Thirty-Seven Weeks and last pregnancy post!

There it is in all it's pregnancy glory.  This may be my last posed pregnancy shot, at least before the hospital.  I am 37 weeks and 4 days today and I am going to be giving birth tomorrow morning.  Words cannot express how excited and nervous that I am.  Life is going to drastically change for the McGraws with those girl's first breaths.  I can't believe that we have all made it this far and well to be honest that this is actually going to happen.  I like to think of myself as a realist which means that I'm somewhat of a pessimist when it comes to these things like pregnancies and the like.  I fully expected to have more complications and for this to be a whole lot harder than it has been. Other than the discomfort, of which there is plenty, this pregnancy has been really easy and normal.  I still wouldn't recommend a twin pregnancy to anyone their right minds :)

Now a statistic that will blow your mind, no I'm divulging my weight but I will tell you that I am 55 inches around.  That is 4 feet and 7 inches!  I could use a fourth grader as a belt.  Wow, just wow.  I am so proud of my body.  It has truly risen above and beyond anything I thought was possible.  It's truly a miracle.

I want to ask for each of your prayers and kind thoughts as we go into this stage of life.  I am so grateful to have had this opportunity to record my pregnancy and to those who have shared in it with me.  I will be back sometime, who knows when, with a birth update and tons of pics.

Thirty Six Weeks!

Still baking here.

And to be perfectly honest, I'm done as mush as I can be. This post will probably be a litany of complaints just to warn you, I'm not a happy or comfortable camper. I have hit the thirty-six week wall hardcore. I am now contemplating begging the doctor to end my misery this Friday, though I don't have much hope that he will. Why is it so hard right now, I will tell you.

• Constant heartburn in the afternoons. It hurts so much that my ears burn. Yep stomach acid is burning my Eustachian tubes. No bueno.
• Very sore areas on my stomach. I have a spot that the babies love to kick that is just stretched to the max. It hurts when something brushes against it it hurts when Baby B's butt decides to burrow there, it just hurts constantly. Unfortunately this is the same spot that gets squished by all counters and tables.
• I can hardly walk. It feels like I have a bowling ball trying to exit my pelvis, so I waddle and I'm slow. It hurts, have I mentioned that?
  

I am gonna stop right there because I don't want to come off as a sour Susan or anything like that. I am truly grateful for these girls I am just not sure there is much more room in my tummy for these blessings. I cannot wait to have them on the outside to snuggle, cuddle, and love!

Eight more days at the most folks! I'll try to update once more, but if not there will be a birth post soon.

35 Weeks

I'm still pregnant I promise! I have just been too lazy for a pic this week. I have a cold and I'm exhausted all the time. Blame low oxygen getting to my brain or my total lack of sleep but I'm not sure there will be better pic than the following. I promise to post it next week.



This is my belly from my view. It is quite cumbersome and I'm pretty sure it extends to about 3 inches to my knees. I don't know how to explain a twin pregnancy other than it is probably the most humiliating physical condition of my life and that includes my teenage acne! I can't roll over without at least a three-point-turn. I have to shop in a motorized wheelchair provided by the store and if you know me personally you know I'm clumsy enough on my feet adding a unknown mechanical machine is just asking for store merchandise all over the floor. That and you do not get any respect in those things I can't tell you how many people block the aisles and the ignore your attempts to get past. Whew I could rant about this all day, but back to my constant humiliation. This has truly cemented my desire to never become one of those flatbed obese people. I cannot imagine being bigger than I am now and still holding on to a shred of dignity. For the record I know that there are conditions that make a person that size without a conscious choice by the participant but I a talking about the people going for the world record. I miss touching my toes and putting on shoes without contorting myself. Seriously I feel like this most days...



BWahahaha! K it's not that bad but don't you love Loralei's drunk girl in the bathtub face! Here's the story, I was working and with my new living room set up my back is facing the rest of the room. My sneaky monkey of a daughter manages to get into my makeup. This is face is later when she was upset about something. I couldn't punish her for the makeup because she looked so happy and of course came up to me with her cute Minnie Mouse voice and said "I sorry Mama, I sorry." How can you get upset with an upfront apology like that? Love it!!

