Love you Grandma!

Faith, Love, Charity

My dear and sweet Grandma passed away last Wednesday at 87 years. We are all deeply saddened with her passing be we are also very happy for her to be reunited with so many loved ones. My Grandma has always been really healthy and has always taken pride in taking care of her body. At 87 years old she was still taking care of herself at her home and was still mentally sharp.

The last year she has had a couple rough falls while caring over her large and beautiful yard and garden. Since her recent falls she's been in some pain with fractured ribs and hip. Grandma had surgery recently on her spine to alleviate some pressure on some vertebrae. I was blessed to be able to spend time with her in her home while she was recovering. She was in good spirits and was so excited to talk to me about my baby. She told me that she saw a pregnant gerbil and it reminded her of me, hahah, thanks Grandma! She kept referring to me as her "pregnant granddaughter".  During our visit she kept doting on me and my baby, she was so happy and excited for us. I got to show her some of my baby belly and we talked about me needing to get some maternity clothes (which I did that trip). Grandma told me during that visit that she never wanted to live to be 90  and she was realizing how close she was getting. I told her that I was sure that she would make it to 90, she laughed and said "I don't think so".

I know it may seem like a silly conversation/visit but it really means the world to me. That was my last visit with my Grandma before her stroke and while she was coherent.

I'm heartbroken that she won't be here to see and hold our baby, which I wanted dearly. I know that Grandma prayed and prayed for this baby and she was so grateful that her prayers were answered and so are we.

My Grandma was an amazing woman with many strengths and talents. She was the most Christ-like person I know and she spent her life living the gospel and testifying of the Savior. She has truly set an example to all those who know her and especially her posterity.

Her passions were: her family, the gospel, her garden, her grass/yard, birds, the cabin, the color yellow, St.George, painting, sewing, quilting, bottling her fresh garden, making jam, friends, nature, animals, the Temple, collecting dolls, cooking,walking, baking, reading, watching old movies and vacationing.

My Grandma loved her family. She has been reunited with my Grandpa who has been gone for 11 years, her parents, her siblings, close friends and my brother Darwin. I think about the joy they must feel to be together again and it gives me peace.

I will miss my grandma so much but I find peace and comfort in the gospel of Jesus Christ. I'm so thankful for the Temple and forever families. It's my testimony that we will be together again we'll pick up right where we left off.

I love you Grandma!

Grandma & Grandpa

Me and Grandma

My 17th  Birthday and mine & Brock's Graduation

Grandma, Mom & I at the Manti Temple and on my wedding day!

Me and Grandma at Easter 2009

Brinlee, Nette, Grandma, Mom & I at Jonny's wedding 2007

Witches Night Out! Christy, Laura, Nette, Grandma, Mom, Janean, Nicole and & I 2006

Grandma & Damion at his farewell 2011

Grandma & Nick at his farewell 2011

Mike & Grandma at Easter 2009

Me and Grandma celebrating our birthdays!

Funny faces:)

Jonny, Grandma & Brock 2009

Brock & Granny 2009

Grandma & Bella

Richard & Grandma

Families Can be Together Forever Video

Seventeen & Eighteen weeks=Bulging!

  I am currently 18 weeks and counting. The last two weeks I've started to notice my baby bump spreading upwards. I've been steadily losing my waistline and I am just feeling chubby now.
I started feeling some random movement around 16 weeks but it always left me wondering if I actually was feeling the baby or if it was my imagination. But this last week I am feeling consistant movement and it is the coolest thing ever.
  The baby mostly moves after I eat and at night. Sometimes it feels stronger than other times but I definately know now that what I am feeling is for sure the little bambino.
We have our ultrasound date set which is super exciting! We can't wait to find out the sex of our baby. I've been totally sold on it being a boy and I'm more attracted to boy stuff but lately I've been having dreams of a baby girl. Brock still thinks it's a girl but he refers to the baby as "He" all the time. I guess we don't really have a clue what it is when it comes down to it.
  I've started noticing light nausea come back here and there after I eat or sometimes at night. The heartburn has come on full force but it is tolerable. I've also been given the "green light" for exercise and I have been enjoying my light workouts. Overall, I'm still feeling really good.
  In sad news, I lost my Grandma yesterday which was heartbreaking. I had a really rough day and I miss her so much already. I'm really sad because I really wanted her to be here when we have our baby. I was looking forward to having her at my baby shower and I wanted her to hold the baby when he/she gets here. I feel kind of selfish thinking those things because I know she was in pain and ready to go. I'm happy for her to move on with our loved ones but it is a real bummer for the rest of us!
  Anyway, there's the pregnancy update for the last 2 weeks.

