Jay Walking

CATCHING UP!

2011-11-03T22:53:00.000-07:00

If anyone is still reading out blog after a 3 month hiatus thank you and please be patient. I have all kinds of stuff that I am working on and trying to get ready to post. Just trying to find time. MUAH.

2 Weeks Early!

2011-07-22T23:55:00.000-07:00

Thursday, July 21 (2 weeks before my due date)

8:00pm

Enjoyed a nice Vietnamese dinner with Cohen and my Mom. We talk about the upcoming events and Cohen points out my belly looks different, an odd shape-kind of sideways (this will make sense later on).

10:00pm

Cohen and I get up to leave the house to get some frozen yogurt and I discover my water has broken (I think). I tell Cohen of the happening and his eyes get huge and he says "Its time to go!?....what"....then he starts pacing the floor and waving his shirt around to fan himself "oooh I'm gettin hot" I couldn’t help but laugh. Watching us run around for 20 minutes and get absolutely nothing accomplished would have been comedy. Somehow I managed to call the Doctor to see if she wanted me to come to the hospital (she did). So we decided to put the clean sheets on the crib (Cohen even ironed the crib skirt), get into comfy clothes and try and pack a bag. The tricky thing was not knowing if we would be coming home that night or in a few days. I wish I had that stupid bag packed ahead of time. I kept thinking NO she can’t come yet we are not ready! Cohen and I had a list of about 20 items that we were going to get done on the upcoming weekend-which included purchasing things like a diaper bag. Sigh, We tucked Salty in for the night and gave her love. And drove to the hospital in a daze.

11:20pm

Arrived at the hospital and was checked in and taken up to my room to be evaluated. Now the funny thing is I had scheduled the coming Monday to go and have the “hospital tour” and there I was thinking… hmmmmm guess I can take that off the calendar. Walking into the room I was thinking to myself is this it, is this where we are going to have the baby. Since I was still in shock and denial that it was happening 2 WEEKS EARLY, I tried not to get myself too psyched out. I looked over at what I thought was a baby warmer cart and got nervous.

11:50pmish

The admitting nurse says I am not having the baby tonight and that I will be going home soon.

Friday July, 22

12:30am

After a lot of intake questions and a positive amniotic fluid strip it is determined that the baby is on her way and I should settle in for the night. The nurses then predict her arrival mid-day. I am told to lay down and sleep and get ready to walk the halls in the morning. My contractions were strong but inconsistent.

1am-3am

Major labor pains ramp up! I went from having the lights turned off and settling in for one last sleep to sitting straight up in bed gasping for air. I looked at Cohen and said WHOAH-that’s crazy pain! I felt the pain in my entire body. When it would start it would spread so hard and intense I mostly reached one arm in the air and held my breath (which you are not supposed to do). I ordered my first layer of pain meds and quickly realized they were of no comfort. So I told the nurse I was ready for my epidural. LIKE READY RIGHT NOW GET THE #*&##*&(*#&*$$# THING HERE NOW!!!! Cohen holds my hand and keeps me positive.

3am-4am

Laboring, throwing up (during which the nurses and Cohen discuss what it looked like and what we had for dinner LOL), epidural, OUCH. Nurses check my labor process and I am at a 7 and oopsie the baby is discovered to be breech/head up. Everyone starts apologizing and is shocked that it was not caught sooner. *2 days previous I had been checked at my doctors appointment and she was head down.* We are told that we will be having a c-section since the baby is upside down and there is not enough time or fluid left to turn her. Now the staff tells us she will be here in about an hour via c-section in the operating room as soon as the on call Doctor arrives.

Cohen wrote this on Facebook (Totally made me smile when I saw it later)

Cohen Jay

You are amazing!

5am

I am taken to the operating room and prepped for surgery. My anesthesiologist puts warm blankets around my head and neck. Cohen and I discuss what to photograph. I tell Cohen not to worry about pictures/videotaping the delivery. I want him to fully be present for the delivery and enjoy it and not worry about pictures.

I didn’t feel any true pain during the delivery. I felt some discomfort locally, like someone had their elbow pressing down on me near my lower left ribs.

5:55am

London Amelia Jay is delivered. Cohen announces as they are pulling her out that she looks like a chicken, a white chicken. His eyes are as big as I have ever seen them. Then for the next two hours feelings of love, shock and true bliss settle in. Cohen carries London to the nursery for her evaluations. The doctor orders and x-ray of her right collar bone to determine if it was fractured during delivery.

Waiting

2011-07-20T21:46:00.001-07:00

Waiting for something that will change my life forever is....

Amigos

2011-07-20T21:13:00.001-07:00

Ben and Sam my bros came into town

The last pic of Amy and I super prego

Michelle visiting from Zurich, Switzerland (hurry up and come back already!)

Wuv her!

Showered with love!

2011-07-15T21:18:00.000-07:00

Our baby girl has been showered with love!

We can't wait to use all of the amazing gifts we have been given.

Hostesses Amy and Joy and the prep crew

Homemade by Amy!

Jeanne, Becky and Melanie-dental hygiene alumni

How cute was this chalkboard message!

The Shiloh Park Relief Society Shower

Love this cupcake outfit

Melanie, my church visting teaching companion, we are due 5 days apart

Mom and I having fun

My hostess Amy and her hubby Blake

Summer

2011-06-30T20:44:00.000-07:00

Lucky for us our summer has been packed full of fun things to keep us busy and keep the baby count down speeding by.

For Cohen's birthday we spent the day down in San Fran with our friend Ryan. We hit Chrissy Field and walked the beach with all the other dog & owners. We tried Ike's sandwiches for lunch and discovered a new favorite eatery.

In May Cohen's younger sister Havila and her boyfriend Jonny showed up and surprised us for Memorial Day weekend. They literally knocked on the door Friday night at midnight and totally shocked us! We laughed for an hour after.

