Eric and Stephanie Dunn

Miracles Happen

2012-01-28T21:12:00.006-06:00

Eric and I have a special announcement: I am expecting!

This picture was taken after Christmas and confirmed all our hopes and dreams. The baby looks like a little gummie bear...

These next two were taken earlier this week. The baby is healthy and has all his/her parts.

I am about 13 1/2 weeks along, and feel wonderfully humbled and so very blessed. My symptoms have been nothing to complain about, though they are definitely there; this helps me to know that the baby is safe and healthy, and growing. Eric and I had a hard time believing this was happening at the beginning. I took the test originally to confirm I wasn't pregnant, and looked forward to my infertility appointment in the next couple weeks. Now we are ecstatic, and look forward to being parents everyday.

I definitely feel slightly sheepish about my post a few posts ago... but I appreciate the support and love I felt after posting. And thank you for your patience in letting me vent! My emotions were very strong and raw. I know so many people who have waited much longer and been through much more in their attempts to bring a baby into their home. I continue to pray and think about you often. I hope to never take for granted what I have been given.

For those of you wondering, before Eric and I left Oklahoma, I saw a chiropractor from the ward who said he could help me. The whole situation was very inspired, now that I look back on it. I think this was a test of our faith (especially mine) that Heavenly Father is ever directing our life. We just had to wait for the right timing (Eric finally getting his offer and moving to Oklahoma), to meet this particular doctor, and to be settling in California with no impending move any time soon. I know He loves me and that He guides my life.

Thank you, friends and family, for your support, love, patience, fasting and prayers. We feel so blessed!

What We've Been Up To...

2012-01-25T17:17:00.011-06:00

We just upgraded our internet! For the first time in the Eric and Stephanie Dunn Household, we have good internet! With a modem and everything!
So, because of this new grown up monthly bill, I have an update post. And since it won't take hours for a new post, hopefully I'll be updating more often. Maybe even with video...
First of all, I took a trip to Tennessee and visited some super cool family and friends and ate some really good food! Apparently I didn't want to take any pictures of really good friends, just their kids...

Then I spent some time in Utah trying to nurse my poor mother back to health (She's up and walking, and back to work!) This is the hardware my mom had on the outside of her leg to brace it until she could go for surgery:

I was also lucky to spend some time with the sweet Dunn family:

After coming home (back to Eric), we celebrated our 5th anniversary!

During all this, Eric was studying away at the Air Traffic Control Academy. I truly love him for the hard work he put into these 3 months, the hardest I think he's ever experienced. HE PASSED! I had the apartment packed up by the time he got home, we said some goodbyes to friends we had made in Oklahoma, and hit the dusty trail for Utah. We spent conference weekend with family, packed up the Penske (it was HUGE!) We didn't fill the entire truck, but that diesel engine sure had an easier time making it up the Sierra Nevadas. And after 4-5 days of being in transition with all of our belongings packed in the truck/car behind us, we moved into our apartment here in Fremont, CA.

We have loved being in California! The ward is wonderful, with lots of young married couples that are in the exact situation we are in (married 5 years, no kids, just want to have fun!). Here are some pictures of us having fun:

And last but definitely not least, we celebrated Eric's 28th birthday in San Francisco (did I tell you how cool it is to live 45 minutes away from the city? Love that too!)

We've been very blessed since we've been here! Eric is liking work, anticipating his training to become more rigorous in the near future. I've started a job as an RN here at a local hospital, we are Magnet designated (an accreditation for excellent nursing care), and I like it so far. I'm getting used to the new unit, getting used to the fact that usually half of my patients need interpretation into Farsi, Kudjarati, Vietnamese, Mandarin, Spanish, you name it, and loving the people that I work with. We are still praying for a little one to come into our home.
I've been feeling very blessed and taken care of, Heavenly Father has given me everything that I need, and is helping me cope with all the changes this year has brought. I have a bright hope for the future (maybe that's just the California sun and the beach that's only 45 minutes away...). I've loved hearing everyone's new resolutions. My husband has made some excellent ones, very motivated. I, on the other hand, prefer not to make resolutions this year. I never reach my goals, and only feel more guilty for not having achieved them. So, I'm going to be content with who I am and what I'm already working toward. I'm going to keep praying each morning and night, and keep finding peace in the Book of Mormon, the Bible, and the Gospel. I'm going to keep making new friends, and love being with the ones I already have. And I'm going to stay close to my family, and love them as much as I can.
Happy New Year!
Love, Stephanie

What I Believe

2011-11-18T01:25:00.004-06:00

I just completed my profile on www.mormon.org and I'm really excited about it! Please go read! Here is the link: http://mormon.org/me/7M1K/#

Long Time Coming

2011-11-07T14:13:00.009-06:00

Many of you know (especially my friends and family in Tennessee) that I have been baby hungry for years now. And a lot of you, if you don't talk to me very often, don't know that we've been trying for our own for almost a year and a half. I haven't posted about this yet for so many reasons, but ultimately I want to tell everyone about it to help them understand a little what its like to be childless with no clue as to the cause.
This issue is ALWAYS on my mind. Everything I see or do reminds me of the fact that I do not have a child, and that I don't know when or how I will get one. There is no history in my family of having a hard time getting pregnant, at least that I know of, though we have definitely had different trials with pregnancy. And I think the not knowing might be the hardest and most frustrating thing to deal with. I want a child now, and I don't want to wait anymore, but I have no idea what I can do to get there. So, since I feel so powerless and helpless about the whole thing, I become despondent, melancholy, and frustrated, among so many other emotions, and angry, so very angry. Each month its like a slap in the face, going from being so excited and hopeful, to being in such despair. Simple things like going to the store or going to church become such emotional experiences. The longer I go through this, the harder it becomes. And though I know that I need to bridle my anger, I feel that I need to truly experience it, that anger is part of my grieving process. I am entitled to it.
Another difficult thing is trying to find peace and comfort in the midst of all this. I read the scriptures, pray, read conference talks. search and search the internet, and talk to family and friends. The thing that helps me the most (though I don't know that anything will bring me the peace I need but my own baby in my arms) is knowing that Heavenly Father knows that I can bear this trial of my patience and faith, that He trusts me that I will follow Him faithfully and come out victorious in the end. I am so grateful for my testimony of the Plan of Salvation and that I know that I will bear children at some time in eternity. I am grateful for the faithful women in the bible that waited for so many years to have children and were blessed to populate the whole earth; I don't find peace in the fact that they eventually had children because they had to wait so long (and I don't want to wait anymore!), but in the example of their faith. I hope to have faith like them. And I'm also grateful for those I talk to that acknowledge the depth of this trial, that recognize the patience it takes and that I have had to weather through this time, those that don't try to solve my problem, and those that express sorrow for what I am going through. I am humbled with gratitude for those that pray for me. And I am also humbled by those that listen without judgement when I express my anger and despair, and show that they love me anyway.
Most of all, I am humbled with gratitude for my husband. He wants a child so badly, though not as badly as I do, which I think is natural as I am the designated nurturer in this relationship. He is forgiving of my anger, supportive of my desires and despair, and patient with my all-consuming thoughts. He never tells me how to cope with this, he just lets me be what I need to be at the time. He never judges me. He holds me and makes me laugh through my tears. He brings to light spiritual doctrine that I can't figure out by myself. He is ever-ready to give me priesthood blessings. I couldn't imagine a better person with which to endure this trial.
I don't know who is reading this, but I would hope that this will help people I don't know understand a little of what childlessness is like. And that those that are experiencing childlessness will find momentary solace for how alone you feel. I would also hope that people who do not know of the doctrines of my church would honestly want to know more because of my testimony, however simple it is. I am a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints; most people know us as the Mormons. If someone would like to know more, please go to www.mormon.org. If you would like to know more about our views on the family, please read this: http://lds.org/family/proclamation?lang=eng

The Story of Our Love - The First Five Years

2011-09-15T12:31:00.021-05:00

Five years ago, I married the love of my life...

The first time I noticed Eric he was helping the lunch ladies with their lunch carts at West Jordan High School, I was a junior and he was a senior. I leaned over to my friend, Marquette, and asked if she knew his name. She said his name was Eric Dunn

I pined over this boy all year. I decided to try out for the talent show, for which he was in charge, and he finally noticed me. He said I had the voice of an angel.

During the next few years, Eric served a mission for our church, had a few girlfriends, and was his usual charming self. All throughout this time, he couldn't get me out of his mind. On May 16, 2006, he proposed to me, and I said yes!

We were married on September 15, 2006, and have been so happy and blessed in these past 5 years. We like to have ourselves some fun...

We moved across the United States, met some fantastic people, and got ourselves some diplomas...

We've been very blessed in our happy marriage.

We've been blessed to know some remarkable people who've set an example of marriage, among so many other things. We only hope we can live up to their standard.

I love this man more than anything. I love his sense of humor, friendliness, and humility. I cherish the fact that he is a man of God, that he honors his priesthood, that he has Christlike compassion, that he has a large knowledge of the Gospel, and that he lives these principles everyday. He is such a strength to me. He has a tremendous work ethic and works so hard with everything that has been given to him: a career, marriage, church callings... He is wonderful with children, and has a special talent with teenagers. I can't wait to see him as the father of my children. He makes me laugh every day! I love that I will grow old with him.