Deadwood Trip/ Mount Rushmore!

Brock's company does an employee appreciation party in Deadwood South Dakota for employees and their families every February. We decided to go this year and partake of the madness. They send all the Montana folks there by bus and with the recent incline in fuel prices, Brock and I decided to ride the bus.
Now we should have seen the red flags when people who had gone the year before by bus were opting out of riding the bus again. Anyway, it was a big bus with a toilet and t.v's so that made the trip down okay. It wasn't packed in with a ton of people so we were able to spread out which was nice.
When we arrived they put us in a nice hotel in downtown Deadwood and they bused us to and from the main lodge to our hotel.
 On Saturday they bused us to the Stone Face Winery and to Mount Rushmore. Obviously we were not too impressed with the winery. Mount Rushmore was awesome though! Even though the wind was cold and brutal, it was so cool to see the monument. The bus ride back from Mt. Rushmore was BRUTAL! We were so sick of hearing the tour guide's voice and some cackling old ladies who were so loud the whole trip. I felt trapped with a bunch of idiots on the ride back. Brock and I started to feel tired of the whole bus thing.
Saturday night we had the big banquet at the lodge which was nice. Brock received a sales award for his high sales for 2011- I was so proud! They served a nice dinner for those who like Prime Rib (not me but I gave Brock my slice) and an interesting dessert.
During the entertainment we overheard someone saying that there was a HUGE blizzard outside and that the shuttle buses couldn't make it up the mountain to the lodge. They also said that the last bus was leaving soon. Needless to say we booked it out to the bus because we didn't want to get stuck up at the lodge with all the other hundreds of people.
We got on the bus which was overloaded with desperate people trying to leave too. Seriously, there were people standing in the isle from the front to the back of the bus on the ride down. I was trying really hard not to have a FREAK OUT! It didn't make me feel good to be driving down a steep icy mountain hill in an overloaded bus with some dude's booty in my face. Luckily we made it and I only swore at people in  my head.
Sunday morning we sat on our bus to leave home for an hour and a half before it was decided that we were snowed in. So we got to spend another day on the company in Deadwood. We didn't do much because we had NO transportation but we enjoyed spending time at the lodge with yummy food, movies and Brock's co-workers.
Monday we got to leave but the ride home was brutal! We were so worn out on buses that it was really hard to make ourselves get back on the bus. After about 9 hours, 2 lousy meals at McDonald's and a lifetime's worth of lame kid movies we decided: 1. Deadwood South Dakota is a really neat Old West town 2. We will NEVER go on a bus trip like that EVER AGAIN!

The dreaded bus!

Brock and I waiting on the bus at the lodge before the Rushmore trip.

Us outside the winery while other folks were sampling their beverages.



Enterance to Mt. Rushmore!

It was sooo windy and cold!

State Flags

Washington's Profile

16 Week Check Point & Other Stuff

We are finally to our 16 week check point in this pregnancy! We've been looking forward to getting to this point because I had my 16 week check up with the Doctor. I went in on Friday and after a ridiculous wait, urine sample, blood pressure check, weigh in and a series redundant questions; we finally got to hear the little critter's heartbeat!
It is seriously the coolest thing ever! The little thing kept moving so the doc was having to move around to keep a steady heartbeat. It was so reassuring to hear the baby and to have my check up go good. I am so thankful that things are going well thus far and we pray that they will continue to go well.
During this week I spent some time in Utah with my family. I decided to got shopping for maternity clothing while I was there since there isn't much of a selection around these parts. The idea was to buy some clothes so that I would have them on hand when I needed them. Although I can still fit into my jeans and some of my shirts, it has been rather uncomfortable. I didn't realize how uncomfortable I actually was until I slipped on some maternity jeans. It was so nice not to have my gut pinched or to be gasping for air while I bend over. The shirts are nice too because I don't feel like I have to "suck it in" and I feel comfy. Also, I thought the jeans were super cute and my shirts were really cute too. I always thought maternity clothes were ugly but I think I found some cute stuff. I just wish I would have bought more! I am still wearing my regular jeans with a Bellaband but I am loving my pregnant people clothes!
Brock and I also bought a crib and a dresser for the little bambino today which was totally exciting. We've been looking at this set at Costco for a few weeks that we really liked but we thought we better shop around. Well, Bozeman literally has ONE store that sells cribs and they are beautiful but are also ridiculously expensive. We also looked online but I am totally a touchy person and I can't bring myself to purchase something that expensive without seeing and touching it in person. So we went back to Costco and they had marked down both the crib & dresser by a couple hundred dollars. So we went back this morning to pick up the LAST one they had! I feel like we scored an awesome dealio! Now we just have to clean out the guest room so we can set up the crib:)
In other weird news, I am thinking that I am starting to feel the baby move. I'm not totally sure but it definitely feels a little different sometimes. The doc said she wouldn't be surprised if I was because the baby was moving all over the when she was looking for a heartbeat.
Overall I am feeling really good right now. I rarely feel sick and I have most of my energy back. I do have some slight heartburn but I will take that over nausea any day! It has been so fun to be experiencing these changes and things that I honestly thought I never would have the opportunity to experience. I feel very grateful:)

