O Little Town of Boerne........

After this past weekend, I am even more into the Holidays and in the Christmas spirit. I just love this time of year and I love that it has been really cold lately.

Tyler and I went to Boerne with Matt and Dana and some of Dana's work friends. It was so cold! (You can tell from the pictures). After getting our hot chocolate we were able to watch the parade and keep warm for the most part. Dana & I were able to handle it, and even Rylan!

Matt & Ty on the other hand were a little wimpy and couldn't handle it.....



The Brave Ones......



And some of the dancers and floats...




This was so much fun and I think I will be doing this every December!

Thanksgiving Break

Here is a picture of us Thanksgiving afternoon....



And the cutest little turkey .....




We had a great Thanksgiving break. We hope you did too! We were in San Antonio with Tyler's family. We were stuffed full of yummy food and then saw the "Blind Side". Very good movie and totally uplifting. Watching this movie makes me feel like I need to do more good things for other people. If you have not seen it, go see it!

Now onto Christmas and I am so excited!!! This is my favorite time of the year.

New Moon

I went to the midnight showing opening night of New Moon with some friends. It was so much fun. I was so worried about being tired at work the next day, but it was so worth it. I was like a little girl all over again! I actually got butterflies when the movie started.

I am an Edward fan... I have to admit though, I think Jake is great too.... and great looking. ;-) They all are. (Even Tyler. Haha). Something about Edward that has me hooked on him.

There was a New Moon Party and Morgan made this cake in honor of Bella. It turned out cute!



We got in line at 10:00 pm and the line was wrapped around the hallway. It was insane. You can barely see my head.



And here is some of us waiting!!!



I just started reading Eclipse. I haven't read the 3rd or 4th book yet, so I am excited to read these books. So far, I am loving Eclipse.

Almost There!!

Tyler met with his school counselor yesterday. He has 9 more classes to go before he graduates! He will plan on taking 4 next semester and then 1 in the summer and finish in the Fall of 2010. Hopefully he will be graduating in December 2010.

He has worked so hard to get done and all of this while working full time. I know a lot of guys / girls do it. But I don't know how I could survive! I am so proud of him and just love him!

Decorating Journals

FSA stands for Families Supporting Adoption. There is an FSA group in Dallas, Houston and one for the San Antonio - Austin areas. Our social worker asked me if I would be the FSA leader for the San Antonio - Austin area and put together activities, get togethers, etc. I think about every 4 months.

Since November is National Adoption Month my social worker asked that I have the group do some type of service activity that could benefit a birth mom.

I instantly thought of journals and decorating them. I know going through this whole process I have kept a journal and some very personable experiences I have had, thoughts, etc. From the time we started IVF until now, I have kept this journal and recorded my thoughts so that someday I can show my sons / daughters just exactly what I was feeling, how sad I was at times, but how happy. I hope this will make our kids realize just how much we love them and what parents are willing to go through for their kids (before they are even born!).

So, we are decorating journals to give to the birth moms. They can record their thoughts and feelings, use it to save photos of the baby when the baby is first born, whatever they want to use it for. It sounds like a depressing kind of journal to keep, but once they have moved on and hopefully turned their life around, been married in the temple, etc they can look back and realize that it was all worth it and they made the right choice.

I did a sample last night of a journal. I am not artsy-fartsy like more than half the LDS Women population, but I think it turned out pretty cute. I wrapped the spine with ribbon and left an overhang so it can be used as a bookmark. There is a key charm for decoration and a little diamond push pin and then yarn wrapped around that to keep the journal closed. I think they will all turn out really cute!

3 Year Mark!!!

We celebrated our 3 year anniversary this past Wed, October 28th. I am lucky to be married to such a wonderful guy. I count my blessings everyday and we have had a lot of fun together the past three years. Although we have been through a lot the past couple of years, I wouldn't trade any of it in or take any of it back because I have Tyler. I realize that my trials are nothing compared to what other couples face or other people go through.

I love him!

Ty got me this diaper bag for our anniversary...
I have been wanting a really nice diaper bag to use for when we get a baby. He picked out this Vera Bradley diaper bag. It's so cute and there is so much room in it!

Embryos as a Christmas Gift

Does anyone watch Flipping Out on tv? Jeff Lewis is hilarious. He is considering giving embryos away as Christmas gifts. Maybe I should be friends with him?! Hahaha.