10 YEAR ANNIVERSARY

2011-06-17T20:55:00.000-07:00

June 16. 2011

This was such a fantastic day! For so long you wonder who you will marry and spend the rest of your life with. Then all of a sudden in a flash boom-you are celebrating your 10 year wedding anniversary ; ) While Salty was at doggy day care Cohen and I celebrated in San Francisco at the SF Zoo. We took our time and walked through at a nice leisurely (pregnancy) pace. This was Cohen's first visit to the zoo and it had been about 15 years since I had been there. They have done a nice job with the park and its animal exhibit areas. The only thing that I was bummed out about was that they are no longer feeding the lions & tigers in the Lion house. If you visited the Zoo as a child like I did you will know what I am talking about. We had a yummy Indian dinner at a Zagat rated restaurant before heading home. At dinner we tried to recount what we had done each year for our anniversary celebrations. One of our favorites was our first year when we went camping in Zion National Park.

Living the life

"It's worth it...it's totally worth it"

2011-04-23T23:52:00.000-07:00

My experience so far while being pregnant is a having a lot of people tell me their parenting stories. Some are sprinkled with the more intimidating elements of caring for children especially newborns. I see peoples eyes slightly glaze over when they tell me about the early days filled with sleepless days/nights. They might even thrown in a scary 23 hour labor story. Generally the walks down memory lane are ended with a nice line about how parenting is a unique, life changing experience that they wouldn't trade for anything...."it's worth it" or "it's totally worth it". This is something I don't understand yet.

I don't know what that means. And I won't for a couple of months. Someday down the line I will share my take on "it's worth it".

April ultrasound pic

2011-04-12T16:51:00.000-07:00

24 weeks : )

Yes...we wanted to know

2011-03-15T16:00:00.000-07:00

When given the option to find out the gender of our baby we said YES! We can't wait to meet our little girl in August.

20 weeks

MAMA JAY!

2011-03-14T23:33:00.000-07:00

Aunt Bonnie and Mama Jay

Cohen's mom Doreen came out from Utah for a visit in March with her sister Bonnie (from Maryland). They kept themselves busy with day trips to San Fran, Napa, St Helena, Healdsburg and the Redwoods. They spoiled us by cooking while they were here. Bonnie makes a mean sausage spaghetti. We had a special night out with my parents at Rustic Francis' Favorites (Coppola) for a Tavola. Meaning “to the table,” a tavola is a casual dining experience inspired by Francis Coppola’s favorite way of enjoying a meal. Like eating at your family’s home, there are no menus. Instead, our servers will come to your table offering an assortment of dishes

a Tavola (yeah we cleaned our plates)

Cohen working during a Tavola (photo courtesy of their website)

Cody and his son Dylan also made it over for a couple of days on their way to So Cal. Cody and Cohen grew up around the corner from eachother and Mama Jay is like a second mom to Cody.

(The day Uncle Cody picked her up in Escondido for us-remember how little she was)

Brittney turned 21 in March!

Cabo San Lucas

2011-03-04T16:16:00.000-08:00

Cohen and I took a big trip to Cabo San Lucas, Mexico. Our 10 year wedding anniversary is coming up in June and we won't be able to fly that close to our due date so February seemed like a perfect time to travel. It was nice to be in Mexico before the big spring break crowds show up.

It was our first time traveling to CSL and there were many fun things to discover along way. We took our time and soaked it all in.

Aimee's favorite day-Whale watching

Family of Humpback whales (mom, dad and baby)

Expecting

2011-02-08T09:57:00.000-08:00

Expecting

Lean close and listen to my thoughts
Deep within there is joy and peace

Lean close and listen to my soul
It whispers prayers of health and gratitude

Lean close and listen to my heart
Can you hear the life within me grow

-Aimee Jay

Closing out 2010

2010-12-31T21:12:00.000-08:00

THANKSgiving

We hosted our first Holiday in November with my Dad's side of the family. Cohen cooked up a storm. He is loving his gigantic kitchen. Salty couldn't stop staring at the turkey.

Uncle Jim carving the turkey

One more bite PLEASE!

The food was perfect

Salty was recovering from being spayed to she had to take it easy and spend some time with Cousin Brittney on the couch.

Even though we spent the holidays in Utah we still got a tree and set up some decorations.

The only pic of the tree I have decorated : (

some friends on their way to an ugly sweater party

CHRISTmas

I am really proud that we completed a very successful, long road trip across state lines with a 7 month old puppy. It was actually a lot easier than I thought it would be. Salty spent most of the trip there sleeping. We had a perfect vacation with our family and friends in Utah. I just couldn't get enough hugs from my nieces and nephews. One of my favorite days I spent with my friend Michelle who was visiting from Switzerland. We got a chance to visit in Santa Rosa and then got to see eachother in Utah before she made the transatlantic flight home. Cohen LOVED shooting guns with his Dad, sister Havila and her boyfriends family. You know we had to hit some of our favorite restaurants. And plenty of Jay time to fill our tank! Cohen took some pics of the Provo LDS Tabernacle days after a fire destroyed the historic building.

Pit stop in Winnemucca, Nevada

Havila

Del (Grandpa) playing with Salty

Christmas morning

Christmas lunch with Cohen's parents and brother Wry's family

Doreen (Grandma) and Britt

Precious nieces!

nephew Cameron

niece Gracie

Brother and Sisters (-Brandi who lives in Wisconsin)

Corrina (Cohen's sister) & family aka BACONS!

Burger Supreme

Mission companion Matt and wife Heather

Cohen and Michelle get their Chick-fil-a fix

MICHELLE!

Gabe and Cohen

Kevin & Cohen watching the UFC fight

Tyson & Cohen (high school friends who ended up serving their missions together in London)

Brittney

2010-11-20T22:16:00.001-08:00

I think the last month has been completely consumed by one person....Brittney.

Brittney is our niece who just moved here from Utah. Cohen's older sister Corrina is Brittney's mom. She is living with us while working and going to school. I cleared out one of the spare bedrooms and that is now what she calls home. She is a lot of fun to spend time with and so easy going. We hatched this plan in early Oct when she came to visit with Cohen's younger sister Havila.

Brittney, Cohen and Havila

10-4-10

(Check out: Sometimes in October)

We are so glad Brittney was brave enough to move 800 miles from home and make new memories.

Brittney's Family 2008

Steve, Corrina, Brittney, Cameron, Colton and Alyssa

Halloween '10

2010-10-31T23:05:00.000-07:00

Too bad Cohen had to work on Halloween. Jeanne went with me to the church "Trunk or Treat" Halloween party. Her son Dorian, 1o months old won a prize for the cutest baby (he was a Maine Lobster) and Cohen's Chili won Best of Show in the Chili cook off.