I had my 35 week doctor's appointment and we set a date of December 20th for my csection. That will give us enough time to get out of the hospital before Christmas. So that is like ummm thirteen days away! I'm honestly freaking out right now. I consider myself a good mother, in fact being a mother has been the thing that has come easiest to me over being a wife, daughter, and even friend, but to increase my mothering load from one child to three is very daunting to me. I feel like Heavenly Father is promoting me to Parenting 1000 way too quickly. In fact,even with the humiliating condition of this pregnancy the worry and stress of how to provide and care for three daughters is my main complaint. I want to be a good mother and provide each little girl the care and love that she needs and I'm only one person. Maybe you moms of more than one child can help me out cause I can't even imagine the situation I will be in at most 13 days from now.

So this has been a wordy post, so I'm going to save my additional worries for the next post. Pray for us and take care until next week!

Thirty Four Weeks!

I have to say that I love the ebb and flow of this pregnancy.  Week 33 was tough I didn't think I could make it much longer and I was so scared that my negativity would bring these babies around earlier than they needed to be.  I did survive to week 34 and this week has been much easier.  My body has adjusted to the new weight and as long as I don't do too much (i.e. anything at all) I'm fairly comfortable and my contractions are at a minimum. 

I had an official ultrasound at my doctor's office this week.  The babies are still measuring ahead of their gestational age by a few days.  Baby A is 4 pounds and 13 ounces and Baby B is 5 pounds and 9 ounces.  This is of course plus or minus half a pound.  Loralei and my mother-in-law and sister-in-law came to the ultrasound and it was special to share that with them.  I love seeing my baby especially in better resolution than the portable ultrasound machine at the hospital.  We got some really cute shots of Baby A who is no longer engaged, yes she managed to claw and squirm her way out of my pelvis and is now sitting transverse right along my pelvis.  We got some cute pictures of her little face and she looks so much like Loralei.  I cannot wait to find out what these girls look like.

I started my non stress tests (NSTs) a couple of weeks ago but only lately has the girls decided to be difficult and really make it stressful.  I was at Labor and Delivery for two hours on Friday to try to get Baby B to be still long enough to get a reliable lead on her heart rate.  The nurse was holding the lead on my stomach and really digging it in and then the Baby got the hiccups.  The nurse literally threw up her hands and stormed out saying "We will never get anything now!"  I have to laugh because it seems like these girls are taking after their parents in the difficult department.  I have since returned for another NST and we have discovered that I must me on my right side and practically on my head to get a good lead but the girls look great!  It only took about and hour and 15 minutes for a 20 minute lead on the girls. 

I'm hoping to keep these girls in for at least a few more weeks.  I have a few goals in mind that are coming up close.  First December 1st, I mean hey that's Thursday and I will officially made it to 35 weeks and to the designated month of their birth.  After that it's to Dec 8th and then anything more is just gravy.

Please pray and send good thoughts my way, I may be catching a cold which would really bite right about now. Take Care.

33 Weeks

Do me a favor and don't look too hard at that photo.  It seems these girls are really sucking away my "beauty" at this last part of pregnancy.  Of course this was taken after 9 PM at night after wrestling Loralei to bed.  Good news on that front!  She actually went to sleep by herself last night!  I left her awake and she demonstrated self-control to stay in bed and fall asleep.  I'm very proud.

I am officially 33 weeks and a few days.  I always run late now so sorry that it's not pinpoint accurate.  I don't feel as huge as these pictures make me out to be.  In fact I get amazed at peoples reactions to me until I catch myself in a mirror. My world has shrunk these past few weeks and not just because I take up more room.  My body is really tired and I don't get to go or do much.  I started non stress tests twice a week last week and with my weekly doctor's appointment I basically just go back and forth from American Fork Hospital and my doctor's office.  I'm pretty boring.

I mostly pass the time reading books that I adore and know that I won't have time to enjoy again after the twins are born.  So far I have reread the Harry Potter series, the Hunger Game series, and I'm in the middle of two more. If these babies take their dear sweet time I may have to start all over.

Loralei is getting very excited for the girls and we are discussing things she can do with the babies.  She says she will sing to them and kiss them and hold them.  I'm so excited for the baby who made me a mama to meet her new sisters. 

