We're Pregnant!

So it is official! We are pregnant. 

Every story isn't perfect ... but it is the truth ...

FINDING OUT I'M PREGNANT


Fall is a really busy time for me at work. This was my 2nd enrollment season but first year of re-enrolllment for Obamacare for my Retail Center. I was working most days of the week and typically 10-14 hours a day. I was extremely exhausted and around the 17th of November I realized that "my friend" hadn't arrived yet and so I checked to see when that was supposed to happen, to only learn that I was late. I kind of doubted that I was pregnant since we had been trying for 2 years and so after a few days finally bought some pregnancy tests. I woke up at 5AM on Thursday, November 20th and took the test. When it said I was pregnant I put the test back in it's box and laid back in bed thinking for a while..

I went to work an hour later for a long day of meetings, one where I had to train a lot of people too and I was kind of in shock, not sure what to do. I debated if I should tell Omar right away. He gets so excited about things and isn't good at keeping secrets because of it.I knew it was still really early and a doctor hadn't confirmed the pregnancy so I didn't want everyone to know.

I was kind of going crazy at work so I called this girl, Sarah P., that works at the corporate office and was still around because it was later in the evening. I told her I just found that morning I was pregnant and she was the first one to know. She told me that I had to go home to Omar and tell him. I told her that I wanted to do something cute to tell him but wasn't really feeling it. My idea was to maybe put a sign on the dog's collar about being pregnant that he would find. Sarah told me to do whatever even if it was giving him a jar of Prego spaghetti sauce.

TELLING OMAR

I was feeling pretty down about the whole pregnancy thing --- total hormone craziness --- and didn't want to tell Omar until I was feeling better about it. Since Sarah from work pushed me to tell Omar --- when I got home about 8PM  I was sitting at the dinner table with Omar and he asked what was wrong and I just started crying and told him I wasn't sure if I should tell him. Then I just finally did. He didn't believe me. I told him I was being serious and then he said, "prove it." So I walked into the bathroom and showed him the pregnancy test. He of course was super excited.

TELLING MEGAN & EDDIE (Brother & Sister-in-Law)

Somehow a pinterest board entitled, "first baby" that I made "private" wasn't so private after all. Megan texted me asking me if I was pregnant and I asked why she would think that. She then said she saw my pinterest board. It was too early for anyone to really know so I basically responded that just because I have a pinterest board about kids doesn't mean I'm pregnant. Omar and I were itching to tell someone and so we called Megan & Eddie up. They were snowboarding for the first time and we told her that we were pregnant. Right then the service went out of the phone on the mountain. She called back and said she was screaming from excitement and that she knew that I was pregnant and told Eddie and that she knew I was lying to her about it. Since we weren't ready for any of the parents to know yet they had to talk to Jayden (our 6 year old nephew) about making sure he didn't accidentally leak that we were pregnant since he overheard the conversation.

TELLING KELLY & LINDSEY

I called Kelly and told her that she was going to finally become an aunt and then did the same thing to Lindsey when she came home from work.

TELLING MY PARENTS & MICHAEL

Every year for Thanksgiving we write in a book where each person who attends our Thanksgiving shares what they are thankful for that year. Our book has been going for many years and the pages have been full for quite some time. My mom has tried for years to locate a new memory book without success so we have added white pages to the old book so we could continue with our tradition. 

I was trying to decide how I wanted to tell my parents about our first child and their first grandchild. I told Kelly my idea was to buy mom a bouqet of blue and pink flowers as a Thanksgiving centerpeice and put inside it my positive pregnancy test. Kelly gave me the suggestion of writing it in the Thanksgiving book. I decided to search again to see if I could find a new Thanksgiving book. I found 2 of them after searching multiple ways. I bought both of them and had them shipped to my mom's house overnight. 

I was very diligent about having everyone sign the book that day. Then after Aunt Nancy and the boys left everyone was in the family room watching football and I told mom that we needed to read what everyone wrote in the book. This is what I wrote...

My dad was cleaning up in the kitchen and refused to come sit down. I recorded the whole thing. It was funny because Michael was like, "Are you recording this?" I responded, "No. I'm just playing with my phone." So the video quality was not perfect...but still a great keepsake. 

