Smile!

Today Cadi and I went to Sears to get her portraits done.  We will be doing family portraits after the baby's born and I would wait and have her's done then (probaby will still get some of her then...), but they have a saddle in this week that is only there 3 days out of the year.  We couldn't resist and here is a sampling of the results...

 


I can't wait until I get the ones I ordered in... they come in on my b-day - YAY!!!  The one with her and my belly is so cool in the stuff I ordered.  It is enhanced to almost a black and white, but with a rose tint... trust me... so cute!!!  I really like the pillows pose too... super cute!  And the cowgirl stuff is just too fun!  She did so well.  I ordered some of the pics in color, and some of them in sepia like the collage is in. 

If you want to go check out some of the originals (pre cropped and pre enhanced versions of the photos), you can click on this link.  There were more taken, but these are the orignals that I ordered from.  If you want to, I think you can click on each one and play with some of the enhancements to see what they look like that way.

Enjoy!

Long time no post

I don't have a really good reason for not posting... just not much to post about. So, this may be random... Maybe I should make it an official "random" post... nah, I'm feeling too lazy to go change the title.

•It's been hot. Really hot. We broke records here. Before this year, there had only been 3 days when it had reached 100 degrees in the month of June. Well, we've almost doubled that. We just had two days of 100+ degree temps. And I'll just say... We survived! Yay!!! The A/C is so nice! It doesn't cool the whole house, but it does cool the family room well and that's where we spend our time.

•Cadi started swimming lessons yesterday, again. Ryan had to take her because I had a Dr. appt. It was his first time making it to a swimming lesson. Hopefully he'll get to go to a couple more next week. Cadi likes swimming lessons and keeps getting more and more confident. She's not using her goggles as much - which is a big improvement! She likes her teachers and trusts them and that makes learning so much easier for her.

•My Dr. appt went well. I have been having the normal nasty side effects that usually come at the end of the pregnancy. Swollen feet (the heat hasn't helped), pregnancy rash, contractions, heartburn, etc. The rash has been one of the most annoying things so she gave me some suggestions on how to get through. I've got lotion with aloe now and I'm using a mosturizing body wash instead of soap in the shower. When it's really bad, mostly at night, I'm taking Benadryl. Last night was much better and I feel a lot better knowing I can at least lessen the itch.

•From now until Earendil comes, I'll be seeing my doctor weekly. We're in that final month! In 2 weeks, I start my self-inducing tactics. Power walks, bowling, the driving range, etc. Then in another week, I'll add foot/ankle/calf massages. I REALLY want to have this baby in July! Can you tell? lol

•I have always had a problem with flip flops. The thing that goes between your toes always hurts me. However, I am unable to fit in any of my shoes. Well, there is one pair of sandals I can squeeze into, but that's it. So yesterday while I was at the store buying my Benadryl, I also bought my first pairs of flip flops! I am so excited! First of all, they are shoes that fit! Secondly, I am hopeful that I will get used to flip flops during this period of time and then I can continue wearing them just for fun! :)

•Acadia calls me Preggo. Seriously, she does. But I think it's cute and I let her.

•I have spoken on the phone with one of my on-line friends. We've dubbed our on-line friends "vfriends" (for virtual friends). But now that we've spoken on the phone, we aren't just vfriends, we're real friends! She's super cool and I hope someday to meet her in person. We've got some other vfriends that we hope to meet too.

•Ryan started classes this week. He's got a 3 hour lecture two times a week plus a 3 hour lab once a week. Then on top of that, he's taking an on-line class. Both of the classes will be ending about mid-August. Which means that the final projects and studying for the finals will all take place right around the time we have a new baby in our home... who planned the timing on this?

Okay, I think that is it for now. I won't wait so long before I post again!

Another First

There are so many "firsts" in a child's life...

Today, Acadia experienced another. Today we went to the dentist and she found out she had a cavity! It was one of the upper back teeth. One of those you get when you don't floss enough. She has been doing better about flossing... but I guess not quite "better" enough.

We made the appointment to come back later in the afternoon. She was a little nervous. That was understandable. I told her what to expect and that she would have medicine to make her feel fine, it wouldn't hurt at all.

She is a crack up on laughing gas... let me tell you! She talked and talked and laughed and laughed. She was laughing during the shot! lol Later I asked if she felt the shot and she said, "Yes, but I didn't care!"

She did so well, and her dentist was awesome! He's always been great, but we've never had to go through something like this with him before and it was nice to see how gentle he was with her. He kept her smiling the whole time.

