Bittersweet

After 3 years of hoping and 1 year of trying we finally got pregnant. The weekend before we found out I was talking with my mom and sister saying how I didn't think I would ever get pregnant. At our first ultrasound they said that I should be 9 weeks along but I was only measuring at 5 and a half. So Monday when we went in it was either going to be the day that we announce we're pregnant or the day we found out that our baby has passed away. I am sad to say that it was the latter. So today after I'm done with work I get to go home, and take some pills to help the baby pass. I understand that the baby is not growing anymore but a part of me feels like this afternoon I have to administer my own abortion. It sucks. I don't think it is quite hit me yet the pain I'll go through this afternoon, and I don't know if I am ready emotionally and physically for what will happen. But I don't know if there's ever really a way to prepare a woman for what she has to go through when she has a miscarriage. I know everything will be okay. I know it's better that this happened when I was only 8 weeks along. I know that 20 to 40 percent of pregnancies end in miscarriage so I am not alone. And thankfully we know now that we can get pregnant. I know that the Lord has a plan for us. I just hope I can make it til after my appointments to start crying.

Well, for the past 15 months I have been going to school at Paul Mitchell the School St George. It has been wonderful! The school has what they call a "Be Nice Culture" that is the best thing ever. It encourages everyone to be happy and energetic and loving and everything else I love. I totally fit in. I was able to work really hard and have a ton of fun! Today I graduated and I am kinda sad. I am going to miss it. I made a lot of great lifelong friends. I learned from being there that I have a love for teaching. So as much as I am going to miss the school, I am going to use this next year to learn as much as I can to be prepared to be a teacher there someday. I can't wait! I am going to start working at a salon called Lunatic Fringe. It is a great salon here in St George. I am going to be an assistant for the next couple months as I build up my clientele. The salon is great because it emphasizes education. I will get to have trainings all the time and I will get to be involved with fashion shows and photo shoots. It will be SO fun. I can't believe I will be paid to hang out with friends and play with their hair. BEST JOB EVER! I am so blessed that Sam let me go to school and have the time of my life. He is so great and has supported me the whole way. Life is great. We are loving St George! We are going to be here for a long time.

Sam Powell

Here is an incredible one that Dan just made of Sam. They went on a trip to Lake Powell and Sam learned how to Wake board and surf. He looks so cute doing it. He is so good at everything he does that he got up on the surf board on his first try! I'm so proud! Way to go Sam! Next time you better take me with you!

I like you teeth

So Sam and I went to a sealing today of some good friends in our ward. While waiting for them to come out of the temple I saw some pretty Snap Dragon flowers. I told Sam that they were my favorite flower when I was a kid. I used to spend HOURS playing with them pretending that they were people or animals talking to me. I told Sam I could make these flowers talk and since he had never seen them EVER in his life (which I think is so surprising) I told him I would show him. He got really close and I didn't understand why until after I opened and closed the flower. He said that he got close because he thought they were really going to make noise/talk. We opened up one of them and it looked like it had teeth. We got the brilliant idea to make a movie out of them talking. Here it is :)

Redbox fun

Sam and I love to pick up a Redbox and relax at home after a long day so this is a fun way to maybe get our Redbox for free :)

NASCAR

This weekend was wonderful! We went down to Vegas and met up with Karen and Rob for the races. We all had a blast! We went out to eat a couple times to some buffets. One night to Sam's Town for seafood buffet night and one night to Palace Station. The food was amazing at Palace Station. We will be going back! We had little Owen, Sam's cousin, with us too. When we were in line for the buffet he pat my tummy and said "you have a baby in your tummy. This is how a tummy feels when there is a baby in there." Well... I don't have any big news I am announcing other than I will be hitting the gym and starting a diet this week :) Aww the truthfulness of children. We went to both the Saturday and the Sunday NASCAR races. They were SOO fun! We had great seats where we could see the whole track. I didn't really know if I could get into watching NASCAR with the cars just going fast and turning left and all but it is really starting to grow on me. I guess I am starting to turn a little redneck. I'm ok with that because Sam loves going and I love seeing him so happy. It is also VERY fun to watch him with his mom. He loves her so much and totally takes care of her the best he can when we are with her. I am glad we were able to spend some time with her. It was a GREAT weekend. Well that's about it for today. I will fill you all in more soon.

FUNraising!!!

Paul Mitchell The School: St George Annual FUNraising Campaign

Through our three-month annual "FUNraising" campaign, Paul Mitchell Schools have raised over $4.6 million for charitable organizations. Grassroots, dollar-by-dollar events like cut-a-thons, fashion shows, bake sales, and Casual for a Cause days have raised enough money to build two homes with Habitat for Humanity; feed thousands of African orphans; and support the victims of AIDS, breast cancer, homelessness, hurricanes, abuse, and hundreds of other causes.

o Giving a little means A LOT!

o Many different Charities to choose from

o Tax deductable donations

o Future Professionals raise the majority of the money through a personal touch with businesses like yours

o $25 donation today

If I reach my personal goal of $3000 then I get to present a big check to the Charities at a huge event. I also will have an opportunity to advance my career by having a 2 day hands on training with the best in the business. Please help me fulfill my dream and give to charity at the same time!

If you would like to mail in a donation please make the check payable to the charity of your choice.

