My Dad's 60th Birthday

My daddy in the early 1950s.

Yesterday was my daddy's 60th birthday. Brad, the kids, and I called him up on the phone last night to sing Happy Birthday to him. It was nice hearing the happiness in his voice after we sang to him. I miss him and the rest of my family in California.

I have always loved and admired my father. He has always been a fine example of faith, high morals, values, and unworldliness, which were all qualities I wanted to develop growing up. Whenever I thought about the man I wanted to marry I would always immediately think of my father.

My dad was an active part of my life growing up. He never failed to spend quality time with my sisters and I, and I have lots of fond memories of him playing with us and teaching us music and chess. He rarely ever raised his voice at anyone in our family, and he rarely became impatient with us. I admired the way he would remain calm when he disciplined us, which often calmed us down during the process. I appreciate the time he took to teach us gospel principles and to share his testimony with us.

Happy Birthday, Daddy! I love you!

My daddy on his wedding day in 1978.

My daddy in 1980, right after I was born.

My daddy in 1999 when Susie graduated from Young Womens.

My daddy at Rachel's wedding
October 2008.

My Testimony

My ward is currently putting together a collection of testimonies from the Relief Society sisters this month. After writing out my testimony and emailing it to the enrichment sisters, I felt the desire to record my testimony in my blog as well. I want my family to know that I indeed have a testimony of the truthfulness of the gospel, and that the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints is very important to me.

I was raised in a gospel-enriched environment. My parents were both adult converts to the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints and had developed very strong testimonies before I was born. My sisters and I constantly felt the love of the gospel in our home, mainly because my parents never took the church for granted.

The gospel seemed to be the theme of my home-life all throughout my childhood years. We had family prayer every day, we read scriptures together, we had Family Home Evening every Monday night, we visited the temple often, we never skipped church, and we always kept the Sabbath day holy. Unlike my parents, I basically learned to take the gospel for granted while I was growing up, mainly because it was always there for me whether I wanted it to be there or not.

I relied on my parents’ testimonies for much of my early years and did not feel too strongly about the church. Things began to change for me, however, once I hit my teenage years. When I was about 14 years old, my stake made a goal to read the entire Book of Mormon within a year. I did not think much of it at first, so I did not decide to read it until the very last moment. My motivation was not purely inspired or wholesome: I had a crush on a guy who had already read the B of M a few times, and I wanted to impress him, so I began reading immediately without stopping.

Despite my true motivation behind achieving the goal, reading the Book of Mormon for the first time was a real eye-opener for me. I felt in my heart that it was true, and I decided right then and there that I would continue to make the gospel a central part of my life. I made the choice to go to seminary all four years, to earn my Young Women recognition, to have high standards, to read the Book of Mormon regularly, and to always stay active in the church whether I was “feeling it” or not. My testimony continued to grow in little small leaps and bounds the more I committed to make myself better.

I carried my determination to live a clean, pure life when I entered young adulthood. Although I had good, strong intentions to choose the right, Satan knew my weaknesses and how to influence me to let my standards fall. I began down the sliding slopes of temptation, and during those times of sin and transgression I felt the Spirit withdraw from my life. At one point I felt I had hit rock bottom. My self-esteem was shot, and I felt lost and confused. It was extremely hard for me to believe in the power of the Atonement and that Heavenly Father could still love me despite all of the horrible things I had done. Luckily, I had been attending Institute regularly at that difficult time, and in my heart I knew I had to repent and put my trust in the Lord.

Repentance was the key to strengthening my testimony. During that difficult time of change, the Spirit bore witness to me that my Heavenly Father did indeed know me and had forgiven me for my mistakes. I felt the Spirit return to my life, and in consequence I received many remarkable blessings that I know Heavenly Father had been waiting to bestow upon me for a long time.

I know without any doubt that Heavenly Father hears and answers prayers. I know that the Atonement is real, and that Jesus Christ suffered for our sins so that we have the opportunity to repent and become a little better each day. I know that Jesus Christ is our Savior, and that he is the only Begotten Son of God. I believe in the restored gospel. I know that Joseph Smith was a true prophet of God and that our current prophet, Thomas S. Monson, is also a true prophet. I know the Book of Mormon is true. I know these things because I have felt the Spirit witness the truth to my heart. I know that my Heavenly Father loves me.

We Love Our Doggy

The other day I downloaded a bunch of pictures off our digital camera and realized that more than half of the photos had our dog, Rosie in them. As I was glancing through the pictures I immediately began thinking how much our family loves our dog. Sure, Rosie can be a huge handful at times, but overall we love having our clutsy, goofy, over-sized poodle in our home. She brings energy, laughter, and love into our lives, and we love spending time with her.

