The Green Family

Grow Old Along With Me...

2012-01-15T19:54:00.005-07:00

On Thursday we celebrated our five year anniversary! It doesn't seem possible that we have been married for that long. On our anniversary we reminisced about some of the adventures we have had together: we've toured the United States, completed Austin's graduate degree, purchased a home, and gone through two In Vitro Fertilization attempts. We will find out in 12 days if the In Vitro worked this second time around. You can read more about that here. It's been a wonderful journey and we look forward to the future adventures we will enjoy together.

Stormy Day

2011-12-07T14:19:00.004-07:00

Last week we experienced some hurricane wind in Northern Utah. The problems on our property were minimal, however, the cities south of us had winds up to 100 mph. Austin had to drive into the windstorm for work at Weber State University. After working for a few hours, he was informed that campus was closed but that he needed to hunker down inside a building to wait for the storm to blow over. I was worried about Austin's safety but wasn't able to get ahold of him until later. So, while I waited to hear from Austin and make sure he was okay, I worked on this 1000 piece puzzle by the window and listened to the wind howl.

Here is some footage from surrounding cities.

Also, this is a youtube video of the campus where Austin works.

(Okay, it's cheesy, but you get the idea).

So Much to Do, So Little Time

2011-11-12T14:31:00.008-07:00

One of the exciting things about October and November is the need to get ready for the winter season, especially in the snowy northern Utah area. In order to do so, Amanda and I cut down a tree encroaching on our house; cut back several tree branches; raked leaves; caulked windows; waterproofed our chimney; and turned off our half-working sprinkling system. In addition, Amanda's family came up to help us with other items on our to-do list and helped us turn it into a done list: fixed the dryer; installed vent covers; patched and painted a coat closet; insulated around a door-frame; fixed an electrical outlet, and repaired trim around our kitchen floor. Just as we were finishing these projects, guess what happened? It began to snow.

So, Amanda and I understand the many projects that need to be completed before the snow flies. What projects have you and your families been working on to finish before the winter snow comes? If you are in warmer states, are there any things you try to get done despite there being no snow?

Birthday Party at 90

2011-10-02T19:58:00.004-06:00

Many people have birthdays, but few of these birthdays are for people who turn 90. We dedicate this blog post to all those people out there who have celebrated this remarkable age.

Last week we enjoyed a Saturday evening celebrating a birthday for Amanda's Grandma Pace who celebrated her 90 birthday. Grandma Pace jokingly called her birthday get-together her "not-dead-yet" party. However, it was so much more than that, and Grandma Pace was of course the life of the party. She was surrounded by roughly 50 family members at a local park close to her home. We enjoyed food and watched Grandma Pace blow out 90 candles--joking about the 90 candles. Nevertheless, she has a good set of lungs that swept the fire right off the wicks.

So, Happy Birthday to Grandma Pace and all those other people celebrating their "not-dead-yet" parties. You are the example we need, so we can not only know the secret to blowing out all those candles on our cakes when we get that age, but also you are there to teach us how to laugh and enjoy the time we have been given in this life.

Peach Days

2011-09-13T13:08:00.007-06:00

Last weekend was Peach Days in Brigham City. We enjoyed watching the parade and then going to the car show. I have never seen so many classic cars in one place before. Austin's family met us there and it was cool to see an exact replica of the vehicle Austin's dad had purchased for his very first car. After we learned about some of the history behind the vehicles we headed to Maddox for their peach cream pie. You can only get it once a year, and boy is it worth every calorie!

Kids Are Our Heros

2011-08-22T12:08:00.004-06:00

This past weekend we enjoyed spending some time with our friends, the Bruce family. Their son, Zyon, was diagnosed with juevenile diabetes this summer and we participated in a 5K walk to help fund more research in honor of Zyon. Zyon is our hero! He has to prick his finger before every meal and receive an insulin shot. His parents also help him keep track of everything he eats. Zyon has a great attitude and we were so excited to help fund more research to help him down the road.

I also wanted to post a youtube web series that I found on KSL news this morning. If you haven't watched the Kid History movies, you definitely need too! It puts a smile on your face to hear the stories, acted out by adults, and told by the children.

Infinite Power of Hope

2011-08-16T13:37:00.005-06:00

Austin and I received news yesterday from our doctor that our IVF cycle had to be cancelled. You can read more about the details on our Two Infertile Turtles site. At first we were in shock. Despair tried to seep into our souls, but we were comforted as we remembered that Heavenly Father is in the details of our lives. We trust in Heavenly Father's promises, and we continually find renewed hope in His plan for us. Nevertheless, we allowed ourselves to feel remorse for our loss.

It has been interesting to go through a failed IVF cycle: We know that we did everything we could to make it work. We will press forward with steadfastness in Christ.

We will continue to work towards our goal, listening to the promptings of the spirit, and carry on.

That is the real test. Things happen in our lives that run contrary to our desires and plans, but I believe we are tested on how we endure through and react to those challenges. This is just one of our tests in this life. We hope to prevail and know we will see a brighter day! There will always be hope smiling brightly before us.

Have You Ever Dared...

2011-08-02T10:52:00.008-06:00

Last night I was telling Austin how much I would love to get a haircut. My hair was almost as long as I wore it in high school, and I was ready for a change. Austin asked if I would dare to let him cut it. He cuts his own hair and my dad and brother's hair, but he has never cut a woman's hair before. It must be the hormones I am taking for IVF or something, but I gave him the go ahead. We found a youtube video to teach us how to cut women's hair and then went for it. Here is the end result. All in all, I have about 3-4 inches less than we began, but I think Austin did a pretty professional job. He never ceases to amaze me!

Two Infertile Turtles Website

2011-07-17T20:59:00.007-06:00

Our Two Infertile Turtles Website is now ready to start its next phase: the IVF procedure. We will now begin using www.twoinfertileturtles.blogspot.com to share the experience of IVF for our interested readers. IVF is an key tool many couples use to become pregnant and we feel it is worthy story to tell.

Please join and follow our Two Infertile Turtles blog to discover one couple's journey through the IVF process. We want to turn our family blog back into, well, a family blog to highlight some of the other adventures of our lives.

High School Reunion

2011-07-16T15:21:00.009-06:00

Saturday was my 10 year high school reunion. I didn't go.

I've been debating with myself for the past year whether going to my reunion was worth it to me or not. The pros would be to see how everyone has changed and to be able to come full circle with my adolescent life. I could make connections with people I haven't talked to since graduation and reminisce on high school antics. The cons would be to see everyone and really not feel connected. In general, I was more quiet and kept to myself in school (unless you were a close friend of mine), hence people who didn't know me well would write I had a "sweet spirit" in my yearbook every year. It's not a memory I relish. I am also in a different phase in life than a lot of my high school peers. I am a career woman without children. It's really uncomfortable reuniting with people who have had most of their children already and are in the parenting phase of life. I reunited with a few of my close high school friends at our 5K run/walk fundraiser. I feel like I've already had my reunion because I got to see most of my friends that I really connected with in high school there.

I weighed my pros and cons and the cons won. I feel I really don't need to go back to my high school days and relive the "glory" of adolescence. High school was a very awkward time in my life.

Did you go to your 10 year reunion? I would be interested to know what your ideas are on the subject.

--Amanda

July Scentsy Fundraiser and Update

2011-07-09T12:09:00.009-06:00

Wishing and Hoping
Thinking and Praying
Planning and Dreaming....

Austin and I are getting closer to our first IVF procedure.:) We have decided to start our first IVF cycle either next month (August) or in September, depending on my cycle. We are excited to share this news! However, we have prayerfully been considering this past while if it makes sense to go into a lot of debt to afford the roughly $30,000 guarantee option or begin with the one cycle at a time option (about $10,000). We have decided to go with the one cycle at a time.

