Brothers & Missionaries

So I realized I never said anything about our brothers coming home from their missions this year.  Whoops!

Both my and Adam's younger brothers came home from their respective missions this year!  It's been a fun year!

My brother came home in March from the Philippines.

Family together again. "Mabuhay" means "Welcome" in Tagalog.
I totally PhotoShopped a guy (partly) out of the picture. Just don't look too closely.

Any excuse to have cookie cake from Mrs. Fields!!!!!!!!
He hadn't had it for 2 years so it was a pretty good excuse.
I love cookie cake (from Mrs. Fields).

Adam's brother came home in July from the Oregon Portland mission.

Together again!

Man, the lighting in the airport is awful!!

But anyway...

We're super proud of both of them for their dedication and service to the Lord and Savior Jesus Christ and the two years they spent every day helping others come closer to Him by serving them and sharing His Gospel with them.  Love them both!!!

Only 6 More Weeks to Go...

That's right.  I am 34 weeks this week!  Time flies...  It's really weird how it feels like it's going so slow but so fast at the same time!

I'm starting to feel the effects on my body from being pregnant.  Sleeping isn't so easy or comfortable anymore!  There could be worse things going on, but I need to get sleep while I still can!  :)

I feel so unprepared for everything that's about to happen!  It's becoming a little overwhelming.  We have things, but I know I am missing so much stuff.  Diapers?  Nursing bra?  Bath stuff?  Hmm, okay well if that's all then I guess that isn't all that much.  This is just really crazy!  Pretty much in about a month I will be a mom!  And have a little, helpless, delicate baby to take care of...  Going out in public with a baby?  Grocery shopping will be different.  Running any kind of errand or doing anything will be different...  I have so much to learn!  I don't want to get caught up in the things that can (and are!) stress(ing) me out, but I need to get ready at the same time.  How do I do that??  Neither of us know what we're doing!  We're still kids ourselves!  I do know though that even amid all this chaos and confusion and time flying I really want to enjoy every moment.  I hope I can learn to do that too.  Even now, before baby comes.

I'm feeling more and more love for this little guy.  I love feeling him moving around!  I'm getting a little sad that soon I won't be able to, and that I can't just have him with me all the time anymore.  But I know it will bring me so much joy to hold him and to cuddle with him and to see him learn and grow and to show him I love him.  I can't wait to meet him!

33 weeks

34 weeks

6 weeks and counting!  :)

Pinterest Project #4 - Cleaning

I made wool dryer balls!  They are supposed to fluff the clothes and reduce static cling in the dryer.  Apparently using dryer sheets can be bad for your dryer with the build up of film it leaves on everything, making the lint filter less functional over time.  Mostly I wanted to make these to save money, so I don't have to keep buying boxes of dryer sheets.  I plan on adding some drops of essential oil to them to give a scent to the clothes once they've been through the dryer.  And apparently you have to be careful when you go for the knock-off stuff of the oil...  Some are just for smelling and not for clothes or skin.  Could ruin the clothes.  Sooo I'll probably get the real stuff.  I hear you only need a couple drops for whatever you're using it on so the bottle, though pricey, lasts quite a while.

Here they are!

When I took the load of laundry out of the dryer just now I didn't notice any static coming from the clothes, and there usually is static.  So it seems like so far so good!

I used these two how-to blog posts for references on making these:

Imperfect Homemaking
How To Make Do

I used them both as my tutorial, pulling things from each that I liked or wanted to do:

- I DID NOT crochet the beginning of the balls, even though I do know how to crochet.  I DID wind it instead, and it was super simple.

- I DID NOT felt the balls in between stages (make a small ball and felt, then make it bigger and felt it again).  I DID just wind it all up to the size I wanted it to be and then felted them.

Thank you Pinterest!

Pinterest Project #3 - Cleaning

Cleaning the washing machine.

Boy what a task it was!

But so worth it.

We got our washer and dryer from a foreclosed house 2 and a half years ago, which had been sitting in Adam's parents' garage since then until we moved into our house recently.  The washer was a little yucky and smelled weird.  So after finding these pins and websites I set out to clean it:

Somewhat Simple - How to Clean Your Washing Machine
One Good Thing by Jillee - How to Clean Your (Top Loader) Washing Machine

I did kind of a mix between these two references.  I did 2 cups of each vinegar and bleach (separately!!) instead of 2 quarts or whatever crazy amount the other suggests, and did vinegar first and then bleach.  I used lots of q-tips for the nooks and crannies like one of them suggests but had to use some toothpicks as well (it was that bad).  I also did what one says about taking off the liquid bleach dispenser and also the "filter" or fabric softener thing on the top of the agitator and soaked them in half water, half vinegar.  It got them nice and clean!  I could only clean half of the top of the tub because there is a loose spring at the bottom of the washer we need to fix (next on the list) so the tub isn't centered but I did what I could and it is sooooooooooooo much better!  It doesn't stink a whole lot (there's probably more cleaning that needs to be done in other areas I can't get to yet... eek) and I just feel a lot better about washing my clothes in it now that I know it's clean.  Sorry, no pictures.  I wanted to spare you the nastiness.  And I was a little embarrassed.  Although it wasn't my mess.  Suffice it to say that it looks clean now and I am happy about it.  :)

Welcome to the 3rd Trimester!

