It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas

Yesterday we got a huge DUMPING of snow by our house. The thing is our house is in a cul-de-sac that sinks down like a bowl. Our truck is rear-wheel drive, which by the way does NOT work in Utah winters, and so sometimes has a hard time in the winter. The other night Micah and I couldn't even park in front of our house, but instead parked on the road 50 yards away because we couldn't get up the slight incline covered in snow due to sliding and eventually no momentum to move forward. The next day was when we got the majority of our snow and so we were stuck in our parking spot on the side of the road, but the day wore on, the snow wore down, and snow plows came to help and we were able to at least get our truck in front of our house. We then had to shovel our driveway that was covered in at least 8 inches of snow to get our truck up. It wasn't really too bad though because two of our neighbors helped and eventually some people brought their four-wheelers and got rid of the rest. I have to admit I forgot how hard it can be to shovel snow. Eventually though we got our truck up to our spot and there it is staying unless we have an emergency. You know as crazy as the day was and as frustrating as not being able to park in our spot was, it really was fun and felt good to be outside and working in the snow. I also can't complain too much because the snow looks beautiful and makes it feel more like Christmas. It's going to be a white Christmas after all.

Heartbeat

Yesterday was very difficult for our family as we learned that one of our dear sweet nephews passed away. There were complications requiring him to be born 4 months early. In the end the doctors simply could not save this dear baby's life. The only solace that we have been able to find at this time was that this spirit was so special and so pure that all he needed to do in this life was receive his body and then he was able to return to the outstretched arms of our loving Heavenly Father. This especially hit me hard as I knew that I was to have another appointment this morning and was worrying about my own child. A huge wave of relief and gratitude washed over me as I heard the joyous sound of my own baby's heartbeat. I then thought about the joy that I was feeling as it was going strong, while others were feeling pain as another one stopped. It really is something to be extremely grateful for and just really helps me to feel so blessed and I just wish I could help my brother and sister-in-law more. I will keep them in my prayers and I now that Heavenly Father is there for them. It's hard now to know when to let others in the family be aware of our progress, but I know that they love us and are very happy for us despite this tragedy.

I have to admit that I debated posting this as I have several friends that are pregnant. Please know that I don't do this to scare you it's just something that has happened in my life that I needed to share.

A little gift

Every Christmas the girls in my family get together and bake a bunch of treats that we then share around and just have a good time. Well, Micah went home teaching right before we were to head down to my parent's house. He happened to mention to them that we were going down so that I could bake with my sisters and the wife in their family told Micah that he needed to remind her that she was to give him something before he left. So as he headed toward the door, Micah didn't have to remind her because she remembered, she came to him with a beautiful apron that he was to give to me. She makes these aprons and sells them in the mall for $35.00 something that I would never be willing to pay, but which really is wonderful. Anyway, the pictures don't do it justice at all but I just wanted to share this little story with you. It really was just perfect timing for me and was a little boost that I needed. She really didn't have to offer this gift to Micah but I truly do appreciate it. It made me want to do a little something for someone, so we'll see what opportunities I come across. Anyway, MERRY CHRISTMAS! The spirit is here.

Christmas Cheer 2

This goes with the post before.

Christmas Cheer

Here are a few pictures of our Christmas decorations. Some pics are better than others and I took a close-up of some of my favorites. Also, Micah picked the decorations for our tree... didn't he do a great job? He surprised me with them. All we need now is a star for the top. :)

P.S. Sorry that there are so many pictures.

