The date is set...(I wish)

So Friday we dropped Jimmy off at the airport to fly to Arkansas for an Interview for med school (which went VERY well) then Ammon and I went home to catch some Zzzz's (we had to drop daddy off at 3:30am! OUCH!) After a few hours we got to go see the baby! YEA!!! Isn't it cute! We also found out that we have a due date! YEA! We are due August 1st (Jacy, I know you've got to love that!) As exciting as that is, it's a little depressing at the same time, due to the fact that Aug 1st is the 1st day of Med school for Jimmy (YIKES!) We haven't decided exactly what we're going to do, but I'm sure it will work out. The Lord knows what he's doing. Anywho, after the ultrasound Ammon and I went to Olympia to spend the weekend with Grandpa. Ammon had alot of fun, and I was mostly just nauseous. Oh well. We're glad to have Jimmy home now, and today for FHE we started packing! We also had dinner with the Quist's (sniff) they make us sad to leave Seattle. We hope to stay in touch with them!

So, Yea for good news and yea that Christmas is a week away!!! Hope your all ready!!!

The craziness continues...

Well, ok we just found out last week that because of a few problems in our apartment (namely mold) we do not have to "buy out" of our lease. Hmmmmmmmm. So being the totally insane people that we are, we've decided to move to Olympia NOW instead of LATER! Ok, breath *sigh*. This means by the end of the month. Yep, the new year will be in a new place (well, my dad's place) We will be in Lacey 5th ward (yea Sis Burton!) ans be close to family (the extra hands will really help!) I will still be doing Real Estate, and commuting to Seattle (so we may still see each other!) All in all, I'm a little dazed. I'm really sad because I finally have some really good friends in the ward (mall walkers anonymous and play group.) I'm going to miss Seattle more then I thought as well as the LFP ward, as quirky as they are. This was our first apartment together, we had our first child here, we bought our first car together here..and so many more firsts that I didn't realized I'd have a hard time letting go of. I know I'll love living in Oly again, and being close to my Family and old friends, change is just hard (more so cause I'm an emotional pregnant lady) and this change came faster then expected. Thank you Seattle and everyone in it for helping create the person I am after these three years!

24

So the last 24 hours have pretty much been out of control. Allow me to explain. It all started last night. Jimmy was studying for his exam today I was reading (and not feeling so good) when at about midnight Jim says to me "Well, I'm done studying, I'll just check my email and we can go to bed." Sweet, I thought. Next thing I know Jim is practically jumping off the walls. He was invited to interview at University of Arkansas but the craziest part is they want him there a week from Saturday! AHHHH. So we all calmed down, (after an hour or so) and went to bed. Now, a little background here, December 4th is my birthday, we had already celebrated so no big deal. Further background, I have been feeling "ill" for a couple weeks now and was getting quite suspicious, Thus waking up this morning (and it being my birthday) I thought I would confirm my suspicions as a present to myself. Sure enough, I'M PREGNANT!!! Yes after 9 months of trying it's finally happened! Happy Birthday! So I did what any woman should do, called my OBGYN to confirm my confirmation. Well they had a spot open this afternoon, so in I went, yes I'm pregnant. How pregnant you ask??? Well that is the big question isn't it? It could be July 8th (very funny because Ammon was due July 7th) like the nurse speculated or sometime later in July or August. We don't know, I'll let you in on the date when we do. Then the dilemma "who to tell?" I thought we where going to wait till Christmas but I blabbed to Kami this morning waking in the mall, and almost at the same time Jim was telling his mother. So that did it. Everyone had to know and now, you do! So Crazy day of calling really excited friends or, changing the subject, rather dramatically, on birthday phone calls. From 'Happy b-day' to 'Wow your WHAT?'



And yes, for those of you doing mental math at this moment, Medical school does start in July or August (depending on the school) And yes, Jimmy may not be there for the birth, and yes, I will be staying to have the baby in Washington (most likely.) All told, my life just got a lot crazier, but also, much more joyous. (And yes, I know we're crazy)

whaaahoooo!

Jimmy was invited to another interview!!! This one is Jan. 7th at Denver University. So a little shout out to all you intermountain west fans, we might be living close by! We would love to live in Denver, we'd be close to Emily and Sean (Jim's sister and bro-in-law) The only down side is that its not much cheaper to live there then it is here. So we'd still be broke, but there'd be mountains!!!

The day has come!!!

