Clouse House

Working Mom

2011-11-21T20:49:00.001-05:00

As I sit here and write this post my eyes are heavy and my head is pounding. I started my day with the sound of my alarm going off at 2am making sure Pat got up in time to go to work. I stay awake until I hear the house alarm set and I know Pat is on his way to work. I lay my head down on my pillow and what feels like seconds later I hear Zane cry. I look at the clock and it's 4am. "you have to be kidding me" I think to myself. I feed Zane, lay him down then Grace is up. Trying not to get frustrated I lay down next to her and get her back to sleep. Lay down and repeat the steps again. At 4:56am Zane finally fell asleep...my alarm is set to go off at 5am.
With my day already starting at 4am I start to get ready. By 6 both kids are up, fed, dressed and I try to finish making myself somewhat presentable. By 7:10 we are at school and I spend a little time there playing then head to work.
My drive in to work is a blur and all I can really do is think about how every red light that I stop at is allowing more people ahead of me get a parking spot at work before me. Yes I look at the cars in front of me as the enemy and that car I allowed to pull out from the McDonalds drive thru in front of my car could be the deciding factor on whether or not I get one of the last parking spots at work.
After finally finding a parking spot I walk in the cold and get to work. Then I sit till 4:45 doing my job thinking the entire time how much I miss my kids.
I race to my car at the end of the day, deal with traffic and finally get home. I spend about 2 hours with Pat before he heads to bed and those 2 hours are usually filled with making lunches, giving the kids baths, getting clothes ready for the next day. Before I know it Everyones asleep and I'm exhausted and dreading the repeat of activities that will like clock work happen again tomorrow.
I enjoy working, don't get me wrong but I'm missing my family more. I work so we can help provide our children with clothes on their backs, food in their tummies, shoes on their feet, and a roof over their head. Would I stay home everyday if I could? Absolutely! My goal is to not have to work and enjoy this time with my family. Hopefully 2012 will provide a new opportunity.
Ok enough for tonight, I just wasted precious sleeping time! Tomorrow is a new day and new memories.

I love my family

2011-10-14T08:19:00.001-04:00

Words can not describe how much I love my family! Never did I think I would be so lucky to have such a wonderful loving husband, a beautiful daughter, and a handsome son. Life is good :)

Yo Gabba Gabba

2011-10-14T08:16:00.001-04:00

Grace LOVES the tv show Yo Gabba Gabba! So as a special treat Pat took her to the Fox in Detroit to see them live. She had a blast!!!

Faces of Zane

2011-10-14T08:11:00.001-04:00

Zane is growing so fast and we just can't get enough of this little guy!!

We love Fall

2011-10-14T08:00:00.001-04:00

Family of 4

2011-10-14T07:55:00.001-04:00

Need I say more? Grace was a little less than thrilled ;)

Zane Patrick Clouse

2011-10-14T07:29:00.001-04:00

Zane was born August 24, 2011 exactly 1 week early. He weighed 7lbs 3 oz and was 20 inches long, the exact same as his big sister!

Zane is such a good baby. He's very mellow and eats a ton!!! We had an awesome team of doctors and nurses and no complications!

We are so blessed to have Zane join our family.

Summer of fun

2011-10-14T07:28:00.001-04:00

This past summer we tried to stay busy but it was so difficult being very pregnant and temps reaching 100+ for days on end.

We had lots of firsts this summer. Grace went to the water park, a visit to the zoo, first hair cut, parades.

Grace turns 1

2011-10-14T06:39:00.001-04:00

On May 5, 2011 Grace turned 1. I couldn't believe our little girl was growing so fast!! Of course we had a huge party. We threw the party in the back yard and invited all of our family and friends to celebrate with us.

Grace was princess for a day! We had a petting zoo, face painting & balloon animals. It was a beautiful day!!

I'm a big girl now

2011-10-14T05:46:00.001-04:00

Well with baby #2 on his way we decided to move Grace into a new room and put her in a big girl bed. She actually did very well with the transition, especially being so young. She loves her room so much.

Easter 2011

2011-10-14T05:41:00.001-04:00

I would be lying if I said Easter was low key and the Easter bunny left a little basket for Grace.

Grace woke up Easter morning and we searched the house to find her basket that the Easter bunny had hid. We finally found her Elmo Easter basket filled with books and goodies :)

It's a Boy!!!

2011-10-14T05:35:00.001-04:00

In April, Pat and I found out that we were expecting a boy!!!

We are so lucky, a boy and a girl, one of each. The best of both worlds!

I have alot of catching up to do since February!

2011-10-14T05:29:00.001-04:00

So I feel like a complete blog slacker! I haven't posted anything since February! I've found it's so much easier to just go into Facebook and update things on there. The whole point of my blog was to one day print it as a book to give to my kids.

So if any of you follow my blog Some of the upcoming posts will be a bit behind and filled with old news :)

Baby #2, Grace, and all our recent updates for the new year

2011-02-17T13:27:00.000-05:00

Yesterday I had our 12 week ultrasound for baby #2. Everything measured up just the way they needed to. This baby is measuring one day off just like Grace had. It has long skinny legs and kept rubbing its little face with its hands. Its heartrate was 163 beats/min.

We wont know what we are having for another 5 or 6 weeks so hopefully the time will go quick. I cant wait to find out if its going to be a baby Zane or a baby Lily :)

Grace had her 9mo well child visit last week and she's just growing like a weed. She weighed 18 1/2pds and was 28 1/2 in long. She started crawling when we got home from the doctors appt and she walks holding onto the couch. She says 7 words: Hi, Bye-Bye, Momma, Dad-da, Emma, Bo (Turbo), Baby. She gabs all the time and is such a happy baby.

In just 3 short months she's going to be turning 1!!!! I can't believe how fast time has gone by. Pat and I decided that we want her first bday to be huge and memoriable so we are going to have a little mini petting zoo along with a pony ride at her party. I cant wait!!!

Im still working away at the Uof M but Pat has decided to leave Fischer Honda after 10 years and work for Schwartz B & Sons, Inc. One of the largest produce distributers for Southeast Michigan, Ohio & Canada. We are really excited about this new adventure. Pats hours will change and it will be different for a while for both of us but we will get use to it. He's going to be working 3:30am-12:30pm and I changed my hours to go into work 30min later. Sad part of this is I have to drop the kids off at daycare. Good part is Pat will pick them up everyday early and we get the half day rate....BONUS :)

New Year, New Adventures!

2011-01-06T05:45:00.000-05:00

2011 came in a very quiet one in our house. I think we were all asleep by 10 and watched all the activities on the news the next morning. Boy do I feel old! I remember New Years Eve was so exciting and a fresh new start. I gave up on resolutions a while ago. Why build yourself up to not complete them and feel bad. I decided to make resolutions throughout the year and work on them without a deadline.

2010 was a wonderful year for Pat and me. We became a family! Grace Ryan was born May 5th and has been a joy to us all. We also found out that we will have a new addition this September! Yikes. Its exciting yet scary all wrapped into one.

So far 2011 has been great. Im feeling good, Grace is thriving and growing every day. Pat and I are blessed to each have full time jobs that we enjoy (especially in this economy). The dogs and cats are healthy and happy and we have a roof over our heads.

We look forward to what 2011 will bring and here's hoping for a happy and healthy New Year!!

2010 What a Year!

2010-12-17T06:07:00.000-05:00

So many wonderful things have happened to us this past year...Here's to a wonderful 2011!

7 Months!

2010-12-06T07:17:00.000-05:00

I cant believe Grace is 7 months old already. She is just amazing. We often hear our parents tell us how fast time has gone by and how it seems like just yesterday we were this small. I never understood how they thought it went so fast. That was until Grace came along! These past 7 months have felt like like 7 days. Somedays I want to push a pause button and keep her this little and other days or should I say nights I wouldn't mind a fast forward button to get through her teething or little colds.

Pat and I are so lucky to have Grace in our lives. She truly is our little miracle! We have often thrown out the thought of another and time will tell if we will be able to add to our family but for the time being we cherish each day we have together.

Gracie is learning so much lately and amazes us every day with something new. Her most recent accomplishment is saying DaDa. Pat was wrapped around her little finger before but when he hears her say DaDa he is whipped! MaMa & DaDa are her first 2 words and she shakes her head NO when she wants to be silly.

Grace weighs 17pds and is about 28in long. She has been sitting up on her own for about 2 months and LOVES to stand. She is still pretty wobbly but is learning. I have a feeling she will be an early walker. She loves to babble and is really into the dogs and cats. She's a people watcher (gets that from her mom) and is perfect when we take her out to dinner and shopping. Often she's the light of the party and is such a ham at times. When excited she will clap and wave. Her latest is new found joy is sitting in front of the mirror. We need a 2nd bathroom pronto!

We look forward to the days, months, & years ahead of us and we will share every wonderful step with you!

Santa Claus is coming to town!

2010-12-06T06:06:00.000-05:00

Pat came home and had surprised us with a Christmas tree. It's perfect! Grace and the dogs sat in the living room and watched him as he got it all set up. All three were a little confused but once the lights were up on it they loved it!!

Grace posing with her first gift to put under the tree. She LOVED the bow. I might have to just get a box and wrap it and stick bows all over it as a gift this year for her!

Our Helen Keller tree is back. We havent added any lights to it since last year and with all the storms we have had the tree looks pretty pathetic I must say. Well it does every year but this year I think has the others beat. I have to say it does make me laugh everytime I see it.

Our Christmas Angel Grace. What a wonderful blessing she has been to our family. She is full of smiles and is always so happy. She is the best gift of all!

Grandparents, Aunts & Cousins

2010-12-06T05:46:00.000-05:00

Over Thanksgiving Grace got to meet her Grandpa & Grandma Clouse, Aunt Erin, Aunt Lindsey & Cousin Alta. We all had a great time. Dinner was excellent and we were even able to get family pictures done while they were all here.
Grace's Cousin Alta who is 2 1/2 was so cute! "Hi Baby Grace, Im going to be your friend" she was so sweet with her and very talkative! I couldn't believe how big our niece had gotten. Im excited for what we have in store for the future with Grace.
We miss having them live so far away but when we are able to visit with them it feels like we were never apart.

Update

2010-11-21T14:50:00.000-05:00

I've really taken the lazy train with my blog and Im kind of bummed I've let it slip away from me for this long! I haven't posted anything since August! So much to fill everyone in on so here are some highlights...

September was alot of fun. Gracie got to meet her Grandpa Kee for the first time and what a wonderful weekend it was. She was spoiled the entire time.

