Insta Friday & Orange October

The past 2 weeks have been crazy busy being back to school.

But, we are still having fun. 

Here is a snapshot of the past few weeks:

We are about 5 years late to the party, but we finally have iPhones. 

How did I live without it before?!?!

I am having way too much fun asking Siri things. Hysterical.

Cousin Love:

I can't stop eating Caramel Candy Corn. Addicted.

I have been so unproductive the past 2 weeks because of being back to school and  all the playoff Baseball that we have been watching. It's ORANGE OCTOBER!  Let's go Giants!

 My sweet friend Kara Noel of Eli's Lids sent Luke one of her lids. So cute! Thank you!!

 Gas Prices in California. FAIL.

 My sister Elyse got tickets to the Giants NLCS game on Sunday & she invited me to go!

It was a beautiful day in San Francisco! We got coffee at the Ferry Building:

And then walked along the water to the staduim:

Thank you Kevin for holding down the fort & watching all 3 kids so I could go to the game! 

I love AT & T Park, it's beautiful!

 Waving those rally rags!

ORANGE OCTOBER!

 How cute is this Giants Wine Barrel?

We had awesome seats! Between home base & the Giants dug out:
I used the panoramic camera feature on the iPhone to get a picture of the whole stadium:

We lost, but it was still fun.

One of my favorite fall treats is Pumpkin Ice Cream. My favorite thing to add to it is chocoloate chips, pecans & caramel sauce. Oh Em Gee. So good. 

 My ridiculously talented friend Heather, throws awesome parties. Last year, she threw a Baking party for her daughter's birthday & asked me to photograph the party.

Parenting magazine emailed me a few months ago saying they were going to feature her party & asked for permission to use my photos. Isn't that fun?  

It just came out in the November Issue of Parenting Magazine. I bought a copy yesterday! Congrats, Heather! You can also see it online HERE.

 This week is conference week for our schools which means longer days for me. 

My secret stash of Sour Patch Kids (leftover from Claire's Candy Shoppe Party) is getting me through the longer days.

Hope you had a great week!
So happy the weekend is almost here, can't wait to cheer on the Giants tonight!
Beat the Cardinals!

Remembering.

Today, October 15th is National Day of Remembrance for Pregnancy and Infant loss. This includes all babies who have died because of miscarriage, stillbirth, SIDS, or any other infant death.

I have shared my story of loss before and I will continue to share it every October 15th because it is a reminder to me (and hopefully others) about God's love & faithfulness.

It reminds me that God has a plan for my life (and yours!) and that HIS plan is better than my plan - Always.

I had 2 miscarriages before I had Kate. Ectopic Pregnancy at 6 weeks on October 22, 2002 (due date June 23, 2003) Miscarriage at 10 weeks D&C on October 25, 2005 (due date May 26, 2006) I still think about them & wonder.
Were they a boy or a girl?
(I have a gut feeling/instinct they were both boys)
I could have a 9.5 year old and a 6.5 year old.

But then I wouldn't have my Kate, Claire or Luke.
 
