Pregnancy Journey.

On September 15, 2014 Chase and I found out we were pregnant!!!!! That was probably one of the best days of my life.

I woke up around 2:30am that morning because I had to go to the bathroom. I was a day or 2 late, and thought, "Why not? I'm going to take a pregnancy test." I was so nervous. Those 2 minutes I had to wait felt like forever. I picked up the test and saw that positive sign, and I wanted to yelp for joy. haha. It was late, so I didn't. I decided to wait until morning to tell Chase. Bad idea. I coudn't sleep at all! I was so excited and I just wanted to research everything I could about pregnancy. I was on my phone looking up my anticipated due date which was May 2015. I finally fell asleep for an hour or two, and I decided to get up and start getting ready for work.

I decided to tell Chase by using a picture frame that said "Due Date" on it that we bought when we first started trying to get pregnant. I put a paper in the frame that said approximately May 2015, and I taped the pregnancy test to the top of the frame. I placed it on the toilet so he would see it when he got up for work.

Pure happiness.

Then I waited. He FINALLY got up. I was sitting on the couch in our living room. He just went straight into the bathroom and closed the door. I was dying! About a minute later he burst out of the bathroom and said, "REALLY?!?!" Then we hugged and cried. It was such a sweet, happy moment for us. It was short lived because we had to go to work and school. That whole day was eternally long. I just wanted to get home and celebrate with Chase. All day I couldn't help but feel so happy. I have never felt such a strong emotion of gratitude to my Heavenly Father for trusting me enough to be a Mom and to carry one of His children.

When I was about 7 weeks pregnant, I started having some spotting which scared me to death. We got some blood work done and an ultrasound and things looked great! It was such a relief to see our baby on the ultrasound.

We decided to tell our family's that week because we couldn't contain our excitement anymore. We told my parents by giving them a thank you card. They really had done so much for us in the weeks previously, so we told them that we got them a little gift to thank them. They were mad that we did that. My Dad worked late that night, of course, so my Mom opened the card by herself. We put a picture of the ultrasound inside the thank you card. She was shocked! She thought it was a joke. It was hilarious! Then she send a picture of the ultrasound to my Dad. He didn't respond right away so we called him. My Mom asked him if he saw the picture, and he said, "Yeah, what the heck were you thinking?" haha. He always reminds me that I should have listened to him and never got pregnant. (Of course he's joking.) We told Chase's family that Sunday because it was his Dad's birthday. So we gave him a birthday card with the ultrasound picture in it as well. They were all surprised. His sisters said "They knew it!" haha. Kenzie said she had written in her journal the night before that she thought I was pregnant. We then Skyped the rest of his family. When Derek asked us what was new in our lives, Chase put the ultrasound picture in front of the camera. They freaked.  The reactions of our nieces were the best! We then found out that Brooke and Chris were also expecting in April. It was a fun Skype session. We love our families and are so grateful for their love and support. 

On December 23, 2014 we found out that we were having a boy!!! We went to Fetal Studios in the mall so that we could find out before Christmas. Best. Gift. Ever. He was so stubborn during the ultrasound. He was crossing his legs, and would not wake up! He finally moved around a little and the doctor told us it was a boy. Chase's reaction was priceless. His jaw dropped, and probably stayed open for a full minute. haha. He was CONVINCED we were having a girl because everyone got into his head. Boys just don't happen in our family. I have all sisters. My sister has 2 girls, Chase's sister has 5 girls. We can't make boys in this family. We broke the curse. We told our family's on Christmas that we were having a boy.

I  have felt so lucky my entire pregnancy. It's been so easy. I only threw up a handful of times. I've been able to work the whole time. I've been very tired at some points, but I have a saint for a husband, so I'm lucky. He cooked so many meals. He's cleaned the bathroom the whole time I've been pregnant. He let me sleep. Lots. He's been so patient with me. I love Chase more than I ever thought possible. The thought of him becoming a Dad just makes me cry. I'm so grateful that we were married in the temple and that we get to start our eternal family together. Chase prays for the baby and I every day. He's been so cute and protective the whole pregnancy. I can't wait to be a parent with him and to experience this new stage in our lives together!

We just moved to a new apartment a week ago. We finally get to start getting a nursery together and I am so excited! I'm 33 weeks along, and we can't wait to meet our little Aiden in 7 weeks. Life is so good.

In front of our new apartment.

When our baby was the size of a lemon. That was a monumental moment! :)

Baby Bump progression. Jan. 15, 2015.

