Crazy thing we call life

I haven't posted in a while because lets face it life hasn't slowed down at our house. Between planning a wedding, finishing my fourth (yes fourth) semester of nursing school, getting settled into a new job and balancing home life I feel I don't have the time to type everything up. I am thankful though that I can say we are busy....we are busy with one AMAZING life. Things just keep getting better for me and for us. I finally see some of the good that is starting to come because of the hard work that I am putting in and the events I have had to miss because of it. I can't tell you how many times people say, "wish you were there" but all I can think of is how proud I am of myself for missing out and doing what I know I need to do to make a better life for myself. What I am doing means more to me than any one person will ever understand. I am starting to accomplish goals I set out to reach 4 years ago. WOW, CRAZY,  I LOVE what I am doing with my life. I have one of the most rewarding and humbling jobs that I could ever ask for. I've made good friends in the wee hours of the night with my co-workers and my patients. Not a night goes by that I haven't left feeling accomplished and honestly a better person. But enough said, here's what we've been up to :)

 

Taking lots of pictures for the wedding before snow fall was a must in my book. Mike was such a good sport about getting drugged along to all our photo shoots. These are some of our engagement photos. I haven't got my bridals back yet :(

Here's one my mom took though

 

 We try and go out with friends whenever possible. These two (Cody and Mike) are like two peas in a pod!!

 

Deer Hunt 2012

Of course we've been hunting (I swear it's a year around thing at our house)

Pheasant Hunt 2012 with Kanyon, Wyatt and Bear dog

 

 

 

We also got a awesome oppurtunity to go out to Wyoming to goose hunt. This was my first goose hunt. How freaking fun even though it was fffffrrrrrreeeeezzzziiiiinnnggggg!!! We hunted out of a ground blind (That was heated). Our lodging was a sweet old farm house that made the experience that much funner!!!

 

Schools Out For The Summer then Alaska

Summer semester is OFFICIALLY over!!! I passed with a 4.0 (yes I am bragging). School has started again for Fall semester but this post is dedicated to my 3 week summer break :)
First thing I did was travel to Saint George with my mom to see my sister and Aladdin at Tuacahn.

After we got home from Saint George I tried to get things organized around the house......did it work?? Not really but at least I tried. I spent as much time as I could just enjoying the freedom of no school. I did accomplish alot of planning for the wedding though.

 Next was the demolitian derby in Spanish Fork.


I love all the time I get to spend with the BFF because life lately is so busy for both of us so to get to go enjoy the night with her was amazing. We always have too mcuh fun together!!

Mike is as much entertainment as the actual dem derby because if anyone knows this kid it's that his one true passion and hobby is TRUCKS, and anything to do with them. Everytime someone would smash into eachother his face LIT up with excitment and laughter. I am so thankful that I get to watch him in these moments cause there is nothing better then seeing this kid happy.

 The next day we were off to ALASKA!!! Here are some pics


  

 Mike and I took a canoe ride at his uncles house. Worked out for me cause he just paddled the whole time cause he said I sucked at it :)



I am convinced there is no better place than sitting out on the river enjoying nature and the good people around ya





Pay back is a bitch you two :) Just trying to get a cute picture
 and then there's you two

Girls will be girls

Alaska is always such a fun vacation. I love the way it feels like home, without all the stress ofcourse. This year I couldn't help but think about me and Mike's future and how fun it will be one day to take our kids up there and let them experience all the fun adventures we've got to in the last 3 years.

On this trip I got to:

-Take fun engagements

-Fly fish for the first time

-Walk down to the pond/lake right behind the cabin

-Go on a canoe ride with mike (he never has gone with me before)

-Wear my cute blue waders

-Not gain weight while up there (trust me when I say that is hard!!)

-Walk to the lodge with all the girls while Tahsh looked hardcore with a gun on her hip

-Went to the Alasla state fair

-Got to go with Grandpa and Russ (Mike's Uncle). They were alot of fun

-Got to play and get closer to Molly and Briana

-Watch Vampire Diaries with a true finatic :)

 What a great trip!! Can't wait till next year

Bears Surgery

Bear got surgery today
*Warning* pictures are graphic
So about 2 months ago Mike and I noticed yet another tumor on Bear (Yes he has many) on is right side at the base of the last rib. We make note of them and check them often just to make sure they aren't getting bigger or that they are causing him pain.
This one started out at about the size of a quarter and about every 2 weeks we could just see it inching its way to biggness. I had contacted my veterinarian before we left to Alaska about it because the tumor had got to about 2 inches big, which I knew wasn't good. It was growing so rapidly.
Mike and I got home from Alaska 10 days later and this is what we came home to.....

