My Goals, His Goals

A little over a year ago I posted a few things I hoped to accomplish by the time I turned 31 - my Age 30 Bucket List. Now that the year is nearly up let's see how I did, shall we?

1. Complete a half marathon

DID IT! I ran my first half marathon in Leavenworth, Washington last October with a time of 1 hour, 52 minutes and 30 seconds. Boo-yah!

And, I'm gonna do it again! Yeah, yeah, yeah, I know after the last one I said that I would never run another race that long, but over time my competitive spirit has gotten the best of me. Now I'm determined to beat last year's time. I start my official training program in two weeks. My race is October 15th.

2. Get pregnant with Baby #2

Not just yet. Through IVF I carried two little embryos for a short time in February but they both failed to attach. Then I carried another precious embryo for a short while in May via a frozen embryo transfer, but again, it failed to attach. 

3. Take the boat tour into Hells Canyon (this is a local tourist activity)

Unfortunately we didn't get around to this one this year, nor do I expect we will squeeze it in before my birthday arrives next Friday. I could probably insist that we go on the Saturday immediately following my birthday but I have already requested that we build a table instead (more on that later), so I guess this goal will just have to continue on to next year's bucket list.

4. Take my hubby on a REAL vacation so he finally sees what all the fuss is about

Nope, no vacation. No fuss. Most of our spare cash was poured into fertility treatments this year.

5. Finish reading the Twilight saga

DID IT! Actually, I think I had all four books completed within a month after my 30th birthday. Plus, I've seen all the movies to date. I am positively giddy for the November release of Breaking Dawn. Is there a line at the movie theater yet, cuz I'm ready!

6. Eat an "Idaho Spud" candy bar

DID IT! Here is a visual for those of you who don't know what an Idaho Spud looks like:

Appetizing, no?

I thought this goal could be a small right of passage for having lived in Idaho - emphasis on the small because if this candy bar (lump is probably more accurate) was any bigger I may have started gagging.

Finally, I added another goal a few weeks after my 30th birthday:

7. See Brad Paisley and Darius Rucker in concert

Negative. We couldn't make the Spokane show because we had to be in Seattle for a fertility appointment the following day, and we couldn't make the Gorge show because we were celebrating our friends' wedding that evening.

Is anyone else seeing a pattern for this year?

On the morning of my 30th birthday a year ago I was feeling a bit blue, mostly because I had always imagined I would have a few kiddos by the time I turned 30. So it was ironic when that very night at dinner Justin admitted he thought we were financially able to do another IVF cycle. At those words I nearly jumped across the table to kiss him. We went to a movie after dinner but all I could think about was getting pregnant again. Even now I don't think I could tell you which movie we saw.

 

We tried for an IVF cycle in November but got delayed.

We tried for December and got delayed again.

We finally got to do our cycle in February and, after that didn't work, we attempted a frozen embryo transfer in May.

Now here I am, about to celebrate another birthday.

Once again I amazed at how quickly the time passes.

This last year has been one of the most difficult of our lives, and also one of the most joyous.
We felt our hopes deflate with negative pregnancy tests, but heard our son say his first "I love you."

Infertility broke our hearts again and again, but God's joy has been our strength.
And boy have we needed strength.

In my devotional this week I read this quote from Kay Arthur:

"He wants us to have a faith that does not complain while waiting, but rejoices because we know our times are in His hands - nail-scarred hands that labor for our highest good."

I may set goals for myself, but the greatest plan for my life has been laid out by the hands of my Savior - hands that were scarred for me.

I don't always understand it. I don't always like it. But I always trust it.

"...count it all joy when you fall into various trials, knowing that the testing of your faith produces patience. But let patience have its perfect work, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking nothing."

James 1:2-4

Swooning Over Sage

And this, my friends, is why I love to thrift shop:

Where else can you find a piece like this with chippy paint in the perfect sage green and gorgeous rounded feet for just $50?

I haven't decided yet if she will go in the living room or dining room - I'm leaning toward the dining room because it seems almost wrong to use her as an entertainment center.

 So for now she sits where I can simply gaze in awe...

Ten on Tuesday

{1}

The new season of Design Star kicks off this week!

Whoop whoop!

 

{2}

What big step accompanies potty-training?

A big boy bed, of course!

I figured it just made sense for Kendry to have easy access getting from his bed to the bathroom for when nature calls, so this weekend we transitioned his crib into a toddler bed.

Nature was not calling, however, when Kendry climbed out of bed and came into our room five times between 1:30 and 2:30 a.m. the first night.

The second night went much better.

Much to my surpise, he has yet to fall out of the bed;
Kendry is one wild sleeper.

{3}

In all honesty, if you could see our tall kiddo lying in his bed you would ask why we have yet to upgrade him to a twin.

All in due time, folks.

I have already found the headboard (a Habitat Store purchase) and have plans to build a bed such as this one from Ana White:

But that project is a little ways down the list right now.

{4}

This weekend is the hubs' big Warrior Dash.

We are so proud of him!

 

{5}

And next week is (gasp!)
my big 3-1!
Bring.
It.
On.
And by that I mean bring on the red velvet birthday cake, not the extra year older.

 

{6}

Last Thursday we attended the Alive After Five in downtown Clarkston.

Kendry got to jump in his first bouncy castle:

And he met his first camel (which he kept calling a cantaloupe):

Stay tuned for a post on how to pull off my awesome disappearing chin act as seen in the above photo.

Yuck - horrible pic of me.

{7}
Helping a potty-training kiddo use a port-a-potty ain't for the fainthearted.
Nor is it a good place to drop your sunglasses.
Eeewww!