Now we know you are up to your ears with fundraisers! However, we are beginning to wind down and almost have the $10,000 to attempt one IVF cycle. Our previous post noted we have saved and fund-raised just over $7,000 to go towards our IVF attempt. Our goal is to raise at least another 3,000 so we can pay the fertility clinic in full for the August or September IVF attempt without going into debt.

With this being said, we have been sponsored for another fundraiser by Christine Alva-Hill who is an independent consultant for Scentsy. This fundraiser will run for the next two weeks, from now until July 26th. We invite you to share this site with friends and family members that possibly already purchase Scentsy products, but their purchases will benefit our cause to have children.

A few comments about what you can order: This is an exciting month for Scentsy fragrance lovers because Scentsy has brought back some of its most popular fragrances that were discontinued and they are available only this month. Some of these flavors are: Exotic Vanilla/Velvet Spice, Fried Ice Cream, and Tuscan Garden to name a few. You can order online at www.christine.scentsy.us. to place your order, look for Two Infertile Turtles and click on Buy From This Party.
Do know there are, however, other ways to help us raise money without purchasing an item...

If our readers are interested in helping us sell items, there are several thank you gifts available. The participant who sells the most gets a free Scentsy Warmer and Scentsy Bar or Scentsy Buddy and Scent Pak! An example of our sale goal for Scentsy is as follows: If a participant sells 5 Full Size Warmers, 5 Pug-Ins, 5 Scentsy Bars, 5 Room Sprays and 5 Scent Circles the total they have raised is $330.00. If 11 participants help reach this goal then the fundraiser will have raised $3,500. Scentsy would then contribute $1815 to our IVF! Let us know if you would be interested in helping us sell the Scentsy products!

Please look over the website and see if the Scentsy products can benefit your home and help us towards our IVF goal. If you, your friends, or family may benefit from Scentsy products, please pass the word along. Thanks and happy shopping!

Fun with Fundraising and Life in General

2011-06-13T14:27:00.013-06:00

Hello Readers!

We apologize for our long absence. We haven't had the internet for the past month, so we have been out of the blogging world for a while. It feels good to be back online! So many wonderful things have happened since our last post. It's hard to know where to begin.

To recap, our last post highlighted our fundraisers for the month of May. We can't thank all of our friends and family enough for all their support towards our IVF process. We'd like to highlight a few more recent fundraisers that we have had that have helped us get closer to our goal of becoming parents.

Our friends, John and Connie, ran a Scentsy online fundraiser for us spanning across the U.S.A. and Canada. They helped us raise $420 and have also introduced us to their friend, Kristine, who is going to do another Scentsy online fundraiser for us next month. More info on this event to come..... Thank you, John and Connie, for your help!
Our latest fundraiser was an outdoor movie night sponsored by our friends Jeb and Leslie. We watched Gnomeo and Juliet projected on a big screen in their backyard. It was such a great movie to watch outdoors. Admission to the movie was free. The concession prices helped raise funds for our IVF. We were able to raise $148 at this event! Thank you, Jeb and Leslie! We would also like to thank Jeb and Leslie's son, Zyon, for making signs for our event!

Now in our last post we wrote we were planning on starting our IVF at the end of this month. Unfortunately, we have had a bit of a set back from our plan. Austin and I both received cut-backs from work and aren't working as many hours during the summer months. Needless to say, we were expecting Austin to be teaching a few more classes at Weber State this summer but it didn't happen as we had planned. This puts us probably in August or September to begin our IVF process. Wish us luck. We will keep you posted on our progress toward IVF. We have personally saved $4,137.30. With your help, we have raised $2,924.99! We just need to be sure that we can make the monthly payments on the roughly $30,000 baby loan that we will need to pay for the IVF money back guarantee program. It sounds scary, but it will be possible when work picks up in the fall and we complete a few more fundraisers. Stay tuned...

Don't worry. IVF fundraising isn't the only thing happening in our lives. We recently moved further north and are loving our new place. It's a bit quieter here than in Ogden, but we enjoy our new surroundings. However, we miss the familiar sites and friendships from our old place.

We have also had quite a few opportunities to enjoy time with family this past month. My family had their first "official" family reunion for a week at my parents house. We had relay races, played Just Dance 2 on the Wii, had a talent show, and went digging on Topaz mountain. It was fun to have everyone together again.

Another family outing was with Austin's family. Austin's parents took us down to the Tuacahn outdoor amphitheatre to treat us for Austin's graduation. We watched two incredible broadway musicals: Disney's The Little Mermaid and Grease. We would highly recommend anyone to go to the Tuacahn! It was amazing! His parents also took us to Snow Canyon and we found a few hikes there.

We will try to post more often now that we are connected to the internet. It's great to be able to blog again!

Fundraiser Weekend!

2011-05-17T17:28:00.009-06:00

What a wonderful weekend! We had a few big fundraising events that we want to share with you on our blog. These events helped us raise money for our In Vitro Fertilization procedure and to allowed us to raise awareness about infertility.

On Saturday we were pumped and rearing to go at our 5K run/walk event sponsored by Pound the Pavement for Parenthood. We were overwhelmed by the support of so many wonderful people who came out to race for our journey to fertility. Austin and I are so pleased to announce that we raised $620 from registered participants and another $212.40 from the bake sale!!! Thank you all for coming and supporting our dream to become parents! We also want to acknowledge and thank the Pound the Pavement for Parenthood Organization for sponsoring us for their 2nd annual race. We plan on racing in their future 5K events for other couples.

On Friday and Saturday we were sponsored for a booth at the Get Outdoor Expo in Sandy, UT. We set up a booth and advertised for the Pound the Pavement for Parenthood Organization and sold products to raise additional funds for our IVF. We raised $273.84 at the booth! We want to give a special thank you to all who have supported our cause by either helping run the booth or donated products to sell at the event. We met some wonderful people and helped get potential vendor sponsors and over 20 more interested participants for future 5K events.

Austin and I are hopeful that we will be able to start our IVF procedure at the end of June. Stay tuned...

5K Walk/Run Fundraiser: Only Four Days Away!

2011-05-10T21:39:00.005-06:00

Amanda and I are excited for our 5k race this Saturday, May 14th. In addition to the race, there will be raffle prizes, a bake sale, concessions, and more. If you haven't had a chance to register, print out the form from www.poundthepavementforparenthood.com and postmark it by tomorrow, May 11th, for the pre-registration price. Stay tuned for stories and experiences from the 5k race this next week. See you Saturday!

April in Review and Thank You

2011-05-01T19:34:00.007-06:00

We cannot believe April is already over. It seemed to have gone by so fast for Amanda and I. We are excited, nevertheless, with how much we have accomplished with the many tender mercies we have seen this month. We will briefly highlight some of these tender mercies.

First, I earned my Master of Education degree and walked the third week of April. It was quite a feeling to walk across the stage and receive my degree while family and friends cheered me on. After my graduation, however, Amanda mentioned to me that she is now excited to have her husband back and would appreciate a break for awhile before I go on to receive a doctorate degree! Next, with your support we have now raised roughly $730 toward our IVF treatment. Many have bought items from our fundraising site or have simply made a cash donation online. We thank you for your continued thoughts, prayers, and donations. It is helping Amanda and I carry the burden of infertility.

Towards the end of the month, we attended an infertility conference http://www.utahinfertilityawareness.com/ on the University of Utah campus. This conference was very informative for us and allowed Amanda and I to connect with other couples struggling with being childless. This event was coordinated by Kerstin Daynes, the author of Infertility: Faith, Hope, and Healing.

She is also a sponsor of our Pound the Pavement for Parenthood 5k run/walk scheduled for Saturday, May 14th at 11:00 a.m. Kerstin is such an inspiration and we enjoyed meeting her in person. You can find out more information about her at www.ldsinfertility.org.

Oh, it is important to mention that those planning on attending our 5k race need to have their registration forms mailed in by May 11th to be eligible for the raffle prizes. There are some great raffle prizes and we are looking forward to having you join us for the race in Saratoga Springs, Utah. Please share this race opportunity with your friends. More details regarding the race can be found at www.poundthepavementforparenthood.com.

