Go! Orange! Go Big Blue! Fight! Fight! BSU!!!!

So, I am totally pumped! Nic and I are heading to the beautiful Oregon coast with Melanie and TJ to see our boys' in action! Yeah, it's not until September, but I'm already planning. We're going to make a whole weekend of it. We'll probably head out Thursday evening and be there through Sunday. Rent a town-house and just have a blast. Plus, it's Nic's birthday (game day-Sept 20th) so that will make the trip even more special. Nic said he may be torn since we're returning to his home town and he may have the urge to root for the Ducks, but he'll be traveling with three hard-core BSU fans that will be sure to keep him in line! :) The gates to the stadium open 3 hours before the game and the gates to game open 90 mins before the game. The section we will be in is general admission so we want to make sure to get there and get a good seat. Here is a picture of the (rough) view from our seats:

So Cute!

As you are all know, Nic and I do not have kids and it has been very difficult for us to get pregnant. With that said, when my BFF Melanie had her little girl Allison (Allie Mac) her husband told me and Nic that they wanted us to play an active role in her life. Kind'a like her god-parents. Nic and I of course said yes and have been there ever since.

Well, last month it was snowing like crazy in Idaho. One night, Nic and I decided to take advantage of the snow and go sledding and we thought we would invite Melanie and her husband TJ and Allison to come with us. Melanie had to work and TJ wasn't sure if Allison would like it. We told him that she would especially if she enjoyed being spun around in a laundry basket (another funny story). We told him that we would be there to pick her up at 8:30. We went to pick her up and TJ said Melanie was getting off work early and for us to wait because "I'm sure she'd love to go." Melanie gets home and the four of us head to Camel's Back park which has a huge hill (TJ had to stay home and watch his niece and nephew).

We get to the park and we give Melanie the deserved privledge of riding down the hill first with Allison (this was little Allie's first time sledding). The whole way down she was giggling (we only went up probably 1/4 of the hill-we didn't want to scare her), she had the time of her life! She got a couple of good runs in before we got kicked out of the park (it's illegal for you to be in the park after dark).

Well, fast forward to today. It was another beautiful snowy day in Idaho and I had a message from Melanie. She said that Allison wanted to ask me something, but the only thing I could make out was her saying "please." I call Melanie and she tells me that TJ told Allison it was snowing and asked her if she wanted to go play outside, to which she replied "Nic. . . .Elaine. . . sledding." Oh my goodness, how cute is that? Just totally melted my heart. Obviously, she had a pretty good time. If the snow keeps up, we're taking her again tomorrow. That little girl, she is too cute! I can't wait to have kids.

p.s.-do you like that picture of her? Yeah, I took it :)

Meow, Meow, Meow, Mewo. . . Part III

I am sad to report that kitten #1 aka Small Fry did not make it. Nic found it outside the mother's nest dead. When we went to bed last night, everything was perfectly fine. Ebony was loving on both of the kittens and being a good little mommy.

Nic called the vet to see what could have happened and a humane way to dispose of the body. She told us that sometimes if the momma cat feels that one of their kittens is struggling they just remove them from their nest and let them die, though they are perfectly able to survive if they were to be bottle fed. We asked her if there are any risks with the second kitten (if she will neglect it) and she said it will be fine.

The funny thing with Small Fry dying, after Nic put it in a little box Ebony seemed to go wandering every where like she was looking for it or for something. It was kind of sad. Maybe we will name kitten #2 Survivor. . . we will see.

Meow, Meow, Meow, Meow. . .Part II

Well, as I posted yesterday morning Ebony gave birth to an adorable kitten. I was worried that she may neglect her small kitten so yesterday morning Nic called our vet (The Cat Doctor) to see what we would need to look out for and when he told them that she only gave birth to one kitten they said they wanted to see her because it's highly unusual that they only give birth to one. So, yesterday after work I met Nic at the vet's and she said that thought Ebony had another kitten but that she wanted to take an x-ray just to make sure. Wouldn't you know it, there was another kitten and it was about twice the size of the first one.

