tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21724851104118659812024-03-19T02:15:23.414-07:00The Hopewell HouseThe Hopewell Househttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11317516443040590204noreply@blogger.comBlogger674125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2172485110411865981.post-91456053457691330622017-10-05T14:58:00.000-07:002017-10-05T16:27:36.380-07:00A Little Life Update & Learning the Importance of Small Victories<div style="text-align: center;">
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Wow. </div>
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Time just flies.</div>
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From finding out we were pregnant, to finding out we were having twins, to preterm labor, to having babies at 32 weeks (+ 6 days), to now having babies in the NICU. </div>
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It's just been such a crazy journey. <br />
And something I've been waiting a long time to document.</div>
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So where to begin? </div>
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Maybe filling in some details from these last few weeks.</div>
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On Tuesday, 09/12/2017 I was at work and started feeling absolutely awful. I had some bad pains in the side of my abdomen and something just felt <i>off</i>. I felt so bad that I called Dave and asked him if he would come pick me up from work.</div>
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I got home and tried to go lay down, but nothing was stopping the uncomfortableness. </div>
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About an hour later, I started feeling pains similar to that of contractions (I wasn't 100% sure because at this point in my pregnancy I already felt so stretched and it didn't feel like there was room for much else).</div>
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A couple hours when by and I finally told Dave things weren't getting better and I needed him to call our midwife. After talking with her, she encouraged that we come in and get checked.</div>
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At that point, I was having a bad feeling we weren't going back home that night, so I knew better than my last pregnancy and packed up an overnight bag just to be safe.</div>
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Then we headed to Sioux Falls. </div>
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We got to triage where they discovered my contractions were 3-5 minutes apart and I was already dilated 3cm. </div>
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They weren't sure what was going on or why I had my pain in my side. They ran some labs but the only thing that was out of the ordinary were that my liver enzymes were high. They worked to try to stop my contractions and admitted me for that night.</div>
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Over the next couple days they kept indicating that I might be delivering sooner rather than later and I had all sorts of people from NICU come by to talk about what happens when they deliver babies early. We had social workers/case managers coming and discussing options for housing, etc. if the twins came early. And we saw different lactation consultants who discussed feedings, pumping, and breastfeeding preemies.<br />
It was all good information, but also a little overwhelming and intimidating to even think about.</div>
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For the next few days I was closely monitored and by Friday it seemed that they were finally able to slow things down and I was feeling so much better. They ended up discharging me that afternoon.</div>
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I was so excited to be home and be back with Phoenix, though I was on very limited activity and was told that I would need to be very careful over the next few weeks.</div>
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Well, you know the ending by now, but that didn't even last more than 24 hours.</div>
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Friday night I went to bed and started waking up every hour barely able to breath and I was having awful chest/shoulder/back pain on my right side.</div>
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I got up early that morning completely worn and exhausted and waited for my mom to come over. I was anxious to see her thoughts on what I should do, though I secretly knew what her response would be at this point. I was really hoping it was all just in my head and that I was just overreacting.</div>
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Sure enough, mom took one look at me and was shocked that I hadn't already gone in.</div>
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I called the midwife team again, and they recommended that I go to the ER in Sioux Falls as my symptoms were sounding like something that was either respiratory or heart related. </div>
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At this point, I was just devastated. </div>
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I didn't want to leave, I wanted to be home. </div>
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It didn't get any easier when we went to leave and Phoenix started bawling.</div>
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I may have started crying at this point because I knew deep down we probably weren't coming back.</div>
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We got to the ER and they ran test after test: Catscan, Ultrasounds, EKG...nothing.</div>
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Finally the ER Doctor came in and told me that he wanted to consult with the OBGYN on duty that night and see their thoughts were before we did anything else.</div>
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Sure enough, the OBGYN wanted me to check in to triage.</div>
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I'm pretty sure at this point, I knew we were going to have our girls that night.</div>
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As soon as we got to triage, Dr. Kelly, the OBGYN, came in and let me know that my 24 hour urine analysis came back with protein in it. </div>
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My liver enzymes were also high again.</div>
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Dr. Kelly explained that the steroid shots that they had given me earlier that week as well as the medication I was put on to stop contractions were masking other symptoms of HELLP Syndrome (an intense form of preeclampsia) and that I would be delivering my girls via C-Section that night. </div>
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Next thing I know, I'm getting prepped for surgery. </div>
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I was whisked back to the surgical room, was given a spinal tap to insert anesthesia, and laid on a table with my arms stretched out. A blue sheet was placed in front of me to block out the surgery, and Dave was finally brought it to the surgical room.</div>
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Somewhere between the anesthesia and being laid down on the table, I broke down. </div>
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Throughout this pregnancy I was so open to however my "birth story" would look like- I liked the idea of a vaginal birth, and I was okay with whatever needed to be done to keep the babies okay.</div>
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What I struggled with was this was too early-<br />
Would my babies be okay?<br />
What would it mean if they went to the NICU?<br />
What did this mean for Phoenix?<br />
What would we do and how would we manage?</div>
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I was so scared.</div>
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I hated that I literally had no control of what was going on, I had no control of my body, and I had no control over what would become of my little girls.</div>
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And I remember as I lay there, I kept hearing God repeat to me that He was still good, that He was there in the midst of the chaos and that everything would be okay.</div>
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Once Dave came into the room, I suddenly had such a sense of relief and I knew I just had to let go.<br />
This was again part of our story and part of our journey.</div>
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Next thing you know, I'm hearing tiny little cries as Zoey came into the world with Zion right behind her (literally, as they pulled Zoey out, Zion reached her hand out- even from the beginning, she's indicated that she doesn't want to be left out of anything).</div>
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The NICU team was there and started right away getting the babies prepped to bring them to the NICU.</div>
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After a quick hello to my babies, they were just as quickly gone.</div>
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I asked Dave to go with them to make sure the girls were okay.<br />
And then I was suddenly alone again with the surgical team as they stitched me up and got me ready to go back to the recovery area.</div>
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Unfortunately because of my preeclampsia, I was put on Magnesium and bedrest for the next 24 hours and wasn't able to see my babies, to touch them, to talk to them.<br />
Talk about a hard situation...and to imagine some mom's who have their babies airlifted to places like Sioux Falls may not see their babies for a matter of days, depending on when they get discharged.<br />
<i><u>Devastating.</u></i></div>
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Dave kept making frequent visits for me to the NICU and would FaceTime me in so I could see the girls.</div>
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And in these moments, there was both excitement and sadness.</div>
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I was so glad my girls were healthy and doing well, but my heart hurt knowing this meant we would have still such a long way to go until we would all be home. <br />
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And I guess now we're here, Almost 3 weeks later- 20 days that the babes have been in the NICU.</div>
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Some days have been really hard dealing with things like unexpected surgeries, postpartum depression, dealing with emotions of going 24 hours without getting to be with your newborn, being in the birthing suites and knowing the other mothers around you have their babies in their rooms to snuggle and care for & your own were 2 floors down in the hands of others, being away from your toddler and your husband...from your sanity, from your security, and just everything else that lies in between.</div>
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Then there's those good days were your baby is able to finally breath on their own without any assistance, or excitement for a poopy diaper because that means your baby's digestive system is working, or moving from an incubator to a crib because they can finally hold their own body temperature, or watching them take their first bottle.<br />
It's such a reminder that everything is a season.<br />
And though our situation isn't ideal, this is exactly it- it is only a season.<br />
They will learn and grow.<br />
We will learn and grow.<br />
And one of these days here (hopefully sooner rather than later), we'll be home. We'll be all together again. And we'll be able to find our "new normal."<br />
But for now, we breath. We celebrate the small wins. We take it a day at a time. And we trust in our story that it will help strengthen us and teach us as parents.<br />
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The Hopewell Househttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11317516443040590204noreply@blogger.com9tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2172485110411865981.post-44433742884245011502017-03-06T13:52:00.000-08:002017-09-26T13:54:13.166-07:00On Waiting & Trusting<div style="text-align: center;">
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"You're all set. You'll find out in 2 weeks if this takes. </div>
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Good Luck!"</div>
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As we left our appointment from our embryo transfer, Dave & I could only anticipate just how long 2 weeks could feel. </div>
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Those who've said that time goes by way too quickly have obviously never gone through a transfer.</div>
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Oh these days, these weeks, </div>
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The anxieties and stresses that keep veering their ugly head,</div>
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The cycle of fear then excitement, then back again.</div>
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It all just feels never ending.</div>
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I feel this tug for control, but then realize, this is all literally out of my hands.</div>
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There is nothing I can do, but trust.</div>
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Every time this doubt and fear creeps in, I feel God keeps pressing on my heart, </div>
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"And if not, am I still good? Will you still trust me in the midst of all this?"</div>
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And every song I hear and every prayer that comes my way, I keep feeling these same thoughts, these same things echoing in and out.</div>
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It's like these little reminders that are all around me, even in my weakest state.</div>
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How very much we aren't alone even when so much of this feels so lonely.</div>
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And if not, He is still good.</div>
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The Hopewell Househttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11317516443040590204noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2172485110411865981.post-13794426487675877142017-01-08T18:22:00.000-08:002017-01-08T18:22:31.395-08:00Being Vulnerable <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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I don't typically choose a word or phrase for the New Year, but this year I decided to choose one & I decided to go with "vulnerability." </div>
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I don't usually struggle with being vulnerable...as long as I know that everything is going to turn out fine. </div>
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When I've made it through my struggles & come out a survivor/fighter, it's then that I'm fine sharing my story. </div>
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This year I want to be more open with my struggles, when things aren't figured out or when I'm still going through the journey of figuring things out. </div>
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Today was a struggle. </div>
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Sunday mornings are hard when you're a pastor's wife. </div>
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I had a needy toddler & needy dogs & I just felt like I was paddling to stay afloat. </div>
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I felt like my patience was being tested & frankly I felt like I failed as a mother. </div>
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I lost my cool with the dogs & I about lost my cool with my toddler. </div>
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I had thoughts creeping in saying, "you can barely handle one kid right now, what makes you think you can handle or even deserve two?" </div>
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You see, we've been still struggling with infertility & here in the upcoming months, we'll go through another embryo transfer. </div>
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And I'm so scared for so many reasons. </div>
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I'm scared things won't take. I'm scared we'll just invest all this money into something that won't work. I'm scared something will go horribly wrong even if things do take. I'm scared for of what it means if I do have another & when I struggle with moments like today, what kind of parent will I be if I have two? Am I fit for this? Do I deserve this? </div>