What?!

That's right.  29 weeks.  Almost a whole 7 months.  3rd trimester.

bump at 28 weeks

Pregnancy goes by so fast.  I expected it to, but at the same time 9 months sounds like a really long time!

I've hit the milestone point of now having doctor appointments every 2 weeks instead of 4...  That makes it seem even more crazy and real!

At our appointment last week we had another ultrasound because the doctor didn't get good enough pictures of everything she needed to see last time.  We invited our immediate family to come to this one.  Both of our parents and Adam's brother came.  It was really cool that they got to be there for that.  At one point during the ultrasound our baby kicked and not only did I feel it but we saw his leg extend and contract on the big screen!  It was so awesome!  That was my favorite part by far.  :)

He was more wiggly this ultrasound so the footage didn't turn out as good as last time.  Plus the doctor said there is more fluid now which makes it harder to take 3D pictures.  But I included a couple still for your viewing pleasure.  :)

My belly continues to bounce around.  It's so weird but really cool to see it moving "on its own."  There is a little living thing inside of me!  So crazy.  So awesome.  The miracle of life is sooooo witnessing of the existence of God, it's not even funny.  We as humans can't create ANYTHING that was never there before (we can manipulate, but not create), except a new person.  Creation is a divine gift, one that only God could have given us.  And it is one that should be taken very seriously.  There is way too much carelessness in the world...  I could go on about that, but I won't right now.

The nursery looks like...  Well I don't know what it looks like, but it doesn't look like a nursery!  A storage room I guess, but full of empty boxes.  And we realize that I could be having a baby in 2 months... TWO MONTHS...  So we really need to get cracking on getting things ready.  !

Our little munchkin at 28 weeks:

Emergency Preparedness - Step One

We hear a lot about how we need to be prepared for emergencies.  And needing to be prepared is even becoming a reality for some people with various natural disasters happening around the world seemingly more and more.  Needing to be prepared for an emergency can happen to any of us, at any time.  And yet there are many, many of us who are still not prepared at all.

Some emergencies just aren't likely in certain areas.  It is highly unlikely we will experience a hurricane in southern Arizona.

However, there are still emergencies that can happen very quickly and unexpectedly, even in southern AZ.  For example: wildfire, power outage, flooding (seems unlikely, but it can happen here!), nuclear leak (chemical emergency), drought, heat wave, terrorist attack (may sound silly, but could happen)...  I'm sure there are others, but this is just some examples.

I know it feels overwhelming.  But it must be important since we keep talking and hearing about it!  When you think it won't happen to you is when you may find yourself surprised, and you don't want that.  At least I don't!

I feel like I've had an excuse, not a very good one though, since living in a temporary place, namely an apartment.  But we have finally moved into our new house and are living in a permanent place.  Now my (bad) excuse is out the window.  Time to start!

Thinking about getting to having a year supply is SUPER overwhelming.  But I heard some good advice this week -- Start small!  Start with your 72-hour emergency kit, then work your way up from there.  (Or you can start with a car emergency kit.)

Car Emergency Kit
72-Hour Emergency Kit
2-Week Home Emergency Supply
3-Month Supply
Year Supply

I've got my car emergency stuff in my car already.  But actually I need to get another one together for my husband's car.

My advice to start is: MAKE A LIST

Unless you want to purchase a ready-made 72-hour kit, start compiling your own personal list of items for your family's kits.  This is what I have accomplished today.  I don't necessarily know how everything will fit, or maybe I'll take some things out that don't necessarily need to be in there.  But I have my list, and that's a really good starting point.  I would suggest looking at lists of items that other people have put in their kits as a reference to building your own.  Some of my references were:

Self-Reliant Sisters
Food Storage Made Easy
How Does She?
Red Cross
The Moes Family in Texas
Sportsman's News

My PRELIMINARY 72-Hour Emergency Kit List and Notes:

Change out perishables every 6 months - at Conference time - April and October

Gallon jugs of water - one per person stored in garage or closets

Jugs of gasoline in garage/trunk of car

Teach children Morse Code (at least S-O-S)

INDIVIDUAL PACKS

Storage - backpacks - rolling (Not duffle bags)

Food & Water
- 4 (24 oz) sport cap water bottles OR 7 (.5 L) water bottles
- 3 boxes or small bottles of juice or sports drink
- 3 flavor packets (for water)
- 3 granola bars
- 3 snack packs of trail mix
- 3 packages sandwich crackers
- 3 snack packs of dried/dehydrated fruit
- 3 snack packs of jerky
- 3 small cans of beefaroni (pop-tops covered with duct tape)
- 3 small cans of tuna (pop-tops covered with duct tape)
- 1 snack pack hard candy jolly ranchers
- 3 snack applesauces
- 1 package of gum

(depending on where you live you may need to be conscious of things melting, like I do)

