$53.57...FOR THE LOVE!!!

I think Porters has some secret mind controlling machine in their store...so that right when you walk in their glass door covered with paper clippings about their most recent discounts you get sucked into their craft world!

Some people wouldn't complain about that wonderful world that you can escape to. They search high and low to find wonderful trinkets and treasures that they can put together and create beautiful things with. They look forward to that special hour or two where they can leave the world behind them and enter into a world of bliss and creation.

I had the opportunity to enter that world on Friday to get ready for a Young Women's activity that I am in charge of for all the Mud Lake young women. I am teaching them how to make fabric flower headbands. (I will have to take pictures of the event of Tuesday)

I really did try my hardest to shield my eyes from the glorious splendors that surrounded me as I made my way towards the fabric section...but I was unsuccessful!

My eyes could not help but gaze with awe and amazement at the heart shaped wreaths and vinyl letters that read "I love you" or "Kiss me". Even the regular home decor that had no distinct features seemed to yell at me through their metal and wood corners.

They screamed, "BUY ME BUY ME" and "YOU KNOW YOU NEED ME".

I knew right then and there I was in trouble! I felt like I was shrinking. I could slowly feel the beads of sweat roll down my forehead. I had to get out of there! I made my retreat to the fabric section where I hid around the yards of Chiffon and Minky fabrics.

I reached for my cell to talk to Jeff hoping to get some relief from my suffering. I explained to him how I was feeling down because I had realized I didn't have any Valentines decorations or any decorations for any of the holidays for that matter.

After he listened to me complain about something that was so ridiculous he opened his sweet voice and told me I could spend $20 on a Valentines Day decoration.

We base our spending on a monthly budget and since we are trying to save up for an addition to the family we are trying to really be tight with our money. So I knew when I walked into Porters that all I could get was the stuff for the headbands but when Jeff gave me the green light and 20 dollars it was like I turned into a new women.

After that conversation everything kind of changed into a blur. I rushed through the fabrics and picked out all different colors and patterns for girls 12 to 17 years old! I bought all of the headband stuff and then started the search for the perfect Valentines decoration.

Now this is really where the damage all began.

Have any of you ever heard of the book 'If You Give a Mouse a Cookie'? Well unfortunately I was just like that mouse that day.

All I wanted was one of the jars to fill with candy for my decoration but then I saw the other jaws that looked so great with the one jar I was going to get....

...then I needed the cute vinyl letters that go on the glass jars...
...then I needed the ribbon to decorate the jars with the vinyl letters on it...
...then I needed the candy that went in the jars that had the vinyl lettering on it that was decorated with ribbon...
to bad the candy was $3.75 per pound for the love!
Do you think I put back the ribbon back...or the candy...or the vinyl letters?...
NO because I was IN THE ZONE...I was in some kind of Porters trance that wouldn't let my mind go back to the real world where I knew I couldn't spend that much money!
When I went and bought all my stuff I knew what I was getting myself into...

I went home with all of my wonderful treasures and started to make my decoration. Then the buzz of Porters slowly started to wear off and I started to feel very very guilty.

I called Jeff and simply told him I loved him and he means the world to me and then hung up the phone is disgust! He called me back a few hours later when he calculated in his brain why I was acting so weird.

Have you ever wondered what an anger bear would sound like on the phone? Well I know what it sounds like now! To say the least Jeff was REALLY MAD.

After a good 2 hours of talking about my issues I still blame Porters! I was so disappointed in myself but the jars are super cute aren't they!:)

I PROMISE I LEARNED MY LESSON...I mean I did save $10.73! Oh I only bought 3 jars the big jar in the back I got for my wedding!

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12 WEEKS AND COUNTING...

Oh the joy in the journey!

I have been thinking these last few weeks about writing my first 'how my pregnancy is going' post and now here it is!

This really has been 12 weeks and 3 days of PURE...well just take a look at this picture and I think you will know what kind of PURE I am talking about!

OK OK I am getting ahead of myself...let me start at the beginning!

First let me just say that I am truly blessed and grateful to have such a wonderful gift inside of me.

THAT BEING SAID!

MY PREGNANCY STORY BEGINS!

You never quite understand what you are getting yourself into when that little embryo implants itself into your uterus...I know I didn't!

I mean with one mother who had 8 children, 9 sisters, 4 sister in laws and a handful...scratch that more like Relief Society classroom size of labor and delivery nurses and patients telling me all about their pregnancy journey you would think I would have an idea.

And sure I had an idea of the PURE BLISS journey with a growing belly and thicker hair and longer nails...

MAN was I WRONG!
I mean I really do believe that pregnancy can be easy for some ladies but for others its HARD!...

I am the kinda prego girl who is nauseated ALL DAY LONG!

I mean really who named it "MORNING SICKNESS" in the first place?