Just kidding.

Sweet Baby Boy!!!

My sister-n-law Dana had her baby 3 weeks ago today!! He is so sweet and he has me wrapped around his finger. Dana texts me and asks if I want to hang out with her while Ty is at school and I appreciate that. Sometimes just being around a baby helps. I feel blessed to have the nieces and nephews that I have.


Rylan & Aunt Shell

Touchdown!!!

A couple weekends ago, Ty and I went to Houston. I have gotten to watch Madison and Mitchell play basketball and soccer, but this time it was fun to see Garrett play Flag Football.






I was the crazy aunt taking photos...

Halloween weekend, we are going to see the Cryers and watch Reese play soccer.

Oh That Tyler.....

Yesterday I got home from work and I went into the bedroom to get my work clothes off and my weekend clothes on! (Jeans, t-shirt and flip-flops). There was a bottle of perfume on the bed waiting for me!! Ty got it for me and picked me out a new scent, it's the Kate Moss perfume. It smells so good too.

What a sweetie.

Us Girls

I am very grateful for my family and especially the fact that I have an awesome mom and awesome sisters. When we get together, it's a riot and we have too much fun! I know I have posted this picture before, but just thought it would be fun to do a post about my mom and my sisters and what I like about each one...

Mom~ Well, she is the mom. She has always had the best interest at heart for her kids. She was a stay-at-home mom, PTA mom, soccer mom, you name it, she did it and she was always there for us!

Jennifer ~ She is the oldest and always seems to know it all, in a non-snobby way. She is intelligent and smart and calm. She has a way with people and is in shape, a great example to me. She is the one you would want as the oldest, she is a great caregiver.

Kim ~ She may seem quiet, but don't let that fool you!!! She can get going and make us all laugh. She has a great sense of style and is a great mother. She is not afraid to try cooking anything and I think she may be better than Rachel Rae. She is sweet.

Steph ~ She is pretty funny, will always stick up for herself or you, and has a lot of strength. I remember seeing her go through adoption and saying " I could never do what you are going through." (and here I am). She sure does know how to celebrate Christmas too! She has great jewelry too!

Lacey ~ She is brave marrying into a family with all girls and marrying the only son. ;-) We love her and she is perfect for Steven. She is so sweet and loving and can make us all laugh. She is a great mother as well and a great friend. She is like one of us.

Whitney ~ She is hilarious... I remember so many nights laughing our butts off together. She knows how to put together awesome CD's and has great taste in music and clothes. She will always make the right decision.

So there you have it. That is why I love them all. Of course they are all great dressers, moms, etc, but those are the thoughts that came to mind first.

It's A Love Story.....

August 8th Whitney and Jared got married in the San Antonio, Texas Temple. I can't believe Whitney is married, my little sister, the baby, the runt of the family!! We love her to pieces and we are all so excited for her. She couldn't have picked a better guy to marry either. Jared is perfect for her and they make such a cute couple. It was the best weekend I have had all summer!!! The DJ at the wedding was so much fun and got us all dancing. Here's some pics:


Just Married!!!

(There is nothing like seeing a bride and groom who were just married in the Temple come out of the doors. I just love it. I looked up to all my older sisters and brother and saw something different on their wedding day. They came out of the Temple looking peaceful and happy. After I was married in the Temple, I realized why.)



The Sexiest Bride & BridesMaids




What Have My Parents Done???

My parents should be pretty grateful (I am sure they are). They are the best and I seriously couldn't have asked myself for better parents, honestly. All 6 of their kids have been to the Temple. This is the whole Fam-Damily.



The Dietz Kids & Jared



No Comment....
(It was the end of the night and we were dancing and having fun!!)

Confessions of A Want to Be Mom

Still no word and we probably won't hear anything until we are picked, which is fine. I'd prefer the one phone call I get from the social worker to be a good one with good news.

I am pretty proud of myself and how well I have handled the wait. It has only been two months... so it isn't bad, yet. But I do feel like I am been patient enough. I have stopped praying for patient, I think that is what got me into this.... totally just kidding. ;-)

I have come to a stand still though with what I can do to get ready for a baby. We are pretty much ready and can't buy anything else, clothes, bedding, until we know if it's pink or blue!