Supplies
- 2 plastic forks
- 2 plastic knifes
- 2 plastic spoons
- (camping utensils?)
- pocket knife
- (multi-purpose tool?)
- small manual can opener
- 2 gallon ziplock bags for trash
- hand crank OR shake flashlight
- hand crank OR battery operated radio (weather radio)
- extra batteries
- candles (that won’t melt?)
- lighter
- waterproof matches
- 4 hand warmer packs
- rope
- duct tape
- small shovel (gardening)
- whistle (with neck cord)
- compass (combined with whistle?)
- cash: quarters and dollar bills (how much?) - in a snack bag
- two-way radio (walkie-talkie?)
- filtration water bottle
- camp towel
- work gloves

Personal Care
- hand wipes (18?)
- hand sanitizer
- lotion
- mini shampoo
- mini bar soap?
- 3 days worth of prescription medication
- roll of toilet paper (center tube removed)
- feminine hygene
- sunscreen
- bug repellant
- chapstick/carmex tub
- kleenex
- small deodorant
- toothbrush
- toothpaste
- nail clippers
- compact mirror

First Aid
- medication: ibuprofen/tylenol
- band-aids (how many, what kind - variety?, extra large) (in snack bag)
- 2 x 2 gauze pads
- 4 x 4 gauze pads
- tweezers
- 1 roll sport tape
- 1 pair scissors
- 1 elastic bandage wrap
- 2 pair latex gloves
- light stick?

Clothing & Bedding
- Sneakers (tied to the outside)
- 3 pairs undergarments
- 1 pair sweat pants (a little big) (Winter clothes can be cut off to be made into summer clothes, so double clothing is not needed)
- 1 long sleeve shirt
- 2 pairs long socks
- zip up hoodie jacket
- warm gloves
- warm beanie hat
- sports cap
- small pillow in roll (tied to the outside)
- small mummy sleeping bag (tied to the outside)
- blanket
- plastic sheet (plastic table cloth?)
- rain poncho

Important Documents (laminated on ring?)
- Scriptures (Blue Book of Mormon)
- Patriarchal Blessing (glued inside BoM?)
- Genealogy Records (inserted inside BoM?)
- copy of birth certificate
- family and emergency contact information
- personal identification: with pictures and important dates and places
- allergies notes (to medication and food)
- extra set of house and car keys

Other
- small notebook
- pen and pencil
- deck of cards
- glasses
- “waiting” game ideas written on a piece of paper
- extra cell phone charger
- glasses

PARENT PACK

- Extra 9mm handgun
- Extra magazine of 9mm bullets
- water purification tablets

FAMILY PACK (combined with parent pack?)

- Legal Docs: Birth Certs, Marriage Cert, Passports, Wills, Vaccination Papers, Immunization Records, Insurance Policies
- flares
- blanket
- water (how much?)
- water purification tablets

Winter clothes can be cut off to be made into summer clothes, so double clothing is not needed.


This list is still in the works and in its beginning stage.  I just wrote it out tonight!  My plan is to begin executing this list by buying one or a couple things each week.  Maybe starting with the storage items -- the things to store everything in.  Now wish me luck, and go start your own 72-Hour Emergency Kit list!  I believe in you!

Jesus Speaks Today -- Through His Authorized Servants

What an incredible morning so far.  Messages have been shared from some of the Lord's appointed and authorized servants, the leaders of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.  What a wonderful opportunity.

Some announcements were made this morning, one of which was that a Temple will be built in Tucson, Arizona!  I have been wishing for some time to be able to just live in the same city as a temple.  I can't wait for it's construction and to be able to attend the temple and feel of the amazing Spirit there much more often.

So far from the messages shared this morning I am feeling a renewed dedication to Jesus Christ and to more fully living His Gospel.  What a wonderful feeling.

Christ's Gospel brings me the most real happiness and peace in my life I have ever felt, no matter the circumstances and situations that surround me.  Nothing compares to the happiness and peace Christ offers if we receive it.

All are invited to come and feel of it's goodness.

You can watch General Conference live or afterward online:
http://www.lds.org/general-conference

Some of the topics talked about in this morning's session:

• "And now behold, I say unto you, my brethren, if ye have experienced a change of heart, and if ye have felt to sing the song of redeeming love, I would ask, can ye feel so now?" -- Book of Mormon, Alma 5:26
  
• How to feel the Spirit, or Holy Ghost, more fully
  
• Being an example of Christ by the way we live
  
• Gain more knowledge -- of secular and spiritual things
  
• Obedience and submission to God
  
• The Temple should be the focal point in our lives
  
• Holy Ghost and acting on his promptings
  
• Little children do not need baptism
  
• Life after death
  
• Missionary service and efforts
  
• Christ's original organization of His church, the Great Apostasy, and the Restoration of Christ's original church
  
• Purpose of life
  
• "You have seen our missionaries, you may have ignored them, you should listen to them, they will help you"
  
• Spend time doing what matters most -- spending time with those we love, dedicating ourselves to God and His Gospel
  
• Find joy in the journey
  
• "Good intentions are not enough, we must do"
  
• Be more happy now -- We determine our happiness
  
• "Look less with your eyes and more with your heart"
  
• "I pray we will not wait until we are ready to die before we truly learn to live."

