Update on Charlie...

So, it's been one weeks since Charlie got attacked at the park and went in for surgery. This week was really tough...I'm not going to lie. After lots of tears and no sleep, Charlie is finally getting back to his normal self and we are most definitely happy about that!

Everyone always says that the third day after surgery is the worst and I would have to agree. I didn't go to work on Tuesday because Charlie wasn't doing good that day. He wouldn't eat, drink water, go to the bathroom...in fact having him get up at all was literally impossible. I took him in to his normal vet to get a check up. They said they wanted him up walking about every two hours, just to keep his muscles moving. I have felt so blessed to work five minutes from my house, so that I have been able to come home and check on him every couple of hours. He hasn't been allowed to walk up and down stairs, so there wasn't a way for him to get outside to go to the bathroom.

On Wednesday, we went back to the vet to get his drain removed from his incision. They said things were looking great and that he was on the road to recovery.

He has improved so much since Wednesday! We are so happy to see Charlie doing better! Believe it or not I have learned so much this week...the number one thing is PATIENCE and LOVE. I love my dog so much like a child and helping him heal and get better has been such a blessing. So...I'm not really sure what I am supposed to take from this trial, but I do know I am better prepared for when the day comes when I have children that are sick. John said to me the other night...You're going to be such a good Mommy....It made me feel really good!

Charlie had a lot of visitors through out the week. We wanted to let those people know how much we love them and appreciate them. This was not only a traumatic event for Charlie, but for John and I as well. It put a lot of stress on us wondering if he was going to make it or not, and having friends and family to talk to and visit with really helped. We can't thank you enough :)

Here are some pictures from the week...

We spent a lot of time cuddling and laying together



Charlie would hide under the table anytime I would try to get him to go to the bathroom...the little stinker thought I couldn't get to him or something :) If you look close you have see his little chicken leg ha ha (where they had to shave a little of his hair to give him an IV)


The poor guy had to wear the "cone of shame" most of the week.

One more week and Charlie will get his staples and stitches out! and hopefully we won't have to visit the vet until next year :)

Change of Plans

John and I had a lot of fun things planned for Pioneer Day Weekend...but those plans quickly changed and like life itself unexpected things were thrown our way.

Saturday was like any other Saturday. We cleaned, did some shopping, and decided to take Charlie on a walk to our favorite park...the one you hear me talk about often in this blog. We showed up the park...there were a lot of people there today. As we ended our walk around the last part of the track a Pitbull ran out of the corner of my eye and graded Charlie. It was not on a leash and literally attacked Charlie! Much of what happened after that is a blur. All I know was my dog was being thrown around like a chew toy. I have never seen something more horrific in my entire life! John got the dog away from Charlie and it's owners came down and grabbed it. All I really cared about what calming my dog down...Charlie was still in defense mode...shaking, biting, completely scared to death. He was bleeding! I could see wounds on his body. I tried to keep him calm, but my nerves were going crazy!

I kept thinking to myself I can't lose this dog...he is like my child. I have no idea what I would do without him...especially after such a horrific event we had to see.

There was a large family having a bbq at the park that day. They immediately ran over with water and pads to help with the bleeding. they helped John and I call the cops and to find the nearest Animal ER. All I wanted to do was get him help and get it quick. In Davis County there is only one Animal ER that is open after hours and it's about 15 minutes from where we were.

I can't thank those people enough for there help yesterday. Without them we could have not taken care of everything with the police before we had to leave and also with animal control. They even tried to help us find out where the owner's of the Pitbull lived. These people fled before the police showed up...and provided us with a false cell number...but I am trying to not to focus on that right now. People are going to act and be however they want to. I need to except the fact that there isn't much we can do about it.

When charlie arrived at the ER they immediately took him in to check him out. His severity was so bad because he had wounds to his abdomen that he went to the front of the line. THANK GOODNESS because I was about to lose it. My biggest worry was my dog was bleeding internally. The vet explained to us that Charlie would need exploratory surgery to find out is he was bleeding internally. He also needed to check for damage to his major organs...like his intestines since that is where he got bit.

So, into surgery Charlie went...hardest thing I have ever had to do! My poor dog was squealing. The sound of his cry about ripped my heart out.

We are glad that they performed the surgery so quickly. Charlie has four internal wounds that the vet stitched up. He also has one on his stomach. He is bruised and also has many pulled muscles. Because he had to be cut open he has one large incision on his tummy as well. (about four inches long) We are so lucky that this bite wasn't worse. It could have easily damaged his organs. He is only seven pounds and had an 80 pound dog come after him.

Charlie got to come home at 11:00pm last night. It was a rough night! John and I played musical beds and took turns getting sleep. Charlie was so uncomfortable and in a lot of pain.