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These thoughts start to creep in, that have so many times before (& I feel tend to be common with infertility)- maybe I couldn't get pregnant (again) naturally because I've done something wrong...maybe I just don't deserve this...I'm a failure...my body is once again is a failure cause I thought, maybe having one would trigger something...am I unworthy of anything more... & as I struggled this morning, things still had to get done, I still had to make it to church. </div>
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And as I sat through church this morning, I was remind about grace- that God's doing within me what I can't do myself- </div>
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<i>Heidi, remember, you are deserving of grace. </i></div>
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And I was reminded that I'm not alone- it's so easy to feel alone & to silently struggle, but the reality is, I'm not alone- </div>
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<i>Heidi, remember community, remember that you are part of a body. </i></div>
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After church, one of the sweet ladies came up to me, hugged me, and said, "I'm praying for you." </div>
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If only she knew just how dearly those words meant this morning. </div>
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And I was reminded of peace- God is with me. </div>
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In these moments I just need to breathe in peace & trust God has me through this process. </div>
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<i>Heidi, will you find peace in trusting me?</i></div>
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And as church ended, we were asked "how is it with your soul?" And that hit me hard. </div>
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And the next song started, and it's like these words dug into my very most being:</div>
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<span style="font-family: ".sfuitext";"><i><br /></i></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: ".sfuitext";"><i>Far be it from me to not believe</i></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: ".sfuitext";"><i>Even when my eyes can't see</i></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: ".sfuitext";"><i>And this mountain that's in front of me</i></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: ".sfuitext";"><i>Will be thrown into the midst of the sea</i></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: ".sfuitext";"><i>Through it all, through it all</i></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: ".sfuitext";"><i>My eyes are on You</i></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: ".sfuitext";"><i>Through it all, through it all</i></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: ".sfuitext";"><i>It is well</i></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: ".sfuitext";"><i>So let go my soul and trust in Him</i></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: ".sfuitext";"><i>The waves and wind still know His name.</i></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: ".sfuitext";"><i>It is well with my soul</i></span></div>
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After church, I decided I needed a redo, so I grabbed a cup of coffee, brought Phoenix home, put him down for a nap, and I just sat. </div>
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When I looked at my coffee cup, I noticed the word "joy" - a reminder to choose joy, not just in those good, easy moments, but in all situations. </div>
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Like today. </div>
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So the fear isn't completely gone today, the struggle of infertility still silently looms overhead, but today I'm choosing to walk in joy, I'm remembering grace, and I'm breathing in peace. </div>
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And I'm taking it a step at a time. </div>
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The reality is, I could sure use prayers today & this month especially. </div>
Dave Hopewellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03963001148263058370noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2172485110411865981.post-76901390223193927562016-04-29T20:16:00.002-07:002016-04-29T20:16:36.823-07:00Let's Talk: Infertility<div style="text-align: center;">
This week is National Infertility Week and after the last few years that Dave & I struggled to get pregnant, I think I'm ready to talk a little more publicly about our story.</div>
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From day one, Dave and I have tried to be transparent about our struggles when we talk with people, but I feel this has been one of those weeks I've never really acknowledged publically, not that I don't see it as a great awareness week, but let's be honest- for anyone that's gone through infertility or any type of struggle to get pregnant- </div>
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It.Just.Sucks.</div>
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It sucks that when you're in a good place to have kids, when you want that baby so very much, when you've tried and tried to the point where things like sex because a chore, where it seems like every single person around you is having kids & it seems just too easy for everyone else, where you just feel alone no matter how much support & love you are surrounded by...it's just depressing.</div>
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Did you know that <em>One in eight American couples will experience infertility, and 1.1 million women will undergo treatment this year. That most wonāt talk about it makes it that much more painful: A recent survey of infertility patients reveals that 61 percent hide the struggle to get pregnant from friends and family (<a href="http://www.nbcnews.com/id/38311820/ns/health-womens_health/t/many-couples-struggle-infertility-silence/#.VyQjO032apo">http://www.nbcnews.com/id/38311820/ns/health-womens_health/t/many-couples-struggle-infertility-silence/#.VyQjO032apo</a>).</em> </div>
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It's sad that so, so many of us go through this journey and yet so many of us are silent with our stories.</div>
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But really, can you blame us?</div>
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Infertility made me feel like something was wrong with me.</div>
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I was tired of hearing things like "if you just relax, you'll get pregnant."</div>
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I mean, really?</div>
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You understand right that someone going through infertility treatments can't "just relax." </div>
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We're literally tracking every single moment of our cycle because we need an idea of when to start medications or when we're ovulating.</div>
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We're being poked and prodded and nothing is left to the imagination in that doctor's room.</div>
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We're going through uncomfortable and painful procedures all to just increase our chance to hopefully one day have a baby.</div>
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And the reality is that none of these things we experience is a guarantee. </div>
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But this isn't a post to ridicule others.</div>
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Honestly, I truly feel most comments came from a really sincere and loving place, but those words were just so hard to hear when all I wanted to do was truly "just relax."</div>
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I wanted so bad to wake up one morning to morning sickness or the excitement to think "I might be pregnant" and have a pregnancy test come back positive.</div>
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When I first started having a tinge of an idea that something was wrong was within the first year of marriage. </div>
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I had stopped taking birth control, not that I was actively trying to have kids at that time, but I just struggled a little bit with the idea of birth control and frankly didn't really like how it made me feel emotionally.</div>
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But a year later after stopping birth control, nothing happened.</div>
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I didn't really think much of this because I knew not everyone gets automatically pregnant after stopping birth control.</div>
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So that next year I started actively tracking my cycles.</div>
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I figured it would help me know a little more accurately what was going on, but maybe we could start trying a little more intentionally.</div>
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Nothing.</div>
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So I decided to see my doctor in Columbus; I just sensed something wasn't right, plus I was experiencing some ovarian cysts and had wondered if that might be some of the cause with not getting pregnant.</div>
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In that appointment I was pretty much written off because of my age "you're still young, we'll see what happens in a year."</div>
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Then another year went by and another doctor. Same thing.</div>
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And another doctor and the same experience.</div>
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They were all convinced that I was "still young."</div>
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At this point, I was starting to think that something was just wrong with me.</div>
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I mean, I was young right?</div>
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Why was I struggling so much to get pregnant?</div>
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Was I getting too stressed?</div>
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Was I over thinking things?</div>
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I felt so broken.</div>
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And at this point I just gave up.</div>
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I started feeling like deep down I would never be able to have a baby.</div>
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When people started asking when Dave & I would have kids, I would try to brush it off or make a joke out of it.</div>
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Part of me always wanted to break down in tears and tell others just how hard we were trying.</div>
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But I didn't want people to see this brokenness.</div>
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I didn't want people to feel sorry for us.</div>
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When Dave & I moved to South Dakota, my cysts were still pretty bad so I decided to see a doctor again when we moved here.</div>
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I remember a lot of prayers at this time asking God for someone to take me seriously...I just wanted to find answers.</div>
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So I decided to see a doctor at Sanford.</div>
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She said a lot of the same standard things I heard before, that things looked good and that I was young....but then she said, you know you've been off birth control for almost five years now and that concerns me.</div>
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So we gave it a month to see what happened and again nothing happened.</div>
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She referred us to a specialist.</div>
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They started running test and looking deeper into the issue.</div>
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The first thing that the doctor realized was that I had Short Luteal Phase meaning my cycles would last about 23 to 24 days making it hard to know if I was actually ovulating.</div>
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So I started Clomid.</div>
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That was not fun- I had mood swings, insomnia, and felt like an emotional mess.</div>
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On top of that, nothing was changing.</div>
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So they switched me to Femara, which was better on me emotionally but it still wasn't doing anything.</div>
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After months of attempts, they decided that it was time for us to visit the infertility clinic.</div>
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More tests showed there was some borderline issues with Dave and that I had Diminishing Ovarian Reserve which basically meant that my ovaries were like that of a 40-year-old woman. </div>
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Pretty much, there wasn't a lot we could do on our own and realized we were going to need a little more assistance to get pregnant.</div>
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So we decided to take a more aggressive approach and decided to try an IUI (artificial insemination).</div>
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I remember that very first time we went in.</div>
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It was the first time in a long time that we really felt hopeful.</div>
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And I remember when it failed.</div>
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I remember laying in bed bawling.</div>
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I remember Dave holding me tight.</div>
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I remember how much it hurt.</div>
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A couple months later we decided to try a second round.</div>
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This time it wasn't as hard when we had a negative, mainly because by this point we felt so numb within the process.</div>
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After that last attempt, we were done trying that route and knew from our research that chances were that we were investing a lot of money & the changes of getting pregnant were diminishing.</div>
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So finally our doctor approached us about IVF (In vitro fertilization).</div>
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I remember how hard it was to hear that this was really our only other option.</div>
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IVF wasn't an easy decision to make.</div>
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We had so many questions:</div>
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Are we playing God by taking this route?</div>
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Should we use this money to adopt instead?</div>
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Even if we did choose this route, could we even afford it, especially if there's no guarantees that this would work?</div>
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IVF would cost us $11,000 just for the procedure. Add on another $2,600 for the first round of medications as well as another $1,800 for follow up medications. On top of that covering every single ultrasound, doctor's appointment, and procedure we had already done on top of what would still lie ahead for us.</div>
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Depending on your insurance and the state you're in, insurance may cover very little, if any of the infertility treatments.</div>
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In the state of SD, Blue Cross and Blue Shield doesn't cover anything.</div>
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Oh, except birth control.</div>
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Ironic, isn't it.</div>
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So Dave & I started Praying.</div>
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We were then denied for a house loan, which took adoption out of the picture as we would need an additional room for a child. </div>
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{don't worry, Dave & I still have a heart and desire to one day adopt}</div>
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Every single time I prayed about IVF, there was such a peace. And every time I talked with friends & family I trusted, they were so supportive of the process.</div>
