Jared and Candace Howard

If you haven't heard...

2011-06-18T10:09:00.002-06:00

Its amazing to think how quickly our lives can change and lead us where we never imagined. I feel that this has always been how my life has played out. Proof, the last two weeks for Jared and I have been hectic to say the least. But we are so grateful for this opportunity to adopt a beautiful baby girl. Most of the time I have felt like I'm just passing through this experience and I haven't had much time to think. I've wrapped myself up in the preparations and not left much time to think. I believe its better that way for me. If I just do and not think then maybe I'll be able to handle the situation that is before me. My emotions have been raw and uncontrollable (I am usually really good at controlling them). I didn't think I had any tears left in me. I've cried over so many things the last two weeks. Excitement, worry, exhaustion, stress, anxiety, COMMERCIALS! Seriously?!

I am here to give an update.

Mother's Day 2011 was the worst day of my life. Mother's Day for the past 5 years have always been difficult but this year seemed to be the worst. Without realizing it, I believe I was close to my breaking point. Just waiting for that last straw to fall. When my baby sister announced she was having grandchild #7 I had a rush of emotions. I was devastated. Isn't it the natural order of things to have kids before your younger siblings do? Well, not in my case. And I'm sure that's not the case in many situations but that's part of what I was going through. I thought I'd prepared myself for when the moment came. I knew that it would happen eventually. I guess I was wrong. Needless to say I was a mess for a few weeks. Literally depressed. And I do not use that word lightly. It bothers me when people do. I can't express how thankful I am to have Jared. He is always there to make me laugh and pull me out of my rut.

The day after Mother's Day Jared called The Adoption Center of Choice (ACC) to see about signing up with them. We were currently already signed up with LDS Family Services but no bites yet. Our case worker emailed us some information to fill out and within 3 weeks he called and asked if he could show us to a birth mother. This was the Thursday before Memorial weekend. Of course we said yes and he emailed her our profile (along with a few others) the next day. We went camping that weekend and I tried to keep myself distracted on other things but this mother-to-be was always in the back of my mind. Tuesday came and went with no news. Wednesday came and I got the best news of my life. Our case worker called me at 10:20 am to tell me that the birth mother had picked us and that she felt like she was going into labor (false alarm). He talked about a few other things but I don't remember at all. My mind was stuck on "She selected you and Jared!"

So the last two weeks have pretty much all mushed together and became all one big long day. I've been busy cleaning out my office for the baby room. Washing/drying, folding and organizing baby clothes. (Thanks Heather for helping me).

Her due date came and went and still no baby. She was scheduled to be induced on Wednesday the 15th but at her checkup the doctor did not feel comfortable with starting her. We found this out on our drive. We were half way between Denver and Colorado Springs. There was no way we were going to turn around and go home.

The current plan is to scrape her membranes (separate the sac from the uterine wall) on Sunday and if that does not trigger the labor then he will induce her on Monday. So that's where we are at. Hanging out in our hotel in Colorado Springs waiting for this unborn child (who has no name yet). We've been able to see a few new places. Colorado Springs is really a beautiful place.

I'll update with more info when I get it...

Making the List!

2011-03-23T07:15:00.005-06:00

I never thought the day would come. For four months we worked on our profile, went to training classes, doctors appointments and everything else in between. I never thought that just getting on the list would be such a long process. Of course I was gung-ho on getting it done and our case worker said that we were pretty quick. On March 15th 2011 we were posted on the LDS Family Services Adoption website. Just 4 days shy of the four month mark. I remember being so stressed most of the time (poor Jared). I wanted to be on that list as quick as possible and did everything I could to make it happen. I poured out my heart and soul onto this profile page all the while thinking...Is this good enough? Maybe we should say this, or do this. Oh man! I was second guessing everything. (If you read my previous post, this post may give a hint to what I was feeling at the time).

Our Home Study was the scariest part. They walked through our home and made sure we had a plan in place. I was so nervous. We went over our profile as well and they suggested we update a few things. As they were leaving our case worker said that it would be about 4 to 6 weeks before the paperwork would be completed and then at that time she will present us to the board who will approve or deny our request to be on the list. And when they left I had this awful feeling that it didn't go well.

To my surprise, our case worker emailed exactly a week later saying that she was done with the paperwork and once she hears back from us with the 'Okay' she will present us to the board that following Monday. I was so excited! Jared and I made a few updates to our profile and gave her the Go Ahead.

Monday we were approved and posted on the website the following day. When I got the email that we were on the website, you'll laugh but I had a little "freak out" moment. It was actually real. We are finally on the list! And I was worried! Oh My Gosh! Someone could actually call us at any time. This is just crazy! I checked our profile daily, sometimes more, to see how many views to our pages we were getting. I checked our adoption email constantly. I'm happy to say that I've relaxed a bit. I haven't check our profile or our email in a few days, though I have it set up to notify me if we do. I guess this is the calm before the storm. Come on storm! We're waiting for you.

If you know someone who is considering adoption as an option. Send them to an LDS Family Services location. The case workers are not there to pressure adoption. They are there to give all the options and support the mother in her decision whatever it may be.

If you want to look at our profile you can click here. No using this information against us :) Heather and Joey already invited us over for games. Sheesh!

how will you be judged?

2011-03-07T15:04:00.004-07:00

We go through life constantly judging and being judged. I sit at my computer eating cookies and considering that maybe popcorn would have been a better choice. I'm judging myself for eating the cookies and having the gall to consider popcorn as a later treat.

Why do we judge? Why do we have to be judged? Why can't we be accepted for who we are? Fat, skinny, tall or short? Who cares? ...Me. I care. I care what people say and think about me. I've experienced extreme judgment and felt proud and accomplished and how I presented myself but at the same time nit picked for not having those same qualities as those who were deemed "better". I'm judged and I judge.

