The Deanes

A Brief Absence

2010-01-26T21:02:00.002-05:00

I am taking a break from blogging for a while. Most of you who read this already know that I've been having a lot of difficulties in my personal life. I will try to post pictures of Lorraine every now and then....Wish everyone well with their New Year!

2009-12-30T10:03:00.003-05:00

2009-12-29T12:14:00.025-05:00

Here are some more pictures from the photo shoot in October. More will be coming but I can only upload them one at time.....dunno why?

New Family Photos

2009-10-29T16:03:00.007-04:00

Last Saturday, we went to Washington and Lee campus with a couple of student photographers. They had offered to take photos for our family in August, and I finally took them up on it. I don't know much about photography but I think they did a very professional job! Thanks Chris and Kenni!

Should I or Shouldn't I

2009-10-19T22:59:00.002-04:00

On Friday night was the Homecoming Concert in which both Morgan and I played. Since it was combined with both choirs, the orchestra portion was only 20ish minutes long. So I decided to bring Lorraine. I made arrangements with someone ahead of time to watch her during our portion of the concert. Right as the concert was starting Lorraine decided to walk in front of the stage, because the person's daughter was watching Lorraine at the moment and didn't have enough sense not to let her do that. I am not mad at the girl, nor her parents. But today, I got reprimanded for bringing my daughter to the concert. I was basically told I needed to get a sitter for the next concert and Lorraine was not to come. That really hurt me because during the rest of the concert I was told that she was very good. I know that her attention span is small but I also knew that she could sit through our portion of the concert. I also feel as though I was unfairly singled out. There were other children at the concert that seemed to me more disruptive than Lorraine. I wasn't out in the audience but I never heard her from the stage, but I definitely heard other children/babies. So my question to you is....should I or shouldn't I have brought Lorraine.

Snugglie!

2009-10-17T22:58:00.004-04:00

Lorraine absolutely loves to snuggle up with blankets. We play peek-a-boo all the time with her and she never gets sick of playing the game. Here are some pics from our recent game.

Post Comment

2009-10-06T23:14:00.001-04:00

On the other post of today, I was going through a spell of out of control hormones. I realized with the help of my hubby that I probably was just really hormonal because I should be getting my period soon. SO don't worry about the last post :)

2009-10-06T19:48:00.002-04:00

I feel the need to vent. I feel like a utter failure today. I bombed a piano test, couldn't get a thing right in aural skills, burned food, yelled at my husband and daughter, looked around my house to see every single room a complete disaster. I just feel awful. I can't do anything right. I can't provide any support financially to my family. I can't keep up with anything. I'm fat. I'm unattractive. I just hate myself right now. I can't do anything right. I just can't do anything right.

10 Honest Traits

2009-10-03T21:30:00.002-04:00

I've been tagged to give 10 Honest Traits. So here it goes, I hope it is informative and interesting.

1. I love being a Mom! I was going to finish school and get started in my career before we began our family. I still want to be an orchestra teacher but I love being a Mom. I love when I get to stay home with Lorraine and play. I love having my daughter around to teach me patience. I love loving someone that much. I can't wait to have more children to join our family....but I don't know when that will happen.

2. I am a very picky eater, although, I've gotten better as I've gotten older. I hate so many foods it's ridiculous and I only like certain food items with certain food items. I.E.- I love fresh made salsa with lots of tomatoes, onions, cilantro, lemon, lime, etc. But I hate tomatoes and onions on my sandwich. I know it's weird but hey that's just me.

3. I am dreading my senior recital. I'm really worried that I am not advanced enough to play an upper-level college recital. I do not enjoy practicing because I get frustrated very easily. Plus, my life is so crazy that I don't have more than an hour, maybe two hours, a day to practice.

4. I am a highly disorganized person. I have been for my entire life. I can GET organized but it is so hard for me to STAY organized.

5. I habitually take on way too much and then give myself ulcers (well sometimes it feels like I give myself ulcers) trying to keep up with it all. Most of the time I have to drop something to make me less stressed.

6. I am naturally talented in learning about music but not actually applying it. I.E.- I can ace a music theory or music history exam but fail an aural skills (ear training). It is so contradictory. Oh and here is a kicker, I play viola which means that most of the part is harmony, very seldom do we actually get the melody, but I CANNOT for the life of me sing anything other than melody. It's rather annoying to me.

7. I am a very insecure person about my appearance. For a very long time, I have dealt with severe acne, dark facial and body hair, and stretch marks. The acne and hair are part of a biological problem, called Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome. However, the stretch marks on the other hand came at the end of middle school when I grew 6-8 inches in the matter of months. The result was that my skin couldn't handle the change and developed stretch marks on my inner thighs, ugh! Now that I've gained 25 lbs I am very insecure of my personal appearance. I am working to loose that weight though.

8. I am a very unmotivated and even somewhat lazy but also very active too. I get in funks where all I can do is sit on the couch. But on the next day, I will be running around all day and enjoying all the errands. I don't know how to explain it any better.

9. I love to listen to people's life stories. I love to hear how they grew up and what made them who they are. I love to listen to people's struggles just so that they can vent and get things off their chests. I love to help people get through emotional struggles. I am considering going into the military as a mental health assistant because I think I could help those going through so much mental disturbance because of what they've lived through, whether it be soldiers or spouses/family of loved ones lost. However, the training would take me away from my family for a good 6-8 months which is a big reason against going for it.

10. I have never been nor ever will be a social butterfly. I much prefer to have a few very close friends than have a hundred acquaintances. I never seem to get along with the social butterflies either. In fact, I had move out of my first room of college because I couldn't get along with my social butterfly roomates. Whenever I think of that situation it makes me cringe still.

Well, I hope this was fun to read! It definitely was fun to write.

Blast from the Past......

2009-10-03T18:34:00.004-04:00

This is a progression of pictures as Lorraine got older. It's so amazing to me to see how little she once was. It seems almost unreal that she once wasn't talking or walking. I miss these days!

May 2008 June 2008 July 2008July 2008 July 2008 August 2008 October 2008 November 2008 April 2009

I just cannot believe how much she has grown. She was so cute then but much cuter now. I don't know which age I like better, the more self-sufficient toddler or the ever cute infant. She wasn't a fussy babe so I really liked those days when she wasn't mobile and couldn't get into much trouble.

Drumroll Please.....The Test Results Are In

2009-09-28T18:58:00.003-04:00

I've been thinking about how I would start this post for a week now, hopefully i can convey what I mean well.

For the last two months I thought I was surely pregnant because of an absence of two menstrual cycles. Yet, I never had a positive at-home pregnancy test. Last week, I visited my primary care physician to find out what was going on with my body. Her initial diagnosis without any tests was Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome(PCOS) based upon the symptoms I had. She took some blood for some tests to rule out anything else that might be causing an absence of menstruation and the results came back today. Everything came back negative. I don't have any thyroid or kidney problems, nor do I have diabetes and I am grateful for that. So her conclusion was PCOS. I might have had this years but never knew it.

PCOS is when many small benign cysts grow on the ovaries causing irregular or even absent menstruation. It also causes problems with hormones. Women with PCOS often have an increased androgen hormone like testestorone. That increase causes excessive facial hair growth and acne. Other symptoms include, weight gain, hair thinning on top of the head, and even an increased risk of developing Type 2 diabetes. Because of the irregularity/absence of menstruation, there is also irregular or absent ovulation. So now that you've all gotten a biology lesson, this is what I have.