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Then my grandparents offered for us to take out a private loan with them.</div>
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So finally we decided that this was the right next steps for our journey.</div>
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Let me tell you, IVF was not easy.</div>
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There were lots and lots of shots that had to be done at certain times throughout the day.</div>
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Lots of doctors visits and ultrasounds.</div>
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When it came time for the extraction process, I actually had to go through surgery & because they extracted so many eggs, it was a pretty painful recovery process.</div>
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I tried to go to work the next day, almost threw up & passed out, and decided I just needed to just go home and try to recover.</div>
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Thankfully (and sadly for a lot of women this isn't always the case) we had 4 good embryos and a potential for 2 more.</div>
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So we set our implantation date.</div>
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On Easter Sunday, we went down to Sioux Falls for the procedure.</div>
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I remember sitting in that surgery waiting room so anxious, scared, excited.</div>
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Dave and I were prepped for surgery, and I was wheeled into the surgery room that had a screen beside the bed.</div>
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As they implanted the 2 embryos we decided to use, we were able to watch our little babies as they were implanted.</div>
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Deep down we were praying hard that maybe, just maybe we would be able to meet them one day.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWrBReaMGiWGcNCo2MqSxmvziac1tEFjMX7K0nvBdojD_nzHTW1sIlnA-TKkFXy6CJQbqwdWqP2ze2MWmPea4PYd9pTn85w92TL3pr0ddchmRnovFfQ2ivicb96DCKzeNW_AAAM7rXZv0/s1600/Infertility5.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"></a><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhEsjztdtgJNLjFyuUpgH2m_NkPMjD0S9Eg97AkfKQn6hgU3mQmby1zXXnOqH7Dak0umBJiM2TVGIci2esbMAYjHQ8RSO2Jucbz_qZDY4qzGGM6NpZWkeW5XkvLJNQIx1MvdOKR_3G_bCc/s1600/Infertility.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhEsjztdtgJNLjFyuUpgH2m_NkPMjD0S9Eg97AkfKQn6hgU3mQmby1zXXnOqH7Dak0umBJiM2TVGIci2esbMAYjHQ8RSO2Jucbz_qZDY4qzGGM6NpZWkeW5XkvLJNQIx1MvdOKR_3G_bCc/s640/Infertility.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjOIFeKfjzSonlUVLL6GUZUs8ux9FFKe6x0Lg5yODiD0L7uN_uJoUCOQXIuKECi7DcXbrtCwJhGIcnFKtppdusjYmlskl2vogjgkg-zwGdtIZBebm8ZhWJSwf2OLxBXszjsGK9TotE_PT4/s1600/Infertility2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="265" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjOIFeKfjzSonlUVLL6GUZUs8ux9FFKe6x0Lg5yODiD0L7uN_uJoUCOQXIuKECi7DcXbrtCwJhGIcnFKtppdusjYmlskl2vogjgkg-zwGdtIZBebm8ZhWJSwf2OLxBXszjsGK9TotE_PT4/s640/Infertility2.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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[Here's my little Phoenix as an itty bitty embryo.]</div>
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& Here was the day we would find out if the procedure worked or not.</div>
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We were <strong><u>SO</u></strong> nervous.</div>
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Random fact: It was also Food Truck Friday in Sioux Falls, so of course a foodie has to do what a foodie has to do.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjUu5L17w52cqgy1b70ig8p7CWgiNNlt4RdZXM0DgbMHUhX5grbk8CqUKQla0UyeplB_EeqTvkvrkJCo_YowlU_w1U5pEQEPAmJHHS3qc2u44Hh-ftnAVUuNsrsDF-5P9I9p5Y2n3kIbgM/s1600/Infertility4.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="350" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjUu5L17w52cqgy1b70ig8p7CWgiNNlt4RdZXM0DgbMHUhX5grbk8CqUKQla0UyeplB_EeqTvkvrkJCo_YowlU_w1U5pEQEPAmJHHS3qc2u44Hh-ftnAVUuNsrsDF-5P9I9p5Y2n3kIbgM/s640/Infertility4.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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& Here was the first time I heard the best words I could ever imagine:</div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">WE WERE PREGNANT!</span></div>
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What a crazy, crazy journey these last few years have been.</div>
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They were some of the hardest, most difficult years.</div>
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So many tears, so many dark moments.</div>
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But when I looked into those little blue eyes and I snuggle Phoenix close,</div>
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It was all worth it.</div>
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Every.Single.Moment.</div>
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Want more information on National Infertility Awareness Week? Visit: <a href="http://www.resolve.org/national-infertility-awareness-week/what-you-can-do.html">http://www.resolve.org/national-infertility-awareness-week/what-you-can-do.html</a></div>
The Hopewell Househttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11317516443040590204noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2172485110411865981.post-45823583876973883402016-03-28T19:27:00.000-07:002016-03-28T19:27:27.706-07:00Traveling with an Infant // Airport Adventures // Volume 1<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Let me start this post by first stating that I am by no means an expert in this area whatsoever, but I have had a few people reach out to me when we flew to Florida when Phoenix was a newborn asking for advice.</div>
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I figured I could share a few tips & tricks I've received along the way in hopes that this might help relieve some parent anxiety when flying.</div>
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{Also, any parents out there that have additional advice, please share!}</div>
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So here we go, lessons learned along the way- Volume 1 (because seriously, I have still so much to learn and I feel like this is just the first blog post of many, many more):</div>
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1) You can travel with a car seat and stroller for free! Each time Dave & I have traveled, we have either just checked them both at the beginning, or have taken them through security and checked them at the gate.</div>
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2) I've found it easiest to go through the airport & security with Phoenix in a carrier or a wrap. This helps free up my hands for other things and he likes being close. Security lets you walk through with your baby and they typically just wipe your hands with a strip that they test. So easy!</div>
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My two personal favorite carriers/wraps are the <a href="http://store.ergobaby.com/baby-carrier/four-position-360?gclid=CjwKEAjwrOO3BRCX55-L9_WojHoSJAAPxcSPQ3-QODbQ2Sh91Qx6obKJImkuV51We_kl002KpD2NDxoCrufw_wcB&gclsrc=aw.ds">Ergo360</a> or the <a href="http://www.boba.com/baby-wrap#Black">Boba</a>.</div>
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3) You can also bring along a diaper bag that does not count as a carry-on or personal item. We have used Phoenix's diaper bag to help carry extra clothing for him (in case of blow outs, spit up, etc) and it can also be used to carry an extra shirt or two for momma (in case of blow outs, spit up, etc). Plus its nice for anything additional that we need space for or what we want to utilize on the flight.</div>
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4) Just plan to buy diapers/wipes when you get to where you're going. I always pack just enough (+ a little extra) for the flight and time in the airport. This saves a lot of room in your luggage for other things. </div>
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5) The last few times we've traveled, Dave & I have just checked our carry-on at the gate. This way we don't pay the luggage fee, but we also don't have to carry the extra bag around the airport. I see this as a win-win situation.</div>
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6) You don't have to have documents for children under 2 years old (at least for Delta flights- check for other airlines under their FAQ page on their website). We learned this the hard way when Dave panicked when he couldn't find Phoenix's birth certificate and we almost missed our flight. Thankfully, because we didn't need it, we checked in on our phones, brought only carry-ons, and were able to get through security and on our flight in record time.</div>
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7) Try to plan feeding your little one during takeoff and landing- this will help ease ear pressure. Don't feel stressed though if baby doesn't eat, as I've also found out, a pacifier to be helpful in these situations. If baby is sleeping, let them sleep- at least in my situation, the landing didn't seem to affect Phoenix at all as he peacefully sucked on his pacifier during our landing. (Subpoint: Pacifiers are awesome for a flight)</div>
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8) If you plan to breastfeed and prefer to cover up, here is my favorite cover up: https://www.uddercovers.com/cart. </div>
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It's so nice because it has a hoop at the top that makes it easy to see baby, but long enough to keep covered up.</div>
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9) Also if breastfeeding on a plane- and this doesn't always work- but if it does, try to get a seat next to a window. I've realized this is much more comfortable to have my back to something and that way too I have more control of putting up/down the blind on the window. </div>
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10) Changing diapers on an airplane are HARD. Plus, if you don't change the diaper just right, you may have a major blow out from the side of the diaper (learned this lesson the hard way). The bathrooms typically have a changing station within them, utilize those. </div>
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11) People are so much nicer and so much more compassionate then you would think. I know I have major mom anxiety when traveling because no matter the scenario, I don't want people perceiving my baby as being bad or difficult when he starts fussing or crying on a flight. But the reality is, these things happen- some things just are going to happen that are out of our control. The last flight we were on, we had a moment where Phoenix got really fussy, but the lady sitting next to us was SO sympathetic and tried to help soothe him. It was just nice knowing that for every person who was annoyed at the crying baby, there were still those who are completely understanding and really don't mind. I also had countless times where people would see my hands full and offer to help me out. It's a really good reminder that there are good people still out there and that every thing is going to be okay.</div>
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10) And lastly, the best advice we've received from a friend:</div>
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"There will be some good flights, and some not so good flights. Just always remember to give each other grace."</div>
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Oh boy, I think Dave and I learned this during the last trip we took.</div>
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On the way to Georgia, Phoenix was golden. </div>
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He slept the entire flight, </div>
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Ate at all the right times.</div>
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Needless to say, Dave and I were feeling like super parents.</div>
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...then we flew home.</div>
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Little man was fussy going into the flight, we fed him and he settled down- though mind you, he was wide awake & trying to entertain a little 4 month old isn't always the easiest. </div>
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But still, not too bad.</div>
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...and then the blow out came.</div>
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Oh and it was a mess.</div>
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You know the kind where it's mostly all outside of the diaper and somehow the diaper doesn't seem to catch most of it? </div>
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Yeahhhh.</div>
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And it was on my hand, my sleeve.</div>
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I look over at Dave panicked and asked him to give me a wet wipe.</div>
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Thanks to the air pressure Dave couldn't hear a word I was saying & he starts searching through the diaper bag- mind you, we still to this very moment aren't really for sure what he was looking for.</div>
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Finally, I managed to get Dave to hand me a wet wipe.</div>
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I cleaned up as best I could and then the real situation came.</div>
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How in the word do you change a wiggly baby in a plane, which mind you, was super full.</div>
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So I just decided to wrap a blanket around the bottom half of Phoenix and just deal with it once we landed.</div>
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Then Phoenix starts getting SUPER fussy (which wouldn't you be too if you were covered in poo?!).</div>
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So I'm trying to comfort and he's mad.</div>
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Dave's trying to comfort.</div>
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Our kindhearted neighbor tries to comfort.</div>
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I think at this point I just shut down.</div>
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Thankfully I was able to get Phoenix fed and he settled down for a bit & let me tell you, I raced out of that airplane as fast as it's humanly possible and bee lined my way to the bathroom.</div>
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Oh me, oh my.</div>
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That was definitely a reality check and a good reminder of those some good, some bad moments.</div>
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And we're still learning that grace bit.</div>
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So friends, the moral of the story is, </div>
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There's definitely no best way to travel, no matter how hard you prepare,</div>
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But just take it a step at a time and you'll learn along the way.</div>
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(and advice from those who've been there definitely helps)</div>
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There will be good times, and not so good times, but remember to always give grace.</div>
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The Hopewell Househttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11317516443040590204noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2172485110411865981.post-89017726319458769462016-01-31T20:27:00.000-08:002016-01-31T20:27:23.715-08:00Working Momma<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Tomorrow is my first full day back in the office-</div>
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Thankfully I am only working part time this week to help transition back into work, but regardless, this will be my first full day away from the little one.</div>
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It's so crazy in how a short two month time span, you can become so attached to such a tiny little being.</div>
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Even though I'm not very excited for tomorrow, I do have to thank all those wonderful mommas out there who gave me some great advice on heading back to work- <u>THANK YOU</u>!</div>
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The advice received was especially valuable tonight.</div>
