James' Family Lines

(the names are blurred out just a little bit. in the real print, they are in black and really easy to see. they look great.)

p.s. if you love these family trees (the circle or the lines) and would like one for your family, contact me. I’ve decided to sell them. They’ll make a great Christmas present and if you contact me soon, I’ll be able to get it to you in time for Christmas.

For the last many weeks, we have had at least two flies living in our house, and I can’t get rid of them. There has also been one living in the car that I always drive, and upon getting in the car that I never drive, I discovered another one.

I was beginning to think they were somehow living in my hair. Gross (they aren’t actually living in my hair though, it’s okay).

The other day, I was in the bathroom getting ready for the day and one was buzzing around my head, driving me crazy. I didn’t have the fly swatter, so I grabbed some tissues. I didn’t actually think that I would get him with a handful of tissues, but I had to try.

He landed on the door frame right at eye level and I looked at him, took and breath, aimed and swatted.

Success. I got him!

I was so proud, I called Bryan to tell him.

Then today, while I was nursing, I saw what I thought was a spider on the bumbo. I called Bryan to kill it and he went into the bathroom and got a tissue. As he was getting the tissue, the “spider” flew off the bumbo. It was the other fly!! Bryan came back and I told him that it was not a spider and a fly and told him to get it anyway.

“I don’t have the fly swatter, I can’t get it,” he said.

“Sure you can, you have some tissue,” I assured him.

“I can’t get it with just tissue. What do you think I am, a ninja?” he responded.

I think since I did get it with just tissue, that officially makes me a ninja. Wahoo!

I’m a ninja.

(sadly however, it was a one time ninja deal. After I finished nursing, I tried to get him and missed. sigh. Oh well.)

Our Wedding Day

Five years seems like such a long time, but it still seems like it was just yesterday that we entered the temple together and made sacred covenants and changed our lives forever.

As I was reading through the Ensign this last week and with the thought in my mind that our anniversary was coming up, I reread Elder Richard G. Scott’s talk from the Sunday afternoon session of this last General Conference, The Eternal Blessings of Marriage. As I read the talk and thought about my own feelings about the blessing that marriage is in my life, I was touched with something he said.

I have no power to describe the peace and serenity that come from the assurance that as I continue to live worthily, I will be able to be with my beloved Jeanene and our children forever beacuse of that sacred ordinance performed with the proper priesthood authority in the house of the Lord.

I echo Elder Scott’s feelings and know that words can’t fully describe how wonderful it is to know that our family can be forever. I feel so thankful to know that I can be with Bryan for all eternity. As we sit together on the couch and talk about the mundane things that happened during the day, I am filled with such a peace and wonder knowing that as we live worthy, these simple yet joyful moments never have to end.

I love Bryan more today than I ever have, and know that our love can continue to grow in the many many more years we will spend together.

The temple sealing has greater meaning as life unfolds. It will help you draw ever closer together and find greater joy and fulfillment.

-Elder Richard G. Scott

(Okay, the 3D image that they showed us did not quite look beautiful, it looked like my baby’s face will be made of oatmeal, but I know he’ll come out beautiful. (I’m not a fan of the 3D images… at least not this early in the pregnancy.))

We are excited. James is going to have a best friend to be with and help him make messes and pull everything out of every drawer in the house. They are going to be the best friends and I’m sure the worst enemies. Now we’ll have two tornadoes crashing through our house instead of just one. I’m sure they’re going to have so much fun together.

While we were in the ultrasound office the tech showed us a lot of different things that I don’t remember seeing with James, so it was pretty cool. She asked if we had any feelings about what gender the baby was and Bryan and I both kind of felt like it would be a girl (the lack of crazy morning sickness had me wondering if a different gender was brewing in my belly). So she stopped and had us look at the screen. “Well, can you tell what it is?” she asked.

I looked and there it was: a little boy.

After she showed us a few more pictures to make sure we were seeing what we thought we were seeing. James was going to have a little brother. Bryan pointed to the screen and told James to look and he looked up and clapped.

It was so cute. I guess he knew all along and is excited for his friend from heaven to come and join him. :)

It’s going to be a great adventure.

We will be going back around week 34 to get another ultrasound to check something on me that could have a possibility of complicating labor, but nothing to worry about.

I was going to dye my hair
a pretty chocolate brown, just for a change

For Christmas, Bryan bought me a Groupon for laser hair removal
so I was going to use it on my legs and never have to shave my legs again

This summer I was going to take a trip to California and visit Six Flags
the last time we went to an amusement park, I was prego with James and couldn’t ride the roller coasters

Bryan and I discussed going to Hawaii in September
there is an SEO conference and it would have been a great excuse to visit a tropical location

I was going to get lots of extra sleep at night
James is finally sleeping longer and longer at night

I was going to start a nice workout routine
getting rid of the nice little baby fat that has found a home on my stomach would have been good

I was going to have our family pictures taken
and not have a fat face

But my plans have changed and I can’t do any of those things now…

Because … I’m pregnant (anyone else watch 16 & Pregnant?)

and couldn’t be happier about it

We are so excited! And yes, this baby was a little bit of a surprise, but a wonderful surprise. I’m due in the middle of September (due dates seem so unexact, so I’m just going to go with a general time when the baby can come) and James and his new sibling will only be 17 months apart.

