MY HERO

Where do I start?  Two hours after posting my last post, I noticed lower back pain and cramping.  I thought I was just tired so I took a nap and tried to relax.  All the next day the cramping came and went, but for some reason, it didn't seem to make me worried.  It wasn't until I began spotting and the bleeding that I realized I was miscarrying.  Is that a word?  It wasn't my first but it was still awful.  However, I feel so wrapped up in the Spirit's healing power.  I feel so comforted and blessed to have been able to have children and that I can have more.  My biggest blessing right now is my husband.  WHAT A MAN!  He spent several days basically waiting on me hand and foot.  He did ALL the laundry, including folding it and hanging it up.  He made meals, cleaned the kitchen (over and over), and gave luvies to crying kids.  There is nothing more incredible in this world than a man who knows how to be a DADDY.  He did all this while worrying about work and all the stuff he needed to get done there.  Even though he is under a time crunch, he took time off so I could stay down.  Speaking of work, he works with the most incredible people.  When his co-workers found out what happened, they petitioned HR to give him bereavement leave.  He was given 2 paid days off.   We feel so blessed by the support of those friends around us.

We were lucky to have a nice break for our anniversary.  (It was last month, but this was the first chance we had to celebrate it.)  Our parents took our kids for a night (thank you, thank you, THANK YOU)  and we had an incredible two days to fall in love with each other again.  We had so much fun together.  We saw "Brave" which was AWESOME by the way, went for drives, and got Jason a new bow for his violin.  We then spent time playing music together yesterday while the kids played musical chairs.  Jason is still my best friend and the best part of my life!  He is my hero!  He will change diapers, cook if I don't feel like it, makes cookies almost as good as my mom's, and can organize better than anyone I know. 

While spending so much time in bed-which was a very scary reminiscence of being anemic for all those months a few years ago-I had lots of random thoughts to occupy me.

1. There is an ant colony just outside my laundry room window.  Those ants seem determined to make an ant hill out of my laundry basket.  Are they lazy ants?  They don't want to have to burrow their own hill in the dirt?  They just use the tunnels in the folds of the laundry.  The problem is, it's my goal to see the bottom of the laundry basket every day, even if that mean dumping out all the laundry and then putting it all back.  
2. Rocks.  I dreamed about rocks more than once.  Does anyone want some rocks for landscaping?  Anyone, anyone?
3. I'm a mean mom.  I'm a good mom.  It went back and forth over the last week.  I guess that means I'm a normal mom.  Huh.  I guess I wanted to be wonder woman.
4. My kids are growing up.  They did an awesome job playing together quietly for 3 days.  They made their own lunches and learned how to clean up.  I guess I'm not the only one to learn from this experience.  I hope the education sticks.
5. There are some really weird birds around my neighborhood that make really weird sounds.
6. I missed playing my piano.  I think I take it for granted too often that I even have one.  It relaxes me.

It's time for me to jump back in to real life.  Natalie is naked screaming about her shortened bath and the house is a mess.  I love being a stay at home mom!

Well.  I have about a hundred and fifty-seven blog posts that I need to do.  I don't think I'll ever catch up so I'm going to condense the major points and give it to you straight.  Over the past five years, I think Jason and I have become the King and Queen of life's curve balls.  Our newest and biggest curve ball is that in February our home is going to become a little more crowded.  The world would have me feel anxious and probably guilty for having another child when we're not exactly sure what is going to happen and where we'll be in a year but we feel grateful and joyous to be able to add to our family.  (and a little anxious too, not gonna lie- p.s., how does one survive morning sickness with kids, I forgot?)  Speaking of the kids, they are super excited.  So excited that Jane announced over the pulpit in primary our news.

Father's day.  I failed Father's Day this year.  I developed a sinus infection during the day and that mixed with morning sickness did not make for the most relaxing father's day for Jason.  While he didn't get a nap, I'm ashamed to say that I did.  He changed diapers, helped with the kids, kept Natalie occupied during sacrament meeting, and helped clean the house and do the dishes after dinner.  I DID, however, manage to cook him breakfast, with his new waffle iron, no less.  Jason is seriously the most amazing man.  He is humble and takes every opportunity to let me know he loves me.  One of my favorite things about him is that he is always willing to apologize.  (Even when something is not his fault, just to keep me from feeling bad.)  I think it takes a courageous person to be willing to repent and better oneself.  And Speaking of Jason.  We celebrated 12 years of marriage last month.  Holy cow life is zipping by.  I'm glad to say that we still love doing things together and I still laugh at all of his dumb jokes.

Doesn't he look handsome?  He's been working out.

We've been working hard in the yard trying to get it ready for a sprinkler system.  This yard is full of a ridiculous amount of rocks.  I'm not kidding.  The previous owners had what seems to be a dump truck full of golf ball sized rocks dumped in the front yard.  Seriously.  I am not exaggerating.  After weeks of trying to get rid of them, Jason used the mini bobcat we had to scraped the top 8 inches off the front lawn and piled it up in one big pile.  I think we might just dump it all behind the retaining wall we just built.   I am now accepting donations of flowers and shrubs.  I will pay you in rocks.


We took our own family pictures last month too.  I was going to have my amazing cousin do it (cause I like her stuff) but she had a baby instead SO I took my own.  My stupid hair didn't work and they're blurry.  Whatev.  I got it recorded and we'll redo them later.  Someday.  So here they are, but just so you know, I'm not too proud of them.  (They are unedited of course. )

The reward for "co-operating". 

Posts of the twins' blessing and our trip to AZ to come!!

Family Outings

We took the kids to temple square for family night at hit the spots that we don't normally visit.  Like the south visitors center.  The kids really liked the temple cutout model that shows where things are in the temple and how its all set up.  They loved the fountains too, of course.  I liked that we had the tabernacle all to ourselves for about 5 minutes.

We also took a random walk to up Bridal Veil Falls one evening.