I have had a lot of these symptoms since the onset of puberty at age 12. But just recently was the absence of menstruation one of them. It feels good to know that I am not just a freak with very dark facial hair but there is an actual biological reason. However, what I wasn't prepared for is the fact that it probably will be hard for me to conceive again without medical intervention. Imagine my reaction as a 22-year-old that I would likely need medically intervention to get pregnant again. I was in shock to find that infertility would be an issue. Frankly, Morgan and I have been trying to get pregnant for a couple months now and I thought I would have been pregnant with the first try. I was only off birth control pills less than a month when Lorraine was conceived so I thought it would be the same now.

So what now? I have a set of five progesterone pills to jumpstart my cycle again and hopefully that will do the trick. Morgan and I will keep trying to get pregnant and hopefully I will get pregnant without Clomid or some other super ovulatory drug. I am going to try and lose the 25 pounds I put on over the last 5-6 months. Hopefully, my body will just regulate itself again. Even though this is not what I wanted to hear, I am glad that I finally found out what is going on with my body. I am grateful that I know what I need to do. I just need to get to work and do what needs to be done.

Gratitude

2009-09-20T20:42:00.002-04:00

I realized today that sometimes all I do is complain. I am grateful that I have a roof over my head and food to eat and the clothes I wear. I am grateful for the Gospel of Jesus Christ that teaches me to be humble. I am grateful that I am able to gain a college education even though it makes for interesting scheduling demands. I am grateful for my husband who cares for me probably more than I know. I am grateful for my temple marriage and that my family is sealed for all eternity provided that I do the work to receive that blessing. I am grateful for my little girl who tests my patience each and every day. I really don't know what I would do without her now. I am grateful for my parents that bestowed upon me wisdom and knowledge, who gave me the greatest childhood I could dream of. I only hope that I am half as good a parent as they are. I am grateful for my siblings even though they (and I) could be such a pain sometimes. My siblings stuck by my side and I love them. I am grateful for my mother-in-law and yes my father-in-law too, who both have been there to support me. I honestly love my mother-in-law and I really lucked out that I didn't have a monster-in-law. I love my visiting teachers who make the effort to come an visit me each and every month. I am grateful for their friendship and fellowship. I am grateful that she called me today when she didn't see me at stake conference to tell me what had happened. I am grateful most of all of my Savior, even Jesus Christ, who has enabled me to be better than I could have ever imagined. I am grateful for the chances He gives me when I screw things up. I am grateful for His hand when I fall. I am grateful for the peace He brings me when I am sad, angry, or upset. I am also grateful for a loving Heavenly Father who reassures me when I feel like I am lost. I am grateful to be a part of a Church that has the full and restored truth and has the restored priesthood that was used to build and create this Earth and was used by Christ himself. I am grateful that Morgan is an honorable priesthood holder. I have much to be grateful for, and could go on for pages but this is where I will end.

2009-09-13T00:06:00.002-04:00

Morgan lost his job tonight.....

The Rug Pulled Out From Under Us.....AGAIN!

2009-09-05T18:10:00.002-04:00

Yesterday, Morgan was to receive payment for the courses he developed this summer. He worked for a month and a half on them and only got $1000.00 for it. To top it off, though, someone in payroll didn't have their act together and didn't get the paperwork off on time so that Morgan could be paid. It was so frustrating to look at the bank account Friday morning, thinking that we would pay rent that day and not seeing the money that was supposed to be there. It is really upsetting counting on a paycheck that doesn't come. This very thing has happened to us so many times, we budget based upon paydays, and then the money doesn't come and we are sent scrambling to pay the bills. How am I supposed to make a budget when I don't know if the next paycheck is actually going to come? Thankfully we had friends that trusted us enough to let us borrow enough to cover our rent and we had enough in our account to cover the rest of the bills without us having to put ANY bills on the credit card. However, what are we going to do next month when Morgan's student loan repayment begins? That's an extra $250.oo a month we have to come up with. Morgan and I have a month to find another job that will pay the bills in an economy that only has fast food jobs available. It's not that I think I am "too good" for them but they get treated like crap. I just don't have the emotional strength to go through a fast food job being talked down to when I have a college education.

We are in a losing battle staying in Nowhere, VA. There are very few jobs available here. Morgan has applied almost everywhere. But we don't feel that it is time to leave yet, because the Lord is pushing me to finish school. So what must be done? I don't have the answer to that yet.

Pictures at the Park

2009-08-19T23:26:00.003-04:00

Three Years of Wedded Bliss :)

2009-08-19T23:12:00.004-04:00

As of yesterday, Morgan and I have been married for three years! THREE YEARS! Holy cow, it seems like we just got married. A lot has happened in the last year. Morgan graduated with his Master's Degree. I have finished another two semesters and I am so close to being done. Morgan got his first real job working for an online program as an instructor. We have gotten much closer as a couple because frankly we have been put through the wringer. Morgan lost and gained jobs on an almost monthly basis, and I was dealing with tons of health issues. If we hadn't tried to look at each other in the best light possible than we could have blamed each other for problems that were simply out of our control. However, we are stronger for the trials that we went through TOGETHER. I think the key was that we talked constantly to make sure that we didn't lose touch with one another. I know that seems like a rather basic idea but on some days it is really hard to get any communication with each other. There were days when I was in school all day and would come home long enough to see Morgan and have dinner before he went to work, and he wouldn't be home sometimes until after I went to bed. On days that happened we tried to have a family prayer via phone and I really believe that it made a huge difference. I am so happy to be married to such a wonderful man. He takes care of us the best he can. He works hard as a father, watching Lorraine during the day so I can finish my education. He works hard trying to find jobs that will better provide for us. I am just happy that I married HIM. I love him and he LOVES me!

Just another post

2009-07-27T11:33:00.005-04:00

So I haven't written in a while but things are looking up! Morgan has a good job as an online instructor but he doesn't get paid until the middle of the semester but we know we will be fine until he gets paid. The church is going to help us with next month's rent and in September I will be getting the excess of my student loans. I know I will have to pay back those loans but it will definitely help to get us back on our feet completely. Besides financial issues everything is wonderful in this house.

Lorraine is happy and healthy, except for bumps and bruises because she is very clumsy and falls all the time. She has her 18 months old checkup today, and I am excited to see how much she has grown in the last three months. She will also have to get vaccination today so I hope she doesn't become too cranky.

As for me, I am returning to school tomorrow for another summer semester that only last 3.5 weeks. The classes are crazy during the summer because you go to class for 5 hours a day and then spend another 4-5 hours on homework. It is going to be tough but it will get me 6 more credits closer to graduating. Which comes to another thing, I will be giving my senior recital in March (although the date isn't set in stone yet). It makes me really nervous because I only have two pieces ready somewhat learned but they aren't close to being performance ready. I have to learn another 3-4 pieces still. I hope and pray that I can find the time to practice but it definitely isn't an easy thing to do. When I have so many other responsibilities, it is easy to do those instead. And then there is a bit of guilt too, because I want to spend time with my family and the longer I am at school the less time I have with them. Anyways, I will just have to do what I must do and hope that it will be good enough.

Below are some great pictures that I have taken this week.

Yesterday we didn't get home from church until 5pm and she didn't get a nap earlier in the day. She fell asleep in her high chair, thankfully not right in her food.

Just a fun picture of my two favorite people

Every time we open the refrigerator door Lorraine thinks that she has to sit down inside.

And she gets everything out of the door and sets it beside her.

I am very happy right now, and life is really good.