This pregnancy has been so different than my pregnancy with James. I’m sick, but not even close to as sick… the only time I’ve really had a problem with being sick is while James had some diaper problems — changing his diaper was a race to see if I could finish his diaper before running at full speed into the bathroom. Such good times.  ha ha!

Its a great reason to change plans. And now my plans include convincing someone to bring me some brownies. Anyone?

It’s gone.

I love it.

List: 3 joys, 3 fears, 3 goals, 3 current obsessions/collections, 3 random surprising facts about yourself. Tag 3 people at the end of your post by leaving their names.

JOYS:

• Bryan
• My Family
• The Gospel

FEARS:

• Someone breaking into my house while we’re sleeping
• Sharks
• Not being able to have kids

GOALS:

• Read the Bible cover to cover
• Be a good mom
• Creating a Web site from scratch

CURRENT OBSESSIONS/COLLECTIONS:

• Movies
• Cups
• Shoes

3 RANDOM SURPRISING FACTS:

• I have thought about this one for a while now and can’t think of anything… I guess I’m not a surprising person.  Oh well.

Oh.  Kylee tagged me to.  So I guess since I am in the mood lately to only talk about myself, I do that one too.

A- Attached or Single? Attached
B- Best Friends? Bryan, Mel, My Mom, Rachie, Joseph, My Dad
C- Cake or Pie? Cake — Pie crust gets in the way
D- Day of Choice? Saturday
E- Essential Item? Shampoo
F- Favorite Color? Right now, red
G- Gummy Bears or Worms? Worms — because when you bite them, they grow back
H- Hometown? Orem/Highland
I- Favorite Indulgence? Anything chocolate
J- January or July? Are you kidding me? July
K- Kids? Not yet…
L- Life isn’t complete without? The Gospel
M- Marriage Date? May 19, 2006
N- Night or Morning Person?  Night person
O- Oranges or Apples? Applesauce or orange juice
P-Phobias? sharks
Q-Quote? “Wahoo!”
R- Reasons to smile? There is basically nothing that shouldn’t make you smile
S- Season of choice- Summer
T- Tag 3 people. Melanie and Lindsay (that’s all)
U- Unknown fact about me? My middle toe is longer than my big toe
V- Vegetable or Fruit? Fruit
W- Worst Habit? Hitting Bryan (and Ian)
X- X-ray or Ultrasound? To bizarre, no answer
Y- Your favorite food? Depends on my mood, right now, Ice cream
Z- Zodiac Sign? Libra

Enough about me…  the end

On May 2, my family and I traveled to The Great SaltAir to see visit my older brother (we hadn’t seen him since Oct.) and to see him with his band, The Used, in concert. It was so much fun. We got up to the show early to make sure that we would be able to see the opening acts (Straylight Run). While we were on our way up to Salt Lake though, we listened a little bit to Rob on the radio. Once they got into town his band went to X96 to advertise for the concert later that night. Once at the show, Rob was taking a nap, so we watched the other bands while we waited for him to wake up. Once he woke up, we went behind SaltAir to his bus to see him. It was so great to see him. It had been so long since we had see him. I think he was pretty excited to see us too.

We left him a little while later to give him time to warm up and get ready for his show. Then instead of going back inside and watching from the back of the auditorium, we went in behind the stage and picked a spot to wait for the show to start on the side of the stage. I prefer to be over on the side of the stage because then we aren’t in the middle of the crazy mosh pit. It can get pretty insane in there. Joseph my little brother decided that at this concert he wanted to watch from the mosh pit, so he positioned himself right up front in the center of the crowd. It was pretty crazy. When Rob came out on stage he instantly saw my brother and said into the microphone that he was excited to start the show and to see his brother in the front row.

During the show Rob yelled for everyone who was a fan of The Used to scream. We stood and yelled, to support our brother. While we were yelling, the guitarist, Quinn, saw my dad cheering and stopped Rob. He said, “Bert, I found the biggest Used fan,” and Rob stopped and said, “Who?” Quinn pointed to my dad and Rob stopped and said, “Hey, it’s my dad! Everyone say ‘Hey Ed.’” Then the whole crowd yelled, “Hey Ed!” Rob then stopped for a minute and said, “Let’s have a little moment, let’s bring my mom and dad up on stage.” And so he did. The bouncers helped my mom and dad climb up on the stage. It was actually really cool to see. While on stage he hugged and kissed both of them. My parents and my brother have been through a lot and I think it is so wonderful that he loves them so much and is so close to them and I know how proud of him they are. It’s pretty awesome to see some time. Watch the Video below of my mom and dad’s moments on stage.

Also during the concert, Rob brought a bunch of people up on stage to be his “backup dancers” during one of the songs and he called up my little sister, Rachel. It was so funny. Needless to say, she didn’t really fit in with most of the other people up on that stage. It was pretty entertaining to watch her dance up there. Apparently, she can’t dance very well (neither can the rest of us though). :) I’ll post the video of her dancing later. She’s great.

Anyway. It was an awesome concert. I love my brother so much and I’m so glad that I was able to see him. Here’s some more pictures. Enjoy!

Anyway. The moral of the story is, if everyone puts all the seats of the toilet down then the great debate will be ended and there will be more peace in the world.

And by the way: I thought this picture of the toilet was so funny. You can find more here. People are so creative sometimes.