Punishing Myself

The other night we went to the mall after Scott got home from work to do some errands. I figured if a lot of walking put me into labor I would like my husband to be there with me. I had some contractions, but nothing out of the ordinary. Then, I had a craving for Cinnabon. I really wanted a cinnamon roll, but couldn't let myself pay the outrageous amount that they want for them. The cravings continued into yesterday, so I decided I would make some cinnamon rolls. Never have I done this before. I knew it would be a couple hours before I would be able to enjoy them, but thought what the heck. So, at ten o'clock last night I crammed two cinnamon rolls down my throat and a large glass a milk. I knew I was going to pay for eating them that late, so I took a Pepcid and hoped everything would be fine. Two hours later oh I felt the burn in my throat. I wondered if the cinnamon rolls had turned into battery acid. I couldn't stand it. I got up and took another Pepcid and slept on the coach in a propped up sitting position till four this morning.



Note to self don't consume large quantities of food right before going to bed if you still want to have a throat in the morning.

Photo section updated

We just updated the photo section of our blog. We are storing our pictures in Flickr now. You can view them from our blog, but won't be able to see them in Flickr unless you ask (nicely!!). Our photostream is not public on Flickr, but it will allow family and friends (I'm looking at you Mom!!) to download full sized versions of our pictures for printing. So let Becky or I know what your Flickr account is and we can add you to our "we-like-these-people" list.



The format of the photo section also changed somewhat. Instead of being seperated into months, it is just in one long stream with 5 photos at a time sorted by the date they were taken. The slideshow still works, although it has been reformatted as well. We are hoping that this will make it easier for us to upload a bunch of pictures to Flickr and our blog simultaneously. We'll see if that happens! We also hope that this format will be easier to view the most recent pictures for all of you. If you click on any of the pictures, it will take you to Flickr. However, you won't be able to see the picture via Flickr without being on our approved list. Sorry about any inconvience, but we don't want our family pictures out there on the inter-webs without any protection.



We don't have a whole lot of pictures in there right now, as we have to re-upload everything to Flickr. But we'll get some more in there as soon as we can. Let me know if you experience any problems with it!

32 Weeks

Can you believe it? I have hit the 32 week mark today. I felt organized & ready a couple months ago, but the closer it gets the more I feel unprepared. Probably because at this point with Ami, every last detail was already figured out, the nursery decorated, clothes put in drawers, etc. This time I realize I don't need as much "stuff" so I have put off doing a lot of things.



The other thing that has me stressed is the holidays. I think I have Thanksgiving taken care of and then I think of another thing I need at the store. Yes, I know I have a week, but I don't want to deal with all the last minute shoppers. I have a plan in place for Christmas, but that keeps failing too. My suggestion is don't be super pregnant during the holidays, it causes more insanity.

How We Met

Scott's youngest sister is putting together a history of how couples in her family met and fell in love. One of the cousins put her story up on her blog and I thought it was a great idea. So, here is ours.

Scott and Becky met in January 1999 at "The Hut" in Socorro, NM while they were attending New Mexico Tech. Becky decided to go back to work at Pizza Hut and Scott had started working there shortly before. The first time Becky saw Scott she thought, "He's tall and kind of cute. I especially like his smile." (You have to remember she can't remember the last time she dated someone under six feet tall.) She didn't really think too much about him. Scott only has a vague recollection. (Typical man, and you have to realize we are writing this almost ten years later.)

They worked together for a couple of months and would have brief conversations. Scott wasn't looking for a girlfriend at the time and Becky was recovering from a long term relationship. Then, one night Scott was working and one of the shift managers kept razzing Scott to call Becky, even though there hadn't been any sign of any sparks between the two. The only thing the shift manager knew is that Becky thought Scott was cute. The entire night Scott was teased, but took on the challenge of calling Becky.

Later that evening once Scott was off from work he called Becky and left a message on her machine to go out on a date. She was a little taken back since normal boys don't leave messages on a machine about the first date. She decided she would go and hopefully have some fun.

The day of their first date Becky discovered that Scott was a freshman!! That was horrible. She was a junior and couldn't possibly date a freshman!! But she had already agreed to go out on a date and would honor that. One date and that is it she thought.

The night of the date both Scott and Becky had to work. Becky went into work and discovered Scott had bleached his hair!! This isn't what she had signed up for. The odds of this turning into something serious were decreasing as more and more information was discovered. She was still a good sport and went out on the date anyways. They went to a comedy show that was on campus and had dinner afterwards at the El Camino. Both of them had a really great time.

Becky was headed out of town for a week to go see her Dad for spring break, but they agreed that they would probably go out again sometime soon. When she returned they went out on a couple of group outings. They thought this will be fun for awhile, but the relationship still wasn't turning serious. They enjoyed one another's company and continued to date for quite some time.

It wasn't until Scott got active in the Church did Becky see Scott's truest potential to be a great guy and possibly somebody that she could spend her life with. Eventually Becky took the missionary discussions and was baptized April 15, 2000. They became very close. It was hard on both of them when it was apparent that Scott was supposed to go on a mission. Scott left for the MTC March 5, 2001 exactly two years from their first date. Scott told Becky that it was alright for her to date but the rules were, she had to wait for him to leave the country, she couldn't kiss anybody, and she could only date returned missionaries or convert someone.

They corresponded through e-mail during Scott's mission. They tried their best not to discuss their relationship too much since Scott needed to focus on the Lord's work. While Scott was on his mission Heavenly Father kept Becky safe for him. He provided job opportunities in Las Vegas, NM and Taos, NM for her.

Scott returned from his mission March 14, 2003. They were married two short weeks later on March 29, 2003.

Miscellaneous Video

Why Don't We Eat Our Young?

As I was lying in bed this morning contemplating the things of the world, I got to thinking about how every other species kicks their kids to the curb at a very young age. That got me thinking that our species is much more complicated or we have higher expectations for them.



Last night I went to a candle party and Ami was like the Tazmanian Devil. She wanted to smell everything. Then, she would try to get others to smell the candles too. She kept getting water from the dispenser and then coming to the living room and dumping it on the carpet on purpose. All I could think about was "Holy Crow" kid your future teachers are going to have their hands full, I need to teach you a lot before then or they will eat you for lunch. (You do have to realize this was the end of our five days together without the interference of Scott in the evenings.)



Yes, my thoughts are crazy. One I'm pregnant and two I finished the Twilight series.