March 5, 2015. 3rd Trimester.

Pity Party.

The month of August was an interesting month for me. I had a pity party all month long. Things were not going the way I wanted them to.  My plans were being squashed. Money was tight. Nothing seemed certain. Anyone who knows me, knows that I do not handle the unknown well. In my perfect world, everything would happen just the way I envisioned. I've learned this month that I am grateful for the unknown. I am grateful to know that I have a loving Heavenly Father who sees the bigger picture and has a better plan for me than I could ever imagine.

There were many days that I selfishly though to myself, "Why is this happening to me, when Chase and I are trying so hard to do the right things?" or "Why is this happening right now?" I had many talks with my Heavenly Father were I vented and pleaded for guidance and guess what? He listened. He comforted me. He allowed me to feel that everything would be okay. He didn't give me all the answers or tell me exactly why things were happening the way that they were, but He strengthened my faith, and that was enough.

Elder Scott said, "Just when all seems to be going right, challenges often come in multiple doses apllied simultaneously. When those trials are not consequences of your disobedience, they are evidence that the Lord feels you are prepared to grow more. He therefore gives you experiences that stimulate growth, understanding, and compassion, which polish you for your everlasting benefit. To get you from where you are to where He want you to be requires a lot of stretching, and that generally entails discomfort and pain." 

I am so grateful this month that I have been able to step back and see all of the blessings that I have received. I'm grateful for the small glimpses I've seen of the plan that Heavenly Father has layed out for me. He really is in the details of our lives. He loves us perfectly and knows exactly what is best for us. He absolutely NEVER forgets us. 

If you haven't seen this video, I highly recommend watching it. Grab a box of tissues too! 

Lord, I Believe.

This past week Chase and I have seen God's hand in the details of our lives. I have felt an overwhelming sense of gratitude to my Heavenly Father that is hard for me to explain. I tend to be a worrier, and I can get stressed and overwhelmed about the "unknown". Chase and I are newly married, college students, which equals being poor. It can often be scary not knowing how everything is going to work out financially. For the first time this past week, it felt a little hard for me to pay our tithing. I knew it was the right thing to do, but I was scared and wondering how it was all going to work together. I paid our tithing in that moment, because I knew I needed to, and than I got down on my knees and talked with my Heavenly Father about my concerns. I told him that I had faith that everything would work out okay, but that I was still scared. I knew my faith was lacking. Then I felt Him teach me. I remembered the story of the sweet man who came to the Lord while he was surrounded by a huge group of people and asked if he would heal his sick son. His son had been sick since he was a baby.

This father brought his son before the Savior of the world and said,

If thou canst do any thing, have compassion on us, and help us.

Jesus said unto him, If though canst believe, all things are possible to him that believeth.

And straightway the father of the child cried out, and said with tears,

"Lord, I believe; help thou mine unbelief." 

I don't think it's coincidental that there is a semi-colon after the words "Lord, I believe" I think it represents the man pausing as he realizes that his faith is still new and limited. Then he asks the Lord to make up the difference. He asks him to accept the small amount of faith that he does have. It is with that man's faith that Jesus heals his son.

Elder Jeffrey R. Holland says, "Observation number one regarding this account is that when facing the challenge of faith, the father asserts his strength first and only then acknowledges his limitation. His initial declaration is affirmative and without hesitation: 'Lord, I believe.' I would say to all who wish for more faith, remember this man! In moments of fear or doubt or troubling times, hold the ground you have already won, even if that ground is limited. In the growth we all have to experience in mortality, the spiritual equivalent of this boy's affliction or this parent's desperation is going to come to all of us. When those moments come and issues surface, the resolution of which is not immediately forthcoming, hold fast to what you already know and stand strong until additional knowledge comes."

I am grateful for a loving Heavenly Father that lets me walk by faith, and struggle a little, so that I can learn. I'm grateful that He accepts the little faith that I have and has compassion on me. I am grateful for the blessings that we see on a daily basis.

Anniversary Getaway (and a few more pictures)

Here's a few pictures from our little getaway that we had for our anniversary. We went to Park City, and stayed in a little hotel hidden in the mountains. It snowed a ton. It was so fun to getaway from work and school, and spend a weekend together.

At the Park City Oulet Malls

Beautiful Mountains

Celebrating one year!

We ate our cake after one year. Surprisingly, it wasn't very bad. 

Chase eating a Dutch sprinkle sandwich. That was our treat from the World Market. 

Holy huge Tootsie Pop!

Beautiful view from our hotel room.

