Yay so Friday was such an exciting day! Ryan had his last final for the semester. Now it was time to party! We played all day. We went shopping at the mall for Christmas presents, then came home and got pizza and watched one of my favorite shows Wipeout. I find it so funny! There was a woman who won the $50,000 and she has a 3 month old. That motivated me to enter after the baby comes.
Going out for the evening and posing for my 25 weeks pretty much 26 now.
I had the flu this week :( It was no fun! Sprite was my #1
So this morning I woke up at 9 after going to bed at 10 and still feel that I could sleep a couple more hours. My eyelids on my mission would swell up because I was so tired. Pregnancy has brought back this interesting swelling of the eyelids. Last night I went to bed with swollen eyelids and woke up with them still there. This morning I didn't help the matter by sitting down while eating breakfast and reading an ensign article entitled "The Christmas I remember Best." This story talks of a woman who always wanted to be a mother but once she got married was diagnosed with infertility. She talks of the blessing one Christmas time being called with the news that they were being given a little boy. Of course my swollen eyelids swelled with tears as I sat and read this woman's experience. To read this copy and paste this URL:
Lots of my friends have gone through the battle of infertility for years because of PCOS (Poly Cystic Ovarian Syndrome) or other causes. I too have PCOS and before I got married was worried I would be infertile. I went to the doctor's and they put me on a fertility medication, Metformin, that would help regulate my system without hormones and increase my odds for being fertile. I having being blessed with getting pregnant am still very aware of how lucky I am and my heart continually goes out to those who feel the pain from infertility.
I just want to say to those who have gone through this my heart aches for you. However, I am amazed at the strength you choose to embrace in these difficult times in your life. I know that the Savior walks side by side with these noble woman who have the most righteous desires. If fertility so happens to be a struggle for me in the future I just want to say that you're example and incredible attitudes will lift me up.
The holiday spirit brings about a feeling of rejuvenated excitement for living a little better. I get this determination that I am going to be more thankful this coming year, more dedicated to my study of the scriptures, take the time to love in the moment. I think about one thing I notice from all the great examples in my life that I am most thankful for and that is they always take time to show they love me regardless of how busy they might be.
Life is such a fascinating experience to be apart of! I think of the movie "It's a Wonderful Life" and can't help but think of one of my favorite quotes.
Attitude
"The longer I live the more I realize the importance of attitude on life. Attitude, to me is more important than facts. It is more important than the past, than education, then money, the circumstances, then failures, then successes, then what other people think or say or do. It is more important than appearance, giftedness, or skill. It will make or break a company, a home, a church. The remarkable thing is we have a choice every day regarding the attitude we will embrace for that day. We cannot change our past... we cannot change the fact that people will act in a certain way. We cannot change the inevitable. The only thing we can do is play on the one string we have, and that is our attitude. I am convinced that life is 10% what happens to me and 90% how I react to it."
I have had this quote since I was a teenager and memorized it so I could let it become a little bit more apart of who I am. But the fact is I am grateful for these holiday seasons because it reminds me of what I've wanted to accomplish in this life and what character I want to leave this world with.
So in the dental office you never know what people might say. We've been working on this older woman in her 80's for a couple months now and she's become quiet comfortable around us. We finished seating her bridge today. Her husband came in to help escort her out when she decides to tell us how her and her husband met. She tells this long lengthy story. Then he says well when I knew she was the one was when I took her rafting down the river downtown. We hit some ruff water and I looked back to see if she was ok and her top had come off! He looks at her from head to toe and says WOW! She giggles for an awkward 30 seconds and I'm left thinking,"Don't bust up laughing!!" Then she goes on to explain how the swimwear back when had a t-shirt that went over your swimsuit. She had just lost her t-shirt and now her one-piece swimsuit was all she was left wearing.
Update:
So for thanksgiving Ryan's brother Jordon is driving out from Iowa with his girlfriend. I am so excited to be with family over the holiday! However, I keep dreaming that I burn the turkey. NOt all dreams come true!?!