Watch and learn -- Your life will be blessed -- You will feel uplifted --
Christ speaks today, through His authorized servants.  This is who they are:
Jesus leads us through His Prophet

Pinterest Project #2 - Dinner

For dinner tonight I maaaaaaddeee this:

Chicken Bacon Ranch Cheddar Pasta

(She calls it Cheddar Bacon Ranch Chicken Pasta, but that's a mouth-full and I like the way "Chicken Bacon Ranch" rolls off the tongue better...  Plus it's easier to say.)

(And please don't judge me for my hard-water stained pan...  I'll fix that eventually...)

It looks like a lot of noodles but the ratio was actually perfect.  And I did half a pound instead of 1 lb like her recipe calls for.  It's all about equalizing the proportions of the food for each bite!

And next time, I'll cook the pasta while the chicken is cooking instead of doing it first like she says in the recipe.  That was silly and it made the cooking take longer.

The final result -- It was really good!!!  Hubs approves also -- very much!  :)

He's also still eating those brownies!  (We have a whole pan left...  Should probably give some away.)  Oh, and by the way, I had a piece tonight and it was super delicious!  Milk was necessary to wash it down.  So good.

Happy pinning!

Pinterest Project #1 - Dessert

First off, let me say that I LOVE having so much room in my new kitchen!  I am really going to enjoy cooking and baking in this new house a lot more than in our tiny previous apartments.

Well, tonight I WAS going to go to a little Pinterest girl party thing tonight, but other things happened and I didn't go.  But this is what I made for it:

Oreo Truffle Brownies

This was the first time I've made brownies from scratch.  The recipe was pretty easy.  The hardest and most annoying part was smashing the Oreo cookies.  I won't be doing any of that for a while.  Maybe eventually I'll invest in a food processor.

I was really excited about this dessert.  The picture on the author's blog looked REALLY yummy!  After making it though, I just wasn't in the mood to eat it.  It probably also had something to do with my bad eating habits today -- Too much junk and not enough real food.  I did taste it though, and it turned out pretty good!  The hubby really liked it -- It passed his test!  Maybe I'll have some tomorrow.

Happy Pinning!

Do I Really Have to Pee Again?!

I find myself thinking this quite often lately.  I don't drink as much fluids as I should, but it seems like I still have to go to the bathroom every hour.  This could also mean that time is just flying by -- which it does!

Oh the joys of pregnancy!

Our baby boy is doing well!  This week I am 25 weeks.  We still haven't decided on a name, but we have a couple possibles.  I wonder if I'll be able to settle on one until I see him and hold him.  I can't believe I'm going to be a MOM -- what the heck!  But wow, we are excited.

I had some fun morning sickness throughout the second half of the first trimester, which really was mostly only in the mornings (thank goodness).  For the most part I would just feel sick and queezy -- only a handful of times did I actually throw up.  Actually probably two handfuls (of times, not barf).  Luckily I always made it to the toilet, trash can, throw-up bowl, or side of the road (yes, it happened once).

As for this second trimester, I've been feeling great!  I think I've been more tired than usual, but not by much.   Actually what I think has been happening is that my body is FINALLY teaching itself to work on an inner clock.  I get tired around 9pm or so (and get to bed around 10 or so, hopefully), and don't have as hard of a time getting out of bed at 7 or 8am to help Adam get ready for school (packing his lunch).  And the REAL miracle is that I can actually stay awake after he leaves instead of crawling back into bed!  I feel like this has been a huge accomplishment.  Now my next task is to start getting ready and get out of the house before 9 (eek!) or 10 (doable).

Our little baby Ferg is moving around a lot now (since a couple weeks ago).  Adam has even been able to feel him!  He gets really excited when he feels him move.  He's going to be an awesome dad, I can already tell!!!  I actually forget a lot that I'm pregnant, sometimes it just doesn't seem real, but it's when I feel him moving that I remember -- Oh yeah, I'm pregnant!  And I'm finally starting to look like it!  However, I'm still in that awkward phase where if you don't know I'm pregnant you probably assume that I'm fat in the belly.  But if you DO know that I'm pregnant, you can totally tell!  Even if I wear a t-shirt.  It's almost time I start investing in more loose/maternity shirts.  I've hardly gained any weight throughout this whole pregnancy so far.  I've been teetering around 115 pounds -- which is small for me!  I lost weight during the past year from dancing ballet. So basically all my pants still fit!  Actually a lot of them are still too big.  Kind of annoying, but it's nice that I don't have to buy new clothes yet.

Here are some pictures:

"We're expecting!" (May)

"This is CRAZY and EXCITING!" (May)

The bump! 22.5 weeks (September)

13 weeks

20 weeks

It's a BOY!

20 weeks

:)

God is the Same - We Can Still Know

We are all trying to do the best we can in this life.  We are ever trying to understand God and how we can best follow Jesus Christ, the Savior of the world whom He has sent.

With so many opinions out there, it can be difficult to figure out what we should believe.  Some believe the notion that we as mere humans can't and won't ever know in this life exactly how God wants us to follow Him.