October we were able to go to a local orchard and pick out some pumpkins and we grabbed a bag of homemade doughnuts...Mmmmm. Grace also celebrated her first Halloween and was dressed as a giraffe.

So far this month we have been adjusting to the change in the weather and it takes us twice as long to get ready to go anywhere since we have to dress like we live in the North Pole! Thanksgiving is just days away and Grace will get to meet her Grandpa & Grandma Clouse, Aunt, Lindsey, Aunt Erin, & Cousin Alta for the first time.

I cant wait for Christmas this year since Santa gets to come to our house :) I will have to have a post just dedicated to all the fun adventures we will be having in December!!!

I know this has been short and sweet but I just wanted to do a quick update so I dont feel too guilty for slacking :) Here's a quick list of Gracie's stats at 6 months:
16pds
27 inches (98th percentile for her age)
Sits up by herself
rolls to get where she wants to go
screams at the dogs
learning to wave
started drinking from a sippy cup
just starting to like cereal (with bananas)
2 teeth

I've been busy

2010-08-22T08:54:00.000-04:00

Well I've been a little busy and haven't had as much time as I'd like to update our blog so here we go.....


Gracie had a well visit appt and passed with flying colors last month. She got 3 shots and did just fine. Here she is showing her dad her war wounds.

Awww her booboo's.

12 weeks! I dressed Grace in her announcement outfit for her 12wk pictures. Im hoping to be able to somehow keep them in all the major pictures for her first year. At 12 weeks they were a little tight so time will tell on how I can work this out!

Gracie has really started to come out of her shell. She has such a cute little personality and isnt afraid to show it!

At our baby shower I was given this sunhat from our friend Kathy. We decided to try it out and it fit perfectly. She was so stinkin adorable in it!!!

Playing Peek-A-Boo at Music Class

At music class dancing with Daddy. Grace had so much fun!

Playing the drums with Mommy

Gracie with her BFF Ava at Music Class playing the drums :)

Our Funky Monkey. Before Grace was born Pat called her Monkey. While pregnant and out shopping with Pat he found this hat. He had to have it! I wasnt a fan of it but somehow she makes this ugly cap so cute :)

The bib says it all!

Tummy time! Grace is getting so strong and rolls over to her side...almost on her belly, then rolls over to her back.

These rings are her favorite toy at the moment. She throws them, shakes them, and of course sticks them in her mouth. Right now everything is in her mouth!!!

Too cute.

A Surprise Visit From Uncle Ryan

2010-07-11T18:47:00.000-04:00

We were so excited to find out last Wednesday that my brother Ryan was going to be flying in to visit for a couple days. We havent seen him since Christmas and we were so excited to have him meet Grace. Grace was named after Ryan...Grace Ryan Clouse. We were thrilled to have him spend some time with his niece and Grace just loved every minute she spent with him. It was a short visit but we were so happy he was able to find time out of his busy work schedule to visit. Ryan lives out of state and travels a ton with work so any visit with him is cherished. Maybe his visit with Miss Gracie will make him want to move back home :)

4th of July

2010-07-11T18:32:00.000-04:00

Our 4th of July this year was a quiet one. Usually we spend the 4th at our friends house but this year we have Grace so we laid low and spent the day with Grandma and Grandpa Pierce. We had a nice BBQ and Gracie showed off her 4th of July colors.

Grace is growing so fast!

2010-06-28T07:56:00.000-04:00

Well its been about a month since I last updated our blog. I have been putting a ton of pictures on Facebook but thought since Grace was asleep I had a few minutes to update our blog.

She changes everyday! She is such a happy baby except for the occasional screaming fit at night when shes so tired from the day. She's sleeping through the night and is already wearing 3 month clothes. She has also started to make new noises and notices things around her.

Grace is in love with the dogs. She can't get enough of them. Emma just loves her and the two of them have become best friends.

Grace has started to roll on her side and we think before long she will be rolling all over the place. She holds her head up and turns to look at all of activities going on around her. We are guessing she weighs over 12 pds at this point and when she is fully stretched out she is the length of one of our couch cushions. She is so long. I have a feeling shes going to be a tall skinny young lady when she grows up.

Sorry to make this so short and sweet but I have to run. Enjoy the pictures :)

One Month

2010-06-11T12:34:00.000-04:00

I cant believe our little girl is a little over a month old already. The time is just flying by so quick. She has gone from this little tiny baby that slept all the time to a beautiful little girl that smiles and coos. She has started to recognize our voices which is one of the best things in the world. She will look at Pat and me with such an intense look in her eyes that warms our hearts. She has started to smile more when you talk to her, roll to her side and has even started to sleep almost through the night!

She is such a little miracle that has touched our hearts. Its amazing how quickly you can fall in love with someone. She is our everything. Pat and I enjoy each day we have with her. As Grace is learning new things so are we. We see things in a different light now. A big smile when she sees her hand, or the big stretch and the arch of her back when she wakes up in the morning, the long sigh after being fed...those are little things we would not really think about but after having Grace we watch every movement and cherish every second.

4 Generations

2010-06-01T09:24:00.000-04:00

This weekend was a very special one for Grace. Pat's mom flew into town and was able to meet Grace for the first time and she was able to bring Pat's Grandma with her. Four Generations all together! It was so wonderful to be able to have Grace meet her Grandma and Great Grandma White. We took a ton of pictures since one day when Grace is older these pictures will mean so much to her.

Great Grandma White was so proud of her new Great Granddaughter Grace. She couldn't get over how good she was and how heavy she felt while holding her. She just loved her so much and Grace was so content in her arms.

This is one of our favorites.

We had a wonderful time with Grandma and Great Grandma. We will cherish these memories and pictures for a very long time.

1+1 = Husband and Wife, 1+1+1 = A Family

2010-05-25T16:47:00.004-04:00

Pat and I met 5 years ago this coming Monday. The moment I met him I knew I was going to marry him. We had a connection like no other and everything just seemed to fit perfectly. We had so many things in common and so many things we could do apart. At the end of the day we could both sit on the couch and look at each other and be perfectly content with our lives and all the stresses of the day would disappear.

Pat and I got married December 1, 2007. It was the happiest day of my life. We have a beautiful home, a happy life together and memories we can look back on when we are old. Life felt complete. I had a husband and Pat had a wife. We had puppies that loved us and friends to enjoy the sunshine with. But deep down something was missing.

Before we were married Pat and I both knew we wanted a family. We wanted to have children to raise and make new memories with. We wanted to take them to swim lessons, play catch in the front yard, teach them to ride their bikes. Our struggle was long and took a toll on us emotionally. But after 2 years of struggling infertility we became pregnant.

Grace Ryan turned us from husband and wife into a family on May 5th, 2010. The sleepless nights, the feedings, the emotional and physical roller coaster they call parenthood has been wonderful. We wouldn't change a thing because this little miracle has made our dreams come true and we are now a happy family looking forward to all the new memories we have ahead of us.

Bath Time

2010-05-23T10:54:00.003-04:00

This morning Grace had her first real bath in her new bath tub. Pat and I have been giving her a sponge bath since we came home from the hospital. I know in the pictures she doesnt look too happy but she ended up liking it towards the end. After her bath she was as happy as a clam ready for the almost 90 degree weather we are going to have today!

Grace Ryan Clouse

2010-05-22T08:01:00.005-04:00

Our Birth Story...
It was around 12:30am on May 5th when I woke up to some back pain. I got up, moved around a bit thinking it was still false labor. The false labor I had been suffering from for over a week and had caused 2 trips to triage. By 3am the pain had gotten worse and I was having contractions 6min apart so I called triage. They told me to head on in so I woke Pat up and we headed to the hospital. After 30 min in triage they sent us home and told me to come back when the contractions had gotten stronger and I couldnt talk or walk. What!! I was miserable and they were sending me home! The main issue was that I wasnt dilating. I had been stuck at 1cm for a week.

I had my 40wk appt that day at 11:30 so I figured I would just wait it out and go in to see what my doctor could do then. By 10am I was ready to rip the pillows on the bed in half. I thought if I didn't pass out from the pain I was going to die!! I sent Pat a message and told him I could not drive to my appt and he needed to take me. Once we got to the hospital I couldnt walk and had to be pushed in by a wheel chair. Once in the waiting room my doctor saw me and came out and gave me a hug and told me to hang in there and she would see what was going on. I told her if she didn't help me I was driving the car off the roof of the parking structure. I know it sounds bad but I was having back labor and it felt like a blow torch was on my back while all the bones were breaking. Pat told her she HAD to do something and to give me drugs.

Once we got back to the clinic room we found out I was 4cm dilated and I could be admitted. She also told me I could get an epidural. I have to tell you that was the best news I had heard and they couldn't move me to a room fast enough! They were very busy that day on the floor and had women in every room including the 7th floor where women were sharing rooms. Luckily I had an awesome doctor who made a few phone calls and I got a room all to myself with a wonderful nurse.

We got settled into our room, I got my epidural and then we waited. A few hrs before Grace was born her cord kept getting crunched and that had to be one of the scariest moments. Our nurse started calling for help and all of a sudden the room was filled with nurses and doctors trying to get her to move and move me. They placed a couple monitors on her and I had to lay a certain way so I wouldn't crush the cord.

Soon it was time to push and I was lucky enough to have her after a little less than 30min of pushing. They placed her on my chest and Pat cut her cord. She was beautiful but I knew something wasnt right, she was lifeless and not crying. They quickly grabbed her and a crew of doctors and nurses came running in. My baby Grace wasn't breathing. I couldn't breath, time felt like it had completely stopped. The nurses were blocking my view so I wouldn't panic but I could hear them talking. Finally I heard her gasp and make a little noise. It was the most beautiful noise I had ever heard.

They explained to me that all of her test came back normal so she just needed a little help breathing and getting started from the shock of being born. She was perfect.

Grace Ryan Clouse was born at 11:14pm on May 5th, 2010. She weighed 7lbs 3oz and was 20 3/4 inches long. She has a full head of dark long hair, 10 fingers, 10 toes, and is such a mellow calm baby. She only fusses when she is hungry and has a dirty diaper. She's wonderful.

Final Countdown!

2010-04-12T17:06:00.002-04:00

Just 3 more weeks and we will be at our due date! Wow!! I can't believe we are so close. Grace will be here before we know it. I can officially say that we are ready if she were to come today! Car seat bases are installed, we have back up formula, tons of diapers and the bags are finally packed. All we are missing is Grace!

Hopefully my next post will be filled with pictures of her!!

Until then I have cleaning to do!