When it was all said and done, she told me that she hoped to get more cavities! She actually had fun! I told her that I'm glad she had a good experience, but if she gets another cavity due to her lack of proper dental care (ie. brushing, flossing, rinsing with flouride), then she would be paying the bill out of HER money. She didn't like that idea... GOOD! Because I don't want her skipping brushings just so she'll get a cavity.

What a silly girl.

Ride 'Em Cowboy and Cowgirls!

Yesterday we had SO MUCH FUN at Cadi's birthday party!  Ryan used the camera to take ALOT of pictures!  I think we ended up with over 200!

Some of them are black/white versions of the originals, or a cropped version of a larger pic... but still...  The only downside is that for the first little bit, Ryan had accidentally set the camera to switch out a shade of brown or green (we can't tell which) with a shade of purple!  So, there is a purple hue to many of the pics.  But changing them to b/w fixed that, lol.

We met at our house at noon.  Unfortunately, one of the girls never made it here... but honestly, she was kind of an "extra"... the four kids Cadi REALLY wanted were all with us.  :)   When we decided we couldn't wait anymore for the last girl, we divided into cars and headed out to Royal Ridges. 

We got there just in time and they were ready for us, but the two moms who had helped to drive had forgotten their permission slips, so we had to wait for them to fetch us a couple and have them filled out.  This was perfectly fine though, because the kids were able to enjoy some horses that came over to say "hi" while we waited.  Here are some pics of them... I'll share the b/w versions because I really liked how they turned out...









This one does still have some discoloration, but I thought it still looked good in color. This is the big sister of the boy who came, she's one of the Beehives in our YW and will be turning 14 soon. (She's excited because that means she'll be a Mia Maid and that means she can go to dances - and in her house it also means she can start wearing make up! lol)


 Here's a pic of Cadi being silly. :)  It's also probably the best pic of her new cowgirl boots that we gave her for her birthday...



After waiting patiently, we were finally ready to go ride some horses! Acadia was reunited with Chanse and she couldn't have been happier! (Some of these still have some discoloration, but they were still good in color... others were taken after we discovered and fixed the problem...)













Her friends had fun too!

Here is H. riding Doc:



G. riding Scooter:



C. riding Mocha:



And R. riding Peaches:



The session was great.  They each started out with a helper holding a lead on their horse.  Eventually they were all able to have the leads taken off their horse, but most of them still had their helper walking right beside them.  Acadia was the most experienced rider, but that's just because of all her lessons last summer.  They all did great!  They learned how to walk, stop, and steer... and even got to do some trotting!

But after an hour of riding, it was time to say good-bye.  We moved over to a room where we could have our cake (and eat it too) and open presents.  Here's a picture of the cake Cadi had chosen...





Acadia got some fun gifts! She enjoyed all of them, many were horses, lol. But this was her very favorite - she's been wanting one for over a year and this birthday seemed like the appropriate time to give her one...



It was a great party for a great girl! Like I mentioned before, there are over 200 pics on our photobucket account... plus there are some video clips of the kids riding. So check it out if you have the time!

Change #1

Awhile ago, I posted about change. I mentioned that there were some changes that I knew were coming that I wouldn't mention until they took place... Well, today one happened.

I was released. But HA(!), I'm still in the YW presidency!!! We did a little juggling in our YW organization. Partly because of my upcoming newborn, partly because of someone else's work schedule changing, and ALOT because the Lord just said that it was time. Three of us were released... and all three of us were put right back in to YW, but in a different position than where we started, lol.

I am now the YW Secretary!!! And I'm excited! I am sad to leave the Mia Maid class, working closely with them was so much fun and I love them so much! But now I will get to work more with ALL of the young women and I will be in a much more flexible position. I will be able to attend Wednesdays, but if I can't then it's okay. I can attend whichever class I want in the third hour - or if I can't, it's okay. It will be much easier to fulfill this calling with a newborn that it would have been in my last position.

I've known for a couple of weeks that this change was a possibility. And my opinion was that as long as I was in YW, I would serve wherever they wanted me. Of course, the truth is that I would serve WHEREVER the Lord wanted me - even if it was out of YW... But I am SO GLAD the Lord still wants me in YW!!! And it seems the other ladies who were released and then recalled back into YW felt the same way. We really like working with the youth and we are so grateful to be staying. : )

Fathers

I kind of feel like the posts I made yesterday were a kind of Father's Day tribute, even though both were a bit more about Acadia.  But it is nearly impossible to talk of one without the other.

Ryan is an awesome dad.  And he loves being a dad.  You can tell by how he makes an effort to spend time with Cadi.  You can tell by the look on his face when he talks about her.  You can tell by how much fun he has when he's with her.  She is a prority in his life and everything he does is for her and our family.

