California Trip--Family...

I love using my blog as a photo album of my life--I know all these pictures and details don't necessarily mean anything to anyone else, but for me, I love to be able to go back and look at my adventures. So please hang in there with me on the next few posts!! =)

I think I'm going to split up the posts about my trip to California...I just have way too many pictures for one post!!! My trip was a whirlwind--and so much fun! I was in California from Tuesday through Sunday (Justin joined me on Thursday), and I think I fit in just about everything I wanted to do, everyone I wanted to see in those six days. We spend about 9 hours driving in the car, making a huge circle through CA. I started in Oakland for 2 days, spent two days on the Coast in Cayucos, 2 days in Fresno (my hometown), and then ended back up in Oakland to fly home---whew!! It was GREAT!!

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When I arrived, I rented my car, and drove out to my cousin Lynnea's house. She and her husband Kumar, have two PRECIOUS girls--Grace and Hannah. I got to spend the next day and a half with them, enjoying their activities, being silly with them, and just treasuring the time I had with them. I don't get to see my family in CA all that often, so I absolutely cherish each moment I had with them!!

This is Grace, all dressed and ready for her ballet class...

The girls get along so well, and we had a fun time being silly, taking pictures of each other!!

Here are the sweet angels together! (There were about 5 silly pictures that occurred before this one!!)

This is Hannah, who just turned 5. She is such a sweet little girl--she loves to hug you and give kisses, but also has a spunky and playful personality! I just can't believe how big my cousins are getting! When Justin and I got married, Grace was just a little baby, and now she is in 3rd grade! Time flies!!

Their house backs up to the gorgeous golden hills of California. Even though they are in a neighborhood, you wouldn't know it looking off their back deck. It is so pretty--in the winter the hills are a lush green--I love their house!

Here is me with my cousin Lynnea. She was older than me when I was growing up, but we have always been close. We also have shared the hard journey of infertility, and I'm so thankful to have her support through everything we are going through!

Here she is with her girls--got a silly face from Hannah!

Here are a few pictures of the girls at their swim lessons that I got to go with them to. They are both little fish!!

After my time with them, I was off to spend the day with my Gram and my Aunt Sharon. My gram is so very special to me, and I'm so glad that I could come and spend some time with her. We had the whole afternoon together, just the two of us. She is such an amazing woman of God, and I feel privileged to be her granddaughter. My Aunt Sharon came and took us for a drive around the Oakland/San Francisco area. It was a beautiful day--cool and breezy with sunshine peeking through, but sadly, my picture of the Golden Gate Bridge (below) was pretty much just fog! =)

Here are my Gram and I up on the hill that University of California, Berkley is on. What gorgeous views!!!

Here is me with my Aunt Sharon in front of her house. I also saw my Uncle Dan, but for some reason, I ended up without a picture of him! Oops!

I had such a great time with my family--even though it was just too short! Next time I hope to connect with more of my family while I am out in California!

Next to come...
Our time at the Central CA coast, and my 10 year high school reunion...
Stay tuned!

Family Weekend...

Finally--here are some pictures of the great weekend Justin and I had two weekends ago. I'm trying to get caught up!!

It was such a fun weekend--very special because we celebrated Jonathan's birthday with our families. We also got to celebrate our neice Ryley's 6th birthday as well. My sister-in-law Joy also posted a great post and different pictures here if you want to pop over and look!)

We took advantage of having almost our whole family together (too bad my brother and his wife Kristen weren't here also!) to take some family pictures. We even got matching/coordinating shirts! It was very hot, but I'm so glad for these pictures!

Here we are--Betsy was about done with the pictures at this point!



The Hall side--My parents with their dog, Molly.


The Steiner side--Justin's parents, his sister, husband, and daughter Ryley.



Both sides together...Ryley and Aunt Aly...

The girls... Joy, Kathy, Ryley, and me...