Trying Times.....But they won't last

2009-07-16T00:16:00.002-04:00

It has been very hard for Morgan and I the last week to be very cheerful. We've been given ALMOST more than we can handle. However, we are dealing with everything the best we can. We are so grateful to good family and friends. Tonight I was so sad because of our situation and I couldn't stop crying, but I got myself together and called a friend to give both Morgan and I priesthood blessings. He stayed with us a while and talked before giving us each a blessing. It is so wonderful to see the priesthood power in action. We each were given peace of mind and that is all that we needed, or at least I needed. I might even be able to sleep tonight, I hope. I also got a call from my Sister-in-law. I am really glad she called, I really needed to talk. Last night, I called my sister and I am glad that I was able to talk to her too. I found that I need to talk about my problems to more than just Morgan sometimes because with each person that I talked to I found different perspectives. Am I making sense? Probably not, but oh well. I can only hope that life can only get better from this point on!

ABC's

2009-06-28T22:54:00.002-04:00

I was tagged to do this by Renae. I hope that it comes out interesting and maybe even have some surprises.

A -Age: 21

B - Bed size: King, but I think it's too big....next one will be a queen.

C – Chore I hate: All of them, but especially laundry just because it takes so long and we have to go to the laundromat to do it.

D - Dog's name: I wish we could have one, Lorraine loves dogs.

E - Essential start your day item: Shower, most often

F - Favorite color(s): blue and red

G - Gold or Silver: silver

H - Height: 5'8"

I - Instruments you play: Viola and violin and a bit of piano

J - Job title: Mom, Housekeeper, Cook, Wife, Mary Kay consultant, violin teacher, full-time student....

K - Kids: Lorraine Emily

L - Living arrangements: I live with my husband and sweet daughter in a rather small upstairs apartment (another reason I hate doing the laundry, carting it all down the stairs)

M - Mom's name: Kalyne Scott Utter

N - Nicknames: Boo-Boo, Shannanana

O - Overnight hospital stay other than birth: None.

P - Pet Peeve: Morgan asking where things are before he really looks for them

Q - Quote from a movie: Moses supposes his toses are roses....etc

R - Right or left handed: Right, though in playing both violin and viola you must have lots of dexterity in your left fingers.

S - Siblings: 2 sisters and 1 brother

T - Time you wake up: Whenever Lorraine gets up

U - Underwear: Garments

V - Vegetable you dislike: Most of them....though I do try and eat some vegetables.

X - X-rays you've had: shoulder, head, foot, hand, dental, and probably others that I can't remember

Y - Yesterday's best moment: Seeing Jason and Renae and their two boys.

Z - Zoo favorite: Cats...lions, tigers, mountain lions, bobcats....etc

Another Post...about my little girl this time

2009-06-25T21:44:00.003-04:00

I've been busy on my blog the last couple days. I think it's just that I've got so much to share. Well Lorraine has not had the best week here in Virginia. She has not felt well due to cutting teeth and getting lots of bumps and bruises from falling on the hard cement floors and lots of concrete walkways. I am glad that I didn't bring the stroller because it would have been useless on this campus. There are stairs EVERYWHERE! So I've carried her a lot lately, but I've also let her climb the stairs too, which is where she has fallen most often. But yesterday while I was on the computer and Morgan was sleeping on the bed she tried to climb onto the bed and fell hard. We didn't think it was that bad of a fall until her face started to swell and bruise a half hour later. I feel bad that she got so hurt. So here is a picture of her poor face, and it actually looks much worse in person. Though she became a bit infamous with the event staff here, they ask about her every time they see us.

Almost a graduate!

2009-06-25T21:07:00.003-04:00

Today was the hooding ceremony where Morgan got the funny thing hanging around his neck! It was quick and simple and afterwords we took pictures with all his favorite professors.

Morgan, Lorraine, and Dr. House

John "Capstone Czar" Greenier

Morgan and Audra with ALL of the professors, ask Morgan for their names....I don't know them all

Audra and Morgan

Audra, Shelley(yes that is a guy), Morgan

The happy family

The "Almost" graduate

Morgan and Dr. Broom. Dr. Broom was his adviser with his thesis.

Walking past at a quick pace! I almost didn't catch him!

I am so proud of Morgan for what he has accomplished. It was a tough two years because of the birth of our daughter, two moves, and a multitude of other challenges that we faced. I am proud that he graduated with good grades and good reviews that will get him into a great PhD program. I don't know what the future holds for him or us but I know this isn't the end of the road with his education. He is so intelligent and genuinely loves to learn. He would love to be a researcher at some think tank or a historian for the military but those jobs require a PhD so onward and upward through more education we go.

Mormon War

2009-06-24T22:03:00.002-04:00

Morgan has his own blog, www.mormonwar.blogspot.com, where he discusses the historical accuracy of the Book of Mormon. He focuses mainly on the war chapters on Alma. He has written a post recently that moved me. It talked about the relationship between the 2000 stripling warriors and their commander and how it related to an ancient chinese tradition. He can explain much better than I. SO go to his blog and check it out!

Vermont!

2009-06-23T19:25:00.003-04:00

We are in Vermont for Morgan's graduation. Today we went to Sharon, VT, to see the birth place of Joseph Smith. It was beautiful and serene. I would have enjoyed it more if Lorraine wasn't trying to tromp all of the beautiful flowers, but hey she was pretty good otherwise. It was great to get away from campus because there is no cell phone service nor is there much for Lorraine to do here.

The 12-hour Trip

2009-06-21T23:02:00.004-04:00

We made it here!!!! It was a long couple of days but we made it here. Lorraine did quite well on the trip, we thought that she would have some major meltdowns but she didn't. Our car ran well the entire time, I was a little worried about the car because it was such a long drive that we would have trouble. Thankfully though nothing went wrong. Hopefully going back to Virginia will be the same way. We only made one stop the first day and one stop on the second day. However on the first day we happened to get off the exit where my friend, Autumn lives. We didn't plan it that way but it just happened. So we got some gas and food and thought we pay Autumn a visit. At first we didn't see any cars in the driveway so we thought that they weren't home. So we sat down on their front porch to eat. Thankfully though, Scott, walked by and saw us sitting there. We are so thankful that they let us come into their home and get out of the car for a while. Lorraine loved their two little border collie puppies as well as their swing set and trampoline.
Lorraine going down the slide for the first time.

Having fun

Happy in the car after getting to stretch her legs.

After we stopped in at Autumn's we had about another 3.5 hours to go. We stayed overnight in New Hampton, New York. Then we got up early and had another 5-6 hours to go. The drive was beautiful. Lots and lots of LUSH greenery! Thankfully, Lorraine slept most of the way. We are happy to be here.

Morgan officially graduates on Friday morning. I can't wait!

Awake again

2009-06-18T04:26:00.002-04:00

All of this stress is keeping me awake again. I have spent the last several nights awake with thoughts of what I need to do for next week's graduation, for Morgan's conference next month in PA, what must be done before the end of the week, how I can get Lorraine to eat better....and the list goes on and on. The crappy part is that by the time I get to sleep I can only get a few hours of sleep. When I finally drag myself from my bed I am too tired to put any of those great ideas to work. So now what do I do in the middle of the night? I can't go do laundry in the middle of the night at the laundromat. I can't book Morgan's hotel room for the conference because he probably can get a better rate with his work discount. I can't clean out the car to get it ready for the 1400 mile journey. I can't pack clothes because they aren't clean. I can't go to the grocery store in the middle of the night to get Lorraine some food that I think she actually might eat.