MUSTA been a man! Because guess what...it aint morning sickness HOMEBOY!

It is all day long sickness!

Ok so I said it...that is how my pregnancy as been so far...I mean other than nausea I haven't had any problems (not any that I can talk about on a blog anyway)...but it does feel great to have the feeling car sick all day long!

Oh it has been great!

And throwing up doesn't make it much better either...see it's not like the flu or just having an upset stomach because even if you do lose your lunch you still feel that horrible car sick feeling.

My husband has been so supportive and has tried to understand what I am going through...

I told him it was just like feeling car sick...

he said "I have never been car sick, is it just like being uncomfortable?"

Oh bless his heart...but NO DUDE...it's not...I didn't know how to explain it to him...I still don't.

But even though he has had a hard time understanding what I am going through he really has been a great support.

I have to give you one example of my 1st trimester journey...

A couple weeks ago I went to work like I have been doing this whole pregnancy.

I knew working in the middle of the night while I was pregnant was going to be hard but some days I didn't know if I could do it...

On this particular night we had been super busy...

delivering a patient here and a patient there...

Coding a baby here and admitting a patient there...

Well by 3 AM my stomach had had it!

I couldn't seem to stay out of the bathroom!

I work with probably the best girls around we are always looking out for each other!

I work with this sweet girl named Kim!

Let me tell you about miss Kim! Well she has had 4 kids and every single kid she had to be hospitalized! I mean she had a PICC line and feeding tubes and the whole works because she was so sick! I really do not know how she did it!

Anyways she is the sweetest girl and she offered to share some of her crackers with all of us...

Now these weren't just crackers...they were CHEEZ IT CHESSY QUESO!

p.s. I will NEVER eat those again

Yes we all grabbed a handful and started nibbling on them around 3 AM.

I thought they were so good! I think I ate half the box. I couldn't stop myself.

While I was eating them they were settling in my tummy just great then literally the second I swallowed that last Cheez It everything changed.

OK I don't want to gross anyone out but FOR REAL...they burned coming back up!

Oh it was horrible...after that nothin' was stayin down.

Fay the charge nurse let me go home a little earlier...since I was no good to her in the bathroom!

I thought I would just go home and sleep it off like I usually did when I got sick at work which up to that time was pretty much everytime I had worked so it was wasn't a big deal to me...but oh it wasn't like that...

I will skip the details but I was literally crawling from the bed to the bathroom the rest of the day.

At the end of the day Jeff came home and saw what was left of me laying on the bed...He gave me a blessing and we were off to the hospital.

Fay was on again that night and bless her heart she was able to give me an IV...she even called my doctor and got some much needed Phenergan IV!

After that the next 24 hours was kinda a blur! I remember coming home, sleeping and every 4 to 5 hours waking up to eat a couple flakes of Special K.

I am pretty sure there was some kind of special potion in that IV cause for real I felt like this picture that next Monday!

I am happy to say that most of my nausea is GONE! It is still hard to work at night but GIRLFRIEND I FEEL GREAT!

Thanks to a lot of Zofran and Dominos breadsticks!

The next time I went into work the box of Cheez Its was in my locker with a note that said, "For the babies scrapbook!" Thanks girls!

I do have to say that I am truly grateful to the depths of my soul that I didn't have to be hospitalized or have a feeding tube...I feel blessed that I was only sick for 3 months instead of the whole time. I mean like I said I still feel sick once in a while but I am keeping food down and smiling and my life really could not be better!

I truly believe the Lord only gives you things through your life that he knows you can handle!

Anyways I am glad that I was able to get through that trail of pregnancy I think in a way it gave me a better appreciation for my body and being able to be so healthy and happy.
Even though I only gained a pound my 1st trimester I am already starting to get a little baby bump!

Through this post I simply wanted to explain this journey so far...I am so truly grateful for this precious child that I have in my belly and I can't wait to blog more about this wonderful journey.
We nick named the baby 'gummy bear' but now its nearly 2 inches long so we call it our little 'peep' now!

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RECENT PROJECTS!

To start the 2010 year off right I decided to get out my sewing machine I got for my birthday last year and start sewing!

I have been working on BURP CLOTHS~

I found some really fun material that was kinda -unisex-! I have to do that for now since we don't know what were having yet!

If you look close enough you can see my stash of Salt Water Taffy's under my work table! :)

I learned many things from Vicki when she helped me with my first burp cloths that I made for some of my sisters. But since I live in Rexburg I had to do these all by myself!
I added some really fun new details to these burp cloths like ruffles and two sided materials

I went a little over the top with this one...in fact I don't even think I could use this as a burp cloth!

Maybe I should just frame it and hang it on my wall!:)

I'm not completely done...I have three more fabric pieces and 7 more burp clothes to decorate and sew.

