It's a Bittersweet....

Well. We did it. We successfully moved to Arizona.

Since we have moved to Utah I have secretly been counting down the days till I could come back home. I did love my time in Utah. It gave Russ and I an experience we could have never had if we didn't live here. Although I do get homesick from family and friends we created our own little home. We really got to spend all our time with each other. We developed some great friendships there that were really family. We got to be carefree in a sense. Just working and going to school was the only goal. Now as I look ahead to our future I see much more responsibility and I realize that we will never have the lives we once had. With jobs to look for, the baby coming, and looking for a house of our own life is about to get much more complicated.

No more late night movie nights with Little Caesars and snuggling, no more spontaneous dates (let drop everything and go do something NOW), no more 10 o'clock dollar movies, no more nicklecade, and really no more selfish US time (when all we had to think about was each other). I know that this baby will be such a JOY in our lives...different from before and better in some ways. But part of me is sad to say goodbye to the simple life Russ and I had. With all that said I am excited to face the adventures that are ahead of us.

It was a bittersweet to move from Utah. I was so excited to finally be home! But where is home? Russ and I were FINALLY starting to feel like Orem was our home. We loved our ward, our neighbors and our friends that we had made there. This was our neighborhood and we were familiar and comfortable with our environment. And although I HATE HATE HATE the snow, I miss the mountains, the seasons (fall and spring are beautiful!), and the scenic landscapes there. I will miss the summers we spent there when we could have picnics, drive up the canyon and go rafting down the Provo river. I will also miss the family we left there. Amy ad Marcus and Lola and Ruby! Don't forget grandma Rawson! We love the Blairs and I am going to be very sad not to hear Lola's scream through the door when I knock...."Selleeeeeennaaaaaaaa!!!!!". Love those girls.

It seems so fast. We were there one day and now we are not. I feel like everything happend so fast and I did not have sufficient time to say goodbye. I hope everyone in Utah knows we miss you!

Now we are living at my parents house indefinitely until we get the job, insurance, and a place to live. I do love the heat. It sounds crazy but i do love it.

My parents were so kind to fly up and help us pack up and move. My dad got there and we sent hi home with Russell's car and he drove home the same day he flew in. My mom (is the sweetest!) stayed to help us clean and pack....all the dirty work....It was such a blessing to have her come up and help. Also for all our friends that came over to clean and pack the moving truck! Thank you so much!

Good ol Russ in the moving truck ( he did a GOOD job packing it!!!)

Little Reagan helping us clean =-)

Me and RUTHIE! miss you so much! She cleaned my bathroom better than it has ever been cleaned!!! (but she did accidentally mix some chemicals and we had so evacuate for a bit...) hahaha!

Ruthie and Jen! Thanks guys!

Jen thanks for helping! I miss our Sunday hangouts!!!

The Truck.

All the trash from cleaning the house.....Russ tried to get me to throw things away. I am a pack rat i guess.....

Mom taking a quick break....

Poor Domino with his cone. He was neutered and HATED that thing....

The moving continues....

Russ took apart my desk in my room....it was heavy!!!

Here is the mess....I really do HATE packing....

mom with the trash....

The sad empty apartment.....sad to say goodbye to my home for 3 years (pardon the uglyness.....this was us after all day packing and cleaning.....)

Saying goodbye to family and friends was the hardest part. Miss you guys so much!

The Blairs.....

Thanks for all the dinners, laundry runs, game nights, picnics, and fun while we were in Utah! We really enjoyed being so close to you and I am so sad that we will be so far now. We have been there since Lola's 1st birthday and the birth of Ruby! I will miss the girls sooooo much (and of course amy and her friendship and Marcus and his awesomeness....but i won't miss his game competitiveness....) We love you!

Paul and Ruthie (along with others such as Dallin and Merinda, Dave and Jen, Jake and Cody, and so many more!!!) have been our family away from home. They are what really made our experience in Utah way more AWSOME! i don't know what I would have done without all of them and I miss them right now! Thanks for being so fun and silly! THanks for the movie nights (And ruthes popcorn), Jakes music jams, cody's knowledge on vegetables, zombie parties with Jen and Dave, music videos, campfires, and everything else! We really love all of you and hope we can all keep in touch Foreverrrrrr!

Goodbye Utah. =-(

The new look.

Well Arizona has transformed Domino. Since we felt bad that he was covered in so much hair we decided to shave his lovely locks off for the summer so he does not DIE in the heat. I think it took ten years off him. But they left his tail long and Russ thinks he looks silly, but i think he looks cute still.....

He officially knows sit and shake! Whoo hoo!

The Graduate.

WARNING....LONG POST....

Well it's official.

Russ is now a college graduate!

I can't believe it! It's been an exciting adventure of "all nighters", finals, projects, papers, busy work, and HOMEWORK. Russ has been the greatest husband all the way through. I have told him so many times that I think it would be hard to go to school while you are married (because my college "single life" was a lot of fun...). He has done so well with balancing his time.....between me, his job, his school work, and church callings Russ is a Super Hero. I never once felt like school came before me because he always made time for US. I am so proud of all his accomplishments and want to let him know that I love him and that I am amazed at all he has achieved.

He is my SMART, CUTE, AMAZING COLLEGE GRADUATE!

And Yes, I made him get his pictures taken (against his will...).

I hope Russ you know that I love you and I am grateful for everything you have done and sacrificed for our family. I know that you will accomplish so much in your life and I'm so excited to see our future take shape. I am so excited to have a family with you and know you will be a great provider and protector of our family. Thank you for all you have done. I am so glad to have married such a great man. Hopefully I can keep up with you (and hopefully I haven't complained too much.) =-)

Russ graduated on April 22nd.