It is also important to mention that Amanda can still out run me :) Nevertheless, I am catching up to her. She has been enjoying going to Planet Fitness to train for the race and then enjoying a cool down walk with me around our neighborhood.

April has been a busy month for Amanda in making items for our get outdoors expo booth (# 416). It has been a tender mercy that Amanda has been able to make a good number of items from our fundraising blog www.twoinfertileturtles.blogspot.com with the help of family, friends, and co-workers to sell at the booth. Amanda has obviously been stressed out with all the things she needs to make for the booth. Nevertheless, she is getting excited to spend a couple of days at the expo selling her wares and helping build awareness of how infertility impacts many couples trying to conceive.

Last but not least, another fundraiser, Scentsy, started by our friends John and Connie has been going well. Over $200 has been raised so far, and will continue into the summer months. If you can benefit from Scentsy items, please share this link http://connie.scentsy.ca/buy/setupprompt with your family and friends. In using this link, be sure to change the Canadian flag to the U.S. flag so the currency is right, unless your a supporter buying in Canada.

These have been a few tender mercies from our month of April. Thank you for your ongoing support. We couldn't have gone this far without you!

Infertility Series: Myths

2011-04-27T16:59:00.003-06:00

Dear Readers,

I was really excited to research the topic of myths for this next post. As you may know, there are some interesting "old wives tales" out there regarding what increases fertility. However, there is minimal empirical evidence that any of these myths do anything to increase fertility. Perhaps you have heard some of these myths regarding what increases fertility: (1) adopting a child increases an infertile couples chance of getting pregnant, (2) moving to an rural area vs. an urban area, (3) eating fruits and vegetables, or (4) never engaging in something unhealthy (Bunting & Boivin, 2008).

It is noted in research that a belief in myths that have no empirical evidence may, in fact, actually hinder infertile couples from seeking professional help (e.g. IVF treatments) due to a false belief that one of the myths noted above may work (Bunting & Boivin, 2008). Bunting and Boivin studied a population of college students (n= 149) for their "fertility knowledge" regarding a number of survey questions. Interestingly, belief in such myths above were varied but strong. These researchers suggested that with such results, people with infertility may engage in ineffective behaviors that could delay seeking effective interventions.

Do I have your interest? Check out this study: doi:10.1093/humrep/den168 or send it to family and friends. If this doi doesn't work, email me at twoinfertileturtles@gmail.com and I will personally send the study to you.

Happy Reading,

Austin

P.S. Feel free to post comments here or send questions to twoinfertileturtles@gmail.com

Class of 2011

2011-04-24T19:34:00.006-06:00

I am pleased to announce that Austin has graduated with his masters degree! Friday we celebrated Austin's graduation with his M.Ed. degree from Weber State University. I am so proud of my graduate!

Choir Music

2011-04-17T16:21:00.003-06:00

My sister, Genevieve, is an amazing pianist. She recently composed a four-part choir piece based on Matthew 25:31-40. The reason she composed this music was so people can make a donation to help relief efforts in Japan and/or our IVF procedure. If you are interested in having a copy of this beautiful music piece, please make a donation to the Redcross, LDS Humanitarian Aid or twoinfertileturtles.blogspot.com. Once you have made the donation, please send an e-mail to twoinfertileturtles@gmail.com and Genevieve will send you a copy of the music piece. Thank you, Gen, for using your talents to bless us and others!

March in Review and Thank You

2011-04-08T09:33:00.008-06:00

To all the readers, Amanda and I appreciate all the comments, support, and questions over the past month. There are many things to make mention of in this blog which may be of interest to our readers. But first a couple things Amanda and I have learned from infertility. First, asking for help is difficult. I cannot stress enough how difficult it has been for Amanda and I to ask family, friends, and acquaintances for help with our infertility fundraising. However, our burdens have been made lighter because of your support and your support means a lot. Second, we have been truly humbled through our infertility process. We've learned that everyone is carrying burdens, known or unknown. We are grateful we have been able to help strengthen the feeble knees of others and also have others strengthen ours.

Now for the month of March fundraising details. First of all, with your help we have raised close to $600 dollars toward our IVF treatment. Second, Amanda and many supporters have successfully made and sold items on our fundraising site www.twoinfertileturtles.blogspot.com. throughout the month of March. Many of these items will continue to be available online, the turtle key chains are a personal favorite, but will also be available at our booth, # 416, at the get outdoors expo www.thegoexpo.com/ to be held Friday, May 13th and Saturday, May 14th at the South Towne Expo Center in Sandy, Utah. It may have been mentioned before, but a booth was donated to Amanda and I to allow us to raise money to pay for our expensive IVF procedure. During the past month, we received several raffle prizes which will be available at our booth. Third, Jill Witt and her wonderful organization, Pound the Pavement for Parenthood, have begun registration for our 5k walk/run to be held Saturday, May 14th at 11:00 a.m. in Saratoga Springs, Utah. This organization has put together a wonderful race that will help raise money for our IVF procedure and help build awareness of the growing infertility issue that many couples are being faced with today. Fourth, we had another fundraiser begin this past month, Scentsy, with all proceeds being donated to our cause. If interested, the link to this fundraiser is http://connie.scentsy.ca/buy/setupprompt. Be sure to change the Canadian flag to the U.S. flag so the currency is right, unless your a supporter buying in Canada. Lastly, we have several other fundraisers coming up that were planned or further organized this past month: a movie night under the stars June 10th in Draper, Utah and a turkey shoot to be held in September. We appreciate all your support and invite you to participate in our many fundraisers.

Other events outside of the fundraiser: I am getting ready to graduate from Weber State University with my Master of Education degree, I will share my master thesis with my graduate committee this next week, and Amanda has been going to Planet Fitness to get ready for the 5k race in May. She can out run me! I need to get in shape for our race. Perhaps after graduation!

Our 5K Fundraiser: Pre-Registration Begins!

2011-04-04T19:42:00.006-06:00

Austin and I are getting really excited for our 5K race. There will be raffle prizes, a bake sale, and concessions. You can pre-register online and find out more information about our race by going to www.poundthepavementforparenthood.com. The date is set and the course is reserved. Let the pre-registration begin!

Infertility Series: The Infertility Relationship to Adoption

2011-03-25T18:37:00.007-06:00

Greetings! Let me share a personal story to set up the inspiration for this weeks blog post. Several months ago, Amanda and I went to visit a fertility doctor. While there, we had a discussion about how young women often visit him to avoid pregnancy. We then shared a tearful moment together as he shared, "You know, it is difficult to witness your efforts to try and have children while, at the same time, several young women I meet with are trying to find ways to avoid having their conceived child." This made me think of the potential blessing it can be for a infertile couple to move toward a decision to adopt a child. Hence, this week I would like to share with you the research I found regarding the relationship between infertility and the decision to adopt unplanned children.

Who adopts:

According to research conducted under the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Jones (2009) found 81 percent of adoptive mothers are 35-44 years of age. In addition, women who have ever used infertility services are 10 times more likely to have adopted children than women who have never used infertility services. This next part may surprise you: Men who have fathered children are more likely to have adopted children than men who have not fathered children. Moreover, women with incomes below 150% of poverty level and Hispanic women are the least likely to have adopted children compared with women of other characteristics. Overall, roughly 2 percent of the U.S. population, two million, aged 18-45 had adopted a child in 2002.

Something to Consider:

Ever considered infertility a blessing in disguise? It can be. Across the U.S. in 1973 nearly 20 percent of infants born to white never-married women were relinquished to adoptive parents. Interestingly, the percent of babies relinquished among other ethnicities were significantly lower. However, in the mid-1990s the number of babies being relinquished among all ethnicities decreased to a mere 1 percent, or about 7,000 infants annually.