I am grateful for the father Ryan is.  It is one of the things that I love most about him.  I am also grateful for the other fathers in our lives.  I am grateful for my dad, he has taught me that if you put your trust in the Lord, you can overcome any trial.  I am grateful for my father-in-law (Ryan's dad), who is incredibly friendly and always smiling.  I am grateful for my other father-in-law (Ryan's step-father) who is extremely kind and giving.

I am most especially grateful for my Father in Heaven.  I am grateful for the knowledge that I am one of His daughters.  This comforts me when I am tempted to feel of little worth.  When I remember that I am a child of God, I realize that I can't be THAT bad (lol), I must have some good in me.  I am grateful that I can always go to Him - at any time, in any situation, no matter where I am.  And I am grateful that I can receive answers to my prayers.  Even if they aren't always what I want... they are always what is best for me.
So Happy Father's Day to all the fathers out there.  Especially to the fathers in my life, including the father of my children.  I hope you get lots of hugs and some great ties (lol)!

Oh, and that reminds me!  Let me share with you one of Ryan's Father's Day gifts...

I wanted to share it with you on Friday, but I was worried he would see and spoil the surprise.



If you want to see more pictures and video of her creating "SuperPuppy" for Ryan, click here.

Ryan is our Superman, has even been told he looks like him.  (Back when his hair was longer and he had the cute little curl that went down on his forehead like Clark Kent, lol.)  And no offense to any of the other Super Heroes, but Superman ROCKS!

Precious

That was 7 years ago!  I can hardly believe it.

I've been thinking alot about her delivery day lately (I wonder why... lol).  I was so afraid!!!  We were going in to be induced, which was a nice way to start because there was no rush, panic, or pain as we drove to the hospital.  Conversation was light, we were cracking jokes... it was nice. 

I was admitted, taken to my room, and they started to induce me.  That's when I started to really get nervous.  Before that, I think I was just ignoring what was about to happen, but I couldn't ignore it anymore, lol.  At each point along the way, I would cry, "I'm afraid... I don't think I can do this!"  But then I would get past that point and I'd be okay.  Until we got to the next point. lol

I remember wondering what it would really be like.  You hear so many stories.  I did not believe the women who said that pushing felt good.  I didn't believe that you really didn't care what your body was doing or who was seeing you exposed that way.  But when my turn came, I did want to push and it did feel good.  I didn't care that there was a student doctor there assisting my doctor, I didn't care that there were nurses coming in and out, etc.  I almost felt like it wasn't my body, it was just the place my baby was coming from. 

All in all, delivery went well.  And she was here.  I had a baby.  She was mine.  I did it.  I was so tired!  But so excited, so happy, so relieved...

When the nurses handed Acadia to Ryan, he uttered one word over and over, "precious".  Everything he said about her had the word "precious" in it.  Over the years, it has been obvious that Cadi is a Daddy's Girl, and it all started right there in that delivery room.  They've been inseperable since.



Seven years... and she has grown so much!  She has hobbies, passions, dreams.  She likes to help around the house (usually).  She likes to learn new things.  She likes to spend time with her friends.  She likes to spend time with us (how long will THAT last? lol).  She likes to read the scriptures.  She likes to learn about and help animals.  She likes to create things like artwork, stories, songs.  She is her own person, with her own likes and dislikes, her own personality.

And I love who she is becoming.  She teaches me daily.  It is humbling!  She teaches me about unconditional love, forgiveness, being kind and serving one another. 

I am very lucky to be her mom.  I am grateful to have this time with her.  I pray that we will always be close, that we will always have a good relationship.  I want all the best things for her.  For her to be happy, healthy, successful, etc. 

And now we're entering a new part of her life.  Her world is about to change.  She is going to become a sister - and not just a sister, but a BIG sister!  It's something she's wanted for a long time.  I know she'll be a great big sister.  She will be kind, loving, patient, gentle... (at least MOST of the time, lol)

There will be so many changes, but I hope she will always know that she is special to me.  She always will be.  She is my first baby, my own "Mini Me".  No matter what changes come, now or in the future, she will always be "precious" to me and her daddy.

Life

Life has a way of teaching us lessons as we go through it.  Today Cadi experienced some of "life"...

It's the last day of school!  She is happy and sad.  She is excited for the summer, for her birthday, and for the new baby... but she is sad to leave Mr. Martin's class and sad to not have as many chances to play with her friends.  It was a very short school day - 2 hours!  I picked her up from school so we could go spend some time together right away.  I took my camera with me..
.


This is not the best picture of any of them, but they are still cute kids and best friends...



I have a picture of Cadi with her teacher that I took yesterday during the Summer Birthday Party in her class...



