Introducing The Bloom Blog

July 17, 2024

    Each blog post is curated from words that for a long time were stored on scrap pieces of paper and my phone notes app, photos, and illustrations I've done on my ipad. Mostly I wrote in the middle of the night, when my mind wouldn't stop racing. Sometimes it was in between classes, when I was sitting on a bench outside the McKay school. Recently its been a bit more formal-- on my laptop from my couch. But wherever the words originated from, they were planted in my heart for a reason, I want to share with anyone willing to read. 

    I am now decently into my second trimester of pregnancy, but it was a painful journey to get here. Not nearly as long as some. But it was still briefed with loss, and the continual squashing of hope. After an early miscarriage and nine months of naturally trying to conceive alongside the guidance of doctors, I finally got pregnant on the first month being on a fertility medication. Each week that passed still being pregnant was filled with anxious tears, held breaths, and countless pregnancy tests to make sure that second line was still dark. As the probability of miscarriage went from 25% to less than 1% at 12 weeks, my heart grew calmer and slowly became more excited. Although we're not really in the clear until my baby girl is nestled safely in my arms, I am embracing every moment of being pregnant. As seen by the dozens of bump pictures taken at every mirror glance. 

But getting and being pregnant is not my whole personality, believe it or not. Here are some fun things about me:

1. Currently I am eating the most delicious bowl of heavily-peppered Mac n' Cheese that sat in the fridge for approximately 7 minutes before being consumed via a fork. There is no better way, I'm convinced. 

2. I have four chickens that are the love of my life. They recognize my voice, they come to me when my car pulls in the driveway, and they grant me with eggs on a daily basis. I cannot bear to part with them when the time comes for Dallin and I to move from this cute house in Provo, Utah, so I will be transporting them to wherever we end up moving unless the housing situation strictly forbids it. I have it all planned-- I'll simply need a dog crate and some hamster water bottles. 

3. I graduated with a degree in Elementary Education K-6, and a minor in Arts Integration with an emphasis on Drama. Mark my words: I will teach in a classroom one day. For me, having babies and raising a family is first in queue, but I will return my roots of being an educator. There is a certain thrill I get from standing in front of a room of eight year olds. And there's nothing quite like just being yourself and getting a good laugh out of them. My hand-sewn puppet, Trixie, will see the light of day again!!

4. I bought a used Roomba vacuum off of Amazon last year, extremely excited about the prospect of never having to vacuum or sweep my single level house again. A funny thing happened, though. This little robot nicknamed Donut, lost my trust after one too many cheerios and bread crumbs being left at the perimeter of my dining room rug. Maybe I shouldn't put a rug in my dining room. Or maybe my robot vacuum should just be better. So for the past long time, Donut has sat collecting more dust than he ever picked up, and I continue to sweep and vacuum my floors until they shine. 

5. I met my husband, Dallin, playing volleyball at his apartment in spring of 2022. He was there to in fact improve his actual volleyball skills, while I was just excited to wear some short shorts and rub my toes in the sand. I must have done something to catch his eye, because the following two days we went rock climbing with friends up Provo Canyon. I was extremely grateful for my dad who is very passionate about rock climbing and took us frequently each summer. It was while I was a dozen or so feet up on a climb that I casually told Dallin I was 19, and found out he was 24. The age gap never really bothered us, but it did catch me off guard all those feet up. Two and a half years later, we certainly still enjoy playing volleyball and rock climbing-- but now I don't have to try to impress him quite so much. 

6. I think how you'll get to know me best, though, is if a paint a picture for you of exactly what I want my life to look like in five to ten years. If I had it my way, I'd live this reality next month. But job hunting post graduation is far more limiting than I had envisioned. So. Picture this: 

I'm baking some banana bread in my cottage-core kitchen that smells of flowers, wood, and a fresh lit candle (side note-- in this current moment I have only ever baked banana bread twice in my life. But by then I will have mastered it). A door to the backyard is half open, because its one of those cute dutch doors that can just have the top part open. With a baby on my hip, I look out the opening to see my other children playing near our pond that is full of frogs. But don't worry, they all have taken swimming lessons. Nearby, I have a few goats that coexist with our free-range chickens (yes, the same four that I have now). A kitten slithers between my legs, and I am filled with immense contentment. 

So yeah. I'll be your basic trad-wife. But I am so excited for that life, and all the steps needed to get me there.  

I have named the blog "The Bloom Blog" based on the phrase, "Bloom where you are planted." I've often thought about the motif of flowers and plants growing and blooming in less than ideal conditions. There are some sunflowers on the side of my house that pop up every year without me planting them, pushing through the rock-solid dirt that never gets watered. And they thrive. The verse reminds me to make the most of every season in life; and not only make the most of it, but work to bloom and thrive in those conditions.