Our Christmas Tree.

Fiery Tree. 

Chase in his "normal" winter attire. 

Walking home from work in a big snow storm.

Forgotten Carols. I loved it!!! 

Things I Love About Chase.

Today Chase and I have been married for 1 YEAR! I can't even believe how fast the time has gone. In the past year, I have grown to love Chase more than I could imagine. Here are a few things I love about him. (Not in any particular order)

- He is the best forgiver. If I've done something wrong, or said something I shouldn't have said and I apologize. He forgives and forgets. Instantly. That's such a huge Christlike characteristic, and I'm grateful for it. He is also so good at asking for forgiveness.

-Chase is a hard worker and does the best at everything he does! Since we've been married, I've had to tell him to stop working such long hours occasionally so we could actually spend time together. :) He steps up to his responsibilities and tries to be his best self.

-I love Chase for his devotion to the Gospel of Jesus Christ. Throughout this past year I have seen him grow and strengthen his testimony. One of my favorite things is to listen to him pray. I know that when I listen to Chase pray that he is talking to his friend. He says the most sincere prayers. He's the cutest teacher to our little Sunbeams. I know he's going to be a great Daddy someday!

-Chase is my best friend. Hands down. No one knows me better, or loves me more fiercely than him. He's my rock. It's been so fun to continue to get to know him more.

-Chase makes me laugh all the time! The very first thing that ever attracted me to Chase, was his laugh and smile. Not a day goes by that he doesn't make me laugh because of some crazy thing that he did.

-Chase believes the best in me. He has shown me over and over again that I can do anything I put my mind to. He always knows exactly what to say and when to say it.

-Let's face it, my husband is HOT! I love his good looks. :)

-Chase will probably be mad at me for saying this,  but he is such a loving, emotional, selfless guy. I count myself lucky to have seen this side of Chase that I think very few, if any, other people have seen. He never goes a day without telling me that he loves me. Usually multiple times. He has a genuine love and concern for his family, my family, me, and just about everyone. He loves deeply.

-Chase is super outgoing and friendly. We've only lived in Orem for a few months and he's already BFF's  with half the guys he works with. People are drawn to him because of his easy-going personality. He is a reliable and loyal friend who people know they can count on.

Overall, Chase is my better half. He's my biggest cheerleader, and helps me to never give up on my goals. He makes me do hard things (like speak Spanish), even when I don't want to. He has perfect honor and respect for me as his wife and as a daughter of God.

Grateful for Friday the 13th.

Today has been an interesting day for me to say the least. I'm not superstitious, nor do I believe that Friday the 13th really is a day of bad luck, but today almost made me a believer.

This morning I had to go be at work at 7:45am. Chase and I only have one car right now, so our other form of transportation is a bike. I was running a little bit late this morning. I rushed out the door, hopped on my bike, and started peddling as fast as my legs would go. Apparently, that was a bad idea. It had been raining during the night and the streets were slick, and my tire veered a little bit and I rode over the area where the sidewalk meets the grass, and my bike went down. I crashed. Thankfully I didn't get hurt. I ripped my pants, scraped my knees, and embarrassed myself a little bit.

I made it to work with 5 minutes to spare, and just laughed off the whole situation. When I finished my shift, I walked out to where my bike was locked up and......my back tire was flat as a pancake. That made me really laugh at my luck. So, I started walking home. As I was walking, I was reflecting on how blessed I was. That kind of surprised me. Of all times to be thankful, this was definitely not one of them. Or so I thought.

This past month my heart has been bursting with gratitude for all the blessings that Chase and I have received. We're both going to school full-time, and have received financial aid. We're both able to maintain about 30+ hours of work. We're busier than ever, and we don't get to see each other as often as we would like, but it just makes the times we do get to be together even better. Chase's Dad sold us his bike so that we can make our crazy schedules work. We live in a great location so it's not a long bike ride for us to get to school or work. We live in a great ward. We have great family and friends who are so supportive of us. Life is just so good.

All of those thoughts came back to me while I was walking home. I felt so grateful that I didn't get seriously hurt when I fell off my bike. My work brought in lunch for our whole team, so I got to eat before I had to walk home. (I didn't have a chance to grab breakfast before I left for work. I was starving). It wasn't too hot. It wasn't raining even though the sky looked very ominous. I live just shy of 1.5 miles away from my work, so it wasn't a long walk home. I had 4 people who were willing to stop what they were doing to help me get my bike back home. My good friends Courtney and Reilly came and picked me up and let me use their truck to get my bike back home. I just felt an overwhelming amount of gratitude to my Heavenly Father for helping me have a positive attitude during this situation that seemed so trivial in the grand scheme of things.