I believe with all my heart, might, mind, and strength that God DOES speak to His children on the earth (all of us) and that we CAN know what He wants us to do.

The Holy Ghost, or Spirit, is how we can know.  He is the third member of the Godhead.  It is His role to be a witness of truth.

"And we are his witnesses of these things; and so is also the Holy Ghost, whom God hath given to them that obey him." - Acts 5:32 

"Howbeit when he, the Spirit of truth, is come, he will guide you into all truth" - John 16:13 

"But God hath revealed them unto us by his Spirit: for the Spirit searcheth all things, yea, the deep things of God. For what man knoweth the things of a man, save the spirit of man which is in him? even so the things of God knoweth no man, but the Spirit of God. Now we have received, not the spirit of the world, but the spirit which is of God; that we might know the things that are freely given to us of God." - 1 Corinthians 2:10-12 

"...the Spirit speaketh the truth and lieth not. Wherefore, it speaketh of things as they really are, and of things as they really will be; wherefore, these things are manifested unto us plainly, for the salvation of our souls." - Jacob 4:13

An ancient prophet named Moroni in approx. A.D. 421 declared that if we pray to God to know of truth, He will reveal that it is true by the power of the Holy Ghost:

"And when ye shall receive these things, I would exhort you that ye would ask God, the Eternal Father, in the name of Christ, if these things are not true; and if ye shall ask with a sincere heart, with real intent, having faith in Christ, he will manifest the truth of it unto you, by the power of the Holy Ghost. 

"And by the power of the Holy Ghost ye may know the truth of all things. 

"And whatsoever thing is good is just and true; wherefore, nothing that is good denieth the Christ, but acknowledgeth that he is.

"And ye may know that he is, by the power of the Holy Ghost" 

(Book of Mormon, Moroni 10:4-7)

Another ancient prophet, Nephi, around 600 B.C. also testified of this:

"For he that diligently seeketh shall find; and the mysteries of God shall be unfolded unto them, by the power of the Holy Ghost, as well in these times as in times of old, and as well in times of old as in times to come; wherefore, the course of the Lord is one eternal round." 

(Book of Mormon, 1 Nephi 10:19)

"For behold, again I say unto you that if ye will enter in by the way, and receive the Holy Ghost, it will show unto you all things what ye should do." 

(Book of Mormon, 2 Nephi 32:5)

Interesting that he says that this principle, which was true in ancient times, will continue to apply and be true in times to come.  Today is included in that "times to come."  How fortunate are we that God is unchanging and continues to reveal truth to us, through His prophets and through the Holy Ghost, so we don't have to wander this life in confusion!

In a revelation given through a modern day prophet, Joseph Smith, in 1831 the Lord also affirmed:

"And again, verily I say unto you, O inhabitants of the earth: I the Lord am willing to make these things known unto all flesh... 

"...For behold, and lo, the Lord is God, and the Spirit beareth record, and the record is true, and the truth abideth forever and ever." 

(Doctrine & Covenants 1:34, 39)

I also believe that God is the same today, yesterday, and forever, which is to say that He does not change.

• "But thou art the same, and thy years shall have no end." - Psalms 102:27
  
• "For I am the Lord, I change not" - Malachi 3:6
  
• "Jesus Christ the same yesterday, and to day, and for ever." - Hebrews 13:8
  
• "For he is the same yesterday, today, and forever; and the way is prepared for all men from the foundation of the world, if it so be that they repent and come unto him." - 1 Nephi 10:18
  
• "For do we not read that God is the same yesterday, today, and forever, and in him there is no variableness neither shadow of changing?" - Mormon 9:9
  
• "...for he worketh by power, according to the faith of the children of men, the same today and tomorrow, and forever." - Moroni 10:7
  
• "And I would exhort you, my beloved brethren, that ye remember that he is the same yesterday, today, and forever, and that all these gifts of which I have spoken, which are spiritual, never will be done away, even as long as the world shall stand, only according to the unbelief of the children of men." - Moroni 10:19
  
• "Proving to the world that the holy scriptures are true, and that God does inspire men and call them to his holy work in this age and generation, as well as in generations of old;
  "Thereby showing that he is the same God yesterday, today, and forever." - Doctrine & Covenants 20:11-12
  
• "Listen to the voice of the Lord your God, even Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the end, whose course is one eternal round, the same today as yesterday, and forever." - Doctrine & Covenants 35:1
  
• "From eternity to eternity he is the same, and his years never fail." - Doctrine & Covenants 76:4
  
• "And God spake unto Moses, saying: Behold, I am the Lord God Almighty, and Endless is my name; for I am without beginning of days or end of years; and is not this endless?
  "And, behold, thou art my son; wherefore look, and I will show thee the workmanship of mine hands, but not all, for my works are without end, and also my words, for they never cease." - Moses 1:3-4

In a world where everything seems to be constantly changing, I am grateful that God has a hold on things.  I know that He will guide us to truth and will reveal His way to us through the Spirit if we truly want to know, will act on the answer He gives, and ask Him.  I'm grateful to know that He will always give us guidance if we seek it, be solid and stable and unchanging, and can provide safety and security and stability in our lives if we put our trust in Him.

