our week in arizona

sadie and i just spent an entire week in arizona!

we missed will a ton, but had a really fun time!

the main reason we went down was to be there for my sister's baby shower.

it was a beautiful shower and we are getting so excited for little addilyn to get here! 

there is always a good feeling that comes along with going back to your hometown.

we have a great support group of friends and family down there and had fun catching up.

i went paddleboarding on tempe town lake with my brother, 

hiking up to the wind caves with my friend metzli,

running along all of the freshly paved canals (in shorts!),

swinging with sadie at the park and bouncing her on the trampoline at my parents' house,

meeting up with friends for lunch and frozen yogurt,

visiting with my grandma and cousin tanner for an afternoon,

and taking maternity pictures for my sister and her fiance.

we made really good use of our time down there, 

and i even got to sneak in a couple of naps while my mom or brothers watched sadie. ;)

the plane rides were more difficult this time since sadie is more wiggly than a few months ago.

luckily people were very understanding and complimentary of how sweet she was.

when we got off the plane, a nice family help me carry my carseat and base out past security.

then i got to see the best sight ever... my sweet husband waiting for us with roses in his hand.

he also brought a gift for sadie (the new "big hero 6" movie).

he knows how to treat his girls! ;)

it's good to be home and together again as a family.

the best, hardest thing i've ever gone through

it's no secret that i find the greatest joy in being "mom" to our little sadie.

but if i'm being honest, it was not an easy road to get to.

i haven't opened up much about our trial of struggling to get pregnant, but i feel ready now.

those 2 years of anticipating, and being let down in the biggest way possible month after month

were for lack of a better word... sucky! 

i can't tell you how many times i asked heavenly father "why me?"

"why do you ask me to start a family and promise me joy in my prosperity, then make it SO hard?"

i had moments where i felt like my womanhood had been stripped from me.

thankfully, i continued to pray. my husband continued to love me and comfort me.

in retrospect, not getting pregnant right away had its fair share of blessings.

i was able to make a dent in my schooling and will was able to grow his business.

we were able to spend much needed quality time together learning to communicate better

and working on having more patience with one another.

we were given the opportunity to travel and experience other cultures and people.

we discovered our hobbies and made and strengthened many friendships. 

we were blessed to be able to move into a house and prepare a family environment.

above all though, we were given the strength everyday to keep moving forward

through tears, heart ache, and oh so many prayers.

heavenly father wanted us to grow up and prepare to guide and protect this special girl.

there are so many people who have to wait for a child for many more years than we did,

and i can't imagine the amount of courage and strength they have to cling onto daily.

all i know is that heavenly father is all knowing and that he hears and answers all prayers.

not a day goes by that i don't see sadie being here as anything but a miracle.

what an amazing gift we have as mothers to use our body to bring these spirits into the world.

likewise, what a gift for mommies who grow their babies in their heart and adopt their children.

i can't imagine a more fulfilling life than to know my children are happy and kind- hearted,

because i loved them with all i had and taught them what it means to live a beautiful life.

Sadie Grace 3-6 months

the past several months i have completely neglected my blog...

but we are all doing well and our sadie bug is growing like crazy!

here she is at 3, 4, 5, and 6 months old with her pal, mickey.

 

 she gets cuter (how is that even possible?) by the day!

right now she is sitting up all by herself, starting to army crawl,"talking" up a storm,

finds and puts her binky in all by herself, sleeping through the night (most nights) in her crib, obsessing over max (our lab), starting to really notice her feet and eat them,

and loving when she gets to feed herself (mostly bread and crackers for now). 

she has even started fighting me for the spoon when i'm giving her veggies and fruit.

she is such a happy, smiley baby and i honestly couldn't get a crying picture of her if i tried!

i had no idea such a tiny person could take up so much room in my heart! 

we celebrated her half birthday with will's family by singing and eating cupcakes.

sadie had her first taste of mixed fruits for her "sweet" instead. ;) 

earlier that evening, will and i took her to an open field to do a balloon launch.

we both made a wish for her and let her "send" them up into the sky with some balloons.

 it was a fun little tradition we want to continue for each of our kids' first half birthday.

 here's to another 6 months of smiles, learning, and having so much fun together!