Happy 5th anniversary, Handsome! Here's to the next 50!

Recovery

2011-08-25T22:15:00.003-05:00

My sweet family is making incredible progress! I arrived at my parent's house on a Wednesday, and early the next morning packed my mom up for the last of three surgeries to repair her injuries. I was able to stay with my mom in the hospital for most of the time she was there; she came home a day before any of us expected, and has been FLYING through her recovery! She hasn't had to use very much of her pain medication, has been up in the living room most days, and has a very positive and optimistic attitude throughout this whole situation. She loves to have her little grandchildren around her. She has an amazing congregation at church that has been bringing dinners, and a neighbor down the street has been doing her hair. We have been watching movie after movie, and absolutely LOVE spending time with my mom (and sister Katie)! We are looking forward to having my sister, Julie (broken ankle) and her kids spend the weekend with us. Thank you for your thoughts and prayers! We have been truly blessed!

Life is a Quick Succession of Busy Nothings...I Wish...

2011-08-16T12:53:00.004-05:00

This quote is from Jane Austen's Mansfield Park, and every once in a while, it seems to fit the situation...

What a month! I don't even know where to begin, but I need to vent!

Lets start with the most pleasant, shall we? Eric was such a sweet husband and insisted I go on a trip to visit friends and family in Tennessee even though he is studying away at the Academy. This past weekend was INCREDIBLE, I only wish I had more time! I stayed with my good and gracious friends, the Neelys, and saw so many people I knew while completing my nursing degree. I loved staying at the Neely's house; my first morning there I spent on the back porch swing while enjoying their beautiful backyard. That is one of the things I think I miss the most. We also cooked/baked copious amounts of sugary things, and I drank an entire 12-pack of Diet Coke on my own, so much for giving it up, right? Going to church was incredible! I don't have time to describe my interactions with everybody, but I want every single one of you to know that talking to each person was healing and such a blessing. I was also blessed to spend some time talking to a certain family about their own little family, this was also a tender mercy from my Heavenly Father (you know who you are! Thank you so much!). I loved sitting in between my two little friends in church, and miss those years of doing this every Sunday. I wish Eric had been there, it was wierd to be there by myself...

Eric is doing really well in his classes, though this is not for a lack of intense studying and anxiety. He is really smart and strong, and Heavenly Father is very aware of his situation. We keep being reminded that He wants us to be going in this direction.

My family must really want me to come back, because they keep having terrible emergencies that make me really homesick!!

On the 24th of July, my family was picnicing in the mountains when little boy went missing (before I forget to tell you, they found him and he was fine!). While searching up on a hill, by sister, Julie, caught too much momentum going downhill and broke all three bones in her right foot. The original estimate is that she won't be able to walk on the foot for 6-12 weeks! She has four very busy children, and she is starting her first job as a school counselor this fall as she has just graduated with her master's degree. Then...

About a week later, my sister, Rachael, is working on painting her living room, Because Julie is out of commission, my mom volunteered to help. She climbed up a 20-foot ladder and on her first roll with the paint, the ladder slipped out from underneath her. She broke both her wrists and ruined her right knee. The rural hospital she went to initially felt they could not repair her knee, and sent her by ambulance to a trauma hospital. The initial estimate is that she won't even be walking at all for 6-12 months. She had surgery yesterday on her wrist because she wasn't able to move her thumb on Friday; apparently a rough bone completely severed a tendon, which needed a graft from a tendon in her leg. She did not tolerate anesthesia well, came out of it very disoriented and in extreme pain. She is scheduled to have surgery on her knee this Thursday, and is going home today. This has been really hard, since my mom is truly the heart of the family.

I am fairly overwhelmed and worried. I am blessed to have no other obligation (literally, I don't clean or cook around here!), and can leave at a moments notice and focus all my attention on my family and their needs. I am nervous to leave Eric, but I know he understands and wouldn't have me stay around here while my family needs me.

I really need a Diet Coke... :)

OOOOOOOk-lahoma!!!!

2011-07-19T20:23:00.013-05:00

My dad requested pictures of the place that I am staying while in Oklahoma, so here it is! This first picture is of the lake off of my apartment. It really is pretty to see, though not the cleanest little lake... If you can see it, across the lake is a pool and a pavillion. It has been so blasted hot while we've been here (seriously, every day has reached above 100 degrees), that I haven't even ventured to the pool. Maybe when it cools down... We go to the pavillion most every night for dinner, which is included in rent! Eric enjoys breakfast there, but I prefer to sleep!

I love to look for turtles in the lake! There are so many of them! When you catch them taking a breath, they dive deep as soon as they know you're looking and really make me frustrated!

Here is our dining area, which suits our purposes just fine. We've had some friends from the academy here a couple times. Funny enough, one of the guys that comes over graduated from good ol' WJHS a couple years before Eric! What a small world...

And of course, the kitchen. We have a ramen noodle pan, a mac'n'cheese pan, a scrambled egg pan, and a pan for me to boil noodles for spaghetti! Just kidding, I haven't even made spaghetti here, though we really do have a ramen noodle pan! I brought my crock pot with us, and on Sundays we enjoy a crock pot dinners.

We have a chair (not comfortable), and a couch that looks just like it only bigger (also not comfortable).

This is where Eric spends most of his time when he's at home. And yes, most of the time he's eating a popcicle. And yes, most of the time he's wearing either a Batman or Rocky shirt.

Our bed that I have given to Eric, I now sleep on a twin size air mattress. What a sruggle for two tall people to go from a comfortable king size bed to a full... I found myself not sleeping well at night because I wanted to make sure he was sleeping well! I would sleep on a tiny corner and not move at all! We are both much more comfortable now!

And one of the most interesting things of this apartment is our washer/dryer. Exactly, a washer/dryer. You put clothes in the wash, and in 4 hours they come out dry. You have to drape your clothes over the entire apartment after they are done to let the steam dry off so they don't wrinkle. Wierdest thing I've ever seen, 2nd only to the ducks I'm about to show you. Needless to say, I have resorted to using the laundry facilities with a normal washer and dryer.

Let me introduce you to the baby Moscovy duck:

They are really cute and friendly, walk right up when you have some bread.

At least they're cute and friendly until they grow up, then you get this:

They are the funniest-looking things. They don't quack, and when they get nervous or defensive (or excited, I don't know) They wag their entire back sides. When feeding them bread, I was surprised to see the mama ducks eating the bread before the baby ducks. And the red mask just makes them look like they are trying to be a super hero. I'm not a fan. Give me a Mallard anyday.

It has only rained once while we've been here, but when it rains it pours! Eric got golf-ball sized hail a the academy, and we got a little hail at the apartments too. The worst part, though, was the flood on my porch, that ended up in my apartment! I soaked it all up with the towels we had, then when I went to get more towels, I locked myself out of the apartment altogether. What a day! I hope that doesn't happen again!

Let me give you a typical day in the life of Stephanie while Eric is slaving away at school: I wake up around 10:00ish (after 10-12 hrs of sleep), eat breakfast, go back to bed and read my kindle until noon or 1:00, get up and do my Insanity workout (which is, in fact, insane), take my leisurely time showering and resting since it is so blasted hot out here, and hope that I am ready by the time Eric gets home. Eric gets home at about 4:00, and while he does Insanity himself, I watch HGTV, surf the internet, or perhaps read my book again. Sometimes, if I get up early enough, I shop, though I try not to go outside in this heat. Here are a couple things I've learned from this rigorous schedule: I love Dear Geneveive, anything by Sarah Richardson, and Property Virgins, Eric and I will apply for Property Virgins when the time is right to buy a house, and lastly, I will never have a time again where I can be this lazy until I am on my death bed. So, I'm going to enjoy it. I'm going to make sure that Eric has all his needs met, make sure that my house is clean and that I am presentable when he gets home, make sure we invite people over for dinner on Sundays, and that I don't feel guilty for this time! I think its a blessing! Hopefully this is what my body needs to have a baby!
I'm visiting Nashville in two weeks, and I CAN'T WAIT to see everybody there (including you, best friend)! Then I'm going to Utah for a little over a week to help my sister who just broke all the bones in her ankle! She was in surgery for almost 7 hours and now has some major implanted hardware! She is starting her first year as a school counselor, has 4 very active kids, and has not right foot to drive with, noon-weight-bearing for 6-12 weeks! I'm so sorry, Julie!
So, this is my life in a nut-shell right now! I'll have to post pics of wind sweeping down plains and waving wheat and such!

Going Away Party

2011-07-03T20:36:00.010-05:00

We recently had a going away party for both families before we left for Oklahoma City. We had it in D&K's pool house, and it was perfect! D (really K) BBQ'd some wonderful chicken, and we had salads galore. My parents made some homemade ice cream (cookies and cream and pineapple!). The kids swam, and the adults talked. It was wonderful! Here are some pics of the event:
Eric's adorable little niece
My sister and her beautiful little girl!
Some of the crazy boys in my family...
My neices!
The newlyweds:)
Eric and his littlest nephew, he's a tank!
The adults chillin" by the pool
My sister and her husband
Us and the newlyweds
The only way this little girl would take a picture is with my dad and brother
The tank My beautiful little sister, returned from her mission in December (anybody know a rich, handsome guy we could set her up with?)I don't know why this is linked...
Eric and his brother and sister
We miss our family terribly! We are so blessed!
More pics on the move coming up!