I am rather just frustrated that this vicious circle of insomnia keeps coming back. I've dealt with it before. While I worked at Ruby Tuesday, I wouldn't get off work until usually 12am, and many times later. I would have to come home and unwind at least a little, and then try to get to bed for my 6:30am wake up call to get Morgan from work, and then class for the day. Yet I found it very hard to get to sleep at all most nights because I would obsess over what I could have done differently to get more tips. It's stupid, I know. Now, the same thing is coming back. I am obsessed about what I need to do because of the busy schedule that I have and can't get any rest and I hate being a walking zombie the next day. I can't get anything done in that state, and yet here I am awake and staring at my computer screen.

WHAT DO I DO?

Sorry, just needed to rant.....

Humbled Today

2009-06-17T00:17:00.002-04:00

As many of you can probably tell, we are struggling a bit financially. Morgan has not had a steady job since the beginning of May. A couple of weeks ago we made an unscheduled stop to the Department of Social Services and applied for food stamps. However, the process is very long and can only be expedited in exceptional cases. Today we had our appointment to bring in all the paperwork for verification purposes. It was a very humbling experience for sure. I never thought in a million years that we would be unable to completely pay for groceries or anything else for that matter. It looks as though we qualify but aren't quite in dire need of assistance and so it will take another 2-3 weeks until we get any benefits. It is very hard for Morgan to have his Masters' Degree and not be able to provide for his family. It is also hard not being able to find anything other than part time work at fast food joints. He now works every other weekend at the Wingate Hotel at the front desk and it is the dreaded graveyard shift :( He also got a job working at Pizza Hut being a delivery driver.....but that was a week ago and the manager is very disorganized. It doesn't appear that he will be getting many hours there.

As for me, I haven't looked anywhere yet. There aren't many jobs around here that Morgan has NOT applied for, and if he can't get them is there any chance that I would? However, there is always my Mary Kay business. It hasn't been all that successful in the past but I am at least going to try to give parties again soon.

We are hopeful though. Morgan has been offered a job that will start in the middle of August. He will be developing and subsequently teaching two online courses for Trine University. He will make decent money doing that and can stay HERE in BV while I finish school. The hardest part is just waiting until the job begins.

All in all though, we really can't complain too much. We are still living in our own apartment and are caught up with all our bills. We do have a bit of credit card debt to take care of (which is mostly my fault because I wasn't willing to say no), thankfully though it isn't too bad in comparsion with others. We just can't wait until August when more money starts rolling in.

2009-06-08T12:57:00.002-04:00

Pictures as promised

2009-06-08T12:29:00.004-04:00

Lazy Days....Finally

2009-06-05T01:17:00.003-04:00

Well school's out for me for the summer! I was going to go to the semester in the month of June but finances didn't allow me to do so. But I am so glad that I didn't go back for another semester right away. I've got a lot time to play with Lorraine and to spend time with Morgan. During the Maymester, I just was so busy and I never got to see either of them. I am glad to be less busy for sure.

Lorraine has gotten her first haircut this week. Morgan went in to get his haircut and I decided that it was time for Lorraine to get her hair cut. It is much cuter! It curls naturally so much better now. Pictures are to come soon.

Morgan is still out of a job and it is rather disappointing. He has applied at some job everyday for the last couple of weeks, and yet he hasn't gotten any job interviews. I don't know what else he can do. Though he is in good spirits and hopes that the Lord will bless us soon.

All in all life is pretty good.

Nothing New

2009-05-17T00:15:00.002-04:00

It has been a while since I last posted (again). I have been trying to keep this up every week with a new post but sometimes I just don't have anything to say. Lately it has been very busy around these last couple of weeks. We are mostly adjusted to living in our new place, still trying to find some things though. We are working together each day to help make our house look decent. But really it is just a cluttered mess that is overwhelming. I conquered Lorraine's room and the living room today with lots of cleaning and yet I still feel like it isn't quite clean. We sure do miss the space we had in the kitchen of our last place but at least this is a place that we can better afford, because it is smaller and the utilities are included in the rent.

Both Morgan and I have been rehearsing for the summer musical, Seussical. The music is a lot of fun but very difficult. Thankfully we still have a few weeks before the show opens. We are also very thankful to our conductor's daughter that is helping out by taking care of Lorraine while we are at rehearsal. We both wouldn't have been able to be in the orchestra otherwise.

Morgan is still applying for "real" jobs but with the economy so bad, no one is hiring. He has only gotten one interview and no job offers out of the 20 or more places that he has applied to. I don't know what else he can do at this point to get a job. He also has been out of work here because the Census Bureau (which he was working for) ran out of work. He also got fired from his other job too. We still don't know why he was fired, the owner of the store won't talk to him and the manager of the store doesn't know what is going on. It really is rather frustrating. So Morgan is back at the hotel working the graveyard shift over the weekends.

As for me, I am taking two classes this semester which is only the month of May. I have class everyday for 2-3 hours at a time. Then I have about 2-4 hours of homework each night, plus rehearsals, cooking, cleaning, and taking some time to spend with Lorraine. I am mostly enjoying my classes. I am taking Spanish and Biology of Women. Spanish is easy and thankfully comes naturally to me. Biology however is a completely different story. I didn't do well on the first test and hopefully the test on Monday is a bit easier. As for my health, I am finally COMPLETELY off of those ridiculous drugs and have been fairly healthy ever since. I am suffering from allergies here in the beautiful (but allergy filled) VA, but besides that I am healthy.

Lorraine is just a very happy go lucky little girl. She is started to talk (babble) more and more each day. I think she gets frustrated with us at times because we can't understand her babbling. She loves to play with her big pink ball and loves to take baths or get into the shower with Mom. I don't think I've ever heard of a toddler that I actually liked to get into the tub. She just might be a swimmer or some other water sport junkie. We've been very blessed that she is such beautiful and happy little girl. I just pray that our next baby will be just as happy. (THIS IS NOT AN ANNOUNCEMENT!!! You all know how comments like these get rumors started.)

Anyways, we are doing okay and life is pretty good.

Video of Lorraine

2009-05-02T16:33:00.003-04:00

This is more for my Mom than anyone else but it is a video of Lorraine.

Fun in the Backyard

2009-05-02T16:25:00.002-04:00

It is a beautiful day here in Virginia and I just couldn't sit inside all day and neither could Lorraine. So we grabbed the big ball and headed to our backyard. Though we didn't stay out too long(because of my apparent allergy to grass), Lorraine had a blast. She loves to play outside and it's great when it is not too hot or cold to do so. Our neighbor brought out his little dog and Lorraine was SOOO excited! It was just a lot of fun.

Moving Stinks!

2009-04-26T21:43:00.003-04:00

Lorraine on Easter

Sitting in HER chair

Reading with Daddy

I hate MOVING. It is such a pain in the neck, literally! We moved on April 15th and we were able to move everything that day, except cleaning the house. We are somewhat enjoying our new place. We actually have bigger bedrooms and closets but we don't have any counter space for food prep or a large enough living room. We are still unpacking stuff but hopefully we will be able to find a place for it all.

I have been crazy busy but thankfully I am done with classes for the semester and all that is left for me is finals. I get a couple days off and then I get to do it all over again! I am taking 19 credits over the course of the summer. It is just getting me closer to graduation. Morgan and I sat down together to figure out how far I was with my graduation requirements, and we found that I wasn't as far as I want or thought that I was. I have three more semesters, but I WILL finish by next Spring. I have to, I really need to get my degree and fast.