I hate that not good enough feeling. It doesn't matter how hard I try but some days I just can't shake the feeling. Asking myself what can I do to make things better. I do everything I believe to be true but still its there. I smile, laugh, but not like I used to. I want to old me back. Carefree, funny, optimistic.

Everyday we share our lives out in the world. Post whatever we are thinking or feeling or questioning at the time. I do it. But until it means something, I mean really means something, thats when you have the sick feeling that you're just not good enough. No matter what you do. No matter what you say. You will never live up.

So please, someone, accept me for who I am. Don't feel sorry for me because I'm not like you. Don't remind me everyday of my inadequacies (whether you mean to or not). I know them already. Take those things you have and celebrate. Why waste time complaining? Please! For my sake! Just celebrate so I can take my own advice. So I can move on and celebrate the things I do have in my life. We all have those things that others don't so we better not take them for granted. Celebrate them!

Family Pictures November 2010

2010-11-11T09:45:00.011-07:00

We had our family pictures done recently. I asked my sister to do them because she's so awesome! She took a lot of pictures (Dexter and Delilah would not cooperate). We had a lot of fun and I'm so excited that she made us look cuter then we are ha-ha. I've also posted more pictures on my Facebook page.

Check her out at www.sweethoneyphoto.com

A Few Pictures

2010-09-22T12:32:00.011-06:00

Since I haven't posted in a while I thought it best to do a quick update with pictures....

This is the only picture we took on our 4 day Howard Family Reunion in August. Silly!

Jared's Birthday present from me. It came with 4 free guitar lessons. Pretty cool!

Who are these weirdo's?

Jared and our nephew Finnley who was born on his brothers birthday, September 14th!

Peeping Tomette! Silly Delilah spying on the neighbors.

Cut Down

2010-08-29T09:11:00.005-06:00

Bar-height dining sets are quite popular right now. Six years ago when we shopped for a dining set, we thought that we'd really like one too. However, after the magic wore off and reality set in, we found out that we really don't like it. It's really impractical. Try scooting your chair in and out; can't. Have a small child sit in it; kind of dangerous. The design of the table we bought has seating for eight, but it's really impossible to do so. Fitting two chairs on one side leaves no room in between the table legs and chairs, and thus you're stuck sitting there.

So we've disliked the table for a few years now. Instead of buying another one, I told Candace that I'm just going to cut down the legs. And so I did.

(Looks like we need to do some dusting now. Usually the extra chairs are put downstairs and out of the way when they're not used.)

So initially and even still now, we are in shock. We think it looks like a table for kids, but before cutting it we went to RC Willey and measured tables and chairs, and our end result is even 1/2 inch taller. I think we are just not used to it now. So when the dust clears, I think we'll like the table again.

The last few weeks have been a wild ride...

2010-08-12T07:20:00.008-06:00

I'm sure Jared feels the same way as I do. I've been posting a few comments on Facebook about our In Vitro journey so far but thought it would be best to save the details for my blog.

My OB, who worked for 3 1/2 years to try and get us pregnant, referred Jared and I to Dr. Hatasaka at the Reproductive Care Center (RCC) here in Salt Lake City for our In Vitro options. I guess technically they are located in Sandy but whose checking. We met with Dr. Hatasaka in March 2010 and spoke for over an hour about our situation and options etc. We felt pretty good about trying In Vitro and decided to start saving our $$$ for the procedure. One unique feature about RCC is they have a 100% Money Back Guarantee plan. Really? A What? Yup! Its true. A Guarantee! That's music to my ears. You pay a base price of about $22,000 and get up to 4 In Vitro cycles within 2 years. This does not include the medication though. Now with every contract there will be qualifications so there are a series of tests that must be done and if the results are ideal then you can qualify and sign the contract. There is also no payment option for this plan other than once the contact is signed the money is due in full. I REALLY wanted to have that guarantee so we decided to wait. RCC wanted to see where I was at with some blood tests. Results: Sorta bad eggs but still workable for In Vitro. Awesome!

Waiting. That ranks in the top 10 of my "Hard Things To Do" list. I hear all the time "Just don't think about it". I know all those who I have heard this from only mean well and have nothing but good intensions but unless you have gone through this experience you really have no idea how hard it is to forget. To forget a dream to have a child. To forget a goal to raise good children. To forget mother natures natural instinct. Its not easy. I have a lot of love to give and I'm sure Jared is tired of being smothered.

Jared has more patients than anyone I've ever met. He is my strength and the only reason I've survived this long.

So four months later I decided we needed to take the tests to see if we would even qualify for the Money Back plan. After a baseline ultrasound, clomid challenge test and 2 blood tests we found out that I have another cyst growing on my right ovary, my estrogen level is really high and my eggs are getting worse. How is this possible you ask? Well heck if I know. But with all that, my doctor signed the ok for us to move forward with the Money Back plan. I was excited!

We were planning on waiting to sign the contact in January but with my eggs gradually getting worse and me feeling like time was running out I wanted to get it signed and get moving on the procedure. I think its a reasonable thought, don't you?

Well, finally day 1 of my cycle came around and I called the office to get things moving. I thought "FINALLY! Its actually going to happen." I started to get a little excited which I normally hold in reserve just in case something falls through. The nurse called me back and explained that there has been a miscommunication and that I did NOT qualify for the Money Back plan because of the cyst on my ovary AND my high estrogen levels. Dang that stupid cyst that caused my estrogen to rise!!!!! I'm starting to really feel the STRESS!! She asked if we would come in the office to discuss some options with the doctor who wrote the contract.

So we did...

I felt a thousand times better after talking to him! He answered our questions and laid out our options to us. Which included that pesky word. WAIT. He examined my ovaries and measured the cyst. It measured half the size from the previous month. Which means its going away on its own and quickly. What a relief. He said it should be gone in a month or two. Then we would test again. If the cyst is gone then we can sign the contract and move forward! MOVE FORWARD! Its about stinkin' time. I guess we'll see how the tests go next month! I won't be holding my breath.

