November 2014- the roller coaster of our life!

I don't even know where or how to begin. This past November was a roller coaster. Over the past two months we had been in an on again off again adoption process and were not sure how it might end. It ended off again. We were grief stricken especially because we were at the hospital for the birth. With broken hearts we carried on trying to have hope for the future and how we might grow our family. We tried our best to enjoy this season of our lives by attending the last Utah football game and tailgate, helping our friends move, and I got away with a lovely trip to Florida. While in Florida, just after I was walking on the beach "letting it all go" I got a call from Brad saying the birth mom called and asked if we were still interested in the baby. After a mad dash to the Fed Ex. with my steady cousin Amy I signed the papers and Jefferson Amal Dennis was placed with us. Under Utah law adoptions are not finalized for 6 months so the state can make sure the placement is a healthy one. So in 6 months he will be sealed to us and legally forever ours. The case workers at LDS family services were so wonderful and taught us both so many lessons about true charity and faith through this whole process. Our grief quickly turned into so much gratitude and immense joy. Brad brought our baby home (I was still in Florida) to anxiously awaiting grandparents at 1:00 am November 25, 2014. He was our Thanksgiving miracle. Words cannot express the reunion we had when I got home. It was a precious memory I will always hold in my heart. Our family came to our aide to put together a nursery and the basic baby necessities. Jefferson sleeps in a cradle that my uncle built for my aunt and all of her children spent their first days in it. It has held so much love and now holds our little man. Brad's parents gave us a rocking chair Brad's grandpa built that Brad was rocked to sleep in. I love that I get to rock to sleep my little man in the same rocking chair Brad was rocked in. Our family heritage of love for this sweet child surrounds him. The day after I got home I talked with my work and will be taking an extended maternity leave so I can spend every second I can with my little man while he grows. I don't go back until March 2, 2015. So in a matter of a week our life has completely changed, most people have 9 months to prepare for a child we barely had 2, and even that was on again off again. But our hearts were full of love for our little Jefferson the second we saw him and so some diapers, food, blankets, and a car seat are really all you need when you have a home and heart overflowing with love for this sweet miracle.

And then I came home to this:

God has been so good to us. My heart is full.

October 2014

We finally feel settled in our home! We even bottled 23 quarts of apple pie filling- yum! Life has been fun and exciting with the U of U football games and Halloween festivities. For our first Halloween in our new home we put out a huge bowl of candy out with a sign "Trick or Treaters Welcome, Please take 1, Happy Haunting"  and went to a party. When we got home the bowl was knocked over with just a few pieces of candy remaining. So hopefully it worked:)  The most exciting moment of October was at the U of U vs. USC game, when in the last 15 seconds the U pulled off an amazing win. The entire stadium erupted and stormed the field. It was exciting. We have had so much fun tailgating and watching football with friends- yes,we are becoming "those" people.  For Halloween Brad's work did a costume contest and he dressed up as a cowboy and surprise didn't win with that "creative" costume. I dressed up with the girls at work and led the Halloween parade, this year we were fairy princesses, and we waved our fairy dust(ribbon) all around- the kids and parents loved it. We spent a good 4 hours trimming the hedges and cutting back perrenials for winter. Thankfully we don't have too much gardening to manage, and we are learning as we go. Hopefully we will get some pansies and tulip bulbs planted before it gets too cold.  It's now getting dark earlier and we have prepped our home for winter and are ready to stay cozy and comfortable for the upcoming holidays.

September 2014

HOME

September was probably the busiest month we have experienced together so far in our married life. We said goodbye to our home in Holladay and started a new adventure in South Jordan. Our hearts are full of gratitude with all of the love and support that was showered on us as friends and family helped us pack up everything we own, move it all, unpack, paint, and get settled. 

Even though we both felt so much gratitude we had a trying month emotionally adjusting to a new home, and environment, I feel like I learned a lot about what home is this past month. A house- though beautiful and grand at the end of the day is just a house and doesn't feel like home. A condo packed up, cleaned and ready for it's new owner also doesn't feel like home, So for the month of September I felt a little "homeless." But as things started to get in order and our routines began developing our new home has felt more like home. I have learned it really doesn't matter WHERE you live, home comes from the spirit that is there and HOW you live, whether in a condo in Holladay, a studio in DC, an apartment in Istanbul, or a house in South Jordan. Our Home has always been a refuge from life's storms. We both try to keep the spirit of peace, love, and hope in our home. I'm grateful for a home where I feel this spirit. 