Kinda Waiting...

2011-06-02T22:08:00.005-05:00

I guess since Eric has come out about this on FB, I can post this on here:

We have an Oklahoma date!

We leave for Oklahoma City on June 27th, and Eric's first day at the Air Traffic Control Academy is July 1st. We'll be there for 2-3 months for his crash course training (Eric calls it the MTC of Air Traffic Control), and then move to Fremont CA. We're going to leave all of our stuff in my parents basement while we're in OK and live in an extended stay (there are a lot of them in OKC with the Academy being close by). When we finish here, Eric will have exactly one business day (a weekend) to get to Cali, so I will be spearheading the move of all our stuff about a week earlier (yikes!). I'll probably have family drive out with me, and hire movers in Cali to move all our stuff into our apartment.

We've decided to save money by moving to an apartment that is in walking distance from the Air Traffic Control center where Eric will be working. This apartment is a good $400 less than the other apartment, and since Eric will be walking to work, we're going to become a one car family for the first time in our marriage! The hope is to pay off the rest of the debt (non-student loan) we accumulated while going to school, pay off the one car (which has a non-interest loan! Thanks Mom!), and then buy a new one that will be better for a family.

Speaking of a family, I have yet to become pregnant... We'll probably focus our efforts on figuring out why I am unable to conceive in Cali, or start saving for adoption. Either way, Eric and I would really appreciate prayers to help us start a little family. We're both a little heartbroken it hasn't happened yet, me in particular, but know that there is a family somewhere in our future.

I've been training for my first half marathon outside of Tennessee! I've signed up for the Utah Valley Half Marathon, and I'm pretty excited! I've had a terrible diet while I've been training, so I'm really slow, but I'm OK with that. The whole race is downhill, starting up Provo Canyon and ending in Provo. It should be pretty cool. I think I'm going to cool it on my running after this, and just enjoy exercising for the fun of exercising.

I gave my final notice at work yesterday, and I have to say that I'm melancholy about it. This unit has been a perfect place for me to start my career as a nurse. The patient load was very diverse and helped me to gain a large knowledge base (ok, maybe not terribly large:), the hospitalists have been so patient with me as I've been learning (calling them a million times during a shift because I didn't gather all the needs of their particular patients, teaching me about the disease process of my patients), and the nurses have been incredible at helping me and answering my questions and working through my patient's cases with me. I have also had some very incredible and spiritual experiences that have helped me to be a happier nurse and person. On Memorial Day (a couple days before I gave my notice), I went to breakfast with my in-laws and saw one of my patients that I had taken care of a couple times. I absolutely love this woman, and was so happy to see her looking so good. She told me that her most recent bone marrow biopsy came back negative for cancer, and she looked so relieved. She has started working for the church again, though not as much as before getting sick. This meeting was definately a way for Heavenly Father to let me know that I have helped someone in my exhausting efforts to be a good nurse.

This next month is packed with time with our family and friends. Both of us are homesick to leave, we've loved being with family this past year. So many things have happened, but the most exciting is the recent marriage of my sister Michelle! Her fiance from a year ago (they were supposed to get married in Feb 2010) finally realized, despite his nagging cold feet, that he wouldn't find another person with the same caliber as Michelle to marry. They are very happy, and I am very happy for them!

Here is a recent picture to tide you over until next post:
Me with my little sister Katie:

Eric with my sweet little neice:

Waiting....

2011-04-06T18:06:00.006-05:00

So, Eric and I just came back from the Bay Area in California, where we were looking for places to live when we move there. We left Saturday after my best friend's marriage ceremony (Christie, it was beautiful, and congrats! I'm so happy for you!!!). We went the southern route, as the Sierra Nevadas were getting a load of snow. We got to Bakersfield, CA the first night, drove on to Pleasanton the next day and went to church. The Pleasanton 4th ward was very warm and inviting, but didn't have very many hospitals close by and was about a 45-min drive from Eric's work. So we checked into a hotel in Union City, and spent the evening in San Francisco. I don't have any pictures because it was raining the entire time we were there, which is par for the course in San Fran I guess! But I had some clam chowder in a sour dough bread bowl (I know, it was Sunday! We are such sinners!) and LOVED it! I think I'll be going there once a month (it took forever to get there and there is a $5 toll over the Bay Bridge!). The next morning (Monday), we were up early and headed to Fremont. We stopped by (rather, drove by) Eric's work, and started out search there. Turns out, its in an older part of town, probably the new hot place in about the 1970's. We looked and looked and looked, and didn't really feel comfortable in all the places we saw. We wanted 2 bedrooms, 2 baths, washer/dryer in unit, and pet allowed, because I really want a big dog to keep me safe while I run in California. Only two places (of the 10-15 we saw) had W/D in unit, and only one place allowed for a dog, and they weren't in the same place. So, when I got frustrated, we thought maybe we should head to Pleasanton to look for places to rent there. On our way out be found the place we will live. Completely gated community, dogs allowed on the bottom floor, W/D in unit, indoor/outdoor pool, workout room, close to the Police Station, near the California School for the Deaf (beautiful campus by the way), within walking distance to BART (the railway commuter system in the Bay Area, and close to a large park with a lake and path that is three miles around the lake. Perfect, I know. The facility itself if bright, airy, clean, and well-kept. Here is a link to look at pitures:

http://www.nastevens.com/presidio.html

Here is the kicker though, rent will be about $1845/month, which means-I will be working at least part time, which is good. I guess one of Cali's largest unions is the nurses union, and they get paid pretty decently I hear. I'm not one for approving of unions, but if I have to join, I might as well enjoy the benefits, right? There is a really well-renowned hospital in town that I will probably look at working for. I get Chemo certified this weekend, and I'm also ACLS (advanced cardiac life support) certified, and both of these together will make me really marketable I'm hoping.

So, here's explaining the waiting. Eric has the job, is at the top of the list to start, but we have to wait for the federal budget to approve the start of more air traffic controllers. Ugh.

My Projects!!!!!

2011-02-15T23:21:00.010-06:00

My mom had this table sitting in her basement since my Grandma Sanders passed:

This table was her Grandma Johnson's. She told me if I wanted to use it, I could take it on loan.

I asked if I could refinish it, she said I could!

This is what the table looked like when I was sanding it all down:

I'm not lying, I probably spent about 50 hours sanding the table alone, this doesn't include stripping the table and applying the finish!

There were some times that I couldn't look at the table any longer or I would scream!!!

Though this project took forever to complete, and though driving out to my mom's house to finish it in her basement really took a toll on my energy (and my gas money!), I don't think I would trade this experince for anything.

While I spent the time sanding and stripping and finishing, I thought a lot about my Great-Grandma Johnson. It was such a different time when she lived. After she married, she dyed her wedding dress black so it would be more functional; my mom still has this dress. My mom also would tell me about her memories of sitting at this table and eating "Corn Pops," and since she was such a picky eater as a child, I'm think this is a special memory for her.

I also listened to the CD's my Grandpa Cluff recorded of his memories, his testimony, and his advise to his children and grandchildren. This has been so therapeutic for me.

Since I have brought it to my apartment, my house finally feels like a home! I've never had a real table before in my marriage (or at least one that wasn't found on the side of the dump!)

To complete this table, I bought these chairs from Ikea that I love so much!

The only way I was able to do this was because of the kindness of my husband.
On Christmas Day, my husband hands me a gift. Inside the box was an envelope with "Do not open. Do not throw aways. Do not look inside. This means YOU, Stephanie" written all over it. I had seen this envelope at the beginning of the year, was intringued, but then forgot all about it. I open the envelope, and there I have over $200 in cash with a note saying that during the past year, every time Eric cut his own hair instead of getting it cut at a salon, he put the money he saved in this envelope to give to me at the end of the year. The note said He did this simply to "be kind to my wife." I have to say, I had tears in my eyes. Its nice to look at my chairs and think what a good and kind husband I am blessed with.

Earlier this year, my sister-in-law gave me this idea, which was really fun and easy to do:

And last but not least, my lamps. I have also not had a lamp since I've been married, and have ALWAYS WANTED SOME!!!!!! I found these, which look so good with my bed, and bought them right then.

So, you can see how content I am right now. Between a table, chairs, and lamps, I feel pretty complete. To give you an example, I have always had a funny, irrational jealousy of Carrie Underwood.

Eric likes to call her Carrie "Bluderwood," but only because he loves me. One day I tell Eric, "You know, since I have my table and lamps, I'm not so jealous of Carrie anymore." Life is good!

Happy Valentine's Day!

