Saturday, January 5, 2013

Mormon History Museum Children Area

One of my favorite parts about visiting the Salt Lake Temple Square (besides the beautiful lights and peaceful nature of the place) is the free Mormon history museum with the fun interactive children's section!  The last time we went, it was closed and Jordan was too young, but this time - perfecto!

 I thought this was neat.. but the picture doesn't do it justice.  Just a bunch of light bulbs!  brains thinking hard!
 Loved the velvet color cushions.
 The star lanterns.. so beautiful.
 Funny mirror, but really I just like this mirror cuz my legs look so skinny in it despite my growing abdomen.
But here's an actual photo of Jordan who is the main character here.
 
Fishing with Daddy and some stranger kid. 

 got one!
 so this is the boat Lehi built Ogo?
 provident living: planting your own veggies and then harvesting 'em
 chickens?
 eggs?
riding with Grandma
Upset that Grandma left. hahaha. 



Friday, January 4, 2013

For Selfish Reasons...

I really wanted number two to be a girl.  I wanted another female presence in the house with me.  I wanted to play with dolls, stuffed animals, Hello Kitty, ruffles, pearls, and make-up.  I wanted a chandelier in the nursery, an overload of lace and purple, and to watch My Little Pony and Strawberry Shortcake on TV.  I wanted the easy bake oven I never got, the kitchen set I never had, and the dress up clothes I never owned.

But for some reason, as soon as the first trimester was over, I just knew it was a boy.  I just knew Jordan was going to have another brother and best buddy ever.

If I set aside my own selfish reasons for wanting a girl, I knew that a boy was the most practical and sensical next step.  Jordan would have a built in best friend and playmate, the toys wouldn't double in size and could be used for both boys, and the super cute clothes Jordan only got to wear once would come into play again.  And, knowing we would continue trying to grow our family, there would be ample future opportunities to have a girl.

But still... I hoped and wished and dreamed.

And then I had a conversation with Heavenly Father.  Somehow, I thought if I told him I wanted a boy, I'd get a girl.  Eventually, the conversation became help me to be happy no matter what.  Help me to see the silver lining, help me to be grateful for the many blessings I do have.  Like the healthy son, the happy son, the energetic and independent son.  The supportive husband, the loving husband, the awesome husband that was willing to wait until the baby was born to find out the gender (if I so desired).

And then this morning, we went to the ultrasound.

Now I'm no ultrasound technician, but even I could see our baby was flaunting his goods.  There was, without a doubt, a pee pee between his legs, and more than five times, he wanted to show us so.  I was a little disappointed, not because it was a boy, but because I felt guilty for wanting a girl so badly that I forgot how beautiful the entire process of this is.  I was disappointed in myself for letting the gender become that big of a deal.  Of course it's nice to have both, but it's also just nice to have kids period.  And I think I forgot that part during the whole is it a boy or girl thought process.  I also forget that in that growing abdomen of mine, there is actually a human being being nurtured who will make his debut in half a year and how dang amazing is that.  I had let all the desires of wanting a girl versus a boy take over the pure joy of having a baby itself, and I had forgotten the pure beauty of it all.

Jordan and Andy both also witnessed the pee-pee show, but then Jordan grew impatient so Andy and him left while the intern (no offense but never let an intern do your ultrasound, it took forever!) tried to find all the necessary parts.  Over the course of an hour and a half, I saw the baby try to suck on his fingers, missing a few times, and then trying again.  I saw the baby's big foot, many times as he stubbornly lay there, refusing to turn for the technician as she hoped.  I saw an up close snippet his nose and lips, resembling much of the rest of the family with very thick lips, and I saw what in my mind, was him waving at his mommy, saying "It's going to be okay Mom, even if you don't get a daughter right away, I'll try to marry a good girl who will love you like a daughter."

And I do get two dances with both sons when they get married.  So I'll just think of that and revel in the joy of having yet another boy!  It's a boy!  And I think it's going to be great....!  We already have a name and a nickname, but for now.. the nickname will be Bubba!

view from bottom of butt looking up

big foot!

Thursday, January 3, 2013

My Crafty Husband

Part of our Christmas gifts to Andy's family were specially customized t-shirts!  Since his family LOVES Indiana Jones, he came up with this idea all by himself and with the help of our way crafty and uber talented friend Jen, we got this image to silk screen onto t-shirts (Jen is also the talented photographer who took Jordan's three month photos which is where the Indiana Jones hat image is from).

Andy then researched how to silk screen, ordered a vinyl cut out of the image in reverse from Etsy, and then got all the materials to silk screen (on his own - we were in California at the time!) the t-shirts himself.  What a hunk of a crafty man.  





They loved 'em!  




Wednesday, January 2, 2013

Our New Home

...pending inspection and all that good stuff.  Do you like our Christmas tree more or our heated driveway? .... I'm torn!  I like them both!


