Phoenix AZ with the Sadowski's

Last weekend Enoch and I left LA and headed to Phoenix AZ to visit Enoch's sister Luana and her wonderful family.  It was one of the trips where you come back with much- much more then you came with.  To be exact, an entire car full of baby paraphernalia.  Enoch and I are now positive that this baby will soon have more clothes then both of us combined.  At least the clothes are small right?  Anyhow while there I took pictures of Sydney and Sawyer, they are seriously cute!

 here are the oldest 3 on our hike

Babies, Babies Babies

For those of you who don't know Enoch and I are expecting a healthy, well-mannered, charming, smart, and beautiful baby BOY in July! ( I am 21 weeks along)

The question of the last few months has unanimously been, "How are you feeling."  To which my response is GREAT.  I feel extremely blessed that I have had such great health, I am still running,  I don't have any food issues, and I am still going to school and work just like before.  Enoch and I both graduate at the end of May so our lives will be full of transitions as Enoch begins a full time job as a Physical Therapist, we decide where to live, and have a baby.  People say that I don't look like I am showing, but I fear my days are numbered of getting that kind response.

It is such a miracle to know that without any real effort on my part our baby is growing and developing bones, muscles, organs, to experience his earthly life with.  Except for the actual body to be nurtured in, I have nothing to do with it-  God is truly in charge of creation.  It has been amazing to feel the baby move, which makes the experience so much more real.  Our boy is most active after exercise which makes me think that runs and bikes right along with me in his personal swimming pool.

As for names, we have just started the conversation about what the name will be, luckily we have a a good 18 weeks to decide on that.  However, we have decided to keep it a secret until the baby comes so stay tuned for that happy day.

As for the cartoon at the top, this is how we told our families we were expecting on Christmas.  First we got married, then came pregnancy, following the 4th of July, then comes the baby.

Wheat Family Pictures

 I have been a slacker at posting lately, but I had the opportunity to take a few families Christmas pictures in my ward.  Here is the wonderful Wheat family, they have totally taken care of us while we are here in CA and shown us a good time/ countless times.  Love, LOVE, LOVE them.  The pictures are taken at the Santa Monica Pier.  They will claim they never take good pictures, I beg to differ

The Last Supper

                Tomorrow is my first day of my last semester of school.  Consequently, this past week has felt like the Last Supper as I cherish every free moment I can spend with Enoch.  It has been so strange the past month to come home from work and make dinner for Enoch and then play games, since when was I home or without homework to do that?  It has been so nice to be so care free the past weeks.  Night classes have proved a challenged throughout my graduate program; however this semester outdoes all of the rest.  Enoch is in his final semester as well and is working full time at Kaiser for his last clinical.  He works 4 ten hour shifts from 6:30- 4:30.  I work on campus from 10-5 and then have class from 7-10pm.  This basically means when I return home from work Enoch will be sleeping and when he wakes I will be sleeping- repeat this for three days solid and that is what we are up against this semester.    But don’t despair, I absolutely love school and I am anxiously anticipating posting another 4.0 and receiving my graduate degree with Enoch in May. 

HERE WE GO

Atkinson Family Pictures

This past weekend I kicked it with the Atkinson Family at the Santa Monica Pier.  It was a rare day with clouds in LA and believe me I was grateful.  

Meet Halle

Lolin 

 Vinny

 Tyler and Kristen

 Here are my favorites

 

The Great Cabinet Miracle

Last Sunday afternoon we walked through the one bedroom of the duplex that we will be moving into to.  I had originally thought that we didn't need to do much to the place, but after surveying the kitchen my list grew substantially as the counter composed of black and pale yellow tiles could not be tolerated.  Enoch tried to convince me the tiles weren't all that bad, I should think of them as little bumble bees.  Anyhow along with the counters, I want to install some additional cabinets since the place has a pretty slim selection of cabinets.  

My mind was racing with the escalating expenses and the work load as we set off on a Sunday bike ride.  We didn’t have a destination in mind when we set off, however soon our conversation returned to fixing up the place, jokingly I commented to Enoch that I needed to make some quick money to pay for everything, after some significant thought I concluded that I better enter Jeopardy.  We continued to wind around residential neighborhoods until we came across something on the curb; wait what it that I see.  Surely my mind is playing tricks on me, but no in our midst stood four white cabinets in great condition.  We mustered up our courage and knocked on the door to inquire and sure enough they were free.  Enoch rode off to his parents to ascertain their trusty minivan as I guarded our new treasures.  

Not even an hour previous had I began thinking of installing cabinets, and know I was the proud owner of 4 cabinets.  God is no doubt looking after us, I only wish that I had offered up a humble prayer previously so the experience would have been that much better.  I have since gone to home depot and the exact cabinets would have been at least  $320.  

Here are some pictures of the kitchen, I forgot to take a before picture until we started to rip off the tile

We are pretty sure that this is the original counter and faucet from the 1940's when the duplex was built.  I only wish we could get another faucet named the Flow-Matic

I am so thankful for my in-laws A) letting us live here and B) trusting us enough to do some remodeling, it has been a great experience for us

Sacrifice Brings Forth the Blessings of Heaven

After 2 years and 2 months, raccoon/ possum encounters, 400 sq feet, no couch, and a locker for a shower in the drip castle or love shack; we are moving up in the world and moving into the duplex.  The thought of a family room with windows in it makes me smile every time I think about it.  However, looking at the past 2 years in our cramped quarters I wouldn't change a thing.  I remembers surveying the place before moving in and feeling overwhelmed by all the repairs we wanted to do and joking that we were doing nothing but putting a band-aid on a house that should be leveled. When I look back I hope I will always remember: putting out bowls to catch the dripping water coming into our house, having the dinner half way cooked when the propane would run out, ant invasions, extreme heat, huddling by the heater because it was the only place warm, the unsuccessful FHE treat when we cracked our counter top opening up the coconut trying to make pina coladas, storing countless kitchen items under our bed, finding a way to do P90X in our tiny space, never having the internet; but also the countless miraculous that have occurred.

The sacrifice of living in these humble circumstances has been small in comparison to the enormous blessing that have come from it.  The love shack as taken away the financial burden and made it possible to living in Los Angeles with both of us in graduate school.  We have saved an approximately $1,000/month (a very conservative number) living in the love shack which comes to a grand total of over $26,000 ($26,000 less of student loans no less).  We have learned it is not so much the house, but the people and love within it.  

I have grown to love my husband so much more and really get to know him within those crooked walls, I have grown so much as a person within this place, I have challenged myself, I have wept, I have rejoiced, I have been different than those around me for the first time, I have forgotten my own needs, I have witnessed miracles.  The lyrics from Praise to the Man have been resonating with me and I truly believe that "Sacrifice brings forth the blessings of heaven." I believe that the Lord is waiting to shower us with blessing if we will but demonstrate our humility.


Here are some pictures as a tribute to the Love Shack

The bathroom is a testament that you don't need a lot of room between the sink and toilet

Sweet floating storage, I have become a greater climber

no, we haven't outgrown putting our bed on cinder blocks

oh, the tin locker