Our X-FACTOR experience.

You probably read in my earlier posts that we were headed to chicago this week for mark to audition for simon cowell's new tv show, the x-factor.

Well, we left tuesday morning at 2 am!  WOW.  Drove there and got in a LONNNNG line.  Doors were said to open around 7.  We got there around 430 and waited forever in the pouring rain until well after 7am.  Luckily we had umbrellas and coats!  We were well prepared!

this picture is alllll the people in front of us:

waiting in line this day (day 1) was pretty crazy, and it was just to register!  BUT, we're glad we got there early, because the order you registered in was the order you got to audition in the following day.  

waiting in the rain:

So, we got all registered and drove back home by like 1pm.  

THEN came wednesday, audition day and also mark's BIRTHDAY!  HAPPY 25 to my baby!

Here's mark day of audition:

it was ANOTHER rainy, cold & windy day.

They told us to be there between 530 and 630 am and that the doors would open at 7.  WELL, doors didn't open until after 9 am!! YUCK for standing in the rain!! BUT, they had to get all their tv footage done, so they thought filming us outside miserable in the rain was better then inside apparently :)

We got into the HUGE arena,  and had relatively GOOD seats.  We waited for about 5 hours for mark's audition

here's inside the sears arena.  See those black booths?  That's where the producers were.  And see that gate?  If you got a GOLDEN TICKET, that means you made it through to the next round and you would come out right past that gate!

Mark's audition FINALLLLLLY came and I was a nervous wreck.  I sat in my seat, and cried tears of joy when i saw my husband come out that gate with a GOLDEN TICKET!!! 

HE MADE IT THROUGH!!!!!! what an accomplishment!!!  There were about 6000 people trying out, and 500 people walked away with a ticket.

we laughed and celebrated the whole way home! What an awesome birthday present.

So..they made us sign contracts to not tell ANYONE we made it through, and told mark to come back thursday (today) for a next round of auditions.  So mark headed back to chicago today, for the 3rd time for his last audition before the show would be filmed.

He auditioned and said he NAILED it (i wasn't allowed to go to this one)  and unfortunately, and to their loss, these certain producers said NO.  

So, with that, our xfactor journey is over...but not a loss at all!!  This only proves over to me how talented my wonderful husband is.  To make it that far is really an awesome and rare thing.

And thus, I tell you about it, because our secrecy contract can be void!

Great job markus!  

Who needs 5 million dollars anyway, right?

;)

Happy Easter! (posted late)

Happy Easter everyone.  It's been a beautiful day/weekend all around for these burkey's!

Last night we went out for pizza, came home, and colored easter eggs :)  Owen had TONS of fun, and I had way more fun then I thought I would-reliving childhood a little bit!

Owen's first ever egg:

We went to church this morning, and had a good time, followed by coming home and grilling chicken & asparagus for lunch...YUM!  Meanwhile, Owen jumped in puddles and got covered in mud.  So lunch was followed by a BATH and of course, sunday naps.

Easter evening, we headed to my parent's house, had an amazing dinner and owie hunted for eggs :)

it was awesome!

Owen's First Easter Egg Hunt!

So, Growing Kids had a "spring fling" this past Saturday.  So Owen & I headed over there to hunt for eggs, play games, etc.  He had an awesome time! :)  He was a little scared of the easter bunny, but I did manage to talk him into giving the bunny a high-five.

Here he is mid-hunt:

running!

hi-five easter bunny!

so blurry, but he got his hand painted :)

and there were snacks, which makes anybody happy! 

and he left a VERY happy boy.  with a pin-wheel in tow.

My little lover.

Owen has been...well....two, lately.
Despite all the rough days we are having, he is such a sweetie guy.

he has really started to LOVE LOVE Mark's old "teddy"  and has to have him when he goes to bed.  He loves to hug and kiss him.  What a sweet dude.

big hug

spring time! and stuff going on lately!

Spring is finally hanging out in Indiana!!  We've had some awesome days this past week, rain included.  I can't help feeling some excitement flowing through me with this warm weather approaching!

We turned our heat off yesterday, and have been having open windows for 2 days!!!  I love it.  I mainly love that we are saving money on our gas bill :)   I also love that my little dude can get outside and play, and I feel like we are both coming out of the "funk" we have been in for quite some time.

of course, playing outside every day means a bath every day.  That little guy gets FLITHY outside.  He's been having a lot of fun with his bath tub crayons :)

Daddy & Owen are growing out their hair together.  Owen's is getting so long it's curling! 

i'm also loving being able to get outside and WALK!  If you've been pregnant before, you know how it can leave you feeling...well....frumpy!  A huge belly a crazy appetite, weird emotions, etc, etc.  It feels really good to get some exercise and some fresh air!  This week we hit 22 weeks

I also found out some not so good news too.  We go to the "midwives of michiana" and learned that they are shutting down.  We have an appointment this wednesday & I'm hoping and praying I learn more and get suggestions on what to do then.  Until then, i'm trying my best not to worry and stress too much.  My criteria with whom i go to when pregnant is pretty picky, so i'm just really nervous i won't find the right fit.  I miss my nashville doctors so much.  I've even joked to mark about just moving back until Cora is born so we can have our old doctors back.   hmm.   (speaking of nashville...we head there in 3.5 weeks...wahooooooo!!!)

If you want to be praying about our new doctor search, please do, we could definitely use it.

Something else pretty crazy/exciting in our household happening TOMORROW is Mark & I's three year anniversary!

three years ago:

:)

Then, at the end of the month 2 exciting things are going on!  Mark is turning 25!!! AND...he is also trying out for Simon Cowell's new show called "the x-factor"  you can read more about it here:

http://thexfactor.blogs.fox.com/

I am so proud of him for doing this! He has been practicing so much and really improving more & more each time i hear him!! He has also been running like a crazy man, and has lost almost 15 pounds in about 25 days.  He's amazing!   I've been making super super super duper healthy meals lately, as he is trying to loose weight.  And i must admit, i'm pretty proud of some of my creativity! :)  Maybe later i'll post some pics and recipes!  But for now, i'm off!  My husband has been sound asleep on the couch since 8:30...so i guess i'm gonna go shoo him to bed.

Love you all.

squash.

Cora is this big:

no wonder my insides feel a little "Squashed"

hehehe.

(also, Cora is the LENGTH of this squash.  Not necessarily the roundness. :)  She currently weighs approx.  1 pound.)