2011-02-14T15:38:00.004-06:00

A Valentine's Day update:

I'm still working at St. Marks, Eric has accepted a tentative offer for the Oakland, California Center and has passed the high security clearance and now we are just waiting for the final offer! All this means is we get to wonder every day when we will be going, it could be three weeks from the day we get the final offer, or maybe even 3 months. We're hoping for an offer before the end of the 2011 fiscal year, which ends in September, but we'll take whatever they give us.

In the meantime, I've been completing a lot of projects in my apartment lately. I've refinished my Great-grandma Johnson's table, done a couple little crafts, bought chairs to go with my table, and (da da da da!) I bought some lamps for my bedroom!!!! I've wanted lamps since we first got married! And a table for that matter! We are planning a trip to the Bay area in March to look for possible places to live when we move there, and hoping so badly to take a trip to Nashville for the CMA Music Fest, which is in June. If we aren't moving before then, you can pretty much bet we'll be out there!

I'll post some pictures of my projects, and maybe some pictures of us too, though I already feel like you know what we look like, and we don't change that much!
No baby news yet...

Love, The Dunns

Dunn in the Sun

2010-10-27T20:57:00.000-05:00

Because we acheived this:

We celebrated here:

We attended a time share presentation (thank goodness Eric has a good head on his shoulders and a rock hard denial capability) and got a wicked deal on a hotel in Hawaii. So we flew our little selves to Kauai and had the time of our lives!

We arrived on the island later at night, and by the time we left the airport it was pretty dark so I couldn't see the view from our balcony until the morning. When I woke up, I threw open our drapes and this is the view that greeted me:

The best decision we made about this trip was to rent a convertible. We drove this little 2010 Mustang all over that island. And apparently everyone else on vacation had the same idea, we weren't the only ones in a Mustang. Eric was pretty excited! He's always wanted to drive a new Mustang, especially a convertible...

We ate A LOT of good food...

And saw some beautiful sights!

We went to an killer Luau with lots of food, an open bar (I've never had so much free diet coke in my life!), and an AWESOME show with fire dancing! If you look around my neck, they gave me a flower lei, which I'll be honest, was the selling point of the whole event. I ate dessert after dessert, and probably ate more dessert than I did the actually meal. And believe it or not, we sat next to 4 Utahns on our table...

We took a helicopter tour of the island, which is the only way a person can see the center crater of the island - I believe its called "Wai'ale'ale." Apparently this crater sees the most rainfall in the whole world... We don't have any great pictures of the helicopter, but here are a couple pictures while in the air:

Here is the waterfall used Jurassic Park, which was filmed on the island:

Here is a pic of the Na Pali coast - the highways on the island end when they get to this coast line, so the only way to see it is by air or boat. Its not a very good picture (there was a glare in the window...), but look at the trees at the bottom of the picture. Those are trees, not bushes, and those ribbon-like rocks are actually mountains! It was breathtaking!

And this is a look at the crater "Wai'ale'ale"

We bought an excellent book about the secret sights of the island, and I think everybody else bought this book as well. But we came to a place called "Queen's Bath," which, during the summer, has lots of little lava rock pools that sometimes have little fish swimming in them. But, as we went in October, the winter was just beginning and we could only walk around on the high lava rocks. Here is the sign that greeted us at the beginning of the pools:

Next time we come, it will be in the summer so we can sit in these cool pools. And there WILL be a next time...

On the way to Poi'pu (Probably our favorite part of the island), there is this tree tunnel. I guess a sugar cane plantation owner planted these trees so that his workers could see something beautiful on the way to work...

And while I did as much shopping as possible (and I did quite a bit!), my good-natured husband did this:

Just a couple little extras, these were my favorite trees on the island, someday I'll find out what they are called...

And here is another picture that is one of my favorites. I love the shadowy mountains in the back:

From our book we learned about a local favorite call Kipu Falls, where there is a river that has a waterfall that lands in a pool that is about 20 feet deep. The locals have tied a rope swing and bolted a ladder into the wall. We both tried the rope swing, and I cliff dived about 15-20 feet over the waterfall! This picture is of the trail leading to Kipu Falls, we were wondering when the velociraptors were gonna come out and eat us...

And for your viewing pleasure, the result of a "thigh flop" X2. I'm not the most graceful cliff diver, and I guess I like to land on my left thigh when I dive and rope swing... I tried to upload some videos because you can actually hear the slap of my thigh on the water, but my computer wasn't working right...

So, here is the requested Hawaii update! On a more serious note, Eric's selection panel for Air Traffic Control happened last week, so we should know if he got a job for next year by Christmas. We changed our selected states to Texas and Cali. We are hoping so badly that he gets a job, but if not, we'll be happy to serve the Lord while in Utah! I'm really loving my job, and get such satisfaction in taking care of my patients! No baby yet, but, oh, how one is wanted!

2010-08-25T01:06:00.000-05:00

Lately has been kind of just the same, but I thought I would update anyways...

Probably the most exciting update is that Eric and I have booked a trip to Hawaii! The trip is planned for October 9th through the 16th, and we are going to the beautiful island of Kauai, which is where Jurassic Park and South Pacific were filmed. I can't tell you how much I need this vacation! This year has been pretty hard on me, and I need to recuperate. We are going to rent a Jeep and drive to all the beaches on the island, I can't wait to get windblown and suntanned! Now, if I could only stop eating sugar and lose some weight between now and then... McKenzie, I may need your help with this...

Eric continues to work for Access Development, and was just offered a job in a different department because his reputation had preceded him! There is a hiring panel in October for Air Traffic Controllers nationwide, and Eric has applied to Colorado and California as Utah is not hiring new controllers. We are really hoping either state will hire him, so that he can be doing what he wants to be doing. But we are willing to go where we are needed, even if that means waiting another year...

We are moving into a new apartment in a couple weeks, right across the hall from our good friends, the Townsends! We can hardly wait to see more of them and their little kids, and hang out with some good people from Tennessee again! We just can't stay away from Tennesseans, maybe I'll get a little of an accent back...

Work for me was going great, I even had the audacity to tell myself I may be getting the hang of this. Then the nursing gods came down and said, "Don't get too confident, Stephanie." I had my first "code blue" a couple nights ago. Now, this event is not a fun one for nurses, because we usually like our patients to live through the night. My patient had just gotten back from surgery, and had a history of COPD and renal failure, kind of a double wammy for coming out of anesthesia. I kept checking on her during the night, and was never quite comfortable with how things were going. Then at about 2:00 am, the alarm for her oxygen saturation began to go off, and when I tried to wake her up, she was unresponsive. She continued to have a pulse, blood pressure, and heart rhythm, she just wasn't breathing. So she was intubated and ventilated, and transferred to the ICU. I didn't sleep very well for the next few nights (or days, since I worked nights). But Eric was the honey of a man he always is, and sat on the couch next to me and kept Pride and Prejudice playing so I could actually sleep before going back to work, because there was no way I was sleeping by myself in the room! I couldn't ask for a more supportive husband! But, as a resolution to the story, I stopped by ICU yesterday and had a good chat with this patient, and she is doing as well as she was before she went to surgery, I believe!

Since I have been a nurse, I have seen God's hand in my work. Not necessarily huge miracles, but small mercies like prompting me that something isn't right, blessing me with peace while I work, and being able to have valuable learning experiences without anything truly terrible happening. I can relate to Peter when he walked to the Savior on the water; though I fear the waves around me, the Savior is ever constant in his support and guidance. I have so, SO much more to learn, and its kind of daunting to think of how far I have to go, but I have faith that I will be led to where I need to be, and where I will excel in serving my Father's children. At the start of this job and nursing altogether, I kept telling myself, "Just make it to six months of being a nurse, and it will be better!" Well, it will be six months on August 1st, and that is a good feeling!

Life is a quick succession of busy nothings...

2010-06-25T18:02:00.000-05:00

That quote is one of my favorites from Jane Austen, used in Mansfield Park...
Anyways, life has truly been busy, I think I can officially say going to work doesn't terrify me anymore! I actually enjoy doing what I do now, though I'm still so far from knowing all I need to know about nursing... I work at St. Mark's hospital on the Medical/Oncology unit, I work days and nights, and never have the same schedule each week, which is fine because I don't have kids and Eric is pretty easy going. The acuity of my patients is pretty high, I think people are just getting sicker as the years go on. I'm just excited to make it 6 months, they say it gets easier from that point.
Eric is still working at Access Development, and doing so well! We probably won't hear about a job in Air Traffic Control until at least November, and then who knows when he'll start if he does get a job. And we'll most likely end up out of Utah again, probably about a 99% chance... He's pretty frustrated that he's not working where he wants to work, bless his heart...
So, we keep saving money, paying of loans, and spending lots of time with each other, which is nice! And for all my friends and family in Tennessee, no I'm not pregnant, and it looks like it will be a while before I have a baby... As you can imagine, its killing me! But we just need to be a little more settled (like, know where we're gonna live in 6 months!) before we need to introduce a little one into the family. Meanwhile, its nice to just pick up and go to a movie, go to dinner, etc, without having to find a babysitter and be home at a certain time!
We are planning a trip to Hawaii in November, hopefully! We attended a time share presentation and got a killer deal, just waiting on confirmation of availability!
We miss our friends and family in Tennessee!