References:

Jones, J. (2009). Who Adopts? Characteristics of Women and Men Who Have

Adopted Children. National Center for Health Statistics. Retrieved from http://www.cdc.gov/nchs/data/databriefs/db12.pdf on March 25, 2011.

Scentsy Fundraiser!

2011-03-18T22:24:00.002-06:00

Our dear friends, John and Connie, have generously offered to host a fundraiser for us through their Scentsy online store. All the proceeds from this fundraiser will go to our In Vitro Fertilization fund so we can realize our dream to have children! You can access their Scentsy store by clicking on the link: https://connie.scentsy.ca/Buy/SetupPrompt.

Make sure you check in the upper right corner to be sure it is on the U. S. Market (not Canadian). Change to the U. S. Market if the American flag is not visible by clicking on the flag that is visible and following the instructions. Then under “Would you like to join a party?” click on “Join Party” beside “FUNDRAISER – Building The Green Family”.

Have fun shopping, don't forget to check out the “Combine and Save” to get great deals on Scentsy. Scentsy - We Make Perfect Scents!
connie.scentsy.ca
Dress up a room with a Scentsy Warmer, add one of 80-plus fragrances, and enjoy! Shop here for all the latest styles and scents.

Infertility Series: Perception of Childless Couples

2011-03-14T09:53:00.004-06:00

This week I (Austin) am sharing a few insights into the perceptions individuals may share of childless couples within the U.S. and outside the U.S. In this post, I will broadly share some study findings, without too many details, to allow a quick overview and avoid a lengthy post. Nevertheless, if reader's have further interest, please post a comment and I will try to respond accordingly. Before beginning, it is important to note these study findings do not necessarily differentiate the differences between opinions toward voluntarily or involuntarily childless individuals.

The body of research seems to suggest the line between positive, neutral, or negative perceptions of childless couples is divided across gender, social, and economic lines both in the U.S. and outside the U.S. (Copur & Koropeckyj-Cox, 2010; Gubernskaya, 2010; Koropecky & Pendell, 2007; Rowland, 2007). Women, in contrast to men, generally hold a more favorable opinion of childless individuals. In addition, individuals of lower incomes tend to look more negatively upon childless individuals, but interestingly have higher fertility rates than higher income individuals.

In the U.S., Koropecky-Cox (2007) analyzed a sample size of 10,644 individuals in the late 1980's and conducted a follow-up interview with the same respondents in the early 1990's. A few interesting findings from this study relate: younger individuals, women, and childless individuals have more positive opinions of individuals who are childless. Negative attitudes of childless individuals, on the other hand, were found to be more prevalent in older individuals, men, less than full-time workers, and individuals with less formal education.

Outside the U.S., it is harder to share in specific terms the opinions individuals tend to have on childless couples without looking at each country individually. It must be generally acknowledged that social, cultural, and political structures differ in comparison to the U.S. and must be analyzed individually. However, it can be broadly assumed that individuals from more developed countries hold a more favorable opinion of childless couples, than individuals from less developed countries (Copur & Koropeckyj-Cox, 2010; Gubernskaya, 2010).

References: I have included the DOI number for the articles referenced within this post. If you desire the full reference please email me at twoinfertileturtles@gmail.com and I can email the references desired.

Copur & Koropeckyj-Cox (2010) DOI: 10.1177/0192513X10361577

Gubernskaya (2010) DOI: 10.1525/sop.2010.53.2.179

Koropecky & Pendell (2007) DOI: 10.1177/0192513X07301940

Rowland (2007) DOI: 10.1177/0192513X07303823

Thanks for visiting this post. Feel free to post your opinions, reactions, and any recommendations for future posts to this blog. If desired, you may also email me at twoinfertileturtles@gmail.com

Infertility Series: Introduction

2011-03-06T22:33:00.004-07:00

Hello there! This is Austin Green, and welcome to the infertility series that Amanda and I will be sharing with you. I know Amanda often takes most of the responsibility to post items on our family blog. However, in writing this series, I have an opportunity to share that responsibility with her. As we begin this series, please note that I will try and provide you with research-based history and findings on the topic of infertility.

Let us begin! In this introduction, I will simply provide a simple definition of what infertility means and then pose a question you may respond to in a comment to this post, if desired. Infertility is defined as a couple who has been actively seeking to become pregnant for at least a year without success. Furthermore, infertility means a couple has a reduced ability to conceive a child: It does not mean they are sterile. Nevertheless, it may often feel that way.

Part 1 of this series will be discussing perceptions of infertile couples. Here is the question to ponder to prepare you for part 1: What is the general perception of couples who are childless in the U.S.? How does this differ from other countries around the world?

References:

www.webmd.com

This Month In Review

2011-02-21T16:03:00.013-07:00

It has been a busy month. With your help, we have now raised almost $400.00 U.S. dollars. My sisters and I have made and sold earrings, turtle key chains, baby booties, ear warmers, baby sandals, and children's ties. This money will be going toward Austin and my IVF treatment tentatively planned to begin at the end of May.

Upcoming Events: We have officially scheduled our 5k run for Saturday, May 14th in Saratoga Springs, Utah with the Pound the Pavement for Parenthood organization. We also have had a booth donated to us for an Outdoor Expo event scheduled to take place at the South Towne Expo Center Friday, May 13th and Saturday, May 14th. We will be selling products and advertising for our 5k race there to help fund our path to fertility.

Volunteer Opportunities: If you are unable to assist financially, but have been wondering if you could help in other ways, we are in need of individuals who can help us run a booth at the expo event and also run games, food, and other booths at the 5k race. Let us know if you would be willing to donate some hours at either event. Your support is appreciated!

New Product News: My sister's and I have created some more awesome products on the two infertile turtles blog. Two items that I would like to highlight are the baby sandals and Mary Jane booties. These products make a great gift for baby showers, baby birthday's, etc. Feel free to check out these items and other new items on our site. If you have purchased items and know of other individuals who could benefit from our website products, please feel free to share our twoinfertileturtles site with them.

Upcoming posts: Austin is going to begin an infertility series on our family blog beginning this next week regarding infertility and the history and research behind it. Please check back for insights into a subject that is often not talked about, misunderstood, but affects a growing number of couples actively seeking to become pregnant.

Frosty the Snowman

2011-02-20T21:06:00.006-07:00

We couldn't believe the sight that greeted us yesterday morning: 8-10 inches of snow! It was feeling like springtime just a few days ago, and now we have a winter wonderland. We celebrated this unexpected snowfall by making our first snowman at our apartment complex. My favorite part is his hat made out of a flower basket.

Look What I Made

2011-02-12T19:21:00.007-07:00

My Grandma Crossley loved to crochet. She found winding the yarn into a ball to be one of the most relaxing past times, besides having someone brush her hair. My Grandma passed away a while ago, but I feel closer to her when I am crocheting. That said, I have been learning how to improve my crochet talents this past month with the help of my teacher, YouTube. With it's tutelage, I have successfully made a stuffed owl, lizard bookmark, heart coasters, hair accessories, a baby afghan, and these super cute turtle key chains. You can buy the coasters and key chains here. I am enjoying this new found activity and find it is a great way to come down from the day. Anyone up for a crochet party?

Pound the Pavement for Parenthood

2011-01-30T17:08:00.005-07:00

This weekend, Austin and I teamed up with an amazing organization called "Pound the Pavement for Parenthood" who will be sponsoring a 5K race in our behalf this May (tentatively the 14th) in Saratoga Springs, just south of Salt Lake City.
On Saturday, Austin and I had lunch with the organizers of Pound the Pavement for Parenthood and went over the logistics for the 5K race. We are excited to announce this additional opportunity to raise funds so we may realize our dream of having children. As Austin and I have come to realize, having children in a petri dish (lol) isn't going to be cheap. Keep coming back for more details on our 5K run/walk and other events. Let us know if you would like to be involved.

