The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly

The Good:
We were able to get pregnant and the baby was growing well

The Bad:
The baby was growing in my fallopian tubes

The Ugly:
The huge shot that I had to get in my butt today to abort the baby

The doctors had told us on Friday that this was a possibility but we were just hoping that everything would work out. I had another sonogram today that confirmed that the baby was growing in my fallopian tubes. I was keeping it together pretty well until my doctor started to cry, then I lost it. The next couple of days are going to be hard as everything has to take its course, but then things can only get better. We are going to take about a month off, get my strength back, and then try again. Third times a charm right?

There are a lot of other good things going on in my life right now. I have an incredible husband that has been nothing but supportive through all of this. My family has also been there every step of the way. I think that my mom cried more then I did today, I am missing my family deeply. My friends have been nothing short of amazing. A fairy came into my house today (Becca Hardie) and had decorated my home with flowers and filled my fridge with food that I needed. Miggy was nice enough to drive me to my appointment and wait in the doctors office with me while they gave me my shot. She did not even laugh at me while I was limping back to the car. My home was also decorated with more beautiful flowers from Tracy, Jeff, and Caitlin. Doug's brother Peter is here visiting us and he came home with flowers...what a man. We are very excited to have him here this week. We will have to post later about all of our adventures.
Thank you to all of you that have been so supportive, I do not say this lightly when I say that you have all given me the strength to keep moving forward. I am truly blessed.

Be Prepared Part deux

Some of you remember how found Tamara is of preparedness from an earlier post. You guys had no idea. One of the reasons we moved into our apartment is because it has two ginormous closets. And Tamara had a lot of stuff to fill them with. We have a two year food supply she bought when she was in DC. 150 gallons of ground wheat, fruit punch mix, sugar, flour, coco, rice, and powdered milk await us in the depths of our closet. We also have a gas mask (pictured.) You know, just in case. We also have four 72 hour kits. And a have a tent we can set up in our living room in case we want to camp out. With a stove. Anyway, we're prepared for whatever comes. Speaking of camping, we heard a great story last night. The young men were having a camp out in Inwood Park (I didn't know you could camp their either) and they went for a hike through the park at night. The trees were blocking the normal glow of the city and the path wasn't lit. The next thing they heard was "Yo, it's mad dark out here." Talk to Cameron McNeil if you want more details.
We were discussing if we were going to take our food storage with us or get rid of it. Given how expensive it would be to replace and it won't be a ton to ship we're taking it with us. My mom is super stoked to have our stuff at her place. So much so, she even reminded about how happy she was to have a box of my mission stuff still at her house. Actually, my family has been really helpful with us moving our stuff out, even offering to pick it up at the train station. That's right, we're shipping our stuff out on the train.
The train accepts boxes up to 3'X3'X3' up to 50lbs. You can load them all on a pallet that they shrink wrap and load on the train. It costs $.50/lb. We'll move all our stuff for under $500, hopefully. Since they don't take large stuff we're selling all our furniture. Tables, bookshelves, end tables, couches, etc. It's all gone. If you want a piece of the action, let us know before it ends up on Craigslist. Some of it is already spoken for.
All this planning stuff is not as exciting as we would have hoped. Next on our agenda is to think about a car. I'm pushing for something reliable and practical like this:
Tamara wants a minivan. Sike. She's fighting something fierce (her words) against that. We'll probably end up with something in the middle but if you have any suggestions (We know you love Saturns, Dix) let us know.

The Found Footage Festival

There are always random things to do around the city, that is one of the reasons that we enjoy it so much. Our friend, Collin Bennion, came up with the idea of going to see The Found Footage Festival. A bunch of us met up last night and went to see it.

This is a one-of-a-kind event that compiles more than an hour's worth of footage from videos found at garage sales, thrift stores, warehouses, and dumpsters throughout the country. Curators Pickett and Prueher hosted the screening in-person and provided their unique observations and commentary on these found video obscurities. From the curiously-produced industrial training video to the forsaken home movie donated to Goodwill, the Found Footage Festival resurrects forgotten treasures and serves them up in a lively celebration of all things found. Among the new clips that were featured were: 17 workplace sexual harassment videos edited down to three minutes of the best reenactments, a collection of exercise videos featuring Playgirl's 1985 Man of the Year, a scantily-clad Angela Lansbury, a video cameo by Chris Elliott, an instructional video on how to toilet-train cats, and so much more.