Both our parents, Nikki's family and Lacey joined us for the event! I was the proud wife in the audience and loved every second of it (except for some of the boring talking)! This was the first graduation I have seen where the graduates walk with a baby on their hip. haha, I think that is BYU for ya..... OF COURSE I brought my camera and when it was his turn to walk I walked all the way to the bottom to get a good shot. I do have my advantages of being a professional photographer, I am definitely not scared to get up close and personal. haha, I went up as close as I could to the stage (where the graduates were sitting) and got some good shots of him walking across!

Russ and our Bishop from Utah!

We had to walk around campus and get a couple of the "famous shots" as Russ calls it. It front of the BYU sign. We had to get one with his parents which are also BOTH BYU graduates! How fun!

Here is a fun fact.....Selena has been graduated since 2007. So i feel like I have been waiting forever for this day to come, hahahaha, and I am just so excited for him!

Now I feel like life can continue.

Not that I didn't enjoy my time in Utah, I have loved so much and miss so many thing about it. But I feel like are lives can finally move forward. I can start my business, Russ can get a job, we can buy a house and start our family! So many fun adventures are in store for us and I just can't wait!

We found a pretty place on campus to take some family pictures! I miss the flowers on the TREEEEEESSS!!!! BYU is a pretty campus for sure.....

Nikki and Jakes family did not make it to the graduation part but i do have proof that they were there!!!!

And last but not least Russ in his cap and gown. LOOK HOW CUTE HE IS! I again made him take these but I am so glad i did! It only happens once you know!

Anyways I have lots of blogging to catch up on but I am currently jobless (well I still have my photography of course) but I live at home and don't do a whole lot right now....so hopefully I can keep up with it so STAY TUNED!!!!

I think my name is Domino

One day I was minding my own business in the parking lot of Ross when I was crossing the street a dumb car almost hit me! This crazy girl rolled her window down and called me over. I love any kind of attention so i followed her car and she opened her door and gave me a good scratch. I didn't know what I was getting myself into. She pulled me into the car and drove me away.

I didn't mind the car ride but I was a little nervous at first. She took me to a Petsmart where she carried me in and put this thing around my neck and attached a long rope thing to it (i am not very used to it) and I could not run away!

As soon as we got home she poured water all over me and scrubbed me with some smelly bubbly stuff. I didn't mind that at all but I was a bit cold. But she tried to dry me off with a loud machine that blow hot hair and I was terrified!

A man came home and I was a little nervous around him first, I mean he is a big guy. His voice is deep. But he is not all that bad.

They put signs up looking for my old owners and called the places where they trap dogs in cages to see if they had come looking for me. I'm so glad they did not send me to one of those places! I like it here! I have lots of fun now!

I love to play with my toys and chew all my bones. I get into trouble sometimes when I find other things to entertain myself that are not my toys. I am friendly and I don't bark unless I sense danger.

They put me in a cage at night and I do not like it. It's nice and warm inside but I much rather be outside. When I am not in my kennel or playing with my toys I am usually curled up in a ball at the bottom of the stairs and I like to sleep right next to the door so I can be there to greet my owners when they come out.

My new owners have taught me a game where I run after a ball and bring it back to them. It's fun but boy are they lazy, I do all the work! The girl keeps saying "sit" to me and pushing my bum to the ground and gives me a treat. I'm not sure when I have to sit but I love getting treats and praise! I think I am getting the hang of it!

They started calling me Domino so I think that is my name. They took me to a office where a man in a white jacket checked me out. I am only a year old and am as healthy as can be. Today they took me to another place where there where lots of dogs and kitties I wanted to play with. I walked into the back room with a lady and didn't even look back. I wonder what neuter means? Oh well......

(Domino's last day as a real man) we sent him in to get neutered, vaccined, and microchipped today. We will see if he still loves us when he gets home.....

Halloween babies are my favorite!

Well I finally went in to have my first Doctors appointment. People were starting starting to get suspicious like I wasn't prego so I finally called the insurance company and they made all the arrangements. I didn't really care where I went because we are not staying here anyways.

We went to the Doctor at 8:20am (yah, early for me) haha and went to the Utah Valley Obstetrics and Gynecology here in Orem.



My doctor was Heidi McSweeny I found her picture online (kind of stakerish of me huh?).


We went in filled out all the paperwork and went in to see her. I was not nervous or anything just getting my checkup like you are supposed to do.

I got to do all the fun stuff you do at hospitals. Pee in a cup, get my blood drawn, get my blood pressure taken, and don't forget getting a pap smear and having my uterus touched. Haha, it's fun times. It really wasn't bad at all. Russ had to hide from the needle wile I was getting my blood drawn though (he's not good with needles) but i am totally fine with them.

The fun part was the hear the heartbeat!

It was the weirdest thing ever! It was very fast! I had no idea how low my uterus really was. Like right above my pelvic bone. It was fun to hear it the heartbeat. I still can't believe that there is something ALIVE inside of me! It really blows my mind.

They told me the I am 10 weeks along!

i thought I was only like 8 so that was fun! I don't think it will feel real until i am bigger and I can feel it moving. I can't wait to find out if it is a boy or girl. My odds are that it is a boy even though I want a girl. (Girls just photograph so well).

My first trimester has been a breeze.

No morning sickness, no mood swings and not too emotional. I take my prenatal at night and that seems to help not make me sick! I am VERY tired ALL THE TIME though. I feel like I could sleep all day long!

My due date is October 31st!

I LOVE THAT! If you know me I'm pretty obsessed with Halloween and I love all the SCARY STUFF! When I have my baby you will probably not see him/her in a cute little costume but they will probably be like a scary witch or a zombie or something gruesome and gross. It's how I roll. hahaha. I found some scary kids costumes online that i thought were amusing....

I'll end with this gem.

All I have to say is that I hope I am cool like Leigh Ann when I am pregnant!