Infertility Fundraiser: Your Support is Requested

2011-01-24T20:08:00.006-07:00

Amanda and I have been writing about our infertility on our website and now we have decided to do something about it.

We have started a website, with the generous help of family and friends, where you can purchase items to assist us in raising the 30,000 dollars needed to realize our dream of having children. Visit our website at www.twoinfertileturtles.blogspot.com by clicking here.

Our goal is to raise 7,000 dollars by the end of April so we can begin the in vitro fertilization process. We are asking each person to consider buying one item that will bless your family and in turn bless ours. Our website items include: baby accessories, children's accessories, winter apparel, home decor, and jewelry . If you would like to help us with a cash donation, please click on the donation button provided.

We will keep a running tally of the funds on our blog and also provide updated details of our IVF procedure to ensure transparency of the donated funds.

Come back often to our website for updated details on our IVF process and fundraising events. In addition, if you like our blog feel free to share it with friends and family www.twoinfertileturtles.blogspot.com on other social networking sites.

Finally, if you would like to donate items to be placed on our website, or have an item you are willing to make that we could sell on our blog, we invite these ideas as well. Please feel free to post a comment here or contact us at twoinfertileturtles@gmail.com

Thank you for joining with us to make this dream of children a reality.

Austin and Amanda

Date Night With My Sweetheart

2011-01-18T19:57:00.005-07:00

Austin and I wanted to go on a date tonight to spend a little time together after his class and before he started his homework. We decided Maceys grocery store was the place for us. We split a Kong Cone, and it was quite the feat to devour. Now the Kong Cone is not quite as large as this picture, but it is close...at least it feels that way when you are eating it. You should have seen the looks we were getting from other customers in the store. I think, LOL, they were all jealous of our date night (or they couldn't believe two people could eat that much ice cream)! For $1.49, Maceys provides a great date option for students: quick and affordable.

Babies In the Making

2011-01-02T18:43:00.003-07:00

Yes, babies are coming. However, we have found out it is just going to cost us close to 30,000 dollars to make that happen. Ya, I know. Yikes!

Over the past couple of years now we have shelled out a thousand dollars here and a thousand dollars there, without much success. Our financial records indicate we have now reached about 4,000 dollars in pregnancy related costs. Several failed pregnancy attempts and uncomfortable tests have led us to an endocrinologist, fertility specialist, located in Sandy, Utah.

Our endocrinologist has informed us after looking over the past two years of testing, that IVF, or In Vitro Fertilization, is our best option of getting pregnant. However, we are at that place where a lot of couples in our predicament need to decide if it is worth paying the costs associated with IVF.
What did we decide?

Austin and I have decided to forge ahead with the IVF option. Our fertility doctor informed us of a guarantee option to take a baby home or we get our money back. However, it is going to cost a pretty penny to say the least.

So, babies are in the making, we are just going about it on the road less traveled by.

Nativity Advent Calendar

2010-12-12T16:04:00.004-07:00

When I was growing up, one of my favorite Christmas traditions was counting down the days until Christmas with the felt nativity advent calendar my mom had made. I have wanted to make one for years, and even started a few times, but hadn't finished mine until this holiday season. Here is my finished product. It is definitely not perfect, but I hope it will last for years to come and be a fun tradition for our family.

Black Friday Melee!

2010-11-27T23:09:00.007-07:00

While many in the nation were standing outside in cold weather to get the best deals on Friday morning, Amanda and I slept soundly in our bed. No, we didn't receive any of the "good deals" but, hey, we enjoyed a worry and stress free Friday. It was interesting to read a day later that the nation had spent over 10 billion dollars on merchandise comparative to the 2009 Black Friday melee. I think Amanda and I will eventually climb out of bed early to do some shopping on Black Friday, but it will probably be from the comforts of our home: internet shopping.

Many of you may remember the advertisement RC Willey (I believe it was RC Willey) did a number of years ago with the employee sporting a cast and crutches telling his co-worker he wasn't going to open the doors for Black Friday this year because he did it last year. I think of that commercial this "special" time of year. Just curious, if anyone knows how to find that commercial please let us know. Amanda and I tried to find it on youtube without any luck. Anyway, happy holiday shopping!

I Ain't Afraid of No Ghost!

2010-10-31T20:49:00.006-06:00

Austin and I went on a paranormal ghost tour recently at the Historic Union Station in Ogden with a friend, Suzie, from our church. Our tour guide was an actual ghost hunter and he took us throughout the darkened station, including into the basement vaults. These vaults were used as storage units for gold and other high ticket items for the rail companies. In several areas along our tour, our guide and people in our company, asked the ghosts questions and watched for their answers on the EMF detector. These EMF detectors supposedly measure electromagnetic fields in a room. It was a great way to get into the Halloween spirit of things. Below is a picture of me going into the basement vaults, hunting for ghosts. The video gives you an idea of some of the types of stories we heard about the Union Station ghosts.

We also went to a Wild West Murder Mystery Dinner. Austin's college friends, Andrew and Tiffany, hosted the event. This was my first murder mystery dinner and I was assigned to be a self-righteous, snooty Grand Dame. Austin was assigned to be an Indian shaman. He played his part very well. I hope I didn't play mine too well. I wouldn't want that persona to be my first impression for many of the guests.

Hope you all had a Ghoulishly Happy Halloween!

He's A Traveling Man

2010-10-07T21:54:00.006-06:00

A few months ago, Austin was invited to interview with a public relations specialist at Weber State to promote the Education Department there. He felt honored to have the opportunity to express his love for the program. Well, last month, Austin was informed that he was chosen to be the poster child for the W.S.U. Education Department. He will be on the information pamphlet given to students interested in the education program. He will also have his face and a quote from his interview plastered on a UTA bus. I've never known anyone featured on the bus before. Austin's UTA bus debut will be in Salt Lake City, probably circulating around the Salt Lake Community College. I am very honored myself to be married to the man printed on the bus! If you see Austin's bus in Salt Lake City, take a picture. We'd love to see it in action!

Treading Water

2010-09-27T21:08:00.003-06:00

We noticed we haven't posted anything for about a month. We thought we would tell the world we are still holding on....even if by a string. Austin is still going strong with his last (crossing our fingers) semester of school. I am still working part time as a special education staff assistant. I have a few students that give me a run for my money, literally. There is nothing like watching a student eat their homework every day because they don't want to work in class.

Austin and I have been able to spend some quality time together, however. We recently went to the dollar cinema and watched The Sorcerer's Apprentice. It is a movie we highly recommend watching. We also went bowling last week with a couple of friends. Austin bowled four strikes in a row. It was pretty amazing!

We'll post more when we get a chance to breathe.

The Beginning of the End

2010-08-25T14:35:00.004-06:00

Austin started back to school for his last semester at his university. He is taking twelve credits, six of which are student teaching. He is also finishing his masters project. In addition to his schooling, he was hired as an adjunct faculty at his university and is team teaching two courses. Austin is a busy man. I really admire him and the diligence he puts into his studies. He's a great example to me.

One of my memories as a kid was to have my picture taken on the first day of school in front of the entry door, so I thought I would take a picture of Austin by our front door to document his first week in his last semester.

What Do We Do in the Summertime...

2010-08-15T22:48:00.009-06:00

The summer is coming to an end, unfortunately. Amanda and I have enjoyed this summer immensely, minus the bug infestation we encountered in July. Ask Amanda about that for a full story. She tells it better than I do. All the other parts of the summer have been filled with great memories with each other, family, and friends. The following pictures highlight some of the favorite activities we participated in this summer; well, the ones we had the camera for anyway. Leave your comments below and let us know if you have been to some of these activities as well.

Reasons Why I Should've Stayed in Bed on Thursday

2010-07-31T13:59:00.003-06:00

When it rains it pours! I think the graphic t-shirt I chose for the day says it all: "I should have stayed in bed!" It seems that things kept piling up from morning until night. Here are the top reasons I should have stayed in bed on Thursday.