I must get back to life, but I hope that all who reads has a joyful and blessed Thanksgiving holiday.  I am so grateful for this process and for my body that is really doing amazing things right now.  Take Care.

32 Weeks and Counting

Yes I am currently THAT big.  It's a hoot really it's like playing hot potato without being able to get rid of the potato.  People see me walking down a hallway or street and you can see the panic in their eyes of "Where do I go, help!"  I have to laugh because what is the alternative.

We had a Labor and Delivery adventure last Friday night.  I started having contractions, little ones, but still 5-6 per hour so I diligently went to L&D.  They were a bit shirty with me since the contractions didn't hurt but hey I've had Dr. Haskett frustrated at me before.  Turned out that I was dehydrated so I was sent home with the instructions to rest all weekend (so no marathons or triathlons) and to drink lots and lots of water.  I'm closed tight like a drum so these girls aren't going anywhere any time soon. (I hope, I hope, I hope!)

This week has been rough on us.  My back hurts all the time and I do have all these random pains that comes from being pregnant with two babes.  I'm in that last growth spurt stage of all pregnancy so it feels like everyday I wake up to more weight and a heavier stomach.  Luckily the end is in sight and the girls and doing so well.  I hope to make it to 37 weeks, praying to make it to 37 weeks but if things keep as they are I think its possible, I just may be useless for anything besides gestating.

Bright side: time is flying by!  I can't believe that next week is Thanksgiving and after that we are into the month my girls will be born.  Eeeek! 

Delinquently 31 weeks

Don't you love the pajamas and the barely pulled back hair.  I look HAWT in this pic right, right?   I'm sorry that I skipped two weeks.  I don't really have a good excuse except my continuous procrastination.  I realized I needed to do it and then the days sort of just slipped by.  My hubby went out of town last weekend so there's my excuse for Monday and the week before I was sick again :(  It's been lovely. 

I have to give a shout out to my dear friend Abby, she helped talk me down from a proverbial ledge last Saturday.  This being pregnant is hard anyway but being pregnant with twins is like UBER META HARD.  My freedoms are pretty much curtailed at this point from back pain and stomach girth and it's sad for me that I can't just go out shopping or clean my house without serious recovery time.  Throw in a fall that wrenched my back yesterday and you can imagine my outlook on life.  So its back to my old standby of faking it until I make it, and I'm gonna fake being overjoyed about the process until I can fool myself.

The girls are doing wonderful.  I had a doctor's appointment last week and they are measuring about a week ahead of single babies.  I'm a rock star at growing big babies, ask Loralei who was 9 lbs 6 ounces.  At the appointment they weighed right about 4 lbs a piece with 3 ounces difference. That's 8 pounds of infant already!  Whew no wonder my back gets tired.  Everything looks great and I have another appointment next week, then every week after that until I deliver. 

It was neat to see them on the ultrasound screen.  They are so big that now they typically look like I'm pregnant with a many-legged octopus mutant.  One baby is already head down and engaged, she's ready for the show or has just realized that it's  much more fun to kick mom right in the bladder and cause a slight pee panic.  Baby B is now transverse, which means right across the belly and able to kick both side of my ribs at once.  I adore my girls already they are already exhibiting the Vaughn-McGraw pestering attitudes.

Halloween was a lot of fun.  Little Miss Loralei went as Minnie Mouse. She has developed such an opinion about everything that I was lucky to get her to agree to this costume. 

I think she looks adorable but the ears were not a big hit and she refused to wear them to both Trick-or Treating activities we went to.  She was a pro at trick or treating though.  She would knock on the door loudly say "Trick-or-Treat!" and then would politely say "Thank you."  It was really cute.  I can't wait for next year when we may do a Dr. Seuss theme. 