Crib, dresser & Brock's filthy truck

I actually went down to Utah to celebrate my sister's birthday with her at the Lady Antebellum concert at the ESA. The concert was AMAZING and the baby really enjoyed it too. We were pretty much at the top of the building but that was okay- it was still awesome. (I didn't get any good pics) They are awesome performers and they really do put on a great show.

Nette and I before the concert grabbing a bite at Hot Dog On A Stick!

Darius Rucker-I'm so mad I used my only picture on him because I don't really like him.

While I was there I spent a couple days in SLC with my parents and then I spent the rest of the time in Tooele with my sister's family and my brother's family. It was really nice to see everyone and I especially loved babysitting my two little nieces while Jon and Heather were out working.

I can't get over her cute chubby arms!

It was a really fun trip that unfortunately ended kinda sour. I was suppose to come home Wednesday but the weather was bad and I was pretty bummed because I was really ready to come home. However, it turns out it was a blessing that I couldn't leave because my Grandma had a stroke that afternoon. Luckily, my brother and his wife were visiting Grandma when it happened or else she would have been alone.

She had recently undergone a procedure in in her spine and was just recovering from that. She's had a history of blood clots so she has been on blood thinners, which she had to go off of for a couple days for her surgery. I'm not sure if the clot that caused the stroke is related to her being off of her meds but I kinda think it is.

They tried to do a procedure that has to be done within the first 3 hours of the stroke to try to break up the blood clot in her brain. Unfortunately it didn't work and the clot is still there and she is paralyzed on her left side.

I was able to go see her in ICU on Wednesday night and she looked horrible (everyone said she was looking much better than earlier in the day) and I had a really hard time seeing her like that. Her mind is all there and she's completely with it and can speak for the most part. She was doing better that night and having feeling and movement in her leg so we all were getting hopeful.

Yesterday morning she took a turn for the worse. Any feeling she was having is gone and the left side of her throat is now paralyzed so she can't swallow to eat. They had to hook her up to a feeding tube last night to keep her fed. Because she can't swallow she has gotten fluids in her lungs which is also very serious. They were hopeful that she would be moved out of ICU soon but since the recent developments she is still there.

My heart is so sad that she is going through this after already having had a really rough year. I hope and pray she can recover but at this point it is not looking good. I wish I could be there to hold her hand and spend precious time with her.

On a Happier Note.....These are my awesome Valentine's Day flowers from Brock in a very LARGE vase! Love them and I love him!

Pop goes the Weasel!

Last week I was getting ready for work and noticed that my belly seemed to have popped overnight. Before that point I felt that I just looked like I had eaten 15 Hamburgers (hmmm...that sounds good). I thought it was interesting how much I grew from the first part of the week so I snapped some pics. I shouldn't have been too surprised because I was really feeling it grow all week. It's kinda like the show "Freaky Friday" where they wake up and look like something different. It was just like that except it was Thursday:)

This weekend I had that moment...the one where I went to put on my freshly washed jeans that I had worn just days before and they wouldn't zip up. I burst into tears for probably the first time in my pregnancy because I felt so bummed. It didn't help that Brock witnessed the whole thing and laughed hysterically at me. Oh the comforts of a compassionate husband!