Quick update, Jimmy was invited to interview with Case Western Reserve in Cleveland!!!! (also, if you haven't heard already, he was turned down from UW) Our lease is officially up in March at which point we will be moving (because Seattle is very $$$.) Where we will go until med school starts in August, we have no idea (please share if you do!) If we've been accepted by that point we may just move there and get settled (depending of course on the cost of living) We'd like to move down to Olympia and save some money first and spend a little time with the family. We'll see. Other then that life has been great. We're broke but happy. Grandma Smith flew Ammon and I down to Salt Lake City for a week, that was alot of fun! (and if any of you need pictures take for a special occasion, I know that best photographer in the state of Utah!) We had some pictures of Ammon taken, and the weather was beautiful! I'm excited to see how they turn out. I hope all is well with you and your families! Say hi for us!!!

OK OK OK

So I know I said I would be blogging more, and yes, I'm aware that its taken me almost two weeks to write again. So I'm sorry. Anyway...Conference was AWESOME!!! I'll put links up of my fav talks when they are available online. I can tell you right now that Sister Beck's talk from Sunday morning and Pres Monson's from Saturday Morning are tied for first.

As far as family is concerned I have some news! Jimmy took the MCAT in July (I know, shame on me) and got a whopping 38! (for those like me who had no idea what that meant, its the 99th percentile) So he basically rocks. He's applied to med school and now we are waiting for invitations to interview. He started back at school and has a pretty laid back schedule (for once) Most of it is Lab work though so while he has no homework, he is still gone all day long. But the good news is, this is his last quarter before med school! YEA!!! So we will all be seeing much more of Jimmy after December.

As far as work goes, I sold my first house this summer, which was soooo neat. I have a listing in Lake City (if anyone wants a peek, I'd love to show you!) and I'm taking a listing in Olympia this month. Also, I'm now on the committee for philanthropic spending and activities with my office. I have loved this part of my job more then anything! We will be hosting a 5k in April and all the proceeds will go to Greg Mortensen and the CAI to build schools in Afghanistan and Pakistan! (He's the author of "Three cups of Tea" that we just read for book club.) I'll have more info on the race as we get further in the planning. And if you know anyone who wants to buy sell or know more about the market, PLEASE let me know! Referrals are the best!

Ammon is big and busy! He climbs now, so I'm always on my toes. He has shown his stubborn side alot more lately (I wonder where that came from) But he is still just as sweet and funny. His sense of humor has really taken off and everytime we take his picture its nothin but cheesiness!

I am writing today...

To beg forgiveness for my extended absence. I have no good excuse. I became lazy and careless and soon enough my blog was forgotten, until today! Inspired by a couple of good friends at church (who are new to the blogging world) I am writing today re-committed to the cause! No longer will you have to *gasp* call (or email) me for updates on our lives. I hope I can be diligent in my communication. Please forgive me, and if you like calling me, I don't mind either!

Let me take this moment....

To brag about my amazing husband. He has officially finished the school year with an impressive 3.84 GPA ending with the hardest quarter of classes thus far! His dedication and focus continue to leave me in awe. However, don't get the idea that the end of finals meant the end of study for the summer, oh no, Jimmy has diligently studied for the MCAT (which he takes July 13th) every day for 6+ hours! Incredible! After which he goes to work every night and works in a lab at UW on Thursdays. How does he do it? He worked almost 50 hours last week! And still studied everyday! Now before you start feeling sorry for me thinkin I must be getting no attention with all of this going on, He has also managed to make time for me and Ammon. He watches Ammon while I have appointments during the day, and makes dinner with me every night (even if it is at 10pm) I am just so proud of him and his accomplishments. For those of you who see or talk with him from time to time, take a chance to pat him on the back for his outstanding efforts! He's my hero, if only I was capable of accomplishing as much as he does!

PS keep us in your prayers on the 13th! BIG DAY! Isn't life great?

Renting vs. Owning

Although some renters believe that renting is “maintenance free,” they are actually paying for maintenance in their rent – whether they need it or not. Renting offers you no equity, no tax benefit, and no protection against regular rent increases. If you’re paying rent, you’re really just paying someone else’s mortgage. Let’s compare.*

Rent Vs. Own

Monthly Payment
$1,000 vs. $855
Insurance
$30 vs. $50
Taxes
$0 vs. $260
MIP Insurance
$0 vs. $45
Total Payment
$1,030 vs. $1,210


Savings

Interest Deduction
$0 vs. $175
Tax Deduction
$0 vs. $75
After Tax
Net Monthly Payment
$1,030 vs. $960

* Approximate Payment/Cost Comparison based on estimated annual tax results. Based on 2.5 tax bracket and on estimated first year interest and taxes. Recommend consulting with tax expert. Payment based on FHA 30-year fixed rate loan with 7% interest rate, sales price of $125,000 and a loan balance of $121,250. Interest rate/rental rates, prices, terms, and availability subject to change without notice. See a qualified tax consultant for more details.

Hello world!