We may have seen more skin on an old Angela Lansbury then we were hoping for. Also, I had no idea that there is actually a song about "going poop in the toilet". If this show ever comes to your town, it is worth going to see, it will certainly put a smile on your face.

Also, Arrested Development's David Cross was there so it must have been cool.






Here is an idea of what we were laughing at all night.

Celebrating Al Pacino's Birthday

In honor of yesterday being Al Pacino's birthday we decided to celebrate the best way that we knew how. The Hallmark's, Hardies, Breinholt's, and the Halls went to The Bronx Little Italy and ate at Mario's on Arthur Street. The film "The Godfather" was filmed there in 1972 and of course Al Pacino played a major role in that movie. We went early and walked around with the Hallmark's. They could not stay for dinner because they had to put Luke to bed. Of course we made fun of them because they have become one of "those parents". Just kidding, we understood but we were just sad that it was an end of an era for the Hallmark's. We did see a big Italian guy wearing black pants and shirt with a white jacket and got all kinds of excited until we saw him get into his Lexis, we were expecting it to be a Cadillac. Honestly we were kind of disappointed with Arthur's Street when we saw Mexican and Chinese restaurants. We could tell that back in the day this street would have been the place to be but it was kind of worn down and not what we expected. It was still a great night out with friends and it is always fun to do something different. Dinner was good over all. Becca was not pleased with her food so we all shared ours with her. The owner was there walking around and talking to everyone in Italian. I bet he has some stories of the good old days. Carl had talked about going early and taping a gun behind the toilet but that idea fell short.

Happy Birthday Al Pacino, thank you for being in so many great movies for us to enjoy.

Swimsuits

Doug has been preparing for California so I decided I better as well. To me California means the beach and that means dreaded swimsuits. I am going to be bigger then normal this summer so I have been trying to find cute suits but suits that will cover me up as well. More power to the women that like to show off their tummies when they are pregnant but I chose not to. Here are some that I have found. I bought these two at Newport News.










Does anyone know someone that sells Mymodbe? I think that this one is so cute.


If anyone has any other great places to look, please let me know.

Lilies are not just beautiful

The Lily is one of my favorite flowers, I used them in my wedding bouquet and if we have a daughter one of the names that I am thinking of is Lily. So, you can see why I found the following information interesting.

NASA studies show that Peace Lilies can reduce levels of microscopic mold spores in the air by 60 percent. The flowers sop up the mold organisms through their leaves, then shuttle the spores to the roots for food. This is a boon for bathrooms since it prevents spore buildup on shower curtains and tiles. The result: less sneezing, not to mention less scrubbing, for us. The plant also absorbs atmospheric vapors like acetone and alcohol. Research confirms that routine exposure to these chemicals can lead to dry eye syndrome, dizziness, and muscle weakness-especially in a confined space like a bathroom.

I think that I might go buy some Lilies for my home.

The Mighty Bruins

Apparently nothing is official until it appears on your blog. This Fall I'll be matriculating (I use big words now since I'm going to grad school, "BW" going forward) in UCLA's Anderson School of Management's MBA program. It's a big transmogrification (BW) and we're dispirited (BW) to leave New York but I've been preparing intently over the last few weeks for student life. My comrade Joe ("The Baron") gave me his busted Xbox 360 which I fixed and now am properly equipped to game online (Look for IVI SMOKEY IVI). I unlocked my inner bibliophile (BW) and picked up some tomes (actually in my lexicon (BW)) from our local library. I started running shirtless so I'm ready for the California sun. I've also been thinking a lot about beaches, lawns, and Mexican food. I think I'm ready.

Seriously though, we're excited for what's ahead but sad to be leaving. One of the main reasons I applied to Columbia is because we love our friends and life here. Since Columbia disrespected me it's now time to move on, barring a divine intervention.

Some have asked about my allegiances when BYU and UCLA compete. In the sports that really matter like track and cross-country, I'll for sure be with BYU. Other than that, I guess it doesn't really matter.