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Tonight I had a checklist written up and was in the process of marking things from it off in hopes of reminding myself of everything I still needed to get done tonight and what all I need to take with me tomorrow.</div>
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And of course, tonight was one of those nights where Phoenix just wasn't ready to settle.</div>
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As I watched those minutes tick away, I started panicking that I wasn't going to get everything done that I needed to or else I would be up super late.</div>
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All I could think in this moment was why couldn't my baby just fall asleep and why of all nights did Dave have to get home late.</div>
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For a brief moment I started feeling both very much alone and very much frustrated.</div>
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But then I felt a gentle reminder tugging at my heart.</div>
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<i>Make the moments you do have with your little one matter.</i></div>
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It suddenly hit me that the whole reason I was panicking was because I'm not looking forward to leaving my baby behind.</div>
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So why was I wasting these precious moments where I did get to be with my little one?</div>
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Why was I treating my baby as another thing to check off my list instead of valuing another moment to bond and connect?</div>
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Why was I forgetting that sometimes the most important things aren't always doing but just being. </div>
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And as I sat there thinking, I realized nothing needed to be rushed- it would all happen in its own time and that it would all get done in the end (even if that meant sleep deprivation).</div>
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And as I gently rocked my baby to sleep, I sat quietly with him for a few extra long moments, finding both thankfulness in this moment as well as contentment in the time we do have together.</div>
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The Hopewell Househttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11317516443040590204noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2172485110411865981.post-43126901188990306242016-01-30T10:51:00.003-08:002016-01-30T10:53:27.970-08:007<div style="text-align: center;">
<img src="http://cdn.snappages.com/sfvx9m/assets/blog_194680_1879561_1357599898.jpg" /></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">Last semester my friend Natalie and I started a women's small group.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">We both were looking for ways to connect with other women in our church, when next thing we knew Dave was talking us into hosting our own Bible study on Sunday mornings.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">It's been a really fun experience so far and I'm loving all the new women I'm meeting through this!</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">This current semester we are doing a study on Jen Hatmaker's book, <b><i><a href="http://jenhatmaker.com/blog/2011/12/26/an-experimental-mutiny-against-excess">7</a></i></b>.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">I'm really enjoying it so far and really feel like it's going to challenge me far beyond my comfort zone. It's also been a refreshing perspective on what fasting is and how I can incorporate fasting into my own life.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">Just a quick synopsis for those of you unfamiliar with the book, <b><i>7 </i></b>is about Jen Hatmaker's <span style="background-color: white; text-align: start;"><i><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="line-height: 27.2px;">seven-month experimental mutiny against excess, tackling seven areas of </span></span><span style="line-height: 27.2px;">over-consumption</span><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="line-height: 27.2px;"> in the spirit of a fast; a fast from greed, irresponsibility, apathy, and insatiability. Each area boiled down to just seven choices for a month:</span></span></i></span></span></div>
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<i><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="background-color: white; line-height: 27.2px;">Food.</span><br style="background-color: white; line-height: 27.2px;" /><span style="background-color: white; line-height: 27.2px;">Clothes.</span><br style="background-color: white; line-height: 27.2px;" /><span style="background-color: white; line-height: 27.2px;">Possessions.</span><br style="background-color: white; line-height: 27.2px;" /><span style="background-color: white; line-height: 27.2px;">Media.</span><br style="background-color: white; line-height: 27.2px;" /><span style="background-color: white; line-height: 27.2px;">Waste.</span><br style="background-color: white; line-height: 27.2px;" /><span style="background-color: white; line-height: 27.2px;">Spending.</span><br style="background-color: white; line-height: 27.2px;" /><span style="background-color: white; line-height: 27.2px;">Stress.</span><br style="background-color: white; line-height: 27.2px;" /><br style="background-color: white; line-height: 27.2px;" /><span style="background-color: white; line-height: 27.2px;">Only seven foods for a month. Only seven pieces of clothes for a month. Give away seven things we own a day for a month. Eliminate seven forms of media for a month. Adopt seven substantial habits for a greener life. Spend money in only seven places. Practice "seven sacred pauses" a day and observe the Sabbath...a deeply reduced life to find a greatly increased God.</span></span></i></div>
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<i><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="background-color: white; font-family: inherit; line-height: 27.2px;"><br /></span></span></i></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">For our Bible Study, we've decided to take one week f<span style="font-family: inherit;">or studying each chapter and then the following week we take the concept and create our own type of fasting for the next 7 days.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">This week we reviewed the chapter on Food. Now in Jen's case, she chose seven foods that she was only allowed to eat for a month (no spices, sauces, etc). For her fast, she went with <span style="background-color: white; line-height: 23.8px;">chicken, eggs, whole-wheat bread, sweet potatoes, spinach, avocados, and apples. Her friends who were doing this challenge along with her chose 7 different third world countries and ate diets similar to these countries.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="line-height: 23.8px;">Now since I'm breastfeeding and know that some foods just "work" for me and my supply, I decided choosing only 7 foods might not work the best for me unless I strictly wanted to live off </span></span><span style="line-height: 23.8px;">Gatorade</span><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="line-height: 23.8px;">, oatmeal, and </span></span></span><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="background-color: white; line-height: 18.2px; text-align: left;">belVita</span><span style="background-color: white; line-height: 18.2px; text-align: left;"> </span></span><span style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="line-height: 23.8px;">Oatmeal Cookies.</span></span></span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-family: inherit; line-height: 23.8px;">So instead, I decided to take a cleaner eating approach, to eat more with intention than by convenience.</span></span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; font-family: inherit; line-height: 23.8px;">I guess somewhere mid pregnancy, I replaced my balanced diet with bagels, pizza, and doughnuts because... well... pregnancy. But then it hit me post baby that yeah I was still working out, but I wasn't taking care of my body and probably wasn't sharing the best nutrients with my baby. </span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; font-family: inherit; line-height: 23.8px;">It hasn't been the easiest week so far, especially because I haven't done much grocery shopping, but it's been so good for me to really think about the things I'm eating and consuming.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; font-family: inherit; line-height: 23.8px;">It's also changing the way I pray, not just praying out of convenience, but really taking the time to pray intentionally.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; font-family: inherit; line-height: 23.8px;">I've also noticed how much less waste there is within my fridge as the well meaning vegetables are now actually being consumed and food that's sat in my pantry for the last year is now being utilized.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; font-family: inherit; line-height: 23.8px;">I'm really excited to keep reading through this book and to really stepping outside of my convenient norm.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; font-family: inherit; line-height: 23.8px;">[More to Come]</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; font-family: inherit; line-height: 23.8px;">Has anyone else read through <b><i>7</i></b>? What were your thoughts on the book?</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; font-family: inherit; line-height: 23.8px;">Have you done a similar challenge?</span></div>
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The Hopewell Househttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11317516443040590204noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2172485110411865981.post-81459879095890698942016-01-24T21:16:00.001-08:002016-01-24T21:16:33.940-08:00Ode to Motherhood<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhq-G73bp03GpGFKGlj3E9x_U0sbAxDaIufnfj6urQarAMPnkRefVVO4XR_hfOLyrUGZQHPrlaSLYa53Joxt6CLRc8wpjQNF6BxYA3kMJG2oafBz6wHUClv-Tu_pvx4EokVtf1xmvyXL4o/s1600/IMG_3195.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhq-G73bp03GpGFKGlj3E9x_U0sbAxDaIufnfj6urQarAMPnkRefVVO4XR_hfOLyrUGZQHPrlaSLYa53Joxt6CLRc8wpjQNF6BxYA3kMJG2oafBz6wHUClv-Tu_pvx4EokVtf1xmvyXL4o/s640/IMG_3195.JPG" width="480" /></a></div>
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You look at your clock,</div>
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It's 3:45AM, time to start out yet another morning because baby doesn't know how to tell time yet and that for the regular human population, this time is just way too early.</div>
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You stir around, mustering up the energy to feed and get the little one back to a nice peacefully sleep.</div>
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Realistically you know you should be following suite because Lord knows when you'll get your next power nap (because let's be honest mommas, at least in this stage, there's no such thing as sleep...just lots of little power naps) but you have things that need to get done for the day, and you still have to pump anyways, so why not stay up just a little longer. Cause sometimes motherhood gets mistaken for being invincible, though I might add there's definitely a level of superhero that comes with the title.</div>
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You finally finish and decide that power nap is definitely in order, but as you slowly begin to drift off to sleep, you are once again reminded by a not so tiny cry that you've missed your window and its time to feed again.</div>
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And of course, it's one of those days where a feeding turns into an all morning event where little one rotates between eating, sleeping, and sheer panic when they realize they fell asleep yet again...what a vicious cycle.</div>
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You finally get yourself and the twenty other items now deemed essential out the door (baby of course being your number one essential), you're possibly feeling a bit cocky because you are only a few minutes late to church and that feel like that's a major parenting win.</div>
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Driving down the street, baby of course is a tad fussy but thankfully the drive lulls them to sleep and once again you feel a tad bit victorious and that this morning might end up shaping up after all.</div>
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You even get a chance to grab a cup of coffee, and by now you're feeling quite full of yourself.</div>
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You go to sit down and of course, baby senses this because we all know babies have this incredible sixth sense to know when you're doing things like eating, relaxing, or showering, and they begin to fuss.</div>
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You pick up the little one, trying to calm them, when you notice a tiny wet spot on the back of their sleeper and you secretly know that they've had a major blow out in their diaper.</div>
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You think, well maybe its not that bad and I can wait until our group is over.</div>
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Ignoring this small problem you go on with the discussion at hand, to realize a few minutes later that there's now a wet spot on your jeans and you know deep down that the blow out has spread and can no longer be ignored.</div>
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Nonchalantly you try to maneuver you & the baby down to the floor, thankful you remembered diapers and a change of clothes.</div>
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At this point, you're trying to still engage in conversation while baby wiggles around and you secretly pray that they don't land their foot into the dirty diaper.</div>
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Things get cleaned up and you go to pick up baby only to have them spit up all down their new outfit and of course yours as well, but by now spit up doesn't really faze you because you no longer can remember a time where you didn't end up with spit up on you at some point throughout the day.</div>
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As you go to make your way finally back to your seat, baby of course (not so quietly) decides to inform you that they are in fact hungry again, which is total amazement to you because of their prior 2.5 hour feeding that took place earlier that morning.</div>
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You feed and the little one finally falls asleep just as group is finishing up.</div>
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You go on to survive that afternoon, even with another long feeding session. </div>
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You manage to get a small nap in during that time, which of course feels like another glorious win until you notice that baby not only smells but both you and your little one are soaked.</div>
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After changing another explosive diaper, you know baths are now definitely no longer an option, but of course it's time to feed again so you wrap baby up in a blanket (because there are no point in clothes at this time) and begin another long, treacherous journey. </div>
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Baby of course fights this and sleep, because once again, time and clocks are irrelevant.</div>
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By now it's nearing 9:30PM and you remember that some people still eat this thing called dinner and you wonder if that will be an option for you tonight.</div>
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Finally, as you win another small victory point, you lay down baby in the swing, run to the kitchen, and look for the easiest & quickest thing to eat as you hear baby starting to stir again. </div>
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After another small battle and struggle, baby finally conks out and by now you're really wondering if you should shower to remove the layers of spit up and pee, finally caving because you know you can smell yourself.</div>
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You're eyes are heavy with sleep, which is nothing really new either, and you make your way to bed only to remember that you still have to pump despite the sleep, despite the achy boobs.</div>
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By now, you're bordering between madness and sanity, and you think to yourself that you really don't know if you can manage to do this again tomorrow, when a small voice speaks to you saying, <i>remember, this is what you prayed for.</i></div>
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And you think back on the years your heart ached for these moments, and you remember how you would have given anything to be right here, right now.</div>
