Monday Blues

Sometimes I don't realize how much strength my husband gives to me each day. I am having a case of the Monday Blues. Chad is gone again for another Business Trip to San Francisco and I just want to crawl in bed until Wednesday night when he returns home. Oh it is hard lifting myself up each day and for some reason today is one of those days where nothing is going right. I am so behind in work and I hate having to depend on others to get my job done. First my day started with a program that I work with each day is VERY SLOW and no reports came back until mid-afternoon. Which put me behind all day and I felt overwhelmed with all the details that needed to be completed today. But they are not going to be completed today, some of the details will have to wait until tomorrow. I don't plan on working through the night to get these details completed. I need a break and a much needed Spiritual Walk with my dog Bella. I will post about my Spiritual Walks tomorrow. (JUST CASE YOU ARE INTERESTED) Second my husband is gone and I am left home alone for a few days. Oh and did I mention that I think I am feeling a bit depressed as life is not working out the way I want it too. Oh if I can only be STRONG. Hopefully my walk later will help! Don't worry all this will pass and I will be back to normal it is just how I feel some days.

Oh I am so glad tomorrow is not Monday. I hope that my Tuesday is better than my Monday. Any other bloggy friends feeling this way today?

Oh How I Heart Date Nights

Life gets away from Chad and I sometimes and we get caught up in it all. We rarely go on date nights anymore, but that was not the case last night. Chad and I spent the afternoon doing some window shopping and we decided to have an Early Date Night. We started with going to a 4:15PM movie. We went to the Ugly Truth staring Katherine Heigl and Gerard Butler. It was too cute and funny! After the show we went to Bonefish Grill and had some AWESOME food. We both had Bang Bang Tacos, with a House Salad, and a glass of Pinot Noir Red Wine. It was a great way to end our date night. As we were driving home I was remembering all the dates we had in the past and how we use to focus so much on dates and having FUN together. I miss those days. Chad and I talked and we are really going to try to focus on each other and slow down and enjoy our lives together with more dates and more LOVE. This night together was great and a TRUE awake up call for me. Thanks for the Date Night Chad! I love you!

Here is the trailer to The Ugly Truth

My Wedding Shower and Ideas - Show Us How You Live

Engagement Photo - July 2006

I have taken a few weeks off of doing Show Us Your Life hosted by Kelly's Korner and now I am back. Today is Wedding Shower Ideas so join in the party and share your ideas. My wedding shower was a Couple's Shower given by our friends Kim and Brad Fisher. They went all out with a Luau Theme as we were having a destination wedding and she wanted to follow that same theme. First I will start by saying that I feel blessed that my Mom and Jessyca were able to come from Montana for this event. We also had Mary and Greg Ramsey come into town from Bee Branch, Arkansas. So needless to say it was a weekend of FUN at the Stafford Home. Our shower was hosted at the Fisher's Home and it was perfectly set up and decorated. They started with each guest receiving flower leis and leaving a special note on a picture frame that we NOW have hanging in our home. They served some AMAZING food and since I am really into desserts I remember exactly what was served a chocolate fondue foundation with fruits, assorted cookies, a chocolate cheese ball with graham crackers, and an amazing cake from Rick's Bakery. It was YUMMY! The beverages they served were Corona, Jamaican Beer, Punch, Water, and assorted soft drinks. I was pretty impressed on all the details. It has only been three years ago, but it is sad I don't remember some of the details of the food. I am not into playing Bridal Shower games, but we did play a few games that were fun for all adults. One game was how well do you know the couple? Kim generated a list of questions to ask everyone and guess who won Mary Ramsey. Or at least that is who I remember winning. We got some amazing gifts and I felt very loved during this event. I felt and still feel blessed to have Kim and Brad Fisher in our lives. They are very special friends to us now and forever. They both did an amazing job hosting our wedding shower. When we finally do get pregnant I can't wait to have a baby shower... I know it will be perfect and a special moment for us. When that day comes I will document better the special details and loving touches that were put into the event. Now onto all the pictures, which is what you are all waiting for. Enjoy because after the pictures I thought that I would share a few Wedding Shower Ideas that I have with EVERYONE!

Now for some Wedding Shower Ideas and Tips

My favorite website to browse wedding ideas and tips:

Vintage Glam Weddings

It is a must stop by site!