Hopefully I will be a better blogger and try to keep up with this pregnancy.  I have a new laptop so maybe!!  Take Care

9 Years and 28 weeks

It just hit me how I always seem to measure milestones for myself in units of time;  "oh I'm twenty-SEVEN now, or I haven't had caffeine in 12 hours."  I hit two pretty big milestones this past week.  On October 12th, I hit the nine year milestone of my baptism into the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.  I cherish my membership in the church and I revel in all the good it has brought in my life.  I know now more than I knew then that this is the true church.  I know that this is church of Jesus Christ and I have marveled at how my love for the Savior and his principles has blossomed.  I am forever grateful for those who introduced the church to me and truly demonstrated the love that is contained in the gospel.  I know that the decision to join the church has made all the difference in my life. If you too would like to experience this change I implore you to read the Book of Mormon and pray about the teachings that it contains.  I know you will receive a witness just as I have that it is the truth.  I truly love this gospel and all that it has brought to me.

On to my next milestone, I am officially in my third trimester.  Twenty-eight weeks Woot Woot!  This is how I look.

I am pretty huge no? I feel pretty good.  I get tired easily and sleeping is sometimes a joke, all in all I don't feel this big.  It's pretty amazing to me how you adapt, I only really feel big when I'm out in public.  Some memorable quotes are "Please Honey, tell me your almost through," and "So you deliver next week right?"  Also there was some excited signing by a sweet deaf couple at Costco who were really surprised that I was in Costco and all I caught was "Two! you are beautiful."  Why thank you, kind people I do feel like sideshow but also I'm pretty jazzed at how awesome this pregnancy is going.  There has been no swelling, no contractions, and the babies have both moved to a position where I can feel their late night parties and day time kick-fests.  Life is good.

Babycenter has graced us with another look into a twin mom's womb so this is what is going on right now.

K pretty much standard.  When I look at this pic I think wow, it's amazing I don't pee more than I do cause that bladder is just sad right there.  I do have some differences tho...so here is my 28 week womb picture

I couldn't add how my abs are seriously always rock hard.  At first I thought that it was Braxton Hicks but the top of my stomach never relaxes.  It's got to be strain of holding all the weight of the girls and well my guts in so I can function.  This pregnancy is really a trip.  Ok, the creative juices have run dry.  Take care until next week.

27 weeks or something like it

Ok so it's Wednesday, I technically turn 28 weeks tomorrow but I promised to blog every week of my pregnancy 25 weeks on and I'm not gonna give up.  The pic is from this morning, lovely no?  I am about to bust out of my biggest maternity clothes.  This week has been the first week that I've been tired of being pregnant.  I know I still have a long ways to go and I pray that I still at least 10 weeks to go but with the pain from my fall two weeks ago and justifiably feeling huge it's been a rougher week.  I decided to break it into the bad and the good.

THE BAD:

Having to sit all the time on a bottom that doesn't want you there. 
Running out of clothes that will provide full coverage of the tummy.
Having your doctor look at your stomach and say "Awww poor belly."
Trying to nest when you get winded and tired so so easily.
Having a blood pressure of 90/58, seriously that low.  I get dizzy and tired ALL the time.

THE GOOD:
Feeling these babies squirming and knowing that they are growing as they should.
Having a husband who puts up with your most bat crap crazy moments.
Your baby shower where some of the most special women in my life showered these twins with presents and diapers.
Having a blood pressure of 90/58 because there's a slim to none chance I'm developing pre-eclampsia.
People watching when they see me.  I get so much special treatment and I swear people are expecting me to drop a calf at any moment. 

Ok, enough with lists.  Things are about 50-50 this morning.  I'm not sleeping well and it's getting to me but luckily I'm not having any pre term labor symptoms or really any out of the ordinary full term pregnancy symptoms.  All that has really changed is that the mechanical wheelchairs at the stores are looking really good when I'm out and about. 

Ry, my sweet husband, has set up our room in preparation for the twins.  We now have a really tall bed and a sidecar crib.  I think it's going to work out really well when I'm recovering from my c-section and breastfeeding.  It's a pretty big change getting in and out of bed but its actually easier not to have to try to lift myself out of the bed in the morning.

Even though I was up half the night in one of my bouts with insomnia planning this blog post, the mind grapes (30 Rock, gotta love it) have run dry so I'm gonna sign off for this week and I promise to come back next week much more chipper and happy to be apart of this wonderful process that is twin pregnancy.  Take care all!