Today I finally got my letter into the mail, for those of you who do not receive the letter, this means I don't have your current address. I would love to keep up to date so let me know where you are at! I just wanted to let everyone know that I'm now in real estate and very excited to get movin! Do you want to hear my funny story? I ordered my business cards a while back hoping that I could send them out with my letter of introduction (you know, put a face with the name kinda thing). So I've been putting off sending it in hopes they would show up. Finally, this morning I decided that I would just send it anyway and get my cards out on a later mailing. So off they went at about 1:30 pm. However, just as Murphy would have it, at about 4:40pm got a call from my office and guess whats there just waiting for me to pick up?...You got it, my cards!!!! They had just arrived this afternoon, conveniently, after I sent out my letter. So I apologize for the absence of my business card, you will be getting them shortly! Also, when you receive my letter please email me and tell me what you think! You can also comment here on my blog and be entered into a drawing for a fun little prize. Thank you all for you in-exhaustible support. It really has meant alot!

the numbers are in....

It's official, Ammon is HUGE!!! He weighed in today at 24 1/2 pounds! Whoa!!!! Not bad for 10 months. He's a little sick today which is why we were at the doctors getting weighed. (boo) However, with his pluck I'm sure he'll be feeling better in no time!

amazing feets of a 10 month old!

So try to imagine this, Bath time rolls around and I manage to bathe Ammon without getting totally soaked and still have a few minutes left to call my visiting teaching companion to make appointments before I have to put Ammon down for bed. As I was going over dates with my companion it was daddy time for Ammon. They were playing on the couch and being all sorts of wild. After a few minutes I realised it was strangely quite. Sure enough both boys were sound asleep, and Ammon was still only in a diaper. Well, I thought, I'll just give him his bottle and get him to bed since he's so sleepy, thinking about how un-happy he will be when he's woken up (he's not a fan of being interrupted in his sleep). However when I tried waking him up....nothing, not even a stir! So alright, I'll just change his diaper and put his jammies on, that will get him going a bit. I kid you not, I wiped his bum with a cold wipe, replaced the diaper, put a onsie and pants on him, rolled him over and pick him up without so much as a sigh. I couldn't believe it, he was totally out! And to top it off, he slept the whole night! I thought for sure he would wake up early with one thing on his mind 'must have bottle!' So either I'm just that good (unlikely) Or I should have Jimmy put him to sleep every night!

(the picture is of him completely crashed (and clothed) on the couch before I took his catatonic body to bed!)

just an up-date

Sorry I haven't posted in a while. Just a short update about our little world. Ammon is going through a Major growth spurt and is closing in on 23 pounds! He's our little tank. His new tricks include, standing on his own, gabbing non-stop, clicking his tongue, and eating a diet entirely consisting of adult foods (well the softer adult foods). He got a brand new car-seat at the beginning of the month (very snazzy) that will house his bottom clear into the booster months. Thanks Dad for the help out on that one. Jimmy is crazy busy with school. He is taking 18 credits and just started working in a lab doing mini-brain surgery on baby mice (so fun). So far he is doing well in his classes, this however is at the expense of little sleep and missed hours at work. He is in good spirits though and always has a great attitude. I scheduled to take the 2nd part of the real estate exam on wed. morning (wish me luck) I didn't pass this part the first time, by one question! Hopefully I will be successful this time. So after Wednesday everyone will have to call me "Holly Messegee, Realtor" from now on. lol. It will be a little interesting to have a title. I've also been called to serve at girls camp this summer for my stake. That should be interesting, and exciting. The theme is 'catch the spirit' and I will be called the 'team manager' for whatever age group I am assigned. Yea for baseball. Anyway, that's about it. I hope everyone is healthy and happy and lovin' spring!!!

wasn't conference fantastic!?!

I'm always sad when it's over. I can't wait to get my conference ensign and re-read all the amazing talks that were given over this last weekend. I particulalry loved Elder Holland's talk on Sat. morning and Elder Eyring's on Sun afternoon! I hope you all enjoyed that sweet spirit of conference. I know I feel compleatly rejuvinated and ready for another six months!!

adendum to the list

Jimmy has changed his mind. (I'll explain) Replace #10 U of Wisconson in Madison for University of Colorado in Denver. The change is because last years prices for the U of Colorado were $70,000. A little much for our tastes (more then Harvard!) However, this year they are significantly lower due to state assistance in funding. So, it will join the ranks with all the other schools!

OoOoOh the possibilities!