Spring in February?

We have had a wildly warm winter so far and this last weekend was especially nice. It totally felt like spring outside so Brock and I decided to take the opportunity to soak up some rays.

We ran out to the Madison River for a picnic and a walk with the puppies. It was such a lovely and warm afternoon, we really enjoyed being outside. (even though I'm kinda worried about not having enough snow for the year).

Normally this river is chuck full of ice this time of the year.

Isn't this totally what you picture when you think about Montana?

Is this weird?

I'm not sure how I feel about taking these kind of pictures and then posting them. I feel a little silly about it because I'm not one that loves to take pictures of myself.  However, I thought it would be fun to watch myself get fat over the next several months. (not fun in the haha way but in the bwahaha way).

So here are a few random pictures I've taken thus far. Notice that I'm not on a particular picture taking rotation. I have just been snapping a pic when I feel like I'm getting thicker.

Lately I've been feeling like my gut is growing like crazy. It seems like when I wake up in the morning that I've grown a ton overnight. (Even though I know it is still "relatively small" I feel "large in the margin").

As of right now I am still sporting my regular clothing but they are starting to get a little snug. I'm finding that my selections are getting a little more limited these days. My jeans no longer need belts but rather I am usually unbuttoned when I am home. I'm not quite sure what to do. I'm certainly not ready for spandex maternity pants but I can't really go out in public in my robe either. I guess that's why they say I'm in the "in between time" and nothing fits. It's like playing that game..."fat or pregnant?".

Oh yeah, welcome to my bedroom. I guess I should change the scenery sometime soon?...probably not:) You'll notice Brutus in every picture, he is really involved with my life and has  to be with me 24/7!

Now that the "Cat is out of the Bag" I'm going to try to keep my blog updated on my pregnancy, since after all this is a "journal-like"blog for us.

Honestly, I sometimes still can't believe this is actually happening. I find myself talking about the baby but it feels so unnatural and awkward for me, it feel like I'm living a lie. I guess that since it has taken us so long to get to this point that it has messed with my head. I have worked really hard over the last several years not to think about baby stuff and now that I actually can and should it just feels weird.  I was looking at the clearance rack at Target the other day and I was worried that someone would see me. Then I thought "I'm pregnant, I can legitimately be in this section and I shouldn't feel weird". Don't get me wrong, I am gushing with excitement for this baby and we are so so happy. It's just that I have been in a totally different place mentally for a long time and its taking time to adjust and feel comfortable. I never expected these kind of feelings but I guess it makes sense.
 Enough of that!

 I am feeling the nausea ease up and I am feeling some energy coming back, which is totally awesome. Although, Brock got a nasty virus again and I was lucky enough get the bug. It hasn't been as bad as it was in December but it's exhausting to be dealing with it again. I NEVER get sick EVER, so to have this again is a total shock. I am hoping it clears out really fast and I can start enjoying the 2nd Trimester.

I'm having various food cravings lately. Although I am having cravings, I've been too lazy to really go out of my way to get the things I'm craving. However, I can't quit thinking about a particular thing until I eat it. Then usually that particular craving subsides and I move on to  another craving.

Here are some of my most recent cravings:

(FYI, don't freak out! I'm eating a balance diet these are just some of the things that sound really good lately and I'm not constantly indulging in them.)

Cheese: I can't get enough cheese lately. Cottage Cheese and String cheese are the most appetizing!
Cashews: I am loving cashews and almonds lately but mostly cashews.
Fruit Bars: Oh so yummy! They help my nausea, relieve heartburn and taste delicious!
Chinese Food: Apparently I've been craving high sodium in take because the thought of Chinese gets my mouth watery.
Salt & Vinegar Chips: Yum! It has to be Lay's brand to quench this craving. I've also had a spark recently for Cool Ranch Doritos.
Dr. Pepper: First of all, I asked my doc and she said 1-3 16oz Dr. Pepper's a week is completely fine. I rarely indulge in it (maybe 1 pepper every week or every other week) but when I do it has to be fountain. *Funny story: Brock took me to get a fountain drink at the gas station and I had only taken 2 swigs before we went into Costco. When we got back, Boog had gotten the lid off and drank 1/2 of my drink. Obviously I had to dump it out and Brock said he'd get me a new one. Well, I was really wanting a frosty from Wendy's so we ordered a DP. Not kidding I got 3 swigs out of it before I was slurping the bottom. I opened the cup and they had filled the entire cup with ice, I was ripped of twice that day and my DP thirst wasn't quenched.
Milk: I can't get enough of a cold glass of 1% milk, yummy!
Wendy's: For some reason I can't get Wendy out of my mind. Everything looks and sounds so delicious. I've had to grab a couple burgers in the last month, even if it meant sitting by myself in Wendy's during a busy lunch rush.
Sour Patch Kids: I'm a huge chocolate lover but since I've been pregnant the thought of chocolate makes me queasy. Instead I desire probably the worst things for your teeth, these sweet & chewy Sour Patch Kids.
Subway: I have probably had a sub from Subway at least once a week in the month of January. The fresh veggies and bread just hit the spot, yum. *I know that a lot of people say you shouldn't eat lunch meat when you are pregnant but I talked to my doctor and she said the risk of listeria is very minimal and eat on. I haven't been buying luncheon meat from the store though b/c it is not very healthy anyway.