Ward and Ward Christmas Party

First of all, can I just say how much I love our new ward? The people really are so genuine, kind and care about others. Now I know that no ward is perfect, but I'm not expecting that... it's more that they just have a feeling about them that you hope to find at church. Anyway, Micah and I had to give talks on Sunday about gratitude and they had to be 15 minutes which was nerve wracking for me. I've given "grown-up" talks several times, but they were only 8 or 9 minutes long. Well we of course got compliments on Sunday about our talks as usual, but they didn't just happen right after sacrament but continued on through all three hours. Then tonight we had our ward Christmas party and I can't even begin to tell you how many people came up to us and talked to us about our talks. Not only would they say great talks, but they would also talk to us about what their thoughts were while listening. It was pretty crazy. We even had several people tell us they talked about them for home teaching, family home evening, to the young men, discussions at home, letters sent to missionaries, and one lady told Micah that she just couldn't get one of his quotes out of her head. Now I'm certainly not writing this to brag about Micah or I. We whole-heartedly recognize that they were good talks because we love to quote the Apostles and scriptures and we know that what they preach is doctrine. In a way we only spent a couple of hours each working on a talk with doctrine that the Apostles and Prophets live and preach. They would not have been successful otherwise. I'm more mentioning these things to demonstrate the care that our ward has for it's members and the fact that many of these people actually take what they hear to heart and apply it in their lives. Also, our ward Christmas party was just so much fun. It was very basic, but it had a warm feeling to it and we really feel a part of this ward and want to fully participate in all the activities. I just want to leave you with one thought that a man in our ward shared with us when talking to us about our talks; "You don't see things as they are, you see things as you are." I just really loved this quote and completely agree.

HAPPY HOLIDAYS EVERYONE!! I love you all!

My first appointment

I went in for my first doctor's appointment on Monday since becoming pregnant. I was really hoping to hear the heartbeat or having something done to help me feel less worried about my baby. The only things they did were take a urine sample and tons of blood (at least it seemed ;)), but they told me that there is nothing that is concerning to them so they don't feel that I need any scans this early in. My next appointment isn't until December 21st. I'll be 13 weeks 2 days then and I can't wait. I am really impatient and really hope that everything continues to go well. My pregnancy hasn't been too bad thus far. I've definitely thrown up and been even more tired than I usually am, but it has not been nearly as bad for me as it has been for a lot of my friends.

If you've had a baby or are at least further along in your pregnancy and can give me advice to stay calm I would love to hear it! I can't believe how paranoid I have been... I feel kind of crazy...

Also Megan, when are you due? Maybe we are pretty close together? :)

P.s. Micah and I have to speak on Sunday. The topic is gratitude so at least we know there are a lot of talks on that! I need all the help I can get.

Count Your Blessings Instead of Sheep

Here is my updated list of gratefulness... =)

1. I have to state again that I'm grateful for the knowledge that I have of the true church.
2. The Atonement- literally I would be nowhere without it. I love the perspective and hope that it gives me.
3. My family- especially the newest baby boys! I'm so excited to meet at least one of them. One is in Texas the other in Australia. Oh brother!
4. FOOD!- I've decided that I really, really love food. It's a problem... I know.
5. Feel good/ realistic movies and books- I've come to the conclusion that I enjoy 'purely for entertainment' shows and stories far less than I used to. Even simple romance movies. I like REAL stories that make me feel real emotions and make me really think. I REALLY love the stories that make me reflect.
5. Other people's blogs- I love to be updated on others' lives and can't wait to read their new posts. Sorry if that seems nosy. (I'm especially excited for you Megan!!! CONGRATS!)
That's my list for this week. More to come next...

My Thanksgiving List

I haven't posted in a while, because I honestly haven't had anything to post about. Micah and I haven't really had the resources to go anywhere or do anything exciting. I decided tonight that my lack of activity is not something to complain about but instead I should look at the positive things in my life. I think that I'll start making a list each week up until Thanksgiving. (Some things may be repeated. :)) I am going to list just a few things that I am truly grateful for... Sorry that this isn't anything exciting to read.

1. My membership in The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and therefore my relationship with my Father and Elder Brother.
2. My family- including of course Micah, my immediate, and my extended family. I don't know where I would be without them.
3. My friends- you all know who you are and how much you have helped me through various times in my life.
4. My job- I LOVE teaching and it truly is a job that makes me feel like I accomplishing something and making a difference, however small it may be.
5. My health- even the days that I don't feel well haven't been that bad, at least a nap can mostly take care of my lack of energy.
6. Music-I can honestly say that music has been so inspirational and motivating in my life, it has also made my family as close as we are to each other.
7. Education- there were definitely days that I disliked having to attend class, but I was always happy that I went after it was over. I'm so grateful that I had the opportunity to get an education and a GOOD, QUALITY education.
8. Holidays- times to celebrate throughout the year all sorts of events always makes me so happy.
9. Trials- while I have a million other things to be grateful for I just have to state that I am grateful for the things that have kept me humble, strengthened my relationships with others and my Savior, and simply taught me patience and a deeper love and respect for others.