First Place for the Mexican Chocolate Chile

The Pugmire Family

My Mom the wicked witch leading the spooky festivities

"Trunk or Treat"

Henderson's Haunted Trunk

Ben and Raena

2010-10-21T23:16:00.000-07:00

From the arctic north Ben and Raena paid Santa Rosa a visit. Lucky it was timed perfectly while Amber was here visiting from Utah so she could see Hermano Ben too.

Sometimes in October

2010-10-16T15:21:00.001-07:00

Sometimes people you love get in a car and drive 12 hours to spend time with you. Sometimes your dad turns 65 and your best friends daughter turns 1. Sometimes you go camping with your puppy in the Redwoods.

Orange

2010-10-13T22:02:00.000-07:00

Yesterday I was driving home from the Oakland airport when I saw something beautiful. The sun was setting and San Francisco was illuminated in a beautiful orange glow. I could see perfectly the famous skyline with the bay bridge leading to it. A camera would never have been able to do it justice. It was so inspiring.

This thought came to mind.....

If all that you hoped and dreamed for lay waiting for you if you crossed that bridge, would you have the courage to take the first step ?

The journey is always worth it.

Enjoy it

2010-09-19T21:20:00.000-07:00

Dillon Beach nearby Tomales Bay, CA is most certainly a dog friendly beach. Cohen took Salty out on Friday and she had a great time running around off leash with a few other dogs and watching the surfers. I remember having a blast visiting with Buddy Brady and family a few years back.

Brady Family taken 8/1/08

Cohen and Salty had so much fun Friday that we turned around and went back out Saturday morning before Cohen left for work.

Summer is coming to an end - so grab your towel, drive to the nearest swimming hole, and ENJOY IT!

So much to blog about

2010-09-12T21:10:00.000-07:00

Salty is laying next to me on the couch pooped out from our 1.5 hr walk around the neighborhood. I love being able to stroll around and see life happening all around me. There are families, joggers, bikers, lone rangers, doggies, singles, kids, and even a few quail. I can't help but sneak a peek into an open garage or sniff at what people are grilling.

In the late part of August Cohen somehow managed to survive a long weekend where 3 of my girlfriends stayed with us and a 2 month old baby boy. Good thing we have 3 bathrooms. Anna, Amber and baby Ethan came out from Arizona and Holly (Dale) came out from Layton, Ut. It was such a special reunion. We stayed busy all weekend. One of my favorites was dressing up and eating at Cohen's restaurant. It wouldn't have been complete without Amy Willits.

It wouldn't be a proper trip without lunch at Mary's.

Taco night with some friends from high school

******************************************************

SALTY DOG

So this little pup of ours is now almost 4 mos old and weighs in at 18lbs. Recently she had her first bee sting, visit to the beach and ER trip to have a foxtail removed from her left ear.

Doran Beach

Northern Light Surf Shop, Boedga Bay CA

Bee sting swelling : (

Waiting for Cohen to come home

******************************************************

BOOKS

The Hunger Games Trilogy - Suzanne Collins. (3 books). The books are a great, fast read and I was sad to have it come to an end. We listened to the first book on CD on our way home from Utah in January - it's available for loan if anyone is interested.

Millenium Trilogy - Stieg Larsson. (3 books) One of the most intriguing characters in this series is actually the author himself who passed away unexpectedly shortly after delivering the manuscripts and never got to see his books hit the world wide best sellers list. I read book 1 The Girl with The Dragon Tattoo during our San Antonio trip in May. My mom just loaned me books 2 and 3. I finished book 2 The Girl Who Played with Fire in about a week (very addicting). And I am toying with the idea of starting the final book tonight.

Dr Frey's office

2010-08-22T22:21:00.000-07:00

I work in a few different dental offices. 2 days a week I am at Dr. Mark Frey's office. I love all my work places because each one has special elements. One of my favorite things about working in Frey's office is getting the opportunity to work with his 2 daughters. His oldest daughter Katie just left for college. I am really going to miss seeing her but will be able to keep in touch via FB and visits home. Good luck at USD!

Katie and Sophie

Our special Memorial Day

2010-08-18T20:38:00.000-07:00

Today was our due date. I wasn't quite sure what to even call this day but when I was IM'ing with my girlfriend she said it was our memorial day. I realized that those were the words that I was searching for. We appreciate the kindness and consideration that was shared with us the last few days. We are doing well and honor our little one today with peaceful meditation and prayer.

Jones Family Visit

2010-08-17T22:04:00.000-07:00

Camille (Holmes) Jones, husband Gordy and 3 kids visited from Utah. We met at Howarth Park for a fun evening. I LOVE THIS FAMILY! I can't believe the twins are in Kindergarten and Elliot is walking. Of course I killed my battery on my camera on the drive to the park so I got one pic of Elliot playing and had Gordy send me a few from his iphone.

Best Buds

2010-08-13T23:19:00.000-07:00

I was just browsing through the pics I took the last week and I am loving them. Can you believe how big Salty is getting.

Francis Ford Coppola Presents....

2010-08-04T20:56:00.000-07:00

Doesn't this scream dine with me? - View from the patio

Francis Ford Coppola Presents....Cohen's new job. : ) Just a quick bit about Cohen's job. He is working at Francis Ford Coppola's Winery. Cohen is one of the restaurant mgrs at RUSTIC Francis' Favorites. They have the most exciting website so I encourage you to get on and explore. They are doing so many wonderful events and I can't wait to see it on Saturday and pig out! Here are a few pics and I will try and get him on here to talk about it some more. He is loving it!

Patio Seating

Inside by the Argentine grill

Booths

Sunday is Tavola which means they dress in costume and have a very special style of dining - do you want to see Cohen's costume???

Grateful

2010-07-29T22:20:00.000-07:00

Usually the month of November I spend a lot of time thinking about the things I am grateful for. I think this year will prove to be an exception to that. Because of the problems and down right sadness I have worked through this year its been important to think about positive things. Sometimes its a matter of concentrated effort-other times its letting my my wander as we drive the roadways to our next destination. I prop my elbow up on the car door and lean my head into my hand and I think about what I smile for.

Today I am grateful for a healthy body, my home, empathy, and companionship.