I know that Heavenly Father is in the details of our lives. He loves us so stinking much that He places us in situations that may seem hard at the moment, but when we look back we can only see blessings and growth.

So there you have it, I'm grateful for Friday the 13th.

Engagement Story.

On August 7th, 2012, Chase asked me to become his wife. This month marks a year since I said yes. It was such an exciting day for us both, and something we had been working hard for.

I went back to visit my mission in California with my family in July, and at that time Chase started ring shopping. He told me while I was gone that he had found the ring, but I had no idea when he was going to pop the question.

When I was at work on August 7th, Chase told me that he was going to my parents house to ask for their blessing to marry me. (So cute.) I had expected that he would propose that weekend. He and some other friends and family had sort of hinted that it was going to happen that Saturday.

To my surprise, he proposed that night! We got together after I got off work to watch the Summer Olympics in London. We were just relaxing downstairs in my parents basement, and I wasn't expecting a thing... Then he said, "I can't wait any longer" and he pulled out a ring from the pocket of his cargo shorts, and asked me to marry him. The first words out of my mouth were, "RIGHT NOW?" I was stunned. Of course I said yes! I was in disbelief all night long. I'm positive I said "Oh my goodness" around 40 times that night.

We went upstairs to tell my parents, and I thought for sure my Mom would be asleep, but she was still dressed, watching TV with my Dad, and apparently they were just waiting for us to make our announcement. They knew it was going to happen all along. They played it off very well. I had no suspicions. My parents bought us bubbly and Hershey kisses to celebrate.

We then went to my sisters house and my best friends to make the announcement that night. We let everyone else know the next day. It was such exciting news for us! We've now been married for 9 months. It's been absolutely the best thing ever. I love him now more than ever! I'm so glad he asked me to marry him.

I'm excited for the journey we have ahead of us. 

Reflections of my Mission.

This month my thoughts have been taking me back to the precious 18 months I spent as a missionary in the California Santa Rosa Misson (CASRM). June 19th marked a year since I boarded a plane and headed back to Utah. That day I felt so many different emotions. I was SO excited to see my family and friends again. I could hardly stand it. I was nervous about what the future held for me. I was so grateful for the things that I had learned, and I was SO sad to be leaving a people and place I grew to love so much.

It's hard for me to imagine that I've been home a year already. As I've been reflecting on all that has happened to me since I've been home and all the memories I had as a missionary, my heart has once again been flooded with the love I have for the people in the CASRM. I've been reading some of my emails, and looking through my pictures and journals. I've laughed my head off and cried my eyes out. I came across the last email that I sent to my mission President, and I felt like it perfectly portrayed my love of my mission, and so I thought I would share it. 

"Dear President,

 

This is the last letter I will be writing you as a full-time missionary. I think it's finally starting to hit me that tomorrow I will be flying home. My heart is full, and yet heavy. The last couple of days my mind has been flooded with people, places, and all of the experiences that I've had as a missionary. Let me just tell you a little bit about what I've been thinking and feeling:

 

I thought about when I started my mission with Hermana Martinez in Santa Rosa. Although I was only in that area for 6 weeks. I love it with everything I've got. Hermana Martinez taught me how to love the Latino people. She constantly thanked me for serving her people. I am so grateful for her patience with me at that time. I was scared out of my mind and I thought that I would never learn Spanish. She set the pace for the rest of my mission.

 

Then I went to Vacaville for 6 months. I can't even talk about Vacaville without just wanting to cry. That place is sacred ground to me. I learned so much there it's hard to even begin to tell you. I was with Hermana Stohel for 2 transfers. She taught me how to work HARD! We tracted all the time. It was hot, and hard, but worth every effort. Together we had my first baptism, Jaime. I felt the spirit and joy that comes from helping someone enter into the waters of baptism. It was also in Vacaville where I got assigned to train Hermana Anderson. I will always be grateful for that assignment. At the time, there was nothing I could have wanted more than to run away from that assignment. I was scared to take over the area. I couldn't speak Spanish. I felt like I had no clue what to do. My inadequecies were at their highest. Who would have known that because of that call, I made an eternal friend. We worked hard together. We made a lot of mistakes, but we just laughed it out. I think that is probably what I learned the most from Hermana Anderson, is that is was okay to be myself, and to laugh! We had some challenging experiences, and some of the most spiritual experiences of my mission together. We didn't baptize anyone, but we loved those people. We saw miracles happen every day. I've thought a lot about the Traylor family. It's been a miracle to watch them grow in the past 18 months. They have changed my life. I think about Eduardo, who I like to call my "Vacaville Miracle" He was just the person that we needed to find in Vacaville. He brought the group together. I will never forget the Sacrament meeting that he stood up and bore his testimony and said that the best thing that happened to him that summer was when we found him on the street. (We didn't find him, he found us!) Miracles still continue to happen in Vacaville. We got a phone call from the Elders there about 2 weeks ago saying that so many of the people I was working with almost a year ago are now active. I love that place.