Comment and let me know if you are sending a check and I will give you my address...

Below are the Charities with their Tax ID numbers.

Thank you so much for your caring contribution!

Paul Mitchell Schools FUNraising Campaign

2011 Supported Organizations & Tax ID Numbers

Andrew Gomez Dream Foundation

The Andrew Gomez Dream Foundation was designed to provide educational opportunities and financial assistance to future professionals and new salon professionals - opportunities they probably would not otherwise have for many years to come. The Foundation also donates funds to cosmetologists and cosmetology-related enterprises that are disadvantaged or facing hardship. Tax ID: 54-2125128

Children's Miracle Network

CHILDREN'S MIRACLE NETWORK creates miracles by funding medical care, research, and education that saves and improves the lives of 17 million children each year. Countless individuals, organizations, and media partners unite with the 170 Children's Miracle Network hospitals to help sick and injured kids in local communities. Tax ID: 87-0387205

Food 4 Africa

FOOD 4 AFRICA is committed to supplying at least one vitamin- and mineral-enriched meal each day to the children of South Africa, where the HIV/AIDS epidemic has left countless numbers of orphaned children and more than a million preschool children do not receive sufficient food.

Tax ID: COM. REG. NO.: 2004/022981/08 VAT No.: 4820216234PBO Ref 930015339 Non Profit Ref: 052-597-NPO

Leeza Gibbons Memory Foundation

THE LEEZA GIBBONS MEMORY FOUNDATION educates, empowers, and energizes caregivers impacted by chronic illness by creating unique programming, providing universal access to resources, and fostering evidence-based behavioral research to elevate the national consciousness of caregiving. Tax ID: 56-2125128

Cancer Schmancer Movement

The CANCER SCHMANCER MOVEMENT, founded by Fran Drescher, is a nonprofit organization dedicated to ensuring that all women’s cancers be diagnosed while in stage 1, when they are most curable. Tax ID: 26-0489038

Morris Animal Foundation

MORRIS ANIMAL FOUNDATION helps animals enjoy longer, healthier lives. We advance health and welfare research that protects, treats, and cures companion animals, horses, and wildlife worldwide. Tax ID: 84-6032307

Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library

DOLLY PARTON’S IMAGINATION LIBRARY inspires a love of reading and a love of books by gifting a brand-new book each month to over 600,000 preschool children. By working with local sponsors, Dolly has now mailed over 30 million books in her efforts to encourage all children to Dream More, Learn More, Care More, and Be More! Tax ID: 62-1348105

Really....it's Christmas time already?

Wow time is FLYING!!! Since the last real post I made I have started school (which I LOVE), we celebrated our first anniversary and we had a very fun Thanksgiving in SLC area. I have been waiting to post because I wanted to put up pictures from our little trip we took for our anniversary. I still don't have the pictures off of Sam's camera yet... but I will keep trying to get them. We had so much fun.

On Sunday Nov 7, 2010 we started our day by going to sacrament at the spanish branch near our house. It was testimony meeting and the spirit was so strong. There is just something special about listening to testimonies in your mission language. We felt the spirit SO strong! I would love to go there every week it was so incredible. We then started our drive to Las Vegas. In the 2 days we were there we went to the Ferrari exhibition, multiple buffets, the free Treasure Island show, (which we didn't really like) the Lion habitat to see the little lions, the M&M 3D movie, the Rio vocal performance, went to the Pawn Stars pawn shop, the V Variety show, lots of window shopping and the AMAZING Tournament of Kings. We tried to fit in everything we could. We had a blast! We felt like our Sunday to Monday get away was a real vacation. I am so lucky to have married such an incredible man. I love Sam so much! He brings so much fun and excitement to my life. He is the hardest worker, honest and full of so much integrity. I know that I am going to be taken care of for the rest of my life. He left the next Thursday for the weekend. Before he left, while I was at school, he put flower petals from the front door to our bedroom where he put Hershey hugs and kisses all over our floor and had written a love note for me and put it on our bed. It was so sweet it made me cry. I am a lucky girl! Yay for making it through the first of MANY wonderful years of marriage!!!

I am loving school so much! Paul Mitchell is all about forward focused thinking and positiveness. I love going to school everyday knowing it will be fun and that I will leave having felt inspired to be a better person and feeling excited for my future. I know that there are SO many exciting things to come in our future. Like I hinted on my last post, I am raising money for the Children's Miracle Network so that I can open doors to my future by being one of the first 50 future professionals to raise $3000. I know I can do it! If you feel inspired to donate I can tell you how. I've been told that if I do it I could advance my career 5 years.

I was so lucky to have had the chance to go up north to be with family for Thanksgiving. I LOVE my family. I LOVE spending time with them. I LOVE being with them and having my cute husband there. I love feeling complete. I love playing with my kids up there. I got to play with Claire and take her shopping with me and be her best friend again. I have missed that. She broke my heart when she told me "no one lives at the house since you left me." I can't wait to see her and her whole family over Christmas in New Mexico. I am so blessed in my life! I am so grateful to my Savior for His life and love. I know His church is here on the Earth and I am so blessed to be a part of it. I know that I will be with my family for all eternity and that brings me the greatest joy in my life. I am so glad that it is Christmas time so that I can share in the joy of the season and the birth of the Savior with the rest of the world. Merry early Christmas!!!