Hi everyone

2010-03-27T07:02:00.003-04:00

This past week I had to have a non-stress test done to monitor Grace. Everything turned out just fine and she is doing great! Her heartbeat was right on track, her kicks were steady and fluid was perfect. I had an ultrasound after the test and I was able to see one of her little ears, her spine, legs and she even waved Hi. She's head down and everyday we get closer and closer to meeting our little lady.

The nursery is done!

2010-03-27T07:00:00.002-04:00

Baby Shower

2010-03-27T06:54:00.004-04:00

Two weeks ago work threw me a baby shower, it was wonderful!! A co-worker of mine is Due 5 weeks before me so we had a shared shower and it was soooo much fun. We both received so many gifts. I was shocked at all of the goodies and items Grace was given.

Last weekend my family and friends threw me another shower. It was so wonderful to see everyone and we all had such a wonderful time. Grace is so spoiled!! We have pretty much everything we need for her arrival!! Thank you again everyone!!!

3D Ultrasound of Grace

2010-02-12T13:32:00.003-05:00

Today Pat and I had our 3D/4D ultrasound of Grace. It was amazing!! I cant get over how round her little face is and her chubby cheeks. Pat says she has my nose and his lips. I think she looks a little like my brother Ryan. We were so happy she is healthy and happy!! Enjoy the pics and videos!

Grace's 1st License Plate

2010-02-05T17:40:00.004-05:00

Today when I came home to my surprise Grace had a package in the mail. When I opened up inside the box was her own custom made plate from the South Side Axle Draggers! She sure is one lucky girl because there is no other plate like it in the world, one of a kind!

Special thanks go out to George & my Uncle Pete for trying to find the perfect paint. It sounded like hours went into finding just the right paint to paint it pink for Grace. There are 16 Swarovski crystals, and pink felt backing. A custom made stand was welded to the back so it can stand at just the right angle for all to see when it's displayed in her room. If you look closely you can even see her initials (GRC) were engraved on the front bumper of the car.

Baby Grace is so spoiled already!! Watch out Axle Draggers, she might want a car next!

Thank you so much George, Sheree, & all the South Side Axle Draggers!!

Goodbye 2009 and Hello 2010

2010-01-02T07:02:00.003-05:00

2009 brought Pat and I many special memories and obstacles throughout the year. Looking back they were all worth it because we are now in 2010 and the best part of all is we are waiting on the arrival of our 1st daughter, Grace Ryan.

Last year Pat was able to go and visit with his mom & sisters. I was able to go out to CA and see my dad and many friends. We saw family members and friends get married, have babies and celebrate good times. We watched Michigan as a state struggle with the economy and we were so very lucky to be able to remain one of the lucky ones by keeping our jobs and home.

Throughout 2009 Pat and I went through the hardest struggle yet as a couple and that was trying to have a child. With lots of prayers, luck on our side, and a fancy expensive sticker price we went through IVF and became pregnant in August with our little Grace. Looking back at all the hormones, the weight gain from them, the daily shots, and several doctors visit's she was completely worth it and I would do it again in a heart beat! Luckily from now on if we want anymore we have an easier route to go down since we had embryo's we were able to save :)

Pat continues to work at Fischer Honda and Im amazed by his talent with cars and customers. He cares so much about his job and loves cars so much that the customers love him. He has some that drive hours to bring their car in! I continue to work at the University of Michigan Hospital but just recently I received a new job in the department I have been working in. I now support the Director of the Dept and work with our fellows. Im enjoying the job alot and feel very lucky to have gotten this position especially with the economy we live in.

Throughout 2009 I have tried my best to document it here on our blog. Look back throughout our 2009 posts and you will see all that we went through! Im hoping 2010 will bring us many new exciting and special memories and lots of joy we can share with all of you.

Happy New Year!

Christmas 2009

2009-12-27T12:56:00.001-05:00

This year we were really late getting our Christmas tree. Usually we go to a Christmas Tree farm and cut it down the day after Thanksgiving but this year we waited around till the last minute and bought it from a Christmas Tree lot. This was the first time in years that we bought one from the store and I couldn't believe that they spray painted the trees green!

We picked out a little one and it actually ended up being just the right size for us. Christmas Eve we spent over at my moms with family and had a very nice time. Christmas Day we spent at our house with my mom and Dick, along with Ryan and Melissa. It was such a nice holiday.

Nursery is Coming Along!

2009-12-27T12:52:00.003-05:00

The nursery is really starting to come along! Pat put together all of the furniture and it looks great! We love going in the room now because it feels so warm and cozy. Im in love with her bedding and we have started to slowly decorate the walls.

Pink, Pink, & More Pink!

2009-12-13T07:50:00.004-05:00

Yesterday Pat had the day off from work so we decided to go out and do our baby registry. Of course Pat got to use the scanner and we spent quite some time looking at all the baby things. What an industry! The advertisement for just about all of the items makes you feel like you just can't live without it but in reality it will probably sit in the corner and never be used. With that being said we were suckered in and have a ton of stuff on the registry!

I do have to say little girls are fun to shop for since there's so much to choose from. But boy oh boy it equals out to alot of pink! All in all we finished our registry's yesterday. We ended up registering at Babies R Us & Buy Buy Baby. Once we got home I ordered the bedding for the crib and window treatments. We fell in love with this set and I can't wait to see it all put together. Here's a sneak peak at what the bedding looks like.

Pat is almost done painting the nursery and then we can start putting away all the little goodies we have gotten. I love redecorating and getting ready for Grace. I do have to say there sure is alot of pink!

It's a Girl!!

2009-12-01T20:22:00.005-05:00

Today was our 2 year wedding anniversary and we received the best gift today! We found out that we are going to have a little girl. We are going to name her Grace Ryan Clouse.

We were able to see her 10 fingers, 10 toes, little working organs, a cute button nose, arms and legs. It was amazing. She already has Pat wrapped around her little finger and he couldn't be happier. A little princess we can call our own.

We can't wait for May 5th, 2010 for her estimated arrival. Let the pigtails, ribbons, and tea parties begin.

Thanksgiving 2009

2009-11-27T18:53:00.004-05:00

This year Pat and I celebrated Thanksgiving at our house. It was just the two of us and we had such a lazy, relaxing day. We soaked the turkey overnight in a brine and started cooking early. By 2 o'clock we were finished eating and both in a turkey coma...including the dogs. (We had to give them a special dinner too!)

We watched movies, football games, and looked through the ads for black Friday. Oh by the way we still have enough food to feed an army!

Hope everyone had a wonderful Thanksgiving!!

Turbo and her Snuggie

2009-11-09T18:00:00.003-05:00

The other day I had to run down to CVS to pick up some laundry soap while I was there I walked past the aisle of "As Seen on TV" items and the Snuggie for Dogs caught my eye. No Way!! I had to get it for Turbo. I know it was probably my craziest purchase so far but I had to get it. The scary thing is...she LOVES it!!

We graduated!

2009-10-30T18:04:00.000-04:00

It's official! We have graduated from the 1st trimester!! It actually went by quick (except for the days I wasn't feeling that great) but we did it. We are officially in our 2nd Trimester! Yipee!!

Zeus

2009-10-30T18:00:00.000-04:00

Our new addition to the family from Aunt M to Baby Clouse. Hopefully the next time I post a picture of Zeus our new little bundle of joy will be sitting in his lap!

To give you an idea of big Zeus is here he is with Emma & Turbo

We cant wait to add our new addition to the next picture :)

Mackinaw Island

2009-10-30T17:48:00.000-04:00

Pat's Aunt Laura & Uncle Jeff surprised us with a weekend get-away to Mackinaw Island. With the hectic work schedules and finding a dog sitter Pat and I decided that instead of the two of us going I would invite my mom.

It was such a nice long weekend. The two of us had so much fun. This was my first time to the Island and it was beautiful! All the leaves were at their peak for fall colors, and they had their fall decorations up along Main St.

We stayed at the Island House Hotel. It was beautiful! We had a beautiful view of the water right out front.

We had lunch at the Grand Hotel. This weekend was the last weekend the Island was open for tourists and the stores were starting to pack up for the winter. We had a nice table overlooking the water and after we walked along the front porch. It was huge!!

Later in the day we went for a bike ride. The ride was so pretty right along the water all the way. I wouldn't mind having a house with a view like this one!!

We had such a wonderful relaxing weekend. Thank you again Aunt Laura & Uncle Jeff!!

Long time no post

2009-10-06T13:06:00.000-04:00

So it's been a while since my last post. Both Pat and I have been feeling under the weather lately. Pat caught the flu last week and is just starting to feel better. Between taking care of Pat and having a low immune system due to the baby I caught the dreaded virus too. I highly suggest getting your flu shot because this is not fun at all!

I went to the doctors yesterday and since they have a protocol to follow when people are sick I was greeted with a mask and nurses in full head and hand coverage as well as blue paper gowns wrapped around them. They treated me as if I had the plague! How embarrassing, especially since this was my first visit to my new doctor's office. We went over a few things about the pregnancy and how I was feeling. They tested me for the H1N1 flu...not fun! They stick a long swab down your nose that feels like they are digging into your stomach! We then tried to listen for the baby's heartbeat with the Doppler monitor but we didn't have any luck so I got to have an ultrasound.

This one was so much better than the first. I could see the baby moving around, kicking its legs, moving its arms, its ears, its little nose and heart beating. It even looked like it waved to us :) Pretty amazing!

We are going to have a baby!

2009-09-17T11:40:00.000-04:00

Well after a little over 2 years, fertility meds, IVF, and lots of prayers we are pregnant! We are having 1 little bundle of joy expected to arrive May 5, 2010.

Happy Birthday Pat!

2009-09-07T09:33:00.000-04:00

Happy 32nd Birthday Pat!

For Pat's birthday he spent the long Labor Day weekend up at the Leelanau State park camping. For his birthday I thought it would be appropriate to have a camping cake. Happy Birthday Pat!!!

Frozen peas for the new era

2009-08-22T06:40:00.004-04:00

This has to be the best invention I have come across in a long time! They are cold therapy packs and they act just like a bag of frozen peas. I found them at CVS when I was waiting for a prescription to be filled. I picked up the little star fish :)

I use mine everyday after my shot and it stays cold for just the right amount of time, moves when you move and only cools a small area instead of a huge area like the original cold packs we grew up with.

CVS sells other shapes and sizes as well but I personally liked the starfish the best. They have them for your back, knees, wrists. Perfect to keep in the fridge or freezer and great if you have kids or have a sore joint. I highly recommend having one handy in the fridge. My little starfish has minimized bruising and pain for me! Plus it's much more fashionable than walking around with a bag of frozen peas taped to my body :)

Relaxing with my embryo's

2009-08-16T08:13:00.004-04:00

Never in my life did I ever think we would be traveling down the road we have been going down for the past 2 years. I knew in my heart we would have a difficult time starting a family but IVF? Never!