Happy Halloween

For the most part this year we are being scrooges about Halloween. Ami is lucky that Grama was thinking about her for Halloween. No, no family theme costumes this year. I'm too lazy and cheap to do anything this year. You could say that I've been slacking quite a bit recently. I can't believe I haven't posted in almost a month. No, it's not because of nesting. I don't think I have done anymore deep cleaning or organizing since I posted about nesting. Maybe there's something in the water or it could be that I've read three out four of the books in the Twilight series in the past two weeks and have started on the fourth. I'm not a big reader but I had to see what the Twilight craze was all about. We also have been trying not to watch as much TV since our child is becoming very impressionable, so I started reading. If any of you have any authors that you love please let me know. I go to the library and am lost because I don't know even where or who to start looking for. Cheap fiction is probably my preference at this point. I've tried reading to many self help books since I started staying home. None of them have solved any of my problems, imagine that. Well, now I'm just rambling. I'm stopping myself from torching you anymore.

Nesting

I've been in nesting mode this entire pregnancy, but it has really kicked into full gear in the past month. We've went through our shed and cut down have the bins that were filled before. In the house, everything has to have a place. I'm still working on that, but little by little I'm getting there. We are raising the beds so we have somewhere to store food storage and hopefully other stuff. I've been through my bathroom twice and got rid of two kitchen size bags of junk. I'm going to put my wedding dress up for sale for more space, plus we figure Ami will be taller than me. (So, if anybody needs a modest wedding dress, I'll give them a great deal!!) Today I cleaned out the fridge and washed the dog. Beware if you come to my house I just might give you a bath too. And I wonder why I'm worn out by seven.

More on Light Bulbs

How do you propose one gets a light bulb in their laundry?!? First your husband demands that some of the light bulbs be changed out with the stupid energy efficient ones. The rest is questionable. Scott blames it on Ami. I'm not so sure.



The other day I did a load of laundry. To my surprise when I opened the drier door a broken light bulb fell out. What the? I hate laundry to begin with and then add a broken light bulb in the equation and it ruined my day. Scott finished it up, since I was grouchy about it.

A Light Bulb Conversation

Yesterday as we were walking through Walmart we ran into the energy saving light bulbs that Scott has been wanting me to switch to for the past couple years. Yes, they may save us a little money and help the environment, but I really don't like the light from them. Everytime we run out of light bulbs Scott tries to sell me on this stinkin' light bulbs. Well, yesterday was no different but he actually threw some in the cart and told me that they were going to go in his lamps.



We walked a little further and this is our conversation:



Scott: Why don't you like these light bulbs?



Me: I don't like the light from them.



Scott: You can't even tell any difference.



Me: I can. You know how you like to eat with a large spoon except for sweets. You know how you don't care for chili unless you have corn bread. That's how I feel about regular light bulbs.



Then, he just chuckled.

Blessings

In the past week or so our testimony of paying tithing and fast offering has really increased. In July during the family reunion we ended up taking Ami to the emergency room in Gallup, since there was no other medical options. Needless to say this was way more expensive then a doctor's visit. I'd been waiting for a bill to come, but hadn't received anything. Last week I called to go ahead and pay and they took 25% off just for paying it in full!! I hung up the phone in shock.



Then, yesterday we had to call the plumber. Our plumbing problems came back. The same tech came that worked on our house four years ago. He remembered where the clean out was and realized he didn't have to take his machine apart and take it on the roof. This cut our bill in half from the last time. We were so thankful that immediately after he left we knelt down and prayed.



I wonder if Heavenly Father can talk to PNM, Comcast, and Verizon for me. Seriously, we have been very blessed. We have always been able to meet our needs and eventually our wants. We have been well taken care of.

It's State Fair Time

We made our annual trip to the State Fair yesterday. We mainly go for the food. This year was a little different with Ami being older. At least she reacted to everything we showed her.



First things first. We had to swing by and grab a turkey leg, since the pregnant lady was starving. (I saved my appetite for this very occasion.) Then we were off for a pony ride and the petting zoo. Ami was excited to see the ponies but not the ride. The petting zoo went much better. She was very happy when the goats ate out of her hand. After that we stumbled upon an animal show and watched a few wild animals do tricks. We couldn't leave the fair with just eating a turkey leg so we wandered from food booth to food booth grazing on some good grub. We ended our visit by watching a model train exhibit. Ami learned that a train goes choo choo!!



See the photo section for pictures of our adventure.

Humans

Lately I've been wondering why humans do what they do. Why do we do things that we know aren't good for us, whether it be physical or spiritual? I'm guilty of not always making the best choices for myself. For instance I know exercising makes you feel better and look better, but yet every Monday I lie in bed and tell myself I will start exercising next week. Or that I'm going to cut back to one soda a week. These may seem like little things, but could actually have big effects on other parts of my life. I wish I had the determination to always make the right decisions, but life has a lot of guiltless pleasures. Like chocolate. Mmm...



I've heard to try to change one thing at a time. To me it seems like you will never get everything done that way. I guess my way isn't working either of worrying about all of it and not doing any of it because of feeling overwhelmed.



A little peek into what is going on in my head lately.

Is it a Boy or a Girl?

Yesterday we went for an ultrasound. The baby performed well and we were able to get some pretty nice pictures of it.



The first is a 3-D image







Here's the face







Here's the Gender







Can you guess what it is? If we called you, you can't comment.

Lake Morphy

We survived the effects of Hurricane Gustav's rainfall in New Mexico while camping. We arrived at Lake Morphy on Friday afternoon to nice temperatures and beautiful scenery. The boys couldn't wait to go canoeing and fishing, so shortly after we had our tent up we all headed down to the lake. While the boys were on the lake, Erin, Ami, and I walked around the lake. Ami learned that throwing rocks in the water is fun. She wasn't so sure about the little creek we crossed. Later of course we had a camp fire and she thought that was pretty neat and hot. She did this weird walk or dance around the fire. I think she was secretly doing a rain dance since later that night it rained bears and tigers. Cats and dogs doesn't describe it, especially when you are in a tent getting a mist in your face while trying to sleep. However, Ami slept right through it, thank goodness.

Saturday we did a little more canoeing. Tyler finally convinced Erin to trust him in the canoe. Erin and Tyler headed back to Albuquerque that afternoon to go to the UNM game. (I'm convinced Scott will have him a true Lobo fan by the end of the season.) We tried to catch up on some ZZZZs but the lake was pretty busy. We decided to go try to find a geocache, but had no luck. It did get us to walk around the complete lake. We would have been too lazy otherwise. Scott made us a dutch oven meal, complete with desert. Maybe we ought to go camping more often so I don't have to cook!! It rained a little bit Saturday night, but nothing like Friday.

Sunday afternoon we headed home just in time before the rain started with a very tired Ami. She loved every minute of our first camping trip as a family.

See additional pictures in the photo section.

Scott the Plumber

What have we been up to with little time at home this month? Plumbing problems, that's what! We have roots that grow in our pipes, so we have to take the roto-rooter after it. We've actually only had to do it once since we moved in our house over four years ago. The first time we called the plumber. This time Scott took matters into his own hands.