1. Austin and I went to do laundry at the laundromat. He had to go to class, so I put the clothes in the dryer and expected them to be dry when I returned from dropping Austin off. Well, one of the dryers didn't dry our clothes at all and I had to add another 45 minutes to my day at the laundromat.

2. I talked with every member of my family, some of which were 2 or 3 times. That's not the bad thing. The bad thing was as I was talking to Lisa, my phone went on the blitz. Some moisture got behind the buttons and now my phone doesn't work. I didn't save any of the numbers either, so all my contacts are probably lost.

3. I saw my cousin Benjamin had called, so I tried to contact him by e-mail to invite him to a family outing. Unfortunately, I e-mailed an old BYU buddy named Benjamin instead. I hadn't talked to this friend for years. He was very confused and told me he wouldn't be able to attend the family outing because he was at the hospital with his wife who was in labor with their second daughter. Oops!

4. I went to pick up Austin from class and didn't have any way to let him know I was in the parking lot. After waiting a good 20 minutes or so, I decided to go into the Institute and call his cell phone. The courtesy phone didn't work very well and Austin could barely hear me, but he got the gist and I was able to pick him up. As a side note, after all the running around thus far, I was pretty thirsty, and the Institute drinking fountain was broken.

5. Austin and I decided to go to the temple and when we got there, there was a 30-45 minute wait to do some temple work. I had never seen the temple so busy. Apparently the surrounding temples were closed for cleaning or something, so we had double the patronage. By now things were starting to get comical and I had to do all I could to not start laughing in the sacred temple.

6. Since we were running around all day, we didn't have the air conditioner window unit going at our apartment. Needless to say, Austin and I were tossing and turning during the night, waking each other up continually because we were too hot and couldn't get comfortable. It was the perfect end to a less than perfect day.

Heinz Tic Tac Toe Cookies

2010-06-26T14:05:00.004-06:00

Over the past two years, Austin and I have acquired a lot of food storage items due to couponing. We decided this summer we were going to try to use up our food storage and try new recipes. One of the items we noticed we have a LOT of is ketchup.

So what did I do? I googled ketchup recipes and found the recipe page for Heinz Ketchup. We tried the Tic Tac Toe Cookie recipe and modified it by using oat flour instead of wheat flour. You can make your own oat flour by putting your rolled oats in a food processor or blender. Pretty neat, huh?! Anyway, here is the recipe if you would like to try it. We think they are pretty yummy!

Ingredients
1-1/2 cups Flour
1/2 teaspoon Baking soda
1/2 teaspoon Salt
3/4 cup Chunky or creamy peanut butter
1/2 cup Softened butter or margarine
1/2 cup Granulated sugar
1/2 cup Firmly packed brown sugar
1/4 cup Heinz® Tomato Ketchup
1 Egg
Preparation
Preheat oven to 375 F.
Sift together flour, baking soda, and salt. Set aside.
Cream together peanut butter, butter or margarine, sugar, and brown sugar until light and fluffy. Add Ketchup and egg; beat until well mixed.
Thoroughly blend flour mixture into peanut butter mixture.
Drop by Tablespoonfuls onto baking sheets lined with parchment paper. With fork dipped in flour, press cookie flat, making impressions in two directions.
Bake 8 to 10 minutes or until golden brown. Cool on wire rack.

Smith's Marketplace Sale

2010-06-23T20:22:00.006-06:00

Smith's Marketplace is having a sale this week and is valuing all coupons for $1. That means that even a coupon worth $.25 rings up as $1 off. Austin and I went to Smith's tonight and bought 36 items. The register rang up to over $80 before coupons. Our total price after coupons was $42.83. That's a savings of $43.17! We saved more than we spent. I love it when we do that. We also received $.10/gallon fuel rewards. It almost feels like being paid to shop. Our strategy for any sale is to organize our coupons as shown below, look through the ad, and then walk up and down the aisles looking for items on sale. If you have a Smith's store in your state, we would highly recommend taking advantage of this deal.

Zion National Park Trip

2010-06-06T19:51:00.002-06:00

Amanda and I decided to get away for awhile. We found a great hotel deal on Memorial Day and decided to head south to Zion National Park on June 3rd. Check out some of the beautiful scenery Zion National Park has to offer.

Upon returning from our trip, more graduate classes await me this summer and work will begin again for Amanda and I on June 7th. However, Zion National Park was a great place to escape for the weekend.

The Wedding We Almost Went To...

2010-05-02T19:27:00.004-06:00

Austin and I were on our way to a wedding yesterday when life happened. We were going through a canyon trying to make it up the hills when our car engine started revving and our car began decelerating. We knew something was not right when our car was going slower downhill than it had going up. We were only about two miles away from the wedding when our car gave out. It wouldn't move any further. We had to get towed to a mechanic shop and found out our clutch was totally fried. The mechanics were awesome and worked overtime on a Saturday so we wouldn't have to rent a car to get back home (we were already about an hour away from home). We ended up waiting for 8 hours in Smalltown Utah. Luckily we were in walking distance from the movie theater and Walmart. We ducked in to watch the most interesting movie available, Furry Vengeance.
It wasn't our first choice for a movie, but it had it's funny moments. Afterwards we walked to Walmart for lunch: a box of granola bars and a banana. We are just grateful that we were able to get our car fixed and back on the road. We know God was watching out for us and helped us get through this ordeal safely.

It's Spring?!

2010-04-06T16:23:00.003-06:00

We looked out our window and what did we see......piles of snow! We can't believe the weather this week. It snowed last night and left us with about 6 inches or more of powder on the ground. By the end of the week it's supposed to reach 65 degrees. I guess we won't be packing up our winter clothes until the summer, just in case.

Happy Easter!

2010-04-02T15:36:00.004-06:00

During this Easter season, we wish to express our love for our Savior, Jesus Christ. We know that He lives and that He atoned for our sins so we can live with our Father in heaven again. We know He loves us and understands our greatest joys and deepest sorrows. We share with you a video that brings home for us the reason for the Easter season.

Happy St. Patrick's Day!

2010-03-15T21:48:00.002-06:00

Austin and I love St. Patrick’s day because, as Austin put it, we are Green all year long. In the spirit of the holiday, we'd like to share a festive video and an Irish blessing.

May God give you...
For every storm, a rainbow,
For every tear, a smile,
For every care, a promise,
And a blessing in each trial.
For every problem life sends,
A faithful friend to share,
For every sigh, a sweet song,
And an answer for each prayer.

We hope you have a Happy St. Patrick's Day, and that's no blarney!

Jumping the Praxis Hurdle

2010-02-06T18:19:00.004-07:00

Austin just received his Praxis scores to be an elementary school teacher. He passed on his first try!!!! I am so proud of my sweetheart and all the hard work he puts in to his studies. He truly amazes me.

Long Beach Vacation

2010-01-03T18:05:00.005-07:00

We decided it was time to ditch the snow for a while and get some sun. We went to Long Beach last Tuesday and stayed until Saturday night. We stayed in a little hotel right on the beach and did some sightseeing. We went to the Aquarium of the Pacific, went on a harbor cruise, walked along the beach, rode Wanky bikes, and sun bathed. It was awesome weather! We also had the opportunity to visit with Austin's brother while in L.A. We traveled down to Newport Beach and went whale watching with him. We didn't see any whales, but we did see a lot of dolphins and sea lions playing in the ocean.
On New Year's Day we went to the Rose Parade in Pasadena. We saw some amazing floats. They are all made out of organic material and, of course, covered with roses. They smelled incredible. We rung in the New Year right in sunny Cal!

Christmas at the Crossley's

2009-12-26T14:41:00.011-07:00

We really enjoyed our Christmas visit at my parents. On Christmas Eve, Isabelle and Michael acted out the Christmas story while Dad read Luke Chapter 2. We later played Scrabble Slam and watched a Muppet Family Christmas. On Christmas day, we woke up at 6:30 a.m. and unwrapped presents. Michelle got a Wii and Wii Fit so we played in tournaments for tennis, bowling, and boxing. Dad and Austin really got into their boxing match. In the end, Dad came out victorious. We love being with family for the holidays!