We left school and went straight to the credit union to cash a check that she received for her birthday from her great-grandma.  This was her first time cashing a check!  I wish I took a picture, I didn't think of it until it was too late. :( 

We took her money, along with a birthday coupon we got in the mail, and went to the mall.  There we went to the place you go to make new friends, literally... The Build-a-Bear Workshop!  And Acadia made herself a new friend...



Meet Ashley.  She's dressed in comfy PJ's, complete with matching slippers - She's the perfect friend to snuggle with at night. :)

We went to lunch and then headed home...

And that's where Cadi learned another big life lesson.  She was allowed to invite a friend over to play.  While friend #1 was here playing, another friend, #2 knocked on the door to see if Cadi could play at her house.  From behind me I heard "NO!" in an extremely rude tone - it was Cadi!

I apologized to #2, who was noticably hurt by Cadi's rude outburst.  And immediately sent home friend #1, explaining that Acadia needed some time to think about how we treat friends (and people in general).  I made it clear to Acadia that NEVER is it acceptable to talk to a friend the way she did. Even if she was saying "no", there are better ways to say it!  What she did was rude and she had hurt her friend's feelings.
Cadi went to her room to be sad.  I was angry at how she had behaved and needed to wait a few minutes before we talked.  Just as I was going to go talk with her, she came out.  She was crying.  I asked her what she was feeling... "sad""... so I asked her why... after a couple of minutes I got, "Because (friend #1) had to go home".

Hmmm.

I told her that I knew she was sad but that rather than feel sad that friend #1 had to go home, I wished she was sad that she had hurt friend #2's feelings.  We talked for a few minutes about how it feels to be treated that way. We talked about how she didn't intend to hurt her friend, and that is why it is so important to think about how we treat others, what and how we say things to them, etc.  And we talked about how important it is to say we're sorry when we do hurt someone - even if it wasn't intentional. Because we don't want them to feel hurt and we don't want them to think that we wanted them to be hurt.

She decided to call friend #2 to apologize but the line was busy.  She didn't want to wait, so she asked if she could go over to apologize, understanding she would have to come home right after because she was now grounded. Part of her apology was going to be that when she isn't grounded anymore (tomorrow), she would like to play with friend #2.

We were on our way over but found friend #2 playing at friend #1's house (lol)... they were riding bikes outside.

So Acadia went up to friend #2 and apologized and the SWEETHEART of a girl this little friend is, just looked at her with the most compassionate look and said, "It's okay". She looked concerned for Cadi because Cadi was obviously sad.

To make a long story short, Cadi told friend #2 that she wanted to play with her tomorrow, friend #2 said that if I would let her, she'd still like to play today.  I took Cadi aside and explained that if she were going to be playing with anyone - she had to make sure she was being a true friend to friend #2. She understood and told me that she felt that she owed it to friend #2 to do whatever she (#2) wanted.

So... I let her get her bike and go play with all of them.  I told her I was proud of her though and I told her that I knew it was a hard thing to apologize.  She admitted it was and said she was afraid to do it, but she felt better now... "lots better".

I hope it isn't too bad that I didn't enforce the grounding. I really think the more important part was learning to sincerely apologize. Which, I believe she did. 

It's all just a part of life. 

Random Thursday

Last night was A.W.F.U.L.!!! I woke up at 1 am and didn't get back to sleep until somewhere between 5:30 and 6 am. Then the alarm went off at 7:10 to get Cadi up and ready for school. Can we say "EXHAUSTED"???

I don't know exactly why I couldn't sleep well, I know my congested face and aching back had something to do with it. :(

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This morning, Cadi's class celebrated all the summer birthdays. I was asked to bring juice boxes, one mom brought cookies, one brought cupcakes, and another brought paper goods - including party hats, lol. The teacher brought in popcorn because while the kids ate all their treats, they got to watch a movie too.

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Today was my last day of freedom. Uh... I mean, today was the last full day of school. Tomorrow they have school, but only for two hours, so that doesn't really count. lol Ryan suggested I have a little party, but I was too tired. So I took a nap instead. I sure know how to live it up, huh?

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Tonight is Enrichment, but I'm bailing. I'm still tired, my back still hurts, I'm still congested, and I have a headache. Poor pitiful me. I'm such a whiner-baby.

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Today is Ryan's mom's b-day. Happy Birthday Susan!

I feel really bad because I have been so yucky today that I haven't called or done anything yet. I know I'm a horrible person - I have been so bad about gifts lately. EVERYONE has been getting on-line gift certificates lately. That is so lame, that I can't even get gifts for people. I hope that they still appreciate them, I do want them to end up with something they'd like, so I think it's an okay gift. It just isn't as fun as getting a present in the mail.