Baby Update

(This is a post I started to write but didn't finish, but I wanted to publish it anyway, just so it's there. :))

I'm now 17 weeks along in my pregnancy!  I'm finally passed the morning sickness, for the most part.  My morning sickness was really sickness in the morning.  Generally if I could make it passed around 11 am without barfing I would be okay for the rest of the day.  

I feel sick if I don't eat enough, often enough.  This makes me have a love/hate relationship with food.  I need it...  But I hate having to choose something to eat especially since I'm feeling more picky these days.

16 weeks

I'm starting to show a little tiny bit!  You really have to look for it.

It's a Baby!

Well, it's official.  We are expecting a little family addition in January!  I am 9 weeks and due January 6, 2013.  We are super excited!  Enjoying pregnancy.  It's crazy!  :)

Young Women Blocks

Our ward's Young Women presidency decided we would each give gifts to the girls in our ward during girls camp, one gift for each night.  This is what mine ended up being:

Arise & Shine Forth and Good Works blocks
(each block has both sides)

Here's a close up.

Arise and Shine Forth is the youth theme this year, and Good Works was our ward's assigned Young Women value for camp.  My dad cut the wood for me and my mom (in-law) helped me paint the blocks and Mod Podge the designs on them.  I put together the Arise and Shine and Good Works parts of it in Photoshop (not from scratch... I'm not that good!).  I think they turned out pretty cute!

Mormons Believe in Jesus Christ

Yes, it's true!  I believe the same Jesus Christ as you, the very Jesus Christ of the New Testament.  I believe He atoned for our sins and afflictions and died on the cross and rose the third day as a resurrected and glorified being.  He is the center of my testimony, my belief, my marriage, my actions, my life, my very being and existence.

"And we talk of Christ, we rejoice in Christ, we preach of Christ, we prophesy of Christ, and we write according to our prophecies, that our children may know to what source they may look for a remission of their sins." -- 2 Nephi 25:26

He has not left us alone.  He has not left us to confusion or to fend for ourselves.  He has re-established the fullness of His gospel in these latter-days.  He speaks today through His chosen prophet.  President Thomas S. Monson is His mouthpiece for the world at this time today.

The whole purpose of His life was to save ours.  I am so full of gratitude for all He has done for all of us, and for me.  I could not be who I am without Him.  I would not know happiness without Him, or without the knowledge of the purpose of life.  He makes everything possible.  "Oh sweet, the joy this sentence gives: I know that my Redeemer lives!"

The Heavens are Not Closed

Henry B Eyring, President Thomas S Monson, Dieter  F Uchtdorf

"Surely the Lord God will do nothing, but he revealeth his secret unto his servants the prophets." - Amos 3:7

The Heavens are not closed, but are open!  God is available to each of us and directs His people through prophets in these latter days just as He always has in the past.  We are considered God's people when we choose to obey Him and follow His way.  Just as God has called prophets to lead His people in the days of Adam, Moses, John the Baptist, Nephi, Joseph Smith and others, He does so now.  He directs and speaks to His people on earth through His prophets.

"As he spake by the mouth of his holy prophets, which have been since the world began:" - Luke 1:70

A prophet:

-is a man called by God to be His representative on earth
-speaks for God, is His mouthpiece, and when he does it is as if God is speaking
-is a special witness of Christ and testifies of His divinity
-teaches the gospel of Jesus Christ
-teaches truth
-interprets the word of God
-calls the unrighteous to repentance
-receives revelations and directions from the Lord for our benefit
-may see into the future and foretell coming events so the world may be warned
-is always chosen by God
-is called through proper priesthood authority

"We believe that a man must be called of God, by prophecy, and by the laying on of hands by those who are in authority, to preach the Gospel and administer in the ordinances thereof." - Articles of Faith 1:15

"Behold, mine house is a house of order, saith the Lord God, and not a house of confusion." - Doctrine and Covenants 132:8

There is a prophet living on the earth today.  He is the President of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.  This chosen prophet has the right to receive revelation for the entire Church, and is the only person on earth who can.  The Lord said, "There is never but one on the earth at a time on whom this power and the keys of this priesthood are conferred" (Doctrine and Covenants 132:7).  The prophet also holds the "keys of the kingdom" which means he has the authority to direct the entire Church and kingdom of God on earth, including the administration of priesthood ordinances.

"And I will give unto thee the keys of the kingdom of heaven: and whatsoever thou shalt bind on earth shall be bound in heaven: and whatsoever thou shalt loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven." - Matthew 16:19

Twice a year the Church has a General Conference where the prophet of God and the counselors of the First Presidency and the members of the Quorum of the Twelve, who are also prophets, seers, and revelators, and other general authorities of the Church speak to the entire membership of the Church worldwide to give counsel relevant to our lives today.  In addition to all Church members, all people of all ages all around the world are invited to watch and listen.