I probably go into the baby's room once or twice daily looking at it and checking things out, as if I have forgotten what is in there, rearranging and sometimes just sitting in there. It may sound weird, but I enjoy it. I just look at the room and know that sooner than later the room will be filled with pink or blue, a crying baby and many late night feedings. I cannot wait for that. As tired as I may be, I so look forward to having a baby in our home and a baby that is mine! I look forward to being at home with my baby and I do look forward to the times that I can sit in my rocking chair holding my baby and feeding him / her. I think someone will have to pinch me. ;-)

All of this has been on my mind, obviously. Not a day that goes by where I don't think about the baby that will be coming into our home, as well as any future children. I have kept a journal and that helps a lot. One day I will be able to show our children just how much we loved and prayed for them before we even knew them.

I will have some fun pictures to post later this week.... WHITNEY IS GETTING MARRIED ON SATURDAY!! I am so excited for her. I cannot wait to see my ENTIRE family and my Aunt that is coming into town.

Until then.. have a great week everyone!

Just Some Random Thoughts....

It has been a busy summer! But I am glad and I prefer to be kept busy (especially while waiting for a baby). We had Tyler's family come into town for a family reunion. That was a lot of fun and it was great seeing everyone and finally getting to meet everyone in his family. We hung out a lot during the week (Ty and I had to work, so we got to hang with everyone in the evenings)

Then, we had Tyler's friends, Darrell and Summer come into town from California for a week visit. That was also a blast getting to hang out with friends for a week. We went swimming, to the lake, out to eat, I did some cooking for them, shopping, etc. Oh, Summer and I went to get a pedicure. I haven't done that in awhile, so it was nice.

Then, my family came into town. Stephanie, Kim and my parents and Whit came. Whitney is getting married August 8th.. the baby in the family! Weird. We threw her a bridal shower here at my house with all the old family friends from here. It was great getting to see everyone that grew up with Whitney and my parent's friends as well.

LASTLY, am I really old enough to have a niece wearing bra? I just got off the phone with my oldest niece and we were laughing about something. Then she said, "Hang on. I have to go into the other room." She gets into the other room and whispers to me that she is wearing a bra. I laughed and told her I remembered my first bra. Isn't that so sweet and cute? I think it is. I love that she tells me that stuff too.

That is all for now.

Fun Weekend with the McGurrin Family

My sister Kim called me Friday and said that her and her family wanted to get away for the weekend. So they made a shot-gun trip to our house. It was fun! We got up Saturday and I took the kids to Krispy Kreme. (Anytime Aunt Shell is around the nieces / nephews...I take them to get donuts.. and they don't let me forget!)

Saturday afternoon we went to the outlets. Then we went swimming and ate a Chris Madrids.

It made my weekend to have my niece and nephews come down. Madison and Mitchell and Garrett slept in our room too. It was fun hanging out with Kim and Mason as well. What a great surprise to have them come down! Love you guys and thanks for a great weekend!

I forgot to take pictures, but here are some pictures of the kiddos that came to visit us this weekend.

Thanks Nanna!!

My mom has a little tradition (I guess that's what you call it) where she buys each of us our first crib for when we start having babies. My mom was in town last weekend and we got to go pick out my crib and of course we have it all set up and ready to go.....minus the mattress and bedding.

And we have painted the room. We did green on the walls because it'll go with the pink and green bedding I have picked out or the blue, green and brown bedding I have picked out.

We've Been Approved!!

Tyler and I were approved at the beginning of last week for adoption. That pretty much means we have submitted EVERYTHING we can possibly do at this point and that our file is being shown to birth mothers for us to be picked (hopefully soon)!

To celebrate this last week, I bought a book, "Tell Me Again About the Night I was Born" by Jamie Lee Curtis. And since I am bored and don't have anything to do.... here's the story:




Tell me again about the night I was born.
Tell me again how you and Daddy were curled up like spoons and Daddy was snoring.
Tell me again how the phone rang in the middle of the night and they told you I was born. Tell me again how you screamed.
Tell me again how you called granny and grandpa right away, but they didn't hear the phone because they sleep like logs.
Tell me again how you got on an airplane with my baby bag and flew to get me and how there was no movie, only peanuts.
Tell me again how you couldn't grow a baby in your tummy, so another woman who was too young to take care of me was growing me and she would be my birth mother, and you would adopt me and be my parents.
Tell me again how you held hands all the way to the hospital and when you got there you both got very quiet and felt very small.
Tell me again about the first time you saw my through the nursery window and how you couldn't believe something so small could make you smile so big.
Tell me again how tiny and perfect I was.
Tell me again about the first time you held me in your arms and called me your baby sweet. Tell me again how you cried happy tears.
Tell me again how you carried me like a china doll all the way home and how you glared at anyone who sneezed.
Tell me again about my first bottle and how I liked it so much.
Tell me again about my first diaper change and how I didn't like it at all.
Tell me again about the first night you were my daddy and you told me about baseball being the perfect game, like your daddy told you.
Tell me again about the first night you were my mommy and you sang the lullaby your mommy sang to you.
Tell me again about our first night as a family.
Mommy, Daddy, tell me again about the night I was born.

That is such a sweet book and it gets me every time. ;-)

Washington DC Trip

Here are some photos from our trip to DC. We stayed in Maryland with Ty's Brother and Sister-N-Law. We had a blast. Our favorite was the segway tours. We had a blast getting to know Brad and Mary better and their kids, Dayna, Ben and Ava. They are such sweet kids.

Thanks Brad, Mary, Dayna, Ben & Ava for a great trip. We had a blast.

My Birthday, Home Visit and Mother's Day

My Birthday was May 7th. Holy cow I am 25!! I know some people are reading this and laughing... but being 25 is really weird to me. I am realizing really fast that I don't have the same hips I used to have when I was 20. I got money to go shopping, pillows for the couch I have been wanting from Ty and Ty also got me some really cute jeans. He is great at picking out clothes for me!

The next day on the 8th we had our home visit with the social worker and helper. It went very well. They pretty much interviewed us together, a part and then together again. Then, they walked around the house looking to see if we were living in an adequate place for a child, it's clean, healthy environment and safe, etc. On the way out the social worker said she wasn't worried about us at all and that we should be getting approved within the next couple of weeks. Yeah! (That means they can start showing our file to birth moms!)

Here's a sneak peak of what we have done for a baby.... it was nice having it all done for the social worker to see. First off, the wall in the baby's room. Ty did this for back in February, one weekend when I went to Houston. I came home and it was all done! He came up with this on his own and thought to put light sconces on the back wall. He is very handy! The rocking chair in the picture is one I bought at an antique shop. I sanded it down, painted it white, and then did a brown stain over it. Lastly, Ty built me a changing table / dresser a couple of weeks ago. I have already had fun dressing it up making it look like a changing table! The social worker saw all of this and was impressed we had done it all and made the comment that we are ready.... we are for sure ready! We do need a crib and will get that sooner than later. The bedding and paint will have to wait until we know when we are picked and if it's a boy or girl.




And then there was Mother's day. I had a great Mother's day. I was so lucky to have spent the weekend with Ty, my parents and Kim and Steph (two sister's in Houston... we did miss Jen, Whit and Lacey though!) I spent a lot of the day thinking about how wonderful it will be to have a child.

Here is what Ty got me for mother's day...



And a card with some sweet words of love and encouragement that I will get to be a mom soon.

And here is a picture of us girls on Mother's Day... We missed you Whit, Jen, and Lacey! My sister, Stephanie, on the right, has big, red eyes. That is the camera... she really is nice. ;-) Haha.



That's all for now!

Something to Blog About....

Things have been interesting for Tyler and I over the past couple of years. We will be married 3 years this October and it has flown by! But shortly after we got married (6 months) we wanted to try to start our family. Well, anyone who knows us knows we don't have kids... yet. ;-) It has been a long process, much longer than I would prefer. But it's not up to us. So yes, we have been trying for 2 1/2 years and we have realized that adoption is the way to start our family.

As soon as we realized adoption was the way we were going to have our children, we instantly contacted LDS Social Services and began the process. As of now, we have our paper work completed, with the exception of a couple of things we need to do. We have our home visit scheduled and my understanding is we should be approved shortly after that. Hopefully they can start showing our file soon!!!

This may be a surprise to some or maybe you already know, but it's time I put it out there. My sister Stephanie told me "You need to post this on your blog!" And I have been meaning to the past couple of weeks, but honestly, I have been out of loss for words. I didn't really know how to begin to write about something that is meaningful to me right now (if that makes sense). I saw my sister adopt three beautiful babies and what an experience it was! And now, Tyler and I will be going through it. It's closer to home now that we are going through it.

