Blog Blah

My blog has been a little scarce this last month. And looking back at my June calendar it was not for lack of things to write about, or lack of time. Both have been plenty, but blogging about them and  uploading my pictures to post, has been one of the last things I've felt like doing.  Even today the only reason I am sitting down to type ( actually laying down) is because I threw out my stupid back this past weekend and am immobilized in bed and getting bored of looking at things to not buy on amazon.  Bad back aside, I seem to be in a blog funk. Maybe it is the crazy Texas heat. Maybe it is the never ending frustration to keep a house clean for people NOT to come see it or buy it. Maybe it is the fertility drugs that my body is deciding not to respond to. Who knows... and more likely than not no one really cares besides me.... So considering it is not lady like to whine,  I will digress and skip to my update from our past month,  (and then maybe add some pics later when I get feeling a little more sunny)

Starting at the beginning of June we decided to start spending our weekends out at Matt's parents vacant house in Katy. We did a mini-move with just enough furniture to get by, and not make our house in town look too bare. The idea has been a good one. We were making so many trips out there anyway to clean the pool, check mail, etc. So staying for a few days each week made sense. We have been able to start going to the new ward and made some new friends. Wheeler started nursery and loves it! (our old ward let them go in with parents after a year, so he has had plenty of practice making the transition fairly smooth)
We have also had lots of visitors drive from in town for BBQ's and a swim on Saturdays. We have discovered what those high property taxes and pro-suburbs fuss is all about. THE COMMUNITY POOLS! They are awesome and have made a suntanned brave little fish out of Whee! (he was a very cautious swimmer at first, but with floaties and these great community pools/splash parks he is loving it now). He and I have actually been driving out additionally at least once a week to play with new friends and go to the community pools. We have also been going on some fun little dates together this past month. We went to his first movie in the big theater(Rio), special dessert at Cheesecake Factory, Barnes & Noble "train" dates(they have a huge set of Thomas the Train that kids can play with) and some far to frequent stops at the doughnut shop during our morning run.*I figure that eating a doughnut and running cancel each other out... right?!?
Other important dates this past month were our anniversary and fathers day. Matt and I celebrated our 7th anniversary with a fancy dinner out and a movie. I love Matt. He is awesome, and in 7 years I've only become more sure that I married the perfect person for me. We celebrated him and Father's day with a breakfast in bed and a lot of pie!
The end of the month brought family in from West Texas. We love having cousins to play with, and it was fun watching Wheeler interact and follow them around. We swam a lot, went to the children's museum, had a seafood feast(complete with boiling our own lobsters) and many late nights! If only Amarillo weren't so far away.
So there is June for you. July has been equally as fun so far. We had a great July 4th party that I will blog about later.(hopefully). And our trip to Canada is coming up soon too! Oh and we have some exciting family news (No I'm not pregnant yet) but I will wait to blog about that too until I get the ok from those involved. Such a cliff hanger, but will be worth the story I promise!
Happy Summer!

May Days

May just sort of seems like a blur.  Selling your house puts you in a funny sort of in between state. And after 2 months of back and forth to Katy and in between 2 houses we are ready to get this show on the road. But alas, the housing market stinks for sellers right now so we are stuck exercising patience and finding things to do/places to go during showings/open houses.
The Houston zoo is one of our favorites. If you haven't been, check it out, it is really cool. So many neat exhibits, especially their new African Rain forest exhibit, and a great children's area with petting zoo and a carousel. Here are a few pics at the zoo!

We also went to the Houston annual Art Car Show in May. We had never been before, but heard good things, and we were so glad we checked it out! It was very cool! We had a nice lunch by the duck pond, checked out some of the booths and stayed for most of the parade.  Here are the pics. You can decide which of the cars was your favorite. Mine is a toss up between Elvis and the peeps covered car. 

Watching some ducks

waiting for the parade

Here come the cars...

*this car had all the singing fish going in unison!

These are all easter PEEPS. so funny!

For more pictures or info about the Houston art car show, here is the link! 

Courage

I have been thinking a lot about the many women in my life who share in the struggle to start or expand their families. Infertility, miscarriage, the hell of adoption, a difficult pregnancy, the loss of a newborn.... The spectrum of this kind of trial is broad and I would dare say there are few of us who haven't been affected personally or have had someone close go through one or more of the above. My dear sisters, cousins, friends, and women sitting across from me at the fertility clinic...  this blog post is for you.

Not to take away from the significance that these experiences have on our male counterparts, but I think that as a woman there is something specifically painful and personal about not being able to easily conceive and bear a child. It doesn't matter if you alway wanted to be a mother of 5 or found out later in life that a child was something you wanted in your life. Realizing that you are in the group where motherhood wont come easily to you  hugely sucks. It consumes your emotions and your thoughts, makes you feel out of control of your own life and body, and more than anything makes you want to go vigilante on the women in the news who harm their children and curse the fertility gods when you hear about a 16 year old girl on her 3 unwanted pregnancy. I have been there. I have cried myself to sleep. I have avoided baby showers like the plague. I have prayed more fervently then ever before in my life. And at the end of the 3 years, thousands of dollars of treatments, and a very patient husband, I was lucky. I had a beautiful son. And he is wonderful and I am so grateful he is here. But looking back on the experience, and getting prepared to start fertility treatments again, I see something new. Having a child was only one of the blessings I was given through this experience. I see that this trial, the same one I cursed for so long, has enabled me. It has given me strength. It has taught me courage. And although it sounds super cheesy, I wouldn't be who I am today if I had not gained the perspective the trial forced me to learn.  
And so to those of you out there who are somewhere on this spectrum and feeling anything like I did. Here is a note of encouragement to you. You are stronger than you know. You are not alone. You are in my thoughts and my fingers are continually crossed for you.
With love,
Jan