Here are a few photos of Rosie with her family in January:

The Battle of the Bacon

My number one nemesis during the first few months of my pregnancy was Bacon. The smell of Bacon, the sight of Bacon, even the very thought of Bacon made me want to hurl every single time I encountered it.

It puzzled me that no one in my house seemed to share my passionate dislike for this evil food. Nearly every day the awful, lingering smell of Bacon would slither its way through the house, mocking me and daring me to exterminate it, and no one besides me seemed to mind. On the contrary, my mother-in-law as well as my step-daughter formed an alliance with this sworn enemy of mine, and in consequence I was forced to retreat to my bedroom every time a BLT sandwich was made. Sitting in my room only worked half the time, because unlike some other revolting smells, Bacon knew how to sneak its way through the cracks in my door, finding me alone and helpless inside.

The worst part about my battle with the Bacon was the way the smell would linger and stay in the house for hours and hours. If I needed to use the restroom an hour or two later, the smell of Bacon would still be hovering in my hallway, waiting to torment me and ambush my room. It truly was an evil food.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

The good news is that my first trimester is over and I'm halfway through my second trimester. Bacon and I are finally beginning the slow process of healing and acceptance. Today when my mother-in-law made a BLT sandwich I surprisingly did not rush to close my door. I even found myself walking into the kitchen afterwards, looking for a snack to eat. Perhaps Bacon was not nearly as bad as I thought it once was. Maybe I will learn to like it again.

Chili Pepper is a...

GIRL!

Our little Chili Pepper is currently 21 weeks along and she's doing fine. I'm so thrilled that she's a girl! I can't wait to start buying cute little pink dresses and other girly things. I am very excited!

The Highlight of my Day: January 2009

My favorite photo of the month.

Something good happens each day. Here's what happened in January:

January 1, 2009: We had a marvelous time at the bowling alley today-- a family tradition for New Years Day. After bowling we went to the Harman's house for food and games. In the evening we went to Bruce and Loralee's house to visit with them, too. It was a very fun-packed day!

January 2, 2009: Today was Brandon's birthday, so we drove over to the Bruce-Clan house and the kids got to spend time with their cousins.

January 3, 2009: Today Brad and I did some shopping together. We bought Scott and Emma new books and Susie a late Christmas present.

January 4, 2009: I loved toasting in front of the fireplace with Bradley and the kids tonight. Fires on cold, frosty days seem to make everything cozier and brighter. It was a very cold day today.

January 5, 2009: Brad and I taught Scott and Emma how to play "Herd Your Horses" for FHE tonight. It was a long game! Scott ended up winning.

January 6, 2009: I picked up Scott and Emma from school early today to take Scott to his orthodontist appointment. Scott and Emma were so happy to see me they covered my face with kisses and told me how much they loved me. Made me feel great.

January 7, 2009: It was nice having Wednesday lunches with my inlaws again. Today was the first time in two weeks.

January 8, 2009: Brad and I went to my third prenatal appointment today. It was nice hearing Chili Pepper's heartbeat again, and knowing that he or she is growing fine. I am relieved every time I go.

January 9, 2009: Brad's team won their basketball game! Hooray! Oh, and I'm reading a wonderful book called "The Magicians and Mrs. Quent." It's a really, really good book!

January 10, 2009: I love our Saturday drives to Eagle Mountain. Truthfully, at first I thought I would hate them, but now I actually love the scenic drive and spending more time with my Bradley. Plus, the kids always provide lots of entertainment on the way home.

January 11, 2009: I felt very spiritually fed coming home from church today! I've missed not going to church for the full three hours. It was nice going back.

January 12, 2009: For FHE tonight we learned about being spiritually prepared. I found a great lesson online, and it turned out wonderfully! Everyone appreciated it and learned from it.

January 13, 2009: Tonight was library night! I am anxious to start reading the third book in The Inheritance series.

January 14, 2009: Lunch at Red Lobster. Mmmmm! My appetite is returning.

January 15, 2009: I can feel Chili Pepper moving now! Just barely. Feels like little fluttering butterfly wings.

January 16, 2009: Brad and I went on our date to a "Build a Celestial Marriage" institute class. It was fabulous! We're going to keep on going!

January 17, 2009: Today Brad and I went to the YW basketball practice at our church building. Brad got to help teach the girls new skills. It was fun watching!

January 18, 2009: I liked the lesson in Young Womens today. It was on being a daughter of god. The topic was a good reminder of who I am and my individual worth.

January 19, 2009: I love waking up in the morning with Bradley snuggling next to me. He makes me feel so beautiful, even when I know I look crappy. I LOVE HIM!