The machine that he used weighs probably around 150 pounds. The hardest part was getting it on the roof by himself. At one point I thought him and the machine were going to come tumbling down. So, I was pretty impressed by his manly strength. Hopefully, the roto-rooter and some help from some root eater we will be back to full flowing pipes again.

One Excursion Down, Two More To Go

My favorite thing about visiting the Provo area is the fresh vegetables. Nothing is better than a big juicy ripe tomato. I could have that for dinner and be satisfied. The corn on the cob is pretty spectacular too. This go around Ami got to experience eating corn on the cob for the first time. I was surprised at how she knew exactly what to do and went to town.



She has become attached to Ryan and always wants to be in his lap. She doesn't care if they just sit there or go for ride. She sits there and points if she needs us to get her something. She plays with him by pulling his sip and puff straw towards and away from his mouth. They both get a kick out of it. When we were all going in different directions she really wanted to go with her Uncle Ryan. She knows a good person when she meets one. So, I'm not so sure what is wrong with Grama.

Upcoming in August

Another whirlwind is about to start this month. We are going to be out of town all except for one weekend for the remaining part of the month. We leave Friday to start our journey to Provo for a week. Hopefully, Miss Ami will do well. We have Grama's DVD player, I'm hoping that will help keep her content. As you can tell she must have done relatively well the other times we've gone to Provo. We didn't leave her on the side of the road for a pack of coyotes to raise. I'm looking forward to it. Nothing special is going on and sometimes that is the best.



Scott will be going hunting for the first time this year, so in a couple weeks we have to go down to my parents in T or C in order for him to practice with the gun he'll be using. He's not sure if he has the heart to shoot a living thing. I told him he better or he will be hearing words out of my dad's mouth that he won't like. Scott started talking if he did get a deer where we would put the mount. Honey, a mount won't fit in our house. I made the mistake of mentioning he could mount the rack. I'm not sure how I feel about the remains of a dead animal being in my house. I'll worry about it if it happens.



And last but not least we plan on going on a camping trip for Labor Day weekend. We've only gone camping once as a family since we've been married. There is a reason for that. We picked the most horrific camping spot. We didn't go too far out of town, so we got blessed with some drunk punks wondering around in the woods at midnight cussing up a storm. They didn't bother Scott one bit. He laid there snoring up a storm while I worried about the punks doing something to the Jeep. In the morning we realized that we had decided to camp at the head of a popular mountain bike trail. Needless to say those people start their days way too early. Scott had one grumpy wife on his hands. This time we plan on going to a pretty remote area between Las Vegas and Taos.



So, if you don't hear from us for a while don't send out a search party we are just on the go.

Possibly a Touch of OCD

Last week I went visiting teaching and took Ami along. When I got her out of the car she noticed that there was a pebble on the sidewalk. She picked it up and tossed it in with the xeroscape where it should go. Then, today I went to the dollar store to pick up some journals for birthday gifts for the activity day girls. I went to put them in the cart when she grabbed them and started putting them in a nice pile. If I tried to rearrange them she would put them right back the way she had them. At lunch time she went to get in her chair when she noticed a piece of dried food on the strap. She took it off and handed it to me. To her things have a certain order and need to be clean. I'm not sure where she is getting this from. I like the house to be clean but usually it isn't spotless. We'll have to see is this continues to evolve. If so she will be telling me to pick up my stuff.

Birth Control

Last night we volunteered to babysit for Scott's friend from Farmington while him and his wife went to the Temple. They have three little boys all under the age of three. (And no there aren't any multiple births in there.) Oh, and Michelle was having car problems so her and her boys were here.



We had a total of 6 kids and 5 kids were in diapers!! In two hours eight diapers were changed and six them were smelly. Luckily for me, Michelle didn't have a problem changing most them.



The oldest two out of the six are pretty strong willed and got into it a couple of times. They both were aware of each other. Where the rest just went about there business and occasionally fussed if another tried to grab their toy. We had to make sure they weren't getting into anything that would hurt them. I really felt like I was in a house of chaos or better yet Nanny 911.



This was only for about two and half hours. I vowed to never open a daycare center and turned and looked at Scott and told him #2 maybe the last child we have.

Showing

I guess I am starting to show. The lady at the temple last night says, "So I see we need maternity." She's the first person that has said anything about me showing. I wanted to tell her no, I just have a large tumor. But then bit my tongue.



I'm not looking forward to the big belly this time around. I suppose it is because I know what to expect. Plus, it takes me awhile to get back to my pre-pregnancy figure. Some people claim they loose weight during nursing. Nope, not here. I keep a good extra 10 pounds hanging around.



I know it's worth it in the end, but still am not happy about the in between stage.

Girly Girl

Much to my dismay my little girl is turning into a girly girl. I always said that she was going to be a tomboy just like me when I was growing up. Well, I don't think I have control. She is picking up what ever girl like traits are around her.



Erin, one of our cousins by marriage allows Ami to go through her purse when she is here. So, I thought Ami will enjoy an old purse that I have. What a cheap new toy? I put the old cell phone she plays with in it and a couple other things. She carries it around with the strap around her neck. The funniest thing she did the other day as we were headed out the door, stopped turned around, went and grabbed her purse, and headed out the door. She is all grown up at less than 18 months. What are we in for next? Dating!!

Whirlwind month of July

July has been an extremely busy month. Becky's posted some pictures our our activities.



We started the month out with a Jones Family (my Mom's family) reunion. It is always a blast to hang out with family for a few days, and eat way too much excellent food. After the reunion, Ami went to hang out at Grandma and Grandpa Griffn's house for a week, while Becky and I worked on painting the main room of our house. I think it was more work than either of us wanted, but the result is awesome. I was able to take the whole week off of work to get it done. When Ami got back she seemed to have grown up a lot. She is becoming very helpful now, and will go and get a diaper and wipes when you ask her.









At the end of the week, before we went to pick up Ami, Becky celebrated the first anniversary of her 29th birthday. She initially wanted to have a party at Peter Piper Pizza, but the games there were pretty lame. We ended up having pizza, cake, and ice cream at our house. Instructions were to leave the kids at home and come and play video games. We had a great time.











Our new project is to put a lawn in the backyard. We are hoping that we can get it put in without breaking the bank. With all of the rain that we have had in the past couple of weeks (it has rained almost every day) I thought it would be a good idea to break up the soil even though we won't be able to do anything with it for a month or more. Hopefully next spring we will have a nice lawn to enjoy with Ami and our new addition. (Check out those white legs!)

BTM, Anyone?