{8}
Not that anyone besides me is looking forward to fall just yet, but I've already got the hubs planning his hard cider brew for the harvest party I am determined to host this year.
Start brushing up on your pumpkin carving skills!


{9}
Blogolution Update:
I've been slacking off a bit on the guest room progress, mostly because we got our new laptop in May and I still don't have our new office area set up -
not that we need an office area for a laptop since, by definition, a laptop can simply go in your lap, but the neat freak in me cannot stand that the laptop is constantly going from the dining table to the buffet, and then back to the dining table.
It needs a permanent home already.
So here is a peek at what I've been working on:

{10}
This Week's Blessing:
PEANUT BUTTER PIE
I ate half of this blessing all by myself.

Stepping Up

In early April I embarked on my very first yard sale trek and came home with this great wooden step stool for a few bucks.

Kendry loved it immediately, and even figured out how to pick it up and carry it by himself that same day.

As you can see, he still occasionally finds himself in the "Help! I've lifted up something heavy and can't figure out how to put it back down" situation.

You know exactly what I'm talking about - we've all been there.

And thats why you will never again find me helping to lift a washing machine.

If only my chiropractor knew how stupid I can be...

But seriously, a week after I brought the stool home it had already paid for itself ten times over. Kendry uses it everywhere, and when he wants to move it he just picks it up and does it himself. He has, however, suffered a few knocks to the noggin' in his efforts to determine the best way to lift a stool that is nearly as large as himself.

PARENTING TIP: If your todder isn't already getting into enough stuff around your house, just give him a handy little stool to access even more trouble.

As for me, I have recently come to the conclusion that hopping up onto kitchen counters to access high cabinets (of which I have plenty) doesn't come nearly as easily to me at age 30 as it did at age 10.

Graceful? Never heard of her.

But this great little stool lets me easily access those cabinets without pulling a muscle or smacking my head on a cabinet.

Again, you know exactly what I'm talking about.

Whats that? 

I'm the only 30 year old who still climbs up on counters like a kid?

Well I'll be...

But the solid white color on the stool just wasn't doing it for me.

Nope, she needed a good makeover.

I actually have Shelley over at House of Smith's to thank for this idea. The chevron pattern is everywhere these days, but it was Shelley's chevron pattern painted onto her kitchen rug that really inspired me.

I am so going to paint a rug someday.

After a good sanding, I gave the stool a coat of Kilz primer followed by a coat of Sherwin Williams Creamy.

Then I made my own chevron stencil out of poster board and got to work.

I think I listened to half of the Catching Fire (Hunger Games Book II) audiobook while stenciling these lines.

It look me a looong time.

By the way, if you stencil with pencil onto white paint like this I highly recommend having a Magic Eraser handy so you can lighten your pencil lines enough that they won't show through when you're done painting.

I don't know what is in those Magic Erasers but they are ah-may-zing!

I used my Sherwin Williams Dutch Tile Blue to color in the chevron pattern.

(That nearly got me through the second half of Catching Fire.)

Then, because I still don't have my own Silhouette machine - can you hear my husband asking "Would you like some cheese with that whine?" - I just ordered the vinyl numbers from Etsy.

Although I distressed the paint a bit, I went back over the little peg/button thingies (thats the technical term - I totally checked) with a white paint pen to make them really stand out in all their cuteness.

This pretty little number, which I have fondly named Stella, will reside in my kitchen;

and just in the nick of time too.

This soon-to-be 31 year old is more than ready to retire from hopping onto kitchen counters.


Linking up here:

Ten on Tuesday

{1}

I hope you all had a wonderful 4th of July.

We celebrated a different form of independence in our house this weekend:

Freedom from diapers!

The kiddo has been diaper-free since Sunday morning and is doing awesome.

In fact, thanks to Daddy, 'awesome' is the exact word Kendry proclaims each time he does his business.

"Thats awesome, Mommy!"

I couldn't agree more.

Now what to do with the last half of our Costco box of Huggies...

(FYI: We used the 3 Day Potty Training plan by Lora Jenson, which worked wonders. Let me know if you want a copy of the plan and I will email you the manual in pdf.)

{2}

Either Kendry's swim trunks are a bit wonky in their design or we are discovering the one area of our lives in which diapers will actually be missed.

{3}

In case you can't tell from the video above, our summer weather has finally arrived!

Justin's rose garden:

{4}

After a weekend of in-home potty training, we were ready to get out and have some fun on the 4th.

We attended a BBQ at our friends' house on the river and enjoyed the valley's big fireworks show from the comfort of their front yard.

Kendry was not a huge fan of the noise but loved seeing all the different color fireworks.

(Sorry, I didn't feel like lugging the camera around with me that night so I don't have any pictures to show ya.)

{5}

One downfall of summer?

Earwigs, earwigs everywhere!

And did I mention the black widow spider hanging around our front porch?

The Alaskan in me will never get used to these creepy lower 48 bugs.

{6}

And if my sister Angel is reading this she is probably cancelling her plans to come visit me anytime soon because she is more creeped out by bugs than I am.

{7}

Oh what I wouldn't give for some of this supercool chalk paint for my "second 30th" birthday later this month:

{8}

Courtney over at Women Living Will is doing a great series called Media Mondays, discussing how we as Christians are affected by social media.

Go check it out:

{9}

Blogolution Update:
Here is a little sneak peek at my latest completion:

Its been a fun one for sure!

{10}

This Week's Blessing:

My wonderful hubby fixed the drippy faucet and low hot water pressure on the kitchen sink.

I am so very glad I married a DIY-er!