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And you silently say a prayer as you look down and see that precious little thing sound asleep.</div>
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And you know deep down that you wouldn't trade any of this for anything in the world.</div>
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The Hopewell Househttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11317516443040590204noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2172485110411865981.post-65413188936375308672016-01-22T11:58:00.000-08:002016-01-22T11:58:15.482-08:00Steward your time<div style="font-size: 12px; line-height: normal;">
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">What does it mean to be a good Steward of your time? </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">I was pressed with this question all week as I prepared to speak at Oasis (our college ministry here in Brookings) last Sunday. For the last few weeks we have been studying how to be a good steward and I was looking to share my thoughts with the college students on how to manage time well. I felt in order to really address my thoughts, I first needed to set a precedent that effectively explained stewardship. <i>To steward is to take care of something that is not ours; it's something we are to manage or look after. </i> For instance, what we do with our time. In order to steward our time well, we have to first understand that the very essence of time is not ours. We have been given an allotted amount of time by a God who <b><u>is</u></b> time. Now, Iām not going to break down the omnipresence of God because I fear I wouldn't do it justice, but it is something that is fun to think about. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">I think in general, time can become a very prized possession. Why you ask? Time actually has a lot of characteristics that make it appealing; it can heal and fly, itās something we can steal, make, take, and save. It is something we often waste, spend, and lose. Employers have found that time is often a better incentive than money. Companies are now offering more vacation time and better working hours then pay raises. People want more time and know they don't have enough of it.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">So then my question still remains, now that we have explained stewardship and time, How do we steward our time well? I wanted to look at a James 4:13 to give reference. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="line-height: normal;"><b>13 </b></span>Now listen, you who say, āToday or tomorrow we will go to this or that city, spend a year there, carry on business and make money.ā <span style="line-height: normal;"><b>14 </b></span>Why, you do not even know what will happen tomorrow. What is your life? You are a mist that appears for a little while and then vanishes. <span style="line-height: normal;"><b>15 </b></span>Instead, you ought to say, āIf it is the Lordās will, we will live and do this or that.ā <span style="line-height: normal;"><b>16 </b></span>As it is, you boast in your arrogant schemes. All such boasting is evil. <span style="line-height: normal;"><b>17 </b></span>If anyone, then, knows the good they ought to do and doesnāt do it, it is sin for them.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">For those of you who know me, one of my favorite past times is backpacking and hiking. Now, I have learned a lot since my first hiking trip, but initially I made a lot of rookie mistakes. On my very first trip, I carried a party grill and canned spaghetti. This was not a good moment. For those of you who don't backpack, this is a very amateur mistake and I paid the price of quite a heavy load to carry over the course of my trip. Then I started getting into lightweight backpacking where we would walk for 10-20 miles a day with all of our essentials on our back. We would always compete to see who would have the lightest pack, needless to say I still never won. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">While I was in college, I had a pretty busy schedule so I always looked forward to our school breaks. I would usually set out some goals that I wanted to accomplish on my break like I wanted to read more, pray more, or be more intentional with my thoughts. So when I started hiking, I would always bring a book with me. I planned to read it every night before going to bed. I don't mind reading and I knew that I would have a lot more free time while on the trail, or so I thought. Needless to say after a 15 mile day, my body became very tired. We would get to our campsite, set up tents, make dinner, laugh about our daily adventures and then head to bed. I would do just about everything I could to try and read a chapter a night but I always ended up falling asleep with my headlight on. Now, this caused a little bit of an issue because my headlamp would be dead by day 2 and I now was carrying a book around with me everywhere we hiked. This book would add a couple pounds to my pack and then became dead weight. You see, I fell under the tension of trying to instill new habits in my life during our break, but not creating complete lifestyle changes. I never read before bed while in college because I would fall asleep, so what led me to think that I would do something radically different on this trip that I wasn't doing in my day-to-day life? How could I forecast new habits on tomorrow when I wasn't even being intentional with them today?</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">Now lets reflect back on James 4:13 real fast. He blatantly says to not claim what tomorrow will hold because in reality, we have no idea. What gives us the authority to claim any truth about tomorrow? James claims that āas it is, you boast in your arrogant schemes, all such boasting is evilā. Man that is powerful. I canāt think of how many times I have allowed my procrastination to hinder what God could have done through me. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">So the thought I want to leave us with today is not to live in regret over what we have not done, but it is calling us to action. James is telling us to have a right perspective on our lives (<i>we are but a mist</i>), and when we sense God calling us to action, we need to do it. Instead of telling someone that we will pray for them later, Why not take that moment and <u>DO IT</u>? If we <u>KNOW</u> the good we ought to do, then we need to be obedient and <u>DO IT</u>. Don't prepare to carry the dead weight of a book around tomorrow; start reading the book today. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">- Dave</span></div>
Dave Hopewellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03963001148263058370noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2172485110411865981.post-14934907716012972282016-01-17T19:04:00.001-08:002016-01-17T19:04:20.370-08:00Maternity Leave<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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It's getting bittersweet nearing these last couple of weeks of maternity leave. </div>
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To be honest, I don't really want to think much about returning to work full time, but I feel like it's this unavoidable thing that's coming near very quickly and I'm having to come to terms with it. </div>
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Now, don't get me wrong, I love my job and I'm looking forward to seeing my coworkers again, but I just have this really strong feeling this is going to be a fairly hard transition.</div>
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Maternity leave overall has been a very interesting. The first couple weeks of being off work were actually a really hard adjustment for me. Being a new mom definitely comes with its struggles no matter how rewarding or worthwhile it is. It was such a crazy experience to suddenly be taking care of a newborn on top of lack of sleep and raging hormones. I feel like most times I stay fairly level headed emotionally, but man, I had some really rough days where my thoughts would be racing and I'd just be a crying mess. Dave was here the first week which was really nice and he was SO helpful with the transition. So were my parents that first weekend they were here, and I loved having their care & support. But then next thing I know, I'm suddenly all alone at home taking care of this little babe all by myself. Thankfully, Phoenix is a fairly easy baby and I feel like I was able to pick up on most cues pretty early, but I really struggled to know what to do with all this free time suddenly. It also didn't help that I started my leave a month earlier than I anticipated (funny how kids can change things) and there were a lot of loose ends I was still trying to tie up and things I was trying to plan for my time off. I would be home too exhausted to do anything, but when I would sit around I would feel so guilty. And then there were the days where they just weren't good and I'd blur my way through it to realize I had "wasted a day" (Which looking back now, I realized these days are the exact reason we have maternity leave).</div>
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It was hard.</div>
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But then the weeks got easier, and I really loved the cuddles everyday on top of having this time to regain what little sanity I may still have.</div>
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It also helped that Dave's parents came to stay with us a few days (so nice to have them!), we went to Florida for Christmas to surprise family (and survived traveling with a newborn!), and then my parents came back to stay with us a while longer (miss them!).</div>
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And now, as I feel like I'm starting to be productive again and getting into a new routine, it's almost over.</div>
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It'll be fun to see my coworkers consistently again and once I get a new routine established it will be a lot better, but man, I'm going to miss my little man.</div>
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I'm going to miss our quiet mornings together and our afternoon naps.</div>
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I'm going to really miss all these little moments of watching Phoenix grow.</div>
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Thankfully I have an amazing supervisor who has been so supportive in this process and is working to help make my transition as easy as possible. </div>
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I'm also so fortunate to work with other full time moms who I know will also be a great support system, </div>
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but man, right now I'm really wishing I lived in Canada and had a year leave.</div>
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So I guess I'm writing this to be honest with what I'm feelings and to get some advice from you other mommas who've been in the same boat.</div>
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What did you do to adjust going back full time?</div>
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What are some things you all suggest I do before returning to work (lots of baby snuggles are already on the agenda)?</div>
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Any good coping mechanisms?</div>
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*Thanks in advance!*</div>
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Now to go cuddle up with the little one!</div>
The Hopewell Househttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11317516443040590204noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2172485110411865981.post-74958105306335301872016-01-16T12:18:00.002-08:002016-01-16T12:18:50.812-08:00Maternity Love<div style="text-align: center;">
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEji-ZyXyBCW8bkyl4IZsNmgyu8RY289ZPyf99Wfg4-0FwQOiavz97cxpD9NcoBgrrPmivZRsvii61jyeLZe77zoHJSrIL4wN7O-ROMi_TtoVWstIuEdc0Y7tFoMmE-kiwiYKKPG5NRxcHj8/s1600/PicMonkey+Collage2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="490" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEji-ZyXyBCW8bkyl4IZsNmgyu8RY289ZPyf99Wfg4-0FwQOiavz97cxpD9NcoBgrrPmivZRsvii61jyeLZe77zoHJSrIL4wN7O-ROMi_TtoVWstIuEdc0Y7tFoMmE-kiwiYKKPG5NRxcHj8/s640/PicMonkey+Collage2.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
With Phoenix's sudden arrival, I haven't been able to share yet these amazing maternity pictures taken by our good friend Jordan.</div>
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Dave & I really wanted a way to remember our last few weeks of pregnancy and Jordan did an amazing job capturing our excitement and anticipation as we anxiously awaited parenthood.<br />
And it's a good thing we took the pictures when we did because Phoenix was born the very next weekend!</div>
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Looking back on these pictures, I'm still in a little disbelief that I'm now holding that babe who stayed so snug in my belly all those months. </div>
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I remember seeing him as just a tiny little spec when we first started the IVF process and I loved getting to watch him grow month after month.</div>
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It makes me miss the little flutters in my stomach and the tiny kicks that would come right before we went to bed. When Dave would come home late at night and I was already sleeping, he'd try to rile up Phoenix to get him moving. </div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">Even though pregnancy isn't all rainbows and sunshine by any means, I never want to take for granted the gift I was given to be able to experience pregnancy and the miracle of life as it develops. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><i>However</i>, I do not miss the jab in the ribs nor do I miss the waddle I developed from lower back pain haha.</span></div>
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If you're looking for an incredible photographer in the Brookings, SD area, check out the <a href="http://www.jordanlynde.com/">Jordan Lynde Photography</a> website or his <a href="https://www.facebook.com/jordanlyndephoto/info/?tab=overview">Facebook page</a>!</div>
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The Hopewell Househttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11317516443040590204noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2172485110411865981.post-84227519117315595782016-01-08T10:21:00.000-08:002016-01-08T10:21:54.673-08:002016 Resolutions<div style="text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEikK0FV5psbpM5uKLg4IjNlguXdtlo65XsrhG39VcOmof6bdCbXs743am2Q7pgQ9Z5Hcz3U_gIOSwUUhyphenhyphenBTxSK-BTfXfXXlJ0SWw2KaxXT5AbfbVbLwvq-BHJ5f2glGc-X5rPWpHOkzu08/s1600/IMG_3008.JPG" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEikK0FV5psbpM5uKLg4IjNlguXdtlo65XsrhG39VcOmof6bdCbXs743am2Q7pgQ9Z5Hcz3U_gIOSwUUhyphenhyphenBTxSK-BTfXfXXlJ0SWw2KaxXT5AbfbVbLwvq-BHJ5f2glGc-X5rPWpHOkzu08/s400/IMG_3008.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
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Before I begin, I need to clarify that part of 2016 does not currently include another pregnancy. haha.</div>
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I wasn't even thinking when I posted Phoenix's ultrasound picture on the blog that it did look like a pregnancy announcement- believe me, if that was an announcement, it would totally be a surprise to both Dave & I!</div>
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I know we wouldn't be opposed to a 2016 pregnancy, but honestly, because of our previous struggles, I don't even know if that's even possible.</div>
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Anyways, moving on to our 2016 resolutions!</div>
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While my mom was here visiting, she was able to watch Phoenix one night so Dave & I could have our first official "date night" since Phoenix was born.</div>
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We decided to head down to our local coffee shop and write out our 2016 resolutions for this year.</div>
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I know not everyone is a fan of New Year's resolutions, but I like the idea of using a new year to give a fresh restart on the upcoming year.</div>
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When thinking about goals I'd like to achieve for the year, I prefer to keep them realistic- making a lifestyle change so they are things I continuously work on, not just something I stick with the first month or two out of the year.</div>
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Last year I talked about how Dave & I approached our goals with the Mind, Body, and Soul aspect.</div>
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We did really well sticking to this idea and we decided to approach our resolutions in the same manner. </div>