What happens when you are pregnant, hungry, craving a BLT, but you have no bread? Yes, this is what happens. You do with what you have and hope that it stops your cravings. Nothing is better than Miracle Whip and bacon. The salt of the bacon and the tanginess of the Miracle Whip...mmm. I do have some self-control. I did not eat that whole glob of Miracle Whip. If there was a bet on the table then I probably would have.

Our Little Helper

Ami is wanting to get more involved in everyday household chores, in a useful way. Of course it takes longer to get things done, but she gets so happy with herself when she knows she is helping. She tries to help with dishes and laundry. So, I figured I would use her new skills to my benefit. If she can do those things, she can bring me a diaper. That's what we have started working on. I can see now that she is going to help with the new baby as much she possibly can. Hopefully we have taught her to be soft by having animals. She sure is going up right before our eyes.

The Explorer

A couple days before this picture was taken Scott and I were talking about how maybe we are too strict about not letting Ami get into stuff to "explore." Well, if you let her she definitely will get into whatever she really shouldn't. I'm glad she didn't get in the top drawer where the steak knives are. I showed Scott this picture when he got home and told him now you see why we don't let her get into stuff. Really I need to let go some but it is going to take some patience.

Hide and Go Seek

Earlier this week I noticed that our Wii Fit game was missing. Ami opens the entertainment center and pushes buttons until disc come out of the Wii and DVD player whenever I lock her out of the room I'm in. I usually hear her and catch her in the act. Well, this time I didn't. I called Scott to at work to inform him that our daughter had lost the game. When he got home he inquired if I had found it. Nope. He proceeded to tear the house apart. Then, he started questioning me like I was losing my mind and I had misplaced or was pulling a joke on him. Yesterday we went through the trash for the week. Oh, what fun. Later in the day Scott decided to watch a movie and low and behold there was the Wii Fit game. Ami had managed to put it in the DVD player well enough that it would close but not well enough for it to read that there was a disc, so the display said, "No Disc." Scotts reply after finding it, "I can't believe I dug through trash."

Trade Off

Baby #2 is already giving me headaches. It's not even out of the womb yet!! No, I know that it is normal, but I didn't get a daily dose of them with Ami. I also have felt a lot more nausous with this one. My doctor tried comforting me by telling me that most subsequent pregnancies are more uncomfortable, but the trade off is that I won't have to go through 40 hours of labor. I'm thinking how is that a good trade off. I suffer for several weeks instead of just 40 hours. Thankfully the first trimester will be over in about three weeks and hopefully I will be back normal.



I feel like such a wimp with this one. Last time I went to work everyday without complaining and this one I a have hard time getting normal chores done. As Lisa would say, "Pull up your big girl panties!!"

Ami Setting New Fashion Trends

Saturday we were going to run some errands, so I asked Scott to get Ami dressed while I finished doing a couple of things. Both him and Ami went to her room and when they came out Scott told me this is what she wanted to wear. I gave him a strange look thinking how can a 16 month old pick out what she wants to wear. Then, he rephrased it. This is what she grabbed out of the drawer. That sounds about right.



If she sees any article of clothing around she wants you to put it on her. She gets mad at you if you don't oblige. It doesn't matter if it doesn't make sense. Last week she had two pair of pants on because that's what she wanted. (We didn't go anywhere that way, but.....you get the idea.)

Fun With Grandmas

I tried to do this yesterday but the computer ate my entry. Last week Ami and I went to Grama's house to visit Scott's family. I talked Michelle into going in order to be able to distribute the wailing and crying to somebody other than myself. Actually all the kids did well surprisingly. We had a good time relaxing and getting fed with someone else's cooking. (Thank you Grama.) Scott's mom is stubborn and won't let you help.



I took the Wii up and we played around with it one evening. I thought Ryan would get a kick out of watching his parents flaying their arms around. I didn't think we would get Grandma Jones to play, but she stepped right up. She tried the tennis and bowling.

A day or so later she had a doctors appointment about her knees. The doctor was looking at the x-rays seeing how bad a shape her knees were in. Some how it came up that she was the State Champion Tennis player two years in a row. Then, she proceeded to tell him that she had played tennis the night before. He gave her strange look with knowing how bad her knees are. She told him have you ever heard of that game Wii, W-i-i-. He hadn't but the tech had. She got the biggest kick out of it and told Grandpa Jones that he needed to get her one.

Happy Belated Mother's Day

Well, for Mother's Day I requested to get Wii Fit. It didn't come out until the 21st, but I patiently waited. So, far I'm a Yoga Master at breathing and can't do the step aerobics for nothing. I am truly a white girl without any rhythm. The entertaining part of this is watching Scott do Yoga posses.



See what I mean. I think he is doing the Sun Solstice or something like that here. Doesn't he look like he is really becoming one with his inner self?









I am trying to be a tree. What do you mean you didn't get that from the picture? I don't come up with the names, I just do them.











Well, in all seriousness this wasn't the only Mother's Day gift that I got. We found out that we are expecting #2 on Mother's Day. Our estimated due date from the internet is January 16th. We are excited to see how a second child will change the dynamics of our family. It looks like our goal is to be pregnant at every Jones' Family Reunion. Hopefully not too many more.



(Sure hope I can still use my Wii Fit throughout the pregnancy.)

Adventures at the sushi bar.

Last night Becky and I decided to try a new all-you-can eat sushi restaurant. Everything was really good, until I order my second round. I wanted some salmon, and checked the box next to the first thing that I saw that said salmon on it. Below is a picture of what I got.

Turns out that I ordered salmon eggs! I really need to pay attention to what I order, especially at sushi joints. They tasted just about like what you would imagine, but I managed to choke them down. Next time I go fishing, I know where to get some fresh bait.



Ami was acting like a little crazy person at the restaurant. I'm not sure what got into her, but she was going ninety miles an hour. She hasn't ever really acted like that before. It continued today at Church. She was blabbering about anything and everything, grabbing anything she could get her hands on, and wouldn't sit still for even a second. Do they make little straight-jackets? It sure is a lot of fun watching her grow up, even though I'm getting paid back for everything I ever did to my parents.

Up and At Them

I use to think that the saying was "Up and Adam." And then I started questioning whether it was "Up and Atom." I wondered what in the heck this had to do with getting out of bed. Heavenly Father told Adam to wake and rise?!? Atoms move quickly. Yes, I know I am looking like a blond about now. So, I was lying there in bed one morning and decided to ask Scott about the saying and then he clarified it for me. It's "Up and At Them." OH!!



I did it. I've been trying to push myself to get out of bed every morning at six to take the dog for a walk and get some fresh air. This morning I actually did it. So, I was "Up and At Them." It was wonderful. I thought about taking my MP3 player, but it was nice to listen to the birds chirp. It was overcast so I could smell the ran in the air and feel the cool refreshing air on my arms. It was quite invigorating. We'll see what happens tomorrow morning.