Pat and I have grown stronger together as a couple in so many ways throughout this process. He has been so supportive and I can never thank him enough.

Friday we went in for our embyro transfer. There they are! How many people get to see their possible children at an embryo cell stage? Not many! We are praying these two little ones stick and find a happy home inside for the next 9 months. The ART lab decided on these 2 since they were 8 cells and graded A.

It was very exciting watching the whole process on an ultrasound machine. We were given a picture of the 2 embryo's and 2 ultrasound pictures of them inside my uterus after they were transferred. It was truly amazing. We pray that this works and we will have a good outcome from all of this. We would love to be able to have the two stick but we know our odds and chances. We are staying positive yet also guarded. The ART lab was going to freeze the other embryo's not used and I believe we have at least 9 they were going to be able to freeze.

Since the transfer I have been doing nothing! I lay in bed or lay on the couch. Thats about it! I went to acupuncture the day of the transfer and CVS the next day. Exciting!

Yesterday I received a package from Erin, Lindsey, & Alta. (and Rich too). It was filled with a ton of little goodies to help me relax. They wrote a beautiful card and gave me a zebra print snuggie, an eye mask, tiara, candle, relaxing bath salts, candy, and put a couple coloring books and crayons in there for Pat to practice his creativity on instead of drawing on me...long story! Let's just make this short and sweet...Im getting daily progesterone shots that have to go in the muscle, aka butt. I had Pat draw a circle on each cheek with a black sharpie and I ended up with a big happy face on my ass for the day of the retrieval.

Im off work until Tuesday and then we sit and wait. We will be able to take a blood pregnancy test in a little less than 2 weeks but we have decided to wait on sharing the results with family and friends until after we come back from vacation. We hope that you will all understand and grant us this one wish. We have been through so much already and if this doesnt work we will need time to adjust and accept the outcome together without a ton of people asking us if we are pregnant the day we receive the results. We will share the outcome after September 7th. Until then only sticky thoughts!

Octomom + 10 in a peatree dish

2009-08-12T12:36:00.002-04:00

We just got our call from the lab! 18 out of the 25 eggs have fertilized normally! Hopefully all 18 will stay happy, healthy, warm & strong till Friday!

Eggs, Painter Suits, & Good Drugs

2009-08-12T07:06:00.004-04:00

Yesterday Pat and I went in for our egg retrieval. When we got there they had us go in and change since the room we would be in was sterile. I had covers for my feet, a hair mask & gown. Pat looked like a painter in a white jump suit, mask, hair net and booties.

It took forever for them to get the IV in but once they did I told them to fill me up with the meds. We had 8 people in the room and each one had a job. I loved the nurse with the meds. She made the experience more enjoyable. We watched on an ultrasound machine each follicle being poked with a 16 in long needle connected to the ultasound probe, they would vanish instantly and the egg and fluid was transferred into a special test tube. When we got there the doctor told me he thought I would have 15 good eggs out of the procedure. They had about 18 test tubes and I heard them call for more. 30 test tubes were filled and the lab called in about 5 min after the procedure was over and told us all they found 25 mature eggs!! Everyone was so happy and excited. More than we all thought I would have.

In fact I was told I had the most eggs retrieved this month. Under the influence of meds I clearly stated to them that they needed to put a plaque on the wall and put my picture up on it and give me a discount for being the winner this month. They thought it was funny but I was pretty serious! They shared with me that the lady that had the same procedure the day before only had 7 eggs. I felt so sad for her and almost started crying. I thought of the whole process of meds and the torture your body goes through and then the devastation of only having 7. Pat as joke told me I should give her some of mine but I wasnt in the joking mood so the nurse gave me another squirt of meds very quickly to take me back to my wonderland.

Recovery was tough. My body shook uncontrobly and I could barely move. My mom told me she had the same thing after giving birth. Well I just gave birth to 25 eggs so I think my body had a right to do what ever it felt like doing to show me it wasnt happy!

While at home recovering the lab was hard at work making us our embryo's. We decided to do ICSI. (The picture above is an example of ICSI) They will manually insert a needle into 1 egg and insert 1 sperm to fertilize it. They are going to save a couple eggs to see if they fertilize on their own. If they dont...well then we know what has held us back from having a family these past 2 years.

I should get a call from the embryologist today with an update on how many eggs survived and how they are coming along. They will tell me what stage they are in. I guess they have a process of lettering them A,B,C, & D. We want A's!! Friday we will go back and will hopefully have Grade A embryo's. We signed a waiver to transfer 2 embryos and freeze any that are left for future children.

We are hoping the embryo's are happy and will stick. Who know's what our future holds but things happen for a reason. There were so many different signs and everything just seemed to fall into place for us throughout this whole process. The money, the med coverage, support from family and friends, the amount of eggs retrieved, acupuncture, even driving to the appointment yesterday we saw a truck with one of the names we decided on if it works. Little signs everywhere.

Pat and I are so excited to have such great results from this. We want to thank everyone for being there for us through this long and difficult road. I will update later once we have more info.

Got Eggs? I do!

2009-08-08T14:09:00.003-04:00

So I thought I would update everyone on our status. This month we started our hormone treatment for the IVF. The hormones will help me produce mass amounts of eggs. The more the better and this will help our chances in a good embryo transfer.

Over the past week I had 3 blood draws to measure my estrogen level. Day 1 it was at 26, 5 days later it was 265, 2 days after that it was up to 615. I am woman hear me roar! I feel like a walking zombie that can throw up and cry one minute and bite the head off any living thing around me the next. Luckily Pat is a wonderful husband and has done everything he can to make me feel half way human.

Today I went in for my ultra sound to measure and count the follicles I have been growing. I had a feeling I had a lot growing since I am no longer able to button my pants and elastic or draw string pants have become better than sliced bread in my eyes.

I heard the doctor start to count, 1, 2, 3, 10, 11, 12, 20, 21, 22...thats when I started to feel a little dizzy. Over 20 follicles mature enough to retrieve for IVF! They told me they were going to recount them again and would be back. The doctor came back into the room, went over my pre-op work sheet and explained the risks of everything. I signed away still dizzy from the numbers. I asked him as I was walking out of the room...how many did I have again? All of them, he said. He told me he was going to recount all of them and call me this afternoon. They were impressed with the amount of follicles I produced. Lets just hope each follicle contains an egg!

Looks like Tuesday we will go in for the retrieval and then Friday they will do the embryo transfer.

Below is an example of an ultra sound taken of ONE ovary with multiple follicles. Yep I saw two ovaries today just like that one!

Sand Dunes

2009-07-20T18:37:00.010-04:00

This past weekend I surprised Pat with an over night camping trip to the Sleeping Bear Sand Dunes near Traverse City, MI. We had perfect weather & came back so relaxed. It was a great time.

We saw a wild turkey that wanted to eat Turbo or was it the other way around? Emma was a bundle of nerves, out of her element but I think she had a good time. We walked around the camp ground with the dogs and they enjoyed all the new smells.

We enjoyed cooking hotdogs over the bonfire, Pat brought his solar panels so we could listen to music and have light once it got dark.

The pictures arent in order but hope you enjoy them!

I did it!

2009-07-03T16:57:00.002-04:00

So I went for my first acupuncture appointment today! I just got home and actually feel relaxed. I think that 45min of laying in a chair listening to soft music might have something to do with it!

Before I left she put two seeds on each ear and taped them on. She told me that the one in my ear is stimulating the acupuncture points for the IVF/stress/wellbeing/etc. The second one outside of my ear is so I dont smoke. She said if I get the urge to just push on the seed. So far so good!

Acupuncture

2009-07-03T08:09:00.003-04:00

With our upcoming IVF in August I have been doing alot of research on how I can de-stress, help improve the success, and try to enjoy this whole process.

After many nights researching info on the internet I found myself going back to one treatment...acupuncture. I started to look into the treatment and find success rates, info, and pleasant outcomes. Im not a fan of needles and I was at first turned away from acupuncture due to the fact that for the next 1 1/2 months needles will be my life.

I called around to several different places close to home but became quite discouraged due to the cost of the treatments. We were looking at spending $400-$600 for 4-6 treatments! We are already paying so much for the IVF and just couldn't afford to spend that kind of money. So I gave up on the thought of acupuncture until...I came across a place in Livonia. They understand that normal income people are struggeling in this economy, they understand that not everyone can afford a weekly trip to have acupuncture done and spend $100 each time. They have created a sliding scale for payment. You choose how much to pay. Their sliding scale is anywhere from $20-$40 a visit. They want it to be affordable for everyone so they can continue the needed treatment and not break the bank.

Well I made an appointment for today and Im going to have my first visit with Linda. Im so excited and really hope that this will increase our success of the IVF. Medical studies have shown that women doing an IVF cycle and accupuncture have an increase in eggs that are of good quality and size, and stronger thicker lining of the uterine wall (which helps implant the eggs), and it releases stress which will reduce the number of contractions my body will put off so there is a lower risk of miscarraige.

I plan on going once a week up until the week of our IVF. The day before our egg retrieval I will go for a treatment and the day they do the IUI with our embryos I will go back. Depending on how I feel I may need to do the day after instead.

I will keep you all posted on my acupuncture adventure. Fingers crossed that this will be a positive and successful adventure!

Field Day 2009

2009-07-01T19:37:00.005-04:00

For the past 3 years we have hosted Field Day at our house. Field Day is where Pat's radio buddies come over and have a contest. This contest is world wide and you have to make as many contacts around the world as possible in a 24 hour period. I usually hide out in the house, come out to check on them, make coffee early in the morning, make sure they have dinner and breakfast.

Above is Pat setting up an antenna in the tall pine trees in the back field behind our house.

He did it! He threw the line to the top of the trees and was able to run a line to "camp"

They set up solar panels, a shade tent and a few chairs this year in the back.

Here it is in all its glory CAMP FIELD DAY 09 AT THE CLOUSE HOUSE

Pat mowed a path and a patch in the field for their camp. It was so hot out. Poor Pat and Ben got a little too much sun. Hopefully the pizza I ordered for dinner and the huge pancake breakfast I made them helped!

The guys out in the field hooking up the antenna

One of Pat's antenna's they used for Field Day. This use to be on the side of the house, but Pat moved it to the back of the barn so I wouldn't have to see it anymore :)

Pat's radio that he used.

Another table of radios

Ham Fest 2009

2009-07-01T18:45:00.004-04:00

Every May since Pat was little he would go to Dayton, Ohio with his Dad to Ham Fest.