Half way through July already???

2010-07-12T19:21:00.012-06:00

I can't believe how time goes by so fast. Life is crazy! Jared and I have been busy doing all kinds of things this summer. From the chaos of everyday life to camping up at Bear Lake, getting in shape and running 5K's.

Its also that time of year again to start some small projects with the house. I decided that my office was a little too dark and dreary and needed some lightening up

a bit. I don't think we posted any pictures but we remodeled one of the bedrooms into an office in October last year. We painted it a deep reddish purple color, added new baseboards, ceiling fan and a few decorations. I loved it but lately it seemed a little too dark so the past two weeks we have added bead-board/wainscoting half way up the walls and a large mirror. I think it looks pretty good. I want to add some family pictures in the room as well but that will have to wait for when I'm skinny again :)

Please note that the horrid orange carpet was replaced before we moved in!!

Kurt's Quilt

2010-04-11T13:00:00.006-06:00

I think my sister Diane said it best when, after hearing that I was making a quilt, said "How domestic of you." I'm certainly not a quilt maker but just like to be creative sometimes. This is actually my third quilt. My first and second quilts come from the same pieced quilt top. I ran out of time finishing the seconds so it's only partially finished.

My brother-in-law Kurt was returning home Iraq. I thought that it would be a nice gesture and a small token of my appreciation to him and all the other men and women who serve us and our country by giving him a quilt. Hope he likes it and reminds him of our thanks.

5 Years

2010-04-06T07:03:00.007-06:00

Yesterday was our 5th year anniversary. We stayed overnight at The Anniversary Inn (thanks Adam and Rachel) and enjoyed the Presidential Suite. The balcony was awesome. We tried to eat breakfast out there but it was way too cold. Lunch at Pat's was delicious and dinner at The Mayan (Thanks Lee and Karyn). Thanks to Jared for being the best husband ever! Time sure flies when you're having fun :)

Arrowhead Martial Arts Seminar

2010-03-29T17:13:00.008-06:00

This last Saturday Jared and I were able to attend a kenpo seminar for Arrowhead Martial Arts studio where we take classes. We got a special treat when Mr. Paul Mills made a surprise visit. Mr. Wheaton had us working on our free style techniques when Mr. Mills showed up. He worked with Jared and I personally for about 10 minutes and then used us as "examples" to teach the same concept to the other students. It was very exciting. Never did I imagine I would have such an awesome opportunity to work personally with Mr. Mills.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FBTXQV7GKow

Purple Belt Test

2010-03-29T07:03:00.013-06:00

Jared and I have been taking Kenpo classes for a little over a year now. We tested for our purple belts two Saturday's ago and I am just now making time to post some pictures. It was a lot of fun. I always get really nervous and forget some of the things we've been taught but it really shows me what I need to work on to improve myself. I've posted a few pictures of the test below. Enjoy!

IVF Here We Come!

2010-02-04T07:29:00.004-07:00

I've had a few people ask how our artificial insemination went. Well, the process went smoothly but unfortunately it did not produce a pregnancy. That was our 6th and final attempt with that. I am thankful for Dr. Barney and his staff who have worked with us for over 3 years. They have exhausted every avenue and helped us keep our spirits hopeful. Dr. Barney has now referred us to Dr. Harry Hatasaka who is with the Reproductive Care Center here is Sandy, Utah. www.fertilitydr.com They specialize in In Vitro Fertilization (IVF). Our consultation appointment is this Monday. I am pretty nervous about it. I have sent him all our previous medical records which he will view before our appointment and advice on our next move. IVF is pretty expensive so I'm sure we will be saving for a little while before we're able to have the procedure done. Thanks to all those who have offered to help us financially with this procedure. We are so thankful for you and your love for us. This has been an emotional roller coaster especially for me and we appreciate the thoughts and prayers. xoxoxoxo Candace

Thank you!

2010-01-19T06:52:00.004-07:00

Jared and I would like to say Thank You! to all those who fasted and prayed for us or those who still plan on fasting for us. I know the request was very last minute. The procedure, IUI (Artificial Insemination), will hopefully help us to conceive. We were able to go in yesterday and everything went smoother then normal. I wont find out for a few weeks if it actually worked but my spirits are high and I have a lot of faith. I added a link below for those who are interested in reading more about Artificial Insemination.

http://www.webmd.com/infertility-and-reproduction/guide/artificial-insemination

Thanks again for all the prayers and support!

My Gun

2009-12-29T14:26:00.009-07:00

Why does a person choose to own a gun? Is it because they want to feel Protected? Safe? or Cool? While these are not always some of my reasons, they are reasons that someone would choose to become a gun owner and with much consideration and contemplation I have decided to become one. Its a big deal deciding what you want to have. I had my heart set on a cute tiny little Micro Desert Eagle .380. I was lucky enough to shoot it as well. It handles great and because its heavier then the average small handgun it handled the recoil pretty well. I also tried a Ruger LCP which is a .380 as well. I didn't mind it but it hurt my hand when I shot it and I felt like I was going to drop it. It just didn't feel sturdy enough in my hands. But it is a great little gun and a popular choice among those who like to carry. In the end, I purchased a Ruger LCR .38 special and I love it. Its a revolver so there is no messing with a slide. Once its loaded its ready to go (and I don't need Jared to load it for me). I still shoot better with Jared's gun but with some practice I think I will get pretty good with it.

Micro Desert Eagle

Ruger LCP

Ruger LCR

Happy Birthday!!

2009-12-20T20:20:00.011-07:00

Our little Dexterpants is 3 years old today. He mostly slept and snuggled with me on the bed. What a life! He got a bone to eat and loved it. Here are a few pictures of our little stinker through the years. Boy did he grow up fast!

The last two photos (the other is Delilah) are courtesy of Sweet Honey Photography. http://www.sweethoneyphoto.com/
Thanks Brandy for taking such beautiful pictures of our babies. We were left with over 600 pictures to choose from.