Black Tuesday

You have probably heard of Black Friday and Black Monday. Today at our house we had Black Tuesday. Ami was asleep and I was in on the computer downloading scrap booking stuff minding my own business, when suddenly it dawns on me that it smells like something is burning. I panic and run to the kitchen thinking that I forgot to turn the burner off from making grilled cheese. When I get there it is the beans that I put on the stove to get ready for dinner that was only suppose to cook for fifteen minutes. They have turned black and the house reeks of that burnt smell. I would have probably caught it soon if I didn't have a stinkin' cold.



Moms shouldn't be able to have colds. It is hazardous to the health and safety of their family. In addition to the bean incident, I let Ami get diaper rash because I couldn't smell that she was dirty. Moms should be exempt from anything that has to do with a stuffy nose.



In regards to beans. I was wondering if anybody out there has some good bean recipes. I just want plain beans with a little seasoning, so I can make big batches and freeze them to use in recipes later. I am looking for mainly black and pinto bean recipes. E-mail them to me if you don't mind.

Arms Are Longer Than They Appear

The other night I was making dinner before Scott got home. I was trying out a new recipe and was paying close attention to what I was doing. When all of a sudden there are linguine noodles across the whole kitchen floor. Little America had got up on her tippy toes and reached up and pulled them off the counter. Luckily I had gotten what I needed out of the box previously. I was too involved in cooking to get a picture. When Scott got home he inquired if I was having a rough time. Naw!! We put linguine noodles on the floor for fun! He picked them up thankfully, so I could finish up with dinner.

Maybe we need tall counters like Grama. This was a reminder to keep knives to the back of the counter.



ATTENTION: New pictures posted of your favorite baby. Ok, maybe not your favorite baby, but mine. Ok, ok maybe not a baby anymore either.

Trying to Get Back Into Scrap Booking

It seems like I go in spurts of scrap booking. I'm trying to do a page for each month of Ami's life, but I have fallen behind. I try to write a little something on each one, which would be much more meaningful if I did it shortly have that month was over. So, that is one of the goals I have set for myself to keep on top of it.



Here are some pages I have done over the past few months. Yes, I know December is missing. I am have a creative block on that month for some reason.

Complaint

Since, I bought soda for the labels last week to go to the baseball game I have really been pondering why a 20 oz, 1-Liter, and 2-Liter all cost roughly the same. I don't understand. Is the packaging cost the same no matter what size it is? Or do they feel sorry for you if you buy a 2-Liter and don't drink it fast enough before it goes flat? I really hate when that happens.



With having business degree I was just thinking about marketing. They always place the 20 oz sodas right there when you check out, so it is an impulse buy. I know it's never on my list but still buy one anyway, because I'm craving a soda. (Mainly because we try not to buy soda very often.) Since it's an impulse buy you don't care that you can get three or four times the amount of soda for the same price you just want your fix as quick as possible and the soda companies know that.



If anyone has the real answer let me know.



I know can you believe I wasted a post on this subject.

50 Cent Hot Dog Night

I just noticed there isn't any cent sign on the keyboard. I imagine there is one under insert symbols, but why do that when you can type the word in less time. Now that I got that all cleared up for you on to some real important stuff.



Isotope baseball season has started here in Albuquerque. We went to a game last night for FHE. They have a great deal here. You show up with two 1-Liter labels for coke products and they let you into the game for free. Awesome, huh?!? We scored big last night, it was 50 cent hot dog night. Surprisingly, Scott only ate four hot dogs. With a drink, fries, and nachos we were able to go out as a family for less than twenty bucks and were entertained for a couple hours.



Let us know when your in town next and want to go to a game, tickets are on us except for on black out dates.

Our Adventure in Rexburg

We went this past weekend to see Lisa get married in Rexburg, ID. We left Friday morning at 6am with Ami in tow with diarrhea. Thank goodness nothing happened on the plane. Of all the times that she could be sick it had to be when we were headed out of town.



We made it to Rexburg without any incidences. Friday evening we left Ami with Aunt Geralyn and Pam so we could attend the rehearsal dinner. We had a good time with the exception of Ryan making a trip to the hospital. He had caught the bug that was going around and was dehydrated. Luckily he didn't have to stay very long. We headed back to the hotel to find Aunt Geralyn and Pam rinsing Ami off and trying to figure out what to do with soiled clothing. Thank goodness we left her with the experts.



Lisa looked beautiful in her wedding dress and the ceremony was perfect. They picked a wonderful location for the reception and left the family with very little clean up. However, in the middle of the reception Ami exploded on me and her dress. I was yelling for Scott to come help. I'm sure people wondered what the heck was going on until they smelt us. Ami spent the rest of the reception in her PJs and I spent it feeling like I smelled like poo. I'm sure we will look back at this eventually and laugh, but not yet.

Ah Hah

My Heavenly Father knows me very well. Every time I seem to hit a rough patch he puts a scripture in front of me that gives me an ah hah moment. (I'm not sure on the spelling on that.) Last night as I was reading my scriptures to check the box off for the day, Heavenly Father had something else in mind for me. I was reading in Jacob 4 and came across these two versus:



9 For behold, by the power of his ^aword ^bman came upon the face of the earth, which earth was ^ccreated by the power of his word. Wherefore, if God being able to speak and the world was, and to speak and man was created, O then, why not able to command the ^dearth, or the workmanship of his hands upon the face of it, according to his will and pleasure?

10 Wherefore, brethren, seek not to ^acounsel the Lord, but to take counsel from his hand. For behold, ye yourselves know that he counseleth in ^bwisdom, and in justice, and in great mercy, over all his works.



In life it seems like we think we know what is best for us. We think we can handle things fine without any help. We try to turn the will of Heavenly Father into what we want. The perfect example of this was with Joseph Smith and the translation of The Book of Mormon when Martin Harris wanted to take some of the pages to show others. Eventually Heavenly Father gave in and allowed it, with a horrible outcome .



How many times do we repeatedly ask for the same thing to get the same answer? We are hoping Heavenly Father will give in. This happens in earthly family relationships too. I remember as a teenager asking my parents over and over to do something. Sometimes they would give in, but I would only end up getting in trouble or didn't have a good time.



My ah hah moment was not only not to try to change the will of the Father, but that I need to counsel with him more. I need to communicate with him as if he were sitting beside me. (Now, Scott would say I need to do better than that. Scott thinks I have issues with communication. He is probably right.) This is something I knew before but needed to be reminded of. Thank you Heavenly Father.