Ham Fest from what I've been told is a giant swap meet filled with radio's, gadgets, antennas, and junk. Pat looks forward to his trip every year and his dad drives all the way from Arizona to go with him.

They have such a great time and make so many lasting memories each year.

This is the Red Ryder group. I guess they always set up crazy things around their tent and have off the wall stuff you can only find in a down south garage sale. I've been told they have bra's you can sign!
Wow, getting a little crazy guys!

I've always wondered why I can never find a decent picture of Pat being serious...guess he takes after his dad!

Pat playing with his radio in the hotel

Pat & Family

2009-07-01T18:37:00.004-04:00

Last month Pat went out to visit his family in Utah. He had such a great time seeing his sisters, his niece Alta, Rich, and his Mom.

The trip was short but he was able to spend some good quality time with them.

Im so happy Pat was able to go out there. Living so far away takes a toll but when you re-unite you forget about the miles in between our homes.

Here is sweet little Alta. She just celebrated her 1st birthday. She is our first niece and we love her so much.

Here is Pat with his sisters. Of course out of the 20 pictures with same pose it was hard to find one that was just right. So I decided on this one...Pat the big brother making his sisters laugh.

Had to add one more of Alta Rose :)

Holy Macaroni!

2009-06-29T18:00:00.004-04:00

No this isn't a bag of groceries left on the kitchen table! This is what the pharmacist handed me after I paid a bill of $377.00! Holy Macaroni!

I've never seen so many meds for one person at pickup in my whole entire life!

Here they are! All of the meds (minus 3) that I will have to endure over the next month for our IVF. So far we are scheduled to have it the week of August 17th.

The boxes are filled with viles of hormones, the pill bottles are pain meds and antibiotics, and the ziplock bags are my syringes and needles.

Look at the size of that needle!! Its as long as my little finger. Pat took one look at it and told me he was going to vomit. I have to admit that when I saw the bag full of these I felt a little sick to my stomach.

Pick your poison. Oh wait I have to pick all 4! Depending on what week it is I will have anywhere from 1 to all 4 of these every day.

WARNING: Stay away from Laura on the 4 injection days!

If you thought PMS was bad with women you are around or work with wait till you experience one that is injecting hormones into her body! It's PMS x 12~

Here's a sample of one of the drugs and the little vials we get to use.

I just thought I would share with all of you my lovely meds that have taken over the fridge and cupboard space :)

Time to de-stress and get organized!

2009-06-25T20:44:00.004-04:00

Over the next two months Pat and I will be in another world, another frame of mind, another planet! Dont worry, we have to de-stress and get organized. During the months of July & August we will be on a very strict schedule!

We are schedule to have our IVF the week of August 17th! Throughout July and August we have a daily schedule we have to live by. This schedule is filled with timed medications and injections.

Throughout these 2 months we will need all the support and understanding we can get!

I have included above the begining of our journey with a picture of our July Calendar. At first glance it looks busy. Wait till you see August below!

So here it is...August! Everyday has something going on!

To do an IVF procedure there is a very strict schedule to follow. Here it is!

Above is a list of almost all of my meds. Yes, I said almost! There are 4 more not on this list!

And of course you cant do the IVF meds without the syringes and needles.
40 - 1/2" cc insulin syringes
32 - 16 ga 1 1/2" needles w/3cc syringes
16 - 22ga 1 1/2" needles
15 - 3cc syringes with leur-lock, no needles.

Saturday Im going to pick up all the meds! They called last night to let me know they didn't have one of the meds in stock and were looking for an alternative. They also shared with me that they didn't have enough syringes & needles on hand to fill my order so they had to order more to fill the order and restock their shelves. UGH!

2009-06-22T20:20:00.004-04:00

So I thought my day was done and I could go home after work and relax...Nope not in the Clouse House. Emma and Turbo decided that they had a taste for some Nad's Mellow Melon hair removal cream while we were gone.

I came home to find little over half of the bottle gone! I quickly called the Pet Poison Hotline and $35 later I was told that if our dogs were going to eat hair removal creme they picked a good brand. This creme was the least corrosive and wouldn't damage their belly's. They might have a burning mouth and throat for a bit but we were safe for now.

As soon as I got off the phone with the helpful lady I took them both outside and sprayed them off with the hose. Now we just have to sit, wait, and watch as their hair falls out.

Behind our playlist

2009-06-18T20:56:00.010-04:00

Island in the sun, all I can think about is our honeymoon. We went on a cruise to the Cayman Islands and Cozumel Mexico. The cruise was awesome! There is nothing better than listening to tropical music while relaxing in the sun with no worries. Our first song on our playlist is in memory of our honeymoon. Every time I hear this song I think of the employees of the cruise ship walking up to us asking us by Mr. & Mrs. Clouse and if we needed anything. While on our honeymoon we were never without the entire time. It was awesome. God how I wish I had a maid!

During our honeymoon we stopped off at the Cayman Islands. The main island. We really didn't do much. We went to Senior Frogs, ordered the largest margarita on the menu and enjoyed it as Mr. & Mrs.!

Island in the sun, gotta love it~

One More Time! I think of how I would love to be able to renew our vows and dance to this song. Cut loose, look back at our past and enjoy our future!

Just Dance...This song was added to our playlist because it has a beat that just makes me want to get up and dance. When Pat and I started to date we fell in love instantly. I can't explain how it happened and how things happened. This song just has a catchy beat. I hear it and I just want to dance, I want to dance to everything! Ive never wanted to dance like this since meeting Pat.

Heartbeats...there is something about this song that is so amazing. I feel love, security, protection, and piece of mind when I hear this song. After I married Pat I felt so safe and secure. This song reminds me of the protection and love I receive from Pat.

Let Your Love Flow...Well as most of you know Pat and I got married in Vegas. Yes it was planned. Actually Pat decided for us that he wanted it to be a year to the date of his proposal in Vegas. Thanks Pat! It made things so much easier in planning!! Now back to the song. This was the first song Pat and I danced to as Mr. & Mrs. Clouse. We were in the lobby of the hotel and my dad knew the piano player who was playing that night, he sang Let Your Love Flow the best he could as Pat and I danced without a flaw throughout the lobby of the hotel. Not a care in the world, not a worry to be thought, we were Mr & Mrs.

We Miss Pat!

2009-06-18T19:37:00.004-04:00

Laying out in the sun just isn't that same without him.

Turbo misses his kisses

And I miss his unexpected bouts of energy and outlook on life

Pat flew out to Utah today to visit with his family. I've included his license picture for all to see and if you see him tell him his family in Michigan misses him!

A long road in the making

2009-06-14T09:55:00.007-04:00

So you might be asking yourself what on earth is this a picture of? What is the long road in the making?

Well many of you know Pat and I have tried to start a family for quite some time now. I feel that it is very therapeutic for me to talk about it and inform people as much as possible what we are going through so they can understand the process.

Through out our journey we have had to resort to fertility meds. They are not fun! I have to give myself a shot certain days of the month and take pills that make my body hurt and I swell up like a balloon. I have gained 23 pds in 6 months!

Throughout this journey Pat and I decided that if the meds do not work we wanted to still have a family and that is when we decided to become Foster Parents. We are still in the process of getting our license. We were told our only possible way to become pregnant would to have an IVF. Well we couldn't do it financially so that helped us push harder and move forward with the foster foundation. As soon as we signed up to become foster parents, the money arrived for the IVF and we are scheduled to have it the end of July or the beginning of August.

We could go from 0 kids to 2 or 3!! Watch out!!!

So travel through this journey I thought I would take you down the long road and show you a few pictures of what some of the meds are . Viewer discreation is advised! Needles involved.

The picture above at the beginning of this post is our sharps container. It sits way up high on the top of our cabinet where it is out of reach even to me. Pat's job during this is to prep all my injections and help get the meds and supplies ready.

I must tell you, Pat has a huge fear of needles but he steps up to the plate and does a wonderful job getting them ready for me.

Our fridge has become the local pharmacy. No longer do we store butter in this shelf in the fridge. It is always filled with some sort of injection.

My Gonal-f RFF Pen. This is an injection pen that is prefilled and I can use it up to 7 times. I give one injection every night of 75UI in my belly. Its not too bad. The needle is so sharp and thin that it goes right in and it doesnt hurt too bad.

Here's the pen. There is a dial that you turn to give the correct dose. All the little caps are new needles that you put on for each dose.

Pat, pretending to give himself a shot. Of course there is no needle!!

Here is Pat prepping the injection. To prep it you have to wipe the tip of the pen with alcohol then put the needle on. Make sure there are no bubbles and if there are he has to tap the cartridge until they travel to the top and then push the button until there is a tiny amount of fluid that comes out.

Ugh, the needle. Its small a little longer than a thumb tac.

Ouch, there's my swollen belly.

Here is my Ovidrel injection. This one hurts! Im not going to lie! I usually get a nasty bruise from it. The fluid is much thicker so there is a thicker needle. Luckily this injection is given only once and its one of the most important ones. This one will make me ovulate all the little eggs that the Gonal-F had me produce.

Here it is. I hate that shot!

I hope by sharing with you an evening of meds in the Clouse House has helped you understand some of the stuff we are experiencing. We have our good days and we have our bad days. We look forward to what the future holds for us in the next couple of months. There are children out there waiting and will hopefully be placed with us soon. Also the IVF journey will be hard but we are ready!

Thanks again for all of the support.

Safety Town in the Clouse House

2009-06-10T19:41:00.003-04:00

So this past Tuesday Pat and I had our "walk-through" of our house to become Foster Parents. I went into OCD mode the week prior and cleaned the house top to bottom. I was so stressed over the fact that a complete stranger was going to come into our home and analyze the way we lived. She was going to tell us what needed to be fixed and what was ok.

I made due with what we could fix, what I could clean, and what I would be able to accept. To be honest I wanted to put the house in a bubble and wrap the entire contents of it in bubble wrap! Well that wasn't going to happen so I did what I could and....we passed!!!! We passed with flying colors! Our contact through the foundation made notes while she walked around, made little comments about our "safety" features, and filled out our check off list. During the walk-through she was so impressed that she wanted to pick up a few things for her own home and add some things to the check-off list for future foster homes.

I was so happy when she told us she had never seen a home so ready like ours. She even told us she wanted to expedite our application. She told us we were the poster family for their foundation and she couldn't wait to place us.

So after the walk-through I took a few pictures to show all of you a couple of safety features we added to the Clouse House. The above picture is of our stove. Awesome invention. I no longer have a fear of bumping our gas oven and accidentally moving one of the burner's on.

In every single electrical outlet we have plugs!