Where is the light at the end of the tunnel?

2009-12-06T12:33:00.008-07:00

So ... I have bad news. Our last IUI did not work. If you are not aware, Jared and I have been trying to get pregnant for the past 3 1/2 years. We have gone through so many various tests and procedures to discover and/or remedy any issues that may have an effect on why we have not conceived yet. I have been open to talking about our situation with close friends and family but have held off on writing anything down. Which now I regret. I need to get my feelings out. I have a bad habit of holding them in.
With all the tests that our doctor has done we have discovered that I have endometriosis as well as endometriomas on both of my ovaries. The first Laparoscopy I had in August of 2008 my doctor removed any endometriosis he could find and drained the endometriomas. The second time around in September 2009 there was a small amount of endometriosis which he removed and he completely removed the endometriomas. My Endometriomas grew inside my ovaries so when he cut them out I lost almost half of my ovary on one side and about a fourth on the other. My doctor assures me that this will not decrease my chances of getting pregnant but increase them. After the surgery in September I felt optimistic. I first needed to heal for 6 weeks before we could try again. It was suggested that we do another IUI to increase our chances instead of trying "the old fashioned way". This was our fourth. It did not work and I am crushed. Now our options are: a procedure called GnRH-a which will cause the endometriosis (not necessarily a factor of infertility) to go into recession. Here is a link if you want more information.

http://women.webmd.com/endometriosis/gonadotropin-releasing-hormone-agonist-gnrh-a-therapy-for-endometriosis

Our other options are In Vitro Fertilization (IVF) and adoption. I do not have a problem with adoption and will consider if needed but I still want to try for my own. So for now that’s not something we are considering. I personally don’t feel that the GnRH-a is going to help us. Sure it’s always beneficial but with the second Laparoscopy there was very little endometriosis and the endometriomas are gone. I can also save the money that would be spent on the GnRH-a for IVF. I feel like it is going to be our best chance to have our own kids.
All I've ever wanted was to have a family. I don't know why I chose this challenge. I wouldn't wish this pain on my worst enemy so why would I choose it for myself and Jared? I know that we will have children eventually. God has promised me that. It's just hard to keep that in mind and keep my faith high when every month I'm holding back the tears.

Jared Delivers a Baby!

2009-11-10T21:32:00.004-07:00

This little (or big, depending on how you look at it) guy is what has been giving Jared (me) so much grief lately.

About two months ago, I woke Candace and told her that I needed to go to the hospital. Alarmed, she asked why, not knowing what was going on. I had already been up for about an hour and a half with a lot of pain on my left side, pacing around the house. By the time we made it to the ER most of the pain had already gone away. By the time I saw a doctor, all the pain was gone. I gave a sample of urine which was checked and came back positive for blood. The doctor said that 99% chance it was a kidney stone and it'll just pass through. He sent me on my way with some Lortab and Flomax and two strainers. I used up the Flomax and only took the Lortab when there was a lot of pain which wasn't often. Nothing passed through.

Today, I decided that I should have a Urologist take a look and see if something more was needed to be done. I've had a few more pain episodes throughout the last two months, a lot of discomfort and visible blood in my urine. The problem with talking to a Urologist is that they need to look at an x-ray to see if there really is a stone. Well we didn't do that when we went to the ER. So I set up an appointment anyway and knew that I'd just be sent out to get an x-ray. But in the meantime, they said, if I had a lot of pain that I should go to the ER. Well, just after getting off the phone with them, the pain increased. We went to the ER. Might as well get the x-ray done now and save some time with the Urologist. This time the ER was much more thorough. They checked my blood, my urine and we did a CT Scan (which was a new experience). After the results came back, there sure enough was a kidney stone, a fairly large one. It had made it's way into my bladder. The doctor said that it has just probably been circling around in there and causing the discomfort that I had recently been having. They gave me the x-ray and paperwork that I'd take over with me to the Urologist. I felt need to go to the bathroom one more time and POP, it came out.

RELIEF!

Belt Test

2009-08-17T23:04:00.005-06:00

I'm not sure if I have mentioned this before or not but Jared and I have been taking Kenpo classes since November 2008. This past Saturday we were tested for our Orange belt. We had a great time showing off what we have learned so far. Check out Arrowhead Martial Arts website for more pictures.

Josh (last name?), Mr. Leonard, Mr. Wheaton, Mr. Gough,

Me, Jared

Me and Jared with our new belts

A Few Doggy Pictures

2009-08-17T08:20:00.009-06:00

Just posting a few pictures of our little dogs.

They'd spend all day on our bed if they could. In fact, Delilah tries to when we're home.

Delilah loves playing with other dogs, but sometimes they're just too small.

Dexter got caught yet again playing with a blanket.

Delilah's arm rest. She'll stay seated here but stretch out to the window so she can look out.

Dexter the watch dog. We caught him like this when we got home one day.

Dexter all tuckered out on their new pillows.

Rock Band 2 Videos

2009-06-07T21:56:00.006-06:00

Jared was able to get the videos to play for me. Thanks Babe! I never noticed this before but apparently I play with my mouth open. Kinda funny!

Rock Band 2

2009-06-05T19:01:00.006-06:00

I know this is hard to believe but I, yes I, was in a Rock Band competition at my work. Yesterday we had 6 bands compete to be in the finals and my band was one of them. We call ourselves 'The Inbreds' and boy can we rock. In the back is our bodacious singer Buddy, to the right is our smashing guitarist Erin, in front is the infamous slicing drummer Kimmy, and my humble self on the Bass Guitar. Here we are posing after our slamming performance. We had the biggest crowd show up to support us. It was awesome!

Needless to say, we made it to the finals today. We were stoked. It was going to be difficult to "one-up" ourselves from the "white trash" attire we were sporting for our performance. What do you think? Did we do it?