Comfort Foods

Ami brings a whole new meaning to comfort foods. She doesn't carry around a blanket or her sippy cup to comfort her. If she has had a snack recently she can hold the last pieces in her hand for a good thirty minutes. Doesn't matter if she out at the park or in riding in the car she'll just hold on to it. Eventually she realizes, oh I have food I guess I'll eat it now. I'm not sure if it does give her comfort or not, but it is one of the weird quirky things she does.



On a different note, Scott got Ami to pick up her toys and put them away. It is amazing how much she understands with a little bribe of chocolate. I wasn't here to witness it, but I was proud of her.

Easter

Our Easter tradition is to go to my friend Kate's parents here in Albuquerque. That's because they feed us really well and give us 20 pounds of candy. Oh, and we like their company.



This year Ami got bunny ears from Aunt Kate. She still hasn't warmed up to them very well. They come off just as fast as they go on. That is why in the pictures she has her hands on them. Yesterday she was playing around with them and wanted me to wear them. I forgot I had them on and went out to pull the trash can off the street. I got to the street and remembered what I had on my head. Thank goodness nobody saw me that I know of.



Grama made Ami a beautiful dress for Easter. Scott request if Ami gets a new dress that he get a tie to match. I ended up matching them on accident. We got to church and several people told us that we should take a family picture. Well, we probably won't get a professional one, but you can check out Ami's dress and few other pictures over on the picture page.

Multi-Tasking at its Finest

Scott got a stationary bike for his birthday. The other night I saw him grab the remote and an ice cream sandwich. I thought he was going to go sit on the couch. Nope. He exercised while he ate his ice cream. I've never seen this kind of multi-tasking.

Wii Have Fun

As always we can never wait until our actual anniversary to give or get our gift. On the 29th we will be married for five years. I tried to talk Scott into a cruise, but with work being busy he really doesn't have the time with all the other happenings this Spring and Summer. So, instead we bought a Wii. I think this is the most active that either one of us has been in a long time.



Steve and Michelle were down for a night and we stayed up until one playing. Needless, to say all of us were sore except for Steve.



When Scott left this morning he told me not to spend all day playing the Wii. From the pictures you can see why he told me that. Our house needed some cleaning. I can honestly say I haven't touched it today, yet.

Scott bowling. Who needs to leave their house anymore?





Baseball anyone? And look at those forearm muscles.





Don't even have to get out of a skirt to play baseball.





I'll be pro sometime soon.

Well, if we can keep ourselves away from it for very long we might just post a video tonight.



Oh, you want to know how Ami is doing? There are some new pictures posted of her. We haven't completely neglected her.

What is your name and your kids' again?

My thought for the day is that the hardest thing about being a mom is when you are at a kid's function and you meet someone you not only have to try to remember their name but also their kids' names. (Yep, that is a run on sentence or is sure to have some sort of grammatical errors.)

Bathroom Break with Ami

Today I got the pleasure of trying to go to the bathroom while my child was in the bathroom with me for the first time. Luckily they have those family bathrooms now in most places, so at least I can keep my eyes on her at all times. She kept on trying to put her hands in the toilet while I was still on it. Fortunately, she doesn't have a far enough reach. However, she did reach in once I was finished and the toilet was flushed. You don't want your child playing in your toilet at home let alone a toilet at Walmart. Instantly I broke out with the disinfecting wipes and wiped her hands. Yes, I know they are not to be used on humans, but you know what I felt safer having that on her than gross toilet water from Walmart. The life and times of being a mom. Can't wait till I have a couple of them in the bathroom with me.

Swimming

We went swimming for FHE tonight. It was fun overall. We went with the Struves. Ami was not happy about being cold, however she did like walking around in her bathing suit previous to swimming. Jack on the other hand warmed up to the pool a little better. He was at least happy and waving. I think he has more insulation than Ami.



I put up some recent pictures. Sorry, I'm too tired to write something interesting. The pictures will just have to do.

Our Next Fashion Expert

Normally on Sundays I lay out Ami's clothes for Church. Well, this past Sunday I didn't have any ideas, so Scott was all on his own. This is what he came up with.







While he was getting her dressed:



Scott--(Yells) Doesn't she have a white sweater ?



I bring one in.



Scott--I meant a cream colored one.



Later on:



Scott--I know that they are fall colors but it is sort like a fall day with it being overcast and all.



I just smiled.



Don't be surprised if you see him on the next fashion show. He will be putting together outfits like nobodies business. However, I'm not sure he has the correct walk down to go into that profession as a man.

Opinions Needed

You all have opinions and so now is your chance to use it. I have a dilemma. I'm not sure what to do with my hair. Yes, I know that the men that just read that are rolling their eyes. Here are pictures of my most recent do.































So, this what I need to know. Do you like this hairstyle on me? Should I grow it out or go back to another short hairstyle I have worn. I'm not looking for compliments. I'm looking for your honest opinion. I can take it, just ask Scott. Before he left on his mission he told me not to cut my hair. I grew it out for two years, except for I cut some bangs. The very day he came home he told me he didn't like my hair. We have been happily married for five years now. So, don't be afraid.

She's not Miss Sicky anymore.

This video was taken this morning previously to Ami chewing on an electrical cord and shocking herself. Hopefully she can still do all this tomorrow!

Park Season Approaching

Today was the perfect day to go to the park. We could see snow on the mountains, but we were down below without jackets on. Ami was able to truck around the park a lot more than in our previous visits this year. She seemed to really enjoy herself. Beware with park season coming you will probably get sick of too many pictures, but too bad.



I've been playing with Photoshop a little to figure out how to touch up pictures and get the most out them, so some of the pictures I posted might look a little different.

Church Before a Child.

On Sunday Scott and I almost did rock, paper, scissors to stay home with Ami, but our Primary has been running short staffed lately, so I decided that I would be the one to attend Church. It was really enjoyable. I was able to listen to the speakers without being a jungle gym for my monkey. The icing on the cake was the talks given were really great and the Spirit filled the room. Then, in Primary I seemed to be a lot more efficient without having to lug the little one. Love her and all, but she is just so darn cute that she's distracting.



What's going to happen when there is more? Double or triple the distractions!!

Blowing Kisses

Ami is still cute even when she is sick with snot running down her face. Last night we were watching TV and the person on stage blew a kiss, so Ami started blowing kisses. Than, at five this morning I was changing her diaper and doing some other stuff and she started blowing me kisses. It made me feel appreciated even though she probably doesn't know what appreciation is. I love that kid. Seems like she has this trick down. We'll have to move on to other things when she gets to feeling better.

Sickness Strikes Again

I will be happy when winter is over. Ami is sick again. Yesterday afternoon she had a temperature and it continued on through this morning. I made a doctor's appointment being the paranoid mother that I am. Well, she only has a cold. It's almost like I wish she was sick enough to take antibiotics so she would get over and done with it, but I know that there are risk there too. This time I was able to see our regular doctor instead of the PA so he advised to give her a small dose of benadryl to dry her up at night so she can sleep. Hallelujah!!