We'll be leaving the end of July and doing lots of stuff before then. We'll also be getting rid of our apartment so if you know anyone looking for a sweet pad, let us know before we give it up.

Aveda's Earth Day Sale

The totally cool chick that I was talking about earlier, Becca Hardie, is a designer for Aveda. She let me know of their huge Earth Day Sale that is going on. All of their products are dirt cheap just today and tomorrow. You should check it out:

Aveda is located at 100 6th Ave [between Grande and Watts] closest to either the A/C/E or 1 stop at Canal
Tues. 22nd and Wed. 23rd
The hours are 10am-5pm and there is a $2 admission

I went today and stocked up on some great things. If you get a chance to go, bring your own bag.

Enjoy

Bon Jovi Rocks

I am sure that many of you know that Bon Jovi is on tour this year. I was so excited to hear that the best group ever was going to end their tour here in NYC. On Monday morning the tickets went on sale and I was up (early) and ready to fight for those great seats. Well, Doug was not as excited as I was and he even mentioned that maybe I should buy only one ticket. I thought about asking friends to come, but every time that I brought it up, I was surprised that nobody was jumping up and down steaming "Yes, I so want to come with you." To make a long story short, I did not end up buying any tickets. The seats that I wanted were $300 each and Doug's face was enough of an answer to me when I asked if I could get them anyway. If any of you are lucky enough to go, please do a scream out for me.

Appreciation #8

This week’s appreciation goes out to Becca Hardie. Every week when I am thinking of someone she is always the first to pop in my mind but I always feel like I wont do her justice. Becca is amazing at so many things, one being a great friend. There were a group of us last week that decided to start a Becca Hardie fan club because we inspire to be more like her everyday. The shirts are being made shortly. I have made many friends through out the journey of life but I must say that Becca is one of the best friends that I have ever had. She is kind of stubborn so whenever I am not feeling well or need to take it easy she makes sure that everything is taken care of. Including making sack lunches for my husband and I can't even lift a finger to help. There is something about her that just gets me. There has been many times when she does something for me that I don't even know that I need but realize after how important it was. No questions asked; she is there. I need a favor; it is done. I need something for my business; it is done perfectly (she is a very talented graphic artist). She is sexy hot as well but never lets it go to her head. I hope that everyone in life is fortunate enough to meet or have a Becca Hardie in their lives.

Who do you appreciate this week?

Delicious Sunday

One of my favorite days of the week is Sunday. Not only do we get to attend church and feel uplifted, but Sunday has become a day when we spend time with our friends having great meals and enjoying each others company. This Sunday was stake conference and we got to hear from our new stake president, President Buckner. He was mine and Doug's bishop in the singles ward so we got a chance to know him well. Doug more so because we was his clerk. President Buckner is a great speaker so we had no problem listening to his talk. He spoke on the importance of service. That when doing service we should not just go through the motions of a service project but really think about what we are learning from those that we are helping.
Afterwards, we went to our friend Neil Whites house for lunch. Neil has become a new friend because we had to approve of him before he popped the big question to our good friend Carly Lewis. We are so excited for the two of them because they are getting married August 16th in the SLC Temple.

Neal was bringing sexy back with his hot black church socks. We had a taco bar for dinner that was very tasty. Here is Leslie enjoying her dessert. I have found a new love...his name is Haagen Daz and he comes as coconut pineapple ice cream. Add some berries on top and you have yourself a refreshing dessert.














For dinner our new neighbors, The Bennion's, had us over to show us their new place. It looks great by the way. We are trying to get all of our friends moved into our building. The super is a big fan of our friends so now he always lets us know when there is an opening. We have our fourth friends, Ryanne and Kevin, moving in shortly. So, Jenn and Collin made some amazing enchiladas that they just whipped together, we were so impressed. Jen works for Martha Stewart and would be a top competitor on Top Chef. She has been on a Martha Stewart cookie making kick that we have been able to help her with. By helping I mean that we are great tasters of her yummy cookies. Jen did not let us down, these cookies were out of this world.











