Little Window to Heaven

It took Jaren and I about 8 months to get pregnant. Compared to some people that is not very long, but in our sphere of experience, it was a while. After doing some tests at the doctor, I was put on a prescription called Clomid. Clomid helps with ovulation. We were blessed to get pregnant on my first month of taking Clomid. This pregnancy has been a blessing. Although it isn't all roses (especially when I'm sitting up in bed at 3:00 am in pain from my stomach muscles and ligaments stretching), feeling this baby move inside of me is one of the most amazing things I have ever experienced. Jaren can now feel the baby move with his hand on my belly. His face lights up every time.

Jaren and I had been married for almost 3 years before we began trying to start our family. Although we were always excited to start our family, we didn't feel that it was the right time until about 3 years later. I'm grateful for God's hand in our lives and for the promptings that we felt.

About 9 months after we were married, I wrote this poem. It was about our future child. It is crazy that the baby that I wrote this for so long ago, is now growing inside of me.

2/4/10

Little Window to Heaven

I have not been able to meet you yet,

But I already feel a strong love.

It seems that it should be impossible,

To love someone who is still above.

 

 

I cannot wait to see your small smile,

I want to soothe your sweet little cry.

I hope I’ll be all you need me to be,

I will do my very best, I will try.

 

Which of my mannerisms will you have?

I hope that you have your daddy’s eyes.

Will we as your parents be seen in you?

We’ll learn from your example if we’re wise. 

 

You will be our window into heaven,

We will see our Savior through you.

I love you and can’t wait for our union,

I promise you this, it is true.

          -- Sarah W. Dickey

Update

I sure haven't been blogging much lately. This semester I have been required to write about 7 pages a week and so I might be a little tired of writing. I’ll give a quick update on both Jaren and I. Life has been busy but very good!

Sarah

I am in my last semester of my graduate program. I truly cannot believe that I will be a licensed therapist in two months. I look at my education as a blessing from God. This semester has been the easiest of the whole program. The lighter work load has been great. I am still working as a Psychosocial Rehabilitation worker and it has been a great job. I auditioned and made a 24 member religious choir called “From the Heart”. I was in this choir two years ago and it changed my life. I’m grateful for the opportunity to be a member of it again. It gives me the opportunity to share my testimony of Jesus Christ through singing. I am 19 weeks pregnant which means that I am almost halfway done! This pregnancy has been an amazing miracle. It is neat to see my body changing as a life grows inside of me.

Jaren

My husband continues to amaze me. He works so hard in school and still makes time for me. He is in his last semester at BYUI and will graduate in December. Applying to medical school has been a stressful process. It is crazy how intense the whole process is. He is also the captain of a flag football team (I married a sports man) and they do great! Jaren has been so sweet during this pregnancy. Since our baby can now hear sounds, Jaren puts in mouth close to my belly and says things like “Daddy loves you.” He also thinks that my little belly is the cutest thing ever. He is going to be one good dad.

This past weekend Jaren went to Washington and Oregon to visit some medical schools with the Pre-Med Society. He had a great experience. While he was gone I had a sleepover with one of my best friends, had a girl’s night with my mom, and went on “Retreat” with my choir “From the Heart.” Here are some pictures from our weekend apart.

 

Jaren ate at restaurant that was on "Man Verses Food"!

Yummy!

Isn't he cute?! haha

Another "Man Verses Food" place. Jaren with his bacon donut.

Sleepover with Kelli

Girls night with mom

Games while on From the Heart retreat

Hula hooping at retreat :)



Retreat

 

1 + 1 = 3



As you guys know... we are pregnant! We are so dang excited! My good friend Kyra Rankin took some pregnancy announcement pictures of us and they worked out so well! I'm so grateful for Kyra and her skill :) We posted one of these on Facebook but here are some of the others!

 

Kyra's blog is http://aevaliart.blogspot.com/

 

 

 

Our Love Story

I wanted to document the important days in Jaren's and my love story (I saw this idea on Pinterest ;).
These days changed my life forever. I'm so glad they happened.

• November 2004- He saw and noticed her
• April 2005- They met
• April 21, 2005- First date
• March 27, 2006- He kissed her on the cheek and left on his mission
• May 5, 2008- First kiss
• July 2008-  They said “I love you”
• December 25, 2008- He popped the question and she said “YES!”
• April 11, 2009- They were sealed for time and all eternity

"Every love story is beautiful, but ours is my favorite."

 

2005

2006

2008

"I love you"

 

Engaged
 

Married

The Lord is a good gift giver

It has been a while since I have blogged. I hope to get better at it again because I love to document what is going on as well as my feeling about different topics. I have always been a journal writer and a picture taker which has been a blessing in our lives. Speaking of blessings, there have been a lot of those lately. My mom always says that "the Lord is a good gift giver." I truly believe that! Different "gifts" have been sent our way this summer. In fact, I feel like no matter what is going on, one can always look for gifts that the Lord has given them. Each time a blessing has come recently, it has been neat to discuss that it is a gift from the Lord with Jaren. He helps me to remember. I hope to continue to look through lenses of faith so that I may notice when the Lord gives me something.

This summer has been busy with work and school but it has also been a total blast! We get in water (rivers, creeks etc.) literally every week. We have also been following the "Dealio" (text messages that include a daily Rexburg deal) around as we get "buy one get one free" ice cream and entrees from our favorite restaurants. Our lives are FAR from perfect but as we strive to realize all that the Lord gives us, it is pretty hard not to smile :)

Here are some pictures from this summer!

Tubing the river

Little sister Adeline came with us!

Hiking on a fun date my bother Ryan planned

Sunday picnic with friends

Outdoor movie at BYUI with the Arritts

Canoeing the river

Ice cream with friends

At "Hidden Lake" with my family

We buried our legs in a big pit haha

Doing sit-ups :)

Sisters :)

Luau with Jaren's family

Campfire at a cabin

Camping with my family

The whole camping clan :)

I took Jaren down memory lane as I showed him the creek behind my
family's house where I spent my summers playing.

Darius Rucker concert. Loved it!

Floating the river with friends

The wives :)

Campfire

At a minor league baseball game

 

Light at the end of the tunnel

There is a light at the end of the tunnel. Last night my classmates and I met with a few of our professors in Idaho Falls. It was a meeting for the "second and third year students" (I can't believe that's me). The subject of the meeting was a "capstone" class that we will be taking our last semester. Our last semester, is NEXT semester. This means that I will be done with this masters program in December. It has been the hardest thing I have ever done and man am I ready to be done.

Even though I am ready to be done, I don't want to spend my life "waiting" for the next stage of life to come. I feel like it is so easy to do that. I want to enjoy each stage of life instead of saying "When I finish this semester then life will be better..." "When I graduate, then I'll be happy..." "When we have a family..." "When my husband graduates from medical school... " "When...". The list could go on and on. Each stage of life is precious. I catch myself saying the "when-then" statements at times, but I'm trying to have a more positive mindset. Life is WAY to short.

It's days like this past Saturday, that remind me of the simple things that make life awesome. Jaren and I decided that we needed a break from all we need to do. A real break, not just our classic 2 hour break per day. Our day consisted of an Air Show, pizza at the park, drawing with sidewalk chalk, eating snow-cones, renting and watching a movie, and sleeping outside under the stars. Simple pleasures with my best friend. Life is good.

Air Show

Pizza at the park

Sidewalk Chalk

No, a 5 year old didn't draw this... I did

Jaren is the artist of the family. He is good!

Snow-cones

Sleeping under the stars :)

Jaren wrote this on our "I love you because" board that day. Such a true statement :)