But it's a start for sure!

Jeff and I are working on another project as well!

Jeff's parents have had this dresser since Jeff's older sisters were little.

Craig added extra wood on top and Vicki would make a cushion cover and use the top for a changing table.
When Jeff was a baby Vicki used the dresser for him and his older sisters have used it for their children as well.

You can tell this dresser has so much history and character. We are so blessed and excited to use it for our little baby as well.

Jeff just finished sanding it a couple weeks ago and told me that he had to go through layers and layers of paint.

He said there was blue, purple, yellow, white and green!

It is so fun to take pictures of it and notice the yummy textures and history!

We are really excited to transform this dresser for our little baby.

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WEEKLY CLEANING LIST!

EVERYDAY: Dishes, wipe all counters, put shoes and coats away, make bed, take out garbage if needed

MONDAY: Laundry (every 2 weeks wash bedding)

TUESDAY: Vacuum

WEDNESDAY: Sweep and mop bathroom, kitchen and entry way

THURSDAY: Vacuum

FRIDAY: Laundry

SATURDAY: Dust all surfaces (every 2 weeks clean out fridge, microwave, stove, toilet and shower) Pin It Now!

50 THINGS TO DO IN 2010!
1. Be the best mother I can be by doing all the things on this list
2. Kneel down and pray with my husband and w/o him morning and night
3. Read my scriptures (even if it is only one verse) every single day
4. Say 'I love you' to my husband every single day
5. Never go to bed with dishes in the sink
6. Read every Ensign every single month
7. Vacuum my apartment at least twice a week
8. Finish, start and fold ALL my laundry on the same day
9. Stop obsessing with celebrities that mean nothing to me
10. Only watch educational shows that help me become a better mother and wife
11. Call my mother-in-law at least once a week
12. Sew something new for the baby every month
13. Call, email or text every single family member on their birthday (wow)
14. Work out 5 days a week
15. Treat every patient like she's my first patient
16. Focus on my husbands love languages and work on showing him love through them
17. Make dinner at least 4 times a week (I work three nights a week so that is perfect)
18. Make the bed every time I get out of it
19. Clean out my closet and donate the clothes to a shelter
20. Do a HUGE act of service every month
21. Smile and say hello to 10 new people a month
22. Run two 10K's before having my baby
23. Gain and lose 25 pounds:) Wow that is A LOT of weight
24. Attempt at hiking Table Rock again this summer (if I get half way I will be proud)
25. Have a dance party once a week
26. Have a picnic once a week
27. Sing a song out loud every time I am in the car
28. Go to the Temple at least twice a month
29. Go to 5 new temples this year
30. Go to a city I have never been before
31. Go on vacation to Vegas with Jeff
32. Go on random Sunday drives and walks with Jeff
33. Pick a perfect name for our baby
34. Every morning look myself in the mirror and tell myself 'I am beautiful' (OK people you might think that is a little self centered but for real it is going to be a journey for me to get all prego)
35. Sing at least three songs a day with my baby
36. Eat at least one fresh fruit or vegetable every day
37. Get a pedicure every 2 month
38. Get my hair done every 4 months
39. Get acrylic toenails and nails right before I have my baby
40. Blog at least three times a month
41.Continue to center our home around Christ
42. Go outside and smell the fresh air every day
43. Balance my time and focus between my husband and my baby equally
44. Read at least 5 new books
45. Watch 5 Alfred Hitchcock movies with Jeff
46. Continue to take pictures of every little single moment of our lives
47. Remember that the little things is what makes life important
48. Continue to look at things through an eternal perspective
49. Call my parents at least twice a week
50. Save an extra 20 dollars a month
...so I was going to do 100 things but I decided 50 things for now...maybe I will do 50 more later! Pin It Now!

What was my favorite gift for my BIRTHDAY!?

We're PREGNANT!!!!

I don't know of any better joy than knowing that I have a little 'gummy bear' in my belly!
Jeff and I are so excited!
I am 9 weeks and 5 days!
I am due August 6Th!
It has made my life complete...beside feeling nauseated literally 24/7 and not being able to keep a majority of my food down...:) Pin It Now!

MY 22ND BIRTHDAY!

On January 3rd 1988 I was born!:) And on January 3rd 2010 I celebrated my 22nd birthday! I know to most of you being 22 is merely a glimpse into the true adult years that I will cherish in years to come...but for me I am not only one year older but I am also wiser too!

I think back on this past year and reminisce on experiences, trials and even blessings that I have received! Truly this past year has been one of the most (if not the most) growing years of my life!

With a degree in my hands, a career in my soul (that can be quite measured by the soles on my Nike work shoes) and a marriage in my heart, I can't help but think that this was the best year of my whole life! (so far)

As I think about what I have learned the most this past year I watch the snow fall outside of my apartment and think to myself my life is much like the falling snow.