Morgan is doing well and we have made the arrangements to go to Vermont in June for graduation. It is so exciting that he will finally have his masters' degree, hopefully someone will recognize his talent and hire him. We haven't heard back from any jobs yet. Oh! I hope we here something soon. Lorraine is doing well too!

Just when I thought I had it all figured out

2009-04-10T22:46:00.002-04:00

Another week or so has gone by since my last post and I cannot believe how fast time flies. A lot happened this week. We have had Morgan's Mom in town and she has been a huge help with packing and taking care of Lorraine. We didn't even need to use a babysitter this week. Wahoo! Morgan is working hard at his new job with the census bureau, and finally has all his training done. The training bored him almost to death, and thankfully it is over. Morgan also had a good interview with the Missouri National Guard. I am praying, if it is the Lord's will, that he will get that job. I know it would help him out tremendously in the long run, even if it isn't the perfect job for him.

Lorraine is doing allright this week. Although the last couple of days she seems to be feeling a bit under the weather. I don't know exactly what is bothering her, but she just doesn't seem to be acting her normal self.

As for me, I had an easier week of classes with no huge projects or presentation, just normal everyday stuff. However, I am trying to get off the medication I was put on with the health problems during the fall last year. Knowing what I know now, I never would have gone on these drugs, I would have asked for another, even if it was more expensive. I am also enrolled for summer classes and I will be able to finish almost all of my coursework by December! I would only have two courses left to take after December, and I will probably take those over the internet. I can't wait to see how everything goes well and hopefully life won't take an unexpected turn (which knowing the Lord's sense of timing, or humor, it probably will).

Next week we are moving into a smaller two bedroom apartment from the three bedroom house we currently have been living in. I hope that all goes well with our landlords and that we will get our deposit back but we have been at odds with each other since we moved in. I seriously doubt that we will get our full deposit back. :( Oh well, that's life, and stupid (picky) landlords.

Craziness!

2009-03-29T21:09:00.002-04:00

Our lives have been so increadibly busy that I haven't had time for a new post! But as far as everything goes life is good! Morgan has been working hard and has finally found a new (but only temporary :( ) job, working for the census bureau! Thankfully though it is a 40 hour a week job making great money! Finally, we can get ahead! He also has a job interview on April 6th, for the Missiouri National Guard as a historian. I can't wait to see if he ends up getting it because it would triple our current income. It would be amazing if the Lord blesses us so that we can go there but if not He will lead us someplace else.

Lorraine has been a busy little girl too! She is now only napping once a day but thankfully it is a three hour nap. She has also made the transition from formula to milk. She loves most foods but not veggies. She won't even touch potatoes either (I wonder if she is my daughter on that one because I could not live without potatoes). Lorraine has also mastered getting up on the chair in front of my desk to play on my computer(or make it crash). I have learned not to leave my computer on or my screen up after I am done.

As for me, I am getting off the Paxil and I am so glad to be doing so. It just made me too tired to keep up with everything. I am doing well in my classes but I can't wait for them to be over. I've been busy getting presentation together, doing papers, practicing, and all other good things. I am also taking five classes of ballet a week. I may sound like a lot but it really isn't. I take Lorraine with me to the dance studio quite often and she has fun there. I love my ballet teacher and I love the fact that she lets me bring Lorraine to any of the classes that I need to.

I have also had some great success with Mary Kay sales this week. I held two classes and had someone call and need something. It was awesome to have had some success there because I was really feeling down about it, thinking that I have put in a lot of money but I haven't gotten a lot out of it. However, I think that is going to change.

This next week will be crazy because we have to start getting ready to move. Our lease is up in the middle of April and thankfully we have another place already. We just have to pack it up and move. Just a word of advice to any students out there.....DON'T MOVE AT THE END OF THE SEMESTER!!!! I wish the timing of it would have been better but alas our current landlords hate us and won't let us live here a moment beyond our lease. Morgan also has his second to last drill for the National Guard and will be gone all weekend. But on the good side, General Conference is this weekend and we will be uplifted and edified! Hallejuah!

Spring is in the Air!

2009-03-09T12:23:00.003-04:00

Life is good here in Virginia, we have had some unseasonably warm weather but hey we aren't complaining! It has been absolutely beautiful here with the temperatures being around 70 during the day and 50 at night! It was great to have some nice weather, so we took Lorraine out to the park. Unfortunately I forgot the camera so no cute pictures.

Spring Break is here, and I am so glad to have a week off school to recuperate. I have been enjoying the time I have off but I know I will need to get a little work done before long.

Morgan is working hard and helping out around the house. Lorraine has a bit of a cold with a runny nose and cough, but she doesn't even act like she is sick, other than sleeping a bit more.

Not much else is going on!

Fun Times in the Deane Household

2009-03-02T22:15:00.002-05:00

Well this last week has been a lot of fun, even if it has been quite busy! I've been busy getting schoolwork done and Morgan has been busy getting applications in. I found a bunch of time to practice my viola which is always a plus. Lorraine has been happy and healthy this week too.

Wednesday was the Blue and Gold Celebration for Cub Scouts. Our scouts had lots of fun and decorated some of the greatest cakes! There were quite a few people there and I kept losing Lorraine just because she is so small and mobile that I couldn't keep track of her. Thankfully we were in the church and there was only a couple of places that she could go.

On Friday, I started my extra class of ballet. It was a lot of fun and was really inspiring to see all the other girls on pointe shoes and it just encouraged me to do all that I can to get there. Lorraine also went with me to class because Morgan had to work. Unfortunately an hour before we left she crushed her toe and was still quite grumpy because of it. She was less than happy until about the last 15 minutes. Hopefully next week if she needs to come with me she will be better off.

Saturday, I decided that it was about time that Morgan and I go out on a date. We hadn't had the time or money to go out since our anniversary in August. We got our neighbors to babysit and went out to Outback Steakhouse for dinner and then went to a family fun center. They had bumper cars, old arcade games, and lots of other great things to do. It was a lot of fun to just let the kid out of ourselves! We were in line for laser tag and the guy that was running it thought we were just there waiting for our kids to get out. We had to correct him and let him know that we did want to play. Morgan got first out of four, and I got third. It took me awhile to catch on to what to do. It was so much fun for us to just get out and be a couple again. I forgot what it was like to go to a restaurant without Lorraine, and it was so weird not to have her there. On the drive home we ran into snow. Thankfully it wasn't sticking to the asphalt yet. It snowed all night Saturday and all night Sunday!

So, this morning classes were canceled until 10am. I was so excited, that meant I was able to sleep in! I was about to get up at about 9 when my teacher for my 10am class called and said that she didn't need me to come in for the test because she was going to use my grade from last semester when I took the class but ended up withdrawing right after the midterm. It was awesome, because the night before I didn't fall asleep until 4am. Unfortunately, it threw off Lorraine's sleeping schedule and she wasn't asleep for her naps at the usual times, which meant that I had to stay with her through my classes because Morgan wasn't up yet.

Well! We had quite a week. I hope next week is just as fun!

2009-02-23T23:50:00.002-05:00

Well, another week has gone by and I've only got two more weeks until Spring Break. I am very excited to have a week off for sure! This last weekend I played in concerts. These concerts ended up being amazing which at the beginning of the week I didn't think would happen. We had a very intense rehearsal Monday and it just didn't seem like we were together or that we would play very well. Thankfully, we got it together and played beautifully. The concerts was a memorial concert for our music head's husband, who passed away in November. The pieces we played were combined choir and orchestra, and they were so very well arranged. I was so proud to be a part of that concert.