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Today we got a big box of formula in the mail! This time it is such a good thing. :) The last box of formula came the day before the due date of our last pregnancy. It was awful and very painful. I saw it in front of the door and refused to bring it in. Which was selfish in a way because that meant that when Ryan got home from work, he had to bring it in. Which was hard for him too. That was a really depressing week.

But! Little did we know... one month later we found out we were pregnant! And this time it's all good! :D

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I have a funny Cadi moment to share...

She had some toys out and came to me, "Can you babysit? They'll be asleep so it should be easy... Unless the kids bungee jump!"

(lol)

She continued, "Then you should call me, do you have my number? I'll tell you it sooner or later. So, which do you want? Sooner or later?"

Yeah, that was cute and entertaining. While she was "gone" she "called" me once and later made me call her. If you want to call her, I'll give you her number... 8129-4644. Yep, that's it!

lol

Why it's always a good thing to call and confirm...

This morning I got a call just after 8 am... from my visiting teaching companion confirming the appointments for this morning. The appointments started at 9:15. Eeks! I had completely forgotten!!!

Thank goodness she called - if she hadn't, she would have just shown up at my door and I would have been in my pajamas!

I quickly showered and got dressed. If I wasn't in such a hurry, I would have called to remind the ladies we were coming to visit. But I was running close on time so I just reminded myself that we've RARELY had any of them forget before...

We got to the first appointment... poor girl!!! She and her entire family were sick and yes, she had forgotten we were coming! I felt AWFUL!!! We asked if we could help with anything, bring her anything, DO anything??? Nope, they had plenty of soup, they just needed to rest I'm going to call them tomorrow to see how they're doing.

Luckily, we did get to visit our other ladies. :)

So, today I got to see first hand (from both sides) why it is such a good idea to "call and confirm"!!!

Tool Trouble

Here's a funny story from Ryan's work...

He was working with a tool that was giving him a bunch of troubles. He got to a point where he needed to program a shoop (sp?) and part of programing it is giving it a name. Usually they name these things a series of numbers and letters. But because Ryan was mad at this tool, he named this shoop "Up Yours". Apparently, the tool wasn't too happy with Ryan either because it sent "Up Yours" back to him. lol

After he had worked on it some more, and had to reprogram it again, he changed the name. I asked if he decided on something a little nicer this time, like... "Have a nice day" or "You're such a nice tool" or something along those lines. lol

A Believing Heart

I have often wondered what I would have done in the days of Christ or even in the days of Joseph Smith. I have often wondered if I would have believed and followed them. I have wondered if I would have had the faith to cross the plains as a pioneer, willing to leave my home and possibly all the people I knew and loved to follow a new religion.

Sometimes I encounter people who constantly question. They need to KNOW. They need proof. They need to hear it from "the horse's mouth". They believe, or at least claim to believe, yet they bring up things and sometimes even search for things that create doubt in their own minds and sometimes in others. I often feel uncomfortable when I am associating with people like that.

In Sunday School, I, along with the other YW leaders are taking Teacher Development classes. We just began last week and I believe they will last all summer. As I have been reading the assignment, I came across a section about testimony. Something in it, but I can't quite pinpoint an exact quote, filled me with an understanding. Something I've always wondered but never knew.

I am a believer. My heart just believes. I do not walk blindly, following others just because they say so or it sounds good. I can and do think for myself. But something in me recognizes the truth when I hear it. In my patriarchal blessing, I am told this. That I recognize the truth when I read or hear it. But I never fully understood just how important that is. It's a gift, you could say. And I don't say that to boast or brag. In the Doctrine and Covenants, we are told that we all have gifts, and they aren't all the same.

I am well aware that I lack many talents. I often think to myself that I have not "mastered" any talent really. I remember a teacher referring to himself as, "A jack of all trades, master of none". I relate to that. I like many things, am okay at most, maybe even good at a few, but I am not proficient in any way, in any of those things. But I am reminded of another man I knew who was a quadriplegic. His body was broken and it was a great trial to him and his family. However, one day he told his father, "I am grateful that my trial is physical and not spiritual. When I am resurrected, I will be made whole again. If it were my testimony that was broken instead of my body, I think that would be a much more difficult trial to endure."