Today is progressively getting better...he has been eating little pieces of chicken we cut up in cubes, and has been great at drinking water. He can't really get up by himself...he needs a little push now and then. His meds make him a little weird, but we are watching him closely and hoping for the best. It's going to be a long two weeks, but I have hopes that every day will get better and better.

I love Charlie so much. Some don't understand the love of a dog, but he is my best friend. He has taught me a lot and every day I am so happy when I get to come home and see him. This dog has touched mine and John's life so much and we can't wait for him to be back to him normal self...it will take time, but it will be so worth it.

We love you Charlie. You're a strong little guy and we know you can make it through this :)

Make a WISH

This Saturday I will be attending an orientation for the Make a WISH Foundation. I want to be a WISH Granter!

{Definition of a WISH Granter}

As a member of a WISH team, I will meet with the family, determine the wish and act as a liaison between the Foundation staff and the WISH family during the wish process.

About six months ago John got involved with Make a WISH. He did his very first WISH granting for a wonderful little boy named Dylan.

Dylan had a brain tumor.

Now it’s no surprise what Dylan chose for his WISH. He loves Pirates of the Caribbean. Dylan’s WISH was to take his whole family to Disney World. I only got to meet Dylan once… while volunteering at his Star Raising Event before they left, but Immediately I fell in love with him and his family. They are so loving and so caring.

After a fighting battle, Dylan is free...he passed away on Tuesday, July 12^th at 1:20am.

Our thoughts and prayers go out to his family in this hard time. We hope that they will be able to be comforted and at peace at this time. Families are forever.

I am excited to volunteer with my husband. I am excited to have the opportunity to be a WISH granter.

What a great opportunity it will be :)

Summer BBQ

On Friday, James and Melinda Ruesch invited all of us couple (Tyson and Trina, Chelsea and James, Chelsea and Jeremy, Mary and Scott, Jenny and Stephen, John and I) over to their place for a BBQ. They decided they wanted to have us all get together before Trina and Melinda have their babies :) They are only three weeks apart and after many many trials with getting pregnant, Melinda will be having a little baby girl named Brooklyn and Trina is having a little baby boy named Connor. I am very excited for the two of them and can’t wait to we all hang out again, so I can meet these two little babies.

We had so much fun hanging out with everyone. The boys enjoyed playing games in the front yard, while the girls enjoyed looking at all the fun baby stuff for Brooklyn and talking (it’s what we do best).

Here are some pictures…compliments of Melinda :)

I hate this picture of me...So don't mind that I look extremely tired and out of it. I have been lately, and I don't really know why!...and no I'm not pregnant haha

Fourth of July Weekend

We had a fun Fourth of July weekend...

It consisted of a lot of family time and of course, FIREWORKS!!!

On Saturday we met met my parents and Beau at Chili's for dinner before heading over to Riverton Days. My cousin Amber has made Riverton Day's a tradition for her family. John and I went last year with her family and decided we would definitely join in on the festivities this year.

We of course got our bay fix in with the two twins! They are getting so big!! And did I mention how good they were the entire time!? I hope my babies are as good as they are.



While my parents, Beau and myself took Savanna on all the rides, John stayed back and watched the twins with Amber, and man did he have fun feeding them and playing with them. ( you can really tell how badly he wants children)

I am so glad we went to Riverton Days earlier than we did last year. We were able to ride all the rides and it was so much fun! Savanna is only five years old and she loved all the big rides. She most definitely is a little dare devil. She kept telling me not to be scared...it was so cute :) We also got her face painted and enjoyed some cotton candy while we waited for fireworks.




I love Riverton Days... possibly because the fireworks are amazing or maybe it's because I absolutely love spending time with my family :) They are so much fun and it definitely made for a good night.

On Monday, Brandon and Jessica invited us Huston's over for a BBQ at their house. We had lots of yummy food (as usual). Carol and Brian also made us delicious Peach Ice cream. We just hung out and chatted. It was great! We also played Hand and Foot...poor Jessica was on my team and we lost ( I always lose).

After being completely dominated in Hand and Food, John and I went and picked up Charlie for fireworks. I always feel bad leaving him home when fireworks are going off, so I wanted him to be part of the festivities. The fireworks were great! Especially the really big ones they made legal this year in Utah. About two blocks away from us there was a family putting in their own personal firework show...so we decided to enjoy it as well.

All-in-all is what a great Fourth of July weekend. Going to work the next day was not easy...I wanted to fall asleep at my desk! We are looking forward to Pioneer Day and the Days of 47 Parade in just a couple of weeks. Hope you all had a safe and happy Fourth of July as well.

Trust, Patience, and Endurance

So, this past month has been a bit of a struggle for me. As we continue to try to have kids, every month it doesn't happen seems to get harder and harder. I have felt extremely discouraged, wondering if it will ever happen again. I have come to realize I am being tested...every ounce of my patience is being tested. Some days I want to throw my arms in the air and completely give up. I have questioned so many times why we had to have a miscarriage...why we are having to deal with this trial.