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So after a good cup of hot chocolate, here's what we came up with:</div>
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<u>Mind</u></div>
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- Debt: Pay off our Civic, Pay down 10% of our debt</div>
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-Read one book a month [we loved doing this last year and made it through quite a few books]</div>
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- Blog 2-3 times a week [both Dave & I plan to write]</div>
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-Make wiser decisions with the resources we have available- live within our means</div>
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<u>Body</u></div>
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- [Dave] Bike 3000 miles within the year [Dave, "Thanks Garett for the motivation!" Dave plans to do this with his friend Aaron because he'll admit, he can't do this alone!]</div>
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- [Heidi] Run another half marathon</div>
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- [Heidi] Find confidence in my "new" body [this might mean trying to get back to my pre-baby weight but overall, I'm just leaning more towards feeling good than being confined by a number on a scale]</div>
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<u>Soul</u></div>
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- [Dave] Continue to pursue ordination</div>
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- Family devotions [right now we're starting to do a devotional when we're both up at one of Phoenix's early morning feedings]</div>
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- Date nights</div>
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I'm feeling really motivated for the goals we've set and am really excited to see how 2016 pans out!</div>
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What about you all?</div>
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What are some resolutions you've set for yourself?</div>
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How do you stay motivated and encouraged throughout the year to maintain these goals?</div>
The Hopewell Househttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11317516443040590204noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2172485110411865981.post-71816874448576862632016-01-06T20:28:00.001-08:002016-01-07T11:04:35.087-08:00Here's to Another New Year!<div style="text-align: center;">
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{Disclaimer: This is the early days of Phoenix, not another baby}<br />
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First & foremost, I should start out this post by saying happy [belated] New Years! What a crazy whirlwind this last year has been!</div>
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I have to laugh that the last post I wrote was from over a year ago reflecting on our first year in South Dakota & now I'm back to once again reflecting on our second year here in the great midwest.</div>
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So how did last year's resolutions end up going and what all were we up to in 2015?</div>
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Last year definitely had it's highs & lows and was a continuous emotional roller-coaster.</div>
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At the time, we were going through infertility treatments and were contemplating things like infertility meds, IUI's, and IVF's... things I never thought I would be facing at 27 years old.</div>
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To be honest, I always figured when we were ready to start a family, it would come easy to us. I never thought that pregnancy would be so much of a struggle or ever dreamed a doctor would tell me I had about a 50% of getting pregnant even after doing IVF.</div>
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In 2015, Dave was trying to figure out things like his future and career. His dream was to work with his best friend, but at the beginning of 2015 we wondered if it was only that...a dream.</div>
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Last year was a year of trusting the unknown and trying to understand God's will and direction.</div>
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We were dreaming of home, family, stability and at this time last year we were trying to understand what that would all look like.</div>
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Our resolutions for last year were to focus on the Mind, Body, and Soul aspect. We thought by focusing on these areas, it would not only help encourage healthy feasible goals, but would also create positive changes within our lives.</div>
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Mind: Do things to expand & grow</div>
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- Read one book a month</div>
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- Dave started classes to get licensed</div>
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Body: Get healthy</div>
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- Get in shape [to help encourage pregnancy] </div>
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- Heidi go through 200 Hour program for yoga teacher training</div>
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- Dave do more biking.</div>
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Soul: </div>
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- Be more intentional</div>
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- Read more // Reflect</div>
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2015 was all about trust.</div>
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We were trusting God had us, that He was hearing the cries of our hearts and leading us in whatever direction he was directing for us, even if that meant giving up on our dreams.</div>
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I laugh looking back on this time about just how utterly overused "Oceans" was during this time, but man, I am so thankful for the words from that song because that was my heart's cry for 2015.</div>
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<i>You call me out upon the waters</i></div>
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<i>The great unknown where feet may fail</i></div>
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<i>And there I find you in the mystery </i></div>
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<i>In oceans deep</i></div>
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<i>My faith will stand.</i></div>
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<i>Spirit Lead me where my trust is without borders</i></div>
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<i>Let me walk upon the waters</i></div>
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<i>Wherever You would call me</i></div>
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<i>Take me deeper than my feet could ever wander</i></div>
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<i>And my faith will be made stronger</i></div>
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<i>In the presence of my Savior.</i></div>
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<i>I will call upon Your name</i></div>
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<i>Keep my eyes above the waves</i></div>
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<i>My soul will rest in Your embrace</i></div>
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<i>I am Yours & You are mine.</i></div>
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And in 2015:</div>
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- Dave transitioned into his dream job, working with his best friend.</div>
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- We not only made smart financial decisions, but we paid down quite a bit of debt.</div>
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- We went through IVF.</div>
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- We found out we were pregnant!</div>
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- We went through the process of once again applying for a house loan and this time qualified!</div>
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- We bought a home, OUR home!</div>
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- We welcomed out little boy into the world.</div>
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What a good, overwhelming, emotion year!</div>
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2015- You were really good.</div>
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2016- We are excited to have you here.</div>
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Tomorrow I hope to share a little more about this year's resolutions, one being our intention to blog more [hence name change].</div>
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More to come!<br />
[Also please excuse some changes/modifications over the next couple of weeks. I'm attempting to update the blog and am trying to remember some of my super basic coding knowledge from back in the day. Wish me luck!]</div>
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The Hopewell Househttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11317516443040590204noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2172485110411865981.post-36377100250157718832014-12-13T10:31:00.000-08:002014-12-13T10:31:04.049-08:00A Year Ago<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjaw-0YEOxLSkxGPfoQB0aeIazrOdBTtV0lsNaeH213SUTfAP9lgo_APGs6wieMpMWq3SzYSETwunAnwVESRBSjkU36zYt_nRdCiVHZIt9nj9_ALSkmzqElIdFBm1m7PVcQ1QxsBrd4okI/s1600/South+Dakota.jpg.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjaw-0YEOxLSkxGPfoQB0aeIazrOdBTtV0lsNaeH213SUTfAP9lgo_APGs6wieMpMWq3SzYSETwunAnwVESRBSjkU36zYt_nRdCiVHZIt9nj9_ALSkmzqElIdFBm1m7PVcQ1QxsBrd4okI/s1600/South+Dakota.jpg.jpg" height="602" width="640" /></a></div>
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A year ago today South Dakota was only this idea.</div>
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We were starting to plan this new, exciting adventure, but really, we had no idea what we were getting ourselves into.</div>
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This time last year we were visiting South Dakota for the very first time.</div>
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The tag on the map was finally coming true, the coffee on the right were moments we were actually sharing together with very special friends here in South Dakota.</div>
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This time last year, we were saying our goodbyes.</div>
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This time of the year things feels so bittersweet now.</div>
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I love where we are, how far we've come...but man, it's moments like these I just really miss everyone.</div>
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This time last year we were cutting down trees, visiting Zoo lights, Christmas parties.</div>
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Spending moments with our family, our friends.</div>
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Looking back on those pictures bring back so many wonderful moments.</div>
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And now here we are a year from then, </div>
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We're singing Christmas carols, watching Eisley grow up and win over all the sweet people at the nursing home.</div>
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We're putting up Christmas lights that are so bright they literally light up our whole house.</div>
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We're planning our trip back home...because the thing I've realized within this year is that home isn't some physical setting. It's people. It's moments. It's life shared together.</div>
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And that makes me excited because I've realized no matter where I go there will always be home.</div>
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<br />The Hopewell Househttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11317516443040590204noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2172485110411865981.post-32497133088632502932014-11-01T13:51:00.001-07:002014-11-01T13:51:44.071-07:00Halloween Fun!<div style="text-align: center;">
Last night D & I experienced our first Trunk or Treat, and it was so much fun!</div>
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If you've never been before, most churches host them as a way to be a part of the holiday fun, to get involved in their community, and provide some additional candy and entertainment for families.</div>
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Individuals bring their cars to park in the parking lots and decorate their trunk with some sort of theme and pass out candy to the kids who stop by.<br />
{I think I heard there were about 1,000 kids who stopped by and 40-some cars there for the event}</div>
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There were Walking Tacos to eat, hot cider/hot chocolate to drink, and lots of fun indoor activities.</div>
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It was such a blast!</div>
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If any of you really know me, you know how much I love Halloween.</div>
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There's just something about the season that gets me so excited.</div>
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And I love seeing all the creative costumes!<br />
The cutest costume I saw was a little girl in a wagon dressed as a mouse trapped in a mouse trap.</div>
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This year D & I went as Backpackers.</div>
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{we may have had everything needed down in our basement already- haha}</div>
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We set up our camping chairs, put sleeping bags in the back, and put our tent up on top of our car.</div>
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We then wore matching plaid and put our backpacks on.</div>
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Dave decided instead of candy we would pass out Snack Packs.</div>
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They went like hot cakes & we ended up having to switch to candy for the rest of the evening.</div>
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Our friends Aaron & Lauren went as Farm Animals & their theme was "Farm Fresh Breakfast"</div>
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Too Funny!</div>
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My friend Amber & her family turned their trunk into a Mcdonalds drive thru.</div>
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I'm pretty sure it was my favorite- such a fun idea!</div>
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There was also a photo booth set up inside & of course we took advantage of it!</div>
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I wish Halloween was longer.</div>
The Hopewell Househttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11317516443040590204noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2172485110411865981.post-48780673956228801592014-10-28T17:30:00.000-07:002014-10-28T17:30:00.496-07:00Florida Edition: My Best Friend's Wedding<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
Obviously I'm way behind on post...like a year's worth (haha)</div>
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Here's a little recap of Raynell's wedding this summer:</div>
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D & I have been trying to cut back on our spending & have been doing Dave Ramsey in the Hopewell household.</div>
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So instead of eating out and hotel stays pre-flight (we were flying out of Minneapolis),</div>
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We car camped and ate some mac-n-cheese at one of our favorite parks in the area.</div>
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So fun!</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj5p0t_ZKNWKKN9mPEsupWTqv7xN0mIyHeiToL9ioTsYlDYd0sEJuquWmoBI4SyOjgAq8ur0Z6d5FgTRMqmsJWJAnUaXtiyyncSV5hydz4z73Nt88QU1X1WYaBh4ezuNBuLocwnSlHoIXE/s1600/368.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj5p0t_ZKNWKKN9mPEsupWTqv7xN0mIyHeiToL9ioTsYlDYd0sEJuquWmoBI4SyOjgAq8ur0Z6d5FgTRMqmsJWJAnUaXtiyyncSV5hydz4z73Nt88QU1X1WYaBh4ezuNBuLocwnSlHoIXE/s1600/368.JPG" height="618" width="600" /></a></div>
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When we finally made it to Florida,</div>