The vet explained to us that sometimes it can take 12-24 hours between births of kittens, epecially with their first litter. I asked her a million questions: How difficult is it going to be for her? Are there any risks of her dying? Can the kitten die if she doesn't give birth? The vet advised that if Ebony were to start going into labor and she didn't deliver in 30 mins we would need to rush her to the animal hospital because there could be a potential for her baby to die. She said that they could do a C-section, but it would be high risk. After weighing out the options and figuring that she should give birth by 8 pm we opted to take her home and monitor her. Well, by 4:15 am she still hadn't given birth (and yes I was up that whole time), and the funny thing she wasn't under kind of stress. She seemed perfectly fine.

We called the vet again this morning and she said that since she hadn't given birth we need to get her in for an emergency C-section because the longer we wait the bigger the kitten will continue to get and it would be even harder for her to deliver. So, by this afternoon Ebony was the proud mommy of two kittens. The first one, all black and the second one is black with white around her eyes and mouth-it's very cute and easily two times bigger then kitten #1.

Ebony is doing even better as a mommy now that kitten #2 is out. She gives them all of the love and attention that they need. Pooka, Sage and Ivory are all still doing fine. Ivory keeps snooping around Ebony's nest though almost like he wants to see his kids-it's kind'a cute. So now, we are the proud owners of six cats but two will be adopted out.

In a couple of weeks we will post a picture of the new additions to the Ward clan. Stay tuned. :)

Meow, Meow, Meow, Meow. . .Part I

So, for those of you that don't know: Nic and I have four cats. No, I"m not some crazy cat lady and when truth be told the fact that we have four cats is really Nic's fault. Our friends owned a trailor when I stray had wandered in and gave birth. There was one adorable kitten that I begged my husband to let me take home but he wouldn't budge. Well, to my surprise a couple of days later he came home with not one kitten but two. A brother and sister that he said were too close to separate. They were black and white so Nic affectionately called them Ebony (the girl) and Ivory (the boy).

Well, in her first heat Ivory was stalking Ebony like no other. When we were home we tried our best to keep them separate, but she was free game when we went to work. Nic and I had the gut feeling that she was pregnant but we werent' sure. She started getting bigger but Nic said she was just eating more. Last night we came home from the gym and it was confirmed: Ebony had given birth to one kitten. So Ivory became a father and uncle all in one shot. Nic had previously spoken to our vet and she said that there is a high possibility that Ebony and Ivory may not even be full blood brothers and sisters. Did you know that a cat in heat can have multiple fathers in her litter?! Crazy, huh? She's only given birth to one but with their first litter it can take at least up to 12 hours for delivery between kittens. So we will see what happens.

Now we have to wait for the kitten to develope more to see if there are any birth defects. Ebony seems to be adjusting fine to being a new mom she just seems distracted when Nic and I are in the room (she loves cuddling) but she seems nervous. Pooka, Sage and Ivory are adjusting well too. They just keep poking around wondering what is making that noise. We will see what happens in the next couple of days.

I've been tagged!

Never done this before, but here it goes....
What is his name? Nicolas, aka Nic aka Nickel aka The Hubby

How long did you date? 2 1/2 years. . .I know, not your typical dating length in Mormon culture

How old is he? 28
How old are you? 26, almost 27-YIKES!

Who eats more sweets? It's a tough call, but I think Nic does (he has a candy stash at work)

Who said I love you first? He did, as he shut my car door when I was leaving his house

Who is taller? He is, but not by much

Who can sing better? He can

Who is smarter? Tie-we are both knowledgable about different things

Who does the laundry? 50/50

Who does the dishes? 80/20-Nic does them more than I do. I know, I'm spoiled

His guilty pleasure? me! :) Just kidding, I don't know, probably 4 wheeling

Who sleeps on the right side of the bed? I do

Who mows the lawn? he does

Who cooks dinner? I do, but Nic cooks every now and then as well.

Who is more stubborn? me, but I've gotten better. I'm not nearly as bad as I used to be-seriously

Who kissed who first? he did

Who asked who out first? he did

Who proposed? He did at the Train Depo in Boise. It was very romantic and he had a resturant make my favorite dish for me, even though it wasn't on the menu

Who has more siblings? He does with 6 and I only have 3

Who wears the pants? depends on the day, but I think we share them equally

What is your favorite thing about him? He loves me more than I ever could have imagined. He is my strength and my support. With him I feel as if I can do anything, that nothing is out of my reach. I can't wait to see him as the father of our children!

