I MISS BLOGGING!!!!!!

 I miss blogging terribly! Like oh so terribly. Thank you to those who miss me as much as I miss you!!! I miss documenting our lives. I miss the creative outlet. And I miss keeping up with my friends blogs too. Can't necessarily say I miss staying up till the wee hours of the morning, because I still have to do that most days to finish my work from home (see 3).
So, this is my come back, yet again ;-D
So...lets catch up.
1- We moved the last week of September from house-sitting our "rental mansion" as we affectionately call it. It was so sad to leave. We loved every instant of living there. It was a truly amazing experience and a huge blessing. Flip side though, it took me a good solid 3 weeks to deep clean that house and I don't miss that. We moved into two of my moms bedrooms. And put 95% of our "Earthly Treasures" to sit in storage for our return ;-)

~Oct. 2010~
Bryce is happy to be at Grandma and Grandpa. Just playing in the front yard.

~Oct. 2010~
 "Way Up High"!

~Oct. 2010~
And as you can see...Bryce has made himself right at home.

Why you ask did you move in with your parents?  Here is the gist. It was after much thought and prayer. John's career goal is to be an MRI technician. To do that we must apply for a radiographer program (x-ray tech essentially). From what we have researched this is a 2 - 2.5 year full-time program. Some require even more prerequisite classes that John still needs to take. Most programs disallow working at all while enrolled. Then after he graduates from that he must go on to specialize. Some programs help you specialize and some don't.  #1 reason this is going to be quite an expense. So we are living with my gracious parents. The #2 reason is because the application dates are so vast, between Jan. 2011 to July of 2011. Some are in-state and some are not. So we had no idea where, when or if we would be accepted. How do you sign a lease on a rental with those unanswered questions? #3 reason is because my parents are madly in-love with Bryce and Bryce is madly in-love with them since birth. ;-) I've got pictures to prove it!

~ Jan. 2010~ Baby Bryce with Grandma Katy. 

~July 2010~ Sleeping soundly.
And that says a lot for both of these light sleepers

~July 2010~ Grandpa Max and Brycee Boy at Lake Tahoe

~Nov. 2010~ Grandpa Max with the youngest grandbabies. Bryce and Elaina.
Look how sweet--Bryce has his head resting on Grandpas chest.

 2-  John started school again to get some of those prerequisite classes that some of the programs require. John started a new job at Banners East Valley Corporate office in their Central Scheduling Department! And it was a pay increase for us and great benefits as well!!! Super Duper YAY!!!! This was a difficult decision for us because we loved AZ-Tech. They treated John really well. They were flexible and he worked great hours to allow for the additional schooling he needs. It's hard to leave a good employer. However, they announced that they would not be able to give raises for the next two years and their benefits were expensive for our whole family. Bryce and I both needed insurance really soon. So, one day as John and I were crunching numbers to see how much we needed to save for Radiographer School and living expenses we realized that we would have to save more $ each month than we even made. John got on the computer and started applying for different positions. We didn't think much of it at the time. But then he got called for an interview. About 5 days later they offered him a choice of two different positions. We panicked, we prayed, we chose, and we have been so very very happy. Looking back now I don't know how I even hesitated, but change can be scary sometimes. But we have felt a super strong confirmation from Heavenly Father since we made our decision. 
3- Back to Jensen Family Medicine. After I had Bryce I quit my old job. A few months ago JFM wanted me to do some work for them at home. So we got 98% all set up for the position. We were waiting on that 2% that was out of my control. In the mean time I started doing a few other things from home for them. It would take me 1-2 hours a day. Then they offered me a temporary part-time position at their office until they hire more full-time employees. I also was asked to take on another position in addition to Front Desk. I'm the the Training Supervisor as well. AND I still do the 1-2 hour job at home. It's a bit more work and time than I anticipated I would be investing. However, it has been a huge financial blessing since we have to save an insane amount in a relatively short amount of time. My sister and I have devised a Babysitting flip-flop schedule so that we can both work and have the other babysit. She is the JFM Office Manager. This adds on another day and a half to my weekly schedule, but I get to be with Bryce, get to help my sister and her family and have a complementary (*;-)*) babysitter when I work. So that makes me very happy. And this is also temporary which is exciting. But THEN even more good news. That 2% needed to work from home was finished and now I do that Tues. - Thurs. and go in half day Monday. It's like a dream come true and it's a win-win for both me and the office. That was what I hoped for =D YIPEE! It's another huge blessing.
4-In about the last year and a half I've had more medical trauma, on a personal level, than I have my entire life. Unfortunately, we didn't even make it a full year without another hospital stay. On the morning of Saturday Oct. 23, 2010 Bryce got stung my a scorpion while in the shower. We saw the scorpion, but at first were unsure if he got stung. It's a long story. Briefly though, Banner Poison Control was very helpful. Called the ER to notify them. They were waiting for us at the ER. Bryce was vomiting out his nose and mouth. He aspirated that fluid as well which causes risk of infection. They finally got him stabilized by Tracheal intubation and sedation. He was then transported via ambulance to the PICU (Pediatric Intensive Care Unit). We had to stay 2 nights and 3 days. It was a super scary yet faith-building experience. Good news is that Bryce was never completely cut off from Oxygen so brain-damage is not a concern. Bad news is that Bryce had the worst reaction level (level 4 on a scale of 1-4) that one can have to the scorpion venom and if there is a next time it'll be the same. Unlike adults, in young children and babies the venom attacks the nervous system not just the localized area. The pictures help fill in the gaps of emotion that I can not describe.  We were discharged from the hospital on Monday Oct. 25, 2010. He is completely fine and recovered perfectly!