Here we are dressed in 80's GLAM and we had our best performance EVER! We ROCKED THE HOUSE with music 'Round and Round' by "The Rat". We were ecstatic to find out that we won 2nd place and yours truly got the MVP award. Woo Hoo! I will post some video's as soon as I can get them from some co-workers. They are worth your time to watch.

Bye Bye Trees

2009-05-13T08:58:00.005-06:00

We've always wanted to change up the yard, but decided to concentrate mostly on the inside of the house first. Well, then we got dogs.. two big ones. With fall, winter and spring to destroy as much as they could, there wasn't much left of the backyard when the ground finally dried up. We had to do something better for the dogs, us, the yard and the house. We decided to start new with everything that was in the backyard. The huge pine trees were the biggest pain. The peach tree was completely in two of the neighbors yards and potentially could harm the brick wall and green power box. The other trees were (kind of) alright but just not really what we wanted. So we got rid of all of them.

We are floored at how much bigger our backyard is. That will, of course, change when we start re-planting and add in a dog run. It is very bare now, kind of weird.

End of the Cruise

2009-05-12T11:48:00.004-06:00

Not to just end the cruise blogs on a low, but sorry we didn't take too many pictures. The last day was all at sea heading back to San Juan, Puerto Rico. It was a lot of fun because, since we were at sea all day, they had lots of activities going on. We tried to hit a few of the dance lessons. Candace and I went country swing dancing almost every week when we dated. We enjoy doing the tricks the most. We've forgotten a lot of it. Here's a little video of us trying to steal the show.

There was actually two songs that we danced to and this was the second. We had already done most of our tricks during the first song and didn't want to repeat too much. So that's why we're just talking most of the time trying to remember what to do next.

Anyway, the cruise was lots of fun. Thanks to the Johnsons and McKays for pressuring us to go.

Barbados

2009-05-02T07:24:00.006-06:00

In Barbados we swam with turtles and a sunken ship and hung out at a beach.
Swimming with turtles was pretty cool. There was toooooo many people, though, and really crowded your swimming space.

Saint Lucia

2009-05-01T08:40:00.008-06:00

Saint Lucia was very pretty. We had a long bus ride and went to an old plantation and waterfall.

The good thing about the bus ride is that we were able to see some great sites. This next picture was at a lookout that the tour was sure to stop at. There are little vendors that sell jewelry and stuff at every lookout. I think the tour and the vendors have some sort of deal worked out.

This next picture is the sign for the waterfall that we visited. I made sure that we played in it. Sorry, I'm not posting those pictures; I'm waaaay too out of shape.

The cruise ship circled around the island on our way out so that we could get some great views.

Antigua snorkeling

2009-04-29T08:11:00.004-06:00

We went snorkeling, kayaking and hiking in Antigua. Beautiful clear waters to play in.

Lobster Legs

2009-04-29T08:05:00.003-06:00

Candace said that her legs never get burnt. No need to put sun block on them.

Saint Martin/Maarten

2009-04-28T10:06:00.004-06:00

We can see that we're not finishing up very quickly with the rest of our cruise pics. So I'll just quickly post a few more to get us going again and hopefully finish.

Saint Martin was an adventurous day; we went zip-lining. Zip-lining really turned out to be a high ropes course. It reminded me of high adventure activities with the Boy Scouts.

This is a random pic (I did this a lot throughout the trip) of the the bus ride to the course.

Saint Thomas Harbor

2009-03-27T13:26:00.004-06:00

This is taken from the boat looking out into the bay. Which yacht is mine?

First Stop: St. Thomas

2009-03-26T21:47:00.020-06:00

Our first stop was Megans Bay! I cant even begin to describe how beautiful it is. There are no words. I will let the pictures speak for themselves.

It was a fun filled day of swimming and soaking up the sun. I was completely entertained by Randall and Jeremy's "sand castle". Lets see if you can guess what they are making in the sand.

They got a few comments about the mountainous peaks being "fake". "Real peaks lay to the side" one lady said. It was pretty funny.

On our way back to the boat we were able to get some more beautiful pictures. The views here are pretty amazing. That is our cruise ship. Its huge!

The whole gang!

So here we are all dressed up and ready for dinner. I enjoy dressing up and going out so this was an extra treat.

My face it totally burned. Well, pretty much my whole body got burned. I haven't seen sun in a while and it didn't help that I have red hair and fair skin. Jared is the same way but he was smart and reapplied the sunscreen often but I think he still got a little burn on his face.

Here we are relaxing to some music and goofing off while waiting for the nightly entertainment to start.

Why are there pictures of my nose!? Jared!!

Megans Bay panorama

2009-03-26T18:41:00.003-06:00

I stayed up late last night trying to merge some of the pictures together for panoramas. Some didn't work out too well unfortunately.

This is a great view of Megans Bay in Saint Thomas from an overlook.

Yep.. we were there.

Bon Voyage

2009-03-22T20:07:00.027-06:00

This is day 2! Brandy and Jeremy didn't want to get out of bed. Rumor has it, Jeremy and Randall stayed up until 2 am watching the Jazz game. I guess it was worth it because they won!

Boarding the ship went quick and was pretty easy. We were there a few hours early to try and miss the rush. I had no idea what I was doing so I just followed everyone else.

I find it funny that the first place we went to check out was the buffet area. Brandy needed to know where the ice cream machine was. They had some pretty awesome food sculptures to welcome us aboard. I took a few pictures of my favorites.
We went to check out our rooms next. It was bigger then I thought and the bed was pretty comfortable. Although, I think that was the smallest shower ever invented. No matter. It was sufficient. Here's Jared checking out the couch.

Lunch Time!!!

We wanted to check out the whole ship to see all it had to offer and we ran into a mini golf course. I can't remember who won but Jared got a hole-in-one. Congratulations Stinky!