January 20, 2009: Obama became the 44th President of the United States today! He is such an amazing speaker. I hope and pray that he will make good and wise choices during his time in office.

January 21, 2009: I got in contact with my old dear friend, Anissa! I loved hearing from her again.

January 22, 2009: Emma and I went on a date to an Achievement Day activity tonight at the church. Emma passed off three projects and got her first charm on her bracelet. She was extremely enthusiastic about that.

January 23, 2009: Brad got off of work early today and brought home $100 in cash from Del Sol! He took Margaret and I out to lunch to celebrate. I love having him home early!

January 24, 2009: Brad took me shopping today for some more maturnity clothes. I got a really cute top, a couple of pairs of nice new jeans, and some lotion. 'Twas really nice.

January 25, 2009: Brad and I watched "The Sound of Music" with Emma this evening. Scott didn't think he would like it, so he hid in his room until the second half. Then he seemed to like it, so he stayed and watched the ending. Emma loved it!

January 26, 2009: I think it's cute the way Scott and Emma argue who I get to sing to at bedtime. Tonight was Emma's turn, and she picked two new songs that she learned from me: "The Five Little Pumpkins" and "5 Little Ducks." She loves those songs!

January 27, 2009: Marcie and I went out tonight to pick up Young Women baby pictures and letters from their parents. I thought the baby photos were ADORABLE! I've got babies on the brain right now.

January 28, 2009: My baby's kicks keep getting stronger and stronger! I love lying on my bed and feeling Chili Pepper's acrobatic moves. So sweet!

January 29, 2009: Rachel called me up on the phone and asked me for some marriage advice. I loved talking to her and sharing input on one of my favorite topics. :) I love being a big sister-- and a wife.

January 30, 2009: Brad and I went on a double date with Bruce and Loralee to our marriage class tonight. It was FUN! The topic was on communication.

January 31, 2009: Brad figured out what was wrong with our car!!! The best part was he only spent a dollar to fix it. So awesome!!!

Pregnancy Brain

I am currently suffering symptoms of Pregnancy Brain, so beware of the stuff that comes out of my mouth! For example, the word "psycho" doesn't mean the same thing as "psychic." Logically, I know this for a fact, but my tongue doesn't seem to understand the difference, so when I say "I must be psycho," I really mean "I must be psychic," even though the first statement may be closer to the truth. I also understand the difference between the words "mediator" and "meteor." When I told Brad that "you can see mediators in the sky in August," I really meant meteors, not mediators. And I am perfectly aware that we are celebrating "President's Day" on February 16th, and not "Pregnancy Day," even though my silly tongue seems to prefer the latter. Whatever! My tongue seems to have a mind of its own.

30 Pound Mark

I'm not even trying to lose weight right now, due to being 18 weeks pregnant, but since my appetite changed so dramatically during the first trimester, and even in the second trimester, my body is continuing to lose weight from before I got pregnant. It's seems pretty odd, because I can tell my tummy is growing, but every time I go on the scale I weigh less. It worries me sometimes, but at the same time I am happy as well, since I was so afraid I would gain a zillion pounds when I got pregnant. I spoke to my doctor about it and he said not to worry because the baby is growing fine. So I'm focusing on the positive side. It will be a heck of a lot easier losing weight after the baby comes!

Weight Loss Statistics:
Lost before Pregnancy- 18 pounds (lost 20, gained 2 back)
Lost during Pregnancy- 12 pounds
Total Weight Lost- 30 pounds
My Original Goal- 85 pounds
Pounds to Go-55 pounds

I suspect to gain weight as my pregnant belly continues to expand, but I'm hopeful that whatever I gain will be easier to come off, since I'm already at a good start. We'll see. It's not my number one priority right now, since I need to eat enough to keep my body and Chili Pepper happy.

Remembering the Holidays

I have been very behind on my blogging these last few weeks, so I thought today would be a good day to at least attempt writing a post. The holidays have come and gone, but the memories are still fresh in my mind and are worth sharing for posterity sake.

Here are a few of my holiday memories from Christmas 2008 and New Years Day:

The four of us woke up to a winter wonderland outside our windows on Christmas morning. The record breaking snowfall kept coming down all during the day and continued into the night. It was gorgeous peeking out the windows ever so often to see the white flakes descending from the sky. It was so beautiful and relaxing.

My hair was a mess on Christmas morning. I wanted to take a shower really quick before we opened presents, and so I did, but that was all I had time to do. Family members had different ideas about waiting for me to brush and blow-dry my hair, to make myself look pretty, so I gave in to the pressure and went to open presents looking like a mess. Oh well! SMILE!