I loved everything about my wedding, but I wish I would have known about this website back when I was planning my wedding. I LOVE the Alice in Wonderland Tea Party idea under the decor section. I might just have to keep that in mind for a little girls birthday party when I have kids. There are tons of categories on the site so what are you waiting for stop and check out this site!

Great Memories In Montana

I finished with the help of my sister Amie our photo book for the entire family to share for years to come. Please take a look and let me know what you think? I value your opinion and I hope that you love it just as much as I do.

Happy Tuesday!

Click here to view this photo book larger

Today on the Today Show

Now that I get the pleasure to watch the Today Show each morning I have a habit of saying to Chad when he gets home is Today on the Today Show. He just laughs at me. But I think that I have valuable information/news to share with him. Today I thought I would share with all of you my valuable news as my husband Chad is out of town enjoying the CA weather. He would love to live in CA, but that subject is for another post and another day. So here is my news:

5 Websites You Should Know About

1. SuperCook.com - The Super Cook way: open the fridge and pantry, type your ingredients into supercook.com, and out will come a wonderful recipe!

2. Academicearth.com - this website is the latest campus learning.

3. ShopGoodwill.com - like EBay, but not many people know about this site and it is filled with lots of treasures.

4. Tripit - Great for Travelers that have Flight, Car, and Hotel Reservations. Instead of printing out each reservation you can forward it to Tripit and the web site will do the rest for you. Everything is organized in one place! I like that idea :)

5. NameVoyager - is aimed at new mommies and daddies eager to give Junior a name to remember. The real fun is entering the names of your friends to see what their name reveals about them. FUN TIMES :)

Why do you Blog?

Why do you Blog? I blog for many reasons. At first I blogged for my family to be able to feel close to us and see what we are doing. And yes I still do this for my family, but I do have obstacles in life just as everyone else does and my obstacle at this current moment is infertility. So I do blog about our journey through infertility. We have been on this journey for 2 years and let me tell you it is not fun! I only can say that the one positive thing about infertility is that I am a stronger person. I still have moments of weakness, but I seem to get through those days with the help of PRAYING, MY HUSBAND, MY FAMILY, AND FRIENDS. If you are walking in the shoes of infertility I know how you are feeling and TWO things that have benefited me greatly this year are ONE this blog and TWO prayer and leaning on god's word. Without these two things I truly think that I would not continue on the path of trying to have a baby. I would give up as it is TOO difficult and PAINFUL! In case you are wondering we are still working on becoming parents we are just taking a break for the summer and really trying to enjoy life and what happens...happens. I also blog about Fashion, Decorating, Baking, and my FAVORITE subject MY FAMILY. I love my family and the special moments I have with each of them. One special moment I had a few weeks ago was a photo shoot with my family in Montana. It was great fun and is a memory I will never forget. I strongly believe that pictures are a lifetime of memories for my entire family to cherish. I am really blessed and happy that we were able to do this photo shoot in Montana. I especially feel this way now that I have recently loss my Grandpa Faraway. Pictures are a great way to look back at all the special moments I had with him and allow me to celebrate his life. So if I can tell anyone out there don't forget pictures are PRICELESS and you will always treasure all photos in your life...so go out there and take more pictures!

Here are a few memorable photos from our photo shoot in Montana.

If you have followed my blog for awhile you will also know that I love decorating and I love my home it is decorated just the way I want. My husband and I added this final touch to our Master Bedroom this past weekend...what do you think?

I also blog about our Sweet Bella and I just had to show you this photo. Bella relaxes with me every morning while I get ready for the day and I just loved this photo.

So why do you blog? I would love for everyone to leave me a comment and tell me why you blog so I can stop by your blog this week. Have a great week!

Powder Room and Drew Update

Awhile back I asked all my blog followers to give me there opinion on wallpapering our powder room or to not wallpaper our powder room. You can see that post here. Well we have completed the remodel or lets just say redecorating our powder room and I thought that I would share the end result with everyone. I hope you all like what we did and now for the reveal.

We painted the walls a dark gray color and wallpapered one accent wall with the Damask print and finally added red accents. I love how it turned out. What do you think?

