tentative offer letter

this february 14th was easily the greatest valentine's day we've ever had.


i woke up feeling blessed & grateful for all the love in my life. we are working really hard to save money, so we decided that we would keep valentines day simple - like family date night to chick-fil-a simple. which was just fine by me!


for those who don't know, ashton & i got engaged while eating chick-fil-a. we went to chick-fil-a immediately after our wedding reception. when we moved to minnesota, we were heartbroken because they didn't have a chick-fil-a. well, guess what opened up next to our target four months after we moved? chick-fil-a of course! it's been a big part of our relationship & i am super ok with that.


anyway, rooney and i were home after work, waiting for dad to come home. when he got home, i proceeded to take a nap because you know, 26 weeks pregnant means tired all the time. i was asleep for maybe 40 minutes when ashton jumps onto the bed - obviously excited about something.


and excited for good reason!


he got his tentative offer letter for a position with air traffic control! there are three different positions they offer - en route, terminal, and tower. ashton has been assigned to terminal. this means he had to accept the tentative employment offer & send in some more paperwork. in the next week or so, they will send another letter with additional pre-employment clearance requirements. i don't know for sure, but i am assuming that would be a psych & medical evaluation? after that, he will receive the firm offer letter, making him an official employee!


of course, there are still unknowns. we do know he will eventually be leaving for the academy for three months, but we don't know when that will be. potentially anytime in the next 6 to 18 months. we might not find out when he goes to the academy until two weeks before they expect him to be there. then, once he is finished with the academy we will have eight days to pack up and arrive to whichever tower he is assigned to (which will not be salt lake since it is a level 10 and new air traffic controls can only work lower levels during training). so, basically, the faa likes to leave us hanging a bit - which will make for a wild ride over the next little bit.


no matter what, we feel very blessed. things have really started to fall into place over the last six months (progress with atc & now an offer. pregnancy with baby boy. new basement apartment). i am so very grateful.

so our love day celebration turned into so much more! it was a huge day for us. but, sweet rooney, brought us back to earth with a stinky accident while at chick-fil-a. a day we will never forget.

is this real life?

i called the specialist yesterday, set up an appointment, & went on my way.


then, i was driving home from mutual & it hit me. this has become my life.


i remember after my second miscarriage, i called my doctor's office to schedule some tests that she had suggested. when i spoke to the nurse she said something along the lines of infertility tests. i didn't know how to respond. "no" was my first thought. fertility isn't my issue. i was going to be the mom with 5 happy kids, all spaced a wonderful two years apart. this was just a hiccup that we were going to fix.


i have thought about that moment a lot. how naive i was - thinking i was invincible & that my life was going to turn out exactly how i had it planned. ha.


so, the next journey for us includes praying to carry a baby full term & hoping ashton gets his dream job in air traffic control.


more on ashton & atc. they opened up the bid (finally) & he made it through to the next round. now we just wait to find out when and where he needs to take the aptitude test.


this whole journey to air traffic control has been unreal (read: ridiculous, unfair, a joke...). talking about it boils my blood, which is why i usually let ashton tell people about how lame it is.


anyways, we have been feeling really good about this round & have been saying lots of prayers that ashton's dream job finally becomes a reality!

father's day

I don't even know where to begin!

Happy Father's Day to my sweet dad and Rooney's Babbo. I am constantly overwhelmed by your wisdom and I never want to forget the power you have or the spirit I have felt as you share life lessons with us. Thank you.

Happy Father's Day to the father of my dear husband and Rooney's Grandpa. Ashton is who he is because of you and we are so grateful. Thanks for being the example that every boy needs while growing up.

Happy Father's Day to my love, Ashton!

Rooney lights up when Ashton walks into the room. First thing she says when she wakes up in the morning is, "Dada! Dada!" and if I walk in to get her, she literally gives me a disappointed sigh and then runs into my bedroom searching for Ashton. She gets jealous when I hug him and will do anything to be the girl next to him. From the very beginning, I knew she was going to be a daddy's girl and it is the sweetest thing to witness.