I also have been having lots of weird dreams... 2 nights ago I was an FBI agent who was saving the world from a nuclear bomber who was on an airport runway. The night before Ryan and I were back at home and the baby had already come. I borrowed my sister-in-law, Jess's stroller, and I made my mother-in-law cry. So random! LOL! The list goes on and on. I get nervous to go to bed because when I'm an FBI agent I wake up with my body sore from tensing up all night and the other mornings I wake up confused!
I have been so excited to post for awhile but our internet has been down. We went in on the 25th of October and found out we're having a girl! :) I am so so excited! I can't wait to have cute little dresses, shoes, headbands, outfits, and most of all to cuddle all the time with her. It still seems surreal because I remember playing house with Kristin, Missy, & Kristy when I was a kid. I still remember Kristy teaching me how to swaddle my little baby doll. It's interesting that as a kid you are so excited to be a mom from the get go. I remember I used to pretend to go grocery shopping, do the dishes, cook, and take care of my baby doll. It's just so interesting how time flies by. When they first started showing us our little girl I'll never forget Ryan's face... he didn't say much but I think it hit him that this was his little girl. It was like the face when I told him we were pregnant. These are the moments to remember! Ryan had guessed our baby was a girl and I had guessed a boy. So I owe him a pumpkin pie this Friday since he was right. She was so active in my stomach I can't believe that I couldn't feel it! I felt her for the first time at 20 weeks. It really was like a butterfly. Crazy! In the ultra sound she was kicking around like she was dancing. She's an active little one. No we don't have a clue what we're going to name her so I'm hoping that we start to have some names we both like.
I also was able to go to VA and see a lot of people again! It was so fun!
Ryan and Craig posing for the camera! :) It was fun to have a mini lesson with Craig and help answer some questions he's been having since he's been a member. I went to downtown Williamsburg and got my chocolate covered Twinkie which I've been missing. We first went to Chesapeake and saw the Stewart Family. They are super strong and are doing great!
Then we weren't able to catch anyone else since we were only there for a couple hours before we went to Newport News and spent that night with the Barkdull Family. We played so many funny games and ate at the Chinese restaurant where Hilary works.
The Hamilton Family were so kind to let us stay all 3 nights there. How nice! They're such an incredibly family! Sunday at Church Bishop Hamilton had me bear my testimony. I don't know why I was so alarmed it's Bishop Hamilton but I guess I haven't been a missionary for a long time. I shared the fellowship of the unashamed which was such a special experience for me and made me long to see Sister Sowards, Moore, Case, Talbot, Dunn, Schorzman, & Stoehr. What incredible woman I had the opportunity to serve with. It was fun to see Cathy after church for lunch. She was like a mother to me on the mission always providing for any need we needed. Rodney I was able to meet the rest of his kids and hear about his temple trip. It was so fun to see Lori Harrell and her family. She was so kind to give Ryan and I a wedding gift that were antique vases representing husband and wife. It made me cry. I just was so overwhelmed with joy to be back and see everyone. The next day we saw Norman and had a fun little study of the word and recommited him to keep fighting to keep the commandments. It was so fun to have my husband there as my companion. I can't wait for us to serve a mission one day together. What joy! We then drove up to downtown Williamsburg and I showed Ryan around then we randomly bumped into an old stealers fan investigator we taught at Hardee's while I was companions with sister Sowards & Moore. It was so funny I ran into him at that same Hardee's. He was shocked I was pregnant. LOL! We went and had some good laughs with the Castro family about how much I loved their food :) LOL. Then we saw the Kelley's and sat down and chatted with them. What a fun trip! I'm glad we went back before the baby so we could see everyone! :)
Update:
Ryan had 7 day crazy diet where he lost 20 pounds and weighed 189 pounds for his air-force weigh in for his scholarship application. They measured him at 6 foot so he could have been 202 pounds. I felt bad for him. But it taught him he can do anything... WOW! I'm just grateful I don't have to worry about him collapsing from lack of nourishment since it's all over with!