Jen is a HUGE fan of the KitchenAid and is a walking advertisement for it. She says that everything taste better when made by a KitchenAid, I happen to agree with her. The first time that I ever met Jen she said, "Hi, my name is Jen and I just got a blue KitchenAid." The second time that I met her she said the same thing. Anyway, we are happy to have her and Collin as new neighbors.

Jen added recipes to her yummy cookies on her site. Enjoy!!

Piper Day

On Saturday Doug and I were fortunate enough to go see Piper in Jersey with Jake and Reagan. It was so great to see her doing so well in such an adorable hospital. When you walk in there are these cool chairs and everything is so clean. The best part was that we were able to put Piper on a mat and play with her all night. She was shaking her rattle and turning on her own. Every time that she heard her fathers voice she would try to find where he was. Piper is so happy and doing so well, she inspires me more each day. I can't wait for the day that we get to play with her at home. Today Piper turns 11 months old and I am sure that Reagan has posted pictures of her new birthday dress. Piper is definitely the best dressed little girl in her new hospital. We enjoyed the time that we spent with Piper even if we were stuck on the George Washington bridge for two hours coming home.

Addicted??

65%How Addicted to Blogging Are You?

I was thinking last night about cool stuff that I had done. My junior year of college a bunch of us dressed up like ninjas and attacked a group of people who were on a date dressed as pirates going in canoes down the provo river listening to bad pirate jokes. We tipped their canoes and made sure no one made it out dry. We got it all on film and answered the age old question, who would win between ninjas and pirates. I can give you more details about the attack, super Dave making ninjas masks as he worked by night at the insane asylum, and how Tracy Wu-Tang wouldn't talk to me when she found out I was involved if you're interested. The reason I was thinking about this is that our friend Jeff Hofmann did something totally rad last night: He took his stand up act to Amateur night at the Apollo.
For those of you uninitiated, amateur night has launched the careers of several megastars-Gladys Knight and the Pips, Isley Brothers, and Ella Fitzgerald. That's just Amateur night, not people who started their careers at the Apollo. People can sing, dance, recite poetry, etc. and the audience judges them. If we like them, we cheer. If we don't, we boo and they get booted off. It's pretty ruthless.
We started off with a soul train of people selected at random from the audience. We had two Parisians who threw down what they could and it wasn't too bad. Then one guy, it looked like he had practiced, really brought the house down. The next couple people were fine, culminating in a 60 year old Australian getting funky. I don't think he ever had before. The last participant was something to behold, but I can't really go into details. But it involved supertight lime jeans, some HUGE fake nails, and a bit of poppin' and lockin'. Finally came the amateur performers who had tried out months in advance. We had a sweet beatboxer, Nasty, who really impressed us. Really impressive. I won't say it changed my life but it was really good. We then went through some okay performances-some made it and some didn't. Then the MC went through this big intro for a comedian and how we should give him a chance and we were hoping it was Jeff but it was some kid who was awful. His jokes weren't funny. You could tell what he was trying to do but even if done properly it wouldn't have been funny. So, he was booted. I was a bit worried that Jeff wouldn't be given a chance but there's not much you can do. Then an old man got booed off (he deserved it) and some less memorable performances followed. Finally Jeff came out, gave the Tree of Hope some love, and broke into his monologue. He started off strong but I don't think he had a chance from the beginning. The audience just wasn't progressive enough to be ready for a funny white guy. We cheered (there were probably sixty of us from the ward) as long and hard as we could and he got through most of his routine but got booted. We were cheering and they were booing so loudly we didn't even get to hear a lot of it. Obviously we wanted him to do well, but I think most of us were blown away he even had the chutzpah to get on stage at all. So, congrats to him. Afterwards we went to a sweet dinner and got to hear Jeff's full routine. It was a bummer he didn't get to deliver the whole thing at the Apollo because if they could have heard it I, they would have loved it.
Anyway, he took a huge chance and can always say he was at Amateur night. (Don't worry about the last pic, Tamara's taking it.) It's a select group. Congrats to him and I'm taking up his example to do something rad before I'm done with NYC. Let me know if you have any ideas. And remember I have no discernible skills.

Update

Just a short update from the doctor. My HCG levels are continuing to double as they should. I now only have to go into the doctor's office once a week for blood test. They are hoping by next week I will be able to see something small on the sonogram. We could not be happier. Now I just get to rest and drink a lot of milk. Oh yeah, only one egg took so Doug can now relax because we are not having triplets.

