Just for laughs

This is what Holly does for hours at a time sometimes.... Needless to say it scared us the first few times. We thought maybe she would fall out and plunge to her death, which we figured was sure for a 3 lb dog that would fall a full story. But she never creeps out any farther than this. She will sit and watch everyone walk by, bark at the mailman, watch the neighbors have their carpet cleaned etc hehe. It's her outlet to the world :)

A Tahoe Birthday

I've been missing my sisters. The fact that they live 6 hours away means I don't get to see them as often as I'd like. But for my birthday I got my wish of a sister weekend snowboarding in Tahoe!! It was FABULOUS. It snowed every day. One day we got a foot during the 8 hours we were on the mountain; so much powder! I may never enjoy Big Bear again after this trip...

Merry Christmas!

Almost definitely my favorite time of year. Can't wait till Wednesday when we make the drive up to NorCal for Christmas festivities with family. I doubt I will post while we're up there so Merry Christmas to all and to all a good night! ;) May you all have a wonderful day celebrating the birth of our Lord. xoxo

Christmas tree 2009 and little Holly, our early Christmas present, under the tree hehe

Chase Ryan

Welcome to the world Chase Ryan Clarke! It's crazy to remember Kaylee this small and to watch how fast they grow up! Congratulations to our dear friends Daniel and Kristin - we love you guys!

Big sister time

Cherry Wedding

A few weeks ago my college roommate and dear friend Rebekah Burbage married the perfect guy for her. I was blessed to interpret the wedding and get a front row seat to the nuptials. Congrats to Luke and the new Mrs. Cherry! The Lord is going to do wonderful things in your life together. xoxo

A new addition

A couple months ago we decided to take the plunge into parenthood - with a puppy. Okay fine maybe it's more like a dip. into a puddle. But it has satisfied my need for something to mother for now while Matt works on his doctorate. She is absolutely adorable and keeps us laughing and on our toes. She weighs in at exactly 3 lbs, the perfect size for our little condo. The best part? She's an excellent snuggler - her and I have fallen asleep many a night on the couch while Matt works tirelessly in the office on his homework.

Holly on her first day home :)

Knee Update

For all of you who are curious as to what has happened with problems with my knee in the past months...

The injections that started with the appearance on The Doctors lasted for 6 weeks but were, in the end, unsuccessful. After more physical therapy and no improvement my doctor wanted to go in and take a look. June 30th I had arthroscopic surgery that discovered all the problems! I had a 20% tear in my ACL that had resulted in a blood clot lodging in the area, damaged cartilage behind my knee cap, and an inflamed gland (the ones that produce joint fluid - I forget the name). My doctor was able to remove the blood clot, shave off the crummy cartilage and remove the problematic gland. My ACL is still stable, slightly less so that my right, but nothing that should be a big problem.

Now, after 4 more months of physical therapy - I'm FREE!!!!! I have been discharged and am seeing a huge difference as I am able to get back to my normal routine and the things I enjoy. Matt and I went hiking last weekend, which was somewhat short lived as I still have to build up the knee muscles - but it was so nice to even be out there!

Thank you all for all your prayers and support. It's good to be back to the active world :)