Christmas Fun

2009-12-22T17:30:00.008-07:00

On Saturday we spent time with Austin's parents. We went to the Browning Museum first and learned about John Browning who was the genius behind a lot of the firearms used in the world today. We saw rifles, automatics, machine guns, and guns no bigger than my hand. It was incredible to learn about how John Browning invented his guns.

After the Browning Museum, we went to Rainbow Gardens and ate a great dinner, complimented with Mormon Muffins. We went through the shops and enjoyed the Christmas decorations that decked the halls. We found an animated Santa toy there that laughed contagiously when you pushed his hand. He was one of our favorites.

To complete the evening, we went to the Christmas Village in Ogden. The local businesses decorate little houses with Christmas scenes downtown. I think my favorite house was done by the Ogden Police. They had stuffed puppets that incarcerated the Grinch. Austin's favorite was the house decorated like a Weber State dorm room. Go Wildcats!
I think visiting the Christmas Village could become a favorite family tradition.

2009-11-30T18:00:00.001-07:00

Send your own ElfYourself eCards

Bowling Fun

2009-11-15T20:25:00.003-07:00

A few weeks back we hung out with Austin's friends Benji and Brookie Pearson. We had a really good time going bowling with them and watching their children bowl for the first time. Their boys were so excited to take their turns. They would lift up the heavy bowling balls and waddle them over to the alley. The youngest son found out why it's important not to walk on the alley: your feet slip right out from under you. Thanks Benji and Brookie for an enjoyable night!

HAPPY HALLOWEEN

2009-10-31T09:41:00.002-06:00

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Apple Cake

2009-10-02T16:30:00.004-06:00

Last weekend we traveled up to Logan to see the fall leaves in Sardine Canyon and to visit with family. My Uncle Richard and Aunt Verna gave us apples, onions, tomatoes and pears from their garden. While Austin is in school, I've had fun experimenting with new recipes using the fresh produce we've received from family and friends. The latest recipe I tried and really enjoy is Apple Cake. I'm including the recipe. I got it from www.applerecipes.us Hope you enjoy.

Apple Cake
Ingredients:
1 c. sugar
2 c. diced apples
1 beaten egg
1/2 c. vegetable oil
1 1/2 c. flour
1 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp. cinnamon
1/2 tsp. salt
Preparation:
Mix in order. Pour into a greased 8x8 inch pan. Bake until toothpick inserted comes out clean. Bake at 350 F for half an hour. (I dusted the cake with powdered sugar and cinnamon to top it off).

Stewed Peaches and Ice Cream

2009-09-18T17:19:00.004-06:00

I received two grocery bags full of peaches from my coworker and decided to try out some new recipes. Austin and I have had peach cobbler, peach pie, and stewed peaches with ice cream. I got the recipe for stewed peaches from the food network. They suggest you serve the stewed peaches over cinnamon pound cake and ice cream, but I think it's good with just the vanilla ice cream also. I'm including the recipe because I think it's worth trying out. Enjoy!

Stewed Peaches:

4 cups peeled and sliced fresh peaches, plus any accumulated juices

1/4 to 1/2 cup sugar (depending on the sweetness of the peaches)

1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice

2 teaspoons cornstarch

2 teaspoons water

1 tablespoon red wine or brandy, optional

Combine peaches plus any peach juice from slicing, sugar, and lemon juice in a medium saucepan over medium-high heat, stirring occasionally. Bring mixture to a boil. Reduce the heat to a simmer and cook the mixture for 10 minutes, or until peaches are tender. In a small bowl, stir together cornstarch and water. Add cornstarch mixture to the peaches, stirring to combine. Bring mixture to a boil and boil for 1 minute, or until slightly thickened. Remove from heat. Stir in brandy, if using, and cool slightly. Serve warm over slices of cinnamon pound cake with vanilla ice cream.

...If I Could Just Go Back!

2009-09-04T16:23:00.005-06:00

At work today they had a Spirit Assembly. One of the events was for the students to guess which staff was in each picture of a slideshow. The pictures were doctored on Yearbookyourself.com. I thought it looked awesome, so I yearbooked Austin and I. Try it out!

The Uintah's

2009-08-23T20:29:00.004-06:00

Yesterday Austin's parents treated us to a picnic in the Uintah's. We stopped by the Jordenelle to take in the view, and then went to the Upper Provo River waterfalls. I had no idea we had such beautiful falls in Utah! They are quite breath taking.The pictures above are of he Upper Provo waterfalls. After that we went to Mirror Lake and had a steak and halibut feast. Austin's parents are excellent cooks! We picked the best time to go to the Uintah's. It was 100 degrees in the valley and only 70 degrees in the mountains. We even had to put on our coats and have a fire to keep warm that night! Austin and I look forward to visiting the Uintah's again next year and for many years to come.

Maria Gabrielle Photography

2009-08-19T12:56:00.010-06:00

Austin and I went to Bridal Veil Falls last weekend for a photoshoot with my friend, Maria. She is an accomplished photographer, a master at her art. The photos in our blog header and blog description were taken by Maria. I've also included more photos of Austin and I from the photoshoot below. If you would like to view more of Maria's photography, go to www.mariagabriellephotography.blogspot.com.

More Summer Fun

2009-08-09T16:32:00.008-06:00

It's been great being back in Utah. I had no idea there were so many things to do for practically free. This weekend we went to Bountiful to watch their annual Summerfest International Festival. We went with Austin's family and watched the folk dancers from China, Chile, Hungary, Poland, and South Korea to name a few. My favorite group was the Polish dancers. They were amazing. Austin took a video of the Polish group singing. We posted it for my brother-in-law, Aaron, who served his LDS church mission in Poland. Click on the video below to see some of their show.

Last week Austin and I went to the Weber County Fair for $1 each. We looked at the animals, visited the vendors, played some games, and Austin even sang karaoke. Next time I'll have to get his singing on tape. :)

Free Ogden Activities

2009-08-01T21:32:00.008-06:00

During the summer in Ogden, many local recreational activities are free on Saturdays. With Austin being in school, we really appreciate this date night "stimulus."
Today we went to the Ogden Nature Center and learned about birds of prey, watched for deer in the flatlands, and leisurely strolled through the tall grass.
From there we went to the Treehouse Museum and received a guided tour through the exhibits. (Warning: They will not let you into the museum unescorted unless you are accompanied by toddlers, children, etc. We learned that the hard way. They will give adults guided tours, however, by appointment). The Treehouse Museum is a child's mecca. It whimsically provides hands on experience with life through trivia, costumes, crafts, and play. When we have children, I have a feeling we will frequently explore this museum.
The last adventure we undertook today, besides going to the laundromat, was to watch the 1933 version of "King Kong" on the big screen at the new library. We laughed at the cinematography and contemplated how cutting edge it was for it's time.
We're making the most of this summer before Austin starts school again in the fall.

Weekend Events

2009-07-20T15:44:00.005-06:00

Austin and I had a fun filled weekend. Saturday morning we went to a BBQ at Leslie's house (she's one of Austin's good friends from high school). I got to meet a couple of people Austin went to high school with and get a glimpse of his teenage years.

Afterwards, we went swimming for free at the local pool. Every Saturday is free swimming. Can't beat that with the 100 degree weather we're having.

That night we walked down 25th Street and found a cool ceramics shop we want to patronize someday. You pick out the ceramic you want, design it, paint it, and they glaze it for you. It's pretty awesome.

On our way back to our car, we took a break from the heat and sat down in the shade. We were approached by a couple who had 2 tickets they wanted to give away to the Osmond 2nd Generation concert that night in the amphitheater. We gladly accepted. It surprised me how good these unknown artists to us were! They even had their dad, Allen Osmond, get on stage and sing barbershop songs with them. We really enjoyed ourselves.