DREW UPDATE:

Please continue to pray for Drew to get better. He went on a Nebulizer Machine yesterday and is still struggling with his breathing and keeping his medicine down. Amie and Drew are going to the Dr. again today to address her concerns and hopefully DR. D will give her a peace of mind that Drew is getting better. I hope that Drew gets better soon we don't like seeing him sick at such a young age. We love you Drew get better soon!

DREW CONCERNS

PLEASE KEEP MY SISTER'S BABY DREW IN YOUR PRAYERS FOR HEALING.

When Amie and her family arrived back home from Montana Drew and Aidan both were not feeling well. So Amie ended up taking Drew to the doctor and she was told Drew had an upper respiratory infection. After a week of being on antibiotics Drew was not getting any better so today she once again took Drew along with Aidan to the hospital. The boys doctor was concerned about Drew's breathing so they did an x-ray of his chest and thought that he might have an enlarged heart. So the x-rays were sent off to a specialist to review and praise the LORD Drew does not have an enlarged heart. Thank Goodness! I don't think I could have handled much more this week. Drew however is very sick and needs many prayers of HEALING he has bronchitis and pneumonia and this little guy is only 3 months old. Please stop by Amie's blog for updates. I pray that Drew's body heals and Amie is able to get some rest so she can stay strong for Drew and Aidan. We love you Amie and we hope Drew starts feeling better soon. His Auntie Lissa is sad that he is sick. SO he needs to get better soon! Big HUGS!

Thanks to all my friends and family for your prayers and thoughtful words during this difficult week. I love you all and appreciate your support!

Grandpa Faraway is in Heaven

Today my Grandpa went to Heaven. My heart is broken as I don't ever want anyone to die, but I know that he is rejoicing in heaven free from pain and fear. My heart goes to my Grandma who has been married to my wonderful Grandpa for 50 years and now she is sad and alone. My heart goes to my mom as I know that she is hurting because her dad is gone and she is trying to stay strong for her mom. But mom it is okay you need to grieve and cry... it is completely normal. We all need to remember those special moments with Grandpa and smile during this difficult days. I love you Grandpa, I love you Grandma, and I love you Mom!

Our prayers and thoughts go out to our entire family with love!

STRENGTH

There is one thing that I know for sure that throughout this year I have become a stronger person. The word that comes to mind is STRENGTH. I have developed STRENGTH in many areas of my life. I have developed STRENGTH, don't get me work there are still moments that I cry and have sad days, but overall I have developed STRENGTH to not let infertility run my life. I know that during the difficult days that my family has faced and is facing, especially my mom, with the sad news of our very ill Grandpa that I have had tremendous STRENGTH and understanding that this is God's plan. It isn't what we want, but since learning that Grandpa is in a lot of pain and not improving at all I know that he would not want to be living this way. Nor would he want his family members to see him this way. I know that it is sad for my mom, my grandma, my aunt, my uncles, and all the grandchildren to say goodbye, but we have to believe that this is God's plan and one day we will be with him again walking in heaven. It would be nice if we could all stop the clocks and turn back time as it would comfort us all knowing that he would be here for many more days, but we just can't. We have to have STRENGTH to know that it is okay and that one day we will all be together again in Heaven. As the end nears for Grandpa we know that there will be many tears as he is no longer with us and we will miss him terrible, but we have to hold on to the memories with him and look into the future of all the new memories we will create with him in Heaven. This I do know! I hope that everyone that is with Grandpa now helps create and cherish the memories they are making with him. I cherish every moment I have had with my Grandpa Faraway. He is a one of a kind man that always knows how to make me smile and laugh until my stomach hurts. I remember the summers that we would go and stay with them in Idaho and all the summer trips we took to Idaho, oh how I hated those windy roads through the mountains and the smelly sugar beet factory. But once we were there and we got use to the smell we always had a great time, weather it was hanging out at my grandparents home, on the Snake River, riding horses, or simply playing my Grandpa was always there by our side. In all my Grandpa has had STRENGTH to face many obstacles in his life. And this is one that is truly testing his STRENGTH and at the end of the day I do hope and pray that he can pull through and get stronger and fight the battle he is on, but if not that STRENGTH will be with him until the end. I hope that my family can have STRENGTH for the difficult days ahead and they will walk away with a little STRENGTH that grandpa has and live their life with his STRENGTH each and every day. I know that I have more STRENGTH than I have had in the past. Truly this is one thing that I am thankful for during my struggles of infertility that I have STRENGTH.