OMAR TELLS HIS PARENTS

The night after I told my parent's Omar left to go spend some time with a friend. When he came home Megan, my sister-in-law, texted me to tell me that Omar told his parents. I was like, "what?" She said that they had lost the boys for a while during the lighting of Temple Square and were sad about Omar's grandpa dying, so he wanted to cheer them up. Omar had walked into the house and hadn't said anything to me about it. I was pretty upset that he told them without me.

TELLING MY DAD'S SIDE OF THE FAMILY

Everyone got together virtually on my dad's side of the family to celebrate the life of my grandpa since he turned 90 years old on December 7th. Everyone had a chance to talk to grandpa through the internet and we had a whole slide presentation from family and grandpa's friends. I texted my mom through Omar's cell phone asking if we should share that we are pregnant. After our turn already took place my mom said to the family since she was the host of the online session that Omar wanted to share something else. He told the family that we are pregnant.

TELLING MY MOM'S SIDE OF THE FAMILY

My sister's and I threw a surprise 60th birthday party for my mom at my aunt's house. I decided that since most of my aunts and uncles would be present it would work well to tell them there. I wanted to tell them all together and I told them I have a picture I wanted to show them when my uncles were done with what they were doing. My Aunt Dianna (Marshall) was like, "you're pregnant aren't you?" She ruined the surprise but everyone was really excited. This is the first baby on the whole Wallis family side.

TELLING MY BOSS, CO-WORKERS, AND EMPLOYEES

I shared that we have an interesting statistic at my retail center where since our doors opened up in September 2013 we have had a baby every year. 2013 my employee Tanya had a baby and then in 2014 my employee LaToya had a baby. Now for 2015 we have to keep up the tradition and I am going to have a baby.

TELLING THE WORLD --- AT LEAST THE FACEBOOK WORLD

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Thanksgiving 2014

We spent Thanksgiving at my parent's house this year. Omar, Lindsey, Goldie (our dog) and I drove down on Wednesday evening. It took a little while longer to get there because we had to make 2 pit stops with the dog. Thanksgiving Day was not anything out of the ordinary this year. It seemed like a smaller crowd than normal. My brother Michael, my Aunt Nancy, Jamie, Aaron and his 3 kids came over. Nancy also brought a recent convert/single woman named Linda to the meal too.

We had most of the normal Thanksgiving food. Turkey, stuffing, mashed potatoes, gravy, jam, bread, 2 kinds of green bean casserole, creamed squash, creamed onions, an asian shrimp salad, and sweet potatoes with pineapple. The exception is Nancy decided to not go so traditional this year and did a different type of sweet potatoes and bread instead of rolls and Aaron brought the salad. Omar decided that next year we are going to host Thanksgiving and that Nancy is coming but she must do make pecan pie, coconut pie, sweet potatoes, and bread. Poor Nancy.
 
 There were lots of football games on and my mom rented "The Expendables 3" not realizing what the movie was about. In general this season has been disappointing for movies in the Theater so we did not keep our annual tradition of going to the theater. This year Black Friday became Black Thursday. I think my dad was sad that we didn't participate this year like in year's past. We ended up going last minute after pushing and prodding him to go to Best Buy around 4pm on Friday. He was all bummed because he couldn't get my mom to commit to purchasing a larger TV and so decided he didn't want to go anymore.

 Friday morning we went to the Orlando Temple. My dad just got his Temple recommend. My dad has not been to the temple in years! My mom said it has been 10 years, but I am not sure that it has been quite that long. It was wonderful to attend. My dad, mom, Omar, me, my Aunt Nancy, Jim & Diane Rowland and Mo & Tim Merrill. What a great day!

Me, Omar, Dad, Mom, Aunt Nancy

Me, Omar, Dad, Mom, Aunt Nancy, Jim Rowland, Diann Rowland

 Following we went back home and then went and got PG's wings with my folks and Lindsey. 

Saturday morning slept in a little bit and then Nancy, Aaron and all the kids came over again because Aunt Corrine, cousin Christine and her family just flew in the night before. We talked and had lunch and they then left for the beach after 1 pm while we left for home. It was good to see them.

Goldie Our Dog

Thought I should share some of the pictures of Goldie since we got her back in August 2014...

Omar: I need to install cameras so I can watch her at all times from my cell phone.

Kate: that's a little ridiculous she is fine

Omar: you should know that I am addicted to her like every dog I come around

Kate: I'm already getting pushed out of this relationship.