P.S. My doc said yesterday at my appointment that he's shooting for December 15th with these babies so that means like 64 days.  Eeeekkk!  But I'm holding out for the day after Christmas cause I'm stubborn that way.

Twenty-six weeks

Here is me yesterday evening for my 26 week photo.  I have a little confession last week's picture freaked me out a little because I looked smaller than at 23 weeks.  I called my doc, I'm sure that they are going to get so tired of hearing from me but the had me come in for an ultrasound.  I love ultrasounds to see them floating around and just being pretty chill.  I did get dizzy on this ultrasound tho.  Evidently four pounds of baby is the exact amount of pressure to restrict the blood flow to my brain and I got dizzy.  The girls are doing beautifully and are about two pounds a piece. They are growing right together. The reason my stomach looked less girth-ful was due to their shift in position where one is a bit more tucked in and they are both trying to occupy the upper quadrant of my stomach.

The past week has been easy peasey until I slipped and feel down a few stairs on Saturday morning.  I really need your prayers because I bruised the area around my coccyx pretty severely.  As if I needed to be reminded that I could be MORE uncomfortable, it now hurts to sit and my legs regularly go numb from sitting on my hips.  It is feeling better day-by-day but working right now is torture and I think the worse pain comes upon rising.  I have yet another call put in to my doctor to see if there is any pain management tips or medication that they can give me until this resolves itself a little less painfully.  However, the girls are great.  This hasn't affected them in the slightest and they are still squirming and wiggling.

On the horizon I am looking forward to my baby shower.  I'm so grateful for my good friends Abby Olsen and Karalee Done for putting this together.  They have put in a lot of effort and planning and I'm so excited to celebrate the life of the girls. 

Please keep me in your prayers that I will heal quickly.  Hope each of you has a great week.

Under 100 Days!

Just wanted to drop in and say WHAT!!?? I have under one hundred days less on this pregnancy. Technically since the latest my doctor will let me go right now is December 26th I have like 87-88 days left.

What!?!

Tightening of the chest, vision slowly narrowing into a pinpoint. Breathe, breathe. Ok I'm back. We are still doing good and this week's major accomplishments is that we have bought car seats! One more thing off the list. Woohoo!

K Peace out!

Twenty-five weeks

I am keeping my promise.  Here is me at 25 weeks.  I am feeling really great with no braxton hicks or contractions.  Of course my back and abs get pretty tired by the end of the day but I'm really blessed and I'm feeling really good despite my girth.  My weekly complaints would have to be that sleeping is a struggle.  Ry swears he hears me sleeping all the time but I just get so uncomfortable I don't feel like I get much sleep at all.  That's about it.  I can't complain too much this has been such a ride and I'm surprised I feel as good as I do.

Loralei is becoming used to the idea of the babies.  She asks to see the babies first thing in the morning, when the belly is all lopsided, and she will just kiss and talk to them.  I hope they recognize her voice when they get here.  It's so cute to hear here whisper to them.

There is progress being made in the twins room. I have went through all our clothes and sorted keepers and donations.  Also, I'm starting to wash all the newborn and 3-6 month clothes.  I need to pick up two dressers so we have a place to put all these clothes.  I also want to change the border in the room and we'll be pretty much set room wise. It will feel good to have that checked off our list of the never-ending prep for the twins.

This week I have my glucose test.  I'm not really looking forward to it so wish me luck! The orange soda like stuff is not that appetizing and my twinners definitely are not going to be happy about the moratorium on eating.  It's usually my growling tummy that convinces me I have to get up.  They don't like the gap between dinner and breakfast very much so a bit extra wait may be my undoing.

Please pray for us that we may stay healthy and strong.  Until next week, or unless something strikes my fancy.

24 Weeks and So Many Changes

I am 24 weeks. The time has really flown by these past two months because the McGraw household has been so busy. First up, here is the aquarium view of the twins.

Now this is a picture of the "normal" 24 week twins. I'm not saying my girls are abnormal but like me I think they are a bit more difficult than ideal. So here's a diagram of what the babes are doing.

