Fun Under The Texas Sun

Fishing has been a big part of mine and especially Ethan's lives as far back as we can remember.

My dad is an avid fly fisher men who's biggest hobby is floating down a river. My mom is an avid hiker. So they put the two together and our weekends when my sister and I were little were spent in the mountains hiking, fishing and enjoying nature.

Ethan grew up in the mountains themselves with lakes and rivers surrounding him. Ethan often found himself along his grandpa's side fishing for trout whenever time permitted. Fishin' is not just a favorite past time for Ethan but a most necessary part of life.

When my dad found out we were moving to Texas he was jealous that we would be is some of the best bass fishin' country in the nation! Back in June when we were home visiting my family, my dad gave Ethan a wonderful gift. Some fishing luer's that he had used when he was young. It was awesome watching my dad and Ethan look through my dad's old tackle box. He had all kinds of cool luers (frogs, worms, rattle traps, spoons, a mouse). The only stipulation of this gift was that Ethan had to get some good use out of them. So Ethan went down and bought himself a new rod, reel, and liscense. Since then Ethan has been fishin' several times. Not only has he caught a fish on nearly every outing but has also caught himself! I haven't been able to get to the store and get my rod and reel but look forward to the day I do!

                                                                                         

  

On a different note... 

Ethan started school today!!! 

WAAAA HOOOO! 

So excited for the end result. HAHA

We continue to adapt to Texas every day. And are excited about the new adventures to come. Eagar Arizona  couldn't come fast enough

                    HERE IS ONE LAST PICTURE I FOUND FROM A LITTLE WHILE BACK

Come What May And Love It!

I never thought it would be heart breaking to hear your lab results came back totally normal. But in fact it was heart breaking. If my blood work is all normal, what the heck is wrong with me? Maybe nothing, maybe it's just timing. Which in our lives seems to be significant. But right now I can't think of a better time. So we'll pray, have faith and see what the Doctor has to say. More than likely we'll be referred to the Infertility Specialist in Austin. Which sounds way scary and super expensive. But we do that which is necessary, right? Come what may and Love it! A saying by Elder Joseph B Wirthlin that I have sitting in a picture frame on my night stand.
 
Heavenly Father has a plan I know this, so Come what may and love it!

Doctors, Devastation, and more Doctors

Ethan and I have now been married for 2 years, 2 months, and about 2 weeks! Over the course of our married life we have been on several adventures. Including buying a new vehicle, traveling across the nation to California, Colorado, New York and MOVING to Texas. All of these adventures have been exciting and have created many memories to pass down to our children. One of the more serious adventures Ethan and I continue to embark on, is trying to start our own family. And in some respects we have already. Ethan, Farley, and I have a blast going to the lake and fishing or sitting on the couch watching movies all day. But we have a serious longing for a baby in our arms. Back in November/ December of 2009 we felt the time was right for us to "try" and begin our family. And that's just what we did, try and try and try and try some more. Practice makes perfect right? After months and months of negative pregnancy tests we started to get discouraged. Ethan being the optimist that he is said, "The Lord has a plan for our family we just don't know it yet". I hung on to those words. It was now the first week in January of 2011 and we had our first Doctors appointment to ask some questions and discuss the possible reasons why it was taking so long to conceive. Our Doctor seemed very positive as we discussed medications like clomid to help ovulation or an HSG study to view the anatomy. Ethan and I left with our heads high and hopes up. About 2 weeks later I took a home pregnancy test. POSITIVE !!! We couldn't believe it so I took like 5 more. And everyone of them POSITIVE!!! We called the doctor and made our first pregnancy appointment. They did a ultra sound, it was still to early to hear the heart beat. Being that I was only 5-6 weeks along the Doctor suggested another appointment in 2 weeks to hear the hear beat and get an estimated date of arrival. We left the Doctors office on cloud 9. I then headed to work with a sense of euphoria and some light cramps. Knowing that minimal spotting and light cramping was normal I kept on working. As the evening passed it was harder and harder to focus on my patients. I was hurting and the spotting turned into much more. I slept in the next morning with a gut feeling I was going to have a very long day. Neither my husband nor I knew what was going on. So I called the Doctors office and they arranged to get me in... Devastation; I had miscarried. The Doctor gave some words of encouragement, "sometimes things don't go quite right and so God steps in and helps out" and, "now we know you can get pregnant." I clung to the words my husband had told me before about our Heavenly Father having and plan and the fact that I now knew I could get pregnant.

