it's odd for a woman who doesn't have any children (and isn't pregnant) to want to be a homemaker. Women with kids already have a lot of opposition facing them that it seems bizarre that someone without kids would subject themselves to staying at home to be a homemaker, right?

I don't think that I'm being judged and I have never heard anyone say that I'm less of a person for wanting this, I have simply felt this attitude expressed by others. Truly, I don't think it's a conscious attitude but I do think it exists. What I'm trying to say is typically if you aren't employed as a woman in the culture I'm surrounded by (Provo...a love/hate relationship for me) you are one of the following: a mother or a student. At times, it feels as though you are qualified to be unemployed because of those two things. But choice? That doesn't seem to be a good enough qualifier, it only makes you "lazy".

Now, I know that the culture I'm surrounded by is not the best example of the real world. Let's be honest. Provo is a bubble for many reasons and in many ways. It's not a fair sampling but it's still the culture that I'm exposed to the most at the moment. That being said, I'm learning to move beyond it.

I will not live here forever, thank goodness, and I fully intend on being employed full-time come the end of the summer but if I didn't plan on that, that would be okay too! I'm not ashamed to say that this summer is "my" summer. My summer to share with my husband. My summer to explore, relax and focus on my health.

So, if you wanted to know what my post-graduation plans are, now you know.