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September 30, 2009

Worley House Stamp!

I've been looking for a logo for "Worley House" that I can stamp on things and make our signature. Well, I decided to make my own. It's more personal, don't you think? Anything to make the blog more personal, I think I might make these into stationary or something, or even on our holiday cards.

What do you think?

Bowl O' Peaches

I don't like peaches, I've mentioned this before. But, when a friend from church offered us half a box of them I couldn't say no and because Orion really does like them. Now, I have a whole bunch of them and no idea what to do with them! Yesterday, I started going through my recipe books looking for things to make.

What are you favorite things to make out of peaches?

Oh How I Miss Thee.........

Since finding out about this pregnancy, I didn't know there were so many things that you "aren't" supposed to have while pregnant. I felt overwhelmed with the lists of "don'ts" and while although it's totally worth it, there are a few things I miss.......

*Coffee for one, I've been drinking decaf lately. Which isn't bad cause I don't drink if for the caffeine but more for the taste.

*Apple Cider, one of my favorite fall drinks...and I can't have it! I'll just have to make due.

*Fish, I love shell fish and fish in general. But now I have to limit myself to 12 oz. per week, who carries a scale with them when they go out? I don't, so since I can't measure it....it's very hard to order it or make it at home.

*Deli meat, oh how I wish that I could walk into Subway and order and sand which. But, who wants to warm their deli meat before eating it? Not me, I don't like warm sandwiches.

September 29, 2009

Funny Videos

These videos gave me a good laugh, hopefully you'll laugh too! Happy Tuesday!



September 28, 2009

Eric & Meliessa's Wedding

Do you ever go to a wedding and just feel the love, and know that these two were made for each other? This was that kinda wedding!

My first and only attempt at match making, ended up in success this past weekend with the marriage of our really good friends Eric & Meliessa to each other. Eric is one of Orion's really great friends, they were roommates and Eric was in our wedding too. I became friends with Eric through my husband and the 3 of us have hung out so much, shared a lot together and a lot of laughs. Enter Meliessa, my husband met Meliessa when they were both in Masters Commission together in Florida for 3 years. I met Meliessa through her sister Sara, who just happens to be my BFF and former college roomie. It's a small world we live in.

Sara and I started dreaming about two years ago how perfect we thought the two would be together. Since that day, we started dreaming up ways to get the two together to hang out whenever we could. The result; soon they started dating, fell in love and now are getting married!

Orion and I couldn't be more happy for two people. It's so awesome when two great people find each other, and it's just PERFECT!! The wedding was so emotional, beautiful and magical! You have to really know the two to understand just what I'm saying. There's no two better people that could have found each other than Eric & Meliessa.

Congrats you guys we love you and are so thankful that we could be apart of your special day!
Bride & Groom
Me & Sara; matchmakers!
Yeah! They are married!
Us with the happy couple!

Me and Orion

Blog Roll Monday: Just Jules & Your Average Joe


Just Jules and Your Average Joe follows the lives of Julie and her Hubby Joe who live in Sacramento, CA. I found this blog on a search of Sacramento, CA when I was doing some research about Sactown for an interview Orion and I had at a church earlier this summer. I fell in love with her blog about their adventures through Sactown, the planning of their vintage glam wedding. I've featured them a time or two on my own blog. Even if you don't live near Sactown you'll have fun following their adventures, and if you ever go visit Sactown you'll know where to hit up, because Julie gives you a complete list on the fun in Sacramento, CA!

Week 14: Make Lemonade

This week starts my 4th month and the second trimester! Wow, can't believe we're already here, it's going by really fast! The past couple days I've been getting crazy headaches, that last all day and sometimes even into the next day. Don't like them so much. My clothes are getting tighter and I think it's about time to start investing in maternity pants! :) We have another doctors appointment in a couple weeks, and I'm looking forward to how the baby has developed since our last visit.

More to come.......

September 23, 2009

I SAY

.... this year's DWTS cast isn't as good as last year's!
.... making dinner at home is way better than going out to a restaurant.
.... getting unexpected flowers from your Husband is always a blessing!
.... weekend traveling trips, even if they aren't that far are always refreshing to your spirit! Travel as often as you can.
.... trying to train your puppy to not bark at his shadow is tough, any tips?

September 22, 2009

Travel Light & Travel Right

My husband and I love traveling, we haven't taken a BIG trip probably since we got married and went on our honeymoon. But, in the last year we've made short week(end) trips to Las Vegas, Sacramento, Kansas, Dallas, Phoenix and of coarse home to Iowa.