Our Commemorative Tennessee Pics

2010-03-04T22:53:00.000-06:00

These are some pics of our favorite spots in Tennessee, taken by our good friends, the Arnolds. I'm glad we got these done before we left, so I can remember the places and bring back memories that I love.

This pic is in front of the University, the newer part. When Eric and I came to Murfreesboro to scout out places to live, meet with advisors, and look for possible jobs, we entered the university from this entrance for the first time. From that day, we thought it would be a good place to take a picture, so, here it is...

Here we are standing in front of the beautiful library. When I would study at the library, I would push two chairs together and look out the huge windows at the front and look at the beautiful common space in front of the building. On pretty days in the spring and fall, I would study outside, which was nice because the trees and grass smelled so good during those seasons...

We are standing here in the central garden of the Business and Aerospace building, where Eric has spent the last three years. He particularly loved this place, although I don't think he ever studied here, come to think of it, I don't think he ever studied... (just kidding! Actually, for some tests, he studied more than I ever did!) This place was also very pretty in the spring and fall...

Here we are in front of the Cason-Kennedy Nursing Building, where I've lived for three years of my life. Class, labs, service projects, study groups, and all kinds of nursing experiences were spent here. As much as it overwhelms me to think of all that occurred here, I also feel GREAT that its all finished, and that I worked as hard as I could at my schooling. I don't regret anything...

We are sitting in an old part of campus (this university opened in 1912 I believe). Eric loved this place because of all the trees! Big, tall, old trees! Its was pretty relaxing here, and squirrels were all over the place.

Simply put, our Alma Mater, Middle Tennessee State University. We look lost in this pic...

One of my favorite places in Tennessee (besides the backyard of the house of our "Mom and Dad in the South," and of course, our church!) was downtown city square. There are excellent restaurants here, an awesome clothing shop (oh how I miss it!), an old hardware store (Melody, I think you may have left your heart there), and the old capital building. The day we decided to take these pictures, the city decided to have a parade, so we didn't get all the picture we wanted, but we got some good ones. One of my favorite things about this city square was running around it in the early morning when hardly anyone was in. The regulars at the City Cafe dining early with their morning coffee and friends, and the barber shop, were usually the only ones open. There was one morning in particular (Meg, I think you were there), just as we were looping the square, the city hall bells decided to play some hymns. That was a good day, I hope I'll be able to run there again...

Here is Holden Hardware; I think its been here since the town was started in the late 1700's/early 1800's (just kidding, probably not, but its been there a long time!). Its an awesome Mom and Pop store thats fun to walk around.

And lastly, the city capital building. Murfreesboro was the capital of Tennessee for a time. It is located on the geographic center of Tennessee.

I loved living in this city because it was very active and it was never hard to get involved in the activities. The people in Murfreesboro had pride about their city, but were always very welcoming and happy. We were very lucky to have lived there.

I wish that I had gotten pictures of the hospital where I worked (which was opened in 1921), of Mom and Dad's house and backyard, of the houses on Main Street, and more of family and friends. I'm feeling very nostalgic and homesick. The time I had in Tennessee will always be so sweet to me.

I'm so boring...

2010-02-21T22:36:00.000-06:00

I never write, I never post! Just as a quick status update - Eric and I graduated in December - me in nursing and Eric in air traffic control, moved to Utah 2 days later, new nephew right away, new niece a few days after, passed my nursing boards (hallelujah!), and got a job at St. Marks on the Medical/Oncology unit. Right now we live with family, who knows where next, and Eric and I are waiting on a job offer for him in either Utah or Colorado. Life is exciting, frustrating, halting but fast-moving and unexpected. But I'm so blessed to be with my husband who is patient and understanding. No news on the baby front, but if Eric wants a happy wife, it better be within the next year!
Love and miss Tennessee and all the good friends and family that are back there. I think about it often, and can't wait to go back to visit! As the song goes, "Things are sweeter in Tennessee..."

Up Late

2009-12-10T00:10:00.001-06:00

Tonight I am up finishing a case study. Ugh. I've gotten to the point where I can't put a coherent sentence together. I think I'm going to bed.

I went running today, 5 miles around the track at the gym, I was pretty proud of myself! My mantra was "Run home, Steph, run home!" Its not that I don't love being here in Tennessee (because I honestly don't want to leave), and its not that I want to be home, its just the anticipation of it all happening. I've been having more melt downs lately (ok, lets be honest, that might not be unusual), but I think its just because of all the stress. I want things to settle down so badly, but that is not going to happen any time soon at all, probably not for another year or two. I'm a crazy maniac!

Meanwhile, here is a picture of my grandpa. He is mainly what is pulling me home. My sweet husband is with him. They're watching high school football.

Today I'm Grateful For...

2009-12-07T17:03:00.001-06:00

Today I'm grateful that I don't have to sit through another lecture for a long time! And I'm grateful for my little Christmas decorations. They are smal, and not very beautiful, but The warm my little apartment up. I'm loving this Christmas season!

Things are Sweeter in Tennessee...

2009-12-04T10:17:00.000-06:00

Today marks 17 days until we leave our sweet Tennessee and all the beloved people we have come close to. School is getting really old, life is crazy and hectic, I'm having more emotional melt-downs than usual. Eric is fantastic, I couldn't imagine life without him. I'm feeling so blessed.

A Memory...

2009-10-26T19:10:00.001-05:00

I don't have much to say, except this is the moment we got engaged! I found these little gems on my mom's computer during the summer. Enjoy!

2009-10-13T20:34:00.000-05:00

This is my Grandma, Ila. I hope to be like her.

Thanks, Lila!

2009-09-08T21:33:00.001-05:00

I got this idea from Lila, and I loved it. Especially because I think that my life is so super stressful, and I don't have my family here, and I don't have enough money, and I don't ever see my husband, and on and on and on... I'm so pitiful! So, today I am going to write all the things that make me happy:

Crunching leaves in the fall.
Sitting outside (anywhere) in the summer and reading a book, or just watching and thinking.
Opening the door in the winter (in Utah) in the morning before nobody has messed up the perfect snowstorm from the night before, it is so peaceful.
Running in the springtime.
The feeling I get after a really hard run.
Thinking about our story.
Imagining Eric as a dad.
Sitting the the background at a family gathering and watching the interactions of my family.
Christmas lights.
Nativity scenes.
Winter coats.
Christmas music.
Christmas shopping (I know I'll hate it when I have kids, but don't ruin it for me!)
Christmas presents!
Any presents!
Grumpy old men (the real thing and the movie)
Getting a grumpy old man to like me.
Listening to the elderly sing.
Listening to my Grandpa's stories.
Lakepoint sunsets.
Southern accents (the fourth of JOO-lie)
When my young women and I really get to know each other, especially when they tell me about their lives.
Getting a new dayplanner!
Hearing my phone ring.
Spending time with the Neelys on their back porch.
Pat's beef stew and corn bread.
When I finally master a task (studying, cleaning)
Playing the piano.
Going on drives with Eric and imagining what our house will look like one day.
Watching my sweet ward wander in while I'm playing the prelude music.
Twizzlers on the Fourth of July.
The smell of spices in the fall.
Getting my schedule just right at work or at clinicals.
Riding on a boat.
Watching Three Amigos with Katie and Scotty.
Reading a good book on a rainy day.
Studying church material.
Teaching.
Laughing with Eric (we do it all the time, but we're probably not that funny!).
Gatlinburg!
Being in a cabin with my family.
Dancing.
Going to the ballet.

I think that will do it for today. Thanks Lila, I feel much better!

Catch-Up

2009-08-31T20:40:00.000-05:00

Here's where I play catch-up for my blogging... This June I went to Utah to see my baby sister, Katie, off to the MTC. She has since gone to Ft. Lauderdale Florida where she rocks the scriptures and preaches with fire... Yep. This first pic is of my parents in front of their home in Erda, Utah. "Where's Erda?" you may ask. Its right before you get to Tooele (Too-ehl-uh) I love Utah!

These are some of the Grandkids sitting on the front porch eating popcicles after dinner, so fun! Oh, and my brother is in there too, he's the one with the long tongue.
This is Brad and Rachael. Brad helped put the candles on Rach's birthday cake.

This is my sweet Grandma, Ila. We went for a drive with my Grandpa and my dad, and she loved all the houses and flowers.
Here is a pic with my grandparents, my mom, and my sister Katie

For some fatherly bonding time, my dad took my little sister and me shooting. I'm holding his pistol that he just bought, and when I shoot it, I'll give it back to my dad and never shoot it again. What a kick-back!

Katie preferred the .22

This is Katie after going through the temple for the first time.

Ahhhh, the MTC. What you don't see is that everybody is bawling except Katie (and maybe Scotty)
And there she goes! Holy cow, it still brings a tear to my eye!

Thankfully, I brought my little neice back to Tennessee with me, and she helped ease the pain of my sister being gone! She is SUPER active, so we went rock climbing a couple times, went to a wave pool with some HUGE slides, went shopping (where she proceeded to spend her money on anybody but herself, she is so sweet), went to the zoo, and watched Gilmore Girls. Did I mention she saved enough money to pay for the entire trip herself? She's 12! I loved having her over!