Broken Heart

Our family is facing difficult days ahead as we ultimately know that in a few days Grandpa Faraway will be gone and he will be free from pain and suffering. Currently Grandpa is comfortable with pain medicine and there is nothing more the doctor's can do for him. Please keep my family in your prayers as we all say our final good-byes. I will remember my Grandpa the most by always wanting to tickle me as a little girl, I think he secretly wanted to hear my laugh and see me smile. We love you Grandpa!

Sad Days

Overcoming sad days is difficult for anyone and today is a sad day for me as many sad things are taking place around me. First my Grandpa faraway (which is what we called him when we were little) is very sick and probably will not make it through the night. My Grandpa has fought cancer over the past few months and developed phenomena last month and is very weak from this illness. His oxygen levels are very low and he is at the max oxygen that the doctor's can give him. He is very upset and angry and my Grandma, Uncles, my Aunt, and my Mom are dealing with a lot of emotions. It is sad for them and for us to see my Grandpa hurting and right now there is nothing more the doctor's can do for him. My Mom and my sister Jessyca (with Marley) are heading to Idaho tonight and will hopefully get there before my Grandpa passes away. The doctor's say that he probably will not make it through the night, but he is a strong person and he has already fought many battles. I pray that my Grandpa finds strength to fight. I pray that my Mom and Jessyca arrive in Idaho safely. I pray that my Grandma is strong and brave to face the days ahead. I pray that my Mom is able to find peace and courage that this is God's plan. I only wish comfort and peace for my Grandpa. Chad, Bella, and I love you Grandpa and Grandma Faraway and we are sending ours prayers your way and big HUGS.

Second a sad event that took place today is the Rowe Family are having to say goodbye to their little girl Reese. I can't imagine how this family is feeling right now and the decision they have had to make over the past few days. Reese was born on August 11th, 2009 and has been fighting for her little life each day and today she is going to fly to Jesus. This family has been strongly on my mind over the past several days. If you would like to send your prayers to this sweet family you can go to the Rowe's blog and leave them a comment.

So today it has been a sad day and it feels as if a lot of events around me have been sad and I will continue to pray for peace for my family and the Rowe Family.

Please add My Family and the Rowe Family to your prayers! I appreciate your love and support.

Heavy on My Heart

I write in my blog to unload my thoughts and clear my mind and today is one of those days. My heart is heavy with lots of concerns. So instead of keeping them to myself or having a pity party for myself I thought that I would write about it and hope that it helps. Here it goes and I hope it clears my mind for awhile, but if not I will take just a few moments.

Last week when I was in Montana I attended Michael David Guelff's Funeral and since than my mind has been thinking about this family. I have known this family since I was in junior high. Steve Guelff was my one of my teachers and his son Michael who is 22 was killed in a car accident.

It was truly amazing to see all the people show their love in support for the Guelff Family, they had the service at the high school that Michael attended and many loving and caring people filled the gymnasium. I remembered Michael as a young boy and to see what he accomplished in his short life was truly amazing. I am deeply sad for his parents. Steve and Michelle are amazing people that don't deserve this at all. It makes me think about life and what is important. Over the past few years the only thing that was and is important to me was getting pregnant in fact I think about it every day. It is my life. Many of you might relate to my story and understand the pain of dealing with infertility and some of you can't and that is fine. But while I was sitting at the service with my sister Amie it made me realize that I could be gone one day and worrying day in and day out about getting pregnant is not the way I want to live my life. I want to enjoy each and every day and praise God for the life that he has given me. Because my life can be taken just as Michael's life was taken. Because I truly have an amazing life outside of this one obstacle. I have thought about my life and how am I going to step away from thinking about having a baby when that is the one thing that I want and I just cry because it is so hard to walk away. So what is a girl to do? Any advice out there? I could use some right about now before I go crazy. I not going to go crazy don't worry I just don't want to continue pondering over something that is not in my control. However I don't want my friends and family to think that the only thing that I have focused on is having a baby and I have not enjoyed my life. Truly I think that some of my friends and family would say this. I want to be remembered and thought of as Michael was during his life. So if I was gone tomorrow what would people think of me? What can I do differently in my life to enjoy it and be positive about what I have instead of what I don't have? So if you have any words of wisdom for me send it my way I could use all the support I can get. It is a hard because I know that there is a lot of hurt in this world. Not only are the Guelff family hurting but there are many more families hurting. Please pray for the Guelff family for healing and strength to get through these difficult days.