Monday, December 31, 2012

The Power of Prayer

I know it's silly to assume every prayer will get answered and that all will be dandy with prayer, but I have never thought not to pray when losing something, even if just for comfort if the lost item is not relocated!  In the past, I've prayed for my lost Seven jeans, my lost Fendi sunglasses (materialistic much?) and most recently this morning, Jordan and I prayed for the expensive camera we forgot on the plane (who does those things?!) yesterday afternoon.  I knew there was a huge chance we'd never recover it, that the EDD money from maternity leave would go towards that instead of an expensive fridge, but I also knew praying about it would help me whether the outcome was good or bad.  And I sure hoped it was good because that was an expensive camera, it was a Christmas gift from Andy's parents to him a few years ago for the sole purpose of capturing higher quality photos of Jordan (which we have no doubt neglected and resorted to our lame iPhones most of the time), and lastly, it had a bunch of our photos on it (some creeper would have our photos!)  There was much repenting on my part fot the abuse and neglect of this nice camera that we are so fortunate to have.

All of a sudden, regret waved over me.  We should have labeled our case with a name.  We could have put a contact number or a business card with it.  We should have noted the serial number (for reporting it online through Southwest).  Shoulda.  Woulda.  Coulda.  


They say marriage is two becoming one.  Well, for Andy and me, this worked much to our advantage in the case of the expensive camera we left behind.  I remembered this morning as I went to charge the battery (we forgot to bring our charger assuming Andy's dad's would work, it didn't. ... and the camera was useless for the entire duration of our trip), but I only figured out how to report a lost item online after talking with the Southwest representative on the phone and being advised that was the only way.  Andy, on the other hand, began googling stuff, called Southwest for the number of the airport's baggage service counter, and spoke with someone who confirmed an item matching our item's description was in their possession.  Hallelujah!  Tender mercy, power of prayer, karma, kind and honest airport workers, whatever you want to call it... we were so extremely grateful and relieved.

And now, I am on my way to repenting and using this camera for all its worth, but not before thanking Heavenly Father for this tender mercy.  If we had lost it, we were ready to learn from this big mistake and never ever lose another expensive item on the plane again, and more importantly, we'd have this sense of comfort that it was just a material item and at least we had not lost our kid (that thought may be funny to you, but it seriously crossed my mind).  For the record, I have lost used Rainbow flip flops on a plane that never got returned.  Wish I thought to pray then because then I might not still be festering over it.

Saturday, December 29, 2012

So Many Exciting Things!

This break in Salt Lake has been filled with so much fun and excitement and though I have photos and things to blog about, right now I just want to list two thoughts in my mind.

1. We may soon join the homeowner club.  We made an offer on a house in Salt Lake in anticipation of residency there for the next four years, and even though Andy and I both technically have bought apartments before (both with our families), this is the first time it'd be all us, with all our money for the down payment, with all our credit on the line, with all of the info hitting our tax returns.  Ahhhh!  Exciting!!!  Now we just wait and see what the seller says.

2.  I am seriously stoked, genuinely excited and absolutely relieved to have absolutely no New Year's plans this year but be asleep when the clock strikes 12.  As I scour facebook and see all the posts about New Year's parties, general admission for over $100 and premium open bars, I am twice relieved that I am Mormon and that is no longer my scene.  I remember the days of ridicule I'd get when I would suggest we all just stay home and chill.  After much consideration, my idea would be laughed at and off to some ridiculous party we'd go.

Those are the exciting thoughts in my mind right now.  And Andy, Dennis (Andy's dad) and me all got Nike Fuel bands for Christmas.. so we're also constantly comparing our fuel points and calories.  It's awesome!!

Wednesday, December 26, 2012

Christmas Morning!

Despite last year being Jordan's first Christmas, this year was so much more fun since he could participate!  We've been reading the Christmas Story together, talking about Christ with him, and opening gifts.  Still a little unsure how much he understands of Christmas, but he's got gift opening down!  The best part was every gift was amazing to him.  He'd open one, and then sit there obsessed with it until we made him open the next (which he begrudgingly did for some as we were distracting him from his latest interest).

I woke up around 7:30 AM but Andy and Jordan were both still sleeping.  I tried going back to sleep but just couldn't.  Two Christmases ago, I felt Jordan kick for the first time that morning and secretly, though this baby is about one month behind Jordan's timeline, I hoped for the same gift.  No such luck! When Andy and Jordan both finally woke up around 8:30 AM, we went upstairs for Christmas morning!!

We went through our stockings and Jordan quickly grew attached to the head lamps in Andy's stocking.  None of the stuff in his stocking impressed him as much as those head lamps.

Around 9 AM, we got onto facetime with the McKissicks!  We missed Andy's sister and family as they are in Angola and went to Cape Town for Christmas instead of back to us (shorter trip but we'll see some of them when we move to Salt Lake for Fourth of July 2013!), but the power of technology enabled us to open the gifts they got us with them watching.  It's amazing how long distances seem so much shorter with the power of technology.
Jordan LOVED the gifts he got from his cousins.  He immediately began playing with his toys and even "oohed" when he opened his wooden tool set.

I have to go call in payroll and process the company's 401k (one con of a flexible work arrangement is really no vacation ever...) so instead of blogging more, here are photos.  Enjoy!