August 2014

How do you say goodbye to your home for the past 7 years? It has had it's problems so I won't glamorize it but it has always been our home. Since we have been married we have had apartments we have lived in away from home with our internships and travels but we have always come home to the same 4 walls of our little condo in Holladay. Brad picked me up for our first date from this condo, we had our 1st kiss making brownies standing in this kitchen, we said our I love you for the first time sitting around the kitchen table, he proposed (for the first time) on a cold winters night when the power went out. We opened all of our wedding gifts here, we had our 1st Christmas together here, and 5 Christmases to follow. We grew our 1st garden here, and had some lovely summer porch evenings. We've had some of our most beautiful moments and worst moments here.  

Before Brad came in the picture I remember buying this condo was my leap of faith. But it was so right. I just knew this was the place for me. Buying it was so fast but so right, One morning my plan was to take a job in NYC, and the next thing I knew the spirit was kicking me into action and I made an offer on this condo. I knew I needed to stay here and gain some independence. A month or so after I moved in I met Brad and we started dating and now here we are.

It was so fun to plan and decorate each room just the way I wanted it. When we got married Brad just moved in and I already had it decorated and all the furniture so there were no arguments about differing decor styles. Since buying it with the help of a few beaus (pre Brad) and lots of family and friends we replaced ceilings, painted, ripped out the astro-turf on the patio, tiled, redid the kitchen and bathroom, painted a lot more, and replaced the carpet with laminate, It has been a project that has helped us work together the past 6 years and it has turned our beautifully.

We have had our crazy moments here as well. We had a small grease fire and burned a whole in our carpet (which we then replaced with tile). Brad thought that was a watershed moment for our marriage.We had 2 mouse incidents (a couple years apart) 1 on the patio and 1 that was found in our bedroom! Our antique refrigerator broke on us and we had to search for a new one but then the refrigerator started working again. Other than that we have had good luck with this little place and our 1st experience as home owners.

This has been our home, Our refuge of peace, love, and hope. Thank you sweet Lincoln Manor condo #11, we will miss you.

July 2014

July was a month of celebration, anticipation, and big decisions. The 4th of July was a weekend celebration with hiking, festivals, and the Stadium of Fire. Carrie Underwood came again this year and it was fabulous. Our favorite thing every year is seeing the parachuters come into the stadium with the flags- never fails to be amazing. July was also a month of lots of hiking. Our goal was every week, and then Mary got the horrendous 2 week cold that was going around so hiking was on hiatus. We did manage to be 15 year olds at seven peaks a few times this month. There is just something about a water park that brings out the 15 year old kid in everyone. Brad's big accomplishment was making it over the yellow slide and Mary still reigns champion in the green slide race- 2 years now! July was a big decision making month because Brad decided to take a hiatus from academia (though he does love teaching) and pursue a job with his skill set doing international business. His rational was academia is always still an option but taking a chance in business and learning a new skill set would be a great growing experience at this point in his life. Because of this decision we decided to put our condo on the market and prepare to move wherever he got a job. He was looking at jobs across the country and out of the country. A week after we put our condo on the market he officially accepted a job here in salt lake with Washakie Renewable energy (a growing company wanting to expand into lots of countries including Turkey). Our condo is under contract and we are under contract for our new home. If all goes accordingly we will be moving September 13. "A change is a brewin."

June 2014

June has been an emotional month. Angie & Ryan decided to give Link and Odin a better life. They gave them to a family who has a yard to run in and a few older kids to play with. We took one last walk to say good bye. Brad is allergic to dogs so this may be the closest I will come to having my own dogs. They were such good boys, they would get so excited every time I came over. I will miss taking them for walks and snuggling with them. I'm sure they will be happy in their new home but it is hard to say goodbye under any circumstance.

 We had a Dennis family reunion to celebrate Mom and Dad Dennis' 50th wedding anniversary. It was fun to help with the decor of the open house and see every one. Brad gave them a special gift of singing "Misty" one of their favorite romantic songs.

And of course we made it to the Arts Festival. Scallops, ribs, perusing art and outdoor concerts are something we look forward to all year. 

And finally we found a hiking book worth having with all of the unknown trails in salt lake area mapped out. The funny thing about being on top of the world...it's addicting.

Cheers to a fun summer!