Realized that I hadn't posted a picture of our Jonathan tree yet since the leaves have grown back. Our neighbors pitched in to buy us this tree last fall, and it is such a beautiful reminder of our sweet boy.

I made this sign to place on it a few weeks ago, and I love it!

Friday, July 31st was Jonathan's birthday, and on Saturday morning, we all went out the the cemetery to remember him. It was such a special time...we sang songs, prayed, released balloons with messages on them, and shed a few tears. I got him this 1 year balloon, but the wind didn't let it stay inflated for long. Another special friend made a little flower "cake" and surprised us with it as well. There was also a very special card left by the mom of one of our friends. I can't tell how much all the love shown to us means to me. I know that I'll think of my boy always, but it is so special that others remembered him as well. Thank you all!

More family pics...

Releasing the balloons...we tied most of them together, but Ryley released hers separately. It was so precious, because hers went up faster than ours, and she said, "Do you think Jonathan is going to get mine first?" She was so excited that he would get hers first.

While the balloons were flying up, our families sang Happy Birthday. That is where I lost it--I realized that he would never get to have that song sung to him each year, and it was so meaningful to me that they would sing it to him, even if he was celebrating in heaven.

It was fun to have Betsy there with us too!

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We also celebrated Ryley's birthday. She is so wonderful, and I couldn't stop tickling her! What a great little girl!

Ryley loves princesses--especially Ariel, the little Mermaid. So we had a little mermaid party!

She got her first Bible from Mammaw and Pappaw--so special!

How fun to get to celebrate with her!

A few random pictures...This post is getting so long, but it is almost done! =)

I don't think I've shared yet the silly father's day presents Justin got for our dads. They loved them, and Justin is now working what he can do next!Can you see what is on the back? A picture of Justin! My crazy husband!! The Dads loved them! Ryley loved Betsy. Betsy was the inspiration that led them to getting a cocker spaniel also! Juliet is a cutie, but definitely still a puppy. I think Ryley enjoyed spending time with an older, pretty mellow Betsy!!

Uncle Justin and Aunt Aly with our favorite neice!!

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We also had a great day in the pool at my parent's house. There is truly nothing like being in a pool in a hot, Texas summer day!!!

There's just no explanation for this next picture... =)

Ryley is quite the swimmer!

And Betsy is definitely the princess--she would much rather float that put even a toe in the water!!

What a special weekend that we had with our family. Thank you so much, all of you, for being there for us. We love you all, and had such a wonderful time!

We have started...

I'm still working on the posts from the last few weeks. I have a ton of pictures, and I just can't seem to get the blogs done. I will have them done soon, but I wanted to share what we are starting today.

Today is day one of our first IVF cycle. As far as I can tell, it will be about 6 week process. I never dreamed I would get to the point of doing IVF, and so it is kind of strange as I get started. But I am excited, and working on being hopeful about this. It is just so hard after so many let-downs, in many forms, to even hope that this one will be the one, but I'm praying that God give me the hope I need to be positive and encouraged as we go through these next weeks. God has done miracles already, before even starting, and those help me to be positive. The fact that, after all these years of infertility/treatments/etc paying 100%, now as we start IVF we have 100% coverage, and that just floors me. God is so good, His plan is perfect, and is timing is impeccable!

After Jonathan died, I remember reading something about how we view our lives vs how God sees our lives. We see life like we are looking at a great work of art through a straw--all we see is a tiny portion at a time. God sees the whole picture, top to bottom, beginning to end, and is gracious in how He lets us at times, get a bigger glimpse--a bigger straw! Now is one of those times for me when I feel like I'm seeing more of the big picture. God knew that in my "life picture" this was the time for us to start this next step of fertility treatments. Just like someday I know that I will see a bigger glimpse of why everything happened the way it did with Jonathan--why his life was so short, and also how his life reached more that I'll ever know!

So we are off on the next "adventure" and I'm praying that this will be the one that leads us to our greatest dream of being parents! I will update as major steps in this process happen, and I would love your prayers!!