McKLinky Blog Hop Favorite Photo

Melissa's Favorite Photo

So as most of you already know I have a new niece that I just met last week in Montana. So here are a few of my favorite photos of Marley Willow who is my sister Jessyca's baby girl.

Marley and I

Sweet Marley sleeping while I dressed her up and took pictures

This little one is tired after all the photos her Auntie Lissa took

I hope you enjoyed a few of my favorite photos of my Sweet Marley Willow!

Have fun Blog Hopping!

WHAT IT IS ALL ABOUT...

The reason for our trip to Montana was because...

of this Amazing 3 Year Old - AIDAN

and this Precious 3 Month Old - DREW

and the NEWEST addition to our family - MARLEY

What a wonderful trip we had to Montana. Being with my family and being with my two nephews and my niece is a true blessing. I am thankful for their families for bring them into this world and allowing us to be apart of their lives. The one thing that I have learned over the past few months is that family is very important to me and I am sad that we don't live closer to Aidan, Drew, and Marley. I miss them so much! I wish I could see all their firsts and hear their amazing stories. Aidan is growing up so much and the little things that come out of his mouth are priceless. Aidan makes me laugh and smile all the time! I loved when Drew would smile at me when I talked to him. It truly melted my heart. I also loved playing dress up with Marley and taking tons of photos of this new bundle of joy! Marley is going to be a gentle and sweet little girl. I will be so blessed to see them soon! I am ready trying to figure out when I can see them all again. In closing to my amazing sisters thank you for the wonderful trip and having amazing kids!

We love you and miss you already!

Look What We Did In Montana

Our trip to Montana was VERY special as it was the first time all the SISTERS have been together in two years. So what do girls and their mom do we get together and take lots of pictures. However we did have a special new friend take the photos for us and she was AMAZING! If you are in Montana and need a fun photo session taken I highly recommend working with Jaymee Foster Photography. So take a moment to look at some of the photos that she took and I will spend a few days this week sharing more memories during our trip to Montana. Have a WONDERFUL week!

All About Drew

Today I spent a lot of time helping Amie with Drew and I just loved every minute of bouncing him or holding him tight. He is just a great bundle of joy! He can be fussy at times, but I truly love when he smiles at you when you talk to him. Boys are just great and he is one of my favorite boys! Here are just a few pictures that I have taken of Drew!

Enjoy and Happy Wednesday My Friends!

Memories in Montana

I have received some great comments and some new followers over the past few weeks and I just want to let all my old and new followers that I enjoyed and appreciated the comments so much! I am currently on vacation and I DO plan on stopping by all my new followers blogs and learning more about you. But all this will have to wait until I get back to NWA. For now I am going to enjoy my time with my family in Montana!