If I could have only one gift, I would want it to be a spiritual gift like this. To believe. To recognize truth. To know without needing to KNOW. The testimony that I have is a great one. It has carried me through trials that I don't think I could have endured without it. And because of my testimony, I know I can continue to endure. It really doesn't matter what happens to or around me, so long as I have that faith. Faith that there is a Heavenly Father who loves me and knows what is best for me. If He says this is where I should be, then I know it is so. If He says this is the path I should take, then I know it is so. I know that He leads and guides The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints. And when I hear the prophet speak, I know he is speaking for the Lord. I know that whatever he says, it will be what the Lord wants me to hear. I can still pray for a confirmation, but the truth is that everytime I have read or heard the prophet's words, the spirit HAS confirmed it to me IMMEDIATELY. I have not needed to research it myself or to take time to really consider what has been said. I can do those things to develop more of an understanding of the matter, but I do not need to do them in order to receive a testimony that it is true. Because I have already received that testimony.

I truly believe that if I had lived in the days of Christ, I would have been one of His followers. I truly believe that if I had lived in the 1800's when Joseph Smith restored the Gospel, I would have accepted it and followed him and the other saints. I truly believe that if I had lived in those days that I would have joined the saints and left my home in order to find a place where I could worship without persecution and play an active role in the building of the kingdom. I also believe that none of those things would have been easy. But I truly believe, as I also believe now, that any sacrifice I would have had to make would be worth it.

Today, more than anything else, I am grateful for my believing heart. And I thank the Lord for such a great gift.

Splish Splash

Last night was the final lesson of this session of swimming lessons.  And as expected, YAY Cadi finally passed level 1!  And all because she finally puts her face in the water!  It's amazing how much easier it is to learn to swim when you can get over that! lol

I've got some fun pics and video.  The first little bit they finished up the testing they were doing last lesson.  But once they were done, the fun began!  The teacher said, "Who wants to go down the big slide?!?"







 After she went down the slide no less than 5 times, she switched to playing on the "lazy river"...







At the end of play time, the instructors handed out the certificates for completing the class. Cadi's instructor told me, "The first day I met Acadia, I told her my name and she said, 'Hey, that's the name of a prophet!'" Then he told me he is LDS too, I asked his name, it's Joseph.

I was kind of proud that she is unafraid to talk about the church, even though I thought it was funny that she mentioned that instead of her Uncle Joseph, who always plays "Monkeys in a Barrel" with her, lol.
 
The next session is in two weeks - and we're moving on to Level 2... Good job, Cadi!!!

Love and Marriage

This meme brought to you by The Back Porch...

Love- Tell us about your first love/crush. No, you don't have to name names, but why that person?

I don't remember who my first crush was. I don't even remember how old I was. But I do remember who my first boyfriend was and no, he was definitely not my first love.

His name was Daniel. And looking back, he was really dorky looking. My taste certainly improved later... much later, lol. For the most part, he was nice enough. But he had issues. And, the whole "boyfriend/girlfriend" thing was stupid because we were mostly "together" because all our friends were paired up together. I mean, sure, we talked on the phone, we danced at dances... I kind of liked him. Kind of.

When I was engaged to Ryan and working at the credit union, he actually came to my window one day! He was engaged too. He looked much better, I hoped his personality had gotten much better too, lol.

and Marriage- Are you married or in a serious relationship? For how long? If not, do you want to get married or be in a serious relationship someday, or are you happy with your single status?

Well, this will come as no surprise... Yep, I'm married. And this year will be the big 1*0 !!! And he is NOT dorky looking. Quite the opposite, actually. I knew pretty quick that I could marry Ryan, but dang we were young! I wasn't ready. But I did love him, alot. And to make a long story short (and to state the obvious), eventually we did get married. We've had an eventful 10 years. Not all of it has been smooth sailing. We've encountered trials neither one of us ever expected to have to face. But we have made it so far. And we made it together. It's the only way we could have made it - by working together. And now we're stronger than ever and extremely happy.

I think I'm the luckiest girl in the world because of all the girls who he could have chosen (and trust me, all the girls liked him!), he chose me. Why? No clue. lol Okay, maybe I do have a little clue... But I still think I'm the lucky one.

Go together like a horse and carriage- What's the most romantic thing you've done, had someone do for you, or have seen done?

I don't know what the most romantic thing I've ever done is... I've learned that people define romance in different ways. I could do the most romantic thing I can think of, and then have it go barely recognized because it wasn't what Ryan considered romantic. (Not that this happens, I'm just saying, lol.)

It would be impossible for me to choose one thing as THE MOST romantic thing Ryan has done for me. There are just a ton. Some big, some little, some obvious "standard" ones, some you wouldn't think were romantic, but I find VERY romantic...

Ryan doesn't think he's done very many romantic things for me. But that prooves my first point. He doesn't realize how romantic some of the little daily things he does are. Like, he holds my hand when we say morning prayer together, he tells me he loves me in every conversation we have throughout the day - even if it's IMing on the computer, he kisses me before he leaves for work and kisses me when he gets home... those things happen every single day, and I love it!