 Several months passed and there was no sign of me getting pregnant again, so we made another infertility appointment. This time the doctor drew some labs and said, "call me when you start your next cycle and we'll get you started on clomid." I was glad to have a plan! So we waited around for my next cycle to come so we could put the plan in action. It felt like we were waiting forever! With that feeling in mind, I took a pregnancy test... POSITIVE!!! No way we thought. Both times we had gone to see the Doctor we found out we were pregnant like a week later. Ethan and I agreed that this time we were going to wait several weeks before even calling the doctor so that we could hear the heart beat at the first appointment. As the days passed it began to get harder and harder for us to keep the secret. So we changed our mind; we wanted to get in and see the doctor to make sure everything goes "right" this time. It was late Friday when we made this decision, so Monday morning I would call. But it was too late. I had started to miscarry that Sunday. Devastation once again. Over the next couple of days I cried on my wonderful husbands shoulder. After a few days passed I regrouped and called the doctor. I had this over whelming feeling that the reason I kept miscarrying was due to a hormone problem. So I called the doctor's office and spoke with my doctor's nurse. I told her I had had a few positive pregnancy tests and about a week later started cramping and bleeding. She asked pertinent questions and said we would need to draw an HCG level to make sure the levels were returning to zero. I agreed and then stated that this being my second miscarriage, and it was my understanding that most miscarries before 8 weeks are due to a hormone problem, that I would like to have some hormone testing done. And that I was no longer convinced I was having problems ovulating  (the reason they thought I needed to be placed on clomid). The nurse agreed to speak with my doctor and get back with me. I was nervous for the phone to ring. When it finally did, my doctor's nurse reported that the doctor agreed to do some hormone testing the next time I became pregnant. And if I wasn't by my next cycle he would prescribe clomid to cover all areas of concern. I clarified that I was supposed to wait for another positive pregnancy test to get the hormone testing done, and then became excited that we were on our way to finding out why my body kept spontaneously rejecting pregnancy.

The next few weeks were long and hard. I was excited to have what seemed to be a good solid plan but nervous of potentially miscarrying again. No girl should ever have to feel what its like to lose a pregnancy, let alone 3. Fortunately I was able to block this daunting thought from my brain most of the time. It was now the first week in August. My cycle should have started any day that week... But it didn't, so it was time to test again. POSITIVE! I told my husband and he said to me, "go down and buy that cream Moriah told you about." Several weeks earlier I was discussing with said friend about our difficulties staying pregnant and she had told me a real good friend of hers was having similar problems as me and used progesterone cream to help sustain the pregnancy. After research Ethan and I agreed with the next pregnancy I would definitely try it. So the day I got a positive I ran down to the local vitamin shoppe and purchased some cream. I also called the doctors office bright and earlier that morning. They ordered 2 HCG levels 48 hours apart and a serum Progesterone test. A few long days passed as I waited for the results of the labs. Friday afternoon came and my doctor's nurse called to report the results. My HCG level had not doubled in the 48 hours it's supposed to. In fact it had only gone from 50 to 61. And my progesterone level was low. "But could be low from being so early in the pregnancy but still did not look reassuring," as the nurse put it. I tried to ask appropriate questions, like is there any way to get started on progesterone injections to help boost the level. And the nurse responded, "well the doctor doesn't really like to do that." I then asked so what exactly was the point of these labs? She said, "you wanted them drawn." I said to her no I'm not the doctor I merely stated I no longer was convinced I had problems ovulating and that maybe it was a hormone issue. She told me its wasn't in her scope to be able to answer those questions. Not quite knowing what to say, I simply asked so what's the plan? Which was to have my HCG level drawn again on Monday to confirm an impeding miscarriage. As I sat on the couch for the rest of the weekend all I could think about was, how rude that nurse was to me on the phone, why would I want to know ahead of time that I was going to miscarry again, and that my doctor and his nurse were SO FIRED. Monday came and I had my labs drawn. Being that I had them drawn in the hospital I was able to look the results up myself. So I didn't have to wait until just before the doctors office closed to get them, like I did the Friday before. About noon I checked the result, 51. My level had dropped thus confirming another miscarriage was about to occur. I was then pissed at the nurse and unable to contain my tears. My husband and I left work early to think and cry together. I did most of the crying, he did most of the thinking, talking, and reassuring. We found a new doctor and made an appointment.

A nurse practitioner had come highly recommended. So I got in to see her. I discussed with her the frustrations of trying and trying and trying to get pregnant, miscarrying 3 times in 8 months and the rudeness of the nurse working for my doctor. She apologized sincerely and helped create a new plan. We made an appointment to see a new doctor, because I am now out of her scope of practice having multiple miscarriages. The new doctor would explain the testing they do, the results, good and bad, the options and everything in between. She didn't charge me for my appointment that day, gave me a big hug and her personal cell phone number to call if I had any more questions. I can't explain to you how much better this nurse practitioner made me feel. I was nearly satisfied with the new plan. I only wished they would do the testing before the next appointment. About a week later the nurse for my new doctor called and explained that the Infertility Specialist of Austin was just in town and my new doctor had discussed with him my case. The Specialist recommended having the testing done before the appointment and that they went ahead and ordered the labs. All I had to do was pick up the order sheet and have them drawn! This news made me so happy I could cry.