Omar: you're not getting pushed out of this relationship, baby, you are my human partner.

Uhmmm....ya. What's the return policy on this puppy?

One of her many halloween costumes that she never really wore --- T-REX - October 2014

Goldie in her new bed - 8/2/14

 It is official our dog's name is Goldie... thank you all for participating!

Honey
36.36% 16
–
Goldie
43.18% 19
–
Bonita
20.45% 9
Total 44

Goldie

First play date with her brother Boomer

July 14th 2014 --- holding Goldie for the first time

So cute and little

Mom with Goldie

Omar is in LOVE

Upgrade our House: A Touch of Eddie

Omar has been on an updating streak ever since Eddie, Omar's brother, came to visit us for a month.A week before he left he decided that we need to do some upgrades. So we figured why not? Free labor... I'll take it.

It started with removing the carpet from our floors and the tile from the kitchen.

Then it was installing wood tile....

Eddie working on the family room

Omar cutting tile

looking pretty good  

Then the hallway

Notice the grey paint trim --- painting the room was a must with the tile

Check out our baseboards and front hallway

Then the kithchen

Then the pantry

The laundry room

love the tile to tile transfer from hallway to the bahtroom

Top it all off with a brand new rock wall around our fireplace

Pretty impressive for a week's work!

General Conference April 2014

Priesthood Session:
The first talk that I had the opportunity to listen to for this session of Conference was Dallin H Oaks. Ironic that it was during the Priesthood Session as I have never watched it live. I felt like it was not only very timely, but a needed talk for some of the Sisters of the church. Interesting that it was the first one of the Priesthood Session. I have been following this whole "ordain women" movement taking place. I know people that are on both sides and I have not verbally or in written form said where I stand in all of this because I feel like this whole protest or movement has brought negative publicity to the church. I am not one of those sisters that is sympathetic to their cause.

Do I think it is bad to be outspoken? No, I don't think so. Are these sisters bad because of what they think? No. Does speaking out about your beliefs or desires bring about good? It can.

People say that if these Sisters had not spoken up the Priesthood session would not have started to be broadcast to all to watch rather than waiting for it to come out later online or in the Ensign. That may have sped up the process in broadcasting it. This protest has been compared to Blacks receiving the priesthood and even polygamy but really those issues were based on waiting on the Lord. I have never heard anything about women receiving the priesthood in the future or questioned the Lord in who is "ordained" to the priesthood.  I feel that I understand their points as to why things should change when it comes to ordaining women. I personally feel that is not our mission in this life and I trust the Brethren and more importantly in the Lord. Could this change in the future, yes I suppose so, but I personally don't think it is part of His plan during this mortal life. If that changes I will learn my new responsibilities and do my best to uphold what the Lord expects and asks of me. As of right now I have plenty of things as a woman "unordained" that I can work on that can draw me closer to the Savior.

President Dallin H Oaks helped me think about my current and previous callings in a new light.
1)  I love that he said that there is no up or down in church callings, there is only forward and backward. How true that is I think in everything that you do in life. You can be a CEO or a janitor - but your attitude, how you choose to work every day causes you to move forward or to move backward. Does the Lord really care what your job is? Not so much (so long as it is something that is not against his commandments).
2) I never thought about how when I am in a teaching role or any church calling where I am set apart by someone who is ordained and holds the priesthood that I hold the priesthood as well.

Another thing that I pondered that President Oaks mentioned was how we need to forget about our "rights" and focus on our "responsibilities". As a world we are so focused on our rights rather than our responsibilities what a better place this world would be if we changed that.

Other thoughts from talks that spoke to me...

Donald L Hallstrom:
"When we say, 'That is just the way I am,' we give up our ability to change."
"Commonly accepted practices in the world choke our priesthood power."

Randall L Ridd:
"As important it is to leave home fully charged on your cell phone, it is far more important to leave home fully charged spiritually."

President Dieter F Uchtdorf:
Are you sleeping through the restoration?
Do I seek self-service over selfless service?  "Selfishness over selflessness skews our priorities"

Sunday Morning Session:
President Dieter F Uchtdorf:
See gratitude as a disposition.
Instead of being grateful FOR things - focus on being thankful IN our circumstances.
It means that "through the eyes of faith we look beyond our present day challenges."
"...We need to set aside the bottle of bitterness and instead drink from the goblet of gratitude".