I have been looking around for some words of encouragement...just someone or something that might understand or explain how I am feeling...so I found this talk on Lds.org.

It's kind of long, but a great read for any of those who might be struggling with patience at this time... FINALLY! Something that can explain how I am feeling :)

Trust, Patience, and Endurance: My Lessons from Infertility

By Sarah Jenkins

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I can’t imagine any little girl dreaming of her future wedding and family and at the same time including the shadow of infertility. I certainly didn’t. I planned on getting married and having children. Even through the beginning of my marriage I continued under the impression that we would be able to do so. My husband, Zach, and I had both received blessings that highlighted the role of children in our future and felt the Holy Ghost testify to us that we would be parents.

We were awed by the responsibility of parenthood, but we were dedicated to doing our very best. We hoped and prayed and planned and prepared, but month after month went by without any success. After a year of doctor visits, tests, probes, and procedures, we still weren’t able to conceive a child.

While my husband was a steadfast support to me, I began to waiver in my faith. I remember one particularly dark period when I let Satan take such control of my heart that I confessed to my husband that I didn’t even know why I was praying anymore—“it isn’t like God is answering me,” I said. “It’s not like I’m feeling anything. It’s not like He was even listening to or loving me.”

Questions flooded my heart and occupied my mind. Why was life so unfair? Why were people who weren’t committed to marriage and family allowed to be parents? When was it going to be our turn? Was there something wrong with me? How could God command us to multiply and replenish the earth while simultaneously denying us the ability to do so? Were we being punished? What were we doing wrong?

Sometimes, in light of these questions that plagued me, I would explain to Heavenly Father my desire to be a mother and my understanding of the sacredness of that great and wonderful responsibility. Promising Heavenly Father I would be a better person if I could conceive a baby, I would make lists of goals and work to achieve them. However, despite my good intentions, it didn’t work. While my testimony seemed to recover and my faith seemed to return, it was without foundation. At the end of a month of such progress, my heart would break all over again when I still wasn’t pregnant. I didn’t understand then these powerful principles that I have since learned.

Absolute Faith and Trust in God

In my experience it was easy to trust Heavenly Father and believe in Him when everything was going well—when things go the way I wanted them to go within a timeframe that I established. One day as I was reading my scriptures, I read, “Dispute not because ye see not, for ye receive no witness until after the trial of your faith”. It helped me see that absolute trust and faith is what really matters, especially when things don’t go the way we want them to, when we want them to. From this verse I learned the simple truth that I ought not to doubt simply because the blessing (or answer or witness) hasn’t come yet. If the blessing hasn’t come, it doesn’t mean it won’t come. It just means the trial’s not over yet. Hang on. Hold tight. It means learning whatever we need to and then to “stand still, with the utmost assurance, to see the salvation of God, and for his arm to be revealed”. Absolute trust and faith means to trust and believe when it’s easy and when it’s nearly impossible, when we want to and when we don’t, when we feel able and when we feel utterly incapable.

Patience to Stay the Course

Through our struggle to conceive, I’ve come to realize that patience isn’t waiting two weeks or a month. It isn’t waiting six months or even two years. Patience means waiting until the end. Patience means humbly accepting the Lord’s timing—whatever it is. Throughout the past months and years, I have often created agreements in my mind with Heavenly Father. I’d explain to him what I’m going to do to prepare if He will bless us with pregnancy this month. What I’ve come to realize, however, is that Heavenly Father doesn’t work like that. I don’t set out the terms of the agreement. Heavenly Father has promised me children, but He has not promised me them tomorrow. Patience means staying the course until the promised blessings come.

Understanding Our Potential

I remember after our first failed medical procedure—a procedure that I had been sure would work—the thought came powerfully into my mind that “God . . . will not suffer you to be tempted above that ye are able; but will with the temptation also make a way to escape, that ye may be able to bear it”. Immediately, I found great comfort in Paul’s words as I knew I couldn’t bear anymore disappointments or heartbreaks. I concluded that must mean it was the end of this trial! However, I was wrong. Heavenly Father knew I could endure more.

I now know that He sees more clearly than I do what my limits are and what my potential to grow and learn is. He knows that it is only through trials that I will reach my full potential. I know that His plan is often a refiner’s fire. I am grateful that He alone knows how long I can stand the fire and endure my trials. Were it up to me, I’d be out of the fire before it’s even lit, and I wouldn’t learn a thing.

Struggling with issues of infertility is not a trial that I foresaw, nor is it a trial that I would wish upon anyone, but I know that as we trust and believe completely and absolutely, develop patience and come to understand our own divine potential, it is a trial like all others, one that can be endured and overcome.