At least with a cold you can go places if necessary. When they are vomiting and have the runs you are afraid to go anywhere in fear that they will explode out of one of their ends.



Anyways here is a lovely picture of Ami this morning in all of her glory.

One going on Three

Ami seems a lot different to me since she turned one. Over night she has learned how to kiss, blow kisses, make annoying sounds while pointing, and repeat the sounds she hears you say including poopy this morning. Now she doesn't know what the words mean she just knows she is making the sounds you made. It's almost everyday she says something different. They don't stay in her vocabulary very long. Yesterday she said thank you but couldn't repeat it even if you offered her a life time supply of ice cream. She is going through a new phase and the other night I would have sold her into slavery. Mama is just going to have to adjust.

How Efficient

Wednesday our house guest left. Now I have nobody to fold my laundry or keep my kid entertained. We met my dad half way in Socorro. While I was there I stopped by and saw Kate, a friend from college. I mentioned that we would be going to see Grama in April since Lisa is getting married. This brought on a funny conversation.



Kate--Lisa is getting married? When did she have a boyfriend?



Me--They started dating in November.



Kate--And they are already getting married?



Me--Yep. In the Mormon culture you date to find Mr. Right. If you know he's not the one on the first date that's it.



Kate--You date for a purpose. You Mormons are efficient at dating and moving!!

I Got Leather for Valentine's

This year Scott didn't have it easy for Valentine's Day. In previous years he would always send flowers the day after Valentine's to where I worked. Yes, the day after because it was tons cheaper. Well, this year he was given the task to think of something thoughtful.

He actually had a great idea. He was going to get me a locket and put a picture of him and Ami in it. Well, he didn't know that I already have a locket without any pictures. Since, I was with him I directed him to another route.

Previously in the day I went to the mall with Katie to go shopping for our husbands. We had stopped by Wilson Leather to look for the guys, but had found stuff that we really liked plus they were having a great sale. We joked with the salesman that we would be back later with our husbands. The salesman didn't seem surprised to see me back. So, this year Scott got me leather for Valentine's. A new leather jacket that is.

Happy Valentine's Day

Nothing says Happy Valentine's Day like a Romantic Redneck BBQ Feast (seriously the name of what we ordered). We took advantage of my mom being here last weekend and went to eat and a movie. We did some fine dining at Dickey's, where you get a complimentary plastic cup and you use clothe napkins.

Happy Birthday Ami

Yesterday was Ami's birthday. We had a small BBQ with Ami's "boyfriend," his parents, and my mom. Ami really had a great time until we started singing to her. I'm not sure if it was our singing or we just startled. She started crying, soon the cake and ice cream made it all better once she figured out that it was some good stuff.

She danced around to her children's song CD holding as many blocks as she possibly could. She sat in her butterfly chair and kicked her feet back and forth. Her and Jack took turns sitting in the chair. She tried to use the little wagon that the blocks came in as a skateboard. No not really she only put one foot in and stood there, but I can see it happening in the near future.

We all had a great time until bedtime. We got her all wound up with presents and cake and expected her to go to sleep as easily as she normally does. She threw a fit during her initial time of falling asleep because she still wanted to party. Then, at 11:30 when I went to open her door I heard her laughing and babbling.

New rule. We are having our kids' birthday parties at 10 in the morning, so all the sugar and excitement will have worn off.

I posted some pictures and hope to have a video up once we review the tape.

Finding Purpose and Meaning

Last night I started reading Tuesdays With Morrie just to do something besides watch TV. It is a true story. Morrie is an elderly man that is dying of ALS. One of his students from the past is visiting him and he told him, "So many people walk around with a meaningless life. They seem half-asleep, even when they're busy doing things they think are important. This is because they're chasing the wrong things. The way you get meaning into your life is to devote yourself to loving others, devote yourself to your community around you, and devote yourself to creating something that gives you purpose and meaning."



This quote spoke to me particularly yesterday since I devoted most of my time to watching TV. I know right now that Ami is what I am devoted to and gives me purpose, but I feel that there is more out there. I'm not even sure how to seek it out or where to start. Some days I still feel like I am trying to figure out the staying at home thing and then once I figure it out Ami is in a different phase and life as I knew it previously is no longer. I'm not down about staying home but know that there is so much more that I can do with my time while I am at home.

Favorite Commercial

Well instead of going on about the sickness that has been going on in our house and the lack of fun Scott is having on his birthday, I'll direct you to one of my favorite commercials. It's on TV, but listen carefully. I imagine Scott will make me purchase one next time we need one just because of its technical capabilities.

Embarrassing Moment at Church

I walk into the chapel to take a look around to see if by chance there is a pew for us to sit in. Nope, of course not, it is Stake Conference. However, I see Katie and her family and go up to them to see how they are doing. Katie asked me similar questions and this is how the rest of the conversation went.



Me--We had diarrhea this past week. (In a normal tone of voice. Everybody's head turns that is within ear shot.)



Katie--You all had diarrhea? How awful.



Me--Oh, no Ami had diarrhea.



This is her husband's favorite memory of me. I guess if Ami has something "we" all have it. I didn't realize how embarrassing this was until later. Once you become a parent there's almost no topic that is off the table for discussion.

Who's the Adults?

Lately I have been thinking that I don't feel like an adult. I am not sure exactly how being an adult feels, but I'm not feeling it. Yes, I have bills and responsibilities, but I always thought that at some point I would feel like an adult. I thought ok I am done with college now I am adult. I am a wife now I should feel like an adult. I have a house and a baby. Nope it has never hit me. I still feel like a kid in a lot of ways.



Maybe I feel less grown up since I get to stay home now. I can do whatever I want to do with my time with the exception of when Ami really needs me. She is still small enough and can't talk so she doesn't get to make any decisions. And when she can I am the parent and she is the child. We'll see how long that last. It sounds good in theory.



This summer I will be turning the big 3-0. I'm thinking maybe then I will feel like an adult. But then I think how can a number make you feel like an adult. I really don't ever want to feel like an adult, but in the back of my mind I keep thinking it will happen sometime.



Grandpa Jones once said at a family members sealing or endowment, "It's nice to see the younger generation taking over." Does that mean we're the adults now!! I'm thinking when my parents and grandparents have passed away and I'm the oldest one in the room maybe I will feel like an adult. Till then I will continue love living in the state of mind of a child.

Forced to Let Go

As time goes on Ami is becoming more independent. Lately, most of the time she won't let me feed her anymore. It doesn't matter what it is she wants to put her grubby little hands on it and do it herself. So, since I don't want her to starve to death I have been forced to let her get messy. It drives me nuts!!