On Sunday, Ogden city kicked off its 24th of July Pioneer Days by presenting the Pops Symphony coupled with fireworks at the WSU campus. We listened to the Pops Symphony on the car radio while we watched the fireworks display. We parked in the grocery store parking lot and had the best view of the show. The best part was we didn't get rained on and we didn't get stuck in the traffic aftermath since we were already in our car.

We're excited to celebrate the Ogden Pioneer Days and attend more events this coming week.

Clark Planetarium

2009-07-10T17:01:00.007-06:00

Austin and I enjoyed spending time with his sister at the Clark Planetarium. We got to learn all about the planets and space exploration. We enjoyed being aliens on Mars and the moon. We also got some experience forecasting the weather. It's a fabulous place to learn and spend time together without breaking the bank (all the exhibits are free!)

Rattlesnake Mountain

2009-06-25T17:00:00.004-06:00

Austin is done with classes until the end of August and so we have decided to take advantage of our time together. We decided we would do something active outside everyday after work. Today we went hiking up Waterfall Canyon. After hiking uphill for about an hour and a half we were rudely interrupted by a rattlesnake in our path. Needless to say, we did not proceed any further to the falls.
On our way back down the mountain, safely from the rattlesnake, we decided to take a picture of Austin by the stream. After I took the picture, Austin said, "Sweetheart..." in a warning tone. I thought there must be a spider by me so I went running back to him. I was shocked to find there was another rattlesnake right under the rocks where I had been standing. Here is the picture I risked my life for.

After that, as you can imagine, we hustled down the mountain. We're going to stick to paved walkways for a while. Well, maybe...

Family Reunions

2009-06-15T21:49:00.003-06:00

Austin and I have been blessed to spend time with some of my out-of-state family this summer. At the beginning of June my sister Genevieve and her family paid a visit from Georgia. Last weekend we got to visit with my sister Lisa and her family from Texas. The time we have together is time well spent! We love our family and treasure the moments shared together.

Hill Air Force Base: Air Show 2009!

2009-06-07T17:13:00.004-06:00

Amanda and I enjoyed going to the Air show with my parents Saturday. One of our favorite parts of the show was seeing the paratroopers bring the American flag into the staging area. We also enjoyed covering our ears as the F-16's went past us going 600mph; only a fraction of the Mach 2 capabilities of this marvelous machine. The newspaper noted over 200,000 people showed up for the air show Saturday. It was crowded, but it was well worth the trip.

Ogden City Car Show

2009-06-07T15:50:00.004-06:00

Austin and I spent a date night Friday at the Ogden City car show on Historic 25th Street. We saw cars from every era and enjoyed sharing the experience together. Below are a few highlights from our date.

Swine Flu

2009-05-23T15:17:00.006-06:00

We saw this pic on our friends blog. We thought he gave great advice when he said "Don't do this and you should be fine."

Piano Moving

2009-05-23T13:18:00.003-06:00

My family brought our piano to us yesterday evening. It was fun to get together and sing music in our home. We had to put the piano in our kitchen so it would be against an inside wall (apparently it isn't good to put pianos against outside walls). It's a whole new experience playing the piano and having your sweetheart open the fridge door behind you! :)
We really appreciate Dad, Mom, Michelle, William, Isabelle and Michael making a 3 hours round trip drive to deliver the piano to us. We also appreciate all their hard work on the piano. It's beautiful!
It was the first time William and the kids had been to our apartment. Isabelle loved the flower Austin picked for her. Michael loved walking up and down on the treadmill, rolling on the exercise ball, and looking inside our watering can. We sure loved having them explore our home.

Gardening 101

2009-05-16T13:06:00.007-06:00

Austin and I thought we would try our hands at gardening this year. We have learned some valuable lessons for our future green thumb ventures.

1. We learned not to bite off more than we can chew. (No that is not just an unkempt backyard. That is our garden plot).

2. After rotter tilling for three hours, make sure you spray the weeds with weed killer and let the weeds die. Then plant your garden. Otherwise your garden will have mounds of weeds that look like this:

3. All things grow with love (At least we're hoping so).

2009-05-14T19:18:00.002-06:00

My brother introduced us to this country style "romance" song. We thought it was worth sharing. Enjoy!

2009-04-20T17:28:00.004-06:00

My sister, Genevieve, told me about this improve group she found on youtube. This clip is filmed in Grand Central Station and is hillarious. I stole this clip from her blogspot. Hope you don't mind, Gen!

2009-04-18T11:45:00.005-06:00

Austin and I were at the computer lab on campus when I came across an ad on the local t.v. news station. It was for a piano for $45. I jumped on that immediately. I called my parents and asked them to look at it since it was close to their home. They drove over right away and brought it to their house for a little varnish job. It is turning out so beautifully. I am so grateful to my family for picking up the piano for Austin and I and for fixing it up. I can't wait to get it home!
p.s. Fixing it up included removing 7 pencils, 2 straws, a popsicle stick, a puzzle piece, rhinocerous, 16 cents, a couple of beads, and half of an Easter egg from the piano soundboard and keys. It plays much better now. :)

Easter Holiday

2009-04-14T19:39:00.000-06:00

Austin and I enjoyed the Easter holiday with Austin's parents and sister. In commemoration of the Passover holiday we watched a documentary on the Star of David. I love learning about the history of the Jews. Something we also really enjoyed while visiting was bird watching from the kitchen sliding glass window. Austin's parents spread birdseed in the backyard, which invites several quail and a woodpecker. It was pretty awesome. I've never seen a woodpecker before. His family made a wonderful dinner and bought Austin's favorite pies from Marie Calendars: banana cream and strawberry rhubarb. They even had one of my favorites: lemon meringue. We really enjoyed our visit.

Easter Egg Hunt

2009-04-10T13:02:00.001-06:00

Last weekend we went down to my parents to watch the LDS General Conference. While we were there, we had an Easter egg hunt with William and Geniel's family. Isabelle was really excited to find all of the eggs. She would save the animal shaped eggs for Michael. Michael was just excited to be outside. He didn't seem too interested at first, but with some guidance from William and Geniel he figured it out pretty quickly. Our favorite part was when Michael finally decided to carry his basket full of eggs. He discovered that if you shake the basket, all the eggs will fall out, opening up and revealing all the candy. He thought that was great fun. It's crazy to us that we were able to have an egg hunt since it snowed on our car the night before. However, the weather was perfect the day of the hunt. We were all outside with our coats off. Utah has some strange weather!

Off To The Races Again

2009-04-10T12:57:00.001-06:00

While we were in Baltimore, I had the opportunity to work at a Jewish nursing home. The residents there loved to play bingo, black jack, or casino games. It's no surprise that they wanted to go on gambling field trips. They wanted to go to Atlantic City in NJ, but we the "Therapeutic Recreation" department didn't want to travel that far. Instead, we scheduled a trip to the Pimplico horse racing track once a year and took as many residents as we could. We even got seats in the best area so our residents could dine and watch at the same time. Of course we had to bring our own kosher food, but the residents loved being waited on all the same. Here are some pictures from that trip that I never got around to sending to everyone. Enjoy.

Slide Show

2009-03-31T22:30:00.000-06:00

Sorry we cut some of the heads off in the slide show. We're still learning how to work with the system.

2009-03-31T22:14:00.001-06:00

Summer Vacation

2009-03-31T21:36:00.000-06:00

So I thought this would be a good time to add some pictures from our summer vacation 2008 "Trek Across America." I know not everyone has seen these pics yet, so here goes and enjoy.

Trial Run

2009-03-31T20:17:00.000-06:00

This is our first time trying a blog posting. We thought it would be a fun way to stay more connected with our family and close friends. Austin and I decided it would be something interesting for me to do on campus while he is chipping away on his papers. Keep checking back. This site is currently under novice construction.