I have been looking through old photos today and realized I forgot to post anything about our New Years vacation in Tahoe. I love looking back at old photos and reliving the memories. Of course there is a lot of pics of our pups enjoying the snow but I also through in some of ourselves and Matt's dad too. We always have a great time in Tahoe, in fact I believe it is one of our favorite places to go. Thank goodness it is so close.
#1 thing on our bucket list.......own a house in Tahoe!

* can someone please tell me how to get more then 5 photos to post. blogger won't let me ever do anymore then that.



New Year's 2010 Tahoe Vacation.

It's a love/hate relationship! If you look close enough you can see Sadie "smiling" at Toby!

Did I mention she loves the snow! We decided to not torture her with her snow boots, I believe she would have lost them in the snow anyways.

This is what they did for over an hour on the snow covered beach. They were pooped afterwards.

It was REALLY bright out there!

Matt and his Dad.

What not to say.....

Some people have been asking how they can help us and support us through this time of great loss. I found this today and felt it may help you to understand what we may be going through. It is a great resource for anyone who has gone through this personally or may know someone who has.

IF SOMEONE YOU KNOW HAS A MISCARRIAGE

Do let your genuine concern and caring show
Do be available....to listen or to help with what ever seems needed at the time
Do say your sorry about what happened and about their pain
Do allow them to express as much unhappiness as they are feeling and are willing to share.
Do encourage them to be patient with themselves and to not expect to much of themselves, nor to impose any shoulds' on themselves.
Do allow them to talk about their loss as much and as often as they want to.
Do reassure them that they did everything they could and that it was not their fault.
Don't let your own sense of helplessness keep you from reaching out.
Don't avoid them because you are uncomfortable. Being avoided by friends
may add pain to an already painful experience.
Don't say you know how they feel ( unless you have experienced their loss yourself, and then yo can be particularly supportive).
Don't say 'you ought to be feeling better by now' or anything which implies judgement about their feelings.
Don't tell them what they should feel or do.
Don't change the subject if they mention their loss.
Don't avoid mentioning their loss out of fear of reminding them of their pain (they won't have forgotten).
Don't try and find something positive about their loss (ie. a moral lesson closer family ties, etc.)
Don't point out at least they have their other......
Don't say they can always have another....(they wanted this one).
Don't say that they should be grateful for......
Don't make any comments, which in anyway suggest that the loss was their fault( there will be enough feelings of doubt and guilt already).


This is not written to offend anyone or point a finger at anyone who may have said something on this list, it is to help you to try to understand where we are coming from. We have a lot of emotions that need to heal and it is going to take time.
Thank you to all who have called and written, we really appreciate it. We are very blessed to have such great friends and family.
Matt and Christy

The day after...

I spoke with S this morning, we had a good talk and both cried. She is hurting, I am hurting, we ALL are hurting. We all wanted this so bad! We may not ever understand why but it doesn't keep us from asking over and over "why us Lord?" Matt and I are going to talk to someone tomorrow to help deal with our feelings. I feel numb but at the same time ache all over because we wanted THIS baby.
I may not have been carrying the baby but i still feel the same bond and heartbreak as if i were. We fell in love with Baby E from the moment we saw the embryo picture the morning of transfer. I even "talked" to it every day as it hung on our fridge. I still can not bear to take it down :(
We all need extra thoughts and prayers. please pray specifically for our hearts to heal, my anger to disappear, and that we will not be scared to try again when the time is right.
Until then to my sweet babies in heaven I miss you!

I Saw You In My Dreams

by Melina Reeves

I saw you in my dreams last night

sitting on the side of my bed

You held out your hands to me

before you quietly said

Mommy, I am in heaven now

up where the angels play

Mom, I love you
We'll be together again someday

Mom, I have a favor to ask you

please don't cry anymore

I am waiting up here in Heaven

behind heavens pearly door
There are lots of people here mom,

some who tell me about you

they tell me how much you love me

and all about daddy too.