The worse part about it is when I go to clean her off she screams. She won't wear a bib, because that would be too easy and make sense. I had a revelation this past week to go ahead and put one her little shirts on that I don't care about over whatever she is wearing. Ok, maybe revelation is pushing it a bit, but I was very proud of myself for the idea.



Here are some pictures of her eating lunch today. Gross!! Who can be happy with tomato sauce stuck to their face? Apparently she can.

Nothing to Say

Lately, I haven't felt all that inspired to blog. Nothing interesting or entertaining is going on. I was trying to think about something to write about that didn't involve Ami. That is pretty tough since I spend the majority of my time with her. Plus, Grama would be disappointed if she didn't hear about her granddaughter. But I don't even have any good stories about her right now. I am working on getting a video of her saying her latest word, but for now you are going to have to enjoy the cute pictures I posted.

On The Road to No More Bottles

Well, things are relatively back to normal this week. Nobody is sick and Scott is back at work. We have started weaning Ami from the bottle. She has done pretty well. The past three days she hasn't had a bottle during the day at all. It seems like I have to feed her something every hour and half or so. We're trying to get her to the point where she gets most of nutrients from solids. I am dreading stopping the early morning and night bottles. We will probably take one of those away on Monday. This is probably one of the harder things we have had to do. We will survive.

Explosive Ami

Now for the story Ryan has been waiting for. We got home from Grama's late Saturday night and Ami did well considering she had been strapped in her car seat for eleven hours with a few breaks. We went to bed and everything was fine.



I got up with Ami for her early morning feeding and changed her diaper. She had left a runny present for me. This continued throughout the day and I thought she was just teething and it would go away in a couple days. Ami started to sleep a lot more than she normally does the first couple days of the week. Thank goodness because she was almost unbearable to be around. (I know Grama you can't imagine that.) Every diaper I changed was bearing the same present for me. I didn't know that that was possible or the explosive noises that were coming from her were either.



Tuesday night Scott heads over to a friends house to watch some football. Before he leaves he says I feel bad for leaving you with her this way. I assure him it's alright and that she'll be going to bed soon. Ten minutes after he leaves she throws up. I start to clean both of us up in the kitchen when the projectile vomiting kicks in, something I have never experienced a small child doing. It was all over the kitchen. It would have been better if I turned on the blender on high with the lid off!! I called Scott to come home for some fatherly duties.



Wednesday I took her to the doctor and all they told me is that she had a virus. Thanks, I could have told you that. Can we get some help? Nope, there isn't any medicine that they like to give to babies for this. That evening Ami threw up again and I was there to catch it in my hands. Scott said he wish he had a picture of it to show me a year ago. I would have told him he was out of his mind. I would never do that. The things that we do for the ones we love. What growth!!



The end of it finally came yesterday morning. What a week. I hope this one goes better.

The Spirit

Well, I was going to post this past weeks' events, but decided since it is Sunday that I will post something spiritual and uplifting.



Last night was our adult meeting for stake conference. After the meeting Scott and I discussed the meeting. I thought it was okay. I didn't have a beam of light come over me and tell me this is what you need to do. I told Scott I prayed to feel the Spirit and I just don't know if I really know what the Spirit feels like anymore. We came home and read our scriptures as a couple like we have committed to do recently. We read from D&C 6.



In particular verses 14-16 hit me like a ton of bricks.



14 Verily, verily, I say unto thee, blessed art thou for what thou hast done; for thou hast ^ainquired of me, and behold, as often as thou hast inquired thou hast received instruction of my Spirit. If it had not been so, thou wouldst not have come to the place where thou art at this time.

15 Behold, thou knowest that thou hast inquired of me and I did enlighten thy ^amind; and now I tell thee these things that thou mayest know that thou hast been ^benlightened by the ^cSpirit of truth;

16 Yea, I tell thee, that thou mayest know that there is none else save God that ^aknowest thy thoughts and the ^bintents of thy ^cheart.



I thought to myself I wouldn't be where I am at today if it wasn't for the Spirit. I wouldn't be married to Scott and have a wonderful daughter. I wouldn't have the protection of the Gospel in my life. My Heavenly Father knows and loves me and wants the very best for me. He wants the Spirit to witness to me I just have to inquire of him. At the end of versus 20 it says:



20...Be faithful and ^bdiligent in keeping the commandments of God, and I will encircle thee in the arms of my ^clove.



What a great feeling it is to know that we are able to have a great big hug from our Heavenly Father. He wants more than anything for us to stay close to him and return that love to him by following his commandments.



Verses 22-23 will be the last verses I will refer to.



22 Verily, verily, I say unto you, if you desire a further witness, cast your mind upon the night that you cried unto me in your heart, that you might ^aknow concerning the truth of these things.

23 Did I not speak ^apeace to your mind concerning the matter? What greater ^bwitness can you have than from God?

When we are in doubt we can turn to the feelings we have had previously and know that what we are doing is right. We are living our lives the way that Heavenly Father and the Savior would want us to. The Spirit will witness that to us.

I'm grateful for a loving Heavenly Father who will pull us out the trenches when we forget what is important. I grateful for the Spirit that guides and directs us in the way that we should go. I'm grateful that they don't forget us even though sometimes we forget them. I'm grateful for the Spirit witnessing to me last night that I am where I am suppose to be, doing what I am supposed to be doing, and that I do know what the Spirit feels like.



I pray that we may all know the truthfulness of the Gospel and have the Spirit in our lives. In the name of Jesus Christ. Amen.

Visit to Grama's

Well, the holidays are over and back to reality. Scott only had to work two days this week, so we our easing back into our routine.



We went to Provo for Christmas to see Scott's family and had a really great time as usual. I'm really glad that I married into an awesome family. (No I'm not saying that for any brownie points, but by all means if it gets me some...)



We had a girls day out and went and got pedicures, watched a movie, and went out to dinner. While we were gone the boys were watching the kids. When we got home Scott had to confess that Ami got a black eye. She slipped and fell on the tile. You can see it in some of the pictures I posted. Thank goodness for photoshop for our family pictures we took the next day.



Not only did Ami get her first black eye, but she also got her first haircut. We had been debating on whether to cut her hair or not for some time. We figured we would give Grama the honors. It was just a little trim. It seems as though Teddy Grahams do not distract babies while getting haircuts as much as Oreos. Scott's mom use to set him down with a bag of Oreos and cut his hair. Ami squirmed her way through her haircut. It still turned out cute and it seems like her hair is thickening up. Maybe barretts will stay in soon.



I will wait to post what has been going on at home since we got home for another day. Beware Ryan no detail will be spared.

What Happend to My Post?

Well, the entry I posted got wiped out, so for now you are going to have to deal with new pictures only.