Puppy love

2010-07-24T18:47:00.000-07:00

If you have seen any of our recent Facebook posts you will know we are head over heels for Salty. We have survived our first 2 weeks of puppyhood and it feels like she has been with us for years. The first week was rough with many trips outside for potty throughout the night. I was starting to feel like zombie Aimee and would anxiously look forward to coming home from work and trying to nap on the floor while salty would walk on my back. Thankfully she sleeps in her crate through the night without needing a potty break until the morning. Last night she went 9 hours it was AMAZING. As you know we are very passionate about our sleep...well at least I am.

We have taken so many pictures and video of our pup that I was starting to feel a bit nuts. Thankfully my fellow dog loving friends have reassured me that this behavior is totally natural. Many have even encouraged it as the puppy stage is over too quickly. Although our friends lab Buddy is 80lbs plus and still tries to get in their laps.

Salty has had so many people come over and meet her she is totally in love with her new friends. Even my mom had to admit she was cute. My parents call her Pogo because she bounces around like a pogo stick. Right now she is asleep next to me on the couch wagging her tail. Adorable.

Meeting Salty Video

(sorry sideways)

Salty Fun

Cohen comes home and she is soooo happy!

Follow up to Postpartum post

2010-07-13T10:03:00.000-07:00

Thank you for the concern expressed for my well being after reading my previous post. I shared my personal experience to let others know that many people suffer from Postpartum...I was genuinely suprised when it started to affect me. There was a short rough patch weeks ago but I feel like myself again. I found that there is truth in the statement-hormones can do crazy things. There are many resources out there to help anyone suffering from it and they are never alone.

Postpartum

2010-07-09T19:21:00.001-07:00

Its wet

Its freezing

I reach out my cold shaking finger and trace the lines of my prison

This box I find myself trapped in

My back is to the wall and I can't lay down

My head is to the ceiling and I can't stand

I scream out and it echoes against the walls taunting me

I choke my lungs are filled with cold, musty air

I curl my toes and feel my skin grate against the cement

No comfort to be found

Loneliness is my only companion

It whispers poison into my ear

Where is my freedom

Where has the light gone to

Where is my salvation

-Aimee Jay, June 2010

.....

Women of every culture, age, income level and race can develop perinatal mood and anxiety disorders. Symptoms can appear any time during pregnancy and the first 12 months after childbirth. There are effective and well-researched treatment options to help you recover. Although the term “postpartum depression” is most often used, there are actually several forms of illness that women may experience

...... http://www.postpartum.net/Get-the-Facts.aspx

Meet Salty

2010-07-06T14:15:00.000-07:00

Salty (6 week old-female Vizsla) joined our family on Monday July 5th. She was born in Ramona, Ca not too far from the San Diego Wild Animal Park (Escondido). We are so grateful that our friend Cody picked her up for us. I am totally enamored by her. Cohen is in heaven. He has wanted a dog for so many years and we finally have a home we feel will suit a dog perfectly. I am a first time dog owner so I know I will be learning so much from her. Life doesn't always go as planned but there are blessings to be found along the way.

4th of July in Crescent City

2010-07-04T15:07:00.000-07:00

The 4th of July parade in Crescent City never lets us down. Its packed with homemade floats and a ton of patriotic spirit.

Cohen bought this amazing hat in Healdsburg

Aimee's mom reading "Girl With The Dragon Tattoo" and Cohen playing with Chance

How would you like a back yard like that...

Uncle Jim and his brother Louie Aimee's dad

Sunrise at Jim & Diane's beautiful redwood property. Diane just retired from Pelican Bay Prison and Jim is not too far behind.

SLUG!!!

Not pictured:

1) Cohen on a bike being chased by a neighborhood rottweiler

2) Jim's dog chasing a mountain lion into a tree

MMB

2010-06-22T16:16:00.001-07:00

Michelle making her yummy guacamole as Chris looks on

Today I had to say goodbye to a dear friend who is moving to Europe. Michelle Margetts Bingham is truely one of the best people I know. Her husband Chris got a job transfer with Medtronic AVE to Zurich Switzerland for 2 years. Chris and I grew up in the church together. But I didnt meet Michelle until college in hygiene school 4 years ago. She has blessed my life with her friendship. She has always been there to help in any way possible. Selflessly she helped Cohen with his first catering job and has always cheered on any success in our lives. In school we studied a lot together and I smile thinking of floating in her pool reading questions to each other. We share so many things in common and I can always count on her to have fun. If you haven't already met her I hope that sometime you will have the opportunity.

*Michelle & Chris good luck, travel safe and see you someday soon*We love you*

Goodbye dinner with the girls 6/23/10

9 years ago

2010-06-16T17:40:00.001-07:00

9 years ago the day Cohen and I were married. It was a very busy day in the Oakland Temple. There are a limited amount of rooms where the marriage ceremonies are performed so we were taken into a huge, beautiful, white room to wait until our room/guests were ready. It was incredibly peaceful inside this room. We were both dressed in white and we sat on a soft couch. We were minutes from being married for all time and eternity. And we were totally calm. We sat hand in hand and leaned on eachother. I thought about what our future years would be like. I thought about how we would age and what are children might look like. It was incredibly special to have the short time together alone before spending the rest of the day with our guests. As our lives have gotten busier and at times extremely challenging I close my eyes and I think back to our time in that room together, hand in hand, dressed in white, poised ready to conquer the world. It brings me peace.

Texas -> San Antonio and beyond

2010-06-08T10:53:00.001-07:00

This past week I realized how much we needed a vacation. We were stressed out, tired of crying and in need of some time away. Lucky for us The Spencers in San Antonio opened their home to us on short notice. What are brothers for? : ) We arrived Memorial Day weekend and stayed for a week. We packed in a lot of sightseeing and day trips to nearby cities. Sam, Aubrey, Alex (4) and Dillon (2) were amazing hosts/tour guides and took the time to ensure we had a perfect vacation.

When we got off the plane at 10pm we were in shock from the heat and humidity. Sam had warned us that it would be hot but it still rocked us coming from our NorCal weather. Our first stop was at Rudy's BBQ/truck stop.

After we checked Texas BBQ off our to-do list we were just starting our lone star state experience.