5-To preface the next part...On Oct. 18, 2010, the same day John started his new job I took a pregnancy test at work and it was POSITIVE! Monday Oct. 25, 2010 when Bryce was discharged from the hospital was also the same day that my miscarriage started ='( I was about 7 weeks.

It was confirmed through an Ultrasound on Nov. 1, 2010. We felt so fortunate that we could get pregnant at all. Because of the complications, infection, and scarring I experienced after giving birth to Bryce the Dr.s told me that I probably wouldn't be able to get pregnant again and if I did it would most likely be a tubal pregnancy =( So with faith, fasting and prayer we tried and it was a miracle I even got pregnant. The Dr. told me to wait another 6-8 weeks before trying again. And we did.....

6- So, on January 24, 2011 we took another pregnancy test and it was POSITIVE!!!! We had an ultrasound at about 8 weeks because I was having sharp side pains (sign of a tubal pregnancy). But....everything was fine =D The baby was "in the right whole" as I like to say. MIRACLES! Today we are going to have our Ultrasound to find out the gender of our sweet baby. And I'm hoping and praying the baby is healthy and happy. I had a much rougher first trimester than with Bryce. I was very sick and even had to take prescription nausea medication (which worried me to death, but so did throwing everything up all day). My second trimester so far has been wonderful. On a humorous note: I look like I'm 9.5 months pregnant with quadruplets, but I'm barely 5 months along =D Yeesh....there are some cute women in my ward who are much farther in their pregnancies and I'm bigger than all of them (probably even put together). I'm not complaining at all, I just feel a little bit on the HUGE side ;-) Again we feel incredibly blessed and super de duper HAPPY!!!!!!

Celebrating!

Here we go!

Here we are in Reno, NV. (I'm 3.5 months along)

This is last week. I'm 5 months.
(and it's actually not the same pink shirt as the picture above ;-)

He likes hats and we sing the Hat Song every time he puts one on.

There is so much more to catch up on. Bryce's 1st Birthday, Thanksgiving, Christmas, My Birthday, Park Days etc. etc. But sometimes you've just gotta post what you have. So, I'll leave you with these recent (more uplifting) pictures of Bryce. Who is perfectly well and happy!

Eating birthday cake for his cousins birthday.

He was watching "Blue's Clue's" and wailing MAAAAAAIIIIIIILLLLL!!!!!! (mail)

...and the sweetest look you've ever seen. Melts a mama's heart!