The Day of Love-and the mushiness that comes with it

Well, Nic did it again. He totally surprised me! We celebrated Valentine's Day on Monday with some friends of ours to avoid the holiday rush and he had given me presents then (a beautiful jewelry box and two dvd's: To Kill a Mocking Bird-my all time favorite book-and The Game Plan), so I really wasn't expecting anything today. To my great surprise upon getting home from work and getting ready to hit the gym I found this on my bed. I LOVED all of it! The flowers were done by the best florist in town, my bff Emily but Nic did inform me that he did pick the vase and the flowers himself. :) My dear hubby, he never lets me down. He actually got his gift last month when I bought me a really nice iPod nano but I'll have to think of something to do for him. . . maybe I'll give him a "heart attack" like I did when we were dating. That was way fun. When we were dating, I drove out to his parents house (about 45 mins outside of Boise) and plastered his room with hearts that I cut out-all kinds of sizes and then I spread Hersey kisses across his room. . .it was fun! Oh, the memories of this wonderful Holiday.

You would think after celebrating this holiday for six years (two of which we were dating) together, that I would have learned that Nic never disappoints. I'm so grateful for a loving husband and the support and encouragement that he gives me. With him by my side I feel that I can do anything, which is how love and marriage should be. It breaks my heart when I hear of people getting divorced and spouses cheating. Love is an ACTION, not just a feeling. Love takes work. Never stop loving. Never stop working.

To Sum it Up

We know that we haven't talked to some of you guys in a really long time, so we decided to sum up our last three years.

Got married in Oakland, CA on January 8, 2005 (Elvis' birthday). I was a store manager of a retail chain and Nic was running the lab for a local dentist and finishing school. After about 7 months of marriage, I decided that because of my schedule I wasn't able to see Nic as much as a new wife would like, so we made the decision for me to get a new job. Within a weeks' time I applied for a job as a casemanager/paralegal for a local firm and was hired (a true blessing from the Lord).

Nic graduated school last May (yeah!!) with a degree in Biology. The original plan was for us to go to dental school, but that didn't work out. Instead, he has been keeping himself busy with the growth of the lab. The dentist tells him that in the next few months his life is going to get even busier and we can't wait. The lab has been like Nic's baby, he's been there from the very beginning and has enjoyed the growth that he has seen.

I quit my job in Novemeber and started working for an other (smaller) law firm in December. In June/July the lead paralegal will be leaving and I will be taking her spot. I'm very excited. With the new firm, I'm learning a lot more things (litigation, negotiating, etc) that will make me more marketable in the future (should I decide to leave). I was grateful to the other firm for hiring me on with no legal experience, but it was just time for me to move on.

Nic and I are finally set in our careers and have decided that it is time to buy a house of our very own. We're hoping (as long as everything goes according to plan) to have a house by April. No kids yet, but we are hoping some time in the near future. Nic will make an excellent father (I love watching him interact with nieces and nephews and friends' kids).

So, that's our life with the fast foward button. Did I leave something out? I'm sure I did. Maybe I'll catch it on the flip side. Adios!!!

NKOTB to return?

That's right y'all. New Kids on The Block are making their return and Elaine is totally there! There hasn't been any news as to when they will be releasing their new CD or if they will even go on tour but none the less I'm pumped!.

I missed seeing them in tour back in the day, so I'll be dang sure to find the closet venue and drag the hubby with me! I can't wait-but I'm sure Nic is thinking What did I get myself into, marrying this crazy boy-band lover? I'm just special :)

The New Year

Well, so many of our friends have gotten into the blog thing so Nic and I decided to give it a try. I'm totally a MYSPACE freak and I update my blog there, so I decided to go mainstream. :) We've had a blog for at least two years, but it's just been for our Christmas letter. I make no promises as to how frequently this will be updated, but I will try my hardest.

So, here's to 2008 (a little late)! Let's all make it a great year.