Oh the joy, I shouldn't complain about the movements because I depend on them literally, if I ever stop and realize I haven't felt them for ohhh about 10 minutes I freak a little.  Two babes are just uber stressful. I had a doctor's appointment last week and an ultrasound (gotta LOVE those) and I am officially carrying about 2.5 lbs of baby.  :)  I sure hope that grows, no matter the discomfort, to about ummm 14 lbs of baby. Oh to explain the Hi-Ya kick its a kick where I know they are punching my ribs and kicking either my cervix or bladder at the same time.  I mean there's no way that they have coordinated split second kicks yet right?  They can't be conspiring against me so early so I'm choosing to blame one baby. 

On our ultrasound Baby A really got to shine this time.  We have some adorable pics of her yawning and stretching and pushing her sister's legs away.  It is just mind blowing how much they are interacting, now whether they realize it is a different matter.  Baby B had her legs in Baby A's face almost the entire time and you could see Baby B trying to swat them away.  There is a membrane separating them but the tech said its about as thick as a sheet of cellophane so there's practically nothing separating them.  At the end, we got the most heart warming pic of them face to face like they were whispering secrets.  (Probably coordinating those hi-ya kicks, but it's cute no matter what)

As for our other changes, we moved.  Ry and I bought a home in Lehi.  It's half of a twin home with three bedrooms, no HOA, and a yard.  I am so happy that we made this step.  It was a really big one for us.  It has three bedrooms which is a must now that we are expecting twins and two bathrooms.  I love our new ward, they are really friendly and have gone out of there way to welcome us.  It's a big change (haha) moving from American Fork and I miss our ward there terribly, but I have just felt this is the place for us from the beginning. 

I will sign off, next time I will have a pic of week 25 and then I will start weekly pics.  I hope...

16 weeks!

This is what my belly look in aquarium view.  The twins are still kicking away and other than some minor cramping and back pain everything is going well.  I think my body has been having the "what the frak is going on!?" with my rapid belly poppage.  I'm really enjoying this process and can't wait until the first part of August to find out what these beauties are.  We recently had a name change in the line-up which leads me to my prediction that I have one boy and one girl cooking away in there.  That's my ideal tho so maybe it's just wishful thinking.


Life is moving forward.  We're in the final approval stage for a house in Lehi.  I pray we get it.  We've been melting in the July heat and a house with air conditioning is just what the doctor ordered, actually pretty literally.  It's a gorgeous house and I hope we get to make it our home. 

Well I'm off to drown myself in more water!

Twins!

Yes it is true I am having twins due approximately around Christmas.  We are so excited to expand our family in this enormous way and a little overwhelmed for sure.  This pregnancy has been pretty uneventful.  I'm sicker than usual and already sporting a pooch so it's been fun.  The never ending pregnancy heat has returned and I'm hot all the time.  I think that and the nausea are my least favorite parts since they seem to feed into each other.  My favorite part is feeling the little baby lumps in the morning and all the dreaming and planning that comes with a new baby...times 2!


I feel so truly blessed to have this happening right now.  I was concerned that Loralei would "too old" to really bond with the new baby, but now that they're two we are glad she's going to be a little older than planned.  She loves kissing my tummy and telling the babes night-night.  I am so so blessed in every way.  I am taking some belly shots and I will upload them once I get them from my sister-in-law.

Your kind thoughts and prayers are appreciated as we navigate the world of being the parents of twinners. 

Return from the Promised Land

Hello All!

We have returned from the promised land on Utah. That may not be historically correct but I know that for me St. George is my promised land. I adore the salty almost sea-like wind that blows through the red rock hills. I adore the warm sun that seems to bring us to life after a lond snowy Wasatch winter. We slept with the windows open and we swan outside for the first time this year.

Let me tell you Loralei is a water bug. Every time that we would even mention swimming she would start stripping down and running for her swimsuit. Seeing her so excited and lighting up at those words makes me so excited for this summer! I am so glad that we enrolled her in swim classes last year. She has no fear of the water and I love that. I wanted us to share that.

I don't have any pictures right now but I will post soon. I'll leave describing our hike until then.

Dieting and this First Signs of Spring

It might not be such a good idea for me to write a post so late (HA HA it's 9:55 and that's late to me) but here goes.