This is the Fourth of July (pronounced JOO-lie in the south). We went to our friend's house for a fireworks spectacular, and it surely was! We loved it! I worked that morning, and my favorite old man (who fell in love with me, more on that later) cheered me up. When I told him it was the fourth, he said, "the fourth of JOO-lie," and then proceeded to sing, "I'm a Yankee Doodle dandy, born on the fourth of JOO-lie, a real-live nephew of my Uncle Sam, I'm a Yankee Doodle Boy" on the top of his lungs! It made my day!

And, last but definately not least, OUR LAST FIRST DAY OF SCHOOL! We took the commemorative 'first day of school' picture to celebrate. As of today, we only have 109 days of school left, and counting...

So, this ends my blogging fill-you-in. More on Dollywood to come!

What We've Been Doing...

2009-05-20T21:05:00.000-05:00

So, Here is what we've been doing for the past few months...

In February, we had a wonderful Valentine's Day! Eric planned it: bowling, dinner, and a movie. And the best part... a funnel cake at the bowling alley!

Eric grew a beard when we went to Utah in January, but shaved it promplty upon our return to Tennessee...

Our little apartment got broken into, and we decided to move to a two-bedroom on an upper level! Luckily, we weren't home, and only our laptop and some change were stolen. Thank goodness for renter's insurance and Harry Flippin, our insurance guy!

Over Spring Break, we decided spontaneously to go to the Biltmore in South Carolina and DISNEYWORLD!!!!! The best part about Florida was the AMAZING citris juice we found at a stand on the side of the road...

During this time, we are enjoying our last spring in Tennessee! We love driving around and see all the GREEN that we are having because of all the RAIN that has been flooding our streets! Here are some pictures from the view from our balcony...

And though we have had a beautiful spring, we also experienced our first real natural disaster. It was humbling to be able to serve those in our community by watching children that were victims to the tornado that hit Murfreesboro, and help in cleaning the community of the debris. We've never seen anything like it, both the devastation and the love of the community.

Then, to make life so much happier, my sweet siblings came to visit me! M, S, and K came out to see M and me run the Music City Half Marathon! While they were here, we saw historical sites around Middle Tennessee, ran the race, ate good food, and watched movies. Michelle and I ran the ENTIRE 13.1 miles, despite the heat, the hills, the boring route, and the lack of hydration... Every other plan we had to do while they were here was thwarted, probably because I didn't plan as well as I should have! I hated to see them go (I'm sure Eric did too!), but I'm so glad that they came!

After they left, Eric planned a killer 24th birthday for me! We had so much fun chillin' and relaxin'! We ate lunch at the Wild Horse Saloon, then sat by the Cumberland river for about an hour, just thinkin' about life. After that, we shopped and went to a movie. What a perfect day! And, he also scored big with my present - the BBC Pride and Prejudice! Notice his exquisite wrapping job!

We finished our finals, and did very well this semester. Only two more semesters for Eric, and only one for me! Graduation on December 19th! (See countdown above...)

And, the most recent and exciting news........ Eric scored a perfect 100 on the AT-SAT! This exam tests his aptitude towards air traffic control, and apparently he is perfect for the job! Our friend Todd who goes to church with us, also scored a 100 (they got the highest scores in their class), which means they are going to be well sought after when they graduate. Today, Eric and I celebrated by taking a drive to Shelbyville (pronounced shelb-a-vul). I'm so proud of him, and relieved that my dad has taken him off of his probation period for being my husband. Whew!

So, as you can see, we are very happy! We miss our families, love Tennessee, and love doing just what we are doing!

The Crazy Weekend

2009-04-13T11:39:00.001-05:00

What a day Friday was...
I woke up at about seven, and Becky, Meaghan and I went to the Greenway to run our 13.1 miles (worst run ever!). We finished around ten and went home where I sat on a heating pad for a few hours! At about noon, I turned on the TV and found the weather being broadcast on all stations. We actually had a tornado warning for Rutherford county, which has never happened since Eric and I have been in TN. I watched as they showed footage of a tornado crossing I-24, and got scared the more I watched. People were calling the news station saying they had just seen tornadoes in areas that I go all the time here in Murfreesboro. Eric is looking out the windows, going outside, walking around the house, not really worried at all! Then, when it starts to hail, he mentions, "did you know that hail precludes a tornado?" Really?!?!? We ended up in the bathroom for the last ten minutes of the warning, then I went to work and Eric took the missionaries to Franklin.
Little did we know, it was pretty serious. The light were out at Adam's Place when I got there; earlier in the day, all 46 patients were in the hallways covered with blankets and pillows while they watched a tornado out the back window. When the power came back, we watched all the destruction on the news. But it didn't really hit me until the next day.
On Saturday, Eric and I got up early and went to see where we could help. A sweet family in our ward was out of town (miraculously) while their house was completely destroyed. Walking down the street and see the big blue "C" spraypainted on the houses for "clear" was really surreal. Bishop sent Eric and me to get an apartment squared away and some groceries for the family, then I spent the rest of the day with Bishop's wife, their kids, and the kids of the home that was destroyed. I wanted to cry all morning! Though this was so devastating, it was good to be with the kids. We had an Easter Egg hunt, dyed Easter eggs (thank goodness for another neighbor coming otherwise we would have all been dyed blue!), played outside, had pizza and got ready for bed. After being with 7-8 kids during the day I slept really well that night!!!!! The family is doing well for having gone through that mess, and my heart goes out to all those who had traumatic run-ins with the tornado. What an experience for out little stay in TN!
Going to church yesterday was wonderful! I honestly don't want to leave Murfreesboro ever! My ward has become my family, and I will never find another ward like it. Our family away from home in Antioch has been such an answer to prayers, and we love being a part of their family. We are so happy and content! We are taken care of out here like we would be taken care of at home in Utah. We are so blessed!

2009-01-27T11:47:00.000-06:00

This is about my Grandpa Sanders. He died when I was pretty young, only about 9 or 10. I remember the smell of first coming into his house and giving him a hug. He used to fall asleep watching the television after he muted the commercials because he hated the salesmen yelling on the screen. We would all look at each other and wonder what to do when our show came back on! When I would sit in his lap, he'd make a noise and try to scare me. He had two work shops, one in the basement and one outside. We used to play card games with him at his house in Idaho; 31, its a Sanders classic! He remodeled his home from an old school house: he took out some walls on the first floor to make a living room, and added two rooms in the attic. When he and Grandma came out to visit us in Utah, I remember sitting on the living room couch watching for their big orange 5th wheel. That was the coolest thing ever! Every morning when we would wake up to go to school, we'd knock on their door before we left and gave them hugs goodbye. One time we went camping with them, and I got to sleep in the fifth wheel - pretty big event. When he started to go, I remember him swearing when we would play cards, and I was shocked! I remember my mom telling the story at his funeral of her playing the piano after everyone had gone to bed. He'd call out from his room for her to play "Somewhere My Love." Now that song always reminds me of him. He was a good, hardworking man who loved my Grandma and his kids.

Back Online...

2009-01-13T22:57:00.000-06:00

So, this begins the tale of our recent trip to Utah...

Needless to say, it was wonderful! For all of my friends from Tennessee, know that I love being out here and knowing you! But, there's no place like home!

We started out the trip by enjoying a few days at a cabin near Cedar City, Utah. There's been so much snow in Utah this year, so it was crazy how much snow was at the cabin! We spent New Year's Eve playing games, and then welcomed in the New Year with all my neices, nephews, and siblings by blowing horns and wearing silly hats. The "bubbly" (really it was carbonated grape juice!) was so good, and the junk food even better! The next day we rented two snowmobiles and took them all over a pretty meadow. Eric and I got up to 50 MPH! I was scared out of my mind! We also had some fun on a sledding hill with the little ones. My three-year-old nephew was a pro, and as soon as he flew down the hill, he was climbing back up to do it again. I went down three times; I didn't know how to steer the dang thing (who knew you had to steer a sled?), and I ended the day by hitting my head pretty hard. It was a beautiful day with warm weather!

We continued to relax at the cabin the rest of the week; in a nut shell, the weather dropped down to 10 degrees, some more snow, trying to take my sister's big Armada down a snowmobiling trail (accident!), getting pulled out of the snowmobiling trail with a back hoe, and the rest of the family going skiing (too darn cold!). When the crazy skiers got back, it was ten below!

We then went back to Salt Lake. We stayed with Eric's brother and his wife and their two kids in the basement apartment they have awaiting our move back home! We loved hearing their oldest yell, "Stesanie!" as he came running into the house, and watching him play all kinds of sports. All he wore the entire trip were jerseys and hats, and maybe his Jacksonville Jaguars helmet! Then their littlest was adorable the entire time. Even though he was sick, he greeted us each day with a HUGE smile! Uncle Eric has a little soft spot for him.... We also enjoyed a dinner with Eric's mom's side of the family, enjoyed Tepanyaki for the first time! (so cool!), had a girls' night with Eric's mom and watched Mamma Mia while the boys watched football, and probably spent about $60 worth of Jamba Juice. I wouldn't be surprised if the Jamba stock went down after we left!