My old office has been transformed into a playroom. These kids are set! We have a little TV, a V-Smart, blocks, books, and a little table to do arts and crafts :)

Our laundry room. This was a huge concern for me since this is where we kept a majority of our cleaning supplies. Pat came to the rescue and installed shelves above our washer. The cleaning supplies are now out of reach...even to me!

One Step Closer

2009-05-29T23:10:00.004-04:00

Well tonight was a very important night for us. We are one step closer to becoming Foster Parents.

Pat and I hope that all of our family and friends will be there to support us through this journey. We want to provide the children that are placed with us a loving home that is filled with support, love, care, and security. We hope you will join us on this journey and path we have decided to take.

Love,
Laura & Pat

Speed Racer!

2009-05-19T21:09:00.003-04:00

This past weekend Pat was down in Dayton, Ohio with his dad for Ham Fest (this is a whole other blog in itself). Well the grass was getting long and I thought I would mow before he got home. I soon realized that I couldn't find the key so after talking to Pat I found out the key to the barn where the mower was is on his key chain down in Dayton. So I got out of mowing :)

By the time Pat came home Sunday afternoon we had a mini amazon growing on the property. I decided since he just drove 4 hrs to come home I would mow the yard.

I have to share with you that I am not allowed to mow the lawn without prior approval from Pat due to my past experiences with the lawn mower. I've had several accidents while mowing the lawn and Pat prefers to do it himself. Just to give you an idea of some of the accidents I've had here they are :)
1. I started a fire in the back yard and stalled the lawn mower over it.
2. I started a fire in the field next to the house and left the lawn mower over it.
3. I broke the belt.
4. I broke the belt.
5. I broke the belt.
6. I hit the fence post.
7. I dented the front of the mower.
8. Blew out the front right tire.
9. Got a nasty burn down my arm from the steering wheel when I flew off of it.
10. I shoot out giant balls of flames when ever I stall the mower.
11. The latest..... I ran over and killed a bird.

Before you come to the conclusion that I shouldn't be driving this mower and side with Pat I have to share with you that this is not your ordinary lawn mower. This thing is a machine! Pat has done something to it, what I'm not quite sure yet but this thing isn't normal. It halls butt, its completely out of control! It speeds through the yard and when you push on the gas you are victim waiting for whiplash! It even has Toyota HID lights installed. (the ones for your car). You can mow the yard at 1am and see everything.

So back to the purpose of my post. I ran over and killed a poor bird! How the heck is it possible on a lawn mower? Im just so taken back by the whole thing. RIP poor bird, I would have burried you and had a special ceremony but all we could find was your beak and a few feathers thanks to the extra sharp blades Pat has on there that even cut cement.

Cali day 4

2009-05-13T20:41:00.005-04:00

Today we drove out to Duarte where I was born and raised. Rachel and Rami and their 2 little ones...Sydney and Blake drove out from Vegas to visit. Rachel and I have been friends since 1st grade. We were 6 years old. WOW 24 years ago we became friends. Rachel and I were inseparable! I love how through out the years when we get together it feels like just yesterday we were going to school and just being young enjoying life. Above Im pictured with Sydney.

Here is Rami and Blake.

1001 Cotter Avenue. The very first place I lived. I loved this house and the neighborhood. It was so strange going back. Everything seemed so much bigger when I was little!

Our second house. Markwood Street. We moved out to MI from this house. Ugh.
I remember being able to pick up all the neighbors phone calls on our cordless phone at this house. Rachel and I knew just where to stand in the yard for each neighbor :)

Duarte High School. This is where I went to school.

After our trip out to Duarte we stopped by George's. Above he is praying that I dont wreck the hotrod he worships.

Hi Ry!

Ryan is a little bitter, he wouldn't look at the pictures of me in the hotrod. Im sorry Ryan. But I do have to admit that it was fun!

Me, Rachel, & Rami

Just the girls, just for Sydney :)

Cali trip day 3

2009-05-13T20:25:00.004-04:00

Day 3, May 10th
My dad and I went to Catalina Island...no it is not where they make Catalina Dressing but it is a beautiful island of the coast of Southern California. We go on the boat and took the hour long ride over. I saw dolphins and seals swimming along side of the boat and had the wonderful sound of the little girl puking into a diaper bag behind me. I felt so bad for her. My only memory of Catalina Island as a little girl was getting sea sick and having to stay outside in the freezing cold. She was such a trooper.

Here it is the boat we took over to the island.

Catalina Island is such a beautiful place to visit. The water is so clear, and there are several little shops along the waterfront to get your tacky tourist gifts. I of course had to pick up a magnet to add to our fridge.

We rented a golf cart and took it up along the mountain. It was beautiful!

Cali trip day 2

2009-05-13T20:13:00.004-04:00

Day 2...May 9th
Today we went to Hollywood Blvd. I have to first start off by explaining to all of our followers. Since Pat and I got married we have tried to start a family. Many of you know, many of you don't know but we have gone through several ups and downs throughout the process. Without any luck we turned to fertility specialists. They have diagnosed us with "Unexplained Infertility". We have gone through several months of fertility meds which include injections that I give to myself certain days, several doctor appointments and of course the ups and downs of hope and then reality. Through our journey I came across in a magazine the African Fertility Statues. I read about them and saw that over 2,000 women with "unexplained infertility" became pregnant after touching them. What are the chances! Oh how I wish I could see those I thought to myself. So time passed and I planned my trip to CA. On a whim I looked the statues up one day and saw that the Ripley's Believe It or Not Museum had them on tour. No Way!!! Where? When? So I did some investigating. They were going to be delivered in Hollywood the day I flew in!!!! So I got a hold of my dad and told him this was top priority on our list of things to do! So we went to Hollywood!

Here they are! I will spare you all the pictures of me basically molesting the statues.

After we went to the statues we headed down Hollywood Ave and headed over to the famous stars cemetary. It was kind of weird but I got to see where Marilyn Monroe was burried.

After Hollywood we drove down the coast through Malibu and headed over to Joyce & Ruebens. Here I am with Uncle Bob.

Rueben
Boy does he love his picture taken, especially with the females :)

Here I am with Joyce.
Both Rueben and Joyce were the same as I last saw them and remembered them. Oh how I miss them but when I am there I feel like I never moved to Michigan and saw them just yesterday.

2009-05-13T20:03:00.003-04:00

May 8th

3:30am my alarm started to go off and I knew my vacation had started! Woohoo!!

Poor Pat got up and drove me to the airport and I got off without any problems...well a short delay in security when the security guard told me my ziplock freezer bag was too big and he would have to throw away all of my items. My shampoo and lotions! Are you serious! The guy looked at me and told me I was lucky I caught him on a good day and it was too early to deal with travelers. I of course responded back that he was lucky I was still half asleep and too tired to argue! He let me through the gates and I was off too Texas.

Once I landed in Texas I had an hour lay over. Well that hour turned into 2 and they had to bring in a new plane from the hanger because the one we were going to get on was having "electrical problems". Glad they found out then instead of up in the air!

I landed in Ontario, CA and had a minor heart attack merging onto the 10 freeway. Another while getting onto the 15. Does anyone out there use their turn signals? I know the brake shops arent feeling the crunch of the economy out in CA!

Once I got to my dad's in Temecula we headed straight to the Green Burrito. I hate to say it but I was not impressed. La Familia Restaurant in Ypsi has them beat!

It was my Uncle Pete's Birthday so we headed down to the Swing Inn to visit with the car group and celebrate his birthday.

Here I am with Jean & my Uncle Pete.

There was a running joke for poor Gerry and his musical talent. Well of course boys will be boys and they turned it around and gave him a start like they have on the Hollywood walk of fame. Go Gerry!

During my visit I won the hearts of all of the guys in the car group and I became an "official" member for the picture. Eat your heart out Ry!

Red Wings & 1-800-Call-Sam

2009-04-18T09:15:00.004-04:00

I was at work when I got the phone call, it was Pat screaming on the other end of the phone. "Calm down Pat, whats going on? I can't understand a word you are trying to say!" Once Pat took a deep breath he blurted out "I'm going to the Red Wings game tonight and Im so excited!!!!!" Pat's boss gave him 2 tickets in a suite to the first Red Wings Stanley Cup playoff game. He tried calling Dick (my mom's husband) but he didn't answer. Pat has some new legal advice for him...answer the phone when his son in-law is calling, it's usually important. Important like 2 tickets to a Red Wings Game!!! Hopefully next time.

So Pat gave his old childhood friend Ben aka Peanut a call and asked him to go. Of course Peanut flipped out just the same as Pat. Originally the two planned on hanging out in our living room to watch the game but instead they were going to get to go to the game!!!

Ben & Pat.

During playoffs the players don't shave so everyone was given a beard to wear. Here is Pat hanging out in the suite with his new look.

Holy crap, it's 1-800-Call-Sam!! Pat called me from the game and told me I would never believe who he was sitting with, Sam Bernstein!! He sat and chatted with Sam and his wife. Pat told me they were so nice and normal that he almost forgot that he was sitting next to a guy he see's everyday on tv!

The two had a great time. It was a special night for both, neither one had been to a playoff game, not to mention a playoff game in a suite!!

Kiss the Wet Noses

2009-04-13T20:25:00.003-04:00

This is for Aunt M.

Dusty

2009-04-11T21:47:00.011-04:00

OK so if any of you out there know my history...I'm a die hard till the end no matter what State I live in, I'm an LA Dodger's fan. But...my all time favorite player will always be Dusty Baker. As long as I can remember Dodger's ran through my blood. I can thank my Dad for this. My father was the Dodgers photographer for many years.

I grew up at Dodger Stadium. I was given so many wonderful memories there. In fact, growing up I actually thought everyone went to all home games, brought gum for the players, knew who Fred Claire was, and didn't know how important it was NOT to play with an autographed baseball in the front yard. Little did I know that I was one of few that got the privilege of doing so much.

Growing up at the Stadium I found one player I had an instant bond with. I don't know what it was, but he was my one and only player and I had to support him! His name was Dusty Baker.

Every home game we would go to I would have to stop and pick up Bubbalicious Bubble Yum Gum. I remember my mom taking me to the gas station on the way to the games and I would get the same gum in a brown paper bag every time. We would get to the stadium early and I would hand deliver Dusty his gum for the game. I remember hanging out before the games in the Dodger's dugout, sitting on Dusty's lap, hearing him talk and telling me he knew I would be watching him play.