Last week, I started going to the intermediate ballet class, and boy it did kick my butt. It still was a lot of fun but I realized how much I've got left to learn. I can't wait for tomorrow's classes.

I've also had a lesson last week that was just terrible. I hadn't had a lesson in three weeks because one week I was sick, and the next the teacher was sick, and the third I don't remember why I didn't go. I hadn't had the motivation to practice and it showed in my lesson. My teacher was very frustrated with me and I can definitely understand why. Thankfully, this week I've made the time to practice and feel like I will have a better lesson this week than last.

Lorraine has been so happy this last week and I don't really know why. She has also been sleeping a bit less than normal, I guess that just comes with growing up. Tonight for example, I put her down at her usual bedtime and she stayed awake for a couple more hours just sitting in her bed playing with her stuffed animals. She did that last night too. I don't know why she is doing that but hey as long as she isn't screaming or hurting herself, why not let her stay awake?!

Morgan is working hard and helping with Lorraine like always. There is no news on the jobs yet, hopefully some word will come soon.

Can't wait to see what this next week holds!

Toy Box fun

2009-02-23T23:39:00.004-05:00

My daughter did something tonight that I did as a little girl, she crawled into her toy box and started throwing everything out.Looking up at Mom

Daddy and his Little Girl

Looking all sorts of cute

"YES!" I got Mommy's phone

A new Passion

2009-02-18T15:59:00.003-05:00

This semester, I am taking a beginning ballet class. I never thought that I would enjoy it as much as I do. It really is becoming a new passion in my life. I have been a "dancer" before, in that I was on my middle school dance team, and took dance instead of P.E. in high school. I really enjoyed it then but definitely not as much as I appreciate it now. Ballet is such a beautiful form of movement that allows you to as cliche is this is going to sound, but be "in touch with your body." I love the flexibility and grace that I am gaining because of this class. Who wouldn't want to look so poised as the women in the picture?

Yesterday, after my ballet class, I approached my teacher about taking more classes. She invited me to take the intermediate class that the school offers, and I also taking her adult class at her studio on Friday evenings. I am super excited about taking more classes and learn more! I hope that I will be able to keep in everything that they are doing.

As far as everything is going, life is good. I've got a concerts this weekend and I am really excited about the music that we are playing. It is going to be a concert that is combined choir and orchestra and I pray that it will be beautiful. We are playing about half of the Mozart Requiem. This piece was Mozart's last piece that he wrote before he died. He was literally writing it on his death bed. We are also playing some Patriotic pieces, The Battle Hymn of the Republic, and some pieces from The Prelude to Glory oratorio. We are also playing a piece that the text was written by President James E. Faust. We are playing this concert in memory of one of the beloved professors that passed away in October. He was an amazing man and these pieces exemplify the life that he lived and the things that he loved. He wrote the series of books called, The Prelude to Glory, that tells about the lives of those who lived during the Revolutionary War. Someone read this series and felt inspired to write an oratorio for choir and orchestra based upon the books. It is a really amazing piece and I wished that it was more well known.

Morgan has been applying to jobs. The latest jobs have been at colleges in both Tampa Bay and Orlando, Florida. He also has been fine tuning his thesis paper and will be turning it in Sunday! I can't wait until he has his degree in hand and can finally get a real job. The poor kid is working at crappy jobs and he has a BACHELOR'S degree. It is amazing to me that he can't get a better job, but with the field that he wants to be in, he needed to have a Master's degree. He has also been amazing with Lorraine. Since I am in class most of the day on Monday, Wednesday, and Friday, he has been at home taking care of Lorraine. He is becoming the regular Mr. Mom! He takes such good care of her and loves playing with her.

Lorraine has had a tough time this week. She has been cutting teeth this week and has had a small cold. She is congested and has a bit of a cough. She also was running a super high fever on Saturday night that I could not get down. I finally just decided to take her to the ER because I felt it was better to be safe then sorry. They thought that she might have a urinary tract infection so they had to take a urine sample by a catheter. It was not fun seeing my daughter scream in pain. The also took some blood samples to make sure nothing was wrong there. It took them two sticks to get a good blood sample, the first sample immediately clotted and was unusable so they had to stick her again. It was terrible! Thankfully, it turned out that she was ok. They gave her a Tylenol suppository that took her fever down all the way to a regular temperature and since then she has been fine. She is just the happiest little girl. She is walking without any trouble now and I'm sure it is not long before she is running.

I hope this week finds you well!

My Baby and Her Blankie

2009-02-09T20:10:00.003-05:00

Lorraine has a blankie that she just cannot live without. Lately she will go in her room and grab it out of her crib. It is really funny to watch her with it.

This last week

2009-02-09T19:26:00.002-05:00

Well this week was not as productive as I would like it to be. I woke up Monday morning with gunk sealing my eye shut. I had pink eye! I had an exam that morning that I couldn't get out of so I went to that class only, knowing that I might get someone else sick. Tuesday I woke up with the worst sore throat and congestion that I have ever had. I went to the campus nurse because I knew that I could free sudafed there. I stayed on the couch with this sickness for the entire week. I had chills and sweats depended upon whether I had a fever or not. I had a migraine. My muscles felt like they wouldn't work. Oh and by the end of the week I had nasty diarrhea too. It was rather miserable. I went to the doctor Friday afternoon, was diagnosed with a sinus infection and sent home with a prescription for some antibiotics. I am finally better today, Monday.

I couldn't have done it without Morgan. Morgan took care of me, Lorraine, and himself. He would go to the store to get anything that we needed. He took Lorraine to her doctor's appointment. He would cook me anything that I would ask for.

Journaling

2009-02-01T20:05:00.004-05:00

At a recent Enrichment activity, we were asked to resolve and commit to a thing that has been hard for us. One thing that is hard for me is consistently journal. This week started out a bit hard but ended well. I got overwhelmed at the prospect of having three tests within only a couple of days of each other. But I managed to make it through the week and even though I still have a test tomorrow, I feel very confident in my knowledge and that I will be able to get a good grade. I am really enjoying my classes, especially ballet. I really needed to get my butt in gear again because I was lazy this last year after having Lorraine and ballet is a really good workout. Last night I had three girls come to my house for a study group. I was so happy to have them in my home. I realized how much I needed to socialize with someone my own age. We only ended up sitting around talking and did very little studying but it was still just wonderful to have some good people in my home.

Morgan and I have been doing really well and I am really grateful that he is so supportive of me on my bad days. Unfortunately, we really didn't get to spend much time together this week but hopefully next week will be less busy and we will maybe even get a date.

Lorraine has been great this week. She has nine teeth through the gums now! I think she even has a couple more trying to cut. She is also getting better and better at walking which makes me nervous because I know that it will only be a matter of time before she is running! I am really lucky that she is happy and healthy. Below are couple pictures I took tonight in the dress she got from Grandma this Christmas.

This week has started better than last, I went to church this morning (finally). I was having a really hard time with the time change of church and the last couple of weeks I couldn't get my butt out of bed for the most important meeting of the week. Even though Lorraine kept me busy running around I was still able to receive the sacrament and go to Relief Society. I am really grateful for the Relief Society. My RS president is one of the sweetest women I have ever met. She gave the lesson today and it was focused on uniting our RS by doing visiting teaching. I know that most of the visiting teaching lessons I've received in the past have left me feeling more guilty than uplifted but the one today gave me the encouragement I needed. I really do love the women that I visit teach. I just have allowed myself to get lax and lazy about making sure I see them each month. I am grateful for the women who visit teach me, who have never missed a month. It really is a blessed calling to be a visiting teacher. Let us all be better at it.