Adorable Dresses

Don't be surprised if you see me wearing any of these dresses shortly, I think that they are adorable.


















I feel like it has been forever that I have been searching for cute summer dresses that are modest. Normally, if I see one, I buy it. I never knew that these stores existed that have such great stuff. I was talking to my sister-in-law, Melissa, that seemed to know all about them. She said that the quality might not be great but they last long enough. Check these sites out and if we match there might be a problem:)

Mika Rose's, Down East Basic's, and Shabby Apple

Smiles all Around

This past few days have been really great. Of course, we got the best news from the doctor but many other fun facts have happened.

Our friends, the Fehlberg's moved into our ward and we were able to help them move in our neighborhood (by "we" I mean Doug and the other men from the ward...I was there for moral support).

Saturday was a beautiful day in the city, spring weather is almost here.

Our home was beautified once again with spring flowers. Thank you to the Hardie's, Boerem's, Sara, and Abbey.


Some incredible people came over to visit Saturday. Thanks Bennion's, Hardies, and Brienholt's. We are truly lucky to have all of them in our lives.

Jen brought me yummy treats that she made from Martha Stewart's new cookie cookbook. All I have to say is "Oh my goodness" they were amazing.


Hillary Hopson sent over some Key lime dessert that she had made that night for her birthday party. These ladies know what they are doing in the kitchen.

We had the Hardie's, Smoot's, and Rowe's over for dinner Sunday. The best part is that they brought most of the yummy food.


I made Strawberry Shortcake. I found this amazing sauce to pour on top that was so easy but tasty.


Here is the recipe:

3 pounds fresh strawberries, coarsely chopped
3 tablespoons dark brown sugar
Juice of two lemons (4 tablespoons)

1-Combine the strawberries, brown sugar and lemon juice in a large saucepan and bring to a simmer over medium heat, stirring until the sugar dissolves. Partially cover with a lid and simmer, stirring occasionally, until the strawberries are softened and release their juices, about 10 minutes. Let cool.
2-Pour the strawberries into a blender and blend until smooth.
3-Press the sauce through a fine-mesh strainer into a storage container. The sauce will keep for up to 10 days in the refrigerator or up to 6 months in the freezer.


I had dinner with Kim Calder Monday night and it was so great to chat girl stuff and to have an enjoying evening.

Joe Hallmark gave Doug his old X-box 360 and told Doug that he could keep if he got it working. You can bet that Doug had that thing working in no time.

I came home to Sarah and Ann visiting us for FHE.

We are thankful for so many things and I just wanted to express them.

Appreciation #7

This weeks appreciation goes out to my friend Miggy. She has been my visiting teacher since I moved into the ward and we have become very good friends. She not only checks in with me frequently, she always puts so much thought into what she says and what she offers. I have a true testimony of the Relief Society and especially visiting teaching. Some of my closest friends have been women that I visit or visit me. I enjoy the lessons that are taught and the service that is accomplished. Thank you Miggy for being there whenever I have needed you.

Tagged Again

Okay, so I have been tagged twice with the same tag from my cousin Lindsey and my sister-in-law Christa so I guess that I have to do this.

Rules:
1. Link to your tagger and post these rules on your blog.
2. Share 7 facts about yourself on your blog, some random, some weird.
3. Tag 7 people at the end of your post by leaving their names as well as links to their blogs.
4. Let them know they are tagged by leaving a comment on their blog.

So here are my 7 facts:

1. I secretly want to be a professional dancer
2. I want Brittany and Justin to get back together
3. I love the TV Show, "So you think that you can dance?"
4. I don't like vegetables
5. My feelings do get hurt even if I try to act tough
6. I love to set people up on blind dates
7. I love the process of being pregnant even if it has only been two weeks.

There you have it. I am now going to tag Erin because I want to know more about her and she is my longest friendship (we have been friends since we were six).