Little Emma-Roo never ceases to surprise me. She asked Santa for the most unusual assortment of Christmas gifts this year. She asked for a nutcracker, rubber duckies, a scarf, and a gumball machine with real gumballs. Santa must have thought she was an extra good girl this year, because she got everything on her Christmas list. She was thrilled! "Santa knew just want I wanted," she exclaimed happily when she opened up the big white box from Santa.

I love how the simplest things make Emma spill over with joy. She's so cute!

Emma also received a Del Sol plush cat (the paws change color in the sun), and her very own picture collage with photographs of some of her favorite people from her daddy and me. She was thrilled! She also got play dough and a book from her grandma, a blue scarf and doll from her Great Aunt Laurie, and striped leg warmers from her Great Grandma Strabel.

Scott did not really have a Christmas list this year. He told us he wanted gifts from three categories: Legos, video games, and action figures. Well, Santa had other ideas for Scott this year. Santa must have known that Scott had also been hankering for his very own CD player for a while, so he could listen to John Williams music all day without having to use his dad's speakers. So, Scott got his very own boom box and first John Williams CD. He was thrilled!

Scott did, however, get other gifts from his daddy and me that were closer to what he asked for. He inherited a large classic Star Wars Lego set that used to belong to his daddy a long time ago, along with several Star Wars action figures that his daddy collected in years past. He also received a few new Indiana Jones action figures to add to his collection.

Brad was a brilliant gift-giver this year! He got me a really cute board game that I never heard of before called "Herd your Horses."

Oops! I mean Santa got me the board game. Brad got me a really nice set of DVDs that he knew I would LOVE: "Prince Caspian," the BBC version of "Sense and Sensibility," "Spirit," and one of our favorite musicals, "Meet Me in St. Louis." Lovely! He also bought me a Mormon trivial card came, which we played later in the afternoon.

The "Herd Your Horses" game turned out to be a great hit, by-the-way, especially amongst the kids. It's easy to play and very entertaining, especially if you like horses, like me. I love horses.

Brad got a brand new sixty piece socket set from Santa this year, as well as the treasured Jimmy Stewart movie, "It's a Wonderful Life."

I got Brad "The Dark Knight," two new books by M. Scott Peck, and long underwear with new socks. Isn't he lucky? At first I didn't know what he would think about the long underwear, because I hated it when my mother gave me stuff like that for Christmas. But Brad loved it.

Christmas day itself was a wonderful day. We all got new pajamas on Christmas Eve and wore them Christmas morning. Brad made us a wonderful Christmas breakfast, which included sausage, pancakes, eggs, potatoes, and orange juice. YUMMY!

The best part of Christmas was getting together with family and loved ones. All of Brad's siblings came over with all of their kids, so we had a huge household of people-- about 23 people in all, most of them children. Aunt Marian came with Uncle Gordon in the afternoon as well.

Scott and Emma had to leave a little after lunchtime to drive 45+ minutes in the snow to Eagle Mountain to visit their biological mother for the second half of Christmas. Brad asked his brother John to drive them in his big jeep so we wouldn't have to drive our little car in the snow. That worked out perfectly. I lucked out and got to stay at home-- nice and warm with all of the family. It was lovely! But still, it is hard having to part with Scott and Emma on Christmas day every year.

The day after Christmas looked like this:

It had snowed so much! I loved how pretty it was. Brad got right to work and unburied our car and shoveled the sidewalks. After he came back inside the house, we noticed that our electricity went out. We did not think too much of it, because the electricity kept going off and on Christmas day, but it never stayed off for more than five minutes. We soon discovered that on this particular day things were different. The power did not come back on.

We did not have electricity for more than SIX HOURS! Having no power meant that we also had no heat, so Brad made a big fire in our fireplace to keep us warm. Brad and I stayed huddled together in the dining room for most of the afternoon, playing "Herd Your Horses" by the fire and lighting candles so we could have better lighting. It turned out to be quite a lovely afternoon despite the circumstances, and Brad and I enjoyed spending alone time together.

NEW YEARS DAY:

Every year on New Years Day our family goes bowling. It's an old family tradition on Brad's side of the family. After bowling we then go over to Aunt Marian's and Uncle Gordon's house for food and games. Here are some pictures of us at the bowling alley:

Hooray! That was my first time breaking 100! I did surprisingly well. Emma in particular did a spectacular job, beating Scott for the entire game. Brad and I are surprised by her skill, especially since she seems to have a natural knack for curving the ball as it goes down the lane, often times diving smack into the middle of the pins. She's quite impressive, even though both she and Scott still use bumpers. I personally think they do not need bumpers any more, especially Emma. Most of the time her ball did not even lean toward the gutters.