"What I the Lord have spoken, I have spoken, and I excuse not myself; and though the heavens and the earth pass away, my word shall not pass away, but shall all be fulfilled, whether by mine own voice or by the voice of my servants, it is the same." - Doctrine and Covenants 1:38

The Lord speaks through His prophets to His people.  It was this way in Bible times, it was this way in Book of Mormon times, and it is this way now.  I invite all who are willing to listen to the voice of the Lord through His prophet, Thomas S. Monson, His mouthpiece for the world at this time, to watch and listen to the General Conference of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints this coming weekend.  The messages given and music shared are inspiring and uplifting and help us feel the Holy Spirit and be directed by Him in our lives.  I know that President Thomas S. Monson is the Lord's mouthpiece for the earth today, and that he speaks for Him.  I know that as we listen to and follow the counsel he gives us we will be immensely blessed in our lives and we will know the way to true and lasting happiness.

The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints General Conference website

An invitation to "Come listen" this weekend - Mormon Messages

References:
mentioned scriptures
Gospel Principles manual Chapter 9

Baby Blanket - Crochet

One of my very bestest friends who I met in college, Laura, is having a baby boy next month and the baby shower was today.  This was one of my gifts to her.  This is the second baby blanket I've done.  This one turned out a little better than the first, but there was still some trial and error going on.  But I figured it out (yay!) and wrote out the pattern so next time I would know for sure what to do.  :)  Because, by the way, I made up this pattern!  It's not too crazy but not too boring either.  :)

 Finished blanket with border

 Close up of a corner

(And I just realized this is the part of the blanket with the
trial and error part with those shell stitches
OOPS
so we need to not look at that in great detail,
nor look at it for reference when making this)

...And so here is my attempt at showing the better corner, which I
cut from the full picture.  Unfortunately it isn't very clear.  Oh well.

Designer & Crafter, and finished product :)

(I wasn't finished getting ready! But I had to get a picture with me in it.)

Pattern:
Yarn: Bernat Baby Sports (1 big roll)
Needle: US G/6, 4mm
ch = chain, dc = double crochet, st = stitch,
To start: ch 120 (I would probably go a little less next time, but it needs to be a multiple of 3)
Rows 1-4: ch 3 (takes place of first dc), dc in each st (119), turn, repeat x4
Rows 5-8 (shell st): ch 3, in next st * dc 3 in same st, skip 2, repeat from * until there are 2 sts left in row, dc 2, turn, repeat x4
(In this particular blanket I did 15 sections)
To end (border): after last 4 rows of normal dc, * shell st another row, shell in corner, skip 1, shell st and keep going in every other hole, repeat from * to finish all 4 sides, end, weave remaining yarn into first row of shell sts to tie it all together

:)

The Kind of Mother I Want to Be

I'm looking forward to the time when I will be blessed to become a mother.  In the meantime, I'm trying to get an idea of what kind of mother I want to be, so I can work on becoming that now.

Making a list of the qualities you want to have as a parent is kind of like making a list of qualities you want in your eternal companion.  Similarly, this is a list of qualities I want to strive to develop in myself.

In no order of importance (because they all are):

• patient
• treat each child equally (of course they also have to be treated appropriate to age)
• treat children as people, with respect
• loving (even in discipline)
• kind
• discipline with an increase of love after
• implement consequences for actions - good and bad
• teach the Gospel at all times in every circumstance, formal and informal
• take time for the small and simple things, the small and simple joys of life
• tell children I love them every day (multiple times I'm sure!)
• fun! and active with them
• reliable
• consistent
• have routines, but also be willing to break them when appropriate
• spontaneous
• high but realistic expectations
• allow children to make choices, of course discipline as necessary
• read and study the scriptures as a family every day
• pray as a family every day
• not too lenient, not too strict
• optimistic and happy (of course there will be times, but I want to be able to take a deep breath and not take things out on my children, or husband for that matter)
• have a united front with husband
• be interested in and supportive of children's interests
• help them discover and cultivate their talents
• someone children can trust and want to ask questions to and talk about things in their lives
• if I'm wrong, own up to it, and don't let children suffer for it
• don't yell at or talk rudely/angrily to children
• be there for them
• spend quality time with them

This list will continue to grow, and I'm sure there are things I forgot to put down.  But it's a good starting point I think.  :)

Young Women's & Personal Progress

Remember last post when I said I got a new calling?

Well, I'm the new Young Women's Secretary in our ward!

The Young Women program in the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is for girls ages 12-18.  They have a program called Personal Progress where they complete value experiences and value projects, kind of like earning merit badges in scouts.  There are 8 values now (there used to be 7 when I was in YW's when I was a youth) -- they are: Faith, Divine Nature, Individual Worth, Knowledge, Choice and Accountability, Good Works, Integrity, and Virtue.  This Personal Progress program is to help young women increase their faith in Jesus Christ and personal righteousness.  I earned my Young Woman Recognition (for completing Personal Progress) just a few weeks before I turned 18, and I was proud of it!  I had only started when I was 16 since that was when I really started going to church and being involved.  And now since I am again in the Young Women's program, I want to work on my Personal Progress again and be a good example for the girls.