 Rooney, Thor, and I more than adore/love you. We are really, basically, just obsessed with you. I am constantly in awe with your kindness, patience, and willingness. You never complain, never hesitate, and never fail to smother me (or Rooney, or Thor) with love. I really hope that Rooney grows up to be more you than me. You are (our) everything and I have loved watching you become such a wonderful father to our babies.

      that smile is because she is with her dad

{ t h r e e } years

three years ago, I made the greatest decision ever and I married this handsomest man.

When I say three years, my thought is, "How can it only be three years! I feel like I have had Ashton forever." And that forever has been my favorite. He is my best friend, my husband, my favorite person, and the greatest baby daddy ever. He makes me laugh, he makes me smile, and he makes sure I always feel his love.

No joke, every single day, I wonder how I got so lucky. Like really, I am an alright person, but I definitely do not deserve such a perfect husband - I couldn't have even dreamed up a man as wonderful as him. No one could love me more, even though I have a crazy amount of flaws. He finds every opportunity to sincerely compliment me. He is extremely patient and beyond kind. He never complains and always asks what he can do for me. He is genuinely good - no, really the best. He always lets me win and our biggest fights are generally over restaurants. He lives to laugh and I hope that our children all learn to laugh as easily as he does.

seriously though, he still has heart eyes for me! he makes my heart skip a beat.

Then there's the type of dad he is and let me tell you, it is the type of dad that is constantly melting my heart. The things he does for Rooney are things I never thought I would see him do - like share a straw or wipe her nose without thinking twice. I had to stop nursing a few weeks ago and he has put Rooney to bed nearly every night since then and every time, he comes downstairs going on and on about how sweet she is.

And of course, his best friend is Thor and no matter how stinky Thor might be, Ashton always loves him. Thor loves Ashton more than anyone or anything in this world, including food, and it is the sweetest.

While being married to him has been easy, we have faced challenges that haven't been and I am sure there are many many more coming our way. But, the greatest thing about marriage is knowing that I won't ever have to face them alone and that as long as I have him, I can do anything. Together, we can do anything. And the best part - he is mine for eternity! Not just until death, but for longer than we even have the ability to comprehend. I look forward to eternity next to him.

2 0 1 4 : what a year

I just spent a good hour writing a post full of highlights from 2014. It was quite the year! But, rather than post all of our highlights (because most of them already have their own post) I want to take a minute to reflect on the year as a whole.

Almost as quickly as 2014 started, I was ready for it to be over. (I know I have talked about this a lot this year, so please feel free to skip this paragraph) We ended 2013 thinking that we were going to be parents by August, but just 8 days into the new year, I discovered that my pregnancy was actually a blighted ovum. It was devastating and to make it worse, I then miscarried in April. I know I mention these a lot, but they consumed me for months and continue to be in the back of my mind at all times. I will say though, that as hard as they were, I saw my safety net of Ashton, family, and friends go to work to take care of me. I hadn't really had the chance to see just how blessed I am from that perspective before. It was humbling and wonderful all at the same time. I can now say that I am grateful for those trials as they have taught me of empathy, love, and service.

Ashton and I have watched our family grow this year! First, we got a puppy. I knew he was just what I needed to heal my heart and he has sure done that. Thor has also shown me that Ashton is going to be a seriously amazing father. At the end of July, we discovered that I was pregnant! Waiting until September and insurance to kick in before going into the doctor was the worst, but also a huge blessing because I have been able to relax a lot and just let things happen. In November we found out that baby was a girl, and as convinced as I was that we were going to have a boy, I am so thrilled that we get to be first parents to a daughter. We have 89 days until baby girl's due date comes and I just can't wait to meet her.

Can I also brag just a bit more about Ashton? I have never had anyone wait on me like Ashton. I am past the sick phase of pregnancy and more into the I can hardly move stages. He never complains and is so quick to help me get my boots on and off. He sets up my pillows for bed each night - one behind my back, two under my head, one to hold my belly, and two to support my legs. He helps me out of bed, even for my bathroom runs in the middle of the night. He sets up the humidifier every night. I never thought of service as one of my love languages, but it most absolutely has become one. I loved him a lot back on May 24, 2013, but that is nothing compared to the love I feel for him now.

So, in recap, 2014 taught my heart to grow in so many ways. I look forward to what lessons are hidden in 2015 - which I am sure there are many as lots of changes are coming our way.

Happy 2015!!!