I hope that all y'all are doing well! I wish the best for all who read my posts! And if you ever need anything please let me know. I may not be able to actually be there to help, but I can definitely talk and listen!

Mary Kay Consultant

2009-01-23T00:03:00.003-05:00

I am a new Mary Kay Consultant and I am trying to get my business going. I have a website where all can come to purchase and shop!

www.marykay.com/shannondeane

I really need your help to start my business, if you are here in Buena Vista, I would love to hold a skin care class for you! If your not, then at least take a look around my website.

I love Mary Kay because their products WORK! They are not the type of product that you would get at Wal-Mart that is watered down and doesn't work or last as long and it's NOT nearly as expensive as the products that you would get at the cosmetic counter in a department store. The skin care products are simply amazing. They have helped clear some of my acne scars that I got after I had Lorraine. They make my skin feel sooo soft. I wouldn't be trying to sell these products unless I believed in them.

January Fun

2009-01-22T17:50:00.007-05:00

It has been a really long while since I last posted. This year will be the year when everything gets better, I pray. It was a rather eventful start of the year. Morgan and I spent New Year's going to Denny's for dinner and then went to bed early. Morgan was recovering from a cold and I was getting it. We were in St. George, Utah for the first day of the year and then we went back to Las Vegas to visit with my family before we came back to BV. We really enjoyed spending the holidays with all of our families but we were definitely glad to get back home to our life.

I have gone back to school this semester. I am taking 13 credits and enjoying all of the classes that I am taking. School is a lot easier this semester because I only have classes Monday, Wednesday, and Friday. I am taking three history classes, orchestra, lessons, and ballet. I think ballet is my favorite because it gets me to be more in tune with my body.

Morgan has finished his rough draft of his Master's thesis! I am glad that his program is almost over and he can graduate. He is working on getting a "real job," as a professor at colleges around the country. He has already applied to eight or nine colleges already. They are in Texas, Pennslyvania, and Florida. But we are open to living just about anywhere so long as it pays more than what we are making right now. We are definitely excited about being able to live somewhere new.

Lorraine turned one on the 18th. We celebrated by having cake and ice cream with a couple of close friends come over with their kids. She had fun with the cake! She is also walking around now! She also says yes and no, momma, daddy, hi, and even please sometimes. She waves hello and goodbye. She is just the happiest little girl I've ever seen! It's been to see her grow over the last year and I can't wait to see what she has in store for this year.

1-Year Old Pictures

2008-12-18T21:51:00.005-05:00

Looking All Cute

"Scrunchy Face"

Model over the shoulder

Doll Face

Smiling a bit

Excited about the sled

Clap your hands

Beautiful Little Girl

Seeing Santa for the First Time

2008-12-13T23:52:00.002-05:00

Today was the Army Christmas Party and Santa came to pay a visit. I am so glad that I brought my camera. It was so fun to see her on Santa's lap even if she didn't really know what was going on. She scored a cute cozy bear and a great little book!

Lorraine looking at Daddy trying to figure out if it was ok to be sitting on somebody else's lap.
Lorraine thinking about getting off Santa's lap.

Finally she looked at Mom, though she doesn't look too happy here. But she was a trooper and didn't even cry!

Helping Mom in the Kitchen

2008-12-02T18:02:00.003-05:00

So Lorraine decided to pull stuff out of the cupboard and climb on in.

"Oh hey Mom, how are ya?"

I guess it's time to come out.
Hehe!

Table Food

2008-12-02T17:56:00.005-05:00

These pictures are of Lorraine after eating pasta and marinara! Oh my was she messy, I threw her in the tub after this meal.

Smiling at Daddy.

Thanksgiving 2008

2008-11-29T23:06:00.004-05:00

Thanksgiving this year was a blast! We spent it with dear friends of ours the Callihans! We very much enjoyed the feast and their great hospitality. They don't get to see their grandchildren very much and they just loved having Lorraine there. They are her adopted grandparents now. Unfortunately I forgot about having a camera and we didn't get very many pictures.

Our family
Mommy and Lorraine

Daddy and Lorraine

Sipping on a bottle in the lap of Tom

Grinning away!

Cute Pictures of Lorraine

2008-11-29T23:00:00.004-05:00

It has been a very long while since I last posted any pictures of Lorraine. She is growing up so fast! These are of her playing in the laundry basket after pulling everything out of it. Even though it was clean laundry and it was already folded I had a great time watching her play. She is about 10 months old now and just the happiest little girl. She is loving to eat anything that Mom will give her. She loves to crawl around the house and climb on everything. Soon she will be walking and I will be out of mind trying to keep up with her.

The Fourth Picture

2008-11-15T19:24:00.005-05:00

Interestingly enough this is the fourth picture in my files on this computer. I took it a couple of days ago after I got my hair done. I tag Carrie, Anika, and anyone else that wants to post their fourth picture

I'm It

2008-09-30T16:58:00.000-04:00

Danielle tagged me

4 Things I was doing 10 years ago
1. Entering Middle school
2. Being a brat
3. Hitting puberty
4. Started my career.....well at least playing the viola.

4 Things on my list to do today
1. Study for a Spanish test
2. Take care my little girl
3. Make dinner
4. Practice

4 Things I love about Morgan
1. His willingness to work hard
2. The way he is with our daughter
3. His weird sense of humor
4. The way he shows me he loves me by doing the dishes

4 Jobs I've had
1. Florsheim Associate
2. Osh Kosh Associate
3. Ruby Tuesday Waitress
4. Burbank Early Childhood Aide

4 Movies I've Seen more than once
1. A walk to remeber
2. Pyscho
3. Die Hard
4. The Wedding Planner

4 Places I've Lived
1. Las Vegas, NV
2. Buena Vista, VA
3. Columbus, OH
4. Don't know about the fourth one yet.....maybe Mississippi

4 Places I've Been
1. New York City
2. Washington D.C.
3. San Diego
4. Nauvoo, Illinois

4 Places I want to visit
1. Vienna
2. London
3. Paris
4. Any where in Italy

4 T.V. shows I watch
1. So you think you can dance
2. Jon and Kate + eight
3. What Not to Wear
4. Fraiser

4 Things you may not know about me
1. I am only 21
2. I am a cub scout den leader
3. I really want to be a stay at home mom, only working as a private teacher out of the home
4. I am excited to have more kids....just not right now

4 People to be tagged for this game.
1. Anika
2. Cheslea
3. Charity
4. Carrie

Trip to Washington, D.C.

2008-09-22T21:16:00.000-04:00

We had a very adventurous trip to the temple over the weekend. Our friends, Ellen and Matt got married and so we came up for the sealing and to be able to do a session at the temple. Unfortunately, we had to be up pretty early because the temple is three hours away from where we live. About two hours into the trip I realized that I had left my wallet at home which had my driver's license and more importantly my temple recommend. Thankfully my Bishop and the temple were able to work with me and get me into the temple but not in time to see my friends' sealing ceremony. We were blessed to have Autumn with us to watch Lorraine so we could go and do a session which both of us desperately needed. Then we had to get home by six so Morgan could go to work! We didn't make it but his employer was really cool and he didn't get in trouble.

At the temple in D.C.
Lorraine and her favorite pacifier, apple juice.
Beautiful temple spires.
Our excuse to go the temple, Ellen and Matt got married!