We eventually made it up to the 12th floor and found what Jared and I call the "View Point". Only because we don't know the real name or if there even was one. You could see all the way down to the 4th floor and it was freaky. Melissa is the most brave out of all of us and was the first to climb on. Brandy held her leg just in case it wasn't safe. Eventually we all climbed on and tried not to freak ourselves out.

The Dining room was next on our list. We dined at the Reflections Dining Room every night and it was delicious. This was our first experience. Remember: Don't eat the flowers!

Brandy was a little worried (for no reason) about all the food she was going to be eating on the trip so we had to check out the weight room next. The boys started showing off their muscles with the 1 pound pink weights. Nice! Caution: Slightly inappropriate picture below.

I know, I know...Almost done!
Basketball was our next stop. The boys were able to shoot a few hoops before we left San Juan.

"ALL ABOARD!" It is time to go. We ran to the back of the ship to say Bon Voyage to beautiful San Juan. I'm not really sure what I am saying in the video. I am such a dork sometimes but I think Brandy takes the cake on dorkness in the picture below.

Jared likes to take random pictures of my face. I am not sure why but I let him do it anyway.

So, if you have ever been on a cruise before you know there there are lots of fun activities that go late into the night. Unfortunately, I didn't put my motion sickness patch on early enough and not long after we took off I started feeling sick. I spent the rest of the first night in our room asking Jared if he would make the boat stop. I learned my lesson and doubled up on the patch and dramamine pills the rest of the trip.

Twilight Lovers!!

2009-03-20T15:55:00.001-06:00

I almost forgot!!!! Twilight comes out tonight at midnight. Yeah!

San Juan, Puerto Rico

2009-03-20T14:52:00.025-06:00

I cant believe Jared and I finally went on a cruise. Brandy has been bugging us for years. Brandy, I hope you are satisfied! Since I can only sit for so long, I will be blogging about our cruise over the next few days so check back often.

The Flight -
Alright! I am not a big fan of flying but only because I get motion sickness. So here we are waiting for our midnight flight and I am a little drugged. The Johnson's and McKay's left about an hour before Jared and I did but we were able to snap a picture before they had to go. Not much excitement here.

Once we got to San Juan we easily caught up to the rest of the gang and went to our hotel. After we checked in we went on a little tour of the city. We found this delicious restaurant named Piu Bello. Excellent food and the best ice cream. I think we all agree that Jeremy's Passion Fruit and Mango double scoop was to die for.

Why does Jared never smile?

Next we went to the Ocean Park Beach (at least I think that was the name) and played in the sand. Randall even showed us a few Kenpo moves.

After all that we went back to the hotel and goofed around. I dont think we took pictures of that. Well anyway, we got hungry (again) a little later so we went out to eat at a place called Boolchands Dockside. It was pretty good Mexican style food and yet again we did not take any pictures.

Once back at the hotel we all wanted to shower and relax. Jared and I showered first because I take the longest apparently. Come to find out, while showering, our camera was stolen by some hoodlums and they took some pictures. Crazy people!

I have a lot more but couldn't post them all. So that is the first day of our trip in a nut shell. Enjoy the pictures and I will see you next time.

Where did February Go?

2009-02-25T18:17:00.010-07:00

I can't believe that February is almost over. Only 1 day left and I haven't posted one time. It has been an extremely busy month. With Kenpo (see my blog list), Krystal's wedding, bachelorette parties, bridal showers, baking and frosting cupcakes and work, I don't know about anyone else but I am exhausted! At the beginning of February, Jared and I were able to go to a Kenpo seminar with Paul Mills. He is the creator of the AKKI Kenpo that Jared and I are involved in. What a great experience it was and we learned a lot.
The night before the seminar was Krystal's bridal shower. I wont go into to much detail (she will kill me) but I am pretty confident in saying that she was well prepared by her loving friends and family. She wont need to buy anything for a few months anyway. I dont think I am allowed to post any picture of said night. By the way, who threw that party anyway cause it was the best party EVER!!!!!
Somehow Jared and I were talked into going on a cruise with Brandy, Jeremy, Randal and Melissa. I dont know how that happened or what possesed Jared to say yes but we are going. I have been frantically trying to get prepared for this. I have no idea what to expect. Its a good thing I trust Brandy's judgement. So we leave in ... 6 days...YIKES! Its a good thing Brooke was willing to go shopping with me for a fancy dress.
Krystal and Kurt's wedding was amazing and beautiful. Jared and I almost missed the wedding. We were just piddling around the house and realized we should have left 20 minutes ago. We rushed through traffic and ran into the temple making it just before they closed the doors. Usually they wait until all the guests are seated before the Bride and Groom enter the room. Not this time. Jared and I were the last to enter. I was embarrassed but Krystal didnt seem to notice so that was a good thing. I wish I had more pictures. This was the only time I had my camera.

Promotion

2009-01-23T18:19:00.003-07:00

Hello All! I wanted to take a quick moment while I wait for my Girls Night Out ride that I got a promotion this week. I am sooooooo excited. My new position will be half the stress and a pay raise. I dont think it can get any better then that. I have moved from a Benefit Specialist to a Benefits Export Manager. To most this title will mean nothing but it means a lot to me. ADP is a great company to work for and I have enjoyed my 3 year so far. Well my ride is here. Love you all...Bye!

Our first gun

2009-01-08T12:23:00.002-07:00

I won't go into explaining any reasons why we bought a gun, we just did. We bought it through Jonsie's Dad's friend. (Wasn't that on Spaceballs? Oh, probably should add cousin's former roommate.) In fact, I never even talked to the guy until the day we bought it. A few weeks before we bought/picked it up, I related to Jonsie who told this guy that we were interested in a few different handguns. He came back and said that he recommend for us to get the Springfield XD 9MM. I said okay and that was that. So I didn't really know what we were buying before. (I know that's probably not the best way to buy something.) We went to the gunshow in Odgen on Jan. 3, 2009 and got it. At first both of us were a little wishy-washy about the two tone color but now I really like that a lot. We also bought 1000 rounds of ammo. I shot off 100 rounds last night and everything worked great.