 

Then I went to Rohnert Park with Hermana Osorio. Rohnert Park was like the refiner's fire for me. I felt like I was very tested there, but I learned so much. I learned that I didn't have to be a perfect missionary. I learned that just trying was enough. I felt of my Heavenly Father's love for me. Hermana Osorio taught me a lot. She truly cared about the individual. She did the small things for them. I love her.

 

From there I headed over to Napa with Hermana Fenn. Although we were only together for one transfer I learned a lot from her as well. It was fun to work with someone who was at about the same time out as me on the mission. We taught well together. She helped me and talked me through a lot of doubts that I had as I was hitting my one year mark. Then Hermana Ordonez came. I love that girl so much! She kept me on my toes :) She is one of the best missionaries that I know. She worked hard and she went so out of her way to love these people and do the small things for them. She was always working on some kind of project for someone. :) She always made me laugh. Together we had 2 baptisms. Eiro, and Joseph. Eiro is struggling a lot right now and it makes me so sad. But I continue to pray for him. Joseph is doing amazing last I heard. When we first met him he was a truth-seeker. He loved and accepted everything that we taught him. I love him. Last I heard he got the priesthood and has been blessing the Sacrament. He also helps teach the Gospel Principles class. That makes me so happy!

 

Then I headed to Fairfield with Hermana Anderson for a second round. I will never be able to thank you enough for letting me serve again with Hermana Anderson. She has made a bigger impact on my mission than I will ever be able to tell you. She has made me become the missionary I needed to be. I have come to love Fairfield so much as well. It has not been an easy area. Just like I said in my mission letter. I have really come to love and appreciate the phrase, "Come what may, and love it" here. I love the people. I love the few investigators that we have. I have come to realize here what it really means to be a disciple of Jesus Christ. I truly believe that we were sent here together to strengthen the branch. To love these people. There were so many times that we sat with members who just cried, or we helped them move, or we served them in some way. That couldn't be checked off of our key indicators, but it didn't matter to me in the least because we were doing what Jesus Christ, the Savior of the world, would be doing if He himself could be here. What better call is there than that.

 

I have loved every part of my mission. It has changed me. I have really come to know that I have a loving Heavenly Father. The Atonement has become more real to me than ever. The Book of Mormon is true. My testimony has grown stronger. My faith has increased. I trust more in Heavenly Father and I have the confidence to do the things that He has asked of me. I have felt what it is like to be TRULY happy. I will miss being a full-time missionary. So much. "My cup runneth over" with gratitude for the person that I have become, for the blessings that I have seen and for this opportunity that I have had to serve my Savior, Jesus Christ for the past 18 months of my life. I will never forget these experiences I have had out here. I know that they will continue to shape and mold me for the rest of my life.

 

Last but not least, I just want to say thank you to you President. Thank you for everything that you've taught me. Thank you for your council, advice, trust, confidence, and love for me. You have impacted my life so much. You and Sister Bunker have blessed me by your service more than I could ever tell you. Thank you for loving me as one of your daughters, and caring enough for me to help me stretch on grow out here and become the missionary that I was supposed to become. I love you.

 

Love,

 

Hermana Rupp"

Finally, here are some pictures of my companions and people that really blessed my life! 

Eloisa Martinez

Pamela Stohel

Vacaville Spanish Group

Jaime's Baptism.

Courtney Anderson

The Traylor Family

Augustin

Rosa and her family

The Monsons

Maricela Osorio

Rohnert Park Relief Society

Kymberlee Fenn

Eiro's Baptism

Diana Ordonez

Nayn, Rubi, and Jessie

Joseph's Baptism

The Adamson's

The Ortega's

President and Sister Bunker

Okay...I went a little picture crazy! I'm so grateful that I was able to serve a mission. I'm grateful for the way it has blessed my life and continues to do so even a year later.