Monday (Memorial Day) Aubrey competed in the Austin triathlon. After completing the olympic distance 1500 meter swim, 40km bike ride and 10k run she was greeted by her #1 fans.

Austin is the state capitol and is a must see on your trip to Texas. Its well known for the music scene, outdoor activities, resident bridge bats, Univ Texas-A, and celebrities Lance Armstrong and shirtless wonder MatthewMcConaughey. We got to see the inside of the pink granite capitol and I got a pic with George Bush.

Tuesday we went to Schlitterbahn Waterpark in New Braunfels. Years ago we saw this park highlighted on the Travel channel as the top waterpark in the nation. Immediately we knew it was our kind of place. There are 3 different parks that you shuttle between and with your wristband you have access all day to any park. We stayed until it closed at 8pm no surprise there. Sam told us about a restaurant that we should check out after for dinner. We enjoyed our meal at Gristmill River Restaurant. I found the experience truely unique. It was open air seating that backed up to a river. It was a hot night with crickets chirping and a local country band playing up a storm in the town hall next door.

Less magical was Cohen waking up that night with food poisoning and vomitting for 5 hours straight. We had to take that day off and stayed at the house. A powerful thunder and lighting storm rolled in that night and we watched it from the back porch. The next morning the news reported that it was the worst storm in 15 years.

Thursday Sam took the day off work and we went swimming at a river in the town of Bandera. The river was warm and we enjoyed floating downstream after hiking. It was a blast going off the rope swings.

Hanging with the locals

Friday I got sick with a fever but I tried to be a trooper and not let it slow us down. We went to the Cave without a Name in Boerne and to a German town named Fredricksburg.

Best of all (and a dream true for me) we went to see the Alamo. After touring inside I called my parents and reported I couldn't find the basement. I wish we could have spent more time at the downtown river walk - but I was over the heat and walking by that time.

Saturday we made one more stop to eat at the famous La Hacienda restaurant. We have seen it featured several times on the Food Network. We came to eat the puffy tacos but were more impressed by the beauty and family friendliness of the joint.

The end of our vacation came and we still had so much we wanted to see and explore with the Spencers. That will have to wait until next time.

Brush to canvas

2010-05-11T19:03:00.000-07:00

Cohen is using some of his free time to create beautiful art for our house. I just love sitting in a chair listening to music watching him paint. Generally Cohen expresses his creativity through cooking. It looks like he is finding a new outlet for his imaginative energy.

Time to heal

2010-05-04T11:49:00.000-07:00

So for those of you who might not know - we lost our pregnancy at 5 mos. It has been a very difficult time for Cohen and I along with our families and friends. It has brought Cohen and I closer than we thought possible. In January I wrote this on my Facebook page: "This year holds so much promise and hope for us it is breathtaking" January 1 at 12:45am ·

I can't say that at this time I feel the same was as I did at the first of the year. There has been a permanent shift in the way that I think, feel and process life changes. I have always been a sensitive person. Any person that knows me can attest to this fact. I am being tested in complex and deep personal ways.

Before I could finish composing this post and upload it to the web Cohen and I were dealt another relentless blow. After almost 3 years of work at a place that he loved Cohen was laid off. Yes you are reading this right. Less than 2 weeks after we lost our pregnancy Cohen's employer laid him off.......

Where will we go from here?????

The Ultimate Loss, The Ultimate Love, The Final Goodbye

2010-05-02T00:14:00.000-07:00

Reach within me deep

Remove this child of mine

Take him with care

He was created with love and hope

Close my eyes and weep

Open my heart and let the pain out

Cohen hold me close

Little one we may be separated by space and time

But no distance can remove the bond you share with me

Reach within me deep

Remove this child of mine

Take him with care

He was created with love and hope

Return to your maker

He will hold you and keep you safe

Until the day we can see your beautiful face

We love you

-Aimee Jay

Saturdays are made for shopping

2010-04-10T16:44:00.000-07:00

We bought some stuff for our living room. Its fun playing around in a space that we know we will be settled in for a long time. We are toying with using some red in our living room. Its hard because the more you buy the more things you are pretty determined that you need ; )

Its hard to photograph a room but here are some pics of our window coverings before and after todays red accents. We are just soaking it in trying to visualize. The pictures seen above the fireplace are not permanent we just put something there for perspective

Love any feed back on the red accents.

Arizona for a long weekend

2010-04-04T14:57:00.001-07:00

I spent a long weekend with my 2 of my best friends Anna and Amber (Pittson). You may recognize them from earlier posts. We have known eachother since we were tiny kids. When we graduated from high school we moved out together. And eventually we moved to Utah and spent some ama zing times together before getting married and being swept across the U.S. We try and see each other 1-2 times a year. I was absolutely blown away by how much the kids have grown up. Amber is expecting her 2nd baby boy.

This trip was originally planned to include Cohen but because of work obligations he had to stay behind. Enjoy some of the pics I took.

Ella 2, Peyton 6 and Kiley 9 (Anna's Daughters)
Anna & Ella
James 2 (Amber's son)
They are 3 weeks apart
Making some pottery
Bath time

On the flight home

Our soon to be puppy PART II

2010-04-03T14:54:00.000-07:00

Unfortunately after Cohen's visit to the breeder we discovered this was not the right litter for us. We will be in search of a new breeder to purchase a puppy from. We are disappointed but we just didn't feel comfortable with the breeder and with such an important choice to be made - we need to feel 100% right.

Our "soon to be" puppy

2010-03-20T23:17:00.000-07:00

Our "soon to be ours" puppy was born this morning. The breeder reported that mommy Bella had 4 boys and 4 girls and is doing great. We wont be able to pick up the puppy for about 2 mos. Which is fine by us we need to get our place puppy ready. We are going to select a girl puppy and we will post pictures of her as soon as we meet her.

Whats a Vizsla? ....Vizslas are very high energy, gentle-mannered, loyal, caring, and highly affectionate. They quickly form close bonds with their owners, including children. Often they are referred to as "velcro" dogs because of their loyalty and affection. They are quiet dogs, only barking if necessary or provoked. They are a dog breed used for hunting that originated in Hungary.

I have included in this post GENERIC internet pictures of a Vizsla puppy and adult.