I know you've all been waiting, your infinite patience has paid off, we have reached the final cut of possible med. schools! Jimmy will be taking the MCAT on July 13th (yes, that is Ammon's first b-day) and starting the very next week he will begin work on his applications! (did that come up fast or what?!?) So, in case you were interested in where we might end up, here are our 15 choices;

#1 Johns Hopkins: Baltimore, MD
#2 University of Washington: Seattle, WA
#3 University of California in San Francisco: San Fran, CAL
#4 Baylor University: Huston, TX
#5 University of Pennsylvania: Philadelphia, PA
#6 Duke University: Durham, NC
#7 University of California LA, Los Angeles, CAL
#8 University of Michigan: Ann Arbor, MI (?)
#9 University of North Carolina: Chapel Hill, NC
#10 University of Wisconsin: Madison, WI
#11 Pritzker University: Chicago, IL
#12 Northwestern University: North Chicago, IL
#13 University of Pittsburgh: Pittsburgh, PA
#14 Oregon Health and Science: Portland, OR
#15 University of Utah: Salt Lake City, Utah

The list is long, I know, but Jimmy's advisor "advised" that he should apply to this many as it is very typical among those who make it in. We are very excited about the possibilities and of course are crossing our fingers and praying extra hard for our first 2 picks! Any prayer time you're willing to donate rest assured it's for a great cause and will be immensely appreciated!

Showing promise

Make photo slide shows at onetruemedia.com

happy love day!

Holy moly has it really been a month since I've done anything on here!?! Well, short update, we've all be really REALLY sick. So at least I have a good excuse. Time sure flies though. Well on this day of love I found myself completely unmotivated to get out of bed (I had a massive headache!) Till, my visiting teacher buzzed my apt asking to come up! Yikes! I was still in sleeping attire with some gnarly morning breath! After a quick fix I was presentably just in time to answer the door. They brought me a pretty painted wooden M, for Messegee, so stylish. Ammon and Daniel played for a bit (her son was due two days before Ammon) and then left to take her older son to preschool. All at once I was hit with the fact that today was valentines day and I wasn't going to see Jim till 8:30 tonight! In my emotionally weakened state (man I'm dramatic) I remembered that our first valentines was spent over 2,000 miles apart! We had gotten engaged on the 12th, I flew back to Chicago on the 13th and started a new job the next day, in cold, lonely, Chicago. Needless to say, I perked up a bit and decided to read all the sweet letters Jimmy wrote to me during that very early time in our relationship. Can you believe he wrote me everyday for two months? Truly amazing. So to all of you out there in the world thinking of your loves today, whether they are near or far, just remember, It could always be worse, You could wake up tomorrow to find all this to be a dream. And still be proverbially stuck in the bitter cold Mid-west as lonely as ever. I am so blessed, and very lucky in love.

SILLY TAPE MEASURE!!!

Make an online slide show at onetruemedia.com

new threads

Thanks to Ammon's Great Aunt and Great Grandma in Utah, he will be sporting some pretty nifty kicks and some trendy styles in the months ahead! Thanks Lisa and Grandma! I think they're going to be a hit!!!

YEA!!!!!!! or not.

Well he did it. All of that grunting and growling has finally paid off. Ammon crawled. It was kind of an awkward scoot wiggly crawl, and he didn't get anywhere very fast. However, the forward movement was there. I wish you could have seen his face! He was soooooo proud of himself! He was squealing and wiggling, bursting with joy! When he did it Jimmy was so proud he almost cried, I was relived cause Ammon had been a ball of frustration for days but in the back of my mind I knew my life just got a whole lot harder. But I suppose that’s what being a parent is all about. Every transition is bitter sweet.

hello cough, cough, cough...

I often wonder what it must be like to not understand any language. I'm fascinated watching Ammon learn communication from us. You start with crying, followed by smiles and giggles then silly sounds and gurgles and at last...WORDS!!! Now Ammon isn't at words yet but I can see him adding to his "vocabulary" daily. This last few weeks, for example, we have spent alot of time in Olympia at Jim's mom's house. She has cats, which in all other circumstances are totally sweet kitties but when it comes to my lungs, we just don't mix. With asthma comes coughing, which usually lasts for a few days after our visit. When I cough, I always get a reaction from Jim "Are you OK?" and I think this exchange has convinced Ammon that coughing is just another way of saying well.....something. So now he will answer my coughing with one or two of his own! Cough cough cough with a little grin on his face! Being a mom is so cool!

loads of laughs

Ever walked in on a conversation and been totally lost? It's usually pretty darn funny too. This site is full of notes, to-do lists, and random signs and pictures that people have "found". Like the note that fell out of someones backpack at school with sleep-over plans written out, or a love note left on the wrong car (oops!) Jim and I enjoyed this site immensely and our cheeks and tummy were exhausted by the end...........totally recommended for a downer day! Here is one of our favs.....

Action! List!
FOUND by Jane Pulliam in Tacoma, Washington
I manage some apartments. One night the garbage was overflowing with a plastic bag full of Coke cans. When I opened the bag this "Action List" was inside. Two things strike me as funny. The first is that getting a job is more important than getting off heroin. And second, besides a dozen empty Coke cans there were two empty half gallon jugs of chocolate milk. What happened to number nine?

http://www.foundmagazine.com/