Years have passed and contact has been lost. Tonight I gave Pat and Ryan their Easter Baskets...I know its not Easter. It's Easter Eve! Inside their Easter baskets were Hockey and Baseball cards. Inside Ryan's pack was a Dusty Baker Card!!!! Can you believe it! What are the chances of that!!! Ryan instantly gave me his baseball card, no questions asked. What a wonderful brother.

wait!

2009-04-09T20:11:00.001-04:00

I FOUND THE RIGHT BOAT! SORRY FOR THE CONFUSION!

OH MY HOLY FRUSTRATED!@!@#!@$%%

2009-04-09T19:43:00.003-04:00

OK time to vent a little bit.

I want to begin by saying that my wife, Laura, the most beautiful, perfect, amazing and loving wife you could ever ask for normally does all the typing on this blog....Today, things change.

So I sold a ham radio item on Ebay and shipped the item out to the seller in Cali. Weeks later I get a message that said "um......you sent my package to Hawaii, not California". Any normal person that has mailed anything knows that this has to be impossible. How in the world do you send something 2000 miles off target? This is IMPOSSIBLE!!! Well let me tell you people it's not! I apparently am the first person in the history of the United States Postal Service to be the victim of a postal worker mix up. UGH!!!!!!!

Being the courteous person I am, I immediately send a message to the buyer stating that I would find out what the deal is. I call the postal service, give them a tracking number and they find the error. "Yep, sorry Mr. Clouse but we sent the package to Hawaii, not California" The postal worker entered the second digit of the zip code as a 6 instead of a 5! ONE DIGIT=2000 miles! ONE DIGIT= west coast vs. middle of the Pacific Ocean! WTF!#(!#)!#^!)^!*&#!*&

So, after I talked to the postal worker on the phone, gave them the correct information I thought all was in order. NOPE! As soon as I get out of work today a email waits for me, disputing the charges, wanting the $400+ dollars back while the time vampire of a package is in limbo. You have to be kidding me. So that was the jam in my radar for the day Lonestar.

Love,
P@

P.S. I found the boat the package is on..................

All Because of a Door

2009-03-31T18:56:00.005-04:00

With the new owners on their way to our home we decided to get one last picture with my old car. It is because of this door handle that we met 4 yrs ago this June.

Most of you know the story but for those of you who don't here it is.

I was living in Ann Arbor sharing a place with my brother Ryan. Ry was going to car meets in Ann Arbor and became friends with Pat. He had told Pat about me and my car issues. At the time my drivers side door handle broke and I could only open my car door from the inside. Talk about embarrassing, having to climb across the front seats from the passenger side! Ryan was sick of me bugging him (3 months) to contact Pat so he could fix my car. In the mean time Pat was bugging him to introduce us.

It was June 6th in the afternoon when Ryan called me. All he said was: "Do you have a piece of paper, write this down!" Of course I had to question why he was so pissy and why did I have to write something down! He finally blurted out that he was giving his sister his friends phone number and made it clear it was just to have my car door fixed!

I wrote down the number, paced a few times and called Pat. He answered and asked me if he could call me back, he had just gotten out of the shower. WHAT! Call me back! What ever!

So I waited, and he called me back about 20 min later and we arranged for me to come over within the hour so he could take a look at the door.

It was a nasty hot and humid day and I had a fluorescent green cast on my arm from Lou. (RIP Lou Dog). To make a long story short Lou (my dog) broke my arm. I knocked on the door at Foster Street and Pat answered. I knew the second I saw him I was going to marry him. (I even went to work the next day and told the ladies I work with!)

Well Pat fixed the door and it broke a week later. 2 months later he fixed it and it never gave me a problem after that. He only fixed it because I told him I was going to go to Howard Cooper (Fischer Honda's enemy) and I was going to have them fix it! It was fixed that same day.

So to sum up our love story, we can thank that car door for bringing us together!

Good Bye Old Friend

2009-03-30T18:32:00.005-04:00

I first found you in the Ann Arbor News for sale with 71,000 miles in 2001. How ironic I see you leave at 171,000 miles. So many memories. Old friend, you were the reason Pat and I met. All because of your broken driver's side door I found the love of my life. I hope you will have a good home. I am so sad to see you leave. I haven't been this upset since my parents sold their pinto.

Goodbye old friend

HELLO NEW FRIEND

Lazy Sunday

2009-03-29T12:42:00.004-04:00

Today has been pretty cold and dreary out. It's the perfect weather to take a nap! I think Turbo and Emma have the right idea...it's a day to be lazy!!

Fred & Ethel

2009-03-29T11:32:00.004-04:00

Over night we got quite a bit of rain and when ever that happens we will get a mini pond in the back yard. We would love to have a pond in the back to float around in, watch ducks play in the water and let Emma & Turbo swim when ever they wanted. Something to enjoy during the summer. Well this morning we woke up and saw our dream had come true. We have an active mini pond and it even came with 2 ducks! We named them Fred & Ethel.

Pat went out and threw some bread so they could snack a little while relaxing in the water. They were so cute. After their little swim they went for a walk around the driveway and front yard. The cars driving down the road scared them so they flew off but hopefully they will come back soon...Emma loves to watch them.

We Went Green...

2009-03-26T19:28:00.004-04:00

While I was at work I got an email from Pat. He was asking what color I liked, Silver or Charcoal. I replied back that I liked Silver much better than Charcoal. As I left work and was walking up to my car my phone started to ring. It was Pat. I answered and heard, "Congratulations, you are the proud new owner of a 2009 Honda Civic Hybrid!" What? Who? Are you joking? All of these thoughts went racing through my head. Pat told me to stop by his work on my way home to pick up my new car!!!! I have never owned a brand new car in my life. My past cars were bought slightly used. Ahhh, that new car smell. Can I buy it in a bottle?

Pat said this is the most important picture of the car. We are officially helping the environment. I feel so green.

The inside, the cleanest it will ever be! Had to take a picture to remember!

It looks so nice in the driveway, fits perfect in the garage.

Coldplay

2009-03-23T18:12:00.003-04:00

Today I bought us tickets to go see Coldplay! They are coming to town on their Viva La Vida Tour and are playing at the DTE Energy Music Theatre.

There were 2 bands Pat would always say he wanted to go see if they ever came to town...U2 & Coldplay.

Last week on my way into work I heard on the radio Coldplay was going on tour, I checked out Ticketmaster and saw that the tickets were going on sale today. I set up a reminder on my phone and at 10 am the tickets went on sale. By 10:03 I was printing them off :)

We are really excited. We bought lawn tickets and get to go June 2nd.

This is What Happens When I Wake Up At 5:30am

2009-03-21T14:28:00.004-04:00

I got to see the sun rise.

I woke up this morning at 5:30am and could not fall back to sleep. So instead of tossing and turning in bed I decided to get up and start my weekend. I watched the sunrise, cleaned the house and did all the laundry by the time Pat got up at 8am.

I thought for sure I would be napping by 10 but my energy kept flowing! I made brownies and homemade chicken noodle soup for lunch.

Im sure the energy will end soon and I'll be sound asleep by 6pm tonight! Hopefully I only watch one sunrise this weekend!

Just Curious

2009-03-19T19:34:00.004-04:00

I have to admit the following to all of you who follow our blog:

I log in every day and check on all the blogs I follow.
I sometimes click on others I dont follow through my friends follower's list's.
I love to see new updates and pictures of old friends and family.
I love comments on our posts.
I wish everyone could update their blog daily.
Im trying to update our blog more often.

When I update our blog I often wonder how many of you actually follow our blog. Is it enjoyable? Does it make you smile? Does it make you wonder what's next? I feel like Im writing a journal of our lives but Im not sure who's found it and who had the guts to open it and read it.

This post is to see who does follow us, who does read our posts, and who does enjoy it! Leave a comment please! Dont be afraid!

St. Patricks Day & A Limo

2009-03-17T22:09:00.007-04:00

Happy St. Patrick's Day!

So our evening was pretty quiet to start off with. I cleaned up some broken branches in the front yard. Played frisbee with the dogs and once Pat got home he turned on the hockey game. Soon his phone started to ring and it was his old co-worker Art. All of a sudden we see a Hummer Limo pull up in the front yard. Let the party begin!

Art had the driver pick us up and take us up the road to Aubree's. Never in my life did I ever think that Pat and I would take a limo 1 mile down the road to the local restaurant! We had a blast riding in style!

Thanks Art! We had a great St. Patrick's Day! It started off quiet and dull and ended full of new memories!!!!

My Vinyl Additions

2009-03-12T18:18:00.005-04:00

So in my previous post about Vinyl wall art I put the stock photo up for the Birds on a Wire, and Laundry. Here it is! I thought putting it with BB & Lucielle would be the perfect area.

I guess I should have knocked down the cobwebs before taking the picture :) Oh well! I love this one, I read it every time I do laundry. My favorite line is...."Please help with the laundry"

Night out with Ryan

2009-02-21T21:58:00.003-05:00

Ry came home earlier this week and we have had so much fun while he was home. Since it was a lazy Saturday and tomorrow he would have to fly out Ry decided that we should go out and have a beer. So with the weather not the greatest we went down the road for dinner to BW3's.

Ahh the brotherly love shown above.

Ryan & Laura

Ry

It was alot of fun and nice to have Ry home. Its been a while since he has been here and we realized this past week that we really do miss him. Most of all his laugh. He leaves tomorrow for Dallas, Texas where he will have to work anywhere from 5 weeks to 2 months! Maybe the work will end early and he will get to come back home to MI. This next time he comes home hopefully it wont snow!!

When will they learn to drive???

2009-02-21T21:43:00.004-05:00

So this morning Ryan and I were being lazy and all of a sudden we here this huge bang and a crack as if a tree fell. I yell to Ry if it was him, NO he yelled back. I look around to see what one of the animals could have gotten into and everything was in place. I walked back into the living room and something caught my eye. Cars going off the road in our front yard!! I run to the window and see some poor soul walking down the road holding a tire! Right across the street was some lady running around talking on her cell, and about 3 houses down a car in the front yard of my neighbors. I run outside to see what was going on...still in my pj's, robe, snow boots, and Pat's garage jacket. Let's just say I looked like an old Russian lady running around. I go out to the front yard and yell to the people across the street if everyone was ok. I heard them yell yes and then heard them start complaining about the ditch along side of the pavement. I then thought alright everyone's ok, I'll just go inside where its warm and grab my binoculars and watch from the living room :)

Above is a pic of the poor fireman that had to stand in our driveway and direct traffic. A couple of times he had to run up the driveway away from cars spinning out trying to avoid the accident. It was pretty humorous.

The firetruck came to rescue the lady on her cell phone

Of course Emma & Turbo were stuck to the window the whole time on patrol!

Right there, there she is! The one on her cell in the fancy snow boots. It was all her fault!