Dogs vs. House Round 3 - Dogs 2 : House 1

2008-12-26T15:10:00.010-07:00

The house has decided it is time for a little payback. Last week I received a call from my neighbors saying that Delilah was out running around and that they put her in the garage for me. The next day I received another call from the same neighbors saying that they were calling to her from the fence with no response. I gave them permission to go in the back yard to check on her. Sure enough, she was in her house with a gash in her leg. I drove home and rushed her to the vet where she had emergency surgery and had to spend the night. She now has 8 stitches in her right leg. We are not entirely sure how she got hurt. We found no sign of blood anywhere other then on her pillow in her dog house. We did find a hole she had dug under the fence so that must be where it happened and how she was getting out. She had to wear a soft cast for a few days as you can see in our Christmas picture I never got around to sending out but she is healing nicely. Looks like the house is now showing on the score board with 1 point.

Caution: These picture are graphic and may not be suitable for children.

Happy Thanksgiving! - Catch Up

2008-12-26T12:14:00.018-07:00

WOW! This is defiantly the busiest time of year. There is so much to blog about but I haven't had the time. I hope you all don't mind a little catch up!

November - For Thanksgiving Jared and I went to Washington to visit his brothers and their families. We had a BLAST! First we stayed with Spencer, Jane and Wyatt in Vancouver, WA. They took us to the Tillamook Cheese Factory (yum and delicious), a Lighthouse and a beach called Oceanside. Mull... Falls which I posted about earlier. We even got to see Herman the Sturgeon. While learning about Spencer's prime brewing abilities, Jared has discovered a new hobby of brewing his own soda from scratch. You can check out his blog on my blog list if you want more details. :-)

After all that, we went to see Lee, Karyn and their kids in Shelton, WA. I need to say that they live in the middle of no where. Literally in the middle of a forest. I felt like I was going camping. It is so beautiful and quiet. We took the boat over to Seattle to eat at Iver's. The kids got their own table which I think they enjoyed. We could hear them giggling and having fun. The food was delicious too. The next day was Thanksgiving. Spencer and Jane came up. Karyn and the kids made a wonderful meal. We had Turkey, Ham, yams, sweet potatoes, potatoes & gravy, broccoli salad, cooked carrots (Jane's favorite), and pies galore. I'm sure there was more but I cant remember it all. We stuffed ourselves to the brim and relaxed the rest of the day. I slept really good that night. We woke up the next morning and took the boat to Seattle again. We wanted to visit Pikes Place where they throw fish at you. ha ha. It was VERY crowded but fun to look around at all the shops and goodies to eat. Whitney found an African Cuisine restaurant that was wonderful. It reminded me of the Indian food I had in India. Very Spicy. Zach really liked it as well. You know its good food when the roof of your mouth is sore for a few days after. We drove back down to Spencer's house to stay the night before our long journey home. The drive took us about 11 hours I think. Including the one potty break Jared let me take after complaining a few times that I was going to pee all over the seat and I was really hungry. He's a slave driver. I posted a bunch of pictures below so enjoy!

Our Sleeping Babies

2008-12-15T17:32:00.002-07:00

Caught snuggling on the couch (of all places).

Dogs vs. House Round 2 - Dogs 2 : House 0

2008-12-15T17:25:00.003-07:00

The dogs decided they didn't like the backyard door to the garage while we were gone on vacation. "No one leaves us and gets away with it," they said.

(Of course, we all know it was Delilah. Dexter would never do such a thing.)

Happy Thanksgiving

2008-11-27T12:03:00.009-07:00

It is Thanksgiving Day and we are hanging out with Jared's brothers and their families. They live in the middle of the forest in Shelton Washington and it is one of the most beautiful forest's I have ever seen. There are tree's, tree's and more tree's. There is a lake near by called Mason Lake which is also beautiful. I will try to take some pictures and post them later. If there was more sun here I would consider moving. ha ha!
Our trip has been so much fun thus far and I know there is more to come. It has been so nice to have a week off of work and not have to worry too much about it. The pictures below are of a waterfall in Oregon. Its called Multnomah Falls. I believe this very waterfall was in the Twilight movie (yeah!). It was cold, windy, and raining but the most beautiful waterfall I have ever seen. These are just a few. Jared is trying to put a panoramic picture together so we can hang it on our wall. I will post more of our trip when I get home. I am so thankful for everything I have been blessed with. I love my family so very much and I am glad that we were able to spend time with some of them this Thanksgiving Day! Eat lots and enjoy!!!

Success

2008-11-12T20:20:00.006-07:00

I am proud to say my cute little puppies have now learned to use their ramp. I thought for sure it would take a lot longer then it did. Jared (brilliant) decided to put sides on the ramp so they felt more secure! Low and behold...IT WORKED!! YAY!!!

Solution

2008-11-10T21:50:00.008-07:00

Well, after having our home destroyed one too many times (see previous blog), we came up with a solution. Jared and our friend Joey spent all day Saturday building Dexter and Delilah a fully insulated "Club House". As you can see in the picture to the right, we converted our shed into a club house slash storage shed. We were hoping to maximize our space. Joey only charged us $1.5 million which we thought was a pretty good deal considering what we had been through (again, see previous blog). He even gave us a 10% discount. Thanks Joey for all your help. We couldn't have done it without you.

Getting Dexter and Delilah to actually use their new home is a completely different story. You can see Jared trying to lure them up the ramp with a delicious doggy treat. They did not want any part of that ramp.

Typically you would think that because they are so large, they fear nothing. Well I am here to prove that theory wrong. They are scared of pretty much everything. After many hours of trying not for force them, Jared finally just picked them up and pushed them in. Go Jared and your buff muscles!!!

I am hoping they will gain the courage to venture into their new home on their own. We will continue to try until we succeed and one day, yes, one day, they can sleep outside instead of on my kitchen floor. Until then wish us luck, we are going to need it.