Since the new laws of the airports are changing our traveling ways have also changed. I haven't payed for checked luggage in almost a year. If you going on a couple weeks vacation over seas or on a cruise I can see checking luggage, but for week trips and weekend flights packing in our carry on is doable! We've been doing this all year so far, and at first I wasn't all about it. I wanted the option to bring whatever I wanted that would fit into my suitcase and not over 50lbs. I wanted every comfort of home when I travel. But, I must admit I love not paying for luggage and even though it forces me to plan a little more for my trips I love not having an excess of stuff.

Here's some Worley House tips for Traveling Right & Traveling Light:
*Have a regulation size carry on, you don't want those angry airport people telling you that you have to check your bags after you get on your flight. I love hard case luggage because they throw your luggage around so much, it helps protect your stuff. Invest once in great luggage, it'll last forever. And if you plan on always packing this way, then just invest in 1 piece. It's cheaper.
*Remember the 3 oz. rule when traveling. Have all your toiletries in 3 oz. containers in a quart size clear bag. You can buy these containers anywhere, Wal-Mart, The Container Store or Storables just to name a few. No more spending money on travel shampoos that you aren't going to use all of it anyway. This way you can refill them and save money.

*Most hotels have pretty much everything you need these days. Call ahead and make sure you're room has an iron and board, a blow dryer and anything else you think you might need that you don't want to pack. It will help save room in that suitcase.

*Plan outfits ahead of time. This is the one that kills me every time, but if you plan what you're going to wear you won't over pack. I always bring a couple extra pairs or underwear, socks, or lounge pants just in case. I always bring a bag for laundry, your hotel also will have these bags if you don't want to bring them.

We're traveling this weekend, we're headed up to Wisconsin for a friends wedding. We will be carrying on and not checking luggage at all. I'm off to start my packing & planning....................

What tips do you have for when you travel?

HAPPY TRAVELS!!!

The Bump Fairy: 13 weeks

I wanted to document my pregnancy changes in a series of posts called "The Bump Fairy" here's the first installment at 13 weeks. On Snapfish.com they have these cute little flip books that I thought I'd make all the photos into. If you flip them really fast you'll see the "growing belly" like those old cartoon books you made when you were a kid.

What's for Dinner: Broiled Mexican Fish

I got this recipe a couple months ago from Get Fresh with Sara Snow, I've made it a few times since then and it's a BIG hit in our home. I've since then modified it a little bit to fit our tastes and what I could find at our grocery store. It's super simple to make, and made this last night with some brown rice and roasted potatoes. YUM!!!

BROILED MEXICAN FISH


INGREDIENTS

  • 4 filets of firm fish like Sole or Tilapia
  • 4 T salsa verde
  • 4 T queso fresco
  • (I use cream cheese and spread it all over the fish)
  • 4 t hot sauce
  • (I use a lot more hot sauce and salsa b/c we like it spicy, but if that's not for you use the measurements)
  • 4 sliced roma tomatoes
  • (I add more hot sauce to the top of the tomatoes before broiling)

INSTRUCTIONS


  • Place a layer of fish on foil lined broiler pan. Spread with salsa verde


  • Top with queso fresco and sliced tomatoes. Sprinkle with hot sauce

  • Broil until fish is cooked thoroughly and cheese and tomatoes start to brown.

September 21, 2009

Week 13

I don't usually like peaches, but I LOVE this one!

This week Baby Worley is the size of a peach. Isn't that sweet! I'm starting to feel better, still feeling very tired and hoping the fatigue lets up soon. But, I haven't had any morning sickness for about a week, so we'll see.

Last Wednesday, I had my very first doctors appointment. I was a little nervous, I've been to the OBGYN a million times it seems but this time the appointment was a little different. We got to hear the heartbeat and see the baby on an ultrasound. Amazing, and very weird. There really is a baby in there! The baby was moving all around like a little fishy. (I can't feel it yet) It's a very weird feeling, and all Mom's know what I'm talking about. So surreal, but so fun! My next appointment is Oct. 14th so we'll see how much baby has grown by then.

September 20, 2009

A Week With Grandma & Mom

I've been M.I.A for the last few days, and for good reason! My Mom & Grandma came to visit us last week. They spent a whole week with Orion and I, I feel really blessed and lucky to have them here. I didn't think we'd have visitors so soon. My Mom flew my Grandma out here for her 75th Birthday, so she could spend it with friends and family.

Celebrating Grandma's Birthday with her friends in Prescott, Arizona.
Mom, Grandma and Me.
Orion and I had our first ultrasound the week they were here. They got in on the fun too!
Mom & Grandma.
Celebrating Grandma's 75th Birthday at Red Lobster (her favorite place)
Mom and I at a Diamondbacks game the day before she went home.