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We let the festivities begin!</div>
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Our first stop was Ray's bachelorette party,</div>
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We took a local wine tour:</div>
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Ate some fabulous seafood waterside:</div>
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And of course, KARAOKE!</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEijbuvTJKJpSUJluHXCVprOz-AjRjwqnACqVYxLWdHgHkP8jlgh3EzNf6s5MT50vDnPeA_LirSOUOLJFfWPWYIWJELHOQ5mwQ2q9CHsGRI7Tyn73mN_ay6McuN0aZarOrB5Zf0qy_tBLHs/s1600/Wedding+4.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEijbuvTJKJpSUJluHXCVprOz-AjRjwqnACqVYxLWdHgHkP8jlgh3EzNf6s5MT50vDnPeA_LirSOUOLJFfWPWYIWJELHOQ5mwQ2q9CHsGRI7Tyn73mN_ay6McuN0aZarOrB5Zf0qy_tBLHs/s1600/Wedding+4.jpg" height="364" width="600" /></a></div>
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(Obviously a fabulous night)</div>
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The next night was rehearsal:</div>
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And then Wedding Day!</div>
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Isn't she beautiful?!</div>
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Best Bridesmaids Ever.</div>
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(I seriously love these ladies)</div>
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And a chance to reconnect with some of my very favorite friends from high school,</div>
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(It's been way too long- I miss you all)</div>
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Seriously, SUCH a fun wedding & I was so honored to be a part of Ray's special day.</div>
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Ray,</div>
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I love you both so incredibly much & am so happy for you both!</div>
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I feel so honored to share life with you after all these years & getting a chance to be a part of this exciting adventure alongside you.</div>
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xoxo.</div>
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The Hopewell Househttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11317516443040590204noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2172485110411865981.post-61611695167032018602014-10-27T17:28:00.000-07:002014-10-27T17:28:00.530-07:00Chicago Love - Half Marathon Edition<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
This September I got a chance to meet up with my dear, dear girlfriends from college to run the Chicago Half Marathon.</div>
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{Whitney, you were SO missed!}</div>
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It was a short but sweet treat & I always feel so revitalized any time I get to spend with these wonderful ladies.</div>
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We toured around briefly around the Navy Pier, The Bean, & Soldier Park.</div>
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What a fun time & such a beautiful weekend!</div>
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We were up bright & early for race day...and were going a little half crazy at this point.</div>
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Before the race I was able to meet up with Rachel for a quick hug that wasn't nearly long enough: OH I MISS HER {move to SD already!}.</div>
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Meanwhile, the girls taped up Richelle.</div>
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Halfway through the race, Dave jumped in and finished the race with me.</div>
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Not only did he help me break under 2:00:00 {1:58:00} but we had such a great time running together. I just love that boy.</div>
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I even got a chance to run with Mar near the end- this was her very first half marathon and she did SO awesome! {So proud of you!}</div>
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I miss you ladies!</div>
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Thank you so much for spending such a good weekend with me.</div>
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I miss you all so much & can't wait for our next adventure!</div>
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Oh and of course D & I stopped for bagels at the end.</div>
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Because, duh.</div>
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SO GOOD.</div>
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<br />The Hopewell Househttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11317516443040590204noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2172485110411865981.post-61941516336478570512014-10-26T17:04:00.000-07:002014-10-26T17:04:14.369-07:00Ragnar: Great River<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
This post is long overdue, but I've decided better late then never.</div>
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In August we decided to participate in a <b><a href="https://www.ragnarrelay.com/">Ragnar Relay</a></b> {Great River}.</div>
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To give a little background on a Ragnar Relay,</div>
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It's basically a relay run made up of 12 people who run a collective 200 mile race over a two day period. The team of 12 is then split into two groups of six and each team rides around in a van to get to each exchange. Each participant takes 3 different assigned legs of the course and the race itself runs all day and all night. Each runner would have anywhere from 11-20 miles {collectively} that they would run that would be split up doing an average of 3-10 miles for each leg.</div>
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[there were some "ultra" teams that were only made up of about 2-6 people. These individuals just would add on miles based on their team size- CRAZY.]</div>
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The race we ran started in Winona, Minnesota, through Wisconsin, and then all the way into Minneapolis, Minnesota.</div>
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Based on what legs/van a participant signs up for determines the time of day they will run. </div>
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Since Dave & I were in van 2, we had the heat of the day, middle of the nights, and late afternoon runs. It was super tough, but SO much fun.</div>
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Honestly, my favorite portion of the run was running at 3 AM through the middle of Minnesota. I have to probably thank the adrenaline for that one, but it was still pretty cool.</div>
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Of course I did yoga throughout the run, starting the morning of the race day.</div>
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Let me tell you, it made a HUGE difference during my race.</div>
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This was us still near the beginning.</div>
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Van 1 was finishing up their first portion of the race and Van 2 was getting ready to start.</div>
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It was awesome getting chances to meet up together throughout the race. Next year we want to figure out how to meet up more frequently. Maybe two teams of 12 to have partners to run with?!</div>
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After each leg of the race we completed, we marked off on our van.</div>
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Other vans would also mark their "kills" (people they passed).</div>
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I think our van was just more focused on the "finishing" aspect. </div>
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haha.</div>
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And of course, no race is authentic without carb-loading. </div>
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Also, </div>
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I PR'd on my 3 AM run.</div>
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7:30/miles.</div>
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Best I've done in a REALLY long time.</div>
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I was pretty syked.</div>
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What a great team we had!</div>
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Some were regular runners,</div>
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Some were newbies,</div>
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Some started training...not at all.</div>
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But overall, it was SUCH an awesome time.</div>
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I think my favorite part of this race is that we all ran as a community and every Ragnarian who ran Great River was part of this awesome community.</div>
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We slept in cars, in schools, on football fields.</div>
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We went days without showering, without sleeping, without saninty.<br />
Food never tasted so good.<br />
At the end, we were SO tired.</div>
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But in the end we got free pizza, and someone that makes all right with the world.</div>
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Ragnar,</div>
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I can't wait to run you again next year!</div>
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Thanks friends for such awesome memories.</div>
<br />The Hopewell Househttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11317516443040590204noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2172485110411865981.post-42487527926312231122014-09-10T19:28:00.002-07:002014-09-10T19:30:24.857-07:00Hello Again!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Well that ended up being a little longer break than expected.</div>
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Hello!</div>
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I promise I'm still around.</div>
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All is well & good in the world.</div>
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Great really.</div>
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We love South Dakota.</div>
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Oh it's been so so so good.</div>
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It's been restorative to our health, our well being, and our marriage.</div>
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And the people here are awesome.</div>
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True Midwest hospitality.</div>
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We're just loving it.</div>
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And of course there's always our adventures.</div>
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We've been doing a lot of fun things lately.</div>
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I'll delve into them a little more at a later time, but here's a brief rundown of this summer:</div>
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<ul>
<li style="text-align: left;">We kayaked part of the Big Sioux</li>
<li style="text-align: left;">We celebrated 4 years of marriage in South Dakota.</li>
<li style="text-align: left;">We got more tattoos.</li>
<li style="text-align: left;">We camped out at the North Dakota Grasslands.</li>
<li style="text-align: left;">I started teaching yoga classes.</li>
<li style="text-align: left;">We traveled to Florida for one of my very best friend's wedding.</li>
<li style="text-align: left;">We traveled to Alaska for my cousin's wedding.</li>
<li style="text-align: left;">We did our first Ragnar relay from Winona to Minneapolis.</li>
<li style="text-align: left;">My parents & grandparents came to visit.</li>
<li style="text-align: left;">We went to Chicago & I ran the Chicago Half Marathon with some of my dear best friends from college.</li>
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Whew...it's been a really good summer and there is still more to share!</div>
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Gosh,</div>
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I've missed you.</div>
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But ya know, sometimes you just need a break.</div>
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There was a lot I was trying to work through and process when we moved out here.</div>
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I just needed to relax and fully experience life going on around me.</div>
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It's been so revitalizing for the soul.</div>
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But man, it's good to be back here & sharing life.</div>
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(& I know mom probably loves seeing me post here again because we all know how good I am at calling home- guilty.)</div>
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The Hopewell Househttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11317516443040590204noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2172485110411865981.post-47932447868685640162014-04-01T19:27:00.000-07:002014-04-01T19:27:21.970-07:00The Latest Tidbit<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiD4bLxW6JaT7yHa1u_pKulwOonD-cFP4LaxxmQq9euJW6WKkMmU_jyaqsbco1EYt-v-XyZx8QEkSoUJZTW4Cmu7WywDqfhsFeZfdRPjlmpzgQa4Amwh9ziMjwfL_4fpM2yCj_GgwtExsc/s1600/IMG_0603.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiD4bLxW6JaT7yHa1u_pKulwOonD-cFP4LaxxmQq9euJW6WKkMmU_jyaqsbco1EYt-v-XyZx8QEkSoUJZTW4Cmu7WywDqfhsFeZfdRPjlmpzgQa4Amwh9ziMjwfL_4fpM2yCj_GgwtExsc/s1600/IMG_0603.JPG" height="440" width="600" /></a></div>
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Life Lately:</div>
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+ Work Days & Lunch Dates</div>
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+Tuesday Night Make Your Own Pizza Clubs</div>
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+ Fitness Classes & Gym Time [I've been trying out cycling classes]</div>
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+ New Friendships & Fun Crazy Random Outings</div>
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+ Sunday Afternoon Brunches</div>
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+ Book Club with D</div>
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+ Sunday Night Coffee Shop Baristas</div>
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+ Puppy Dates</div>
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+ Adventures</div>
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+Fighting those winter blues</div>
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+ Fun new races to run</div>
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The New Norm.</div>
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It's funny, it feels like things have majorly slowed down, but we're still doing so many wonderful crazy things with such incredible people.</div>
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South Dakota, </div>
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Your too good to us.</div>
The Hopewell Househttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11317516443040590204noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2172485110411865981.post-70177047418235375322014-03-01T09:59:00.000-08:002014-03-01T09:59:06.394-08:00Reverting Back to New Years<div style="text-align: center;">
So since I didn't really get a chance to talk about my New Years Resolutions this year, I've decided March is the perfect time to share what we've been up to so far this year & the different commitments we're making.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEie_WlHXBwsi-tZUVrVMqYaitcbs7GfRVgpyhwcNMCbB_ARfyrHeJP23Nj3NKmDNNuteZNdtp6tKC70HsAwRbS5PQJx50VP16EhR6uUpt9bcnJyFvHXQUjCCNTxYMjHIWwwL3vDbySbehk/s1600/IMG_4385.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEie_WlHXBwsi-tZUVrVMqYaitcbs7GfRVgpyhwcNMCbB_ARfyrHeJP23Nj3NKmDNNuteZNdtp6tKC70HsAwRbS5PQJx50VP16EhR6uUpt9bcnJyFvHXQUjCCNTxYMjHIWwwL3vDbySbehk/s1600/IMG_4385.JPG" height="600" width="600" /></a></div>