Ten days was perfect to spend with the family. Though we would like to just be there, we love Tennessee so much. We love the people who welcome us like family, and are so generous. We love the friendships we have with people in our ward and neighbors. We have been so blessed by being here and don't regret a thing!

Update on the past semester: Eric made the highest grade in two classes on the biggest test he'll ever take in his major! And I miraculously passed the hardest semester of nursing school without killing someone! December 19, 2009 is our graduation date, and we are counting down the days!

Tagged!

2008-10-25T14:54:00.000-05:00

So, Candace tagged me about five years ago (just kidding, but its been a long time!), so here we go...

10 years ago:

1. I was in the eighth grade, getting better at the whole 7 classes thing, but still very far from cool (Eric was cool, he started shaving in eighth grade)

2. Probably still in love with Travis Miller (one day in ninth grade, I was over him; when trying to get over Eric, that never happened!)

3. Still very far from cool

4. Had a massive space between my two front teeth

5. I think I may have gotten braces toward the end of it...

Today's To-Do list:

1. Study, which I'm not doing very good at

2. Study, I'd much rather be watching a movie

3. Study, eating frosting from a can with a spoon

4. Study, and probably have some fast food

5. Study, and daydream about having a baby, someday, in the far future

Favorite snacks:

1. Right now I'm loving pudding, and missing my dad's homemade pudding...Mmmm - tapioca

2. Anything with sugar!?!?

3. Diet Coke, yes I'm back on it after a month hiatus because I have to study until all hours of the night, which I try to do, but end up falling asleep. Maybe its not worth it.

4. Tomatoes with salt, oranges, grapefruit with salt (with each of these, I could honestly eat about 4 in a row, and I think I have before.)

5. Da da da da! Sweet Cream ice cream with gummie bears from Marble Slab (no Cold Stone out here!)

If I were a millionaire:

1. Pay off student loans

2. Buy a house in Utah and a house in Tennessee (nice one Candace)

3. Save enough to finish the rest of school

4. Drink Purity milk

5. Buy new cars

I've Lived:

1. West Jordan, UT

2. Ogden Utah

3. Sandy UT (for about two weeks!)

4.Lake Point, UT

5.Murfreesboro, TN

Jobs:

1. Craig's Speedway Express - I'm surprised that place ever passed inspection

2. Tuxedos by Lee

3. Certified Nurses Assistant - for forever

4. Eagle Pointe Title

5. The KR Group, for a bunch of lawyers

Tag:

1. Anyone who wants to try!

The Half Marathon

2008-10-20T12:19:00.001-05:00

Here we are at the race. The one of all of us standing left to right: Me, Mckenzie, Meghan, and their brother Kelly. I ran with McKenzie since May, then Meghan joined up closer to the race. The one where we're running, I'm on the very right, obviously, and I look ridiculous! I hope I don't look like this every time I run! Then me with my medal; its still hanging in my room! Good times! I can't wait to run my next one!

I Should Be Studying...

2008-10-16T20:46:00.000-05:00

That blog title is the story of my life! I'm feeling a little bogged down, needless to say. 9 weeks down, 6 weeks to go.
I just ran the Murfreesboro "Middle Half" half-marathon, and it was pretty darn cool. My only goal was to run the entire thing, and thats what I did. I have to say, those last two miles were pretty bad, but I never let myself give up. I kept telling myself "You are NOT giving up!", I kept thinking about Eric (he's pretty good lookin'), and I kept telling myself "If you can't even finish this, how could you ever have a baby!" Thats the whole outlook of my life right now: have a baby, have a baby, have a baby... Whenever I don't want to study, I think "if you fail out of this semester, you'll have to wait another whole semester to have one." I'd like to say that works all of the time, but really, it doesn't. So, I just count down; 9 weeks down, 6 weeks to go. I went home from the race and cleaned my house, then Eric and I went to a yummy Italian Restaurant on the town square called Marina's, walked around World Market, then had some Maggie Moo's ice cream (marble slab is better. Who likes mini gummi bears anyway? Its all about the big ones!), and then I crashed. One of my toenails is blue, and I'm hoping it stays put!

I've been thinking that I should let everyone in Tennessee know that I LOVE Christmas! Every part of Christmas! I've been thinking about setting up Christmas decorations since school started. I try to refrain from listening to Christmas music in July (sometimes). I can't wait to have my first cup of hot chocolate while listening to Christmas music and basking in the glow of my 12-inch tree. I made up this stupid tradition of sleeping in the living room on Christmas Eve with Eric (he hates it, but is so good natured he goes along), but I can't wait to do that either! I have all the Christmas movie classics (White Christmas, The Grinch, Polar Express, and Elf, and I really need to get Holiday Inn), and I've already watched White Christmas while getting over a stomach ache. Life just seems to be so cozy around Christmastime.

Well, now that I've wasted a little more time in which I could be sleeping or studying, I think I'll say good night, drive home, and fall asleep as fast as I can so it will seem shorter until my husband gets home!

This week of my life...

2008-09-20T21:03:00.000-05:00

So, this is where my blog is going to get boring, because I don't want to take the time to upload pictures. But I'm sure my mom will appreciate it!
Eric and I celebrated our two year anniversary this past week! We can hardly believe it! We celebrated the Saturday before by attending the High Priest social in our ward where we had a blast playing boce ball (spelling?), and we totally got our trash kicked by our Relief Society pres and her husband (mainly our relief society pres!). Then we went to one of our favorite resaurants out here and ordered chips and dip, and virgin pina coladas and margeritas. It doesn't seem like too long ago that we lived next to my grandparents in Lake Point, Utah, had amazing jobs!, and came home every night to watch Lost and The Office (sometimes we had virgin pina coladas do sweeten the night!).

Our wedding was beautiful! It was a rainy Friday on September 15, 2006. I was marrying the man that I loved since the first day I saw him when he was helping the lunch ladies with their lunch carts! I woke up late (of course!) and made it to the temple right on time. The sealing was sweet and sincere, and I will always remember my family in that beautiful room. The sun came out long enough to get some good pictures, then hid again. The reception was perfect, and the cake was delicious. Puerta Vallarta was AMAZING! We swam with dolphins, zip lined across a jungle (where Arnold Shwarzeneger filmed a movie), went shopping, got tan!, and drank virgin pina coladas every day (sometimes three or four!). One morning we woke up at 3 am wide awake, watched a movie, and went back to sleep. I don't think that will every happen again!

Well, back to reality. Another crazy busy week in the life of the Dunns. Eric worked, did bishopric stuff, and aced 2 tests! I, on the other hand, barely passed my two tests, and have been studying ever since, and I am still studying, and I will continue studying for the rest of my life. OK, that may have been a little melodramatic. I just don't see the light at the end of the tunnel yet (meaning graduation). But this past week I had clinicals in Labor and Delivery at Middle Tennessee Medical Center, where I saw two C-sections and a natural delivery. And might I say that they were SO COOL!!!! I was in awe the rest of the day! So, Labor and Delivery may be a possibility.

Lately I have been running with my good friend from the ward, McKenzie. She has seen me at my worst. And today was no different. We had the good idea of signing up for a half marathon, she being pregnant (I hope she's okay with me saying that!) and I being in nursing school. So, we ran 10 miles today, as the race in only 3 weeks away, and let me tell you, I feel like I'm 80. I'm sore from the backs of my arms to my feet, and all the joints and muscles in between. It was kind of discouraging, and I hope that I never have a day like this again. But this experience will not keep me from running, because I LOVE IT! I'm not good at it at all, but I love the way that I feel after I run, like I've just done something really good for my body and spirit. And McKenzie has become one of my favorite people, she's way more tough than any guy I know!

Our best friends out here, Matt and Candace Townsend, our moving next week to our beloved Utah to be closer to his family and her sister. We are going to miss them like crazy, and Utah (Murray in particular), is going to be blessed with their being there! They have been the biggest blessing since we have been in Tennessee, and have become our second family.We love them and are going to miss them terribly when they leave; but we are excited for what they have ahead of them. Good luck, Townsends! We'll be in Utah with you soon enough!

Just Feeling Talkative...

2008-09-02T20:40:00.001-05:00

So, this post is going to be very boring, because I don't have any pictures! But I feel like I want to write about my life at the moment... So, life is good! Last Saturday we crashed at the Neely's where we watched the U of U vs. Michigan football game. We loved spending the whole afternoon with them! L jabbered the entire time, and W got up from a very long nap and proceeded to hit balls with a play driver as hard as he could (luckily they didn't hurt because, man, he was going at it)! Candace made some AMAZING cheese-steak sandwiches, of which Eric promptly ate two. He certainly is a good eater! The boys fell asleep during half-time, and the girls fell asleep during the game, keeping true to our genders. We had a blast and are going to miss them when the move to Utah on the 25th!
Yesterday we went to have dinner with Ben, Kyra, and L Davis (see link), and might I say the Ben makes some pretty wicked steak! We spent the night talking with them and eating, and we love that they are in Tennessee, and especially in our ward. Talk about good people...
Eric and I are both working as hard as we can at school, our callings, and (for Eric) work. Luckily so far we've been able to see plenty of each other, though when I start studying I prefer to have Eric by my side giving me moral support! I start postpartem clinicals tomorrow, and really should be preparing my paperwork right now. I'm excited to spend time with mothers who have just had babies, but I probably will be insanely jealous, and I might cry because I have so long to wait before I have one of my own.
Well, I suppose I will get on! We miss all of our friends and family out in Utah, and we are grateful for our friends that bless our lives out in Tennessee! We think about you often, wish we could do more, and pray that Heavenly Father takes care of you!
Love, Stephanie

And Now, the Event You've All Been Waiting For...