Curtains

2010-02-24T22:57:00.000-08:00

Cohen survived his first home fix it up project and hung our living room curtains. He now must conquer the other side of the room and our bedroom. I am such a proud wife. We got our curtains courtesy overstock.com and the rest of the accessories at B B & B.

PS how about that poor skater that lost his gold medal due to bad coaching....

Cohen's Feb 18th

2010-02-18T23:01:00.000-08:00

Without realizing it Cohen wrote this at the same time I posted below.

IT'S BEEN ONE YEAR! Today in my one year anniversary of my surgery. I look back to where I was 10 years ago, to one year ago, then to now, and I can't help but to thank God, my family, and friends for the support I have received. I can't begin to tell you how deap my level of pain, discouragement and hoplessness was as... I battled with Crohn's Disease.

I hope I have returned the favor and been an inspiration and helped you over come the challenges life has thrown to you. February 18th is a special day for me for two reason. Aimee my beautiful wife accepted my marriage proposal 9 years ago, and the I was freed from my illness of 10 years. Life awaits!

-Cohen

Feb 18th

2010-02-18T22:25:00.000-08:00

Joy and Grief

I am simply moved to tears as I write this. This day for a long time has fostered a lot of fear, anxiety, life, death and love.

When I was 29 on this day my husband had the courage to change our lives with a medical procedure.

When I was 22 on this day Cohen asked me marry him.

When I was 14 on this day my best friend died.

She was a young girl who was loved by her family. her friends, teachers and all those who were blessed to get to know her. I miss her beautiful blue eyes, her voice, her way of making me smile. I miss all the things we weren't able to do and see together. I miss the woman she would have become. I miss the child she was.

Amanda I miss you.

God has blessed me in so many ways. There have been days of darkness. Days where the only comfort found was crying myself to sleep. But through the darkness God has never left me alone, even when I screamed at him to and turned my back to him. And for that I am truly grateful. He has blessed me with a husband who cherishes me and will be with me for all eternity.

-Aimee

Utah in early January

2010-02-04T20:50:00.000-08:00

With all craziness of the house buying experience I never took time to put up some pictures from our visit to Utah. We drove out (the first time in 7 years) instead of flying. We had a blast on our road trip. Its so nice that Cohen is healthy enough to take these kind of trips again.

Enjoy checking out some of the highlights.

Wendover!

Sunset over Nevada/Utah

Cohen and Gabe

Niece Brittney and the Provo sunset

The Girls

Cohen with Brittney and Havila

We love the Bacas!

Sundance

A stop on the Alpine Loop in Sundance

The Beckers make the best Hawaiian food. Someday maybe they will open back up the Bamboo Hut.

WE BOUGHT A HOUSE - A dream come true

2010-01-28T18:23:00.001-08:00

We were so very lucky to move into our first home over the weekend. We couldnt have done it without the HUGE volunteer moving crew. Cohen's brothers Wry and Donovan flew in from Utah and spent their weekend painting, moving and helping us set up everything. I wish we could have done more fun stuff with them...maybe on their next visit.

I am in awe that we are finally homeowners. This is a goal that we have worked very hard to attain. Its a dream come true.

Wry and Aimee's Dad

Donovan

Part of the moving crew

The brothers

Our home in Santa Rosa

2009 is over!

2009-12-29T11:43:00.000-08:00

What a ---- year this has been. I dont know the right adjective to use in describing this year. Probably because there is not one word that can capture what 2009 has been for us. Jan 1st 2009-Dec 31 2009 brought about so much change for us.

I am just happy we could throw the 2009 calendar out and welcome 2010!

Long Thanksgiving Weekend

2009-11-27T17:51:00.000-08:00

What a great Thanksgiving weekend.

Enjoying a comfortable couch

2009-11-21T23:44:00.000-08:00

I am sitting on our comfortable couch going down my mental checklist of the to-do list. This month has been packed full of events. Here is our November run down. We went to Reno the first weekend for my groundwater convention. (I currently work 1 day a week at the Ca Groundwater office). Cohen was in Utah for the second weekend. This weekend we are catering for Montgomery High School. We have 2 nights down and 1 to go. Next weekend is going to to be awesome because I have Weds-Fri off!!!

So stoked for Thanksgiving. I get to spend time with my family and eat, eat, sleep and eat. Perfect! Cohen is going to be having a busy T-day service at Equus as they have lots of reservations coming in.

I only have 1 complaint my left hip has been hurting since the beginning of September. I think maybe sciatic issues?? I have on/off pain sitting, standing, walking, running, laying down. It has really affected how much running I haven't done. I am hoping to get some relief for it.

Halloween

2009-11-01T21:51:00.000-08:00

I hope everyone had a safe and sweet Halloween. Here are some pics from our night. I passed out candy at my parents while Cohen worked at the restaurant.

Sunday Afternoon

2009-10-04T16:00:00.000-07:00

Its beginning to look a lot like fall....everywhere I go. Its the first week of October which means we have made it to my favorite time of year. I love Oct-Dec. Between the candy, parties, food, family and friends its a feast for the mind, body and soul.

Surprised by Minnesota

2009-09-09T21:39:00.000-07:00

Labor Day Weekend in MINNESOTA / Twin Cities

Our trip to visit Cohen's oldest sister Brandi and her family in Minnesota broke down-no tore down-stereotypes previously held in my mind about the great state of Minnesoooooooota. The suburbian area of St Paul that we visited is full of beautiful scenery, homes and friendly people.

Here is a Wikipedia fact about the Twin Cities Minneapolis-Saint Paul is the most populous urban area in the state of Minnesota, United States, and is composed of 186 cities and townships. Built around the Mississippi, Minnesota and St. Croix rivers, the area is also nicknamed The Twin Cities for its two largest cities, Minneapolis and Saint Paul, the former the larger and the latter the state capital.

The area is part of a larger U.S. Census division named Minneapolis-St. Paul-Bloomington, MN-WI, the country's 16th-largest metropolitan area composed of eleven counties in Minnesota and two counties in Wisconsin.

It has everything you need to live a fun filled life. There are lots of inside activities for the cold winters and BEAUTIFUL state parks, rivers, lakes for the summer.

To help with the captions the family members: Brandi her husband Jesse and their children Kaylen 10, Julia 7, Jayson 4, and Sean 2.