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The first thing we're trying to do every month is read a new book. I like to call it the D & H Book Club, (although we're not at all reading the same books). So far we've successfully made it through January; I read My Sister's Keeper & Dave read three different books [overambitious]: Outlaw by Ted Dekker, The Decision Maker, & 5 Dysfunctions of a Team. For February, we're still trying to finish the last of our books and are officially dedicating today as Reading Day. It's been a really fun challenge to have & has helped remind me just how much I enjoy reading. Any good reading recommendations out there for us? I'd love to hear some of your favorites!</div>
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And as all good resolutions go, we have committed this year to getting more physically fit. We've joined a gym here & frankly I'm pretty stoked about it. The membership not only provide us with workout equipment, but also rock climbing & fitness classes. My motivation this year is 1) If we go to the gym 15 times per month, our company basically pays for our fees & 2) Raynell's wedding- gotta look good for those wedding photos! They're also getting ready to open a hot yoga studio in our area and I'm so excited!</div>
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The other big goal we have this year is getting in shape emotionally. Last year was a really rocky year for Dave & I and we kind of had one of those "Ah-Ha!" moments in which we realized that we weren't taking care of ourselves or each other as we should be. Part of our move was dedicated to this, learning to be more intentional with each other and finding the okay in slowing down and just living in the delicate moments of time. It's been such a different change for us so far, but so wonderful! Dave's not gone all the time for work & I'm not keeping a booked schedule. We work 9-5 jobs that give us our evenings back & everything in our new town is literally 10 minutes away or less. We stay home most Saturdays now just enjoying quiet moments, reading good books, and remembering how much we enjoy good French presses and loose leaf teas. We've also made it a point to get up a little earlier each morning to have our own individual quiet times; mornings aren't always easy to embrace but sitting in reflection, taking time to pray & reflect, really helps make each day more bearable & a little bit brighter.<br />
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And last but not least, we are trying to be much better about getting our finances in order. We're budgeting, living simply, and eating out a whole lot less. We cook more meals at home & we use a calculator when we're at the grocery store to track how much we're spending. We're really trying to live within our means & to save money to do things we love like traveling & spending time with wonderful people! I'm really proud of how well we've done so far!</div>
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Happy Saturday Friends!</div>
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Embrace this day & take some time to relax.</div>
The Hopewell Househttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11317516443040590204noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2172485110411865981.post-5444777188486490882014-02-25T21:10:00.000-08:002014-02-25T21:10:20.416-08:00Welcome to South Dakota<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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So after a blog hiatus due to craziness, moving, & lack of internet,</div>
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I'm officially back.</div>
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<i>& in South Dakota!</i></div>
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That still sounds crazy to hear.</div>
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<b>South Dakota.</b></div>
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But, Wow, it's been awesome.</div>
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So just to answer a few questions out there for all those who might be wondering (I'm guessing this will mostly be for our family):</div>
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1. We are healthy & alive just occasionally cold from time to time. Gotta love the negative degree temperatures out here & awesome snow drifts.</div>
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2. We have the most darling little home that we are currently renting out here & we absolutely love it!</div>
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3. We finally closed on our house last Friday. It's so nice to be free of an extra mortgage & no more burdens of loose ends still in Ohio.</div>
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4. We both have jobs! Mine was already known, but Dave just started working last Monday in Customer Service & seems to be enjoying learning the processes and life of a 9-5er. [He's never worked a job that he's home every night before 5 PM!]</div>
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5. There is no Starbucks around us, well, there's one in our grocery store, but that doesn't really count. This has been a really hard one for me, but oh so very good for my checking account. We do have some pretty little local coffee shops though & I've been appreciating some good loose leaf teas.</div>
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6. As announced on Facebook a few days ago, we are now completely credit card debt free & ready to start making some smart financial decisions. We realized living out here on a very tight budget that we were not making wise money decisions in the past & we are now determined to be smarter with our money. We want an adventurous life, and to do so, we need to be making better decisions.</div>
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7. Sky got 8 stitches on her head last Saturday thanks to a barbed wire fence. That dog, she is a) fearless & b) tough. Didn't flinch, didn't cry, nothing! So we are now familiar with the local vet in town. </div>
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So now that we are a little more up to date on things,</div>
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Just sending out some quick love to all my wonderful people out there who've been so wonderful & supportive on our move out here.</div>
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We've made it, but we sure do miss you!</div>
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<b>xoxo</b></div>
The Hopewell Househttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11317516443040590204noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2172485110411865981.post-6703429013625922852013-12-22T09:45:00.001-08:002013-12-22T09:45:13.797-08:00To New Adventures<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Sorry for yet another quiet absence on the blog, but I've had too many exciting things to share and didn't want to spoil things before their time.</div>
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So for those of you who haven't heard yet, Dave & I are moving to South Dakota at the beginning of January! </div>
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It's kind of crazy and was only decided (officially) about 2 months ago, but we're feeling really good about our decision and we know God definitely is at work in our lives. </div>
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There's just something so undeniably incredible when you know you're so perfectly in His will, that it takes away all the fears and doubts that come with making big changes. </div>
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I laugh too because we are continuously seeing God answering prayers as he moves in our lives, but nothing has been answered in the ways we thought they would.</div>
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But I have a job, Dave has an interview, we sold our house, and we found the perfect place for us to rent! To have all that happen in less than a month is a miracle. </div>
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Ohio has been so good to us.</div>
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We've had good & bad times along the way but from everything that has happened we've become stronger people more in-tune with ourselves and more focused on the things that are truly important.</div>
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We've done things we never thought we could.</div>
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We've made some of the most incredible relationships with people we couldn't love more (this is probably the hardest thing to leave behind-- thank goodness these relationships are ones I know we will have for a lifetime).</div>
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We've created family.</div>
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We've proven others wrong and shown our worth and our abilities.</div>
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We've explored and embraced.</div>
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We've created some of the best memories that I still look back on and smile about.</div>
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It's been beautiful, it's been challenging, but now... now is our time for something new.</div>
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I think when we're called to something it's not a matter of when we're comfortable but instead jumping in and living on faith.</div>
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Trusting in the unknown.</div>
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Believing in the greater purpose for our lives.</div>
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So more to come, but please, if you're in the area and we're around, please stop by and say hello!</div>
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We love you Ohio & the beautiful people here,</div>
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Let's just say that it's not goodbye but see ya next time! ;)</div>
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<br />The Hopewell Househttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11317516443040590204noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2172485110411865981.post-19702787008687529502013-12-07T11:24:00.001-08:002013-12-07T11:24:18.067-08:00Thanksgiving Weekend<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
I love Thanksgiving; besides Halloween, its my favorite holiday.</div>
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Thanksgiving is pretty awesome because its a chance to reflect on all the things we're thankful for, a day full of incredible food (D's parents are AMAZING cooks), and time to spend with family.</div>
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I especially love the fact that its our tradition to spend it with D's side of the family.</div>
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I think its true when they say you don't just marry a spouse, you marry their family, and man, every time I'm around D's family, I remember just how lucky I am.</div>
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I just love them!</div>
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I was especially excited this year because my brother & sister in law were going to be in town with my little niece Addie and I've been dying to see them! </div>
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We started the weekend off with Addie & D building a fort per Addie's specific request. </div>
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I just died at the cuteness.</div>
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Addie sure loves her Uncle D.</div>
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And like I said,</div>
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The food is amazing!</div>
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I ate so much I had to take a solid nap afterwards. </div>
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<i>Worth it.</i></div>
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This little one just kills me with her cuteness & personality.</div>
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Right now Addie is in her princess stage.</div>
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I loved watching her eyes light up when Amber mentioned watching Tangled, or when she asked D to be the Prince for playing Princesses.</div>
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I felt especially honored that she told me I could be Cinderella.</div>
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I also loved that she's at the age right now where she can't go to bed until she hugs & kisses everyone goodnight because she's just trying to avoid going to bed.</div>
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Its so crazy watching her grow up and slowly seeing her as a little girl and no longer a baby.</div>
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I wish so much we lived closer but I'm so thankful for the times we get to be together.</div>
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That Saturday we woke up bright & early and went hiking.</div>
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I don't know if the day could have been any more perfect and a view more gorgeous!</div>
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It was nice to get out and work off some of that holiday goodness (though when we got back we did eat a ton of leftovers, but I mean Thanksgiving leftovers really are the best and you gotta do what you gotta do, right?)</div>
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Overall,<br />
Great Weekend, Great Food, Great People!</div>
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<br />The Hopewell Househttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11317516443040590204noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2172485110411865981.post-16178993633922763872013-11-20T18:52:00.000-08:002013-11-20T18:52:17.358-08:00<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<div style="text-align: center;">
So where to begin?</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
I guess I can start off by saying sorry I've been gone so long...</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
It's been a kind of a rough month to say the least.</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
Just a lot of things going on and a lot of soul searching on my part.</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
Sorry to be so vague,</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
But there's just some things happening that I feel right now isn't the right time to share.</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
But I do have to say, I think it's kind of funny sometimes how God will work in our lives. How sometimes we need a wake up call to really see life & see where we've allowed ourselves to become complacent. And from these moments, sometimes in order to be woken up we must first be willing to be completely broken down.</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
And I've realized being broken, as much as it can hurt, can be so completely beautiful.</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
I truly believe there's beauty in the broken.</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
And in those moments I'm rediscovering me and figure out my life.</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
I'm seeing things clearly & God has never felt so real.</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
It's been humbling to say the least.</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
And so good all at the same time.</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
Stepping away from blogging, from distraction, was what my soul needed I think.</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
To be honest, </div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
It's hard to write, to pretend to be happy, to share life, when your heart just isn't in it.</div>
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I knew that I just needed some time for solitude and reflection.</div>
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It's been good because I've been more intentional with reading and old-school journalling.</div>
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Which, I realized when I stepped away from blogging that I haven't really done either of those in a really long time.</div>
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And I don't really know why I'm blabbering like this,</div>
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But I do have to say that regardless, I've really missed blogging.</div>
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And I finally feel like I'm at a better place to get back to it & share life again.</div>
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Life is getting good & I feel an adventure in the works.</div>
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xoxo,</div>
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Love You All.</div>
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<br />The Hopewell Househttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11317516443040590204noreply@blogger.com2