Random Pictures of Lorraine

2008-09-15T21:32:00.001-04:00

Lorraine before bed in her cute PJ's. She was also pretty happy for the first time that day. She is teething with four teeth coming in at the same time. OUCH!!!! Not fun for her, not fun for me.

Typical Lorraine, playing on the floor in the kitchen while Mom is doing dishes or cooking dinner.

Mommy and Lorraine hanging out before bedtime. She was less than thrilled at this point to have her picture taken.

Hey Mom, I found the remote. She constantly has to have the remote. Hey I figure if it keeps her happy, and safe and doesn't ruin the thing why not!?

Celebration and Trials

2008-09-14T14:32:00.000-04:00

Well it has been a while since I last posted anything. I celebrated 21 years of living on this earth on the 8th. It was rather uneventful as I was in class for 6 hours and Morgan had to work that night. But Morgan did make me a cute CD that had a lot of our favorite music on it. We have had a lot of trials since we moved back to Virginia. But it seemed like everything came to its' worse point in the last couple of weeks. Morgan was at work and lost his wedding band. That same night he got a call from his sargeant saying that he would be activated for two weeks. After staying up really late getting ready for the next day, Morgan got up early to drive to Lynchburg. While on the drive the car broke down, so I had to miss all of my morning classes to take him to Lynchburg. Later that night I was thinking could it get any worse? Sure enough it did, I ate some bad food at a local mexican place and ending up getting pretty sick. Thankfully we have great neighbors that took Lorraine for a couple hours so that I didn't have to watch her. I also got a blessing from him, which took away most of the pain. As far as the car being repaired, it won't be. It needs a new engine because the engine seized. But I am grateful for these trials because without them I wouldn't have the faith and trust in the Lord like I do. All these experiences have taught me that trials are going to be continually there for the rest of my life. I just have to get through with a smile and try not to be a pessimist.

Oh and I posted a picture of the Las Vegas temple, just because it is pretty!

Possible New Job!

2008-08-29T22:00:00.001-04:00

Morgan had put in his application as a Graduate Teaching Assistant at a local community college. Well he received word back that they were very interested in him and they wanted more information from him. It seems that they would actually be able to hire him on as an associate part-time professor. I really hope this goes through and he actually gets a job. Please keep us in your prayers that he might be able to obtain this job.

Two Years of Wedded Bliss!

2008-08-23T23:13:00.001-04:00

This last week Morgan and I celebrated our two year anniversary and it gave me the time to reflect upon the things we have done in the last year. We have moved twice, had a child, went to school, lived in Columbus during the coldest winter of our lives and vow never to live above the Mason-Dixon line ever again, went to Vegas for a month, and probably many other things that I am forgetting. We've definitely had our fair share of ups and downs but through everything we made it longer than some in this world. I am thankful for Morgan and I haven't always appreciated everything that he has done or tried to do. He is working hard to keep our family safe and happy. I am grateful for making a priority to have a temple marriage. It sure does help to have that eternal perspective when things just seem to be going crazy. I am grateful for the year we've spent together and I am excited to see what the next year brings. Who knows maybe Morgan will finally land that job he's been looking for!

My Spunky Seven Month Old.

2008-08-23T21:17:00.000-04:00

Lorraine Emily turned 7-months old this week and I thought I would post cute pictures of her.

Yeah I know I am cute.

Crawling to Mom to get that funny thing that keeps flashing.

Posing for Mom!

Oh hey Mom, didn't know that you were there.

She crawled into her carseat. Funny though, she puts up quite the protest when I put her in there.

First Time at the Park

2008-08-13T10:12:00.001-04:00

It was a beautiful evening and I decided it would be time for Lorraine to go to the park. Although we didn't stay very long because most of the park items were still too big for her, we still had a great time. When we went Morgan was working on an application and said he would join us as soon as we were done.

Mommy and Lorraine

She wouldn't put her legs in the slots!
Smiling BIG!

What a cutie

Family Pictures

2008-08-05T22:49:00.003-04:00

We finally went and got our pictures taken instead of our candid snapshot photos something that we(or at least I) have wanted to do for a long time.

From Birth to Now

2008-07-30T12:19:00.001-04:00

Only a few days old, January 20th, 2008
Two Months Old
March 31st, 2008

Three Months Old

April 16th, 2008

Four Months Old

May 19th, 2008

Five Months Old

June 9th, 2008

Six Months Old

July 18th, 2008

Learning how to pull myself up

July 26th, 2008

Time for my close-up

July 26th, 2008

Vegas Vacation

2008-07-30T11:44:00.000-04:00

Morgan, Lorraine, and I went to Las Vegas for about a month in March/April and we were able to spend a lot of time with family. We even went up to St. George to see Danielle, Paul, Gracie, and Diane.

Lorraine after her trip to the hospital. She got really constipated and nothing we did would help. She was increadibly cranky and we decided the best thing to do would be to go get help at the hospital.

Morgan and I out at Red Rock

Our family out to lunch at one of our favorites, Buffalo Wild Wings

Our Family at the new Utter home.

Lorraine's Blessing Day

2008-07-30T00:00:00.001-04:00

Lorraine Emily Deane

Given a name and a blessing on January 26th, 2008 in our home by Morgan Deane and Bishop Lane Wallace.

Three Generations of Wonderful Women

Our Little Family

Grandma Utter giving Lorraine a kiss

Candace and Lorraine

Lorraine's First Day Home

2008-07-29T23:51:00.001-04:00

Lorraine coming home! She was so tiny.

All of us together.

Momma and Babe

Daddy and Lorraine

2008-07-29T23:07:00.000-04:00

Morgan catching some zzz's before the real work began. It was three am and I was just about ready to push. He needed the sleep so that he could help me along and loose circulation in his hand.

Pure joy and relief.

Our first family picture. Sorry I was only a "little" emotional

Daddy getting a chance to take a look at his beautiful daughter.

Getting to hold her for the first time.

Grandma Utter holding her granddaughter for the first. I was so happy my mom came to help me through the experience of having your first child. Morgan was great help but I was afraid that he might pass out.

Lorraine Emily Deane

Born January 18th, 2008

6:44am

8 lbs, 1 oz

2008-07-29T21:14:00.000-04:00

So I said that I would put up pictures since January and I am going to.

About 10 days before I delivered Lorraine

"WHOA! I am getting induced today?!
My doctor sent me to the hospital for blood work because the results would come back faster. When I got to the hospital the doctor on call there decided that it would be better that I just be induced.

My smile after I got the epidural. I was very happy after that....until it wore off.

HEY Y'ALL

2008-07-29T19:16:00.001-04:00

Hey everyone,

I decided that because not everyone has a myspace or facebook account I would start this blog. I am going to try to post pictures and stuff since January but we will see how it goes.

Morgan, Lorraine and I are doing wonderfully here in beautiful Buena Vista, VA. We really enjoy this place and are definitely glad to be back here. Morgan is working hard as a full-time masters degree student and as a pizza delivery driver. I am enjoying staying at home and taking care of Lorraine. Lorraine is one busy little girl. She is crawling now and even has two teeth! She loves playing with Mom and Dad all day that she doesn't want to nap like she should.

Lorraine looking all cute before church last Sunday.

I am very excited for the end of August because school will be starting! I am excited to get back to working on my degree and can't believe that I only have three semesters left to graduate.

I am excited about this blog and I hope that I will be able to stay in better touch with everyone now that we have this blog.