Touchdown We Are In Montana

Sunday afternoon was spent getting ready for our trip to Montana. I was feeling a bit overwhelmed as I normally have things put together and ready to go at least a few days in advance. However this was not the case as we have had a busy weekend. Don't get me wrong I really enjoy staying busy but it would have been nice to feel a bit more ready to go. I have tons to do and I might just have to do a few things in Montana like pay bills and work just a little bit. I didn't quite get everything I wanted completed last night while we were in the hotel. I should have stayed up and worked. The bed was uncomfortable and I kept waking up to see what time it was. At 2AM I remember waking up every 10 minutes checking the clock. Silly me. I just did not want to miss our flight. Anyways we are currently sitting in the plane getting ready to touch down in Denver. Yeah one more flight and we will be in Montana. Before leaving for Tulsa yesterday our dog Bella was picked up by her sitter and it was so sad she was so happy and excited to see Bella and she was ready to go. BTW our dog sitter name is Bella. Our Bella was not even interested in seeing me or saying good-bye. If you have been around Bella and I you know that Bella does not go any where without me. She is my little shadow. It does make me extremely happy that Bella loves her sitter so much. I think she is spoiled at their home. So all in all things are going great on our journey to Montana. I can't wait to see my family. Chad and I are now on the plane to Montana. We have about 45 minutes remaining and we will be in Billings, Montana. I really enjoy being home and seeing family and friends. When we are home we always make a point to see our wonderful friends Katie and Kris Cummings. However for this trip they will not be home so we are sad that we will miss them. I am excited for today as we get to meet Miss Marley Willow for the first time and see Jessyca as a mommy how exciting. We also get to see Meahgen. Meahgen lives in Hawaii and we have not seen her in two years. We are also excited to see the Hansen Family as I miss them so much. As I get older and spend time with Amie's family it is amazing how much I miss seeing her and her boys. I wish that we all lived closer and could have lots of weekend visits. We also get the pleasure to see my mom. I am looking forward to spending time with her and putting lots of smiles on her face. She has had a tough few weeks. Her dad is very sick and is in the hospital and she had to make the choice this past weekend to either go to Idaho and see him or stay in Montana. Well she decided to stay in MT to be with her girls. What a hard decision for her. I just hope she has peace and faith that she made the right decision. Next week she is planning a visit to Idaho so if you could keep my grandpa in your thoughts and prayers as he fights phenomena. Tonight we are having a special birthday celebration for my mom who just turned 50 in June and my sister and I just turned 30, as you all know. I have some very special gifts for them. I can't wait for them to open them. It should be a wonderful time as we will get a chance to see my grandpa Jake, my dad, and a few cousins. We will have tons of pictures this week of our time in Montana. Don't be too jealous that we are in Montana taking in the beautiful landscape and Big Sky. Chad and I are excited to spend some time together before he spends the remaining month of August traveling.

Happy August My Friends.

Melissa's 30th Birthday Party = Fun!

I would like to let everyone know that I have the BEST husband! He threw me a 30th Birthday Party on Saturday evening. He did everything on his own and I was so proud of him! He had the food catered in by our neighbors Mom and it was amazing! Thanks Jay and Carlos for helping Chad! He ordered a cake from Shelby Lynn and it was Chocolate and Red Velvet my two favorite and it was one of the best cakes I have had in a long time. I think everyone loved it because at the end of the evening there was not much left. Thanks to our friend Kim Fisher for helping Chad get all the special "30" decorations. We really did not need them, but I guess it works so I can remember this special day years from now! I enjoyed the evening by catching up with new and old friends. All the girls got together and played cards, while the boys went out in the backyard and enjoyed a few games of corn hole. I have some of the most amazing friends that took time out of their lives and away from their children or dogs to spend the evening with me. You don't know how much it means to me that you would do this for me. I was given some wonderful gifts and I will treasure them always. Thanks girls for knowing me and getting me the perfect gifts. Tiffany got me a set of blue/green earrings and a beautiful necklace that I plan to wear when I am in Montana. Ashley got me a wonderful clutch purse and leaf necklace...I just LOVE IT! We will have to do a dinner date so I can use it! Kim got a necklace and bracelet that is very special time me as it is a reminder to continue to have Faith...thanks Kim for the thoughtful gift. Plus I got a great card from little Kendall and Kelsey(Kim and Brad's girls) that has a beautiful picture of Kendall and I holding hands. I love pictures from kids! Kelly got me a great cocktail ring and a gift card from Perfect Choice... love it and it is the PERFECT gift for me. Shelly got me a bottle of red wine, which I can't wait to try. Kendall got me a gift card to Francisca's, which is my new favorite store...we will have to go shopping together. Amy and Alex got me a gift card to Perfect Choice... I already know what I want thanks Amy and Alex. I got one final gift from Chad and it was a brown Tano bag from Perfect Choice. Yes you can all say it... HE does spoil me and I secretly love it... don't tell him! I ended the evening cleaning up and getting our house back together as we have our trip coming up to Montana. A special THANK YOU to Brad and Chad for helping clean up after the party. I hope you enjoy all the special photos from the party as much as I do. Thanks again to my AMAZING husband Chad!

I have one more birthday party in Montana! Yeah we will be in Montana tomorrow! I can't wait to see ALL my family! Montana here we come!