God has a plan. His timing is perfect. Trust in Him.
This is what would remind myself during my saddest days.
In the process of having miscarriages & sharing about them, I have met many, many women who have lost their sons and daughters. I have friends, family & co workers who have had miscarriages. I have several friends who have lost their babies at full term, days & months after having them. I can't imagine the pain they have suffered.
The Lord has broken my heart for families who have to endured these types of losses. I don't fully know the pain these families have gone through, but I have felt a small fraction of it. This is one of the reasons I felt called me to become a volunteer photographer for Now I Lay Me Down To Sleep 2 years ago. I cannot take away the pain of someone's loss, but I can give them something to remember their child by. You can read about my journey to become a volunteer with them HERE. For those of you who are new to my blog, here is my story of loss:
(I post this every October 15th) Kevin and I got married on August 24, 2002. We wanted to wait 3-4 years to have kids. I was on the pill and took it religiously at the same time every day. Imagine my surprise when I found out I was pregnant 2 months after we got married. We had always wanted kids, just not so soon after getting married. I went to the doctor & they gave me a due date of June 23, 2003. I was FREAKING out & couldn't believe I was pregnant. This pregnancy was our "honeymoon baby". Apparently I got pregnant on our honeymoon. Unfortunately, a few days after I found out I was pregnant in October of 2002, I woke up to an intense pain on my left side & when I went to the bathroom I was massively bleeding & then I passed out. Kevin rushed in and woke me up & we rushed to my doctor & after some tests, he informed me that I was having an ectopic pregnancy & that I had to go immediately to the hospital for emergency surgery because the condition was life threatening for me. So, that Tuesday night in late October, I was rushed to the hospital for surgery. Luckily, I have one of the best doctors in the area & he was able to save my left fallopian tube (it was already starting to rupture). I am glad that I was unaware of how serious ectopic pregnancies can be. I didn't realize I could have died if my tube ruptured. Even though my doctor saved my fallopian tube (and my life!), I always wondered how this would effect my ability to get pregnant & have kids. One of my biggest dreams was to be a mommy & for the next few years I wondered if that would ever happen. 
  Fast forward to the summer of 2005.  
This is when we decided to start "trying". We got lucky & I got pregnant the 2nd month after we started trying. I was due May 26, 2006. Kevin and I were thrilled. I couldn't wait to have a baby & be a mommy. I was relieved that the ectopic pregnancy didn't effect my ability to get pregnant. As soon as I found out I was pregnant, I went in for blood work to make sure my numbers were doubling. My dr called and told me my progesterone was low & I needed to be on progesterone suppositories 2 times a day. Let me tell, you , those are NOT fun. Nasty. 
My pregnancy was progressing, at 6 weeks the nausea hit big time & I was throwing up 2-3 times a day. I was miserable, but it was worth it. We had our first ultrasound at almost 6 weeks to make sure the baby was in my uterus and not my tube. The baby was in my uterus & I scheduled another appt at 8 weeks for the heartbeat check. The 8 week ultra sound was no so great. There was a heart beat, but it was very low & took my doctor a long time to find it. He said I needed to come back in a week for another heartbeat check. At that appointment, there was still a slow heartbeat, but the baby was not growing on track & was only measuring 7 weeks. My doctor warned us not to be too optimistic, but I still had really bad morning sickness and was getting sick a few times a day. I thought that was a good sign. I had to go in again at 10 weeks for another heartbeat & growth check. At the 10 week appointment, the heart had stopped beating. 
We had lost the baby & my doctor scheduled me in for a D&C that night. 
It was a Tuesday night in late October, just like 3 years before.  
As I walked into the hospital for surgery, I felt like I was on Groundhog Day. Another surgery to remove another baby from my body that didn't make it. After my D&C, I was going through the motions of life. We were told to wait 3 cycles before we could try again so that my body could heal. Those were 3 very long, hard & dark months for me. I was numb. My 2nd miscarriage hit me so much harder than my first one. I was mad at God for taking this baby from us. It took me about 6 months to process it.
 During that time, I had a lot of support from family & friends and for that, I am thankful.  
I am thankful to my awesome & supportive husband who would hold me as I cried many nights mourning our loss wondering if I would ever have a baby. I would cry myself to sleep whenever a friend told me they were pregnant. I was truly happy for them, but SO sad for me. It was just another reminder of what I didn't have. I am thankful to our pastor who helped me process some of my feelings & emotions during the months after our loss. 
  I am thankful to my mom who encouraged me during this time & gave me hope (she had 4 losses in between me & my younger sister including an ectopic & a placenta separation at 21 weeks).  
I am thankful for my best friend AK. She had 2 miscarriages around the same time I did. I was able to call her & cry with someone who was going through the same thing I was. She understood my pain. 
  I am thankful to my dear friend Lorie who had suffered 2 losses. She shared her prayer journal with me & held me up in prayer when I was too sad to pray for myself. After we good the go ahead to start trying again, it took us 3 months and we got pregnant in May of 2006. We found out on Kevin's 31st birthday, (a week before my "due date" with my 2nd miscarriage) We were excited, but I was really nervous about having another miscarriage. I was a stress case & paranoid my entire pregnancy. On January 23, 2007 , I gave birth to our beautiful Katelyn Grace.
It was a moment I will never forget & an emotion I can't put into words.One of my favorite pictures EVER (30 seconds after Kate was born)

I was reminded again at the miracle of life when Claire was born 4 years ago and when Luke was born in August.