Elder David A Bednar
Is the load I am carrying ...
         1) producing the spiritual traction that is enabling me to press forward on the straight and narrow path                and avoid getting stuck?
         2) creating sufficient spiritual traction so I can safely get home to my Heavenly Father?

"We often mistakenly think that happiness is the absence of a load"

A Day in Savannah - St Patricks Celebration

We bought a Groupon with the Schreibers for Paula Deen's Lady & Sons. We went to Savannah yesterday to eat there and most of us didn't realize that it was St Patrick's Day weekend. Savannah has the 2nd largest St Patrick's Day parade in the country. It was a fun day to go just because there were stages everywhere with live music playing, tons of people in the street too. I loved seeing all the fountains around full of green water. I bought a super cute shirt and a hat so I could fit in with all the people. It was a great day! I'm happy to have such great friends and am sad that they are now in a different ward than us since our ward split 2 weeks ago.

 

 

6th Wedding Anniversary: Trip Continued

On Saturday - really our anniversary - we went to Sea World. We were supposed to meet Denise again but she and her friends who flew in on Friday didn't show up. Saturday was a gorgeous day - perfect weather and Sea World was empty. All the rides took about 5-10 minutes! We went on Manta Ray 2x, Atlantis, Kraken, Turtle Trek, looked at the different aquariums and of course spent at least 30 minutes at the Stingray pool - my favorite. Our ticket admission also included admission to BBQ, Bands, and Brew which had Hank Williams Jr performing. We didn't stay the whole time but he is extremely talented and good at putting a show on.

 

love that this turtle has all its legs up warming himself in the sun

My favorite spot at Sea World is at the Sting Ray Lagoon

The whole reason Omar likes Sea World is for the turkey legs

 

We went back to Kissimmee and picked my sister up so we could go and eat papusas together. Omar can't resist having some each time we are there. It was Kelly's first time eating papusas. We then went to Mo Merrill's 60th birthday party - it was so good to see some people who have been such an important part of my life growing up. It was a great anniversary weekend.

papusas

6th Wedding Anniversary Weekend: Victoria & Albert's

After working a really long day at work Omar drove us in my new car (YEAH) to Orlando. Friday morning we woke up and met Omar's "sister" Denise and her friend along with my parents and my sister Kelly at Disney Hollywood Studios. I don't remember the last time that I went there. We had a great time going on Rockin' Rollercoaster, Tower of Terror, Beauty and the Beast show, Indiana Jones Stunt Spectacular (I was an extra in it!), and Star Tours. We were there for a few hours and left to go home and rest a little until our anniversary dinner at Victoria & Albert's.

Victoria & Albert's was amazing. It was a 10 course meal. It was not cheap but it was totally worth it. I would be interested to see how price changes through the years so I will just say it cost $210/pp not including tax and gratuity. It was beautiful and very private in the room we were in. We had 2 servers that pampered us. The awesome thing is they are both married to each other and it was wonderful to see how they interacted and treated each other. The whole meal took 3.5 hours! I am surprised we made it through that long at dinner as normally we are at restaurants for about 30 minutes on average. But it was an amazing experience and the time flew by. They gave me a shawl to wear as I was a little cold. They explained each component of the entrees with expertise and suave. I loved it and would go back in a heart beat. What isn't pictured below are the 3 different types of breads and butters they gave us throughout the meal. We were stuffed by the end. Even Omar enjoyed everything

Amuse- Bouche: Maine Lobster "Jar" with Siberian Osetra Caviar



Octopus "A La Plancha" with Black Garlic Aioli

Hot "Smoked" Niman Ranch Lamb with Fuji Apple and Curry Dressing

Fennel Crusted Diver Scallop in a Pink Himalayan Salt Bowl surrounded by aromatic salts and spices

Truffle butter that was made to go along with the truffle brioche bread



Poached Chicken Egg and Sausage

Colorado Bisno with Caraway Seed Vinaigrette



Australian Kobe-Style Beef with Potato Sphere



Selection of cheese from the trolley

Buffalo Mozzarella (Upper left corner); Parmesan; Honey Comb; Dried fruit strip; dried apricots; 2 cheeses I don't recall; candied walnuts and blue cheese

Apple Quark Panna Cotta

percolators brewing tea

Peruvian Chocolate Timbale with Roasted White Chocolate Gelato

One of our waiters describing the various chocolates