I don't know if this is THE most romantic thing he's done, but it is high up on my list... When Acadia was born, I mean immediately after she was born and they had her at the other end of the room with nurses around her doing all their little checks to make sure she was fine... he didn't leave my side to go see his brand new, first born child. He stayed with me, held my hand, brushed the hair out of my face... and I was thinking, "Why is he here and not with our baby?" And so I asked him. And he said it was because no matter what, I always came first. I had just given birth, gone through one of the most frightening and challenging experiences of my life at that point and he was not about to leave me alone as I recovered from it. He told me that Cadi was fine, her grandma was with her, the nurses were there, and we would have her in our arms very soon. But first, he was going to make sure that I was okay, that I wasn't alone, that I was taken care of.

Yep, that is one of the most romantic things he has ever done for me. I knew then that no matter what changes happened in our lives, no matter how many kids we would ever have, that the commitment we had to eachother would be our priority. That HIS priority was ME, before anything else in this world - even his own daughter. (Who he totally adores, btw.)

Swimming Pictures

Last night I took a couple pictures and video at swimming lessons.  This Thursday will be the last lesson for this session.  She will start lessons again in a couple of weeks.  Next session she will be moving up a level... Yay!

Going, Going, Gone!

•The school year is almost over, there are less than two weeks left! I can't believe how fast time flies. I know some moms don't exactly look forward to the summer vacation. In some ways I feel the same. I will miss the free time I have to get errands done while Cadi's in school. But I am still definitely looking forward to school being out! I am looking forward to relaxing her bedtime (so she can see Ryan everyday!), SLEEPING IN (!!!), working with Cadi on things that will help us get ready for the baby (I'm planning on teaching her some new chores to help me out.), Acadia's big birthday surprise, and of course... Eärendil coming!


•Friday night we had an activity at church. It was a pretty informal activity, pizza and games. The games were pretty much relay games for the kids and only took a small portion of the night. Most of the night was pizza and visiting. But another big portion of it was a Silent Auction that the YW held to earn money for Girl's Camp. It was a bit of a last minute thing, but all things considered, it went really well. The YW either brought things to be auctioned or had coupons for services to be auctioned. (Babysitting, baked goods, homemade jewelry, house cleaning, tutoring, etc.) We invited ward members to contribute some service to be auctioned off too, proceeds to go to the YW, of course. We had yardwork, handyman work, computer services, sewn items, etc. The auction was successful. The YW who perform(ed) services get the money from those services, the things donated by ward members went into a pot to be divided between whoever needs help earning $. We've decided to make it an annual event because as it builds each year, we think it will be a good experience for the ward to find ways to offer services to eachother and help our YW at the same time.

•Ryan donated a DELICIOUS Turtle Cheesecake. He's made it before and it is by far my favorite of all his baking creations! I did bid on it, but was outbid in the end. I'm glad I was outbid because that means that the girls got more money - plus, I can order one from the chef myself. He also donated a coupon for "Any dessert of your choice". The same family won both of those auctions. It's the bishop's family.

•There were desserts that were not apart of the auction that were left over on Friday night. We brought home a whole chocolate cake. There is only one piece left. Sad.

•My shoe selection is dwindling. I am down to just 2 or 3 pairs of shoes that fit comfortably now that my ankles and feet are in a constant swollen state.

•When I sold my extra stamps and craft supplies I ended up with a very nice sum of money to pay for the nursery and baby items we would need. That sum of money is nearly gone. I still have a few things I want to buy. Good thing Ryan's working an extra few days this week. ; )

•OxyClean for laundry really works! I had a nice, plump, juicy, red strawberry this morning. It was a little "too" juicy, I got some on my white shirt. I wasn't home at the time and so it was a couple of hours before I was able to treat it. When I got home, I sprayed it with Oxyclean and put it in the wash. Stain's gone! Yay, I'm so glad; I really like that shirt!

•Every couple years or so, something happens and there is a "mass exodus" of sorts. Our ward experienced it two years ago and this summer looks like there may be another. I have several young women in my class threatening to move (I say it as if this is there choice or in their control at all, lol.), and there are several families in our ward that have and are moving soon. Change happens, I know. But it's sad to see friends move. : (

•I've managed to hold onto a small stash of Girl Scout Cookies from earlier in the year. How they've survived this long is beyond me. They are even sitting right there in the pantry, in plain sight! But, now I've been craving them. I just finished my last box of Samoas. : (

•Where did the day go? I had a presidency this morning, but this afternoon has just flown by! Now my time is "gone" and I need to go make dinner.

Warning: I've got some complaining to do!