Cohen's Top 5 Highlights

-Hiking up the waterfall at Willow River State Park in Wisconsin

-Eating french fries, donuts, 1/2 gallon of root beer, bucket of cookies, fresh milk, corn dogs, and chocolate covered bacon at the fair

-Eating ice cream at the Grand Ole Creamery

-Shopping at the Mall of America

-Playing with my nieces and nephews

Aimee's Top 5 Highlights

-Meeting Al Franken at the State Fair

-Eating downtown St Paul with Brandi and Jesse and having ice cream at an amazing creamery

-Dutch oven cookout on Labor Day Weekend

-Seeing the Mississippi river

-All you can drink milk for $1 and a bucket full of choc chip cookies at the State Fair

one more.....eating Wisconsin cheese in Wisconsin

Jesse, Brandi, Julia, Jayson, Sean, and Kaylen

Julia

Chocolate covered bacon

Fresh strawberries and cream!

Brandi

The Senator/Stuart Smalley and Aimee

Jayson and Cohen

You could pick regular or chocolate!!

One of our many times in line

look the bucket is almost empty

Cohen doing Kaylen's hair

Grand Ole Creamery

Cake in a dutch oven..yummy!

Mississippi River!!! I didn't see Huck Finn though

I was obsessed with the corn in the midwest

Cohen having fun at the Mall of America

McOmbers, Bottega

2009-08-20T16:12:00.000-07:00

Yum Yum

We had 2 amazing meals this week. One was in honor of our friends who are visiting from Micronesia. Cohen cooked up some delicous lamb and side dishes. Matt and Courtney McOmber have some funny stories about their past year living on an island.

Bottega

We visited Michaels Chiarello's restaurant Bottega in Yountville with our friends Miriam, Augie and their son Max. Augie is a waiter there. Chef Chiarello just placed second in Top Chef Masters.

Down the street from French Laundry and across from Bouchon...not a bad location

Gravenstein Apple Fair 2009

2009-08-18T19:06:00.000-07:00

(Entries to the Apple Pie Baking Contest)

Apple fritters, apple juice, funnel cake, corn dogs, cooking demos, animals, hay maze....believe me I could go on and on and on.

This was my second year as Assistant Fair Manager of the Sebastopol Gravenstein Apple Fair. The job entails a years worth of planning meetings, multiple mailings, vendor database maintenance, 2 days set up, 2 days fair and 1 day of break down. The fair is held every year in August at Ragle Park in Sebastopol.

I enjoyed this fair so much more than my first year because I understand so much better the behind the scenes. The fair works #1 because the community supports it and #2 because there are many volunteers who dedicate their time to the Gravenstein. Each year I am reminded of the how historical/important this little apple is to us.

Here is an excerpt from the Slow Food Russian River website about the Gravenstein. "It is part of our local agricultural heritage, and yet it is disappearing so fast that it could become commercially extinct. In the 1970’s Sonoma County was the Gravenstein capital of the world: today there are fewer than 10 Sonoma farmers who still make a living selling apples.

The international Slow Food movement is committed to preserving biodiversity and regionally important foods. Working with farmers, processors, and local community leaders, Farmers Markets and chefs, and in collaboration with the California non profit Community Alliance with Family Farmers (CAFF), the Russian River Slow Food chapter is helping to develop high-value marketing channels for the Gravenstein, and to increase awareness in the bay area and beyond of the value of buying and eating this local apple. We are actively working to safeguard the future of the apple and the livelihood on those who grow it."

The fair has turned from a way to make a few extra bucks to a new awareness of a Sonoma County treasure-that is worth saving.

(Sue Loughlin the Fair Manager and Aimee)

(Everyone except Amber)

(Aimee working in the information booth)

(With the penguin/corn dog)

August is looking good

2009-08-07T23:55:00.001-07:00

Despite being very sick this week August has gotten off to a good start. My oldest sister Heather relocated back to Santa Rosa in hopes of finding some fruitful employment opportunities. Our friends Kat and Ryan made it safely (and quickly) to NYC. My sister Dawn is having a blast traveling in Australia. And the Gravenstein Apple Fair which I am assistant manager of is next week.

Cohen is currently on the hunt for a new assistant manager so I plan on seeing him again sometime in September.

There are times in life when everything is perfect......today is one of them

2009-07-26T23:16:00.000-07:00

Sunday I was high on life. We had just finished spending the night in Modesto with Cody (Cohen's best friend). As we were driving to San Francisco I was thinking to myself ....There are times in life when everything is perfect......today is one of them. Here are the reasons I had this train of thought (in the span of 24 hours these things were happening)

1) Just saw Cody and Family

2) Going to see our friends cross the finish line at the San Francisco Marathon

Aubrey ran the full and Kat ran the half

3) Going to see Sam and Ben Spencer and their families

4) Having a massive picnic with the Taylors, Bradys, Oroscos, and Spencers

To say the least it was a time when you can't take enough pictures to capture how you and your best friends lives have changed. You can only sit in a chair and soak it in.

Aubrey Spencer

Kat and Ryan

Aubrey and Kat

Finish Line

Brady Resort

Abby (Ben and Raena's dog) and Diego the tortoise
Cohen and Porter (Mark and Lora's son)

Elijah, Alex and Eliana

All of us

Ben swimming with Dillon (Sam's youngest)
Elijah (Paul and Anita's son) flying

Sam and Alex

Its Hot in Modesto

2009-07-25T22:02:00.000-07:00

(Cohen and Cody at the coast in March)

We spent Saturday with Cody Gingras and his family in Modesto. He is out for the summer managing a Dish TV sales office. It was a HOT night...Modesto is HOT. We enjoyed bbq'ing, swimming, and meeting their friends. It was sweet getting some Gingras time in...it won't be long until they transfer to Phoenix..

Police Action & Amy turns 30

2009-07-19T18:03:00.000-07:00

One night as we were watching Top Chef Masters on our DVR we heard all kinds of lights and sirens outside. We called my dad and found out that the CHP, SRPD and Sonoma County Sheriffs were involved in a car chase that had originated in San Francisco. After 3 hours of chasing it finally ended right outside our place and we were there for the action with our Nikon in hand. Cohen took some amazing picture that got printed on the front page of the Press Democrat along with our quotes.