So Far So Good

I wanted to start by saying thank you to so many of you that have been so supportive and helpful though out all of this. You all rock:) The blood work came back today and so far so good. The numbers have doubled so that is a good sign, we are still pregnant. The HCG numbers are still low but healthy babies are born all the time with these low numbers. As long as the little one keeps growing we will be happy. I go in on Wednesday for more blood work so once again we will have more updates then.

It's complicated

So we finally got Tamara's results today. First, the nurse called and started the conversation "Unfortunately..." and Tamara nearly lost it. Turns out their machine had broken and they had to do the test somewhere else and it was postponed. There are several ways she could have started the conversation and unfortunately probably wasn't the best choice. So the doctor calls later and Tamara is pregnant but her HCG levels are really low. HCG are what they use to measure how far along the baby is. At this point the levels should be around 60 and they're at 15. The doctor said if they don't increase we'll lose the baby but there is a chance the levels will go up. She's going back for more tests on Monday which will give us a better idea of where we stand.
Obviously this is a better result than last time but in this situation progress doesn't mean much if it doesn't work in the end. So we hope it does work and if it doesn't the doctors have learned something so maybe it will next time. Anyways, we hope to have more news on Monday, hopefully more concrete and positive.

New Hall

There has been another Hall male born into this world, heaven help us all:)

We are very proud to announce that Doug's brother, Adam and his wife Lisa, had a little boy last night weighing in at 7lbs 6 oz and is 19 inches long. They named him Steven Hall and he is adorable.


Welcome to the family Steven, we hope that you will have many cousins soon.

178Th Conference thoughts

Last weekend was the 178Th conference of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints. I felt truly inspired last weekend and I wanted to share some of my three favorite talks.


To Heal the Shattering Consequences of Abuse
Elder Richard G. Scott

"It is with a deep desire to define a path to relief that I speak to you who suffer the shattering consequences of mental, verbal, physical, and especially sexual abuse. "

"The rising tide of this vicious, abominable sin may not have touched your life personally. Yet it is pervasive enough in the world that it may have touched someone you love. It frequently causes such profound suffering—that can be overcome—that I want to speak of how healing can be attained. It will be done reverently, for my objective is to help heal and not aggravate painful memories."

"Faith in Jesus Christ and in His power to heal provides the abused with the means to overcome the terrible consequences of another’s unrighteous acts."

"During your journey of recovery, accept His invitation to let Him share your burden until you have sufficient time and strength to be healed."

"If you have been abused, Satan will strive to convince you that there is no solution. Yet he knows perfectly well that there is. Satan uses your abuse to undermine your self-confidence, destroy trust in authority, create fear, and generate feelings of despair. Abuse can damage your ability to form healthy human relationships. You must have faith that all of these negative consequences can be resolved; otherwise they will keep you from full recovery. While these outcomes have powerful influence in your life, they do not define the real you."

"My Words...Never Cease"
Elder Jeffery R. Holland

"Today I would like to address the other major doctrine which characterizes our faith but which causes concern to some, namely the bold assertion that God continues to speak His word and reveal His truth, revelations which mandate an open canon of scripture."

"Continuing revelation does not demean or discredit existing revelation. The Old Testament does not lose its value in our eyes when we are introduced to the New Testament, and the New Testament is only enhanced when we read the Book of Mormon: Another Testament of Jesus Christ. In considering the additional scripture accepted by Latter-day Saints, we might ask: Were those early Christians who for decades had access only to the primitive Gospel of Mark (generally considered the first of the New Testament Gospels to be written)—were they offended to receive the more detailed accounts set forth later by Matthew and Luke, to say nothing of the unprecedented passages and revelatory emphasis offered later yet by John? Surely they must have rejoiced that ever more convincing evidence of the divinity of Christ kept coming. And so do we rejoice."

" Please do not misunderstand. We love and revere the Bible....the Bible is the word of God."

"Since it is clear there were Christians long before there was a New Testament or even an accumulation of the sayings of Jesus, it cannot therefore be maintained that the Bible is what makes one a Christian. In the words of esteemed New Testament scholar N. T. Wright, “The risen Jesus, at the end of Matthew’s Gospel, does not say, ‘All authority in heaven and on earth is given to the books you are all going to write,’ but ‘All authority in heaven and on earth is given to me."

“We believe all that God has revealed, all that He does now reveal, and we believe that He will yet reveal many great and important things pertaining to the Kingdom of God.”