Mom I have to go now,

I will visit again some day

Remember that I am happy

and in your heart to stay

I woke up then

and sat up with a start

I knew from the smile on his face

he would never part.

He told me he was happy

and told me of his plea

he wanted me to smile again

he's watching over me

I saw him in my dreams last night

sitting on the edge of my bed

http://www.honoredbabies.org/

Sometimes it is not meant to be.....

When I wrote the last post I hesitated a little before i posted it. Was I writing to soon, should I wait longer. I wanted to enjoy the feelings i was experiencing and just take it day by day.
Today we got news that S had a miscarriage today. With out going into much detail and protecting her privacy she went to the E.R today and it was confirmed that she has miscarried.
We are all shocked and trying to deal with our emotions. We will get through this. I feel really bad that S has to experience this i wish i could take the pain away. It is a very hard thing to go through both physically and emotionally.
I feel strange writing about this but maybe it will help me deal with my emotions a little better then the last time. I feel like I never dealt with the miscarriage I had in June of 2008. I think a lot of it has to do with not talking about it.
Please pray for S and her family as they go through this difficult time. We will not loose hope. This is just another mountain we must climb.

Wow.......

this is an amazing feeling! I have dreamed about doing a post about this for SOOOO long now I still can not believe it is happening. Pinch me I think I am dreaming, if I am I don't want to wake up!
First of all i would like to introduce an amazing woman and her family. This is S and her husband J. S is our gestational carrier and is 9 weeks pregnant with our baby! It has been a long process to get here but so worth it!
It all started on June 13 when her husband J called Matt and told him that they have been thinking for a long time about this and would like to help us have the family we have been praying for. S wanted to carry our baby for us! We were shocked and amazed at what they were willing to do for us. After talking it over with each other Matt and I jumped at the chance to begin this journey them. After many tests and Dr appointments we finally made it to the BIG DAY, November 29th 2009. S was as calm as could be, Me......well lets just say I though I was going to be sick with nervousness! But I have always told her, let me do the worrying and you stay calm and relaxed. Which she did and it worked! She was a champ!
We found out that we are going to be parents Dec 7th and it has been a whirlwind ever since! Sometimes Matt and I find ourselves looking at each other and smiling in utter amazement, I think we are still in shock at how our prayers have been answered.
I ask that you will say some prayers for S and her family as this is an incredibly stressful, self-less thing they are doing for us. The stress that pregnancy can cause on husbands and children can be very hard and she is doing it all for us! AMAZING!
Here are a few pictures we have taken to document this journey together.
Amazing Family, Amazing Friends.......Thank you, thank you, thank you!

Our Lucky shirts I got for her an I. So cute!

I think J and I could have used a Valium ! We were the nervous Nelly's that's for sure!

The pee stick.

I have said since the beginning of 2009 that I wanted " 2 lines in 09". I got them in December, talk about waiting till the last minute! We can't wait!!!!! Aug 2010 can't get her fast enough!

Sadie got new boots from Santa!

The last time we went to the snow sadie's feet started bleeding. Since this has never happened before we thought it must have been because it was really cold and the snow was icey. Sadie loves the snow so much that we thought she should have some boots to protect her feet. I am not sure she thinks the same! Tahoe here we come! Happy New Year!

Bentleyville

Bentleyville is a city of lights. It was originally at this persons house but this year was moved to the bay front on lake superior in Duluth. It is amazing how many lights there were the pictures do not do it justice,it is just beautiful. Matt could not stop saying "Brrrrr, Brrrrrr, Brrrrr!" It was quit cold but so worth it to just see the lights. They had some fire pits out where you could roast marshmallows and get warm before finishing up the walk through the city of lights. What a great thing the city does and how exciting for everyone to be able to experience this every year! Thank you Ann for taking us again!

Matt & Mom roasting marshmallows around the firepit.

Mom and me with frosty the snowman's girlfriend?

t the entrance to the walk through tthe city of lights. they had parks, ice rinks, golf courses. it was just magical to see all the lights creating such beauty!