Amy (Seaman) Willits turned 30 July 16th. Her parents threw her a yummy party!

4th of July

2009-07-08T16:45:00.000-07:00

This was one of my favorite vacations in a long time. I didn't want this past weekend to come to an end. From the time we hit the runway in SLC we were on the go. After a lot of convincing my parents came with us and I think they thoroughly enjoyed themselves.

We had the opportunity to attend Wry and Adrienne's sealing in the Salt Lake City LDS temple with their 2 children. This was a very special, emotional experience for us. We enjoyed being in the temple with its infinite peace while we were joined by family members and W&A's 2 daughters Kennedi and Gracie. The girls looked beautiful dressed in white. Wry is Cohen's older brother. After the sealing we enjoyed a picnic at a nearby park.

(Gracie Jay)

(Amber O. & Kennedi Jay)

It wouldnt be a Jay family weekend without a ton of food. We swam at some friends house in their killer pool.

I ran the Freedom Run 10k. It was a very difficult run at 4500 ft elevation but I was very proud of my performance. I was so nervous the weeks prior to the race that I kept second guessing my ability. It was a relief to cross that finish line and know I had done my best. I loved giving Cohen and Doreen (Mother In Law) a big hug afterwards.

After the run we watched the Provo City parade from Center Street.

(Donovan joined the parade Cohen's youngest brother)

Stadium of Fire with the Jonas Brothers was magical. I loved watching the girls around me scream, shake, and freak out.

(our niece Haley rocking to the Jonas Bros)

Sunday my parents and I attended my sisters ward and I enjoyed watching her teach even if the room that had no air conditioning (90+ degrees outside).

Later in the day Sunday Ryan and Kat Brady joined us for the remainder of the trip. We were so excited to show Kat around Provo and have them meet all the Jays. I wish we could have spent more time there with them. There is so much to see and do. We were surprised to learn that their move to NYC will be in just a few weeks. We are excited for their opportunity but will miss them like crazy.

(Colton & Cameron our nephews)

(Ashur Dunn Cohen's former mission companion)

(Kat & Ryan)

(Havila & Cohen she is Cohen's youngest sister)

Monday we hit Cafe Rio and Seven Peaks. Water parks are the beeeeeest!

Tuesday morning Ryan and Kat dropped us off at the airport at 7am (YAWN!) I seriously didn't want to get on the plane. It was one of my favorite trips and everything went perefectly.

Michael Jackson 1958-2009

2009-06-25T16:45:00.001-07:00

I am one of millions today who mourn the loss of Michael Jackson and his many gifts. I have lots of memories about Michael Jackson's music and how it affected me. I remember playing his Thriller tape over and over in my boom box as Amanda and I created and performed dance routines in my backyard. The other one was being 1o years old and finding his star on the Hollywood walk of fame and having my mom take my picture with it. He was the most famous person I knew of as a child at that age and it was an exciting moment to touch his star.

8 YEARS!!!

2009-06-16T12:22:00.000-07:00

June 16, 2001 - June 16, 2009

We celebrated our 8th Wedding Anniversary in San Francisco. We decided to stay real local since we are both getting over horrendous sinus infections/colds. We had a great time trying new restaurants The Blue Plate and COCO 500. And we packed in the California Science Academy and the de Young Museum.

Of course I forgot the camera so we had to use a disposable camera....pictures soon.

Anna and Scott visit from Arizona

2009-06-08T12:03:00.000-07:00

Cohen and I had a great time with Anna (Pittson) and Scott when they came out for Cheryl's wedding. It was a quick trip they arrived Friday and left Sunday. We managed to squeeze in meals at Rosso Pizzeria, and Hanks.

We toasted Anna's 31st birthday at Equus lounge. They have 3 beautiful daughters Kiley, Peyton and Ella and everyone is doing great.

Anna and I have been best friends since we were in 4th grade. I can't believe its been that long. Where does the time go????? If you scroll down you will see a picture of Amber and I. She is Anna younger sister who is also my best friend and the 3 of us actually moved to Utah many years ago together......back in '99!!!!!! Now the whole Pittson clan resides in the greater Phoenix area. Just a quick plane ride away.....although I would have anything to have them down the street again ; )

Memorial Day Weekend - Provo Utah

2009-05-26T15:25:00.000-07:00

Thursday May 21st - My youngest sister Amber picked us up at the airport and we all enjoyed a delicous pie together. We try and visit The Pie in Salt Lake City at least once a year.

Friday May 22nd - Havila and Nate got married in Provo, Utah. Havila is Cohen's youngest sister. About 20 mins before the ceremony there was a little rain but it didn't last long. It cleared up just in time and we took our seats. Havila followed her daughter Haley down the aisle. Nate looked nervous as he awaited his soon to be wife and step daughter. Once everyone was in place Haley (unprompted) started to straighten out her mothers train it was soooo cute! The reception that followed was a lot of fun.

Saturday May 23rd - We had lunch with the family at Corrina's house one of Cohen's older sisters. All Jays were present and accounted for with the exception of Brandi's husband and children. Afterwards we saw Terminator Salvation with our brother in law Steve and Amber. We obviously had a thirst for action because we then rushed to Brian Gingras' house and watched UFC 98.

Sunday and Monday we continued to visit with family and friends. The best surprise of the weekend for me was realizing that Amber (Pittson) was in town to see her in-laws. We got to see eachother for a few hours on Monday before we caught our flight home.

Human Race / Mothers Day

2009-05-10T12:32:00.000-07:00

On Saturday My mom, sister Dawn and I celebrated Mother's Day by walking the 10k in the Human Race. Over 10,000 people were there to raise money for local non-profits. We saw a lot of people we knew and had a blast. Afterwards we met up with Cohen and my Dad for some mexican food at Lepe's.

Good Fortune

2009-05-08T15:28:00.001-07:00

Today my fortune at Royal China (best Chinese Food in the United States of America) read "They say a person needs just three things to be truly happy in this world. Someone to love, something to do, and something to hope for" Smart Cookie!!!!!!!

The First

2009-05-01T20:18:00.000-07:00

I wonder what its like to blog...well here it goes. I love reading my friends blogs so I thought I would try my hand at it. Not sure that I will ever say anything life changing but maybe when someone stops in here they will leave with a smile.