New to me this week is a diet.  I found a new web resource on shape.com.  BTW I love the Shape Magazine.  I don't get any magazine subscriptions besides the Ensign but if I did Shape would be the first one.  I may sound all Liz Lemon-ish (30 Rock) but I love how the magazine promotes healthy body image and also just seems pretty down to Earth.  Well, shape.com has a virtual trainer that is almost exactly like the Weight Watcher's online tool at the old one that I used and the best part is that it is free.  I really wanted to see if I could become healthier without spending a lot of money on a program that I may not follow.  So, I started on Wednesday and I can say that while I hate having to restrict calories cause I love to eat, that this is the most straight forward diet I have ever been on.  I can't fail at this one unless I choose to.  (Which is why I like Weight Watchers too but I really don't want to pay for them.)  So if you check it out and sign up become my friend.  I am heavenleigh07.  Help me to lose the weight finally!

Also, lately the weather has been like this

and this

and we have been enjoying it.  I love Spring and I love warm weather.  Sometimes in the middle of the snowy Wasatch winter I wonder how I ever ended up here, but Spring makes me start loving where I'm planted.  And oh boy are we taking advantage of it.  We have been walking away, if it was a little warmer we would be biking but hey beggars can't be choosers.  We walked the Highland, Utah canyon mouth trail today and really enjoyed the sunshine and warm breeze.  Thank you Heavenly Father for giving us this small show of the glory of Spring!

BTW Ry and I are 2 for 2 on going to the temple each month so far this year.  I love the temple and I love the Spirit that I feel there.  I am so grateful that I am able to attend a place that the Spirit of the Lord rests so heavily.  It truly helped me to put somethings in perspective and also helped others to put me in my place for Heavenly Father (which was heartily unpleasant but needed).  I need to look at what I have and not let my recent setbacks define me or my abilities (wow how vague).

I hope that each of us face each day as the brand new gift and opportunity that it is.  I know that I will truly try. 

Looking forward to

I have been in an enormous funk lately. In short, my 2011 has been disappointing so far and our family has gone through some challenges that has really made us reevaluate a few things. I have been trying to deduce a way for me to buck up and stop the gray moods around our home. After hours of contemplation I realized that we need to to focus on being grateful on what we do have ( a recurring theme for this blog) and that while winter always brings our mood down that we should look forward to the things that will bring happiness.
Here are a two things I am ridiculously looking forward to: our friend's Valentines celebration

Found at http://maltaddict.wordpress.com/2010/02/06/what-are-you-doing-for-valentines-day/ using Google pics

and our annual family/ anniversary vacation to St. George!

Pic of Rory and Ry last year on a hike up Snow Canyon.

A bunch of my friends and I have planned a scavenger type hunt for for our menfolk. I love the idea but I think the girls are going to have much more fun than the boys. We have t shirts and clues and candy. The best part of event will be spending some time with some primo women. These woman are amazing in their own way and it will be fabulous way for us to celebrate Valentines day and the men are going to be fed a wonderful dinner afterward and there may be sometime for some cuddling and movie watching at the end. Thanks to Abby for spearheading this project and giving us direction to our celebration.

St. George is in less than 25 days! I adore St. George. It is my favorite place in Utah no competition. It's my oasis of Spring in the desert of Utah winter. I love St. George. It holds so many beautiful memories and I love that we get to go back every year.

I hope that each of you have some fun plans in the near future as well. Alas, I must get to work! Until next time!

What's Going On

So I postponed adding a new addition to this blog because I was anticipating having a big announcement.  Well, that didn't work out as planned so here's my New Year's Resolutions for 2011.

This year I want the amazing family, friends, and loved ones in my life to know how dear they are to me.  In time of heartaches and troubles there are people who always stand up and support me.  I want to devote this year to making those people who support me know how important they are in my life.

I want to this year to show the gratitude I have for my body.  I need to celebrate all the amazing things it can do by eating healthier, becoming fitter, and really pushing myself physically this year.  I am really excited to get started and to make the life changes I need to show how grateful I am for this wonderful mechanical wonder that I have been given.

I have a few more mundane things I want to add to the list like save more money, be more tidy, and potty train my toddler but those will also help my quality of life.

I'll be back to soon to talk about how I'm going to accomplish these things.  As always love each other and be well.