2008-07-23T14:45:00.000-05:00

Thats right, The Dark Knight. The night before this event, we couldn't sleep. Eric let me in on a little secret: the excitement of watching The Dark Knight rivals that of getting engaged. So, as you can see, the anticipation was high. This is us in front of the Winsong 16 in Murfreesboro; we arrived here an hour and a half before showtime, and basically an hour before anyone else decided to show up. These are the shirts Eric bought for us; he shopped at a total of nine stores to find them. While he was at class, I spent the morning shaving my legs, putting on dark makeup, donning black jewelry, and painting my nails black, all for the cause of Batman. We thought we were pretty cool. That night, we saw Batman again at the IMAX with the Townsends. We got in line two hours early, but it was a good idea because it was packed!!! The Townsends love it, of course, although I don't know how they felt about Eric imitating the Jokers voice the rest of the night!
All in all, we were blissfully satisfied with the production, and would recommend it to anyone!

My Free Vacation!

2008-07-23T14:15:00.000-05:00

This past June, I was lucky enough to be nominated to attend the "CNA Celebration" for my work; I know, it sounds kind of cheesy, but the best part was they paid for a trip to Chattanooga, TN!!! And, my best friend at work named Tacoya went also! We rented a HUGE van, had breakfast at a Cracker Barrel (which is a staple restaurant here in TN) and set out on the trip. We visited the railway incline, which was scary and beautiful (note Regina and me on the railcar on the way up), when to a Chattanooga "Lookouts" baseball game, played pool until late at night, then slept at the beautiful Reed Sheraton. The next day we attended a banquet held in our honor, then went to the Aquarium. My favorite part was the jellyfish. It was well needed and so fun!

Our Wonderful, Beautiful Neices and Nephews

2008-06-11T16:19:00.001-05:00

And this is B, and my dad, and I love this video... especially when he runs at the end. And by the way, this was taken while we were bowling, a wonderful activity organized by my mom on our visit home.

This is our sweet R, who is obviously a huge sports fan! And the apple of Uncle Eric's eye!

Tagged!!

2008-05-28T12:32:00.000-05:00

This is the first time I have been tagged, and I'm kind of excited... So, here goes.

How long have you been married? A little more than a year and a half
How old is your spouse? He's 24 and I'm 23
Who eats more? Probably Eric, though lately I've been telling him what he can eat and when so we save money!!! I should probably lay off.
Who said I love you first? I did.
Who is taller? He is, thank goodness!
Who sings better? Um, he sings Neal Diamond pretty well, but only because he can fake singing on key!
Who is smarter? I think that I'm smarter, but he definately has more common sense than I do...
Who controls the T.V. remote? Him, of course. I like to read books when he starts watching TV because he drives me crazy just like dad drives mom crazy!
Whose temper is worse? Most likely me; he's very even tempered.
Who does the laundry? me, although Eric knows how and he pitches in when school gets really busy.
Who does the dishes? me and him! He's so wonderful!
Who sleeps on the right side of the bed? me
Who cooks dinner? Me, he likes my crockpot chicken dishes!
Who is more stubborn? Um, do you even have to ask. (By the way, the answer is me.)
Who is the first to admit when they are wrong? We both are pretty good about acknowledging that fact, but maybe you should ask Eric.
Whose parents do you see the most? When we go home, I have to say that we spend more time with my family; we're working on evening it out!
Who has more friends? Its a toss up, we're pretty likeable
Who has more siblings? Me! My wonderful family of 4 girls and 1 brother!
Who wears the pants in the family? Eric just kind of steps back and lets me do my own thing, but when he has his mind set on something, we do it.

Ok, so I tag anyone who wants to do this!

January Utah Visit

2008-05-15T12:48:00.000-05:00

This is our newest nephew, Aiden (I hope I spelled it right!). While I was there, my mom and I made him an adorable baby blanket with sports stuff all over it! It was good to see him, although seeing him made me really baby hungry!
This is Gabbie. She is little miss attitude, and makes us laugh really hard!

I figured I would blog about our most recent trip to Utah... Above is an adorable picture of Eric and I with his little neices and nephews. We loved spending time with them and seeing how much they've grown! Gabbie wanted me to play "I gotcha!" with her a lot, and I didn't mind because she would smile everytime I did it!
This is beautiful Brooklyn, Eric's oldest neice, at Johnny Carino's on the day we left. We love her sweet personality and he patience with her little brother and sister.
My mom planned a super fun night of bowling for the two families. This is Eric helping Gabbie bowl. Note Eric's pants... For some reason he has to roll them up that far everytime he bowls. Whatever floats your boat, Eric!
We also had a pleasant evening with Rocky and Christina Taylor at the Sky Box watching sports... When Eric and I were first dating before we got engaged, we had a dinner at Rocky's condo. Rocky prayed that he was grateful that we could gather as friends, and some of us as future eternal companions. Thanks, Rocky!
I this is my favorite picture of Ryker. He thought the bowling ball shooter was pretty "cooool!" We loved out little vacation and never wanted to leave! We love our families!

Gatlinburg and the Timing Belt

2008-05-15T12:27:00.000-05:00

To the right is Eric and I on the strip in Gatlinburg. It was crazy how busy it was there! Its the hot place to be in Tennessee, and people tell us it never slows down! Below is a picture of us at the Alamo, which is a fancy restaurant in the mountains near Gatlinburg. I had the filet mignon, medium rare of course (I am my Dad's daughter), and Eric had pork (fully cooked, no red please!). He was quite impressed with my carnivorous eating habits!

Below and to the right is the Little Country Church. Every night we would walk down to the strip from our hotel, right next to this little church. It seriously had about 5 pews on each side, and the pews would only be able to hold about 2 people. Services were at 10:00am on Sunday. I couldn't believe people actually went there! It was adorable! And below we had the shoes Eric wore to church on Sunday. I thought it was pretty funny.

Here we have some pictures of Eric and I in Cade's Cove. After driving into the mountain for about an hour, you get to this little one way road that you can drive around and see old churches and homes from an old township. It was kind of creepy, really. But we saw a lot of deer (there are some behind us in a field), and people in front of us saw a bear! They took to long taking pictures so we missed out on all the fun. Above and to the left, we have Eric at Wonderworks. When we drove into town at first, we had to look twice because, yes, the building is upside down.

Instead of going to Dollywood and experiencing Wonderworks, we decided to replace our timing belt and a gasket on our car! So we had the amazing opportunity to drive the Red Turd here (Eric can take the blame for the name!). Its an old Ford Taurus with 150,000 miles, white dog hair all over the place (I wouldn't even put my purse on the floor!), and whenever we applied the brakes we prayed that the car would stop! Oh, the joys of being students!

And this is one of the restaurants we enjoyed, No Way Jose's. They had pretty good food, though not as spicy as we would have liked. But they had the most amazing pina coladas, best since our honeymoon. We took a couple to-go, a few times! All in all it was a wonderful little vacation, well needed, and relaxing. I think our favorite times were in the hotel: Eric would watch the "Dog Whisperer" while I read I good book! Sorry mom, no hiking this time!

2008-03-24T22:09:00.002-05:00

Rachael's and L's trip to Nashville!!!

July 2007

This is Rachael, L, and I at the Opryland Hotel... L fell asleep on the boat ride in the middle of the hotel, and I don't blame her! She was so tired from being moved around so much, but she hardly ever complained! She is such a sweet baby! During the boat ride, we listened to a couple get married, and we saw the beautiful hotel. We did a lot of shopping (after all, we are Cluff's, aren't we?)! I loved shopping with Rachael because she never got tired, we just shopped for about 6 hours I think! L had a friend in the bathtub - the shaving cream bottle. She would just stare at it! We loved having them over, and when I got home and saw the play pen all packed up, I started to cry because I wanted them to come back! It was so much fun to have them! I forgot to mention, Rachael got up every morning, got ready, and looked better than I did every day! She dresses so cute, and I love her hair! made me kind of miss my long hair...

Our First MTSU Game!

2008-02-12T11:39:00.000-06:00

We attended this when I really should have been studying for a health assessment test, but it was definately worth it. I learned what a "down" was! Eric bought me my shirt without any help from me and I was so impressed...

Steph & E

2008-02-12T08:58:00.000-06:00

So family, we've started a blog. I figure that if I do this, all of you can know what its like to be here in Tennessee... and it gives me a chance to show all of my pictures! Eric thought that "Steph & E" would be creative because it sounds like Stephanie... I have to admit, this will probably end up being a distraction during the nursing program, but I'm only going to live in Tennessee once! Well, I better head back to class, what's new?
Love, Steph