To all the people that were mentioned in my list I want you to know that I love you all!

New Callings

Micah and I were given new callings today in our (recently new) ward. It was interesting because we thought for sure Micah was going to be called to the activities committee since they asked him to help plan the Christmas party, but indeed that did not happen. Instead Micah was called to be the Sunday School teacher of the 15 year olds in our ward. It's kind of funny since Micah wanted any calling other than to be a teacher, but I thought it could happen since he so badly didn't want it. Anyway, he sat in on the class this week to prepare for next week and actually really enjoyed himself so I think all will turn out just fine. I actually think that Micah will do really well teaching teenagers as much as he doesn't think so. As far as my calling... I was called to be the primary teacher for the Valiant 9 year olds. I'm really excited. They said that they thought I would do well as I am already a primary age teacher and have had experience. It should be fun to go back into primary for the lessons as well as sharing time. We're both very excited about our new callings and now feel even more a part of our awesome ward. Let's see how this all goes. :)

Aquarium

So I was going to post yesterday, but then I realized that all my pictures from the Aquarium with my friend Julia somehow got erased. I am VERY sad about it and originally decided not to post, but I have since changed my mind. I am going to tell you about the Aquarium now because I will be going back with Micah and will take more pictures then that will not somehow get erased. The Living Planet Aquarium is located in Sandy, Utah and is so much fun. I was surprised by the variety they had. It starts out with a part about living things in Utah which was kind of boring but at the same time kind of cool. I was nervous about it at this point because Julia was visiting from AZ and it was the first time I had seen her in a long time and the first time I saw her baby so I didn't want it to be a waste of time dragging her baby around. It soon got cool though with the different type of jellyfish, even the kind that changes colors, and a huge octopus. I won't tell you everything that was there, but my favorite part was with the penguins. I did not realize how fast penguins can swim. They were zooming around the tank and diving in from the ground above. It was REALLY cool. After the penguins was an exhibit called "Journey to South America" with some other really cool creatures. Anyway, if you haven't been I encourage you to go. Micah and I will be going soon and I will post pics then so you can see a little bit better just how cool it was. :)

Halloween Cruise 2

This really is the second post, but I didn't think ahead and so this one is coming before. Ha!

Halloween Cruise

Tonight Micah and I went on a "Halloween Cruise" down the Provo river. It was actually a lot of fun. It was just a quick 30 minute trip and definitely family oriented, but it was fun to just try something novel for the holidays. We were put on a ferry and pulled along by a captain. There were lighted pumpkins all along the side of the river and hanging halloween lights through the trees. The captain told pirate jokes and scary stories, when we were hijacked by a enemy pirate who swung from the edge and landed in the water. I felt bad for him and his 'mate' as the water was very cold, but they brought us candy so I was glad they came. Anyway, I don't really need to tell you everything that happened, but like I said it was simple but very fun and they do it at Christmas so I'm excited for that to come around. The pictures aren't all good, but I'm still going to post them and sorry there are so many. :)

Conference

Conference was SOOOOOOOOOOOOO good this time around. I love that after every conference I feel so inspired and feel better about who I am. The greatest blessing of conference to me is that I always learn how to do better and think about things I should work on, but I never feel like it is an impossible task. I don't even have one favorite talk... yet... the more I think about what I heard the more likely I am to really focus and love one. There were several parts that I loved though including "love is spelt T.I.M.E.", by having a testimony of my own I can fully support the leaders of the church without being a so called "blind follower", the words of the living prophet are more pertinent than those of the past-- I already knew this, but I still loved it-- and finally I loved all of President Packer's talk this morning. I'll post more of my favorite quotes when I can read the talks online. I don't have the best memory for specifics, ask Micah he will attest to this. Also, Micah LOVED priesthood and said it was one of the best since his young men's days. He really wants me to watch/read the talks so I will be doing that also. I heard a lot about priesthood from several men actually so I will recommend it to all of you as well. I would love to hear about others favorite parts of conference.