The poor soul struck by the other lady.

And I thought I was going to have a relaxing weekend! I had to spend a good 2 hours watching this mess!

I am Addicted to Vinyl Wall Art

2009-02-17T18:56:00.003-05:00

So I have found another weakness! Vinyl Wall Art!!! The first step of getting over an addiction is admitting that you have a problem, so I am admitting that I have a problem! I love this stuff!

The picture above is the newest addition to the Clouse House. They are retro dandelions. I decided to add a little color to our white and brown kitchen :)

Here is a full view of them.

The one that started them all. I found this on ebay and was able to customize it with the year we were married.

I love this one. Its fun to listen to friends when they come over and use the bathroom for the first time. You hear a chuckle and you know they just saw the lid

Here is my next wall art I am waiting to arrive above is a close up of the definition I bought, below is an example of what it will look like. I cant wait to put it up in the laundry room.

I also ordered the wall art below. Im going to put it above Luicelle & BB's cage and connect the "wire" to the bottom corners of 2 pictures we have hanging on the wall their cage is up against.

As soon as I get the new additions I will post the finished product up on our wall!

Valentine's Day

2009-02-14T12:10:00.004-05:00

It's Valentine's Day today! I surprised Pat with a heart shaped box filled with Reese's mini's and a card you would have thought they designed just for us. We went to our favorite Coney Island Restaurant for breakfast and then headed home to relax for the rest of the day.

Last week we both went to the dentist and I ended up getting a bad infection in my gums and traveled up to my sinus cavity. So this Valentine's day hasn't been the best for feeling good. So not feeling very good I decided to go lay down and Pat left to go run some errands. Little did I know that he had an appt with a florist he is friends with and he was meeting with her to design a special Valentine's Day Bouquet for me.

Isn't it pretty :) He also gave me a box of homemade chocolates.

Heat Wave

2009-02-09T17:49:00.005-05:00

On Sunday Pat and I decided to go to Sonic. Yes, Michigan has a Sonic! It's about 30min away and it was such a beautiful day out we decided to take the back roads and enjoy the sun. Of course we had the cherry limeade. YUM!!!!

After leaving Sonic we decided to stop by Lowes to pick up a few things. The weather outside felt like the beginning of Spring. We got the itch and had to buy some seeds. So far this is what we have. We are going to have 2 veggie gardens and then we have 2 flower gardens. I can't wait to grow my giant pumpkin!

Since it was still warm out when Pat and I got home we decided to bbq. The smell of the charcoal reminded us of the summer nights. It was such a nice change. Dinner was wonderful and I can't wait till Spring!!!!!

Beware of Dog

2009-02-09T17:46:00.003-05:00

Poor Emma!

Everytime Emma is outside and she hears someone in the garage this is what she does. When we took this picture she was crying to come out of the back and join us while we bbq'd dinner in the front.

Bare Bottoms

2009-02-07T17:23:00.004-05:00

My latest EBay purchase

So I added a little humor to the bathroom today. When you lift up the seat this is what you will see :)

Good Bye BMW

2009-02-04T21:44:00.006-05:00

It was a balmy negative 4 degree's when Pat decided to arrange the pick up of the infamous BMW. The BMW originally belonged to Ryan, it was his pride and joy in the short lived 3 or 4 months that it ran. He did everything he could to keep it alive but spending more time in the shop then on the road he decided to cut his losses and sell it to us. Thank you Ryan. We had a lawn ornament for a few months then we moved it to the extra garage where it was able to keep the local field mice warm during the winter months. After much nagging and sensible reasoning from me...Pat put the BMW up for sale. How on earth would Pat with his busy schedule be able to find the time to rebuild this car? Why waste time, sell, sell, sell!!! Well Sell it was, Pat found a willing buyer that was young and full of energy. He could put the time and love into this car. Exactly what we all needed.

Ryan of course is in Texas during the sell :)

As soon as Pat got home from work he started working on a trail to the extra garage out back. Let me remind you that we have had a ton of snow this winter and the trail was about 1 1/2 ft deep. Good job Pat!

The engine and all the lovely parts that go along with the BMW

So long, farewell, untell we meet again...hopefully we dont meet again. This car has been a fork in all of our sides. Good luck to the new owner! I would like to add that I give the new owner alot of credit! He has a goal with this car, after talking to him we learned that he wants to turn it into an electric car. He promises to keep us updated and send us pictures of his progress.

Who would have thought that this BMW that sat for years will someday benefit our environment!

Wellness Exam

2009-02-04T20:28:00.003-05:00

So going through my email about a month ago I came across an email that was sent to me to sign up for a "wellness program" sponsored by the UofM. I quickly deleted it because it was taking up space in my email box. Then a couple days later I hear my co-worker Tristen say $100 for a wellness exam, I'm signing up, did you? What! Where? When? came out of my mouth. That group email I deleted without reading was worth $100!! I quickly went through my trash and found the email. She was right! $100 for filling out an online form and 30 minutes of my time!

Today was my day! I signed up for the exam. All I needed to do was tell them how inactive I was, all the things I don't do like workout, eat right, and pay attention to my food intake on an online questionnaire. Then I had to go get measured, my weight taken (yikes!), blood pressure monitored and a cholestoral test.

It was the easiest $100 I have ever made. Here I thought I would get lectured about how unhealthy I was but in the end I turned out to be pretty average!! I was also told my job was obviously not stressfull because my blood pressure came in at 102/79!

So I would like to take a moment and thank the University of Michigan for giving me $100 and telling me I am an average 30 year old female.

I checked out the small print and they forgot to add that you could only sign up once! I am free everyday this week, next week, and the week after. Im sure in the end after its all said and done I could show up enough times to pay my mortgage :)

Eastern Market

2009-02-01T14:01:00.005-05:00

I went to the Eastern Market down in Detroit for the first time yesterday. I can't believe I've never gone before. Of course I had to pick one of the coldest days of the year to go but it was worth it. Since it's winter time they have all the vendors in 1 shed. I found some great deals. I bought some homemade Amish cinnamon rolls & zucchini bread. A dozen brown eggs from cage free, local farm fed hens. I bought some clementines that are the size of oranges, and spinach for the birds. To my surprise they had alot to choose from during the winter.

Once I unloaded my goodies into my car I sat in the heat for a few minutes then headed over to the Hirt Co. It's this old building that is 3 floors with so many different goodies. I bought some fresh bread, cheese, tea & some Hog Wash. The hog wash I bought just because I thought it might come in handy and I got to try it out this morning when I woke up with a bloody nose. The stuff worked! Took the blood right out of the fabric!! This is stuff is awesome!! You have to check it out. Here is a website for it:
http://www.sallyeander.com/products/soaps/hogwash-soap/hogwash-soap/

After I was done shopping I went across the street to the Russell Street Deli. It was packed! I can't even imagine what its like during the summer. I ordered 2 Corn Beef all the Way and headed home. Oh yeah, I got stopped by a lady asking for money so I gave her $2 and told her to go get something warm to eat and I wasn't talking about liquor! I usually don't give people money like that but it was freezing and she was working the crowd so hard I had to give her credit.

I felt really good about my trip to the Eastern Market because I was purchasing local items from vendors here in Michigan. Anything to help out the businesses in the area get through these rough times in the economy. I enjoyed my trip so much that when I got home Pat started to get excited to go next time with me. Well we are going back next Saturday! We are going to meet a friend for breakfast and go walk around for an hour or so. I'll have to take my camera this time so you can see what it's like.
For now here is the website:
http://www.easternmarket.org/

25 Things About Pat You Might Not Have Known

2009-01-28T19:07:00.003-05:00

1. I enjoy welding.

2. I talk around the world on Amature Radio.

3. Im a huge Red Wings fan.

4. I was a fan of the Detroit Tiger's before they went to the World Series.

5. I like to jump over bonfires.

6. I hate reality TV shows.

7. Im afraid of needles.

8. When I grew up I wanted to be a Ornithologist (bird doctor).

9. I intensely dislike flying on airplanes.

10. I love to make cars fast.

11. I like to make people happy.

12. I spoil my wife too much.

13. I can listen to a song and play it on the piano.

14. I've learned how to fix anything in a house on my own.

15. I can fix just about anything on a car.

16. I love Formula One.

17. If I won the lotto I would buy a Ferrari and drive it cross country in a leopard print speedo.

18. I used to be a roadie, and did lighting for many famous bands.

19. My license plate is: DETRO1T

20. I love to chase tornados and any severe weather.

21. I volunteer and serve on the Washtenaw County Radio Amateur Civil Emergency Service Team.

22. I enjoy riding my lawn tractor.

23. I have always wanted to build a car from scratch.

24. I love home brewing.

25. I love to play Counter Strike.

25 Things About Laura You Might Not Have Known!

2009-01-28T17:59:00.002-05:00

1. I was born in California and moved to Michigan when I was 16.

2. I use to bite my nails, haven't done it in over a year!

3. When I grew up I wanted to be a Marine Biologist

4. Im afraid to drive over large bridges.

5. I hate swimming in a lake but love the ocean.

6. I got married in Las Vegas and it was a planned wedding, we didn't elope.

7. I get car sick if I sit in the back seat.

8. I wish I could sing.

9. I wont go to the circus because they have clowns. I dont like anything or anyone that has to cover their face with a mask or make-up!

10. I cant swallow pills so I take chewable vitamins.

11. I cant wait to open my presents on Christmas and usually open them early. (Also give them away early too)

12. I have thrown away dishes instead of having to wash them.

13. I believe in Karma.

14. I am proud of all of my scars, each one has a story.

15. I will spy on my neighbors and could tell you at least one thing about each one of them even though I havent met them.

16. If I had the money I would hire someone to pick up the dog poop in my back yard each Spring, wash my dishes, & put away my laundry.

17. I have a hard time forgiving, and will not accept an apology from someone if they are told to apologize.

18. I am addicted to all "As Seen on TV" products.

19. I am part of the QVC family.

20. I hate feet and I get sick to my stomach when people cut their nails.

21. Im afraid of the dentist.

22. I have 6 tattoos.

23. I can speak Spanish.

24. I can't put eye drops in my eyes.

25. If I drink red wine I can only drink it with ice cubes and 7Up.

B.B. & Lucille

2009-01-26T17:28:00.003-05:00

Here's B.B.!

I surprised Pat this weekend with two parakeets. Pat has always had a love for birds, in fact he wanted to be a bird doctor when he grew up. Pat is so good with them. They jump right onto his fingers and talk back to him. He really does have a connection with the birds.

Lucille (You can't have B.B. without Lucille)

Together in their new home.