Overall, our entire family had a wonderful New Years and Christmas Day. Life has been going well for our family.

The Highlight of my Day: December 2008

Something good happens each day. Here's what happened in December:

December 1, 2008: Tonight we talked about Christmas traditions with Scott and Emma. The kids have lots of good ideas of what we can do each year!

December 2, 2008: I didn't barf at all today! Hooray!!! And I was able to eat all my dinner, plus seconds, without feeling sick afterwards.

December 3, 2008: Bradley and I had a break from the kids again today. It was nice spending alone time together.

December 4, 2008: We got our piano tuned today! It sounds wonderful now!

December 5, 2008: My sister Susie and my mother flew in from CA to visit me this weekend! I am so thrilled to have them here.

December 6, 2008: Emma was baptized today! We had an absolutely wonderful day. We had a party after the baptism, and we went to Wheeler Farm and Temple Square. It was fun!

December 7, 2008: I was well enough to go to church today! HOORAY!!! And my mommy and Susie came with me. I loved being with them.

December 8, 2008: We had a small snow storm today! It's a winter wonderland outside. SO PRETTY!

December 9, 2008: Brad and I went Christmas shopping for the kids.

December 10, 2008: I went to lunch today with Amanda and Margaret at Applebees. I had a huge salad and I was able to eat it all without getting sick! :)

December 11, 2008: I went to my second prenatal appointment today. I saw my baby kick his or her legs on the ultrasound. So cute and amazing!

December 12, 2008: We had a house full of children tonight. It was nice having everyone over, especially for Scott and Emma. They love their cousins.

December 13, 2008: The snowfall was so pretty today! The snow came down hard and covered our lawn in a thick white blanket.

December 14, 2008: Emma made me laugh hysterically today when she attempted to eat icicles off the bottom of the car. ICKY!

December 15, 2008: Tonight for FHE I read "The Hot Cocoa" story to Scott and Emma, which Emma seemed to enjoy the most. We drank hot chocolate afterwards.

December 16, 2008: This morning Brad and I woke up early to make raspberry muffins together. They were so yummy!

December 17, 2008: I went to lunch with Margaret, Amanda, Charlotte and Aksel, Bruce and Loralee. We went to Applebees and I ordered yummy orange chicken.

December 18, 2008: Margaret and I went to Scott and Emma's school to watch them sing in the Christmas program. They were so cute!

December 19, 2008: I had a nice, relaxing Friday evening alone with my sweetheart.

December 20, 2008: Brad bought me a full sized spiral Hymn book at the Distribution Center today, so I can play Christmas songs on the piano during the holiday season.

December 21, 2008: I enjoyed the Christmas program at church today. In YWs, we ate popcorn balls and read Christmas stories. It was nice.

December 22, 2008: Brad didn't have work today! I took advantage of having the car and went shopping by myself. I drove for the first time in a snow storm! It really wasn't too bad.

December 23, 2008: We watched "Horton Hears a Who" today, after we finished doing chores. It was nice being all together as a family.

December 24, 2008: We did a lot of traditional things today, including having a large Christmas Eve dinner with family and reading Christmas stories. Right before bed, our family opened up 1 present each, all of which were new pajamas.

December 25, 2008: We had a wonderful Christmas! I loved being with family today, and getting lots of fun Christmas presents. Brad got me a whole bunch of DVDs that I really wanted! It was so cool!

December 26, 2008: The power went out today, so Brad and I spent most of the afternoon playing my new board game "Herd Your Horses" in the dining room next to the fireplace. In the evening we went to the Bruce and Loralee's house to watch "Prince Caspian" with them.

December 27, 2008: My all time highlight of the day was seeing the looks on Scott's and Emma's faces when they saw me at Smith's Grocery Store. Priceless! Other than that, Brad and I went to Walmart today and bought me full size body pillows for me to sleep with at night. They are so comfy!

December 28, 2008: I liked getting emails from my aunts and sister today. I liked hearing how their Christmases were, and hear what's going on in their lives. It's great keeping in touch with them.

December 29, 2008: Today was a rather depressing day, but I'm trying to focus on good things and not the bad, so the highlight of my day was cuddling with my sick hubby and trying to help him feel better. I liked feeling needed.

December 30, 2008: Once again, it was sweet cuddling with my hubby while he wiped away my tears. Even though I was feeling sad, it helped me knowing that he loved me and cared for me.

December 31, 2008: We have a houseful of children tonight! Actually, we only have four, but it's more than we've had all week since Scott and Emma were gone for 6 days. They stayed up late to welcome the New Year while Brad and I tried to go to sleep.