I miss them already, I kept trying to get them to move here!!! But, I'm guaranteed they will be back in March for baby Worley's arrival!

September 15, 2009

Fresh: Lemonade Pork Chops

I made this recipe the other night for my Mom, Grandma and the Hubs. I found the recipe on Canadian House & Home. I love lemons, this recipe is so fresh, and has tons of great flavors in it. It's a new hit favorite!! Let me know if you make it to and tell me what you think.

Tender grilled pork, marinated in a lemonade-based sauce, is infused with wonderful, tangy flavour.
Serves: 8
Ingredients:
8 Canadian pork loin steaks or chops, bone-in
1 12 oz. container frozen lemonade concentrate, thawed
1/4 cup ketchup
1/4 cup vinegar
1 tsp each Worcestershire sauce, salt, dry mustard, dried basil
1/2 tsp each pepper, garlic powder
Instructions:
Step 1: Place pork in a plastic bag or non-metal sealable container. Combine remaining ingredients and pour over pork. Seal; refrigerate and marinate 4 hours or overnight, rotating the bag occasionally.
Step 2: Drain the marinade into a small saucepan and boil 1 minute. Preheat barbecue on high; reduce temperature to medium. Place the steaks on the grill; close barbecue cover and grill 6-8 minutes per side, basting frequently with the marinade. Serve with mashed potatoes and seasonal vegetables.

Enjoy, Happy Eating!!!

September 10, 2009

Week 11

Baby Worley is the size of a lime this week!
It's hard to believe a little lime can make you feel so crummy and fits inside.
Crazy thought.....soon it will be the size of a watermelon!

Keeping a Good Secret!

What a week! The week started off with Orion and I deciding now was a perfect time to announce our pregnancy. We tried so many times to "create" these perfect moments to tell people and something always came up, or made it not so perfect. Finally we made phone calls to our families, everywhere telling them of the great news. Then, it was onto our friends to share it with them.

And now the secrets out, and oh...what a good secret it was. I'm pretty proud of myself for keeping this for as long as I did. It was hard, at times it was brutal. I wanted to tell so badly, but we didn't.

So here's the full story of what we've been keeping under wraps for the last 11 weeks.................

This has been a long journey for us, one that I always knew in my heart was coming. But I wasn't prepared for how it would make us feel or what it would teach us. For us it was not to simple as thinking about children and then deciding to have them. And if you have ever faced a fertility issue you will understand. Now you might be thinking, what I am about to share it incredibly personal...why share it? Well, you are right it is very personal, but I share this story for two reasons: One, not many people know or understand the world of infertility on a woman, family or marriage. And two, I share this story to be of some sort of hope to someone who reads it. Just as I was inspired and given hope by many women's stories of overcoming infertility. It gave me hope that what Orion and I were going through wasn't in vain and that God has timing and a plan.

Last year Orion and I started thinking about a family. Now, if you remember the end of last year wasn't our finest. There were lots of questions in our hearts and minds about where we would be, and what life held for us. We decided at that time it probably wasn't the best idea financially or where we were in life to start a family. We were in the midst of losing our house, going through a lay off, and everything else in between.

Fast forward to the beginning of this year, in January I was having issue (let's say) with my cycle. This was nothing new for me, this had been my life & story since I was 16. Only now, it was more real and more of any issue now that I was 26 and married and wanting a family. I decided that I needed to go to the doctor and figure out what was going on for real this time. From January to March I was in and out of the doctor for tests, blood work, and more tests. Finally the doctor gave me news that I knew was in my heart all along. I've always know that something wasn't right, but I never knew a name or a diagnosis. She told me that I have what is called Polycystic Ovary Syndrome (PCOS), she explained it to me. And for the first time everything made sense. Every symptom of PSCOS you might as well call my life story. I came home and did all the research I could so I could explain it to Orion.

Now, it was like Okay this is what's going on with you but what does it mean for the future? And for a family. PCOS is a common fertility issue among women, more common that most think. 1 in every 15 women have this issue. In plain terms most women are not able to get pregnant with out help or fertility treatments. It's hard knowing that you aren't able to do what God created you to do, or what every other woman is able to do. You see women everyday that are pregnant, and finally it hit me that I have no idea what these women have gone through. Maybe it was easy, maybe it wasn't. Everyone has their story. This is ours now......................

So, in April we decided to explore what this would mean for us. Fertility is a long road sometimes. There's no guarantee any of it will work, or when it will, or which one. We decided for us we wanted to start this process sooner than later, not knowing how long it would take, or if it would. This was a huge financial sacrifice for us as well that we had to consider. Infertility is not cheap nor covered.