God has a plan. His timing is perfect. Trust in Him.
My kids are a reminder of that truth.
I never thought I would say this, but part of me is grateful I have been through miscarriages because it has given me compassion & a heart for those who have also suffered losses. My miscarriages caused me to cling to God & put my faith, hope & trust in HIM instead of myself.It drew me closer to Christ as I clung to Psalm 20:4: "May He give you the desires of your heart and make your plans succeed."God was faithful to me even though many times, I have been unfaithful to Him. I am thankful to God who carried me through a dark time & showed me that He was there for me & He did have a plan for me & that HIS timing is better than my timing.Because of this, when I hear of others who have suffered a loss, I mourn with them. I pray for them, I listen, I cry with them. My heart breaks with them.I can't make them feel better or make their pain go away, but I can make it less lonely.I have learned a compassion that only comes by walking in those shoes.I was reminded again & again that God has a purpose & a plan even when I don't understand.  
If you are/have struggled through Infertility/Loss/Adoption then you might be interested in this event called Choose Joy that will be on February 9th in Southern California. My friend Julie is one of the speakers, so I know it will be an amazing & encouraging time.

{Click the button to find out more}

 What I have learned through my journey is that I was NOT alone during a time where I felt so alone and when it seemed like EVERYONE around me was pregnant, except me. God was there, carrying me through this tough time.
 
I discovered that intercessory prayer is powerful. To have people praying for you when you don't have the words to pray yourself is humbling.
If you have lost a baby through miscarriage or infant death, I want to pray for you on this day of remembrance.
So, if you are one of those women, will you please leave a comment on this post and tell me your name so that I can be praying for you?
If you are someone struggling with infertility, I want to pray for you.
If you are waiting to adopt, you will also be lifted up in prayer.
If you want, you can include the nature of your loss, and the child's names so that we can pray for you. If you want to leave an anonymous comment, you can do that also. If you haven't lost a child, will you join me in praying for those who have?

T.G.I.F. {Thank Goodness It's Fall}

TGIF.

The F has a few meanings.

Thank Goodness It's FRIDAY

(I survived my first week back at school, but I am EXHAUSTED!!!)

and 

Thank Goodness it's FALL.  

FINALLY!! 

We have been having some cray cray "Fall" weather here in California.

Last week on October 1 & 2 it was 102 degrees. You read that right. 102 degrees. 

We swam. In October. Not Okay.

You see, I am obsessed with Fall. It's my favorite. But when it's 100 degrees out in the Fall? Not a fan.

I want boots, sweaters & scarves. Not swimsuits. (Especially 2 months post partum. Yikes.)

I normally put out all my Fall things on October 1st. 

October 1st is one of my favorite days of the year. 

October is my favorite month, so to celebrate it's arrival, I normally decorate on October 1st, and bake my first batch of pumpkin bread to celebrate the arrival of October.

But, this year on October 1st it was 102. It was way too hot to make pumpkin bread.

So, instead we picked all the pumpkins from our garden! Last year we only got 2 pumpkins, but this year we got 8!

The girls were so excited about the pumpkins from our garden.

So glad I didn't have to buy pumpkins this year, all the ones on the porch are straight from the garden!

I have a sprinkling of Fall decorations that I put up around the house.

I also love the flavors of Fall....like Pumpkin Ale.

These are the BEST Flavor of Candy Corn. Go buy some now.

Even though Pumpkin is my favorite Fall flavor, Apple is a close second. Especially Apple Cider & Honey Crisp Apples!

My girls have a love of pumpkin also. While we at Target, Kate wanted to buy as many Pumpkin foods that we could find. Here is what we got:

The Pumpkin Eggo waffles are AMAZING! And, I LOVE Pumpkin Ice Cream. I top it with chocolate chips & pecans. YUM.

Yesterday was our first chilly day this Fall. It even rained for a few minutes! LOVE. I lit my pumpkin candle for the first time this season.

When it's rainy & overcast outside, I have an instinct to bake. Keri and Richelle both posted pictures of Pumpkin  Snickerdoodles, and I knew I had to make them for our Small Group.

They were delicious!
Speaking of delicious....be sure and check out the Crock-tober post! So many yummy Crock Pot recipes have been linked up. I made my meal plan for the next 2 weeks & am going to be trying out several recipes that were linked up! Can't wait!
You can add your recipes until October 18th, so feel free to link up if you haven't already. 

Today was a chilly day & I busted out my UGGS.
And, look....a single leaf has fallen in our yard. (Fall in California...watch out! ha!)
Fall is officially here & I couldn't be happier!
It's Friday Night Pizza Night which I plan on enjoying with a Pumpkin Ale and then going to bed early because this mama is exhausted! It's 6 o'clock & I am already in my jammies.
Happy Fall to you & Happy, Happy, Friday!