Our temple trip

I don't remember the last time we went to the temple...we don't need to go into detail about that, just that it is sad.

Yesterday, on a whim, we decided we needed to go to the temple. So0, I called up my cousin Alex who rearranged her schedule just so she could watch Andy for us. THANK YOU SO MUCH ALEX. It would not have been possible without her willing hand...makes such a difference!

We really enjoyed the temple and decided we can't wait months until we go again. Hopefully we can arrange a once a month time!! I know there are so many blessings that come from being at the temple. BEfore Andy came, we went once a week....It has gotten harder to go, yet it is more important.

I use to actually work at the temple. Now that I have a child, I am not allowed until they are all grown. so glad I took the opportunity while I could. I love the temple and the blessings it brings.

Drama just follows us....

I will admit, I can be a little drama...I don't ask for it though....And just cause something happens to me that is a little dramatic, does not mean that I DRAMATISED IT, or brought it on myself. I didn't cause a flood on my mission..I didn't ask people to vandalise my house, it just happens. Steve says it is my challenge in life to deal with the drama dealt to me...

I have to back up a few months before I get to my main story.... We live in a town home with over 30 other town home occupants. I would say at least 80% of the occupancy are smokers. We are NOT allowed to smoke in our homes, but in certain smoking areas.

To make a very long story short, we have had several issues with the smoking problem (if you read some old blogs you heard about vandalism from smokers). Well, for some reason, summer has made things worse, much worse.

Every night we breathe it in as if we are smoking ourselves. This really wouldn't be that big of a deal if I didn't have a 2 year old and was pregnant, but for the safety of our kids, we really have been trying to fight this. Needless to say, all our neighbors are NOT happy with us. They think we are being snobs and it has made things very difficult for us...

NOW ON TO THE REAL DRAMA AND COMPLETELY DIF STORY

Last night at close to 7, we get a knock on our door. Two young girls asking if we have seen there 2 yr. old sister Starlette....They tell us she has been missing for an hour.

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Steve immediately jumps up from what he is doing, runs outside and starts looking out for her...I jump into panic mode, start thinking about how I would feel if I lost my own gal....then decide I need to go looking as well...I tell Andy we are going to look for a friend.

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I go outside, to see many people in the neighborhood running around.. I think, " I should get in my car and drive and look." So I run in and grab my keys prepared to do that. When I come back out i run into one of my neighbors and we start talking about looking where you don't want to look, like in a creek, or in the road. She then says to look in cars.

I change my mind and decide to look in a weeded area thinking she may be hidden by a bush or so. I was frantic, it is going to get dark soon...what will happen then. I don't even know this kid...have the police been called.

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I am with Andy looking when I hear people talking. I yell over and Steve then tells me----she has been found---WHAT A RELIEF. He then says "where are our keys? She is in our car?"

Are you serious? I have to chuck them over to him as a fence and weeds are separating us. OF ALL PLACES SHE IS FOUND IN OUR CAR? WHY OUR CAR? WHY NOT ANY ON ELSES CAR? Don't we have enough people thinking we are crazy.

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I was just happy she was found, but still couldn't believe it was in our car, and I had walked past it along with half the neighbors several times. Steve found her crying and jumping in the back. She had locked herself in...we don't know how long, or how she did it, or how she even got in, but she got in.

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The police of course had to question Steve. I just still am in shock from the whole thing. I didn't ask for it, but somehow we got more involved than we wanted to. All is well, not sure what the neighbors are saying or thinking....just glad we all rallied together.

Needless to say, it doesn't matter what I do or where I go, the DRAMA just seems to follow me.,..ARRRRRGGGHHHH!@!!

Chicago Trip Part 2

One of our very first days we went to the Museum of Science and Industry. A place I was told we had to go, and was never able to cause it was just outside my mission....These are some of my fav pics from there. This is Steve "playing " an exhibit. This lights were coming down, and if you got under them, it was like playing the piano. He played chopsticks for everyone. I am not sure why I never video recorded it.

Steve sticking his head out of the submarine. My dad would love this!

Steve thought this pic was great. It was really uncomfortable to take though.

I was obsessed with this. It just made me sad and sick all at once. This is where astros go to the bathroom. It takes them over an hour to do everything. Isn't that horrible?

Steve thinks he is so funny being a pirate, but we did have alot of fun.

This is the infamous car from Harry Potter....the flying, spacious car. I LOVE IT!

AMAZING AMAZING GAME

For those of you who missed the BYU/OK game--shame on you! However, Steve did miss it for work reasons. It really is a game that will be talked about for decades.

I am so proud of the COUGS. This is a video of the best parts of the game, kind of choppy, but sums it up pretty well. Happy to be in football season and proud to be a cougar. We were suppose to be lucky to hold them to 60 points, but yet came away with a win. GO COUGARS!!

Real love

Our Internet has been fickle lately so I have not been using my blog as my outlet for my thoughts. On that note, I have a flood of thoughts that I feel I need to write down and this is the spot I am choosing to do it.

I love my daughter so much. She really s my world (this is not a new thought, and I have expressed it several times before). Yesterday she was extremely sick and throwing up...That is ONE THING that has always been a weakness of mine. Can't handle it. If I see it happening, I usually end up doing it myself.

As I cleaned her for the umpteenth time, trying desperately hard not to throw up myself, i just stared at her and felt this overwhelming love for my daughter. I kept thinking " i really must love you if I can stomach this, especially while being pregnant."


Today was recovery day. After a long long night, Andy decided to curl up on my lap at 11 am and take a nap...meaning that was all I would be doing until she was done. When she was done, she woke up, screamed, took off her pajamas and her diaper and would not let me put on another one. She then proceed to bang her head and feet against the wall and other places, producing blood....when she finally gave up, fell in my arms and fell asleep. This process of sleeping, then screaming continued the whole entire day.

We have come to the end of our long exhausting day, and I just put my screaming child in her crib and let her scream. Then I went back and she was quit. I told her I would stay with her. She just wanted the comfort of having mom around. I sat on the floor next to her crib and sobbed. I kept thinking, "this has been the worst day ever....Yet, one of the greatest."

There is something about being the only one that can comfort your child, that thing that only comes with being a mother. That thing that shows it is the hardest, yet greatest "thing" in the whole world.

Again, I felt an overwhelming love for my little gal and appreciation for her in my life and the role I am to her. I wanted nothing but to remember those feelings, which is what lead me to this point.

I am so happy to be having another little one and pray that I have it in me to give him or her the best possible! I thank my father every day for this gift, for my children...They indeed are the biggest trial and the biggest blessing I will ever know...I believe that is my definition of real love

Chicago Trip Part 1

For the BIG 30, my treat was to go to MY town---CHICAGO!! BEST TRIP EVER! We had so much fun, stayed, in an 4 star hotel for really cheap, saw the sites, and visited amazing people. You can 't go to Chicago without going to GIORDANO"S, my favorite place to eat. Chicago stuffed pizza, and NO it is not that same stuff you can get a Pizza HUT. SO MUCH BETTER! We ate there more than once, of course....if I wasn't pregnant sick, we would have eaten every meal there!

The infamous bean that is new to me....see the skyline of chicago there!

Us at the Bean. So weird, yet fun!

An awesome place for everyone to cool off. Sooo much fun!