My positives and negatives come and go and my outlook on people, appearances and even how I look at myself changes from a light carefree sense to a thick heavy storm ready to take over my countenance.

Last year at this time I think I would have meassured my progress in life by how many pounds I had lost, how many phone calls from guys I had gotten or even how many times people said my name or thought about me.

But this year is different...instead of the slushy brown snow that consumed my well-being for so long, I have become more white and elegant as I 'fall' through lifes lessons.

I owe a lot of who I have become this past year to my wonderful, loving, selfless husband. He truly has taken a women who for so long couldn't quite fit the pieces together and helped her finish her puzzle!

This year above everything else I recieved I am celebrating the person I have become.

Though high school feels almost like it was another life, I will never forgot the struggles and trials I went through.

I feel like my junior year in high school I started on this journey that took me somewhere I never thought I would be...and now I can happily say after all the growing and learning that my husband has helped me through I am done with that journey forever.

So after the presents are unwrapped and the candles are blown out I can take something away from this birthday that I have never taken before...

But before I tell you what that is I have to tell you how wonderful my birthday was!

My Husband truly does blow my away everyday I spend with him!

This year I woke up the day before me birthday with breakfast in bed and this little note on my food tray!

We stayed at Destinations Inn for our honeymoon and since our Anniversary was literally two weeks ago Jeff thought it would be a great place to go back to celebrate my birthday and our anniversary!

He also gave me a gift card to one of my favorite stores!...
once I got to our suite I had to take a picture! Jeff had gone there earlier and layed out rose pettles everywhere!

The next day we went over to my parents house to have a little get together! My parents gave my a Kitchen Aid that I am dying over!

I have already made rolls!

My mom also gave me an adorable purse that I died over! OK so it wasn't for my birthday...it was a thank you for helping my sisters watch my other sisters kids while they were out of town. But I got to open it on my birthday so it felt like another present!

Thanks MOM!

SOME OTHER THINGS I GOT ON MY BIRTHDAY!

Some yummy pineapple...

Some Liza...

Some Jessie...

Some Mommas...

Some wreslting...

Some Hazel...

An amazing new cook book from my sister in law Heidi

A 3 month subscirption to one of my favorite magazines from Marci

An adorable new outfit from Sara

Some SPECIAL new clothes from Vicki

Some I-tunes lovin' from Jeni

AND...a yummy cake made especially for me from my husband!

Wait....I'm not done!

There is something else I got that far outweighs anything that I have just named...but you will have to wait till my next post to find out!!:)

Thank you everyone for the best year and birthday I have ever had!

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CHRISTMAS 2009!

This Christmas was spent in Washington with the Sabin family! It was my first Christmas ever away from my family but it turned out being a great fun filled week!

Before Jeff and I left for Mattawa we got ourselves an early Christmas gift!

We decided that since we were a family now we wanted to get a camera that would last us for a long time. Really it's cause I am obsessed with taking pictures and we wanted to upgrade! So we got the Nikon D3000! We are so happy with it and we got a great deal on it so that made it even more exciting!

My Birthday was on January 3rd but since I wasn't going to be with the family they all got together and had a little birthday party for me! Complete with Vicki's lemon cake and some wonderful gifts from all of my sister in laws! They are so great!

(I will explain more about the gifts on my birthday post)

This was also my first year without a hint of snow on Christmas! It was really weird but the kids and the boys loved it! They were outside all the time.

Jeff got to ride his dirt bike everyday that we were there!
We had so many wonderful meals made by Vicki! We always eat so good when we are at Boulder Resort! YUM!

I got Jeff all new riding gear complete with riding boats for Christmas!

He looks pretty dang good in the gid-up if you ask me!:)

Jeff and I put together a photo album for the parents of our wedding, so they wouldn't have to pay for printing pictures themselves!

It was a big hit!

Jeff got me some great stuff for the kitchen! Including a bread maker and a new knife set!

Every year the little kids dress up and we narrate the Nativity Scene. It was adorable seeing all the kids in their costumes acting their part!

For Christmas eve it is a tradition in the Sabin home to open up a new game for the family! This year we got Super Mario Brothers for the Wii!

It was a blast! We all got together and had so many laughs and good times! It is a sweet game!

Vicki made stockings for all of her kids a long time ago but this year she made one for me that matched! It was so sweet and kind! It was like I had been in the family for years!

Thanks Vicki

All the girls hung around the table for the majority of the week! Making craft projects and playing games! We played this game called Trans America that I am obsessed with now! Heidi brought it and we played it at least 4 to 5 times a day!

It was a great Christmas! I didn't feel like I was away from family this year because I was surrounded by family the whole time! I am so blessed to have great in-laws! Pin It Now!