This whole process has made Tyler and I closer and has made me realize that Heavenly Father is watching over me. I have had a lot of people say they were praying for me or praying that something would work, and sometimes I would think for an instant "Then why don't I have a baby?" But it was just that, only for an instant did I think that and then I go on. I still have my moments, but I realize that I have not been in this alone and I have handled everything pretty well.

I know that there is a baby waiting for us and Heavenly Father his telling him / her "Not just yet..." But I strongly feel that sooner or later He will say "You can go now..." and this child will be loved more than words can say.

I didn't mean to turn this into a sappy blog, but it's a happy one! Happy in that we are on the right track and doing what we need to do to start our family!!! I will keep everyone updated.

I feel better now. It feels good to write what is on your mind. ;-)

Why Do You Have Three Stomachs!?

My sister Stephanie just posted a funny story about her daughter, Reese. Reese is always saying the funniest things and the most random things. When I was reading Steph's blog, it reminded me of some things Reese has said to me...

One weekend, Tyler and I kept Reese, Carson, and Davis. I had just put Davis down for his morning nap, so it was a good time for a shower. I got in the shower and Reese comes in. She pulls the shower curtain back and says, "Shell, you are supposed to do your exercises before taking a shower....mom always does."

In the meantime, she saw me and ended up seeing a lot of me and said "Shell, why do you have three stomachs?" (She saw my stomach, and the twin sisters up top). I couldn't stop laughing. I told Tyler and he is practically crying. It still makes me laugh just thinking about it.

I love kids to pieces, especially my nieces and nephews. They all know how to put a smile on my face.

My New Favorite Thing....

I came home the other day and the house was cleaned and vacuumed. It is always a good surprise when Ty does that and I don't have to. ;-) But then I noticed the new vacuum that was sitting next to the outlet in the family room. I have been wanting a new one so bad (a really nice and good one too) and this is what Ty picked out. Some people may think that if their husband ever bought them a cleaning tool, they would kill them... But I actually like it. It's not like it was an anniversary or birthday gift, just a good surprise!! I love it. It makes cleaning a little more fun.

The New & Improved Exterior

Our house was in need of a facelift inside as well as outside. Since we have completed the inside, it was time to focus on the outside. The trim color was navy and the main color was a light beige, almost white. We went with some darker beige colors for both the main color and the trim.

Our front door is also new, we got it just before Christmas. We stained it that dark brown color.

I just need to plant some flowers and put some mulch down and we are good to go!

My Mom & Me

Last weekend my parents came into town for a short visit. Here's a picture of me and my mom before we went to a wedding reception. It's always fun having my parents here and visiting!

Wanna Get Away??

Sometimes you just need to get away for awhile. And that's exactly what Tyler and I are going to do!!!!

We are going to Washington DC and New York in May!!! We aren't sure what we are going to do in Washington just yet (lots of site seeing thats for sure!), but we are going to be in New York for a couple of nights and we are staying at the Marriott in Manhattan. I am really excited about this trip.

A Visit with Mom

My mom came into town Tuesday evening and is staying with Tyler and I for awhile. I am so glad she is here visiting. I have missed her so much ever-since they moved to Dallas. Today we are going to lunch while I have the day off of work and maybe a little shopping!

Happy First Day of School Ty!

Ty started school tonight.

He has been wanting a bigger skillet. (Yes, I do some of the cooking). Some nights Ty has certain things he likes to cook and has mentioned that a bigger skillet would be nice. Bed, Bath and Beyond was having a good sale on the Calphalon skillets, so I got two for the price of one!

This is what he will come home to tonight....



I just hope he knows I appreciate him. He is going to school full time and works full time and it doesn't leave him much free time during the week. I appreciate him for all his hard work and I love him tons!

Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!!!!

We spent Christmas in San Antonio with Tyler's family. His grandparents came into town and we enjoyed getting to hang out with everyone.

Monday I flew up to Dallas to visit my family and Tyler drove in after work yesterday, he got here about 4. I got the stomach bug and was friends with the toilet (throwing up) Tuesday night. I am glad it's gone and over with and hopefully I am done for the year with being sick.

I hope everyone has a Happy New Year and hopefully 2009 has many good things to offer!