I'll be working on it, and you'll be hearing about it!  :)

-- Young Women Motto -- 

"Stand for Truth and Righteousness"

-- Young Women Theme --

"We are daughters of our Heavenly Father, who loves us, and we love Him.  We will 'stand as witnesses of God at all times and in all things, and in all places' (Mosiah 18:9) as we strive to live the Young Women values, which are:

Faith

Divine Nature

Individual Worth

Knowledge

Choice and Accountability

Good Works

Integrity, and

Virtue.

We believe as we come to accept and act upon these values, we will be prepared to strengthen home and family, make and keep sacred covenants, receive the ordinances of the temple, and enjoy the blessings of exaltation."

The Last Month

I guess it's time for me to play some famous blog catch-up.

Two days before Christmas I got to talk to my brother who is serving a mission in the Philippines for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.  It was great to talk to him!  He sounds like he has an accent.  :)  Missionaries only get to call home on Mother's Day and Christmas.  He comes home in March -- So crazy!  It will be good to see him!  He has grown up a lot from what I can tell by his letters he writes each week.  It's nice to have someone else in my family who is as dedicated to the Gospel of Jesus Christ as I am.  I think we're going to end up getting close!  :)

We also got to talk with Adam's brother who is serving a mission in Portland, Oregon.  He comes home in July!  This is a crazy year for missionaries coming home.  It's going to be fun!

Speaking of this year...  2012 has some great things happening!  I got a new calling in church which I am totally excited about (but I can't say what just yet because I need to be sustained on Sunday first!).  We're thinking more about buying a house, which we may or may not do, but we would love to!  I'm being more involved with dancing -- My mom and I are taking a tap dance class this semester which I'm super excited about!  I'm also taking a ballet class this semester with the same teacher I've been taking other dance classes with, who I love!, and hope to keep working en pointe!  I'm also progressing at work in the mortgage biz.  I'm learning more and more every day and it's awesome, and fun!  And I'm sure there are tons of other things this year has in store, some things of which are probably not yet known!  But I'm way excited, and happy about life!

I took a ballet class at a studio this past semester and danced in a recital production of the Nutcracker!  En pointe!  It was challenging but super awesome and fun!!!  I miss it.  It's so crazy, I never would have thought I would be dancing en pointe for a performance.  I'm hoping to continue working on it and getting better!  I love dancing!  I can't believe it has taken me this long to figure out how much I like it.  Oh well, better late than never.  I figure I have more time for it now anyway and am more able to appreciate it.  :)

Adam and I took a trip to California when school got out for him in December.  It was our Christmas present to each other.  We got to see my aunt and uncle, and went to the Ghirardelli factory outlet.  Yum!  And we went to the Steelers game!  It was our first NFL game (for both of us).  Sadly though, the Steelers lost.  :(  But we had fun anyway!  We went to the LDS Oakland Temple (beautiful of course!) and also to the Golden Gate Bridge.  Surprisingly there was not even a hint of fog at the bridge!

Christmas was wonderful!  Adam and I opened stockings in the morning (since our present to each other was the Cali trip, including the Steelers game).  We went to church with Adam's family and my parents joined us too.  We had a nice Sacrament Meeting and then got to talk with Adam's brother, which I mentioned, and then opened a ton of presents with Adam's family.  Coming from a family that struggles to find one thing to get for each other (which we don't even bother with anymore) it's strange having 10 presents for each person to open, and we're all adults!  But it's super fun and I am not complaining at all!  Then we had dinner with my parents and my dad's parents who live in town and some of my dad's sisters who were there too.  It was a busy and nice Christmas, spending time with family and cherishing those relationships because those are the ones that last forever if we choose to live righteously and fulfill the ordinances required.  What a great way to remember Christ and all He has made possible for us.  :)

We went to Alabama with Adam's family to visit his dad's family.  It was a new experience for me!  I got to meet mostly everyone.  We spent time with Adam's grandmother, which was really good.  We even did some video recording of interviews with Adam's grandmother and her sisters and also Adam's dad's dad.  And we went to a bunch of grave sites where a lot of the family is buried.  We also went to the Blue Bell factory!  It was awesome and so yummy!  Unfortunately the tours were closed, probably for the holiday.  :(  But there was a window to see into the factory and we saw them putting together chocolate chip cookie dough ice cream!  We also went to the Talladega Super Speedway racetrack and took a tour on the track!  And got to take pictures in Victory Lane!  It was cool!  And we went to the Chick-fil-A bowl in Atlanta.  And celebrated 2012 twice!  (Once in Georgia and once in Alabama!)  You don't get to do that many times in a lifetime!

I'm learning how to use Photoshop!  We bought a Photoshop Elements and Premier (video editing) package on Black Friday for half off (yesss!).  It's been fun trying to learn how to use them.  I even created our own Christmas cards from scratch!!  I'm so proud of it!  But we didn't get to send them out at Christmas since it was so busy with our trips and everything.  I still want to send them out though because I can't let it go to waste!  And no, of course I don't want to wait a whole year to divulge my awesomeness with Photoshop!  I think I will still send them  :D

And of course, we squeezed in time for some shooting practice before school started back up again for Adam.  I did really well!  Better than him this time!  Hehe.

2012 has been good for us so far!  It's going to be a great year!  It always is.  :)