It's Autumn Time...

I'm totally copying you Megan and telling everyone what I most look forward to this fall as it is also my favorite season.

1. Taking family pictures with the beautiful changing colors
2. The cool weather and cute clothes
3. HALLOWEEN!!! (and the beginning of a bunch of holidays)
4. Losing weight-- I hope :)
5. Carving Pumpkins

6. BYU games- even though we're doing very badly
7. Hot Chocolate- who am I kidding? I drink that all year.
8. Any adventures to come

Here is Micah's list-- he's actually contributing :)

1. PROFESSIONAL football season- emphasis (obviously) on the professional, as college sports have never been particularly interesting to him... including BYU.
2. A new season of Top Gear
3. Cooler weather- hopefully cold
4. Baseball playoffs (the only sort of baseball he enjoys on t.v.)
5. Thanksgiving

That'll do pig... that'll do.

Do I look through a dirty window?

The General Relief Society was good as usual and I enjoyed all the talks, but the one that stuck out to me in particular was President Monson's. The idea of judging others based on appearance or superficial meetings really resonated with me. I don't necessarily think I am a super judgmental person, but I certainly know that I have made "snap" judgments before. It always makes me sad and I always feel awkward when I get to know that person more and realize they were nothing like what I originally thought. After experiences like that I always want to be better and think better of others. I always think "would I like someone to judge me according to one action?" My favorite part of the whole talk was the quote from Mother Teresa in which she stated, "If you judge people, you have no time to love them." This has always proven to be true even in times when perhaps my judgments were on some level correct. When I get to know that person more I realize that I can overlook faults just as they overlook mine. The problem often comes when we don't give the person the opportunity for us to get to know them based on preconceived notions. I have some friends that are really good at not making quick judgments that I always strive to be more like. Whenever I state something that is really based on nothing, they never agree with me but instead stand in defense of those that I am criticizing unfairly, and they never judge me for it. To those of you who are good examples to me I thank you for teaching me to be a better person. Hopefully I can learn to "clean my window" and look through the eyes of the Savior rather than through my own mortal ones.

SPOILED!

So Micah is the best husband ever and really felt like spoiling me tonight. At first I was resistant, but he was so willing to do it because I had been working hard and I really am happy that in the end he basically made me. Thanks babe, I love you! I'm going to post pictures on this post because it will be so much better to show you what I got rather than just talk about it. Oh... but I did also get two Victoria's Secret bras which I REALLY needed that I decided you don't really care for me posting a picture of them.

Two in August!

Wow! This must be some kind of record... I posted twice in one month! Funny how it's only my third post. Micah and I are finally, really settling into our house. The decorating part is definitely going to take time as it does and also as it costs money it won't be happening any time soon. Other than that though we're pretty much all set up. It's kind of crazy how quickly life has been moving and while I am enjoying it, I kind of want it to slow down so I don't look back on my lazy days and wish I would have done more. Seriously though, I really just want to get out there more and try newer things. I wish I were more adventurous but I'm rather conservative and think a lot of things through before I can really make a decision. It's been good when I've needed to make big decisions, but sometimes I think it holds me back. So here's to me (somewhat) changing and (hopefully) trying new things. I'll have to post about those things if they ever happen. :)

I don't actually have much to post about, but I will say that there have been a TON of changes in my life lately. I got a job (finally) in Pleasant Grove as a 2nd grade teacher two weeks before school starts. This job caused Micah and I decide to move to PG to be closer to the school, but it was honestly a really good idea. I really like our new place and there is so much room... enough that we won't have to move when we eventually have a baby. I've been thinking about doing more with my day. I've been so busy lately and exhausted by the end of the day, but I always feel like I accomplished so much. I want to do more crafts, learn to cook better, work out consistently and watch less t.v. Anyway, these are just some thoughts, but I always like writing them down or speaking them aloud to someone. It allows me to think through them more and really consider taking some action. That's it for now.

Blogging

So I've decided to create a blog, but to be honest with you I honestly don't know how well I'll actually keep up. I'm excited to post, but they're just going to be random: From crafts, to food, to events in our lives. Here's to something keeping me entertained when I'm bored. Ha... yeah right!