Tag! You're it!

2008-11-06T21:16:00.003-07:00

Well, I got tagged! I usually try to avoid these but this one isn't so bad. Alright...Here it goes.

5 shows I love to watch

1- The Office
2- CSI Las Vegas
3- Tap Out
4- MMA Fighting
5- How Things are Made (Discovery Channel)

5 favorite restaurants

1- Roy's
2- Texas Roadhouse
3- Cafe Rio
4- Dragon Isle
5- Cheesecake Factory

5 things that happened yesterday

1- Work
2- Shopping with Brooke
3- Ate nachos and cheesecake (interesting mixture)
4- Visited with Krystal and Mom
5- Went to sleep

5 things I look forward to today

1- Snuggling with Jared
2- Snuggling with my puppies
3- Kenpo class
4- Taking a shower
5- Going to bed

5 things I love about fall

1- The rain
2- I get to wear my coats
3- Daylight savings
4- Beautiful scenery
5- Hot Chocolate

5 things on my wish list

1- Get pregnant
2- Have a family
3- Get out of debt
4- Did I mention getting pregnant?!
5- Oh! and have a baby

5 people I tag

1- Brandy
2- Brooke
3- Jeri
4- Heather
5- Spencer and Jane

The Mischief Makers

2008-11-04T00:03:00.003-07:00

The couch is their favorite place.

Yep, that's Delilah. She's grown a little bit. The picture is a little bit deceiving but she is almost as big as Dexter now.

Dogs vs. House - Dogs 1 : House 0

2008-11-03T23:42:00.007-07:00

"Hmmm.. it may be a rainy day today, we should leave the dogs inside." (Blocked in the kitchen, of course.) It's a wonderful feeling coming home to a disaster zone. I don't think they could have done a better job with the limited ammo that they could find.

I've already removed their pillows from the floor. They somehow took the powdered milk off of the counter.

Yes and sorry for showing it, that is poo.

Apparently, the garbage, powdered milk and everything else in the kitchen wasn't good enough. They really wanted to teach us a lesson and put two holes in the drywall and chewed on the trim.

Update

2008-09-29T19:26:00.002-06:00

Not a lot has been going on in the Howard life. Last weekend we went to the Hogle Zoo with the family. It was a blast but I would recommend taking your own lunch because the food there is nasty. This weekend we went to Mike and Lisa's baby blessing (congratulations guys!). It was a lot of fun visiting with friends we haven't seen in a long time. We also went to Grandma Howard's 81st birthday party. We had a delicious dinner and we were able to sit and visit for a while. Happy Birthday Grandma!

What's your City??

2008-09-14T00:51:00.004-06:00

Hey all! I found this on Holly's website and though it was pretty cool. I would have never guessed Rome! Jared...I think we need to go.

You Belong in Rome

You're a big city soul with a small town heart

Which is why you're attracted to the romance of Rome

Strolling down picture perfect streets, cappuccino in hand

And gorgeous Italian people - could life get any better?

What City Do You Belong In?

Old Songs

2008-09-07T22:13:00.001-06:00

Jared and I were discussing old songs that we haven't heard in a long time which took me back to a conversation with Brandy and Brooke. Listen to this classic and let the memories fly...

Again

2008-08-30T22:33:00.001-06:00

Alright..Back by popular demand. A new rollercoaster ride has been posted in the previous video's place. Enjoy our lameness.

Candace

Roller Coaster Ride

2008-08-26T22:53:00.000-06:00

Jared and I decided that we wanted to go on a roller coaster ride tonight. So... we built one in our office. Check out the video!

I did it!

2008-08-26T14:46:00.001-06:00

Check this out :-)

After Surgery

2008-08-23T18:38:00.000-06:00

First of all, I would like to thank Heather and Melissa for the delicious dinners. I enjoyed them for a few meals. I know that Jared appreciates you bringing them over as well. The surgery was interesting. We waiting around for a while but at least I was able to take a nap on the hospital bed. A few hours later, my doctor, Dr. Barney, was ready to go. All I remember was the nurses putting warm massaging boots on my feet and then I woke up. Then I really had to go pee. ha ha. Jared thought that was funny. The nurse said that I was still too groggy and needed to wait for a while so...I went back to sleep. I don't know how long I slept for but once I went to the bathroom, all I wanted to do was go home.

My results were a relief. They found endometriosis as well as a cyst on my right ovary. My right ovary was also "stuck". Dr. Barney said that your ovaries should just "lay" there. I have lots of questions for him when we go in for our follow up appointment in a few weeks. I am so thankful that my doctor was able to fix/correct everything. The healing time isn't so bad. It seems like I'm tired all the time from the medicine. Oh well, Its worth it. Only a little longer and we can start trying to get pregnant again. YAY!

Oh Boy!

2008-08-12T21:56:00.000-06:00

I just got home from having dinner with my mom and sister and found the dog's distroying their swimming pool. I now have torn up blue plastic all over my back yard. Oh the joy's of having dogs. That is not going to be fun cleaning up. I better get to it before Jared gets home. Bye!

Girls Camp Completed

2008-08-11T18:04:00.001-06:00

Girls Camp was a blast! We hiked and hiked and then hiked a little more. I didnt get much sleep with 13 excited teenage girls around but good thing one of the other leaders had extra ear plugs to share. We went to Heber Valley Camp and boy it was beautiful! I was excited to get home and see my puppies though! A week is a long time without them. Dexter gave me a fat lip the minute I walked in the door. He likes to jump when he's excited. Delilah is always calm so she just wanted to snuggle. Ahhh, my sweet babies!

Girls Camp

2008-08-01T17:30:00.000-06:00

So...I am getting ready for a weeks worth of girls and camping, hiking and spiritual activitites. I actually have to come up with secret sisters gifts. Its a good thing I have creative sisters and something called google search. this coming week is going to be interesting.