April and May were filled with more tests, more blood work, and enducing cycles for me. Doing all this takes a little of the fun, allure and surprise of it all. I was tracking everything, and being monitored every step. In June, we started our first round of fertility treatments. Praying and knowing every step of the way that God's hand was in this and that if it was in his plan for this time for us it would happen. We didn't expect much from this first round, not really knowing if it would take or not. But, once again I was monitoring my basal temperature so I knew either way on a certain date if it did or not.

Meanwhile in July Orion and I traveled to Arizona, and we celebrated our 2nd anniversary trying to keep our minds focused on other things helped us not go crazy. Or Me, I should say.

I'd been to the doctor again between all this to test my bodies response to the first round of drugs. I knew in a couple days I would know either it took or didn't.

I kept waiting for my basal temp. to drop I knew if it did then we weren't pregnant. On July 22nd, a few days before I should have gotten a cycle I woke up at 3 am and couldn't sleep. I decided to take a pregnancy test. I took 1 and it came up positive. There's something about two pink lines that show up that changes everything. I didn't think it was real. I'd taken a few of these before and they came back negative, so I didn't know what to think about it. I decided to go back to bed. Couldn't sleep and got up an hour later and took another one, it came back positive too. By now, I was thinking maybe it's real! I went back to bed, but I couldn't sleep. I got back up and blogged this post, trying to find anything to take my mind off it. I sat in bed for a couple more hours waiting for Orion to wake up. He woke up that morning and I didn't tell him. I took him to work, came home and took a third test. Third times a charm because that one came back positive too. By now, I was thinking I have to call my doctor, I still hadn't heard the results of my last testing.

I called her and she told me that my bodies response was great, and that I might be pregnant. She told me to take an at home test, when I told her that I already took 3 and they came back positive she said that's all the confirmation she needs.

I felt surprised, in disbelief and triumph all at the same time. Now, all I had to do is tell Orion when he got home. I picked up a sweet card for him to share the news, made it all the way through dinner that night before I gave him the card. He was in shock and disbelief too. But, I'll never forget those moments of telling Orion and the expression on his face and the excitement.

Due to my PCOS I'm more prone to miscarriages and complications. So we decided to wait before sharing the news with family or friends. We'd talked about this many times, but when the news came it became increasingly hard to keep the secret. But, I did! Right after this, we decided to move to Arizona. So our minds were on that now. We moved successfully, had about 3 weeks straight where I was very sick. I was thinking if this keeps up we have to tell people because they will start to wonder why I am sick all the time. But we pushed through, made it to week 11 before we let the news out.

September 4, 2009

A Dinner Date at Home!

We eat lots of dinners at home, we rarely go out to eat. Only for special occasions mostly. I like to make things for dinner that are easy, healthy and homemade. Rachael Ray calls them "Simple Suppers" and I'm right there with her, I don't like things to be complicated. I hate complicated recipes, and I usually don't like following them either. So the other night, simple it was!

Whole Wheat pasta

Tomato & Basil sauce w/ ground turkey

Tah-Dah!

A Happy Hubby!

September 3, 2009

Sweet Blog!

I read this blog often by Modern Mom Brooke Burke. She has a website called modernmom.com, and there she blogs about her own really life adventures being a 'Modern Mom.'

I read her latest blog post this morning, during my ritual email, blog and twitter reading. I think it's a must read for everyone, weather you're a mom or not. It's about keeping your relationship healthy, and remembering the little things. It's called "Water your Garden."

It goes perfectly with a quote my good friend Julie once told me; "If the grass is greener on the other side, maybe you should water your grass."

So funny, but so true.

To get the full effect you have to read Brooke's blog with the pictures, click here to read her blog from this morning.

Happy Reading, Enjoy!

September 2, 2009

Camp Girl



I've only ever camped in a motor home, or in a log cabin. But, I think I'd like to try it the old fashioned way with just a tent, a fire and some s'mores!

Doesn't that sound fun and romantic? Can't you just imagine Hubby and I attempting to set up a set, and build a fire? It could be fun. Here's the thing..we don't own a tent and we don't own camping gear. But, I think that it would be tons of fun to take a weekend, find a spot and camp!

Maybe when it gets cooler here I can talk Hubby into it (he has no idea of my camping urge yet!)

What do you think? Have you ever camped like this before? Thoughts?

Anyone know of some cool places in AZ for camping?

Some Headlines.....

Lauren Conrad talks about.... the boyfriend layer

Sex and the City 2 starts fiming.......

Fun Fact: 1 out of 8 couples married last year, met ONLINE!

Th City is back......

Fires are pushed back in CA....

NYC schools receive A's & B's........

The Dugger clan is now 19 Kids and Counting.....

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