And I feel bad about it. I really should not complain. What do I have to complain about? Sure, I have some unpleasant things annoying me right now, but they are all due to a pretty healthy pregnancy… I should NOT complain. And yet…

It is 3:30 am and I have been up for about an hour. I just can’t sleep. Seems to be a pattern lately. Thankfully, I don’t have much going on today so I can take a nap in the afternoon.

I feel sick. I’m not sick. But I feel sick. I did not have this happen with Acadia , but for some reason my nausea is returning here in the final trimester. Fortunately, it is only at night and in the mornings and it is not severe, just an annoyance that hangs over me and my tummy.

My feet and ankles are starting to swell. I had this problem while in Reno and California a month ago, but when we got home it stopped. (Even on the 90 degree days we had a couple weeks back, I did not have problems.) However, despite the nice, cool temps this week, my ankles have swollen for the last two days. I find that interesting. I think that my body just looked at the calendar and said, “Yep, we’re in the final two months, time to start the last of the symptoms. Feet, do your stuff!” So, even though it’s not hot and I haven’t been on my feet that much, my ankles are thick and painful. Fortunately, I have been able to stay off of my feet lately and soaking in cold water helps.

I am always hot. Unfortunately, not the good-looking “hot” (Cause that wouldn’t be so bad, lol. Never been accused of that before…), no, I’m just plain hot. I find myself slowing down in the freezer section of the grocery store, sleeping with the fan on (even though it has been cool lately), not wearing a jacket (even in rainstorms), etc. Fortunately, it has been cool and I do have an air conditioner for when it really does get hot!

No matter what I eat or drink, I get heartburn. This is something that was a major nuisance with Cadi and I have NOT been looking forward to it. I had so many Tums when I was expecting Cadi that in the last 7 years I still cannot stand them! They taste fine, it’s the chalkiness that I can’t handle. Fortunately, they make Tums Smoothies now. A friend told me they taste like candy and she loves them. I have tried them… I wouldn’t say “candy”, but significantly better than the regular Tums. (And they have a cocoa and crème flavor now.)

Braxton Hicks. Ugh. I do not remember having any with Cadi. But I have been having them for a couple of weeks now. Nothing that I should be concerned about, and they aren’t too painful – yet (lol), but they can be uncomfortable. I get them several times a day, every day. I am hoping this means that my body is preparing itself for the delivery and that will make it go smoother when the time comes. I hope!

My back is sore – always. When I am sitting, standing, lying down… doesn’t matter. Fortunately, sitting with a pillow behind me helps a lot. I have not mastered the laying down part – which could be why I haven’t been sleeping well the last several nights.

I am always tired. I’m guessing the not being able to sleep at night and being in constant discomfort might have something to do with it, lol. I keep telling myself, ‘You have no time to be tired now, you’re going to be running on next to no sleep once the baby is born – get your rest while you still can!’ But it just doesn’t work. I take a nap and wake up tired. I think I’m just going to have to learn how to live ‘tired’ for the next few months. Fortunately, Cadi is old enough that whenever I want a nap I can take one – she can take care of herself for the most part.

So you see, I have all these unpleasant things bugging me nonstop. But every single one of them is due to this pregnancy and so I can’t complain. It really is a blessing and I should be grateful that I am healthy enough that I can handle these annoyances in order to have another baby. I am grateful for that. And I’m grateful that Ryan and Acadia have been patient with me.

Just two more months... Maybe a little less!

Change

Sometimes change can be a very good thing.  But almost always it is still difficult.  There is always an adjustment period and that can take awhile.

I'm looking at quite a few changes coming in the near future.  Some are obvious (Have you seen my ticker lately?!?!  I'm on the second to last picture!!!) and others won't be shared until they occur.  Some will directly affect myself (Again, I refer you to my ticker at the top of the page, lol.) and some will indirectly affect me.  Most of the changes I've been thinking about lately directly affect me.  I'm not troubled, not afraid, I don't know what I "am".  I'm curious to see how things will work, sad about some things, excited about others.

But then, some things never change.  And I guess when I see changes in the future (especially some significanly BIG changes... the ticker, people... do you see that ticker?!?!), it is comforting to know that no matter what happens I know I can still count on certain things.  Things like the Gospel, the love and support of my family, my agency (and even though I can't always control the things that happen around me, I can always control my attitude and how I respond to them), that even though I will sometimes make mistakes I can repent and start over again, the perfect love of my Heavenly Father, etc.  Keeping these things in mind, keeps things in perspective.  Change isn't that big of a deal because the things that are constant are so much more powerful; they empower me to be able to handle whatever changes come.

Here's a good talk about Constancy Amid Change by Elder Russell M. Nelson.  Good things to remember as change is constantly around us.