See the lovely mass portuding from his side. Pretty huh??
I couldn't believe that this tumor had grown so much in so little time. I knew something needed to be done and Mike and I agreed we needed to have him seen.
So here came today and I decided I was going to conquer this tumor and the bad news I knew it probably had.
Under the microscope we looked and saw the cells were growing right before our eyes...no wonder it was getting so big!!
I made the decision to have it operated on because I knew it would just keep growing and potentially cause BIG problems internally.

And there it is popping out of his side during surgery. The surgery went quite well and Bear was amazing. He is such a tolerant dog and as long as I didn't leave his side he obeyed everything. How lucky am I to have such a wonderful dog :) no words could express how much I love him.

Here's the tumor when it was finally out!!! Big right?? Don't worry that the mass itself was pulsating on the table, just saying.

Bear is now home and sleeping quite comfortably with all his pain meds on board.

Here is his poor side now.
I hope we never have to go through that again. I hate seeing either one of my boys hurt. I expect Bear to make a full recovery.
We'll find out next week what type of tumor it was when the results come back from the lab.
Love you Bear dog!!!

Mike is going to be shocked when he sees this (he's gone for the weekend with no cell service).

Summer time 2012

I have tried to fit in some fun summer things while I was in school all summer. Trust me when I say that is hard and takes motivation. Between work and school I am pretty much exhausted most of the time. Thank goodness for a support system. Here is what we've been up to...
We took a four wheeler ride up near Mona with my family.

 Ofcourse Bear got to go cause we took the Can-Am but Mac had to stay home. He can be such a handful so we decided to make this a peaceful ride, not one were we are constantly watching Mac and yelling at him :)




We found a old mining cave so we explored it.....against my will I may add. Caves scare me a little







 

Fourth of July rolled around and we got to go spend time with Ford side of the family at Grandpa Garth's house. As simple as it seems I really love this. We all sit out on the grass and watch the fireworks at the stadium go off. I am all about free entertainment.

Mike left for Alaska for 8 days in July, So why'll he was gone I enjoyed every second with the boys and my family. I sure did miss him but it was also good to organize my thoughts and do anything and everything that I wanted. No arguing over TV shows or what to make for dinner. It was nice to have alone time for a minute.

Mac LOVES the water, actually he is OBSESSED with it

 Bear is more of the observer of the fun nowadays

 He's such an old man

We figured out that Mac doesn't play well with others. He just steals the frisbee even if he didn't have it first.



This picture just makes me laugh. I had just thrown the frisbee so it was out of the picture and as you can see Mac isn't having that.



I am almost done with summer semester and I CAN NOT WAIT!! I am getting burned out. Five semesters in a row is such a challange. Wedding plans are going good. We have decided to get married April 13th, 2013. I'm excited for that but even more so that I will be graduating 3 short weeks after that. Good things coming our way :) 

 

I AM ENGAGED!!!

FIIIIIINNNNNNAAAALLLLYYYYYY!!! I am engaged to man that we all new I would be :)
Anyone who knows me knows that this was a long time coming. He was well, well worth the wait I will say. I could not be more excited that I know 100% I have the man that I will spend the rest of my life with (I knew a while ago but man just take a little longer haha). I am so blessed and truly thankful that Mike chose me to be a part of his life and for him to be a part of mine. Here's a list of things that I am most excited/thankful for:

• No more wondering if it was ever going to happen
• To come home and tell the boys (the dogs) they were officially OURS!!  :)
• To get to say I have neices and a nephew
• Be an aunt
• To have the reassurance of a life together
• Get to make desicions together
• To plan a wedding that I have envisioned for awhile

So here is how my Porposal went:
A close friend of mine asked if I wanted to go skydiving and of course I said yes. So I planned a trip with some friends to go to Moab and get this done. I was extremely excited!!!

Ya think????

SO Mike jumped first:



UMMMMM

Hanging outside the plane

Than I jumped.....

That fact that we are spinning is crazy to me cause I don't really remember that part. I am guessing it was because I was slightly terrified for a minute lol

Mike waiting for me to land so he could pop the big question. Little did I know there was a huge banner on the ground  next to him. I never saw it while up in the air. Oops

And the actually proposal



 YES!!!

What a fun and exciting day/porposal. I could not have envisioned it any better. I am so lucky to have such a caring man. I cannot wait for our wedding day. He makes me such a better person. I can't wait to be called his wife and make the best memories together.

Grow old with me, the best is yet to come!!!

I Love you Mike Ford :)