Hmmm, it's lunch time and I just made myself hungry and my mouth watery. I'm going to go find some good grub:)

                          
  

                  

                                           

Bag plus Cat?

What does a Bag and a Cat have to do with us?....

         ...We have some eye popping news for you. So here we are letting the "Cat out of the Bag"....

Nope, you're not taking CRAZY PILLS, we are totally having a baby! Our little tike or tikette will be joining in on our fun in July. Pretty wild eh? We are so excited and extremely grateful to be expecting our first little miracle.

We are pretty much through our first Trimester which hasn't been too bad. Although my stinking cold sure was a pain to deal with when I was already feeling a little lousy. I've been super tired and fatigued but I'm finally starting to feel some energy coming back. My "morning sickness" hasn't been too bad and is mostly at night so I'm pretty much parked on the couch from 6pm until bedtime. The nice thing about being sick at night is that my mornings and days are pretty normal and I can get everything done that I need to.

These ultrasound pictures where taken really early just to keep an eye on the baby. Since these two ultrasounds checked out great they haven't worried about doing any more. Our next one won't be until we find out what the sex is and that will be in March sometime.

This whole experience thus far has been pretty wild and it is very surreal. 

It is my testimony that the Lord hears and answers our prayers. He is also aware of timing and what is best for each of us. Looking back I am soooo grateful for the time that Brock and I have had together to be "us" and strengthen ourselves and our marriage. I think this extra time that we've had will help us be better parents to our children.

So wish us luck because we have no idea what we are doing!

Black Chicken

So I've been noticing a change around my left eye lately...yes, fine lines. It is rather bothersome to me and quite frustrating to be experiencing these changes. I have noticed that the majority of the problem is around my left eye in result to me sleeping on that side with my face smashed on my pillow. I've been sleeping like this for approximately the last 28 years of my life and now the consequences are coming to the "surface". For the last couple years I've been trying to sleep differently so that this problem doesn't continue to worsen. However, I always wake up on that side no matter the position I fall asleep in. I feel hopeless and have decided that this is me now...a 28 year old Caucasian Mormon women with let's face it, Crow's Feet.  Congratulations to all you perfectly smooth faced people out there.

Party Like It's 2012!

Wahoo! We can't believe how fast this last year went by! 2011 was a crazy, busy, fun and an eventful year. We look forward to this new year ahead of us and all the surprises included.

We we rang in the new year with our some of our pals here in the Bo-zone. We started our evening bowling and grubbing on pizza, soda and other delicious snacks. Both Brock and I bowled horribly but it was fun anyhow! Then we had the "after party" at our friends house playing games and yes, eating more delicious snacks. Due to the fact that our new church schedule was at 9, we decided to ring in the New Year a little early. Our friends set their clocks forward a couple hours so we celebrated and toasted each other at "midnight" which was actually 10:00.

On Sunday, we enjoyed getting home from church early enough to nap and veg, which is actually my ideal way of spending New Year's Day!

( I was really lame and didn't take any pictures this year.  If you would like you can imagine us throwing gutter balls, overeating, Brock teasing the children, playing Disney Trivia & Farkle and Toasting in the New Year with plastic wine glasses & Martinelli's Sparkling Cider).

HAPPY 2012!

WE HOPE ALL OF YOUR WILDEST DREAM COME TRUE!!!