I am so proud that my dinners are improving... one : more variety and two : I have some great recipes I've got from my mom! Thank goodness!
Can I just say that I hate the fact that I can't take a picture while driving to work. The scenery is unreal. Imagine a forest of trees that are of a brilliant red, yellow, lime green, and orange with fog covering the tree trunks. It reminds me of a scene in pride and prejudice when Elizabeth is on a walk in the early morning and sees Darcey coming towards her. I remember thinking that the fog was an incredible shot and would have been hard to get. With the humidity here every morning seems to have a BEAUTIFUL fog that settles on the ground. The fog has inspired me to go running in the mornings so I can enjoy the weather.
Fall is my favorite time of year and it always brings good things. One being that I finally got medicaid and got into a doctor :) YAY~ My first appointment was on Tuesday and they told me that I'm 16 weeks and 3 days along. They also told me my real due date is
MARCH 18, 2010
It felt so good to finally feel settled and have a doctor! This is my before I went in to my first doctor appointment. So fun~
And I have a little baby bumb... FUN! I wore stripes so you can see it. Turned sideways isn't as obvious...
Last night Ryan and I were about to start our date night and watch Rio and we heard firetrucks out our door. So we opened the door and there were 3 fire trucks lined up. We walked over to our neighbors house across the street to give them something and got a better look at the apartment they were going into. It looked like there was a gas leak because they were bringing in fans. They didn't stay long. But it was like the fourth of July because everyone was outside watching what was going on. Never a dull moment where we live :)
Update:
This week was my last week full time as a dental assistant and now I'll just be working now part time Wednesday's and Thursday's.
Ryan is still in dental school. And he lets me cut his hair :) This was today's new hair cut
Ryan, Dane, Brad, & Matt (all 1st year dental students) entered the IUPUI's canoe race called the Regada. Only students, staff, and alumni can enter and there were still 152 teams that entered! WOW! It was an all day event today from 9:45-5:00. There were 15 heats. Ryan's team was called the DARTING DRILLERS. They won with a great time of 7:49. Out of all 152 teams only 3 got under 8 minutes for the mile stretch. This race is such a big deal that last year they had 5,000 come. So Ryan's team went on to the championship round. Dane & Ryan were partners and did a GREAT job together! The Championship was a crazy race with 8 teams racing in the tiny canal and it was so congested that it wasn't really about skill but who could avoid the congestion. The darting drillers were sadly placed smack dap in the middle at take off so they placed 6th. However, 6th out of 152 is pretty darn good for there first ever canoe race! It was so so fun to watch! I think I will be quiet the soccer mom with our kids because I was running the whole mile on the side line telling them who was behind them and how far they were in the lead. I might be just as sore as Ryan from running that whole time as he will be from rowing, lol!
We also went to the Rodeo lat weekend and oh my hilarious there speakers were held up by the bucket of the back hoe. SO FUNNY! Needless to say it started off rough but ended with some great bull riders. There were about 10 riders who all did really well!
“Charity suffereth long, and is kind, and envieth not, and is not puffed up, seeketh not her own, is not easily provoked, thinketh no evil, and rejoiceth not in iniquity but rejoiceth in the truth, beareth all things, believeth all things, hopeth all things, endureth all things” (Moroni 7:45; see also 1 Corinthians 13:4-7
I was asked to talk in Church with Ryan on Sunday. Our topic, charity. The talk he gave for me to read is by Elder Marvin J. Ashton "Love Takes Time."