Our appointment to receive the results and talk about the options is just after Ethan and I get back from our mini vaca visiting Arizona. Hopefully they will find some thing easily fixable. Pray for us.

Headed to San Antonio

On Wednesday 27 July, 2011 (that's how the military says dates) Ethan and I headed to San Antonio. For several weeks I had been in close contact with our good friend Caralee counting down the days until we would meet to watch her husband Derrick graduate the Worlds Best Air Force Academy. What an honor it was for us to be able to attend such a cool event. We had an absolute blast! After arriving at out hotel, we headed to Dairy Queen for a sweet treat with Caralee and her dad Alan. The rest of the evening was spent catching up with very missed friends. Then Bright and early Thursday morning we left for the Lackland Air Force Base. We arrived about 0600. We wanted good seats. From then the day went a little like this;

• The Airmen's Run- all the graduating Airmen ran past us shouting motto's and singing
• We sat in the bleachers for approximately 2 1/2 hours
• The honor graduates then marched on and were recognized. It was incredible how in unison they were.

•  After that the rest of the squadrons marched on, All of the Airmen received their coins, then received the opportunity to spend the rest of the day on base with friends and family.
• We went and had lunch, took and drive through the base, went bowling (I kicked trash scoring 145 and 137), had pizza and hung out in the community room.

Our first day lasted from about 0430 til 2230!!! Needless to say we were pooped. So we went to bed.
Friday 29 July, 2011 stared about the same way, bright and early. This time we made our way to the military bus's to transport us to the parade grounds. There we watched the Airmen get inducted into the WORLDS BEST AIR FORCE! One of the Colonel's of this Air Force base spoke to the Graduates, friends, and family. His speech was heart wrenching and really made Ethan and I think about how much we have. Our United States Armed Forces volunteer their lives to protect the very freedoms such as religion, speech, life! And all of this is represented in the American Flag. Our flag has been carried in every war the U.S.A has been in. It has been used to bandage wounded soldier's and given to families of lost loved ones. It made me proud to be an American watching our Military men and women stand and salute our flag as in went by.

After the end of the ceremony we were invited to tour the dorm rooms of the Airmen. And let me tell you it was PERFECT! Beds were made the way I have never seen a bed made before, shoes were in an exact line with the edge of the bed, the lockers that hung the uniforms had hangers exactly a fist widths apart, socks were folded so tightly I couldn't figure out how they did it.
                             
                                               

 About 1200 we napped for a few hours. Then it was off to the San Antonio Temple for Ethan, Alan and I. It was gorgeous!! We then met back up with Derrick and Caralee for Dinner. We ate at Denny's and it was anything but delicious. But the company was more than worth it. Its was sad to say good bye after such a fantastic couple of days. So we said see you next time instead!

We are now counting down the days until we will be traveling to Eagar for Kortney and Stuart's Wedding!!!                                       

                                                                         31 days!

Derrick's BMT Graduation- San Antonio July '11

Click here to view these pictures larger

Life and Such

What's up in the Eagar Household!

We have been up to no good recently. HAHA Actually we feel like we are finally beginning to get things rolling here in Texas. I am beginning to feel more and more comfortable with my job. I am working on the renal/ med surg floor at a non profit hospital. I like it enough. With my recent comfort level growing I've been thinking about where I might want to spread my wings. I loved the surgical ICU, but a good stepping stone for that would be ER, labor and delivery sounds so exciting. Maybe its just the uterus talking! We'll just have to see what Heavenly Father has in store for me.

As for Ethan he is starting school in August. I am so stoked for him and this fun new adventure he/we are about to embark on. His primary focus recently has been on becoming a veterinarian. But he has gone back and forth between that and a biology teacher. For now its back to the basics/ fundamentals!

We have also decided its about time we start "creating" things. With that be said we are building an armoire. Our friends just down the block gave us an armoire. From that time Ethan has been saying what a great design it has and how cool and sturdy he coutld make it. So after several weeks of just talking about it we got started. I'll post before and after pictures once its done but here's a little preview


Ethan working on the framing Farley helping



Here are some other pictures from some recent events in our lives.

We flew to Seneca Falls, New York in March to visit my grandparents. The left photo is from a drive my Dad, Ethan and I took to see the white deer. The next picture is of The White Deer. And last but not least Ethan and I in the Sacred Grove in Palmyra, NY.




IT WAS SUPER BRIGHT OUT!


Our first real trip to Dallas. We went to the Temple and then visited the fishes at the Dallas Aquarium. A big thank you to our good friends Lauren and Robert for the invite!




Home to Denver in June








Ethan found a fishin buddy while at work one day. Here is the first fish of many out of Lake Waco!

10 inch Crappie



That about sums up the most recent encounters we've had. With any luck I'll be back soon to update you.















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