Taking a Minute... {01.25.2012}

I need to take several minutes to catch up on our family blog. It is a new year and already so much has happened. I'm also going to try to take some time in the next week to catch up on the past couple of months and do some back blogging. So for those of you that follow, keep an eye on that.

We started off the New Year in Colorado with our friends. It was a quiet one this year and we even ended up going to bed before 10:30 PM. We're hoping for a more exciting one next year. The next morning, we had found that our car had been egged...in a new neighborhood. It reminded me of just how very thankful I am to live out in the country on our 5 acre lot. As much as I like having neighbors, its nice not having them only 10 feet away on either side.

While we were away, I got a new calling in our ward. I am now the ward website administrator. So far its been pretty easy but I hope I can find ways to magnify my calling and do a better job.

On the way back to Wyoming, we stopped at the Hot Springs in Thermopolis and swam the entire day. On the way back to Powell we ran out of gas just 7 miles before getting into Meeteetsee, so we had to wait while somebody came to save us. :) A couple days after being home from our trip, our family got sick with the tummy flu. It wasn't a fun week, but we got through it.

On the 15th, Brad headed to Houston for work. He was there the entire week. The kids and I surrounded ourselves with service projects and kept ourselves busy that way. I learned so much that week just by doing service, studying articles from the Ensign and reading from the book "Daughters in my Kingdom", given to all Relief Society sisters. Even though I didn't like having Brad gone at all, it was nice having the opportunity to surround myself with all of the good things Heavenly Father provides us with so that I could work on making myself a better person. And even though Brad is back, I haven't stopped reading and studying.

Brad continues to stay busy with work. He is always working so hard. I hope Weatherford knows just how lucky they are to have him there. He doesn't like travelling so much without us. We're planning on going with him the next time he goes, so hopefully it works out that way. The kids and I love having him home with us. I feel so lucky to have him in my life. I'm glad that he loves me enough to tell me when I need to work on things so that I can become a better person. Heavenly Father knew I would need him in my life. He truly is perfect for me. I can't wait until he comes home to us every night. :)  Every night I give him some kind of a back/head rub/scratch and I know he always enjoys every minute of it.

AimeeLynn still loves going to school. She is not afraid of anybody there and loves to interact with others. Its amazing to me how much she actually learns just from going to school three days a week. I am so lucky to have a little girl that loves to help me make my bed in the mornings. She also loves to help me cook and bake. The week Brad was gone, I was having a hard time the first day. She heard and saw me weeping, came up to me and said "It's okay mom. Daddy will come back, he's just at work right now." I love her. I think she could tell how lonely I had been feeling that week because every day, several times a day, she would tell me that she was my best friend. Since Brad has been back, she's only told me that a couple of times. :)

Hyrum has recently started being screened by the CRC staff. So far it looks and sounds like he'll have the same problems as Aimee and will be starting speech therapy later this year. Despite having speech problems,  he is very active, just like Aimee was. He is always reminding us to have prayers before each and every meal. The week Brad was gone, we went to Grandma Betty's house every night for dinner. And every night before eating, he would quietly fold his arms and look at each one of us to see if we would catch on. I think Grandma liked having a 20 month old reminding us all to say our prayers before we eat. :)

I recently learned how to knook. It is a mix of knitting and crocheting. I really like it and am currently working on a purple scarf for my little girl. (Her favorite color is purple. :)  On the 27th of December, we received confirmation from the radiologist that we will definitely be having another LITTLE BOY added to our family this coming May. As each week goes by, I've been feeling him move more and more. Brad was finally able to feel his movements last week for the first time and was excited about it. Aimee felt his movements just yesterday for the first time and was SO excited. :)  I loved watching her face light up with every kick her little brother gave her! In the past week I have also been experiencing some excruciating back pain. The pain is in the same exact spot that I had it with Hyrum as well. It gets so bad, it wakes me up from my sleep. It used to be that I could sleep on my right side and always find relief that way. Lately, no matter which side I lay on, I can get no relief. I went to the chiropractor Monday to try and get it adjusted. He said that even though the pain is in the same exact spot, I have more problems than I did before. My left hip bone, sacrum, pelvic bone, and the socket to the left hip bone are all misaligned. With each pregnancy its just pretty much going to get worse and worse. There's not much the chiropractor could do right now. He said that too much adjusting isn't good. I can feel that the pain is worse this pregnancy than with my previous ones. Brad and I talked about it Monday evening and decided that if it really doesn't get any better, my body might only be able to handle one more pregnancy, if we decide to on another one later. We don't feel its worth permanently ruining my back for. Anyway, besides the bad back pain and cold I have this week, everything seems to be going really well.

We had the missionaries over for a discussion last night, which we really enjoyed. And today, Brad told me, "You make for a very pretty pregnant lady." :)  Oh how I love my Bradley!

P.S. I seem to have misplaced my camera battery charger, so until then I won't have very many pictures. I think one of my kids must've taken it out of my suitcase while we were in Washington for Thanksgiving break. I haven't seen it since then. I am currently in the process of getting another one ordered. :)  So hopefully it won't be too much longer before I have pictures again.