This is an incredible talk that I highly recommend reading! I've found that I've thought about how I can become more charitable these last few weeks. I've noticed others performing loving acts of kindness. In this talk by Elder Ashton I find that love truly takes time to show. I agree with the statement, "Love is not a convenience." I honestly can't help but thinking of my husband the whole time I read this talk. He could be studying 24/7 for dental school but instead he takes time to show that he loves me. He made me dinner yesterday since he got home from school before I got home from work. In the mornings I go down to find that he's got breakfast on the table and my lunch made. It doesn't matter if he's got a big test that day or he's supposed to study. He lives to serve. True love is inconvenient. When your running late to work or are very busy it is our natural instinct to go about are own way without noticing peoples needs around us. The trick to trying to love as Christ loves is ALWAYS giving time for those around us.
He mentions,"We need not weary in well-doing when we understand God's purposes and his children." I think this is true. It's a good statement to take time and self reflect. Do you get tired of well-doing? How can you come to understand God's purposes more fully for all his children all around you? It's almost like you need to change your way of thinking. I heard a RS lesson once from my roommate Marisa Garret and she said something that will stick with me forever. She said, "The morning time take care of your needs, get ready, exercise, plan your day but once you leave your house your day now is for others." Don't take the time to be worried about what you look like during the day because you already had the time for yourself in the morning. Look around you and see who has God put in my path that day that I can love and help?
I think about what a day for parents is like. Great parents live to serve their family. I had a great example of this growing up. My parents would wake up, quickly shower, and start to serve us by going to work, fixing our meals, getting us ready, and taking the time to listen to what we had to say. Fathers and mothers do everything they can to provide for them and teach them. The small things like playing with your children, complimenting them, teaching them, are all very important for a child to feel loved. No wonder why the family is the basic unit of the church. We came here to become like God. What a better teaching opportunity than giving us children to look after and love. The walls of our own homes is the perfect set up to help us develop charity by loving the people in our home.
I am not perfect and definitely know I have a far way to go. I love life because it is here to provide us with opportunities to learn to love. I am SO excited to have this baby, gift from God, come into our lives. This will help me learn more about love :)
I hope we can take the opportunity whatever our circumstance may be and once we are ready for the day forget ourselves.
So Labor Day on Monday was so nice. We were able to stay in bed and watch Chity Chity Bang Bang, which I guess is a classic I had never seen growing up. It is 2 1/2 hours long. Needless to say it took 2 days to finish it. Then we cooked hashbrowns, eggs, and pancakes. :) That afternoon we went to Garfield Park which is so beautiful. I should have taken a picture. It has a beautiful garden, a lot of walking trails, and a fun play ground where we could swing. I love fall! It feels like it right now. I wore a sweat shirt. I love to crunch the leaves as I walk. I guess that's something that you don't grow out of. However, Ryan likes to sleep with the windows open at night so I bundle up like it's winter. LOL! :)
Then we came back home watched Men in Black which we've wanted to watch since our honeymoon at Orlando Florida. We had a BBQ with hamburgers on the grill, corn on the cob, watermelon, and green beans. YUMMY! Yep it was a full holiday with great food, movies, and having fun at the park.
I also forgot to say how much we love our friend Joe and Liz! They had us over for dinner one night and introduced us to some mexican food. This is a sandwich that we made trying to duplicate it but you have refried beans, mexican rice, fried chicken,jalapinos, sour cream, and goodness :)
Ryan had a white coat ceremony where they have all the dental students line up and then announce who they are and where they come from. They then put their professional white coat to welcome them into the school of dentistry. It was pretty fun to think the next time we'll be sitting there that it will be graduation.
We also went to the Colts football game when they played the Redskins. It was so much fun! The stadium is like an airport it's so huge. It was the first NFL game either of us have been too. I got sick, however, from the beer that was around us. But nothing that some good sprite wouldn't fix. It cost $4 though! WOW! It was fun to see John Beck be the QB for the redskins even though the game was that intense.
Update: I LOVE my job! The people I work with are awesome. And I had a fun weekend going to Louisville Kentucky to the temple. What a fun city!