One Among the Crowd
Elder Dennis B. Neuenschwander

"In the book of Luke we read of a woman who for 12 long years had suffered from a bleeding condition. She had exhausted her means in search of a medical solution but had found none. In a crowd of people, the woman approached the Savior from behind and touched the hem of His garment. Jesus wanted to know who had touched Him because He felt that power had gone out of Him. The Apostles could not understand the question and asked, “Master, the multitude throng[s] thee and press[es] thee, and sayest thou, Who touched me?” The woman then with great fear and trembling confessed that it was she who had approached Him and had been immediately healed. The Savior sent her away in peace, telling her that her faith had made her whole. She was a woman exhausted and impoverished by her difficulties. Though buried among the thronging mass, she resolutely and quietly pressed forward with a single purpose in mind: to come to the Savior, having faith that He had the power to heal her, that He cared about her and would respond to her need. In this one thing she set herself apart from the crowd. The crowd came to see, but the woman came to be healed."

"We all have faith that just a touch will bring healing to our aching souls and relief to our innermost needs."

These three talks touched me deeply. First, knowing the pain that abuse can bring into someones life but being able to over come the hardships. Second, having the world question our beliefs when all we want is to do good and help others. Lastly, to have enough faith in the Lord that my desire to have children will come true.

For information on these talks, go here.

Lets Hear It For Overtime

Way to go Kansas...I guess. We watched the college basketball playoffs last night with a group of friends that we made brackets with. Doug and I both had North Carolina going all the way so we didn't really care who won. Our friend would win $400 if Kansas won so we decided to cheer for them.

Tamara Durika hosted the party











Marcus cooked the treats
















Jenn and Jeff handed out awards


























The winner of the bracket was between Leslie and Mike

Before the game


After the game when Mike (Kansas) won














The men were happy

Heres to another exciting college basketball season

Stingy

Elder Child spoke during conference about tithing and how he had such a hard time paying his tithing when he was young. It sure didn't sound like he had a hard time. When I was eight years old I was in a photo shoot and earned $100. Looking back I was taken advantage of and should have been paid more but, what are you going to do. Anyway, I had to pay $10 in tithing. $10 was more than I had ever made before and I wasn't very excited about it. As I walked up to give the money to our bishop, I started crying like a little school girl. (I was trying to remember his name but I can't. I can see his face and his brother Bud but can't remember his name. ) It was uncontrollable and I couldn't even see him through my tears. I don't remember a whole lot after that, but I should have been embarrassed if I wasn't. I'm sure my mom was trying to console me but there wasn't a whole lot that you can say to a kid who just gave away ten dollars. Especially since I was so stingy.
When we got married, Tamara knew what she was getting into. My youngest brother Jason is a big fan of our old family videos and showed her one of me when I was eight. On the video I was counting the money I got for my b-day and when I was asked what I was going to spend it on I put it in my pocket and told them I was going to save it. Not much has changed since. Recently I challenged myself to not buy lunch again before I leave my current job in July. I should be take a lunch in the first place but there is almost always food laying around from meetings so I don't have any excuses. It's not much, but considering the bills I have coming up from school it's probably a good practice. We save about 35% of our income and we'll need all we can get. Unless the school gives us some cash money which would be nice.
Anyway, conference was great but the highlight was definitely President Monson telling his story in Priesthood session aobut wiggling his ears. It was sad not to hear from Presidents Hinckley or Faust but Dieter is awesome. I'm a little bit bummed he's been working on losing his accent, but I understand. Conference is always a great motivator and invigorator. A few weeks ago the head of our group went on sabbatical for six months and we had a going away lunch. She gave everybody a bag of gifts. Mine had two candy bars from the UK (she's from there) and a CD from this British band she obsesses about named Supergrass. I also had a bottle of milk. I thought his was odd but most things are where I work and I figured there would be a story or it was to go witht he chocolate bars. Turns out everyone else got a bottle of whiskey and she was thoughtful enough to get me some milk. It's kind of a running joke everytime we go to dinner and I order lemonade-and they don't have it. Anyway, people are aware of our decisions and it'd be a travesty to dissapoint.